Nibble advice, please

S

shaun-in-to

Well-known member
(Epi's search isn't working for me past the first page.)

The menu so far (open to tweaking but no time for experimenting):

Cold watercress vichyssoise

Roasted whole salmon stuffed with roasted tomatoes and fennel, with a basil-mayo sauce

(Maybe steamed green beans, but the veg with the salmon is quite enough, really)

Sour cherry pie with buttermilk sherbet

The guest: spouse of a Cordon Bleu-trained chef, lives in Italy. For a range of reasons I can't do cheese crackers, and anything Italian is off the menu, e.g. olives, crostini, bruschetta. He's had my rosemary walnuts. I am totally out of ideas and am bordering on serving nothing. Help!

 
Try ******RANDI's ***** Roasted Olives!

Roasted Olives with Lavender and Truffle Oil

8 ounces imported black olives (Kalamata, Gaeta, or Alfonso), pitted or unpitted
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon culinary lavender flowers
1 1/2 teaspoons white truffle oil
Pinch of crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large baking dish, spread the olives in one layer; drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the lavender flowers. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring the olives at least 3 times. Remove from oven.

Using a slotted spoon, remove baked olives from remaining olive oil and place in another bowl. Drizzle with truffle oil and sprinkle with crushed red peppers; stir to combine.

Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

 
Right...sorry about the walnuts (although they work just as well with pecans)

Tamari almonds are quick.

How about an eggplant tapenade (olive-free, see link) or a hungarian (or croatian) eggplant dish that I can't remember what it's called...roasted eggplant, tomatoes, onions and garlic. Roast all in oven until completely disintegrated. Puree, season well with salt and serve with pita triangles spread with sesame oil and toasted until crunchy.

Oh, lavosh broiled and brushed with butter, then sprinkled with sesame seeds.

http://www.aubergines.org/recipes.php?eggplant=861

 
I made these for a client when I was personal cheffing...REC: Crudites w/ Olive Oil & Flavored Salts

for a party, and they really enjoyed them, and it was something a little different. I would use a good Spanish extra-virgin olive oil with this.
Your menu sounds wonderful.


* Exported from MasterCook *

CRUDITES WITH OLIVE OIL AND FLAVORED SALTS

Recipe By :Bon Appetit "Entertaining Made Easy"
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Appetizers Vegetables

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

1/3 cup sesame seeds
11 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup curry powder
1/4 cup Hungarian sweet paprika
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Assorted fresh vegetables

Place sesame seeds in small nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Stir until toasted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Cool completely. Place in a spice grinder with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Process until finely ground. Transfer mixture to small ramekin.
Mix curry powder and 5 teaspoons salt in small bowl. Transfer mixture to another small ramekin.
Mix paprika and 5 teaspoons salt in small bowl. Transfer mixture to another small ramekin. (Flavored salts can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and set aside at room temperature.)
Pour oil into small bowl or ramekin. Place vegetables decoratively on platter. Serve, passing oil and salts separately.
Dnote: I think smoked paprika would be good in this also.

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howzabout stuffed mussels

Stuffed Mussels

adapted from stuffed clam recipe in The Nero Wolfe Cookbook

INGREDIENTS:

1# mussels
1 c fresh bread crumbs
3 tbs minced shallots
1 tbs minced chives
1 tsp fresh chervil
1 tsp fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh basil
2 tsp dry sherry
4 tbs minced mushrooms
2 tbs butter
mussel broth
4 slices bacon


PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 3751. Scrub mussels. Steam. Remove and save liquid. Remove and mince meat. Save 1/2 of shells. Put minced mussels in bowl with bread crumbs, herbs and sherry. Sauté mushrooms in 1 tbs butter for 2 minutes and add to mussels. Add enough broth to moisten. Butter shells and fill with mussel mixture. Top each with a small piece of bacon and bake until bacon is crisp.

 
Grilled Japanese Eggplant topped with goat cheese & a sliver of oil-packed sundried tomatoes.

Run into oven to melt the cheese at the last. Oil then grill or pre-roast the eggplant slices ahead of time, then top with the slices of cheese & the tomato. You can have everything prepped separately ahead of time. I made these several times and they were really a huge hit.

 
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