by Julia Bainbridge, Bon Appétit
Parties tend to be pegged to something: birthdays, Mother's Day, Cinco de Mayo. And that's all well and good. But what about a simple ode to the season? Sitting outside and eating good food with people you like for the sake of sitting outside and eating good food with people you like? Yes, it sounds amazing. So throw a spring garden party this weekend. Why the heck not? We've planned it all out for you: what to serve, what to serve it on, and even a fun activity.
What to Serve:
Nibbles to start:Savory Spring Vegetable and Goat Cheese Tart
Smoked Salmon with Lemon Creme Fraiche
Maria del Mar Sacasa / Ennis, Inc.
Main event:
Skillet-Fried Chicken
Sugar Snap Salad
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Chive Pesto
Roasted carrots with more chive pesto
Maria del Mar Sacasa / Ennis, Inc.
Sweet finish:
Apricot-Anise Tarts
More from Bon Appétit: 10 Healthy French-Fry Alternatives
What to Serve it on:
Clockwise, from top left:Furbish in Raleigh, NC, is a wonderland of colorful fabrics and trinkets, including this melamine tray, which the Furbish team produces itself. Furbish Bright Bouquet Tray, $75; shopfurbish.com
Crafted in Normandy, this flatware is elegant but everyday. Williams-Sonoma Milady 5-Piece Flatware Place Setting, $69; williams-sonoma.com
Diner plates goes garden-party green. Fish's Eddy Green Band Oval Platter, $16; fishseddy.com
We love the not-quite-bamboo look of these serving utensils. Williams-Sonoma Turned Wood Servers, $39; williams-sonoma.com
A limited collection of Connecticut-based Privet House's goods has come to Target, including these stoneware plates. Privet House at Target White Embossed Dinner Plate, $28 for 4; target.com
Another of Furbish's floral trays, this time on a Jolly Rancher-coral background. Furbish Draper Floral Tray, $60; shopfurbish.com
Designed in Canada and produced in India, Pehr napkins are machine washable and made of a natural cottons and linens. Pehr Designs Orange Chainlink Napkin; pehrdesigns.com for where to buy
A cheery pitcher coated with citrus-colored granules. Ripe Kumquat Pitcher, $268p; anthropologie.com
Fancy (goblet) meets unbreakable (acrylic). Martha Stewart Collection Acrylic Goblets, $16 for 4, macys.com
A haute take on a bucket of fried chicken. Gathering Wire Basket, $26; hausinterior.com
You can use these little bowls as salt and pepper cellars or place gardenias in them and scatter them around the table. Fish's Eddy Zeno Bowl Green, $3; fishseddy.com
See also: 20 Great Grilling Ideas for this Weekend
Conde Nast Digital Studio
Clockwise, from top left:
Buy a pillow for lawn lounging. Fifty percent of the proceeds go to charity peace building initiatives in developing communities. Oimei Co. Karen Cheer Pillow, $40; oimeico.com
Place a number of these vases down the center of your dining table as a kind of runner-cum-centerpiece. ABC Home Small Mercury Glass Vase, $20 each; abchome.com
Use one of these tea towels as a nest for the fried chicken in its wire basket (above), and one to clean up any inevitable spills of rose. Birdkage "Bleecker" Tea Towel, $22 for a set of 2; birdkagestyle.com
For those who don't like to sit on the grass. Cococozy Cane Throw in Sage Green, $333; cococozy.com
Conde Nast Digital StudioAnd for Fun:
Don't worry: bocce is not a complicated game. But it's the ultimate lawn activity for those who get bored of sipping and nibbling all day. (Not us.) Skagerak Akiko Bocce Ball Set, $307, shophorne.com
More from Bon Appétit:
10 Snacks You Thought Were Healthy But Really Aren't
10 Quick and Easy School-Night Dinners
25 One-Bite Appetizers
Junk Food Makeover: Healthier Chicken Nuggets
