A Little End of Summer Soiree.

A Little End of Summer Soiree

Last weekend I hosted an impromptu pool party/gathering at my house. It was a long weekend, the sun was shining (but it wasn’t humid!)… the perfect sort of Sunday for having friends over. It winded up being 11 of us, which is the perfect sized crowd for my backyard. It is a smaller space; I’d say that the pool comfortably seats 12-14 people and the yard can feel a little cramped with more than 15 people.

I was proud of how my snacks turned out and I made a pretty little spread. When I have people over for a pool day I like to keep the food and bar inside (flies, heat!), and let people make a plate and bring it outside.

PS – I get a lot of questions around entertaining and am trying to be better about documenting little parties like this that I host. Everything is housed under my “entertaining” category! Most recently I had a little Apéro hour and also a yummy tinned fish board.

Product Sources:

• Tablecloth (also used in my Thanksgiving tablescape!)
• Glass Cake Stand (tart)
• Round Pink Platter (bruschetta dip)
• Round Malachite Platter* (crostini)
• Oblong Green Platter (salad)
• Gold Pepper Mill
• Green Marble Enamelware (salad plates, bowls)
• Silver spoons and serving utensils: passed down from my mom
• Silver plates: passed down from my mom
• Small glass bowl for parmesan cheese

*They sadly don’t make this Dior malachite china anymore but I was able to build a full collection by scouring eBay, Etsy, etc.!

Tomato Tart with Garlic and Capers

I can’t stop making Alison Roman’s tomato tart with garlic and capers. This was twice in two weeks! It is SO good and the easiest to make. If you are a fellow tomato lover, this is a must!

This was my second time making the tart. I added just a little more butter to the crust this time as last time it felt slightly dry. Also my dad’s tip was to fry the capers in a little olive oil until they split. Then let them cool and chop them up. A small chef’s touch!

Bruschetta Dip

I don’t know if we’ve talked about Grossy Pelosi’s Bruschetta Dip (from his cookbook, Let’s Eat!) before, but it is a favorite! It is actually reasonably healthy. The base is Greek yogurt. My favorite little trick from this recipe is to rub the crostini with garlic after you bake them. It’s a fun little touch that makes a difference!

Spring Peas Salad

We had to round things out with a salad, so I made Alison Roman’s Spring Peas with anchovys, lemons, and radishes. This was from her Dining In cookbook, which is one of my most used cookbooks. Some pages are falling out. This was my first time making this one. Honestly, this was good but I’ve made better salads. I do really love the dressing though; I’ll absolutely be making that again.

Drink Bar

Since we were out at the pool most of the day, I set up the bar in a way that would make it easy for everyone to mix their own drink.

• My tray (not an antique) came from Ellie Proctor Antiques. You can DM her to purchase one (that is what I did!!)
• For liquor, I always have tequila, vodka, mezcal, gin, Aperol, and a fun aperitif (like this Strawberry Solstice from Veso, so yummy!) or two for making spritzes.
• I use lots of club soda as a mixer. (I never find that the other mixers get used, so I have stopped buying them.)
• A bottle of Ghia for my NA friends. The new Orange Blossom Strawberry Fizz is divine.
• Little silver (well, stainless steel) bowls with cut-up lemons and limes.
• An ice bucket filled with ice, plus pretty silver tongs for the ice.
• Not pictured is a big ice bucket filled with beers and seltzer, with room for opened wine bottles.

A little plate of happiness.

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