When my mom first started taking us to lunch at Frederick and Nelson we always dressed up to go shopping and to lunch. Gloves, hat, dresses and heels for mom. Dresses, ruffly anklet socks and black patent Mary Jane shoes for us, of course we were young then, as we got older we still had to wear dresses.
Some of the items on the menu were chicken salad sandwiches. The bread was usually always white and the crusts were without exception cut off. Shrimp cocktails, french onion soup, club sandwiches, salads (such as Cobb, Crab and Chef), pies, cakes and ice cream.
Wouldn't it be fun to invite all your girlfriends over for a vintage luncheon? You could have all the gals wear gloves, vintage hats and lots of pearls because that's what our mama's wore back then. I have a vast collection of vintage hats (hundreds of them). Set up round tables throughout your house, white table cloths of course, linen napkins and here is your chance to bring out the "good" dishes, crystal and silver. Fill the table with beautiful vases of springtime flowers and play some vintage tunes such as; Johnny Mathis, Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Diana Shore and more current music by Diana Krall.
I hope you enjoy the recipes listed below and have a delightful luncheon with your gal friends. Serve coffee and iced tea, as well as this delicious punch listed below. Hugs!
Southern Luncheon Punch
1 cup Brandy
1 cup Triple Sec
1/2 cup Chambord
2 cups unsweetened pineapple juice
1 qt. chilled ginger ale
2 (750 ml) bottles of dry champagne
In a bowl add triple sec, brandy, chambord and pineapple juice, mix and cover refrigerating for 4 hours to chill. When ready to serve get a nice punch bowl, add chilled mixture, chilled ginger ale and champagne to bowl with ice cubes and don't let any of the ladies drive home!
Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus with Fresh Lemon Aioli
24 asparagus spears, trimmed of tough ends
24 thin prosciutto slices
2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
2 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon Aioli
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. Dijon
1 1/4 cups olive oil
2 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Steam asparagus for just a couple of minutes for crisp/tender asparagus, remove from steamer and plunge in ice water. Remove from water and place on paper towels to drain. Wrap each asparagus spear with prosciutto. Place on a platter and sprinkle with salt, pepper, lemon zest, parsley and drizzle with olive oil. For aioli; Take a bowl and wrap the bottom with a clean kitchen towel. Add egg yolks and mustard to bowl and briskly whisk to combine. Whisk in olive oil in a constant steady stream whisking until thick, then whisk in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Serve in a pretty bowl placed on platter surrounded by asparagus.
Easy Cucumber Appetizers
2 English cucumbers
2/3 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped finely
1 cup goat cheese, soft
1/4 cup fresh pesto
pine nuts for garnish
Remove ends from cucumbers and with a vegetable peeler peel strips of green part from cucumber, so you have stripes. Cut into 1/2 inch sliced rounds and place on paper towels to drain. In a bowl, mix sun dried tomatoes with a little of the oil, goat cheese and pesto, season with salt and pepper. If mixture is too stiff, add a little more sun dried tomato oil and mix. Either pipe or spoon on about 1 heaping teaspoonful of mixture onto each of the cucumber rounds and add a couple of pine nuts for garnish.
Herb and Cheese Biscuits
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. baking soda
8 Tbl. Crisco, chilled
4 Tbl. fresh chives, minced
4 Tbl. fresh parsley, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
In a bowl combine flour, salt, pepper, baking powder and baking soda. Cut in Crisco until you get coarse crumbs. Add herbs and stir in eggs, buttermilk and cheese. Turn out onto lightly floured work surface and knead briefly. Roll dough into 1/2 inch thickness and cut out with small round cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake in 450 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Note: You can serve these with butter or use as an appetizer with sweet honey mustard and thin slices of baked ham - my favorite way!
Crab and Papaya Salad - this is adapted from a dish I used to get at a cafe in Del Mar, CA and sorry to say I have forgot the name of the place, but it went out of business
3 cups fresh papaya, peeled and seeded, chopped
1 lb. fresh Dungeness crab meat or crab meat of your choice (you can also use lobster)
3 large Haas avocados, peeled, seeded and chopped (spritz with fresh lime juice)
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
3 Tbl. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. lime zest
1 Tbl. honey
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Whisk dressing ingredients together, taste and adjust seasonings. In a bowl gently mix crab, papaya and avocado together with mint. Pour in some dressing and gently toss. Line plates with Boston lettuce and spoon on crab mixture. Serve with warm soft dinner rolls or biscuits.
Southern Ambrosia Salad - love this
2 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges, drained well
1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks, drained well
2 naval oranges, zested, peeled, pith removed and sectioned
2 cups seedless red grapes
1 cup shredded coconut (be sure it's very fresh)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbl. powdered sugar
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup maraschino cherries, halved and drained
In a bowl of electric mixer beat whipping cream until almost stiff adding powdered sugar while beating. Remove beaters and gently fold in sour cream and zest of 1 orange. In a large bowl, add remaining ingredients and fold in whipped cream mixture. Place in frig covered until service. To serve; place in a beautiful crystal bowl and garnish with a few whole maraschino cherries on top.
Salmon Nicoise Pasta Salad
16 oz. shell or penne pasta
1 lb. fresh salmon fillet
1 fresh lemon, juiced
12 oz. Haricot verts,
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbl. fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup capers, drained and rinsed
5 hard boiled eggs, sliced
salt and fleshly ground black pepper
Vinaigrette
4 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbl. Dijon
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. anchovy paste (optional, but we love it)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a baking pan lay salmon and drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Cook salmon for about 15 to 20 minutes, remove from oven to cool. When salmon is cool, flake into large pieces with fork and set aside. In a large pot of boiling salted water add pasta and cook about 10 minutes or until al dente, drain in colander and then place into an ice bath, cool and drain well. In a steamer basket, add beans and cook for about 8 minutes or until crisp tender, remove from stove, drain and plunge in ice bath, drain well. In a large bowl, add drained cooled pasta, beans, olives, tomatoes, capers, dill, parsley and onion. Whisk together vinaigrette and pour over salad mixing well. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour this mixture onto a large serving platter and add flaked salmon and sliced hard boiled eggs. Sprinkle with extra fresh chopped parsley. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Watermelon Gazpacho
8 cups seedless watermelon, chopped
3 Tbl. white balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large ruby red tomatoes, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 English cucumber, chopped
4 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup fresh chopped mint
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Note: if you want a little heat either add chopped jalapeno or other type of pepper or add Tabasco sauce
In a bowl, add all ingredients, and stir. Remove 3 cups of mixture to food processor and puree. Add this mixture back to bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings. Place mixture into pretty serving tureen or serve up into individual bowls.
Strawberry, Chicken and Almond Salad
2 cups beautiful red strawberries, sliced
6 cups crisp lettuce, torn
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
5 slices thick cut bacon, sliced and cooked crisp (optional)
4 chicken breasts, cooked and sliced thinly
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
2 scallions, sliced thinly on diagonal including green part
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
croutons, if desired
Dressing
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbl. strawberry jam
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
1 tsp. Dijon
2 Tbl. white balsamic
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbl. honey
Arrange lettuce on a platter, layer on chicken, strawberries, red onions, bacon, almonds, feta and sprinkle with scallions and parsley. In a blender add dressing ingredients and pulse to combine. Drizzle dressing over salad. Top with croutons if desired.
These next recipes are for tea sandwiches you might enjoy. I have 7 different fillings which can be used for the sandwiches. Trim crusts from bread which is easier to do if you first freeze bread until almost firm. After filling sandwiches cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. Make sandwiches up to 2 - 3 hours ahead and place in an airtight container, cover loosely with wax paper and a damp paper towel, cover and refrigerate. Note: I would use white bread, petite croissants, wheat bread, pumpernickel bread and raisin bread as my choices, or you can use the above petite biscuits. When ready to serve, place sliced sandwiches on a beautiful platter or 3 tiered server. Arrange edible flowers around sandwiches.
Ham Salad - using 1 lb. of cooked ham chop into pieces and in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Place ham in a bowl and stir in 3 hard boiled eggs which you have peeled and grated. Stir in 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tsp. Dijon mustard, 5 radishes which have been minced, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, salt, and pepper to taste. Or you could use thinly sliced ham, fresh sliced pears, thin slices of Havarti cheese, honey mustard and mayonnaise to make a lovely sandwich.
Curried Shrimp - 3 cups cooked, peeled and cleaned shrimp chopped fine, 3 stalks celery minced, 2 scallions finely minced, 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened and whipped, 1 Tbl. fresh ginger minced, 1 tsp. yellow curry paste, salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Cucumber and Strawberry - 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese softened and whipped, 1/2 cup English cucumber seeded, peeled and minced, 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup red onion minced, 3 Tbl. fresh basil finely chopped, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix, spread on bread and add thinly sliced strawberries on top.
Red Pepper Jelly, Goat Cheese and Pecan - 1/2 cup goat cheese softened, 1/2 cup cream cheese softened, 1 cup white Cheddar cheese shredded, 1/2 cup lightly toasted and finely chopped pecans, 2 Tbl. fresh cilantro chopped. Mix well. Spread red pepper jelly on each slice of bread, top other sandwich piece with cheese mixture, place together and slice.
Orange and Cranberry - 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese soft, 1/2 cup dried cranberries minced, 2 scallions thinly sliced and minced including green part, 1/3 cup orange marmalade, 1/2 cup lightly toasted chopped pecans, thinly sliced turkey. Mix cream cheese, cranberries, marmalade and walnuts together, spread on bottom piece of bread, layer on slice of turkey, place bead together and slice into pieces.
Bacon Horseradish Egg Salad - 10 hard boiled eggs peeled and grated, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 tsp. prepared horseradish, 1/4 cup fresh chives chopped, 5 pieces bacon cooked crisp and chopped finely, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fresh watercress placed on sandwich after filling is on.
Chilled Avocado Soup with Crab Topping - love this and always make lots
6 Haas avocados - ripe, but still a little firm, peeled and seeded
5 cups chicken stock - good quality
5 Tbl. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 tsp. ground cumin
salt to taste
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne or Tabasco
1/2 cup whipping cream
Place all ingredients except topping mixture into food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Place in container with lid and refrigerate 3 hours. When ready to serve, place soup into serving bowls and top with topping mixture
Topping
1 cup Dungeness crab meat, picked over (or crab meat of your choice)
1 ripe mango, peeled and chopped about the size of crab pieces
1 Tbl. fresh lime juice
Place crab, lime juice and mango into a bowl and mix gently. Refrigerate until ready to use. Garnish with fresh chives that you have snipped about 1/2 to 1 tsp. on each bowl of soup.
One of my favorite luncheon foods to eat is chicken salad, preferably on raisin bread. Here are a couple of chicken salads I love to make. You can use bread, wraps, or just place on bed of Boston, Bibb or otherwise known as butterhead lettuce to serve. You can also use baked filo cups and place some chicken salad into each cup for an appetizer.
Thai Chicken Salad
Dressing
2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 Tbl. fresh lime juice
2 Tbl. soy sauce
2 Tbl. brown sugar
5 Tbl. creamy peanut butter
1 Tbl. fresh ginger, minced
6 Tbl. mayonnaise
1/3 cup fresh cilantro
Place dressing ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth.
4 cups poached chicken breast, cubed or pulled
3 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal including green part
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 can mandarin oranges, drained and chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, small dice
lettuce
cashews, chopped
In a bowl add chicken, scallions, carrot, oranges, bell pepper and cashews pour in dressing a little at a time and mix to incorporate.
Fruited Chicken Salad - you could also use endive and stuff them with a little chicken salad
4 cups poached chicken breasts, cubed or pulled
1 1/2 cups sliced celery
2 scallions, thinly sliced including green part
1/2 cup lightly toasted pecans, chopped
1 1/2 cups red grapes, sliced in half
1 1/2 cups fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbl. peach or apricot jam
1/4 cup sour cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper, parsley and jam together. In a bowl, add chicken, celery, pecans, grapes and peaches. Pour in dressing and gently mix, taste and adjust seasonings.
We must have some lovely luncheon desserts - why this is the best part!
Mixed Berries with Whipped Cream
3 cups fresh raspberries
2 cups fresh blackberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 Tbl. powdered sugar
2 Tbl. Chambord
Petite sugar cookies
In a bowl add cleaned berries and Chambord, gently mix; set aside. In a bowl of electric mixer add whip cream and powdered sugar beating until almost stiff peaks. Spoon berries into pretty dessert bowls and top with dollops of whipped cream, then drizzle a little of the juice from the berries and Chambord over whipped cream. Serve with petite sugar cookies.
Praline Bars
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup pecans, finely chopped
2 Tbl. powdered sugar
3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, soft
4 eggs
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crust; In a bowl, mix flour, butter, 2/3 cup pecans, powdered sugar. Press into bottom of a 13x9x2 baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Filling; In a bowl of electric mixer beat cream cheese until fluffy and smooth, add eggs and beat well, add condensed milk, sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla mixing well. Pour mixture onto prepared crust and bake 35 to 40 minutes.
Topping; In a saucepan add brown sugar and whipping cream cooking until mixture boils; reduce heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup pecans, 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla and pour over top of cooked filling. Chill at least 4 hours then cut into squares and serve.
Lemon Basil Tarts - I always double this recipe
1 3/4 cup vanilla wafers, crushed
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 Tbl. fresh basil, finely chopped
Filling
1 cup lemon curd - make your own or purchase prepared
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 Tbl. powdered sugar
1 container fresh raspberries
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine vanilla wafers, butter and basil, mixing well. Press crust mixture into 4 (4-inch) tart pans. Bake for about 8 minutes or until lightly golden brown, remove to cooling rack and cool completely. When tarts are cooled place 1 tablespoonful of lemon curd into each tart and spread around.
For filling; In a bowl of electric mixer take remaining lemon curd and beat until fluffy. In another bowl of electric mixer beat whipping cream and powdered sugar until almost stiff peaks form, add whipped lemon curd and continue beating for a couple of minutes. Place this mixture into each of the 4 tart pans and top with fresh raspberries. Cover and chill before serving.
Pink Glitter Strawberries
Large beautiful red luscious strawberries with stems
4 cups premium white chocolate - good quality
red food coloring paste
Pink sanding sugar
Gently wash berries in cold water and lay to dry on paper towels. Make sure they are completely dry. In a double boiler add white chocolate and melt stirring occasionally, add a little red food coloring to white chocolate and stir you want to end up with a luscious pink color. When chocolate is melted and you have achieved the "perfect pink," hold the stem of berry and dip into chocolate, let excess drip off and lay on wax paper then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Let dry and serve on a beautiful crystal platter surrounded by bunches of mint.
And finally - The Frango Mint Ice Cream Pie - my sister-in-law Jean sent me this recipe
1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
6 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbl. unsalted butter
1/2 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup whole milk
12 Frango Mints, finely chopped
1 egg
1 cup heavy whipping cream (do not whip)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Prepare crust; In a bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, 6 Tbl. melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar. Press onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
Praline Topping; Butter a baking sheet and set aside. In a heavy skillet melt 1/2 cup sugar over medium high heat, shaking skillet occasionally to heat evenly. Do not stir. Heat until some of the sugar is melted; begin to stir only the melted sugar to keep from over browning. Stir melted sugar into remaining sugar as it melts. Reduce heat to medium low; continue cooking until all sugar is melted and golden about 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 Tbl. butter to sugar stirring until butter melts and mixture is combined. Remove from heat; add nuts, stirring to coat. Pour nut mixture onto prepared baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack to cool completely. When cool, use your hands to break into small pieces. Transfer to a food processor, cover and pulse until chopped.
Filling; In a heavy saucepan combine 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add 1/4 cup milk and whisk until cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chocolate's and the remaining 3/4 cup milk. Cook and stir over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg until lightly beaten. Gradually stir in 1/4 cup of the hot filling into the egg, whisking constantly until well combined. Return egg mixture to the saucepan. Cook and stir over medium low heat until mixture is slightly thickened and just begins to bubble, about 1 minute. Transfer the filling to a medium bowl; cool 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir whipping cream and vanilla into cooled filling. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
Freeze filling into a 2 qt. ice cream freezer according to manufacturers instructions until frozen, but soft and spreadable. Transfer ice cream to prepared crust, smooth top and sprinkle with 1/2 of the praline topping. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze at least 4 hours or until firm.
To serve; let frozen pie stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Garnish with freshly whipped cream and if desired a drizzle of chocolate sauce.
Bon Appetit
"Strengthen me with raisins, refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love."
Song of Solomon 2:5
