Easter Eats and Drinks

Easter Menu:

Honey-Baked Ham (lovingly brought by our guests!)

Carrot Souffle

Mache salad with sugared pecans and blue cheese

Challah

Relish Tray

Drinks:

Sangria with frozen fruit (to sip while we cooked and played outside)

Rober Mondavi Riesling with dinner for the adults

Apple Limeade with dinner for the kids

Dessert:

Bavarian Chocolate Torte

Coffee

THE RECIPES

Carrot Souffle

2 cups cooked carrots

1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 heaping tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat carrots with mixer or in blender. Add all other ingredients and beat well.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until set.

Sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans. Bake five minutes longer.




Mache Salad
(followed losely from Outdoor Entertaining by Williams-Sonoma)

Pecans:
1/2 cup (2oz) pecan halves
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Vinaigrette:
1 shallot finely chopped
1/3 cup (3 oz) olive oil
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salad:
4 oz. mache (mache is sometimes called Lamb's Lettuce.  If you can't find it, arugula or baby spinach would probably make a good substitute)
4 radishes
1/4 lb. blue cheese crumbled

To prepare the pecans:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Rinse the pecans in a sieve and set aside to drain.  In a small bowl combine the sugar and dry mustard.  Add the pecans and toss until evenly coated.  Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast in oven for about 10 minutes or until dark brown.  Set aside and cool completely.  Better yet, make in advance, up to a week and store in an airtight container.

To make the dressing:
Whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients.  Let stand for 30 minutes or up to four hours to blend the flavors.

To serve the salad combine the mache leaves and thinly sliced radish slices in a bowl.  Drizzle with vinaigrette (I had dressing left over, so be careful not to over dress the salad) and toss evenly to coat.  Top with the pecans and blue cheese.