The Language of Flowers

When we met to discuss, The Language of Flowers, written by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, spring in Colorado had just begun.  (I am bit behind on my blogging!)  This debut book by Ms. Diffenbaugh was a perfect theme for our gardening dreams for the upcoming season.  It is a wonderful book about a young woman named Victoria who hopes to be adopted by a woman who is an avid gardener named Elizabeth.  Ms. Diffenbaugh, herself a foster mother, uses adoption, foster homes, emancipation, homelessness, single motherhood and attachment disorder as discussion points throughout her book.  She also helped found an advocacy group, called the Camellia Network, which supports youth who are aging out of the foster care system.  At the back of The Language of Flowers,  a flower dictionary was compiled which was modeled after a similar one from 1885.  We hope you enjoy The Language of Flowers as much as we did.

Now on to the food!  Here are our recipes from that delightful evening . . .

 Stuffed Clams
1 can diced clams, reserve 2-3 tablespoons of liquid
1 cup bread crumbs
½ stick butter, melted
½ cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon diced capers, 1-2 teaspoons of liquid
2-3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Salt/pepper to taste
4 clam shells
Mix all ingredients together, add enough of liquids so that ingredients stick together and are moist, but not overly so.  Spoon mixture into clams shells, bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes until top is slightly browned and crispy.  Serve warm.  Sprinkle hot sauce of choice, if desired.

Grilled Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon
4 large shrimp per person, shelled
Wrap ½ slice bacon around each shrimp
Grill on medium/high heat until bacon is cooked, but not overly crispy

*We served the shrimp with a box of Rice-a-Roni in honor of Victoria's struggle to support herself at times, with nutritious food.



Mixed Greens with Grapes and Feta Cheese
Ingredients: 
• 5 ounces mixed salad greens (about 7 cups) 
• 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese 
• 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
• ¾ cup Kalamata olives-sliced
• 1 cup roasted pecans or walnuts 
• 3-4 slices broken up crispy bacon
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped mint
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
I used Country French Vinaigrette Dressing Base from Penzeys Spices.
*Garnish with Nasturtium flowers, Viola petals or other edible flowers.

Berry Crisp
For the filling:
6 cups (3 pints) berries of your choice - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch (add an extra teaspoon if you prefer a thicker filling)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
For the topping:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Make the filling by mixing the berries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt in a bowl.  Transfer mixture to an 8-inch baking dish.

Make the topping next by stirring together the flour, oats, baking powder and salt.  Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until pale and fluffy.  Stir dry ingredients into butter.  Using your hands, squeeze topping pieces together into clumps.

Sprinkle topping evenly over filling.  Bake until bubbling in center and brown on top, about 1 hour.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes before serving.  Great with a really good quality vanilla ice cream!

Mrs. Kennedy and Us!

In January, we read a very endearing book - Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill.  Mr. Hill, as Jacqueline Kennedy called him, was the Secret Service agent assigned to her during President Kennedy's administration.  The book is filled with wonderful stories about the Kennedys life both within and outside the White House.  Mr. Hill grew to  cherish Mrs. Kennedy and all of her idiosyncrancies, like spur of the moment trips abroad.  Must have been a nightmare for the Secret Service!

One of our members found a link to dinner menus which were served at the White House during the Kennedy administration.  Here's the link . . . peruse it if you can, really fun!
http://www.pinkpillbox.com/menus.htm

For our dinner menu (!) we chose Poulet Chasseur and Courrone de Riz Clamart (chicken and rice).  It was delicious.  We also added a fresh veggie green salad and of course, petit fours for dessert - we purchased the dessert at a local bakery in Littleton.  Here's the recipes for this delicious dish . . .


Poulet Chasseur
(adapted from “White House recipe”)
 4-6 servings
Ingredients
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper
• 2-2 1/2 pounds dark and white meat chicken cut into serving pieces
• 3 tbsp each olive oil and butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups mushrooms-thickly sliced
• 4-5 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 3/4 cup white or red wine
• 1 3/4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 2 tsp tomato paste
• pinch sugar
• salt and pepper-to taste
Can add chopped celery, carrots and bell peppers
Directions
Rinse and pat dry chicken. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Dredge the chicken in flour mixture.
In large deep skillet or Dutch oven, heat half of the oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Remove chicken from heat and keep warm.
Reduce heat to medium; add remaining oil and butter to skillet. Add onions and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes until mushrooms are wilted and browned.
 Add wine and tomatoes, cook, stirring to scrape up any brown bits, for 1 minute or until liquid is somewhat cooked down. Stir in stock, herbs, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper-to taste.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20-30 minutes or until chicken is tender.


Courrone de Riz Clamart 
(Adapted from “White House recipe”)
Makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
• 2 tsp butter
• 1/2 cup each finely chopped red and green pepper
• 3 cups cooked long grain rice
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
• 1 cup cooked and well drained baby peas
Directions
In skillet, melt half the butter over medium-high heat. Add peppers, cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Reserve
In bowl, gently stir together rice, eggs, Parmesan cheese, chicken stock and parsley. Stir in peppers, tomato, salt and pepper.
Spoon rice mixture into generously buttered 1 quart round tube mold or Bundt pan, packing down gently with spoon. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned.
Remove from oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Invert over serving platter over top of mold and turn out rice mixture. Toss peas with remaining butter, spoon into center of rice ring.

Turn Right at Machu Pichu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time

The book, Turn Right at Machu Pichu:  Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams was read by most (!) of us in December.  We can't say it was our favorite pick of the year, but the food was delicious!  Our dinner was focused around foods you probably would find in Peru.  I say "probably" because only one of us has actually traveled to Peru and seen Machu Pichu.  Our main course was Peruvian Roasted Chicken which was absolutely delish as my Aunt Ruby would have said.  Before dinner we enjoyed yummy Pisco Sour cocktails served with Roasted Red Pepper, Sun-Dried Tomato and Bean Dip.  Dessert consisted of a fresh, seasonal fruit dressed with freshly squeezed lime juice.  Are you getting the feeling that we enjoy our dinners sometimes more than the books we read??????  And as always, wine was part of our meal - this time, wine from South America, of course!

Recipes are as follows . . .


Peruvian Roasted Chicken
1 whole chicken, rinsed and seasoned with Peruvian Chile Lime Seasoning (found at Savory Spice Shop in Littleton, Colorado)
Use roasting dish that has a cup in the middle, fill will liquid of choice (beer, lime juice, water, etc). Place chicken vertically on cup.
Roast at 350 degrees until internal temperature is 180 degrees (about 1 1/2 hours)

Sauce
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1-2 tbls fresh lime juice
Cilantro to taste (sauce should have light green color)
Jalapeno to taste
Place all ingredients in blender, process until smooth
Sauce is spooned over chicken slices.


Roasted Red Pepper, Sun-Dried Tomato, and Bean  Dip
Makes 2 ½ cups dip
Ingredients:
2 large red bell peppers
5-6 sun-dried tomato halves, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can (15 oz.) can white Cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp. low-fat mayonnaise
1 tsp. dry oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. parsley
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chili powder or pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:
Cut peppers in half and remove seeds and ribs. Oil all sides. Grill peppers over open flame, or under broiler until skins are evenly blackened, turning often, about 5 minutes. Alternate is to roast on pan at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Pull skin off with fingers and discard. Coarsely chop peppers.

Place peppers in food processor or blender and pureé. Add beans, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, mayonnaise, and herbs. Mix till smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with vegetables, crackers or bread. Dip is best if it sits an hour before serving. It keeps up to 3 days, tightly covered, in the refrigerator or can be frozen.

Fresh Fruit Salad
For this salad I used fresh, seasonal fruit such as oranges, apples, raspberries, blackberries, and pears.  Larger fruits were cut into bite size pieces then dressed with freshly squeezed juice from 1 to 2 limes.  Delish!