My Guide to Easy Summer Entertaining
My go-to strategies for fuss-free, truly simple summer gatherings
It’s been a draining few months. Aside from the never-ending onslaught of depressing headlines and general collapse of society unfolding before our very eyes, I was sick with COVID back in May, and have been fighting off a gnarly upper respiratory thing for the last couple of weeks (as have my kids). My mental and physical energy is shot. I’m feeling behind on pretty much everything and my motivation and inspiration is lagging.
Yet, summer is here. It feels like a beloved houseguest just showed up completely unannounced at my doorstep. The house is a mess, the fridge is empty, but I’m so excited to see her that I’m going to make the most of it. And that’s my approach to entertaining this summer - I’m totally unorganized and still re-gaining my social sea legs after 2 consecutive summers of social distancing, but completely hellbent on regularly seeing people and finally feeling normal again.
Needless to say, I’m going to be keeping things simple. The point is togetherness, not an elaborate display of your hosting abilities, so take the pressure off yourself right away and you’ll be much more likely to actually follow through with plans to have people over and - dare I say - enjoy yourself in the process.
These are the things I always have on hand when I entertain a la minute, which is to say, last minute with minimal fuss.
To Drink:
I like setting out seltzers with some juice to mix in (grape juice, cranberry juice, pomegranate juice and tart cherry juice are favorites), along with wedges of lemon and lime. A make-your-own healthy soda bar, if you will.
For the kids, some organic lemonade and 100% juice fruit punch does the trick.
If you’re serving alcohol, I love making a quick Sangria (this recipe is similar to the one I make; which reminds me, I have to write down my recipe for you!) and serving it in a beautiful pitcher (I use this one).
And while I’ve mentioned here and there that cutting back on alcohol has been a wise choice for me (it’s a carcinogen), I still have some wine - I almost always choose reds, but I enjoy some bubbly and rose from time to time. I have been enjoying a bunch of clean crafted Scout & Cellar wines, which are produced without pesticides, harmful additives or added sugars. As a bonus, their entire site is majorly on sale until the end of June, so it’s a great time to try some out! Here are my current warm weather favs:
2020 Gallivant Bubbly White Wine
2020 Conte de la Terre Pinot Noir
To Eat:
Setting out bowls of nuts (try the Rosemary Marcona almonds from Trader Joe’s - addictive) and a platter of fresh, seasonal veggie crudite, creamy hummus and good crackers (I like Rustic Bakery brand, and all Taralli are favs of mine).
A grilled vegetable sandwich bar is, in my opinion, a totally delicious option that should suit all types of eaters. Grill up (or roast) some marinated fresh sliced eggplant, red peppers, portobello mushrooms, and planks of zucchini; arrange on a platter. Have a few choices of spreads for the sandwiches - soft nut cheese (Kite Hill and Treeline are great options), olive tapenade, Calabrian chilis and dairy-free pesto are perfect. Maybe some pickled banana peppers or chopped Giardiniera, and, of course, freshly baked baguettes or Italian rolls (gluten free bread or wraps for those who don’t do wheat), sliced lengthwise and ready to be filled.
A crisp green salad and/or an herby potato salad would pair beautifully with the sandwiches.
For dessert? Fruit salad or watermelon, and cookies (this recipe is my fav). Simple and classic.
The decor:
I love LED cafe lights to string outside, and maybe a big vase of sunflowers for the buffet or dinner table.
French stripe tablecloths are casual yet chic, and will never go out of style.
There are amazing options for outdoor dinnerware now - I really like these and these.
Tiki torches are pretty, and help keep the bugs away.
Misc.
If you can set out some outdoor games - like cornhole, or a croquet set - it makes the night even more festive.
Light a fire pit and set out vegan marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate after dinner for another simple dessert idea.
If you have a projector and screen (or huge white sheet), set it up for a late night al fresco movie night.
Sparklers can make any night more festive - they’re not just for the 4th of July and weddings! Set some out, but carefully supervise the kiddos and dispose of them properly (they can be toxic/harmful to wildlife and pets if ingested).