It was an end-of-the-season show of homegrown, homemade harvesting at Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Wynn Nature Center's end-of-the-season Fantastic Friday.

"We've done these throughout the summer," said Melanie Dufour of CACS. "Toby Tyler brings amazing concoctions from his garden or wild edibles. Daisy Lee (Bitter) brings great salads. Joyce Robinette brings things from her garden. We have lots of vegetables."

In other words, in true potluck fashion, it is hard to predict who will attend and what will be served.

For the final Fantastic Friday, there was salad from the garden of Blaine and Katie Spellman, adding color to the table with delicate nasturtium blossoms topping a bed of feathery fennel, carrots and lettuce. Sauerkraut, well on its journey from a solid head of cabbage to a tastily sour reincarnation grabbed attention.

"It's on day five," Blaine Spellman said in response to questions about his recipe.

Beets from a neighbor's garden and a bowl of blueberry Jell-O were brought by Kat Haber, her son, McKenzye and their friends Kaec Brinster, Maggie Rose Koplin, Tiger Smith and Mario Glosser. In addition, Haber brought a platter bearing a lamb roast under a bed of sauteed onions. The warm roast and onions added a tantalizing aroma to the outdoor meal, held under a shelter at the center. Outside the shelter, a fall-like mist hunt in the trees and coated reddening fireweed leaves with beads of moisture.

"It's not wild, but it's edible," Haber said of the lamb.

Cookies loaded with chocolate chips were Barbara Hill's offering.

"This is the only thing I could find in my house to cook," Hill said of her pantry harvest.

In addition to Hill's dessert treat, Billie Fischer brought rhubarb prepared as a crisp and baked in a pie.

The center gets its name from Fischer's father, Carl Wynn.

"It started out with just land with brush and trees and it's turned into these wonderful trails, boardwalks, a platform, cabin and then this entertaining area where we have our potlucks," Fischer said. "It's grown so we can accommodate more people and classes and it just rewarding, really, to see what people have done with a lot of volunteer work."

Although potlucks are now over for the year and many CACS programs are winding down for the season, a schedule of winter activities will soon be in place.

"I'm thrilled with what's developed over the years and know my father would have been very pleased and amazed to see what they have done," Fischer said. "Hopefully, it will continue to grow."

Overseeing Friday's potluck was Danny Shay, who was wrapping up his summer as a naturalist at the center. Shay returned to his home in Chicago Monday, with homes of returning next summer.

"This is what tonight is all about," Shay said, looking at the food-covered table.

And everyone began to eat.

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky.@homernews.com.