Hubby and I went to our first dinner meeting of our neighborhood’s “Gourmet Club” last night. The menu was:
Peppers Provencal served on Baguette Crisps.
I think that this recipe is from the Silver Palate cookbook, but I’m not absolutely positive. It was really good! Our hostess served it with a yummy 2004 Jewel Viognier from California.
Toasted Pinon-Coriander Crusted Goat Cheese atop Garden Greens in a Poblano-Almond Lime Vinaigrette
This salad dressing was really good, but the cook/gourmet club member that prepared it said that it was pretty labor intensive. She also said that most of the prep. work could be done ahead of time, however, so that’s a plus. The coriander flavor on the goat cheese was very strong and lemony. I happened to really like it, because I REALLY like coriander, but if you’re not a HUGE coriander fan, I would cut back the coriander quantity just a TINY bit. The wine served with this one was 2005 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc from Australia.
Whole Roasted Game Hens with Grits and Wild Mushroom Sauce
This was delicious. It was from the current “restaurant” issue of Bon Appetit. The combination of seasonings was perfect and the creamy grits were the perfect foil for the brined hens. This was served this with El Miracle 2003 Tempranillo-Shiraz from Spain.
Key Lime Pie with Passion Fruit Coulis and Huckleberry Compote
This was the part of the meal that I was responsible for, so it would be immodest for me to be TOO effusive about it, especially since I’ve never met a Key Lime pie that I didn’t like, but it really was yummy. The actual pie part of the recipe is just your basic lime pie recipe (Eagle Brand, egg yolks and lemon juice in a graham cracker crust), so it was really easy to make. If I were doing it again, I might add a little lime zest. The two sauces were not difficult to make, but the ingredients were VERY difficult to find. I ended up substituting blueberries when I couldn’t find huckleberries and had to special-order the passion fruit puree to be shipped overnight on dry ice from Perfect Purees. Frankly, I’m not sure it was worth it. The passion fruit coulis was VERY tart and tangy and any more of it than just a garnish would be WAY too potent. I’m not sure that $22 for the puree with $30 worth of shipping is worth it for pie garnish. It was a beautiful, colorful presentation, though, and looked lovely on the plate with the creamy pie, dark rich berries, fluffy Chantilly cream and the bright golden coulis. This was served with Martin Weyrich Moscato Allegro dessert wine. I’m not a huge dessert wine fan, but it was good for its type. I’d rather have a nice vintage Port, myself.
Overall, the food was all fabulous and the company and conversation were even better. We weren’t sure what the Gourmet Club was going to be all about and didn’t know, for sure, if we would enjoy it, but if last night’s guests and menu were any indication, it’s going to be GREAT!
Sorry I don’t have original photos for you, but I didn’t want to take my camera to dinner at someone else’s house! I may make some of these recipes again and will take photos if I do!