Menu
Smoked Salmon Spread with Crackers
Raspberry Rhubarb Galette with Vanilla Ice Cream
A front-page article in our local paper last week quoted our Governor saying it’s time to “get out of the damn house.” Yes of course…but to be honest I was a homebody even before all this stuff happened, and even though I’m excited to be able to go out and do things and see people again, I still kinda love my damn house. Especially in May when the boundaries of home open up and expand into the back yard where everything’s blooming, the hummingbird is back from his trip to South America, and the garden is still full of promise and not yet under attack.
Our early crops are thriving so far. We went way overboard with lettuce this spring – but there’s no better salad than one made with just-picked leaves, and I love the variety of colors and shapes, lettuce interplanted with early broccoli, catching the early morning sunlight.
I found this shy beauty hiding in the shade and holding onto a few last drops of dew.
I only have two rhubarb plants, so I have to harvest carefully so as not to rob the plants of too many leaves at one time. For a special dessert on this mid-May Saturday, I had just enough to make this Raspberry Rhubarb Galette. Combined with grocery-store raspberries, my greenish rhubarb still made a glowing, ruby-red filling, encased in flaky pastry dough and topped with melty vanilla ice cream.
We don’t grow asparagus in our garden, but we have several farm stands nearby that keep us in a steady supply throughout its short season. For the main dish to go with the galette, I came up with a delicious twist on the French classic, Chicken Cordon Bleu. I swapped in asparagus for the chicken and wrapped it in thinly sliced ham and Jarlsberg cheese, then draped it with a creamy mushroom sauce. A crust of buttery panko breadcrumbs, browned under the broiler, added subtle crunch to contrast with the creamy sauce and tender asparagus.
For a nibble before dinner, I made a cool and creamy Smoked Salmon Spread to serve with crackers.
All of the dishes in this country-French-themed dinner are easy to make and have components that can be made ahead, making it ideal for entertaining or (in our case) a relaxing but special dinner at home for two.
My playlist for May is called “Make You Smile”, named for the first tune and also for the fact that we truly do have a lot to smile about these days. (I almost named it for the second tune, “Hell N Back”, because – right?) The playlist is a fun blend of pop/r&b/soul tunes from the 70s to today. Listen on Spotify.
The Game Plan
- The Smoked Salmon Spread, the mushroom sauce for the asparagus dish, and the components of the galette can all be made in advance – early in the day or the day before.
- Bake the Raspberry Rhubarb Galette a few hours in advance – it’s best enjoyed the day it’s baked.
- Assembling the Asparagus Cordon Bleu only takes a few minutes. You can do it a few hours ahead or at the last minute, whatever works for your schedule. Bake it right before serving.
- For a complete game plan with details on timing and sequencing of all the steps in these recipes, click on the image below.
