From Aria’s Galley
Bon Appetit!
During the 1970’s a co-worker brought this great appetizer dip to an Office Christmas Party. Charles declared it the best version of this concoction he’d ever tasted and requested the recipe. Now some 30 years later it stands up well to any other versions that have been sampled, and it’s the most frequently requested dish of the many offerings Charles has shared at countless numbers of pot luck dinners, holiday parties, and dock gatherings.
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained
½ cup finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
½ cup finely shredded fresh Romano cheese
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
½ cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
1 Tablespoon dried dill weed
10 cloves garlic, chopped
Place the artichokes in the bowl of a food processor.
Cover and process with several on-off turns until coarsely chopped.
Add the Parmesan & Romano cheeses, the cream cheese, mayonnaise,
dillweed, and chopped garlic. Cover
and process until nearly smooth. Transfer
the mixture to a 2-quart casserole. Smooth
top.
Bake in a 400-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until
bubbly. Serve immediately with
melba toast, breadsticks, or tortilla chips.
The dip can also be heated in a microwave safe
container, which requires about 8-10 minutes at full power.
The mixture should be stirred once during heating, and again just before
serving.
Here’s a new recipe Charles discovered in early Spring, 2001, while perusing one of the various sailing related magazines to which he and Michael subscribe. It was a big hit at an early season dock party, so the recipe is included here for those who may have failed to get a copy.
1
pound ground hot pork sausage
1
10-ounce can diced tomatoes & green chilies
1
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
¾
cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Corn
chips
Cook
sausage in a large skillet, stirring until meat crumbles and is fully cooked.
Drain well.
Drain
diced tomatoes & green chilies, reserving ¼ cup liquid.
Stir
together sausage, diced tomatoes & green chilies, reserved liquid, and cream
cheese. Spoon into a lightly
greased 1-quart baking dish; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.
Bake at 350-degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly.
Serve with corn chips.
This
dip can also be heated in a microwave. The
quantity for one recipe requires 5-6 minutes at full power, and the mixture
should be stirred once half way through heating.
Bleu
Cheese & Toasted Pecan Spread
Here’s another recipe culled from one of those sailing
magazines. This became a hit at a
2001 Summer dock party, so it’s offered here for your enjoyment.
1
pound good-quality bleu cheese (such as Maytag), crumbled
4
Tablespoons butter, softened
¼
cup whipping cream
1
clove garlic, minced
1
cup pecans, finely chopped and toasted
¼
cup green onions, finely chopped
¼
cup chopped Italian parsley
Toasted baguette slices, unsalted crackers, French bread pieces, or pear or apple slices, for serving
In
the bowl of a food processor, place the bleu cheese, butter, cream, and garlic.
Cover and process until nearly smooth.
Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl or crock; fold in the pecans, green
onions, and parsley. Cover and
chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Store
in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
For
easier spreading, remove mixture from refrigerator at least one hour before
serving to soften. Serve at room
temperature.
Pepper-Bean
Casserole
At a 2001 Christmas Eve party given by some sailing friends one of the hosts challenged Charles with, “No one actually likes lima beans, do they?” Charles responded that he loved them which immediately got him labeled as most likely the only person on Earth who actually likes this item. Being up to a good challenge, Charles prepared this dish for a 2001 New Year’s Eve party at another sailing friend’s home, and by midnight the container was nearly empty. Even Mike had to admit the lima beans weren’t so awful prepared in this way. (Let me know if you become a convert and I’ll post my Scalloped Turnip recipe, which got consumed for many years by a horde of “meat and potatoes” farmers who swore they were scalloped potatoes.)
1½
cups water
1
teaspoon salt
3
10-ounce packages frozen Fordhook lima beans
3
medium green peppers, cut into 1/4" julienne strips
¼
- ½ pound bacon, cut into small pieces
2
Tablespoons packed brown sugar
2
Tablespoons molasses
1
teaspoon dry mustard
1
14.5-ounce can stewed tomatoes
Heat
oven to 350-degrees.
Heat
a large Dutch oven filled with water and the 1 teaspoon salt until boiling.
Add the lima beans and green pepper strips.
Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover
and simmer until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain
vegetables and set aside.
Cook
bacon pieces in a medium skillet until nearly browned.
Drain excess fat. Stir in brown sugar, mustard, molasses, and stewed tomatoes.
Cook over low heat 5 minutes.
Mix
tomato and vegetable mixtures. Pour
into buttered 2-quart casserole; cover. (Casserole
can be prepared to this point 1 day in advance.
Cover and refrigerate.)
Bake
(approximately 30-40 minutes) or microwave (approximately 12-14 minutes) until
hot. Serve immediately.
Sailboat
Lemonade
Here’s a great recipe for lemonade from another sailing magazine. This delicious version of a great summer beverage has been enjoyed by a number of guests aboard Aria. It’s almost as good as Bev’s sangria.
1¼
cups sugar
½
cup boiling water
1½
cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
4½
cups cold water
Garnish:
lemon slices
Stir
together sugar and boiling water. Add
lemon juice and cold water; mix well. Chill
and serve over ice. Garnish, if
desired.
Well,
that’s it for starters. Check
back from time to time for new additions, and feel free to send us your own
favorites which we’ll be glad to add to this page.
Happy
sailing and happier eating!