Potluck
A Potluck meal is one where everyone brings along a plate of food to share.
Potluck Feast
At an SCA potluck feast, the autocrat will generally supply bread and often cordial. Sometimes soup will be supplied too. Each person attending is expected to bring along a quantity of food suitable to serve 6-8 people (generally), ie bringing along enough food to feed you of one type, although you will share and eat some of many dishes. Remember that this is one dish per person, so if you invite a friend or bring along children, either ask them to bring food, or bring food for them. Remember to bring your own feasting gear!
Typical quantities of food to bring are:
Remember that chicken and apples are pretty typical examples given for food to bring to potluck picnics, so sometimes we end up with 6 chickens and 3 bags of apples - very boring.
To avoid food poisoning, it's important to use food hygiene standards. Dishes like pies, vegetables, fruit, sweets that can be served cold are good, while luke warm meat dishes can easily grow bacteria unless you can bring them straight from the stove/oven to the serving table at the event. Find out in advance whether refrigeration or reheating equipment will be available on site.
Food
This is a list of food, that don't require cooking and are suitable for potluck feasts. Of course if you have the time to cook for a potluck, we'll all love you. See recipes.
- Fresh fruit
- Dried fruit-- almost any fruit was dried (apple, pear, sultanas, dates, figs...)
- Nuts-- Most nuts (other than peanuts, and cashews) are period.
- Cheese
- Pies-- fruit pies, meat pies, cheesecakes, quiches, etc.
- bread (remember that the autocrat often supplies some)
- roast chicken or other meat- hot or cold (but be careful of food safety)
- cold cuts
- hommus and some other dips
- green salad
- sweet buns - e.g. glazed sultana buns, fruit buns.
- almond cake (look at the gourmet Italian coffee cakes in the supermarket)
- shortbread
