Rob's Birthday Lunch with recipes rather long

He'd rather ignore his birthday and I think that's just wrong. I invited our longest-time friends for dinner tonight but Sara has Bridge and asked about earlier. So we had lunch instead:

Champagne Verna's Pancetta Wrapped Shrimp (with prosciutto instead of pancetta) Brianno's Bread with Basil Vinaigrette for dunking Green Bean Soup Grilled Salmon with Fake Hollandaise Sauce Marinated Vegetable Salad Browned New Potatoes Ice Cream with Fresh Fruits

I'd been to the Minneapolis Farmer's Market on Saturday with a friend from church and enjoyed that night the Copper River salmon I bought that day. I decided to have the salmon again and went to the market yesterday, too. As happenstance had it the wild salmon was gone and I had a choice of Chilean fishy or organically grown fishy. I opted for the organically grown stuff - two pieces, frozen a day or two earlier, enough for luncheon portions for four. A pound of 26-count tiger shrimp, frozen, went into my cooler, too.

I did some of the prep last night: Diced the lightly cooked green beans; prepared the veg salad: blanched broccoli florets, blanched mushroom pieces, blanched zucchini chunks, sliced green onion, pickled garlic, olives, cherry tomato halves (added avocado just before serving). The marinade was what was left of Newman's own Italian dressing (the 'lite' version) with some inexpensive balsamic-like vinegar to rinse the bottle. It was very nice.

When I went to Brianno's to get the pancetta, they refused to slice it for me so I used prosciutto instead. Cripes, I went in there for a pizza and the pancetta and came away $50 lighter. (The capicola is awesome.) This recipe is from Harry and Sam Demidavicius' friend Verna and was served at the 2001 (?) Calgary Cook-in. Rob loved it and I've only made it one other time, I think. This is from Kaari's post to rfc after the event. You'll be pleased to know that I even measured the spices.

We ate in the shade under the flowering crabapple tree; the patio was too much in the sun.

Pancetta wrapped shrimp recipe by Verna 20 basil leaves 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/2 tsp curry powder 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice 20 jumbo shrimp (ed. note: 20 is only enough if your two!) 10 thin slices lean pancetta, sliced in half

Combine the first 11 ingredients - except the basil leaves, in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the shrimp and marinate for 30 minutes. Wrap the shrimp with the pancetta and a basil leaf and secure with a toothpick.

Preheat the barbeque and brush the grids with oil. Grill on high heat, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until the shrimp becomes opaque and curls. I soaked the toothpicks in water for about half an hour before using them. I put the prepped shrimps into a glbutt dish and poured the remaining marinade over.

Green Bean Soup Recipe By: ÊSister Marge Serving Size: Ê6

1 Ê# Êfresh green beans in 3/4" pieces 4 Êcups Êchicken stock Ê 2 Êtsp. Êsalt (I don't use it) Ê 1 Êclove garlic on a toothpick 1 Êtsp. Êvinegar Ê(more like 2-3 tbsp) 2 ÊTbsp. butter Ê 1 Êsmall onion chopped fine 1 Êtsp. Êpaprika Ê 2 ÊTbsp. chopped parsley Ê 2 ÊTbsp. flour 1/4 Ê cup Ê sour cream Êat room temperature

Cook beans, salt, vinegar and garlic in chicken stock about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. ÊMake roux from everything else except sour cream. Dilute with 1 cup bean broth, then stir back into beans and broth. Simmer 10 minutes until tender. ÊRemove the garlic. ÊMix 2 tablespoons soup into the sour cream then pour back into soup. ÊDo not boil. Correct the seasoning.

I don't use the sour cream in the soup. I squiggled some sour cream on top of each serving and sprinkled some fresh parsley on it.

When Walt & Sara arrived, I grilled the shrimps and Rob opened the champagne. The prosciutto was an acceptable substitute. I forgot to take pictures! Drat!

When the soup course was finished I browned the cooked and peeled new potatoes in olive oil and butter while the salmon was cooking. I did nothing to the salmon - no salt, pepper, lemon, or dill or maple syrup or honey. Nada except drizzing some of the fake hollandaise over each serving. It was very good. I did wind up flipping the fishy to finish cooking it - I'd hoped to not do that but the potatoes were ready and the fishy was not so I flipped it to finish them.

We were probably an hour into it by this time - it was a very leisurely pace (by design) and the yellowjacket scout had found us and was inviting his friends, so we retired to the living room for dessert where we enjoyed vanilla and chocolate ice cream (local brand) with fresh mango and cantaloup pieces and fresh raspberries.

It was a nice lunch. Too bad I broke one of my stemmed flutes. Dangitall.

A nap would be nicer. There are a few pictures on my website. -- -Barb "If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all."