church potluck, need ideas

[IamLoved]

Hi

We are having a church potluck this Sunday and I don't know what to bring. In the past have just brought some grapes or some other fruit ar a salad for just me to eat but this time I would like to make something, I just don't know what. Nothing super expensive. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks!

[girlsmiley]

Waldorf Salad?
Blueberry Pie? (I know blueberries are kind of expensive right now tho)
Veggies and Onion or Cucumber dip?

[juliebove]

I would still stick with something simple like fruit salad or veggies and dip. But you could bring an extra "something" as well. I haven't made a lot of recipes so I don't know what for sure. I did like the onion bread a lot.

[Biff]

yeah, the dilemma I have when I go to a rawfood potluck is the fact that I know that I will be bringing 100% organic food, and will have spent time making something gourmet - and knowing that most other people will bring 0% organic and something like cut fruit that they buy pre-packaged from the grocery store. But there are always a few people there who bring 100% organic, and I end up eating their food and they end up eating mine. Works out well.

But, something inexpensive and easy to make are green/red pepper pate boats.

[Ariannah]

I've brought date nut tortes and/or fudge balls to places, and regretted it. Timing and knowing what people are likely to receive well is key.

I mean, when everyone is diving for the dessert table at a potluck and there are baked pies, pastries, cookies, and cheesecakes, the torte or fudge is going to be received like it's a pile of goo by comparison. I've seen the reception of it... "What is this stuff? Oh some 'health nut' stuff, eww" as they dive for a second slice of cheesecake.

For me, I bring the veggie or fruit platters, because it's at least something everyone can relate to. They know what cucumbers and red peppers are, and nobody disses it as being for those weird health nuts ;)

If I am at a vegetarian or vegan potluck, and it's primarily cooked, I'll choose then to introduce a raw dessert or the spinach dip with crudites etc...

[Biff]

Hey there rawandnatural, great post! That is such good advice, as it is a church potluck and most people there won't even try some of the "health-nut" desserts that we make.

[Ariannah]

Hey there rawandnatural, great post! That is such good advice, as it is a church potluck and most people there won't even try some of the "health-nut" desserts that we make.

For me it's been trial and error. "Don't cast your pearls before swine" may seem like an insulting comparison, but for people who just don't get it, or are not in a pre-existing atmosphere to appreciate it - well, it'd be like me trying to peddle my green smoothie concoctions in a burgers 'n' beer bar.

I've chosen to pick my battles, too. If I insist that what I bring is raw, I make it compatible with the environment. For instance, sometimes the spinach dip and veggies has been well received, other times people have said, "That looks like latex paint!"

Most times, just bringing cut up fruit has been the most pleasant thing in the world. People appreciate it too. Many cooked people don't take the time to even eat raw fruit. I once brought a cut up pineapple and organic grapes, and they commented "Oh wow, I've not had real, fresh fruit for ages!"

My biggest flops where I've tried to pass off fudge balls in the dessert table, knowing full well that I'm asking for the resulting flak :)

I did bring fudge balls once at a Bible study I was at (I was "on snacks" for this event) and people loved them. They had nothing else cluttering up their taste buds and they fully appreciated it.

One time I worked very hard to make the delicious banana leather "crepes" from Alissa's book, and someone dumped it on their (dairy) ice cream, and said wow, these go great with the ice cream....

sigh... hit and miss, but the hits are very inspiring!

[tvillemom]

I have given up trying to please others. I take myself a large green, and veggie salad (or whatever else I may be craving) and if it's not too expensive, I'll make enough to share. Then, if it's Alissa's fudge balls....I take just enough for me and maybe a few extra...not trying to hand out to everyone, but if someone asks ME, then I will share with them. I hate to sound greedy, but my food IS expensive, and others just don't appreciate what I do....so I just generally take food for myself! NOW, that being said...if I have talked with a few people and they may WAITING to SEE what I bring, then I may take something like a torte, or plenty to share. It just all depends. I try now not to make a gathering about food...just fellowship.
Wendi

[IamLoved]

Hi

Thank you all for the advice.

I actually have brought date balls to a potluck before and they were very well recieved. I barely got any myself! We actually have a few people in the church who are into organic, healthy foods. One woman is a vegan, and another trys to eat very healthy.

How do you make a Waldorf salad?

I was thinking about trying some stuffed mushrooms, what do you think?

Thanks again.

[Ariannah]

I hate to sound greedy, but my food IS expensive, and others just don't appreciate what I do....so I just generally take food for myself!

That's one of the biggest reasons I pick my battles at a potluck.

Some of my biggest disappointment has been when I have spent up to $25 Dollars for a single dish (the crepes come to mind - cashews are expensive and so are macadamias), and only to have people dump it on their ice cream to "improve it"... grr. An expensive lesson, VERY self limiting and I'm not ever likely to repeat it :)

Some of the time I don't base my potluck contributions on what I eat, too. If someone needs 2 dozen Kaiser rolls, well hey, they are cheap. I'll bring them, but I won't eat them. So many potlucks are flour and sugar based, and they bring TONS because flour and sugar baked items are cheap as heck.

I'll have my fruit salad and veggies/dip to myself :)

[Morn]

Red Pepper Hummus: (bring some pita bread for those that want to dip in bread and some veggies for you and others that may want to dip veggies) I doubled the recipe to get a bigger quantity and adjusted here and there. But I brought this in yesterday for my SAD friends at work and they liked it. Mine however, could have used more garlic and lemon juice. Alot of SAD people like hummus.

Here it is http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/forum/sh...t=pepper+hummus

[Trinity]

I just this past weekend went to a Holiday party at the yoga center where I teach, they served roast beef and turkey sandwiches also, shrimp pasta????????????????????????????????????????????? Okay great, but they asked me to bring a dish, so I did!! They LOVED IT!!! I made Falafel Balls and Alissa's Cucumber Dip/Sauce, I mixed the ingredients, no tahini though, no like:) Any way, It was a huge hit!! I also made Chocolate frosting with pineapple to dip in. Another smash. Just make your food with love, and at least you;ll have food to eat:):) Good luck

[Sharon in Colorado]

I agree with the above who say it's better to bring fruit or something inexpensive.

I'd rather not spend a lot of time and money making something with dates and nuts and coconut oils and such, and then seeing someone bringing some cheap frozen cream puffs that get gobbled up by everyone who pass by my treats. I'd rather make those "treats" for myself!

That is, unless I know the crowd will appreciate it, or if my treat will be the only one there.

[levamssg]

My husband, (who is NOT raw), took this dish to a gathering (where NO ONE was raw)... and everyone liked it a lot. He also took a bowl of RP's brownie bits ... and they were appreciated as well.

Todd's Waldorf Supreme

2 apples, cut up (we use fuji)
1 or 2 tomatos diced
1 red or yellow or orange sweet pepper, diced
a bit of diced onion (1/4 or so - they are strong this time of year)
1-2 avocados, diced. Use avos that are med-soft so they blend with the other ingredients.

put all cut up bits in the bowl. Drizzle entire thing with a bit of olive oil (1-2 tablespoons is plenty), add a pinch of salt, and a couple shakes of cayenne pepper. Go easy on the cayenne at first, you can always add more.

The secret of this dish is to stir, stir, stir, stir ... so the avocado begins to blend and coat some of the other bits. This is sooooo good.

Also, since the avocado tends to "turn", this dish should not be made too far ahead of time.

enjoy

[Bethanie]

:) When i tryed to pull up your recipe for red pepper hummus it wouldn't go through, could you please post it?
I use to buy it at the grocery store and it was really, really good but cooked.
Thank you
B.

[5mks]

I have no advice as I am new to raw.

Just wanted to ask you about your user name. Where are you a missionary?

I am also a missionary with 5 kids. We are in Bulgaria.

[MarciRoundtheWorld]

I also made Chocolate frosting with pineapple to dip in. Another smash.

Chocolate frosting??? Can you post the recipe?

[Raw Jewelrylady]

I would make Alissa's Nacho Cheese recipe- non dehydrated - & use it as a dip. Have tons of cut up fresh veggies & they will love it!

I serve this all the time to SAD eaters & they never know it's not SAD cheese.


Lana

[Morn]

:) When i tryed to pull up your recipe for red pepper hummus it wouldn't go through, could you please post it?
I use to buy it at the grocery store and it was really, really good but cooked.
Thank you
B.

Red Bell Pepper and Basil Hummus

½ cup garbanzo beans, soaked and left to sprout for 1 day (no tails yet)
¼ to ½ cup of olive oil
1 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs sesame seeds ground into butter (I guess you could use tahini as well)
¼ of one red bell pepper
salt to taste
1 date ground to a puree with a little water (you could also soak the date and use date and soak water)
very small clove of garlic (unless you want a spicy garlic taste, use very little)
1 tbs fresh basil

Blend garbanzos, olive oil, lemon juice and red bell pepper to a very fine cream. Add more olive oil if needed. Add the rest of the ingredients.


This was on the site and wasn't my recipe. When I made it I doubled most ot the ingredients to make a larger batch and I didn't put basil in. I put two whole red peppers in and when I had my SAD friends at work taste test it they said add more garlic and lemon juice. I added 3 cloves but needed to add more. So you will have to play with it to get what you want. I used the above recipe as a start. Oh and I also sprouted my chick peas for 3 days as I heard it was better to have long tails on it and used tahini.