Took RAW to Company Holiday Potluck

[Lady Green Jeans]

I needed to bring a dish for my company's holiday potluck. I decided on making half batches of the Sunny Pate and Mock Salmon (added a couple dashes of kelp granules). I hollowed out cherry tomatoes and piped in Sunny Pate and sprinkled snipped chives on top. I took Belgium Endive and piped a cute swirly strip of Mock Salmon in each leaf and sprinkled dill weed on top. For the presentation, I put a layer of shredded purple cabbage on my round tray and put the tomatos in the center and angled the filled Endive all around the outer circle. Everyone (except one person who later told me the Mock Salmon was probably an acquire taste) loved them. All were surprised to learn they were raw. Sorry I did not take a pic to post. It was pretty, though.

Would love to hear about anyone's experience with raw potlucks.

Lovin the raw livin!

[tvillemom]

That sounds wonderful. I haven't done a raw potluck yet, but I hope to get one organized after the holidays. Great job!
Wendi

[Cinnamon]

Your presentation sounds just lovely, thank you for the idea as I think I will borrow it for one of our holiday appetizers!

[Ariannah]

I've had mixed experience taking RAW to a SAD potluck.
Depends what I take. Cut up veggies and fruits, and a dip, well, pretty much everyone can relate to that.

The date-nut torte, has had mixed reviews, often I can get away with quietly putting it on the dessert table and people will eat it and go "mmmm", other times, when people see my bring it, they are right ON me, and they say, What's in this? Eww I don't like raisins, gross, I can think of a better topping for this than dates!

So at potlucks I pretty much stick to cut up plain veggies and fruits, as I'm not thick skinned enough to withstand people going "ewww" and treating my food like it's some special diet food, rather than just "one of the gang" in the dessert realm.

[rawpriestess]

I've taken lots of raw food to SAD eaters houses, some were raw curious, and others couldn't care less.

I find that if I make the food delicious and the presentation beautiful everyone will at least try it.

When someone asks me what it is, I just say, veggies and dip, or fruit and nut platter, or fresh date torte, or fudge balls, or whatever, I try to stay away from names like Salmon pate' because it isn't I don't like saying Mock something either, because that implies a taste to them, and I want people to try it for it's own merit.

I have had people say things like, "Oh, this tastes like salmon" or "This must be some kind of clam dip" when of course, it has no flesh in it at all.

My most favorite to take is the pesto stuffed mushrooms, and I take my baby dehydrator with me, and serve right in there, so it is warm, almost everyone wants to try what's in that black box.

Once, they try it, they love it. And I always have the most delicious food there, at least in my opinion.

But the number one thing that always goes over, is a watermelon bowl.

You just take a watermelon (in season of course) cut it, hollow it out, and fill with cut up fruits, we make ours look like a basket, and fill with all kinds of things, sometimes we carve the outside, and make a cap or hat, other times, we just make a basket, we fill with the watermelon in balls, and strawberries, pineapple, oranges, melons, grapes, star fruit is really pretty, magos, papaya, kiwi, just about any kind of fruit.

If you can't find watermelon, you can use any kind of melon and fill, you will just have smaller baskets.

They make a lovely centerpiece, and kids love to eat out of them too.

[Lady Green Jeans]

Thank you for your replies. It is always so great to get feedback and new ideas.

cinnamom--I could'nt believe the positive response although a few people knew of my raw food diet and am sure they strongly suspected it was raw--they truly loved it and it was so very easy to make. Please let me know how it goes for you, too.

Rawandnatura--I had to laugh because I feel a few people did "know" my plate of raw food and maybe avoided, but most who tried (only one negative) really liked it and did not know it was raw. Would sneak it in again without question for any potluck. I know the feeling you described--my first attempt to date of the raw blueberry pie was not very good. Thankfully not resting my laurels on that one. Ha ha.

Rawpriestess--thank you for the wonderful suggestions. Did not think of the fresh fruit options at all--go figure as I start each and every morning with wonderful fresh fruit. I will definately use some of your suggestions.

Thanks again and always open to more suggestions and recommendations.

Kathy