Selma Friday started at 6:30pm Thursday evening when a great crew of folks showed up to prep. New volunteers Lynda Cole, Paul Malboeuf, Kim Bayer and Mindy Matice joined in the fun with regulars Susie Baity Stearns, Garin Fons and Shana Kimball. Chef Aaron Lindell kept everyone busy slicing mushrooms and ramps, washing hoop house greens, chopping asparagus and making hard boiled eggs for his sauce gribiche. This group was way, way something great! Even with a long list of things to do, there was still time to share a bottle of wine, nibble on snacks and discuss news about the latest local happenings.
6am Friday, Aaron and the morning volunteers showed up with plenty of time to have a waffle and a cup of Roos Roast coffee or Arbor Teas tea before the early birds arrived to eat at 6:30. Jim Wessel Walker, a Selma Friday regular for breakfast stepped up to serve for the first time and did an awesome job. Garin and Matt Burton rounded out the waffle station and serving, and Susie Baity Stearns, all dressed up for work, finished her breakfast, wandered over to the sink and washed dishes! Luckily, Nevon Clark took over dish duty in time for Susie to get to work. Just as things were getting busy, another Selma Fridays’ chef Max Sussman appeared to help Aaron keep the magic happening. And happen it did. These guys are ooh and ahh inspiring.
With two specials it was hard to choose. The mushroomy, ramp and goat cheese filled turnover in a buttery crust, served with roasted asparagus, sauce gribiche and hoop house greens was rich, warm and satisfying with a wonderful mixture of flavors including fresh herbs, mustard, capers and Zingerman’s goat cheese.
The second choice, bacon corn bread with the same sides was a perfect alternative. The honey infused cornbread was dense and moist, with the salty taste of house-cured bacon a nice balance.
The waffles were served with apples two ways–one with fresh ginger, the other mixed with rhubarb from a lovely garden in Chelsea. Several folks remarked that they were used to eating rhubarb super sugared up, and they discovered that the rhubarb with the apples was a wonderful alternative.
Apples were the fruit in the yogurt granola parfaits this week too. We’re looking forward to the summer season when we have lots of other fruits to choose from, but until then, we’ll keep finding delicious ways to use our apples!
This is the first week we used cloth napkins instead of throw-away (composted) paper. We are all pleased about the change. Thanks so much to Nick and Carisa Wilder for donating their large and colorful collection of wedding napkins to Selma.
All in all it was another great week for Selma - friends sharing fabulous food, interesting conversation and good laughs, all while supporting the local food economy.