Taking a Midwest Tradition Local: Carry it on into fall!
Story and photos by Aryn Henning Nichols • Photo/Food Assistant Thea Satrom • Originally published in the Summer 2015 Inspire(d)
Getting together with friends is the stuff of summer fall.
Getting together with friends, eating food grown by friends, is the stuff of a Driftless summer fall.
When you live in a place like the Driftless Region, you sometimes forget that you’re even eating local…you’re just serving up the produce grown by farmers up the road! They might even be sitting across the table from you – ‘cause this is the Midwest, people. We’re friendly. And we like to potluck.
In case this is your first day in the Midwest, a potluck is “a gathering of people where each person or group of people contributes a dish of food to be shared among the larger gathered group.”
It’s a beautiful thing not just because it’s a great format for a party, but also because sometimes summertime livin’ isn’t so easy; it’s busy. Make it a little simpler by having your friends make all the food. Okay…you still have to make one dish, but that’s a lot better than a whole meal.
What goes into planning a potluck? Just an email, text message, or phone call with a loose “you do a main course, I’ll do veggie, they’ll bring dessert” sort of thing. Take it a step further and challenge potluck-goers to use local produce in their dishes. Buying locally is good for your environment, economy, and – most importantly – yourself. And shopping in season at your area farmers markets and food co-ops is also way more affordable than you’d think!
We put together our own potluck of local foods for this issue – from local shrimp (yep!) to bacon-wrapped dates to a beet and apple salad to cheese curd caprese skewers, we’ve got you covered. For this post, we’re featuring the perfect fall dessert: Aryn’s Apple Crisp (ed. note: Gah! I apparently just wanted to eat dessert and didn’t get amazing photos of the crisp! Will make it again this fall and update!).
In a pinch and don’t have time to actually cook something? That’s totally okay too! We looked to the bulk section of our local co-op for a few ideas…chocolate-covered ginger, anyone? Goes great with a mint julep, we think!
Make it a potluck-y summer FALL(!), friends, and enjoy!
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PRINT RECIPE HERE
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Apple Crisp
5-6 medium tart cooking apples, peeled and sliced thin (5 cups)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Ice cream, if desired
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 9×13 pan with shortening. (Our family isn’t huge, so I actually like to split this into two smaller pans and freeze one. It does extremely well later – take it out, thaw in the fridge, and bake as directed!)
Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, cut butter into dry ingredients until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.
Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve with ice cream (if you want)!
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PRINT RECIPE HERE
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Looking for more potluck recipes? Check these out:
Finger Foods
Salads
Main Courses
“Celebrating the visual, performing, and culinary arts of the Driftless Area”. From painters and potters to musicians and brewmasters – Soldiers Grove comes alive each fall with big tents and beautiful art. The offerings are as exquisite as they are varied, and all in a setting replete with the hills and valleys that define the Driftless Region. Soldiers Grove, in Crawford County, WI, hosts the eleventh annual Driftless Area Art Festival. No matter what direction you are coming from, you’ll enjoy a scenic, meandering journey through wooded hills and deep valleys of the region to arrive at the inspirational setting of Beauford T. Anderson Park and the Soldiers Grove community. Kick off “Art Season” with this great FREE festival!
How do local farmers successfully grow fruits and vegetables, produce flowers and herbs, make ice cream and butter, and even bottle wine? Find out during this great event, which offers a glimpse of the day-to-day workings of several Northeast Iowa farms.
They may be conveniently clustered within a 35-mile radius of small-town Decorah, but many of the dozens of artists taking part in the 2015 Northeast Iowa Artists’ Studio Tour (NIAST) have long traveled throughout (and well beyond) the United States to exhibit their works.
