On occasion, I impress even myself. Thursday night a couple of weeks ago, I was out of town for my Mom's retirement and I called home to Mitchell. He said, "Let's have a couple people over tomorrow night for dinner and a movie. I was thinking soup and salad." Well, that might sound all well and good to most of the world, but I usually spend weeks planning our gatherings, considering the menu, dishes to be used, music to be played and occasionally going so far as to draw out the table setting. I know, it's a little OCD, but that's me. But, regardless of the strength of the planning gene, I can still do spur of the moment with the best of them.
Of course, in addition to the dinner, I had also been asked to go out for a belated-birthday drink with Kim (our graphic designer) and some other people from work. We went to Larkspur, which has a nice bar and enjoyed some of their nibbles with our beverages. Ten minutes before six (guests coming at seven!) and I excused myself, jumped in the car and headed to the store. (No, I hadn't even been to the grocery store yet.) I sped through the store, flames shooting from the wheels of my cart and managed to get back to the car by 6:15 (guests coming at seven!) ran home and started cooking.
The menu:
Tapenade with celery, cucumbers, crackers and cherry tomatoes
A green salad with asparagus, oranges dressed with garlic, orange oil and ginger vinegar
Curried cauliflower soup with beans and onions
I started with tapenade so it would be ready by the time everyone got there. Chopped vegetables and put the cauliflower in the oven to roast. Cut up the asparagus and pan fried it for a few minutes in oil before adding water and letting it steam. Diced onions and sauted them in oil with garlic, added the roasted cauliflower and broth and the soup was as good as ready. At ten minutes after seven, Jessie, Barb and Katie arrived and it was all just about done. Amazing and fast. We opened a couple of bottles of wine and had wonderful conversation to go along with our meal.
Of course, dessert was the stumper. Since I'd given up sweets for Lent, making one of my show-stopping confections seem unsatisfying. In lieu of the usual elaborate fare, I decided to throw together a cheese and fruit plate. Food for Less, the grocery store around the corner from us, is fine for basics, but doesn't have anything exotic. I just got a container of marscapone, a slab of asiago, grapes, almonds, dates and dried apricots. The response was unbelievable! I usually spend days making something fantastic and sweet to end the meal, and here I just threw some fruit and cheese on a plate and everyone was blissing out. Katie said "Who needs chocolate, it's just a one trick pony anyway." I may not agree with that statement entirely, but I certainly learned my lesson on simple desserts.
Recipes:
Tapenade
Combine the following in a food processor:
1/2 cup pitted black olives
4 oz. kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. (or more to taste) lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive oil (I occasionally use an orange flavored oil)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Puree to desired consistency. I like mine pretty smooth, but with a little grain left in the mix. Serve with crackers, toast points, or French bread. I think that the sweetness of grape tomatoes is the perfect counterpoint to the saltiness of the tapenade.
Curried cauliflower soup with white beans
1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into florets (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil Salt
2 onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala
6 cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz. can cannellini or other white bean, drained and rinsed.
1. Preheat oven to 450°. On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower with olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread out, and roast until the florets turn brown, about 25 minutes.
2. In a large stock pot, heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute. Add onions, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, cauliflower, broth; cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 3 cups cauliflower to a bowl, and set aside. Put remaining florets into a blender or food processor, add 1 teaspoon salt, and process until smooth. Stir purée into broth in pan, add beans and reserved florets, and reheat if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy.
Mangez!
Of course, in addition to the dinner, I had also been asked to go out for a belated-birthday drink with Kim (our graphic designer) and some other people from work. We went to Larkspur, which has a nice bar and enjoyed some of their nibbles with our beverages. Ten minutes before six (guests coming at seven!) and I excused myself, jumped in the car and headed to the store. (No, I hadn't even been to the grocery store yet.) I sped through the store, flames shooting from the wheels of my cart and managed to get back to the car by 6:15 (guests coming at seven!) ran home and started cooking.
The menu:
Tapenade with celery, cucumbers, crackers and cherry tomatoes
A green salad with asparagus, oranges dressed with garlic, orange oil and ginger vinegar
Curried cauliflower soup with beans and onions
I started with tapenade so it would be ready by the time everyone got there. Chopped vegetables and put the cauliflower in the oven to roast. Cut up the asparagus and pan fried it for a few minutes in oil before adding water and letting it steam. Diced onions and sauted them in oil with garlic, added the roasted cauliflower and broth and the soup was as good as ready. At ten minutes after seven, Jessie, Barb and Katie arrived and it was all just about done. Amazing and fast. We opened a couple of bottles of wine and had wonderful conversation to go along with our meal.
Of course, dessert was the stumper. Since I'd given up sweets for Lent, making one of my show-stopping confections seem unsatisfying. In lieu of the usual elaborate fare, I decided to throw together a cheese and fruit plate. Food for Less, the grocery store around the corner from us, is fine for basics, but doesn't have anything exotic. I just got a container of marscapone, a slab of asiago, grapes, almonds, dates and dried apricots. The response was unbelievable! I usually spend days making something fantastic and sweet to end the meal, and here I just threw some fruit and cheese on a plate and everyone was blissing out. Katie said "Who needs chocolate, it's just a one trick pony anyway." I may not agree with that statement entirely, but I certainly learned my lesson on simple desserts.
Recipes:
Tapenade
Combine the following in a food processor:
1/2 cup pitted black olives
4 oz. kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. (or more to taste) lemon juice
1 tbsp. olive oil (I occasionally use an orange flavored oil)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Puree to desired consistency. I like mine pretty smooth, but with a little grain left in the mix. Serve with crackers, toast points, or French bread. I think that the sweetness of grape tomatoes is the perfect counterpoint to the saltiness of the tapenade.
Curried cauliflower soup with white beans
1 head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), cut into florets (about 6 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil Salt
2 onions, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tsp. garam masala
6 cups vegetable broth
1 15 oz. can cannellini or other white bean, drained and rinsed.
1. Preheat oven to 450°. On a baking sheet, toss cauliflower with olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Spread out, and roast until the florets turn brown, about 25 minutes.
2. In a large stock pot, heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute. Add onions, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, cauliflower, broth; cover, and bring to a boil. Uncover, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer 3 cups cauliflower to a bowl, and set aside. Put remaining florets into a blender or food processor, add 1 teaspoon salt, and process until smooth. Stir purée into broth in pan, add beans and reserved florets, and reheat if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy.
Mangez!