LAURINBURG — Those who have been looking for Shirley’s Goodies famous collard sandwiches don’t have to look further than Saturday’s John Blue Cotton Festival.
At this year’s LaurelFest, many might have been looking for the stand, but due to family health issues they were unable to be there. But the vendor will continue on the tradition of being out at Saturday’s festival as they know many come out just to get a plate.
“People love collards, but it’s another thing to cook them and cook them right,” said Patsy Delk. “A lot of the older generations stopped teaching their children how to make them and a lot of people who try to make them say they don’t taste right … but my mom has been cooking them since she was a kid and that’s what everyone always wants us to bring to family reunions.”
The family-run vendor is only seen at festivals, starting when Delk’s mother Shirley needed an expensive hearing aid, but it didn’t stop there.
“We started this because my mom was going deaf, so we had to buy her an expensive hearing aid,” said Patsy Delk. “We thought it would be a one and done, but we had so many people telling us they were the best collards they had ever had — or they tasted just like their grandparents had made them — so we decided to keep going.”
Now all of the proceeds go to her mother to help pay for bills and to give her extra money to have. Delk added that they used to go to several different festivals across the area but it became too much work as it takes a month to prepare for just one day of sales.
The ingredients are also all fresh with special ordered fatback, North Carolina cornmeal and fresh not frozen collards. Delk said that it’s these things along with the cooking of it is why so many people come to them for their collards.
Besides collards, fried green tomatoes also used to be sold but this year they’re focusing just on collard sandwiches. But there will be homemade Chow Chow and squash pickles made by Shirley that can be purchased.
“We’ll let you try some if you want to decide for yourself without having to buy a plate,” Delk said. “I had one guy try them then get in line to buy himself a plate, then come back later and buy another plate and one for his wife.”
The John Blue Cotton Festival will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and is celebrating its 36th anniversary.
Reach Katelin Gandee at 910-506-3171 or at [email protected]
