Wesley's Mother's Day Luncheon Menu

Wesley's Mother's Day Luncheon Menu

Hello everyone. Exciting horse race, huh? I spent the better part of the weekend at baseball games. Good thing I’m a sport. You must look at the positive sides of life. So this week’s positive side is that I have a mother whom I actually like. I’ll send her a basket from my website , she only lives down the street so maybe I’ll tell her to come pick it up herself .

Hope you have a sense of humor Mom (she is a subscriber).

Unfortunately I will not be able to cook a fabulous meal for her or take her out to brunch. My kid has a baseball tournament to play in. But I can give to you a fabulous menu suited for either lunch or dinner. We did a brunch a couple of weeks ago and you all know I hate breakfast food. Did ya’ll know I eat a cheeseburger for breakfast everyday? That’s why I run. So pick a convenient after breakfast time and invite your mom over. You should pour a nice wine with the meal or perhaps a fancy type of iced tea. My mother would require Chalone Chardonnay with the fish and Gevry Chambertain Burgundy with the lamb. That’s where I got my superior taste. Don’t let the recipes scare you. It’s easy.

Wesley’s Mother’s Day Luncheon:

Salmon in Phyllo

Pear and Watercress Salad

Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic Confit in Tomato Fondue

Gratin of New Potatoes Nicoise

Blueberry Ginger Custard Tart

Salmon in Phyllo:

2 lbs. Salmon fillet, skinned and boned and cut into 8 portions

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

Salt and pepper to taste

8 sheets phyllo dough

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

Fresh dill for garnish

Marinate salmon in lemon juice and dill for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, rubbing in well. This can be done several hours ahead of time. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take a sheet of phyllo dough. Combine melted butter and mustard and brush lightly over the phyllo. Put a strip of salmon at the long end of the dough. Fold phyllo over salmon and roll up. Two inches from the end of the sheet, tuck the sides in toward the middle. Finish rolling and place roll on buttered baking sheet, seam side down. Repeat with remaining salmon strips. This step can be done and hour ahead and refrigerated.

Combine egg yolk and heavy cream and brush pastry with this egg wash. Bake until phyllo is puffed and browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. At serving time, put pastry on a heated plate, garnish will dill and serve.

Pear and Watercress Salad:

2 bunches watercress, well washed and dried, stems removed

1 perfect pear

4 slices bacon, crisply cooked (buy it)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped, lightly toasted walnuts

2 ounces Roquefort cheese (or other blue cheese)

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons honey (buy it)

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1/4 cup hazelnut or walnut oil

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Dash Tabasco

2 tablespoons water

In mixing bowl, combine honey, mustard, and vinegar. Whisk in the oils, adding them in a slow stream. Add salt, pepper, and Tabasco to taste, and thin with water as needed to dressing consistency.

Place watercress in a large bowl. Quarter the pear lengthwise, remove core, and then cut pear wedges crosswise into thin slices. Add pear slices to watercress and crumble bacon over, then add walnuts. Toss with dressing and divide among 4 plates. Garnish with Roquefort cheese.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Garlic Confit in Tomato Fondue:

1 leg of lamb, about 6 lbs.

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon rosemary

2 teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed

Confit:

3/4 cup olive oil

2 large heads garlic, separated into cloves and peeled

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half crosswise

2 cups chicken stock

Fondue:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large shallots, peeled and finely minced

4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Season the lamb with salt and pepper, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary and rub with paprika and mustard. Make tiny slits along the bottom of the roast and insert bits of the garlic. Set aside at room temp for 2 hours. While the lamb is marinating, prepare the confit: In a small heavy saucepan, combine the olive oil and garlic cloves. Place over very low heat and stew for 1 1/2 hours, or until the garlic is pale beige and very soft. Remove from the heat and let cool in the oil. Remove it from the oil and transfer to the workbowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Reserve.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large flameproof baking dish, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Place the lamb together with the onion halves, cut side down, in the baking dish and spoon some of the melted butter over the lamb. Roast for 1 hour and 20 minutes or 12 minutes per pound, basting every 10 minutes with the stock.

While the lamb is roasting, prepare the fondue: In a heavy 10 inch skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, add the shallots and cook for 1 minute without browning. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until reduced to a thick puree. Add the reserved garlic puree and set aside. When the lamb is done, remove from the oven, transfer it to a platter, cover and keep warm.. Carefully degrease the pan juices  and return them to the baking dish. Place over high heat and add any remaining stock to the pan. Bring to a noil and reduce to 1/2 cup. Add the tomato garlic fondue and heat through.. Slice the roast and serve with the sauce.

Gratin of New Potatoes Nicoise:

1 pound small re new potatoes, unpeeled

5 tablespoons olive oil

2 large red onions, peeled, quartered, and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons finely minced fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 – 3/4 cup beef broth

3 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced crosswise1/2 cup black oil-cured olives, pitted and cut in half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the potatoes into 1/4 slices. In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, add the onions and 2 tablespoons of the thyme. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions start to soften. Add the potatoes and fold them into the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper and reserve. In a flameproof  rectangular or oval baking dish heat 2 tablespoons of the oil, add the garlic and spoon the potato mixture into the dish. Add 1/2 cup of the broth and top with overlapping slices of tomatoes. Add the remaining thyme and drizzle with the remaining oil. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. You may need to add the remaining broth depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes. When almost done sprinkle with the olives and continue to bake until done.

Blueberry Ginger Custard Tart:

3 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind

1 (1/2 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and mashed through a garlic press

1 cup hot heavy cream

1 prebaked 9 in tart shell in a pan with a removable bottom (recipe on the site)

Blueberries:

1 pint fresh blueberries, rinsed

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1/3 cup sugar

1 – 2 tablespoons cassis (optional)

Garnish:

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

Preheat the oven to 400. In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, lemon rind and ginger and whisk until well blended. Add the hot cream and again whisk until well blended. Transfer the mixture to a heavy bottomed 2 quart saucepan and place over medium low heat. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes or until the mixture is just hot. Immediately pour the custard into prepared tart shell and bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes, or until the custard is barely set. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

While the tart is cooling, prepare the blueberries. Combine the blueberries, lemon zest, and sugar in another heavy 2 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring often for 10 to 15 minutes or until the juices have reduced and the mixture has thickened. Remove the blueberry mixture form the heat, stir in cassis and let cool slightly. Pour the blueberry mixture over the top of the custard and spread to completely cover the entire surface. Set aside to cool. Just before serving sprinkle the fresh blueberries over the tart.