Friday

The Novel Bakers ~ Gathering in the Garden, Finale




Once again I'm pulling something from the archives in order to participate
in the Novel Bakers party, celebrating
"Gathering in the Garden"
 by Shelley Snow and Elizabeth Husband.

This was a romantic dinner for two from a couple of years ago . . .





The two dishes I  chose to make from the book
are not really suitable for a romantic occasion,
as you'll see . . .







~ but they seemed appealing to me. 
 

Please browse through the garden/table pictures if 
you'd like and I'll meet you down at the
bottom of the post with the FOOD!  :D























"City of London" roses, easy to grow with lots of small blooms.














































































Thanks for taking the tour!


Alrighty then ~

I drew from 3 different chapters
in the book for the finale.


The first dish is from Chapter Two entitled
"The Indoor-Outdoor Picnic"~ (All of the food
in this particular chapter can be made ahead.)


I made the Foggy San Francisco Roll-Ups, but
varied the ingredients just a bit.





I used extra large spinach wraps,
spread with herbed creamed cheese, thinly sliced
deli-turkey, roasted red peppers, chopped fresh
spinach and finely grated cheese, rolled the tortilla up,
wrapped in cling film and refrigerated until firm,
then sliced and sprinkled with chopped chives.


Easy peasy.


~*~*~*~*~



This next one is especially not romantic ~ I don't
believe there is any way to eat corn on the cob in
a demure manner. 


But ~

since corn is in season right now I chose
the recipe from Chapter Five ~
(Covered Dish Country Supper) 
  "Roasted Corn on the Cob with
Cayenne Lime Butter".






The corn is roasted in it's own husk ~
the husk is peeled back, silk removed and then
the cobs are soaked in water to cover for at least
an hour.  Remove the corn cobs from water and brush the kernels
with melted butter seasoned with lime juice and zest , cayenne
pepper and salt.

Smooth the husks back up over the cob to envelop the
corn kernels.  Tie with twine and grill, turning often
for about 20 minutes.





When done remove twine and husks.

I slightly overcooked these ~ gah!






I pulled the husks back, trimmed and tied them
and voila ~ a handy holder, (at least at one end of
the cob.)






Serve with additional seasoned butter if desired.
I made butter curls and simply sprinkled with a little 
cayenne pepper and grated lime zest.


I recommend the cayenne-lime butter even
if you steam the corn ~ it's an interesting
change from the usual.






And for a dessert that probably would go nicely
with the romantic setting ~ I chose from 
Chapter Twelve; "Top of the Hill Birthday". 

The suggestion is to take it easy and buy a
cake and decorate it with flowers ~ I like that idea!

 
Except I didn't see a suitable cake at the bakery, but
a couple of other items caught my attention ~







The bakery calls them 'Victorian Cups'








A two-flavor chocolate shell filled with a
very light chocolate mousse and decorated
with glazed fresh fruit and a rolled chocolate straw.

*sigh*



And then this little cutie caught my eye ~





A dark chocolate teacup filled with
mocha mousse, garnished with whipped
cream and three expresso beans.

All fun ~ but very, very rich!


~ A sweet, and easy ending to a cute book.


~*~*~*~*~

And this week, the Hydrangeas are just about finished 
blooming and I wanted to share.








Please check out the other Novel Bakers,
I'm sure you'll love what they have in store
for you!


a quiet life blog


Home is Where the Boat is


Rattlebridge Farm




I'm also joining Foodie Friday at
Rattlebridge Farm ~ click the link to
see what's cooking.



Thank you for coming by today!



~*~*~*~*~


Tabletop Sources:
Blue Bistro Table and Chairs : Stonewall Kitchen
Vintage Quilt: My MIL *heart*
Chargers: Neiman Marcus/Horchow
Flatware: Comptoir de Famille, France
Dinner & Salad Plates: American Atelier; Baroque
Napkins: April Cornell
Soup Bowls, Blue Vase, Candle holder ~ all vintage







10 comments:

  1. I loved my little tour:)

    Your allée will always please me..
    The quilts.. I know their name and cannot remember..it has something to do with wedding bands?:) Perhaps I am wrong..:)

    I should use my quilts..I just don't think my daughters Sunbonnet Sues could be appropriate:)

    The corn made me smile..of course you know why..

    ..
    Days gone by..I remember summers where that is all I wanted to eat..

    Those rolls look delish delish.. and how cute is that cup?
    You found that already made?

    Cute cute..
    Candlelight is so pretty..
    My friend..Nancy..even lights them in the day at her new appartment for us..:)

    Your white Baroque setting.. 2 of them were given to us for an Anniversary from F's mom..I still love them..and your tureens are so pretty..
    Have a great weekend Mary~


    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mari~ SWOON! What a glorious finale! I'm SO glad you included this glorious table and garden setting with the book, I hadn't seen it before! I'm dazzled by the wonderful quilt, beautiful dishes, sparkling crystal and dappled sunlight on the table...*sigh*... then you add a bubbling fountain, beautiful roses and take us into evening with twinkling lights! I'm entranced, it's such a magical setting! Your food is always perfection, your SF Roll-Ups make my rainy days ones look anemic in comparison. Your butter curls are beautiful... Your little cups are the perfect ending to this wonderful post along with that beautiful hydrangea! Thank you for sharing your talents, I will look forward to revisiting this again!

    P.S. My link to yours still goes to day two since it doesn't have the GITG tag.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for the cozy and lovely setting. I would like to sit there for a few hours.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Mare...you never ever dissapoint.
    Did I ever read that you have a show?
    I appreciate the work that goes into everything you do.

    It gives you hope that the world will slow down and let us have the time to emulate what you do for the people we love.
    It's your gift and nobody does it like you do.

    Mary Burns

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh My Glory be to the Father ! As one Gardener to another...your garden is magnificent ! And as one formal gardener entertainer to another...Table scape fine china & cut crystal magnificent...I use a quilt as well. It's so nice for me to see that i am not alone and we are Kindred Spirits...I know first hand how much labour of Love is in this your beautiful garden. Thank you so kindly for sharing all this beauty...not to mention the divine foods. you are a true master !

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a beautiful setting, so full of romance! When you lit the candles for dinner I almost swooned, so enchanting! Of course you topped it all off with the blooms and photos of mouthwatering recipes, leaving us dreaming of a chocolate treat in your secret garden! thank you for all these beautiful posts!
    Jenna

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love the table - reminds me of Italy.

    Quilts make lovely tablecloths and the whole setting is lovely.
    Edible chocolate teacups?!
    Over
    the
    top!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I want to say how much I enjoy your blog - Beautifully prepared and displayed food, the best in gardening, and photography that I only wish I could achieve.

    Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon
    MakeMineLemon

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh my goodness, thank you so much for your wonderful comments!

    Bonjour Nana. xo

    Hello Jain! Hope you're enjoying great weather.

    Mary@Home is where the Boat is, you are the QUEEN of outdoor tablescapes and settings! (And thank you for the correction about the link.)

    rs, I would love to have you!

    Judith, thank you for your lovely words... I do believe gardeners are some of the kindest people on earth, and your comment proves it. ;)

    Hi Jenna! So sweet of you, thank you for your comments.

    Colette (love your name!) I must admit, we shared one of the Victorian Cups, and gave the rest away. Just one was really, really rich ~ I don't know how one person could finish one in a single sitting!

    Madonna, you always leave the nicest comments. :)

    Thank you again everybody, you've made my month! xoxo

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comments, friends ~ they make my day!

A Sampling of my food . . .

Subscribe:

 Subscribe in a reader...or

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner