Tuesday Night #8 - 5/17/11

My friend Julie threw us all for a loop when she announced her engagement.  The "girls" and I decided to get together for an impromptu happy hour.  Jason and the groom-to-be joined us.  We hosted at the house and it just happened to fall on a Tuesday night.  The plan was to arrive with an app and a bottle of champagne/prosseco/sparkling wine.

I tossed together Jason and my favorite salad--simply mixed greens and a basic vinaigrette.

Basic Vinaigrette

from Mark Bittman's The Minimalist Cooks at Home

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 T. or more good wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 large shallot (about 1 oz.) peeled and cut into chunks

Whisk together.  Best used fresh but will keep a few days in the fridge.  Makes about 3/4 cup.

I use Olio Santo Olive Oil and Olivier Balsamic Vinegar aged 25 years.  Both available at Williams Sonoma.  Grey Poupon mustard.  These olive oil and vinegar are the key.  I've done it with others, still good but not as fabulous.

I also did grilled bread spread with goat cheese and topped with chopped ratatouille.  For the ratatouille I grilled 2 whole portobello mushrooms, a red bell pepper sliced in half, a yellow zucchini cut lengthwise, a red onion sliced thickly and skewered so it would stay together and lastly a halved tomato.  These were grilled until they soften slightly but are not mushy.  After removing them from the grill I let them cool before I diced them all up.  Once it is like a chunky salsa I add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chopped garlic, salt, pepper and handfuls of whatever fresh herbs I have around -- basil, oregano, rosemary and italian parsley.  Toss this all up and use it to top grilled italian bread with goat cheese.  Yum!

Along with this we had a great cheese plate, smoked trout spread, cake, cupcakes and lots up bubbly.  A good time was had by all.

Thanks to Ann, Tiffany and Jason.  Congratulations to Julie and Mark!