Celebrating the Root Vegetable

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I had a case of culinary cabin fever.  I decided to scratch my itch by throwing a small dinner party to celebrate root vegetables.  Just to be sure the menu hinted at the spring that I know is out there somewhere, I made sure to infuse citrus early and often throughout the meal.

I invited our good  Friends the Rennys over, sans kids.  You know it's a good party when you spend four hours eating, drinking, and talking non-stop.

I decided to use a multi-colored bunch of carrots for my centerpiece.  I trimmed off the leafy tops of the carrots and added beet leaves to the mix.  It was a fun nod to the theme.  It was also low enough to see over, which is a prerequisite for any centerpiece that stays on the table during the meal, in my opinion.

First course:  Roasted Beets with Asparagus, Blood Orange, Double Endive and Watercress garnish with a touch of Orange Oil

Second course:  Sweet Potato Cakes with Mango-Pineapple Chutney.  These were so very delicious, and so very picture-worthy...and yet somehow I forgot to take a picture.  I realized as I was taking my last bite that I'd neglected to capture this course on film.  Guess I'll just have to make them again.  Soon.

Third course:  Carrot-Ginger Soup with Spicy Chive Butter and Roasted Peanuts.  This was my personal favorite of the night.  There's chopped ginger in the puree, plus ginger juice that's added after the veggies and seasonings are blended together.  And that spicy chive butter added to the slow, not-quite-subtle slow burn.  A completely homemade, completely vegetarian dish.  I even used the homemade veggie broth I made late this fall.  Except I didn't churn the butter.  But that's probably ok.

Intermission/Pallet Cleanser:  Jicama, Roasted Corn and Orange Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.  I knew I wanted to serve this (the Rennys had never eaten jicama before), and I knew I didn't want the servings to be huge. Mel lent me her special spoons to serve this mini-course in one quick bite.  Baird's reaction when I served this?  "Um, honey?  You didn't actually blow torch our spoons, did you?"

Main course:

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Roasted Garlic and Potato

Hand Mashed Root Vegetables with Bacon and Chives

Asparagus Splashed with Lemon

Brown Braised Onion and Sauteed Mushroom Garnish

These plates, too, were beautiful, and again, I neglected to get out my camera.  I am so driven to serve food hot and fresh at my dinner parties, I oftentimes forget to stop and record it.

And yes, I served asparagus twice.  It's JRenny's absolute favorite veggie, and she really, truly hates green beans, altho she's so polite I'm sure if I served them to her she'd find a way to choke them down.  But she was thrilled to see an entire side of asparagus just for her!

We ended the evening with J's perfectly-executed, homemade cheesecake.  It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening!