We had a bit of a dinner party this past weekend, and I promised some of the attendees I would post the menu here. I hope to revisit some of these dishes with full recipes soon, but for now, just the menu. We decided to go French (mostly), in honor of Julia Child.
Mushroom Pate (liberally adapted from this recipe)
Liver Parfait
Chevre Chaud with Arugula and Mustard VinaigretteVegetable Soup with Chervil and Creme Fraiche
Mixed Greens with Apple Roquefort dressing
Asparagus with Orange Mayonnaise
Flamiche and Stuffed Artichokes
OR Chicken Fricasee with Vinager and TarragonLemon Tart (recipe here)
Bread Pudding with Cranberries and Chocolate Sauce
This was our biggest dinner party yet, at 16 attendees (although one was a baby). Next time, maybe we'll cook a little less.
The flamiche was easy. Saute 3 lbs of sliced leek whites in butter until they're falling apart and then add a cup or so of cream and three egg yolks, salt, pepper, and a bit of nutmeg. Stir this up and add it to a blind baked pastry shell. If I do it again, I'll try it with a tart pan -- mine's shorter than a pie plate and would allow me to use less of the egg/cream mixture, which made the tart less leeky and probably too rich.
Oh, i put some nutmeg in the crust too.
For an easy dish, the flavor was outstanding.
I'm still digesting some of that food. It was great and SO rich.
I'll certainly be hitting you up for the liberal recipe for the pate and the flamiche.