Berry Picking for the Potluck

This post will be updated between now and Sunday, July 8th. Each update will be a step in the process from berry picking to the potluck celebration! Enjoy!

A friend from graduate school, Mitchell, is co-hosting a potluck at his apartment. It is an event he and his roommates aspire to host once a month for now til whenever it stops working (which I doubt will happen). This month’s theme is Southern/Soul Food. Yum!!

Another friend, Perry, wanted to go fruit picking last weekend but due to the excessive heat warning we decided not to go. However, by rescheduling for this Saturday we will be able to use the berries or other fruit to make dessert(s) for the potluck! Read on for the adventures and completion of the potluck goals.

Berry Picking Update:

Linvilla Orchards is a beautiful farm! Only a short 30 – 40 minute drive from Philadelphia, this orchard/farm has so many options. You can pick produce, peruse the garden center, shop at the farm market if you’d rather not pick your own, stop by the barn to see a varitey of wild and farm animals, go trout fishing (I really need to try this!), or take the kids to the really cool looking play ground with a fort. Come Christmas time you can even come and cut your own farm grown christmas tree! Today’s mission was to pick berries. Fortunately blueberries and raspberries were available for picking. You could also pick peaches, apricots, and tomatoes today. Frankly, the weather was perfect and if I didn’t have a potluck to attend I would have stayed to pick everything. Perry, who introduced me to this orchard, mentioned that in the fall they have apple and pumpkin picking. So no matter the season there is at least one weekends worth of fun to be had at Linvilla Orchards. I will let the photos do the rest of the storytelling.

Linvilla Orchards: https://www.linvilla.com/

Potluck Preparations Update:

Seeing as the potluck/cookout’s theme is Southern/Soul food I decided to contribute a staple side: cornbread, biscuits, honey butter, and/or an optional fruit sauce. Naturally the fruit sauce will be made with today’s delicious picks!

Now the cornbread and biscuits are Jiffy boxes to which you only add the eggs, milk/water, and butter/oil depending on the boxes instructions. Honey butter is a very simple recipe: melt butter, add honey, refreeze, and enjoy!

The fruit sauce on the other hand is a more guarded recipe of my own. So I won’t disclose it here. However I am sure the pictures will help!

Potluck Update:

As usual when my hands are full managing a plate and a drink and my mind is occupied with conversation (or thoughts of a nap) I forget to take pictures. However the potluck was great fun! It was wonderful to see everyone. The people as well as the food did not disapoint. The grill was cooking the whole time turning out corn, vegetables of all kinds, burgers, hot dogs, and wings. The table inside was covered with dishes of potato salad, collard greens, meatloaf, deviled eggs, gumbo, and an assortment of pies. Needless to say once one thing was finished more just kept coming out such as watermelon and popsicles. Good food and happy company are really the best after a few weeks of chaos. I am glad I went and even more excited for next month’s round!