French - December 2006

Diva: Stacey

Drinks: Ashley
Calvados Cocktail

1 shot of Calvados
1 sugar cube sprinkled with bitters
champagne

Makes 1 drink
Pour shot of Calvados into champagne flute. Drop in sugar cube and carefully(it will fizz alot) top off with champagne.

Appetizer: Sara
Mustard Crackers

½ c unsalted butter, cut into T pieces
½ lb grated Gruyere cheese
1 c unbleached all-purpose flour
3 T Dijon mustard
2 tsp dry mustard
1 ½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp salt

Place the butter and cheese into a food processor and process till smooth
Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until a ball of dough forms.
Divide the dough into two.
Place each on a sheet of waxed paper and roll into 8-in logs. Wrap them up in the waxed paper. Then wrap the logs in foil.
Place in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours or until firm.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter 2 baking sheets. Cut the logs crosswise into ¼-in slices and place on the sheets. Keep them about 1-in apart because they will spread a bit while baking.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until the edges are just golden brown. Remove and cool on racks.

To go with the crackers:

1 lb mushrooms, coarsely chopped
5-10 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, germ removed, chopped
3 T olive oil
Optional – may use some chopped hard boiled eggs and/or chopped parsley as a garnish.

Heat a large saucepan over med-high heat and pour in the olive oil. Heat the oil.
Add the mushrooms, shallots and garlic and cook, stirring once in a while, until browned.
Season with salt and continue cooking until the mushrooms have given off their liquid.
Continue to cook and stir until the liquid has evaporated.
When the mixture is dry, place in a food processor and pulse to form a chunky paste.

To serve: spoon the mixture into a serving bowl. Garnish if desired and serve with crackers or toast points.

Salad: Lovina
Cucumber Salad with Goat Cheese and Lemon

3 kirby cucumbers, washed and dried
4 large radishes
zest of one lemon
1 c goat cheese crumbles (can also use feta cheese)

Vinaigrette:
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 T white wine vinegar
1 T finely chopped dill
½ tsp sugar
1 garlic clove, pressed
½ c plus 1 T olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper

Soup: Jen Knight (sub for Mariah)
French Winter Vegetable and Bean Soup w/ Pistou
Serves 4

Pistou
2 c (packed) fresh basil leaves
½ c drained canned diced tomatoes
3 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled

Soup

2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only)
2 medium carrots chopped
1 6-ounce white-skinned potato, peeled, diced
3 T water

8 c canned vegetable broth

½ c orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

6 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained

¼ tsp dried crushed red pepper
2 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese 


For pistou:
Puree all ingredients in processor. Season with salt and pepper. (Pesto can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

For soup: 
Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy large pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Stir in orzo; boil uncovered until orzo is almost tender, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Add green beans; reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in cannellini and crushed pepper; simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide pesto among 4 bowls. Ladle soup over pesto; swirl to blend. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese. 



Side Dish: Nicole
Gratin Dauphinois (Potatoes)

**I got this recipe from my cousin, born and raised in France now living with her husband (a recognized chef) in Belgium. Sorry I did not convert the measurements, you can easily find that on line if you are going to prepare this yummy dish ☺

2.21 pounds potatoes
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
0.132 gallon milk
garlic
butter
nutmeg

Peel and slice finely the potatoes.
Take a large baking dish, rub butter all over and then rub a clove of garlic.
Dress evenly the slices in the dish.
Beat 2 eggs with a little bit of milk and the teaspoon of salt + 1/2 teaspoon of grated nutmeg.
Beat the egg mixture in the rest of milk..
Pour this on the potatoes and dot with butter (you can also add on top shredded Swiss cheese I layered the cheese throughout).
Bake in oven at 428 °F for 50 minutes ( at the end of the cooking if it's to brown you can cover with an aluminum foil)

Gratin is usually for this king of vegetable dish with cheese on top which become brown under the grill or in the oven
Dauphinois is the region of France where this recipe come from it's in the Alps mountains.
Here we cook the potatoes sliced in square in a frying pan with duck grease, boletus mushrooms and garlic.

Entree: Michelle
Scallops Provencal and Tofu Provencal

1 pound fresh sea scallops
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
4 T (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, divided
½ c chopped shallots (2 large)
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ c chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 c dry white wine
2 lemons, 1 cut in ½ and the other on wedges

Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper, toss with flour, and shake off the excess.
To get a really nice sear on scallops they cannot be wet. The flour dries the scallops and will help give it a nice brown color when they are sauteed.
In a very large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over high heat until sizzling and add the scallops in 1 layer, making sure they are not touching. Lower the heat to medium and allow the scallops to brown lightly on 1 side without moving them, then turn and brown lightly on the other side. This should take 3 to 4 minutes, total. Once the scallops have seared, remove them from the pan and place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil.
Melt the rest of the butter in the pan with the scallops, then add the shallots, garlic, and parsley and saute for 2 more minutes, until the shallots have softened.
Pour in any of the juices that the scallops have given off while resting into the saute pan and then add the wine and the juice of one lemon.
Turn up the heat to high and cook until the sauce has thickened to your liking, while scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. This should take a minute or two.
At this point you could add the scallops back to the pan and stir to coat them with the sauce. However, I like the slightly crisp texture of the sear on the outside of the scallop and I find that combining them with the sauce in the pan makes the scallops taste soggy.

Tofu- I just chopped in blocked, bite-sized pieces and followed the recipe the same way, substituting tofu for scallops.

Dessert: Tiffany
Cracked Chocolate Earth with Whipped Cream (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 stick unsalted butter
9 large eggs, separated
¾ c granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 c heavy cream, cold
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch spring form pan.

Put the chocolate and butter into the top of a double boiler (or in a heatproof bowl) and heat over (but not touching) about 1 inch of simmering water until melted. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a mixing bowl until light yellow in color. Whisk a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs - this will keep the eggs from scrambling from the heat of the chocolate; then whisk in the rest of the chocolate mixture.

Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form and fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan (spray the bottom with nonstick spray) and bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 20 to 25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes, then unmold.

While the cake is cooking, make the whipped cream. Whip the cream until it becomes light and fluffy. Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar.

Serve at room temperature with the whipped cream.

WildCard: Erin
Edith Piaf CDs

Lottery: Tamara
Served with candy canes!

The Great Pumpkin Diva Dinner - November 2006

Diva: Mariah

Drinks: Erin
Poinsettias

½ ounce Cointreau liqueur (I may have used triple sec)
2 ounces cranberry juice
4 ounces champagne

Pour Cointreau and cranberry juice in a champagne flute; top off with champagne.

Appetizer: Nicole
Pumpkin Dip

Makes for 6 ½ c (about 25 servings)
Prep: 15 min.
Chill: up to 2 days

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
2/3 c sugar
1 T pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp vanilla
Ground nutmeg
Assorted crackers

In a very large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or storage container. Cover and chill up to 2 days.

Transfer to a serving container and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serve with crackers. Makes 6-1/2 cups (about 25 servings).

Salad: Ashley
Warm pumpkin salad with polenta and candied pumpkin seeds

1 ½ c yellow cornmeal (not coarse)
7 ½ c water
2 ¾ tsp salt
2 ½ T unsalted butter
1 T sugar
½ tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp cayenne
½ c raw green (hulled) pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 T fresh pomegranate juice (see cooks' note, below) or cranberry juice cocktail
2 tsp Sherry vinegar
1 T minced shallot
6 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 small cheese pumpkin or butternut squash (2 lb), peeled, quartered lengthwise, and seeded
1 (6-oz) piece Parmigiano-Reggiano
8 oz arugula, trimmed

Prepare polenta:
Bring cornmeal, water, and 2 1/4 teaspoons salt to a boil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until polenta is creamy and tender, about 50 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in 11/2 tablespoons butter and cool slightly.

Spoon polenta onto center of a lightly buttered large baking sheet, then spread evenly into a 10- by 7-inch rectangle (about 1/2 inch thick).
Cover with plastic wrap, then poke several holes in wrap with a small sharp knife and chill 2 hours.

Candy pumpkin seeds:
Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat.
Stir in sugar, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then cook, without stirring, until caramelized. Add pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until seeds are puffed and golden. Transfer to a plate to cool. When seeds have hardened, break up any clumps with your fingers.

Make vinaigrette:
Whisk together pomegranate juice, vinegar, and shallot and let stand 5 minutes.
Whisk in 3 tablespoons oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste.

Roast pumpkin:
Preheat oven to 450°F.

Cut pumpkin quarters crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Toss with 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper to taste in a shallow baking pan and arrange slices in 1 layer. Roast in middle of oven until just tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, then cover with foil to keep warm.

Fry polenta while pumpkin roasts:
Trim polenta into a 9- by 6-inch rectangle.
Cut polenta into 6 (3-inch) squares, then halve each square diagonally. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet until hot but not smoking, then cook polenta in 2 batches, turning once, until golden brown, about 8 minutes (if necessary, use remaining tablespoon oil for second batch). Transfer as cooked to a plate and keep warm, covered.

Assemble salad:
Shave 12 strips from cheese with a vegetable peeler.

Whisk vinaigrette, then toss arugula in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat.

Place several pieces of pumpkin and 1 piece of polenta on each of 6 plates. Top with arugula, more pumpkin, and remaining polenta. Sprinkle with candied pumpkin seeds and top with parmesan shavings, then drizzle with remaining vinaigrette.

Cooks' notes:
Polenta, spread on baking sheet and not yet fried, can be chilled up to 1 day.
Candied pumpkin seeds can be prepared 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
To juice a pomegranate, firmly roll it on a work surface until it feels softer, then cut a small hole in skin and squeeze.

Soup: Brenda (sub for Michelle)
Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin puree (2 cans or make own, I used cans of
organic unsweetened pumpkin)
1 yellow onion
3-4 cloves garlic
2-3 carrots
1/2-1 c mushrooms (I used shitake)
vegetable stock
ginger
nutmeg
pumpkin seeds
olive oil
salt

Sauté onion, garlic, chopped carrots and mushrooms in olive oil for 3-5 minutes. Add 2 cans pumpkin and 2 c. vegetable stock, stir together. Add pinch of ginger and nutmeg to taste, but start small and add sparingly! Allow to simmer gently until carrots are tender. Roast pumpkin seeds in olive oil and salt. Add salt to soup to taste. Add vegetable stock as needed to achieve desired thickness of soup. (I needed to add in additional cup or two.) Serve warm with pumpkin seeds as a garnish.

Side Dish: Tiffany
Stuffed Mini Pumpkins with Stuffing, Green Beans and Tempeh

¾ c onion, diced
½ c celery, diced
2 tsp dried or 3 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
¼ tsp thyme
¼ tsp sage
¼ tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
4 c bread cubes (whole grain)
10-12 T strong vegetable broth* (up to 3/4 cup)
1 c steamed Green beans
1 c sautéed Tempeh

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a small frying pan, sauté onion and celery until tender with the parsley, sage, salt, cayenne (or regular pepper, if you prefer). This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes with onion mixture, green beans, tempeh and vegetable broth, adding slightly more if the bread is very absorbent (some need more liquids), and mix well. S Salt or pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cut the top off the pumpkins. Using a large spoon, scoop out the seeds and strings. Place the pumpkins upside down in a pan with 1/3 inch of water. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully turn the pumpkins upright and fill with stuffing mixture. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the stuffing is minutes crisp and golden and the groups are soft.

Serve immediately.

Entree: Tamara
Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage and Pine Nuts

1 c pumpkin puree**
3 tablespoons finely minced shallot or white onion
4 tablespoons olive oil or margarine
3 tablespoons soy milk or other nondairy milk
1 tablespoon sherry or sweet vermouth
1 tablespoon vegan parmesan cheese (optional)
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
pasta dough or wonton wrappers
several sprigs of fresh sage
pine nuts

Directions:

Step 1: Make the filling. In a large skillet, heat half (2 tablespoons) of the oil or vegan margarine over medium heat. Add the chopped shallot or onion and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add the pumpkin puree and cook until slightly dry, about 2-3 more minutes. Add the soymilk, sherry or vermouth, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 more minutes.

At this point you can save the filling and make the ravioli another day if you wish.

Step 2: Make the ravioli, using about 2 tsp of filling per ravioli and sealing the edges with water. It should make about 16 ravioli. At this point, you can store the ravioli by placing them on layers of wax paper or parchment paper in a sealed container in the refrigerator for a day or two if you aren't ready to cook them. Wonton wrappers may turn gooey-looking where they are in contact with the filling, but they should come out OK after boiling.

If you are cooking them the same night you make them, let the formed ravioli rest while you bring a large pot of water to a boil. This is a good time to chop the sage and toast the pine nuts. (Toast the pine nuts in a small dry pan over medium heat, shaking every couple of minutes until they are browned to your taste.) Boil the ravioli 2-3 minutes, then remove and pat dry.

Step 3: Dress the ravioli. Either wipe clean the skillet you used for the filling or use a fresh one (make sure its roomy). Heat the remaining half (2 tablespoons) of the olive oil or vegan margarine over medium heat and add the chopped sage. Add the cooked ravioli (leave plenty of room - do it in several batches if necessary) and sauté for about 2-3 minutes per side. Plate and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

*Assuming you have premade dough or wonton wrappers. If you make your own pasta, it will take longer.

**A 15-ounce/425g can of pumpkin contains 1 3/4 c. I've cooked my own fresh pumpkin, and I've used canned, and to my picky palate, canned tastes every bit as good, its a hundred times easier, and its never stringy. So I recommend canned pumpkin all the way.

Serves: 2-4

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes

Dessert: Stacey
Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Bars:
2 c pumpkin
4 eggs, beaten
1 c oil
2 c sifted flour
1 c brown sugar
1 c granulated sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp nutmeg

Blend pumpkin, eggs and oil in a mixing bowl. Blend all the dry ingredients together, then fold into pumpkin mixture.
Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 mins.
Remove from oven and cool to room temp. before frosting with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese softened
½ c butter softened
½ c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 ½ tsp light cream or milk

Mix cream cheese with butter. Whip in sugar, vanilla and cream. Spread over pumpkin bars.

WildCard: Sara
Stuffed Mushrooms

Clean and de-stem 3 dozen mushrooms, save stems.
1 small white onion, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
½ stick butter
1 c pumpkin seeds, finely chopped
1 c Parmesan cheese, finely grated
2 T pumpkin seed oil
Salt, pepper, paprika

Finely chop clean mushroom stems, sauté with garlic, onion, and pumpkin seeds, until onion is wilted. Let mixture cool. In large bowl mix sautéed ingredients with spices and Parmesan. Fill mushroom caps with mixture and drizzle with pumpkin seed oil. Bake mushrooms at 350° for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

Pumpkin seed humus

2 c cooked, cooled, and drained garbanzo beans
6 cloves garlic
3 T Pumpkin seed oil
3 T Tahini
3 T lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste.

I used a food processor to blend all ingredients together. Serve with warm pita bread.

Lottery: Lovina