dinner party
This is not a farmers' market post. I looked in my fridge just now and realized that I still have so much food that I should wait and reassess on Tuesday, and then go to the Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday morning market rather than going today, being tempted by... everything... and coming home with too much food. Again.
So instead this is about last night's dinner party, which I consider to have been a great success. The guests arrived at 7 and didn't leave until 11:30 (and they brought some really tasty wine). I've never had any of these people over before, but during the last year or so most of the people who were my usual invitees have either moved away, hooked up with people I don't like, or produced small children. So the people I invited last night are all several years behind me in the PhD program. I got to pass on all sorts of old but explains-a-lot departmental gossip (the oral tradition is alive and well in academia).
Last night's guests were all, as I discovered to my delight, very fond of good food but not apt to cook much these days. So they were very happy about the dinner itself.
We started out with a loaf of french bread I'd asked one of them to bring; I provided goat cheese, olive tapenade, and artichoke spread to go with. Then cream of asparagus soup (which turned out very well despite my having been a little cavalier about stirring the roux) with some fresh chives snipped onto the top for decoration. We needed something tart and vinegar-y between creamy soup and rich entree, so I'd made a white bean salad (using ramps instead of scallions!) with a tomato vinaigrette and lots of basil.
The main course was the mushroom strudel, arranged in slices on a bed of watercress with morel cream sauce spooned over the top. Turned out even prettier than I expected, despite my having reduced the sauce a little too much.
We finished off with the jam tart topped with unsweetened whipped cream. The tart is definitely going into my regular dessert repertoire; it's easy, pretty, can be made well ahead, and is infinitely variable depending on what sort of preserves one uses (I used a wonderful plum jam that's made with white wine).
All in all, a fine dinner, with excellent company, a nice sauvignon blanc from a New Zealand vintner I'd never seen before, and a California riesling that was unexpectedly perfect with the strudel.
And? I have leftovers. Oh yes.
So instead this is about last night's dinner party, which I consider to have been a great success. The guests arrived at 7 and didn't leave until 11:30 (and they brought some really tasty wine). I've never had any of these people over before, but during the last year or so most of the people who were my usual invitees have either moved away, hooked up with people I don't like, or produced small children. So the people I invited last night are all several years behind me in the PhD program. I got to pass on all sorts of old but explains-a-lot departmental gossip (the oral tradition is alive and well in academia).
Last night's guests were all, as I discovered to my delight, very fond of good food but not apt to cook much these days. So they were very happy about the dinner itself.
We started out with a loaf of french bread I'd asked one of them to bring; I provided goat cheese, olive tapenade, and artichoke spread to go with. Then cream of asparagus soup (which turned out very well despite my having been a little cavalier about stirring the roux) with some fresh chives snipped onto the top for decoration. We needed something tart and vinegar-y between creamy soup and rich entree, so I'd made a white bean salad (using ramps instead of scallions!) with a tomato vinaigrette and lots of basil.
The main course was the mushroom strudel, arranged in slices on a bed of watercress with morel cream sauce spooned over the top. Turned out even prettier than I expected, despite my having reduced the sauce a little too much.
We finished off with the jam tart topped with unsweetened whipped cream. The tart is definitely going into my regular dessert repertoire; it's easy, pretty, can be made well ahead, and is infinitely variable depending on what sort of preserves one uses (I used a wonderful plum jam that's made with white wine).
All in all, a fine dinner, with excellent company, a nice sauvignon blanc from a New Zealand vintner I'd never seen before, and a California riesling that was unexpectedly perfect with the strudel.
And? I have leftovers. Oh yes.