Contributing Writer
In the mid-1800s many Norwegians came to the United States after suffering from the potato famine. When they came, they brought some things with them: griddles, mashers, rolling pins, and lefse (www.lefsetime.com). Now, over a hundred years later, lefse is still being made, but not only in Norway; now it’s also being made in Lawler, Minnesota, by the Lake family.
Sharon Lake learned how to make lefse in 1992 at a community education class in the home ec room of McGregor High School. Sharon’s kids, Robin and Eric, had always enjoyed lefse when they went to visit the relatives, so she thought this would be a good opportunity to learn how to make it herself.
Making lefse is a tradition for many families, but the Lakes added some traditions of their own in the process. Each year they make lefse the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That way everyone is home to participate in this family tradition. The Lakes make this treat every year using at least 20 pounds of potatoes. They begin by peeling and preparing the potatoes that Friday. This process is much like making mashed potatoes. After they are peeled, the potatoes are boiled, riced (very similar to mashing), and then the other ingredients are added. After mixing in the butter, milk, salt and sugar, the potatoes must be cooled completely, so the Lakes save the next part for Saturday.
On Saturday the Lakes begin their all-day process. They set up their family factory line and get started. Eric is first. He mixes the flour into the cooled potatoes by hand and once the consistency is just right, he begins to form the mixture into balls. The next worker in line is Sharon, master of the rolling pin. She takes the balled potatoes and begins to roll them out onto her round board covered in a Bethany pastry cloth, sprinkled with a layer of flour. Once Sharon rolls the lefse out flat and thin, Robin picks up the uncooked piece of lefse with her lefse stick and finishes the job! She sets the lefse onto the hot griddle. After she flips it and it finishes cooking, she moves it onto a paper towel to cool. Robin has two griddles going for the entire day so she can move twice as fast. She claims, “I’m not really sure why I like cooking the lefse best, but maybe it’s because I get to use the lefse stick.”
Once the Lakes are done, they have hundreds of pieces of lefse to enjoy through the holiday season. According to Sharon, “The main way to eat lefse is with butter and sugar,” but each member of the family enjoys lefse in a different way. David enjoys his covered in butter, salt and pepper. Sharon and Robin both like theirs best with just butter. Eric eats his lefse with butter and cinnamon, but according to his mother, he has also been known to experiment and roll things like turkey and cheese in his lefse. Eric says, “The weirdest thing I’ve put on my lefse was turkey and gravy. It was like a Thanksgiving taco.”
Lefse can be eaten with almost anything and everything. Regardless of how a person eats it, whether they put butter, jam, sugar or salt on it, the time spent together making it is the most important part. This is why the Lakes often invite friends to join them in this activity.
Lefse Recipe
2 cups mashed (riced) potatoes
1 Tbls. butter or margarine
4 Tbls. cream or milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
Mix together, cool completely, then add (by hand) 1 cup flour
**More flour can be added if needed.
