Graduation Party for Alyssa

My grand daughter, Alyssa, is graduating from Columbus School for Girls on Thursday. Preparations are in motion for receiving guests from over the United States and as far away as Singapore. The food will be inside because the heat is searing lately. But, the guests can eat inside or out, as they wish. After the ceremony, guests can swim, play tennis, and sample the food for hours on end. We are looking forward to meeting many new family members and receiving those we know and love.
I am going to try these dulce de leche cheesecake bars--I wanted to show you the picture but it does not 'cut and paste' for some reason. Take a look on the bon appetit web site.
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars: Recipe : bonappetit.com
www.bonappetit.com
I tried the French recipe chicken and cashew mini-quiches from Chocolate & Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier. They are so good, but difficult to get out of the pans because of the cheese. So take care with the pan preparations. I made them brunch size and mini-sized and will decide later which size is best for the party. I will be adding recipes and pictures all week as I prepare for the party. This one, however, will start you off.
These good soldiers for a buffet can be eaten warm or at room temperature and they can be baked a day ahead and reheated for ten minutes in a warm oven before serving.
I used cooked chicken finely diced. I also used canned diced tomatoes because the season is not here yet for tomatoes that have some taste. Drain them well.

1 teaspoon olive oil for greasing the pan--I tried that and the Pam spray--still had trouble.
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup cooked chicken diced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 Roma or plum tomatoes, about 12 ounces peeled and diced (I used canned, well drained)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup freshly grated Gruyere or Comte cheese about 3 1/2 ounces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, parsley or cilantro leaves--I used basil(my basil is glorious this year)
2/3 cup toasted and roughly chopped cashews
Whisk the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk and rewhisk. Sift in the flour and season with salt and pepper and whisk again. The batter will be thin. Add the chicken, cheese,well-drained tomatoes, herbs and cashews. Stir to blend. The batter can be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Give it a good stir before using the next day.) Preheat oven to 425 (I used 400 for the convection). For 20 minutes--but watch them. They should puff and be firm to the touch but not over done, just like a crustless quiche. They will, however, deflate some.
Note: I have found they come out easier when cool. Take a spoon and circle the inside of each cup or if they are cooled enough tap the pan upside down. Actually, these are better made ahead and then slightly heated in a 200 degree oven before serving--the ingredients have time, then, to get acquainted.

You know when freckles start appearing on a bunch of bananas? Guilt races in, you avert your eyes trying to ignore them, and then you simply have to decide to either throw them away or make banana bread. I have made banana bread for years trying any number of recipes and then I blogged for the recipe. The blog 'Simply Recipes' appeared and there was the best and the easiest hand made banana bread. No mixer is necessary. The loaf is even better as the days progress. So I am making it again for the party because it can be served in many different ways with any number of spreads or simply with butter or with icing.
Banana Bread from Simply Recipes:
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed (I used 4, with a fork)
1/3 cup melted butter (I used soft butter and smashed it with the bananas)
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
No need for a mixer. Preheat oven to 350
With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

I will have a picture of this before the party on Thursday. It is a wonderful, tasty treat for a buffet table or as a starter.
Ham and Cheese in Puff Pastry:

Ingredients:

1 package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 pound black forest ham, sliced
1/2 pound Swiss Gruyere cheese, sliced
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan.

Lay 1 sheet of puff pastry on a floured board and carefully roll it out to 10 by 12 inches. Place it on a sheet pan and brush the center with the mustard, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge. Place a layer first of ham and then cheese, also leaving a 1-inch border. Brush the border with the egg wash.

Place the second sheet of puff pastry on the floured board and roll it out to 10 by 12inches. Place the second sheet on top of the filled pastry, lining up the edges. Cut the edges straight with a small, sharp knife and press together lightly. Brush the top with egg wash and cut a few slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes and serve hot or warm.

The party was a great success. After a very formal graduation with all the girls in white long dresses, each one different, and each girl carrying red roses, the family attendees came to our house and changed for a pool and tennis party. There were thirty or more people here from 3:30 in the afternoon until 10:30 at night...even the dog cousins came, so there were five of them. Luckily I had two servers who were so great and they were here seven hours which was an outstanding help. Seriously, I can hardly move today. It was a family event and Andy and I were pleased to have hosted the gala. Thanks, too, to our grandson, Matt, who provided the music. The cake, which is shown with the recipe here on this blog, was the hit of the night...they were still eating it at 10:30 pm by the way. (Glenda's cake or Hawaiian cake) Another favorite was the pea salad with Spanish peanuts. The salmon in dill sauce went well and the rare beef disappeared from sight right away. We had 28 dishes, that I can recount. Oh, the deviled eggs were gone as well and there were a ton of those. A plastic Surgeon who had done 4 operations that day grazed for hours once he got to the tables. He is a hard worker and I enjoyed seeing him put it away...there is always lipo, Fernando.LOL The night after the party I had invited four people to eat left-overs...ten showed up and the party continued, but without me. My dogs were barking and I went to bed.
On Sunday we leave for an Alaskan cruise with 18 family members and I have not even packed! Hope you enjoy the pictures, for I may never cook again. Seriously.