There are a lot of folks out there with their noses pressed up against the proverbial glass, visualizing all of us lucky Oregonians with our fabulous views, outdoorsy pals and tantalizing trails and waterways.
Now we're gearing up for another holiday season. A time when the beauty of the landscape is actually relegated to backdrop duty while we party hearty.
Well, some of us do. But I've been pretty busy lately, and festive encounters have gone begging. Which has left me a might grumpy. And now folks are seeking my expertise in the culinary realm.
What's a jealous food writer to do? Hmm. I could go huffy on you. You want party fare guidance? Fine. Take two martinis and call me in the morning.
But that's not like me.
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Then, with the first course under your fanny packs, it's up the trail a mile or so to the soup course. Then, a mile or two farther, a nosh of chocolate truffle cake with a Grand Marnier chaser, perhaps. Don't forget the head lamps. And for heavens sake, appoint a designated skier at the head of the pack.
It's that simple when we've got so many options for beautiful backdrops within driving distance.
For those weekends when you don't want to wander so far from home, consider a more traditional potluck concept. I've been part of a very special annual progressive potluck dinner party for over a decade. It started out as a four-course belt-buster: first house, appetizers; second house, salads; third house, entree; fourth house, dessert.
About eight years ago we ditched the prime rib and pared it down to three stops: appetizers, salads and desserts. Not so much driving. Much less food. Lots more fun and relaxation.
These days, with our zoomy lifestyles, potluck gatherings make loads of sense. The pressure's off a single host, so gatherings can be more spontaneous and frequent. And we've all become more food savvy, so tired old casseroles no longer rule. These days, you're just as likely to encounter an eclectic grouping of cuisines to sample, plus some fresh new ideas in regional offerings.
A potluck can be as casual as "Bring a dish and be here by 7," to as formal as a gourmet club, where a single host designs the menu and hands out recipes for guests to prepare. In between those extremes are a range of concepts. Themed events can be fun and encourage the exploration of different styles of cooking. Pairing wine and microbrews with appetizers is a tasty approach.
Now, back to that progressive ski-country dinner, Nordic style. I was serious. It could be a day or evening thing, depending on the heartiness of your friends and the ruggedness of the terrain. Quite a few of the recipes I'm sharing would travel well in thermoses. And Chopped Salad would make a delicious first course.
A few basic guidelines apply to all styles of potlucking:
- When choosing a recipe, pay attention to serving size. If there are going to be lots of other offerings, a dish that would normally serve six will handle eight to 10.
- Think about how you're going to transport your prepared dish. If you're only travelling a short distance, you can place the food in a basket or box lined with towels or newspaper to eliminate sliding. When I'm transporting a soup, stew or anything that might spill, I use one of those large plastic boxes (the ones with the hinged lids) or line a cardboard box with a large-sized garbage bag so nothing will leak through to my car's upholstery.
- If your travel time is going to add up to more than 30 minutes (factor in stops for the bottle of wine or beer and a "quick" fill-up at the gas station), pack your hot food in a well-insulated chest or wrap it in several layers of newspaper, finishing off with foil and maybe even a thermal blanket, which will keep it nice and toasty.
- Let the host know if you're going to need to use the refrigerator, freezer, oven or microwave.
- Bring your own serving dish and serving utensil(s).
WANT MORE POTLUCK INSPIRATION? There's just not enough space here to share all my ideas. But if you e-mail me, I'll be happy to send a few more to you, including my popular Shredded Southwest Beef mixture, which I've run in this column several times. It's particularly wonderful at outdoor winter events, as is my twist on hot artichoke dip, plus my blue cheese dip for hot chicken wings.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis food writer, cookbook author and artist. Readers can contact her by e-mail at janrd@proaxis.com.
RECIPE: Coach House Black Bean Soup
1 pound black beans
5 strips bacon, small pieces
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 smoked ham hocks
3 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, halved
2 carrots, diced
2 parsnips, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoons salt
¾ cup Madeira (or dry sherry)
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
Wash the beans, cover with cold water and soak overnight. Drain and wash again. Place in a large pot with 21„2 quarts of water. Cover and simmer 90 minutes.
In another large, heavy-bottomed pot, saute the bacon over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Add the celery and onion and cook until the onions are tender and transparent. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the ham hocks, parsley, bay leaves, garlic, carrots, parsnips, pepper, salt and beans (with their cooking liquid). Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3 hours. Add more water if necessary to keep the mixture very loose.
Remove the soup from the heat and remove the ham hocks. Ladle half the soup into a blender and puree. Remove any meat from the ham bone or hocks, chop fine and return to the soup, along with the blended soup, Madeira wine and chopped eggs. Makes 8 servings.
The soup may be prepared up to 2 days in advance. When ready to transport, bring the mixture to a boil and gently simmer for 5 minutes. Pour hot soup into a pre-heated vacuum bottle. Pair with an Oregon pinot noir.
Makes 8 servings.
Recipe adapted from "Colorado Cache," by the Junior League of Denver, Inc.
