Easter Menus

[christine007]

This year, I decided to let my twelve year old dictate, and help with the meal. since my mom is a vegetarian, we're going to do a nice ham steak for me and the lad.

also

Green bean mushroom cass. Yes, THAT one.. hee.

Smashed sweet potatos

oven roast of white potatos

Rolls and butter

Cupcakes.

Simple, yes. But everyone will be happy.

I'm just not in the mood to fiddle around on the holiday this year, rather cook good old, tried and true food, and relax.

We're also doing the easter eggs made out of rice crispie treats hollowed out and filled with jelly beans. Just for fun.

[Darienne]

DH and I were just discussing Easter dinner (noonish). We have two South African friends coming, a daughter and her 96-year old Father (he was born in Borneo) plus their three BC dogs.

So, current decision is that Ed will do most of the cooking: beef roast, gravy, mashed potatoes, cooked vegetable. I'll make a greens salad and dessert is till up in the air. Maybe the Margarita Pie. With homemade ice cream? Oh, and homemade bread.

Our guests won't care what they are fed. They just love to visit here at the farm.

The other idea, which probably won't happen, is either Mafe or Matoke. Hmmm... Lots of time still to futz about with it.

[sculptor]

very interested in the SV lamb results:

temp? time?

i did this once and the lamb came out mealy. I guess it was in the sv bath too long.

I like lamb tender and Rare!

do fresh herbs matter in this SV technique?

Leg of lamb is a tender cut so I'm going to use a temperature probe and cook to a core temperature of 140. You could obviously do the same thing to 131 to get it rare. When you do this set your bath to 1.8 degrees higher than the desired core temperature.

I'm just using fresh herbs because I have culinary lavender bushes in bloom.

[sculptor]

I ordered a beef brisket. Looks like something Texas BBQ-themed is on the menu.

Wow, an adventurous choice for an Easter diner. Are you going to accompany it with anything that is traditional or in some way connotes spring, fertility or rebirth?

[rotuts]

Thank you for your reply.

Id very much like to see your results.

Back in the day, my father used to 'roast' on the BBQ a leg of lamb with garlic incisions.

it came out rare. I still remember it!

the fat is a different matter!

Edited April 1, 2012 by rotuts (log)

[emilyr]

I have just started planning, and went to Sam's today to get some of the things I'll need a lot of (cooking for a minimum of 18 teens/adults), primarily salad mix. We like the organic spring mix of greens for salads, and it's pretty darn cheap there. I am going to make it into a salad with cherry tomatoes, avocados (both really good deals!) and roasted corn with a lime vinaigrette.

Last year, I made potato gratin with horseradish and Asiago cheese, and everyone seemed to love it, so I think I'll do it again.

I also got nearly a ton of pretty, skinny, sweet carrots, and I'm thinking of roasting &/or glazing them. I'm not sure on the flavor combo. Carrot, grapefruit and tarragon sounds really good to me, but I don't know if those all really go together. What do you think?

If it looks like I'll need one more veggie, I'll do green beans with garlic and almonds. Or grilled asparagus (because my sister will be happy to BBQ them!)

It's been absolutely beautiful weather-wise here the last couple of weekends, so if it remains nice, I will convince my little sister to grill. She is really good at it. If the weather is bad I'll roast it cut into more manageable lengths. I found a whole pork loin for about $25, so, score! My family really loves pork with sage and garlic incisions. Last year we only had 15 of us and there was no pork leftover with a loin of similar size. My grandmama (who is hosting), has some ham steaks in her freezer she bought after Christmas, so I'll make those with a cherry jam glaze, too.

Like I said, I'm just getting started on the planning, so most of this is still pretty much up in the air until I get a chance to go grocery shopping. All I've bought so far is the salad mix, carrots, tomatoes, and avocados. I didn't get the pork yet, because I want to make sure it's not on sale at the hometown grocery store.

[heidih]

I am only cooking for five and constrained by needing to use the last of the bargain turkeys my dad picked up over Thanksgiving/Christmas. The seniors are also not eating that much these days and never accept leftovers to take home.

The current simple plan is:

Turkey roasted with hot Italian sausage and fresh from the garden oregano tucked under the skin; tangerine halves and smashed garlic in the cavity.

Potatoes thinly sliced (mandoline) and cooked in cream with fresh marjoram (large sprigs pulled out before it gets crusty)

Roasted asparagus (tossed first with soy, balsamic, piloncillo)

Chopped romaine salad with a Dijon mustard/walnut oil/lemon incl zest dressing and studded with avocado, green onion and ginormous home-made croutons

Gravy because my step mother would be horrified if I did not serve any

Cranberry sauce unfortunately from a can as I used up all my frozen ones.... I would have preferred to do some sort of citrus ('tis the season) chutney but have to bow to their likes

Fresh pineapple as a sort of counterpoint/pre-dessert

Lemon bars as dessert provided by step mom

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Rabbit, long-braised in white-wine mushroom sauce.

The braising pan, deglazed with cream to form a beschamelesque gravy.

Quinua and wild rice.

Gigantic salad to end all salads.

Hot cross buns.

Cooking for three.

[robirdstx]

There will only be the two of us.

Grilled Lamb Rib Chops seasoned with garlic, rosemary, thyme and cayenne

Gratin Dauphinois (half recipe) from Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook

Steamed Broccoli spears

[sculptor]

I also got nearly a ton of pretty, skinny, sweet carrots, and I'm thinking of roasting &/or glazing them. I'm not sure on the flavor combo. Carrot, grapefruit and tarragon sounds really good to me, but I don't know if those all really go together. What do you think?

Tarragon seems like a good idea to my internal flavour memories. I kind of flip back and forth between the two memories and a get good idea how they would taste together. Note, I've used grapefruit in a salad with carrots and avocado dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette but I suspect that in a savoury dish it might not work as well. You could use some candied grapefruit peel which would supply an interesting flavour without the acid of the fruit...

[FrogPrincesse]

Updated menu for tomorrow:

Mother's ruin punch

Curried English pea soup with crème fraîche (Lucques)

Blood oranges, dates, Parmesan and almonds (Lucques)

Asparagus and ricotta ravioli (Babbo)

Herb roasted rack of lamb with flageolet gratin, roasted radicchio and tapenade (Lucques)

Crème fraîche panna cotta with strawberries (Lucques)

Chocolate pots de crème (David Lebovitz)

The soup and prep for the salad are done. The ravioli is ready as well. The racks of lamb are marinating in herbs.

Can't wait for tomorrow!

[thirtyoneknots]

First time hosting a holiday meal with extended family (my wife's family, that is). I grew up with ham at Easter in true Southern fashion, but I've always been attracted to lamb for the novelty, and the symbolism. Our menu, for 9-10:

Pregame: rabbit terrine with assorted pickles and prosecco

Late lunch of roast leg of lamb, with persillade (or maybe pistou persillade is more correct), cauliflower gratin, cucumber salad with yogurt and mint, French style potato salad (ie, with vinaigrette), MIL's deviled eggs, homemade focaccia with herbes de provence. Cotes du Rhone or similar to drink (about to go to the wine store). Carrot Cake provided by MIL from excellent local bakery for dessert, and coffee (natch).

Really looking forward to this meal, both the making and the eating.

[Darienne]

DH and I were just discussing Easter dinner (noonish). We have two South African friends coming, a daughter and her 96-year old Father (he was born in Borneo) plus their three BC dogs.

So, current decision is that Ed will do most of the cooking: beef roast, gravy, mashed potatoes, cooked vegetable. I'll make a greens salad and dessert is till up in the air. Maybe the Margarita Pie. With homemade ice cream? Oh, and homemade bread.

Our guests won't care what they are fed. They just love to visit here at the farm.

The other idea, which probably won't happen, is either Mafe or Matoke. Hmmm... Lots of time still to futz about with it.

Finally got the Matoke made today and DH announced: This is what we are having for Easter dinner with the guests. With rice. And salad. OK. New plan. DH is doing the vacuuming. Hey! I made the dinner.

Margarita pie is made. Made one for the neighbors too. Oh my, it is scrumptious.

[eldereno]

There are just 3 of us. Planning marinated and grilled lamb chops for my MIL and myself and rib eye steak for my husband, roasted asparagus, roasted beats, a white bean gratin, and a dessert of fried pound cake with vanilla ice cream and a fresh strawberry sauce.

[teapot]

I've got some pork shoulder marinating in porchetta seasoning and will smoke it over alder

Sugar snaps with red/yellow peppers

Homemade SF style sourdough

Salad with butter lettuce, endive and gorgonzola dolce dressing

Lemon Buttermilk gelato (ala David Leibowitz) with blueberry clafouti.

[gfweb]

Just two of us this year, so it was a low effort dinner. NY strip steaks, onion and fennel gratin, and deviled eggs (not because they go with the menu, but because its Easter)

[Tri2Cook]

I didn't cook but the menu was baked ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, rutabaga, cauliflower, fresh baked bread and a pie for dessert. I was too stuffed for dessert so I'm ashamed to say that I don't even know what was in the pie.

[BoldBaker]

We had easter dinner on Saturday at my place: Cooked for 10

• Alinea's Pork Belly, pickled vegetables, BBQ sugar, polenta
  
• Celery, Date, Pecan, Ricotta Salata Salad
  
• Roasted Baby Carrots and Fennel
  
• Boned, Dry Rubbed, Jaccarded, Meat Glued Leg of Lamb: hot smoked over a bed of leeks and potatoes
  
• Roasted Asparagus with Lemon Juice and Pecorino
  
• Cannoli(s?), Ricotta Tart (made the ricotta myself)
  

Thank goodness I'm too young to drink, otherwise things might have turned out a little differently.

[Kitchen Detective]

BoldBaker: Sounds yummy. Especially the ricotta tart.

We wanted lamb chops, but settled for leg of lamb steaks with my rub: corriander, cumin, cloves and cinnamon. Dessert: Turtles by a local chocolateer with a glass of red blend. I ate it all.

[kayb]

Lovely Easter dinners, all. I had cheese dip, chips and red wine. I moved this week, and am still locating pieces of my kitchen.

However, I did cook duck eggs, bacon and apple-pecan muffins for breakfast, if that counts!

gfweb, I beg to differ. There are NO menus which are not enhanced by deviled eggs. And yours look lovely.

[sculptor]

very interested in the SV lamb results:

temp? time?

i did this once and the lamb came out mealy. I guess it was in the sv bath too long.

I like lamb tender and Rare!

do fresh herbs matter in this SV technique?

It worked out very well, though I might tone down the amount of herbs I used (I used about a teaspoon of each) next time.

The leg was boned and trimmed by the butcher and I essentially ended up with three different bags in the tank. The first of which took a about an hour and a half and the other two took about an hour longer... Note, I moved the needle probe to the next larger portion each time I removed a bag from the tank. Finally, after removing the lamb from the bag I finished by searing it with a torch.

I used the cooking juices and red wine to make a sauce. I've noticed in the past that if I heat the juices it causes the proteins in it to coagulate so I first cooked off the alcohol from the wine, thickened that and cooled it down before adding the juices.

[SylviaLovegren]

It was just the two of us and I was developing a horrendous headache so instead of my fantasy meal we had:

Pork chops braised in milk, burned.

Frozen mixed veg, burned.

But the mesclun salad (from a mix) with fresh lemon/garlic dressing was very good!

I think maybe we'll have a re-do on Orthodox Easter next Sunday

[Blues_Cookin]

Just the two of us here, so smoked loin back ribs, crispy cabbage with peppers in cider vinegar, and cornbread. And a couple IPA's.

[Darienne]

Just the two of us here, so smoked loin back ribs, crispy cabbage with peppers in cider vinegar, and cornbread. And a couple IPA's.

What is crispy cabbage??? How do you 'crisp' it?

[Panaderia Canadiense]

My butcher sold my bunny to somebody else! :angry: (grrrr....)

So, it ended up being a roasted chicken breast, melloco and avocado salad, and some steamed beets. And I was so looking forward to the fatty fatty goodness that is rabbit braised and covered in cream.....