Supporter Dinner #2, April 29th
This second Kickstarter backer dinner was on a stormy spring day–fits of showers and bursts of sun. This menu was created as a pure crowd pleaser: a bunch of our personal favorites from the book, one after another.
THE MENU
fancy popcorn with herbs and aged gouda
The delightful "Dakota Black" heirloom popcorn from Lonesome Whistle in my hometown of Eugene, OR. Fresh herbs from the garden. Abundant aged gouda.
clams, ramps, bread
Grilled wild ramps tossed into bowls with clams, cooked lightly with butter and wine. Wedges of hot crusty bread to soak up the juices.
2015 Pinos Gris
asparagus, fava beans, pea shoots, pecorino fresco salad with pesto dressing
Delicately blanched asparagus, carefully cooked and painstakingly shelled fava beans, young fresh pecorino, and zingy pesto dressing. One of the star salads of the book.
2013 Riesling
porcini, garlic scape, sea bean white pizza, with hearty dinner salad (spring version)
Kate's favorite pizza from the book, made extra fun with Lucas's idea of "artisan-made Papa John's style garlic dipping sauce" in a little cup. Served with the usually-an-entrée itself "hearty dinner salad" of new potatoes, fresh peas, celery, watermelon radishes, and white turnips, with green garlic yogurt dressing.
black pepper cheesecake with strawberry/beaujolais compote
No-bake cheesecake, made extra rich with mascarpone. Slim ribbons of sorrel, so Lucas could do his strawberry and sorrel thing.
We drank the rest of the beaujolais in the kitchen.
2014 Pinot Noir
Coffee with dessert: Water Avenue Columbia Las Margaritas Yellow Bourbon
Wines from Kings Ridge, all using Willamette Valley grapes.
note: Our guest of honor was Asher, age 10. I was one of Asher's teachers when he had just turned 4, and have stayed in touch ever since. Recently he developed an extreme interest in food and cooking, from trying restaurants with his mom to inventing in the kitchen on his own. I've started teaching him cooking sporadically. It was so fun to finally have him come to a dinner at my house.