Need Help for Valentine's Day Dinner

[MarciaTJ]

Help!!!

We are having a potluck Valentine's with another couple, they are providing the starter, dessert and wine, and we are providing the main course. I'd appreciate your opinion on which side makes a better match the pasta or the potatoes? Please see the planned menu below:

Starter: Minestrone Soup
Meat: Roasted pork loin stuffed with spinach and prosciutto (F&W)
Side: Potatoes au gratin or baked rigatoni
Veggies: Roast string beans with shallots and balsamic glace
Bread: Italian Loaf and olive oil

Dessert and wine ????

Coffee with Kaluha

[lhall]

Well, besides the fact that you're already having prosciutto in the main dish...I just had to vote for the side with cheese:D

Leigh

[lindrusso]

Pork and potatoes - a perfect combo!

[Varaile]

The potatoes sound too good to pass up! :D

[AnnaC]

I also vote potatoes.
Do you mind posting the string bean recipe, sounds delicious!

[Chiffonade]

Rigatoni can almost be a main course by itself - the gratineed potatoes fit too perfectly to pass them up.

[moonnstarsfan]

One more here for the potatoes & the green bean receipe. :)
Thanks!
Melinda

[onnaday12]

My vote is for the potatoes and grean beans with the pork.
Yes please post the recipes.
also, with your Kaluha, how about serving it with cream, in case
someone's not a big coffee drinker. Spiked chocolate milk YUM
good luck with whatever choices you make.:cool:

[MarciaTJ]

Thank you all for your votes - I purchased my potatoes today!

My recipe for the string beans is as follow (this is my own creation, so I apologize for the approximations:-)!)

Heat oven to 400 degrees

1 pound of fresh string beans, cleaned, with the ends snapped but beans left long.
1 small/medium shallot chopped
Olive oil to coat
@1/4 c of balsamic vineger

In an oven proof skillet, coat with olive oil, saute shallots until soft but not brown
Add in beans
stir around to cover beans with shallots, stir in vineger
season with salt and pepper
place skillet into oven for approximate 20 minutes ( until beans look a bit brown and crip but are not soft), check and stir periodically


Thanks again for your asstance - the best part is that I can make the potatoes, and season the meat the day before!