Outdoor Entertaining: Host a Happy Hour Book Exchange with a ‘Golden Girls’ Flavor
Here we are, friends, facing the end of another summer season. Whether you’re in the “glass half full” or the “glass half empty” camp, don’t let this season go without one more celebration. Take the time to gather with friends and family to recap, recall, and reminisce about the best of the summer. How about we gather the ladies on the porch, deck or yard while we bid farewell to summer, hosting a Happy Hour book exchange with a nod to the classic “The Golden Girls”? This will be fun. Channeling English teacher Dorothy, invite a handful of the ladies for an evening of refreshments and books. Invite guests to each bring a copy of their favorite Summer 2022 beach read to exchange for another’s favorite, all while enjoying some “Golden Girl”-inspired refreshments.
When inviting, instruct guests to wrap their favorite beach read with a note attached to the outside, explaining why they enjoyed the book without naming it and adding their phone number to the note inviting the next reader to call and discuss the book when they finish. When guests arrive, display the books so all can read the notes, and have them draw numbers to determine the order they will select. Then enjoy the unwrapping! If you’re lucky, you’ll have a “Sophia” offering some uncensored comments to liven up the party.
Certainly, we will need to provide some appropriate food and drink for the occasion. Since this is Happy Hour, we can begin with drinks, and our signature drink is an oldie but a goodie, Blanche’s Sloe Gin Fizz. Blanche and friends were known to enjoy one or two out on the lanai under a palm tree, if I remember correctly, so let’s give it a try. What exactly is Sloe Gin? Sloes are actually tiny tart berries infused in gin. The gin takes on the bright color of the berries, and then sugar is added to counter the fruit’s tartness. This delicious reddish-purple gin is paired with club soda, lemon and simple syrup for a delightful cocktail. We might be missing the palm trees, but we can enjoy our cocktails, nonetheless.
Naturally, we will have some apps to accompany our drinks, beginning with Rose’s cheese ball. After all, Rose told us more than once about her hobbies – cheese making, stamp collecting and Viking history – so let’s make her proud and serve a Swiss and cream cheese cheese ball with rosemary and almonds. I have not made one of these in years, but I think it’s time. The key is to have a little crunch with the creaminess. I like to roll a cheese ball in slivered almonds, and this recipe also calls for bacon for a little extra texture. Herbs are essential – and I like that this recipe uses rosemary, first to honor our “Golden Girl” but also for the opportunity to use the readily available supply from what has become a rosemary shrub in my garden. Maybe it’s the sandy soil here, but this summer the scent of my rosemary wafts over most of my backyard. If you have room, try planting one and snip it for recipes all year long.
If there is one “Golden Girls” episode I remember watching and laughing out loud, it‘s the one where Rose invites her latest beau, Dr. Jonathan Newman, home to meet everyone. Dorothy's comedic timing could make us howl with one word and her own reaction to it is pure genius. We will offer our guests some cold fresh shrimp cocktail. No secret here, just be sure to purchase from one of the splendid fish markets on the island for the freshest shrimp and not to overcook it. Contrary to popular opinion, I prefer to roast the shrimp rather than boil. The flavor is so much better and testing the doneness is easier. No one wants mushy shrimp and no one wants bland cocktail sauce. Mix your own with a decent amount of horseradish and a little chili sauce.
For our last app, how about we use up the final green tomatoes from the garden? For spicy Southern belle Blanche, let’s sizzle up some fried green tomatoes with a whipped goat cheese topping. The first time I tried these I was skeptical; after all, a ripe, red Jersey tomato is one of God’s greatest gifts of summer. Since trying them, though, I have become a fan, and it beats wrapping the green ones in a paper bag and placing them in a forgotten dark drawer to ripen just to wonder weeks later why I have a kitchen full of fruit flies. (Yes, I have done it.) So, no more saving them, just fry them up and enjoy.
Finally, anyone who cannot guess what is on the menu for dessert, has never indulged in a “Golden Girls” episode. Of course, we’ll have cheesecake, so everything in the world seems better. I am a big lemon fan and a big fan of no bake desserts, so no-bake lemon cheesecake it will be. This takes a little time but is worth it. You can use a premade graham cracker crust to make it easier, and you will need a springform pan. Make this ahead because it will need a minimum of 12 hours to set. Depending on the number of guests, you can even go full “Golden Girl” when serving – just pass out a fork to each guest and dig in.
So, there we are, with full bellies and happy summer memories shared, each guest leaves with a new book to start the fall off right and a friend to call to discuss it. And if we find every guest has shown up with a copy of the ever popular “Where the Crawdads Sing,” do what Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia would do. Check the movie schedule, grab your best bright floral padded-shouldered jacket and continue the evening at the Harbor Theatre. Cheers to friends!
Cheese Ball
Ingredients:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
6 ounces cooked bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon white wine
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
¾ cup sliced almonds, divided
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
Instructions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, Swiss cheese, cooked bacon, white wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Mix until ingredients are incorporated.
Stir in ¼-cup sliced almonds.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Chill 1-2 hours or overnight. (*See recipe tips above.)
On a small plate, combine remaining sliced almonds and minced rosemary. Roll cheeseball in almond mixture to coat.
Serve with your favorite crackers, pretzels, or sliced apples.
Sloe Gin Fizz
Ingredients:
1½ ounces sloe gin
1 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¾ ounce simple syrup
Club soda, to top
Garnish: lemon wedge
Garnish: cherry
Instructions:
Add the sloe gin, lemon juice and simple syrup into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
Fill a highball or Collins glass with ice and strain the contents of the shaker into the glass.
Top with the club soda.
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a cherry
Fried Green Tomatoes with Goat Cheese Topping
Ingredients:
Tomatoes
1½ pounds green tomatoes, about 1½-2 inches in diameter
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch black pepper
2 eggs beaten
¼ cup milk
2 cups bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
oil for frying
Goat Cheese Topping
4 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped fine
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped fine
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped fine
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions for Fried Green Tomatoes
Set Up
Set up your assembly line by placing three wide bowls or dishes with sides high enough to hold the flour in one, the eggs in another and the breadcrumbs in the last and a plate.
In the first bowl, add the flour.
In the second bowl, combine the eggs and milk.
In the third bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
At the end of the assembly line, place a cookie sheet for the breaded green tomatoes.
Dredge the Tomatoes
Turn on the oven to a warm setting and cover a cookie sheet in paper towels.
Slice your green tomatoes about a quarter-inch thick and place them next to your flour bowl. Typically, I discard the tops and bottoms because they don't make nice slices.
Working through your assembly line, dredge your tomatoes in the flour to give it a thin coating. Shake off any excess.
Next, dip your tomato slice in the egg/milk mixture to coat it completely.
Move the tomato to the breadcrumbs and fully coat by pressing the tomato to help the breadcrumbs stick.
Move the breaded tomato to the cookie sheet at the end of the line.
Repeat the last four steps for all your tomato slices.
Pan Fry Tomatoes
In a medium skillet, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan with about an 1/8 inch of oil and heat over a medium burner.
When the pan is hot, add tomatoes and pan fry.
Fry each side until golden brown and then flip.
When the first batch of tomatoes is done, place them on the cookie sheet with paper towels and place in the oven to keep warm.
If the oil gets mucky with breadcrumbs and flour, wipe it out with a paper towel (it will be hot ... be careful) and add more oil. (Make sure you wait for the oil to heat back up before starting to fry again.)
Whipped Goat Cheese Dip
Add the goat cheese and cream cheese to the bowl.
Beat the cheeses until soft and fluffy.
Add the chopped chives, and basil.
Mix in the bowl until blended. As it mixes, some of the color of the herbs will bleed into the cheese.
On low speed on your mixer, slowly add in the cream and then turn it up to high to whip.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
When you're ready to serve the tomatoes, put a dollop of the cheese on top of each tomato and top with fresh chives.
Shrimp Cocktail
Ingredients:
2 pounds raw shrimp, 16-20 count, peeled and deveined with tail-on
1½ tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges to serve (optional)
Shrimp Cocktail Sauce
½ cup ketchup
½ cup mild chili sauce
3-4 tablespoons prepared horseradish, or add to taste
1½ tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed, or to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ cup hot sauce, such as Tabasco, or to taste
Instructions for Shrimp
Thaw shrimp according to package instructions, then rinse under cold water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels.
Place shrimp on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1½ tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle on half-teaspoon salt and half-teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine, then arrange shrimp in a single layer.
Bake at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through.
* As soon as they come out of the oven, test a shrimp for doneness, then transfer all shrimp to a platter. If they stay on the hot baking sheet, they can get overcooked.
Instructions for Cocktail Sauce
Combine all of the cocktail sauce ingredients, adding horseradish and hot sauce to taste. (Add more if you love cocktail sauce with a spicy kick and less if you prefer a mild sauce.)
Cover and refrigerate sauce and shrimp for at least an hour or overnight. Serve chilled.
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake
Ingredients:
For Graham Cracker Crust or purchase a prepared graham cracker crust
16 graham crackers (full sheets)
½ cup light brown sugar
1 stick salted butter, melted
For Lemon Cheesecake Filling
3 8-ounce blocks full-fat cream chese, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
¼ cup sour cream
1¼ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To garnish: lemon slices
Instructions:
For the crust: Place the graham crackers and brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely ground, about 1 minute. With the processor running, slowly pour in the melted butter. Process the mixture until it is the texture of coarse sand. Transfer to an 8-inch springform pan. Using a measuring cup, press the crust into the bottom of the springform pan and up the sides, about 2½ inches. Press firmly to pack and make an evenly thick crust. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
For the filling: In the bowl, beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the granulated sugar; beat to combine. Add the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sour cream. Beat to combine until very smooth, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
In a medium bowl, combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract. Using a mixer with a whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Add one-third of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold in with a rubber spatula until completely combined. (Scoop the mixture from the bottom of the bowl and fold over the top to combine the mixture, without letting all of the air out of the whipped cream.) Add the remaining two-thirds of the whipped cream and continue to gently fold until completely combined.
Remove the crust from the freezer and add the filling. Gently push into an even layer and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to overnight.
Loosen the cheesecake from the springform pan. Garnish with lemon slices. Cut pieces with a warm knife.
