Easter Dinnah
I don't know if it is because Easter came early this year, or if it's because I was out late last night, but this year it didn't feel like Easter. I didn't even eat any jelly beans, or a Cadbury Creme Egg (7 points! Each!)
But the ham this year was outta this world! Thank you Stillmans Farm!
So to cook the ham I first sawed the rind into diamonds. (I was at my Mom's house and there are two things to know about cooking over there: 1. My parents have the tiniest kitchen ever, and 2. They don't have a sharp knife in the house which is probably why they've been married for um well ah a few years now.)
So after pretty much hacking the rind into as much of a diamond pattern as I could considering I was basically using a butter knife, I rubbed a sage-parsley-garlic-olive oil paste all over it and popped it in the oven, glazing it every now and then with a cider-brown sugar syrup.
I have to say that I wasn't loving the idea of sage and garlic and cider and brown sugar, but actually it was really really delicious.
For side dishes, I trimmed Vidalia onions, drizzled them with a little olive oil, wrapped them in foil and then put them in the oven with the ham. The carrots just got sliced and cooked with parsley and garlic. And Mom made panisse, sort of a chickpea paste fried in olive oil & sprinkled with sea salt - I love the stuff, piping hot right out of the oil...
And salad. I mostly consider salad a necessary evil in this life. I only like my Mom's vinaigrette and I much prefer to eat salad in the summer, as Nature intended, and just salad has never ever felt like a real meal to me. But it feels weird to go straight from dinner to dessert without the salad speed bump.
Oh and dessert! I made little choux puffs and passed around bowls of lemon curd, berries, rum-caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce so people could make their own thing. Also I put out thin slices of chilled oranges that I'd marinated with a little triple sec and served sprinkled with praline. Lots of dessert is important. Any really crappy meal can be redeemed by a terrific dessert.
I took some pictures and I'll post them when I can.
Ugh I need to go to sleep.
But first I need to see if I can get another sliver of ham off the bone before I wash up for the night...
And maybe a small dab more of lemon curd....
Or gravy.
*sigh*
Weight Watchers is going to SUCK this week.
But the ham this year was outta this world! Thank you Stillmans Farm!
So to cook the ham I first sawed the rind into diamonds. (I was at my Mom's house and there are two things to know about cooking over there: 1. My parents have the tiniest kitchen ever, and 2. They don't have a sharp knife in the house which is probably why they've been married for um well ah a few years now.)
So after pretty much hacking the rind into as much of a diamond pattern as I could considering I was basically using a butter knife, I rubbed a sage-parsley-garlic-olive oil paste all over it and popped it in the oven, glazing it every now and then with a cider-brown sugar syrup.
I have to say that I wasn't loving the idea of sage and garlic and cider and brown sugar, but actually it was really really delicious.
For side dishes, I trimmed Vidalia onions, drizzled them with a little olive oil, wrapped them in foil and then put them in the oven with the ham. The carrots just got sliced and cooked with parsley and garlic. And Mom made panisse, sort of a chickpea paste fried in olive oil & sprinkled with sea salt - I love the stuff, piping hot right out of the oil...
And salad. I mostly consider salad a necessary evil in this life. I only like my Mom's vinaigrette and I much prefer to eat salad in the summer, as Nature intended, and just salad has never ever felt like a real meal to me. But it feels weird to go straight from dinner to dessert without the salad speed bump.
Oh and dessert! I made little choux puffs and passed around bowls of lemon curd, berries, rum-caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce so people could make their own thing. Also I put out thin slices of chilled oranges that I'd marinated with a little triple sec and served sprinkled with praline. Lots of dessert is important. Any really crappy meal can be redeemed by a terrific dessert.
I took some pictures and I'll post them when I can.
Ugh I need to go to sleep.
But first I need to see if I can get another sliver of ham off the bone before I wash up for the night...
And maybe a small dab more of lemon curd....
Or gravy.
*sigh*
Weight Watchers is going to SUCK this week.
Comments