With folks coming and going during this festive month, why not take a few days to prepare.
Clean out your refrigerator, including the gucky vegetable bin. Then restock it with offerings that won’t completely undermine your noble efforts to behave during this monthlong eat-a-thon.
Lots of cut up carrots. A forest of broccoli and cauliflower florets. Tubs of lovely olives and other pickled vegetables that can flavor-up a antipasto platter in a flash without a lot of fat.
When you can afford the time and the mess, double up on your cooking so meals can be pulled from the freezer later in the month.
On my Web site (www.janrd.com), I provide my recipe for make-ahead gravy so you can skip the last-minute chaos gravy making creates during a dinner party. It can be made and stored in your refrigerator for up to five days, or frozen up to 6 months.
Another great thing to have lurking in the freezer is a batch of hot buttered rum mix. It’s truly delicious! I’ve provided my version below.
Hot buttered rum
Frozen hot buttered rum batter (recipe follows)
Rum
Boiling water
Nutmeg
Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of frozen batter in each mug. Add desired amount of rum (11/2 to 2 ounces), and 1 cup of boiling water. Stir to blend, then top with nutmeg.
Frozen hot buttered rum batter
1quart French vanilla ice cream, softened slightly
1pound butter (4 cubes), softened
1pound brown sugar
1pound powdered sugar
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
2teaspoons ground nutmeg
In the large workbowl of a food processor (or in a large bowl, using an electric mixer), combine the ice cream, butter, sugars, cinnamon, and the 2 teaspoons of mutmeg. Mix thoroughly. Pack into a freezer container(s) and store in the freezer.
Makes 6 cups frozen batter.
Adapted from “A Taste of Oregon,” by the Junior League of Eugene
David’s dilled havarti spread
1 cup shredded dilled havarti cheese
¼ cup minced green onions
1tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/3-½ cup mayonnaise
Assorted crackers, baguette slices, or crostini
Combine all of the ingredients and spoon into a bowl. Surround the bowl with crackers or baguette slices or crostini. Keep the spread refrigerated when not serving.
Makes about 11/2 cups spread.
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, edited by the Moosewood Collective
Muffuleta garlic-olive relish
½cup coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
½cup coarsely chopped pitted black olives
¼cup coarsely chopped red onion
¼cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
¼cup balsamic vinegar (more to taste)
1tablespoon minced garlic
2teaspoons drained and rinsed capers
¼teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
¼teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground black pepper
1/3cup extra virgin olive oil
Place the olives, onion, parsley, vinegar, garlic, capers, oregano, salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse the mixture until the ingredients are finely chopped. Add the olive oil and continue processing until the mixture is thoroughly chopped but not pureed. Adjust seasonings, adding additional vinegar if it needs a zing, or additional olive oil if the mixture seems too sharp. Will keep in the refrigerator for at least one month. Since the olive oil solidifies at low temperatures, remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez: janrd@proaxis.com, [URL]www.janrd.com;http://www.janrd.com[URL].[/URL]
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