Dinner club

Dinner club was last night. YUMMY! Everything was fabulous!! I have requested everyones recipes, so as I get them, I will update this post.

Our menu was

Pre-Dinner drinks - Bellini's - Tabitha & Doug
Appetizer - Cheese tray - Me & Mike
Appetizer - Strawberry Bruschetta & Stuffed Mushrooms - Ashley & Chris
Soup - Italian Wedding Soup - Kris
Salad - Spinach Salad & Caprese Salad - Pam & Travis
Bread - Foccacia - Kat & Scott
Main Course - Lasagna - Terri & Rob
Dessert - Tiramisu Cake & Chocolate Toffee Trifle - Ana & Chris

We had a great time and all the food was so great.

For my part, I knew we were doing appetizers and drinks out on the patio. I wanted something people could pick up. I decided to do a cheese tray. Not the kind you pick up at the grocery store either!

I did 3 different presentations of cheeses. I did a bread pot 'fondue', marinated cheeses and then 3 different kinds of cheese truffles.


**I apologize about the quality of the picture. My good camera had a dead battery!

Marinated Cheeses

1 block mozzarella
1 block sharp cheddar
Olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Spices of your choice (I used basil and parsley)
Garlic

Cube cheeses and place with other ingredients to marinate. Marinate at least 6 hours before serving.

I put the cheeses on a bed of parsley and toothpicks to serve.
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Bread Pot Fondue

1 (1 pound) loaf round bread
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 (4 ounce) can diced green Chile peppers or diced jalapeno peppers
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350.Cut a circle in the top of the bread. Remove top, and set aside. Hollow out the loaf, reserving removed bread for dipping.
In a medium bowl, mix the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, green onions, peppers, and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon into the bread bowl, and replace the top. Wrap loaf tightly in foil, and place on a baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 1 hour. (if it isn't all the way hot at this point, you can scoop out the cheese into a microwave safe bowl and put in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then put it back in the bread. This is what I had to do this time!) Meanwhile, cut reserved bread into small pieces. Toss with oil and melted butter, and place on the baking sheet. Toast in oven until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.

In the picture, you can see the bread pieces for dipping; I had them in a separate bowl on the side.
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Cheese Truffles

Feta Truffles

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover mixture tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in parsley. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. *** Can be served with cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and whole almonds.

Blue Cheese Truffles

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled blue cheese
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in bacon. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. ***Can be served with apple and pear slices and grapes.

Goat Cheese Truffles

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 (4-oz.) container crumbled goat cheese
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans

Beat first 5 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well combined. Cover tightly, and chill at least 1 hour or until firm (can chill up to 3 days). Roll cheese mixture into 3/4-inch-round balls. Roll each ball in pecans. Serve immediately, or cover and chill until ready to serve. If chilled, let stand 30 minutes before serving. *** Can be served with dried figs and apricots.

My favorite of the 3 were the Feta ones. YUMMY!

OK, as promised, I am updating this post with other recipes that people have sent to me.

Strawberry Bruschetta

1 8-oz. baguette
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 4-oz. log goat cheese
1-1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup arugula
Olive oil
Sea salt or coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Snipped fresh herbs

Heat broiler. Halve baguette crosswise, then lengthwise. Place cut sides up on large baking sheet. Brush with the 1 tablespoon oil. Broil, 3 to 4 inches from heat, for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until lightly toasted. Slice and divide cheese among toasts. Top with sliced berries. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese and berries soften. Remove from broiler; top with arugula. Drizzle additional oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and herbs. Makes 4 servings.

*this is the recipe Ashley used, but she didn't have the arugula (couldn't find any), and she added balsamic vinegar. It was DELICIOUS as she had it. If and when I make these, I will do them exactly the same way. One of the best Hors devours I have had in a LONG TIME. Super yum.

Stuffed Mushrooms

1 pound 2-inch-wide stuffing mushrooms (about 14 to 16), cleaned
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons Madeira (she used marsala and used more than 2 T.)
1 1/4 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/4 cup creme fraiche (can use sour cream)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons water
**Ashley added bacon

Pop the stems from the mushrooms and reserve. Using a melon baller or spoon, gently scoop out any remaining stem from inside the mushroom caps. Set the caps aside. Finely chop the stems and bits from the caps (there should be about 1 1/4 cups).

Melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add the Madeira and thyme and cook until dry. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a medium bowl and cool slightly.

Add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, creme fraiche, and parsley to the mushroom mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil the bottom and sides of a skillet that is just large enough for the mushroom caps to fit snugly inside in a single layer. Pour the water into the skillet. Brush the outside of the caps with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Set the caps, smooth side-down, in the skillet. Divide the filling evenly among the caps. Drizzle the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bake until the mushroom caps are soft and cooked and the filling is browned, about 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve hot or at room temperature.

She also made a sauce to go with it from marsala, butter, flour, beef stock, salt and pepper. DELISH!