Thinking out loud

[Jenise]

Bob and I share Nakat Beach with five other homes--a marina at one end and a ridge at the other cut us off from the rest of the neighborhood--and for everyone but us it's a weekend home from Seattle or Vancouver. That means we have the best of all worlds: weekdays we have it all to ourselves, and on weekends we're joined by fun people who come to unwind over a few good bottles of wine. The house to my left recently changed hands and I couldn't have hand-picked better neighbors, so to introduce them and get to know everyone else a little better, tommorrow night I'm hosting the first ever Nakat Beach Social Club dinner party.

The menu:

Salt-cured, Sauv Blanc marinated strips of sliced salmon with Keller Toasts and sliced fresh cucumber, champagne
Pan seared shrimp and grape tomatoes over arugula, Sancerre
Roast boneless pork loin stuffed with a black truffle-shallot-bread-crumb stuffing, tied off to make perfect round slices for presentation, with a demi glace sauce, various Washington Reds
Almond-carrot cake topped with fresh oranges and basil in honey sauce

But I'm stuck on what to serve with the pork loin. Easy and good, but almost cliche, would be some type of potatoes. The stuffing in the roast will not be quantity wise enough to constitute a side course. I was thinking of oven roasting five slice fans of russet potatoes--fan vs. rosette because I have to get 11 portions on one cookie sheet (the new nabes' mother also lives in the neighborhood and I've just fallen in love with her so Mom was invited too!) that the roast pork could partially cover. Minimal but there. They'll cook in 30 minutes while the pork rests and we eat the second course, with one flip after 20 minutes--basically I eat my salad, make a quick trip to the kitchen and return before anyone misses me. My next trip back to rescue them from the oven will coincide perfectly with the clearing of that course. But for some reason I've also fallen in love with the idea of making grits. Love the unexpected factor of slipping a little southern roots into a Frenchy kind of plate. The meat would be served slightly on top of the grits--grits left, roast center, steamed gailan tips to the right. Linear and modern (just like me, hee hee), where the potatoes are classic but could be construed as a bit more foofoo. I really don't want this to be a foofoo dinner--and for that reason I'm doing my own food, favorites I make often for Bob and I and friends, not cooking from recipes. Dishes I've done before or even created myself, rather than 'reaching'.

Do I always agonize over plating like this? Yes. I obsess. And I second guess myself all the way to the table, am near miserable the whole time and have at least one back up plan in my head ready to go. Not that I'm anywhere near in his league, but that fact about me really made me commiserate with Richard Blaise in this year's season of Top Chef.

So what say all of you? Potatoes, grits, or something else I haven't thought of?

"Washington Reds" means apples?

As to the choice of starch, I much prefer potatoes to grits. If you're really determined to be different, how about wild rice? If you're really determined to make it a no-fuss kind of dinner, how about... Tater Tots?

Sweet potato souffle?

Agree with Jeff on potatoes.

Pan seared shrimp and grape tomatoes over arugula, Sancerre

This one sounds very interesting, especially since we've grown a ton of grape and cherry tomatoes the last couple years, and I've not really considered cooking them. Can you please describe how you handle searing the shrimp and tomatoes?

Jenise, what about a classy stuffed baked potato that can be made the day before, refrigerated and simply reheated?

Succatash unless your a limaphobe.

Succatash unless your a limaphobe.

What if I'm scared of these, what am I??

Soft polenta with just a touch of chile. I'd use something like an Anaheim - not jalapeno.

John

be different - cheese grits. Not cheddar, but a more subtle cheese, with a touch of cayenne or hot smoked paprika.

[Jenise]

Jenise, what about a classy stuffed baked potato that can be made the day before, refrigerated and simply reheated?

No, love them!, but in this case the starch needs to be something that will receive the sauce and be visually subordinate to, not equal to, the pork.

[Jenise]

Succatash unless your a limaphobe.

Now that's an interesting thought, a colorful vegetable starch. Love succotash.

[Jenise]

Agree with Jeff on potatoes.

Pan seared shrimp and grape tomatoes over arugula, Sancerre

This one sounds very interesting, especially since we've grown a ton of grape and cherry tomatoes the last couple years, and I've not really considered cooking them. Can you please describe how you handle searing the shrimp and tomatoes?

I pan sear raw shrimp (3 or 5 per person depending on size) on high heat, and remove them to a plate when done. Then into the same pan goes the halved tomatoes, about 8 per person, and a lot of garlic, and when the toms just start to wilt the pan gets deglazed with EVOO and vinegar--about a 3:1 ratio but all will depend on what vinegar you use, and season with salt and pepper. When I'm convinced I've made enough dressing, the shrimp go back in, toss toss, then that melange is spooned over arugula. Sometimes I use scallops instead of shrimp.

[quote="Frank DeisWhat if I'm scared of these, what am I??

[/quote]

A limeaphope!

Maybe some sort of lentil dish? They'd do well with the pork stuff, they're easy, and you can doll them up with veggies and such to add whatever color mix you'd like.

[Jenise]

be different - cheese grits. Not cheddar, but a more subtle cheese, with a touch of cayenne or hot smoked paprika.

Great idea, but one of my guests is allergic to cheese!

Thanks Jenise, definitely going to try this.

Agree with Jeff on potatoes.

Pan seared shrimp and grape tomatoes over arugula, Sancerre

This one sounds very interesting, especially since we've grown a ton of grape and cherry tomatoes the last couple years, and I've not really considered cooking them. Can you please describe how you handle searing the shrimp and tomatoes?

I pan sear raw shrimp (3 or 5 per person depending on size) on high heat, and remove them to a plate when done. Then into the same pan goes the halved tomatoes, about 8 per person, and a lot of garlic, and when the toms just start to wilt the pan gets deglazed with EVOO and vinegar--about a 3:1 ratio but all will depend on what vinegar you use, and season with salt and pepper. When I'm convinced I've made enough dressing, the shrimp go back in, toss toss, then that melange is spooned over arugula. Sometimes I use scallops instead of shrimp.

Another fabulous idea Jenise. Consider it stolen!!

I said:

Thanks Jenise, definitely going to try this.

I did, we both loved it.

Thanks again.

[Jenise]

I said:

Thanks Jenise, definitely going to try this.

I did, we both loved it.

Thanks again.

Great! And a variation: leave the majority of the tomatoes raw on the plate with the arugula and just wilt a few for the dressing.