Last week, sickness made its way through my house. My daughter brought home a stomach bug from school, my wife caught it, and soon enough, it hit me. Luckily, my symptoms were mild—just the sniffles and body aches, but they came at the worst time. Sugarbush was about to host one of its busiest weekends: a Saturday outing, our first-ever Night Golf event, a full-course outing on Sunday, and a PGA Junior Match.
On top of that, I was in charge of the food. Brisket, ribs, salmon, and a southern-style collard greens special.
Long hours in the kitchen
Wednesday was trimming, seasoning, and prep—six hours of cutting silver skin, rubbing briskets, and dry-curing salmon. Thursday stretched into eleven hours. I loaded the ovens with ribs, salmon, and briskets while keeping up with office work. The Tylenol kept my head clear enough, but every step felt heavier than usual.
Still, everything came together. Meat smoked slow, salmon held steady, and collard greens were ready to debut.
Teaching collard greens, Sugarbush style
Before heading out for a cart run, I showed the kitchen staff how to cook collard greens in under an hour:
- Tear stems, rip leaves into pieces.
- Render a pound of bacon with onions.
- Add greens, cover with chicken stock, season with soy, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.
By the time we returned, the pot was finished. A small mistake—the thermometer was accidentally set to Celsius, so the meat reheated hotter than planned, but the final result still hit 8 out of 10.
A southern plate in Michigan
Saturday at 5 PM, we served brisket, ribs, salmon, and collard greens to a full dining room. Guests were impressed. The food was hearty, smoky, and fresh, exactly the kind of dinner that sets the stage for a night on the course.
Through body aches and long hours, the food came out right. BBQ carried the night, collard greens surprised the crowd, and our first Night Golf event had a table worth remembering.
Takeaway
Even sick days can cook into something good if you trust the process and share the table.