[Pongi]

I've just been asked to help a friend with a "Black" dinner. He is a very good cook, and an ethnologist and ethno-cook as well (I would be very glad if he joined Cheftalk as he could give a great contribute here!) and is planning a Summer Solstice party. For some esoteric reasons I can't remember, all the food MUST be black-I mean naturally black, not artificially colored. Since it seems to be the most difficult color he's still working on the problem. The most obvious things have already come to our minds...I mean Caviar, Risotto or Pasta with squid ink, a dessert made with blackberries or dried plums-a brave host could also serve 1000 years eggs-but this isn't enough to compose a whole meal. Most of all, a main course with side dishes is needed...and, considering the season, black beans or black cabbage soup are definitely NOT suitable (maybe for the next Winter Solstice? )
So...more help is needed!
TIA,

Pongi

BTW...if you like the topic, other colors (blue, ***hsia, acid green) are following!

[CompassRose]

You COULD do black beans... maybe a black bean salad with red cabbage, or quinoa (I've seen in magazines, though never in person, a black quinoa). Black sweet peppers (raw; they turn green when cooked). Black olives, or a tapenade, with something. Those tiny eggplants, baked whole, so the outsides are black.

Why black for the Solstice? Odd.

[Suzanne]

But if you make the menu multi-ethnic, black beans are perfect! As a hot or cold soup, or a salsa, or served with black pudding (aka blood pudding, morcilla, boudin noir, etc. etc.)

No cavola nero?

Thai black rice -- which ends up kind of purple when cooked, but is so delicous.

Cajun "blackened" fish? No, maybe not. A good way to ruin a nice piece of fish.

[phatch]

I think blackened fish can be pretty good. Usually trout or catfish is my preference.

Perhaps some dark chocolate for dessert. Maybe a chocolate cheesecake. They can be pretty dark.

Button mushrooms can be cooked until they look black and still taste good. Some worcestershire sauce helps that out.

Black olives.

Phil

[Kimmie]

black bean quesadilla

something with black truffle sauce or black tea sauce

Treacle with a rich, fruity suet steamed pudding, or toffee or fudge

Black sesame seeds

Black currant oil

[cape chef]

Black barley with simmered black trumpet shroom's

White asparagus rolled in black sesame seeds and chives

black mission figs with balsamic syrup

mussels with opal nero and black bread

hmmm, I have to think more about this Pongi

[Suzanne]

Phil, you just reminded me: black trumpet mushrooms!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit: darn it, cc, you beat me to it!!

And with a coating of black sesame seeds, just about ANYTHING could work

Black Sambuca??
Twice, you beat me to it

Licorice?

[cape chef]

Pongi..

Couple more

How about Nori wrapped black bass

Or kalamata olive tapinade stuffed into the shell of a roasted eggplant (I know purple..But it will be dark)

[mudbug]

How about wood ear mushrooms?

[cape chef]

Black pepper encrusted cherve (warm) over micro opel basil

Raisins with toasted black walnuts for a snack

[monkeymay]

How about beluga lentils with purple basil or a salad with black roma or any of the dark skinned tomatoes ? Too bad the color has to count - you could do a branzino of black cod. Or what about crusting something with black bread mollica. Or stuffing sepia and cooking in it's own ink?
Dessert - chocolate creme cannolis with coccoa add to dough to make the shells dark?

I'll try to think of some others.

Monkey

[monkeymay]

Pongi - some more I just rememberd. I had them in Modica, Sicily. Both involve chocolate - one is rabbit in an agrodolce type sauce but with chocolate and hazelnuts added-
the other was a turnover ( the Sicilian word is impanatigghe?) filled with either meat and chocolate or eggplant and chocolate. I've had the eggplant and chocolate - amazing - dark, deep and rich flavor. I know I've got the recipes around here somewhere. PM me if you're interested.

Monkey

[chiffonade]

When I was a kid, my mother used to make us squid with linguini - with a sauce of cuttlefish ink (or squid ink if available). The stuff made our teeth gray and I remember all us kids sitting around the table smiling at one another with gray teeth. How about squid ink pasta - that's jet black.

[shroomgirl]

Caviar and creme fraishe on rosti potatoes (few chives...or fillo cups)

There is a black lettuce called galazy growing here now....
if not available greens with a blue cheese and fig/balsamic dressing

Dried ground black trumpets coating a white dense fish seared
Rice in an eggplant timbale shape
green beans with an minced olive sauce....(still wracking brain on this one)

Ash coated cheeses, globe grapes

Black cherries and really dark chocolate

**black trumpets go well with fish, I thought it was too weird until I tried it at the Crossing....they used fresh, if you got um use um, if not dried crust works.

[Risa]

Pongi, what did you and your friend end up cooking and serving?