While I was living in Austin I lived with a roomie who had an annual pumpkin carving party tradition. We would invite people over for a BYOP (Bring your own pumpkin) BBQ and everyone would carve their own pumpkin. It was always really fun to see what designs people chose for their pumpkins. Last year, I brought the tradition to Gainesville and held my own party complete with Halloween themed food. Since Halloween is coming up I thought I’d post a few of the dishes I made in case you are on the hunt for Halloween food!
Ingredients
- 1 block extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ package cream cheese, softened
- ½ (4 oz) container chive-and-onion cream cheese
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
- 1 broccoli stalk
- Red and green apple wedges
Directions
Combine Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients in a bowl until blended. Cover and chill 4 hours or until mixture is firm enough to be shaped.
Shape mixture into a ball to resemble a pumpkin. Smooth entire outer surface with a frosting spatula or table knife. Make vertical grooves in ball, if desired, using fingertips.
Cut florets from broccoli stalk, and reserve for another use. Cut stalk to resemble a pumpkin stem, and press into top of cheese ball. Serve cheese ball with apple wedges.
Based on Laurel’s awesome recipe for an excellent caesar salad, slightly tweaked over time.
Ingredients
- 1 heart of romaine / 2 people
- 1 tbsp olive oil / 1-2 people depending on taste
- 1 garlic clove, pressed / 2-4 people
- 1 anchovy slice, cut into very small pieces / 2-4 people
- 3 splats of Worcestershire / 2-4 people
- pepper to taste
- 1 lemon / 2-4 people
- freshly grated Parmesan
- croutons
Directions
Press the anchovy pieces with a knife or spoon. In a large wooden bowl, squeeze the lemon, add the Worcestershire, garlic, anchovy, and pepper. Mix well. Add the oil and mix again.
Let set while prepping the lettuce. You can either cut it or break it apart with by hand. However, make sure to shake off any excess water.
When ready to serve, mix lettuce in bowl and toss will adding Parmesan and croutons.
Notes
The original recipe called for 1 “inch” of anchovy paste and only ½ lemon per 2-3 people. Anchovy slices in oil work really well and can be found at any grocery store. You can find hearts of romaine in three-packs but a full head should be good for 3-4 people. For croutons, I recommend the Chatham Village Garden Herb which can also be found fat free and don’t have hydrogenated oils or corn syrup (although, other flavors such as Garlic & Onion do contain some). If you can make your own croutons, better yet.
While I was living in Austin I lived with a roomie who had an annual pumpkin carving party tradition. We would invite people over for a BYOP (Bring your own pumpkin) BBQ and everyone would carve their own pumpkin. It was always really fun to see what designs people chose for their pumpkins. Last year, I brought the tradition to Gainesville and held my own party complete with Halloween themed food. Since Halloween is coming up I thought I’d post a few of the dishes I made in case you are on the hunt for Halloween food!