We began as a hodgepodge of lefse-loving Minnesotas with Lutheran-church-basement-ladies-envy who wanted to learn the art of potato flatbread. Through the years we’ve each developed an important role in the day, contributing our skills to the balling, rolling, lifting, and griddling. Those skills have progressed and we are now Masters. This is our 7th year together, and we are an awesome, dangerous, motley crew of self-taught lefse makers.
Last year was baby Xochi ‘s first lefse party. Now she is old enough to partake and we captured the moment of her first bite. She was born into her role as a lefse-lover! Next year we’ll hand her a rolling pin.
An abundance of sparkling wine and snacks keeps our hard working corps lubricated and adequately nourished. This year I brought four batches of vegan lefse dough, pork belly, herring, and gravlax. Our lefse gathering wouldn’t be a party without a few slices of lefse pizza topped with plenty of cured salmon and caviar.
We came, we rolled, we destroyed our friend K’s house, and we made enough lefse to satisfy our Christmas needs.
Vegan Lefse
4 cups riced potatoes*
1/4 cup Smart Balance Butter Spread, melted
1/2 cup almond milk (non-sweetened)
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Add melted butter spread to cold potatoes and stir until just combined; add remaining ingredients and stir until rough dough forms. DO NOT OVER MIX. Chill dough 2 hours. Form into walnut-sized balls (be sure to keep dough chilled during ball process as dough will rise when it warms); roll into thin rounds. Griddle each side until done.
*Note: Peel and place whole baking- or roasting-style potatoes in cold unsalted water (just enough water to cover potatoes). Bring to boil and cook until just tender. Drain potatoes and allow to cool completely. Push through ricer and chill at least 2 hours.
Lefse Pizza/Gravlax Flatbread
Brush a generous amount of olive oil on each side of a lefse or flatbread round; bake in moderate oven (around 325 degrees) on both sides until just crisp but do not burn. Remove from oven and top with sour cream or creme fraiche, fresh dill and chives, gravlax, caviar, capers, pickled cucumbers and red onion.
Beer Braised Pork Belly
Read about the pork belly at Called to the Table.
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