Making the menu for parties is one of my favorite parts of the whole planning process. I love trying new things, and I want my guests to be able to as well! For this party, I've decided to make the following:
For appetizers:
Olive Cheeseball Bites {recipe below}
Twice Baked Goat Cheese Mashed Mini Potatoes
For dinner:
Wild Fungi Soup {I used a little more leeks and a little less parsley than the recipe called for}
Walnut Pear Salad {recipe below}
Black Linguine with Duck { got the black linguine on Amazon.com and modified this Alton Brown recipe - I nixed the swiss chard since I was pairing it with pasta - just tossed the pasta in a little butter, then added the duck}
Baked Apples with Bourbon Ice Cream {recipe below}
Olive Cheese Balls
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. butter, melted
Small pimento stuffed olives, drained (about 36)
Paprika to taste
Mix cheese and flour. Add butter and mix thoroughly. Add paprika to taste. If dough seems dry, work with hands, modl about 1 t. of dough around each olive and shape into a ball. Place 2 " apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Cover, chill at least 1 hour (or freeze). Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 15-20 minutes until they begin to brown. Serve warm.
Walnut Pear Salad Recipe
1/2 c. walnut halves
5-6 cups spring greens mix
1 bosc or Anjou pear, thinly sliced
1 lemon
3 T. extra virgin olive oil
dijon mustard
salt and pepper
In a small pan, toast the nuts over medium heat until fragrant. Set aside to let cool. Combine greens and pear in a large salad bowl. Add the nuts, then dress the salad with the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and dijon mustard to taste.
For the baked apples
You will need apples (I used Braeburn), an ice cream scoop, a knife or oyster shucking tool (like I used), a bowl of water with lemon squeezed in it, cinnamon and sugar and a muffin tin. I filled mine with Bourbon ice cream I had made a few days prior, but this would be great with Vanilla ice cream too.
Using the knife or oyster shucking tool, cut off the tops of the apples. Then use the ice cream scoop to hollow out the middle, leaving 1/4 - 1/2 inch around the outside. Dip in the "lemon water" to keep them from turning brown. Once they are all hollowed out, you can position them on a baking sheet (to keep them steady), and sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar. At this point, you can put them in the fridge until you're ready to serve your main course, and then pop them in a 350 degree over for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven, fill with ice cream and serve immediately.
And for the bourbon ice cream
6 T. salted butter
1.5 c. brown sugar (light or dark)
4 c. half and half
1.5 c. heavy cream
10 large egg yolks
5 t. dark rum or whiskey (I used American Honey)
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/8 t. ground cinnamon
Melt the butter in a heavy, large saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and 3 cups of the half and half. Pour remaineding half and half and heavy cream in to a bowl set in an ice bath and set a mesh strainer over the top. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the warm brown sugar mixture to them, whisking as you pour. Put the mixture back into the saucepan and cook oever low to moderate heat, constantly stirring and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until it thickens. Strain the custard into the half and half, stirring over the ice bath until cool. Add liquer, vanilla and cinnamon. Refrigerate until chilled, then freeze using an ice cream maker. Best if frozen oevernight to solid freeze.
For the optional Bourbon Butter Sauce
maple syrup
kosher salt
2 split, seeded vanilla beans
1 stick cubed butter
American Honey bourbon whiskey
Comine maple syrup, a dash of kosher salt and vanilla seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat. Reduce liquid by half, then add in butter and whisk until smooth. Add a splash of the liquor and combine. Serve over ice cream.
Happy Halloween-ing friends! Hope your get together is fabulously sinful! :)
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