On Wed, 14 Jul 2004 18:53:09 +0100, "Darkginger"
> wrote:

>I've got 2 friends coming for dinner this coming Saturday, in order to
>celebrate the 50th birthday of one of them (this is not the lot who are
>coming for the Chinese meal the following week!). DH has requested that I
>keep food spending to a minimum (because we seem to have a lot of dinner
>parties lined up!), so I'm looking at cooking up something from the contents
>of my feezer, plus some fresh stuff bought on the day. Trouble is, I can't
>decide what to cook, so that's where you come in - can anyone suggest
>something impressive (I don't mind spending 2 days cooking, if that's what
>it takes!) that could be made from any selection from the following:
>
>a turkey
>2 loins of lamb
>2lbs of stewing beef
>2 lbs of stewing lamb
>4lbs of pork ribs
>8 mackerel
>2 duck breasts
>a free range chicken
>
>I also have access to free mussels, and DH wouldn't object to 1 lobster,
>crab or a few scallops being bought. We are currently overwhelmed with eggs
>(got chickens) plus I make bread every day, so have various flours (strong
>white, strong wholemeal, granary, rye, gram) to hand. There's also frozen
>puff, shortcrust and filo pastries in the freezer, plus some vol au vent
>cases. Growing in the garden are peas, fench beans, nasturtiums, mangetout
>and radishes, plus the usual herbs. I have a huge spice collection, but no
>access to Penzey's mixes. I can buy most veggies that grow in temperate
>climes (plus some that don't!). Got rice, got cous-cous, got polenta, got
>noodles.
>
>The weather is cool, and I don't expect that to change before the weekend,
>more's the pity. Ideally, I'd like a 3 or 4 course sit-down-but-casual meal
>which takes some time and effort to prepare. No 'packet' type ingredients,
>please - Kraft Mac 'n Cheese won't do!
>
>Please help, because all I can think of doing is Christmas dinner in July,
>and I'm not sure that's a good idea! In return, I promise to report back on
>recipes used, problems encountered, and results achieved! Oh, in case anyone
>is thinking of suggesting the loin of lamb thing I posted elsewhere, I can't
>do that, cos these guests have been fed on it before.
>
>I don't need full recipes (can always find them if I have to), just an
>outline of the dishes. The birthday boy is teetotal, but the rest of us are
>definitely not!
>
>Thanks tons to anyone who takes the time to answer this, as I know I'm
>asking a lot, but my mind is a bit of a blank (just for a change!). For
>once, I'm ignoring all the DH's fussinesses, cos it's not his birthday, and
>he'll just have to be adaptable! The only other 'fussiness' is that one
>guest hates fresh figs!
>
>So come on, do yer worst!
>
>Jo
>
>
>
Lamb curry -the stewing lamb, not the loin! - (coconut milk, onions,
some veggies (carrots, peas, etc) , vary the curry spices to you
liking of hot or sweet
na'an, poori, or similar
rice pilaf (white raisins, orange zest, pine nuts, onion & toss in
some fig bits, Fussy will never know))
raita (cukes, yogurt)

If 2lbs of lamb is not enough, add some beef kabobs, with a
yogurt/mint/garlic/olive oil marinade for the meat

Boron