Sunday Night Family Dinner at Hilltop: A Celebration

 

A wonderful Sunday night dinner with Cory's lovely Mom and Dad is always a high point of our visit. As a special treat, my husband prepared home-made Focaccia made with a sourdough starter he has been cultivating for months which he has christened 'Fred'. Making the dough and stretching it in preparation for making the Focaccia took 2 days, but once smothered with olive oil, dotted with sliced tomatoes, olives and homegrown rosemary and then popped in the oven, the Focaccia was presented — hot, squishy and absolutely delicious. Served with mortadella, prosciutto, cheeses, paté, along with the signature cocktail of the evening, Manhattans, the evening was off to a grand start. 

Earlier in the day, I prepared Farro Salad with eggplant, red pepper, tomatoes and yellow onions garnished with crumbled feta, fresh thyme and spring onion. Using Umbrian Farro which I brought back from Italy, the vegetables are diced, tossed with olive oil, then roasted for 40 minutes until lovely and soft. Allowed to cool slightly, they are mixed with the cooked farro then mixed with a vinaigrette, then served ambient garnished with crumbled feta or goat cheese, and fresh thyme. 

The first course was chilled Pea and Mint Soup, followed by Lamb Chermoula and sliced zucchini which were grilled on the BBQ and served with homemade Tzatziki and Farro Salad with Grilled Vegetables. For dessert, my annual Summer Pudding. Chilled overnight, it's often tricky to upturn the pudding from the bowl for the final presentation. However, Cory came to my rescue with a hair dryer and proceeded to warm the bowl to coax the pudding from its stronghold, and voilà — the pudding released. Served with crème fraîche, Summer Pudding is one of the ultimate desserts and a delicious end to a perfect evening.

Guy's hand-made Sourdough Focaccia with tomatoes, olives and 

rosemary from our garden as a special appetizer

Sliced Mortadella and Prosciutto with Triple Cream Brie, Oka Cheese and Duck Paté

served with Guy's Focaccia

Farro Salad with Grilled Eggplant, Red Pepper, Tomatoes and Onion

garnished with crumbled feta, fresh thyme and spring onion

Lamb Chermoula garnished with fresh thyme for our garden

Grilled Zucchini

Chilled Pea and Mint Soup garnished with chopped chives from our garden 

and some pepper, was our first course

The main course was Grilled Lamb Chermoula with homemade Tzatziki, 

Farro Salad with Grilled Eggplant, Red Pepper, Tomatoes and Onion and Grilled Zucchini

Cory assisting me with a hairdryer to try and coax my chilled Summer Pudding

from the bowl  — you can't make this stuff up!

My Annual Summer Pudding topped with extra jus and garnished 

with fresh mint picked from our garden

Summer Pudding with Crème Fraîche and a sprig of mint

Lamb Chermoula

Serves 6

1 tbsp ground cinnamon 

2 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tsp ground cloves

4 tbsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne

6 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp finely chopped garlic

salt and pepper, to taste

2 8-rib rack of lamb

3 cups chopped cilantro

Using a heavy knife, cut the racks of lamb into single chops and set aside. Add each of the spices in a food processor and grind 2-3 minutes. In a large bowl, stir together the chopped garlic and olive oil, then add the lamb and toss to coat. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then add the spice mixture. Toss it all together to ensure the lamb is thoroughly coated with all the spices, then add the cilantro, and give it all a final toss to coat. Cover the bowl with cling film and chill at least 2 hours or even overnight, or toss it all in a big plastic baggie which makes storing it in the fridge very easy. When ready, place the lamb on a hot outdoor grill and cook until the chops are grilled evenly on both sides. Serve on a big platter and a bowl of tzatziki on the side.

Summer Pudding

Serves 12

1 lb strawberries

1 lb raspberries

1 lb blueberries

1 lb blackberries

1 package frozen mixed berries

1 cup light brown sugar

1 loaf white bread

1/2 cup framboise

2 cups crème fraîche and fresh mint, for garnish

Remove the crusts from the bread. Wash and trim all the fresh berries, and add them to a large saucepan with the frozen berries, framboise, brown sugar and 1/2 cup of water, and cook over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the berries have released their juices, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then remove 1 cup of the juice and set aside.

Lightly grease a medium sized bowl with some vegetable oil, then line the bowl with the slices of bread, covering the bottom and the sides. Using a large spoon, ladle the berry mixture into the bread lined bowl, then top with the remaining slices of bread. Lay a flat plate on top with a heavy weight to squash the fruit down, and chill 12-24 hours.

When ready to serve, place a large serving plate on top of the bowl and gently invert. Shake gently to release the pudding onto the plate and spoon the reserved juice over the top, garnishing with some sprigs of fresh mint. Serve cut into wedges, with a bowl of thick crème fraîche on the table. Heaven!