Recipe:: Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons, Green Olives and Golden Raisins

The full menu from our Moroccan dinner was : A Harissa brushed Halibut, Gazpacho, Greens followed by the Chicken Tagine with preserved lemons and cracked olives a coriander feta polenta and a roasted beet and fresh mint salad. For dessert: a Fig and sesame Tart with orange cardamon cream.

Creating the Moroccan chicken in an authentic clay tagine from Morocco was divine. The earthy flavors from the clay along with the wonderful seasonings meld to create this comforting stew. If you don't own a tagine you this can be done in a heavy dutch oven and cooked stove top. Just bring the mixture to a boil then lower to a simmer and cover. Cook for 45 minutes or longer. Scroll down for the full recipe. Bon appétit.




All Photos by Karen Mordechai


Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons, Green Olives and Golden Raisins

1 whole chicken, quartered
1 tsp each, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dried cilantro
½ c olive oil
½ c lemon juice
8 slices preserved lemon
½ c green olives
½ c golden raisins
2 c chicken stock

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all of the dry spices together with the olive oil and lemon juice. Toss the chicken in the marinade and let sit refrigerated for at least an hour.
On medium-high heat, sear the chicken to create a nice golden crust, approximately 8-10 minutes. Make sure to turn the chicken so that all sides get the color.
Scatter lemons, olives and raisins over the tops. Pour in chicken stock and bake for 45 minutes to an hour.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Recipe :: Roasted Beet Salad

Alongside our main entree and as a palate cleanser we served a side of roasted beets. We used a mix of red & baby beets which are gorgeous at the farmers market. This is the kind of dish that gets better the longer it sits. You’re essentially pickling the beets so the longer the better.


All Photos by Karen Mordechai

Roasted Beet Salad


24 baby beets, scrubbed with stems cut
3 tbl olive oil
2 tbl minced shallot
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ c red-wine vinegar
½ c really good olive oil
1 bunch of fresh mint

Toss beets with olive oil and salt, wrap in a double layer of foil and roast in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette. Mix together shallots, sugar, salt and vinegar. Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking constantly.
Remove beets from oven and let stand for 10 minutes still covered, Peel if desired.
Cut in half and toss with vinaigrette while still warm. Tear mint leaves and fold in gently. Serve warm or chilled.


Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Recipe :: Harissa Brushed Halibut with Gazpacho

Our first course at the Moroccan dinner was this beautiful Harissa brushed Halibut. Harissa is very powerful so use it sparingly. It’s a gorgeous contrast to the delicate white halibut. Harissa is a North African hot red sauce or paste made from chili peppers (often smoked or dried) and garlic, often with coriander and caraway or cumin and served with olive oil. It can be used both as a condiment and as an ingredient in recipes. Our favorite is this one.

The gazpacho will be one of the easiest things you’ll ever make. Double the recipe and have it on hand for lunch. So refreshing! Scroll down for the full recipe.







All Photos by Karen Mordechai


Harissa Brushed Halibut with Gazpacho
(Makes 4 servings)

For the Halibut
1 tbl harissa paste
juice of ½ a lemon
1 lb halibut, cut into 4
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine harissa powder and lemon juice. Brush a super thin layer on the fish and season with salt. Wrap tightly in foil and bake for 10 minutes.

For the Gazpacho
4 cups tomato juice
1 cucumber, peeled seeded and cubed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ small red onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
¼ c olive oil
¼ c balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl Worcestire Sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
juice nad zest of 1 lime
salt and pepper to taste

combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high for 3 minutes
chill for at least an hour

garnish: microgreens from the farmers market tossed with a bit of olive oil

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Oh, and the chairs...!

All Photos by Karen Mordechai

Moroccan Sunday Supper :: Table Designs + Flowers

The table design from our Moroccan dinner was inspired by the old tiles that we used as a runner down the middle. Jessie (from Rountree flowers) came in and constructed these amazing little mum shapes - inspired by the patterns in the tiles and by piles of spices - amaaaazing. She then continued with rose petal garlands, decorating the tabletop with those pops of orange and pink, they were just the thing. The candlestick holders were actually regular taper holders that Jessie converted into pillars by attaching votive holders on top, filling them with sand and using a bit of fun tak to attach - neat trick ! More about the menus & paper items coming soon...stay tuned xoxo

Credits:
All Photos by Karen Mordechai
Flowers: Jessie Weidinger from Rountree Flowers
Menu Design: Erica Bohanon of Thoughtful Day

Sunday Supper :: Amy Atlas Part 2...@ Moroccan Evening

Ok, please forgive us, caving into popular demand we will be going out of order a bit. We know we owe you some market photos (and we will post those next week)...but everyone is anxious to see the photos from Amy's Table up close. We don't blame you - it was magnificent and it was truly an honor to have Amy as our guest contributor. The fabulous backdrop and pattern along with all the paper goods & goodie bags were designed by the ever-talented Erica Miller of Thoughtfulday.

Other incredibly talented women worked to bring this together - Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille baked the orange flower macaroons, orange creamsicle panna cotta and baked meringue sandwich cookies. The gorgeous cake was designed by Archana Rao of Love Street Cakes. Those gorgeous flower centerpieces were created by Jessie of Rountree Flowers. And...Ali Kantor created a traditional moroccan cookie called kaab el ghazal, which served as a favor for the guests to take home in goodie bags. YUM.












All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Supper :: New Class !

We're pretty psyched about this one !

Sunday, August 16, 2009
A Summer Supper
A 3 Course Meal & Demo by Chef Casey Solomon (Menu details coming soon)
AND...! A guest appearance and Dessert Class with Pastry Chef Aran Goyoaga from Cannelle et Vanille

To sign up email us at: info[at]sunday-suppers.com


All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Supper :: Moroccan Evening, a sneak peek

We are so very behind, and we're so sorry ! we have lots of market photos and recipes to continue posting...but wanted to give you a sneak peek at our Moroccan Evening that we hosted last night. So many of you wrote in and wanted to attend, we truly wish we had room for all of you ! It was a full house with guests and amazingly talented vendors...we couldn't have been more excited to work with all these lovely ladies: Erica Bohanon from Thoughtful Day, Amy Atlas (check out her Moroccan Inspired Dessert Table below (!), Aran Goyoaga from Cannelle et Vanille and of course our fav. florist & friend Jessie from Rountree...Just wait till you see all their creations...ok, back to the editing board :) more coming soon







All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Supper, Market :: Table Design

Our tabletop: Burlap tablecloths + blue & white napkins, cute little mini ball jar glasses + vintage silverware & gorgeous flower creations by Jessie = a rustic but classic tabletop, perfect for a farmer's market dinner, don't you think? The menus were printed on brown paper bags which we incorporated into our favors (more about these later) and we used these adorable little clothespins, which we are in love with!

We'll be posting more about the food, menus & flowers this week and next...!







All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Supper, Market :: Citrus Thyme Water

We like to serve a little welcome beverage when everyone arrives for class, at our Market Class we made a beautiful Citrus Thyme Water. This is great to do with any combination of fruit and herbs. Make a huge batch and just have it on hand. The flavors intensify as they sit.

We served it in an oversized glass jar, an old ladle & a collection of vintage cocktail napkins. It's so easy to do ! Scroll down for the full recipe below.







All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Citrus Thyme Water

Thinly slice 3 oranges, 3 lemons and 3 limes. To 2 gallons of water, add the citrus slices and a handful of thyme sprigs. Let stand refrigerated for at least 2 hours before drinking.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Sunday Supper :: Market

Our Market class was a celebration of seasonal and fresh ingredients from the local farmer's market. All the wonderful produce was so gorgeously inspiring. This was a spontaneous menu put together on the fly. A salad, pasta, fish & a sweet. Here's a little sneak peak of our market finds: asparagus, spring garlic, mushrooms, peaches, strawberries. Throughout the week we'll be posting more about the class, decor, flowers (wait till you see these little wonders) and more!













All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Sunday Suppers :: Private Events !

Email us (info[at]sunday-suppers.com) for more details. Here's one we did as a 31st birthday party at a loft in Williamsburg. The menu for the evening: Tamari-garlic roasted swordfish, Brown Rice Salad and Chilli powder and lemon roasted asparagus. Now that's our kind of party.








All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Midday Meal :: Grilled Peaches with Cardamom Sugar Crust

Ending on a sweet note...

These peaches are delicious on their own but- if you're really looking to impress- serve them with some really good shortbread cookies and some raspberry sorbet. Yum!!!
Hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July. (next week ...previews from our market class :)




All Photography by Karen Mordechai


Grilled Peaches with Cardamom Sugar Crust

4 semi ripe peaches cut in half and pit removed
6 tbl turbinado sugar
1 tbl ground cardamom

Toss the sugar and cardamom together in a bowl. Dip the peaches, flesh side down, into the sugar. Place on a medium/high heat grill and let them alone for approximately 7 minutes. You want the sugar to caramelize on the peaches and create a crust.
Serve with your favorite ice cream, crème fraiche or mascarpone.
Serves 4.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Midday Meal :: Grilled Pork Chops And Sweet Potato Fries

All Photography by Karen Mordechai



As promised...a few more BBQ recipes for 4th of July Weekend ! This is a great recipe and a nice change from the typical burger. We hope you enjoy and tune in tomorrow for dessert... !


Grilled Pork Chops with Scallion Ginger Salad and Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 4

3 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large knob of ginger, minced (5 tbl)
zest and juice of 1 orange
5 tbl olive oil
4 bone in, center cut pork chops

Whisk everything except the chops together in a shallow dish. Season the pork with salt and pepper and place in dish, turning to coat. Let marinate in the fridge for an hour or more. Grill on medium heat for 7-10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Top with scallion, ginger salad.

Scallion, Ginger Salad
1 bunch of scallions, chopped
4 shallots, chopped,
1 large knob of ginger, julienned

Saute scallions, shallots and ginger in olive oil on medium heat until soft, 5-7 minutes.

Tip:
This can be made with any cut of pork or chicken but grilling or roasting with the bone in imparts so much flavor in to the meat.


Sweet Potato Fries
3-4 large sweet potatoes
zest of 2 limes
good sea salt

Cut sweet potatoes into wedges. Toss with olive oil and sea salt. Grill on medium heat for 5-7 minutes per side or until soft.
Remove from heat and while still hot, toss with lime zest and a little more sea salt. Serve with some lime wedges on the side.

Serves 4

Tip:
You can do this with russet potatoes as well but the contrast of the sweet potatoes and the tartness of the lime is sooooo good!
When zesting, make sure you just get the colored part of the rind. You don't want to get any of the pith. (the bitter white stuff underneath- think grapefruit)

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon

Midday Meal :: Grilled Corn Soup

All Photography by Karen Mordechai

Our apologies for being a little late on posting this week, it's been quite busy here at sunday suppers. We're looking forward to the long weekend and hopefully some sunny days ! This week we'll be posting a few bbq recipes in honor of the 4th - here's an easy grilled corn soup to start things off -

Chilled Grilled Corn Soup
Serves 4

6 ears of corn, cleaned
2 tbl olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 large red onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups chicken stock
¼ c half and half
zest and juice of half a lime
crème fraiche and chopped chives for garnish

Brush the corn with a little olive oil and grill over medium heat, turning often until the kernels start to color, 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly and cut kernels off the cob.

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and garlic and sauté on medium heat until translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add chicken stock and grilled corn kernels. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and blend with a hand held blender until smooth. Stir in half and half, lime zest and juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Pour in to bowls and garnish with a dollop of crème fraiche and finely chopped chives.
Serves 4.

Tip: This soup can also be made with frozen corn in a pinch. You can saute it in a pan to get some color on it.

Copyright © 2009 by Casey Solomon