This Autumn Crunch Quinoa Salad with Fig Balsamic vinaigrette could be the new healthy and colorful addition you’re looking to add to your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving menu.
A combination of simple healthy ingredients with the flavors and colors of fall with the bonus of a satisfying crunch. Just a little chopping is involved, then toss together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with seeds and dried fruit just before serving. I used mini syrup pitchers from World Market for individual servings of the vinaigrette.
To create this colorful salad I used the following.
Cook per package instructions, 1 cup of multi colored quinoa and set aside to cool to room temperature
One Napa cabbage (sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons and then in half for smaller pieces)
3 heads of endive (I found a multiple color package at Trader Joe’s) slice into 1/4 in ribbons.
1 small head of radicchio (sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons
Rainbow carrots, 2 of each color – shaved into strips with a vegetable peeler
1 container or bag of mini arugula
Toppings:
1 package of diced pancetta (cooked in a pan until crispy & then drain fat)
1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
1/3 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) toast in a dry pan until slightly golden
5 or 6 dried figs (chopped into 1/2 in slices) *** if fresh figs are available -sliced fresh figs would be lovely with this instead of the dried figs
Shaved parmesan cheese
Once your quinoa is prepared and cooled set aside in a bowl. Serve separate from the actual tossed salad.
Toss all of the vegetables together in a large bowl.
Prepare the vinaigrette.
Balsamic Fig Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
2 tbsp fig butter, jam, or preserves
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp honey or agave
1/3rd cup olive oil (I used Kalamata olive oil)
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
In a small bowl whisk together fig jam, vinegar, salt and pepper until thickened and creamy. For more sweetness add more honey or fig butter, if too thick you can add more olive oil. Vinaigrettes take a little tasting and adding here and there to reach your desired flavor. Salt of course always amps up the overall flavor.
Whisk until thoroughly combined and you won’t have to worry about the ingredients separating. Serve on the side to prevent greens from getting soggy.
If serving individually a few edible flowers on the side will add an additional pop of color and whimsy. I plant several viola plants in my herb garden just for this purpose.
The first weekend in November, I will be hosting my annual Friendsgiving luncheon for ten guests. Inspired by the warm fall colors of a floral bouquet with shades of plum, burgundy, purple, and cream, I decided on a Figgy Plum menu. Figs and plums are both at the end of their season, naturally just before my scheduled date. I managed to find some plumcots, a few plums and dried figs to make this menu work.
A couple of days before my scheduled luncheon, I’ve made the soup, stopping after the purée process. I will add the cream and lime after rewarming just prior to serving.
Roasted Sweet Potato & Fig Soup with Crab
This recipe will serve 4 to 6 depending of the thickness you choose and the size of the bowl.
4 medium sized sweet potatoes
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 head of garlic (pre- roasted) **
Olive oil
4 – 6 dried figs (chopped) – if you can’t find dried figs, a ½ cup of fig preserves can be substituted
4 -6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste)
Ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (spiciness to your liking)
½ cup heavy cream or half and half
2 large limes
Crème fraiche (1 container about 4-6 oz)
1 plastic condiment squeeze bottle with screw on top
Parmesan (crisps) can be purchased or made *** see link below for recipe (can be made ahead)
Lump crab meat (optional)
Fresh edible flowers, microgreens and/or fresh herb leaves such as flat leaf parsley or mini Thai basil leaves (optional)
This recipe requires some time, but results in added flavor. I keep a jar of garlic confit (**garlic cloves roasted in olive oil until sweet and soft) in my refrigerator that helps speed up the process and I caramelize my sliced onion is a non-stick pan on the stove. But if you don’t have roasted garlic and would rather not caramelize the onions on the stove you can do the following.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
Drizzle olive on lightly on to a rimmed, foil lined baking sheet. ( If everything does not fit in one even layer, a second prepared sheet can be used).
Cut sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and place face down on the tray. Pierce each potato on the skin side several times with the point of a knife.
**Place a head of garlic into aluminum foil, drizzle generously with olive oil and tightly close and seal the foil around the garlic, place on baking.
Peel and slice the onion into about ¼ inch slices and spread (one layer) on baking sheet.
Lightly drizzle everything with olive oil.
Bake for 25 minutes and check onions (they may require stirring to ensure roasting or they may be golden enough. If golden remove and place in the blender –waiting on the rest of the ingredients and to limit dirty dishes).
Continue to bake potatoes and garlic for another 15 to 20 minutes. ( Time may vary based on size of potatoes and differences in ovens, until potatoes are soft when pricked and garlic is soft.)
Meanwhile – prepare Crème fraiche
Zest one lime onto a board (or turn the microplane upside down and zest, the zest will remain on the microplane to easily slide into the opening of the squeeze bottle)
Scoop the Crème fraiche into a small zip bag. Cut one of the bottom corners, twist the top tightly and press contents like a pastry bag into the squeeze bottle. (easier method than using a spoon to transfer to the bottle.)
Cut the lime in half and add the juice of one half of the lime. Reserve the other half for later.
Close the squeeze bottle tightly and with finger over the pointed top hole, shake until well combined.
Squeeze onto a piece of the foil to check consistency and determine if loose enough to swirl on top of the served soup. (It should not be watery just loosened to easily squeeze out. If too watery, place in the refrigerator the it to firm up a little).
Next:
Remove roasted potatoes, garlic and onions if still on the sheet, from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature (or cool enough to handle)
Using a teaspoon scoop the flesh from the skins and place in the blender with the onions.
Squeeze the soft roasted garlic from their skins on to the foil (to ensure no skins get into the pulp) and then place the roasted garlic pulp into the blender
Add chopped dried figs, some of the stock and puree.
Add salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes. Process. Add additional stock to achieve the thickness you prefer and continue to season to taste.
Pour the pureed vegetables into a large pot and simmer to warm to preferred temperature, stirring frequently to avoid sticking to the bottom on the pot. When completely warmed until fully combined. Here’s where I recommend tasting the soup and adding any additional salt if needed.
Add the juice of the remaining 1½ limes just before serving. Taste for seasoning and taste make sure there was enough lime to brighten the soup up.
Parmesan crisps: (optional – serve with the soup or a side salad)
Garnish with edible flowers and microgreens or fresh herb leaves
To serve Erin French style: (The Lost Kitchen)
A wider shallow bowl would be required for this presentation (rather than a cup sized version).
Swirl lime crème fraiche into the bottom of the bowl
Place small mound of crab to one side / sick parmesan crisp into the crab mound
Garnish with edible flowers/ microgreens/herbs
(Place bowls in front of each guest) Pour pureed soup from a pitcher into the bowl until just below the crab mound.)
I will share the rest of our Friendsgiving Menu in my next post, until then enjoy this beautiful Fall weather wherever you may be!Thank you for stopping by!
It’s time to start gathering again! This time of year comes and goes far too quickly. I love the Fall season so much and by mid-month some are already pushing for Christmas, but I want to give the season it’s fully deserved time. While the holiday is generally meant to celebrate the history modeled on a 1621 harvest feast shared by the English colonists (Pilgrims) of Plymouth and the Wampanoag people, for most of us I believe it’s a time to show gratitude and appreciation for all that we have, friends, home, health, faith and more.
I am grateful for so much in my personal and professional life, and so happy to once again gather with friends who support all of my creative ambitions, with a Friendsgiving brunch.
Setting the Table
Little boutonniere like bouquets made with a magnolia leaf, fresh sage, chamomile and spray roses were created for each place setting and guests took them home at the end of the brunch.
A combination of succulents, spray and country roses and eucalyptus (and later a couple of apples- I wanted crab apples but couldn’t find any this year) were arranged around brass candlesticks to create a fragrant and feminine centerpiece. Everything was just laid on the table with no water source the morning of the brunch.
Inspired by Erin French of The Lost Kitchen, I decided to use an apple theme for my menu and included one of her recipes.
Cocktails and Nibbles
Simple apple cider bellini. Reduce 3 cups of apple cider to 1 1/2 cups. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve fill each glass 1/4th to 1/2 with reduced cider and top off with prosecco, champagne, crement or other sparkling white wine.
An apple tasting tray of each apple used in the dishes being served.
For most of my younger years I had only eaten a red delicious apple, the only kind my Mom ever purchased. As I studied foods and flavors years later I saw an article in a magazine that featured a description of multiple apple varieties. There are no apple tree farms in Southern Louisiana, so we are limited to the varieties that appear in various grocery stores.
One year I purchased one of each variety and compared their flavors, finding the most amazing flavors and never buying a red delicious apple again. With that memory, I decided it might be fun to create a tray with each of the apples used in the dishes in the menu, giving my guests a similar experience hoping to inspire each to try new varieties on their own afterwards.
From left to right, Lucky Seven Grain Bread(Artisan bread from Rouses) toasted with olive oil and sprinkled with a pint of kosher salt, Baked Lemon Ricotta, a small dish of Apple Butter (Dickinson’s), Golden Berries, Marcona Truffle Almonds, Soft ripened cheese from Germain,France, Italian truffle cheese, and Chicken Liver Pate’.
For the “nibble boards” a term borrowed from Erin French (my most recent found source of inspiration), almost everything was purchased from Trader Joe’s, hence my Trader Joe Nibble boards.
The cup is filled with Fried cheese stuffed kalamata olives (in Trader Joe’s frozen food section – and very very good!)
Salad Course
For the salad I used Erin French’s roasted buttercrisp squash with apple slaw. My local Fresh Market has the largest variety of squash and I’ve been experimenting with several over the past couple of months. One buttercrisp squash about the size of a cantaloupe three to four pounds was sliced into ten wedges, enough to serve all of my guests. The link below provides Erin’s recipe. My only additions were a little apple cider vinegar and pomegranate seeds for color and crunch. My slaw was made with four apple varieties, pink lady, granny smith, golden and honey crisp. My recommendation would be to pick a variety of sweet, tart and crisp versions and also consider the colors of green, yellow and red. The skin remains on the matchstick pieces and adds color. Erin and I ALWAYS decorate with edible flowers. The small yellow flowers (top left)are tarragon blossoms. I planted a couple of tarragon plants a couple of months ago and they have been blooming as if it were Spring!
The squash is easy to bake as instructed and served at room temperature and the slaw tossed in it’s dressing with the arugula holds up well. I plated these about 45 minutes before serving and everything held it’s texture. (My guests could not stop talking about how delicious this was. Thank you Erin!)
Entrée
The entrée and dessert courses were both contributions from two of my guests. My work hours have been long and stressful and in order to pull this event off I needed to accept offered help and take a few shortcuts.
Apple and cranberry stuffed pork loin with Trader Joe green bean casserole bites.
My friend Lanie (who also loves to cook and has restaurant experience) made this Jazz and Fuji apple – cranberry stuffed pork loin. I think I heard there was a little fig jam, hazelnuts and some other special secret ingredients in the stuffing. It was absolutely delicious and a perfect addition to the menu and there wasn’t a single piece left!
Dessert & Mulled Cider Wine
Lanie also made an apple cider white mulled wine, with a spicy ginger liqueur that we served with dessert.
A week prior to the brunch I attempted to make apple cider donuts for the first time. I don’t have a fryer and I NEVER fry. The dough was too wet and I had trouble controlling the temperature of the oil – the house spelled for days after. It was an epic fail! Donut maker, I am not and I rarely fail when I try to follow a recipe.
I decided a better alternative was to support a local donut business that makes a multitude of small flavored donuts. I employed one of my guests to order a couple dozen apple cider donuts and asked that they not place them in the finishing cinnamon sugar. I wanted to rewarm the lot before serving and then toss in the cinnamon sugar myself.
I already had a large bowl of cinnamon sugar left over from my failed attempt at donut making. I added two teaspoons of Chinese Five Spice (my favorite substitute for cinnamon) and mixed the sugar thoroughly. We were advised to rewarm the donuts in an oven or air fryer – never in the microwave, so I placed them on a tray (to serve 2 per guest) and hoped to make them more “dessert like” my slicing all of the donuts horizontally in half and spreading one side with apple butter before sandwiching the two halfs back together. I then placed the tray of donuts in a preheated in oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes. When warmed through I rolled the donut gently in the sugar mixture and placed on a saucer with small mini dessert forks.
The party may be over, but the memories will remain and the joy I saw in my friends as they hugged and caught up with one another, along with their praises for everything we served as always made all of effort worth it. I am forever grateful for their enthusiasm and encouragement and cannot express how happy I am to be able spoil and entertain again.
To all of my wonderful followers – Happy Thanksgiving! I’m so thankful for your support as well!
A couple of weeks had passed since my last small lunch gathering, so it was time to invite two more friends over for a Sunday afternoon lunch. One of the ladies invited had other plans, but Pemmie and I took advantage of our time alone to catch up, something we haven’t had a chance to do for several months.
I’ve tried to make each luncheon a little unique with a slight adjustment to the table setting and menu. For this lunch I used the succulent adorned tiger pumpkins I made to create the fall table decor and I found some interesting purple hydrangeas that had been sprayed black for Halloween weekend that I mixed with some chartreuse chrysanthemums, peach alstroemeria and magnolia leaves for my crock vase.
My delicious French pear liqueur had it’s final after lunch sipping today and my friend had a contact in France to get a fresh bottle sent for future gatherings.
To create mini cheese boards I used small wooden plates to arrange a couple of slices of brie, manchego and blue cheese with grapes and berries over a small magnolia leaf. Some grocers or delis have a container in their cheese section filled with small pieces of cheese for sale that is just enough for 2 servings so that you don’t have to purchase a larger than needed block of cheese.
I love the sweet richness of pears, so once again I used them for my dessert. Years ago on an episode of Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten did a “Barefoot in Paris” season. I’ve made clafoutis a few times with dark cherries, but this version with pears shared by Chef Daniel Rose has become my all time favorite. The only difference in his version and mine, it that I add about a teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice to a half cup of powdered sugar to sprinkle on top for a little added spice. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/clafoutis-aux-poires-3240468
Lunch included a re-appearance of my cafe’ purchased Autumn crunch salad with apple cider vinaigrette .
The cooler temps put me in the mood for homemade chili, but I didn’t want to serve chili for this ladies lunch. I found a soup recipe that included all of the flavors of chili and a smokey crunch created from chopped salted smoked almonds.
Easy peeling tip, cut the ends off and place in the microwave for 2 minutes and then use a vegetable peeler to remove skin.
Note: I used French green lentils instead of red (because it’s what I had in the pantry. I used chicken stock, added red chili flakes and the zest of a lime. When warmed and ready to serve, added diced avocado to the center of the bowl. Serve the soup with a quarter of a lime to be squeezed over the bowl and stirred in when ready to eat. Pemmie commented that the lime brought a fresh pop to the warm spices.
Soup served with lime and autumn crunch cafe’ salad. Pemmie brought a fresh crisp wine.Next day leftovers served in a wider bowl, the cubed avocado is more visible, topped with Greek yogurt or Crème Fraîche.
While this is the third lunch, I still have a few more friends to invite over for their afternoon lunch. When time permits I hope to carefully plan a couple of Christmas themed luncheons for the remaining ladies. Stay tuned….
French Pear Liqueur from Alsace almost gone! Turns out it’s liquid Gold because I tried to order online and it can’t be shipped to my State. On the list if I get back to France!
Nearly everyone we know is experiencing some form of stress in 2020, from health concerns of a family member, to financial restraints, home schooling children, and more. Here in the South alone, our anxiety level has been on edge as we have waited out multiple hurricanes and tropical storms. As we try to slowly and carefully gather with small groups of friends once again, I extended an invitation to three of my neighbors for a late afternoon autumn lunch.
Setting the table I tried to create some space between each chair.
One of the ladies has been taking care of an ailing family member for a long time, and I thought she could use a day out of the house; another recently put her house up for sale and will be moving away within a month; and the third organized a neighborhood bunco group several years ago that brought us all together and has been one of my closest friends for nearly seven years. While my work life has been extremely stressful and busy, I find my joy in spoiling others. So this, my second Autumn luncheon was scheduled more than 14 days since the fondue and was limited to three guests.
A French Country theme works well in the Fall, and I prepared a Fall inspired menu that was partially prepared by me and partially purchased. I made the roasted carrot ginger soup a day ahead (most dishes taste even better the next day) , the poached pears and palmier I prepare the morning of the lunch; and I purchased the Autumn salad at a local cafe’.
The Autumnal salad was a new item on the menu that I had tried the weekend before, filled with roasted beets and sweet potatoes, red quinoa, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, golden raisins, spring greens and frisee, green apples, small broccoli florets, radicchio and topped with alpha sprouts. Tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette, it couldn’t be more perfect. There were so many ingredients that it was just more feasible to purchase two salads that I split four ways.
MENU
Apple Pie Wine
Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup with Crème Fraîche, Gremolata and Fried Shallots
2 1/2 cups of apple cider and 1/2 cup of Calvados (Apple Brandy)
Lemon peel, black pepper, Chinese 5 Spice, Cinnamon stick, Star Anise and fresh ginger.
Peel and core pears from the bottom, slice bottom to create a flat level surface for standing up.
Place liquids and spices into a large sauce pan.
Place pears in the pot.
Cover with wax paper or parchment paper (tuck the edges into the pot to avoid fire reaching the edges. Bring to a boil and then quickly reduce to a steady simmer – for 20 to 25 minute. Pierce with a tip of knife to test softness of the fruit.
Transfer pears to a dish. Bring liquid in the pot to a soft boil – for 15 to 20 minutes for liquid to reduce to about 1/2 – creating a sauce. Strain into a bowl and refrigerate. Prior to serving, pour sauce over pears.
For a little crunch I made palmiers to serve on the side. Another idea was to finely chop some crystalized ginger and pistachios and fold into slightly softened vanilla ice cream and then place back in the freezer. A small scoop on the side of the pear.
Store bought puffed pastry slightly rolled out, sprinkled with a mixture of chopped dried cranberries, crystalized ginger and pistachios all over the surface. Roll each end to the center (equally) , then put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before slicing. Pre-heat over 400 degrees. Slice abut 1/2 inch thick and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for about 40 minutes. (For a sweeter version a few tablespoons of brown sugar could be added to the filling mixture, but I was trying to make a lower sugar dessert.
Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup
Ingredients:
2 lb bag of carrots (peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces)
2 macintosh apples (peeled and cubed same size as carrots)
fresh ginger (1 tablespoon grated)
1 lemon zest the entire lemon ( juice see below)
salt and pepper
1 garlic bulb sliced in half horizontally
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1 quart vegetable stock
1 large yellow onion (thinly sliced)
Juice of 1/2 of the lemon)
1 small fresno pepper chopped
2 large shallots (thinly sliced on a mandolin)
1 cup of canola or vegetable oil
Gremolata (optional)
Creme fraiche
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle a baking sheet with about 1 tbsp. olive oil. Place cubed carrots and apples, grated ginger, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper into a large bowl. Drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil and then stir or toss with hands until everything is coated evenly. Pour onto the oiled baking sheet and spread into on even layer. Nestle in the halved garlic bulb and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the the oven and toss with a spatula (turning carrots and apples over). Return to the oven and bake another 20 to 30 minutes until carrots are tender.
Meanwhile, add the thinly sliced onion and place is a small non-stick pan. Over medium heat slowly saute’. Add small amounts of water as they begin to dry or stick to the pan. Watch carefully until golden brown making sure not to burn. May take up to 20 minutes or more. Set aside.
Remove carrot tray from the oven. Let cool for about 15 minutes.
Carefully squeeze the softened garlic over the cooked carrots and dispose of all of the husks. Deseed and finely chop the fresno pepper (a 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes is an option). Depending on the size of your food processor, you may be able to puree everything at one time or you may have to divide the ingredients into small portions and puree in batches. If making in batches try to use equal parts of carrot, apple, caramelized onions and fresno pepper. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable stock and puree. Continue to add stock 1/2 cup at a time until you reach the consistency that you prefer. Pour each batch into a medium saucepan to reheat. When all of the batches are complete and transferred to the pot, add the juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 cup of coconut milk to add a little richness. You may of course add as little or as much as you would like according to your taste. Just remember to taste as you add. Salt and pepper to taste.
Gremolata (optional) – this is a mixture of herbs (parsley, cilantro, thyme, sage) finely chopped, finely grated parmesan, toasted chopped nuts, and lemon zest. I even used some of the carrot tops (greens). Nut options can be pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts or other nuts can be added. A gremolata adds a little color and herbaceous freshness to the top of the soup.
Lastly, slice two large shallots on a mandolin (or slice very thinly with a sharp knife.) Place 1 cup of canola or vegetable oil to a medium saucepan and heat. Add the shallots and cook with an occasional stir until golden brown and crispy. Place fried shallots into a sieve or strainer to drain the oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
To serve place the heated carrot soup in a bowl, either swirl a small amount of creme fraiche (or sour cream or greek yogurt) over the surface. I placed my creme fraiche into a condiment squirt bottle, but you can use the tip of a spoon or even a zip bag and make a small cut in the bottom corner to apply the cream. Top with gremolata and then fried shallots.
The table was also dressed with a couple of pumpkins and a crock vase filled with sunflowers and hydrangeas. The napkins wrapped with twine and a crocosmia stem in bright orange.
I always have some kind of little take home favor for my guests. I found these miniature mums that were wrapped in Halloween paper that had a plastic coating. I removed one of the wraps and used it as a template to shape some gift wrap I had to recover each. I used a small tube of glue, to attache bot together, re-wrapped the little pot and tied with black gingham. I then cut out one of the gold bees and glued it over the ribbon knot. Trimmed the ribbon edges and placed one at each place setting. I also make pumpkin bread loaves that I wrapped and sent everyone home with.
A few hours later, we had enjoyed an afternoon of sharing the year’s experiences, offering support for each other’s future and a satisfying meal.
I found this apple wine at Fresh Market. Served ice cold was, light ,crisp and slightly sweet. A lovely afternoon drink.
I have several friend between my wine club, book club and mother’s tea groups. So in few weeks I’ll be hosting yet another small luncheon for another 2 or 3. See you soon!
We drove past many fields of Sunflowers and grapevines. We also were introduced to Crémant a pleasant, sparkling, refreshing wine from Alsace, France.
🍁I think we would all agree that the year 2020 has really thrown us off course. Whatever our routines may have been in the past, nearly everything has been forced to change. The routine that gives me the most pleasure and provides the content for this blog, is planning “social interactions and parties” for my family and friends. Social distancing obviously put a serious halt to all of those gatherings for several months, but as the “phases” allow us to slowly move forward and restrictions begin to slightly relax, I finally sent my first invite for a small gathering.
On the left – the toast we made our first night together in a little 300 year old timber cottage in Southern Germany. On the right toasting to our friendship and shared memories with Crémant.
🍁Just one year ago (in early September 2019) when life was clearly different than it is has been this year, I met two of my friends in Europe for an unexpected adventure. We spent one week visiting a castle in Southern Germany; medieval towns in Alsace,France and the Swiss Alps of Mürren, Switzerland. What better way to shake off our 2020 blues, than to recreate some of the food and wine experiences from our trip and gather to talk and recall special moments of this memorable time we spent together. Our best memories pictured below:
The Red Roosters in Alsace.
Having dinner together in the garden (at the house)
The charm of Eguisheim, France
The view from the dining room while enjoying breakfast.
Day hike.
The Snow Capped Alps.
Mürren- such a lovely town.
A German Salad starts with a variety of diced raw or pickled colorful vegetables hidden beneath a lightly dressed pile of small mixed miniature greens. Mine is dressed with a drizzle of white balsamic vinegar and fruity extra virgin olive oil. German Salad with edible marigolds.Cornichons, capers and pearl cocktail onions; French Pear Liqueur brought back from Eguisheim, France, that tastes like sweet caramelized pears to sip with dessert.Store bought truffle mousse, charcuterie meats, garlic toasts. I found this truffle mousse (pate’) in the cheese section at Whole Foods. It didn’t have much of a truffle flavor, but was still very good and filled two ramekins. A traditional Swiss fondue made with Emmethal and Gruyere cheeses, garlic, white wine & kirsch, served with roasted (rather than boiled multi-colored potatoes and toasted baguette cubes(see link at the end for the recipe ).Napkins reminiscent of a French country kitchen and colorful rooster place mats.
🍁I needed this gathering to be relaxing for myself as well as my gal pals. So while I prepared the salads and the fondue, I took shortcuts here and there and bought items prepared, like the pate’ and this Black Forest cake, that while not like the original version we enjoyed in the Black Forest of Germany, was light after all of the cheese, bread and potatoes and still recalled the memory of that day.
After removing the fondue pot, I placed two large pieces of cake on a platter in the middle of the table and we grabbed forkfuls with a cup of coffee and an occasional sip of our Pear Liqueur cordial.
🍁”Where should we go when we can safely travel again?” asked on of my friends. Spain was suggested…. they’ve both been there – I haven’t. Once again, I’d be thrilled to just go along for the adventure!
My Alpine-Alsace Friendsgiving Wine Club party was planned for an afternoon with just the girls from the club. I wanted to share some of the experiences and memories that three of us who traveled together in mid-September had, with the rest of the ladies in our group. With a bottle of Crémant from the Alsace region of France, the re-created German salad from southern Germany and the cheese fondue from Mürren, Switzerland all I needed was a few added touches to bring this Alpine-Alsace themed party to life.
A few months ago, I invited a friend I hadn’t seen in quite a while to join my S I P Facebook page. As she praised me for my creative ideas and the special touches I added to my various parties, she remarked, “You even etched the wine glasses with numbers!” The thing is, they weren’t etched. Hmmm… why didn’t I think of that? Do you have any idea how much time it would have saved me to not have to write the numbers on all of the glasses for each party? What a great idea!
This party would not involve any judging of wines or require my guests to bring a small bite as we usually do; so as a little activity ,after we’ve finished our fondue lunch, I decided to have the ladies give me a hand with the task of etching our wine tasting glasses for our future meetings.
A couple of weekends prior, I spent an entire Sunday etching several sets of glasses until I found the best technique for taping, stenciling and etching, leaving the four last boxes for the ladies to etch. I was now prepared with what I felt was the best method that I could share with them for the best results.
As always, a party begins with an invitation. In this day of texting and emailing everything, I selected an image I found online with the rich colors of fall and some royal looking purple grapes that gave an added pop of cheerfulness to typical oranges, golds and browns of the Autumn season. I added a similar colored font for the invite information that I then took a picture of and cut and paste the image of the completed invite into an email about a month before the scheduled date that I sent to my invited guests.
FREE BLACK & WHITE CLIP ART FROM CRAVINGSOMECREATIVITY.COM I colored in the leaves and berries with markers using some of the same colors as my invitation.
Over the weeks that followed I put the rest of my plan together little by little. The free clipart above was only available in a black and white sketch form. I printed the set and selected several markers (from my grandchildren’s box) similar to those in the art on my invite and did what the kids do – I colored in portions of the thankful cards. When finished I still found they were a little bland and decided to print sheets of the art from my invitation that I then cut slightly larger than the card and using a glue stick, attached the colorful background to frame the thankful card.
I then used a very small hole punch to make two side by side wholes at the top of the card. A rustic twine was tied around an aubergine colored napkin and then the ends where thread through the holes in the cards and tied into a bow. The prepared napkins were placed on top of the plate for each of my guests with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a fondue fork.
My hammered copper fondue pots, ordered from Switzerland, arrived with a set of fondue forks; but unlike the forks my mother bought back in the 1970’s, they do no have colored tips at the end of the handle. The colored tips of yellow, orange, dark blue, green, light blue and red help everyone identify which fork is theirs when they get mixed around in the pot, just as wine charms help guests keep track of which glass in the room is theirs. While the fork doesn’t usually sit in the pot for cheese a fondue, when oils are used to cook meats and vegetables, the forks remain in the pot for a while until the food is cooked and can become intertwined.
Not fully dressed table – but pulling the plan together.
Drawing from the images and experiences of my time in Europe, I found these little condiment bowls with red roosters that reminded me of France. I imagined them filled with pieces of hard cheese brought back from Switzerland my one of my traveling companions, cornichons, and caper berries like those we shared while there.
One of the red roosters of Eguisheim.
To create a cozy warm table setting, I used a neutral colored plaid throw placed over a cream tablecloth; copper bowls on each end of the table will be filled with bread cubes and roasted potatoes and carrots to be passed around and dipped into the hot buttery cheeses. Shimmering copper colored round place mats beneath gold rimmed china and my mother’s wood handled bronzeware utensils all brought together the comforting Alpine setting I was trying to achieve.
Fields we passed along the highways in France were filled with sunflowers. Fortunately sunflowers are also available in the floral sections of grocery stores and I mixed them with some rust and purple colored chrysanthemums. The shops of Eguisheim were also filled with large tin hearts painted in various colors, but the red and white stood out in my memory the most. Switzerland replaces hearts with cowbells. So the two cowbells I found at Hobby Lobby resemble a combination of the painted tin heart and cowbell as one for a fraction of the cost of those in Europe.
Practicing the flower placing.
When we entered our hotel room in Mürren there was a glass bottle like the one above filled with water ( and the name of the hotel etched on the outside) with a few tumbler glasses. I repurposed this French Lemonade bottle filling it with water for the table as a nod to another of our memories. The wood disk trivets add the Alpine feel of the beautiful black forest of Germany and the Alpines among the Alps of Switzerland. A recent rain storm left debris from the pine trees scattered on the streets and in parking lots. I gathered some of the branches with small pine cones to slip between the flowers for an added alpine touch.
🌲🐓🐄🌻Alpine- Alsace Wine Club Friendsgiving Fondue Table 🌻🐄🐓🌲
Delicious cheese wrapped in wax paper covered with colorful cows and their bells brought home from a little shop in Zurich by one of my traveling companions. The rind of the cheese in the forefront is crusted with wildflowers and herbs – beautiful and delicious. It was the lighter of the two cheeses in flavor as well.
Another memory was a jar of caper berries that one of my friends picked up in a shop that she served one evening with meats and cheeses in our little German cottage. I filled the Alsace red rooster condiment bowls (I have two) with the caper berries, cubed pieces of the cheeses, cornichons and cocktail onions.
I purchased a bottle of Crémant d’Alsace at Wolfberger winery that brought home to share with my friends. I picked up a second bottle from another region at my wine store back home and one of my friends brought a bottle of French Blue Rosé and all were served during the fondue and etching. We drank a few different Rosés while in France and the bottle of French Blue also had a little effervescence similar to the Crémants. This lovely little pear shaped bottle of liqueur, also from Eguisheim, was supposed to be served with dessert. But sometimes a busy hostess may forget some of her plan. The good news is that we still have a little memory to enjoy from our trip at another wine party.
One of my favorite finds was the German salad. This is a wonderful way to eat a lot of raw vegetables and enjoy a light salad. Left clockwise: shredded carrots, thinly sliced radishes, chopped sugar snap peas, red bell pepper, Persian cucumber and canned corn. Other options were diced pickled beets and smashed boiled and buttered potatoes all tucked beneath a pile of spring greens tossed in a light vinaigrette. For my version, I simply sprinkled the greens with white balsamic vinegar, garlic infused olive oil a sprinkle of kosher salt before tossing. To add a little color I dotted the greens with a few bright viola flowers in memory of the many, many beautiful flowers we saw hanging a window boxes.
A meat tray was also a favorite of my traveling friends, so of course there had to be one at our party. Crisped prosciutto on one end and fresh on the other, with other charcuterie sliced meats and small bowls of black cherry preserves and homemade fig preserves were served with whole wheat crackers.
Our cheese fondue at a family owned restaurant in the Swiss Alps was served with cubes of bread and boiled potatoes (for dipping). For my fondue dippers, I chose to roast baby red and golden creamer potatoes and carved baby rainbow carrots. Roasting adds more flavor and the carrots added fall color.
We lunched at a cafe’ in Eguisheim after our stroll through the quaint town where I tried escargot for the first time. One of my friends took on the job of searching for escargot we could serve at our party. These beauties were found at our local Fresh Market, filled and stuffed with garlic parsley butter that required only a few minutes in the oven before they were ready to serve. These were no where near as melt in your mouth tender as they were in France, but they gave my guests a chance to give them a try. (I also served Rösti cakes which is basically shredded hash brown potatoes formed into a round disk. This was a dish one of my traveling companions ate a couple times prepared in different ways on our trip.)
Escargot before baking…Escargot after baking.Mirabelle plums are a small, sweet type of fruit most commonly grown in the Lorraine region of France. These high sugar plums are renowned for their use in various jams, jellies, baked products, and fruit brandy (known as eau de vie).
I didn’t know at the time, but the mirabelles I purchased in France and then made a yogurt bowl with the following morning, can’t be found in the U.S. I learned that according to Bon Appetit, they’re banned because true Mirabelles are grown only in Lorraine, France and import laws make them nearly impossible to procure in the United States. So I was happy to find this box of Quince & Mirabelle tea, the only nod available to this sweet plumy taste experience.
One culinary experience I missed while in France was the crepe. My plan was to make a fluffy chocolate mousse spiked with kirsch and amarena cherries for a crepe version of the black forest cake we had in Germany. My mousse was not very happy with the liqueur, and ended up being a very soft pudding – but I went with it, adding more cherries inside and on top. After eating so potatoes, bread and cheese, the dessert was light and not overly sweet.
The eating part now over we moved on to our planned activity I had set up at my breakfast table. I explained the process I had practiced for etching our wine glasses with numbers for our future tastings. It took a little while to get the method down and we had a couple of mishaps, but in the end everyone seemed to feel a sense of satisfaction as they peeled away the tape and stencil to reveal the elegant number they had each created. I can already imagine the pride on their faces at the next wine club party when their glasses are lined up before them.
I am so grateful for my group of friends. If it were not for their support and encouragement, we would not have enjoyed the past five years of wine club meetings filled with a variety of wines from around the world, great food and fun themes with lasting, shared , fond memories. Happy Friendsgiving my friends!
S I P [Social Interactions and Parties] 