Equinox/Supermoon Party!

Hi again, Biddy!


We usually celebrate the equinoxes and solstices with our friends Paul and Amy. We had them over last night to celebrate spring! George and I made a Julia Child recipe for fish mousse quenelles in tomato sauce, which we served with polenta and a cobb-esque salad on the side. 


The idea of fish mousse quenelles didn't really appeal to me, but George was fired up. We picked up some dover sole and blended it with egg and spices. We then refrigerated the mousse until we were ready to poach it. 


In the meantime, we slow-cooked polenta (I had never done this before - we put the pot into a skillet of simmering water so it wouldn't stick, but it would still cook. Thank you, Julia Child) for 45 minutes. Then, we set it outside to cool until we were ready to fry it.


We also assembled a simple tomato sauce of sauteed onions and garlic, canned tomatoes, and fresh and dried herbs. 


Finally, I assembled a monster salad with hard-boiled eggs, bacon, blue cheese, steamed cauliflower I wanted to get rid of, hearts from steamed artichokes I wanted to get rid of, green onions, and radishes. I thought about serving it with ranch, but I decided that would be too rich. I chose a dijon-balsamic vinaigrette instead.

About 20 minutes before the meal, we started poaching the quenelles and frying the polenta. First, George sculpted the quenelles from the fish mousse:

Then we started cooking everything. Here's what our stove looked like:

Quenelles poaching, tomato sauce simmering, and polenta frying. 

Frankly, I'm not a big fan of the quenelles of fish mousse concept. There was nothing wrong with them, but I just didn't enjoy them that much. The texture was strange and they were not that flavorful. The tomato sauce was good, though! The polenta didn't look good, but it was rich, creamy, and an excellent vehicle for the tomato sauce. I'm excited to have it for leftovers this week!

Finally, George made Scott and Edna's rhubarb tart again, and I remembered to take a picture! This time, George made individual tarts instead of one large one. This recipe is truly delicious!

George and Paul partied a little hard, so when I came into our living room I found Paul passed out on the couch! It was a beautiful morning, so we decided to invite Amy back over and we all had brunch on our deck. It was cool, but great to be eating outside again. It feels like summer is really on its way! I made bacon and eggs (I can't wait to show you my new egg poacher!!!!), and George made Scott & Edna's biscuits! His second time making them. This time, George made his own baking powder (I forget exactly how). They were awesome. Maybe the weather will be nice enough when you're here, that we can eat outside!

We are so excited for your arrival, Biddy!! This week is going to fly by!


I love you, Biddy!!


Claire!