God Bless This Food

Gud Velsigne Denne Maten: 75th Annual Smorgasbord Supper continues to bring generations together for Nordic tradition and culinary dishes at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Norse

NORSE – Back in 1949, the first Smorgasbord supper held at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Norse sold tickets for $1. The funds raised by the event initiated by Sadie Swenson Hoel and Pastor Beaver’s wife would get running water to the parish hall from the old parsonage.

Ever since then, for the past 75 years, the church upholds their fundraising Smorgasbord tradition – a buffet style gourmet meal with a cornucopia of traditional Nordic foods. What started out as a simple fundraising supper, for nourishment of the body, grew into the unique event it is today. The event is so unique, that it was even featured in the Houston Chronicle in 1971.

Over the years, the Smorgasbord has grown to a unique Texas-Norwegian tradition drawing people from all over the state of Texas and beyond. The only way be part of this very popular Nordic feast offering a unique variety of home-cooked Norwegian dishes, is through an advance mail-in request and a drawing. This year’s 75th annual event received 347 requests for a seat at the table, but only 240 people were lucky enough to be served in one of the two sittings Nov. 9.

Driving towards the church nestled in the heart of Norse, past the golden grass fields of early winter on which an assortment of cows, sheep and goats munch peacefully, one can’t help but think of the first Norwegian settlers that made this land their new home. On a beautiful, mild November evening, people trickled past the lit candles in their glass wind protectors and red bows into the sanctuary. There, organist Patsy Erikson-Squyres’ hymns and Norwegian songs and a word from Pastor Ryan Pederson welcomed them before partaking of the gastronomic treat.

Squyres, whose parents were both from Norwegian descent has been coming to the Smorgasbord since she was six years old, was at the first supper in 1949 and hasn’t missed one since. She has also been the Our Savior’s Lutheran organist for the past 64 years. This special anniversary year, she also served as event president.

“The history and heritage of Our Savior’s and the Smorgasbord is important to us, and there’s much more that could be said, but I’d like to reflect for a moment on why the Smorgasbord has become so meaningful to us,” Pederson said in his welcome. “You may wonder if the ladies ever got the running water that they wanted in the old Parish Hall. You’ll be happy to know that they did.

A concrete drinking fountain stands testament to that endeavor. Its waters though never tasted quite right and was always hot because of the steel pipes and was never really utilized.

“So why are we celebrating seventy-five years of the Smorgasbord?” Pederson asked. “At some point along the way, the Smorgasbord jumped the steep banks of practicality and entered the territory of tradition. It has become one of the central activities of the congregation. It brings people together for a common task. Each year, that we celebrate this tradition we are instructed in certain lessons.

“We are reminded of, or learn for the first time, how to prepare these foods that nourish our bodies, but also our souls, that nourished our ancestors’ bodies and souls. We also learn about perseverance. The first Smorgasbord was held just a few short years after the end of World War II, a moment of great relief, but also a moment when losses were quite fresh. It has endured through other wars--the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the various wars in the Middle East of the past thirty years. It has endured through droughts and recessions. It has endured through personal hardships and family tragedies.

“For the folks who prepare the food, set up the Parish Hall, and serve, the Smorgasbord is a temporary reprieve from the troubles of life. For a few hours each year, we are reminded that everything will be okay.”

Pederson pondered the threat of conflict with the Roman Empire was constant, but throughout the gospels, Jesus tells his disciples, and the crowds who follow him, not to be afraid.

“We, too, live in a world marked by difficulty, in a moment of heightened anxiety, unrelenting distrust,” Pederson said. “Just as Jesus’s disciples did. Just as those folks did in 1949 and in the years since. But I want to encourage all of us not to be afraid. We welcome you here. Enjoy yourselves for a while. After all, nothing says everything will be alright quite like meatballs and gravy. Nothing reminds us of the sweetness of the world like spiritzbakkels, rosettes, krum kake, fattigman’s bakkels, and sandbakkels. Lefse reminds us that we are loved, just like the warm hug from a grandmother or great-grandmother.

“Thank you for coming. For being a good excuse for us to continue the Smorgasbord. We hope that you enjoy the food and the tradition that means so much to us. We hope that as you walk by the altar, through the sacristy, that you enter a space where you have a reprieve from the troubles of life.”

Upon entering the elegantly decorated family hall, beautiful crystal and copper serving dishes, silver and glass ornaments on the buffet table glitter in the soft petroleum lamp light. The butter, jelly, yett ost and mysost stand ready in small crystal dishes. Church members in traditional Norwegian Hardanger costumes, with red vests with gold embellishments and lace aprons extend gracious hospitality, showing guests their seats, and offering them Sot Suppe – a sweet, cider-like drink, traditionally served on special occasions and during the Christmas holiday season. It is equally good served hot or cold.

The tables with white cloth tablecloths are adorned with American and Norwegian flags and decked with real silverware, earthenware plates, water glasses – which are all washed by hand during and after the event by an army of dutiful husbands. While waiting for the onslaught of dirty dishes and glasses they gather on the porch outside the kitchen and discuss weather, agriculture and solve complex society problems.

Most of the event preparations at the first Smorgasbord took place in a tent, without any heating. Ral Aars remembers people preparing food in the bitter cold; as a young man he remembers climbing into a friend’s car to get warm by the heater. Now church members populate the large kitchen – it has been compared to a beehive of organized chaos -- making sure the dishes were filled and the empty plates and side room making hors d’oeuvres, coffee, plating meats and cheeses, arranging cookies. The hundreds of delicate cookies are prepared ahead of time.

As an eight-year-old, Aars was at the first Smorgasbord as was his best friend John Canutesen. Their moms were busy preparing the food and decking the tables. The first Smorgasbord was so successful many church members rushed home to prepare more foods to feed those in line for the event. “We did not eat that evening,” Aars said.

In the mid-fifties, Hoel once again took the initiative to dress the greeters John and Ral in Norwegian costume. And the hostesses followed --the red-haired ladies got costumes with green waistcoats, the rest were red.

Patsy Lund was at the first Smorgasbord also; granted she was only six months old, but her mother could not leave her at home as she help prepare for the event. Lund’s first memories of the event are playing outside with her friends as the parents worked as volunteers. She too remembers the cold environment tent where the food was prepared. Lund starting helping with the event since she was confirmed in 1964. She remembers changing, into her costume coming to the church from school. And that the school unfortunately showed little leniency for unfinished homework for students helping at the Smorgasbord.

According to the records, other church members present at the first Smorgasbord were Martha Anz, Elaine Bakke Bell, Marvin Grelle, Irene Hoeldtke, Glenn Murphree, Carol Ann Bronstad Pitts and Sue Viertel.

Photos and stories from the first Smorgasbord Suppers are carefully kept in the yellowing pages of a leather binder. In the church records Virginia Bakke Heinley found that 74 current church members are direct descendants of the Our Savior's Lutheran Church founders – church members are direct descendants of the original 17 settlers of the Norse community in 1854 and 21 additional members are direct descendants of the congregation’s 1869 charter members.

Each year, the event grew more and more successful. At one time the church had three sittings on both Wednesday and Thursday evening. With dwindling volunteers, the organizing committee chose quality over quantity, and the event was reduced to two serving times per evening; then it was moved to the Saturday.

One of the main questions the church hears during the event is “How do you people do this?” It is thanks to team work and strong sense of church community. The lists on the kitchen wall are a witness to the many, many helping hands – around 70 volunteers. A committee of 12 has the organization, with a rotating trio in the driver’s seat. And there are several sub-committees to assist the planning of the gastronomical evening.

“As a member of the church, helping with the event is just something you do,” Laurie Aars said. “It is an integral part of the church and our community. But my mother-in-law [Rosalie Aars] who ignited the love for the event in me.”

Rosalie is shown in a photo with Mrs. Hoel in the photo gallery in the hall way leading up to the fellowship hall. Patsy Lund is also in one of the photos, as a six-year-old. “You either move away, get divorced or die, to get out of helping at Smorgasbord,” Alice Brewer added.

It is heartening to see new faces in the colorful costumes added to the army of volunteers – new daughters-in-law roped in to assist, younger brothers helping to clear the tables. Every member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church has a job to do at Smorgasbord. Whether it’s washing dishes or parking cars or serving as hostesses or bus boys, they truly enjoy working together to keep this tradition preserved and to pass it on to future generations. And the enjoyment and warmth shows on the faces and the smiles during the special event.

These new generations of Norwegian descent hold true to their heritage, honor and hope through faith. And as the Norwegian table prayer sung by all present before sharing the gastronomical triumph states “Deg, Gud til aere, oss til gavn,” – To God the honor, us the gain.”

The amount of cookies prepared is staggering: 800 lefse, 250 Berliner kranse, 350 krum kake, fattigmans and spritz. And how about rolling 120 meatballs? Luckily, that task is divided by 13 volunteers. Whereas the church provides the more expensive items like meats, fish, cheese and eggs, most of the cooks donate the ingredients of their gastronomic contribution to the festive event, keeping the costs down. Additionally, some grants are secured.

Hostesses and waiters run back and forth to the kitchen to replenish the emptying plates as guests choose their favorite dishes. During the buffet many church members assist in the large kitchen area and dishes are washed in preparation for the evening’s second sitting.

Literally translated, smorgasbord means “Bread and Butter” table and it can be seen as the precursor to the now ubiquitous charcuterie board. But with that said, it requires much more preparation.

The Norse smorgasbord is anything but “bread and butter.” The serving table laden is with traditional Norwegian delectable fare with multiple hot and cold dishes table like rulle pølse – rump roast meat roll, sild – pickled herring, salmon mold, rice pudding squares with raisins, Kjottballer - meatballs and other meats; rodbette and potet salar – beet and potato salad.

The Norwegian cheeses like yett ost– goat cheese, mysost – sweet whey cheese, nockel ost – caraway cheese and gammel ost – aged cheese are served with different breads, like limpa, flat brod and lefse – rye bread, flat bread and potato bread.

While some specifically pick out the true Scandinavian dishes – like sylte – head cheese, the sild – the pickled herring or the aged gammel ost for their plates, less adventurous guests stick to the delicious meatballs, or the more traditional ham and turkey. And every guest has their specific favorite dish. Charlene Tergerson used to make the gammel ost herself and that’s still her favorite; Jan and Mark Wallace love the cookies.

First-timer Ves Box tried the pickled herring, but really enjoyed the meatballs and beans. The one comes for the lefse with mysost, the other for the salmon salad, another with a sweet tooth for the fruit jello ring and the sot suppe and yet another for the red beet salad.

The recipes passed down from generation to generation, remain unchanged over the years. Some are the same recipes as brought by the pioneers who settled in Norse as early as 1854. The booklet with the Smorgasbord recipes is on sale at the church; the Norwegian names like Solberg, Ringness and Aars bear witness to the cooks’ Norwegian heritage.

“It isn’t likely that you will attempt making this age-old Scandinavian cheese, as the method belongs to the horse and buggy days,” the booklet states about the traditional way to make mysost cheese.

While still labor intensive, you can kick start the process by using yettost instead of making the whey byproduct yourself. The cheese with sweetened condensed milk and Carnation milk is slowly cooked down and stirred for about two hours in a double boiler to where it caramelizes and thickens. It is left to cool outside the fridge for an evening to avoid graininess and then refrigerated until used.

The ticket price for the supper has increased over the years but the profits of this decades-old tradition worth upholding are still used to help further the ministry in Norse and share their Norwegian heritage and God's love in the church’s community and world. The proceeds primarily go to sending the church members’ youth to summer camps and local charities, but also to help those stricken by disaster.

While this year marks the 75th anniversary of the event, COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings for two years, this was the 73rd time the event took place.

What better way to end a beautiful November day, hearts and bellies full, riding past Norse fields as the sun slowly lowers under the horizon, with deer carefully coming out to forage, silhouetted against an exquisite Texas sunset. And there is no better way to lead up to and prepare for the Advent than cherishing heritage, community and church and working together for the nourishment of the body and soul.