I decided on three French dishes (one meat and two veggie) so that everyone would have something. I was able to make 2 of the 3 dishes in advance which made Christmas entertaining more relaxing for me!
If you have the Julia Child’s books “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” volumes 1 & 2 you can look up these recipes. If you don’t, give me a shout.
What you won’t find in either of Julia’s books is the starter soup we had. Pooh requested that the meal begin with a squash soup. So I made Orange Squash Soup from Lorna Sass’s cookbook called “Recipes from an Ecological Kitchen”, which I think is now out of print. It’s a vegan cookbook that carnivores like me love.
Here’s the recipe for the Orange Squash Soup
Serves 4-6
2 ½ pounds butternut, kabocha, or delicate squash, scrubbed, seeded, and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 small onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
¼ cup old-fashioned oatmeal (rolled oats)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon finely minced or grated orange peel
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground coriander seeds
½ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds and or diced cilantro
Place all ingredients in large pot (except maple syrup and garnish). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until the squash is very soft, about 25 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender (for a smoother texture), food mill, or food processor. Return soup to pot to rewarm.Thin slightly with water or orange juice, if necessary. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and/or cilantro.
The rest of Christmas dinner 2011:
Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef stew in red wine, with bacon, onions, and mushrooms)
Pommes Duchess (Mashed potato with lots of egg yolks....oh my!!!)
Gratin de Brocoli (Chopped Broccoli Gratin with cheese sauce) This is NOT what your mom made in the 1970’s!
Carrots a La Concierge (Casserole of creamed carrots with onions and garlic).
French Bread and....for my husband
Sauerkraut and wieners - after all, variety is the spice of life!
I've always loved that you've never minded getting a little adventurous with holiday meals; you've always managed to keep a sense of tradition along with it, even if you're making something different than the year before! And yes, I would love these recipes- my family might eat these veggies without too much fuss (although we both know the complaint there is not the kids!)
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