An Al Fresco Evening Inspired by A New York Times Recipe

Beautiful weather drew us outside on a fabulous evening for dinner on the West Terrace. Temperature in the mid 70s. Low humidity. Stars out.

Magazines, newsletters, cookbooks and apps…there’s so much out there these days to keep dinner fresh and motivate us to cook. Sure, we all have our go to casseroles or “burgers,” but I love to try something new.

We’ve all been there - It’s the recipe that looks so good, you find yourself searching for the car keys to go shopping while visions of the table setting are spinning around in your head.  I was probably hungry when I read it too. 

Yesterday, the New York Times shared a winner. They had me at Grilled Chicken with Charred-Scallion Chimichurri.

The New York Times Recipe App is one of my favorite sources of inspiration.  Not only does the app present ways to search recipes from great chefs, but they also share a weekly newsletter featuring what they’re cooking in their test kitchen.  It’s always seasonal, but more importantly, the recipes push me out of my comfort zone.  Not necessarily because they’re difficult, but because they are creative.

As in the case of the Charred-Scallion Chimichurri, the flavor profile is familiar, but the orientation of the meal is different.  It was the side of grilled romaine that sealed the deal. There was no stopping me from trying this recipe, and not next week either.

One of the things that most of us appreciate in a good recipe is the ease of executing it.  The thing I look for most is how much of it can be done in advance.  Looking back on this preparation, the chimmichuri could be completed ahead of time, leaving only the chicken and romain for the last minute.

I always ask myself: How can I make this happen with a clean kitchen, while enjoying our company, and without spilling my wine?   

Menu

Sparkling Rose + Hubs Peanuts served in the can

Cold Tomato Soup with the last garden tomatoes, sourdough crouton

Grilled Chicken, charred-scallion chimichurri

Affogato

The night was a perfect one. Of late, we’ve had unseasonably soft evenings in Suffolk with low humidity and breezes…the kind of weather that begs to be served al fresco.

I repurposed some flowers left over from an arrangement that had been put together for something else, pinched the goto ferns from the dining room table. This variety of fern always seems to finish whatever kind of table I’m putting together. (So, if you don’t have any rabbits foot ferns, get some.)

The Pooky lights are always charged and every table should have candles. If, for no other reason, because ladies look beautiful in candlelight!

We enjoyed a lovely evening with friends that we hadn’t seen in a while and the entree was definitely a do-over.

So, go ahead…open your home, set your table, and try something new. The best memories are made around the dinner table.

Beautiful view of the library at night.  The painting over the fireplace was commissioned in 1909 by George Truitt and is original to the home.