Ask anyone who has been around the SouthCoast for a while. They will tell you the perfect kale soup includes big leafy swatches of its namesake, soft chunks of potato and crumbly slices of chorizo. Then again, some might tell you it needs beef, bone marrow and a bay leaf to impart a dark, rustic overtone to the dish. To some, chowder has to be thick and rich, something that sticks to your ribs. Others argue the flavor should be light and brisk, perfect for dipping in soft chunks of spongy bread.
Whatever your flavor, the First Congregational Church of Marion had their Second Annual Chowder and Kale Soup dinner on Saturday, March 31, and with about a dozen featured soups on hand, there was something for everybody. The line-up of crockpots housed seven different kinds of chowder and four varieties of kale soup, all created by members of the church.
The dinner, which also featured wine and an appetizer table stocked with everything from shrimp cocktail, guacamole dip, and crackers with cheese, drew a bigger audience this year.
“This event is put on by the Church Life and Fellowship Committee,” said church member Sally Sleeper. “Last year we had 56 people and this year we know 70 are coming.”
The fundraiser, organized over the course of a few months, takes the whole committee to put together.
“We fine tuned it a bit this year, but it was still a lot of work. There are 12 people on the committee and everybody chips in,” Sleeper said.
Karen Maglio, who has been a member of the church for nine years, always comes to the church’s social events.
“I’ve made a lot of friends since coming here. Everybody in this church is so nice,” she said. Maglio had her sights set on sampling the evening’s selection of chowder.
The church’s resident culinary expert, Gene Dalgewicz was on hand, featuring his new, experimental recipe for kale soup.
“This is a blend of some recipes I found, as far as the core ingredients go. But I wanted to try it with a tomato base and I added some of my own ideas,” he said.
All in all, the evening was a warm and welcoming time, offering members of the church and their guests a time for socialization and fellowship. Proceeds from the ticket sales will go to fund other events organized by the Fellowship Committee.
Given the success of this year’s soup dinner, next year’s will no doubt attract even more soup makers and soup eaters. Church member Arnold Briggs attended last year and was quite excited to come again this time around.
“Kale soup is a good, hearty food,” he said. “There’s nothing like finishing off the winter with a nice, hot kale soup.”
By Eric Tripoli
Very well written article. The descriptions make me want some kale soup right this minute!