Dinner Menu: Cold food for Hot days
It’s finally started getting hot outside. Like summertime hot. Like, I just took a shower, decided to go for a walk and came back a sweaty mess. And I sweat like a 400lb. man reaching for a Dorito on the other end of the couch. It ain’t pretty and I’ll stop with the unappetizing visuals now.
You’re welcome.
I think New York’s had the short end of the summer stick so far…I don’t count the rainy days (I whine, “TOO TOO MANY OF THEM!” Ahem, ALL of June and half of July). So we’ve finally had some warm weather and I’ve decided to have a few friends over for dinner this weekend. The theme is Cold Food for Hot Days. I’ve done a smaller scale version of this before with a make-your-own-summer roll-get-together. That was a good time, but better suited for smaller gatherings. You’d be surprised how much room a plate of vegetables and some rice paper take up on a table.
Anyhow, I thought I’d share with you the menu for the evening. It’s a bunch of smaller dishes in stead of an app/main/dessert. I promise to take pictures and post them with recipes (with any tweaks) next week!
1) Cold Cucumber Soup I had a bowl from ‘wichcraft last week and fell in love. I can’t remember the last time I ate soup and was scraping the bowl for every last drop. Strangely, I’m not a huge gazpacho fan. I like it just fine, but it kind of reminds me of not spicy salsa. And I think cold cucumber soup kinda falls in the gazpacho family. With the exception being that I like it. So I found the ‘wichcraft recipe and am going to reignite my love, which, naturally, comes through my belly.
2) Zucchini and Yellow Squash Carpaccio (via the Smitten Kitchen) I’ve made this a few times already and it’s absolutely delicious. It’s served on a bed of arugula with lemon juice, olive oil and parmesan. Ok, so I don’t like arugula. The thing is, I really, really WANT to like arugula. It drives me a little mad that it’s one of those things that I should like (it’s green, crisp, got a nice peppery bite) but it’s a bit too much on the bitter side for me. Maybe I have over active bitter buds? Anyhow, I’m forcing myself to eat it and as a result, am starting to like it. I can’t have a whole bowl of it but I can definitely eat it with the zucchini/yellow squash combo. Seriously, this is friggin’ good.
3) Shrimp and Mango Salad in Crisp Wonton Cups (adapted from Ellie Krieger) I’ve made this one a few times too and man, is it ever a crowd pleaser! It’s sweet and savory and crunchy and refreshing and comes in it’s own tiny cup…and, as we all know, food just tastes better when it’s small. The original recipe calls for crab, but, shoot, I’m not exactly Daddy Warbucks here and a few ounces of crab meat is like $20 (and, in my mind, not enough crab-per-wonton cup to satisfy me, or anyone who likes to taste their food). So, I chop up shrimp instead and everyone gets their fill of shrimp/mango/lime/cilantro in their very own handy dandy wonton cup.
4) Pesto Potato Salad (from Ellie Krieger) It’s pesto. It’s potatoes. ‘nuff said.
5) Warm Crusty Baguette and Olive Oil/Aged Balsamic Vinegar from O&Co If I’m ever on death row and I have a last meal, it will probably be a warm crusty baguette on a plate surrounded by the creamiest butter, various cheeses, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I don’t think there is a simpler, more delicious way to end your life.
6) Coconut Flan (adapted from Bon Appetit) I figured, with all the healthy foods we’ll be eating, there’s nothing better than cancelling it all out with some flan. Coconut flan that is.
Belly says OMG. I CAN’T BELIEVE WE’RE GOING TO EAT ALL THIS. mmmmmm flan.
