Help, please, with a first-course idea for a cassoulet dinner. I'm serving cassoulet on Friday,

Gee, Shaun, now you have me re-thinking, LOL. I'm concerned about the mix of cuisines too....

though on my last trip to France the Italian restaurants outnumbered the cassoulet houses by about 20 to 1.

I may make the cream of sorrel soup if I have time--I have all the ingredients on hand, including sorrel coming out my ears. In that case caprese could be served on skewers as an hors d'oeuvres.

Julia always recommended a clear soup, but that seems too meaty to me before cassoulet. I've served broiled oysters before cassoulet once and they're perfect. I'm not up to doing them for this many people, though.

Thanks for your thoughts.

 
Could you do a simple sorrel soup? Not heavy, not complex. But enough acid to

stand up to the course to follow. (What the heck does oxalic acid do for us anyway?)

 
No ideas...Just a quick post to wish you luck! I recall you doing this last year. What a project!!

Hoping you have help in the kitchen for the dishes!!!
What a special dinner you are serving.....Under seperate cover, I will forward you my address for an invite!! (Just teasing!)

Have fun!

Regards,
Barb

 
Joe- interesting thing my eyes did with thinking the dessery was

pears instead of peaches! I even questioned in my mind whether I would serve pears in the summer...
My mistake- I'd love the recipe!

 
Dawn, do you have a recipe? Or it just those three things in a pot?

I love sorrel but every recipe I've used counters it with cream, eggs or both. It seems to need a little dairy to temper its sourness.

 
Maybe...I didn't think of Bristol Farms. Right now I'm well-stocked for either caprese or the soup

I'll decide in the morning. I've been cassoulet-ing all afternoon so at least the main event is under control.

Come to think of it, Bristol Farms might have had the celery root too.

No, Joe, step away from the car keys!

 
you've already got it under control at this point! But... 15 is such an odd number -

16 would be such a nice EVEN number... hint hint hint *g*

 
Joe, I'm not much on soup recipes lately. I just get started and carry on. Here's what

(I think) I do.

I sweat chopped shallots in butter. I use shallots a lot and am not afraid to use lots. For 2 qt. of soup, I would use 3 large, at least.

I remove the main rib of the sorrel and rip the leaves up a bit. They disintegrate so thoroughly that the method really doesn't matter. I add the sorrel, probably 6 cups ripped, to the shallots in the pan, over low heat just let the sorrel 'dissolve' into their puddles. This takes only a couple of minutes. I then add chicken stock. (not a huge fan of veg stock). So that would be the 2 qt. Then salt and pepper. I let that simmer for about 15 minutes and that's it.

I've tried adding fresh tarragon and sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't.

I don't add any egg; we like it very simple. That's why I was thinking it would be 'clean' enough for the dinner that you have to follow it.

So, no recipe.

I get a crop in the Spring and another each Fall. Unfortunately, Fall's is coming up waaaay too soon.

Good luck with your dinner.

 
Thanks Barb. It was two years ago and 70 people. It's taken until now to be even remotely

interested in making cassoulet again. 15 should be a cinch.

 
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