Menu
Winter Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
All is calm. We got a foot of snow on the 16th, pristine and beautiful in the back yard, This pandemic Christmas we have nowhere to go so there’s no hassle or stress associated with a snowfall, just the peaceful feeling of being enveloped in quiet white.
Afternoon shadows stretched long and blue across the yard, not even a deer track or fox footprint to disturb them.
The forecast is calling for a warmup and rain for Christmas Eve, so we won’t have this snow for long, but it came at the perfect time to put me in a Christmas-y mood. The tree is decorated, the stockings were hung by the fire, but one night we moved them to a nearby chair so they wouldn’t overheat, and once Esme found a snuggly place to rest her cheek we couldn’t bear to take them back.
Christmas Eve isn’t on a Saturday this year, but it’s a special night deserving of a special meal, so it’s taking the place of my Saturday post for December. This menu is what I plan to serve; I’m posting it in advance in case anyone reading is looking for inspiration for your own celebration.
We’re going to start with this Winter Salad with thinly sliced cucumbers, curls of prosciutto, and toasted chopped hazelnuts, dressed in a sweet and tangy pomegranate vinaigrette.
For the main event, Fettuccine Alfredo, a Christmas Eve tradition. Alfredo is perfect for a celebration meal like this – rich and decadent, but so easy to make it’s on the table in about 15 minutes, so you get to spend more time relaxing and enjoying the festivities.
And to finish, this gorgeous thing: Chocolate Hazelnut Torte. I made this for the first time on a Saturday in early December and, after enjoying it for three nights straight, we wrapped up the remainder for safekeeping in the freezer, to have on Christmas Eve. I have a strong feeling it will be back on the menu next year (every year?).
For dinner music, of course we’ll listen to Frank Sinatra. But every other minute this month, all I want to listen to is my new collection of Christmas Jazz. All the old favorites are there, in jazzy instrumental arrangements that will make you want to dance around the kitchen while you’re baking cookies. It would also be great mood music for tree-trimming, while opening presents, or for sitting by the fire with just the lights of the Christmas tree, thinking about the coming of a new year and all the possibilities ahead of us in 2021.
Listen to my Silent Night playlist on Spotify.
The Game Plan
- The Chocolate Hazelnut Torte is a multi-step recipe that needs cooling and chilling time. Make it early in the day or the day before. While you’re chopping and toasting hazelnuts for the torte, toast a few extra for the salad.
- Make the Pomegranate Vinaigrette early in the day.
- Assemble the salad and make the Fettuccine Alfredo in the last few minutes before serving.
- For a complete game plan with a detailed schedule for preparing the dishes in this menu, click on the image below:
