Radicchio with Balsamic Roasted Grapes stuffed with grapes, nuts, and goat cheese. Blue Pheasant green platter and Zodax pink and green coupes courtesy of Cottage & Vine; CCO Bell bottle stop courtesy of Kudzu Bakery & Market.
It is that time of year again! The party season has begun. You have picked the date and sent the invitations, now it is time to plan the food! Keep things simple with a mix of appetizers that can be prepped ahead of time or — shhh! — store-bought and ready to go. Combine the easy stuff with two or three standout recipes that you make yourself.
Assume each guest will have about 6 appetizers. If you have 40 or more people, provide two “heavy options” like a meat and a fish, such as beef tenderloin or baked ham with smoked salmon or shrimp.
Serve appetizers that can be eaten with one hand. What else will you do with your drink? Combine fresh fruit, dried fruit, and nuts on your cheese platter or add meats and pickled vegetables for an antipasti platter. Serve a dip such as hummus drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with sumac, and topped with pine nuts on a platter with pita chips, crackers, and vegetables.
Schedule in the “make-ahead” portions of your menu to keep track of what gets done when. During the week before, lay out and label your serving dishes so you don’t have to think about it on the day of the party. Prepare food in advance as much as you can, giving you more time to hang out with your favorite people as they arrive. And have a wonderful time at your party!
Radicchio with Balsamic Roasted Grapes
Pair the slight bitter taste of radicchio with irresistibly sweet tangy roasted red grapes, creamy goat cheese, and earthy rosemary; finish with the crunch of walnuts, and you have a fabulous showstopper for your guests. Save some fresh rosemary sprigs to decorate your plate. Roast some extra grapes to put on yogurt for a morning-after celebration once your party is over!
2 cups red grapes, washed, dried, and separated from the stems
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons high quality balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
Pinch of salt
1 head of radicchio, leaves separated
6 ounces goat cheese, cold and crumbled
½ cup walnuts, chopped or broken
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Add the grapes and toss with olive oil, balsamic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and salt. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes stirring occasionally until grapes have softened. Allow the grapes to cool. Can be done 1 to 2 days early and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow the grapes to come to room temperature or warm them slightly to serve.
Arrange the radicchio leaves decoratively on a platter. Crumble goat cheese on each leaf. Place two or three grapes in the middle of each leaf on top of the cheese then sprinkle walnut pieces on top. Devour.
Cucumber Cups with Cajun Crab
Absolutely delicious. Cucumber cups are a little time consuming, but they make unique vessels for so many appetizers. The cooling cucumber is the perfect foil for the spicy Cajun crab salad. Bring them out and watch your guests enjoy them.
2 to 3 English hot house cucumbers
¼ cup homemade or store-bought mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh chives
Zest from half a lemon
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¾ teaspoon Cajun seasoning or to taste
½ teaspoon hot sauce or to taste
1 pound lump blue crab meat, picked over for shells
6 tablespoons minced red bell pepper, divided (optional)
Up to 1 day ahead, use a knife to trim the ends from the cucumbers. With a peeler moving from end to end, remove strips of the skin alternating with leaving the skin so that you have green stripes alternating with the white flesh all around. Slice the cucumbers crosswise every inch until you have 24 slices.
Using a melon baller or grapefruit spoon, scoop out the cucumber seeds just over halfway through the cucumber, making sure you don’t poke all the way through. These are the cups that will hold your Cajun crab salad. If you are making the cups in advance, refrigerate the cucumbers in an airtight container with a damp paper towel between layers.
Combine the mayonnaise through hot sauce and taste for seasoning. You can do this step a day in advance and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble.
When you are ready to go, gently toss the crab with the mayonnaise and ¼ cup minced bell pepper until combined. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of crab salad into each cucumber cup. Scatter the remaining minced red bell pepper over the crab cups and across the platter. Serve immediately.
Pimento Cheese Gougères
These amazing cheese puffs can be made in advance and frozen up to a month before you bake them for your party. The crisp exterior and light creamy interior will wow your guests. The recipe is not hard, but it helps to be organized and have everything ready and measured before you start cooking because it moves quickly. Serve the gougères warm for the best flavor and texture.
1 cup whole milk
¾ to 1 cup water
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
4 ounces diced pimento, drained, brine reserved
2 teaspoons onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne
2½ cups bread flour, sifted
6 eggs, room temperature
6 ounces of high-quality, extra-sharp cheddar
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Drain the pimento brine into a 1 cup measure. Add water to make 1 cup. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, water, and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the sugar, onion powder, salt, and cayenne. With the mixture boiling, dump the flour in all at once, stirring constantly in one direction using a wooden spoon. Lower the heat to medium low. The flour will begin to seize up and form a ball. Keep stirring vigorously for another 60 to 90 seconds to dry out the dough. It will be smooth and dull looking.
Turn the dough into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Allow it to cool for a 5 to 10 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating at medium speed until each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. The dough will change from shiny to sticky.
Switch the mixer to low and add the cheese and pimentos until fully incorporated. Immediately scoop the dough using a 2 tablespoon ice cream scoop onto a parchment lined baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between blobs for expansion.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the pan halfway through until they are puffed and golden. Allow them to rest a couple of minutes before serving to avoid burnt tongues.
Beef Tenderloin Pops
Mouthwatering cubes of beef tenderloin cut in bite-sized pieces, served with a horseradish sauce. A perfect bite-sized treat that melts in your mouth. Curing the meat with salt and pepper overnight in the refrigerator gives it that delicious crust on the outside and intense flavor in the middle. Serve with toothpicks or a mini-cocktail fork for an irresistible meat-sicle.
1 to 2 pounds filet mignon
Kosher salt
Cracked or coarsely ground pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons horseradish (or to taste)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chives
Cut the filet into 1 to 1½ inch cubes. Toss the cubes in a bowl with kosher salt and pepper making sure to coat all the sides. Place the cubes on a rack over a plate or pan and refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours or overnight. The meat will darken and dry out on the outside.
Mix the sour cream with the remaining ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Allow the flavors to meld for several hours in the refrigerator before serving.
Heat a cast-iron pan over medium high heat until water droplets sizzle on the pan. Put a light coating of canola or grapeseed oil in the pan. Working in batches, sear the cubes for 2 minutes on each side. Don’t crowd the pan. When the cubes reach 120 F on an instant read thermometer, remove them from the pan and allow to rest. Serve warm or room temperature with toothpicks and the horseradish sauce.
