For Christmas Day we decided on a more appetizer style approach, easy to serve, easy to maintain, fun to eat and great to just have out so people can nibble in-between opening gifts.
Here is the main menu for the day time meal.
- Warmed Marcona Almonds with Herbs
- Baba Ganoush and Hummus with Pine Nuts and Pita Chips made from scratch
- Sliced Pears with 3 Cheeses - Gouda, Gorgonzola and a Blue Brie
- Scallop and Bacon Kebabs skewered on fresh Rosemary sprigs - seared to order
- Mushroom - Red Pepper and Sun Dried Olive Quiche with Gruyere Cheese
- Chicken Florentine - bite sized pieces to scoop into cheesy spinach sauce
- Traditional Pork Tamales (purchased from Los Arroyos, best in Santa Barbara)
- with Tomatillo Salsa, Sour Cream and Queso Fresco
Dessert was an assortment of custom cupcakes from Whodidily in Montecito with some assorted breakfast pastries.
The food was pretty tasty, and the highlight for everyone seemed to be the Florentine, but anything that is goopy and cheesy will always please the crowds. My favorite was the Scallop/Bacon skewer. Wow, the flavor combination was stellar. Just the right amount of saltiness, meshed with the juices of the scallop, crusted into the sprig of the rosemary. I could have eaten many more.
(Pictured two raw skewers after being prepped)For Christmas Dinner served later that evening I was wanting to have something different (for me), I was not interested in Ham, Turkey, Prime Rib or a Christmas Goose (did that last year). So, I was thinking of a nice Roast of Pork with the great crust you get from slowly roasting it in the over with a great rub on the surface.
Christmas Dinner
- Cocktails - Cranberry infused Gold Margaritas
- Appetizers - a bit of what was left from earlier in the day
- Ceaser Salad
- Roast Tenderloin of Pork with Au Jus
- Spiced Crabapples with Pearl Onions
- Duchess Potatoes
- Steamed Broccoli
- Cauliflower AuGratin
- Fresh Pear Tart with Warm Butterscotch Sauce
The meal was simple to prepare and you can find recipes for all the above in the Joy of Cooking. The innovation for me was in cooking the crabapples found at our local produce market, Tri-County Produce (best in Santa Barbara).
Spiced Crabapples with Pearl Onions
Place 3 crabapples per person in a pan, cover with cold water, add 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1/2 cup sugar. I used raw sugar and organic apple cider vinegar. Bring to boil, cook them for 3 min at most, (you don't want them to get mushy) pull crabapples out of the syrup and set aside.
Meanwhile, cut off the head and tail of 2 dozen boiling onions (white or yellow doesn't matter). Slip them into the still hot syrup and boil for 3-4 minutes. (When complete, pull the onions out and set aside to cool. Once cool, you can pop the onions out of their tough skin by pressing them in your fingers, they will pop out easily.)
Put 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 teaspoon of cloves into the syrup and let the syrup continue to boil until it is reduced by 2/3's, you are trying to boil the water out of it and leave just a thick syrupy sauce. That ought to take 15 minutes - watch it so it doenst burn completely. Once done, pour the syrup into a container that has the crabapples and onions in it. Place in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the flavors to mingle. The combination of flavors, intertwined was a crowdpleaser.
After a day of shopping and preparation and several hours in the kitchen pulling the plates altogether, I was able to relax, enjoy the meals and the great company and celebrate our first Christmas here in our new home.
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