Need help deciding on a lake house meal for 14 adults.

dawn_mo

dawn_mo

Well-known member
Thank goodness not a fussy one in the bunch my

son is Vegan, but I have gotten used to that.

I have to bring all the food with me. I will be cooking the second night. I was going to make lettuce wraps, cold buckwheat noodles and egg rolls for an appetizer. Now I’m rethinking it.

Any ideas?

 
Dawn, it's 91 here and Mom's A/C is dying (new one next week) so all I can focus on is

cool to cold foods.

Your menu sounds wonderful...perhaps add some chilled fruits? I just mixed up a batch of mint/lime/simple syrup for diced watermelon. Or maybe a chilled gazpacho soup? Is your garden producing good tomatoes yet? Oh...sliced tomatoes and avocados with green chilies.

Have a lovely time.

 
Eggplant Caviar

Eggplant Caviar

(Serves smileys/bigeyes.gif

1 large eggplant
2 medium-size fresh tomatoes1/4 cup salad oil
2 medium-size onions, very small dice
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 green pepper, very small dice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh dill

Place eggplant in shallow pan in oven preheated to 450 F. Bake 45 minutes, turning once to bake evenly. Remove from pan and cut in half lengthwise. With sharp paring knife or grapefruit knife, remove pulp from eggplant shell; avoid tearing shell. Cut pulp into very small dice and set aside. Set the eggplant shells aside. Lower tomatoes into a pot of rapidly boiling water for 20-30 seconds; then hold them under cold running water for a few seconds, peel off the skin and remove stem ends. Press tomatoes to squeeze out excess liquid; then cut them into very small dice. In a shallow saucepan, heat oil. Add onions garlic, green pepper, eggplant and tomatoes. Saute slowly, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until all vegetables are tender. Add lemon juice, dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon cooked mixture into eggplant shells. Chill in refrigerator until ice-cold, Serve with sesame crackers.

Important to serve very cold. Playboy Host & Barbook (Serves smileys/bigeyes.gif

 
PROVENCAL CHICKPEA SLATHER

PROVENCAL CHICKPEA SLATHER Makes about 2 cups

Nice is famous for the abundant use of chickpeas and chickpea flour in its cooking. To infuse the peas with a robust flavour before pureeing, I gently cook them with fennel, garlic, and anise-flavoured Pernod. This also enhances the flavour of fennel. Serve a bowl of ripe purple figs or peaches alongside for a taste of sweet.
Sheila Lukins - All Around the World Cookbook

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
I cup finely chopped fennel bulb
I cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon anise seeds
I can (19 ounces) chickpeas, (garbanzo beans) drained
2 tablespoons dry white wine
I tablespoon Pernod
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fennel ferns

1. Warm 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the fennel, onion, garlic, and anise seeds. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Add the chickpeas, white wine, Pernod, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed and the flavours blend together, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the fennel ferns.

3. Coarsely puree the mixture in batches in a food processor, adding up to 2 tablespoons more oil if desired. Adjust the seasonings and cool to room temperature.

 
Egg-Battered Zucchini Rollups

Egg-Battered Zucchini Rollups Lidia Bastianich



2 pounds (5 or 6) small zucchini
2 cups all-purpose flour for dredging
5 large eggs
¾ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Canola oil for frying (2 cups or more, depending on skillet size)
1 or 2 tablespoons well-drained tiny brined capers
Freshly squeezed juice of about ½ lemon


To coat and fry the zucchini: Rinse and dry the zucchini, and trim off the stem and blossom ends.

Use a sharp knife to slice the squash lengthwise into strips about 8 inch thick, flexible but not paper- thin. (You should get five or six strips from each small zucchini.)

Dump the flour into a wide bowl or shallow dish. Beat the eggs well in another wide bowl, stirring in ½ teaspoon of the salt and some grinds of pepper. Set a wide colander on a plate, to drain the battered strips before frying. Tumble five or six zucchini strips at a time in the flour, coating them well on both sides.

Shake off the loose flour, and slide the strips into the beaten eggs. Turn and separate the strips with a fork so they’re covered with batter; pick them up one at a time, letting the excess egg drip back into the bowl; lay the strips in the colander. Dredge and batter all the zucchini strips this way, and let them drain. Add the egg drippings collected under the colander to the batter, if you need more.

Pour 9 inch of canola oil into a deep skillet, and set it over medium- high heat. Cover a baking sheet or large platter with several layers of paper toweling, and place it near the stove. When the oil is very hot but not smoking, test it by dropping in half a strip of battered zucchini. It should sizzle actively and begin to crisp around the edges, but not smoke or darken.

When the oil is ready, quickly slip several strips into the skillet, using kitchen tongs or a long fork to avoid spatters of hot oil. Don’t crowd the strips– no more than seven at a time in a 12- inch pan– so they crisp quickly and won’t absorb oil. Fry the zucchini strips in batches, and when they are golden on both sides, remove them and set on the paper towels to drain. Salt them lightly, and lay additional paper towels over the fried strips, so you can layer over them the next ones to come out of the skillet. Let the slices cool for a few minutes.

To form the roll- ups: Place a fried strip on your work table, with the wider end (from the blossom end of the zucchini) closer to you. Place three or four capers on that end, then roll the strip tightly, enclosing the capers in the center. Weave a toothpick all the way through the roll- up, so it stays together. Roll up all the strips, or as many as you want. Just before serving, stand the roll- ups on end and squeeze drops of lemon juice all over the spiral tops. Arrange them on a serving platter. (If you like capers as much as I do, scatter another teaspoon or so of drained capers all over.)

 
I hope I have interpretted correctly that you don't mean a sit-down course.

More like an hors d'oeuvre?

 
Why rethinking--sounds delicious BUT there isn't anything easier than pulled pork and its

accompaniments for a big crowd. Slaw, baked beans and Italian green beans for the accompaniments. . Maybe BBQ or soy marinated tofu broiled for serving?
If you continue with lettuce wraps have some with meat and some with tofu?

 
Remember Loupy's Party Spaghetti? I took that to a family reunion. It traveled perfectly

for a day in an ice chest, then I reheated once at the venue. It went over very well and even my picky auntie asked for the recipe as did my "once a chef at Blair House" cousin. I always have plenty of extra salad, garlic bread for our vegetarian granddaughter. Also, those plant-based burgers are pretty good I hear, and one can make a fast burger.

 
Dawn here are some ideas

These ideas are all very easy to do for a crowd- not put here as a "menu" but just menu ideas. I kept the temperature in mind- all of these are good almost room temp:

Here is a really good and easy pasta dish:

PASTA WITH SPINACH, BEANS AND ASIAGO CHEESE
8 c coarsely chopped fresh spinach leaves
4 c cavatappi cooked al dente and drained (about 6 oz uncooked)
2 T olive oil, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, 2 garlic cloves chopped
19oz can Cannellini beans drained
½ c (2 oz) Asiago cheese
Put spinach in bottom of bowl, pour the rest on and mix. Serve hot or at room temp.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH OLIVES AND LEMON
4 lb cut-up chicken
salt, pepper to taste
1 medium lemon, peeled and sectioned
1 T unsalted butter, 1 T olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 c brined olives
8 fresh sage leaves
6 small or 3 dried bay leaves
1 T thyme
Preheat oven to 425. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the butter and oil and brown the chicken. Transfer to another pan. Pour off all but 2T of fat. Add the onion, olives, sage, bay leaves, thyme and lemon segments and cook until fragrant, 1-2 min. Return the chicken to the pan and transfer to the oven. Roast 20-40 min depending on how much chicken there is.

Can make up ahead and either freeze or keep in fridge:
STUFFED PEPPERS BRUNA (serves 3-4)
Bruna was my MIL
3 large green peppers
boiling salt water
1 lb ground beef
3 T minced onion
3/4 cup cooked rice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp each basil, oregano, thyme
2 cups tomato sauce, either canned or homemade
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Split pepper lengthwise and plunge into boiling water. Turn off heat and let stand 5 minutes. Drain and arrange in casserole dish. Mix beef, onion, rice salt, herbs and 1 cup tomato sauce. Fill peppers. Combine remaining cup tomato sauce with water and wine. Pour over peppers. Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake 20 minutes more.

ASIAN CRACK SLAW
1 T oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 T minced ginger
1 lb ground beef (I use Better than Beef crumbles)
1 onion, chopped
1 head cabbage, shredded
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into very thin strips
½ c soy sauce, 2 T sesame oil, 1 dash hot sauce, salt & pepper to taste
2 T chopped cilantro, 1 lime wedge

Heat oil, add garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant. Add ground beef and onions, cook and stir until brown and crumbly. Push beef to one side of skillet and add cabbage, carrots and pepper. Mix veg with the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until veg are just tender, 5-6 min. Stir soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce into the mix. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with cilantro, lime and more hot sauce.

CATHY’S VEGGIE LAYERS
In a 9x13 or 10x14 pan, layer ANY combination of sliced veggies (I use four or five): cabbage, potatoes, onions, green peppers, carrots, corn, beans, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, WHATEVER!

1 stick (1/4 lb) butter
8T flour
2 - 3 cups of milk
1 can cream of potato soup (or mushroom or celery)
1/2 C pepper jack cheese, grated
1/2 C American or cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/3 C parmesan cheese

Melt butter and add flour. Whisk and cook a few minutes. Add enough milk to make a medium-thick sauce. Add soup and cheeses, except parmesan. Cool down a bit and whisk in eggs, thyme, salt, and pepper. Pour over veggies. Top with parmesan cheese or buttered crumbs. Bake for an hour and a half at 325°.

EVEYLN’S BRIAMI
3 large zucchini, cut crosswise into ¼” slices
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise into ¼” slices
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 lg onion, peeled, cut into 6 wedges
2 large tomatoes, peeled and quartered
¼ lb hard cheese (mizithra or parmesan)
½ c olive oil
¼ c water
1 T oregano
2 T fresh spearmint, chopped
2 T cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 420. Put everything in a very large baking pan. Pour water, olive oil on top and add herbs. Season generously. Give a toss to mix. Roast for a couple of hours, stirring everything up a few times to allow veggies on bottom to come up and brown. Delicious with good crusty bread and feta cheese on the side.

CATHY'S ZIPPY BEAN SALAD
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained
1 can baby corn, drained and cut
1 can (15 oz) small pitted black olives, drained
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped medium onion
2 chopped stalks celery
1 T fresh oregano or 1 tsp dry
1 T fresh basil or 1 tsp dry
2 tsp pepper
2 C medium hot picante sauce or salsa
2 C Kraft bottled Italian salad dressing
Mix beans, olives, green pepper, onion, celery and herbs.
Pour salsa and Italian dressing over bean mix and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Or do an easy taco bar! Can use any kind of chili with beans

CATHY'S EASY TACO SALAD
(serves 2)
1 can Hormel Turkey Chili with Beans
1 onion, chopped
1 C Pace Picante Sauce
1 small green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced pitted black olives
chopped cilantro
1 small head Romaine Lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2- 1 C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Tortilla Chips as desired

Mix Chili, onion, Pace Picante Sauce, green pepper and olives in a 3-quart saucepan and turn burner to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and let cool down to almost room temperature. Divide lettuce in two bowls. Sprinkle cilantro over it. Pour chili mixture over lettuce and add all but 4 T of the cheddar. Mix. Make a ring of tortilla chips around the edge of the bowl. Sprinkle remaining cheddar over the top.

 
Cathy Z Caponata!

In the category of "I put this S$%^t on everything"

Even if it's not part of your meal, I think the 14 people at the lake house will really appreciate having this in the fridge.
As Cathy says, it's good on pizza, pasta. I have put it on a nice roll for lunch, crostini, on top of any protein works too.
Good healthy vegetarian snack.
It's so good! Will travel well and keeps well.

https://finerkitchens.com/swap/forum2/6_CAPONATA

 
Thank you everyone!

Bub and I made “Melty Sandwiches”. It’s his specialty. It turns out that my sprained ankle was actually a fractured fibula.
I’m back in the the Velcro boot again. Ugggggg!

 
Take care of that leg. it took my friend months for her fibula to heal (biking accident) because

No one at the hospital thought her leg was broken. Took a month for them to diagnose a hairline fracture.

I remember your "sit on the sandwich" picnic sandwich.

 
That wasn’t my sandwich but iI did make it. It was Julie R’s

Recipe. The grandkids had a ball sitting on it.

 
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