December Dinner Party

December was another delicious dinner party. Looks like I'm up next month, so I've got some serious work ahead of me to top this last one!

December Menu:

Pesto Torte

http://busycooks.about.com/od/appetizerrecipe1/r/pestotorte.htm

Cranberry-Pear Tossed Salad

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/cranberry-pear-tossed-salad/Detail.aspx

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic (see recipe below)

Cheesy Ranch Potato Bake

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/cheesy-ranch-potato-bake/Detail.asp

Ginger-Rum Carrots

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001923629

Popovers

Pumpkin Rum Cake

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001675069

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

2 (3-pound) whole chickens

8 fresh thyme sprigs

¼ cup butter, softened

1 lemon, halved

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

40 garlic cloves, unpeeled (about 3 bulbs)

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

Garnish: fresh thyme

Rinse chickens, and pat dry with paper towels. Place 4 thyme sprigs in cavity of each bird. Rub each chicken with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Squeeze a lemon half over each chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Tie ends of legs together with string, tuck wing tips under. Place chickens, breast side up, in a well-greased shallow roasting pan.

Toss garlic with olive oil in a bowl. Scatter garlic cloves around chickens, snuggling them close to chickens.

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thigh registers 180 degrees.

Remove chickens and garlic to a serving platter. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.