Going out to Denver the end of June, gonna make a rehearsal dinner for my nephew, his new bride, and fifty odd of their nearest and dearest.
I'm putting an unprecedented amount of advance planning into this one; I rented an airbnb with a full kitchen so I wouldn't drive my daughter in law bonkers, I have some large scale pots and pans at my son's house, I'll send some stuff out in advance. Or I'll run around denver for a day finding where all the cool middle eastern groceries are located!
I'm keeping this low key. All the salads will hold from the day before, or earlier in the day, the pkhali is premade and fun enough to put on the zucchini disks with a group, the meatballs are the only cooked thing, sheet pans inside the house in the oven, each batch takes 18 minutes.
Rehearsal Dinner for Brad and Nicole
Menu
Hors Dourves
Spinach Pkhali (georgian vegetable/walnut pate) served on zucchini rounds
Muhammara, ditto, zucchini rounds
Baked meatballs with Panko and Walnuts
Plain boiled room temp baby potatoes, with Salsa Verde
Main Course
Going to have two grills going, I got the grill crew lined up!
Grilled Chicken Thighs (from Trader Joes) (one per person) (rubbed and grilled)
Grilled Tuna Steaks with Charmoula
Side Salads
I'll make three out of the four:
Lebanese Style Tabouleh with Bulghur
Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad
Bowties with Onion, Corn, Zucchini and Tomatoes
Shirazi Salad with cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, sumac and mint.
Maybe add a watermelon, peach and tomato salad. My daughter loves that, if the fruit looks okay, it's in
Prep-This stuff goes to the airBnB, I'm borrowing most of it, buying asterisks
I'm putting an unprecedented amount of advance planning into this one; I rented an airbnb with a full kitchen so I wouldn't drive my daughter in law bonkers, I have some large scale pots and pans at my son's house, I'll send some stuff out in advance. Or I'll run around denver for a day finding where all the cool middle eastern groceries are located!
I'm keeping this low key. All the salads will hold from the day before, or earlier in the day, the pkhali is premade and fun enough to put on the zucchini disks with a group, the meatballs are the only cooked thing, sheet pans inside the house in the oven, each batch takes 18 minutes.
Rehearsal Dinner for Brad and Nicole
Menu
Hors Dourves
Spinach Pkhali (georgian vegetable/walnut pate) served on zucchini rounds
Muhammara, ditto, zucchini rounds
Baked meatballs with Panko and Walnuts
Plain boiled room temp baby potatoes, with Salsa Verde
Main Course
Going to have two grills going, I got the grill crew lined up!
Grilled Chicken Thighs (from Trader Joes) (one per person) (rubbed and grilled)
Grilled Tuna Steaks with Charmoula
Side Salads
I'll make three out of the four:
Lebanese Style Tabouleh with Bulghur
Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad
Bowties with Onion, Corn, Zucchini and Tomatoes
Shirazi Salad with cucumbers, onions, tomatoes, sumac and mint.
Maybe add a watermelon, peach and tomato salad. My daughter loves that, if the fruit looks okay, it's in
Prep-This stuff goes to the airBnB, I'm borrowing most of it, buying asterisks
- Big Pans from Max
- Big Pasta pot from Nancy
- Sharp Knife
- Large Cutting Board
- WoodenSpoons, spatulas, strainer
- Veg Peelers
- Kitch Towels/potholders
- Meat Thermometer
- soap and sponges
- Food Processor
- *Salad Mixing bowl/prep bowls (max?) (see end of email for my preferred size)
- *Salad Transport/Storage Vessels (1 gallon tubs)
- *Chicken/Fish Storage/Transport Marinate
- Parchment/Saran/AlumFoil/TwoGallonBags
- Large Colander
- Mandoline
- *8 Sheet Pans
- Prep bowls
- LemonSqueezer
- (2) 5' tables for buffet & (1) for the bar
- If the kids will help, we'll pass the 4 apps on trays (meatballs with toothpicks, pkhali and muhammara on crackers, potatoes with a dollop of sauce on top)
- Alternatively, we can just put the apps out for people to pick at, but I like passing better.
- Grills and fuel. Max, can we grab the big one in advance so we don't have to schlep it?
- Tools for the grill
- we'll have 1 sheet pan raw, 1 sheet pan cooked for both the tuna and the chicken. four in all.
- 3 sheet pans for cooking the meatballs
- 2 sheet pans for spreads. Plus, double up on the cooked ones for later
- Toothpicks/Napkins/Trays for appetizers. Maybe little plates, but that's optional
- Platters for Meat and Fish for Buffet, 2 sets
- Large bowls for three different salads for service. Probably two sets of three
- 2 spatulas to serve the fish, 2 tongs for chicken, 6 spoons for the salad
- If we get carried away, we can package silverware and napkins
- Tuesday
- Go to Restaurant Supply, set up the kitchen
- Buy produce, chickpeas and meatball stuff, etc.
- Wednesday
- Make Meatballs and chickpeas. Freeze Meatballs
- Make Salsa Verde and Charmoula
- Thursday
- Buy ChickThighs and Fish
- Make Appetizer spreads
- Make Tabouleh
- Peel and cut carrots
- Marinate Chicken Thighs
- Friday
- Boil Potatoes
- Make the pasta salad
- Put the Carrot Salad together
- General
- 10# onion
- 4 heads garlic (peeled?)
- Salt
- Spices from NYC
- Lemons, probably 20
- 1.5 ltr Olive Oil
- Mint, lots
- Cilantro
- Flat Leaf Parsley
- Appetizers
- 2-3 jars red pepper (or peppers if we can grill them)
- 5# spinach
- Pomegranate Molasses
- 2# Walnut (meatballs too)
- cilantro (3 bunches)
- Zucchini to slice for Crackers
- Crackers
- Meatballs
- 3#beef
- Panko
- Capers
- Parsley
- Potatoes
- 4# little potatoes
- Anchovies
- Chicken
- 50-60 pieces chicken thighs
- Some Rub
- Tuna
- 1lb to three people
- Lots of Herbs
- Corriander
- Tabouleh (alternate-Shirazi)
- Fine Bulghur
- Curly Parsley
- Scallions
- Mint
- CarrotChickpea
- 4-6#Carrots
- Raisins
- SliveredAlmonds
- Orange juice
- 1.5# chickpeas
- Pasta Salad
- 3# bowties
- 6 ears corn
- 6 tomatoes
- 6 zucchini
- Basil
- MoreSpices
- Allspice
- Coriander
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
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