Eclectic Spring Dinner Party: Cioppino and more

It's been quite a few months since I've hosted a dinner party.  Maybe I was a tad burned out from the holiday hoopla or maybe it was the monotonous half-completed home projects or possibly the push to change careers or perhaps the impromptu road trip...hard to say!  What I do know is that it was long overdue.  While I haven't finished (not even close) to my mile long to-do list, I found this urge to have a girls dinner.  I wanted to expand my table to include not just my usual crew,  but a mix of new and old friends and their daughters.  To continue with 'mix it up' attitude, I decided to mix a few tried and true dishes with some fresh and new items.  The anticipation of hosting new people with some of my legacy loves meant it would be an evening of firsts and I was certainly feeling I had arrived at my happy place.  

I was feeling like celebrating and being a tad decedent.  I was thinking surf and turf with gorgeous wines.  I had received a lovely delivery of perfect tomatoes from Door to Door Organics as well as some fresh basil and mozzarella, so Tomato Stacks were a no-brainer.  While I love going to Whole Foods and chatting it up with the butcher and seafood masters, I decided to hit Coscto.  I found an amazing beef tenderloin...so the stand-by Jack Daniels Peppercorn sauce was a must. While contemplating splurging on crab legs, I stumbled upon a mix of various shellfish.  It was reasonably priced, looked amazing and was certainly a healthy quantity.  But what to make?  Cioppino?  Never made it - but was kind of missing San Francisco and as a California native, it seems like something I should know how to make.  After all, my guests were from NY, CT, KS, CA and we were hopeful to have a Canadian as well!  So taking all of this into consideration, the menu was set.  

With the ingredients in the refrigerator, the guest list confirmed all that was left was to set the table and get cooking!  Since we were to have 6 women and 6 kids using both the kitchen table and the dining room table was a must - but I didn't want to have a formal affair. I wanted it to feel as eclectic as my menu, my mood, my guests and our  Colorado spring weather.  With the help of my little chefs, we set out to use a mixture of colored vases, fresh cut mountain spring flowers,  special china and everyday porcelain, woven and stainless flatware, bamboo place mats and our semi shabby chic tables were set!   

Finally it was time to gather all our ingredients and create magic. My labor of love.  I typically select a menu that will allow me spend more time with my guests and less time at the stove.  This was a 90% do ahead meal - so essentially the last 10 minutes  I leveraged everyone to help plate and serve.   

The people most certainly made the night, but the prep work with food, flowers and my daughters nourished my soul before anyone arrived.

From my kitchen to yours...

Menu:

Appetizers

• Caviar Pie
• Artichoke

The Main Event

• Beef Tenderloin with Jack Daniels Peppercorn Sauce
• Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella and Pesto Stacks
• Cioppino (see below)

Dessert

• Patsy Teuton's homemade carrot cake (I'll try and get her recipe - it was DELISH)

Cioppino

Ingredients:

• 2 T EVOO
• 1T unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 1/4 C dry white wine (save 1/4 C for last minute)
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2 8-ounce bottles clam juice
• 1 large sprig rosemary
• 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 3-4 pounds any mix of shellfish: mussels (debearded), clams (scrubbed), shrimp (cleaned), scallops and squid (I bought a nice bag of mixed, cleaned shellfish at Costco - near the crab legs.  Many Cioppino recipes call for white fish or salmon as well - feel free to add what you like).

For serving:

• Flat-leaf parsley leaves 
• Toasted country bread, rubbed with garlic and olive oil 

Instructions:

• Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. 
• Add onion, shallots and garlic, cook until softened, 8-10 minutes. 
• Add basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes; stir until fragrant, about 3 minutes. 
• Add 2 C wine and cook for around 4 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices, crushing with your hands as you add them.Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15-20 minutes. 
• Add clam juice, parsley, bay leaves, rosemary sprig; season with salt and pepper. 
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until flavors meld, 10-15 minutes more. Discard parsley sprigs, rosemary and bay leaves. 
• DO AHEAD TIP: I did the above steps hours before my guests arrived.  You can then do the final steps 5-10 minutes before you're ready to serve.
• Bring broth to a simmer and add shellfish mixture and final 1/4 C of wine. 
• Turn broth to a medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until shells open (discard any that do not open), about 5- 8 minutes.
• Divide among bowls; top with roughly chopped parsley and place toasted, crusty bread in each bowl.  

Angel Hair with Tomatoes, Basil and Croutons

Feast or famine these days, guess I am on a roll and it feels good - somebody stop me! Here's a walk down memory lane...

Soon after college, Devin and I got into a good cooking groove. In fact Devin, Craig and I had a fantastic Thursday ritual - Friends, Seinfeld, cook dinner during the lame filler show and eat while watching ER (which always kind of grossed us out). Our favorite cookbook was the Colorado Collage - and after cooking from it last night, I am reminded of how very, very loved this book was.

One of our old standbys was Angel hair with tomatoes, basil and croutons. Essentially, this is bruschetta with pasta. It's a simple, fresh recipe and you normally have almost everything already in the house. So the recipe and memories may be from the 90's ...but the taste is so 2010.
From my table to yours...

Angel Hair with Tomatoes, Basil and Croutons

Ingredients:

• 2T butter (or you can use olive oil spray for less calories)
• 2 cloves minced garlic, divided
• 4 C 1-inch cubes of Italian bread
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 3 C roma tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 serrano pepper, seeded and minced (you can use red pepper flakes too)
• 12 ounces angel hair pasta, cooked al dente, drained
• 3T olive oil
• 2 C fresh basil, chopped

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Combine butter and 1t of garlic, pour over bread cubes and toss. Place in single layer on large baking sheet and bake for 10 min or until golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle coarse salt to taste.
• In large bowl, combine tomatoes, serrano pepper and remaining garlic.
• Add hot pasta and toss.
• Drizzle with oil and toss again.
• Sprinkle basic and half of the reserved croutons over pasta. Pass remaining croutons.

Tim's Tomato Dill or Basil Soup

Two firsts hit Boulder County yesterday...Our first real snowfall and a brand new baby boy for Anne and Brandon Greenhaw! Fresh starts come to us everyday, just some are more obvious than others. New babies and snowfall...seems like a great time to bust out a belly warming recipe.

As I was thinking what to make my family, as well as the newly expanded Greenhaw crew, I was quickly reminded of a special gift we received almost four and a half years ago, after Miss Hailey was born. The day we came home from Avista Hospital, Tim Shove (one of our fantastic neighbors for those of you who don't know him) brought us a wonderful, large pot of fantastic tomato basil soup, homemade tortillas and aged white cheddar. The perfect meal for a sleep deprived, slightly nervous new family in the middle of winter. This was one of our first meals as a new family and joined by Nana...made for a memorable evening.

This recipe is simple, quick, fresh, healthy and most of all TASTY.
From our table to yours...enjoy!

Tomato Dill or Basil Soup (large pot - serves 8)
Soup can be made a day in advance and freezes well

Ingredients ...I have added a few little twists from the original recipe

• 3 T olive oil


• 3 C chopped leeks (white and pale green parts)


• 4- 28 oz cans diced tomatoes with tomato juice


• 4 1/2 C low salt chicken stock


• 6 T packed, chopped basil or dill (depending on your preference)


• 2 pinches red pepper flakes (or 1/4 t cayenne if you prefer)


• 1 package prosciutto chopped


• 1/4 C fat free half and half


• 1/4 C creamed sherry


• 1 T kosher salt


• 1 T pepper


• Sour cream (dollops for serving)


• Sprinkle shredded Parmesan (or slices of aged white cheddar)


• Fresh dill or basil sprigs for garnish


• Baguette (or fresh tortillas)

Directions:

• In a large pot, heat olive oil


• Add chopped leeks and cook until tender (about 8 min)


• Add tomatoes including all tomato juice, chicken stock, chopped herb (basil or dill), re pepper, prosciutto, and bring to low boil.


• Reduce heat, stir and simmer uncovered for 30 min.


• Once tomatoes are fairly soft, puree soup in food processor or blender until smooth and then return to pot (probably need to do this in 3-4 batches).


• Bring soup to a simmer over low heat


• Add fat free half and half and creamed sherry


• Add salt and pepper


• Stir and simmer for another 10 min


• Ladle into bowls and top with shaved Parmesan and herb of choice (or a dollop of sour cream and aged cheddar)

This is really a bisque and matched with a great salad...you are ready to sit down and share your weekly adventures.