By Judy Gilliard, “Judy a la carte”
Ah, the long days of summer. With twilight arriving later in the evening, it seems as if we are given extra time to get more done and enjoy our favorite things. It is also a wonderful time to plan a romantic dinner outside with that special someone or an intimate dinner to share with close friends.
First, creating that special setting. Select a place in your yard where you can set up a table. If you don’t have a yard, you can easily organize your dinner on your patio or balcony. Simply choose a round table that can accommodate a long drape tablecloth of ivory, white or cream.
First, creating that special setting. Select a place in your yard where you can set up a table. If you don’t have a yard, you can easily organize your dinner on your patio or balcony. Simply choose a round table that can accommodate a long drape tablecloth of ivory, white or cream.
Place a small square cloth with a contrasting color on top. Large tablecloths in basic colors are a wise investment for a dining room wardrobe, as they will easily match any color you choose by simply changing the top cloth to fit the occasion. For a more intimate evening, lavender is a romantic summertime color and it can be easily accented with flowers and candles.
If there is a nice summer breeze, place your candles in a hurricane vase or float candles inside a tall glass cylinder to keep them from blowing out. If there is no wind and it is warm outside, create a breeze with a fan or two by placing them in the corners of your space.
Suggestions for music to set a romantic mood are Andrea Bocelli, Julio Inglesias, George Benson, Chet Baker or the soundtrack from Out of Africa or Somewhere in Time by John Barry. These easy listening selections will create soft and relaxing background sound.
For the dinnerware, use large white plates as the charger, your best silver and glassware. Be sure to have water goblets and bottles of your favorite mineral water on hand, as the heat of summer may dehydrate you. You want your wine for enjoying with the meal, not for quenching your thirst.
Now for the menu. The most important thing is to plan a menu of items you can prepare in advance. This is a must, as you will want to have time to relax for a few minutes before the evening begins. Here is my suggestion of a menu that truly fits the bill.
Start with Kir Royal, crackers and Brie cheese. Champagne always seems to set the mood for a very special evening. You can also carry this into the first course, if you choose.
First course:
Stuffed artichokes with shrimp served on a plate lined with red leaf lettuce and garnished with mandarin oranges. This dish will also serve as your salad and is nice because it takes a bit of time to eat, setting the pace for a slow, leisurely meal. Enjoy this delicious dish with a Sauvignon Blanc or a Chardonnay.
Main course:
The simplicity of Steaks on the grill, vegetable kabobs and grilled garlic bread, make a perfect meal. Because the stuffed artichokes are filling, I prefer to leave off the potato for this meal and serve grilled garlic bread.
Be sure to have your grill ready to cook the vegetable kabobs and steaks that you have already prepared and placed on a platter. The seasoning on the steaks is freshly ground black pepper and freshly ground sea salt, along with dill weed, which adds a buttery flavor to the meat. Remove the steaks from the grill when they are slightly underdone, as they will continue to cook when you take them off the grill. Set to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Grill the vegetable kabobs about 4 minutes on each side, depending on the heat of the grill and how well you like them cooked. When they are ready, simply remove from the skewers and serve them on the plate next to the steak.
Suggested wine: Pinot Noir.
Dessert:
Chocolate fondue with fresh fruit is simply a must! Have fresh strawberries and peaches in bite-size pieces, or any other fresh fruit that you like, and use (or make) your favorite hot fudge. Serve in a fondue pot or a small condiment bowl.
“You gotta have this…”
Pepper and salt mills – Freshly ground salt and pepper truly make a difference in the flavor of these two often-used spices. If you need to watch your sodium intake, grinding fresh salt allows you to use less, due to the fact that rock sea salt has a more intense flavor.
Mortar and pestle - Using a mortar and pestle to grind dried herbs right before cooking will release their flavor and add a fresh taste.
Kir Royal
1/4 oz crème de Cassis
5-oz champagne or sparkling wine
1 lemon twist
In a flute or a martini glass, pour your cream Cassis in, then your champagne. Rub the lemon twist around the top of the glass, then place it inside the glass.
Stuffed Artichokes with Shrimp
2 artichokes
1 lemon
8 oz cooked shrimp, cubed
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 T dill weed
1/8 t garlic powder
4 oz can mandarin oranges
4 large red lettuce leaves
Cut the top off the artichokes, remove small leaves, trim the points off remaining leaves, and trim stem to make the bottom flat. Rub lemon on all cut portions.
In a large pot, place artichokes in water covering 1/2 of the artichokes, cut the lemon in fourths and add to water, cover and simmer for 45 to 60 min, until the center is tender. (Add more water as needed to keep the water level.)
Drain upside down on paper towels. When cool, remove the centers and scrape out the fuzz. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Mix, celery, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill weed, and garlic. Chill for 2 hours.
Mix cubed shrimp in the dressing.
Fill artichokes with shrimp mixture and place on individual serving plates lined with red lettuce. Garnish with mandarin oranges, placing some oranges in between the leaves of the artichokes.
Steaks on the Grill
1- 8oz New York strip or tenderloin, trimmed, per person
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 t dill weed per steak
Sprinkle each side of the steak with salt, pepper and dill weed, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Vegetable Kabobs
For 2 kabobs
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
1 large carrot
3 mushrooms caps
olive oil spray
fresh or dried herbs
In a large pot of boiling water, blanch whole carrots 6 minutes, whole squash 3 minutes and mushrooms caps 1 minute. This keeps them from becoming dry on the grill.
Cut the carrot and squash at an angle and alternate on a metal skewer, starting and ending with a mushroom cap. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite fresh or dried herbs.
Cook on a hot grill 4 minutes on each side. Remove from skewer and serve.
Grilled Garlic Bread
2 slices French bread per person
2 t unsalted butter per slice
1/4 t chopped garlic per slice
In a skillet, melt unsalted butter with chopped garlic, coating each slice of bread on one side, this can be done in advance. Right before serving, place bread on the grill and grill until well toasted.
Chocolate Fondue
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 T arrowroot mixed with 2 T brandy (or fruit flavored brandy)
Mix water, cocoa, sugar and vanilla together in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until dissolved. Add arrowroot mixture and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and pour into fondue pot or place in individual serving bowls.
If there is a nice summer breeze, place your candles in a hurricane vase or float candles inside a tall glass cylinder to keep them from blowing out. If there is no wind and it is warm outside, create a breeze with a fan or two by placing them in the corners of your space.
Suggestions for music to set a romantic mood are Andrea Bocelli, Julio Inglesias, George Benson, Chet Baker or the soundtrack from Out of Africa or Somewhere in Time by John Barry. These easy listening selections will create soft and relaxing background sound.
For the dinnerware, use large white plates as the charger, your best silver and glassware. Be sure to have water goblets and bottles of your favorite mineral water on hand, as the heat of summer may dehydrate you. You want your wine for enjoying with the meal, not for quenching your thirst.
Now for the menu. The most important thing is to plan a menu of items you can prepare in advance. This is a must, as you will want to have time to relax for a few minutes before the evening begins. Here is my suggestion of a menu that truly fits the bill.
Start with Kir Royal, crackers and Brie cheese. Champagne always seems to set the mood for a very special evening. You can also carry this into the first course, if you choose.
First course:
Stuffed artichokes with shrimp served on a plate lined with red leaf lettuce and garnished with mandarin oranges. This dish will also serve as your salad and is nice because it takes a bit of time to eat, setting the pace for a slow, leisurely meal. Enjoy this delicious dish with a Sauvignon Blanc or a Chardonnay.
Main course:
The simplicity of Steaks on the grill, vegetable kabobs and grilled garlic bread, make a perfect meal. Because the stuffed artichokes are filling, I prefer to leave off the potato for this meal and serve grilled garlic bread.
Be sure to have your grill ready to cook the vegetable kabobs and steaks that you have already prepared and placed on a platter. The seasoning on the steaks is freshly ground black pepper and freshly ground sea salt, along with dill weed, which adds a buttery flavor to the meat. Remove the steaks from the grill when they are slightly underdone, as they will continue to cook when you take them off the grill. Set to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Grill the vegetable kabobs about 4 minutes on each side, depending on the heat of the grill and how well you like them cooked. When they are ready, simply remove from the skewers and serve them on the plate next to the steak.
Suggested wine: Pinot Noir.
Chocolate fondue with fresh fruit is simply a must! Have fresh strawberries and peaches in bite-size pieces, or any other fresh fruit that you like, and use (or make) your favorite hot fudge. Serve in a fondue pot or a small condiment bowl.
“You gotta have this…”
Pepper and salt mills – Freshly ground salt and pepper truly make a difference in the flavor of these two often-used spices. If you need to watch your sodium intake, grinding fresh salt allows you to use less, due to the fact that rock sea salt has a more intense flavor.
Mortar and pestle - Using a mortar and pestle to grind dried herbs right before cooking will release their flavor and add a fresh taste.
Kir Royal
1/4 oz crème de Cassis
5-oz champagne or sparkling wine
1 lemon twist
In a flute or a martini glass, pour your cream Cassis in, then your champagne. Rub the lemon twist around the top of the glass, then place it inside the glass.
Stuffed Artichokes with Shrimp
2 artichokes
1 lemon
8 oz cooked shrimp, cubed
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 T dill weed
1/8 t garlic powder
4 oz can mandarin oranges
4 large red lettuce leaves
Cut the top off the artichokes, remove small leaves, trim the points off remaining leaves, and trim stem to make the bottom flat. Rub lemon on all cut portions.
In a large pot, place artichokes in water covering 1/2 of the artichokes, cut the lemon in fourths and add to water, cover and simmer for 45 to 60 min, until the center is tender. (Add more water as needed to keep the water level.)
Drain upside down on paper towels. When cool, remove the centers and scrape out the fuzz. Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Mix, celery, sour cream, mayonnaise, dill weed, and garlic. Chill for 2 hours.
Mix cubed shrimp in the dressing.
Fill artichokes with shrimp mixture and place on individual serving plates lined with red lettuce. Garnish with mandarin oranges, placing some oranges in between the leaves of the artichokes.
Steaks on the Grill
1- 8oz New York strip or tenderloin, trimmed, per person
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 t dill weed per steak
Sprinkle each side of the steak with salt, pepper and dill weed, cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Vegetable Kabobs
For 2 kabobs
1 zucchini
1 yellow summer squash
1 large carrot
3 mushrooms caps
olive oil spray
fresh or dried herbs
In a large pot of boiling water, blanch whole carrots 6 minutes, whole squash 3 minutes and mushrooms caps 1 minute. This keeps them from becoming dry on the grill.
Cut the carrot and squash at an angle and alternate on a metal skewer, starting and ending with a mushroom cap. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with your favorite fresh or dried herbs.
Cook on a hot grill 4 minutes on each side. Remove from skewer and serve.
Grilled Garlic Bread
2 slices French bread per person
2 t unsalted butter per slice
1/4 t chopped garlic per slice
In a skillet, melt unsalted butter with chopped garlic, coating each slice of bread on one side, this can be done in advance. Right before serving, place bread on the grill and grill until well toasted.
Chocolate Fondue
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 T arrowroot mixed with 2 T brandy (or fruit flavored brandy)
Mix water, cocoa, sugar and vanilla together in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until dissolved. Add arrowroot mixture and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and pour into fondue pot or place in individual serving bowls.
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