DINNER PARTY FOR 11

Last night I hosted a dinner party for 3 people I have never met and my husband's mom, sister and aunt.  And I only had one days notice to plan and cook.

It turned out to be a more pleasant evening than I was anticipating - except of the decimation of my Rogue Dead Guy.

This menu may be a little trickier, but it's worth it.  The Artichoke Leek and Taleggio Tart is my published recipe.

For a beer recommendation, it would be, strangely, a Rogue Dead Guy.

Baby Greens with Mango and Goat Feta

3C baby greens or baby spinach
1/2 mango peeled and diced
1/4 red onion thinly sliced
1/4C goat feta crumbled (you can use regular feta if you can't find the goat version)
Dressing
1/4C honey balsamic vinegar
1/4 olive oil
1T honey mustard
1/4t black sea salt
Toss all salad ingredients together. To make dressing, combine the salt, vinegar and mustard. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add to salad.

Artichoke, Leek and Taleggio Tart

Tart Crust
2C all purpose flour
1/2t dried thyme
1/2t dried parsley
1t kosher salt
8oz cream cheese, cubed
3T heavy cream
Combine flour, salt, thyme and parsley in a food processor. Add the cheese and pulse until the mixture looks like small peas. Add cream 1T at time until the mixture forms a ball. Press flat onto a piece of plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Roll out pastry dough and press into a large tart pan. Place in freezer for at least 15 minutes. You can wrap and freeze up to a week.
Filling
8 strips of bacon diced
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
3oz Taleggio cheese cut into 1/4 inch cubes
half can of whole artichoke hearts sliced
2T grated fresh parmesan
1/4C heavy cream
2 eggs beaten
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cook bacon until crisp in a large non stick skillet. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon. Add leeks to the bacon fat and cook until tender, about 5 minutes at medium heat. Meanwhile, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add bacon and leeks to the mixture. Pour into tart shell and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.


Grilled Flat Iron Steak

1 2-3 lb flat iron steak
Marinade
1/4c apple balsamic vinegar
2T olive oil
3 cloves of garlic chopped
1t good smoked salt
1/2t chopped capers
1T whole grain mustard
Mix all ingredients together and pour over steak in glass dish or a ziploc bag. Marinate at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove meat from marinade and grill for about 5 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the steak.