Green Cocktails to complete the Summer!

Okay-we have been complete slackers and have not posted a fabulously green entertaining tip since April!

We recently discovered organic vodka and that has made me a happy girl. So our next post will involve organic vodka and seasonal fruits and vegetables to make yummy cocktails.

Let the research begin......Stay Tuned!!

Smooches!

Green Cocktails and Seasonal Appetizers for Four

We are located in Atlanta and in early April very few things are in season. Therefore we have checked our cookbooks, gathered some recipes and created a menu utilizing fresh food items in Georgia and our neighboring states of Tennessee and Florida.

According to the National Resources Defense Council website. http://www.nrdc.org/ The following food items are in season in Georgia: Carrots, Greens, Snap Beans, Strawberries and Vidalia Onions.

Now this does not give us tremendous choice and "greens" can mean many things to a southern girl and that includes thoughts of lard and pork fat (not the healthy green thing we are aiming for here)! We avoided "greens" and the snap beans-just could not wrap our minds around snap beans and cocktail party. Perhaps next season. We did go to our neighboring states to get some more options. It's great to share resources.

Our goal is to eat as fresh and healthy as possible, reduce our carbon foot print as much as we can and still have a fabulous party.

However, one simply cannot have a cocktail party without alcohol and to my knowledge they do not make Vodka in Georgia!! ( If they do let me know and I will volunteer my services for quality control)

It is a must to have a cocktail waiting when your guests arrive. Our featured cocktail is the:

Strawberry Basil Martini

-(It's not exactly the color green, but it is green friendly!)

You need:

Strawberries

Basil

Simple Syrup

ice

Vodka (We prefer Ketel One)

Fresh lime juice

For one drink take about 3 strawberries, muddle them in with a pinch of chopped basil, a small teaspoon of simple syrup and vodka ( i will leave that measurement to you). Squeeze in fresh lime juice pour over ice and shake. Stain and serve.

Please do use a proper glass. Cocktails in inappropriate glasses turns your elegant green cocktail party into something else!

MENU

Honey and Tangerine Glazed Carrots

Vidalia Onion Tart

Stuffed Mushrooms Tarragon

Grass feed Beef Tenderloin with Dijon Sauce

Strawberries

Honey and Tangerine Glazed Carrots

1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice

1 1/2 tablespoons Tennessee honey

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon grated tangerine peel

1 pound large carrots (6 or so), peeled and cut into ovals

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/2 tangerine, seeded

fresh chopped parsley

Combine first set of ingredients in large skillet over medium heat. Boil until sauce coats spoon and reduces. Whisking occasionally. Should take about 8 minutes.

Cook carrots in a small amount of water until just tender. Mix carrots, cayenne and sauce. Cook carrots in sauce over medium heat until coated with glaze. Cook about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to bowl, squeeze juice from tangerine and sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Vidalia Onion Tart

10 1/2 tablespoons butter or margarine, chilled and chopped

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour

Salt to taste

1/4 cup ice water

3 Vidalia Onions, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup whipping cream

1 egg

1 egg yolk

nutmeg and pepper to taste

Cut the chilled butter into the flour and salt in a bowl until crumbly. Add the ice water, mix lightly to form a dough. Chill for 2 hours.

Roll the dough 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface. You can make one pie or fit dough into small tart tins for individual servings. Prick all over with fork and set aside.

Saute onions in 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet until tender. Add cream. Cook until thickened and reduced. Sir in egg and egg yolk. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Spoon into prepared crust and bake at 400 degrees on lower oven rack for 25 minutes or until set.

Stuffed Mushroom Tarragon

1 pound large mushrooms (from Tennessee)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons grated onion

1/2 teaspoon fresh tarragon (also from Tennessee)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese

about 2 tablespoons of Milk

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Clean the mushrooms, remove the stems, chop the stems and set aside. Rub the mushroom caps lightly with butter.

Combine the chopped mushroom stems, bread crumbs, onion, tarragon and pepper in medium bowl; toss well. Add the Swiss cheese; toss gently. Stir in enough milk to moisten.

Stuff mushroom caps with mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan and arrange on baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes

Grass Fed Beef Tenderloin

(when they graze in the fields instead of being force fed, it taste better and it just plain natural)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pound grass feed beef tenderloin, trimmed

1/4 cup fresh cracked pepper

1/8 cup kosher salt

Ina skillet, heat oil until it begins to slightly smoke. Combine pepper and salt. Roll tenderloin in pepper and salt mixture evenly. Brown tenderloin in oil on each side until rare. Refrigerate until cool and ready to slice.

To serve, slice tenderloin paper thin. Serve with sauce and sliced baguette. (purchase your bread from a local bakery that bakes on site)

Dijon Sauce

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup Dijon mustad

For something sweet, just arrange in season strawberries on a cake platter. Offer some whipped cream or raw sugar for dipping.

And there you have it, Green Cocktails (or Green Friendly) and Seasonal Appetizers. Have a fabuous time and remember to Turn Your Green Light On!©

Smooches!

Sydney Alyson Concepts

"Green Gem" of the month:

Paper or Plastic? NOT

When you go shopping at your local organic store for your cocktail party, consider the following:

Americans use an estimated 100 billion plastic shopping bags a year. ( most of them I see littered on the highway or hung in trees). About 80% of all paper bags wind in up in land fills and are not recycled.

So do your small part to preserve the planet....Bring your own bags! Every bit counts.

The purpose of this blog is to provide you with green tips for personal entertaining. We will pass along "green gems" of wisdom for making entertaining a fabulously green experience! Just remember; You don't have to sacrifice the planet to have a phenomenal party! First posting: Green Cocktails and Seasonal Appetizers -an intimate cocktail party for 4. Stay Tuned!