Week of June 8th

Saturday:

Tonight is our Supper Club and we are playing host and hostess. The theme: All American BBQ. My husband and I are providing cocktails, burgers and dessert. Our guests will surprise us with the rest. Trust me, if you are the burger-type (hell, even if you aren’t — like me), you will adore these babies. The combination of caramelized onions, blue cheese and spicy mayo is outstanding.

• Sparkling tarragon-gin lemonade
• Andouille and beef burgers with spicy mayo and caramelized onions
• Banana cream pie

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Sunday:

• Grilled scallops (or pan-fried or seared or deep-fried, however you like them) over minted English pea puree.  This pea puree is fresh and perfect for summer. It goes beautifully with a variety of proteins and the recipe makes a ton, so you will see the puree reappear again this week. 
  
• Grilled rotisserie onions: I know I have mentioned these onions before, but they are absolutely incredible and take almost no effort. You don’t even need to peel the onions. If you don’t have a rotisserie,  just dump the onions whole on the grill. Magic.
• Grilled asparagus or mushrooms, depending on the choices at the Farmer’s Market today.

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Monday:

• Farmer’s Market fish (whatever looks good)
• Roasted or grilled Farmer’s Market vegetables

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Tuesday:

• Leftover andouille burgers 
• Green salad

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Wednesday:

• Saffron chicken breasts with English pea puree, pea shoots & mint (the pea puree makes another appearance in this dish)
• Oven-roasted cauliflower

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Thursday:

• Leftover saffron-crusted chicken
• Simple green salad

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Friday:

• Something very light & super quick. We are teaching and performing at a pre-wedding rehearsal dinner dance party tonight. Not only do we need to rush over to the event after work, but I’ll need to don a slinky dance outfit and remain light on my feet. I wouldn’t want my dear husband to tip over. 

Week of June 1st

Saturday:

• We are headed to Lexington Market to sample Baltimore’s most famous crab cakes for lunch (it’s a shame we haven’t done this before). We plan to pick up fresh whole fish at the market to toss on the grill this evening.

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Sunday:

• Some type of pasta or risotto, depending on what I find at the Baltimore Farmer’s Market. I am thinking either a pappardelle with fresh vegetables (peas, asparagus, perhaps some arugula) and prosciutto. Or, I may try a risotto with strawberries, black pepper and blue cheese. We had this at Cinghiale last weekend and it was utterly outstanding. I am eager to try to reproduce the dish at home.
• Whole steamed artichokes
• Salad or grilled Farmer’s Market vegetables

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Monday:

• Bacon-wrapped scallops with a honey-lime vinaigrette
• Green salad with toasted pepitas, green apple & dried tart cherries

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Tuesday:

• Oil-cooked eggs with Iberico ham
• Whole steamed artichokes
• Grilled asparagus

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Wednesday:

• Grilled chicken with strawberry-jalapeno bbq sauce
• Green salad with avocado, feta and fresh oregano

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Thursday:

• Leftover grilled chicken
• Green salad or grilled vegetables, depending on what remains in our fridge

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Friday:

• OUT!

Week of May 25th

Saturday:

• Dinner on the grill followed by Boogie Nights!!!! We should be dancing … yeah!
• Lucknowi lamb chops with green herb chutney (from Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue)
• Roasted eggplant and tomato salad with Jerusalem flavors (also from Planet Barbecue)

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Sunday:

• We are dressing up and heading out for a fancy pants dinner and night on the town. Wheee! 

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Monday:

• Hand-pulled homemade fresh mozzarella cheese with hunks o’ bread and olive oil. My cheese curds are all ready to go. All I need to do is heat and stretch.
• Chilled glasses filled with Veuve Clicquot: we are celebrating Memorial Day Weekend after all.
• Spring Egg Drop Soup: a light dish to follow the cheese and bread

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Tuesday:

• Poached eggs over mushrooms
• Simple green salad

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Wednesday:

• Beef tenderloin steaks with horseradish, rhubarb and wine
• Snap pea salad with fresh cheese and lemon vinaigrette 

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Thursday:

• Rotisserie chicken on the grill smothered in a strawberry-jalapeno BBQ sauce: I haven’t made this before, but I know I will tweak the recipe. I think it calls for too much sugar and not enough spice, so I will adjust accordingly.
• Rotisserie grilled whole sweet onions: take whole, unpeeled Vidalia onions, shove them on to your rotisserie apparatus and grill until soft and caramelized, about 45 minutes. Split open onions, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea-salt and serve. These onions are sweet, buttery-soft and delicious.
• Israeli salad: this is just a mix of chopped fresh fruits and vegetables dressed with lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs. Our version usually consists of finely chopped tomatoes, avocados, onions and cucumbers with plenty of freshly chopped mint.

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Friday:

• Out to dinner tonight

Week of May 18th

Saturday:

• We are headed to Preakness to watch the 2nd leg of the Triple Crown. Maybe we’ll come out big winners! I don’t know what I’ll be enjoying for dinner, but I do know I’ll indulge in a mint julep or two. 

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Sunday:

• Pork tenderloin with spiced rhubarb chutney
• Pot-roasted baby artichokes
• Grilled vegetables from the Farmer’s Market: I plan to toss whatever looks good on the grill for a simple and seasonal side dish. 

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Monday:

• Poached Arctic char with basil-tarragon mayonnaise: homemade mayo is dreamy and nothing like the gluey crap found in the jar. Please don’t make this dish if you aren’t going to tackle the homemade mayo. It’s worth it! 
• Grilled asparagus

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Tuesday:

• Beef tenderloin steaks with horseradish, rhubarb and wine: I look forward to the fleeting rhubarb season every year simply so I can make this dish. We will have it over and over and over again (sorry dear husband) until the rhubarb is old and limp. I ADORE this dish. Don’t be surprised to see it on my menu weekly for the next few weeks. YUM! 
• Green salad with walnut oil and apple balsamic vinaigrette: I make a simple vinaigrette with roasted walnut oil and apple balsamic from seasonstaproom.com. It’s a fantastic combination and one that I cannot seem to get enough of. I could drink this stuff. 

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Wednesday:

• Birthday bash! We are headed out with friends to enjoy a casual dinner at our favorite neighborhood joint — Blue Hill Tavern. 

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Thursday:

• Leftover pork tenderloin
• Green salad

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Friday:

• Poached eggs over mushrooms
• Green salad

Week of May 11th

Saturday:

• Boogie nights! We are going to a dinner/dance fundraising event, so no cooking this evening. We hope to dance our pants off, so to speak. 

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Sunday:

• Trini Chinese chicken on the grill: I know the recipe calls for pan-frying the chicken in oil, but I am going to toss the chicken on the grill instead in a nod to health. 
• Chopped salad
• Roasted piquillo peppers
  

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Monday:

• Chicken tortilla soup with all the fixings (freshly made guacamole, corn tortillas, salsas, etc.)
• Simple green salad or roasted vegetables

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Tuesday:

• Seared scallops with apple pan sauce
• Green salad

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Wednesday:

• Leftover Chinese chicken and salad

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Thursday:

• Leftover tortilla soup

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Friday:

• Date Night! This is also pre-Preakness night as we are gearing up to attend the races tomorrow — Black Eyed Susans or mint juleps anyone?