A Parisian Dinner Alfresco

Monday night is family dinner with my folks. It's been that way since the boys were small, because that was when Duane stayed the night away on his job. As a treat we would go there and I didn't have to cook! The boys ave grown up, and two are married, now it's like feeding a Mongol hoard ;). I contribute breads and desserts and do the whole meal at least once a month. The Monday after I came back from Paris the weather was absolutely sublime. I decided we would eat outside.

My picnic table is a thing of wonder. I've said how my hubby drives down south every day on his job. Well, it's crazy the things he finds. Case in point, a little town had picnic tables that had been painted with the wrong kind of paint and they were all shedding like cats (or dogs). So they took them to the recycling center and were simply going to make new ones! Luckily my hubby also pulls a 30 foot long trailer, 'cause he had them load a 10 foot one up for my folks, and a 15 foot one up for me!

I was all ready and excited to sand and paint it, and then the hubby got cancer. I really have no memory of last summer except sitting in the clinic for hours every day. It wasn't until fall, when his treatments were over and life began to cautiously assume a kind of normalcy that I worked on the table. I sand with a belt sander, but that paint had turned to a gooey tar that stuck to everything and rolled up. So I got it as well as I could and covered it with the outdoor paint that I used on our doors. I love it! But it only got used once before winter. Poor table.

This spring I was determined to use it more. I even sit out there with a sweet and some coffee and watch my silly chickens. But on this day I was having a party. I was going to go French and serve the family all the wonderful tins of pates that I brought back from Paris. But first I went for a walk down the dirtroad and cut big bouquets of daisies and Queen Anne's Lace for the table. I love the sweet and dainty look of such hard-as-nails flowers.

 Then I made everything I could beforehand. This is just a fresh mozzarella ball sliced along with baby tomatoes. I made a balsamic vinaigrette and grabbed handfuls of herbs from my front bed. The cheese I just stuffed with whole basil leaves- Seth and I love them.

 I put it on a platter with rosemary crackers. Beside it is a wooden server my Pop made me, holding Red cheddar, Manchego sheep cheese, and a Parmesan soaked in red wine, along with shaved Iberico ham. The platter holds two kinds of homemade bread, soft french loaf and crusty baguette. Oh, and the blue pot holds a huge batch of French garlic soup. When I was at a loss as what to make to accompany our nibbles, Seth suggested the soup. He said that everyone liked it and it would be light enough to compliment everything. He is the person I listen to about food.

 These are the pates from Paris. To list just a couple: venison with bilberries, duck breast with sauternes, and pork with walnuts in Perigord. They were delicious and a big hit! Everyone had a favorite, mine was the venison.

 And this is what happens when you say, "Everyone smile at Moma!" The oldest and youngest do their best man-stares.

 The dinner was a real combination of high and low- we ate on china and silver, but had plastic cups. We had pates from Paris, and for the main course had a French peasant's dish of Garlic Soup. But it was all lovely. And here is some serious talk, you can tell by the arm motions...

 But then they realize that it's time to serve themselves and all thought of conversation is gone.

 Nana is having to read off the names for Pop as he starts in spreading his first taste. Will's plate is already bursting.

 I didn't even have any soup, I was too busy enjoying the pates and cheeses. But I was very excited for dessert! I had picked a huge amount of honeysuckle blossoms to infuse into cream for a Honeysuckle and Lemon Curd Pannacotta. Not only did it set up (I had to do a happy squeal and clap my hands!) but it tasted wonderful. I wondered about the texture, because it sets up with gelatin and I am NOT a jello person. But this was lovely, firm but creamy and sweet, with a perfectly tart lemon base. I would make this again! I will post the recipe at a later date.

 Look at all those gorgeous little vanilla bean seeds.

 I was so ecstatic about the success of the pannacotta that I hardly even remembered the other dessert. I made homemade yeast donuts with a vanilla nutmeg glaze. Again- a high class and a humble...

 Still snacking on the last bits.

 And everyone was still happy to just sit and talk into the evening.

I love these people so much I can't even express it. I try to show it with food, and on this night, it felt like it said just what I had in my heart.