Who needs a reason to celebrate good friends and great food? The secret to entertaining any night of the week is a menu of mostly make-ahead dishes.
The secret to entertaining any night of the week? A menu of mostly make-ahead dishes.
Menu Timeline
One day ahead:
- Bake and ice the buttermilk cake; wrap it in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
- Make the white bean and herb dip.
- Make the black olive dressing for the broccolini; cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Marinate the skirt steak and make the radish and red onion pickle.
One hour ahead:
- Preheat oven to 400°F (for roasting the potatoes and mushrooms).
- Remove white bean and herb dip from the refrigerator and set aside at room temperature, if you like. Arrange crackers or bread in a basket to accompany the dip.
- Set the buttermilk cake aside at room temperature until ready to serve.
Just before guests arrive:
- Put a large pot of well-salted water on to boil for the broccolini.
- Put potatoes into the oven to roast; make the mascarpone dressing.
When guests have arrived and are snacking on the bean dip:
- Cook skirt steak and gently re-warm the radish and red onion pickle.
- Cook and toss the broccolini with prepared black olive dressing.
- Finish roasting the potatoes and mushrooms and toss with mascarpone dressing.
Shopping List
Fresh Produce
- 2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes (about 6 medium)
- 2 lb. broccolini, trimmed (4 bunches)
- 3/4 lb. small to medium cremini or white mushrooms
- 1 small butternut squash
- 1 bunch red radishes (8 or 9)
- 3-4 lemons
- 1 large orange
- 1 medium carrot
- 1 small yellow onion
- 1 small red onion
- 7 medium cloves garlic
- 1 small jalapeño
- 1 bunch fresh parsley
- 1 small bunch fresh chives
- 1 small bunch fresh marjoram or oregano
- 4 small scallions
- Assorted crudités, for serving
Meat, Dairy & Eggs
- 2 lb. skirt steak
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 oz. (1/2 cup) cream cheese
- 4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup mascarpone
- 2 large eggs
Other Groceries
- 2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans
- 9 oz. (2-1/4 cups) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
- 1 anchovy fillet (optional)
- Crusty sourdough bread, or crackers, for serving
Pantry Staples
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbs. honey
- 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
- 1 Tbs. distilled white vinegar
- 3 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1-1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- Whole nutmeg, for grating
- Kosher salt
- Black peppercorns
- Table salt
