The towns of Buckland and Shelburne are inextricably linked. They share a border, an eponymous elementary school and, of course, the “mythical” village of Shelburne Falls.
But there is another, more delicious link between these West County communities: These people can cook!
Why hit one church supper when there are two? On successive weekends, Shelburne and Buckland, respectively, host meals that rival each other in quality. The best part (other than the food)? There is no scheduling conflict. It’s perfectly acceptable to attend both, as was happily discovered this month.
The Second Saturday Supper in Shelburne is a real community event. While the members of the First Congregational Church in that town have a hand in preparing and promoting the supper, the proceeds often benefit other groups in town.
The November meal was hosted and served by members of Boy Scout Troop 15, which has been active in town for more than 80 years. While their parents were in the kitchen, the boys were out front in the dining room of the Fellowship Hall on Little Mohawk Road. In full uniform, the Scouts were our waiters and hosts for the evening.
The meal on this night was perfect for chilly November. Roast pork was accompanied by mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, butternut squash and some fabulous honey-wheat rolls that were lightly sprinkled with sesame seeds.
The green beans appeared to be from someone’s garden (definitely not from a can) and those rolls … Served with real butter and just warm enough, the rolls had a welcome texture and an oh-so-slightly sweet taste. They were just yummy.
For dessert, we were served a perfectly sized portion of apple crisp with a petite scoop of vanilla ice cream. The crisp was not cloyingly sweet — the tart of the apples was front and center, and the ice cream was a lovely complement without taking over.
There were about 75 of us in attendance that evening (including longtime local journalist Ralph Gordon and his lovely wife).
Remember to bring a few extra dollars beyond the $12 ticket price ($6 for children 10 and under) to get a couple raffle tickets. The hot prize on this evening was a gift certificate for the next supper to be held on Saturday, Dec. 10. That meal will be a Holiday Ham Buffet to benefit the Johnson Clan Relay for Life team.
While at the Shelburne supper, there was a table-wide discussion of where to eat next week. The consensus was clear — the Mary Lyon Church in Buckland had everyone’s vote. But instead of a supper, this was a once-a-year smorgasbord luncheon.
I was intrigued.
So on a crystal clear (and unseasonably warm) Saturday afternoon, it was off to Buckland and the Mary Lyon Church’s Silver Bell Bazaar. In addition to the crafts and baked goods for sale, there was that luncheon buffet. For $12, it was an all-you-can-eat spread that had to be seen to be believed.
Chowder, turkey with stuffing, roast beef, scalloped potatoes, cold vegetables, hot vegetables, pasta, meatballs … It was church food nirvana. For those of us who like a spoonful of this and a small scoop of that, it was a pretty perfect way to have lunch.
Half of the hall was set up for the bazaar, and the other half was filled with tables for diners. There was a steady stream of folks stopping by to eat and shop (in that order, it seemed). Served buffet style from steam trays, the food was plentiful. It was another example of, if you leave hungry, it’s your own fault.
In New England, the dish is known as American Chop Suey. My Midwestern family grew up calling it Johnny Marzetti. The legend is that the dish — macaroni, tomato sauce, ground beef and cheese — was invented by the owners of Marzetti’s Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio, as a ready dish to have on hand to feed the hungry students at nearby Ohio State University (Marzetti’s Salad Dressings started at the same restaurant). Whatever you call it, the Mary Lyon Church version was some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Seconds were in order (not ashamed to admit it).
Advice for those adding this to their planner for next year — go early, just to make sure you get a slice of the chocolate cream pie. While all the pies looked delicious — the coconut cream was sublime — the chocolate cream was requested again and again. But, alas, the last slice had been served by 12:30. Duly noted.
Vi Scott was in charge of selling tickets. A member of the church, she was a face of the meal, making sure everyone felt welcome and knew about all the upcoming suppers.
“Third Saturday,” she reminded. “We’d love to see you again.”