This month's dinner party theme was "Garden Style," and it was our first opportunity of the year to dine outside on our lovely little backyard patio in Georgetown. I'm captivated by garden style floral arrangements, so this gathering was particularly fun for me. Our guest of honor was our dear friend Whitney, a long-time friend of 17 years from our outlandish days in Austin, Texas. Whitney now resides in Costa Rica, so we don't get to see her often. She grew up on the East Coast, and we wanted to make her visit extra special by celebrating the timeless beauty of an East Coast summer evening.
Here’s everything we made:
Set the Table:
I love setting the table for a dinner party, and this garden-style theme was especially inspiring. We went with light and airy blue linens from Solino Home. Gone are the days of rental linens! I'm building my own collection, and Solino Home's hemstitch linens in a variety of colors are perfect. I discovered them on Amazon Prime in a pinch when I needed linens fast earlier this year. I was so impressed with the quality I've been adding to my collection ever since. These new blue and white striped napkins might just be my favorite. See below for the items that transformed our patio into a magical backyard dining experience:
Tablecloth: Solino Home, Light blue hemstitch rectangular tablecloth
Placemats: Natural Placemats - Threshold™
Plates: Aspen coupe dinner plate and salad plate from Crate&Barrel
Flatware: Vintage Coronation by Oneida
Glassware: Schott Zwiesel Tour Glasses stemless for water, and Schott Zwiesel Tour 15-Oz. White Wine Glasses
Votive and Taper Candle Holders: A mix of H&M Glass Candle Lanterns and Amazon multipurpose candle holders
Ribbed Taper Candles: 10" Gardenia Unscented Ribbed Taper Flame Candles - Threshold™
Bud Vases: H&M Clear Glass Mini Vase
Floral Centerpiece Vase: Holly Chapple Demi Plastic Footed Bowl, 46&Spruce
Coffee Table Arrangement Vase: Holly Chapple Dahlia Ceramic Footed Urn, 46&Spruce
Earlier in the week, I visited Potomac Floral Wholesale in Silver Spring, Maryland, and gathered a beautiful assortment of peonies, garden roses, spray roses, carnations, sweet peas, spirea, and jasmine vine for the flower arrangements. Stay tuned for a full floral arrangement tutorial that will be coming soon.
Recipes:
A well-curated menu is the heart of a good dinner party. My co-host and best friend, Matt, and I believe in planning dishes that are both delicious and manageable. We consider what to serve, how to present it, and the best timing to maximize our enjoyment as hosts. For this garden-style dinner, we focused on easy-to-make dishes that allowed for a relaxed and enjoyable evening. Here's what we served:
Signature Cocktail – Frozen Aperol Spritz:
6 ounces of Aperol
8 ounces of sparkling water
8 ounces of orange juice
8 ounces of champagne or sparkling wine
A few scoops of ice
Topped with a splash of champagne
Instructions: Combine Aperol, sparkling water, orange juice, and champagne in a pitcher. Add ice and blend until smooth. Serve with a splash of champagne on top.
Here’s a fun little video of Whitney walking us through the steps of making a frozen Aperol spritz.
Appetizer – Zucchini Tart: Ina Garten Recipe
This recipe is a wonderful way to showcase fresh summer zucchini. You can find Ina Garten's recipe online or in her cookbooks. Here's a general idea of the ingredients and instructions:
Ingredients: Puff pastry, zucchini, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, thyme, lemon zest
Instructions: Preheat the oven according to the puff pastry package instructions. Sauté sliced zucchini with garlic and thyme. In a separate bowl, combine softened goat cheese, parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Spread the cheese mixture over the puff pastry dough, leaving a border. Arrange the zucchini slices over the cheese and bake until the pastry is golden brown and the zucchini is tender.
Notes: Next time we want to add even more zucchini as it tends to shrink a bit when cooked.
Salad – Strawberry Spinach Salad
We have been making variations of this summer salad on repeat! It is a delightful mix of sweet and savory.
Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, champagne vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, and pepper.
Salad: Combine fresh spinach, arugula, sliced strawberries, chopped pistachios, and crumbled goat cheese. Toss with the dressing just before serving.
Main Course – Chicken and Shrimp
This classic combination is perfect for a summer dinner party.
Chicken: Season split bone-in chicken breasts with garlic powder, paprika, celery salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Bake at 400°F for 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Shrimp: Sauté shrimp in a mixture of olive oil, Meyer lemon juice and zest, garlic, salt, and pepper. Finish with a pat of butter and fresh parsley.
Side – Vegetable Tian
This classic French dish is a beautiful and flavorful vegetarian option.
Ingredients: A variety of seasonal vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant, and potatoes.
Instructions: Thinly slice zucchini and eggplant on a large surface and sprinkle with salt, and let sit for 30 minutes to remove moisture. Arrange them in a layered pattern in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and top with fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 45-60 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.
Notes: You can partially pre-cook the vegetables by sautéing them before layering them in the baking dish. This will help ensure they cook through evenly.
Dessert – Pizzette and Pistachio Ice Cream Sandwiches
This is a fun and easy dessert that's perfect for a summer night.
Ingredients: Pistachio ice cream, store-bought pizzette cookies
Instructions: Soften the ice cream slightly for easier slicing. Use a sharp knife to cut the ice cream into rounds about the same size as the pizzettes. Sandwich the ice cream between two pizzettes. Dip the edge of the ice cream round in a mixture of chopped pistachios and chocolate chips, pressing gently to ensure they adhere. Freeze for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes: For a neater presentation, buy your ice cream in a paper carton. This allows you to slice directly through the carton and paper, which will easily peel away from the ice cream.
Garden Party Debrief: Hits, Misses, and What We Learned
Looking back on our garden party, Whitney's cocktail wisdom, the delectable zucchini tart, and Matt’s hack for surprisingly easy ice cream sandwiches were definite highlights. While ensuring the vegetable tian cooked through presented a minor hurdle, we adjusted the cooking time and achieved a delicious result. Next time, we would definitely sautee the vegetables before baking. Overall, the evening was a resounding success filled with laughter, amazing food, and memories we'll cherish. Thank you for joining us! We hope you found the recipes and ideas inspiring. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more dinner party adventures. Stay tuned for our next vlog, where we'll share a full tutorial on creating stunning garden style floral arrangements! Until next time, happy entertaining!
xo
Kyla (and Matt)