FOR 20 TO 24
SOUR CREAM AND TWO-CAVIAR DIP WITH SUMMER CRUDITÉS
CORN ON THE COB
RED AND YELLOW GRAPE TOMATOES
PORTUGUESE OR FRENCH BREAD
MARGARET HESS’S BEST FUDGE BROWNIES
FRESH STRAWBERRY SUNDAES WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
When I was young, we spent summers in a big stone house on a hill overlooking the ocean. Our neighbor’s rock garden, a patchwork of brilliant colors abuzz with dragonflies and bees, led down to the beach path, lined with milkweed and wild roses. Above, a line of white pine and Seckel pear trees hemmed in our lawn. During the week, when we were there alone, the yard seemed as vast as the shore. But on weekends, with company milling all about, it barely contained the crowd. Anyone with a country house or even a comfortable backyard knows this phenomenon. Wherever you are, summer weekends bring guests—usually lots of them—and they’re not always expected.
For those times when you’re entertaining a couple of dozen good friends and you’d rather be outdoors in the sun than indoors cooking, here’s a delightful backyard spread that’s perfect for large-scale casual entertaining—a down-home, Southern-style shrimp boil. A combination of Cajun spice, Mediterranean freshness, and good old-fashioned food highlights this menu, which is easy to serve and fun to eat. Just spread out plenty of newspapers all over your backyard picnic table, set down a tall pile of paper napkins at either end, dump these tasty shrimp in the middle, place several bowls of butter strategically around the table, and let everyone have at ’em.
The appetizers range from frozen-ahead to easy-to-make to store-bought. Tangy cheese and a bit of hot pepper make cheese straws that are irresistible nibbles. Fresh basil and toasted pine nuts bring the flavor of pesto to a traditional deviled egg. For the crudités, scour your local farmers’ market or raid your own garden for the prettiest, most unusual seasonal vegetables you can find. Serve them raw or lightly blanched, as their texture dictates, with the easy Two-Caviar Dip.
You’ll need at least two big pots—10 gallons or more—for the shrimp and corn (borrow or rent an extra if you need it). Both cook quickly at the last moment. Allow 1⁄3 to ½ pound shrimp and 2 ears of corn per person and get help shucking. Guests shell their own shrimp as they eat them. Pile up the cherry tomatoes in large baskets, lined with dark green grape leaves if you have any vines growing near you.
The 24-Hour Salad, a classic American recipe found at more than one family reunion and church supper, is called that because it is assembled a day ahead. There’s nothing fancy about it, but everyone loves it. Be sure you have a garage full of iced beer before you start and one or two large, clean, plastic-lined garbage cans for easy cleanup.
For dessert, just set out the components for the sundaes—brownie squares, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, walnuts, sliced strawberries, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream—and let all your guests help themselves. It is, after all, the informal, self-serve aspect of this food that makes it so lighthearted.
UP TO A MONTH IN ADVANCE: Make the Cheese Straws and freeze them. Bake the brownies and freeze them.
UP TO 2 DAYS IN ADVANCE: Cook the eggs, shell them immediately, and store them in the refrigerator in a bowl of cold water to cover. Make the Creole Butter Dipping Sauce and refrigerate.
THE DAY BEFORE THE PARTY: Stuff the Pesto Deviled Eggs; cover and refrigerate. Prepare the crudités. Make two recipes of the 24-Hour Salad, except for the bacon. Make the Strawberry Sauce for the sundaes.
SEVERAL HOURS IN ADVANCE OF THE PARTY: Arrange the crudités on platters or in baskets; cover with a damp cloth. Make the Two-Caviar Dip. Make the court bouillon for the Shrimp Boil. Cook the bacon for the 24-Hour Salad. Slice the berries for the Strawberry Sundaes. Whip the cream for the sundaes; cover and refrigerate.
SHORTLY BEFORE SERVING: Boil the shrimp. Reheat the Creole butter sauce. Cook the corn on the cob. Add the bacon to the salad and toss. Reheat the Hot Fudge Sauce.