Local culinary talent featured Saturday
By Bill Hahn
The 98th annual Lutefisk Supper and Norwegian Bake and Craft Sale will be held from 12:30-6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Northland Lutheran Church.
The menu will include lutefisk, meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy, lefse, buttered carrots, coleslaw, cranberries and such traditional Norwegian pastries as rosettes, sandbakkels, krumkakes and fattigmann cookies.
Preparation for the supper generally begins many weeks in advance. Volunteer leaders assemble at the church to discuss logistics, planning and promotion with no less than 14 committees ranging from set-up to clean-up.
The supper is the single largest annual outreach event for the church, which serves attendees from the local area and from across the country.
Many Norwegian members of the church have a great deal of experience in traditional cooking. Members of the local communities will recognize familiar faces as some church members take their culinary talents to local cooking demonstrations and such local events as the Iola Historical Society’s recent Taste of Norway.
Northland Lutheran Church will prepare and serve an estimated 500 pounds of lutefisk, 350 pounds of potatoes, 300 pounds of meatballs and have nearly 40 cases of lefse available.
Church member and Co-chairperson Dianne Erickson suggests arriving early.
“We usually have plenty of food to serve,” she said, “but our baked goods and craft sale items tend to get quickly snapped up.”
“All are invited to attend,” said the Rev. Dan Somers. “The supper gives us a chance to offer our fellowship to all who choose to join us.”
Tickets are $14 for adults, $4 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for those 5 and under. The church is located in rural Northland, nine miles north of Iola, at N9880 State Highway 49.
For more information, call 715-445-2956.
Since 1908, the Northland Lutheran Church has served members and visitors from its rural location. The church is affiliated with Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.
Church services are held every Sunday at 10 a.m., with Sunday school starting at 9 a.m.