Andrea Correale’s Ultimate Garden Party
June 08, 2012 | At Home
Mood
Dress your table in a crisp cotton cloth and create a centerpiece of fresh-cut flowers in a galvanized watering can to set the garden party mood. Stones and garden rocks, moss, or clusters of potted herbs will also work to finish your look off well.
Menu
Sure, traditional garden parties usually take place in the late afternoon and consist of light fare, but the real idea is to put out items that your guests can easily eat while they stroll and mingle. I always love the traditional English route—serving up some fabulous tea sandwiches and small-bites.
A few delicious and different tea sandwich ideas are chicken waldorf salad, deviled egg tarts, open-faced smoked salmon canapés, and the classic cucumber. It’s best to prepare the sandwiches close to the time you’re planning on serving them to ensure that the bread stays fresh. Serving individual crudités in votive glasses or watermelon cucumber log cabins are two additional options that are a bit more playful.
Basil is another Hamptons staple—using homemade pesto sauce to top a room-temperature pasta salad incorporates something from your garden to ensure the party theme stays paramount. Use quinoa angel hair pasta to keep the dish light. The finished product also pairs well with grilled chicken and paillard.
Pesto Recipe
2 tablespoons chopped pine nuts
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 pinches of pepper
Take out your blender or food processor. With the motor running, drop the pine nuts and garlic through the feed chute. Process until finely minced. Add the olive oil and pulse three times. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, and salt, and pepper to the processor bowl. Process until finely minced, scraping down sides. Fold into cooked pasta.
Serve watermelon cucumber log cabins to get a little playful with your menu.
A few delicious and different tea sandwich ideas are chicken waldorf salad, deviled egg tarts, open-faced smoked salmon canapés, and the classic cucumber.
Serving individual crudités in votive glasses also adds to the garden-party ambiance.
For alcohol, I suggest a rosé from Wölffer. Keep the rest of the bar simple and refreshing—serve some homemade iced tea and lemonade.
Drink
A rosé is the perfect beverage to serve at a garden party, and Wölffer Estate's (139 Sagg Rd., Sagaponack, 537-5106) is my personal pick. Keep the rest of the bar simple and refreshing—serve some homemade iced tea and lemonade. To complete the overall look, present them in bell jars for a rustic and outdoorsy feel.
—ANDREA CORREALE
Andrea Correale is owner and creator of Elegant Affairs, the premiere catering & event planning company serving Manhattan, Long Island, The Hamptons, Westchester, Connecticut and New Jersey. For over 20 years Andrea and her team have been producing custom-designed events with exquisite cuisine for parties as intimate as two and as extravagant as 2,000. Elegant Affairs has coordinated events for some of the world's most elite including Mariah Carey, Russell Simmons, Jimmy Fallon, P. Diddy. and many more. Andrea has no limit to her expertise; she is the exclusive caterer for Ferrari Maserati of Long Island and Sugar Dining Den and Social Club.
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