Supper Party

Do you know, I had this whole plan to upload a slide show of pictures and I began the afternoon assiduously documenting everything. Then . . . I don't know what happened. I mean, obviously, the party happened, but we were carrying dishes back into the kitchen from the ruin of the table and I realised that there were exactly FOUR photos on my camera, and all of the appetizer. None of the rest. humph. Oh well. Imagination, dear reader, imagination!

And now for the important bit:

le menu

first course

Leek and Olive Tart with Two Cheeses

dates and cheese

Rosemary bread

main course

Baked Halibut

Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes and Olives (just omit the pasta)

Carrots and Lentils in Olive Oil

Rosemary Bread

dessert

Ginger Cheesecake

 

 

 

Notes:

Seriously, don't you feel more hopeful looking at this?

1. Everything looks more impressive on puff pastry. Seriously, that tart was SO EASY but slap it on a piece of thawed puff pastry and it's like you went to Cordon Bleu. I did manage to take pictures of that. Leeks are just amazing. Have I mentioned that? Also I was in Beetle Friendly HELL with all that Camembert. mmmm camembert.... This came about because I was worried there wasn't enough green in the menu and then I came upon this one and leeks are Eastery and Springy and I figued hell, there are two feet of snow outside but it's Easter next week so maybe, by making leeks, I can make it become spring. It was a hopeful appetizer, people. An appetizer of hope.

 

 

I do.

2. We lucked out again and got amazing local halibut from Chatham, MA that had just been brought in. It was delicious and so so fresh you could still taste the seawater on it. I think we bought about 20 pounds of halibut and there are two pieces left. It vanished. Hey, we're massholes. Don't stand between me and my baked fish.

 

3. The roasted cauliflower actually serves as a nice fish topping since it's mediterranean by nature with the olives and garlic. I just served it in a big dish and it made a nice vegetable side. The carrots and lentils cooked up WAY more liquidy than indicated but I let it simmer away and in the end ladled out about 2 cups of the "broth" which will make a nice soup later on. (over bulgur maybe? or brown rice?)

 

4. We've already discussed the cheesecake. I went at the end to push another piece on people and was all "oh . . . I made a huge one . . . seriously you have to have another piece . . . oh. Never mind." Sucker was GONE. I had to break into the custard. Guys, I had to break into THE EMERGENCY CHEESECAKE. That's how good this one was. I would show you a picture but . . . it's an empty pie plate. 

 

 

Things that were discussed at great length last night:

1. Seagulls and what is, to quote Lebowski, the preferred nomenclature. If you didn't know, here. Wikipedia on several phones plus Petersons Guide to Birds. Very heated argument.

 

2. Doomsday Preppers, (you guys seriously it's the best. show. ever. watch it.), full scale underground bunkers vs. temporary underground bunkers, being that crazy, why I love the OCDness of the food storage system with all the labels of MREs facing the same way. (It just make me calm looking at their perfectly ordered 10 years of freezedried chicken. I like things to be organised, ok?)

 

3. GMOs.

 

4. What exactly is a crown rack of lamb?

 

 

I feel bad there are no pictures (I failed. I FAILED.) so I will leave you with these:

 

Further nod to spring, we got BEAUTIFUL flowers.

 

Check it out, one of our guests raises her own chickens and we got a dozen SUPER FRESH EGGS that were laid that morning. Score. They're so pretty. You guys it's ALREADY EASTER up in here.

 

 

Awesomely, the placecards were library checkout cards. Obviously.