When the folks at Simple, Good, and Tasty decided to host our first annual pig roast and potluck last year, we weren’t at all that sure of what to expect. Would anyone come eat with us? Would people bring potluck dishes that reflected our values, or boxes of Twinkies? Would we have enough food?
This year we’re a little bit wiser, and we feel a little bit more confident that we know what to expect. But what about you, dear readers? Do you know what to expect? This information should help.
Why Are We Having a Pig Roast and Potluck?
We at SGT spend a lot of our time thinking about our local food culture -- we read about it, write about it, cook frequently, and share recipes. It’s only fitting that our biggest, funnest, most community-centered event of the year should be focused on Minnesota’s food culture. And nothing feels more true to our community and to our local food culture than the combination of two iconic Minnesota events: the pig roast and the potluck.
Roasting a pig helps us focus the event on an important food ritual involving preparation, care, and connections with our land, farmers, and animals. When we roast a pig, we’re encouraged to explore our feelings about food and where it comes from. The experience helps us be thoughtful and thankful.
Having a potluck helps us connect with each other over recipes, traditions, cooking techniques, and favorite foods. It’s a great way to get to know people, and to be a part of their families and traditions. (It also helps us keep the cost of the event down.)
Where Are We Getting the Food?
Last year's potluck line was simply amazingThe pig we’re roasting comes from Hidden Stream Farm in Elgin, MN (via Clancey's, in Linden Hills). Hidden Stream provides delicious local food to restaurants like Lucia’s and Corner Table, and to cafeterias in town that buy and serve local food, like the ones at Medtronic. Owners Eric and Lisa Klein are committed to great food, community, and humane treatment of animals, and they have done a lot to make our local food scene better -- even providing a distribution service to help other farmers reach metropolitan consumers.
The pig will be roasted by Dave Micko and Don Severson, the same great team that roasted our pig last year. They’ll be using Don’s custom-built China Box, and I plan to chronicle the preparation of the pig on this site and on Facebook, much like I did last year.
We’ll also be serving lemonade (included in the price of admission) from the Birchwood Cafe.
Can Anyone Come?
Yes! Everyone is welcome -- friends, family, neighbors, people who want to check out the local food scene, people who want to eat a tasty meal, people who want to bring friends or meet new interesting people. This event is community-focused, and we’re hoping to top last year’s attendance of 150 people.
What Should You Bring for the Potluck?
Whatever you want! Please feel free to show off your heirloom tomato salsa, your grandma's lutefisk recipe, something you bought at the farmers market, something you canned, or whatever else your heart desires. Please add a comment below to let us know what you're thinking of bringing - then we can start salivating early.
What Else Can You Expect?
All sorts of cool stuff, like:
- An acoustic set by the amazingly talented Brad Senne (guitar, vocals) and Ryan Lovan (drums). They perform under their own names and also under the band name Walker Fields.
- A word from Angela Eifert, board member for Youth Farm and Market Project, a terrific Minneapolis organization committed to connecting young people and their communities to good food and urban farms.
- Gorgeous views of Minnehaha Falls and access to all sorts of great trails. (You can even rent a Surrey bike while you're there).
- A nearby playground.
- Shelter in case of rain.
The Nitty Gritty Details
Here are the most important specifics, all in one handy place:
- What: Simple, Good, and Tasty's Second Annual Pig Roast and Potluck
- Where: Minnehaha Falls Main Pavilion
- When: Sunday, August 15, 2010, from 4:00 - 7:00 (dinner will be served at around 5:00)
- Cost: $15 for people 12 and older. Those 11 and under eat for free.
Buying a Ticket
Please click the "Add to Cart" button to reserve your spot(s).
Anything Else?
Oh, yeah:
- Beer and wine can be purchased from Sea Salt Eatery, a terrific sea food restaurant that's nearby.
- If you don't want to pay via PayPal, you can use the "Add to Cart" function above to pay with any kind of credit card you want. If you'd rather send a check, please email us at info@simplegoodandtasty.com for details.
- You can pay on the day of the event, but we'd very much appreciate a heads up on the number of people you're bringing in advance, if possible. That'll help ensure we have enough food.
We very much hope to see you at this super-fun, family-friendly event.
Lee Zukor is the founder of Simple, Good, and Tasty. E-mail him at lee@simplegoodandtasty.com or follow him on Twitter.
