Stir the Pot Part 2

Stir the Pot Potluck

A benefit for the Southern Foodways Alliance

a non-profit to celebrate and document the rich diversity and history of 

food in and from the American South

ham and honeydew

The next day after the spiffy Stir the Pot sit-down dinner, was the Stir the Pot Potluck located at the Nashville Corsair Distillery in Marathon Village.  The potluck was awesome.  Everyone brought a dish to share, and the drinks were offered by Corsair, and beef brisket was offered by Tandy Wilson.  This was my favorite Southern Foodways Alliance fundraiser in Nashville yet!

Laura Wilson's watermelon mint salad

Pat Martin of Martin's BBQ, could not attend, but sent a huge batch of pulled pork for us to snack on.  Bob from the Hamery brought his TN smoked air dried ham.  Laura Wilson brought perfectly 1/2 inch diced watermelon mint salad.  Tandy brought the best smoked brisket I have ever had.  Beth brought Goo Goo Clusters from a 100 year old Nashville company making chocolatey treats.  Tom Lazzaro brought pear and cheese raviolis.  Olive and Sinclair brought all sorts of chocolates to try.

Tandy Wilson's brisket

And the other guests are walking in with homemade casseroles, fried rice, salads, and desserts.  There were these bacon horseradish muffins that we all coveted.  There was a cast iron made mac and cheese.  The dessert tables were beautiful with many desserts from pies, cookies, brownies and more.

Tandy Wilson's salumi and cheese

For my dish, I felt a little pressure because some of my favorite chef's and food blogger friends were in attendance and bring a dish.  I was thinking about making a locally sourced dish, which would probably be more in a European American tradition. BUT, all of the people attending the potluck are of a European American tradition.  How could I make a dish that would stand up to some of the dishes at the potluck?

green bean and potato casserole

I decided on a Southeast Asian inspired dish instead of a Euro-American one.  I made a gluten free peanut coconut curry dish with rice noodles, local biodynamic Barefoot farmer veggies, ginger, lime, cayenne from my organic garden, red curry paste, my pal's local honey, and fish sauce.

Goo Goo Clusters

I actually simmered the peanut curry gravy the day before.  I added cayenne and lime.  I kept adding cayenne and lime every hour or so because it wasn't hitting that sour/heat receptors in the back of my mouth.  Finally, after a few additions, it was perfect.  What I keep forgetting is that cayenne gets hotter and hotter the longer it simmers and sits over night.  The next day, the day of the potluck I tasted the curry sauce, and I nearly fell over from the spicy heat.  Well, I was a point of no return.  I added the veggies and noodles, and crossed my fingers.

dessert pie

Tandy and Stephanie claim to like spicy food.  Tandy was over in the corner coughing after taking a bite of my curry.  Uh oh.  Juliet, who said that she is of a Latin American chili tradition and can handle some spicy food, was turning a little pink from the heat of my curry.  It was the only dish that had any real spicy heat to it, so it was a standout in that way.  Well, the dish was eaten by some of the 75 potluck guests, so it couldn't have been too bad right?

cream cheese brownies

Well, the evening wasn't about my dish alone, it was trying everyone else's dishes, enjoying the company of some real foodies, and trying some Corsair cocktails.  

Olive and Sinclair buttermilk salt and pepper white chocolate

This Stir the Pot Potluck event is really my favorite event of all the Southern Foodways Alliance events I have been to.  I really like the guest participation portion where everyone brings a dish.  I loved tasting some of the really delicious homemade food!  I really enjoy the people in attendance because they respect Southern food heritage as I do, and they are a joy to talk to about food.

I have another 5 months or so to figure out what I am going to make for the next Stir the Pot Potluck.  What do I make!?  I do have a note to self, Stop Adding Cayenne after one addition!