For the last few potlucks there has been one food each time that stands out in my mind.

October: Duck Broth

At our potluck in October the favorite (agreed upon by just about everyone) was duck broth.  Mareev made it using a pot-full of duck legs covered with water, salt and vinegar and cooked low and slow.  It had a thick layer of wonderful rich duck fat on top and was quite delicious!

November: Beef Liver Paté

At our November potluck a big thanks goes to Jan and Rouanna for making a wonderful beef liver paté.  It was rich and buttery, and not at all a strong liver flavor.  We started out with it as an appetizer, had it again as a main course, and then went back for desert!

Rouanna provided us the recipe they used for:

Beef Liver Paté Recipe:

• 500g (1lb 2oz) beef liver (or lamb), cut into pieces
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup butter or cream cheese
• salt

Directions:

• Saute the liver and onions in a couple of tablespoons of the butter until the livers are browned and the onions are tender.
• Add wine, garlic, mustard, herbs and lemon juice and cook uncovered until most of the liquid has gone.
• Cool and blend to a smooth paste in the food processor along with the rest of the butter (This is easier if the butter is not fridge cold!).
• Add salt to taste.
• Check the consistency of the pate.  If it seems dry and crumbly rather than smooth and creamy, add more butter.
• Put pate in a shallow dish and press the cracked pepper onto the top of it.

Notes: Rouanna recommends instead of cooking the liver separately, saute the onions, then put everything into the pot and cook until the wine is reduced by half. This is long enough to cook everything.  Stir often.

December: Button Cookies

In December Haley brought delicious cookies.  They were gluten-free based on coconut flour.  She was nice enough to send us the link to the recipe she used.

http://primalblissnutrition.com/2013/12/dark-chocolate-orange-holiday-button-cookies/