Monday, November 19, 2007

Festive potluck fun

We made it to the potluck Sunday night, and I'm so glad we did. I feel this way every time we go, but it just seems like each time gets better and better. This time there weren't as many people, and it was pretty low key. It was fun and the food was fantastic none the less. The theme was seasonal produce, and I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I knew it before I knew the theme and I was committed to finding a way to make it fit with the theme no matter what. Thankfully I didn't have much problem figuring it out. I made the Chickpea-Cranberry Tart from the recent issue of VegNews along with the Cranberry Sauce.

It turned out beautifully and it was absolutely fantastic, especially with the sauce. Words cannot even describe. It was like a loaded dressing stuffed into a pie crust. The walnuts added a nice crunchiness, the cranberries were both sweet and tart, and paired well with parsley and chickpeas along with the saltiness of tamari. Mmmm. The sauce was simple, but very complex in taste, with an added bit of balsamic vinegar. If you're looking for a nice entree dish for the holidays, I recommend this. I'm even planning to play around with different bean/nut/spice combinations.
There were also butternut squash flautas, topped with some kind of green sauce, bell peppers and onions. Very good, with a sweet, smooth filling and a smoky spicy topping.
Roasted brussel sprouts. You can't go wrong with these. They seem to find their way into almost every potluck, no matter the theme. I ain't complainin!

The whole spread. Also some seasonal fruit salad with poppyseed dressing and chocolate peppermint bars at the end of the table.

My (first) plate, illuminated by the beautiful fire. I could have eaten that whole pan of brussels, but I decided to be nice and leave some for the other people.

They got a makeshift screen set up to show movies on. Last night we watched Gremlins 1! It's been so long since I've seen that one, it brought back memories. I also realized how funny and very morbid it is.
The makeshift fire we always sit aroud, toasting our chilly hands and feet in. Sitting around it with a full belly, after stuffing our faces, watching stupid movies is priceless.

1 comment:

Vegan_Noodle said...

Oh the gremlins!!! It's been forever since I've seen that as well, I"m going to have to add it now to my netflix queue.
That chickpea cranberry tart sounds and looks delicious. I'll have to add that one to the list of things I need to make before Christmas!