The Soup of the week is Creamy Zuchinni and Potato. This is one of my favorites for when my garden produces more bounty than I can handle. My kids still won't eat it but I enjoy it. Grilled zucchini, in a creamy broth with diced potatoes, fresh basil, a little dill.
The appetizer is a Beef Tenderloin Vol-Au-Vent. Now I promised some of you that I would stop using fancy french terms for food, but I suppose I let you down with this one. A vol-au-vent is a pastry shell baked and then filled with something yummy-- in this case grilled beef tenderloin, mushrooms, sweet onions and garlic. This is served warm, and we have a reduction of port wine as a sauce.
The cheese this week is Taleggio. This soft-rind Italian cheese dates back to at least the 10th century, and takes its name from the valley in which it is made. The texture is soft and creamy, similar to a Brie but with a much more pronounced flavor and a distinctive aroma reminiscent of truffles. We are serving this with fig jam and fresh bread.
At Dinner this week, we have Grilled Mahi Mahi with Curry Coconut Sauce, snow peas and sticky rice cake. Mahi Mahi is a firm-fleshed fish, well-suited to grilling or broiling. The name comes from Hawaii, but this fish is found worldwide in relatively warm waters. This one is great news for both chefs and fisherman, as it is found close to shore, yields a lot of delicious meat and is not considered endangered. In Florida where I grew up this was called a Dolphinfish. The name was misleading as this fish has absolutely no relation to the cute and intelligent mammals we know as dolphins, and Mahi sounded a lot better on menus. Some chefs have taken to calling this fish by an even older Spanish name "Dorado" but I feel like the waters have been muddied enough here.
We have Grilled Lamb Chops with Tomatillo Mint Salsa this week. The lamb is from New Zealand, I would love to highlight Colorado lamb as we move into August, but at a price of $27/ pound wholesale I think we may use our budget elsewhere. Tomatillos are a small, sour but flavorful member of the tomato family and we toss them with garden mint, cilantro, honey and sea salt for a nice sweet and sour complement to the lamb. Colorado green beans and roasted fingerling potatoes finish this one.
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, July 25th: Sip & Savor
Friday, July 29th: Blockbuster Summer Movie-- Grease (The Musical)
Friday, August 12th: Farmers' Market Events
