Feasting On The Seven Deadly Sins

The invitation for our Falootie Potluck Easter Brunch read:

Your mission:  represent one of the Seven Deadly Sins...in One. Perfect. Bite. (No desserts.)

Now, that was a challenge.  Not knowing what the other Falooties were doing,  I spent a couple of weeks deciding which sin to represent and how to represent it with one perfect bite.  We've become accustomed to really fantastic nibbles at our Falootie brunches, so it had to be tasty.   One perfect bite.  One sin. Game on.

I decided to represent two of the Seven Deadly sins with their virtuous opposites.  Vice and virtue...together.

With a plan in tow, Michael and I ventured down to the Farmer's Market this past Saturday with two things in mind:  fresh spring asparagus and goat cheese. 

It was rainy and cold as we manuevered our umbrellas through the vendors to reach the covered area of the pavillion. Before our umbrellas were safely tucked away, we happened upon fresh gorgeous purple-tipped spring asparagus from Elmwood Stock Farm. Heaping from an ordinary cooler, the asparagus spears were delicate and fragile.  I bought most of it.  

Because of the rain Saturday morning, the vendors were sparse.  

Having already scored with the asparagus, I was delighted to find the lone chevre vendor just feet away.  Susan Miller, from Bleugrass Chevre Farmstead Goat Cheese, was offering samples of her fresh chevre. 

We tasted two that she made that morning. Talk about fresh.  The black pepper chevre was creamy, tangy, and light,  finishing with a lingering  black pepper burn.  The chive-flecked chevre had the same qualitites, finishing with light subtle onion undertones.  We bought both.

We stopped by Fresh Market for the rest of our bounty and headed home.

Gluttony and Temperence.

Unadorned, prosciutto is buttery soft, slightly salty, and a bit chewy.  I wanted to overindulge the essence of prosciutto, so I baked it in miniature muffin tins to form cracklingly crisp shells with concentrated salty flavor. 

Gluttony.  Crisp prosciutto shells filled with young fresh chive chevre

topped with dried Black Mission

figs. Tangy. Salty. Creamy. Poppers.

Temperence.  Fresh endive with

cracked black pepper chevre topped

with pine nut brittle and dried Black

Mission figs. Pure. Creamy. Sweet.

Vice and virtue. 

Lust and Chastity.

Asparagus is an aphrodisiac.  Using  fresh green asparagus from the farmers' market along with fresh white asparagus from Fresh Market, I wanted to represent the struggle between purity and lust.

Lust.  Roasted spring asparagus
splayed over creamy mascarpone-
topped crostini with bulbous salmon

roe and lemon zest.  Fertile. Salty. Tart.

Juicy.

Chastity. Roasted white asparagus

firmly belted over balsamic glazed

cipollini onion and mascarpone-

                                                       topped crostini with fresh chives.

                                                       Pure. Sweet.  Juicy.

Vice and Virtue.

Brunch.  The Seven Deadly Sins.
(Stupidly, I forgot my camera. Photos: Kakie)

Deadly Libations:

The Wrath Of Jupiter. 

Blood Orange and vanilla bean infused

Knob Creek Bourbon.
Green With Envy.

Fresh kiwi muddled with fresh mint

Gray Goose Le Citron Vodka and

vanilla simple syrup.

Bourbon Slushies.

Lust-Tini.

Peach brandy, triple sec, and Tanqueray

macerated fruit with orange juice and

peach champaigne.

Sinful Food.

Greed. Daniel.

Crisp phyllo beggar's purses filled with

rich golden raisin chutney and brie.

Wrath. Sandy.

Angry red pepper-taloned shrimp

and linguini napped in a fire-roasted

tomato sauce flecked with

feta cheese and dried red pepper flakes.

Gluttony. FP/Banjo.

Plump lobster deviled eggs nestled

on baby micro arugula leaves splashed

with sweet tart fresh Meyer lemons.

Gluttony. Jason.

Toasted waffles topped with sliced fried

chicken thighs, maple bourbon butter, 

and candied bacon. 

Envy. Harriette.

Dualing beef.  Pepper-spiced meatballs

wrapped with blanched snowpeas

enviously paired with medium rare

beef tenderloin resting on a pool of

creamy Point Reyes Farmstead Blue

Cheese sauce.

Gluttony. Sooze.

Coconut muffins smothered with

a sweet pineapple brown sugar

topping.

Pride. 

Festive Bravetart Macarons Proudly

purchased from Wine + Market.

It was a sinfully glorious day spent with dear friends. Conversations and cocktails flowed freely with laughter bouncing off of the walls.  The food was fantastic.  The challenge was met.  The Seven Deadly Sins were abstractly personified with food. One perfect bite led to several perfect bites.......which led us all to Sloth.  Bases covered.