A few evenings ago I again bore witness to the phenomenon of the potluck, that ubiquitous of occasions in our part of the country, often associated with church basements or club-like functions. It was impressed upon me, as it is each and every time I attend one of these events, that a potluck that occurs as it was meant to occur – with minimal planning – always works out. Always. I have no photos to share for this post. I was too busy completely enjoying myself….
On this particular evening four of us were getting together. Four you say? Isn’t that a bit of a risky move? How do you know you won’t all bring dessert? And to make things even more interesting, two of the four were vegetarians. For those of us who are planners, who need to know that all bases are covered, who shudder at the thought of leaving things up to fate, the stage set might have been cause for worry. I’m so happy to say that in my home that evening, the results were truly spectacular.
First, I should be clear that there was “mention” over email of what we would like to bring. So, it wasn’t all a complete surprise. But I’d like to stress that we simply announced what we would bring in no particular fashion. We didn’t really ask each other what the other was doing. Nobody requested that we plan things so that all the basic parts of a meal would be covered.
Chris just announced that she would like to bring lentil soup. Then Monica announced that she would like to bring a fennel-apple salad with mustard vinaigrette. Then Angie responded “you had me at mustard vinaigrette” and announced that she would bring dessert, bread, and a champagne hard cider made by her friends who own an orchard in Webster, Minnesota called Sweetland Orchard. And then I was like, “Are you kidding me?!!! I love lentils, fennel, apples, and hard cider and all of you are blowing my mind.” I figured I’d fill in the rest and didn’t think about how I would contribute til the day before. Ok. So it was kinda planned. But not really. Folks expressed what they’d like to offer, and others went with the flow and built a delicious, healthy, locally sourced meal that I will never forget.
Pre-Meal snacks by Bekah
Almonds pan-roasted in olive oil with thyme, red pepper flakes and Real Salt
Missouri Northern Pecans pan-roasted in local butter with Real Salt and Ames Honey
“Cheezy” Kale Chips (taste cheezzzzy because they are baked with a paste/coating of sun dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, cashews, garlic, and other tasty spices)
Local Seckle and Starkrimson Pears with Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze Cheese
Main Dishes
Lentil Soup by Chris – a simple, delicious lentil soup “kicked up a notch” with the addition of dijon mustard and red wine.
Apple Fennel Salad by Monica – Monica followed Mark Bittman‘s simple instructions from the New York Time’s 101 Simple Salads – “Slice fennel and crisp apple about the same thickness (your choice). Combine, then dress with mustardy vinaigrette and chopped parsley. Come fall, this will be even better.” Monica likes the bite of a little bit of extra red-wine or balsamic vinegar when using a basic mustard vinaigrette.
Rustica Bread by Angie – Rustica Bakery was named one of the top 10 Bread Bakeries in America by Bon Appetit Magazine
Birchwood Cafe Pumpkin and Walnut bars by Angie
Drink
Sweetland Orchard Champagne Cider by Angie – This is the real stuff! Raw and unpasteurized honest-to-goodness hard cider made by folks who own their own orchard. Phenomenal!
Candles were lit. Delightful conversation was had. The best that television has to offer was discussed (i.e., Homeland, The Forsyte Sage, Downton Abbey, Breaking Bad). Experiences as creative “educators” (we had teachers, a photographer, academics, scholars, cooks, and a nutrition coach among us) were shared. Later, while sipping hard cider, a fire was crackling. I’m still shaking my head and smiling as I reflect on how a good ole’ potluck can really deliver the magic. You never know what you’re gonna get!
Here is the recipe for the lentil soup:
Hearty Lentil Soup
From: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
Serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups finely diced onion
3 large garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1/3 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup finely diced carrot
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 cup brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Heat the oil in a soup pot over high heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to color around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, mince the garlic with 1 teaspoon salt. Mix the tomato paste with the onion, then add the garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaves and parsley and cook for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, 2 quarts water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes.
Stir in the mustard and vinegar. Taste and add more of either as needed. Check the salt, season with pepper (and more salt, if needed), remove the bay leaves, and serve.
