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Through our Harvest Dinner series, we have met many great chefs who are hosting dinners at restaurants and festivals. This week we are pleased to feature another chef who is serving dinner in a different location. Elise Johnson will be hosting dinner at her home for eighteen lucky dinner guests as part of the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner fundraiser that benefits the United Arts’ Artists in the Schools program. Elise is one of fifteen hosts to be chosen in Wake County, North Carolina.
Although the location is different, the theme of Locally Sustainable makes this dinner a perfect fit for the Harvest Dinner series. In addition to enjoying food that was sourced regionally, guests will be entertained by bluegrass music performed by Bill Leslie, a local news anchor.
The dinner will consist of multiple courses that should tantalize and delight:
Appetizer– This will be a group activity (perhaps making fondue?) using local cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and breads. A sommelier will pair wines during this course.
Bread Basket– Both home-baked Sweet Buttery Cornbread and Wholegrain Pan Rolls will be served with homemade spiced honey butter.
Soup– The sit-down meal will begin with a warm bowl of Butternut Squash Apple Soup.
Salad– The meal continues with a Harvest Salad, which will be filled with mixed greens, cranberries, pears, and spiced pecans and topped with honey dijon vinaigrette.
Entrée– Beef Brisket Boxty with Roasted Vegetables will be the centerpiece of the evening. The slow cooked brisket will be served in a boxty (also known as a potato crépe) and enhanced with a rich pan gravy.
Dessert Table– Rather than one dessert, diners will have three from which to choose: Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake, Spiced Apple Cake with Brown Butter Icing, and Soft Ginger Cookies.
Elise is best known for “Cooking with Elise”, her own cooking website. She can be seen on local programming, such as My Carolina Today. To learn more about this dinner, please visit the Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner website. (Tickets are still available!)
