We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
It's been said that northern states celebrate summer better than its southern counterparts. Long winters and cool springs make Northerners antsy to get the grill out and start cooking. For many, school gets out just before Memorial Day and immediately the family heads out on a little getaway.
Families and friends will continue to find reasons to 'getaway' for the weekend, heading out as early Friday afternoon as they can and coming back as late Sunday afternoon. Locally, campers will often head to Beaver Creek or Fresno Reservoir. Some will head to Sleeping Buffalo or go west to Whitefish and Kalispell.
These excursions will take place nearly every weekend until Labor Day the first weekend of September which follows the first week of school being back in session. For those who can't getaway for the weekend, some will host large gatherings at their home to get that little break they need.
When gatherings of more than one family are involved, each family is usually responsible for certain items. When it comes to the food each family will be responsible for a main dish or a side or a dessert and often times request are made because everyone in the group really likes this dish or that.
I asked around to determine what 'has' to be included for a proper get together and here in Utah the consensus was 'Steaks on the Traeger and Peach Cobbler made with fresh Georgia Peaches'. Others were pretty simple saying they just required Hot Dogs/Hamburgers and maybe a fresh salad.
Kendall Harwood stated, "Smoked ribs in an oil barrel. I love being in the forest playing camping games and getting all the smells of a meal cooking for 6 hours. When it comes time to eat the anticipation makes the meal so much tastier." When asked about a side dish Harwood wanted "Fried Rice, Egg Rolls and Asian Wings." For dessert, "Root Beer Float". Our own Reporter Steve Edwards was pretty simple, "Can't have a summer get together without Hot Dogs!"
Community 'Get Togethers' are always fun and feature a Buffett style serving line. These large gatherings often attract several hundred people, start in the afternoon and wrap up in the early evening. The menu at these events often includes Hamburgers, Hot Dogs a variety of salads and desserts and some unique dishes usually makes its way to the serving table.
In the past the Blaine County Journal has run recipes for our readers to have and hopefully make themselves. These columns seemed to be well received so I thought this was the perfect time to do so again. I reached out to Ginger Hansen and Mark and Betty Billmayer for three wonderful recipes that are sure to make your get together great!
Ginger says her recipe is "Cool and Refreshing" while Mark says, "I have never served my Stuffed Burgers to anyone who didn't like them." Betty describes her salad as, "It's a light and refreshing salad and we can usually get good strawberries during the summer. It's also an attractive dish with the bright colors."
