Taste of Maine Tent Relishes in New Vendor

Food and the folk festival go hand in hand. From ethnic food, regional specialties and traditional festival favorites. There's something for everyone.

Adrienne Bennett caught up with one chef who has a few recipes worth relishing over.

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John "Jack" Kelley: "I make cajun pickles, b and b pickles, hot relish, zucchini relish, I make about 20 different jams and jellies."

Gourmet pickles and relish are what he does best.

His name is John Kelley, but his nickname Jack has stuck, literally to his labels.

The bread and butter of the business are pickles, but his recipes are far from ordinary.

Jack: "Probably my most famous product is called Toe Jam.

Adrienne Bennett: "That doesn't sound appetizing!?

Jack: "No, it doesn't. It's a joke, plus it also tastes good. Short for tomato, it's got horseradish, black pepper cayenne so it's a little spicy."

Jack has been a chef for more than 30 years- cooking and canning you could say came naturally.

Jack: "As a kid I remember going into my grandmother's root cellar and looking at all the things that she had prepared and it just fascinated me - that probably got me into the canning."

"what's your favorite?"

Jack: "I use a lot of the Not Relish, but I also like a rhubarb one that I make it's orange rhubarb butter and that's a good toast one."

Jack has turned his basement into a canning corner. Today he's making a cucumber marmalade.

Jack: "There's an act to it where you can overcook it so you have to be able to cook it, put it in your jars and water batch it without turning it into mush."

Jack: "You're concentrating a lot on what you're doing and you're on a time schedule so you have to be focused."

But Jack hasn't cooked in his basement all his life.
Jack: "let's see, Harry Connick Jr., very, very nice person, Willie Nelson, J Giles, Matchbox 20."

He's travelled the world with some of the most rich and famous. Primarilly musicians.
"I went last year out to Michigan and cooked for Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and Grateful Dead, Elton John"

And appropriately enough.

"Red Hot Chili Peppers, cooked for them a few times."

If you ever have the chance to meet Jack though, you'll notice he's humble and has no need to make a big name for himself. He's happy to be at home now doing what he loves most.