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Create your theme with your table setting

Summer is a great time to have friends and family over for dinner. I have designed this summer dinner party to be easy and affordable, but result in a show-stopping and delicious summer dinner party. It is designed so that you can be prepared ahead of your guests’ arrival and be able to enjoy your party outside of the kitchen while still serving a fabulous meal.

Great parties happen when you are relaxed and enjoying yourself because your guests will relax, laugh, enjoy and have a wonderful evening along with you. This is easy to achieve with just a little preparation and I have provided two checklist documents below that will keep you on track. At the end of this post simply click on the Grocery Shopping List and the Party Planning Schedule and Timeline to help get your party organized.

Don’t be intimidated by the length of this post, this is a simple dinner – I just wanted to ensure you have lots of ideas to help you get excited.

Theme – Keep it simple, make it beautiful

Make your summer party a casual outdoor theme – if you don’t have outdoor space then bring the outdoors inside with greenery or flowers for your table decorations.

I believe truly memorable parties appeal to all the senses – sight, smell, sound, touch and taste! Check out my tips and Ideas.

  • If you are going to be outside make sure there are plenty of seats that include some shade with an umbrella. Put blankets in a container by the table so people will linger, but be comfortable.
  • Set the table with beautiful flowers. I like to go with one variety and arrange them in several vases along the centre of the table. If you have a round table, make a round flower centre piece. Make sure your vases or flower arrangements are no higher that 10 inches so that when everyone is seated your guests can see over the flowers when they are visiting with everyone.
  • Include Lanterns or lighting around your table or patio.
  • Use your imagination when choosing table linens and place settings. Look around your house for great ideas, such as rich fabric, tea towels, scarves, mirrors, trays, art objects. Let your imagination run free, but keep it simple and tasteful.
  • Candles create a cozy, warm, inviting atmosphere, fragrant candles can transform the room, but keep them in the bathroom or entrance way and not on the dining table. You don’t want them competing with your dinner.
  • Music is the ultimate mood maker, so create a playlist or select a music channel that is upbeat, but not overwhelming. After dinner light jazz goes well with dessert!
  • Name tags are just plain fun and really give the effect of letting your guest know they have been thought of and are welcome. I often purchase small gifts or favourite sweets put in little sachets and add a name tag around them as a nice surprise. Including a flower sprig on each guests plate with a name tag is fun, as well!
Flowers make a garden dinner party special

Menu

Appetizer Platter – Fancy Potato Chips – Warm Olives and Nuts
Tomato Burrata Salad – Herb Green Salad
Prawn Skewers – Orzo with Feta with crusty bread
Chocolate Mousse Cake

Drinks

Sparking Water – Spa Water – White Wine Sangria – Beer – Red and White Wine – Cocktails of your choice!

Use mirrors to make a stunning place setting!

Planning Schedule

Month before Party

  1. Plan your date
  2. Invite Guests (check whether they have any allergies)
  3. Plan your theme -extra touches – flowers – setting

Week before Party

  1. Create Menu – Or use this one!
  2. Prepare Shopping List – Our shopping list is included
  3. Stock up on drinks and put them in the refrigerator
  4. Stock up on pantry items on the shopping list
  5. Double check table setting needs, linens, tableware, silverware
  6. Select the music for your party – maybe make a playlist

Day Before Party

  1. Clean your home and add special touches in your bathroom (guest towels, flowers, candles)
  2. Shop for your fresh grocery items
  3. Prepare your dessert
  4. Prepare Orzo with Feta
  5. Prepare fruit ice cubes – put berries in ice cube trays with water – freeze.

Day of Party

  1. Set your table in the morning
  2. Set up your appetizer and bar station
  3. Pepare the Tomato and green salads
  4. Prepare the grilled prawns

Day of Party Timetable

The Dinner Party!

  • 11:00 pm Set Table and double check the bathroom
  • 12:00 pm Enjoy a nice lunch (not too much wine) and put your party clothes out to change into later
  • 1:30 pm Prepare salads and put on serving trays – refrigerate
  • 2:30 pm Prepare prawns – set in baking dish for last minute baking
  • 3:00 Set up appetizer and bar station
  • 3:30 Prepare dessert tray – coffee/tea cups, sugar/cream, dessert plates, forks, napkins.
  • 4:30 Get dressed for the party
  • 5:30 Decant wine and put it on the dining table
  • 6:00 Take orzo and prawn dishes out of the refrigerator and let them come up to room temperature
  • 6:00 One guest will arrive early…so expect it!
  • 6:15 Put ice in glasses and add cold drinks to the bar station -warm appetizers (nuts, olives, chips)
  • 6:30 Guests arrive – offer drinks from bar station
  • 6:30 Add appetizers to bar station to serve guests
  • 6:30 Chat and visit
  • 6:45 Turn oven on to preheat to 350.
  • 6:55 Put Salad on table – put orzo in oven
  • 7:15 Put bread in oven to warm
  • 7:15 Change oven setting to grill put prawns under grill for 10 minutes – keep watch
  • 7:25 Guest come to table
  • 7:30 Dinner is served
  • 9:00 Put coffee on and serve dessert tray

Appetizer and Bar Station

Recipes: The Appetizer Platter

Fancy Chips or Potato Chips topped with Smoked Salmon
Warm Marinated Olives
Warm Roasted Nuts

Fancy Chips – (Just like the nice hotel bars serve.) Put chips on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper, warm them in a 300 degree oven for a couple of minutes and serve immediately.

Chips topped with Smoked Salmon

  • 1 large bag Kettle Chips
  • Smoked Salmon
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon dill, chopped fine

DIRECTIONS

  1. Top the chips with smoked salmon and a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche. Garnish with capers, lemon zest and dill.
  2. Transfer to a serving platter.

Marinated Olives

Ingredients

  • 1 cup olives, Picholine and Cerignola green olives
  • 2 teaspoons of lemon zest
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon herb de Provence
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  1. Take the olives out of their brine and rinse.
  2. Put the olives into a sauté pan and toss with the lemon zest, fennel seeds, herbs, and olive oil.
  3. Add a little water and warm the marinated olives gently over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Spoon into a bowl.
  5. Heat them just before serving, and make sure you put another small dish nearby for the pits.

Roasted Almonds

  • 3 cups almonds
  • 1 cup pepitas (pumkin seeds)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped rosemary
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 275°F.
  2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients.
  4. Gently toss until everything is well mixed.
  5. Spread the nuts and rosemary on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
  6. Stir the nuts and return them to the oven for 10 more minutes.
  7. If their centers are golden brown they are done; if the nuts still need more time, stir them and return them to the oven, checking every 5 minutes or so. You want them to roast fully, careful not to burn.
  8. I usually find 30 minutes is about right.

Recipes: Dinner and Dessert

Tomato Burrata Salad

Ingredients

  • 4 large organic heirloom tomatoes
  • 4 organic red tomatoes
  • 1 shallot, chopped fine
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 cups of burrata cheese (two large balls)
  • 2 tablespoons basil leaves, chopped
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. Slice the tomatoes and put them on a serving platter.
  2. Sprinkle over the chopped shallots.
  3. Salt and pepper tomatoes to season well.
  4. Pour the olive oil and lemon juice over the tomatoes.
  5. Let the tomatoes sit for at least two hours – put them in the fridge for the last 20 minutes so that they are cold when you serve them.
  6. Just before serving sprinkle the salad with large pieces of burrata cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped basil.
  7. Serve!

Green Herb Salad

Ingredients

  • Mixed Greens
  • Mint
  • Basil
  • Lemon zest
  • Salad Dressing: Lemon, olive oil, Dijon Mustard, salt and pepper.

Preparation

  1. Mix together greens, mint and basil in a large salad bowl.
  2. Mix together salad dressing: lemon, olive oil, Dijon Mustard, salt and pepper – mix until emulsified.
  3. Toss greens with salad dressing, top with lemon zest.

Grilled Prawns

Grilled Prawns

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 1/2 pounds medium prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 2 lemons, thinly sliced and halved
  • 1 green pepper, cubed
  • 1 red onion,  quartered
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preparation – Marinade

  1. In a saucepan add olive oil, butter, stir in lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme, chili flakes and basil, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Prepare the Prawns

  1. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
  2. Thread prawns, lemon halves, onion, green pepper, tomatoes onto skewers. Place skewers on to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with half of the olive oil marinade mixture.
  3. Place on baking dish and refrigerate until ready to cook.
  4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
  5. Add remaining marinade and bake in oven just until pink and firm and cooked through about 6 minutes.

Orzo with Tomatoes and Feta

Orzo with Feta and Tomatoes

Ingredients

  • 300 grams or 11 oz of uncooked Orzo
  • 2 cups Cherry tomatoes cut in half
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 cups fresh cleaned spinach
  • 1/2 teaspoon herb de provence
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
  • 8 oz. Feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons basil
  • 1 cup chopped kalamata olives
  • 1 cup pinenuts
  • 6 tablespoons Olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Butter

Preparation

  1. In a pot of boiling salted water cook Orzo according to the directions on the package. Set aside.
  2. In a skillet, heat love oil and butter. Sauté onion, garlic till soft. Add herbs and chilli flakes. Add tomatoes and spinach. Cook for four minutes.
  3. Add the cooked Orzo and olives and stir until combined.
  4. Place in a oven proof baking dish. Top with crumbled cheese and pine nuts.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and refridgerate.
  6. An hour before dinner take out of the oven to bring to room temperature.
  7. Remove plastic wrap and cover with tin foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Dessert Station

On a platter or tray set up your dessert station so that you can conveniently present dessert and coffee after dinner. On a tray put, coffee/tea cups, dessert plates, cream and sugar, dessert forks, napkins. Just before serving add mousse cake and truffles.

Dessert – Cocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients

  • 3 cup heavy cream
  • 12 ounce dark chocolate 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 1 pinch salt 
  • 2 Tbsp white sugar
  • Fruit for garnish

Preparation

  1. Prepare two days before your party.
  2. Combine 1 cup cream, chocolate, vanilla extract, and salt, in the top of a double boiler. Heat until chocolate is fully melted and mixture is smooth.
  3. Pour chocolate mixture into a bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
  4. In a large bowl, beat 2 cups chilled cream with 1 Tbsp. sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Pour mixture into spring form pan.
  5. Chill pie at least 4 hours before serving. Prior to serving, beat 1 cup cream with 1 Tbsp sugar. Beat until stiff, then pipe onto top of pie with a star tip, or place a spoonful on top of each slice.  Garnish with fruit.

Grocery Shopping List

Party Planning Schedule and Timeline