Third Thursday Potluck: July Menu

Entertaining, How-To, In Season, Recipes, Summer
on June 28, 2012
Third Thursday Potluck
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Welcome to The Third Thursday Potluck, a monthly supper club that meets every third Thursday in Nashville, Tenn. Gigi Gaskins and I started this extraordinary potluck in June 2009 as a way to foster community.  Now headed into its fourth year, Third Thursday continues to bring together a cross-section of folks bearing delicious local, seasonally driven dishes. There are no assigned dishes. No RSVP! We enjoy the creative sparks that tend to happen in a less formal structure. True to the notion of “potluck,” there’s an element of surrender in that, but it always works out. – Nancy Vienneau

July Menu: (For recipes see below)

  • Strawberry and Avocado Salad with Crispy Herbed Goat Cheese Croquettes
  • New Potato and Asparagus Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
  • Smoked Gouda Pea Risotto
  • Me-me’s Chocolate Sheet Cake
  • Gigi’s Cheater Ice Cream

These days, the words “fresh,” “local,” “seasonal” and “sustainable” resonate around the dinner table. At the Third Thursday Community Potluck, we like to think of them as the foundation of our feast. But mainly, we see our potluck as a table spread with good food and goodwill, where people come together and celebrate the bounty of the moment.

Our “casual gathering of good food” differs from a supper club of friends or a neighborhood dinner. Together, Gigi and I know a lot of people from all around town who do not know each other. More than 80 receive our email invitation; anywhere from 25 to 35 attend each time.

The connection is a love of cooking and sharing good food—emphasis on sharing.

The constant is this: We hold the potluck on the third Thursday of each month, at 6:30 pm. We alternate the site between our homes, with occasional forays to other venues, such as Gigi’s urban garden. Beyond that, guests can bring friends and whatever food and beverage strikes their fancy.

People bring dishes prepared with produce from their gardens, CSAs, or farmers’ market, and they bring their best efforts. Each potluck has its distinct flavor and feeling, one that we can never predict, but relish for its outstanding fare and camaraderie.

We invite you to join us at the feasting table.  Each month, we’ll share our bounty of the moment, journaling our story, menu, tips, and a few favorite recipes. Consider it a “Potlucker’s Best.” We hope it will spark a good gathering, perhaps even inspire you to start your own Third Thursday.

—By Nancy Vienneau