July 29, 2012 Garden Party - Mediterranean Potluck

July 29, 2012  Garden Party – Mediterranean Potluck

We decided to have a Garden Party now that the new raised beds in our back yard are finished and planted.   So we invited about 25 folks and suggested they bring something Mediterranean.  The party worked out really well and everyone had fun.  We set up the ping pong table on the patio and I marinated three boneless legs of lamb from Costco ($4.99/lb.) for 1 1/2 days in red wine, rosemary and garlic.  I should have added a little olive oil, but did not this time and the lamb had a decidedly winy flavor instead of that usual oily flavor.  I prefer the winy flavor, but understand the need to use olive oil in the marinade to carry the flavor of the spices into the meat.

I also made a bucket of Tabouli (#2 Bulghar wheat, tomatoes, green onions, mint and parsley, olive oil and lemon juice and a little salt).  I soak the Bulghar wheat until it swells up and will not take any more water.  Then I strain off most of the water off and then add lemon juice and olive oil and then the other ingredients.  Then let it sit for an hour or two to allow the flavors to mix.  

Everyone brought wonderful dishes.  There was not a sad looking thing on the table. The dishes included in no particular order: polenta made fresh in our kitchen by Harry Weil, baked faro with cherries and pistachios by Nancy and Cliff Blaugrund, a lovely fresh spinach lasagna made by Max Aragon and Jane Phillips, homemade dolmas by Janice and Tom Lafontaine, a wonderful dish of Spanakopita made by Jim Graff and Diane Souder, a dish of moussaka made by Jennifer Bean, fruit salad made by Annie Weil, a watermelon and feta cheese salad and Tsasiki made by Cynthia Elliott and Ricardo Guillermo.  Desserts included a fresh apricot tart made by Barry and Kylene Wing, a chocolate mocha cake from Trader Joe’s brought by Wayne and Elaine Chew, Turkish cookies stuffed with almonds and a platter of dried dates and apricots made by Susan and Charlie Palmer.

Everyone brought wine and I did not keep track of the wine because we simply put out ice chests with ice in them and told folks to put white in one and beer and red wine in the other chest and filled a table with glasses, so folks could pour and fill their own glasses.

We set up four 6 foot long tales next to our new raised beds and placed a cushion on the 16 inch edge of the bed that we had designed for seating and placed the tables next to that edge in the graveled pathway and then chairs on the other side of the tables so we could easily fit 25 to 30 folks.

I am sure I left out several dishes and folks, but it was a haze of food and wine and I loved it and I think others did also, because I received many thank you notes.

Bon Appétit