SUNDAY NIGHT 'BIRTHDAY' SUPPER ~ TYROLEAN BEEF TENDERLOIN / RASPBERRY FOOL

~ PRIMROSE

(I Can't Live Without You)

The Language of Flowers

TYROLEAN BEEF TENDERLOIN

~ Perfect for a 'special' person on a 'special' day

(adapted from Jan/Feb Bon Appetit 1973)

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1 5 lb. filet of beef

coarse salt & freshly ground pepper

2 cloves minced garlic

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 large chopped onion

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

Herbes de Provence

(rosemary, marjoram, basil, crushed bay leaf, thyme and crushed lavender flowers))

2 6 oz. packages sliced Swiss cheese, divided

• Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Trim all fat and sinew from beef. Slash filet lengthwise and open, butterfly style. Sprinkle meat on all sides with salt & pepper. Massage in garlic.
• Heat butter and saute onion, mushrooms, carrot and celery until lightly browned. Cool.
• Spoon mixture onto cut surface of meat and sprinkle with 'herbes de Provence'. Dice one package of Swiss cheese and sprinkle over vegetables. Fold butterflied meat half over filling and fasten with string. Place in shallow roasting pan. Roast in hot oven for 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cut strings. Arrange remaining slices of Swiss cheese over meat. Return to oven and roast for another 5 minutes, until cheese melts.
• Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
• Arrange thick slices on platter surrounded by steamed asparagus (white or green) spears, sauteed mushroom caps, and roasted baby carrots. ( 6 servings)

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RASPBERRY FOOL

~ "A 'fool' is a traditional British dessert made of mashed fruit with cream or whipped cream, sometimes cooked, sometimes not. Gooseberries are a favorite. Although there have been some 'fool' recipes without fruit, it's thought that the dish known as a 'fool' began as mashed fruit with cream, as it is now. Therein lies a clue as to how it got the name 'fool': It's thought that the name 'fool' came from the French word 'fouler', which means 'to mash'." (The Penguin Companion to Food~ Alan Davidson)

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3 cups fresh raspberries

2-4 Tbsp. sugar or to taste

2 1/2 cups whipping cream

splash of Chambord (raspberry liquor)

fresh mint

• Mash (DO NOT USE FOOD PROCESSOR) raspberries with sugar, reserving a few perfect berries for garnish.
• Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add splash of Chambord, continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into puree, leaving streaks. Chill well.
• Spoon into parfait glasses and garnish with mint leaves and reserved raspberries. ( serves 8 )