We didn’t start our summer entertaining until August this year, and it seems we will still be working on it through September. Each year I like to share my summer plein air entertaining recipes, with a hidden agenda: I want to hear yours! My criteria for entertaining: it MUST be make-ahead, delicious, and preferably easy. So I’m a bit late this year, well really late, but here goes:
First the l'entrée (starter): My best summer party trick is: a split bowl of soups! This is a really pretty presentation, and it’s easy. Make gazpacho and cucumber soup in the blender–see below for the how to.
For the main dish (le plat): I’ve been making a lot of composed salads, with steak or chicken sliced on a bed of lettuce with interesting vegetables, and with that I pass French Dressing #1 and maybe a béarnaise mayonnaise. But if you want to really wow, try this roulade of beef stuffed with herbed pesto, by David Tanis. The trick to getting this right is to cut the meat properly. My butcher didn’t understand until I showed him the detailed photos included in the article—then he understood right away and it was perfect (Photo, Karstan Moran, NYT).
Le plâteau de fromage (cheese platter): I serve the usual French plâteau of cheeses which is de rigeur here after a meal, but I added a bowl of pimento cheese (recipe here), to introduce it to the expats and the French.
Le dessert: I’m very lazy about dessert, because I figure in summer, what could I make that would be better than ice cream and fruit? I’ve been layering fresh peaches with ice cream and crushed amaretto cookies, plus a swirl of whipped cream on top and some toasted almonds.
Et maintenant, c’est a vous! Your turn to share your summer menus, and I hope you will. I’ve got a few more parties to give yet!
RECIPE: Duo of Summer Soups
Here's the trick: 
Put both gazpacho and cucumber soup in small pitchers. Pour each into opposite sides of a soup bowl at the same time. Garnish with chives, and you’re done! It seems magic. I think it works best if both soups have roughly the same viscosity, as these do (Thanks Joan, for the photo!).
For the gazpacho, I make Alix Rico's gazpacho, it's super. My very simple cucumber soup recipe is below. Sorry, I don't really measure–no need!
Peel a large cucumber and slit it longways into quarters. Slice off the seeds. Cut into smaller pieces. Put a few pieces in a blender with 1/2 cup of chicken broth (homemade is best!), the juice of a lemon, and a quarter of a smallish red, white, or vidalia onion, or whole scallions. Add a generous pinch of sea salt and ground pepper and a few large basil leaves (or dill, or parsley, or a combo). Blend until smooth. Add remaining cucumber, and more chicken broth as needed until it's the thickness you want. Add a couple of tablespoons of creme fraiche or sour cream, if you like it creamy. Taste to correct seasoning. Of course you can keep going with more cukes and broth, if you have a crowd.
Here's another starter idea: Keep it really simple and colorful with a groaning platter of summer tomaotes and crudités.
In a final note, our hearts go out to our fellow Americans in Texas and Louisiana who are still caught up in Harvey's mess. Been through Hurricane Hugo, we feel your pain, but this is much worse, and we wish you a speedy recovery.
In the COMMENTS: Check out the comments for more great country restaurants. Paula knows one in the Indre; Jane, we love L'Estaminet and Linda, as you know we now love L'Embellie as well!
Favorite READS: Thanks to several readers who told me about Louise Penny,
7 thoughts on “Party Time, Late Summer Edition”
A lovely barbecue dish is butterflied leg of lamb which you marinate in natural yoghurt, garlic and fresh ginger.
I cut the leg into two so it cooks more quickly.
Leave the butterflied leg in the ‘fridge overnight in its marinade and take out to come to room temperature before barbecuing.
Delicious and different.
Question: How do you keep your peaches from getting black after you peel them? I can’t imagine you’re peeling and preparing them for the dessert just before serving them.
This looks fabulous and I will definitely add it to my repertoire. I usually fall back on Vichysoisse and my version of Salade Nicoise (which looks beautiful on a large platter: lettuces in the middle and then on the perimieter, small red potatoes, Green and Black olives, hard oiled egg segments, Italian tuna fish, cherry tomatoes,haricots verts). I make a delicious salad dressing to be poured on by guests of mayo, garlic, paremsan cheese, a binch of tarragon, some dijon mustard mixed together and then the oil. All done ahead of time. My desserts vary but they can be done ahead of time, even if it’s a fruit tart or a cheese cake.
I adored Suite Francaise (no sedilla on my PC) and love the pitcher-pouring idea! Brilliant. One of my favourite summer foods (because my neighbour gives me little Mona Lisa pommes de terre right out of his organic garden is Suzanne’s Potato salad, served tepid. Bring a kilo of little new potatoes to a simmer in well-salted water and cook until soft. Drain and add 1 sweet Cevenne onion, chopped fine, a small bunch of cilantro, chopped fine,2 hard-boiled eggs chopped coarse, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons of moutarde a l’ancienne, a handful of chopped grilled walnuts or almonds, and enough mayonnaise to bind nicely. Salt and pepper, of course, to taste. It’s the grainy mustard that is really the trick.
I also LOVE flattened chicken or turkey breasts, sautéed quickly in olive oil, just until cooked and still tender (save the juices) and a tonnato sauce over them in a wide serving dish: 2 cans Belle Isle white tuna in oil, 3/4 cup olive oil, the juice from the chicken, 3 tablespoons of capers, juice of a large lemon, a small spoon of grated sweet onion, salt and pepper. Blend until very smooth, like hummus. Spread over meats and chill. Decorate with capers.
I’m drooling into my computer–have to go make the crepes for crepes avec fruits de mer…..
I can’t believe you never made your own pimiento cheese. We always did! My recipe is simpler: just cheese (I prefer white cheddar – sharp), mayo,a small jar of pimiento, a tad of cayenne and a little honey to take away the bitterness of the pimiento. Only about a tsp of honey for 8 oz of cheese. We never ever used cream cheese. To mash it up, I’ve found that a pastry blender works great.
Pimiento cheese was a staple of our picnics when I was a child, often served alongside home fried chicken. YUM.
Lynn,the only thing more wonderful than these fantastic recipes (oh!your Duo of Summer Soups!)is your gorgeous table!
Wow!
What I’ve been doing works well both in Summer for plein air dining(I make the day before),and also a la table for chilly evenings.Really good either hot or cold,(cold sliced prettily on a platter,surrounded by your favorite garni,olives,drained artichoke hearts,potato wedges, whatever.)
Chicken Cordon Bleu(pounded chicken cutlets filled with thin slice of jambon,wedge of cheese,then rolled up,dipped in egg,bread crumbs,and fried till golden,then drained on paper towels.
Accompanied by ratatouille.(also can be made ahead and served cold)
For dessert:Eaton Mess(Broken up meringue,mixed with sweetened whipped cream and layered with fresh raspberries in glasses.)
We are sharing your thoughts and adding additional prayers for the flood victims.
Thanks so much for the reminder about the books! I went to the library right away and checked out a Bruno book, a Louise Penny book and Suite Francaise. I just finished with Bruno – loved, loved it! – and am about to begin the Penny book. I will be reading more of Bruno for sure and anticipate the same with the L. Penny books. Looking forward to Suite Francaise, too.
Thank you for the lovely recipes Lynn. Your beautiful table is magazine worthy!