Garden party – Make dining in just as special as eating out

Baton Rouge is a community that loves eating out. Like our relatives across south Louisiana, we’re known here for our good food and are fortunate to have a plethora of great restaurants from which to choose. Here in the capital region, we’ve been particularly spoiled by the explosion of interesting, exotic and upscale new eateries that have emerged in the past decade.

That said, one thing we do even better than eat out in Baton Rouge is eat in. We are community that knows how to cook, and for generations we’ve gotten together with family, friends and neighbors to tailgate, potluck, feast and fete for holidays, birthdays or just random weeknight dinners built around a beautiful piece of redfish someone brought home from the fishing camp. Cooking and entertaining are just what we do, and Baton Rouge boasts some of the best produce stands, farmers markets, gourmet grocery stores and food artisans in the state.

The concept of Dining In—how to do it in style, on a budget and within relatively nutritious guidelines—is our focus with this new feature for 225.

We have been writing as a team for years about how to bring your kids into the kitchen and share the joys of preparing meals together. Now that our children are quickly growing up, we’ve been able to update our approach and broaden our scope. While our focus remains on family cooking, we’re happily branching out beyond kid-friendly foods and into menus and entertaining ideas that appeal to foodies of all ages.

So here’s a lovely luncheon menu that is perfect for a spring garden party or Easter celebration. This is the ideal time of year to eat and entertain outdoors, and these recipes can all be prepared ahead of time then served to family or friends on the patio or by the pool. The Louisiana version of the classic French Salad Niçoise is a great way to give your guests a variety of choices without dirtying a lot of dishes, and most of the main ingredients are available from local vendors at the Red Stick Farmers Market and Tony’s Seafood. This salad makes a beautiful presentation. The Creole Mustard Glazed Ham makes for a wonderful balance of savory with a hint of sweet from the cane syrup in the glaze. To finish off the meal, the Carrot Cupcake with Brown Sugar Frosting is a show-stopping crowd-pleaser.

We hope you enjoy these recipes, and we look forward to Dining In with you every month.

Serves 8 to 10. Recipe by Tracey Koch.

2 Tbls. lemon juice

2 Tbls. champagne vinegar

1 Tbl. minced shallots

1 Tbl. minced shallots

1 Tbl. minced cloves

1 Tbl. Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 Tbl. chopped fresh parsley

1 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small mixing bowl whisk together all of the ingredients then set them aside.

1 lb. boiled and peeled shrimp

1 lb. new potatoes

1 tsp. salt

Ľ cup liquid crab boil

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 head bibb lettuce

˝ lb. thin green beans, blanched

1 cup sliced hearts of palm

1 cup pitted black olives

4 to 5 ripe Roma tomatoes, sliced

2 Tbls. capers

1. Peel the boiled shrimp and pour half of the dressing over them. Set the shrimp in the refrigerator to marinate until you are ready to assemble the salad.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in 1 teaspoon of salt and a quarter cup of liquid crab boil.

3. Drop in the new potatoes and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain them and allow them to cool. Slice them and set them aside.

4. Slice the red onion and set it in a bowl of ice water for 10 minutes to take some of the harshness out of the raw onion.

5. Wash and dry the lettuce and tear it into bite-size pieces.

6. Bring a second pot of salted water to a rolling boil and drop the green beans into the water to blanch for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain them and run them under cold water to stop them from cooking any further.

7. To assemble the salad, place the lettuce down on a large platter. Spoon the shrimp over the lettuce and place the sliced tomatoes, sliced potatoes, sliced onions, and hearts of palm around the edge.

8. Next, place the green beans and olives around and sprinkle capers over the entire salad. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and serve.

Serves 10. Recipe is by Tracey Koch.

1 (6- to 8-lb.) spiral-cut ham

Ľ cup Creole mustard

Ľ cup cane syrup

2 Tbls. apple cider vinegar

Ľ tsp salt

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Ľ tsp. curry powder

Ľ tsp. onion powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with aluminum foil.

2. Unwrap the ham, place it cut side down on the baking pan and bake 45 to 55 minutes or until heated through.

3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Creole mustard, syrup, vinegar, salt and seasonings.

4. Remove the ham from the oven and raise the temperature to 400 degrees.

5. Brush the glaze over the ham and place it back in the oven for an additional 8 to 10 minutes.

6. Take the ham out of the oven and allow it to set for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Yields two dozen cupcakes. Recipe is by Tracey Koch.

4 cups shredded carrots

˝ cup dark rum

2 tsps. cinnamon

˝ cup apple juice

2˝ cups flour

1˝ tsp. baking powder

˝ cup baking soda

˝ tsp. kosher salt

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup light brown sugar

˝ cup white sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup whole milk

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the carrots, rum, apple juice and cinnamon. Bring mixture up to a boil and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the carrots are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until fluffy.

5. Beat in the vanilla and then the eggs one at a time, scraping down the edges of the bowl as you go, and then fold in the carrot mixture.

6. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, then add the milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

7. Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake 15 to 20 minutes.

˝ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsps. vanilla

8 ozs. cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then add in the brown sugar and stir until all is dissolved.

2. Allow the mixture to come up to a simmer, stirring as it heats.

3. Once it begins to simmer, add in the vanilla, stir to incorporate, then remove the pan from the heat. Allow this mixture to cool completely.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.

5. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add in the confectioners’ sugar and continue beating.

6. Slowly pour in the cooled brown sugar and syrup mixture and mix until all is combined.

7. Ice the cooled cupcakes and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. These may be made a day in advance