There is nothing better than having unexpected fun. The reality is that it takes a little planning to pull together a dinner party with old and new friends from around the country. Sometimes you plan and plan, but things don’t come together. With a little planning and a little luck you can get a magical evening like we had September 30th 2018.
To have a dinner al fresco in the middle of Manhattan is special by itself. To be eating dinner amongst the rooftops, with the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building in the background, is better than special.
(A special setting with Susan, Tom, Mary, Amanda, Paul, Mike, Sophie, Adam, and Amy)
New York City is different today. I went to Business School in the city back in the 1970’s. Everyone and everything was old. Today it seems that everyone is young and there is a whole lot that is new. If it isn’t new, it is under construction. My buddy Ron and his wife Amy live in Chelsea near the meatpacking district. Where there used to be empty warehouses, today Google has offices everywhere and the bustle of the new economy surrounds.
What made the evening particularly fun was the combination of old and new friends. Ron was my college roommate and Tom was my roommate from Business School. To say we are old friends is an understatement. Providing balance were Ron and Amy’s children. As young professionals, they are at the cornerstone of what is fun in the new world today and it was particularly fun to get their perspectives on food and socializing with friends over a meal.
(College and Business School buddies; Tom, Paul and Ron with our significant others)
The unexpected piece was getting Tom and Mary to join us at the last minute. The book Impromptu Friday Nights is named after the unplanned dinner parties we used to have in Memphis where we called friends at 3 pm on a Friday afternoon and 9 times out of 10, everyone showed up at 7 pm. This dinner party had been planned, but getting Tom and Mary came about from a call at 10 am that same day. The unexpected addition made things particularly fun.
The theme for the menu was “Hamptons Harvest” that came about from the fact that we spent the two days prior in Westhampton NY. When you say New York to non-New Yorkers, people think Manhattan and skyscrapers. What most don’t know is that there are all kinds of farms in New York. The summertime harvest in New York is spectacular. If I ever wanted to become a vegetarian, I would start in August in New York, because the fresh vegetables and fruit are spectacular.
Check out the video
A vegetarian twist to this menu is the use of pickled vegetables. We had eaten at my friends restaurant, Raven & Lily in Collierville TN, the week prior and chef Justin Young loves pickled vegetables. Using freshly pickled vegetables as Accoutrements, instead of dairy was a fun way to keep the offering vegan and Kosher.
The pickling part was simple and fun. I bought canning jars and filled one with sliced red onion and a second with small cucumbers, radishes, cauliflower and mini red orange and yellow peppers. Then I filled the jars with pickling liquid. (See Pickling Recipe)
The menu for the evening included:
Hamptons Harvest Menu
(Click on hot links for recipes)
Antipasti
First Course
- Summer Greens with Vinaigrette & Garlic Croutons
Main Course
- Roasted Beets With Pickled Vegetables
- Grilled Portabella Mushrooms With Truffle/Balsamic Glaze
- Eggplant Confit with Tomato Concassé
- Poached New Potatoes with Herbs and Vinaigrette
- Blanched Asparagus With Grill Roasted Corn
- Heirloom Beefsteak Tomatoes With Basil Pesto
- Asian Marinated Sirloin Strips
- Grilled Peaches With Sweet Chili Sauce & Balsamic Glaze
Desserts
- Blueberry Lemon Cake
- Triple Chocolate Brownies
Ron and Amy were gracious hosts. Amy was very brave to let me take over her kitchen. Ron served up some fantastic wines from a wonderful white Burgundy to one of our favorites, a 2006 BV Tapestry. It is amazing how far we have come. Back in the 1970’s we were connoisseurs of Budweiser, Genee Cream Ale and sparkling rose. Today we were enjoying wines from Ron’s extensive collection. To quote one of my favorite Iles-isms; “Go big or stay home”. It was an amazing evening that with a little planning and a little luck became truly memorable.
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