Brightening Up a Rainy Day

This past Monday's potluck was a welcome one. Not only was Monday a chilly, wet, gray day, but it was one where I was on my own with my son for it's entirety. A couple days every week see my husband off on 12-hour shifts, leaving just as we're settling in for breakfast and returning about a half hour after our son goes to sleep. These days can get long...fast. Monday potlucks definitely help ease that.

We gathered at Seth and Angie's home, and were welcomed in from the pouring rain with a glass of wine and the yummy smell of cheesy mashed potatoes with kale. Everyone seemed to have been on the same wavelength, because the menu consisted of a harmonious balance of celebrating the last few summer favorites and warm comfort foods to stave off the dreary weather.

In addition to my corn soup and the mashed potatoes, we dined on a Thai curried squash soup that was warm, flavorful with a perfectly spiced touch of curry, and had a burst of lemongrass. I tried moth beans for the first time as they were served in a curried cauliflower dish. They had the consistency of lentils with a slightly nutty flavor, and paired well with the spices used in the recipe.

I admit to never having heard of them before, and when Hannah had emailed, saying she'd be making them, I ran directly to google to see what they looked like.

Moth Beans

Having really enjoyed their flavor, I will definitely be on the look out for some the next time I am at the store.

In addition to the warm, savory dishes that heated us up, there was one of my all time favorite potato salads...ever. This potato salad combines soft potatoes, crunchy, slightly pickled cucumbers and onions into a satisfying dish that leaves you wanting more with each bite.

It wasn't until we were driving home that I realized we didn't have dessert at this potluck, which is a bit unusual for us. I felt perfectly satiated despite the fact...yet that didn't prevent me from snagging a cookie later on in the evening.

You may be wondering why there are no actual pictures of potluck... There are a few reasons for that:

First, while I am excited to document potluck, I don't want to feel (or want others to feel) like they're missing out of the experience by snapping photos the whole time. My hope is that when somebody feels moved to do so, they'll take a picture that I can then use.

Second, I'm not the world's best photographer. I'm learning as I go, but have found that taking pictures of food is way harder than I thought. My camera is also somewhat of an older one, so I'll be hopefully looking into getting a new one soon (any suggestions?).