3-in-1 Barbarian Picnic Birthday Party

Three special winter birthdays were celebrated at somerville kitchen tonight with a 3-in-1 Barbarian Picnic Birthday Party.

Guests walked to a cheese spread in front of the fire, red wine, lots of hugs and kisses  - all to the background the best of Eurovision songs in the languages of the guests.

Cheese 1: Triple Cream Goat Cheese brie from Ontario, served with raisin bread and hazel nuts.

Cheese 2: Polish yellow cheese served with oats crackers, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Cheese 3: Lebanese cheese Fatayer dropped off this morning, served with pickled thyme.

Then the Barbarian picnic was complete with a meats and vegetables spread that dazzled all.

There were braised lamb shanks (more on this at The Most Delicious Thing...); chicken drumsticks inspired by the Barefoot Contessa where the chicken marinated in yogurt, fried for 3 minutes, then baked; and grilled buffalo sausages.

All meats from my favourite butcher - Windsor Quality Meats (4110 Main St., Vancouver, BC).

Mashed potatoes with butter and cream cheese (no milk) mixed with chopped jardin chard were scooped and broiled - I think those were the favourites of one wonderful diner.

Hard veggies for the Barbarians - this included parsnips, carrots and beets along with chopped fennel root, sprinkled with olive oil and roasted.


I was very proud of how my guests dug into the platters and almost emptied all. 




And the picnic was completed with an Anita cake. Anita outdid herself with a chocolate cone (how Barbarian) stuffed with creamy lemon mouse and blueberries, covered with buttercream.

Happy Birthday All indeed.