TAILGATE! TAILGATE! TAILGATE!

At the northernmost outpost of the 

Bulldog Nation

 The Flag is out and will stay out 

( I am writing this post game )

  

 Pre Game.

This table cloth is OLD, and I washed it today, 

very gently - Some of the stains were, I bet , from the Dooley era...

•  Pimento Cheese Sandwiches
• Deviled Eggs
• Tomatoes w/ Basil Oil
• Watermelon/Feta Salad 
• Cole Slaw
• Chips
• Slow Cooker BBQ

slow cooker bbq

 The classic tailgate dish, and so easy to do - makes the house smell wonderful all morning - you just have to get it in early...

watermelon and feta salad

 I LOVED this, I don't think Neil was as wild about it. Loved the combination of tastes and the coolness of the fruit - a great addition to a still hot tailgate.
It is sort of Nigella Lawson's recipe, but I did not follow it 100%, so just use as a guide. The red onions soaked in lime juice are GREAT , and could be used for so many things....

• 1 small red onion
• 4 limes
• 3.31 lb watermelon (sweet and ripe)
• 8.83 oz feta cheese
• 1 bunch fresh italian parsley
• 1 bunch fresh mint (chopped)
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ⅔ cup pitted black olives
• black pepper

1. Peel and halve the red onion and cut into very fine half-moons and put in a small bowl to steep with the lime juice, to bring out the transparent pinkness in the onions and diminish their rasp. Two limes' worth should do it, but you can find the fruits disappointingly dried up and barren when you cut them in half, in which case add more.
2. Remove the rind and pips from the watermelon, and cut into approximately 4cm / 1½ inch triangular chunks, if that makes sense (maths is not my strong point). Cut the feta into similar sized pieces and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl. Tear off sprigs of parsley so that it is used like a salad leaf, rather than a garnish, and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.
3. Tip the now glowingly puce onions, along with their pink juices over the salad in the bowl, add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don't lose their shape. Add a good grinding of black pepper and taste to see whether the dressing needs more lime. Hava Negila! The taste of Tel Aviv sunshine!

tomatoes w/ basil oil

Again for a late summer tailgate, just perfect and easy as can be, a hand full of basil in the blender, one small clove of garlic ( I did add a little parsley, because I had some , but you don't have too )  - a little water if it won't blend and pour over seasoned fresh tomato slices ! Summer come to Football!

Fresh Peach Dumplings

 The very Winder desert w/ apples made with fresh peaches. You know it, butter sugar and a can of Sprite or Mt. Dew poured over crescent roll covered fruit. I did cut WAY back on the sugar - like less than half of it - my peaches were perfectly ripe and very sweet, not like when you make it with a tart apple, and covered the tops with cinnamon... always yummy