I'm going to try to break down how I set up the menu and include the recipes I used. I made the whole menu vegetarian so the bride could try everything. Three of the recipes I'd never made before, but everything turned out perfectly and was soooo good. We did not miss the meat one bit. Here we go...
three dips:
My grocery sells french rounds (essentially thin slices of a french baguette, brushed with olive oil, and baked), as well as olive tapenade and spinach artichoke dip. These were all bought, and then I only had to make the
white bean + parsley dip the night before. I've blogged about
that recipe before, since it's one of my favorites.
finger foods:
This
asparagus + gruyere tart was a new recipe I found, and it is a keeper. The tart looks really beautiful when it is cooked, but it is also simple to make - only 3 ingredients!
Roasted pepper + goat cheese sandwiches became the vegetarian "main course" of the shower. I roasted the peppers and marinated them overnight (let it be known that roasting peppers is a
hot endeavor, and buying them in a jar would make this recipe more simple). I did substitute kalamata olives for the capers because the extra capers would have gone to waste in my kitchen. The morning of the shower, these sandwiches were just quick assembly - spread goat cheese on ciabatta bread, add basil leaves, olives, peppers, red onion. done.
They had incredible flavor from the marinade, herbs, and were a huge hit.
Pesto pea salad was also quick assembly right before the shower. I recommend mixing the spinach and pesto first, then adding the peas, parmesan and pine nuts (so they don't end up at the bottom of your salad bowl). If you have enough basil to make the pesto - go for it! I was running short on time, so I bought mine.
sweets:
Lemon yogurt cake is a three-step dessert that ends up being moist, tart and light all at once. Since Zach doesn't love lemon, I try to make it when I know he won't be around. The recipe starts with an easy cake batter (no mixer needed!), a lemon simple syrup poured over the hot cake, and then a glaze to finish it off. I made the cake the night before, but added the glaze when I woke up the morning of the shower. Berries are so good with the tart lemon flavor.
Crisp
elephant ears (miniature size) were a last minute addition the morning of the shower. Since I had an extra puff pastry leftover after the asparagus tart, I decided to make these pastries to serve with coffee. Only 3 ingredients and these some baking time turned out a French pastry success (and the cinnamon is optional). I would totally recommend making them just for fun.
p.s. See more photos of the shower in yesterday's post! Want more brunch or shower recipes? Try this post.
