SURPRISE Wedding Shower

Last Friday we surprised Haute Papier's Vendor Coordinator Julie with a surprise shower in celebration of her upcoming wedding.  I'm a sucker for scheming to keep a surprise, and we managed to do it!  With help from our spouses we had mini-margaritas in Patron bottles inspired by one of the most innovative caterers out there - Peter Callahan along with tea sandwiches and custom monogrammed cupcakes from DC's very own Georgetown Cupcake.   Cheers to Julie & Skelly and their upcoming nuptials!

Beet & Goat Cheese Crostini

Being just back from an incredible trip in France for the last two weeks with my husband, I'm loving anything French.  It's funny, French food to me seems to always be one of two things... incredibly easy with few ingredients and super fresh or fussy, but worth-the-arduous-labor fancy.  These toasts are great because you can prepare the goat cheese spread and roast the beets ahead of time and then just throw the toasts together right before guests arrive!  This recipe comes from one of our good friends, who always make great food! Recipe after the jump...Beet & Goat Cheese Crostini

Beets:

  • 3/4 pound beets (about 2 medium)
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Goat Cheese Spread:

  • 1 (5-ounce) package goat cheese
  • 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 24 (1/2-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette, toasted

Preheat oven to 375°. To prepare beets, leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish; add 1 cup water to dish. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool. Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Cut beets lengthwise into quarters, and cut each quarter crosswise into 9 (1/8-inch) slices. In a medium bowl combine the vinegar, rind, juice, salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add beets; toss gently to coat. To prepare cheese spread, combine goat cheese, mayonnaise, tarragon, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Spread each baguette slice with 1 teaspoon cheese mixture; top with 3 slightly overlapping slices of beet.  Enjoy!

Watermelon + Feta Deliciousness

I'm not so sure this one even needs a recipe.  It's simple to throw together, refreshing in the heat and the pretty presentation always wows guests!  Just cube up fresh seedless watermelon, top with a piece of feta and a mini basil leaf, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and voila!  Now the only trick is keeping everyone's fingers out of them until company arrives!

Low and Slow in the Kitchen

With the sweltering heat that DC's been melting under, there isn't much incentive to turning on the oven, but I promise, this recipe will make it worth it!  And you can cook a whole large fillet at a time and have plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day.  Add a farro, wheat berry or similar salad as a side, top with tzatziki sauce got a light and protein-filled dinner without too much effort! Slow Roasted Salmon with Tomatoes and Herbs

  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 bunch dill fronds
  • 1/2 bunch thyme sprigs
  • 1 3-pound piece center-cut skin-on salmon or steelhead trout fillet, pin bones removed
  • Sea salt
  • 8 ounces small cherry tomatoes on the vine

Preheat oven to 325°. Pour 4 Tbsp. oil in a roasting pan just large enough to fit the salmon. Make a bed of herbs in bottom of pan; top with salmon, skin side down. Drizzle salmon with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and season with salt. Top with tomatoes, if using. Bake until salmon is just cooked through in the center (a small knife will slide easily through flesh), 25–30 minutes.  Use a large spoon or fork to serve salmon, leaving skin in pan. Serve with yogurt sauce and couscous.

The original recipe, with sauce and salad can be found on Bon Appetit here.