October 7, 2014 Dinner Party at the Palmer’s Grilled Ham Chops, Corn on the cob, broccoli,s salad and fresh Apple Pie

The Palmers invited us to dinner tonight.  I discussed the menu with Susan and we determined that I would bring a salad and a wine. 

Susan had bought a cut of meat at the Alpine Sausage Kitchen that I had never had before; a bone in ham chop, for which she made two sauces, one a brandy cream sauce and the other a sherry cream sauce.  Both sauces were delicious on the grilled ham chop that had been based with a sweet glaze.  The taste of the chop was that of ham but, because it was grilled, it also had the appearance and slightly charred flavor of a steak. Very interesting.

Susan also prepared broccoli and boiled ears of the last of the summer's fresh corn.

I made a salad with chopped fresh carrots and a cucumber from our garden, plus damson plums from the Center for Ageless Living’s trees in Los Lunas and cubes of Iberico cheese and minced red onion.  I made a fresh dressing with white wine vinegar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice plus a tsp. of Dijon mustard and about 3/4 cup of olive oil, plus several Tbsp. of fresh oregano and a tsp. of fresh tarragon from our garden.

I grabbed a bottle of Eguren Urgate Rosé (Spanish Rioja tempranillo, Total Wine $7.00?), which went well with the grilled ham.  We visited Eguren Urgate Winery several years ago with Billy, Elaine and Rebecca for lunch.  It is one of the oldest properties in the Rioja Altavesa region continuously owned by one family dating back to 1870, with one of the largest cellars in the region.   Tempranillo must be aged a long time, so a winery needs lots of cave space.  http://egurenugarte.com/en/una-bodega-unica/

Susan always serves lovely appetizers and tonight was no exception.  She had three cheeses, a soft garlic and herb spreadable cheese and two kinds of blue cheese, one of which was a lovely creamy Maytag blue cheese and a basket filled with crackers and toasted French baguettes slices on which to spread the cheese.   

When we arrived Charlie was finishing the grilling of the ham chops.  Then, while we nibbled cheese and bread and crackers, Susan made the apple pie and we sat and talked to her at the dinette counter in the kitchen. 

When the dinner was ready we all moved to the dining room table.  I loved the ham with the light brandy sauce, as well as the fresh vegetables and salad.

Finally for dessert, Susan made Chantilly Sauce for the pie with sour cream, whipped cream, a bit of vanilla and sugar that was wonderful on the warm apple pie.  

I loved dinner, especially since we did not need to cook or clean.  Much of the conversation was taken up by our two resident health care specialists, Charlie and Suzette’s, rants about the horrors of the health care delivery system.  Charlie actually made me aware of something I did not know; that the reductions in medical expenses lately have been due to reductions in reimbursement rates by Medicare by targeting high cost and high volume categories of procedures.

Bon Appétit