Dear Judy Ludy: 

Okay, I’m having friends over and want to try a new menu; however, I have the following things I’d like to serve, but not a clue on the main course.  

Here’s what I have so far: 

Goat Cheese Toasts
Spinach Salad with Bacon and Buttermilk Dressing
Sautéed Carrots
Potato-Fennel Gratin
Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake 

I can’t decide on an entrée.  Please help! 

Signed:
Desperate!

Dear Desperate:

Sounds like you’re having a great party, and it looks like it’s a shaping up to
be a Mediterranean type menu! For that, I suggest the following.  Beef doesn’t seem to fit; chicken…boring.
Fish…maybe, but I think the 2 suggestions below are better.

How about Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rosemary?  Or, if that’s too exotic for your guests, how about a Pork Tenderloin with Fennel?  Either choice would pair very nicely with the Fennel Gratin, Spinach Salad and Goat Cheese apps.  

I get a lot of my inspirations from www.epicurious.com.  For the novice cook, they offer easy to follow recipes, and for the more advance cook, they offer so much inspiration.  I checked for you, and they have a Pork Tenderloin with Fennel recipe if you wanted to try it.  I hope these two suggestions interest you; they sound great to me, as does the entire menu!

I hope these two suggestions interest you; they sound great to me, as does the entire menu!