Dinner with Friends

Dinner is served!

We had a nice dinner with our friends last night. We made Jim's chicken casserole, orzo with basil and parmesan, green beans in Dijon dressing, and my hubby made a plum tart. Our friends brought a wonderful bottle of wine. It was fun, come again!

Beautiful flower arrangement from our friends

My hubby's creation. Delicious!

San Sebastian Vintners Red from St. Augustine, Florida

This wine was such a nice surprise! We have never tasted anything like this. It smelled like wonderful grapes that were sweetened by the sun, and it had a lot of character. Rustic and rich, we loved the earthiness of this wine. It went great with a piece of plum tart.


Plum Tart

1/2-1 lb. black plums, in 1/4 inch wedges
1 store-bought pie sheet
1/4 cup fig jam 
1 egg for egg wash
Sugar for sprinkling on the top

Preheat oven to 420. Lay parchment paper on the cookie sheet and unfold the pie sheet on top of it. Spread fig jam on the pie sheet leaving about a 2 inch border from the edges. Place plums on top of the jam. Fold edges over towards the center, making a free-form pie. Brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes. 
Recipe loosely adapted from food network.

Pâtissier at work

Orzo With Basil And Parmesan

1 cup of dry orzo
1 can chicken broth
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup basil, chopped 
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Toast the dry orzo in the melted butter until slightly brown. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and continue cooking until the liquid is gone, about 15 minutes. Toss in basil and parmesan cheese and stir. Serve warm.

Toasted orzo has a nutty flavor

Green Beans In Dijon Dressing

1/2-1 lb. green beans
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp walnuts, chopped
2 tsp walnut oil
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Blanch the beans in boiling water, about 4 minutes. Toast the chopped walnuts in a dry frying pan. Mix the walnuts with parsley and onion. Add walnut oil, vinegar, mustard to the walnut mixture and mix well. Toss the green beans in the dressing and coat well.
Recipe adapted from food network.

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