My mom made a delicious and super easy pork tenderloin with saffron. I think it's Ecuadorian. My father has her recipes and can't see well enough to find it and read it to me. It's kind of expensive because of the saffron. I also make a pork tenderloin with an apricot/chili salsa on the side that is also deliious. Pork tenderloin is an undersung hero. It's more flavorful than a beef tenderloin, also cheaper and more petite and takes to bold flavoring well. With the pork, one of the amazing dishes from the potato contest, maybe a gratin, another vegetable, a salad and an extravaganza dessert like individual trifles. Champagne. I also have made an Elizabeth David recipe for pork tenderloin sliced and pan sautéed with prunes, can't remember which book but I think French Provincial Cooking. Please let us know yr menu, the only three part sounds so fun since you can make things that aren't practical for a crowd.
Theres a porcini crusted tenderloin, which I've made with success. It would be great with some spinach simply sautéed with garlic, and a potato galette. Something light to start (carrot soup, thinly sliced persimmons paired with ricotta or goat cheese) and would round things out well. (some dessert ideas that spring to mind are fall flavored ice cream and or a fruit crisp)
I second the rack of lamb. I've done that before with the chops cut into individual chops. Marinaded in balsamic vinegar, garlic and oil.
And cooked over a bed of oak in the fire place with a rigged up BBQ castiron grill from outside and bricks.
Then a salad with blue cheese (or feta), pomegranate seeds, walnuts and greek or lemon based dressing. Christmas Rice, lightly sauteed zucchinis, and Humus and naan bread grilled on the oak fire.
I like the nettle one too, but I think it's their spring cheese. I was thinking that Devil's Gulch would be a good option for stuffed peppers--every now and then you get a pop of heat from the pepper flakes.
I'm cooking a small dinner for four (including myself). The menu is:
Peppadew peppers stuffed with Cowgirl Creamery cheese
Escarole soup
Olive stuffed duck breast, radically adapted from a Richard Olney recipe.
Panettone
Souffle! Julia Child's instructions are excellent. A salad with bitter greens and citrus or pomegranate, some nice bread, and some roasted squash would go well along side that.
If you prefer beef, a small Beef Wellington with a killer sauce would be great.
With potatoes gratin: http://food52.com/blog/8910-how-to-make-potato-gratin-without-a-recipe
A steamed green veg (string beans, asparagus, peas, broccoli) with a little butter, salt & pepper
A festive salad (add fresh or dried fruit, nuts, cheese)
For the Beef Wellington, Cook's Illustrated has a great recipe. (In fact they have a whole menu to go with the Beef W.) But you need to sign up for their 14-day trial to access the recipe and for this category of recipes, you have to provide a credit card number. You can cancel online before the end of the 14-day period. But they have how-to photos, pix, you know the recipe has been well-tested, etc. So it's worth the little bit of work.
A small beef tenderloin is wonderful with béarnaise sauce. Classic wedge salad with blue cheese & cheesy tomatoes or a pear gorgonzola candies pecan salad & creamy mashed potatoes and sautéed garlic spinach. So many choices, but this is treat for my husband & I.
If you like scallops, here's a classic version of Coquilles St. Jacques, often served at Christmas. There are versions out there that use Gruyere or other cheese to make it more like a gratin, but that's blasphemy and ruins the poor scallops - don't add cheese!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Coquilles-St-Jacques-with-Beurre-Blanc-104758
It's a rich dish, so you might want to do any sides very simply, like a steamed green vegetable. Peas and lettuce would be in keeping with the French bent. With a nice salad and good baguette, that would be a lovely meal.
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And cooked over a bed of oak in the fire place with a rigged up BBQ castiron grill from outside and bricks.
Then a salad with blue cheese (or feta), pomegranate seeds, walnuts and greek or lemon based dressing. Christmas Rice, lightly sauteed zucchinis, and Humus and naan bread grilled on the oak fire.
Peppadew peppers stuffed with Cowgirl Creamery cheese
Escarole soup
Olive stuffed duck breast, radically adapted from a Richard Olney recipe.
Panettone
With potatoes gratin: http://food52.com/blog/8910-how-to-make-potato-gratin-without-a-recipe
A steamed green veg (string beans, asparagus, peas, broccoli) with a little butter, salt & pepper
A festive salad (add fresh or dried fruit, nuts, cheese)
For the Beef Wellington, Cook's Illustrated has a great recipe. (In fact they have a whole menu to go with the Beef W.) But you need to sign up for their 14-day trial to access the recipe and for this category of recipes, you have to provide a credit card number. You can cancel online before the end of the 14-day period. But they have how-to photos, pix, you know the recipe has been well-tested, etc. So it's worth the little bit of work.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Coquilles-St-Jacques-with-Beurre-Blanc-104758
It's a rich dish, so you might want to do any sides very simply, like a steamed green vegetable. Peas and lettuce would be in keeping with the French bent. With a nice salad and good baguette, that would be a lovely meal.
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Delicious, a small "roast" each ... and not a lot of effort nor cooking time.
What is your budget? Any preferences for meat vs fish, etc.?