dinner at dustins

my friend dustin has been hosting a series of 4 course dinner parties featuring food from a different country each time. 25 meals in less
than 2 months! this was the first one i made it to and, sadly, the last...the "return to seattle" dinner. he is in the process of putting together a
cookbook featuring all 0f the recipes that were served. the man is clearly insane.

lettuce and tarragon soup. this had a faint hint of licorice and a great texture from the ground romaine. i've never had cooked lettuce
but it worked!

swiss chard was stuffed with a creamy goat cheese and potato mash, served with a pleasantly piquant kalamata olive vinagrette.
our favorite dish of the night.

chicken braised in burgundy and blackberries with a creamy fennel puree. tasted like fall!

...and more goat cheese baked into a mousse-like cheesecake and served with dried cherries plumped with warm port.
the cherries added a dense chewy bite next to the grassy creaminess of the goat cheese. delicious!