Leslie's Birthday Potluck

 This is my friend Leslie.

She invented the Magical Traveling Vegan Potluck, which moves from friend's house to friend's house each month. It died for a time when someone dropped the ball and didn't host their potluck (you know who you are, coughSHAYcough). But Leslie picked the ball back up in August and re-launched the potluck at her house. Well, since her birthday is in September, she decided to host this month's potluck there again.

We had a mostly Indian feast since Leslie LOVES Indian fare (and does an amazing job cooking it). She made these Samosas and chutneys from scratch!

And since she had the fryer going, she also made my favorite Indian dish, Vada!!

And hell, why not fry up some Papadum while you're at it, Leslie? I adore this crispy fried gram flour Indian snack, especially dipped in coconut chutney!

I brought a crock full of Chana Masala from The Vegan Table.

Vaughan brought an interesting dish of Lentils with Dried Cranberries.

And Cassi made homemade Vegan Dumplings! These were super tasty.

Greg brought his usual — Tofu Nuggets. He gets requests for these at every potluck, so he can never bring anything different. My friend Greg makes the most amazing breaded and fried chicken-flavored tofu nuggets!

Nick brought a dish of Lady Peas with Squash and Smoked Paprika. Lovely end-of-summer treat. Lady peas are so expensive that I rarely shell out the dough for them. Glad Nick did.

Oh, and let's not forget the non-brown dish at the table. Leslie made a lovely Berry and Almond Salad. Sadly (for my waistline), I filled my plate with lots of fried goodness and only a smidge of salad.

Oh, and then there was cake!! Stephanie (Poopie Bitch on the PPK) of Swell Baked Goods made two cake treats for Leslie's birthday. She brought Fauxstess Cupcakes (and yes, there is cream in the middle)!

And since Leslie attempts to eat gluten-free when possible, Stephanie made a Lavender and Jasmine Gluten-Free Birthday Cake!

After we stuffed our faces, Leslie (a trained herbalist) taught us how to combine herbs at this build-your-own tea station. I made black tea blends and a few tisanes that I plan to drink iced since I'm not a fan of hot tea.