Lunch for Three

The Lunch Bunch comes once a month

or they did until this Spring and Summer

Between doctors visits and grandkids visiting and traveling . . .

Well, we've not been together since February!

And July was no exception

One of the Bunch had an out of town guest

I issued an invitation to join us . . .

But it was "talk shop" lunch and so she declined.

But the other two came and we had a good time

Even though I had just gotten home the night before from a week long trip

to Minneapolis

(the grand's first birthday bash!)

So with what my mother called 

"a lick and a promise"

I tidied the downstairs

Set the table with the best china and silver

Made a "from scratch" lunch

And was ready to greet my guests at noon

The lilies are blooming in the garden

But not these -- from the market

But had I had that many lilies in the garden,

they would have been on  the table!

Since it's just three

(and the garden was weedy and needy

So, alas, we were not lunching in the breakfast room

For the many "garden sins" were obvious!)

I set up in the dining room on one half of the dining room table.

With one of my Italian cloths,

The Aynsley Pembroke plates

And Grandmother Scott's silver

Italian napkins in silver napkin rings

And, of course, a menu for each place

With yellow lilies on them as well!

It was an easy lunch

A quick run to the store and some Farmer's market produce I brought home

We started with

What I call an "Italian" salad

Like so many we had in Italy 

Romaine, sliced tomatoes and topped with a mound of shredded carrots

All tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper

(And I used my "good" balsamic -- the really old balsamic!)

Fresh pasta sauce over angel hair pasta

Farmer's market cherry tomatoes, basil and garlic

And a goodly shower of freshly grated Parmesan

Rolls from the mark down bin, rubbed with olive oil, sprinkled with fresh rosemary

And sea salt and then warmed in the oven

Summer is fruit and so a croustade

blueberry and peach

With a mound of cassis spiked whipped cream

They were amazed that I was able to have them for lunch the day after the trip

And were astounded at the meal.

"Takeout" said one, "is what I would have done!"

While the other nodded that only I could pull that off!

(And not only lunch but I also managed to wash, dry, fold and put away, the laundry we brought home from the trip!)

It's Thursday and I'm sharing my Lunch Bunch table with Susan at Between Naps On the Porch