French dinner for soup kitchen

On 8 Oct 2005 18:40:57 -0700, "Lynn from Fargo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

OK well, not exactly a soup kitchen but its for dinner at the
psychosocial rehabilitation center where I work. We feed +/- 20 people
every night 6 days a week. . . . it's free. Once a month it's a "pay
meal" and folks pay $2.00 (if they can afford it.)

Next week I am making a French dinner. something simple for a starter,
a main course, a side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or noodles?) a
vegetable, and dessert.

I plan to have Coq au Vin for the main course,
Sauteed green beans and almonds in brown butter
and Pate Choux aux Fruits (sp?) (cream puffs)for dessert.

I need suggestions for the side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) and the starter.

All help appreciated.

Lynn from Fargo

I'd have a simple green salad for the starter -- greens and torn herbs
with oil and vinegar. If not that, how about a fruit salad? Or a
small pasta course -- pasta with olive oil, butter, or a bit of sauce
from the coq au vin.

For the side -- new potatoes quartered and tossed with garlic butter
and parsley. This holds very well. Will you have bread alongside
your meal? Some crusty bread would be very nice.

Tara
my Dad's from Lake William, by the way

One time on Usenet said:

OK well, not exactly a soup kitchen but its for dinner at the
psychosocial rehabilitation center where I work. We feed +/- 20 people
every night 6 days a week. . . . it's free. Once a month it's a "pay
meal" and folks pay $2.00 (if they can afford it.)

Very cool.

Quoted message said:

Next week I am making a French dinner. something simple for a starter,
a main course, a side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or noodles?) a
vegetable, and dessert.

I plan to have Coq au Vin for the main course,
Sauteed green beans and almonds in brown butter
and Pate Choux aux Fruits (sp?) (cream puffs)for dessert.

I need suggestions for the side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) and the starter.

How about something that's sort of an opposite of your main course,
like a potato gratin? Rather than the wine, chicken, mushrooms, onions,
and bacon in Coq au Vin, you'd have potatoes, cheese, bread crumbs
w/butter, etc. to compliment the main course... :-)

--
Jani in WA (S'mee)
~ mom, Trollup, novice cook ~

One time on Usenet said:

On 8 Oct 2005 18:40:57 -0700, "Lynn from Fargo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

OK well, not exactly a soup kitchen but its for dinner at the
psychosocial rehabilitation center where I work. We feed +/- 20 people
every night 6 days a week. . . . it's free. Once a month it's a "pay
meal" and folks pay $2.00 (if they can afford it.)

Next week I am making a French dinner. something simple for a starter,
a main course, a side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or noodles?) a
vegetable, and dessert.

I plan to have Coq au Vin for the main course,
Sauteed green beans and almonds in brown butter
and Pate Choux aux Fruits (sp?) (cream puffs)for dessert.

I need suggestions for the side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) and the starter.

All help appreciated.

Lynn from Fargo

I'd have a simple green salad for the starter -- greens and torn herbs
with oil and vinegar. If not that, how about a fruit salad? Or a
small pasta course -- pasta with olive oil, butter, or a bit of sauce
from the coq au vin.

For the side -- new potatoes quartered and tossed with garlic butter
and parsley. This holds very well. Will you have bread alongside
your meal? Some crusty bread would be very nice.

Oooh, that sounds good... :-)

--
Jani in WA (S'mee)
~ mom, Trollup, novice cook ~

On 8 Oct 2005 18:40:57 -0700, "Lynn from Fargo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

OK well, not exactly a soup kitchen but its for dinner at the
psychosocial rehabilitation center where I work. We feed +/- 20 people
every night 6 days a week. . . . it's free. Once a month it's a "pay
meal" and folks pay $2.00 (if they can afford it.)

Next week I am making a French dinner. something simple for a starter,
a main course, a side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or noodles?) a
vegetable, and dessert.

I plan to have Coq au Vin for the main course,
Sauteed green beans and almonds in brown butter
and Pate Choux aux Fruits (sp?) (cream puffs)for dessert.

I need suggestions for the side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) and the starter.

All help appreciated.

Lynn from Fargo

French onion soup for the starter
Little roasted potatoes for the side with your green beens. Toss small
cut up potatoes in mixture of flour, dried rosemary, salt and
pepper. Roast in a little oil till crispy

French onion soup recipe available on request at katrob at xtra co nz

Lynn said:

OK well, not exactly a soup kitchen but its for dinner at the
psychosocial rehabilitation center where I work. We feed +/- 20 people
every night 6 days a week. . . . it's free. Once a month it's a "pay
meal" and folks pay $2.00 (if they can afford it.)

Next week I am making a French dinner. something simple for a starter,
a main course, a side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or noodles?) a
vegetable, and dessert.

I plan to have Coq au Vin for the main course,
Sauteed green beans and almonds in brown butter
and Pate Choux aux Fruits (sp?) (cream puffs)for dessert.

I need suggestions for the side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) and the starter.

All help appreciated.

You need dinner rolls for the diners to sop up the luscious gravy from the
Coq au Vin. Besides that, I'd recommend a simple tossed salad for the
starter; it seems to me that anything elaborate would detract from the main
course. And as a side dish, I'd recommend Dauphonoise Potatoes:

(from http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blv230.htm)

Dauphinoise Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup (250 mL) =each= milk and whipping cream
3/4 tsp (4 mL ) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL ) pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds (1 kg) Yukon gold potatoes

Instructions
In heavy saucepan, combine milk, whipping cream, salt, pepper and garlic;
bring to boil over medium heat. Immediately remove from heat. Set aside and
keep warm.

Peel potatoes; using sharp knife or food processor with slicing blade, cut
into very thin slices.

Pour 1/3 cup (75 mL) of the milk mixture into greased 10-inch (25 cm) pie
plate. Layer with half of the potato slices, overlapping slightly in
concentric circles. Repeat layering. Pour remaining milk mixture over top.

Bake in bottom third of 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for about 20
minutes or until milk mixture starts to bubble up sides. Using spatula,
press down potatoes to submerge. Bake for about 25 minutes longer or until
potatoes are tender and top is golden brown. (Can be cooled, covered and
refrigerated for up to 1 day. Cover with foil and reheat in 375F/190C oven
for about 40 minutes; remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until
top is bubbly.) Let stand for 15 minutes.

Yield: 8 servings

Bless you, Lynn, for the work you're doing at the rehabilitation center. I'm
sure the lives of the residents are immeasurably brightened by the care and
effort you put forth. Someone I dearly love just went into a residential
rehabilitation program, and I can only hope that the workers at her center
care as much about her as you care about the people at your center.

Bob

Lynn from Fargo said:

OK well, not exactly a soup kitchen but its for dinner at the
psychosocial rehabilitation center where I work. We feed +/- 20 people
every night 6 days a week. . . . it's free. Once a month it's a "pay
meal" and folks pay $2.00 (if they can afford it.)

Next week I am making a French dinner. something simple for a starter,
a main course, a side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or noodles?) a
vegetable, and dessert.

I plan to have Coq au Vin for the main course,
Sauteed green beans and almonds in brown butter
and Pate Choux aux Fruits (sp?) (cream puffs)for dessert.

I need suggestions for the side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) and the starter.

All help appreciated.

Lynn from Fargo

Rice with red beans cooked in broth or stock is always filling and hey,
while not "French" is definitely "Creole" 🙂 And not expensive at all as a
side dish. The starter could be simple onion soup. Bread, of course, you
can buy day old baguettes or french rolls at the grocery store to dredge in
the soup and other stuff 🙂 Got money for cheese for the soup?

Jill

jmcquown wrote on 09 Oct 2005 in rec.food.cooking

Quoted message said:

Lynn from Fargo said:

OK well, not exactly a soup kitchen but its for dinner at the
psychosocial rehabilitation center where I work. We feed +/- 20
people every night 6 days a week. . . . it's free. Once a month
it's a "pay meal" and folks pay $2.00 (if they can afford it.)

Next week I am making a French dinner. something simple for a
starter, a main course, a side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) a vegetable, and dessert.

I plan to have Coq au Vin for the main course,
Sauteed green beans and almonds in brown butter
and Pate Choux aux Fruits (sp?) (cream puffs)for dessert.

I need suggestions for the side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) and the starter.

All help appreciated.

Lynn from Fargo

Rice with red beans cooked in broth or stock is always filling and
hey, while not "French" is definitely "Creole" 🙂 And not expensive
at all as a side dish. The starter could be simple onion soup.
Bread, of course, you can buy day old baguettes or french rolls at the
grocery store to dredge in the soup and other stuff 🙂 Got money for
cheese for the soup?

Jill

Roasted Cauliflower? I like to toss the cauliflower florets with a little
taco seasoning and some nuetral tasting oil. But curry or another seasoning
would work as well.
Bake at 425F for 20-25 minutes give or take.

Sauteed zucchini coins with a vinegrette salad dressing...I use Italian
seasoning. I put the zucchini in a bowl add some dressing, toss then dump
the whole thing into a pre heated frying pan...stir it a around to get
everthing well coated. cook till tender crisp.

Brocolli with seasame seeds sauteed as well.

Oven roasted root veggies...include some garlic cloves.

--
The eyes are the mirrors....
But the ears...Ah the ears.
The ears keep the hat up.

"Lynn from Fargo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

OK well, not exactly a soup kitchen but its for dinner at the
psychosocial rehabilitation center where I work. We feed +/- 20 people
every night 6 days a week. . . . it's free. Once a month it's a "pay
meal" and folks pay $2.00 (if they can afford it.)

Next week I am making a French dinner. something simple for a starter,
a main course, a side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or noodles?) a
vegetable, and dessert.

I plan to have Coq au Vin for the main course,
Sauteed green beans and almonds in brown butter
and Pate Choux aux Fruits (sp?) (cream puffs)for dessert.

I need suggestions for the side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) and the starter.

All help appreciated.

Lynn from Fargo

I would recommend: If the butter adds too much cost (shudder) butter flavord
crisco.

Dimitri

Potatoes Lyonnaise
From French Provincial Cooking (Canada, UK), by Elizabeth David.

This is a well-known dish, but so seldom properly cooked that it may be worth
while giving the correct recipe.
Firm potatoes, boiled in their skins, are peeled and sliced about 1/4-inch thick
and seasoned with salt. They are gently fried in a capacious heavy frying-pan
until they are golden brown on both sides. When they are all but ready, some
onion, sliced very thin and fried until pale gold in a separate frying-pan, is
mixed in with the potatoes, and the dish is ready to serve. It bears little
resemblance, as can be seen, to the greasy mixture of unevenly browned potatoes
and frizzled onions which usually passes for pommes lyonnaises.
Proportions are 1 medium-sized onion to each pound of potatoes and, for cooking
each vegetable, 1 oz. of butter or pure beef dripping.
The potatoes take about 15 minutes to cook, the onions up to 10 minutes.
Lyonnaise Potatoes

From Wolfgang Puck's Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen (Canada,
UK), by Wolfgang Puck.
You must do this in a nonstick pan; otherwise the potatoes will not unmold
properly.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 Tbsp clarified unsalted butter
3 large Idaho or baking potatoes, peeled
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).
Sauté sliced onions in 1 Tbsp butter until lightly golden brown. Reserve.
Cut the potatoes into 1/8-inch slices. (Do not soak in water when sliced.)
Immediately mix with the remaining 3 Tbsp butter, salt, and pepper.
In a 10-inch nonstick baking pan, arrange half the potatoes in one layer. Cover
with the sautéed onions and top with the remaining potatoes.
Bake approximately 30 minutes, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
If the underside of the potatoes is not browned when the potatoes are tender,
finish over high heat on the stove top.
NOTE: Potatoes may be baked in individual 4-inch pans for 12 to 15 minutes.
Yield: To serve 6

Lynn from Fargo said:

[snip]
I need suggestions for the side dish (rice? potatoes? pasta or
noodles?) and the starter.

I am flabbergasted by these suggestions for various kinds of potatoes,
let alone red beans and rice, to accompany coq au vin. Noodles! Flat,
wide noodles. That's what Julia served with coq au vin. Also as easy
as you can get for serving 20+ people. Generous sprinkles of fresh
chopped parsley.

The starter course is a tougher question for me, because I don't like
the clash of a vinaigrette preceding wine-based dishes, so a tossed
salad wouldn't work. But something savory to wake up the taste buds
without clashing with the entree...how about small wedges of a cold or
room temp quiche? -aem