Throw A Green Dinner Party!
Early Show contributor Katie Lee Joel recently chaired the first-ever "Green Dance" at the American Museum of Natural History.
From organic and sustainable foods to environmentally friendly products, the whole evening was dedicated to Mother Earth.
It was a black-tie event, but there's no reason you can't throw a "green" party of your own at home!
Katie showed how on the show Wednesday.
By using sustainable, local or organic ingredients, your "footprint" on the earth is much smaller, she notes.
Katie prepared a minted pea soup, fresh mushroom and asparagus springtime pasta, and mini-cheesecakes drizzled with honey.
But when throwing a green dinner party, the food is only half the battle.
There's frequently lots of waste at dinner, especially during the summer, when we eat outside using paper plates and napkins.
But Katie's table was totally green, with everything from the placemats to the centerpiece 100 percent recycled, reusable, or repurposed.
After making the pasta, Katie poured the soup into espresso cups and garnished the dessert with the honey and bee pollen.
Bee pollen is said to strengthen the immune system through its antioxidant properties. It's been claimed that bee pollen improves oxygen uptake and helps accelerate recovery in training. Bee pollen is a mixture of bee saliva, plant pollen, and nectar. Some people take it thinking it has special health-enhancing properties; others take it because they think it acts as a performance booster.
On her table, Katie had:
FOR KATIE'S RECIPES, GO TO PAGE 2.
RECIPES
Minted Pea Soup
This soup is a classic and can be served hot or chilled.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 spring onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds fresh peas
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup fresh mint, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
Plain yogurt, for garnish
METHOD:
In a stockpot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add peas, broth, and mint. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook an additional 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to pot and stir in heavy cream. Cook on low for 10 minutes. Serve garnished with a dollop of yogurt and a small mint leaf.
Makes 6 1/2 cups
Fresh Morel and Asparagus Springtime Pasta
Morels are rare wild mushrooms that look like pointy sponges. They come out in the spring when it is rainy and temperatures begin to rise.
INGREDIENTS:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 pound fresh morels or any other fresh mushroom (I like to slice the large ones and leave the small ones whole)
1/2 cup minced spring onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 pound fresh asparagus, tips only
3/4 pound egg noodles, slightly undercooked and drained
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup loosely packed baby spinach
6 poached eggs
METHOD:
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the morels and onions. Sauté about 2 minutes. Add the flour and sauté another 2 minutes. Add the wine and stock and bring to a boil. Add asparagus and pasta and cook until asparagus is tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and spinach. Transfer to serving dishes and top each with a poached egg. Serve immediately.
Mini-Goat Cheese Cheesecakes with Honey and Bee Pollen
Make with goat cheese from a local farm and use local honey and bee pollen.
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup goat cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Honey, for drizzling
Bee Pollen, for garnishing
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Using non-stick cooking spray, grease a mini muffin tin.
In a small bowl, combine graham crackers and melted butter. Place mixture by the heaping teaspoonful into mini muffin tin and press firmly.
Using a handheld electric mixer, cream goat cheese, cream cheese, sugar, and egg. Spoon into muffin tin. Place tin in a baking dish and fill with hot water to come about halfway up the muffin tin. Bake 20-25 minutes. Place tin on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Chill in refrigerator until serving time. Use a knife to pop cheese cakes out of tin.
Place cheesecakes on a serving platter and drizzle with honey and sprinkle each with a couple of bee pollen granules.