Need menu planning ideas for Saturday gourmet lunch party?!
Need menu planning ideas for Saturday gourmet lunch party?
I′d like to serve one main entré, lots of go-withs, and at least 2 desserts. 7 adults...all with very discerning tastes...
Answers:
How about quiche, make something different though like bacon and leek or chicken and sun dried tomato.
Greek salad, warm herb bread.
For desserts maybe cheesecake when you make it throw a splash of baileys or kahlua in it.
Good Luck, enjoy your lunch!
Here's the menu I would serve to seven adults with very discerning tastes:
** 1 whole (6 to 8 pound) salmon (poached on top of oven or baked)
** Mayonnaise Sauce (recipe provided below)
** Wild rice cooked with lots of chopped tamari almonds and scallions
** Steamed asparagus, with mayonnaise sauce
** Platter of thick sliced heirloom tomatoes, basil leaves and good-quality mozarella
** Good quality French baguette (crusty), with butter served in small pots at room temperature
** Desert platter of imported cheeses (brie, Spanish manchega, aged Gouda, sharp cheddar) and ripe pears, melon, berries and dates or figs
** Shortbread cookies and truffles
This menu will impress the most discerning gourmet palate and it doesn't require a whole lot of work on your part. You can find good recipes for the salmon, wild rice and tomato platter on the www.epicurious.com website. Here is how you make the sauce - which is wonderful with the salmon and the asparagus (which just came into season, as any gourmet knows).
1 c. Best Foods mayonnaise
juice of 2 lemons (or 1/4+ cup)
3 level tablespoons dried tarragon
1 t. salt
Combine ingredients and let "age" in refrigerator at least 30 minutes for flavors to combine. Any leftover sauce will keep in the refrigerator indefinitely.
Bon Appetit!!
I always recommend a fruit salad or cut fruit plate. You could do a chocolate dip. mmm. If you want to be traditional, try some small cocktail sandwiches - a fruit salad, and a coffee cake. You might try fresh flat bread with different toppings - cheeses, fruit, veggies - like mini homemade pizzas. Fresh fruits, a cheese platter with crackers and celery, a dark fruit cake and a light cake for dessert (or some different homemade muffins- try a lemon cake mix and add your own orange zest. Actually, if you have a minute stop by a bookstore and check out any good cookbook - like The Joy of Cooking - it comes with lunch ideas in the front that would generally be considered classy, and tells you everything - ingredients etc.
Check out this site for some excellent suggestions:
http://www.gourmet-food-revolution.com/d...
catfish slaw huspuppuie
A really great risotto, with goats cheese and peas, or roasted butternut squash or something like that in it, and serve it with home made rolls, and salad.
Or alternatively do a roast rack of lamb, with a mint pesto, and lots of sides including roast potatoes and other veg.
For dessert how about a really fancy jelly - perhaps flavoured with some nice liquer, set with fruit in it.
When your guests arrive have a tray of cucumber crackers. English cukes topped with alouette or your favorite herbed cheese, a small piece of smoked salmon and a few pieces of sliced scallion.
Then have potato leek soup. This can be served warm or room temperature. One thing I really like about this soup is that it can be made ahead of time. I like the one made with cream. If you do this, don't add the cream until you are ready to serve the soup. I also like it made without the cream as well. Once you are ready to serve the soup put a dollop of creme fraiche in the middle of the bowl with a sprig of fresh parsley on top.
Next serve a salad. I prefer baby field greens, but that's up to you. Top it with quartered strawberries, gorgonzola, candied walnuts and a berry vinegarette. Generally the dressing can be difficult to find, so I use i jar a high quality balsamic vinegarette and add about 1 tbsp. of strawberry preserves and whisk together. I put it in my own bowl and act like I made it from scratch : )
Then your entree. Chilean Sea Bass. It's such a good fish I don't like to drown it in a whole bunch of veggies and sauces. I use this recipe, it's really good, simple and fresh tasting. http://www.recipezaar.com/95046.... I like it with a beurre blanc sauce. Serve this with whole roasted baby mixed veggies. Since, it's late spring your should be able to get these are your local farmers market. In my supermarket they have baby zucchini, carrots, pea pods, beets and potatoes. Toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper and a sprig of rosemary. Don't cut up the rosemary the flavour will get in it without having those crunchy green bits all over your veggies. You can add garlic to this, but the veggies taste really sweet and fresh on their own. Also a really good quality crusty bread. Give each person a saucer with seaoned olive oil to dip it it. I know it's not super classy, but I like it better when everyone rips their own piece of bread off. I put a few baguettes in a tall basket and let people grab their own. Depending on the time of your lunch you may want to serve a bottle of chardonnay with it. Chardonnay will pair will with the sea bass. You don't have to spend a ridiculous amount of money on the wine, I would say no more than $25 a bottle at a wine outlet.
With dinner I also like to have a pepper grinder and grey sea salt. It really does make a difference. Serve
For dessert I really suggest you buy these unless you are a pastry chef. Pastries are hard to make. Since it's late spring I would suggest some type of berry tart and a very light butter cookie, perhaps madelines. Serve with coffee and tea.