Before the complete chaos of the Holiday Season was upon us, we hosted our Supper Club for an evening of “Southern Magic”.
We began the festivities in the downstairs bar area, by offering an “Arkansas Select Club Whiskey” (curiously distilled in Canada), a Moonshine and Pear Nectar Cocktail, made with liquor given to us by a friend and garnished with rosemary from the garden of another friend, and the Southern staple, Pimento Cheese.
We moved upstairs to the dining room for the Salad, Soup and Main Courses, then gathered the kids and welcomed “Joey the Magician” and his incredible, spectacularly astonishing show, before serving dessert.
– Joey the Magician performing a magic trick
MOONSHINE AND PEAR NECTAR COCKTAIL
3 ounces moonshine
24 ounces pear nectar
chilled sparkling wine
6 rosemary sprigs
6 pear wedges
Pour 1/2 ounce of moonshine and 4 ounces pear nectar into each cocktail glass, top with sparkling wine. Stir, and garnish each with a rosemary sprig and a pear wedge.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
www.marthastewart.com/
PIMENTO CHEESE
3 piquillo peppers, roasted
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup pickled onions, plus 2 tablespoons of the brine
1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Cut the peppers lengthwise in half, open out flat on a cutting board and scrape away all the seeds and membrane. Dice the peppers.
Put the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat until softened. Add the mayonnaise and mix well. Add the hot sauce, salt, sugar, cayenne pepper, white pepper and smoked paprika and stir to blend. Add the pickled onions, brine and cheddar cheese and stir again. Fold in the diced piquillo peppers.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Sean Brock
gardenandgun.com/article/how-sean-brock-makes-pimento-cheese
SOUTHERN PECAN AND APPLE SALAD
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup pecan halves
3 teaspoons orange zest
juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
arugula
2 Arkansas Black Apples, peeled, cored and diced
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Heat a large saucepan over low heat, add butter and sugar. Simmer a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture darkens. Gently stir in pecans until well coated. Transfer nuts to cookie sheet, use the back of a spoon to separate them into one layer. Allow to cool.
Combine orange zest, orange juice, mustard, vinegar, and oil in a large bowl, stir well with a whisk. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide greens and apples among plates, top with pecans and drizzle with the dressing.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver
www.jamieoliver.com/
CORN AND CRAB CHOWDER
olive oil
1 parsnip, peeled and cubed
3 ounces prosciutto, diced
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
1 pound of crabmeat
salt and pepper to taste
Drizzle olive oil in a saute pan, add the parsnip, prosciutto and onion. Cook and stir until prosciutto is crispy and onions are translucent.
Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Whisk in flour until mixture becomes creamy. Continue to cook for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in wine. Slowly add milk and chicken stock. When the mixture is creamy and hot, stir in bacon mixture, creamed corn and crabmeat. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from All Recipes
allrecipes.com/
SWEET TEA LEMON CHESS PIE
FOR THE CRUST
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cups flour
FOR THE FILLING
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
zest of one lemon
8 large egg yolks
3/4 cup warm, freshly brewed black tea
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons cornmeal
FOR THE CRUST
Beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Add the flour and mix at low speed until the dough comes together into a ball. Pat the dough evenly into a 9-inch pan. Place in the freezer while preparing the filling.
FOR THE FILLING
Beat the butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in sugar. Beat in the zest. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping the bowl often. Slowly add the tea, vanilla, vinegar and lemon juice. Add the flour and cornmeal. Scrape the bowl and mix well.
TO ASSEMBLE
Heat oven to 350F. Remove the crust from the freezer and pour in the filling. Bake for 50 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack and then chill at least 2 hours before serving.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Serious Eats
www.seriouseats.com/…/sweet-tea-lemon-chess-…
