What’s on Your Fête en Blanc Menu?

Attending our local Fête en Blanc is an annual tradition for our Ephrata-based Rug Room.  We love the community party and if Covid-19 has taught us anything, our community is truly worldwide.

Let’s embrace this unique year together as we celebrate our world community with a special VIRTUAL version of Fête en Blanc on Thursday, August 6 starting at 6:45 pm.

So grab your white tablecloth & napkins, set up a table on your porch or yard and let’s get ready to party!

What’s on Your Fête Menu?

You can make your Fête menu as simple or as elaborate as you might like. Prepare some of your favorite summer dishes or give a little love to your favorite local restaurant and order take outs for Fête. (Our young colleague was not involved in our menu selection but he did offer his thoughts.)

For our table, we have several dishes in the works.

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Nanny Kilhefner’s Fair Trade Vegan Mini Chocolate Cupcakes

My grandma was born in 1917 and was an experiential chef. She rarely followed a recipe and wasn’t raised in an era where “fair trade” or “vegan” were household words. But her super moist chocolate cake is vegan, whether she knew it or not. Add some fair trade cocoa powder and you got the perfect, super simple chocolate cake.

3 cups unbleached white flour
5 tablespoons Equal Exchange fair trade cocoa powder
1 ½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
⅔ cup oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups cold water
2 tablespoons vinegar (add last)

Mix all ingredients together except the vinegar. Make certain it is mixed very smooth and without lumps. Finally, add the vinegar and mix in. 

Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners and then fill each liner about ⅔ full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool totally before icing.

Traditional Vanilla Frosting 

1 pound 10x sugar (icing sugar)
2 sticks of butter or vegan butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
A small amount of water

Put everything in a mixing bowl and begin to beat on low until mixed. If icing doesn’t get smooth or is too stiff, add a little more water and mix. And just to be clear, you are NEVER too old to lick the beaters when you are done!

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Pakistani Fruit Chaat

Yousaf and Amir’s mother made this fruit chaat as a cooling summer treat. Use fruit in season for the best taste and top with plain yogurt as desired.

2 apples, chopped
2 plums, chopped
1 mango, chopped
2 kiwis, chopped
1 banana, chopped
1 lemon or orange, juiced
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili pepper (or more, to taste)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or black salt/kala namak if you have it
two springs of fresh mint, leaves removed & chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly roasted and cooled

Mix together and let stand for 30 minutes. Serve with yogurt as desired.

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And just a quick review on how the Bunyaad Fête en Blanc works:

• Register online for the Bunyaad Fête en Blanc and get your own Zoom link to join the party.
• Find a place around your house or a safely socially-distanced location outside.
• Grab your quarantine-friendly grouping to join you in this party.
• Dress in white and set up your tables and picnic. Set up your laptop, phone, tablet, whatever on your table so you can “dine” with everyone.
• At 6:45 p.m., we’ll open the Fête as a virtual party and watch as we all put the finishing touches on our tables.
• At 7 p.m., we will have opening welcome and the napkin wave (yes, the beginning of Fête always starts with the white napkin wave)
• Enjoy an evening of dining together virtually and listening to the stories and music of Leo DiSanto who will be with us all evening.

Invite your friends and family to join as well and let’s embrace this unique year together!

#BunyaadRugs #BunyaadFeteEnBlanc