Owners of the Chuckwagon Cafe in Hermiston are celebrating 41 years of serving their homestyle food with a Dutch oven Cook-Off on Sept. 24.
The event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot of the cafe, off Highway 395. The cafe is owned by the mother-daughter duo, Dorothy Beason and Cathy Stolz.
The cook-off is open to all amateur cooks. Registration fee is $10 per team and allows them to enter as many dishes as they have Dutch ovens.
Good smells will begin to drift on the morning air when contestants light their briquettes about 9:30 a.m.
The ladies are hoping for a good turnout because the only judges are the people who buy a tasting plate for $4 and mosey down cook's row, sampling each dish as they go. Judging begins at noon and prizes will be awarded right after the votes are counted.
Top prize is the People's Choice Award of $100, while the runner-up gets a $50 Chuckwagon Cafe gift certificate.
The Hermiston Boy Scout Troop No. 679 and the Umatilla High School's cheer squad will have concession stands. The Scouts will also be selling Dutch oven fruit cobblers.
At 10:30 a.m. The Buttercreek Boys will play a selection of toe-tapping tunes. At 11:30 a.m. the 30-Minute, 30-Item Auction begins with a variety of merchandise and services donated by Hermiston merchants. Proceeds go to the Scouts and UHS boys and girls track teams.
For more information, call the cafe, afternoons and evenings, at 541-567-6329. Or go to www.chuckwagoncafe.net.
The Chuckwagon Cafe is at 81027 N. Highway 395, Hermiston, about two miles north of town.
Herb club meets
The Tri-Cities Herb Club meets at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Mid-Columbia Libraries on Union Street in Kennewick. The program will be on preserving herbs and indoor herb gardens so come prepared to share different ways to preserve herbs and a sample of your choice of herb, if possible.
The herb of the month is hemp, presented by Ann Roberts. Refreshments and herbal teas will be available.
For more information, call Charlotte Schneebeck, 627-6282.
New read
The book: The Big Book of Home Cooking from the Gooseberry Patch.
Cost: $30
Best for: Over 450 time-tested recipes for parties, potlucks and family dinners collected from home cooks. Included are family stories and tip boxes with cooking and entertaining ideas.
*Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com. To receive a recipe via e-mail each Tuesday register at tricityherald.com and click on newsletters.
