a cup of kindness

We had a few friends over this weekend for a small holiday party. Here’s the menu:

mulled cider
spiked egg nog
roasted garlic spread
tapenade
caramelized onion dip
sweedish meatballs
roasted mushrooms
roasted asparagus
stuffed eggs
chocolate chip cookies (recipe courtesy of the NY Times)

Everything was pretty good, but the dip and roasted vegetables were real standouts. Both of these dishes are incredibly easy to make, so I thought I’d provide you with the recipes.

The onion dip had a fantastic and rich onion flavor. Because the onions were cooked, the flavor was subtle and not at all overwhelming. The really thick sour cream meant the dip was really rich and creamy, just the way you want dip to be. I think the kind of sour cream I used starts with an “A”–it’s the one with the stylized flour on it.

The roasted vegetables were as easy as can be, and they lent wonderful color and flavor to the holiday table. Miss Manners says you can eat asparagus with your fingers. The mushrooms were not as easy to package for eating, though stacking a few slices on a toothpick turned out to be a fine solution.

Brooklyn Supper is going to be taking a holiday break, but we wish you and yours all the best for a safe and happy holiday season. We’ll talk again before the new year.

Caramelized Onion Dip

2-3 large onions, finely diced
2 tablespoons butter
7-8 oz. thick sour cream
kosher salt
pepper
chopped parsley

Heat butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat. When butter is foamy and fragrant, add the onions and a liberal amount of salt (1 tablespoon or so). Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently. Then turn the heat to low and cook onions for an additional 20-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Onions should be quite soft and golden.

Place cooked onions into a strainer and allow any liquid and fat to drain off.

Stir onions into sour cream, season to taste and allow to sit, covered and in the refrigerator, at least overnight. When you are ready to serve, check seasoning, and stir in a bit of parsley either for flavor or color. Serve with good potato chips and carrot sticks.

Roasted Mushrooms and Asparagus

1 lb. mushrooms (crimini are fine, though shitakes would be wonderful), cleaned, stems removed, and thickly sliced
2 bunches fresh asparagus, woody ends broken off and lightly peeled
1 lemon
soy sauce
kosher salt
pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil rimmed cookie sheets. Lay out the asparagus on one, and scatter the mushrooms on the other. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper, drizzle a bit of olive oil on top and shake. Sprinkle the asparagus with lemon zest, and drizzle 1 or 2 tablespoons of soy sauce onto the mushrooms.

Place both trays into the oven and cook for 20 – 25 minutes or more (depends on how thick the asparagus is), until the asparagus start to brown and the edges of the mushrooms start to crisp (just slightly).

Remove vegetables from the oven and finish each tray with a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Serve immediately.