Wednesday, June 11, 2014

simple dinners

Wednesday, June 11

My friend Lynne joined me for a casual dinner a couple of nights ago, After a full day's work in the garden I didn;t feel like putting on a big production, so it was relaxed and uncomplicated. We sat on the deck for a glass of wine and a couple of cheeses, an Arena and some aged asiago. We went in for dinner - cod baked with roasted peppers. kalamata olives, lemon slices and halved grape tomatoes, with a few spring onions  and seasoned with fresh greek oregano. With the fish I served baking potatoes that had been sliced at intervals, but not all the way through. Into the slits I inserted garlic and fresh sage leaves, then put them in a baking dish, poured a modest amount of olive oil over them and they baked for forty-five minutes. So good. And some broccoli steamed just until tender. Lynne loves rhubarb so I made tarts by cooking the cut-up rhubarb in a mix of brandy, water, lemon juice and spices, the top note being ginger. Sugar was kept to a minimum.  When the fruit was cooked I took it off the stove,,cooled it in its liquid, then drained it and boiled down the cooking liquid to the consistency  of a glaze. Into a fully baked crust a spooned the rhubarb then brushed it generously with the wonderfully aromatic glaze. She loved it. Dinner with a close friend, pure joy.