We brought summer in with a small dinner party last night complete with -- thanks to Sister's ingenious suggestion -- a kid's table. Big T was not looking forward to the grownup evening (even though he had been invited to one sleepover and hosted a second in this same holiday weekend). So after Sister reminded me that she had often attended her best friend's family events simply to keep said friend company, I suggested that Big T could invite his own dinner guest. He did, and they kept each other occupied.
Husband's long-distance best friend and friend's wife were visiting from Cleveland, so we grownups all enjoyed a good catching up over a dinner of jerk-seasoned pork tenderloin, green bean souffle, mango salad (this has now become a Viet Nam cooking class staple) and purchased angel food cake with homemade ice cream and fresh sliced strawberries.
The one menu item that had me stumped was: what to serve as a starch? Google to the rescue, where the consensus seemed to be Jamaican rice with "peas." In this recipe, "peas" turn out to be beans. And the recipe couldn't be easier. Be warned, though: it makes a lot. Did I mention it makes a LOT? Yes.
The directions might seem a bit unusual, but this is very easy and good.
Jamaican Rice and 'Peas'
1 medium can kidney beans
1 can coconut milk
2 Cups rice (I used brown Jasmine rice)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. dried thyme (I only had ground thyme, so I used 1/8 tsp, and wish I had used a bit more)
1 Tbs. oil (I used olive oil)
Drain the liquid from the can of kidney beans into a measuring cup and add the coconut milk and enough water to equal 4 Cups of liquid. Place the liquids in a pot (I used a Dutch oven, and it seemed about the right size) with beans, onions, garlic, thyme and oil. Bring to a boil. Add the rice and stir for a minute. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover tightly and cook for 30 minutes or so, until the rice has absorbed liquid and is done.
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The ice cream was also a hit. Which was a relief, since our new freezer (the style that doesn't use ice and salt! hooray!) didn't work at last summer's family reunion. Huh. You can't drive for two days with the freezer in the back of a hot car, put the ice cream bowl in a freezer for just one night and expect to make ice cream the next day. Apparently. But you can store the ice cream bowl in your home freezer for the winter and "churn" out a tasty treat in no time. Here's that recipe, now safely stowed in the ice cream maker box for next time:
Philadelphia Vanilla Ice Cream (no, I don't know why it has a city name -- if you know, leave us a comment and share the secret!)
1 quart half-and-half (also referred to in the original recipe as 'thin cream')
1 Tbs. vanilla
3/4 Cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
Thoroughly mix all ingredients, pour into ice cream freezer and process. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.
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