Yummy Wedding Shower Buffet!

[drloverde]

A while back, I asked for some suggestions for a wedding shower menu that I needed to plan. Well, the shower was last Sunday and it was wonderful! I wanted to share my menu with you all!

Appetizers

Savory French Toast
Gazpacho served in cucumber cups

Buffet

Chilled shrimp and chopped tomato salad with crisp garlic croutons
Orzo salad - CL - 7/02
Chicken thighs with thyme and lemon - CL - 7/02
Avacado and tomatillo salad
Parmesean and parsely breadsticks
White wine punch

Desert
Strawberry slush
Sugar cookies

It was wonderful, the day was perfect. We ate outside and the bride was pleased as punch!

Dena.

[Angela]

Glad everything went well for you! The menu sounds excellent!

[swquilts]

I remember when you asked....your menu sounds wonderful! I'm glad everything turned out good. Is the Tomatillo/Avocado recipe a CL one? Which issue? Or could you post it? Thanks!!!

[marymoon]

What are cucumber cups and how do you make them? I'm serving gazpacho at a bridal shower and would love to know!!

[nlh]

What a good idea to use cucumber cups for the gazpacho! I bet the color of the gazpacho looked great against the green of the cukes. I have had on my list this week the 7/02 Orzo salad. Glad to know it turned out well for you.

Could you post the strawberry slush recipe?

[drloverde]

It was terrific! Here are everyone's answers (except the strawberry slush - I know the ingredients, but not the porportions - I'll get the recipe at home)

Avocado Tomatillo Salad - not a CL recipe - it's from Cantina: The Best of Casual Mexican Cooking - but here it is:

1 cup olive oil
1/3 loaf crusty French or Italian sourdough bread cut into 3/4 inch cubes
Salt to taste, plus 1 tsp.
Freshly ground pepper to taste, plus 1/2 tsp.
2 rip avocados, pitted, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 cups red or yellow cherry tomatoes, or a mixture, halved
2 bunches fresh cilantro, about 6 ox total weight, stemmed
5 tomatillos, husked and quartered
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp distilled white or white wine vinegar
Lettuce leaves (I never get around to using these)
6 green onions, thinly sliced

In a frying pan over medium head, warm 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the bread cubes and shake the pant to coat the cubes lightly on all sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, reduce the heat to medium-low and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until golden brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Ina bowl, combine the avocados, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro; set aside. In a blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the tomatillos, lime juice, vinegar, the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil, the 1 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Blend well to form a smooth dressing.

Pour the dressing over the avocado mixture and begin to toss lightly to mix. When almost fully mixed, add the croutons and continue to toss until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.

To serve, line a platter or individual salad bowls with lettuce leaves and spoon the avocado mixture on top. Garnish with the green onion and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6

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The cucumber cups were very easy...I found them in the Martha Stewart Appetizer book - where I also found the gazpacho recipe.

Cucumber Cups - makes 2 dozen

5 seedless cucumbers - each 10 oz and 11" long

If the cucumbers are waxed, peel them. Cut each crosswise into 5 1 3/4" pieces. With a small melon baller, carefully scoop out the insides of each piece, leaving a 1/4" border around the edge and a 1/2" border on the bottom. The cucumber cups may be prepared up to 4-hours in advance, arranged on damp paper towels, tightly covered and refrigerated.

I made them the night before and put them on a cookie sheet with the damp paper towels over them, then I covered the whole thing in saran wrap and put it in the refrigerator. It was fine.

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The strawberry slush was frozen strawberries, low-fat sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice all whizzed up in the processor and then frozen. I'll bring the recipe in tomorrow and post it.

Enjoy!
Dena.