Today's power cruisers allow us to cruise and dine al fresco from early spring to late fall in many parts of the country. So here are some menu ideas to consider for your al fresco adventures!
Place a sugar cube in the bottom of each champagne flute. Sprinkle two to three dashes of Angostura bitters on each sugar cube. Pour Champagne into the flutes. Add 1 ounce brandy to each glass. Garnish with the orange slices and cherries.
Making this pate is a lot like making a meat loaf wrapped in bacon, except you have to cook the ground meat in advance. It is delicious and freezes beautifully. Serves 40–50 as an hors d'oeuvre.
Heat oil in skillet. Cook onions and garlic until soft. Transfer onion mixture to very large mixing bowl, stir in fennel seeds. Brown sausage and veal in skillet over medium high heat and crumble into small pieces as you cook it. Once browned, add one cup of beer and cook for 10 minutes. Add to mixing bowl with onion mixture. In same skillet, cook six slices of bacon (diced) until fat is rendered. Add crumb stuffing and add to meat mixture. Add eggs and mix into meat mixture to make a moist, but not wet, mixture. Season with lots of pepper and salt. Preheat oven to 350º.
Using two ungreased 9x3 loaf pans, place three bay leaves (upside down) in a row down center of pans (to decorate top of pate). Next, line each pan with remaining uncooked bacon by arranging each strip side by side crosswise in the pan (this lines the sides and bottom of loaf pan). Let the ends of the slices hang over the edges of the pans. Pack pate mixture very tightly into the pans, pressing down firmly to get rid of all air pockets. Fold the overhanging bacon over the top of each pate. Completely wrap pans containing pate tightly with aluminum foil, sealing up on top and ends. Place the pans in a larger roasting pan filled half-way to the top with hot water. Put in oven and bake for 90 minutes. Remove pate from oven (still wrapped in aluminum foil) and place a 5-pound weight on each pate (e.g., brick, large can of tomatoes) and refrigerate for several hours. The weight compresses the meat and makes it a dense pate (it is the difference between pate and meat loaf). To unmold pate, run a knife around the sides of each pan and invert the pate onto a clean surface. The pate will keep up to two weeks, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, or it can be frozen for six months or more. When you defrost, make sure you do it in a refrigerator, very slowly, and over a couple days. Serve with cornichon pickles, chopped onion, and mustard on sliced baguette.
Cook pasta for 10–-12 minutes until al dente. Drain and toss with oil and cool to room temperature. Mix pesto with lemon juice and mayonnaise. Add pesto mix to cooled pasta, and then add parmesan, peas, salt, and pepper. Mix well, taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve at room temperature.
Heat oil and add meat to the pan breaking it up as it cooks. Add brown sugar and pepper to the skillet and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion and red peppers to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, peppers, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook sloppy joe mixture 5 minutes longer. Serve on crusty rolls with lots of napkins.
Mix squash with all ingredients except cream. Simmer for 30 minutes. If you wish, you may put mixture through food processor or blender until very smooth. If it is too thick, thin with water or cream. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche, sour cream, or chopped chives. Serve hot or chilled.