9th Dinner Club Meeting – “Picnic” Menu & Recipes

June 2004

It’s June and our thoughts turn to the outdoors, specifically eating ourdoors.  With that in mind, K crossed her fingers that the weather would be good and selected "Picnic" as the theme for this meeting.  We had a little discussion after she picked the topic about what kind of picnic that was going to be – a big family get together and eat fried chicken sort of picnic or a romantic take a date eat some food drink some wine flirt a lot type of picnic.  She chose "b"!

Here’s the menu: 

• Appetizer:  Chilled Cream of Corn Soup with White Truffle Oil
• Cocktail:  Pimm’s Cup (recipe below)
• Main:  Chicken Gorgonzola Sandwich (recipe below)
• Salad: Avocado, Papaya and Rocket Salad combined with Mango and Avocado Salad
• Side:  Lemon-Marinated Fennel with Feta
• Dessert:  Summer Fruit with Wine and Mint and Nut Lace Cookies (from The Cook’s Encyclopedia of Cookies, Biscuits & Bars (Cook’s Encyclopedias), Hilaire Walden)

Pimm’s Cup

• 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) Pimm’s No. 1 Cup
• 1 cucumber slice
• 1 orange slice
• A 2- to 3-inch strip of lemon zest
• Chilled ginger ale or club soda
• 1 mint sprig

In a tall glass filled with ice cubes combine the Pimm’s, the cucumber, the orange and the zest, pour in enough ginger ale or club soda to fill the glass, and stir the drink well. Garnish the drink with the mint.

Chicken Gorgonzola Sandwich

• Barbecued chicken breasts (marinated in Johnny’s Garlic Marinade)
• Italian Gorgonzola Cheese (semi soft)
• Cream Cheese
• Olive oil
• Fresh thyme
• Lettuce
• Bread

Mix gorgonzola cheese with small amount of cream cheese and olive oil until it makes a spreadable mixture. Add fresh thyme. Slice bread in half long way and spread cheese mixture on bread. Add cooled chicken sliced in half, and lettuce. Cut into slices.

Meeting Summary