Taking a few days off after “the summer from hell” will make a girl giddy. Giddy enough to quickly arrange an intimate gathering, swing by the local farm for ingredients, and grab a dusty bottle or two from the wine cellar.
Didn’t take many photos - I was terribly remiss; but if you’ll indulge, I’ll give a few details. The evening was just beautiful -- warm, with a few clouds and a slight breeze; the music was soft Latin jazz; the double-doors to the back deck were opened wide, leading to the table set in Provencial hues with lots of candles, and even more wine glasses; the view was tall evergreens & neighboring horses.
Eric & Renee were the first to arrive on the scene, bearing gifts of wine, chocolate, cheese & a baguette. After the kiss-kisses and hugs, Brett shook up the first batch of ginger-lime martinis. A few moments later, our dear friends Kimberly & Darren, armed with even more wine, appeared just in time for me to forcefully scrape a reluctant first batch of potstickers out of the pan and shatter the martini shaker to the ground -- and it was going so well up to that point. But, knowing that every party has a few glitches, the glass was swept away, the pan was changed, and all was right with the world.
The Prawn & Crab Potstickers had a creamy Chile-Lime Dipping Sauce -- it was quite a delicious flavor combination with the Ginger Martinis. Refreshing flavors of ginger, citrus, shellfish and basil are a great way to begin a meal.
We sat down to our first course: Cod Tempura, Lemon Beurre Blanc, Grilled Cantaloupe, Avocado on a bed of Farm Lettuces tossed in Lemon and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. It was beautiful with the 2001 Domaine Ste. Michelle Luxe Sparkling. Honestly, every ingredient - the rich fish & avocado, the fresh lemon, the smoky-sweet fruit, the crisp lettuces - just sang with the Luxe’s toasty, sweet bubbles. That’s a great little sparkler -- very food friendly.
Next Course: Ratatouille. I love Ratatouille - it’s the epitomical dish of late-summer. I fell in love with it in culinary school; rather, I became addicted to it in culinary school. (If I love you, I will invite you over for dinner; if I really, really love you, I’ll serve Ratatouille.)
The Ratatouille was accompanied by warm chevre on grilled bread, olives and a drizzle of reduced Balsamic. The flavors were lovely with the quintessential summer wine - rose. Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Nelly’s Garden Dry Rose has a bright strawberry nose and a crisp, fruity palate that plays well with earthy things (stewed veges), grilled things, and salty things (olives), thank God. (Also, smoky things -- just so you know.)
As the evening temperature dropped a bit, I was glad the next course was served piping hot from the oven. Pheasant & Duck Tourtiere with potatoes, leeks, Cognac, fresh thyme and a puff pastry crust, baked in individual Le Creuset crocks, and served with a couple of duck fat fried potato chips. The pot pie accompanied a magnum of 1997 Apex Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon I’d been saving for years. (Obviously that gesture is reserved for those I really, really, really love.) That Washington Cab was gorgeous and so worth the wait. It was elegant, supple & rich; it had good, ripe fruit, plus an aged earthiness that was simply lovely with the pot pie’s rich, earthy flavors. I thought it was a beautifully grand match, and a lovely way to welcome autumn.
Side Note: I attempted to recreate something close to my French-Canadian friend Renee’s grandmother’s tourtiere - traditionally made with partridge and pheasant. Scouring the internet for days proved fruitless (there was nothing very old or very traditional), calling local butchers proved pointless (there are no partridges wild or domestic), so I made up my own dish that seemed to have tradition, a touch of fancy, and some wild, exotic flavors. But when Renee invited us over for the “real deal” - I decided it was a good thing I didn’t come very close.
Next course: 2003 Chateau Gloria St. Julien Bordeaux & Stinky Normandy Camembert. Before dinner Brett insisted the very ripe cheese be securely confined with two freezer baggies, and then strongly suggested I not serve it at all. But, before I ditched the whole idea, I let our guests decide -- really stinky cheese & a fabulous Bordeaux or skip right to dessert?? All hands went up, and Renee & Darren agreed, “the stinkier, the better” -- much to Bert’s shuddered chagrin. Ah, it was nice... so was the cheese & wine.
We retired inside for dessert - Limoncello Tiramisu with blueberries, peaches and plums. Although there is inherent richness from the mascarpone cream, the tart lemon and fresh summer fruit gave a lift to the taste buds; and I liked the fact that the lemon flavor echoed the memory of the first course.
We ended the evening with a French press of Victor’s decaf espresso, spiced cream, demerara sugar cubes, and Brandied truffles hand-rolled in cocoa powder. That’s always my favorite dinner party ending. Well, actually, it’s those really long, warm hugs -- but warm, boozy homemade truffles are a close second.
Comments