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738 Main Street South |
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In my mind giving yourself a good, sensible talking to is the best way to start. You should be able to address the primary needs of your menu planning on one hand. Starting with the question about whether your guest list needs to be flexible. This should then be followed by whether this meal needs to be served or presented as a buffet? What are the traditional items that MUST be on the menu? How much of everything will you need to make? When do you need to begin the prep for this auspicious meal? And what are you going to do to shake it up a bit? Let’s be honest, that auto pilot that I mentioned before certainly takes some of the stress out of planning, but when you identify yourself as the master of everyone’s culinary appreciation for the special day, don’t you also want all the glory that a well planned and eagerly received meal can bring? It is not that difficult to achieve. The primary meal components like the protein and the dessert parts of the meal tug most nostalgically at our hearts. Since poultry is often the center of the plate choice, several suggestions to change this a bit might be to consider using alternative types of poultry instead of the traditional birds. We have had success serving crackling, roasted breast of duck afloat on sour cherry sauce or pintade (guinea hen) buttered and herbed and served with oven roasted root vegetables. When you drizzle a light wine infused sauce over the slices of buttery hen you may never want to go back to turkey again! These smaller birds make elegant substitutions for intimate groups of 6 or less. Our vegan and vegetarian guests can frazzle the least experimental cooks as well. Most feel handicapped as they try to interpret traditional protein offerings by recreating them into vegetarian dishes. Remember, vegetarians aren’t looking for animal protein substitutes, they are looking for great vegetables, nuts and grains prepared in creative and innovative fashions. Roasting with olive oil and spices releases the natural flavors of many vegetables and grains, so try experimenting with tastes. The flavors found in fresh and dried herbs like thyme, marjoram and rosemary can bring flowery, savory and comforting notes. Or add a good twist of lemon and lemon zest to enhance recipes so you can skip the common additions of conventional salt and pepper. Tossing your roasting root vegetables with olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar before cooking also goes a long way in creating a delightful caramelized crust. It is a good idea to have at least three or four vegetable selections available and be sure to make enough for all your guests to enjoy. I am a fan of salad at any meal any time of the year. Holiday meals are notoriously laden with extra fats and seasonings that exhaust and actually diminish our ability to appreciate flavor. I recommend the idea of including a simple green salad as a palate cleanser and aid to better digestion. The fall crops of kale and colorful cabbages make excellent base components for salads that can be complimented with other leafy greens, shallots, onions and in my home often assorted berries or dried fruits. For the less than experimental cooks a great crispy bowl of romaine with cucumbers and red onion tossed with lemon thyme vinaigrette can really hit the spot. Then it is imperative to remember the complimentary side dishes that round out a meal. They may not be your specialty or you may skip them just because you do not have enough have time to actually prepare them. We at the Provender can assist you in your menu planning by offering basics like French beans, mashed sweet potatoes and wild rice to help expedite what there is no time in your schedule to prepare. Suggestions like adding caramelized pecans and shallots to the beans or topping the mashed sweets with sautéed leeks personalizes the dish with out stressing the cook. A great tip to reduce fats but keep the pleasure intact is to whip up vegan mashed potatoes by substituting earth balance soy margarine and soy cream to replace the conventional cream and butter. The flavor and texture are fully satisfying and every guest will be able to appreciate your efforts without the guilt of more, albeit delicious, empty calories. Green, green, green vegetables should outweigh those heavier plate components and include Brussels sprouts, broccoli and asparagus simply or complexly cooked to balance out the meal. Dessert in my opinion is a necessary evil for all holiday get togethers and if you are going to indulge you might as well make it worth your while! Orchard fruit pies and old fashioned fruit crisps add that homey goodness to the end of a holiday meal extravaganza. The beauty of being creative is that they are not as intimidating to prepare if you choose to use some of our high quality dessert resources that can be found here at New Morning any time of the year. Making your pie in a frozen pie crust is a no brainer and doesn’t have to be a dead give away that you had some help. Most frozen pie crusts come packed in twos, so use one of the pie crusts as the bottom crust and use the other crust slightly defrosted and softened as a top crust. First, brush a little water on the edge of the bottom crust and then after setting the top dough in place, pinch the edges or use a fork to seal them together! It will bake like a dream. For your baked apple berry buckle whip up an oatmeal, butter and brown sugar topping in the food processor to create the perfect crunchy, crispy top. A great tip is to remember that a pinch of sea salt added to the mix enhances the spices and sweetness of the topping. A pinch of cardamom adds an exotic flavor to the fruit combination. Nuts in either part of the concoction just make it divine! Truth be known the toughest part of the planning is the creative thinking involved. So don’t lose your stride. Just relax and keep in mind that your menu can be planned efficiently while sunken in your favorite easy chair, slowly sipping creamy hot chocolate and dreaming of the wondrous holiday delights to come. Eat and enjoy!
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