April 20
Kathryn
Spring in the Pantry
The day was glorious and I had time in the morning to plant a few things in the garden before company arrived. Donna and Tinamarie blew in like the breathe of spring with champagne and a fabulous sundried tomato spread that Tina recreated from something she had tasted in a restaurant. The spread was scarlet red on white baguettes... just eye catching, and so flavorful. It's a hit and we will have to try and wheedle the recipe out of her.
I put out a selection of cheeses with a cinghiale in morellino spread (wild boar in red wine) and an artichoke spread both of which were bought in a gourmet shop in Italy last autumn (where we bought the wine for Donna's wedding).
Soon, Renee and her mom arrived bearing gifts -- a pot of petunias and a funny little resin squirrel who now hangs on my shed.
We got so involved in talking, swapping stories about what we are doing, the men and kids in our lives, etc. that we seriously almost forgot about the food this time! But a quick rain shower woke us up and sent us for the kitchen tools.
The menu:
Antipasto salad of mozzarella balls, olives, tomatoes, lettuce in a piquant vinaigrette
Pink grapefruit and fennel salad
Lamb Chops on the grill
Risotto primavera with asparagus and peas
Meringues topped with lemon mascarpone curd
champagne and more champagne
The day was warm so I had the french doors open to the deck. We sat around the table and laughed and ate... and at some point, I brought up a special bottle of champagne from a little French boutique winery. It had been recommended by a man at Moore Brothers as the wien he had at his wedding. It was smooth and creamy and oh, so bubbly... the eprfect bottle to share with girlfriends... over fine foods.
A highlight was when Dana called us through Skype on my computer. Through the miracle of modern technology, we were able to see her and Melchiorre lounging about six hours ahead. And she could see us all, laughing and crowding around the camera trying to say hi and get some news - grabbing that little thread of friendship though the line. What a hoot!
The food, the company, and the pantry were all big hits....
