Card Sharks

[mixfinder]

I play with two games groups and Friday night was the Camaraderie July dinner.

On the menu:

Raisin Lemon Brioche
OatBread
Onion Dill

Chicken Salad with Roasted Walnuts
Watermelon Salad
Manadarin Broccoli Salad

Macaroon Poundcake
Grilled Fruit Compote
Creme Friache

Chocolate Phantoms
Raspberry Linzer Bars
Lemon Bars

Lemon Birthday Cake

Water Melon Salad

1/2 seedles melon, cut into large chunks
1 medium sweet onion, sliced thin
2 T minced Fresh Mint
8 ounces crumbled Feta Cheese
salt
pepper
1 c white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Peel and cut watermelon. Salt lightly. Place in colander to drain for 10 minutes. Place sliced onion in vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce to 1/2 cup. Cool. Toss watermelon with pepper and mint. One a large serving platter, layer the melon with feta. Arrange onions over the top and combine oil with reduced vinegar. Drizzle over watermelon. The flavor is much improved with a prechilled melon. Garnish with Mint leaves.

Note: For a sweet melon, always look at the spot that lays on the ground. If the melon is ripe it turns to a deep yellew. If it is green, the spot will be decidely white. The wider the strips of yellowish white, between the stripes of green, indicate the melon is more fully grown as the stripes represent the bursting or growth of the flesh. Promise me you won't go around poking, smelling, shaking and thumping melons, like a crazed housewife. It is like a man kicking tires in the used car lot.
Kelly

 

[bajaespuma]

On the watermelon salad: try a variation by substituting large shavings of parmiggiano reggiano and instead of fresh mint leaves use basil.

Can I ask for the recipe for the macaroon poundcake? That sounds wicked!!!!

 

[mixfinder]

Macaroon Poundcake

1c Crisco
1/2c butter
3c sugar (divided)
6 eggs (separated)
3c cake flour
1t salt
1T vanilla
1c coconut milk (Ethnic Food Section)
2c grated fresh or frozen coconut (Asian Market)
Cream shortening, butter and 2c sugar until sugar dissolves (10) minutes. Beat in egg yolks, one at a time. Whip until fluffy. (If using a Kitchenaid to make cakes, always use the whip to do the creaming) Combine flour with salt and add, one cup at a time, to creamed mixture, alternating with coconut milk that has been mixed with vanilla. Mix until just combined.
In a clean bowl, whith clean beaters, whip egg whites until foamy and slowly whip in remaining 1c sugar. Whip until stiff peaks form. Add 1/2 the egg whites to the batter to lighten and then fold in remaining egg whites, with coconut. Pile into a greased, but not floured tube pan and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours.