entertaining

may 2004

Late spring is a wonderful time to entertain outdoors when it's finally warm enough to enjoy the gardens. This year I decided to invite friends for a casual buffet. The table will be set under a tree so the food will be shaded during the hot noon sun. The tablecloth I'm using is an antique of sorts, dating back to the 1950s that I kept of my mother's. The heavy pottery dishes were popular in the early 80s. The centerpiece was easy-a bunch of non-culinary herbs, and wild flowers that I was thinning out of the flowerbeds.

Everything will be casual, with most people sitting at the various patio tables I have around the yard and near the spa. For the entrée, I chose a meat loaf. It's easy to make and I don't know anyone who doesn't love a really good one; this rendition is delicious. I'm serving it with slices of beefsteak tomatoes I'd picked up from a nearby farm stand and a pungent sauce made with arugula. The pasta salad uses Swiss chard and the first of the season's basil. All of the recipes are for six portions, but it would be easy to bake two or three veal loaves and increase the pasta salad to accommodate a crowd. Dessert is a simple combination of watermelon and fresh berries. Iced tea will be welcomed by everyone, but for those who wish a wine, I'll serve an imported Pinot Grigio. Lunch in the Garden   Veal Loaf with Sliced Tomatoes and Arugula Sauce Easy Pasta Salad Compote of Watermelon and Berries (for the recipes, click on the recipe name above) FTG