Luncheon on the Beach

A Special Menu to Celebrate a

Beautiful Day at the Beach

With Bloody Marys and Blinis

Ahi Tuna Tartar on Wonton Chips

*

Clam Chowder

First Course

Heirloom Tomato Tart with Nicoise Olive Tapenade and Fresh Mozzarella

on a Bed of Mixed Field Greens in a Basil Vinaigrette

Entree

Scrimp Scampi Risotto

Dessert

Chocolate Mousse Torte

Northern California beaches are spectacular in the fall.  With the inland heat cooling and the off shore winds warming the coast, our normal fog does not have a chance to make land fall.  I always have my annual "Day at the Beach" fundraising event during this time.  It is a true community effort; the parents from my youngest daughter's class help me prep cook, set up the tables, arrange the flowers and this year, take pictures.  I need a bit of that warm sand between my toes now to get me through this wonderfully rainy weather.  We need the rain so just a little peek at these pictures along with remembering the dishes that afternoon will carry me through the wet week!

To me the beach screams fish and a luncheon says light but since I do not do "light" well, let's say "lighter".  I started with a highly seasoned ahi tuna tartar (kind of like a Hawaiian poke in small dice) on a fried wonton wrapper to get the appetite going.  I love clam chowder at the beach, so served that in coffee cups with Bloody Marys; another great combo.  For the first course I did my kid's all time favorite salad from Thomas Keller's French Laundry Cookbook.  It is like tomatoes done two ways: one roasted and hot and placed on a pastry puff pizza and the others chilled and topped with a tapenade and greens dressed in a basil vinaigrette.  For the entree I made a plain risotto and spiced it up by adding my classic shrimp scampi with tomatoes at the end along with a dizzle of olive oil, the perfect marriage.  Since I was having 16 for lunch I served my chocolate mousse torte for dessert.  It is a classic mousse in a chocolate cookie crust and feeds a crowd.

I hope you enjoy a bit of my Indian summer in the depth of winter!