Terry's 2021 Birthday Dinner (Recipe: Berry Buttermilk Soup)

 I have a yearly tradition of making Terry dinner for her birthday.  Last year I made a simple eggplant parmesan, salad, and a berry chantilly cake.  Several years back I made her a 7 course dinner :)  

This year I opted for something in the middle.  This year's menu:

1. Pre-dinner drinks:  Lumiri made us lethal drinks with vodka, mango, and many other liquors. They were pretty delicious.

2. Starter: Berry Buttermilk Soup - A cold soup designed to recreate something I'd enjoyed on a trip many years ago.  Recipe below!

3. Main Course: Lemon pasta with chicken and broccoli.  This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen, in case you'd like to look it up.  I would make some adjustments if I made it again, but it was delicious and both Terry and Lumiri seemed to enjoy it greatly.

4. Dessert:  Triple Chocolate Layer Cake - Another America's Test Kitchen recipe.  The top two layers were really amazing and velvety, but I might try it again and adjust the bottom layer.  If I do I will post the recipe.




Berry Buttermilk Soup

  • 2 cups mixed berries
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • vanilla

Directions

  1. Bring berries, water, sugar, and orange juice to a boil, then simmer for at least 20 minutes.  Cool completely.
  2. Blend until very smooth, then strain out the seeds using a fine mesh strainer.  It is usually necessary to press the mixture through the strainer with a spoon to get it all through while leaving the seeds behind.
  3. Add 2 cups buttermilk and vanilla to taste.  
  4. Chill until ready to serve. 

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