Miss Jeanne brought an antipasti for an appetizer. She presented it on a HUGE round platter. It included: goat cheese with sun dried tomatoes, arugula pesto (the best), Mediterranean dip, olives, pepperoni, dates and her fresh whole wheat focaccia with rosemary and one with black olives (the good ones ). YUMMO!!
The main course was our contribution, but could not have been executed with out the help of many hands. The kids (Sam, Rachel, Daniel and John) helped out by folding and cutting the paper for the Pappeotte. Miss Jeanne, June & Gail all came down to our house to help with the assembly line. Haley passed out aprons to each lady as they came in and having my DD along made the whole process an event to remember, more than just fixing dinner.
Here is the recipe for the Salmon en Pappeotte
For 4 servings
2 cups cooked rice pilaf (recipe to follow)
4 Tbs butter (No substitute)
4 tsp fresh herbs - chopped - we used rosemary, salat burnet, sage (just a little), nasturtium blossoms, borage and blossoms, parsley, chives, garlic chives
4 lemon slices
4 Salmon Fillets
1 large vidallia onion - sliced and sauteed in olive oil until just soft and a little color to them
1 Orange pepper - sliced and sauteed in olive oil until just soft and a little color to them
3 cloves of garlic - smashed and then sauteed in olive oil until soft and toasty - this makes them sweet - but be warned - do not let them burn --- then chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 pieces of parchment paper 18"x18" Ours ended up being rectangular pieces of paper so whatever works for you.
Take your paper fold it in half and draw out a large half of a heart (Yes, just like you did in grade school - only bigger)
I usually like to do this production style: lay out all of the papers and proceed thusly
In the center of one of the lobes of your heart place in the following order
1/2 cup of the cooked rice
1 Tbs. butter (you could use a little less, but why?)
lemon slice
fresh herbs
fish - skin side up
onion slices
pepper slices
chopped sauteed garlic
Then you fold over the other lobe and begin to fold and crimp starting at the center of the heart. Keep folding and crimping until you get to the bottom of the package and then you give it a good twist. Your goal during the folding and crimping is to make a leak proof package. After you have completed each package, place them on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 preheated oven for 30 minutes - in my oven I have to rotate halfway through - I would suggest that to anyone.
Oh, I forgot. The recipe called for snow peas - Well, my dad tilled up our pea patch the morning of the party and I did not have enough snow peas for the recipe (I increased this recipe by 6 for the party) and so we just put one obligatory snow pea on top :o}
Multi Grain Rice Pilaf
I mix up a dry batch of this in large quantity so that I have it on hand. It is used for so many different recipes. I use it to stretch ground beef recipes, spaghetti sauce, sloppy joe, we put it in quessadillas, rice salad and we serve it just plain on salad, too. So, here is the large batch - dry.
It is best to use 1 part rice 2 parts water, and I add some kosher salt or sea salt after I have added the water- about 1 tsp per cup of dry rice mix.
1 cup brown basmatti rice
3/4 cup wild rice
3/4 cup oat groats
3/4 cup buckwheat groats
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup golden flax seed
1/3 cup sesame seeds
Mix all together. This makes about 5 cups of rice mixture. For our dinner party we used the whole batch, but for just us at home, I use 2 cups dry and 4 cups of water.
Heat an oven proof pan until screaming hot. Pour in 1 Tbs Olive oil - be sure to have your rice measured out before pouring in the olive oil. Then saute your rice mixture in the olive oil until it begins to smell like popping corn. Stir constantly. DO NOT LET IT BROWN!!!!! If you do your rice will taste burned. (Trust me on this one ;o})
Carefully pour in your water. Steam will come up so be careful not to let the steam burn your arm (Again, trust me on this one ;o}) Bring to the boil on top of stove, cover and then bake rice in the oven for about 45 min for a 2 cup batch to 1 1/2 hours for a huge batch. The oven is preheated to 375 degrees. Fluff with a fork and if it is still a bit wet cook it for a few more minutes and then let is sit uncovered off the heat, fluff it again and let it sit a while longer. ( I usually make the rice ahead of time just to make sure that it is cooked right. Although this only happens when I put too much water in the pot. Frequently I forget to measusre and then have to make adjustments. So far most things work out OK).
2 comments:
HA! Found you!
For a chick who says "Hey yall!", you're so much more cultured than me. So fancy. Are you sure you're a local?
Glad you survived this week.
I can't fool you. Really, I am from a small Italian village. Mya parrrents immigrated herea when Ia wasa but a smalla child. All of my relatives thata livea here arrre justa paid actors. --That is my best Italian accent. (I would have said I was from a small French village, but my hubby would divorce me in an instant.)
There is a reason why we do not throw dinner parties like this Mom & Dad's footed the bill - I am just the chief cook & bottle washer and am fortunate enough to be able to join in the fun :o}
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