We recently
joined a small wine club whose members are at the opposite end of the spectrum
from wine snobs – I think the wine tasting is just a good excuse to socialize, which works perfectly for us. We meet in a different home each month and
the hosts choose the theme for the evening.
Since August was open, we opted for it so we could have it on the dock,
chose a Caribbean theme, and asked folks to bring their favorite wine to drink
while sitting at the beach, or lake.
Here’s Bev and good friend Joe relaxing before the rest of the guests showed up - Coco is on guard duty on her mama's lap.
It is the host’s
responsibility to provide the entrée and the guests bring the rest of the food
and for this meal, we served Jamacian Jerk Chicken and Mango Salsa. I’d posted the jerk marinade
before, using pork, except this time I freshly ground the thyme & allspice. I made one batch of mild using two whole
jalapenos and a batch of hot using four whole scotch bonnets - also made a few pieces of non-jerk.
I thought
everything was delicious and that seemed to be the view of the others as well. Since allspice is a dominent flavor in jerk, I believe grinding it fresh was a nice improvement over the last time. The recipe called for six scotch bonnets but the four I used made it right for folks who wanted it hot but not flaming.
We played
Jimmy Buffett and Beach Boys music and made the dock as islandy as we could with the
things we had on hand - Bev already had several things from the Caribbean hanging around.
Here’s Bev and good friend Joe relaxing before the rest of the guests showed up - Coco is on guard duty on her mama's lap.
We started
with an appetizer of Caribbean Holiday Shrimp
and sided the chicken with two salads, rice & beans, fried plantains, and
sweet cornbread then finished the meal off with key lime pie. Once the cooking started, I was too busy to
take any photos and these are all courtesy of friend Laurie.
All photos
can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Have a great
day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.
One year
ago: None
Two years
ago: None
Larry
Now that is one fine Caribbean meal. Everything sounds sooooo delicious!
ReplyDeleteMy kind of party!! Love the setting.
ReplyDeleteVery nice party. Love all the island decorations That dock is such a perfect place for parties. Scotch Bonnet peppers?? I'm afraid of habaneros, but would have loved a bite to test.
ReplyDeleteSounds great, esp. the socializing! Those parrots would be perfect to add to my collection...
ReplyDeleteHow fun and I love the parrots in honor of Jimmy Buffett.
ReplyDeleteSam
What a spread! Looks like fun!
ReplyDeleteOh, I wish I lived near you! I would force my way into this club!!
ReplyDeleteA dock is about as beachy as you need, so you were a great August choice! I love the Beach Boys and Jimmy Buffett, too, especially during the summer.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun party and scrumptious feast ya'll had! It all looks delicious and the wine club sounds like a blast. Wish that I was your neighbor, too! :)
ReplyDeleteLarry, T'was a great event for sure! Lots of great company and socializing, combined with a little wine...and adding in some excellent food in a terrific setting. This will be hard to beat! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
ReplyDeleteLooks like you and Bev are having a great summer and what a way to finish it but with a wine club party! You RV trips looked lke a lot of fun too. We start back to school next week and my life will be still again!
ReplyDeleteYou sure know how to throw a party, Larry. I would love to be a part of a wine club that doesn't take itself too seriously. Your dock is the perfect setting. Sounds like fun!
ReplyDeleteI would take the hot jerk, great stuff. Where did you find scotch bonnets? I always settle for habanero, don't see the bonnets much unless Rushy Springs Farms has them at the market, which is hit and miss.
ReplyDelete