I want to start out being perfectly clear about one thing. I am a Georgia Bulldog fan first and foremost, through and through. I didn't spend 4 years in Athens, 3 of them shared with Herschel Walker, witness to a national championship season for nothing. No matter HOW BAD the season gets, I am still a fan. Even if the unimaginable happened and the Bulldogs lost their first 3 conference games, I'd still be a fan--not that THAT would ever happen!
But these days, my September Saturdays (and October and November) are mostly spent in the Loveliest Village on the Plains. And I don't really mind so much. I was raised by an Auburn man, married an Auburn man, and am currently helping put an Auburn man through college, so I have many parts of my heart that linger there already. My dad never liked the crowds much at football games, but I can remember raking leaves alongside him on crisp fall Saturdays, a transistor radio at his side listening to an Auburn football game. I remember him explaining to me the difficult SEC puzzlement of how a team can claim to be "the Tigers" and have a battle cry of "War Eagle." And when it came time for me to choose a college, I was 99% committed to UGA, but I had my SAT scores sent to Auburn just because. So I can with a clear conscience don my best orange and navy garb and cheer wildly for the Auburn Tigers for 11 out of 12 games each year. (I do make sure Paul and any other Auburn fan who will listen know that human beings would never willingly put those colors together in their wardrobe were it not for college football, unlike the pleasing combination of red and black.)
What would college football be without tailgating, the lovely tradition that turns a college campus into a sea of folding tables, decorated in orange and blue and spread with the most amazing tableaus of edible wonders? Folks load up their SUVs and trucks and trailers and haul their grills and smokers, generators, big screen TVs, tents and chairs and coolers and make a full day of feasting and fellowship as important a part of the festivities as what happens on the field. Well, no matter how good the pork spareribs are, it won't really ease the blow of a stinging loss to an able opponent, but it will blunt the pain a tiny bit! So the food is important. It needs to be tasty, easy to eat from your lap while sitting in a folding chair, and there needs to be lots of it. One never knows how many friends may drop by for a little visiting, prognosticating and noshing. (Let's be honest, there's a little drinking in the mix, too.)
Here is my menu from this past Saturday, where the food was good, the company was great and the 35-27 win over South Carolina was icing on the proverbial cake. (We like to see Steve Spurrier toss his visor in disgust--another proud SEC tradition!)
Menu
Brie and Grana Padana Cheeses with Mini Bread Toasts
Seedless Black Grapes
Mixed Nuts
Grilled Chicken Wings
(recipe follows)
Grilled Conecuh Sausage
Homemade Pickle Relish
Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Dill
(recipe follows)
Orzo and Veggie Salad
Zapps Potato Chips
Chocolate Chunk Cookies
4 pounds chicken wings
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon smoked kosher salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 bottle Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing Sauce
1. If wings are whole, separate the drumette and remove and discard wing tip.
2. Mix together kosher salt, smoked salt, paprika, ground pepper and cayenne pepper.
3. Toss chicken wings and drumettes with salt mixture.
4. Put wings in a large plastic bag and pour in the wing sauce. I double bag this because wings have sharp edges and a cooler mixed with chicken juice and hot sauce would not make for happy tailgating.
5. Refrigerate or pack in cooler until ready to grill.
6. Grill over hot coals or gas grill until meat is tender, skin is brown and meat starts to separate from the bone.
7. Can serve with blue cheese dressing, but make sure you put your "refrigerate only" bottle of dressing in the cooler and not in the sack with the non-perishables. I speak from very recent experience!
Potato Salad with Sour Cream and Dill
2 pounds small red skin potatoes (the smallest you can find)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed
3 green onions, finely chopped (save some of the dark green part for garnish)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1. Cut smallest potatoes in half and large potatoes in quarters. Boil until fork tender but not pulpy. Drain well.
2. Mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, dill weed, green onions, salt and pepper.
3. Put potatoes in a medium bowl and pour dressing over the potatoes. Toss lightly without breaking potatoes.
4. Sprinkle with reserved dark green onion slices for garnish.
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