Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Anniversary dinner

My parents recently celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary, so I decided a special dinner was in order.
We started with these radish and chive tea sandwiches with sesame and ginger. They were really easy to make and tasted great.

I found some nice looking wild blue shrimp, and decided on a simple preparation to let their flavor shine through. I sauteed the shrimp in a little olive oil and seasoned generously with salt, pepper and meyer lemon juice. I served an herb salsa verde from Sunday Suppers at Lucques on the side.

For this dish, I sauteed some white and green asparagus with shallots, brown butter, salt and pepper. I garnished with fresh chives.

This potato and leek galette was outstanding. I was a little worried that it wouldn't hold together, but it came out perfectly. The recipe will definitely be repeated.

For dessert I made a rustic cherry and frangipane tart from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook. It was a good way to use some of my almonds. I served this with vanilla ice cream.

Overall, I thought it was a great meal. It actually wasn't all that time consuming to make either, which is always a plus.

104 comments:

Heather S-G said...

What a perfect, beautiful dinner for your parents...34 years, wow! That's so wonderful. The tart, omg..i definitely want that.

Sean said...

What a sweet thing to do for your parents!

I loved the fact that you prepared the shrimp simply to show off its natural flavor

Pearl said...

how incredibly sweet. i love doing these things for parents!

Cassie said...

What a nice thing to do -- congratulations to them for making it 34 years. That's incredible!

The food, as always, looks amazing.

Selba said...

What a wonderful anniversary dinner! The shrimp looks yummy :)

Stacey Snacks said...

Sara,
This is a beautiful spring dinner menu.
I am thinking of the crostini w/ radish for mother's day or Easter.
The recipe sounds interesting with the asian flavors in the butter.
your galette is beautiful too!

Jescel said...

how sweet are you to do that! and the dinner is lovely! i'd like to sample those tart.. i'm so intrigued by the frangipane..from where i come from, that's nothing but an ornamental flower :oD

Anonymous said...

this all looks so good and perfect for Spring!

Rosie Hawthorne said...

Beautiful.

And the food looked lovely, too.

Dewi said...

Such a wonderful daughter you are Sara, Love what you prepared for you parent wedding Aniversary.
Cheers,
elra

Anonymous said...

You've got very lucky parents, that's such a lovely selection of food for their anniversary dinner.

Leslie M. said...

Sara, your Food is so gorgeous!! You could be a food Stylist!!!
You are a wonderful Daughter!!!!
Ohhhh My 25th Wedding Anniversary is coming up on April 6th, can I adopt you for a day!!!??? hahahha

You did a Beautiful Job!!!! What a precious Gift!
Leslie
LeslieVeg@msn.com
http://leslielovesveggies.blogspot.com/

Sarah said...

Lovely, i've made the dessert and the leek and potato dish both were excellent!!!

Anonymous said...

I am Sara's mom and the dinner was delicious and she is a wonderful daughter! We prefer her fantastic cooking to restaurants! Presentation of her food is always outstanding. Thanks Sara (:

Unknown said...

What a sweet thing to do for your parents - happy anniversary to them! Everything looks fabulous. You always impress me with your elegant food :)

Reeni said...

Everything looks outstanding all on their own. Put it all together and it is just over the top! What a lovely dinner!

Wandering Coyote said...

What a beautiful meal! I liked seeing something different done with radishes; usually, they enhance a salad or crudite plate, but the tea sandwiches look great.

Heather said...

how sweet are you?! your parents are so lucky. congrats to them :) that tart sounds amazingly good. i love cherries.

Chef E said...

I love how the pasta and asparagus meld together and you cannot tell the difference (if it is pasta), and you just inspired me for a dessert for my Green Paella (rice) blog in a few days...

My mom loved it when I cooked for her...

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

Wow you are treating them good. This is a beautiful dinner.

The Purple Carrot said...

What lucky parents you have to have a daughter like you! : ) Congrats to them!!!

Jaime said...

can you come and do our anniv dinner?? :)

Unknown said...

You have some lucky parents. The potato and leek galette looks good to me! :)

Anonymous said...

That galette looks amazing! And thanks very much for stopping by again, Catherine

Kerstin said...

Awww - that's so sweet of you! Everything looks fantastic! I especially love the radish appetizers and the gorgeous shrimp!

Donna-FFW said...

You must be the best daughter ever! What a spectacular meal!! Really, something so special, all made with such love!! Do your parents enjoy cooking as much as you? 34 years, good for them, I hope they have many more!

LaDue & Crew said...

Fabulous! Everything looks amazing- how sweet you are to make such a perfect meal for them!

Christina Kim said...

That's so kind and thoughtful of you! It looks like it was a beautiful and delicious meal. How lucky they are to have a daughter like you!

Elyse said...

What a fabulous meal! I'm sure your parents were thrilled. Everything looks absolutely delicious! Thirty-four years is a great reason to celebrate; congrats to them!

Anonymous said...

So sweet of you to prepare that meal! The leek and potato tart looks especially delicious. Growing up, our parents always wanted to celebrate their anniversary with us kids as well. =)

Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous dinner and that potato leek galette and the cherry tart look amazing!

Finla said...

Congragulations to your paretns. 34 years wow.
I am sure your parents are lucky to have a duaghter like you.

Anonymous said...

You are so sweet darling, you cooked on your Anniversary, you most certainly dished out a full course meal, everything looks divine, just divine!!!!!!

Femin Susan said...

yum Yum Yum
Wish I could swallow all those at a shot.
Cheers!

Culinary Wannabe said...

What a meal, they are super lucky to have such a thoughtful daughter! I guess you deserve something really special after 34 years! I'm especially fond of the little radish sandwiches - too cute!

Miette said...

What a wonderful dinner for your parents...34 years, wow! That's so beautiful. Very, very great job ! I love all the dishes !

Cheers,

Miette

Sweet Cheeks said...

will you come cook for my anniversary? That looks outstanding!

Lori Lynn said...

WOW Sara, what an absolutely fabulous menu!
Congrats to your parents on their anniversary.
LL

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Your parents are so lucky to have such a talented daughter. Happy anniversary to them and hope they have many more.

We found a lot of white asparagus in the markets in France when we were there about this time of the year and I'm glad to see that you used it. I'm curious to know what you think of it's taste compared to the green.

I could eat a whole plate of the wild shrimp. It is amazingly different (and so much better) than farm raised.
Sam

Cathy said...

What a great thing to do for your parents! I regularly cook for mine when I get a chance to visit them and they are always super appreciative!

Olga said...

What a great meal!
Love the sandwiches and the potato/leek concoction :)

I have something for you on my blog!

Netts Nook said...

Sara this looks great as usual I can't ever find white asparagus did you have a hard time finding it. I am sure Mom and Day were proud and full.

Robin said...

What a nice dinner you made for your parents anniversary- beautiful! I did see that very radish tea sandwich recipe in Bon Appetit so now that you have made it I will have to follow your example!

Karen Brown Letarte said...

What a gorgeous, amazing meal! I am sure your parents loved it. What a nice way to honor them.

I love the combination of all the flavors! I enjoy serving gratins and galettes also (so much more fun than plain old potatoes). I am most intrigued by your radish and ginger tea sandwiches. What a great twist on 2 classics: tea sandwiches, and French radishes with sweet butter.

Love it all, Sara!

:) K

Anonymous said...

Everything looks so fresh and wonderful. Your parents must have been thrilled!

Usha said...

What a beautiful and sweet thing to do for your parents. Congrats to your parents on their anniversary!

Anonymous said...

Wow, this is a very impressive feast here! I love all the dishes. The radish sandwiches really caught my attention as I have been looking for a good way to introduce them to my daughter and the sandwich is perfect!

teresa said...

I'm a bit envious of the people that get to go to your house for dinner! What a beautiful layout!

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

That's so sweet of you! What a wonderful and spring-like meal!

cheers,

Rosa

Gera@SweetsFoodsBlog said...

Sara, 34 years that's incredible nowadays!

Lavish dishes so impressive all of them, enchanted with the shrimps and also with the cherry and frangipane tart :)

Cheers!
Gera

Anonymous said...

Congrats to your parents! 34years of marriage is really something to be celebrated!! Your whole dinner looks outstanding! That galette looks perfect.

Anonymous said...

What a thoughtful and wonderful daughter you are! The meal looks better than any that could be had at a fancy restaurant. And I'm sure it meant more to your parents, too, because it was a meal cooked with pure love.

Jennifer said...

Ahh how sweet, I bet your parents were impressed, I sure am! gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

What an amazing dinner you put together! Holy cow...just amazing...especially the dessert.

Lyndas recipe box said...

What a delicious and beautiful dinner for your parents! I'm sure they really appreciated this special meal. I'm drooling just looking at your pictures!

Colleen said...

This looks amazing - great job!

Diana said...

Your parents are lucky to have you as a daughter. How thoughtful of you to make them such an amazing feast!

stephchows said...

I bet they appreciated everything you made for them! You're awesome for doing it all!

Jessica@Foodmayhem said...

What a beautiful dinner! I really like the galette. Happy Anniversary to your parents!

Foodie with Little Thyme! said...

Everything looks so wonderful. I'm sure your parents were and are very proud of you. Great way to honor them.

The Blonde Duck said...

Awww! That was so sweet of you to make dinner for your folks!

Amanda said...

That food looks fantastic--what a fantastic way to celebrate an anniversary! And hooray to your parents for 34 years--they give the rest of us hope that it's possible to stay together.

Hayley said...

What an awesome daughter you are! Don't you love cooking for your family? Everything looks so wonderful, I'll be stealing some recipes for sure!

Unknown said...

Looks great!

Sara said...

Jescel - Frangipane is a mixture of ground almonds, sugar, butter and eggs, and it's quite delicious.

Chef E - It's white and green asparagus, although you're right, it does look like pasta.

Donna - My mom is a very good cook!

Sam - I think the biggest difference between white and green asparagus is the texture, primarily because of the different growing methods. I do think the white asparagus is a little bit sweeter and milder tasting than the green. I try to buy wild, sustainable seafood as much as possible.

The Duo Dishes said...

What a special dinner for a special occasion!

Anonymous said...

I love the shrimps & the galette..

so sweet of u & congrats to them..

I am having trouble in my reader. a lot of posts are not getting updated. I am adding u to my blogroll.

Kiezie said...

What a wonderful way to celebrate!! I bet you had a blast!!

Creative Classroom Core said...

You are a superstar! What an amazing menu!

Debbie said...

What an absolutely wonderful dinner for your parents! It all look delicious!

The Food Hunter said...

Everything looks so good. You're parents must have been so happy.

Judy said...

Happy Anniversary to your parents. The meal really looks great. I absolutely love everything you made.

grace said...

how nice of you, and what a bang-up job you did! can you top it next year? :)

Irene said...

I love the potato/leek galette, and that cherry tart... oh, that cherry tart is haunting my dreams!

La Bella Cooks said...

Happiest Anniversary to your parents. What a well deserved feast. It looks like your did a gorgeous dinner sure to please anyone. I love the asparagus pasta! Very impressive Sara!

Proud Italian Cook said...

Sara, What a beautiful meal you made for your parents, they must have loved it!

Bharti said...

Happy Anniversary to your parents Sara. And what a spread. Everything looks so lovely..the galette does sound phenomenal.

Laurie said...

What a beautiful dinner Sarah! Your parents must be so proud of you! Congratulations to your Mom and Dad!! :)

Monica H said...

Your gallette and the part look amazing! I'm getting hungry :-)

Anonymous said...

Amazing dinner you made -they must have been so proud and delighted!

Jeph said...

I'll be planting green and purple asparagus in just a short while. I won't get to pick any for a year or two - but when I do, I'll have to remember this preparation. Sure sounds good!

NKP said...

Yum! Amazing.
Can I just send you my anniversary date and my address? :)

Cakelaw said...

Congratulations to your parents!!! What a delicious dinner you made for them. The cherry and frangipane tart looks fab - I could use a slice now.

Lori said...

Everything looks amazing Sara! How pleased your parents must have been!

The Short (dis)Order Cook said...

Gorgeous spread. Your parents are very lucky.

Lucy..♥ said...

I'd agree this is a perfect dinner! Congrats to your parents on their anniversary!

Anonymous said...

Beautiful asparagus. Very springy.

The cake looks like a great finish to the evening.

I just gave my sister that baking book for her birthday since I had such great things about it.

Maria said...

Congrats to your parents. What an amazing meal. I love it all!

Varsha Vipins said...

yummmmmmm..wished to them from me Sara..:) Thats a grand feast you gave 'em honey..:)

sunita said...

That was so sweet of yoy, Sara..the meal looks lovely.Wishes to your parents for many more wonderful years of togetherness.

You've got a beautiful space here :-)

Jessica604 said...

The galette looks amazing!!!
Not to mention everything else!

You have lucky parents, mine only get the odd baked good or dessert every now and then...I should really change that.

Anonymous said...

What a great dinner! I love those tea sandwiches.

Anonymous said...

Everything looks just perfect!

Unknown said...

what a meal!!! Everything looks amazing :)

Passionate Eater said...

What am amazing daughter you are Sara! And it seems like you inherited your amazingness from you parents, 34 yrs is incredible!

Krista Dearden said...

Looks delish! I love the tea sandwiches...great use of radishes that I just recently learned to love. I can't wait to try them.

Live.Love.Eat said...

What an outstanding dinner for your parents. I am sure they enjoyed it more than going out to eat. I bookmarked that galette.

Megan said...

What a lovely dinner. Now that's a perfect anniversary gift! I'll have to try that galette some time. Looks fabulous!

Muneeba said...

Great spread Sara! My favs are the leek & potato galette, and the cherry & frangipane tart. And thks for reminding me abt using up asparagus while they're in season - I'm really trying to do seasonal cooking this year, but sometimes have a hard time keeping up!

Julie said...

You dinner looks amazing. I'm especially loving the little sandwiches...I hardly ever use radishes anymore and it's a shame!

Sophie said...

I'd love to come to your house, your parents must've loved this! I especially love these veggie dishes you've been sharing with us. I really need to get a Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. :D

Ingrid_3Bs said...

My goodness Sara how'd I miss this post?! Everything looks scrumptious and not time consuming to put together?! I would have been frazzled mess!
~ingrid

Tammy said...

What lucky parents to receive a meal like this! I'm sure they feel they're the lucky ones to have you. Beautiful pictures and lovely menu.

Katie said...

All these foods look good! I think I'm going to make the one with the chives and aspargus for my parents for their anniversary!