debby party

sorry for the fuzzy quality of the picture, but this dinner was so technicolor that the camera must have had trouble focusing..

dear friend debby is in town from brooklyn and we are apparently starting a wonderful tradition of having a dinner party each time this happens. we were joined by some other lovely, smart, beautiful ladies. the conversation was so stimulating, genuine and special. this dinner, full of color and freshness and health was so fitting.

where to start? i had the day off and my head was swimming with ideas for a summery, vegan meal. i usually browse epicurious.com when i am going to be cooking, sometimes there are some recipes that are inspiring, and this was the case today.. but of course, i had to add some special sierra touches.

i roasted portabello caps with some garlic oil, s & p at 450 for about 10 minutes. on top of the caps, i piled a bulgar wheat salad. i haven't ever used bulgar. ever. how weird. it is so easy and so yummy. easy to cook: poured 3 cups of boiling water over 2 cups of the grain. let it sit till absorbed. added a dice of bell peppers and red onion. some basil and parsley.

for a little saucy action, i made a chimichurri. this is my most favorite and staple summertime accompanist. in my little chopper: 1 jalapeno, four cloves garlic, juice of one lemon, a bunch of parsley, some vinegar, some oil, and from here you can go anywhere. i added basil, rosemary, lemon zest, some special caper and oregano seasoning. bright and green and full of fresh flavor. (i have started imagining this meal with a thick, grilled lamb chop on top.. next time when we're eating meat..)

the salad. roasted some zucchini because i cannot seem to make a meal without it lately. piled some rocket leaves on top, half of an avocado and a sweet and hot tomato salad dressing. in baby chopchop: a few garlic cloves, a bit of the liquid from my favorite jar: pepperdillos, about 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, a nice pinch of red flakes, some balsamic vinegar, a little oil, lots of s and some p.

i made some more spuds bravas. and the chimichurri is nice with em. also had a nice loaf of bread and some chevre for us dairy eaters.

for dessert we had the hempy dreamy stuff. i had macerated some blackberries in lime juice and sugar early in the day. the coconut lime flavor with the berries was the jam! i tried to lay off the chocolate, but i think that there is some left. breakfast...