Make Your Celebrations Shine!

My friend: Hey, Virginia! I'm in the area with a few friends; we'd love to pop in!

Me, without thinking: Absolutely! Come on over.

Me, moments later: AHHHHHH!! What do the house and garden look like??!!  What'll I have for them?!

May kicks off the summer season with graduations, weddings, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and garden parties galore. Whether it's a planned event for 40 or an impromptu gathering of a few friends from out of town, you'll enjoy it so much more if you keep it simple, and follow some of these easy tips and recipes for a gathering that won't stress you out.

If the weather's nice, focus on outside. Raise the umbrella, pull out simple place mats, and gather chairs. More people than outdoor dining chairs? Grab a few simple wooden ones from inside. Don't have place mats handy? Use 2 table cloths (or pretty bed sheets!) folded in half, and placed on either side of the umbrella pole. Overlap them slightly and be sure to place plates/platters over these 'seams'.

Put out your china, stemware, cutlery, napkins. While paper is fine for your napkins, don't attempt paper plates for an outdoor gathering. It won't end well.  There are many beautiful melamine options, acrylic for your 'glassware' - just make sure whatever you choose won't blow away.

Lop a few airy branches from a tree or bush. Have dandelions? Cut them and place them in small pitchers or glasses running down the middle of the table.  Use whatever you have. It will be beautiful on your table.

Take just a few minutes to whip up a pitcher of drinks. For a quick app, open a block of cream cheese, pour some pepper jelly over it, and surround it with your favorite crackers. It's all delicious and everyone can enjoy these as you throw together the main course.

Check your fridge and pantry for a few staples. Pasta is a great summer dish.  Burgers are always welcome (have a few frozen veggie burgers in your freezer for any vegetarians in your group). Big salad - a natural for dining al fresco at a moment's notice. Toss in any left-over meat or fish you have handy to make it more substantial.

1 pound of prepared pasta

pasta water

halved cherry or grape tomatoes

olive oil

garlic

basil

fresh-grated parm

Sauté the tomatoes in olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper. Once they're softened up, add a little of the pasta water to make a sauce to the thickness you like. Toss the prepared pasta into the sauté pan with the sauce, and generously grate parmesan cheese as you toss. Top with fresh basil and additional cheese. Easy, peasy. And delicious!

1/3 lb burger per person

salt & pepper

sliced cheese of choice (I usually use cheddar, but brie can be a delightful twist!)

Potato rolls, sandwich size

fresh lettuce, sliced tomato, onion

ketsup, mustard, mayo

Generously salt & pepper each 1/3 lb section of burger, blend thoroughly by hand, and form into a pattie. Grill for 4-5 minutes per side. Test the doneness by pressing on the burger. You want it to retain some 'give' to ensure it's not too well done. For those who like it well done, the burger will feel solid when done. I like mine medium-rare, which is a nice amount of give, but not enough to change its shape.

When almost done, place the cheese on top and lower the lid of the grill for approximately 30-45 seconds. Place on roll and serve with all the condiments, so that everyone can customize their own.

several heads of romaine lettuce

generous amount of shaved (NOT grated) parmesan cheese

herbed croutons

Caesar dressing (Brianna's is my absolute fave!)

Optional:  chicken, steak, salmond, shrimp, tofu - whatever you have on hand, left-overs become elegant in this scenario.

It's not traditional, but I always chop up my lettuce to a julienned level of slenderness. This makes it so much simpler to eat, everything is already bite-sized. Add the parm and croutons, optional protein, and toss it all with dressing to taste. Super easy and always a crowd-pleaser.

Grapefruit Breeze
1 part gin (optional)
4 parts infused botanical mixer
A generous splash of lime cordial
Fresh rosemary to garnish
.
Add all ingredients (except the fresh rosemary) to a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker 2/3 with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain into a cocktail glass (add fresh ice if desired). If you didn’t use gin, top off the glass with tonic (I recommend @fevertreemixers ).

Chocolate Rose
1 part vodka (we’re partial to @mcclintockdistilling vodka)
1 part botanical mixer (we created the mixer water-method rather than with the vodka)
Rose petal for garnish
.
Pour liquor and mixer into a cocktail shaker and fill 2/3 with ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a coup glass (I LOVE these beauties I got years ago from @vintage.bliss.boutique ). Garnish with rose petal.

(may switch out gin for vodka, using same recipe)

1 jigger gin (or vodka)

4 dashes French Strawberry syrup

3 dashes French Rosemary syrup

Tonic water (FeverTree and Q are the best)

Fresh rosemary sprig

Add first 3 ingredients to an old-fashioned glass. Fill 2/3 full of ice and stir thoroughly. Top with tonic and garnish with fresh rosemary. Absolutely delicious!

These simple steps (and recipes) will make your summer gatherings (especially the impromptu ones) easy, delicious, convivial, and allow you to enjoy your friends and family, rather than stress over the details.

Have a great summer!

Virginia