Eileen, join in for the fun. A virtual dinner is one that is among friends on the internet. We discuss menu items, recipes and whatever else may come up. It's a form of sharing our cooking experiences. Some will even share a picture of the mess in the kitchen. The actual dinner is as formal or casual as you want. Nancy

Hey Jayne thanks I was just going to volunteer someone else to do it (grin). Can you make sure you include all seven threads? My soup got lost last time, I think (sniff) - stuff happens, no biggie! Is Stacy not around?!?! I haven't check the WFD threads. BTW I'm in.

I'm thinking of starting with one of these soups, or a variation of the two. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Southwest Gazpacho ================== Source: Southwest Cookbook 3 1/2 cups tomato juice 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes diced 1 cup finely chopped cucumber 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper 2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 jalapeno chili , seeded and minced 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons fresh squeeze lime juice 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon red hot pepper sauce salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro 1 cup garlic croûtons 1/2 cup black olives avocado . In a food processor or blender, put 1 cup of tomato juice, half of the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the cucumber, 1/4 cup red onion, 1/4 cup celery, 2 tablespoons green pepper, parsley, garlic, jalapeno, vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, cumin and hot pepper sauce. Process or blend until almost smooth. Pour into a large bowl and add the remaining tomato juice and vegetables. Add salt and pepper. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight so that the flavors blend the soup is cold. divide soup among 6 chilled bowls; pass the avocado, cilantro, croûtons and olives as optional garnish. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Chilled Tomato Soup Gardnished with Shredded Cabbage ==================================================== 4 cups chilled tomato juice 1/2 up fresh cilantro leaves, minced 1 garlic clove minced 2 green onions finely chopped 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno chili 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice salt to taste 1 avocado peeled, pitted and diced Garnish: 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro 6 tablespoons shredded napa cabbage leaves Pour the chilled juice into a large bowl and stir in the cilantro, garlic, green onions, jalapeno , cumin and lime juice. Season to taste, adding salt and more lime juice, if necessary; stir in avocado. Chill. Devide soup amount 6 chilled bowls. Garnish each serving with 1 teaspoon cilantro leaves and 1 tablespoon shredded napa cabbage leaves.

Hi Lynn, great to hear from you and glad you could participate! My dinner is finally over. Very fun time overall. Started with sangria and bruschetta with Chase's boursin on the porch. Sangria is such a fun summer drink, so refreshing. I made mine with Spanish white wine, peach schapps, a little brandy, and some champagne I had in little bottles plus 7-up. Garnished with strawberries and kiwis, very good! I set up my backyard for guests on the patio, and we had dinner under the umbrella. It rained a bit but the umbrella kept us dry. All the dishes were great, but the best loved things were the coral soup and the blackberry shortbread bars. My friend was a vegan, unbeknownst to me, (she's gotten into it for health reasons), so I really could have left out the cheese in some of my dishes like the pesto and fritters. The fritters were the least good dish. I have never been a fritter fan, I just think they are too greasy and hard to get done in the middle withouth burning on the outside. Adding cheese did not help, that was a big mistake but I was trying to use some cheese up that I had in the fridge. My freind brought a potato-beet salad so I didn't get to use mine. I know what I'll be having for lunch this week, lol! Good friends, good food, good vibes. A great opportunity to cook up a storm!