DAM DOG SOCIETY "FALL DOG"

It was time to break out the black iron for the Fall D.O.G. gathering hosted by Rich & Linda Pitts of Richmond, California. Those of you who are not in the know, D.O.G. is the acronym for Dutch Oven Gathering. What a gathering it was. This article is being written from my semi-permanent office on the couch. My prone position is caused by massive food consumption. When one attends a D.O.G. one must, experience, enjoy and to fully appreciate and celebrate dutch oven cooking, sample each and every dish prepared. We would like to share a couple of images with you.

The 'Dam Dog Society' which is the 'Northern California International Dutch Oven Society' chapter, started preparing for this event several months ago. We met at the local Elks club to draw numbered charcoals to determine what dish each member would bring. The categories were broken down into; Main dish, Starch, and Dessert. We passed around a box with charcoals which had a number painted on. Yours truly drew starch. I ended up making a potato dish that consisted of Yukon golds, russets, red onions that were topped with a bread crumb and Parmesan topping.

Rich & Linda have a lovely backyard which we set up camp. There is a huge metal table that is transported to each D.O.G gathering. This custom metal table is perfect to accept lit charcoals and heavy dutch ovens with out catastrophic damage to the backyard. Several pop-up tents were erected to provide shade. Today was very warm with the temperatures in the 80's. With all the black iron being heated by burning charcoal this arena was very toasty. Lot's of snacks and beverages were available to prepare for the feast. Ms. Goofy said she overdid the snacks because this was her first official D.O.G. She did not realize how much food was to come.

The dinner bell was planned to ring at 4:00 o'clock. With all the different dishes being prepared this was a challenge. Shortly after four Mark started the feeding frenzy by announcing several club business items. The serving was very informal. We grabbed a plate and went to town. I will not do justice to all the descriptions of the dishes but will give a brief list. Pulled pork, deep fried Indian bread for tacos, several varieties of baked potatoes, a marinated German beef dish, several cobblers, lava cake, sweet potatoes, rice melody, stuffed bell pepers, bacon wrapped asparagus, beans, chili,beef stew, and so much more. All I can truly say is WOW

What a great day. Whenever a group of like minded people gather, socialize and eat, makes for a special and fun time. To fully appreciate a D.O.G. over indulgence may be a hazard. Oh the price we pay for having a fantastic time. We cannot wait for the next event.