it's not a dinner party, it's lunch.

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does anyone host lunch parties as well as dinner parties??? . . . over the winter i started inviting friends and family for lunch parties as a change of pace from dinner parties. the reason was mostly selfish– i actually prefer a beautiful, relaxing meal in the middle of the day to one in the evening. i put the same care and thought into a lunch party as i do with dinner, and it's fun because of the different type of dishes to prepare for lunch instead of dinner.

here is one lazy sunday afternoon meal that i served:
• mozzarella & tomatoes with basil from my sunroom herb garden
• toasted, spiced walnuts
• homemade rye bread
• leafy green salad with crimini mushrooms & radishes
• simple sliced russet potatoes

Hi, Patty
Interestingly, I like to serve brunch whenever its just us ladies. But, when its a mixed group it's usually dinner. Never thought about that until you brough it up. Huh!! Now I need to make an appointment to see my shrink!

Patty, that's a beautiful spread. (And welcome to the forum!)
I occasionally host luncheons and really enjoy it as well. I agree that the time of day demands different dishes than dinner, so it makes it fun for a change. It's been awhile since I've had one, but for the last one I made a chicken-pecan tart.

[Jenise]

Patty, welcome to the forum and what a great post! That's a very sumptious looking meal, and great photography.

I have to answer that no, I basically never serve lunch. The issue is that we entertain in couples, and daytime availability is an issue for most. Also, we tend to serve a lot of wine and most would rather wait until later in the day for that. On summer weekends, I love doing early afternoon meals that are less formal and more salad-friendly than a typical after-dark dinner party would be.

Patty, I love the idea of entertaining for lunch rather than dinner, in fact, we have one couple who are in the eighties and prefer not to drive at night. We have them for lunch every few months and I love it. Like you, I put just as much thought into the food, presentation and table setting. However, it seems much easier and less stressful, because the meal is usually lighter and more simple.

Just last week I was thinking that for spring I would do lunch entertaining or even breakfast. In our climate, we could do breakfast by the pool, lunch and dinner too, until the heat of summer arrives and then it is much too hot to eat outside, unless we get lucky.

Your photo is beautiful and your menu is perfect for easy entertaining.

tx for the nice notes, everyone! . . . i look forward to learning from all of you.

Good to have you here Patty. Speaking as one who has tasted your cooking, and in particular that home-made rye bread, I suspect you'll have plenty to contribute.