Ideas For A Summer-Fresh Menu

In this fast, crazy, workaholic pace of life, I’ve found that nothing is more calming than calling up a few friends for a dinner party.

Cooking for others is one of my biggest stress relievers, although the idea of standing behind a hot stove after a hard day may not be everyone’s fancy. When meal planning, I like to indulge in my curiosity and add in new ingredients to spice up older dishes that have become favourites at my house.

To me, the plate is like an art canvass and anyone who understands me well already knows my get-togethers often involve themes and specially thought-out menus.

If this sounds too difficult, it really isn’t. The efforts of being a hospitable hostess are all worth the endeavour after seeing the guests’ faces light up with smiles.

Last weekend, I’m happy to say my latest party went off without a hitch, in an attempt to keep the one’s I love close. Truth be told, the night would not have ran as smoothly without enlisting the  help of a few friends, who are also quite handy to have in the kitchen.

But, if you’re not as lucky as I am, all it really takes is some good organization. The rest should come from whatever inspires you. During a late July evening, my inspiration for the night came from the idea of a summer chic party. I intended for everything on the table to be bright, cheery, simple and colourful. 

More importantly, the food was packed with flavour (as well as some good memories to reflect back on).  These menu items were a collaboration of a few of our favourites and I hope some may become yours, too.

Menu

Appetizers

Mini goat cheese pastries, topped with an avocado/watermelon salsa. (The decision to serve these beauties actually came to me while another friend and I dined at a patio for her birthday. After being overcharged at the restaurant, we made a joke about how simple it would be to whip up a batch on our own. Thankfully, our assumption wasn’t wrong.)

Recipe is also self-explanatory. Use any variety of store-bought pastry that you prefer, preheat oven to 350 degrees and cook the dough according to instructions. After cooling (about 5 minutes), slice a log of goat cheese diagonally (any variety) and set aside. Using a small, circular cookie cutter, form a disc and assemble pastry onto a serving platter. Place goat cheese on top.

For salsa: Take 2 fresh avacados, remove pits and scoop into a bowl. Squeeze juice of 1 lemon. Cut ½ cup of watermelon into cubes (or use 1 package of already sliced watermelon) and add into the avocado mixture. Mix until blended. Salt sparingly. Top goat cheese with salsa and enjoy.

Chilled spiced peach soup. (Recipe courtesy of Canadian Living. Huge hit at the party. While it simmered, I wanted to go swimming in it. No lie.)

Main

Penne alla vodka. (My friend Sean actually took care of this dish, but he used a family recipe. Sorry, all. I was sworn to secrecy, but thanks to the advantage of the Internet, there are thousands of easy-to-make recipes.)

Dessert

Home made crepes with chocolate sauce. (Picked up this recipe while flipping through Julia Child’s cookbook How to Cook. A must-try. My favourite part of the evening was this dessert, because the guests couldn’t wait to be served and we ended up gathering around the stove to eat them while they were still piping hot.)

— Alexandra Christopoulos