In thinking about what sort of post to write in acknowledgement of Father’s Day this weekend, I realized my husband is less interested in most gifts than he is in food. So as inspiration, I decided to share some of the recipes I am considering for the day. For any entertaining occasion, I always offer several appetizers. My favorite crudité accoutrement is the Barefoot Contessa’s Sun-Dried Tomato Dip. It’s easy, colorful and delicious.
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped (8 tomatoes)
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
- 10 dashes Tabasco sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
Puree the tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the scallions and pulse twice. Serve at room temperature. You can serve this in any attractive container, but a fun summer alternative is a hollowed out red cabbage – it looks so pretty against the pink of the dip.
Then because my husband is not a huge fan of crudités and dips, we usually serve a shrimp cocktail as well.
This couldn’t be easier – the only time consuming part is peeling and deveining the shrimp. If you’ve never done this before, I’ve included a simple instructional video below.
Once the shrimp is cleaned, you need to cook it quickly in a saucepan of boiling water. It takes no more than 1-2 minutes. Immediately submerge the cooked shrimp in cold water to cool. We make a very simple classic cocktail sauce – ketchup, horseradish and lemon – just mix to taste.
Since it looks like the weather is going to cooperate in our parts, our main course will probably involve grilling (I’m sure my husband won’t mind contributing in this aspect).
One of our favorite meals on the grill is a butterflied and marinated leg of lamb. It is an easy and delicious main course that makes for tasty leftovers as well. And my favorite marinade for it is an old Silver Palate favorite.
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs (I usually use all rosemary)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry (I don’t always add this – not crucial)
- Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Marinate the meat all day or overnight in the fridge. Double or triple the recipe as needed, depending on how much meat you have.
What I find works best are those giant ziplock bags, but if you can’t find them, then a large covered bowl will do. We like our lamb pink but cook as you prefer.
A perfect side dish is garlic roasted new potatoes.
I have been making these for years (actually decades) but Barefoot Contessa has an actual recipe which explains it well.
- 3 pounds small red potatoes
- 1/4 cup good olive oil
- 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon greshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (I usually use rosemary if serving with the lamb)
Cut the potatoes in half or quarters and place in a bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic; toss until the potatoes are well coated. Transfer the potatoes to a sheet pan and spread out into 1 layer. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until browned and crisp. Flip twice with a spatula during cooking in order to ensure even browning. Remove the potatoes from the oven, toss with parsley (or rosemary), season to taste, and serve hot.
My favorite vegetable to serve with this meal is fresh green beans, which I serve hot, after steaming, or at room temperature with a simple vinaigrette, which is my personal preference. After cooking (I like to steam them – but make sure they are not overcooked), drain the beans and coat, while still warm, with your favorite vinaigrette then let cool to room temperature.
And for dessert, there is always ice cream, hopefully homemade from Ferris Acres Creamery. Those of you on twitter may have heard mention of my husband’s famous hot chocolate sauce. I’m afraid I can’t divulge the secret recipe here, but suffice it to say, it doesn’t last long around here. It’s a lethal dessert that takes days to make up for – but so worth it!!
Wishing you and the men in your lives a Happy Father’s Day this weekend. And bon appetit!
I am already hungry and wishing I were part of the family dinner!! Perfect menu!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
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Oh my, what does it say about me that my mouth is watering and it isn’t even 11am , yet? :) Thank you for these simple but yummy recipes–perfect for a delicious summer celebration!
I’ll definitely be serving that dip…
What a splendid looking Father’s Day feast. We don’t celebrate it in Australia until September so I will add this lovely menu to my recipe folder for later in the year.
Great ideas! I love that sun dried tomato dip I want to make that. Lamb, potatoes, green beans.. and yummy ice cream with the famous chocolate sauce… Darn .. still not posting the recipe..
I am free Sunday.
I would say you are on your way to a decadent and delicious Fathers day meal!! I love Ina Gartens delicious but user friendly and ‘doable’ receipes, anything I have made from her I have loved, green beans are a staple around here as are potatoes with rosemary..yum! The dip looks really good, have to give that a try…and that dessert, OMG, no words! Enjoy the day.
That defines feast!
xo Cathy
What time is dinner, Stacey?
This all looks fabulous as always, and I am going to try the dip. Looks wonderful.
Have a great day.
Teresa
xoxo
…and Sunday is a wonderful day for supper with the family…and to celebrate the dads in our lives…fabulous menu…
maureen
It all looks delicious, although we may need to pry your husband’s Secret Recipe out of him! We are fortunate enough to have an enormous local shrimp farm back at our framer’s market, they are yumalicious any time of the year. Thank you for sharing the recipes!
tp
Your husband (and family) are in for a treat this weekend! This all looks delish! I’ve made just about every recipe in the Barfoot Contessa cookbooks, but not that dip. Adding that to my summer rotations.
Enjoy the Father’s Day festivities!
~ E
That looks incredible. Pretty please about the hot fudge sauce recipe?? Do you know today is National Fudge Day??
Oh my, can I come for dinner and bring the champagne? The first dip sounds so easy and delicious. I’m wondering if I can somehow replace the mayo though.
Apologies for the delay in getting to your blog. I had a whirlwind time renovating, shopping, and traveling!
xoxo,
Chic ‘n Cheap Living
yum! if the barefoot contessa made it, i will eat it!
i have a hot fudge recipe too… it’s so sugary and so buttery… but oh man, is it delicious. :)
Q, this is a perfect menu. Your family will have so much fun. Does “father” have a crown? xx’s
If all this appears on your menu, I am sure it will be a huge success….the chocolate sauce has got my cravings going! Have a wonderful time this weekend and bon appetit!
Oh I could absolutely live on potatoes and my hips are living proof. I’ve been loving ice cream with my homemade strawberry sauce as of late, simple is often best :)
From my days on the trading floor, I can assure you that 95% of men would enjoy a Brazilian Churrascaria all you can eat meat fest… Plataforma Or Tribeca in NY….
Loving all your attention to detail–that dip sounds so delicious {and easy}! I will be trying it for sure this summer. And you must share that chocolate sauce recipe–please! :)
xo Mary Jo
Stacey, your menu is perfection! And I love that you are using one of the Silver Palate recipes. That cookbook brings back so many memories. It’s funny to think how certain cookbooks from the past were THE cookbook at the time. I also remember how much I used to cook from Marlene Sorosky’s cookbooks. Now my go to is definitely “Barefoot Contessa” — all seven of them! It sounds like you and your family will have a wonderful Father’s Day!
xx Sunday
This sounds great! I recently got some Himalayan pink salt and organic peppercorns from Sustainable Sourcing https://secure.sustainablesourcing.com and I’ll have to try them out in these recipes. Thanks for sharing!
Well yum!!! I think we’ll just come to your house. Every single dish sounds fabulous. I’m definitely saving these recipes. Mona
I just ate dinner but I swear you have me hungry again! I love the Barefoot Contessa recipe too, made it so much for a few years that I had to retire the recipe for awhile. I will definatley try the lamb. Enjoy our Father’s day feast. XO
WOW. My husband would love this. great photos. I am inspired. What wines are you pairing?
What time should I come over?
The entire meal sounds delicious! That chocolate sauce looks so good – I have a huge sweet tooth! Hope you have a great weekend.
Do you know the name of the white footed bowl the green beans are in? I have been looking for the same bowl for years and finally came across this picture.
I’m so sorry – I’m afraid I don’t!