Our entree from Meatless Mondays at Murphy’s.
The Atlanta Food Blogger Society hosted a fabulous dinner at Murphy’s in Atlanta, located in the heart of The Virginia Highlands. Literally y’all – it’s at the intersection of North Highland and Virginia Avenue. Murphy’s has always been my go-to staple for the quintessential Sunday brunch, or to wow out of town guests with Southern staples. I was looking forward to trying their new #MeatlessMondays menu, and oh my goodness I didn’t miss the meat for an instant. The fabulous Denise Romeo of We Like to Cook even brought squash blossoms from her own backyard garden!
Denise dropped off her freshly picked blossoms at Murphy’s that morning. Chef Ian Winslade stuffed these squash blossoms with all sorts of veggie goodness and soft sheep’s milk cheese then fried in a tempera batter and served like a precious gift on top of hand-rolled goat cheese gnocchi with wild mushrooms, field peas in a heirloom tomato fondue and plated with arugula oil (thanks Denise for reminding us of all the components in this dish).
Here are some delicious moments from our Meatless Monday’s at Murphy’s meal.
Michael Kunz, Murphy’s wine shop consultant, provided fantastic pairings for our meal.
First course: cucumber gazpacho, pureed with sweet onions and mint, topped with goat cheese.
Homemade gnocchi topped with fresh vegetables and Denise’s beautiful fried squash blossom.
Y’all I couldn’t eat anymore…and then came the desserts!
Carrot Cake
Strawberry Shortcake
Creme Brulee – Denise’s favorite!
The Bonzo! This put Murphy’s on the map
For a girl who loves her grassfed beef as much as the next Southerner, this meal at Murphy’s made me think twice about the type of proteins to include in my dinners.
Sauteed squash with Vidalia onion
All the vitamins, iron, and other supplements we need can come from vegetables. After dinner, Denise was kind enough to show me her magical garden. She gave me a goodie bag of her delicious squash and zucchini, which I sauteed in olive oil, garlic, and a bit of salt and pepper as a side dish. It was so simple and packed full of flavor. Denise also has an amazing recipe for zucchini slaw which I can’t wait to try soon.
What are some of your favorite #MeatlessMonday recipes? Let us know in in the comments section below!
Editor’s Note – special thanks to The Reynolds Group for showing the Atlanta Food Blogger Society some love. We’re eating well thanks to TRG!