Time at the table with good food in reach fosters community. That's the promise. From crowder peas with country ham and lemon herb vinaigrette to butternut squash and leek lasagna, from Chinese-Italian-American fortune cookies to Cara Cara orange marmalade, the recipes collected here fulfill that promise, drawing close a diverse assemblage of Nashville folk who understand how potlucks deliver both sacrament and sustenance.

John T Edge, director, the Southern Foodways Alliance and coeditor, Southern Foodways Alliance Community Cookbook

Every Third Thursday... Life is Delicious

Grab a plate. Pull up a chair. Good company. Great food. No rules. It's potluck.

When Nancy Vienneau started a casual potluck celebrating good food and goodwill, she had no idea it would be going strong five years later. The ever-changing group of diverse people who attend have one thing in common: a dedication to good food. As a result, every month, a non-scripted parade of seasonally inspired dishes appears-dishes that draw on ingredients from the participants' own gardens, their neighbors yards, or the farmers' market. These dishes celebrate their provenance and their history. Roasted tomato goat cheese tart with Tennessee Bradley tomatoes, Me-me's chocolate cake inherited from a beloved grandmother's recipe. Chicken baked with fresh plums from a neighbor's tree. Acorn squash filled with Southern sorghum and pecans. Pimiento cheese made with local farmstead cheddar. Crowder pea salad flecked with Benton's country ham.

Like a sourdough starter made from flour, yeast, and water, this simple get-together has grown into a lively, rich event full of interesting folks and food. Between these covers you'll find glorious dishes, heartfelt stories, plus tips and ideas for starting your own community potluck. Did someone say it's Thursday?