Sit-down dinner with the "good stuff"

More than twenty years ago we belonged to a very large gourmet dinner group.  Names were drawn every six months and dinners were exchanged in groups of 4 couples.  We belonged for years and enjoyed it thoroughly.  We were all like minded in that we loved to cook and use all our "good stuff" (the good stuff being china, silver and crystal)  We were also all of an age when we had received "good stuff" for weddings presents.  Although no longer   members of the group, we have kept up dinner exchanges with some of  the friends and last night we had them over... (Can you identify the flowers in the bouquets)

The menu was:

appetizer:

coconut shrimp

prosciutto and melon

goat cheese and crackers

soup: chilled cucumber soup with tomato sorbet 

salad: citrus salad with bibb lettuce and avocado, oranges, and almonds with poppy seed citrus dressing

main:  Seafood thermidor  (halibut, cod and scallops)

        Madagascar pink rice and red quinoa

        Sauteed Bok Choy

dessert:  Towers of layers of dark chocolate and white chocolate mousse

 

My favorite on the menu was the chilled cucumber soup with the savory tomato sorbet which I served in china cups.  Also at our age we try to keep the portions smaller.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a good time was had by all...

 

And could you name the flowers?  Sylphium (yellow daisy-like flowers),  tansy, limonium, perovskia, and oregano "Herrenhausen" one of my all time favorite fall perennials.