Planning Your Perfect Summer Dinner Party

BY LESLIE BOBO PHOTOS BY IGDA WARNER

Summer is almost here and you know what that means — time to wipe down the outdoor furniture, fire up the grills and call your friends, because it’s dinner party season!

There is truly nothing I love more than hosting people at my home for dinner. Afterall, that’s what my blog, The Gathering Page, is based on - bringing people together around really good food. To host a dinner party, you really only need one thing: Great company. I know, I know it’s cliche, but true. That said, if you want to impress your guests, keep reading for some tips, and of course, delicious recipes.

There are some simple things you can do to make a regular dinner party a spectacular dinner party that everyone will adore.

Add Some Pizzazz

• Freeze edible flowers in ice cubes. This is a fun way to add some pizzazz to the beverages served.

• Add name cards to the table. This is certainly not necessary, but will make your guests feel special! It adds a personalized touch.

• Have an arrangement of fresh flowers. Fresh flowers are an inexpensive way to brighten up any space! They are so pretty to keep around, especially in the summer.

Now to get to the good stuff! No dinner party is complete without a menu full of flavorful items. This one is inspired by fresh summer flavors. Think herbs, hints of lemon and summer produce. Let’s get to it!

Appetizer: Mozzarella, Melon & Prosciutto Skewers

If you’ve never had prosciutto with cantaloupe you might think it sounds weird, but just trust me. The sweet and salty mixed with the creaminess of the mozzarella really is the perfect combo. Not to mention, this is so simple to put together. When you are hosting an easy appetizer is the way to go! It will hold your guests over until dinner without adding extra stress to your plate.

Ingredients:

1 cantaloupe cut into bite-size pieces

1 (4 ounce) pack of prosciutto

8-ounce pack mozzarella pearls

Drizzle of reduced balsamic glaze

Fresh basil

Additional: Skewers cut in half or toothpicks

Main Dish: Lemon Parsley Chicken Thighs

Instructions:

Add a fresh basil leaf, small piece of prosciutto (I tear each piece into about three small pieces), a ball of mozzarella and a piece of cantaloupe to a skewer. Drizzle with reduced balsamic glaze. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Again, when hosting, it’s helpful to keep things simple, but that does not mean you have to skimp on the flavor! Chicken thighs are great because they stay tender, whereas chicken breasts are more likely to dry out. The juicy taste and this summer-inspired marinade will certainly impress your guests.

Ingredients:

3 pounds (8) chicken thighs

3 tablespoons. olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons honey

1 shallot sliced thin

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 lemon thinly sliced

Instructions:

Add olive oil, zest of lemon, juice of lemon, garlic, chopped parsley, honey, sliced shallot, salt and pepper to a bowl. Whisk together. Place chicken thighs in a greased casserole dish. Pour marinade over chicken and use hands to make sure it has coated all of the chicken. Place lemon slices on top of chicken. Cover with foil and let marinade in refrigerate at least one hour. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400°F. Remove foil and place casserole dish in oven for 30 minutes. Once done cooking, broil chicken for 3 minutes to crisp the skin; monitor closely to make sure it doesn’t burn. Enjoy!

Side Dish: Parmesan and Asparagus Orzo

For a summer dinner party, I try to include as many fresh flavors as possible. Of course that means lots of summer produce. Pasta dishes are great because they are easy to make and super versatile. You can throw in almost any vegetable you have on hand!

Ingredients:

1 bundle of asparagus

3 tablespoons of unsalted butter

1.5 cup uncooked orzo

2.5 cups vegetable brothh

Salt to taste

3/4 cup fresh shaved parmesan

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil

2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:

Cut the ends off of the asparagus, and then cut the remaining into 1” pieces. Finely chop the basil and cut the tomatoes in half. Heat butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, add the orzo and stir for about one minute. Pour in the vegetable broth and a dash of salt, bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it does not stick to the bottom. Add the asparagus and let simmer for five minutes or until the orzo has absorbed the broth, continuing to stir occasionally. Remove from heat and immediately stir in parmesan, basil, tomatoes and olive oil.

Dessert: Mini Blueberry and Peach Cobblers with Homemade Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

PEACH COBBLER:

1 box of puff pastries (2 puff pastry sheets)

3 peaches

1 cup blueberries

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon melted butter

WHIPPED CREAM:

2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut peaches into bite size pieces, you can peel them if you prefer but I did not. Add peaches, blueberries, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a bowl and mix well.

Let puff pastry thaw at room temp for about 30 minutes. Gently roll out puff pastry sheets on a floured surface and use a pizza cutter to cut each sheet into 9 squares, for a total of 18 squares. Place squares in muffin tin*, lightly pressing down the center. Fill each square with a heaping tablespoon of the fruit mixture. Melt butter and lightly brush the edges of puff pastry. Bake for 17 minutes. Let cool completely before removing from muffin pan. For the whipped cream add the ingredients to a bowl and use a hand mixer to mix for about 5 minutes or until cream is thickened and can form peaks. Serve the cobbler bites with whipped cream on top!

*Note: I recommend using a silicone muffin pan for this recipe. If you use tin, make sure it is greased very well to avoid the puff pastry sticking to the pan.

If you’ve made it this far, you are ready to host an incredible dinner party! If you enjoyed these tips or recipes please let me know.You can find more through my social channels (@gathering.page) or on my website thegatheringpage.com.

Happy hosting!