hey hey hey paaaarty!

Last weekend we celebrated the beginning of summer with dear friends by hosting an easy-going, picnic-food, backyard party. It was a blast!

And let me tell you, being a veggie lover in the summer is simply bliss. It's so dang easy to create wonderful food for your friends since everything is so fresh. If you are thinking about hosting a party for friends - herbivores or omnivores - here's some ideas, all of which I've already talked about here (click on the links for recipes). So let me just pull the details together for you.

The night before our gathering, I created these beauties. Big fun to put together and so pretty:

 

I drizzled with olive oil, covered with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to stay fresh until we were ready to grill. Then, once over the hot coals, I drizzled with the pineapple/olive oil glaze. Fabulously yummy!

Also on the night before, I created a big bowl of citrus orzo pasta salad. It's so refreshing and a great compliment to the smoky, hot stuff from the grill.

And, just before everyone arrived, I chopped up a big bunch of colorful new potatoes, sprinkled with olive oil and fresh rosemary, and started them roasting in the oven. I do like potatoes on the grill, but to make a large amount it takes too dang long to cook and takes up so much space on the grill. Roasting in the oven is so simple and I can pretty much ignore them while I have fun goofing around with my friends until dinner.

My sweetie got cookin' at the grill and sizzled up burgers, veggie and otherwise. (These friends of ours are so great, they even brought their own meat!) We provided buns, cheese, toppings, etc.

I put out some fresh veggies and tzatiki dip plus cute little pretzel balls for everyone to snack on while the grill stuff cooked. Our friends brought over more veggie side dishes, loads of gorgeous fresh fruit, and tasty little desserts to round out our feast. Wonderful.

Beyond the fabulous food, just time together enjoying the evening, watching the kiddos run around in the yard with bubbles, rolling a few bocce balls, and lounging on the patio was wonderful. We ate and laughed and talked until way after the sun had set. Perfect. What summer is all about.

encore

It was a long and arduous day at work yesterday, so being outside in the evening was extra delicious. Having leftover citrus orzo pasta awaiting us in the fridge was a fabulous treat. (It really does seem to get better after an extra day of chilling.) Encore, I say!

The grill beckoned on the patio . . . so when I asked my sweetie if he would like to cook us up some burgers (veggie and otherwise) to go with the pasta salad, the man got moving! So fast that I hardly had time to create the additional side dish I had been dreaming of: veggie kabobs. But, with some speedy action, I got this on the grill:

 

As you can see, I didn't have time for a lot of variety. I just chopped up some sweet peppers and skewered them alternately with pineapple. I improvised a quick glaze to drizzle on to prevent the goodies from drying out and getting too charred.

 

Thankfully, it was delicious! It's just extra virgin olive oil whisked together with reserved pineapple juice, garlic, and a dash of sea salt.

A few minutes later, we had a savory, citrusy, delicious dinner ready to go. The true beauty of outdoor cooking in the summer. I. Love. It.

just as they are

So, I'm sitting in the waiting room of my doctor's office yesterday and in walks this elderly woman. I actually should say, in marches this elderly woman. She was an eye-catcher: red velvet pants, red high heels, black leather jacket, red furry earmuffs over platinum blond hair, teased way up. Wow! But, it gets better. She plants herself in front of the reception desk and belts out her name with a volume that woke everyone up - and there actually were two people snoozing in the lobby. (It was a great name, too. Fit her perfectly!) Once checked in, she took a chair up front and began rummaging around in her giant red (of course) purse. It sounded like she had pots and pans in there with all of the clanging going on. Then, she pulled out a huge bottle, whipped off those earmuffs, and began spraying herself with a fog of some perfume that I couldn't identify, but smelled thickly floral with perhaps a hint of cotton candy. A carnival-scented cloud hovered over the entire lobby.

I was riveted with this entrance. Everyone else was staring, too. How could you not?!? My first thought was, "Am I in the middle of some sort of performance art?" But as I watched her settle in to wait, seemingly unaware of the attention she had drawn to herself, I realized, this is just who she is. She's just being herself. Dang. It made me laugh inside and also marvel at her moxie. Wouldn't it be refreshing if we ALL showed our true selves to the world, velvet pants (if that's your thing) and all?

Okay, you've read this far. Probably you are wondering what this has to do with vegetarian cooking. I honestly do have a connection here and it has to do with salad dressing. Really.

I love veggies. Organic ones especially. I love their taste, scent, texture, and multitude of colors. And, I especially love them just as they are. Being themselves. Not covered up with globs of salad dressing (akin to stinky perfume, in my opinion) that masks their true flavor. Now I grew up with a wide selection of dressings in the fridge and still do enjoy a nice balsamic vinaigrette. But, for fresh salads that just shine with simple deliciousness, this is my dressing recipe:

Simple Deliciousness Dressing

drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil
squirt of fresh lemon juice
sprinkle of herbs, fresh or dried** (I love basil, oregano, dill, thyme, you name it)

Create your dream salad. Put everything you love, or like, or are willing to give a try, into your favorite bowl. Make it pretty. Then, drizzle, squirt, and sprinkle right on top and enjoy.

I dare you to to enjoy vegetables just as they beautifully are, without covering them up. Put on some something red and channel the chutzpah of the woman above if you need a kick to get started. :)

 

**And, if you are seeking excellent dried herbs to flavor your meals, let me recommend Penzey's Spices. This gem in downtown OP is a sensory treat to visit. You can sniff away from glass jars and find all kids of great recipes, too. Plus, with their inexpensive prices, you can go a little wild trying new things.

 

Have fun!