Potlucks make a meal fun

A true potluck is totally unplanned and can be an adventure in eating. I remember one grange potluck that consisted of several dishes of beans of various kinds and there was one Daughters of Norway (DON) potluck that was mostly desserts, but those were exceptions. In my experience, potlucks are usually delicious meals.

It is amazing how well a potluck can turn out, especially if there is a theme to it. The DON potluck lunches usually feature several Scandinavian dishes but also a variety of other kinds of food. Norway is home to many immigrants and the Vikings traveled all over Europe so just about any kind of ethnic food is appropriate.

I like to take cucumber salad or marinated beets (both dishes are dressed in a similar way involving vinegar and sugar) because they are easy to fix and are both popular with Norwegians. Open-faced sandwiches also go over well but take more time and planning to prepare.

The good thing about potlucks is that you don't have to make a special trip to the store for supplies if you can put together a dish from the contents of your refrigerator and/or cupboard. On the other hand, if you are short on time and ideas, picking up a prepared dish from the store works too.

This month’s potluck was typical for a warm weather lunch. There was pickled herrings (from CostCo) accompanied by sour cream mixed with dill; smoked gouda dip with a variety of crackers and cucumber slices; hummus and pita crackers; bunches of grapes and a bowl of strawberries.

Other dishes included broccoli salad, BBQ beans and potato salad from a grocery store but also some homemade artichoke dip, with wheat thins and celery sticks; a cold spaghetti salad, and a chicken pilaf dish.

The artichoke dip recipe is so easy, the lodge sister who made it told me exactly what was in it: one block cream cheese, two cups of mayonnaise, one large can of artichoke hearts and 6 ounces of parmesan cheese. After mixing those ingredients with garlic powder and paprika, she baked it in the oven for 30 minutes

at 350°.

The spaghetti salad consisted of thin spaghetti mixed with chopped up green peppers, onion, tomato, and cucumber along with grated cheese (looked like cheddar), Italian dressing and an Italian seasoning packet. This was the first time I had tasted a dish like this and it was pretty good; I just avoided the peppers and tomato.

Another first taste for me was the chicken pilaf which consisted of basmati rice cooked in chicken broth, cooked onion, curry powder, ginger, cinnamon sticks used in the cooking process, chopped chicken, currants, peas, slivered almonds and finely grated orange zest. They are an interesting mix of flavors that go surprisingly well together.

Of course, the dessert table was heavily populated as Scandinavians do love sweets. Offerings included a chess cake which was delicious, an éclair cake, chocolate vanilla muffins, little cherry cheesecake tarts, chocolate covered almonds, and short bread cookies among other goodies.

Drinks are the one aspect of a potluck that is easy to forget. A lot of the ladies bring their own bottles of water or cups of coffee, but having a couple people bring drinks would help. The bottle of juice I brought didn't last long.

The more people involved in a potluck, the more choices you will have to fill your plate with food you like, some healthier than others. As long as the meal is for a specific group (club, organization, family or friends) and not open to the general public, all you need to worry about is having enough plates, utensils, and cups to go around.