so the afternoon passes , until by 4:00 there are dozens of loaves of fresh warm bread , big bowls of potato salad , big platters of fried chicken and sweet corn , a bit of tomato and lettuce salad , two trays of carrot sticks , scallions , pimento-stuffed green olives and cubes of a very mild cheddar cheese garnished with fancy toothpicks , all the makings of a gala home-cooked dinner .