Rocking At The Cove

The last concert of the Saturday summer concerts at The Cove featured the band Off The Record.  We arrived early before the parking lot was full.  Since we where bringing a picnic with table and chairs, I didn't want to be parking in the overflow.  It would have been just that much farther to carry our load.  As the band was setting up, so where we.  The evening was a cool 70' and it was only 6 pm, meaning it cooled down considerably by the time it was over.  Stone, who never gets cold, was a little chilled by the end.  We began with a Murray's Gouda with Mediterranean Herbs and crackers as The Cove began to get crowded.  Shannon made a good choice with this cheese. It was buttery and tart with the tomatoes, olives, mediterranean seasonings and a bit of garlic.

As soon as Stone and I arrived, I quickly put on a wrap due to the chilly temperatures.

This was the first time Sid and Shannon had been to The Cove for a concert.  Something tells me this want be their last.  

As the band played, numerous boats anchored to hear the music.

They played a mixture of rock and swing.

This was my second time to make this salad.  My sister-in-law, Stacy, introduced it to me about a year and a half ago.  Why it took me so long to make it is a puzzle.  It is sooooo yummy, and easy to make. No cooking required.  Everyone loves it.  Its even better made the day before so the flavors blend, as many stated in the reviews. Just do not add the chips until ready to serve.  Well, it's a Paula Dean recipe. That alone tells you it will be good.  I did make two little changes this time I prepared it.  One change was  half mayonnaise and half yogurt which cut out a few calories without compromising the wonderfulness of this salad.  The other, I used Fiesta Blend Cheese, which turned out to be a great alternative. The jalapeño peppers in the cheese gave it a nice little kick.

Corn Salad

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 (15 ounce) cans whole kernel corn, drained

2 cups Fiesta Blend Cheese (shredded sharp cheddar, pepper jack cheese, pasteurized process cheese food with jalapeño peppers and spices.)

1/2 cup Hellmanns mayonaise

1/2 Chobani greek yogurt (plain) non-fat, you could use non-fat sour cream.

1 cup green bell pepper, chopped finely

1/2 cup red onion, chopped finely

1 (10 1/2 ounce) bag Fritoes chili cheese corn chips.

Combine first five ingredients together and chill in refrigerator.  Just before serving stir in corn chips.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.food.com/recipe/paula-deens-corn-salad-230035

My friend Karen makes this heavenly tenderloin and gave me the recipe.  It's easy, but oh so good, with lots of flavor.  I marinated it overnight. Stone threw it on the grill right before we left for our picnic.  I let it sit for 10 minutes, sliced, and packed it to keep it warm.  I took some stone ground mustard, mayonnaise, Hawaiian rolls. We made ourselves some little sliders.  Yum, Yum, Yum!!!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Ingredients:
Pork Tenderloin
1/2 cup Dales Marinade
1/4 cup Allegro Marinade

Pork Tenderloin Instruction:
Place the pork tenderloin in a plastic zip lock bag and pour in Dales and Allegro marinade, marinading for 8 hours or overnight.  Turn every so often.  Grill at medium temperature for 25-30 minutes per pound turning every 5 minutes until internal temperature reaches 145'-150'.  Let rest five minutes before slicing.

Shannon made this summery treat for our picnic at The Cove.  This easy, tasty recipe was the perfect ending to our meal.  Being outside, the whipping cream didn't hold up very well, but that didn't stop us from digging in.

Shannon's Blueberry Pie

2 pints of blueberries
1 graham cracker crumb pie crust
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4 Tablespoons cornstarch
zest of 1 lemon
Whipping Cream (optional)

Boil 1 cup of blueberries, sugar, water and cornstarch.  Cook until dark blue in color and thick.  Add zest from one lemon and remaining berries then pour into pie crust.  Refrigerate.
Top with whipping cream if desired.

http://www.outdoorknoxville.com/places/parks/west/concord-park