We're back from our summer break...
What a good thing to be lunching together again, sharing this year's summer memories & experiences.
Accordingly, I asked each person to bring something that's representative of their last 3 months, so here we go:
First Course: 2 choices of salads (right)
- Black Bean & Corn Salad with Mango, a recipe from a home-cooked dinner at a friend's house while vacationing in Oregon.
- Raspberry Goat Cheese Spinach Salad with Candied Walnuts representing a summer of gardening & oil painting.
Main Entree (left):
- Chicken Enchiladas from an R&R trip to Santa Fe.
- Roasted Acorn Squash with Honey-Lime Glazed Pepitas, a recipe from a cookbook purchased while staying at a B&B in Colorado.
Wine Pairing (below):
- Due Rossi (two reds) described as "an off dry red exhibiting aromas of oak and
blackberry followed by jammy blackberry quality with oaky and spicy finish" bought from the Ciccone Vineyard and Winery in Suttons Bay, MI while attending a family wedding in the Wolverine State.
Desserts: 2 choices of cakes (below)
- Indonesian Layer Spice Cake served with Coffee Luwak, both brought back from a 3-week vacation spent in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake signifying a trip to Hawaii amidst a house turned upside down from remodeling.
Exchanging stories brought us joy and gratitude in the fact that God trully watched over us, keeping us safe and sound while blessing us with wonderful memories.
Recipes
Black Bean and Corn Salad with Mango
To
prepare Black Bean and Corn Salad:
1 can (15oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen corn
½ red onion, diced
½ red pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno, diced (remove the seeds to make it less spicy)
1 mango, diced
3 tablespoon cilantro, rough chopped
Dressing:
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ black pepper
1. Mix all the salad ingredients except the cilantro in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together ingredients for the dressing.
3. When the corn is complete thawed pour dressing over salad and mix well.
4. Add cilantro and toss. Serve salad cold.
Roasted Acorn Squash with Honey-Lime Glazed Pepitas
2 acorn squash, seeds removed, and cut into 8 equal wedges
2-3 teaspoons olive oil for brushing squash
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts
1/4 cup unsalted pepitas
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon lime zest
3 tablespoons quality honey
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt to taste
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Line a baking pan with tinfoil (for easy clean up).
3. Brush the flesh of the squash with olive oil and roast flesh side down for 40-45 minutes, or until tender.
4. In a small skillet over medium heat, add peanuts and pepitas.
5. Heat until golden brown and they begin to pop. Remove from heat.
Indonesian Layer Spiced Cake
12 oz butter
2Tbsp condensed milk
20 eggs yolks
5 oz confectioner's sugar
2 oz superfine flour, sifted with
1.5 tsp all spice
2 Tbsp rum
1. Preheat oven at 375 degrees F, line and grease a 6 inch cake pan.
2. Beat butter and condensed milk until smooth, leave aside.
3. In another bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick.
4. Fold butter into egg yolk mixture, then fold in sifted flour in 2 batches until combined,
add rum. Put cake pan in the oven for 1 minute, remove.
5. Pour a laddle of batter into pan and spread evenly.
6. Bake for 5 minutes until the top is light brown.
7. Remove from oven and prick top of cake with toothpick to prevent air bubbles from forming.
8. Scoop the same amount of batter for the second layer.
9. Repeat the same process until all batter is gone, remove and cool on wire rack.
Wine Pairing:
- Due Rossi (two reds) described as "an off dry red exhibiting aromas of oak and
blackberry followed by jammy blackberry quality with oaky and spicy finish" bought from the Ciccone Vineyard and Winery in Suttons Bay, MI while attending a family wedding in the Wolverine State.
