New Year's Eve ideas?

M

moyn

Well-known member
We're planning a party for NYE, our apartment looks over the harbour and directly at the Harbour Bridge, so a great vantage point for the Sydney fireworks, so our place it is...

The thing is, because of the crowds that form around here, especially in the park downstairs, our guests will have to arrive at our house around 5-6pm and stay until 2-3am, which is great, but calls into question the food choices...

I don't want to do a sit down, but can set up a buffet area - but I don't want to spend the afternoon/evening cooking, especially because it will be VERY hot!

SO I'm thinking cold salads, seafoods, maybe something on the BBQ? Stuff that can eaten whenever people feel like it, very casual...

Any ideas?

 
Hi Sandra, here are some great salads - let me know if you want me to post any of them:

Pacific-Rim Caesar Salad (Bon Appetit)

Curried Couscous Salad With Dried Cranberries (Cooking Light)

Thai-Style Pasta Salad (Vegetarian Times)

Salade de Concombres et Chevre (Cucumber and Goat Cheese Salad) (Pierre Franey)

Citrus Green Bean Salad

Carrot, Orange and Radish Salad

Carrot Rapee ("Great Good Food" - Julee Rosso)

 
REC: Roasted Pear Salad With Chocolate-Scented Goat Cheese and Roasted Pear Vinaigrette

I've had this in my files for awhile - it sounds really good and different. I posted it for someone several months ago who was looking for savory chocolate dishes - it was a big hit.

ROASTED PEAR SALAD WITH CHOCOLATE-SCENTED GOAT CHEESE AND ROASTED PEAR VINAIGRETTE

Roasted Pear Vinaigrette:

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:
4 pears, halved, seeded, roasted at 350 ° until soft, cooled and peeled
1/4 c. pear vinegar
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 small clove garlic, chopped fine
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 teasp. Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 oz. Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate, chopped and melted, cooled
1 teasp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teasp. salt
1 teasp. sugar

Preparation:
Reserve 4 roasted pear halves for the salad. Place 4 roasted pear halves in a bowl with the the vinegar, shallot, garlic, thyme, cocoa powder, salt and sugar. Mash pears with whisk. Slowly whisk in oils and then sour cream. Adjust seasoning.

Chocolate-Scented Goat Cheese

Makes 10 oz.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound goat cheese at room temperature
1/2 teasp. sugar
1/2 oz. Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate
1 teasp. Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teasp. salt
1/4 c. cream or milk

Preparation:
Chop chocolate and melt in a double boiler, taking care not to overheat. Cool to room temperature. Combine with remaining ingredients, mixing well. Adjust seasoning.

Roasted Pear Salad:

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 heads butter lettuce
Remaining 4 roasted pear halves
Chocolate-Scented Goat Cheese
Chocolate and Roasted Pear Vinaigrette

Preparation:
Tear lettuce in bite-sized pieces, wash and drain well. Toss with vinaigrette. Stuff each of the remaining 4 pear halves with a generous spoon of the goat cheese mix. Arrange lettuce on each plate and top with pear half. Drizzle a little vinaigrette over the top.

http://www.valleysentinel.com

 
How about a do it yourself sandwich bar? Assorted breads, deli meats, other fillings, condiments.

 
Thanks Meryl they all look great!

Except for the curried one, hate curry! I get the idea, though, and they allsound really colourful, which is good for the height of summer -

 
Sylvia that is a great idea!

I could do that, I think the kids especially would like it...

 
Nothing but appetizers, cheese & crackers, veggie platter, chilli & nacho dip (homemade) and pies

Never go anywhere because of others who drink & drive, it's dangerous. Invite family over for marathon game playing (risk, skippo, parchesi, scrabble, and of course poker, texas hold'em, acey duecy, and pokeno, sequence, and domino's)... and snacking all night. Everyone brings a snack plate and sandwiches. The family has a great time, then on New Year's Day we gather at my sister's for an Italian New Year Dinner. We all look forward to it.

 
Sandra...let me know if this is the direction you decide to go. I've been playing with a

sandwhich book. There's lots of great topping ideas...a schmear of roasted shallots, tomato jam, lemon aioli, blue cheese scallion spread, etc. Easy do ahead stuff.

 
Piggybacking on this idea, you could do an ice cream/cheesecake bar...

nuts, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, berry coulis, etc.

 
My new favorite salad dressing...

I like this with romaine, tomatoes, & cucumbers.

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon chile paste
salt & pepper

 
My other favorite salad: Cafe Salad with Apple, Blue Cheese & Walnuts

I often substitute spinach for the endive & frisee. The dressing is delicious and a little different than that standard fare.

Recipe: Cafe Salad of Endive, Apple, French Blue
Cheese and Walnuts

Makes 4 servings
- 1 head Belgian endive, sliced into bite-size pieces
(about 2 cups)
- 2 cups torn frisee
- 2 cups torn regular radicchio or the treviso variety
- ½ cup Mustard Vinaigrette (see accompanying recipe)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 medium Granny Smith or Braeburn apple, julienned
- 2 ounces Fourme d'Ambert or other blue cheese,
crumbled
- ½ cup walnut halves, toasted (see note)
Place the greens and the vinaigrette in a mixing bowl
and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add
the apples and toss again. Divide among four chilled
salad plates and garnish with the blue cheese and
walnuts.
Note: To toast nuts, heat in a dry skillet over medium
heat until they start to brown. Stir occasionally. Be
careful not to scorch them.



Recipe: Mustard Vinaigrette

Makes 2 cups
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
-1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
-1 ½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
-1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
-1 egg (see note)
-¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
-¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
-Salt and pepper to taste
In a food processor, add the vinegar, shallots, lemon
juice, mustard and egg; blend well. While machine is
running, slowly add the oils to emulsify. Add salt and
pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl, cover and
refrigerate.

Adapted from chef David Machado, Lauro Mediterranean
Kitchen, Portland, Ore.

 
Salade de Concombres Et Chevre

SALADE DE CONCOMBRES ET CHEVRE (CUCUMBER AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large tomato, cored and coarsely cubed
1/4 lb (4 oz) goat cheese, crumbled
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp water
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil (I use extra virgin)
2 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped (I use flat leaf)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In salad bowl, combine cucumbers, tomato, and goat cheese. (Or can add part of the goat cheese and save the rest to crumble over the top after tossing salad).

2. In mixing bowl, whisk together mustard, vinegar, water, salt and pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil. (Or blend all ingredients except oil in food processor, then slowly add olive oil with machine running).

3. Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss well. Sprinkle with parsley (and crumble over remaining goat cheese if you have some reserved), and serve. (I like to chill it before serving).

4 servings.

Edited from Pierre Franey's "Cooking In France"

 
Joe, I made these at the restaurant in London for Gastronomic Week

for the past 2 years...

they are delicious, the problem is twofold here...

1) I can't get the chiles
2) I don't want to do a sit down, and this dish really calls for knife and fork!

As a little aside, when I did a round of the restaurant one of the customers called me over and said

"My chillies are cold... could you run them through the microwave for me until they're really hot please? I can't believe you would send them out of the kitchen like this..."

I had them taken back and brought him something else! I know the customer is always right, but sometimes they're not!

 
LOL, I hope you brought him a nice bowl of Vichyssoise.....

You'd think during "Gastronomic Week" the customers would be a little more open-minded.

I understand about the knife and fork, but we have to do something about poblano chiles not being available in Australia! Whom do I write to?

Here's non-Mexican idea: cold poached salmon with cucumber sauce. It's very summery, it makes a beautiful platter, and if the portions are small you can eat it with just a fork, standing up.

http://www.finerkitchens.com/swap/forum/index.php?action=display&forumid=1&msgid=21550

 
Address your letter to AQIS - Quarantine!

They are so very strict about what comes in and out of this country! so there aren't even any seeds to grow the chiles from! I could use green peppers, or capsicums as they call them here, but it just wouldn't be the same!

I'm liking the salmon idea, a definite possibility, the fish and seafood here are outstanding, so I'm leaning in that direction, cold seafood platters, grilled lobster tails....

Thanks for the link!

 
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