Our garden...which is just a fancy name for our our little backyard, is in full bloom. The fig tree is practically tipping over from the weight of all the figs, the tomatoes are all ripening at record pace, the lemon tree is full of still green lemons and the flowers. Oh...the flowers. Loads and loads of flowers everywhere you look.
I can honestly say that there is no place I'd rather be on a summer evening than in that tiny little garden.
(olives, olive oil, goat cheese, lemon and thyme. served w/ french bread.) |
We usually have garden parties on weekends, but due to vacations and kids activities and just plain old life stuff, it worked out better to have a weeknight supper.
Lots of grown-up's and lots of boys (we grow a lotta boys around these parts) filled up our little house on our little street.
As for food...I roasted 4 whole chickens in the afternoon. I do my chickens the Julia Child way...stuff them with some lemon and garlic and thyme, rub them with olive oil and sprinkle them with loads of salt and pepper and roast them at 425 for 1 1/2 hours. They come out perfect every single time.
I cut them up just before the party, drizzled them with a little lemon infused butter (YUM), covered them in foil and just set them on the back of the stove...the chicken is perfect slightly warm or even at room temperature. Along with that I roasted some potatoes and carrots and had friends bring the salads.
Easy, peasy.
The keys to a fun party are the following:
don't mix crowds. sounds like a good idea, but it never quite works.
make as much of the food ahead of time.
cocktails.
great music.
candles. Lots and lots of candles.
Also...make sure you have at least one person there who 'speaks your language'. The person who will run and get a fork for someone else or knows where you keep the wine opener or who tells really, really funny stories.
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As for clean up?
Go to bed and hope that when you wake up in the morning the kitchen will be spotless. It hasn't worked for me yet, but I am an optimist.
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