Sunday, what a scorcher of a day! Earlier forecasts of a dismal weekend were soon put to rest once the +30 degree weather arrived. A small group of hopeful beach goers headed down to Cherry Hill Beach Sunday afternoon. In typical South Shore fashion, the weather by the coast was a good 10 degrees cooler than inland and the ocean much colder than that. A brisk onshore breeze didn't help matters either. A few were lucky enough to have wet suits so the rest of us were content to enjoy the sunny afternoon and watch the others frolick in the small wind waves. I don't think anyone was sad when they had to leave for the supper, both due to hunger and the temperature.
I was anticipating the usual hordes that accompany the Conquerall Banks planked halibut supper, but when we arrived the parking lot was somewhat sparsely filled with the usual domestic automobiles that populate these events. I am aware of at least one other supper that was happening on the same day that possibly drew numbers away from this event. And I'm sure many people were enjoying the hot weather at home or at the cottage, either way, missing this supper was their loss!
There was an uncharacteristicly brief wait after we purchased our tickets and amazingly, our large group was able to sit together! Our meal followed shortly thereafter, served up by some very hot and sweaty volunteers. To say that the hall was muggy would be the understatement of the year. A 21 degree afternoon down by the beach turned out to be a 31 degree day further inland! I can only imagine the heat in the kitchen with sinks full of hot dish water, and food cooking on the stove(s).
Supper was as amazing as I recalled from previous years. The mashed potatoes were 'potato-y' and perfect, the coleslaw was home made and a welcome side dish to the plate. An obviously home grown tomato and decoratively sliced cucumber graced the edge of our plates, if only there were more of them to nibble on, they were delish! Pickles were notably absent from the table, apparently a popular item at this supper. And the halibut, what can I say that hasn't been said before? Amazing, some found it a bit dry, but I enjoyed the meaty consistency. I can only imagine how hard it is to time the cooking of that much fish outside, in front of a fire. Given the circumstances, hail to the chef!
It was fun to be around a group of younger folks at the supper, as we took in the surroundings and chuckled at some of the 'fixtures' (love the brand name of the air cleaner) and let the local 'flavour' sink in...All in all, a great day for all, by all accounts. Hopefully the turn out was sufficient to raise funds for the Conquerall Banks Fire Department. Big thanks go out to all who helped put on this event!
