In 1997 one of our local friends approached
me and asked if we (our Hare Krsna community) would like to take
part in the yearly Stokes Stomp. Without even asking what the Stomp
was, I answered yes because it sounded like a nice opportunity to
meet people.
Upon inquiry I found out it was a festival along the Dan River,
just a few miles from our community, where the locals take part
in an hour long, down-home parade the first day. (In the first years
we took part with lively harinams/chanting parties and even the
oxen led the way a couple of times). On both days of the Stomp weekend,
vendors sell their hand-crafted items, listen to live blue grass
music and eat funnel cakes and numerous unmentionables. And they
have a children’s area. Because many of the locals had already
become accustomed to some of our cooking, we were specifically asked
to set up a food booth. My husband, Sivananda prabhu, and I purchased
everything to jump start the program and from the profits each year
we would purchase more things that were needed. Now everything goes
through our ISKCON temple, which is a non-profit organization.
After careful thought, we decided upon pakoras (batter-fried vegies)
and tomato chutney (a sweet and spicy sauce or dip), all to be freshly
prepared. Actually, for the first couple of years, we brought all
the ingredients out to the booth and made the chutney and cut up
the vegies for the pakoras on the spot. It didn’t take long
to see how much work that was, so we decided from then on to prepare
whatever we could ahead of time. And this year we expanded a bit:
Abhirama Sakha and Syama Gauri and family joined us from Charlotte
with their homemade, on-the-spot samosas, which did very well. Also,
Michael Terry surprised us with some new cooking utensils, which
made things much easier.
I must say that at first people were a bit afraid to try something
different so we put out little samples of pakoras for people to
try (which we still do). I figured that even if people didn’t
buy them, they would at least have had prasadam (pure vegetarian
food cooked with devotion and offered to Lord Krsna). Well, much
to our surprise, the people loved both the pakoras and tomato chutney!
Deep red sauce, made with fresh tomatoes, lavished on chunks of
vegies, which had been dipped in a delicious batter and deep-fried
in ghee. Wow! Just by seeing people walking around and eating pakoras,
others are attracted to come to come and get some (and often there
are lines of people waiting to purchase them). No question –
their fragrance and appetizing appearance is a real draw to the
booth.
People are fascinated watching how we fry the pakoras in ghee (clarified
butter), especially in such large woks – and they have become
addicted to our tomato chutney, which we now sell in separate jars,
along with dry batter and instructions on what to do to make pakoras.
People tell me they wait all year long to get our food and that
it’s the only thing they’ll eat at the Stomp, that it’s
the best food. One year a woman came to the booth and said she wanted
some of whatever we were selling. I understood that she didn’t
know what pakoras were and asked if she’d like to try a sample.
Her answer was no – she explained that when she had gotten
out of her car in the parking lot, she smelled something wonderful
and had just followed her nose! One young woman told us that she
loved the chutney so much that she had a dream about eating it!
And another girl told us that the chutney was so good that she could
just put it in a cup and drink it through a straw all day! And an
older gentleman, who asked what we had (and we always give an explanation
of what everything is) kept saying, “Pak a roze? Pak a roze?”,
which gave us something to remember and laugh about through the
years.
So many stories, appreciations and new friends that it spurred
us to continue on each year. It has now been 20 years since our
first Stokes Stomp. Those who have helped through the years know
who they are and how much they are appreciated, for without them,
the pakoras and chutney would not happen!
The following is a poem I spontaneously wrote after the Stomp this
year, accompanied by some pictures. I had so much fun writing the
poem that I want to share it with all of you. It is to be recited
with a good beat (maybe there’s a name for it but I don’t
know what it is) and a heavy Southern accent. That’s what
makes it fun! Hare Krsna. MadanMohanMohini dasi
THE AFTER THE STOKES STOMP POEM 2017
This mornin’ when I got up and rolled outta
bed,
I was a feelin’ so sore and a mighty dead.
I thought I’d lost my mind, it was all in
my head,
‘Cause everythin’ looked like it was
tomata red!
It was chutney and pakoras to them people we all
fed,
They loved ‘em all, that’s what everybody
said!
Saturday’s nice weather, but so few was a
comin’
We was all a bit bored and a little bit bummin’.
Sunday was so good, so we was a hummin’
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna to the sound of the drummin’.
Now I really don’t know if we made much money,
But Prabhupada said, the money is the honey!
The chutney was a good and not very runny
And we laughed a lot – it was all very funny!
To ya’ all who helped I give a great big thanks
For a workin’ so hard on them river banks.
For a cookin’ and a sellin’ late into
the night
And a cleanin’ and a scrubbin’ –
you were outta sight!
Thanks for your help, here’s appreciation
You helped me so much I don’t need a vacation!
So to say it all, here’s my summation -
We’re all a feelin’ - prasadam elation!
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