How Long Has It Been Since You Sat Down With Friends & Family For A SUNDAY LUNCHEON?

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Both my husband & I occasionally prefer to drop the meat from the menu. I can't even go so far as to say we are weekend vegetarians, well, mostly because I love a good steak so much that it would feel adulterous to even utter those words! That being said, there are times when we'll get on a meatless fare kick, & when we do, I have to come up with a dinner that will keep my 13 year old carnivorous son happy too.  And this one fits the bill on all accounts!

So let's put together a three course meal that you & your friends can sit down & enjoy on a beautiful summer Sunday afternoon! On the menu:

VINETTA with Fresh Bread

 

HEARTS of PALM SALAD

 

SENEGALESE STEW

VINETTA

One of my favorite things about the Hungarian food my mother-in-law introduces me to, is the depth of flavor produced by only a few simple ingredients. I'm thinking you will not be disappointed by this traditional Hungarian dish.

                                          2 medium Eggplant
                                          1/4 Cup onion - minced
                                          2 tsp. olive oil
                                          1 tsp. salt
                                          1/2 tsp. pepper
                                          Good Fresh Bread - get it by the deli counter, not the bread isle

The directions for this recipe kind of look a little long & daunting, but it really isn't all that. Let me simplify: Once you've cooked the eggplant, peel off the skin & chop it coarsely. Now stir it up with the rest of the ingredients. That's it, so read on without fear!

But first, the eggplant has to be cooked, & you have two options here: bake it or grill it. Which one is right for you? That depends. Baking the eggplant will give you a softer, gentler flavor, as well as save you a little time. While grilling it will produce a fuller, smoky edge, but it will take a bit longer to prepare. My choice, especially for this meal combination, would be grilling. The delicacy of the Hearts of Palm Salad will be complimented well by the edgy flavor the grill gives the Vinetta.  But I will offer up both options here for you.

Baking: Poke the eggplant 5 or 6 times with a fork (don't forget this step - I didn't do this the first time I made it & ended up with baked eggplant splattered all over my oven!), place it on a baking sheet & bake it at 300 until it is soft when you give it a squeeze. About 30 minutes, but this will vary depending on the size & shape.

Grilling: Don't poke holes in the eggplant this time. Why? That was the question I posed to my mother-in-law too. I was certain she was just jackin' with me so she could laugh her head off when the eggplant exploded inside my grill too. But no. On the grill the skin crackles & breaks open on it's own to release the steam that builds up inside. Just pop it right on the grill, let it sit, turning occasionally, until is chars all over & is soft to the squeeze. Again, the time will vary. Not only depending on the size the eggplant, but also depending on the grill temp. (hard to control charcoal). If you're using a gas grill, I'd suggest about 30 minutes at 300 like the baking option.

Now you can pile the Vinetta on individual toasts for an appealing presentation, or just put it in a pretty bowl & serve it next to a basket of cut breads. Easy-peasy.

Variation: sometimes my mother-in-law stirs in a couple spoonfuls of mayo instead of the olive oil. But, of course, she will only use her homemade mayo, so if you're interested in that recipe, let me know.

HEARTS of PALM SALAD

                                     3 cups romaine lettuce
                                     1/2 cup radishes - sliced
                                     1/2 cup hearts of palm - cut into 1/2" pieces
                                                      (you can find these in the canned vegetable isle,
                                                                    by the canned artichokes & what-not)
                                     1 tsp. sesame seeds - toasted if you like
                                     2 tsp. sugar
                                     2 tblsp. white wine vinegar
                                     4 tsp. mirin (this is a sweet rice wine, but any white will do in a pinch)
                                     1/4 tsp. salt
                                     1/4 tsp. sesame oil
                                     1/2 tsp. vegetable oil

Salad: Toss first 4 ingredients in a bowl.

Dressing: Shake the remaining ingredients in a lidded container & toss in with the salad. This is a FAB dressing, use it on any other salad you put together too.

This will serve 2 big salads, or 4 small ones. I usually double it because we loves us some good salad!

SENEGALESE STEW

At first I was kind of like, hmm, peanut butter is an African thing? But yea, I guess it is. Senegal is a country about as big as South Dakota, yet it is the 8th largest producer of peanuts in the world! And I guess sweet potatoes are a pretty big crop there too, so this dish is starting to make sense.

                            2 onions - chopped
                            1 sweet red pepper - chopped
                            1/2 lb. sweet potatoes - peeled & chopped into 1/2" cubes
                            2 carrots - sliced like coins
                            2 garlic cloves - minced
                            2 tblsp. fresh ginger - peeled & minced
                            1/2 tsp. ground cloves
                            1/2 tsp. salt
                            1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper - I use Penzeys Black & Red,
                                                                                  but that's a special order thing
                            4 cups vegetable stock - or chicken broth if that's all you have in the pantry
                            6 tblsp. peanut butter - substitute almond butter if you can't do peanuts
                            8 cups fresh spinach - chopped

Sauté the onion & pepper in a spray of cooking oil until soft (about 3 min.). Add sweet potatoes, carrots & garlic, sauté for about a minute. Add ginger, cloves, salt, & cayenne, simmer 1 min. more.

Pour in the broth, scrape up any browned bits from the pan, & bring to a simmer. Stir in peanut butter until smooth, cover, reduce heat to low & simmer until potatoes are tender (about 30 min.).

Stir in spinach, cook 10 min. longer & serve.

With this menu I'd serve it with a soft, chilled white wine like a Pinot Grigio or Gewurztraminer - but avoid the chardonnays, too buttery for this.