September Dinner Party Recipes!

Hello, dear friends! Please enjoy these recipes from my “September Dinner Party” video that was published on YouTube today. If you wear the hats of host, cook and scullery maid, then you will be glad to know that all three dinner courses can be prepared well ahead of time. You can relax and enjoy a cocktail when your guests arrive!

Make-ahead directions are described in the “Notes” section of the printable recipes below:

Fresh Corn Timbales

“Timbale” refers to the drum-shape of this chic and delicious first course or luncheon dish. I can’t imagine a better way to enjoy the abundance of fresh, late-summer corn!

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5 from 1 vote

Corn Timbales

Baked in custard cups and then unmolded onto a plate, Corn Timbales are a chic and delicious first course or luncheon dish. You can top the little "drums" with tomato sauce, salsa, or buttered bread crumbs.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: First course, Luncheon

Cuisine: French

Servings: 6

Equipment

• Six 6-ounce oven-proof custard cups
• A 9x13-inch baking dish to hold the cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh corn (from about 4 ears of corn)
• 6 large eggs
• 2/3 cup (80g) bread plain bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons minced onion
• 1/4 cup (about 15g) fresh, minced parsley
• 2/3 cup (160g) grated or shredded Swiss cheese
• 2/3 cup (160g) heavy cream
• 10 drops (or more or less) Tabasco sauce
• A big pinch of salt and grinds of black pepper

Instructions

Making and forming the timbales:

• If you are planning to bake the timbales immediately, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C). Also, grease the custard cups and boil water for the water bath in which the timbales will bake
• Holding the cob over a big bowl, remove kernels by pushing straight down with a sharp knife. Add the eggs to the corn, and whisk vigorously to combine. Then whisk in the bread crumbs, onion, parsley, cheese, cream, Tabasco, and the salt and pepper.
• Put the prepared custard cups in the baking dish. Divide the timbale batter among the cups. Then add enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the cups.

Baking the timbales:

• Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for exactly 10 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 325°F (170°C) and bake until a skewer inserted into the center of a timbale comes out clean -- 20-25 minutes. Remove the baking dish from the oven, but allow the timbales to sit in their water bath for 10 minutes or so.

Unmolding and serving the timbales:

• Run a knife between timbale and the custard cup. Then set a plate over the cup, invert the two, and unmold.
• If desired, top each timbale with either tomato sauce or salsa and a small sprig of parsley or cilantro. Enjoy hot, warm, or even cold from the fridge!

Notes

MAKE-AHEAD NOTE: The timbale batter can be prepared well ahead of time. Just cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. 

Lemon-Garlic-Herb Chicken Marinade

You can use either chicken breasts or boneless thighs for this main course. The marinade tenderizes the chicken and makes it zingy with lemon and garlic. A bit of oregano adds the perfect perfume. Permit the chicken to marinate for as little as 30 minutes or as long as 24 hours. I served the chicken on a bed of roasted potato slices and with a side of roasted broccoli — both of these vegetables cook at the same time and at the same temperature as the chicken.

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5 from 1 vote

Lemon-Garlic-Herb Chicken Marinade

A sassy-savory marinade for either chicken breasts or boneless thighs. Recipe below is for 2 lbs. of chicken. Halve the recipe is you are using only l lb. of chicken.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Dinner

Cuisine: French

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 1 cup olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For the chicken:

• 2 Lbs. chicken (boneless breasts or thighs)

Instructions

The marinade mixture:

• Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a zip-lock bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and then massage the bag to ensure each chicken piece is coated. Put the bag in a dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or for up to 24 hours.

Cooking the chicken:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Pour the chicken and all of the marinade into a baking dish that is just large enough to accommodate the chicken. Cook in the preheated oven until the chicken achieves 165°F (74°C) when tested with a digital thermometer -- usually 20-25 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Serving:

• Cut the chicken crosswise into bite-size slices, and then scoop up the slices and place them on a bed of roasted or mashed potatoes or hot, cooked rice. Spoon sauce from the baking dish over all, and garnish with fresh, minced parsley.

Rustic Blackberry Galette

Where I live, blackberries are plentiful in early September. To turn the berries into an enchanting galette, I simply mix them with a little sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and lemon, and then bake them atop a disk of tender/flaky French pastry dough. The  dough is extremely easy to make in a food processor!

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5 from 1 vote

Rustic Blackberry Galette

Late-summer berries in a tender, flaky French pastry crust. A marvelous dessert!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: French

Servings: 4

Equipment

• A food processor for making the pastry dough

Ingredients

For the pastry dough:

• 1 1/2 cups (195g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (113g) cold, diced butter
• 1/3 cup (80ml) ice water

For the berries:

• 4 cups (about 560g) fresh blackberries
• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch ("corn flour")
• The grated zest of a lemon, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

For finishing the galette:

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 beaten egg
• A sprinkling of demerara sugar

Instructions

Making the pastry dough:

• Put the flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor. Process for just 2 seconds. Add the butter, and then pulse the machine about 5 times, until the butter becomes crumbly. With the machine running, gradually add up to one-third cup of the ice water until a clumpy dough develops.
• Turn the dough onto a non-floured work surface. Form the dough into a rough ball, and then flatten the ball to make a disk. Wrap the disk in cling film and refrigerate for 1-2 hours (or for up to 3 days).
• On a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth, roll the dough into a 12-inch-diameter circle. Transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet, and then put the sheet in the refrigerator while you prepare the blackberry filling.

Rolling out the dough:

• On a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth, roll the dough into a 12-inch-diameter circle. Transfer the dough to a parchment lined baking sheet, and then put the sheet in the refrigerator while you prepare the strawberry filling.

The berry mixture:

• Put the berries in a medium-size bowl. Add the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, cinnamon, and cardamom. Gently toss the berries (avoid crushing them) until the cornstarch is no longer visible.

Assembling and finishing the galette:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Spoon the cornstarch onto the center of the pastry dough, and then spread it out, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border all around. Pile the berries onto the center of the dough, and then spread them over the cornstarch. Fold the exposed dough over the berries, making pleats as you go. Brush the pastry with the beaten egg, and then sprinkle the dough (not the berries) with demerara sugar.

Baking the galette:

• Bake in the preheated 400°F oven until the crust browns and the juice from the blackberries is bubbling -- usually 25-30 minutes. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, or creme fraiche.

Notes

MAKE-AHEAD NOTE: You can assemble and bake this galette several hours ahead of serving time. It is delicious at room-temperature!