The taste of summer is having your friends for dinner somewhere outside in your garden or balcony. You do not need much just the below things to make a summer night a splendid success.
- Get inspired by THE COOK BOOK: FORTNUM & MASON by Tom Parker Bowles (Harper Collins) which hold recipes for quiches, Scotch eggs, salads, tea sandwiches, meat pies and sweet pastries, all suitable to enjoy alfresco accompanied by charming illustrations from the company’s archive.
An illustration of the book THE COOK BOOK: FORTNUM & MASON by Tom Parker Bowles (Harper Collins)
- If you do not have a garden or balcony, transform one of your rooms in a Garden Room or have a picnic in your favourite park. If the party is small normally no permission is needed.
- Make your picnic a modernist statement.An outdoor dinner can look easily to busy or even messy. Stay in one colour concept to give it a clean touch that make your guest almost feel like being part of an art installation. Same colour cups, plates, blankets, flowers, and maybe even food.
Wear something compfortable so you can also sit down in the gras. Dress by Horror Vacui, Jewellers Possessions by Piaget, ring, bracelets and necklace
- Use antique flower pots for coolers instead of the usual
champagne or wine chillers. They uplift your drinks and if you put flower blossoms or branches in between the bottles it looks even more festive
- Flowers play an important role. The good thing is that during summer you do not have to invest in expensive flower arrangements. Instead go for a hike in the woods and collect fresh branches with leaves, moss or anything you can find that looks interesting and smells beautifully of summer and nature.
An idea for an outside table setting with mixed glasses and ceramics by Britta Peters
- Serve the meal Family style to make your guests feel at home.
Bring your dishes to the table with serving spoons and have them passed around to serve themselves. It is easier to handle and creates a personal atmosphere.
- Bug Alert! Think of protecting your food from bugs and mosquitos and the heat.
Use tiki torches, citronella candles, fans, and bug-spray to keep them at bay.
- Start the party no later than 6:30 or 7:00, serve lighter food and have enough ice to chill your drinks.
A cold avocado/ cucumber soup is always welcome later during the night and if it looks like a chilly night, make it a hot bell pepper soup and get your fire pit and a few blankets out.
Create an invitation card that gives a theme for the night and put your guests in the mood to celebrate. Card Design and Illustration (c) IRMA, irmasworld - Alfresco is not only a nice idea to entertain your friends during summer. We love to serve drinks outside even in autumn and winter. Light a fire, serve spicy finger food that warms you up from inside and is a perfect contrast to chilled champagne. Then serve dinner inside.
- Make Champagne effortlessly enjoyable and serve it in chilled glasses to food that can be family style cooked, any cheeses and fruits, just anything the season stands for. Times of heavy dinners with champagne are yesterday’s story, especially during summer, you like to keep it deliciously simple.
Just one drink served. We love to accompany the entire dinner with the Blanc de Blanc by Ruinart .
