Herbed Goat Cheese + A Rhubarb Gin Cocktail = the perfect "Girl's Dinner"
a no-cook charcuterie board dinner is on repeat all Summer long
During our nightly call, when Lisa suggested “Girl Dinners” as our content for this week, I looked at her blankly. Wha? I’m sure this new phenomenon has reached the UK, but it has passed me by! Even after a brief explanation from Lisa, I have had to turn to “Professor Google.”
Definition of Girl Dinner:
A minimal-effort meal trend labeled “girl dinner” has taken over TikTok — and it has people divided. Over the past couple of months, women have been sharing charcuterie boards and visually pleasing snack plates, featuring bread, cheese, olives, pickles, nuts and colorful fruits and vegetables on TikTok.
For once - I am well ahead of the trend! I spent Covid lockdown delivering “girl dinners” to people’s houses. If only I had known, I could have started this trend!
10 “GIRL DINNER” RULES
(we’re being a bit cheeky, but here are ways to really elevate your girl dinner!)
Quality over quantity every time! Have fun visiting your local deli’s and ask to sample the cheeses and meats (proscuitto, salami, etc) Often deli’s have in-house cafes which is a great way to try different ingredients and also to get inspiration!
If you’re in the Seattle area: definitely stop by DeLaurenti Food & Wine or Chukar Cherries in Pike Place Market, Salumi Meats near Pioneer Square, Chef’s Store.
If you’re in Los Angeles: The Cheese Store in Beverly Hills has an incredible variety of cheeses and very helpful people to assist you in picking fabulous pairings.
If you’re in the UK: most towns now have a small independent deli’ . If you can support them it would be amazing! I am an advocate of “USE IT OR LOSE IT!” These are some of my favourites:
Kington - Number 25 The Deli
Ledbury -Ceci Paulo
Hereford - The Little Deli - Church Street.
Ludlow - Harp Lane Deli and The Broad Bean Deli
Hay-on-Wye - Hay Deli
Monmouth - Marches Deli'
Venture into the Cotswolds and of course there is the must visit Daylesford & Broadway Deli amongst a plethora!
Instead of a savory board, consider having a small dessert sharing board with macarons, brownies (quarter them for bite sized pieces), fudge or nougat, fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries or cherries. If you’re really lucky, one of your friends will turn up with a stonking (this means “amazing” if you’re in the US) box of chocolates!
A great way of serving your platter is on an upturned wooden tray. Imagine an infinity pool - fill it to the edge with cheeses and meats…. and it looks like it is floating. If you have anything runny going on to your platter, turn it the right way around, so the edges of the tray will capture the juices. Pop a square of parchment onto the base, before loading with your food.
A slate tray, French bread board, or decorate platter also work. And, to make things extra fun, put empty boxes of varying heights, on your table. Cover with a large tablecloth and tuck it in and around the boxes, so everything is completely covered. Then put your cheese boards on top of the boxes - the height makes it easier to see everything and will elevate your whole tablescape.
If you don’t have any boxes, use tiered trays, cake plates or use an overturned bowl as a decorative base for your charcuterie boards.
This goes without saying…..NEVER have anything that needs cooking. While your girlfriends are soaking up their cocktails in the other room, you want to be with them!
Remember to consider any allergies. Are if any of your friends are vegetarian or vegan. If they are fruitarians (did anyone else automatically replay that scene from Notting Hill in their head?)…… this may not be the party for them.
Think about the guest list - do all of the guests get along? You definitely don’t want old beefs or squabbles coming to the fore, particularly after a few drinks have been consumed!
Have a couple of silly games on stand by, just in case of awkward silences. The sillier the better! Hopefully there will be enough chat going down for them not to be needed! I love playing “2 truths and a lie” or “Never have I ever.”
Have a fun playlist ready. If it’s spot on, you will end up dancing on the tables. We love a good playlist so much we’ve even included one in our most recent cookbook The Foodies Table. A really good playlist is guaranteed to either get you dancing on the table or singing along!
Make sure that nobody is driving home. Encourage them to prebook Ubers, taxi’s or lifts. Particularly if your serving up one of Lisa’s cocktails.
Consider your condiments! Condiments can make a meal! Honeycomb/Comb Honey on soft cheeses, Membrillo (Quince cheese) with stilton or cheddar, fig chutney with strong Gorgonzola or Stilton. A fruity tomato or apple chutney for Cheddar.
Try to find something a little “different” and leave them in their pots and let people help themselves. A small pot of grainy mustard, pâté, truffle honey would all be fabulous condiments to add. Don’t throw away the lids, though! Keep the lids to one side and then you can store them in your fridge to use for another day!
We’re keeping this week’s issue short and sweet!
Next week we’ll be back with news from either side of the Pond……….our honest reviews on Barbie, and, to celebrate the huge success of Barbie, we’ll be filling next week’s issue with loads of pink recipes (raspberries, strawberries, cherries and more!), and we’ll have a cookbook update for you!
xo
Jane and Lisa
And now for our recipes for your Girl Dinner! Remember, if you make them to photograph and tag us on Instagram — @foodiesacrossthepond_
We are concentrating on simple, quick and make ahead of time recipes!
Stilton Pâté, from Jane’s Kitchen
225g / 8oz Stilton cheese
50g/ 2 oz unsalted butter
2 tablespoon thick/double cream
2 tablespoons brandy
A twist of freshly ground black pepper
Walnuts to garnish
A cool terracotta/serving dish to serve in - that will fit nicely on the serving board.
Put all of your ingredients into a bowl together and mash until it has reached the consistency you like. Press into your serving dish and refrigerate.
Garnish with walnuts.
Champagne Rhubarb Cocktail, From Jane’s Kitchen
This recipe requires a rhubarb syrup which is so easy to make and, of course, can be done in advance. All you have to do is make sure you have some sparkling wine chilled the day you make this.
Rhubarb Syrup
750g /1.6 lb’s Rhubarb
150g/5 oz white sugar (granulated sugar)
1 x orange
1 x vanilla pod
Wash, trim and cut the rhubarb into chunks. Pop into a saucepan with the sugar and a splash of water.
Split the vanilla pod down the middle, scape out the beans add to the pan, along with the vanilla pod.
Grate the zest from the orange and then juice . Add both the juice and zest to the pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring, making sure that the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 15 minutes until the rhubarb is soft and cooked through.
Strain the syrup through a fine nylon sieve and bottle. Refrigerate until needed.
When ready to serve:
150-200ml / 5 - 7.5 fl oz of your favourite gin
1 x bottle of chilled sparkling wine
Pour a little of your prepared rhubarb syrup into your glasses. Add some of the gin to each. Now top up with the chilled sparkling wine. Cheers!
Whipped Herb Goat Cheese, From Lisa’s Kitchen
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve made this, I’d be hanging out on my private island right now. It’s my “go to” anytime I make a charcuterie board. And, if I’m lucky enought to have leftovers, it also makes an excellent sandwich spread.
8 ounces of goat cheese, softened (leave out at room temperature for 30-40 minutes)
3 ounces cream cheese, softened (I leave it out at room temperature for 30-40 minutes)
Zest of 1 lemon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves only (you can also use chopped rosemary, parsley, chives or oregano)
Salt and Pepper
Maldon salt (chunky flakey salt)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Put goat cheese, cream cheese, lemon zest, garlic and thyme in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. This should take about 30-60 seconds. Taste for seasoning, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse again for a few additional seconds. Using a spatula, scoop out the herbed goat cheese and put into a glass bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. This should keep in your fridge for 3-4 days.
When ready to serve, let the mixture come to room temperature. I usually take it out of the fridge 1 hour before serving. Scoop into a decorative bowl or dish, garnish with maldon salt and a drizzle of olive oil. This is fabulous served with toasted baguette or your favorite crackers.
Bee’s Knees
You know I’m a gin girl and this drink was very prevalent during prohibition times. It may be old fashioned, but I’ve tweaked it slightly, to make it more modern, with the addition of Elderflower liqueur. A botanical gin works really well with the lemon and honey.
2 ounces gin (I love Hendrick's, Oola and The Botanist)
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
Honey simple syrup
1/2 ounce Elderflower liqueur
Ice
HONEY SIMPLE SYRUP
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon honey
MAKE THE HONEY SIMPLE SYRUP: In a small microwave safe bowl heat water until it's REALLY hot. Remove carefully (bowl will be hot) and stir in honey until it completely dissolves. Let cool.
If you like your cocktails sweet, use a 1:2 ratio - 1 tablespoon water and 2 tablespoons honey.
Place all ingredients in a shaker with a ton of ice.
Shake vigorously until your hand feels like it's gonna fall off, about 35 seconds.
The shaker should have lots of condensation on it.
Pour into a coupe glass or your favorite cocktail glass.