Falling for Farm Fare

Farm to Table

This was the theme of our end-of-summer dinner.  The weather was pretty perfect, warm all day but cool in the evening.  It was perfect to enjoy eating outside!  Jillian & Gerald set a gorgeous table outside and we enjoyed our courses by candle light, under the stars with a fire  by our sides.

After a custom cocktail ala The Rhodes, apples, ginger beer and a little vodka to get things rolling, Jen & Andrew stepped up with our appetizer:  a trio of soup shooters and mini grilled Gruyere sandwiches for dunking.  Broccoli-cheddar soup, butternut squash soup with a toast & bacon crumble and a beet & 5-spice soup topped with a dollop of sour cream.  We were all so mesmerized by the soups we almost forgot the mini grilled cheese sandwiches... which would have been a shame because the crispy bread and subtle saltiness from the cheese made the soups' flavors shine.

The Bayons kept things rolling with a starter course of squash & corn chowder.  Plates were shuffled, bowls put out and chowder spooned up nice and hot!  It was an interesting presentation in that a relish of corn and shallot was spooned into the bowl first then the squash soup part was poured over top, and then we stirred our bowls and enjoyed!  The texture was a beautiful contrast of fresh crunchy veggies and a smooth, softly sweet squash soup. The shallot was like The Dude's rug - it really tied the room together.

From here we all took a little break, cleared our plates and migrated inside to help dish up the main course with Jillian & Gerald.  They've had sausage-apple-bacon stuffed pork loin smoking for a few hours, and a sweet potato-butternut squash hash has been roasting since their guests arrived.  We all enjoy another glass of wine and grab plates loaded with a graceful spiral of pork and hash, lightly dressed with a bourbon gravy, and parade back to outside to our dining table.  The hash is perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful, but the pork is the star of the plate... but really, a forkful of squash, pork, stuffing and gravy is the bite to aim for - a little of everything.

The Redmores round out the night with a perfectly portioned slice of rustic apple tart with a generous dollop of apple whipped cream.  Each couple was given a small jar of vanilla-caramel-bourbon glaze to share and drizzle on their tart slice.  A little cardamom in the crust gave a floral note to a classic apple-cinnamon combo in the filling, and the glaze elevated the dessert to something just a little more than plain apple pie.

When all the food was gone, the plates taken indoors and bellies full we relaxed around a roaring fire Gerald had been tending all evening.  The sky was clear and stars glowing, as well as hearts and smiles.  Thank you, Jillian & Gerald, for opening your home and creating a truly magical evening for our little group.

No Meat? No Problem!

To really change things up a bit, our most recent culinary foray was vegetarian!  The Bayons hosted a beautifully themed evening of meatless dishes.  The house looked lovely with veggies, flowers and candles decorating the tables.... but it was such a gorgeous evening we headed to the back yard for appetizers, prosecco, and beer.

The Rhodes presented two appetizers that were passed outside: mini grilled quesadillas w/ mango and jalapeno, and shashimied portobello mushrooms with miso and spinach in a crisp won-ton shell.  Both were just outstanding and the plates were emptied quickly!

Inside we sat down at a long table, properly segregated by gender (ha ha!), filled our glasses with wine and The Lundquists put out the first plate with a strawberry balsamic salad with candied pecans on the side.  Now, the salad was tasty, tasty, but those pecans were dipped in tiny bowls of the balsamic dressing and were out of this world!

With our palates properly warmed up The Jaffes plated a perfectly portioned olive & artichoke tartlette.  A hand molded crust curled around salty bits of olive, luscious bites of artichoke hearts and creamy cheese.  It was a fabulous first course, flavorful with a flaky crust!

The Bayons left a table of laughter to come back armed with plates of penne - creamy mushroom penne.  Oh!  The penne was perfectly cooked and the sauce carried the pasta and mushrooms beautifully.  It was right after this course we took a little break.  Let all the goodness settle in our stomachs and the wine coat our palates a little more.  Somewhere in here Chris thought the party was missing popcorn.  Hey, it's vegetarian!  And it was delicious dipped in the balsamic from The Lundquists first course!  

To finish things off The Redmores sweetened things up with a little angle food cake.  That in itself is nice.  Not thrilling, but nice.  BUT when brushed with frangelico and topped with an espresso-frangelico whipped cream, toasted hazelnuts and a dash of cocoa powder it does indeed become thrilling.  

No meat?.... no problem.  We emptied plates, left with full bellies and aching faces from the smiles and laughter.  Thank you Chris & Chris for a simply wonderful night, and to the whole gang for being such great food-loving friends!

Spanish Tapas at the Jaffe's

Well... I'll point out the obvious:  I skipped a post.  The report from the October dinner here at The Redmores got lost in a haze of espresso liquor-hangover.  It was Breakfast For Dinner... and it was outstanding!... from what I remember.

Jumping into the new year though, we met once more at the Jaffe's.  This time for Spanish Tapas.  The wine flowed, the food was passed on platters that never seemed to empty and cheeks hurt from laughter.

There was cheese with ham, bread with ham, asparagus with ham, spicy ham... HAM!  Amazing it all comes from one magical animal.  Mushrooms, meatballs, stuffed onions, stuffed eggs, bruschetta, shrimp and much more!  There was also freshly fried churros with dark spiced chocolate dipping sauce and strawberries for dessert.
For small bites and little plates we all left absolutely stuffed, and happily so.
Thank you Jen & Andrew for a wonderful night and another glorious dinner!!