Sorry for the delay, everyone! Blogspot wasn't letting me upload pictures, and what's a blog post about food without pictures? I bet you're looking at the title "lemons" and wondering if we've lost our minds, but trust me - this was a fun one. I have a customer at the bank who is from Italy and always loves to bring me fresh fruits and vegetables from his garden. However, last month, he upped his game and brought me some homemade limoncello. Now, I could have just drank it that night, but Jenn and I decided that something like homemade grain alcohol deserves its own blog night. So here you go - our night dedicated to lemons. Enjoy!
Cocktail - Lemon Mint Martini
Vodka, fresh lemon juice, agave syrup, a couple of spoonfuls of frozen lemonade concentrate and muddled mint. Light, fresh, delicious!
Appetizer - Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
The best salad to date! The romained paired with the crisp apples and pears, then the tartness of the cranberries and the crunch of the cashews - perfect texture! But hands down - the dressing is the winner! So light and simple but exploding with flavor. This salad is perfect for those getting their diet plans going this year but don't want to skimp of flavor!
Entree - Rack of Lamb with Mint-Basil Pesto
Absolutely lovely! The pesto (which includes lemon juice) can be made in advance which makes this meal a snap to make. The pesto has a lovely kick to it from the garlic and the fresh herbs, and it pairs beautifully with delicate lamb meat. My only warning is that we roasted the lamb for 20 minutes as directed and it was way too rare. Perhaps we didn't sear it enough. (Didn't want to set off the smoke alarm, though.) So we ended up cutting the rack into its individual chops and then roasting them for approximately 4 more minutes. End result was perfect!
Side Dish - Parmesan Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Simple side dish that always pleases! Coat some asparagus in a little EVOO, top with a good handful of parmesan cheese, a couple cloves of chopped garlic, and throw in the oven at 425 for approximately 10 minutes. Once out, do a fresh squeeze of lemon juice on top before serving. Honestly, this stuff is like the candy. The caramelizastion of the vegetable is delightful. I'll take this over french fries any day. (Okay, maybe not any day - but you get the point.)
Side Dish - Red Wine Risotto
Yes, yes, yes! We are all big risotto fans, but none of us have ever had it with red wine and this exceeded our expectations. Rich and creamy with a fabulous flavor that blended perfectly with the lamb and pesto. And the only change we made was to use 1 cup of red wine instead of 1/2.
Final Plate
Wine - 2007 Two Angels Petite Sirah
Forgot to take a picture. It will follow soon.
Wine Enthusiast - 90/100
This Petite Sirah is dark and vibrant, with explosions of strawberry and cherries on the tongue. It had a touch of oak and licorice and was a pleasure to drink. Perhaps not the best match for a delicate lamb dish, but definitely a great wine!
Wine Enthusiast - 90/100
This Petite Sirah is dark and vibrant, with explosions of strawberry and cherries on the tongue. It had a touch of oak and licorice and was a pleasure to drink. Perhaps not the best match for a delicate lamb dish, but definitely a great wine!
Dessert - Puff Pastry Baskets with Honey Mousse and Assorted Fruits
Superb! This mousse was incredible. The taste of the honey really comes out but it's the fresh fruits that really compliment the taste. We skipped the mango sauce and simple did the mousse and topped it with mango and kiwi. Every last bite was devoured! This would be a perfect dessert to bring to a dinner party - you can make everything in advance and just plate it when ready!
Aperitif - Limoncello
So, there you have it. A fabulous meal inspired by a tiny little bottle of limoncello. Not sure what we'll be doing next week, but I promise it will be fantastic!
Next Week - Tequila
No comments:
Post a Comment