Dinner Tonight

Call a few friends for clam chowder, salad and to-die-for pecan pie.  Here are three, no-kidding, no fail recipes that take very little hands-on time for tonight's dinner.  Parker's clam chowder is world-class.  I get raves when I make this Ina Garten salad, no explanation needed for the pecan pie.  You probably even have the ingredients on hand.

Dinner for 4 or 5:

Parker Jennings' Amazing Clam Chowder

Cape Cod Chopped Salad

Utterly Deadly Southern Pecan Pie

Dessert first.  Start your (yummy, yummy, yummy) pecan pie.  (Via Southern Living and The Hungry Texan) Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  You'll need:

1/2 (14.1 oz.) package refrigerated pie crusts
1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. milk
1 1/2 tsp. good bourbon (or good vanilla extract, or better yet, 3/4 t. bourbon, 3/4 t. vanilla)
1 1/2 c. pecan halves

1.  Fit the piecrust into a 10-inch cast iron skillet; sprinkle piecrust with powdered sugar.

2.  Whisk eggs in a large bowl until foamy; whisk in brown sugar and next 6 ingredients.  Pour mixture into piecrust, and top with pecan halves.

3.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake 30 more minutes.  Turn the oven off, and let the pie stand in the oven, with door closed for 3 hours while you whip up the rest of dinner and relax or go play outside.

Next make your salad dressing.  You'll need:

3 Tbsp. good apple-cider vinegar
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice (Note:  I've tried substituting prepared orange juice and it really is not as good.  When Ina says freshly squeezed, she means from an actual orange.  Clearly, Ina knows what she's talking about)
2 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (Once again, and no offense to Aunt Jemima, but your dressing will taste funny if you don't use pure maple syrup)
1 1/2 t. Kosher salt
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
2/3 c. good olive oil

Whisk together together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 t. salt, and the pepper in a bowl.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

Prep your salad.  You'll need:

8 slices (8 oz.) thick-cut bacon, such as Niman Ranch (I'm a vegetarian, so I skip the bacon and Parker has started leaving it out too, and it tastes fine)
8 ounces baby arugula (I've used organic spring mix with arugula as well, and it works out great, but the arugula is key.)
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, and diced
1/2 c. toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped  (Just pop walnuts in the oven for about 5 minutes, but watch them, they burn fast!)
1/2 c. dried cranberries
6 oz. blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled

1. Cook your bacon, and allow to cool.  You can microwave between sheets of paper towel or fry it.  Ina recommends roasting at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, on a baking rack placed on a sheet pan.  You could do this before you start the pie, and then just turn down the oven to 325 degrees when the bacon is done.

2.  In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries and blue cheese.

3.  Chop the bacon into large pieces and add it to the salad.  Add the dressing just before you sit down to eat.  At that time, you'll add just enough dressing to moisten, and then serve immediately.

Prep your soup.  You'll need:

1/2 pound of butter
About 10 stalks celery (Parker says he uses most of a head of celery and includes the heart and the tops of the stalks with the leaves)
2 c. cooked cubed potatoes
6 carrots
2 onions
1c. flour
4c. milk
4c. heavy cream
1 3-pound can of chopped clams, or 6 cups chopped clams
1 t. white pepper
1 1/2 t. garlic salt
1 1/2 t. thyme
1t. Old Bay seasoning

Saute the vegetables in the butter until crisp-tender.  Add the flour and cook about 15 minutes, or until the flour is a pale tan color.  Be sure not to over-cook the flour, or your chowder will be too dark.

Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the clams and heat through.  Add the clams the last few minutes of heating, if added too early, they will get tough. Serve when heated.

Essential Cookbooks from our library:

               

Images: 1. via Southern Living Magazine, Photo: Jennifer Davick 2-3. via House Beautiful, Photo: Jose Picayo.