March 6, 2016 Brunch – PPI Chicken Curry and Dhal and Raita, Dinner – Grilled Lamb Chops and Asparagus with Salad

March 6, 2016 Brunch – PPI Chicken Curry and Dhal and Raita, Dinner – Grilled Lamb Chops and Asparagus with Salad

Today we slept in.  Then Suzette cut my hair, which really needed it and we worked in the garden a bit.  Suzette shortened the length of the poles covering the garden and planted the remaining area in the northwest bed, while I watered the old garden and cut back the floribunda rose by the pond.  At noon we heated the PPI Chicken curry and Dhal and Suzette reconstituted the raita while I spoke on the phone.

After our PPI Indian curry lunch we worked together to set brackets in the laundry room and put a glass and a plexiglass shelf on the brackets.  Then I drove to Ranch Market, where I bought lines, avocados, onions, cilantro, large shrimp, A and W root beer, broccoli, and smoked pork chops.

We rested when I returned home. 

We had invited Cynthia and Ricardo for dinner at 6:00, so at 5:30 I went to the garden and picked a basket of greens. 

 I always love our meals with Cynthia and Ricardo because it is always so much fun in two respects.  They are interesting well informed folks who think a lot like we do and Cynthia has an uncanny ability to fill the holes in our menus with interesting well prepared dishes.  Tonight’s meal was another good example.  We started by serving a bowl of the cream of daikon and turnip soup, Suzette made yesterday, garnished with fresh sliced chives from our garden. 

We served Gruet Rose of Chenin blac and the PPI Gruet 25g Blanc de Blanc with the soup.

 

Then Suzette grilled the lamb chops we bought at Costco last week with asparagus brushed with olive oil.  I made a salad with the fresh greens from the garden and reconstituted the dressing with a sliced shallot, olive oil, balsamic, goat cheese, and herbs de Provence salt.  Suzette fetched a can of artichoke hearts and a can of pitted California black olives, which I added to the salad, plus a diced tomato, two sliced green onions, and several radishes from our garden. 

 We served the salad, the grilled lamb, and asparagus with mint jelly and the last of the reconstituted raita/tzatziki.  I poured Morel Cotes du Rhone with the entrée.  We watched the democratic debate during the entrée and then served dessert during the last installment of Downton Abbey at 8:00.  For dessert Cynthia had baked a lemon juice and sugar glazed pound cake which she sliced and covered with sliced fresh strawberries and topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream flavored with fresh orange juice to which Suzette added a garnish of one of the candied kumquats she made last week,  for a delicious and healthy light dessert.  Ricardo is also on a diet, so we all appreciate the lightness of the dishes.  Cynthia and Ricardo also brought a bottle of Prosecco that we drank with dessert.  

After dessert, Ricardo also ate several chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

We said goodnight to Cynthia and Ricardo a little after 9:00. I read until 10:45, when Willy called, telling us that he had landed from New York and we drove to the airport to pick him up.  When we got home we made him a late night snack for him of a grilled lamb chop and salad with mint jelly, which is one of his favorite dishes. 

It is wonderful to have Willy back home after two years in Dublin.  Luke also called to tell us Willy had made the Jet Blue flight and say hello.  I am happy for our family unit, which also extends to Amy and Vahl. 

We gave Willy a quick tour of the changes in the kitchen and laundry room, which he seemed to like.

Bon Appetit