October 2009 - A Gathering of Ghouls! - Sunny & Stacie

Sunny & Stacie hosted our "Ghouls Night Out!". They went all-out on the decorating (as usual!) and it looked adorable. I don't think I've ever seen so much glitter for Halloween, and I loved it! The place-settings were fabulous, with these little pumpkins covered in glitter and our names in vinyl lettering. I wish photographs could do it justice, but unfortunately they just don't!

Here's just some of the decor...

(Super tasty & colorful appetizers)

Tangy Pepper-Pecan Brie:

- ½ cup pecan halves, coarsely chopped

- ¼ cup apricot preserves

- 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped

- 1 4” round (8 oz.) Brie cheese with rind, room temperature

- 1 loaf (16 oz.) French baguette

- Vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coarsely chop ¼ cup of the pecans using Food Chopper. In small bowl combine chopped pecans, apricot preserves and jalapeno; mix well.

2. Cut Brie in half horizontally. Place one half of Brie, cut side up, onto center of a large stone. Spread half of the sugar mixture evenly over bottom half of Brie. Top with remaining half of Brie, cut side up. Spread remaining sugar mixture over Brie.

3. Using a bread knife, cut baguette on a bias into 24 1/4” slices. Arrange baguette slices around Brie; spray with oil. Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until baguette slices are golden brown and Brie begins to soften. Remove from oven; let stand 5 min. before serving.

Crostini

Makes 30-35

- 1 baguette (6 ounces), cut diagonally into ¼-inch thick slices

- 2T. olive oil (I needed a bit more)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly brush each bread slice on both sides with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet; toast until light golden, 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

Avocado and Green Sauce Crostini

1 small garlic clove

¾ C packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for garnish

¾ C packed fresh basil leaves

¼ C plus 2T extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ teaspoons red-wine vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Avocados, peeled and pitted

1T fresh lemon juice

Crostini

Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse. Add the parsley, basil, 5T olive oil, and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper; puree. (Can add 1T. of capers if you like.) Set the sauce aside.

Cut the avocados into ½ inch chunks. Toss with the lemon juice, and the remaining olive oil.

Spread the green sauce on each crostini. Arrange the avocado chunks on the bread, sprinkle with a pinch of ground pepper, drizzle with a little more sauce and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup

- 1 head of cauliflower

- 2 cups water

- 1 medium onion

- ½ tsp. salt

- Dash of ground nutmeg

- 1 T. lemon juice

- 2 T. flour

- 1 ¾ cups of broth (6-7 bouillon cubes)

- 1/8 tsp pepper

- ½ cup heavy whipping cream

- ½ cup Butter

1. Cut cauliflower into bite-size pieces.

2. Heat water to boiling in 3 qt. saucepan. Add flowerets, celery, lemon juice and onion. Cover and heat to boiling and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until veggies are tender and drain. Set aside.

3. Melt butter in 4 qt. saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Cook constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly for 1 minute.

4. Stir in cauliflower mixture, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat to boiling. Stir in whipping cream just until hot and serve.

They made two different kinds of biscuits--pumpkin & buttermilk, served with cinneberry and orange-pecan butters. I'm totally going to have to steal this idea for a dinner party. The biscuits melted in your mouth. And the butters had just the perfect amount of flavor. Sunny also mentioned that the biscuits are great alternatives to rolls for Thanksgiving dinner (and you don't have to wait for them to rise!).

Pumpkin Angel Biscuits

***Use a light hand when working with this dough to ensure that the baked biscuits will be tender.

Makes about 24 biscuits. Prep time: 30- min. ₊ chilling. Baking time: 12 – 13 minutes.

- 2 ¼ tsp. active dry yeast, room temperature. (1 pkg.)

- ½ cup warm water (105 degrees – 115 degrees)

- 5 cups all purpose flour

- ¼ cup sugar

- 1 T. pumpkin-pie spice

- 1 tsp. baking powder

- 1 tsp. baking soda

- 1 tsp. table salt

- 1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cubed

- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree

- 1 cup buttermilk

- Melted, unsalted butter

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl; set aside.

Whisk together flour, sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the 1 stick cubed butter into the dry ingredients until butter pieces are the size of peas.

Stir together pumpkin puree and buttermilk; add to the flour mixture along with the yeast mixture. Stir just until ingredients are moistened. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough lightly 4-5 times to incorporate the flour.

Roll dough to a thickness of ½ inch. Cut dough with a 2-inch floured cutter to form 12 biscuits. Place biscuits in one of the prepared pans. Gather remaining dough scraps, then gently roll out dough again. Cut 12 more biscuits and place in second pan.

Brush tops of biscuits with melted butter. Bake biscuits until lightly golden, 12 – 13 minutes.

Turn biscuits out of pans and serve warm.

Make-Ahead Directions:

This dough will keep for 2 – 3 days stored in the refrigerator. You even can cut the dough into rounds and place the rounds into the prepared pans. Cover biscuits and chill them up to 1 day before baking as directed.

Buttermilk Biscuit Option:

You can replace the cup of canned pumpkin puree with an extra 1 cup of buttermilk. Omit the pumpkin-pie spice. No matter what version you choose to make, these biscuits taste fabulous as a base for mini leftover turkey sandwiches!

Cinnaberry Butter:

Combine 1 stick unsalted butter (softened), 2 Tbsp. chopped dried cranberries, 2 tsp. sugar, ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, and ½ tsp. kosher salt in a bowl. Scoop mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap; roll wrap around butter to form a log. Twist ends of plastic wrap tightly to seal. Chill log in the refrigerator until butter is firm. Store butter, sealed, up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or freezer.

Orange-Pecan Butter:

Combine 1 stick unsalted butter (softened), 2 Tbsp. chopped toasted pecans, 1 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. minced orange zest, ½ tsp. kosher salt in a bowl. Scoop mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap; roll wrap around butter to form a log. Twist ends of plastic wrap tightly to seal. Chill log in the refrigerator until butter is firm. Store butter, sealed, up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or freezer.

This is a recipe from Stacie's grandmother (who is German). I'm seriously in love with this salad. It had the most amazing flavor! I agree with Sunny who said that it just looks like an ordinary salad, but tastes anything but ordinary!

German Family Salad

- 2 bunches of Romaine lettuce, chopped

- 1 large Gala apple cubed

- 1 ½ avocado cut up

- Caesar or Garlic croutons

- Pine nuts

Dressing for German Salad:

o ½ cup olive oil

o 1/3 cup rice vinegar

o 2 T sugar

o 2 cloves garlic

o About ½ - 1 Tablespoon of “Season All” salt. (I use 1 + even a little more. It’s what makes it.)

o Pepper to taste

Brisket:

- 1 well-trimmed 5-6 lb. whole boneless brisket

- 1 cup dry sherry

- ¾ cup soy sauce

- 1 6 oz. pineapple juice (Dole makes this size)

- 1/3 cup brown sugar

- 1/3 cup chopped onion

- 1 tsp. ground ginger

- 1 tsp. Knorr Swiss Aromat seasoning

- ½ tsp. garlic powder

- ½ tsp. lemon pepper

Soak overnight with the fat side up. Bake uncovered @ 300°F for 4-5 hours.

Sweet Potato Pie

(tastes like candy! :)

- 4 cooked yams

- ¼ cup milk

- ½ cup Butter

- 2 eggs

- 1 cup sugar

Bake yams and mash. Mix ingredients and pour into pan.

Sweet Potato Pie Topping:

o 1 ½ cup Butter

o ¾ cup flour

o 1 ½ cup sugar

o 3 eggs

o 24 oz. of canned crushed pineapple, well drained

Cream butter, sugar and flour. Beat in egg and then stir in pineapple. Spoon over yams. Bake at 350°F and cook until slightly browned; about 30 minutes.

Green Beans with Honey Cashew Sauce

1 lb fresh green beans
1 ½ to 2 T. butter

½ cup coarsely chopped cashews
2 T. honey

Steam green beans until just tender. Drain and set aside in saucepan. In a small skillet, sauté cashews in butter over low heat for 5 minutes. Add honey and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. (I sautéed on medium heat until the cashews were golden and the sauce was frothy.) Pour sauce over beans and toss until coated.

Divine Chocolate Cake (...and it was DIVINE!)

- 1 Devil’s food cake mix

- 1 cup sour cream

- ½ cup vegetable oil

- ½ cup water

- 4 large eggs

- 1 ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips. Lightly spray Bundt pan with Pam and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cook at 350°F for 50 – 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes and turn over.

Frosting for Divine Chocolate Cake:

o 1 cup white sugar

o 5 T. butter

o 1/3 cup whole milk

o 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Boil sugar, butter and milk. Take off heat and pour chips in to melt.

Orange Almond Wassail

*This wassail had such an amazing flavor. It's such a perfect drink for the holiday season. Sunny said the key is the almond extract. I've never had almond extract in wassail before. She said she added even more than the recipe called for, and will add even more next time, so use a heavy hand with the almond extract for a little more tastiness!

Makes 12, 6-oz. servings

- 2 cups water

- 1 cup sugar

- 1 large cinnamon stick

- ½ tsp. whole cloves

Boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Then add:

- 6 cups water

- 1 6 oz. frozen orange juice

- Juice of 1 lemon

- ½ tsp. almond extract

Pour into crockpot and keep warm

Orange Blossom Punch

- 3 cups orange juice

- 1, 10 oz. can of peach or strawberry daiquiri mix.

- 2 cups cold water

Mix all three together with Ginger Ale.

The take-home gifts were an adorable feather-covered black cauldren and these yummy cake-pops. They were more than just pretty to look at, they were delicious. I was wishing my husband had never laid eyes on it, because it disappeared way too quickly when I had to share it with him! My mouth is watering just thinking about them. And they looked so cute presented on a cupcake stand. I'm loving the idea for a baby shower or birthday party.
Cake Pops

Bake a regular cake-mix cake in a 9x13 pan. After it is cooled, crumble it in a bowl and mix it with about ½ tub of cream cheese frosting. Form cake and frosting into golf ball size balls and arrange on a cookie sheet. Freeze for about 3+hours. Pull out of freezer and let defrost about 10 minutes. Use cookie cutter to form into desired shape (options are endless here). Dip in chocolate and insert sucker stick. Let dry on stick on a floral-Styrofoam block. Decorate as desired before the chocolate melts.

Hope you can enjoy some of these fun ideas for the upcoming holidays!
Thanks, Sunny & Stacie for all the amazing ideas!

September 2009--Meet Me At The Farmer's Market! (Shelly & Lindsay)

Our hostesses, Shelly & Lindsay

All the ladies!

After a long hiatus over the summer, Gourmet Club is back on! (Finally! It feels like it's been forever...) Shelly and Lindsay hosted an incredible evening, so perfect for this time of year. Their theme was "Meet Me at the Farmer's Market". The fruits and vegetables were so fresh and tasty. Their invitations were adorable--I'll get a picture and post it later. Thanks, Shell & Lindsay for all your hard work! The night seemed to have gone off without a hitch. Everything was perfect! I'm still dreaming about those panini's...

The chalkboard menu was such a cute touch.

The place setting had a jar of homemade raspberry jam, which served as our namesetting, as well as a take-home gift.

Lavender Cream
From The Gardener’s Community Cookbook

1 cup heavy whipping cream
pinch of salt
1 cup milk
Blossoms from 10 sprigs of lavender (I used ¾ tablespoon dried culinary lavender)
1/4 cup honey
4 extra large egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar

1. Combine the cream, milk, honey, sugar, salt, and lavender in the top of a double boiler. Set over simmering water and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to thicken, about 10 minutes. *When using dried lavender, let the mixture sit (steep) with a lid on top for 30 minutes. Pour cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard lavender. Return mixture to cleaned top of a double boiler.
2. Lightly beat the egg yolks in a bowl. Whisk in half the warm cream mixture. Whisk this mixture back into the double boiler. Continue cooking over the simmering water, stirring from time to time, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon, about 10 minutes more.
3. Strain the cream mixture into a clean bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, and chill. Serve as a sauce for berries, chocolate cake, plain pound cake, or sponge cake. Or spoon into side bowls and accompany with cookies.

*If you don’t have lavender in your garden it can be purchased at www.penzeys .com.



This lemonade was delicious...and super refreshing! And how cute are these bottles!? Love 'em!

Strawberry Lemonade
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003
Ingredients
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 2 cups cold sparkling water or club soda
• Ice
• Mint sprigs, garnish
• Whole strawberries, garnish
Directions
In a medium saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon peel and lemon juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Let cool completely, then strain into a clean pitcher.
In a blender, puree the pint of strawberries and add to the pitcher with the lemon juice. Stir well to combine and refrigerate until well chilled.
Add the sparkling water and stir well. Pour over glasses filled with ice and serve, garnished with mint and strawberries.






Butternut Bisque
Ingredients
• 2 Tb Butter
• 1 c Onion; Chopped
• 2 lb Butternut Squash; Peeled and cut
• 4 c Chicken Stock
• 1/2 tsp White Pepper
• Salt; To Taste
• 1 c Milk
• 1 c Cream
• Parsley; Chopped
Instructions
Dice butternut squash into 1" pieces, Melt butter in a large soup pot. Add onion and saute until onion softens. Add squash and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer 20-25 minutes, until squash is tender. Cool, uncovered, 20 minutes. Puree in blender or food processor until very smooth. (Soup may be refrigerated at this point and finished the next day.) Return soup to pot. Add pepper, salt, milk, and cream. Heat gently, but do not boil. Garnish with chopped parsley.



Panzanella Salad

Croutons:
1 pound loaf ciabatta, cut into 3/4 –inch cubes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used about half)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

1 cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into large chunks
½ small red onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, and chopped
3 large tomatoes, cored and cut into large chunks (I always use grape tomatoes, halved)
½ cup finely sliced fresh basil leaves
1 pound fresh mozzarella bocconcini, cut in half (I just buy the fresh mozzarella packed in water and cut into small cubes or the mozzarella pearls)
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (I use 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 T fresh lemon juice
½ tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the croutons, place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly and arrange in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly crisped and browned around the edges, yet still somewhat soft in the interior, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before using.

To assemble the salad, in a large bowl, combine the cucumber, onion, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, basil , mozzarella, salt pepper, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Toss to combine evenly. Add the bread cubes and toss again. Transfer the salad to a decorative bowl and serve immediately.

Farmers’ Market Panini

Tart apples such as Granny Smith, chopped
Red onion marmalade
Brie Cheese, rind cut off and sliced
Roasted Turkey Breast, sliced
Hearty Wheat Bread, sliced
Brush one side of each bread slice with olive oil. Lay the slices oiled side down and spread the top of each slice with the red onion marmalade. Sprinkle the apples on top and place sliced turkey over the apples. Arrange a couple slices of brie on top. Top each sandwich with a bread slice, oiled side up.

Place the sandwich on a panini press, close the lid, and cook until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board and cut in half. Serve immediately.


Moist and Tender Turkey Breast
From Recipezaar.com
Ingredients
1 (5-10 lb) fresh or frozen turkey breast (thawed)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can chicken broth
1-2 tablespoon mayonnaise

Directions
1. Place turkey breast in a roasting pan.
2. Combine melted butter and chicken broth.
3. Pour over turkey.
4. Rub mayonnaise all over turkey's exterior. Salt lightly if desired.
5. Roast at 300°-325°F until internal temperature reaches 170°F on an instant read thermometer.
6. Remove from oven and let sit for about 30 minutes before slicing.
Note: because the butter and broth are for making gravy, if you need to make a lot of gravy, double the amount of both.

Red Onion Marmalade
4 ½ pounds red onions
4 garlic cloves
1/3 pound butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
375 ml bottle red wine
375 ml bottle red wine vinegar

1. Halve and thinly slice the onions, then thinly slice the garlic. Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a high heat. Tip in the onions and garlic and give them a good stir so they are glossed with butter. Sprinkle over the sugar, thyme leaves, and some salt and pepper. Give everything another really good stir and reduce the heat slightly. Cook uncovered for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. The onions are ready when all their juices have evaporated, they're really soft and sticky and smell of sugar caramelizing. They should be so soft that they break when pressed against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon. Slow cooking is the secret of really soft and sticky onions, so don't rush this part.
2. Pour in the wine and vinegar and simmer everything, still uncovered, over a high heat for 25-30 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are a deep mahogany color and the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds. It's done when drawing a spoon across the bottom of the pan clears a path that fills rapidly with syrupy juice. Leave the onions to cool in the pan then scoop into a container. Can be eaten straight away, but keeps in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic and Sea Salt
*These were AMAZING!!! The best sweet potato fries I've ever had!

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• Course sea salt

Preheat oven to 450. Rinse and dry sweet potatoes. Cut sweet potatoes into batons about ¼ inch wide and 3 inches long. Mix the oil, mustard, and lime juice in a large bowl or ziplock bag and toss with the sweet potato batons to coat. Spread sweet potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast, stirring with a spatula midway through baking time, until tender and browned on the edges, 20-25 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix parmesan, parsley, and garlic. Add warm oven fries and mix gently to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and serve at once.


Peach Cobbler

1/2 c butter cut up
1 c flour
1 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c milk
3 1/2 c fresh fruit or canned (any kind)
3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
Cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Melt the butter in a square pan in the oven. Remove pan from the oven.
3. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder in a medium bowl. Stir in the milk. Gently pour the mixture into the melted butter in the baking pan. Do not stir.
4. Place fruit of your choice evenly over the batter, top with brown sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake until the cobbler is well browned and the fruit is cooked. The baking time will vary depending on the fruit. Start checking after about 40 min. Serve right out of the oven, plain or with ice cream or whipped cream...or with milk over the top. Enjoy!


French Vanilla Ice Cream
From Martha Stewart Living
Makes 1 1/2 quarts.
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 vanilla beans, halved lengthwise
• 8 large egg yolks
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
1- Put cream and milk into a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Scrape vanilla seeds from beans with the tip of a small knife into pan; add beans. Heat the mixture until hot (do not let simmer), about 2 minutes. Remove mixture from heat; cover, and let stand 30 minutes.

2- Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Put yolks, sugar, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until yolk mixture has tripled in volume and can hold a ribbon on surface for 2 seconds, about 3 minutes.

3- Reduce speed to medium. Ladle 1 cup cream mixture in a slow stream into yolk mixture to temper it. Add another cup cream mixture; beat to combine. Transfer mixture to saucepan; cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon and an instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees; 5 to 7 minutes.

4- Pour custard through a medium-mesh sieve into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Let cool completely, stirring often. Freeze custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately, or freeze in an airtight plastic container until ready to serve. If frozen for more than 4 hours, let ice cream stand at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

*This is the best idea for a summer dessert. LOVE IT! It presents so well, and is such a light, yummy dessert. I'd prefer this to cake anyday!

Strawberries and Cheesecake Dip

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 pint strawberries
¼ cup graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
1) In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, sugar, milk and extract; mix until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl.
2) Place the strawberries and crumbs in separate serving bowls. Dip strawberries into cheesecake mixture, then into crumbs.


Candy Cookies

1 cube butter (not margarine)
½ c. brown sugar
1 C. milk chocolate chips
Club crackers
finely chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 F

Line a 9X13 pan with foil and grease with oil. Line the bottom of the pan with club crackers.

In saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar. Boil 2 minutes. Pour over crackers.
Bake 5 minutes. Remove and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Spread like frosting as it melts. Sprinkle with chopped nuts and press into chocolate. Cut into squares while still warm. Refrigerate till firm.

May 2009 - Judith & Kristy

Thank you to Judith & Kristy (and their cute nieces) for treating us to wonderful evening at the beach house in Maine. (Well, that's what it felt like anyway.) Great job ladies! Now where can I get three little servant girls to help me next time???

(One little note: Sorry about the crazy fonts, I don't know what is going on. Sometimes Blogger can be so weird. Bare with me . . . )

The Darling Invitations:

Menu

Appetizers:

Party Time Crab Salad

Mango & Mint Salsa

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Drink:

Citrus Grape Splash

Salad:

Apple Coleslaw

Soup:

Clam Chowder

Main Course:

Halibut in Hazelnut Romesco Sauce

Summer Vegetable Succotash

Fresh Pineapple Slice

Dessert:

Crème Brulee

Key Lime Pie

APPETIZERS:

Party Time Crab Salad

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, cartilage removed
• 1 cup diced (1/4 inch) peeled hothouse (seedless) cucumber
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely slivered fresh basil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves, for garnish
• 6 mint or basil sprigs, for garnish

Preparation

1. Combine the crabmeat and cucumber in a bowl. Carefully toss together with the lime juice and olive oil. Add the slivered basil, salt, and pepper; combine gently, trying not to break up the crabmeat.

Mango and Mint Salsa

Ingredients

• 1 ripe mango, peeled and pitted
• 1/4 cup diced (1/4 inch) red onion
• 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced jalapeño pepper, seeds removed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Cut the mango into 1/4-inch dice and place in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 hours before serving.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, boiled, drained and shredded with 2 forks
1 (12 ounce) bottle Frank's Hot Sauce
16 ounces cream cheese
1 (16 ounce) bottle Ranch dressing
1/2 cup minced celery
8 ounces shredded Monterey jack or sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan, combine the shredded chicken meat with entire bottle of Frank's hot sauce, spreading to form an even layer.

Preparation:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream cheese with entire bottle of Ranch dressing, stirring until smooth and hot. Pour evenly over the chicken mixture. Sprinkle celery over top. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, then sprinkle cheese over top and bake uncovered for another 15 or 20 minutes until just hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving with celery sticks or any sturdy dipping chip.

Citrus Grape Splash

1 can frozen white grape juice

1 (2 liter) bottle of Fresca

Orange and lime slices

Mix together, serve over ice and garnish with orange and lime slices

SALAD:

Apple Coleslaw

Ingredients:

¾ cup Miracle Whip Dressing

1 Tbsp. honey

16 oz of shredded cabbage

2 apples (preferably 1 red and 1 green), chopped

Preparation:

Mix dressing and honey in large bowl

Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly

Refrigerate 1 hour

SOUP:

Clam Chowder

¼ pound butter

1/3 cup ground onion

½ cup flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 quart milk

½ quart half-and-half

1 ¼ cups clam juice (or nectar)

1 cup clams (canned)

1 cup diced potatoes, cooked

1 cup diced celery, cooked

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in double boiler; add onion, and saute. Add flour and cornstarch; cook 10 minutes. Add milk, half-and-half and clam juice; cook until slightly thickened. Add clams and vegetables. Add garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste, and top with chopped parsley. Serves 6 to 8.

MAIN COURSE:

(So sorry we forgot to take a picture on the plate when it was first served;

we improvised.)

Halibut in Hazelnut Romesco Sauce

Ingredients:

· 1 large tomato (about 9 ounces)

· 1/2 cup hazelnuts (about 2 1/2 ounces)

· 1/2 cup roasted bell peppers from jar

· 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

· 2 garlic cloves, chopped

· 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

· 1 teaspoon Sherry wine vinegar or red wine vinegar

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

· 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

· 4 6-ounce halibut fillets

· 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth

· Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation

Preheat broiler. Place tomato on rimmed baking sheet and broil until skin is blistered and slipping off, turning once with tongs, about 3 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel skin off tomato, then cut in half and squeeze out seeds.

Chop nuts in processor; add tomato, roasted bell peppers, 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, paprika, vinegar, salt, and cayenne, then puree. Transfer romesco sauce to bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Melt butter with remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add broth to same skillet and bring to boil; stir in romesco sauce. Pour sauce over halibut.

Summer Vegetable Succotash

Ingredients

• 1 lb small (1-inch) yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon Gold
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (preferably corn oil)
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 ears; preferably yellow and white)
• 8 oz baby pattypan squash, trimmed and quartered
• 8 oz frozen shelled edamame (fresh soybeans) or baby lima beans (1 1/2 cups), cooked according to package directions and cooled
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Cover potatoes with cold salted water by 1 inch in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.

Heat oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat until foam subsides, then sauté potatoes with salt and pepper to taste, turning once or twice, until nicely crusted, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Sauté corn and squash in remaining 3 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans and sauté, stirring, until heated through. Season with salt and pepper and add to potatoes with onion and chives, stirring to combine.

Cooks' notes: • If you can only find edamame in the pod, you'll need to buy a 1-pound bag and shell them. • Potatoes and edamame can be boiled (but not sautéed) 1 day ahead. Cool, then chill, covered.

Desserts!

Classic Crème Brûlée

8 egg yolks
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup granulated white sugar (for the caramelized tops)

Preheat oven to 300ºF. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Add cream and vanilla, and continue to whisk until well blended. Strain into a large bowl, skimming off any foam or bubbles.

Divide mixture among 6 ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins in a water bath (large pan filled with 1 or 2 inches of hot water) and bake until set around the edges, but still loose in the center, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and leave in the water bath until cooled. Remove cups from water bath and chill for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. When ready to serve, sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of sugar over each custard. For best results, use a small, hand-held torch to melt sugar. If you don't have a torch, place under the broiler until sugar melts. Re-chill custards for a few minutes before serving.

Serves 6

Key Lime Pie

Ingredients

For crust

• 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs from 9 (2 1/4-inch by 4 3/4-inch) crackers
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For filling

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh or bottled Key lime juice (if using bottled, preferably Manhattan brand)

For topping

• 3/4 cup chilled heavy cream

Preparation

Make crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl with a fork until combined well, then press mixture evenly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch (4-cup) glass pie plate.

Bake crust in middle of oven 10 minutes and cool in pie plate on a rack. Leave oven on.

Make filling and bake pie:
Whisk together condensed milk and yolks in a bowl until combined well. Add juice and whisk until combined well (mixture will thicken slightly).

Pour filling into crust and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack (filling will set as it cools), then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.

Make topping:
Just before serving, beat cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Serve pie topped with cream.

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