Your Foolproof Summer Entertaining Guide

Our days are growing shorter, teachers are heading back to school, and it is time to savor the remainder of summer.  What better way to sop up the smoky flavors and simply prepared sides than with a cookout - and maybe a thick slice of fresh bread.  Cookouts have a special appeal.  The sides can be prepared in advance, leaving just the meat to prepare in the heat of the moment, the man's job, of course.  This leaves you, the hostess, unusually idle and able to enjoy the main event and, perhaps, an extra glass.

Burgers, hot dogs, coleslaw, and baked beans have  lost their appeal with the coming and going of Memorial Day and the Fourth; they will surely also be making an appearance come Labor Day.  To entertain means to hold attention with something amusing or diverting, and, at this point in the game, regular cookout fare is none of those.  The key is in keeping the casual look and feel while dazzling your guests with new flavors and combinations that are still approachable and relatively effortless for the entertainer.  These tips will help you entertain with elegance and ease without foregoing the dazzle that makes your guests feel extra special.

1. Let the summer harvest shine.  Vegetables are at their prime!  Eat them raw with a bright vinaigrette and fresh cheese.  Check out our Eating Locally series for this Grilled Zucchini salad and other fresh summer recipes.
2. Don't have more than one dish touting mayonnaise.  Play with yogurt dressings and aioli; the olive oil base is more flavorful.
   
3. Mix fruit with your veggies.  I love this recipe for Avocado and Tangerine Salad from Bon Appetit.  I added cucumbers I had on hand and used mache greens.  
   
4. Use fresh herbs.  Every chance you get.
5. Brine, marinade, glaze, and leave the dirty work to the man of the house.  Our favorite upscale grilled goods include my Grandfather's Pineapple Grilled Chicken with Jezebel Sauce, Food & Wine's Maple-brined Pork Chops (we substitute sorghum), and any sausages from our favorite local butcher, The Spotted Trotter, served with peperonata. 
6. Play with sangria.  My tried and true ratio is 2 bottles of wine (white or red) : 2 cups fruit puree (fruit-based smoothie blends work well) : 1 cup liquor (always use clear for white) : 1 pint fruit (to match puree)  and Fresca to taste!
   
7. Serve a super light dessert preferably containing fruit.  There's nothing worse than like you've been stuffed and thrown on the grill after an otherwise enlightening event.  You could substitute pineapple or apricots for the peaches in this dessert - use whatever's in season!