Potluck gatherings

Here are some tips on what to do when the host says "bring a dish to pass":

• Non-cooks think fresh. Don’t panic if you’re not a cook. Instead, think of yourself as the fresh and seasonal produce provider. A simple bowl of fresh, plain produce – from apples to baby carrots – adds a nice touch to any buffet. This strategy also works well if you’re riding a bike or taking public transportation to a potluck: fresh and raw food are easier to transport.
• Educate on ingredients. Add a note card by your dish explaining where your ingredients came from. This not only helps guests with food allergies, but it educates on sources of local food sources. "Easy Oat Apple Pie" takes on deeper flavor and meaning when folks know the apples came from Turkey Ridge Organic Apple Orchard in Gays Mills, Wisconsin (which just happens to be cooperatively run), and the butter from Organic Valley Family of Farms, another cooperatively run, farmer-owned business based in Wisconsin.
• Keep food safe. No matter what the season, make sure hot food stays hot and cold food keeps cold because food at unsafe temperatures promotes bacteria growth. Depending on how far you need to travel, wrap hot food in foil and layers of clean towels. Place inside a large box in your car trunk for easy transport. Cold food needs to stay below 40 degrees F. Pack food in a well-insulated cooler with plenty of ice blocks, particularly during hot summer months.
• Label serving items. Make it easy for your serving gear to get returned by labeling them with a permanent marker.
• Minimize last-minute prep. Try to keep out of the host’s kitchen by doing as much of your prep work as possible at home. Slice vegetables for a salad ahead of time, and transport ingredients in containers, tossing together ingredients tableside right before serving.
• Know your audience. Bring a dish that suits the majority of your audience. If your friends lean toward the gourmet, by all means experiment with your latest exotic culinary efforts. If the gathering has kids, basic bread or hearty macaroni and cheese is always appreciated. A staple, yummy dessert goes over well, like Easy Oat Apple pie that showcases Fall seasonal apples.

This is an easy pie for pie-making newbies, as it doesn’t call for a rolled pie crust. Rather, the crust is pressed oatmeal dough, kind of like apples wrapped in a big, chewy oatmeal cookie. This recipe is from our cookbook, Edible Earth: Savoring the Good Life with Vegetarian Recipes from Inn Serendipity.

Easy Oat Apple Pie

Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. brown sugar
¾ c. butter, melted
½ c. oats

Filling:
2/3 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1 ¼ c. water
3 c. diced, peeled apples
1 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

• Combine the first four ingredients; set aside 1 c. for topping.
• Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 9-in. pie plate, set aside.
• For the filling, combine sugar, cornstarch and water in a saucepan until smooth; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in apples and vanilla.
• Pour into crust; top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Serves 8.

The biggest area we thought we could green up was obviously the beverage department. The typical three options for an event such as a backyard party are BYOB, purchasing a keg, or stocking a bar. Kegs are usually the greenest choice. The kegs themselves are refilled, eliminating all the cans and bottles typically associated with a BYOB party. Even better, many local microbrews offer kegs, so you can keep your beer miles to a minimum. Put out all your old mugs and glasses, and encourage your guests to bring their beer mugs from home to eliminate those pesky disposable Solo cups. If you must use disposable cups, there are biodegradable/compostable options out there.

That being said, kegs can be a pain for hosts, but you can still green up a BYOB or stocked bar affair. First of all, make it clear to your guests that you recycle. We line our recycling bin with a corn-based bioplastic liner and put it right next to a much-smaller regular trash can, with clear and bold signage indicating our preference for recycling. Putting out adequate ashtrays ensures that guests won’t put their ashes and cigarette butts in their bottles or cans (hey, I have a lot of smoker friends, and this is a problem). For me, this is the single most important step I took for a recent party. The guests knew that I recycled, and I think that made them more conscious of what they did with their empties. My clean up was a snap, save for an errant bottlecap or cigarette box. We also put a separate container for the cardboard packaging that cans
and bottles comes. Many local microbrews will accept clean six-pack
holders for reuse, too, so set those aside during clean up.

When it comes to beer, purchase growlers or encourage your guests to do the same. What’s a growler? Well, it’s a half-gallon glass jug full of draft beer that most microbrews sell. They are refillable and returnable, and eliminate single bottles. You get fresh beer at a decent price, with no trash. You can also encourage guests to bring organic or local beer, wine, or spirits. Even my local 7-11 has organic beer, since Anheuser-Busch started making it.

Also, take a step that encourages safety and eco-awareness: carpool. One sober driver for a carful of drinkers can save lives and use less gas.

Finally, during that next morning cleanup, make sure you are using eco-friendly cleaners to wipe up spills and mop your undoubtedly-sticky floor. Tiffany had a great post yesterday on green cleaners that you can buy or make yourself.