Tuesday, October 27, 2009 was the 2nd Annual Potato Festival. It was a grand gathering of the villagers. We all met around the village round table and were dressed in our finest. We used words such as “wilt thou passeth thy potato salad?” and “this grub is delightful! Thou art an amazing chef.”

Actually! It was a little less formal than that. Everyone came in what they were wearing that day, and the food…wow, the food was delicious! There were meatballs, and soup, potato salad, fries, akutaq, cupcakes and some Mexican dish. I had no idea some of those foods could be made using potatoes; you couldn’t even tell the difference in taste!

Thinking back to when it all began, spending that chilly afternoon picking the darn things. Getting out to bond with one another was wonderful! However, freezing our fingers was much less enjoyable. I have to wonder how some of these potatoes got their names. Port Alsworth potatoes are understandable. (They come from Port Alsworth, duh.) Then there are those called French Fingerlings…seriously? How do you even come up with a name like that anyway? (No offense to the human being who did name them.) They are pretty cool potatoes, just not very big.

Anyway, back to the potluck. All who attended enjoyed great food and great company. There were giggles, laughs, blood and tears, but no one had to be medically evacuated so it was a good day. Oh! More exciting news; we have less than a year to look forward to the next potato festival!