Hats Off Luncheon

The recipes of this post are the ultimate in food and friends - great selections of both! My most favorite women's organization hosted a lunch last Saturday for 5 other like groups from other towns. The theme of the day was "Hats off to Kansas Women" and we celebrated famous (and not so famous) women from Kansas history and present. Did you know that the "Cow-chip lady" (the photograph in many history books about pioneer life that shows a woman standing beside a sod cabin with a basket of cow chips to use as fuel) was one of Kansas' first professional photographers? She actually took the picture of herself. I think she had the help of a friend instead of a 5-second time delay feature on the camera.

Since we were featuring Kansas women we wanted to also feature Kansas food. In Greenwood County that means BEEF! The beginning course was a cold peach soup - peaches can grow in Kansas, but maybe not the ones of that day's meal. The main course was a Tenderloin and fruit salad.  To start the day, we had served quick breads (Kansas wheat) and a Ginger-Orange Mocktail punch (these fruits don't grow in Kansas, but it was a good and easy punch).

Recipes are here to share, thanks to my good friend who is former FACS teacher.

Ginger – Orange Mocktails

            Preparation time: 5 minutes

            Serves: 25 (1 cup servings)

 Stir together:

1 (89 oz.) container orange juice

1 (2-liter) bottle chilled ginger ale

1 (46 oz.) can chilled pineapple juice

      Serve over ice.

Peachy-Keen Soup

 Serves 4

 1 pound frozen peaches, coarsely chopped

1 ½ cups orange juice

1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

3  tablespoons orange blossom honey (or other type of flower honey)

1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon diced candied ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom

Garnishes: fresh peach slices, honey

        In the container of a blender, combine frozen peaches orange juice, yogurt, honey, lime juice, ginger cinnamon, and cardamom; process until mixture is smooth. Garnish with fresh peach slices and drizzle with honey, if desired. Serve immediately.

We served the cold soup in plastic tumblers that were set in tulip shaped cupcake papers from JoAnn's Fabric store. It looked very festive and spring-like. 

Tenderloin, Cranberry, and Pear Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

            (preparation time 25 minutes)

            serves 4

 4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut ¾ inch thick (about 4 ounces each)

½ teaspoon course-grind black pepper

          Honey Mustard Dressing  (or you can use a purchased Honey Mustard Dressing)

½ cup prepared honey mustard

2 to 3 tablespoons water

1 ½ teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon coarse-grind black pepper

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 package (5 ounces) mixed salad greens

1 medium red or green pear cored, cut into 16 wedges

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

¼ cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

salt, as desired

       Season beef steaks with pepper. Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot Place steaks in skillet; cook 7 to 9 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally.

2.     Meanwhile, whisk Honey Mustard Dressing ingredients in small bowl until well blended. Set aside. Divide greens evenly among 4 plates. Top evenly with pear wedges and dried cranberries.

3.     Carve steaks into thin slices; season with salt as desired. Divide steak slices evenly over each salad. Top each salad evenly with dressing, pecans, and goat cheese, if desired.

Tip: to toast pecans, spread in single layer on metal baking sheet. Bake in 350-degree oven 3 – 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. (Watch carefully to prevent burning). There are ways to toast pecans in the microwave, they burn very quickly so it's worth the extra time to heat the oven. Set aside to cool. 

Our special lunch was served on members' china settings upon tables decorated with hats and other ladies' accessories.We were fortune to be able to host this event in the newly renovated historical hotel. It was a wonderful day of friendship and visiting and a time to recognize our heritage as Kansas women.