Solstice Potluck

It's so wonderful when potluck just slides into place. Some weeks I feel like we're all scrambling around, trying to find somebody to host, uncertain of what we'll be bringing or otherwise feeling rushed and frazzled.

I always fear that those Mondays will creep in, especially around the holidays, when everybody already seems to have a little extra on their plates. Thankfully, none of that seemed to be present at all last night as we gathered at my house for a lovely Solstice potluck.

We went the simple but tasty route...making a fresh green salad dotted with orange and yellow peppers, grape tomatoes and baby cucumbers, and my standby dressing was whipped up in a flash (red wine vinegar, olive oil, freshly chopped garlic & spicy mustard).

My husband decided to be in charge of the mashed potatoes, since I'll admit his always come out fluffier than my own. It's probably the extra butter or cream he uses. Or perhaps its the extra flick of his wrist as he whips them with a hand beater. Either way, they came out melt-in-your-mouth perfect.

My friends Rachel and Andreas traveled out from their residence at EarthDance earlier in the afternoon, bringing with them some bounty from the Berkshires.

Some of the biggest winter veggies I have ever seen!

We decided to roast some of the root veggies up in addition to the salad and mashed potatoes.

A little olive oil, some thyme & rosemary and finished off with some red wine vinegar when they came out of the oven!

All of these dishes went well with the rest of the meal... Folks brought stewed lentils with a hint of vinegar(which were great served over the mashed potatoes), savory mushrooms, split pea soup, a tasty green chile/egg/tortilla bake, various cheeses/crackers/meats, and some light and fluffy almond cake for dessert.

In the past, we've usually prepared a holiday feast for potluck around the solstice, bringing warm winter dishes to fill our bellies and souls. We also do a "Secret Solstice" gift swap, presenting gifts to each other. We didn't prepare for either this year, so it was with great pleasure that we ended up having such a delicious holiday meal. (As for our gift exchange, we decided to move it up a few weeks and will be exchanging them the first potluck of the new year!)