Two Heads of Lettuce!
Two Heads of Lettuce is the latest blog that is poised to take the independent Jewish scene by storm. You’ve all been to a potluck Shabbat meal when you didn’t have time to make anything complicated, so you picked up a bag of pita. Two Heads of Lettuce is a forum to share simple recipes for vegetarian potlucks, so that we’re eating more than just pita!
EAR explains why this matters:
In potlucks, I see the potential expression of all sorts of Jewish and progressive values, including those of living in community, hachnasat orechim (hospitality), and—done thoughtfully—bal tashchit (preventing waste). Potlucks can enable a widely diverse group of people to eat and celebrate together, and in the process to build strong communal and personal ties. Potlucks also allow those of us with busy lives to celebrate Shabbat, holidays, and lifecycle events in community without having to cook and host full meals all by ourselves. In addition, potlucks keep Jewish life affordable. Rather than paying $25 a person for a bad catered meal, as so many organizations and synagogues request of us, we can provide our own delicious and healthy food for a fraction of the price.
The blog’s name derives from a recipe found in the first Jewish Catalog:
SALAD (for 25 people)
2 heads lettuce
5 or 6 tomatoes
3 cucumbers
3 peppers
As Two Heads of Lettuce’s introductory manifesto explains, this shows that the independent Jewish scene of 2006 is similar to the scene of the 1970s, yet so so different, necessitating this blog.
In addition to all the recipes that have been and will be posted, EAR has written an indispensable Guide to Delicious, Sustainable, Efficient, and Pluralistic Potlucks. Happy cooking and eating!
Thanks for the heads-up: can’t wait to try some recipes!