Weekend Entertainer: Fuss-Free and Fast Friday Dinners
June 28, 2012 | At Home
After a long work week and a traffic-filled dash to the Hamptons, inventing an inviting al-fresco meal need not feel impossible. A favorite tip of mine for ensuring enjoyable Friday evenings is based partially on the prep work from the previous Sunday:
Fill a large, flat basket with linen placemats and napkins, votives, plates, silverware, and napkin rings every Sunday. Tackling this task then allows you to return Friday evening, grab the basket, and head to the deck for a speedy set-up.
When it comes to Friday night dinners on the deck, one of my absolute favorite summer meals to create is Ina Garten's (aka the Barefoot Contessa and a local Hamptonite!) Roasted Shrimp with Feta from her book Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That? ($35). This dish is a surefire way to create a fast meal, but will also please sophisticated palettes. Serve with a tossed mesclun salad, a baguette, and libations of your choice.
Adding fresh flowers, either from one's own garden or from any of the local farmstands, is the perfect quick touch to a beautifully set table. My favorite farmstand is Round Swamp Farm (184 Three Mile Harbor Road, 324-4438).
—LISA EHRLICH
Hamptontoes is a blog by interior designer Lisa Ehrlich, who shares her musings on all things interior design related, along with tidbits for living a happy and stylish life. Stay tuned for bi-weekly blog posts on décor, entertaining, and her take on the Hamptons.
