Summer is in full swing now and with it you can expect the same happenings. There's baseball, county fairs, fresh sweet corn on the cob and tomatoes to name a few. Also to usually take place during the summer months are family reunions.

My family reunion was this past weekend at the Mason Family Farm. The reunion is typically a two day affair consisting of a wiener roast Saturday night and the standard reunion. This year I went to the Sunday shindig having prior commitments on Saturday.

I love family reunion food because you can always expect the same standards with some new items to try. There will always be fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and homemade noodles. On the dessert table one can expect a couple kinds of cakes and pies. We always have my great aunts blackberry cobbler. It is flat out the best in the world. I'd be willing to bet on it.

As for the new this year I noticed to different rice concoctions. One had mushrooms and was a light brown in color. The other had cheese and broccoli in it. There was a cheesy potato casserole with those fried onions you buy in a can on top. Add some sort of chicken spaghetti dish and the onslaught of pasta salads that I never touch and we had a real feast.

Being as I can never decide what to take to these kinds of things until the last minute, this year I had my offering planned a week early. Having planted my first ever garden this year with a friend, we decided we wanted some cabbage. Our heads are nowhere near the size of the one shown at the fairgrounds, but having never grown them, I must say that I am really proud of how they turned out. So this year I took cabbage and sausage. I cannot ever remember it being offered before and with my family's English and Irish background I figured it would be a hit. I'm not so sure it was. Now that I think about it, mostly men ate it. Oh well. Better luck next year.

I wonder what I will make.

If you have any questions about any food or restaurant topic feel free to contact me at mattmason628@sbcglobal.net