I have always loved to cook, once I moved out for college, I was always cooking for my friends and roommates. It was one of my favorite things, maybe while I was single there may have been other motives…. hahah… other than just my love to entertain and to cook. For years I have wanted to throw a fancy dinner party in the woods! This dinner party was supposed to be up at one of my favorite spots in Logan Canyon, but my husband was super sick that day and there was no way I was going to be able to haul it all up and do it by myself. My mom stepped in and came and helped and we changed locations and did it in a local park and it was still so fun! This year will be the year to have a dinner party in my dream location!
While I prepped for this dinner, I thought to myself multiple times I am so crazy… what am I doing?? But once I got everything unloaded at the park and started to set up, I was so dang happy and loved every minute of it! One of the keys to throwing a successful dinner party is choosing the correct menu, you want to choose things that can be prepped or made the day before. It also helps to have amazing florist friends that help with the decor. The beautiful flowers at this table were done by my good friends at Dahlia Event Planning and Floral Design.
Here is the menu that I chose and some of my favorite recipes that I used. I wanted to do most of it from my garden, so I chose things that would be ripe the beginning of August. (And I just saw this error, I did this dinner almost a year and a half ago, and I never noticed.. but I gave the calligrapher the wrong word for one of the menu items…. It is supposed to be a Charcuterie Board….I put chartreuse board…. Whoops!)
Menu
Appetizers
Heirloom Tomato Galette
Charcuterie Board
Tapas
Salad
Golden Beet Salad with Avocado & Feta
Entree
Herb Roasted Salmon Filet
Parmesan Roasted Red Potatoes
Garlic Roasted Green Beans
Dessert
Wild Huckleberry Lemon Cream Tart
Drinks
Homemade Ginger Ale
Italian Cream Soda with Fresh Apricot Syrup
Tapas with Paprika Smoked Tomato Jam
1 dry quart orange grape tomatoes, chopped
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 tsp red chile flakes
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Directions: Combine all of the ingredients in a nonreactive pot. Bring to a boil and then lower the temperature to a simmer. Stir regularly, gently boil the jam until it reduces to a jam consistency. About 45 minus.
When the jam is almost done, prepare a boiling water bath and 3 half pin jars. When it is done fill three jars with 1/2 inch headspace, wipe the rims, apply lids and rings and procession a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
(Recipe from Preserving by the Pint, by Marisa McClellan, I love her book I highly recommend it!)
Prepare Tapas, slice baguette, top with ricotta cheese and put a dab of this yummy tomato jam on top.
When my mom and I went to Spain the previous year we had some amazing tomato jam on the tapas that we tried there. I had to find a good recipe when I got home and this is the perfect recipe to put together for parties and gatherings. It is also good on panini sandwiches.
I got the cheese from my favorite local Cheese Maker! Rockhill Creamery is the best! And I love supporting local farmers and artisans.
Heirloom Tomato Galette
for the filling:
1/4 cup (50g) freshly grated Parmesa
2 ounces (57g) cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup (60g) mayonnaise
1/4 medium onion, diced (about 1/4 cup / 40g)
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, optional
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
for the crust:
1 cups (125g) flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick / 60g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup (60ml) cold water
Heavy cream or egg wash, for brushing crust
3 to 4 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
kosher or sea salt, to taste
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
directions:
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
Make the filling: In a bowl, mix the Parmesan, cream cheese, mayonnaise, onion, thyme (optional), and pepper to taste until well combined. Set aside.
Make the crust: In a separate bowl, pinch together the flour, butter, and salt with your fingertips until most of the big chunks of butter are flattened or broken up. In another bowl, whisk the egg with the ice water until combined. Incorporate the egg mixture into the flour until the mixture binds together and forms a rough ball (you may need to gently knead the ball to incorporate the last of the flour).
Flatten the ball into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. Chill for 30 minutes or up to overnight.
On a floured surface, roll the disk out to a circle slightly larger than 10 inches (25-cm) in diameter.
Trim the dough into an even 10-inch (25-cm) circle (we use a 10-inch / 25-cm ring mold to cut the dough). Gently wrap the dough around a rolling pin, then unroll it onto one of the prepared sheet pans. Spoon the Parmesan–cream cheese mixture in the center of dough circle, spreading the mixture out evenly to within about 2 inches (5 cm) of the outside edge.
Place one to two layers of sliced tomatoes over the cheese mixture. Fold the edge of the dough over the tomatoes. Brush the crust with the cream or egg wash. Season crust and tomatoes with salt and pepper.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the crust is golden, rotating the pans halfway through so the galette will bake evenly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
(Recipe from Bountiful by Todd Porter and Diane Cu, another favorite cookbook)
One thing that I love about this recipe and galettes is that you can make the dough several days before and then it is so easy to prepare right before the party, and it can be cooked in the morning and eaten in the evening. I also love galette doughs if you have a food processor, this dough can be made in less than five minutes and it tastes and looks like it took a lot longer!
Golden Beet Salad with Avocado & Feta
ingredients:
3 medium golden beets
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp kosher salt
1 large shallot
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cups arugula
1 ripe avocado peeled and slices
1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
directions:
wrap beets in tinfoil and bake them at 400 degrees for 45-50 minutes, peel and slice when cooled.
combine lemon zest, juice, black pepper, salt, and shallot, let stand 10 minted before adding in olive oil. Toss arugula with dressing half of the dressing, toss beets in remaining dressing. Put arugula in a bowl, top with beets, avocado and feta.
(Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine)
Salmon Filet
Drizzle with Olive Oil and season with salt and pepper.
Top with assorted chopped fresh herbs, dill, parsley, thyme and oregano.
Thinly slice lemons and put on top.
We baked it in the Pizza oven at about 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
We have a Camp Chef Pizza Oven and we took this to the park and cooked it there, it is like an easy bake oven for adults, we love it!
Wild Huckleberry Lemon Cream Tart
5 ounces all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp ice cold water
3 1/4 cups wild huckleberries
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (approximately 3 large)
2 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
1 cup cold heavy cream
directions:
