New Spring Recipes- Chilled Melon Soup and Blackberry Fennel Pizza

This week I have tried a couple of new recipes out on friends that I have found on different blogs. I wanted something that was pretty and colorful and looked like Spring time  to serve at a couple of  upcoming dinner parties. 

 

 I have to say that the Blackberry Fennel and Goat Cheese pizza was the hit of the week! You can read more about this great appetizer at

http://looksolovely.blogspot.com/2012/06/lsl-foodie-friday-blackberry-fennel.html.

 

I was lazy and purchased ready made pizza dough from DiGiorno and it was so easy to handle and roll out.  I sliced the fennel extremely thin on the mandolin and chopped the hazelnuts before my guests arrived. They helped to assemble the pizzas by rolling out the dough and layering on the ingredients- sliced fennel, fresh blackberries,  chopped hazelnuts, fresh minced thyme leaves, and finally  goat, brie or Gorgonzola cheese.  Bake the pizzas, then drizzle with honey when they come out of the oven.  My personal favorite was the one with the  creamy Gorgonzola cheese, but the vote was split between my friends.

 picture from looksolovely.blogspot

 

 

 

Our assembled pizza before it was baked- couldn't get a picture of the baked one because we ate it too fast!   Delicious flavors with combined together  with the warm gooey cheeses.  I will definitely make this again.   It's a very pretty and unexpected appetizer!!

Store bought pizza dough!  ( for the  original  version, go to the web address above)

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

1 small bulb fennel thinly sliced (reserve the fronds for garnish)

8 ounces fresh goat cheese, brie or Gorgonzola

1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

salt and pepper

1 -2 tablespoons honey

 

Bake at temperature suggested on the dough package.  When crust is crispy  and hot,  drizzle honey lightly all over the pizza.

Serve immediately.

Another recipe that I made  for a dinner party on Friday night was a version of Prosciutto and Melon- and was very easy to eat -versus picking up melon and prosciutto slices with fingers . http://food52.com/recipes/258-chilled-cantaloupe-soup

A very ripe cantaloupe is pureed into a soup consistency  in a food processor and  sweetened with honey, orange juice and brightened with fresh lime and lemon juice. Add a little cinnamon .  I sprinkled sea salt  lightly on top before I served it in a martini glass with a prosciutto "flower" skewer garnish.

 

Note:  I used a prosciutto garnish instead of the mint in the recipe below- but the soup is the same.

 

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup

 Serves 6

 

 

6cups chopped cantaloupe, about 1 (4 pound) melon

1 1/2cup orange juice

1/4cup fresh lemon juice

1/4cup fresh lime juice

2tablespoons honey

1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4teaspoon salt

1sprig fresh mint

1. Place all ingredients, except for the mint, in a large bowl and stir.

2. Place half the mixture in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour soup into a pitcher, and repeat with remaining mixture.

3. Taste and whisk in more cinnamon, honey or even lemon juice if desired. It should taste sweet and tart, with only a hint of cinnamon. Chill the soup until ready to serve.

4. Remove the mint leaves from the stem (discard) and stack the leaves on top of each other. Roll lengthwise into a tight "cigar." Slice crosswise into thin strips.

5. Pour the chilled soup into six soup bowls. Garnish each with a sprinkle of shredded mint and serve.

Springtime Tablescape

Finally, a few warm days in Chicagoland!!!!  It's time to set the table for weekend guests that are visiting from out of town and coming to dinner tonight!  The warm weather inspires me to use eggs and pastel flowers in my centerpiece. 

 

I  had kept the gnarly flowering tulip branch from flowers (above) that were in my kitchen a couple of weeks ago. They were so gnarly and cool that I couldn't bear to throw them away

 when the flowers died.

It was perfect for the base of my centerpiece.  I started by placed them in the center of the table.

Using pink and white roses, I created little bouquets in silver champagne goblets.

 

Then placed these little arrangements throughout the flowering tulip branch.

It kind of looked like a nest!

 

I then gilded and embellished eggs and placed in a gold nest lined with moss.

 Placed several nests in the branches.

 

 Turquoise tea glasses were used as votives throughout the floral centerpiece.

 

 

I used powder blue chargers with antique white and gold china and then popped it with gold and white zebra print napkins. 

 

The rhinestones on the eggs glittered in the candlelight during dinner.

 Next, it was on to the kitchen to add a little touch of springtime!  Home Depot just received their first shipment of spring flowers- yea! So I purchased a pot of violas - I love their faces!

 

 In the kitchen on the patisserie stand, I placed a vintage egg cup server and filled it with some of the  violas! 

 

 Added a couple of vintage ceramic lamb boxes to sit among the flowers on the stand.

Maybe we can't go outside yet and dig in the dirt- but this reminds me that it's not too far away!!

 

Have a wonderful Easter weekend everyone!

Our "Parisian Hideaway" Takes Shape

Wow- it's been 10 days since I last posted!  Since closing the store three weeks ago, I have felt like a kid in a candy store- never quite sure what to tackle next!  I have so many  projects planned and can't wait to start them.  I just returned from the Atlanta Gift Show- a smaller show where I was able to purchase Christmas for our November event!  I also purchased some great last minute items for our upcoming show- "Parisian Hideaways". The new space is beginning to take shape. Today, the girls and I almost finished painting a huge cabinet - one more coat and then another day to wax and gild and it should be gorgeous.  But I thought I would share a few glimpses into our new "Parisian Hideaway" with you today. 

 

While I was in Atlanta last week, Laurell surprised me and painted the foyer with a dark grey and gold metallic stripe and it looks awesome.

 

 

I love this combination of colors.  We are making  fuchsia taffeta drapes for  the foyer to pop the colors!

 

 

 

All of  the new merchandise is labeled and priced with a pretty tag.

 

 

 

A fabulous new console and mirror that Laurell just touched up! 

 So pretty in an entry or as a sink in a powder room!

 Detail of the top of the mirror----

 

Pretty vintage chandelier with crystal lattice detail on sides.

 

Fabulous set of books with white marble bookends.

 

Love these over sized art books with the cool graphics.

 

 Iron and marble clock with beautiful face.

 

 

Pair of candlelabra

One of my favorite finds- iron putti with bow holding a candlestick and standing by a mirror.

We have a pair of these - perfect for a mantle or even on a dining table.  I can visualize the reflection of votives in the mirrors on a dining table, while the candlestick is fitted with a glass tulip insert to hold flowers and weeping amaranthus.

My favorite shade of pink- set of 10 vintage glasses

 

Fun little whimsical treats await you-

Mother of Pearl dinner knives

 Over sized Old Paris Porcelain tureens-

 

Pair of gilded wall sconces. Love them on the grey walls

Laurell, Katha and Julie using Annie Sloan chalk paint on the huge cabinet in the French dining room.

 

Laurell painted the walls to look like old aged cement.

 

Starting to unpack and price the new accessories and jewelry too!!

 

 

While we still have a ton of painting and decorating to do, our new space is starting to develop a personality.  Our first shopping event is going to be May 10th and 11th and will feature a Paris apartment, a Parisian courtyard and a countryside bistro!  We are so excited that  Joy from Savvy City Farmer will be joining us and bringing her unique style and treasures.

 

 

Save the dates- May 10th and May 11th.