This evening starts off with a light and refreshing cocktail, the French 75. Then wow your guests with your homemade chilled Gazpacho soup—this is an amazingly fresh tasting soup that screams summer, filled with peppers, tomatoes, fresh herbs, shrimp and a salty cheese. The Gazpacho is followed by a light and savory homemade grilled salmon Caesar. Everybody loves this one, trust us!!

Homemade Caesar dressing, homemade croutons filled with flavor and are also crunchy AND chewy. Perfect while you sip that nice chilled rose. End the night with a beautiful fresh berry pudding. This dessert not only looks incredible, it tastes incredible. How could it not with all those fresh raspberries, blueberries and strawberries?? Not to mention, topped off with a light and fluffy dark rum whipped cream.

Oh, and one more bonus about this menu, everything but the salmon can be made ahead of time. So, get ready to impress your guests with your Summer Soup and Salad Extravaganza!!! Mmmmm . . . put it in your mouth.

Menu
Cocktail
French 75

Starter
Gazpacho

Main Attraction
Grilled Salmon Caesar

Happy Finish
Tali's Fresh Berry Pudding

Cocktail - The French 75
1.5 oz. gin
1 Tbsp. Fresh lemon juice
1 oz. simple syrup
Sparkling Wine

Start with a champagne flute. Add the gin, followed by the fresh lemon juice (about 1/3 of a lemon) and then the simple syrup. Fill the remainder of the glass with champagne, garnish with a lemon twist and serve it up.

Starter - Gazpacho
1 Medium Red Onion, chopped
1 Cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 Yellow Bell Pepper, chopped
2 Medium Tomatoes, chopped
4 Stalks Celery, chopped
1 Jalapeno Chili, diced (use gloves)
½ lb. Salad Shrimp
1 Large (46 oz.) can Tomato Juice
¼ C. Champagne or White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Chopped Basil
1 Tbsp. Chopped Italian Parsley
1 Tbsp. Chopped Cilantro
2 Cloves Garlic, minced or crushed with a mortar and pestle
½ tsp. Cumin
½ Tbsp. Salt
1 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
6 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
Juice of one lemon

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl or stockpot. Stir well and refrigerate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Serve chilled. Garnish with fresh parsley and croutons, if desired.

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Main Attraction - Grilled Salmon Caesar
Wine Recommendation: Chilled Rose. Suggestion: 2006 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose from South Africa.

6 – 6-8 oz. Salmon Fillets
4 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 heads romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite size pieces

Rub each salmon fillet (flesh side) with a little bit of olive oil (about ½ tsp. Per fillet), season with the minced garlic, salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on a very hot grill. You will only want to turn these once. Turn after 2 – 3 minutes and grill skin side down for an additional 2-3 minutes for medium rare. If you are using a fresh, high quality salmon, this really is the only way to cook it. When done, transfer to a clean plate. You can easily remove the skin by running a spatula between the flesh and the skin when taking the fillets off the grill. If your grill was hot enough, the skin will stay behind and the meat will come right off. Set aside to rest and assemble the Caesar. If you don’t have access to a grill, you can broil the salmon or pan sear it.

Put the torn lettuce into a large mixing bowl. Add the Caesar dressing, about ¾ cup, being careful not to over dress. Mix with tongs. Plate evenly onto 6 plates. Garnish with a pinch of fresh grated Parmesan, freshly cracked pepper and anchovies, if desired. Top each salad with about 8 croutons, followed by a salmon fillet. Garish plate with a lemon wedge and serve.

Homemade Croutons
1/2 loaf of bread, preferably a chewy artisan type like Ciabatta, cut into 1” squares
2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
½ tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Put the cut up bread into a medium sized mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil and vinegar over the bread chunks. Toss well. Add spices and toss again. Transfer to a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 425 for 7 minutes. Remove and toss to turn the croutons. Return to oven and bake for another 5 – 10 minutes until deep golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool before adding to the Caesar.

Caesar dressing
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Tbsp. Anchovy Paste
1/3 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. dry mustard
¼ tsp. ground pepper
¼ C. lemon juice, 1-2 lemons
½ C. grated Parmesan cheese

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl, except the Parmesan cheese. Whisk well. Add Parmesan and mix until combined.

Happy Finish - Tali’s Fresh Berry Pudding
This is a fairly light and very refreshing dessert that can be made a couple days ahead of time.

1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 cups sugar
2 pints fresh raspberries, divided
1 pint fresh blueberries
2 Tbsp. raspberry brandy
1 loaf egg bread or brioche (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and 1/3 cup of water in a medium saucepan and cook uncovered over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add 1 pint of raspberries and the blueberries and cook until the mixture reaches a simmer, stir occasionally. After the mixture reaches a simmer, cook for 1 more minute and remove from heat. Add the raspberry brandy and the other pint of raspberries Take the bread and remove the crusts. Slice it in 1/2-inch slices. Take a 8 – 9” casserole or baking dish (my grandma always used her spaghetti pot) and using a 1 cup measuring cup, pour 1 cup of the berry mixture into the bottom of the dish. Drop a few nice strawberry slices and plump berries in (this will be the top of the dessert once unmolded). Arrange 1 layer of bread slices to completely cover the berry mixture. Add another cup of the berry mixture over the bread. Continue adding bread, cutting it to fit the mold, and berries. Finish with bread and cooked berries, using all of the berry mixture. Place a sheet of plastic wrap loosely over the top of the pudding and place a plate that is close to the same size as the as the inside of the baking dish on top of the pudding. Weight the pudding down to compress it by placing a heavy can (i.e. large tomato can) on top of the plate and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, run a knife around the outside of the pudding and invert it into a proper serving plate. Serve with fresh whipped cream garnished with, you guessed it, a fresh mint sprig.

Whipped Cream
1 C. whipping cream
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp. Dark rum

In a chilled metal bowl, combine all ingredients and beat with a hand mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Keep chilled before serving.