good friday food

For as long as I can remember, and you probably can too, we would always have salt fish, ground provisions and dumplings on Good Friday. Over the years corn or potato dumpling/pone and vegetables have been added to the menu. Some folks even had corn soup with pig tail or corn beef. Good Friday is tomorrow and I am sure you have stocked up on saltfish or boneless cod, mackerel or smoke herring (soaking),green bananas, and sweet potatoes. Because cooking is not my best skill I leave that to the experts. Today I called my BFF and asked what she intended to cook. She was unsure about the potato dumpling because she didn’t have any grape leaves as the ones she had seen were too small. She doesn’t like cooking the conkie dumpling in foil or the other options. So to ensure there are dumplings on Friday, I volunteered to go driving around Anguilla scoping out grape trees to see which ones have big leaves. On Good Friday, my food comes from several good cooks. Valentine delivers in time for early breakfast, the annual potluck 2 arrives about 9, and Monica brings the platter that lasts for a week, early afternoon.  Thereafter I am summoned by Leona to pick up my plate.  At some point Owen drops off the eggplant lasagna while Ingrid will send Humphrey to bring a piping hot dish. Of course Lisette want to exchange but like Ann and Aphy never miss an opportunity to bring food no matter how late.  By sundown I would have 7-8 differently prepared saltfish plates, be completely sated with a refrigerator of food sufficient to last the next week and a half. But for the most part I would be grateful and thankful for all my considerate and doting friends that make sure I have Good Friday food. May your friends be as generously kind to you as mine are to me.

 Collard greens,stewed eggplant,smoked herring,tomato and boiled egg