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INDIAN SUMMER SOIREE
September’s warm weather gives us one last opportunity to throw an alfresco party before autumn’s chill forces us indoors. Invite friends over for a casual dinner party that will make everyone savor both the warmth of the outdoors and your hospitality.
SETTING THE SCENE
Indian Summer Color Palette
Just as vibrant summer colors give way to more autumnal hues, adapt your color palette to incorporate the change of season. Take your cue from Mother Nature and start with a single seasonal color, such as peach, and use complementary shades like deep orange, yellow and khaki. Or pick a single seasonal flower as your inspiration, like sunflowers, and use various shades of yellow for your entire color scheme.
Peach Candle Holders
Use late-summer peaches as an inexpensive way to make your dinner table twinkle. Cut a firm peach in half and remove the pit. With the cut side of the peach on a flat surface, use a melon baller or grapefruit knife to carve a half circle in the domed center of the peach half, just large enough to hold a tea light. Insert tea lights (with their thin metal cover) into the carved center and gently press until it is flush with the flesh of the peach. Place peach candle holders on a long rectangular tray for a rustic centerpiece, or on individual bread plates in front of each place setting for a more formal look.
Sunflower Plates
Use large late-summer sunflowers to perk up a simple dessert. Cut the head of sunflowers from their stems and rinse the heads under cold water (use organic sunflowers, when available). Place sunflowers on small plates to use in place of a plate charger. Place individual glass bowls in the center of each sunflower and fill with lemon sorbet or ice cream.
Hip Tips
Instead of a tablecloth, use kraft or butcher paper to cover your table. It’s a rustic look that works well for casual alfresco dining. If kids are in attendance, put out some crayons or markers so they can draw on the paper.
Use late-summer/early-fall flowers to decorate your table. Zinnias and dahlias are two varieties that are available in September and come in a wide variety of colors.
Ornamental grasses, available at many flower shops and craft stores, are a great alternative to fresh flowers and complement an Indian summer theme. Display them in tall, clear glass vases.
MENU
Use this opportunity to fire up your grill one last time before covering it up for the season. A simple, rustic grill menu is the way to go. Figs, pears, peaches, plums, tomatoes, spinach, squash and potatoes are all at their peak this time of year. Try to incorporate some of these fruits and veggies into your menu to savor the flavor of the season.
Indian Summer Menu
Fig and goat cheese crostini*
Late-summer tomato salad*
Feta and oregano grilled zucchini*
Guinness burgers*
Orzo pasta salad*
Grilled stone fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines) with cinnamon and vanilla bean ice cream
Hip Tips
Serve Prosecco, an Italian dry sparkling wine, with your appetizer. Prosecco is generally less expensive than champagne and equally as festive. Garnish the glasses with a ripe peach slice or raspberries skewered on toothpicks.
A casual appetizer works well for an Indian summer party. Set out a tray or cutting board filled with fresh figs, dried apricots, chunks of Parmesan cheese, whole-grain crackers, olives and slices of prosciutto for guests to snack on while you prepare the grill.
*Recipes are available at www.hiphostess.wordpress.com.
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