Dinner with Gerrie and Egon

We had a fun and busy week preparing for a dinner party and barbecuing demonstration that was auctioned off with our cookbook, GATHERING AROUND THE GRILL,  at the Waterloo Region Down Syndrome Society Gala .  We really wanted to make it a special evening for the generous donors, Gerrie and Egon Stein and their guests!  In anticipation of this spring dinner we went foraging once again and dug up the last of the season’s wild leeks, and then visited our favourite local farmer, Barrie’s Asparagus  for rhubarb, asparagus, and locally grown tomatoes. 
 

With 12 people gathered around our table, we enjoyed the following menu:

 Black Bean Quesadillas with Guacamole and Asparagus Salsa

Warm Shrimp Cocktail

Asparagus and Wild Leek Soup with Parmesan Croutons and White Truffle Oil

New York Strip Steaks with Blue Cheese Butter

Grilled Vegetable Platter with Peppers, Zucchinis, Ramps, and Asparagus

New Potatoes with Black Olives and Pancetta
 Rhubarb Pudding Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

Warm Shrimp Cocktail

Rhubarb Pudding Cake

It was great fun meeting some new friends and sharing our passion for grilling with them!!!

New Potatoes with Black Olives and Pancetta

Composed Grilled Vegetable Salad

We love our happy helpers!

For the Vegetables:
2 zucchini, cut lengthwise
2 yellow/ or orange peppers, cut in large chunks
20 wild leeks, cleaned, trimming roots and leaving greens attached
1/2 pound asparagus, blanched or grilled
olive oil
6 ripe tomatoes, cut in large chunks
For the Topping:
1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup kalamata olives

 For the Basil Vinaigrette:
  8        tablespoons  olive oil
  5        tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
            handful  fresh basil -- chopped
  2         cloves  garlic -- minced

Lightly spray the zucchini and peppers with olive oil, and place on a preheated barbecue.  Grill until tender crisp, turning 3 times for great grill marks . Once cooked, cut the peppers into strips.

Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.  On a large white platter, arrange the vegetables decoratively, with the
tomatoes in the centre, the zucchini on the outside, the asparagus stacked against the zucchini, and the peppers stacked against the asparagus. Scatter the feta cheese and olives on top. Drizzle with basil vinaigrette.

 Asparagus and Wild Leek Soup

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup wild leeks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 bunch asparagus spears, cut into 2 inch pieces, reserve tips for garnish(approx. 3 cups)
31/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup baby spinach, packed firmly
salt & pepper, to taste
cayenne, to taste
Croutons:
1 baguette
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese

truffle oil

Prepare soup:
In a large saucepan, saute leeks and carrot in olive oil for approximately 3 minutes. Add white wine to de-glaze pan and cook for another minute. Add chicken stock, potatoes, asparagus stems. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 40 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add spinach leaves and simmer 2 more minutes. Puree with hand held immersion blender. Add more stock if pureed mixture is too thick. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Meanwhile, blanch the asparagus tips for 1 1/2 minutes and set aside till later for garnish.
Grilled Croutons:
Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM. Slice baguette into 1/2 inch rounds. Using a silicone brush, lightly coat both sides with olive oil. Place over preheated grids and toast for 5 minutes, turning frequently to prevent burning. Turn off grill and leave in closed barbecue to cool down, as this will allow the croutons to dry out. When cool, rub the croutons with crushed garlic cloves and top with shaved parmesan.. Set aside in a closed container until ready to serve.
To serve:
 Ladle soup into soup bowls. Garnish with a crouton and 2-3 asparagus tips and drizzle 3-4 drops truffle oil on surface of soup. Enjoy.

On Saturday night we were treated to a Gala event for Students Offering Support aka S.O.S. ( which was held at WLU as part of their annual conference.    Our friend Lindsay,  their Director of International Outreach, introduced us to this wonderful organization.  The concept is great:  Students on North American university campuses volunteer to tutor exam preparation courses.  All proceeds from the tutoring sessions are directed to building schools in South America.  Better still, students and now also people from the general public sign up for trips to these locations and put their muscle into the actual building of these structures.  At Saturday’s Gala we were inspired by the enthusiasm of this committed group of young volunteers who are making a big difference in the lives of other students here and in South American communities.  

Grill lots of vegetables so that you can make Vegetarian Paninis with Chevre and Pest

o  tomorrow!!