From a Cook's Garden
Planning a party menu from the kitchen garden. Three tips for entertaining.
There comes a time in early summer when the weeding stops, and the entertaining begins. I am almost to this point with my garden and thought it would be a good time to host a porch party. As soon as I hit the send button on my e-invitation, however, I felt a sense of panic. It had been two years since I’d hosted any type of large event and felt anxiety creeping in. My motives were purely selfish – I missed seeing my friends and planning the menu.  I felt the need to gather again, to feel a sense of belonging and kinship.
A big part of entertaining starts with the invitation, and I chose a floral design from the paperless post website. I have been reading Pyra Parker’s book titled The Art of Gathering, about how to make meetings and social events more effective and successful. She writes that when a gathering has a purpose, it gives everyone a sense of belonging. Stating the occasion clearly, or even asking everyone to bring a flower from their garden for the centerpiece, for instance, becomes a unifier. I asked everyone to bring a poem about summer.
Once the invitation was sent, I planned the menu. It’s June and early in the garden season, yet basil, dill, and chives are in their prime. I know my mother’s recipe for Boursin by heart, a creamy herb cheese spread and instead of crackers, I picked sugar snap peas. The main course was wild salmon wrapped in flaky phyllo dough, with a dab of ginger peach chutney, a condiment I make every August. The abundance of spicy salad greens was an invitation to make a Farro and lemon vinaigrette salad. Dessert was easy, thanks to local strawberries that I made into delectable ice cream. The whole meal was created with minimal trips to the supermarket. (That’s the real reason why I grow a food garden…I don’t like grocery shopping.)
Planning a porch party or any type of gathering is much like traveling: the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Once I have the plates and glasses out and know the menu will revolve around what’s growing in my kitchen garden, it becomes routine. Like planting a garden, it always starts off the same way with a spark of enthusiasm, a bit of hesitation, and checklists, then momentum takes over and it grows on its own. Gathering with friends on a summer evening brings out the best in everyone.
I’d like to hear from you about your obstacles around entertaining, but also successful ideas to share with others. Please add your thoughts in the comments. Here are 3 things I’ve learned about hosting a porch party that is similar to growing a garden.
Start small. Invite 6-8 people. Grow it incrementally as you get more practice.
Invite new people into the mix. It’s an opportunity to meet and make new friends.
Set the table first. Like a garden, once the foundation is established, everything else will flow.
If you are a paid subscriber, you will receive my recipe for Boursin, and you are invited to my summer garden party. I’ll be hosting a garden tour for paid subscribers to visit my Vermont garden in July and in August. Come for a tour, taste lovely treats from my garden, along with my grandmother’s iced tea on the porch. Invitations to follow.