Potluck

I responded to a notice on the bulletin board at Lubbock Yoga for a vegetarian co-op. The ringleader emailed me and invited me to their potluck, which was perfect in all ways. I brought a potato-kale dish that gets rave reviews at the Green Door restaurant in Ottawa, and it was well received. The host is, naturally, getting his PhD in wind-generated power, and gave us a tour of his backyard, complete with composting system, rain collection barrels full of fish (to control the mosquitos), and an organic garden that contained, among other things, one quinoa plant. It will probably yield about 11 grains, but it's still exciting to see.

The way the co-op works is that each week a different member cooks a meal, and we all show up at their house and take away a portion. Then, once a month, we have a potluck. The rest of the membership was, not unlike the staff at Lubbock Yoga, delightfully stereotypical. There's the nutritionist from Washington state who has taken a contract with the City of Lubbock to make its residents healthier. She's the organizer for the local farmer's market, as well as initiatives to get people to bike to work, establish walking school buses, and encourage local restaurants to serve salads that don't contain beef. Several people commiserated with her about the lack of bike lanes in town. Her husband volunteers at the local hospital as a baby-cuddler for premature infants, and he spent the evening playing with another couple's baby. The baby's mother explained that he's a vegetarian too, although her six year old daughter is going through a rebellion stage and is eating chicken.

The food was terrific - mmm, walnut and soy bean loaf! One of the participants brought a load of potatoes with her - leftovers from some collective farming thing she's involved with, and we all got to take a bag home. A potluck with party favours!