by Sarah Irani
Tomorrow I am hosting an Eat Local Challenge Potluck Feast. The church, Good Shepherd Lutheran, Frederick, Maryland, where I met and married my husband has offered the community room as a location for our harvest feast. I have sent out e-mails, passed out flyers, posted info on the web and hung a poster at our local co-op. The response has not been huge, but a dozen or so folks is plenty for a feast.
I found inspiration from the Californian Locavores and their Full Moon Feasts. Unlike the Full Moon Feast, however, I have envisioned a potluck where everyone can contribute food. I want to keep the costs low so that we can include everyone! I am only asking for donations to the church in gratitude for permitting us to use the space. If a guest is financially strained, he or she will not be turned away, but offered a second helping! I want to encourage a multi-generational feast where we can see the elderly, children, teens and everyone in between all in one place. That doesn't happen much around here any more.
I believe that is does well for our souls and our digestive systems to take a moment prior to eating and experience Gratitude. I was planning to offer a few words of thanks to the Earth for providing us with nourishment, to our local farmers for enduring such a challenging growing season and providing us with such a beautiful bounty, to our local co-op for bringing farmers and consumers together, to Good Shepherd for providing us a roof and a kitchen, and last but not least a moment of quiet before we begin eating to thank God, the Great Creator, the Universe for providing. Yet, I have come down with a wicked case of laryngitis and cannot make a single sound! Perhaps one our our guests can be my voice.
I have spent the last few hours in the kitchen preparing my portion of the meal: potato and kale soup. I had my husband call my mother earlier today to ask advice about a local, in season vegetarian soup. It is the way in my family not to use recipes, but rather to taste often and intuit the next step. She offered me general guidelines and spice groups. No problem!
Where did it all come from?
Potatoes- Summer Creek Farm, Thurmont, Maryland
Kale, Onions, Shallots- Tuscarora Organic Co-op , Pennsylvania
Sweet Cream Butter- Trickling Springs Creamery, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Rosemary, Oregano- Sarah and Erik's Garden
Exemptions (all organic): celery, vegan bullion, garlic, salt, pepper, marjoram
My darling husband bought two pumpkin pies made locally from local pumpkins. He also got some heavy cream, also from Trickling Springs, and he will whip the cream himself tomorrow morning. He thought we couldn't have a feast without a sweet ending. I hope that the people who are able to make it enjoy the afternoon with us!
