Between several ballgames and a tournament (out of town but not too far---and we brought home "hardware" as runner-up team!), I've been cooking.
May was our month for dinner club, and I chose the only Sunday of the month that we didn't have anything scheduled. Sent out the invitations. And then discovered...Oops. Mother's Day. Oh, well, we'll probably have a rather intimate crowd... so thought I before the RSVPs started rolling in. Almost perfect attendance! Yea, team!
This group is one of the oldest dinner clubs in our little community--started in the early 80s. We weren't "original" members--we missed the first dinner, but have been part of this motley crew ever since. We all have very little in common--other than food! And even that has morphed over the years, as has our membership. We have some vegan members now, one member with rather restrictive dietary needs due to health issues, but we all manage to find something to eat, something to drink, and to share the fellowship---the main reason for getting together.
When it's your turn, you do the whole thing--then look forward to 11 more delicious "free" dinners throughout the year. I said in an earlier post that PapaGeek doesn't cook, and that was very unfair....because he's an ace "griller", and he's doing salmon tonight. We did salmon on the grill many years ago---and if it wasn't for one guest touring the backyard gardens, we might very well have burned the house down. (PapaGeek got caught up in the conversation on the front porch---and totally forgot about the salmon flaming on the back patio grill! A little char scraping and all was fine...sort of )
So grab a napkin, a glass of wine (or raspberry tea)...and join me for dinner tonight.
Starters: Double cheese shortbread wafers, assorted cheeses with cheese honey to drizzle, hummus and fresh veggies
Main: Grilled salmon with fresh dill, cucumber/melon/tomato salad (recipe from Br. Country Living--I've never made this before), bleu cheese potato salad (haven't made this before either), roasted rosemary new potatoes (remember, the vegans!), and a big spring mix salad with pears and roasted walnuts, and raspberry vinagrette dresssing (which I forgot to make....thank goodness I'm writing this out!) Miniature blueberry muffins.
Dessert: Chocolate covered strawberries (or plain), lemon or strawberry/rhubarb shortbread tarts, and sweet, savory, salty sage-scented shortbread (yeah, I know, I'm pretty heavy on the shortbread this year, but gosh, these* were too good not to make!) Sorry my vegan friends, you're stuck with just the berries--the rest of us are clogging our arteries with all this butter.
Cheers! and thanks for coming!!!
*Sweet, savory, salty sage-scented shortbread (makes about 32)
2 c flour
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 T thinkly sliced sage leaves
1 tsp kosher salt
1 c butter cut into 1/2" thick pieces, room temp
Blend first 4 ingredients in a food processosr. Add butter, process untildough comes togher. Divide in half. shape dough piece into log about 1 1/2" in diameter. Chill until firm. Preheat oven to 350. Cut, like slice and bake cookies. Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown. Sweet, but with a little salty aftertaste. YUM. Hope you enjoy.
Yum! I'll definitely be making that shortbread. I love sage (and shortbread) so much. Just as soon as Mother's Day is over. I declared a no-cooking hiatus for Mother's Day. Here's to good food, good company, lots of butter, and no accidental fires! Happy Mother's Day, Steph.
Posted by: Amber | 05/13/2012 at 02:13 PM
Happy Mother's Day to you my dearest friend. I know you are having the most lovely of dinner's, I am just glad I have eaten or I would be gnawing on the keyboard after reading your menu!
Blue cheese potato salad? Oh, please share! :)
Posted by: Tracey | 05/13/2012 at 05:05 PM
Oh how I miss those old dinner clubs. And I can't wait to try your recipe.
Posted by: Charade | 05/13/2012 at 07:33 PM
happy mother's day to you :) I am hungry just reading the menu!
Posted by: swanski | 05/13/2012 at 07:46 PM
Oooooh, your menu sounds absolutely delicious and delightful! I know you all had a wonderful time. (I'd have loved to have sneaked in on that one!) Shortbread of any version is high on my list of favorites! And, blue cheese potato salad... yummmm! Wishing you a belated Happy Mother's Day! blessings ~ Tanna
Posted by: tanna | 05/14/2012 at 06:21 AM
That sounds so delicious!! Thanks for sharing the recipe. Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!
Posted by: Melissa | 05/14/2012 at 08:59 AM
The glass of wine looks just refreshing and lovely!! I wish I were there. :) What a wonderful dinner party you threw!
Posted by: Soyun Park (Atelier de Soyun) | 05/14/2012 at 09:19 AM
it all sounds delish!!! enjoy the wine ;-)
Posted by: amanda {the habit of being} | 05/14/2012 at 11:48 AM
Just got to say that the Savory Sage Shortbread Cookies are totally awesome!! As a member of the dinner club - I can tell you all that the meal was wonderful as was the weather? Nothing better than eating on the front porch in the swing! Thanks for a great time.
Posted by: valleyp | 05/14/2012 at 01:20 PM
Ooh, I can't wait to try that shortbread!
Posted by: Annie | 05/14/2012 at 03:19 PM
Oh, man! I so wish I was dining at your house.
Posted by: Shannon | 05/16/2012 at 09:36 PM