And We're Back!

Hello again! Thanks for your patience in waiting for the N&I Blog. It's been a long, quiet summer but we're back with a bang and ready to jump in again with new recipes and new blog features. In addition to new menus, new recipes, and tempting photos, we'll be sharing random facts and information about our Spotlight Ingredient as well as trying out new culinary hot spots and gadgets and sharing our experiences with you. But now on to our feature presentation...

Last night was the annual wine and food fest that we like to call Mom & Dad's Anniversary Dinner and we are marking it down as a rousing success based on the comments and full belly waddle of our guests as they left the table this year.

We went with a Mediterranean-influenced menu and tried out all new dishes on our most willing guinea pigs. Between our homemade items and ingredients from the Durham Farmers Market and Steve's Market in Graham, we were able to produce a series of light, refreshing dishes perfect for a late summer evening. And now, le menu...

STARTΣR

Trio of Mediterranean-Style Dips with Wendi’s Handmade Pita

Pheta-Spinach Dip – creamy blend of Chapel Hill Creamery pheta cheese, organic baby leaf spinach, fresh-squeezed lemon, and chives from k2’s deer-proof herb garden

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus – chickpeas mixed with roasted red pepper, fresh lemon, toasted sesame seeds and garlic

Greek Olive Tapenade – a tangy blend of olives soaked in virgin olive oil, mixed with capers and walnuts

WINΣ

Pre-sit down: Paul D., Gruner Veltliner from Austria (2008) – it a nice medium-bodied white, similar in taste (to k2) to a chardonnay, but had a nice heady flavor that held it's own against the dip selection (and we're talking food, not guests) :)

With sit down: Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Tuscany (2008) – a parental favorite from their days in Italy, it's a nice light crispy white that paired nicely with all the dishes to follow

SOЦP

Avgolemono – summer soup made chicken stock, frothy blended egg, zesty lemon, fresh ground white pepper, and orzo pasta served with fresh-baked bread from the Durham Farmers Market

SΛLΛD

Late Summer Salad – green leaf lettuce with thinly-sliced radish and red onion, freshly tree-picked figs, and market-fresh watermelon, topped with a zesty lemon-fig vinaigrette and served with Reggiano Parmesan crisps

ΣNTRΣΣ

Skewered Lamb with Coriander-Mint Yogurt – herb-marinated, locally-raised Fickle Creek Farm lamb served with grilled lemon wedges and Chapel Hill Creamery yogurt flavored with coriander, white onion, and fresh mint

Roasted Potato Slices with a Rosemary-Garlic Crust – russet potato slices baked with a crispy crust made from Farmer’s Market polenta bread crumbs, fresh rosemary from k2’s deer-proof herb garden, Dijon mustard and Reggiano Parmesan

Steamed Organic Asparagus

DΣSSΣRT

Honey-Cinnamon Ricotta Cheesecake with Almond Biscotti Crust – served with a fresh raspberry-Chambord sauce with Farmers Market honey and and topped with white chocolate-filled raspberries

I don't know about you, but that makes me hungry again. Now that we have teased you with the menu, we'll be featuring the recipes for all of the dishes listed above in the posts to follow. We're glad to be back and look forward to hearing from you all as well.

Stay tuned and until we post again, many happy food thoughts!

k2 & Wendi