A Summer Lunch . . . Inside!

Friend Maybelle and two of her friends came to lunch today

The first lunch of summer

at Linderhof

Held inside not outside

It was close to 100 degrees on the prairie today!

A white lace cloth

The blue and white Spode

a white damask napkin in a silver ring

Garden daylilies in a new ice bucket, 

brought back from our trip to Minneapolis

flanked by two iron birds

I adore birds on the table

The centerpiece

I used one of my English lead flower frogs

Shaped like a flower

Outside the vase, they're almost sculpture

And when they're "idle", they decorate the sideboard in the breakfast room

There's always a menu

at each place

It's summer . . .

Spring pea soup served in Spode Blue Italian coffee cups

Linderhof chicken salad

Chilled succotash salad

corn madeleines

A strawberry tart for dessert

with Grand Marnier flavored whipped cream

And when I got home this afternoon after running an errand . . .

This was waiting for me

A thank you from Friend Maybelle who arranged the luncheon

It's perfect!

The recipes are really simple --

SPRING PEA SOUP

2 cups of chicken broth, one small onion, minced; and 2 cups of frozen peas.    Put peas and onion in chicken broth and cook until peas are done.    Puree in a blender or with handheld blender.   Heat to serving temperature.    Add a goodly amount of cream or half and half and heat again.    Serve garnished with a borage flower.

LINDERHOF CHICKEN SALAD

Chicken breasts, roasted (pull off skin and remove bone); equal amounts of chopped celery and minced red onion.    I like to shred my chicken but if you prefer diced, that's fine too.   Mix celery and onion and chicken.     Use equal amounts of sour cream, plain yogurt and mayonnaise and a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice.    Mix and pour over chicken and vegetable mixture.    To this you can add whatever fruit and nuts you like or serve plain.    For this luncheon, I added dried cranberries and pecans and a good sprinkle of chopped fresh tarragon.

CHILLED SUCCOTASH SALAD WITH RED VINAIGRETTE

(I found this in the latest issue of Tea Time)

1/2 c. yellow corn (I used frozen but you could use fresh cut off the cob)

1/2 c. frozen okra

1/2 c. frozen baby lima beans

1/2 c. canned black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1 recipe Red-Wine Vinaigrette

Mix all the vegetables together and pour over the vinaigrette.      I used the vegetables straight from the freezer and they thawed in dressing on the counter.   I also salt and peppered to taste.

RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

1/4 c. red wine vinegar

1 t. minced shallot

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/2 t. sugar

2 T. olive oil

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, shallot, salt and pepper and sugar, whisking to blend.    Gradually add olive oil in a slow steady stream whisking until emulsified.    Store vinaigrette, covered, at room temperature and use the same day.

OR you could use your favorite oil/vinegar salad dressing!

It's Thursday and I'm sharing my first lunch of summer with Cuisine Kathleen for Let's Dish and with Susan at Between Naps On the Porch for Tablescape Thursday and Bernideen for Open House.