Southern Vegetarian Small Household Exchange--12/5/2010

The food: There are great omnivore dinner and dessert exchanges that happen monthly. This is for people interested in doing a southern vegetarian dinner exchange (without meat or meat stock etc, but can include eggs and dairy). We make 5-10 servings of one dish, and bring back 5-10 different dishes. Participants bring one pre-portioned serving of their food for everyone who has RSVP’d to come that month. A serving is whatever you think it is for your food item. The priority will be for entrees, soups, salad, stews, legumes, grains, etc. There's a preference for healthy dishes.

What: Meatless Meals (that means NO poultry, pork, fish or red meat but CAN include dairy and eggs) exchange--This time we are trying to have a Southern theme!

When: Sunday, December 5, 2011 at 2pm

Where:Handlebar
2311 West North Avenue
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 384-9546
http://www.handlebarchicago.com/

Number in the group: We will cap attendance at each gathering at 11 so that participants are never making more than 10 servings of anything. Couples will be counted as one serving.

The containers/delivery system: Everyone in the group should use the Gladware 3 1/8 cup plastic containers (it’s the approximately 7” x 7” square with the pop-up lid). You’ll portion your food into those containers to bring and hand out at the gathering. You can freeze them or not depending on your schedule and when you make your food. There is no need to fill the container, just put in whatever is a serving to you. If you use something else to deliver your food that month (Ziploc bags, plastic wrap, etc.) you should also return the empty containers from the last round so that everyone always has a stash of these containers for the exchange and doesn’t have to run out and buy more. Also, let's give it a whirl & include your user name & the name of your dish on the lid of the container. Sometimes, when we freeze a dish for later we just have no idea what is inside & who to ask for the recipe & we are too embarrassed to ask out loud on the board.

The process:

Each of us will take turns being the organizer each month. Each time we meet, someone will offer to organize the next month’s gathering.

Approximately two weeks before the next gathering, the organizer will post a new thread to the events page announcing the date and the location for that month and asking for RSVP’s.

Participants will need to RSVP their attendance by one week before the monthly gathering. They will then need to post what they are bringing by three days before the gathering. This is to help make sure we get some balance in the food so that we’re not all bringing something that has to be eaten in the next 2-3 days; that there’s a balance of stuff that can be frozen for later, or eaten sooner.

The organizer will monitor the thread to see what people are bringing. The organizer will also make reservations for the group at the restaurant where we will be gathering. People can choose to stay for the meal or just come and exchange food and leave. Just let the organizer know so they can get an accurate count for the reservation. Other LTHers are welcome to join us for the meal, even if they are not bringing food to exchange.

Exchange:
jami
ecs
pairsforlife

Lunch:
jami
ecs
pairsforlife

I'd like to do the exchange (She Crab Lives soup or vegan crab cakes from Happy Herbivore), but I can't meet for lunch. I foolishly signed up for an all day class on the same date. If someone could pick up my contribution beforehand, and take my portions home for me to pick up later, I'm in to swap!

I'm in for both.

It's just before the New Year so to wish all a year filled with Good Luck, Prosperity, and money I'll make Hoppin' Johns.
Lemoneater I hope ecs is coming, I think she's closest to your area.

I am in for both!

Lemoneater, I am up in Rogers Park and am happy to make plans for a pick-up and drop-off of food.

Great! Count me in for the exchange. I'll PM you to arrange the details.

I think my offering is going to be goat cheese grits with some sort of greens. See you next Sunday!

ecs wrote:I think my offering is going to be goat cheese grits with some sort of greens. See you next Sunday!

Whoa! That's right here isn't it? Back when we planned these dates it seemed so far away. Looking forward to seeing you.

Bringing servings for 3 people.

Three servings right? I'll have lemoneater's offerings as well.

I'm so sorry guys, but I have a fatal flaw in my plan. After hunting oyster mushrooms (not at TJs, not at the Downtown Farmstand, only at Whole Foods-Sauganash and H mart) the packaged mushrooms have been discovered to be fuzzy. I'm guessing the fuzzy is probably mold on my fungus. The irony! Without the key ingredient, I can't make my dish. I'm sorry to pull out at the last minute. I'll try to make the dish for a future exchange.

So I guess that's 2 servings for the exchange. I'll just probably give each of you 2, since I like to make a lot anyway. I think I'm making chili and cornbread, btw.

See you tomorrow!