Sunday suppers: at home with family, friends, and mouthwatering meals - includes recipes

Sunset, March, 1999 by Linda Lau Anusasananan

Some say the days when family and friends came together for a relaxed Sunday supper have disappeared. To all appearances, fast foods, fancy frozen meals, speedy microwaves, and take-out dishes have practically put home-cooked dinners on the endangered species list.

But simple, straightforward food designed to welcome rather than impress is timeless. A kitchen filled with mouthwatering aromas - from meat roasting in the oven, several pans gently simmering on the stove, a pie or cake cooling on the counter - is still inviting, maybe even more than ever in these hectic times. No rush, no pretension. Just cover the table with a fresh cloth and bring the good silver out of the sideboard. The family, your son's favorite playmate, and maybe the folks next door will still gather to wind down the weekend and plan for another week over a nurturing meal.

Here's how two families slow the pace, sit down, and break bread together, just for the pleasure of it.

Out on their farm - Pastures of Plenty, near Longmont, Colorado - Lyle Davis, his wife, Sylvia Tawse, and their four children dine together more often than city families perhaps. Davis, farmer and chief cook, has been influenced by the food-friendly cultures of France, Italy, and Greece. He cooks seasonally and simply, usually in a Mediterranean style, using many foods the farm produces. As a result, the Davis clan has been reared on a broad spectrum of flavors and international influences that have brought an adventurous spirit to the rituals of dining.

Asparagus with Watercress

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 30 minutes

NOTES: Up to 1 day ahead, cook asparagus; cool, cover, and chill. Mix dressing; cover and let stand. Radicchio di Trevisio leaves are long and narrow.

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

2 pounds asparagus 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon dried tarragon 4 cups tender watercress sprigs, rinsed and crisped

About 1/2 pound radicchio di Trevisio, red Belgian endive, or regular radicchio, rinsed and crisped (optional)

Salt and pepper

1. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add asparagus; cook, uncovered, until barely tender when pierced, about 5 minutes. Drain and immerse in cold water. When cool, in about 5 minutes, drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix oil, vinegar, mustard, and tarragon.

3. Arrange watercress and radicchio (whole leaves or slivered) on a platter. Top with asparagus. Drizzle dressing over asparagus and greens. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Per serving: 83 cal., 82% (68 cal.) from fat; 2.6 g protein; 7.6 g fat (1.1 g sat.); 3.1 g carbo (1 g fiber); 43 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese Medallions

PREP AND COOK TIME: 20 to 25 minutes

MAKES: 8 tO 10 servings

1/3 cup pine nuts 1/3 cup currants 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 9 to 10 ounces (about 9 cups) small, tender arugula leaves or salad mix, rinsed and drained 1 to 3 logs (11 to 12 oz. total) fresh chevre (goat) cheese, cut into 8 to 10 equal rounds Salt and pepper

1. In an 8- to 10-inch nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat, stir nuts often until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add currants, stir, and pour mixture into a small bowl.

2. In a wide bowl, mix 2 tablespoons oil and the vinegar. Add arugula leaves and mix to coat. Mound equal portions on salad plates.

3. Pour 1 tablespoon oil into the frying pan and set over medium-high heat. Lay cheese in pan and heat just until warm, turning once with a wide spatula, 3/4 to 1 minute total. Set a portion of cheese on each salad. Sprinkle with nuts and currants. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Per serving: 164 cal., 71% (117 cal.) from fat; 7.8 g protein; 13 g fat (5.5 g sat.); 5.4 g carbo (1.2 g fiber); 122 mg sodium; 14 mg chol.

Roast Leg of Lamb with Balsamic Onions

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 3/4 hours

MAKES: 8 to 10 servings

4 onions (6 oz. each), peeled and quartered 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper 1 leg of lamb (5 to 6 lb.) 3 cloves garlic, silvered 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves or dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried oregano Rosemary sprigs

1. In a bowl, mix onions with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Let stand at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, rinse lamb; trim off and discard excess surface fat. Cut 1/2-inch slits all over the leg and insert garlic slivers. Rub lamb with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the lemon juice, then pat rosemary leaves and oregano onto meat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set lamb in an 11-by 17-inch roasting pan. Spoon onions and marinade around lamb.

3. Roast in a 375 [degrees] oven until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of leg to the bone registers 140 [degrees] for medium-rare, 1 hour and 10 minutes to 11/2 hours; or 150 [degrees] for medium, 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes. If drippings begin to burn, add water 1/4 cup at a time as needed.