Dinner July 25, 2008

This is our dinner with Isabel, Sean, Lucy, Theodora, Don and Marta. Menu: Borsht with sour cream; Antiqua pasta with a cream sage and tarragon sauce; lamb chops with mashed potatoes, gravy, and cucumber salad; custered or walnut ice cream and fresh fruit for desert. I also shot a short video of Albert putting the dinner together. (I will post recipes soon.)

Pasta Antiqua with Sage and Tarragon Sauce:

1 package of Antiqua pasta (long hollow tube pasta)
6 cloves of garlic sliced very thin
1 bunch of tarragon chopped
12 small sage leaves chopped
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup sauted Locatelli Romano Cheese
1/2 cup white wine (San Gimignano)
2 egg yokes

6 large mushrooms

Boil Pasta.

Slice and saute mushrooms in oil, set aside.

Very lightly brown the garlic in oil. Add white wine, tarragon and sage, then bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Beat egg yokes with 3 tablespoons of half and half and add 3 tablespoons of above garlic, tarragon and sage broth while still hot. Put rest of broth in egg yokes and stir continuously until well blended.

Pour over hot pasta and serve garnished with mushrooms and Romano and Locatelli Cheese.

Borsht with Sour Cream

3 medium fresh beets
2 medium yellow onions
3 carrots
2 cups chicken or beef stock
1/4 head of red cabbage
sour cream

Cut the cabbage in 1/4" widths and set aside.

Peel beets, carrots and onions. chop into chunks using a knife then put through food chopper (mine is a hand crank); put into a skillet and cover with stock then simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste.

Add the cabbage and additional stock or water and simmer for another 15 minutes.

cool in the refrigerator for a day. Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream.

Lamb Chops and Mashed Potatoes with Clove/Rosemary Dressing

4 tablespoons of olive oil
6 large cloves of garlic sliced very thin
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
3 sprigs of rosemary finely chopped
1/2 cup of chicken stock
1/2 cup of white wine
2 egg yokes
3 tablespoon of half and half

Sauce:
Partially brown garlic in oil then add stock, cloves, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste.

Beat egg yokes with 3 tablespoons of half and half and 3 tablespoons of above stock misture to eggs stirring continuously.

Slowly add egg mixture into the rest of stock mixture stirring continuously.

Lamb Chops:
Put cast iron pans in oven for 1 hour at 500 degrees. Rub lamb chops with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in hot pans and put back in oven. Check to make sure it's done.

Serve with mashed potatoes and sauce.