It’s getting close to the Fourth of July so we thought it would be best to kick-off our weekly menu post this week, which is basically our suggestions on what you might want to try should you be entertaining in the days to come.
This is a tricky week because everyone is feeling summer but the tomatoes and corn might or might not make their first appearance at the farmers market this weekend. Once those treats hit the entire menu planning changes dramatically. But for now, we will go with what we have.
As you know, we like to have dinner parties that are just that, a party. Washington is a town that never really turns off and we look at LPB as an escape where friends and colleagues can come and just have a good time. The center of that is just, what we think, is really good food. Here’s some ideas if you plan to do a dinner party this week. This is a variation of the usual meat and corn on the cob and this menu adds a little more punch to the standard fare for this time of the year.
Also, we all know the dreaded Wednesday holiday…it just hangs there in the middle and makes it difficult to wrap a long weekend around it, so this dinner can either be this weekend or any other time you can break free from the office.
Appetizers
When guests arrive we always have a few, well a lot, of appetizers waiting to greet them. For the Fourth of July we like to have the classic peel & eat shrimp because you can get fresh shrimp near the house. A nice compliment to that is fresh Guacamole with a spicy purple corn chip. You can add another light snack of salmon ceviche. All these dishes bring your guests to circle around the table to talk, eat and drink. So kick it off with these three. You can make most of these in the morning.
Serve the Guacamole and Salmon Ceviche side by side with a shared bowl of spicy blue corn tortilla chips. People will often dip into into both as it makes a great combination. Also be sure to have a special drink of the night and since it will be a hot Fourth of July make up a batch of Frozen Vodka with Basil.
Time for Dinner
This cool spicy start to a meal sets the tone and I always peel the shrimp that did not get eaten during appetizers and cocktails and put them on top of the soup.
Marinated Grilled Chicken & Steak
This is by far the most served entree we make as it screams summer and fun. It’s very simple, easy to grill and everyone loves it.
Curry Pasta Salad with Broccolini
Look it, it’s the Fourth of July and you don’t want to be running around and missing the fun of your party. The curry pasta not only has a kick to it but also has the veggies covered so that is all you have to do. I loved grilled corn, especially our Grilled Mustard Corn 🌽but then you need to prepare a starch as well. The spicy curry pasta along with the delicious marinated steak and chicken carry dinner.
We bake this cookies during dinner as they only take fifteen minutes then let them rest for another ten, place and put a scoop of ice cream on the side. Their buttery toffee flavor can get a crown throwing down one after the other.
Late Night
Since everyone will be in celebration mode there will be some folks hanging on to the very end and it’s always best to have something ready to serve that might absorb some of the libations they have been enjoying. These toasts are a cross mixture of our favorite tasted cheese in Borough Market in London with an appetizer from Freeman’s Restaurant in NYC. It is a spectacular late night snack.
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