Easter Menus

[NadyaDuke]

I'm hosting an Easter Brunch - five adults and two small children.

For pre-sit down munchies:

Melon squares, baguette & assorted cheese (Manchego, Edam & Tumalo Rembrance)

For the meal:

Gartner Meats bone in smoked ham - probably with a thyme/honey glaze

Rhubarb relish from my freezer

Scrambled eggs

Homemade cinnamon rolls (my first time - using the recipe from 150 Best American Recipes)

Asparagus & Strawberry salad

Everyone will get a chocolate animal from Moonstruck Chocolates as a favor....

Coffee, tea, orange juice, mimosas & screwdrivers available on request :-).

[heidih]

Asparagus & Strawberry salad

This salad interests me. I see both items separately as harbingers of spring but have not encountered them together. Can you describe the dish?

[NadyaDuke]

Asparagus & Strawberry salad

This salad interests me. I see both items separately as harbingers of spring but have not encountered them together. Can you describe the dish?

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I'm still making this up. I had the idea and did some googling to make sure I wasn't completely in an unknown country. I'm looking at these two recipes (yes, I know one doesn't have strawberries!) for inspiration:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Asparag...trawberry-Salad

http://splendidtable.publicradio.org/recip...agusorange.html

So basically I'll blanch the asparagus, and make a dressing that's a little sweet, but perhaps with a touch of cider vinegar or mustard. No cheese. Any ideas?

[snowangel]

This has nothing to do with the menu, but everything to do with the ambiance. My great grandmother's linens have been hand washed, and ironed, and her china, along with that my mother registered for as a new bride (Towle, Old Master) are set out. The places are set, along with sterling silver, and I have decided that the cranberry glass plates (again, from great grandmother) will be lovely for serving dessert. Instead of gigantic floral displays, I've opted for small bouquets in the numerous sugar and creamer sets I've inherited (again, from great grandmother). Oh, and we do have a menu: ham, au gratins, asparagus, and salad. Dessert to be provided by MIL (sure to include cool whip, but she's also bringing a fruit salad).

[Robert Jueneman]

There's just the two of us, so nothing particularly fancy, plus I REALLY need to do my Income Tax!

I'll carve my OMG brisket recipe (48 hours at 132F) like a London Broil, fanned out from the center and topped with veal demi-glace and sauteed mushrooms, maybe sprinkled with a little finely-chopped fresh rosemary.

(I planted a tiny rosemary plant between the cherry trees in the the backyard about six years ago. Apparently it was ideally suited to the climate here in Silicon Valley. It now looks like a mid-sized brontosaurus!)

The side dish will be Mushroom risotto made with home-made mushroom stock.

Hot rolls with butter and lingonberry jam.

I have about five kiwis in the refrigerator, so maybe some kiwi daiquiris to start off the dinner, and kiwis and strawberries for dessert.

Bob

[Dejah]

Our kids are all home, so we started the Easter weekend with rosemary-dijon mustard glaced racks of lamb on Friday, roast Turkey and all the trimmings last night. Tonight, I have a 5-rib AAA prime rib ready to go along with Yorkies, steamed mixed veg (cauliflower, green beans, broccoli, carrots), garlic mashed potatoes, d-i-l is bringing green bean casserole, broccoli pecan salad, and ambrosia delight for dessert.

My 100 year-old Mom is in a transitional facility waiting to go into personal care. She was wishing that she could come home for the family dinner, so we are going to surprise her by taking the whole dinner and crew up to her. We've booked a large family games room and wine is allowed!

[Hard H2O]

Our menu:

Garlic studded and rosemary crusted leg of lamb

Glazed ham

Butternut squash casserole (squash, lentils, dried cherries...) with cream and maple syrup glaze

Brown sugar glazed baby carrots

Au gratin potatoes

Relish tray

Green salad

Dessert:

store bought pies

I made the lamb, ham, squash.

[Jaymes]

This has nothing to do with the menu, but everything to do with the ambiance.  My great grandmother's linens have been hand washed, and ironed, and her china, along with that my mother registered for as a new bride (Towle, Old Master) are set out.  The places are set, along with sterling silver, and I have decided that the cranberry glass plates (again, from great grandmother) will be lovely for serving dessert.  Instead of gigantic floral displays, I've opted for small bouquets in the numerous sugar and creamer sets I've inherited (again, from great grandmother).  Oh, and we do have a menu:  ham, au gratins, asparagus, and salad.  Dessert to be provided by MIL (sure to include cool whip, but she's also bringing a fruit salad).

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Susan, I can just see that lovely table with all those precious family treasures. This completely captures what the holidays are all about.

[Kouign Aman]

Dejah, how nice. I hope your mom and entire family enjoyed dinner.

Ambience - yup.

There's a bunch of pink glass serving stuff up on eBay right now, and I'm trying to figure where I could store it for use every Easter.

Roast beef w mustard/garlic crust, mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus swimming in butter, a wholegrain crunchy bread. Simple, easy, delicious. Dessert was pineapple angelfood cake courtesy of a guest, and fresh strawberries with cream.

In the way of things, the snowpeas never got cooked.

[David Ross]

The Easter dinner turned out quite well-with the exception of the planned Smoked Salmon Pizza.

I left the lox off the shopping list and didn't realize I was missing the main ingredient, the salmon, until it came time to make the pizza dough. I made a passable alternative-with roasted red peppers, olives and bleu cheese. Just didn't have the distinct flavors of smoked salmon, capers, cucumber, sour cream and dill. Maybe another time.

Dinner was a Roast Leg of Lamb that I marinated overnight in olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and crushed juniper berries-

The Leg of Lamb resting after coming out of the oven-

The Leg of Lamb was served with Roasted Potatoes and an Asparagus Custard with Morels. The sauce was a simple jus of the pan roasting juices, with veal stock, red wine and a knob of butter added-

Dessert was the Lemon Bar Tart with Whipped Cream and Candied Lemon Peel-

[NadyaDuke]

Heidi - Here's what I ended up doing for the salad. I mixed blanched 1" pieces of asparagus with quartered strawberries. Tossed with barely enough bottled poppy seed dressing and topped with toasted walnuts. I was looking at the fridge for inspiration for the dressing, and saw I had the dressing - since it was similar to some of the recipes I was looking at I decided to keep it easy! It was a BIG hit with everyone having seconds or thirds.

Snowangel - The ambiance sounds lovely! I used dinner plates from my great grand mothers china (purchased from Gump's: Epiag Powder Blue) for the grownups. The young children got pink Fiesta ware so that their parents wouldn't worry. I mean a three year old doesn't usually actually BREAK a plate in the course of eating, but people worry :-). I really wanted pink flowers on the table to echo the china, but couldn't find any decent looking ones on Saturday.

[rooftop1000]

The best quote from Easter dinner....by 4 yr old Olivia as she handed her mother back half of her 4th chunk of Romano cheese

"Mommy this is too spicy with salt"

tracey

[heidih]

I just realized we are a week and a half out and I have NO plan. We generally consider this meal as the "Hello Spring" menu. Farmers markets and farm stand will be perused the week leading in and then last minute decisions made. I do like to have a plan for the main protein and starch. This year I am leaning towards duck legs and something really different with starch. My local farmers markets are Tueday and Saturday. Will report back. Any interesting plans out there?

[Kouign Aman]

I am hoping to do rice w sour cherries and lamb for the main. It all depends on when I can get the shopping done.

Asparagus is our traditional side and should go with that alright.

No brilliant dessert ideas, but a raft of lovely meyer lemons just came my way, so maybe a lemon meringue pie.

Failing that, a pavlova perhaps.

And if that all falls apart, its burgers on the grill!

[heidih]

This week at the local Korean market they have been demonstrating a purple daikon radish and today it was in the prepared food section fairly finely shredded with a vibrant purple color. The containers were too big and the food prep people were swamped. I am going to go at a slower time and see if they will pack me up a small amount so I can taste it. I am looking at this as part of a slaw trio: purple radish (store bought), carrot (with dried cranberries for color in a very lemony tart dressing with a hint of thyme), and shredded perilla leaves with barely any dressing (tbd). The perilla leaves are huge and fragrant and 3 bunches for 99 cents. I think the colors would be great and the flavor contrast interesting. OR I may use the larger leaves under the radish and carrot. Asparagus will be there steamed in the bamboo steamer- makes a nice presentation with a hot mustard sauce on the side and has been a long tradition. I am leaning towards the really small (shooter marble size) potatoes but still thinking about the prep. The duck legs (or chicken thighs) I am going to try cooking first in a coconut broth with pounded ginger, garlic, lemongrass, and yet to be determined cast of flavors. They will be finished on the grill I have yet to purchase and assemble (going to get a new Weber kettle for the occasion). We go really light on pre-meal appetizers or snacks. I want something really simple but punchy. Dessert will probably be small tarts incorporating calamansi as I have committed to make marmalade from a friend's tree in the next few days.

[laurelm]

My husband is home for Easter the first time in 3 years, so I am making both a leg of lamb and ham, so he should be happy =)

I am stuck on an additional veggie side, any ideas?

Menu so far...

Lamb with mint pesto

Ham

Mashed Potatoes, gravy

Asparagus/Hollandiase Sauce (orange one and standard)

Mini Strawberry Cheescakes

I was thinking a strawberry spinach salad (it is one of his favs), but I do not want both the dessert and side dish with strawberries, and do not want to give up the dessert.

Thank you!

[HotCanary]

I am an Irish-American lapsed Roman Catholic, and did not grow up with a terrific culinary heritage.As a young married girl, I had this idea that the big food holidays belonged to specific nationalities. Thanksgiving? Totally 1960's American:Turkey, sweet potatoes,bread stuffing,etc, and keep your meatballs out of this, Italian mother-in-law. Christmas? England, of course, with Rib Roast and Yorkshire Pudding and Trifle,and anything else that reminded me of Charles Dickens.

Easter? Italian all the way,baby! The Passion and Resurrection belonged to them, because the best Good Friday and Easter services were always found at the Italian Churches.Mother-in-law, god rest her soul, made stuffed artichokes,manicotti (or canneloni, the crepe kind, not the pasta kind,)brasciole with pine nuts, raisins, parsley and cheese,meatballs, salad,a meat pie with salami,capacola,and cheese, and once in a while a wheat pie for dessert(kind of bland,to me), but more often pastries from a now closed Italian bakery. This was labor-intensive Italian-American emotionally satisfying food, and I sorely miss that she's not here today to cook her little heart out.Since her death, I have recreated some of the basics (artichokes, manicotti,brasciole) and since they are her recipes,they keep this tradition alive for my children.

This year, we're driving to Boston to visit my daughter, who's in college, and we don't have reservations anywhere, so who knows? But Lillian's menu means Easter to me.

[heidih]

My plans continue to change. I realized that my original ideas posted earlier were more about me and showing off a bit with interesting food. I also had to face the fact that there are only four of us and two of them are bouncing on either side of 80 - they just do not eat as much anymore. Plus they do not take leftovers home as their fridge is always overflowing. My 18 year old will eat and will be the designated "leftover guy". So.....I am looking at thing he and his roomate can re-heat and will actually eat framed within the spring theme.

The current rough plan is:

Appetizer: Potstickers (Korean rectangular ones with beef, spring onion & glass noodles) w/ a tangerine & soy dipping sauce (fresh juice from the end of my crop)

Main: Beef tri-tip sliced 3/4" thick, marinated in pomegranate molasses, calamansi juice, soy, olive oil, crushed garlic and then grilled

Vegetable/salads: Spinach (the thick crinkly kind that is fresh in the market now) tossed in a hot pan with some carmelized onions/garlic & shrooms I have in the freezer. Romaine lettuce with grated carrot for color in a citrus emulsified dressing.

Starch: Cheesy potatoes, and a roll of some sort. I am thinking of something incorporating green garlic or garlic chives.

Dessert: Grandma bringing lemon bars and I will do a bowl of pineapple (ripe & on sale now) and strawberries (I think the farm stand had opened for the season- will check tomorrow)

I am tempted to also do baby back ribs in the oven since I think the leftovers would be well received. I can pre cook with their sauce in the oven on Saturday and finish on the grill.

[Allura]

Once again we're headed to my aunt's. I'm not even allowed to bring anything! Usually the menu includes a pasta of some sort followed by ham and (grilled) lamb, asparagus, broccoli, some kind of pasta. Dessert usually includes an Italian cheesecake, but no idea what else. Oh, and before dinner the nibble will be "ham pie," the meat/cheese pie that Canary mentioned.

[Lapin d'Argent]

Alas, I am headed out to dinner with my family at an unknown restaurant in West Springfield, MA. I think it might be Italian. What I wouldn't give to be putting a real ham in the oven, to serve with potatoes and carrots and whatever green vegetables look best at the market. But my brother has to be picked up at North Station in the middle of Saturday afternoon, and hubby leaves next Friday for Asia, so none of that is going to work out this year.

Next year, I swear, I am ordering that ham. It's going into my "seasonal notebook" right now.

The rest of you: eat up, and post photos, please!

[Nikki Rose]

Easter in Crete, Greece

by Nikki Rose

I dreamed of spending Pascha, or Easter, in my family's homeland and it was not until I moved to Crete that I had the chance. The week before the big day, my partner, Panayiotis, and his friends made arrangements to gather the ingredients needed for a series of feasts - after presumably fasting according to church doctrine, during the 40-day Lenten period. First, we had to buy a whole lamb, which entailed a long wait at the kafeneo on the village square, anticipating the signal. After a few coffees and sips of raki, a grape-must fire water, the shepherd's young son, Nektarios, drove by in his pickup truck and yelled, "Ela, pah-me!" (Hurry! Let's go).

We dashed to our car and followed Nektarios up the winding coastal mountain road that led to a treacherous dirt track before we abruptly stopped at the edge of a clearing. We continued our adventure on foot to the mitato, or shepherd's shelter, a round stone structure with smoke billowing out of its chimney. The commanding summit of Mount Oxa loomed above the plateau bursting with yellow, red and purple wild flowers and herbs. A flock of sheep grazed nearby, their bells ringing like a sweet lullaby. There was whistling and movement on Oxa's steep ridge as goats were being called home by their keeper, so far away they looked like black and white dots.

Manolis and his family were inside the mitato, hovering over a caldron of sheep's milk, which was slowly transforming into malakos, or cheese curd, straight from the source. We sat squeezed around his small table and sampled meze of dried dakos, the local whole-grain bread softened with olive oil and seasoned with oregano, along with tiny, nutty olives and mountain snails steamed in olive oil, rosemary and homemade rosé wine. Numerous toasts with Manolis' famously smooth raki were made. After an hour of socializing in which Manolis covered the topics of shepherding, cheese making and the serious dilemma of vanishing grazing land, its protection left in the hands of developers who envision more hotel complexes and wider roadways, we set off to choose the highlight of our Easter dinner.

After much inspection and discussion, we decided on the perfect lamb and made arrangements to pick the little dear up on Friday. As a long-time city dweller, this type of food shopping did have an effect on my former connections, or lack thereof, with the food that I eat. It's perfectly logical and beneficial to know your food sources, and it's a privilege to meet the people who provide them. This healthy little lamb had been living in the mountains grazing on wild plants. Expressing my thoughts on how, in my concrete world, we rarely meet the animals we eat or the people who tend to them would have been ridiculous to these farmers who make it a point to nurture their food sources. But even Panayiotis said, "Next year, we'll let Dimitris shop for the lamb."

Pascha also symbolizes the celebration of spring and appreciation of our resources - food and water. Brilliant red poppies, the Pascha flower symbolizing the blood of Christ, blanket the hillsides. Wild vegetables and herbs, along with the first cultivated crops spring to life after a dormant winter. Livestock deliver their offspring. Unlike modern urban meal planning, where you can get anything you want whenever you want, barring freshly harvested quality, Pascha in Crete still stands for seasonal fare.

Easter mass begins at about 10pm on Saturday. Midnight symbolizes the resurrection of Christ, when the priest lights the sacred candle and shares the fire with the congregation. Slowly, the church reflects brilliant warmth while devotees chant, "Christos Anesti" (Christ has risen) 40 times. The Lenten period carries into culinary tradition. Hard-boiled eggs, dyed deep red to symbolize the blood of Christ, are atop sweet yeast breads and are used in a contest for good luck. Participants tap both tips of their opponent's eggs and the winner emerges with an uncracked shell.

After mass, the priests and congregation flooded the square to greet villagers and share the sacred light with those who could not fit into the church. If you can keep the candles alight until you get home, you'll have good luck. What freaked me out was the fireworks exploding all around me. Pascha in the U.S. is definitely more conservative. The crowd disappeared into the narrow streets for their feasts. For those who follow tradition in the kitchen, Mayeritsa soup, lamb's head and/or innards braised in an aromatic broth, is made on Saturday afternoon. Others may concoct variations or koukoretsi, which is a delicious, gigantic lamb sausage grilled over the outdoor spit.

After a few hours of sleep, we were expected at Dimitris' house for the Sunday afternoon grand celebration of arni, or lamb on the spit. In the corner of his yard, Dimitris set up two stones to secure iron braces that bordered a makeshift pyre of charcoal, pruned olive branches and grape vines. The lamb is skewered with what resembles an old sword, the ancient tradition of spit-style cooking for nomadic shepherds or freedom fighters. No fancy machinery is required.

Dimitris' pyre-post consisted of two beer crates - one to sit on and another to hold his food and wine while he slowly turned the spit. Estimated cooking time was six hours. We sat a comfortable distance away from the fire, eating meze and drinking homemade wine. Dimitris bravely broke off bits of crispy-hot layers of arni and passed them around. Dimitris' wife, Maria, is an expert in vegetable preparation, using a single sharp paring knife and two bowls. She skillfully whipped through a kilo of potatoes in less than five minutes and placed them into a pan of smoldering green olive oil. No cutting boards or food processors in sight.

While the men were outside, deeply involved in the traditional symposium of whether the lamb was done or not, Maria removed her hortapita, the wild greens version of spinach pie, and galatoboreko, a farina-based rich custard layered between phyllo, from the oven. The first time I indulged on Maria's hortapita, I asked her where she got the scrumptious, thick phyllo dough. She went into the kitchen and returned with a rolling pin and waved it over my head. To make enough phyllo for one pita is hard labor, rolling dozens of tough, small rounds of dough into

thin sheets.

Finishing touches to our feast were two bowls filled with gorgeous tomatoes, cucumbers, spring onions and wild oregano, along with randomly placed chunks of feta and mizithra cheese. Bread and breadcrumbs were already everywhere. Plastic soda bottles containing homemade wine - Greek recycling at its best - were placed on each corner of the table.

After warning the crowd to step aside, Dimitris and his son Makis, carefully picked up the molten skewer holding the lamb and propped it upright against the wall. There was some discussion as to how to proceed, as Makis is now a chef at one of the big resort hotels, and Dimitris has just been doing this all of his life. Eventually, they carved the lamb as they always have.

Dining the Greek way is at least a three-hour experience, and during holidays or festivals it could last for several days. The grandchildren were finished with their feast and begging to turn off our beautiful regional Pascha music, so that they could watch cartoons. It was a typical day in the life of my friends who juggle tradition and tolerate modern.

Round midnight, filled with food, wine, life and love, we made our way home. The difference between Pascha in Greece and Easter in America? The opportunity to shop for organic lamb, eat Maria's homemade phyllo and pretend to enjoy the fireworks.

© Nikki Rose 2005, All Rights Reserved.

[Judith Umbria]

Poor you! Your mother is proof that people who don't care about food sometimes bear those who do care. My mother cared a lot, my kid cares a lot... so how lucky am I?

I am cooking for just 6-8. We will start with various cheese mousses with homemade crackers. Then we are having asparagus risotto, followed by artichoke lasagne. I am cooking half a milk lamb, very tiny and pitiful. I have to cook his head for the cats and I don't want to, but no waste allowed. Shudder. With him will have cannelini heated in his pan juices and then green salad.

Dessert is offered by a guerst and will be carrot cake, which I think is sort of a stretch. We believe in Easter bunnies after all? Another guest will bring some sort of bread.

It's all Italian until dessert, all to be devoured like wolves to a lamb in sheep country Umbria.

[emilyr]

Last year I made a pork loin roast for the maternal side of my mom's family mostly because it was what was on sale and if I'd left it up to my Grandmama, we'd have ham steaks cooked to within an inch of their life. This year, I gave up meat for Lent, so I've been craving it. I called her last week to ask her what she thought of rib roast, a whole ham, steaks, Cornish game hens or something. She asked if we could just have the pork roast again, so that's what we're going to do! With garlic, sage and thyme. Also, because we counted up the cousins coming and there will be at least 6 boys between the ages of 16 and 26 there, plus another 12 or so people with regular appetites, we may get a WHOLE loin and cut it into two or three roasts.

Grandmama wants one of those cheesy hash brown casseroles, and I want a beet salad, so those are in for sure. We'll probably also do a big salad, asparagus, and peas. I'm going to make some oatmeal lemon bars and macaroons, too. My aunt is bringing a big, fluffy white cake that is THE BEST!

Edited April 2, 2010 by emilyr (log)

[onrushpam]

It will be a crazy weekend for us... lots of greyhound adoption stuff to deal with. (I'll be caring for God's creatures in place of going to church.) So, with little prep time for dinner, I'm doing a little part of a ham, potato salad, green beans and lemon semi-freddo with strawberries. If I get time tomorrow, I'll do some dough for rolls and stick it in the fridge.

[Pierogi]

Ham with orange marmalade/horseradish glaze (ohhhh, yum)

Potato Gratin with Gruyere and Crème Fraiche

Roasted Asparagus

Strawberries of some ilk

Home-made brioche

The ham is an old standby....you mix orange marmalade, brown sugar and prepared horseradish together and use that as a glaze for your ham that's been basted with orange juice while it's baking. The recipe said to use cloves to stud the ham, but it seemed to me that they clashed with the other flavors, and I'm not a huge fan of cloves anyway, so I ditch them.

The potatoes sound dead easy....just found the recipe in an old magazine, I think maybe an old Bon Apetit. Slice potatoes on a mandoline, layer some in a greased gratin dish, S&P, smooth the creme fraiche over, scatter grated Gruyere and repeat. Bake until done. How could *that* be bad??

The ringer/challenge in this is the brioche. Never tried it before. On the list of "what I wanted to accomplish this year". We'll see.....

Edit to add - And handfuls of jelly beans and malted milk robin's eggs while the cooking is progressing !

Edited April 3, 2010 by Pierogi (log)