Company Came (The Recipes)

Red Velvet Cake
(Lauren)

2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cup oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cocoa
1 tsp vinegar
2 oz red food coloring
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Cream sugar and oil.  Add eggs.  Beat well.  Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.  Mix cocoa and red food coloring together in a cup.  Add vinegar, mix well.  Add to egg and sugar mixture.  Beat hard, then add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.  Add vanilla.  Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) pans, pour in mixture.  Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

Cake Icing:
1 stick margarine
1 box confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup nuts (pecans were used at Recipe Club)

Mix together.  Spread on cooled cake.

Lauren's Notes:

• It only took 23 minutes for her cake to bake.  Start checking to see if it is done at 20 minutes and then check every 3 minutes after that.
• She topped the cake with pecans, but you can also mix them into the icing to spread all over the cake.

Golden Potato and Boursin Gratin (from Table of Contents)
(Virginia)

2 cups heavy cream or whipping cream
5 oz garlic and herb boursin cheese
3 tbsp shallots, minced (these were omitted at Recipe Club)
2 1/2 pounds unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 7 potatoes)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400.  Combine the cream, cheese and shallots in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts and the mixture is combined, stirring constantly.  Arrange half of the potato slices slightly overlapping in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.  Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and pour half of the cheese sauce over the potatoes.  Layer with the remaining potato slices and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Spread the remaining cheese sauce over the prepared layers and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are tender.

King's Court Shrimp (appetizer)
(Ashley)


5 lbs large, fresh shrimp (the recipe was halved for recipe club)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp minced, fresh parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 tbsp olive oil

Boil shrimp in lemons.  (Alternative: If you buy them already steamed, peeled and deveined, simply squeeze fresh lemon juice over the shrimp before adding spices.  Be sure the market does not cook your shrimp with any extra spices...you'll be adding plenty of spice yourself!)  Combine ingredients and whisk.  Pour over shrimp.  Refrigerate for 8 hours.  Drain.  Serve over kale or green leaf lettuce

Squash Stuffed with Sweet Red Pepper (from Food For Thought)
(Caron)

4 medium sized yellow squash
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup finely diced sweet red pepper
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and Pepper

Cut a thin slice from the top of each squash, reserving slices.  Chop those slices and set aside.  Steam squash and chopped slices in microwave or steamer for 5 minutes or until soft.  Cool 5 minutes.  Scoop out squash and discard seeds.  Saute onion in olive oil for 3-4 minutes until clear.  Add red pepper.  Saute additional 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in spinach and cook until wilted.  Add chopped squash and stir well.  Add 1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Arrange the hollowed squash shells in baking dish and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.  Spoon vegetable mixture into squash shells.  Bake at 375 for 5 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Creme Brulee - Tied for the Silver Spoon (from "Better Homes and Gardens")
(Melanie)

2 cups heavy whipping cream (no substitutes)
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
10 baby pumpkins*
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  In a small saucepan, heat whipping cream over medium heat just until bubbly.  Remove from heat; set aside.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, eggs, the 1/2 cup sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves.  Beat with a whisk or rotary beater just until combined.  Slowly whisk the hot whipping cream into the egg mixture.  Use a small serrated knife to cut off the top 1/2-inch of the baby pumpkins.  Discard the tops (or use them as a garnish).  Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds.  Place the pumpkins in a roasting pan.  Divide custard mixture evenly among the pumpkins.  Place roasting pan on oven rack.  Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the sides of the pumpkins.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until centers appear nearly set when gently shaken.  Carefully remove pan from oven.  Remove pumpkins from water; cool on a wire rack.  Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours (I made them the night before and they were fine).  Before serving, let custards stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.  **Meanwhile, for caramelized sugar: in a heavy 8-inch skillet, heat the 1/4 cup sugar over medium-high heat until sugar begins to melt, shaking skillet occasionally to heat sugar evenly  Do not stir.  Once sugar starts to melt, reduce heat to low; cook 3 to 5 minutes more or until all of the sugar is melted and golden brown, stirring as needed with a wooden spoon.  Quickly drizzle caramelized sugar over the custards.  (If sugar starts to harden in the skillet, return to heat, stirring until melted)  Serve immediately.  Makes 10 filled pumpkins or 6 custard cups.

*Instead of the pumpkins, you can use six 3/4-cup souffle dishes or 6-ounce custard cups.  Place the souffle dishes or custard cups in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
**Culinary Torch Method (used for recipe club): Instead of caramelizing the sugar in the skillet as directed in steps 6 and 7, sprinkle sugar evenly over custards.  Use a culinary torch to caramelize the sugar.

Provencal Lamb - Tied for the Silver Spoon (from Ina Garten)
(Liz)

1 (6- to 7 lb) bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed and tied
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
3 tbsp garlic, chopped and divided (9 cloves)
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 lbs ripe red tomatoes, cored and 1-inch diced
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 cup good honey (see note), divided
1 large Spanish onion, sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Note: You will want to use a liquid - rather than a solid - honey for this recipe so it can be drizzled on the lamb.

Preheat the oven to 450.  Place the leg of lamb in a large roasting pan, fat side up, and pat it dry with paper towels. Combine the mustard, 1 tbsp garlic, the rosemary, balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper in a mini food processor and pulse until the garlic and rosemary are minced.  Spread the mixture on the lamb.

Place the tomatoes, olive oil, 1/4 cup honey, the onion, the remaining 1 tbsp garlic, 2 tbsp salt, and 2 tsp pepper in a bowl and toss well.  Pour the tomato mixture around the lamb and tuck in the thyme and rosemary sprigs.  Drizzle the lamb with the remaining 1/4 cup of honey.

Roast for 20 minutes.  Turn the heat down to 350 and roast for another 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until a meat thermometer registers 130 to 135 degrees for medium-rare.  Place the lamb on a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.  Discard the herb stems and return the tomatoes to the oven to keep warm.  Slice the lamb, arrange on a platter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve with the tomatoes and pan juices spooned on top.