Simplicity. A Birthday Dinner

This past weekend my family and a few special guests celebrated my mom's 50th birthday. My mom didn't want to too much attention this year, so we opted against hosting a large party and decided to keep things intimate with a family dinner party at the house. My sister and her boyfriend live 4 hours away, so we had to celebrate my mom and her 50 wonderful years of life on Saturday. *(Recipes and photos from Saturday to come!)* On Tuesday, August 9 - her real birthday, I decided to buy a nice bottle of wine, cook a simple meal, and re-celebrate her special day at home with gifts and cake.
Appetizer
. Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Dip with smoked paprika cucumber slices
. Cheese board and crackers
Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant Dip Recipe:
Ingredients
1 eggplant
1 red bell pepper
2 garlic gloves
3 teaspoons organic Tahini paste
Salt & pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
5 mint leaves, chopped
1 tsp lemon juice

Method
Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut eggplant and bell pepper in half and put them on a baking sheet. Roast until the eggplant and bell pepper skin becomes black (about 45 minutes). Place the bell pepper in a plastic bag, and cool for about 15 minutes. Peel the peppers, remove the seeds and stems and put in a food processor. Let the eggplant cool off a little and then scoop out the flesh into a food processor.
Add tahini, olive oil and garlic and process until smooth. Add lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with mint.
Dinner
. Heirloom Tomato Salad with avocado
. Baked Herb and Garlic Salmon fillets
. Roasted Asparagus tossed with Parmigiano-Reggiano
Dessert
. Cast-iron skillet cookie cake