Gene Barbieri, RIP

Today was the funeral for a well-respected and well-liked resident of Big Timber.

Gene Barbieri (1948 - 2011) was quite active in the Big Timber Saturday farmers market. In the photo above he is standing at the table of The Berry Bandit (delicious peach and chokecherry jams and syrups) at the 2009 market.

In previous years, Gene sold flavored vinegars and an assortment of homegrown vegetables. His carrots were sweet and fresh, and Big Timber residents could often buy his cherry tomatoes (sweet as gumdrops) and small, flavorful peppers at the IGA.

Gene will be missed in Big Timber, and especially at the farmers market. But no doubt he is already busy growing something in his little plot in heaven.

Happy Easter!

St. Paddy's dinner -- pies!

Since at least the 1950s, St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Big Timber has been serving a community dinner on St. Patrick's Day. The menu has pretty much remained the same, almost everything made by church members -- and all you can eat for (this year anyway) $9:

ham

baked potatoes

green bean casserole

coleslaw

green salad

rolls

pie

Lots of pie!

This year I made two sour cream apple pies.

There were so many pies that I brought a whole one back home with me. This was fine with me. The recipe I used has lots and lots of apples and only enough sour cream to hold them together.

I liked being at the dinner because all the church members were enthusiastically serving and dressed in festive green.

Jackie, the smiling hostess, was elegant in a floor-length suit.

A tip to anyone new to Montana, or passing through: check the local paper, or ask local people, to find out if any of the churches are serving dinner that night. Most churches hold a fund-raiser during the year, often more than one. Look for bake sales and stores giving away cookies for a special event, too. In small-town Montana, those cookies are usually home baked.

If you're lucky, wherever you go, homemade food will be waiting for you just around the corner.