Something for Everyone; A Summer Buffet

Sometimes, it’s ok to please everyone… 

I like to cook up a variety of dishes that don’t necessarily come from the same cuisine. As long as they are delicious, no one will report you to the entertaining police.

So when I had some hard to cook for guests I decided to go with the flow. Some didn’t eat tomatoes, cooked or plain, no lamb, no vegetables, no dry wine and on it went. This was family on my husband’s side. They are hearty eaters and that pleases me, but picky. I set out the entire buffet so that everyone could graze on what they liked and enjoy conversations.

Here are the journal pages from my Summer Buffet:

Something for everyone included various no nonsense nibbles-

A Chipotle dip that's smokey and hot -spicey, with tortilla chips for dipping.

Guacamole, made with avacados, tomato, onion, jalepeno pepper, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper and lime juice. Puree all the ingredients in a food processor to desired chunkiness or smooth.

The entertaining is very casual. Just pile the food onto various platters, whatever you have can be mixed and matched. Garnish with various herbs or leaves for a completed, appetizing appeal.

I used a grape-leaf motif tablecloth on one buffet table. Scattering grapes leaves from the garden extended the motif. You can use whatever you grow, or if you choose to buy at your local market. A sprig here, there.

On this table, A pork roast that I flavored in a teryiaki marinade and served with fig preserves. A sliced sirloin marinaded in a soy and honey combination and grilled.

Grilled spiced yogurt marinated chicken kabobs. A platter of vegetable kebabs in a Greek marinade. Eggplant, zucchini, red, orange and yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes. All locally grown.

And not to leave any summer vegetable out- Summer Corn Pudding with cherry tomatoes.

And for the macroni salad lovers, a salad of macaroni with peas and ham.

Completed with a row of nasturtium down the center.

A baked garlic and lemon zest baguette to accompany all dishes.

Something for everyone dessert: Blueberry pie for berry lovers, brownies for chocolate lovers and ice-cream in four flavors.

I like to cook dishes that can be prepared ahead as well as served room temperature. Listed are dishes that can be made a day before:

Chipotle Dip

Marinades for meats and chicken

Cut up and marinade vegetables

Macaroni salad

Summer corn salad

Blueberry pie

Brownies

The steak, pork, chicken and vegetable kabobs should be grilled an hour ahead and kept warm.

Set the table for the buffet, and arrange platters to hold food the day before.

Everything should go well, since you prepared ahead.

Now I need to share what's been going on in my garden. Take a look.

HAPPY SUNFLOWERS TO EVERYONE.


Till next week.  As Always,


xxoo Sheila 

Farm To Table Entertaining

Out picking in the blueberry field at March Farm.

We are in the thick of summer and isn’t it wonderful. It’s what we wait for all year round.

A chance to enjoy everything local and entertain outdoors.

Summer is moving fast, so I thought I would load you up with several menus from my journal entries.

There is such a discernible difference in taste when the ingredients are as fresh as can be. 

It’s blueberry month here in the northeast and we are very lucky to have lots of local farms.  So off I go to pick blueberries, with the thought in mind to bake some free form tarts. It would be a pity not to eat blueberries right now.

Rinse the just picked blueberries and spread on paper towel to dry.

The stainless steel dough scraper is one of the best things you can have in your kitchen. NOT only does it scrape together loose pieces of dough, it lifts ingredients, chopped or minced. Better than with your hand and a knife.

My free form tart before it goes into the oven.

 I made the tarts to freeze and serve another time when I entertain. Now I'll have to go back to the farm and pick more, just for eating. There's probably only another week of picking left.

I made two sizes. These are the 4 inch tarts.

And these are the 6 inch tarts.

Some of the dishes to make every summer: Pesto sauce for pasta or hors d'oeuvres, like my pesto toasts. Or as a sauce on the side of fish or to stuff into chicken breasts. Panzanella, the Italian tomato and bread salad. Gazpacho. Tomato and mozzarella with basil or mixed over pasta. Any kind of tomato salad. Sliced tomatoes and sliced peaches in a balsamic dressing. Peppers, grilled. All kinds of vegetables to grilled  be incorporated into pasta dishes or fajitas, or grilled quesadillas. Grilled vegetables pureed into soups.Vitello Tonnato, a cold dish of veal in tuna-anchovy mayonnaise, garnished with fresh herbs and flowers from the garden, or farm.

 Two Summer Menus from my journals:

Farm to table snapdragons.

Herbs from the garden used in chemists vases for the table. Nasturtiums made into posies. Pesto toasts made from fresh basil and garnished with purple and green basil.

A wedge of brie cheese stuffed with sliced tomato and basil.
Penne, sausage, broccoli and light tomato sauce. Vitello Tonnato, garnished with herbs, anchovies, lemon, capers, olives and pimento.

The bread salad, Panzanella from Marcella Hazan's cookbook. Dessert, a Mascarpone semi-freddo with fresh raspberry sauce.

Summer lunch. Grilled asparagus with smaoked bacon and black olive-caper vinegrette on a bed of home grown mesclun lettuce. A tomato concasse garnish.

Grilled shrimp and pepper fettucine with roasted red bell pepper sauce.

Mixed fruit cobbler with creme fraiche.



There's still more summer and more summer entertaining menus next week. 
If you would like any recipe for the dishes above, please leave me a comment and I will list it for you next week.

As always,
xxoo Sheila