By Alexandra Troy
This time of year we love to entertain “al fresco.”
Dining outdoors is so relaxing and enjoyable, especially if you plan a make-ahead meal that can be brought out in a moments’ notice.
I love making and serving cold soups this time of year; they are so refreshing. Garnish with a squiggle of non-fat yogurt or full fat sour cream (depending on your waistline) and you have a dramatic first course.
For the entree, I like to offer at least two main salads and then fill out the meal with a vibrant display of fresh, organic salad ingredients that are available in local farmers markets.
Round out the meal with a big bowl of cold bing cherries…don’t forget to have an empty bowl for the pits!
For beverages, nothing says summer like a chilled bottle of Rose wine and an iced cold pitcher of water. Everything may be made and plattered ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator until your guests are hungry. So enjoy a swim, a delicious meal and your friends’ company.
MENU
(Serves 4)
Cold Creamy Spinach Soup
Egg Salad
Curried Tuna Salad
Deconstructed Chef’s Salad
Vinaigrette or Dressing of your choice*
Bowl of Bing Cherries*
*Recipe Not Given
Cold Creamy Spinach Soup
(This soup is so creamy, but contains no cream)
1 onion, chopped
2 tblsps. butter (you may use olive oil if you prefer)
2 lbs Organic cleaned Baby spinach
Stock to cover (chicken or vegetable)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Drizzle: Place 3 tbls of non fat yogurt or sour cream in a squeeze bottle with 1 tbls of non fat milk or whole milk. Shake to combine. Place in refrigerator until needed
1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add onion and saute until golden and sweet.
2. Add spinach and stock to cover. Cook until spinach is tender, approximately 2 minutes.
3. Puree soup in a food processor or with a hand held blender and refrigerate until serving.
4.Pour soup into chilled bowls. Drizzle with yogurt or sour cream mixture. Serve.
Egg Salad
6 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, rinsed and dried
2 tbls. best quality Dijon mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Salt and white pepper to taste
(Paprika – optional)
1. In a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, combine the mustard and mayonnaise. Add 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tsp. of white pepper and process again.
2. Add eggs and pulse to combine. Taste, adjust seasoning, if necessary.
3. Place salad in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving.
4. Sprinkle with paprika right before serving.
Curried Tuna Salad
3 5 oz. cans chunk white tuna, thoroughly drained in a colander
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tbls sweet curry
Salt and Pepper to taste
1. In a processor, fitted with a steel blade, combine the mayonnaise and the curry.
2. Add the tuna, pulse to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
3. Place salad in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving.
Deconstructed Chef’s Salad
4 pieces of bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ribbons with a peeler
4 mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
8 oz. assorted olives, drained and placed in a crock
1 package organic baby romaine
1. On a large platter, place all of the above in sections, so that guests may help themselves to what they like. Loosely cover with a damp paper towel, refrigerate until serving.
2. Just before serving, uncover and serve with egg salad, tuna salad and dressing (s) on the side.
Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 35 year-old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties. Need help making your parties delicious and stress-free, call 516-484-7431 and you will be a guest at your own party! If you make any of these recipes, send me a photo at party@culinaryarchitect.com
