LUNCH IN THE GARDEN

A Party for Eight

Grilled Leg of Lamb

Hummus*

Tabbouleh

Tzatziki

Tomatoes

Feta

Sliced Cucumbers

Greek Olives

Green Salad

Pita Breads

Oven-Roasted Fruit

* The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, page 46

ASSEMBLING SANDWICHES

When I think of summer parties, I think of the time long ago when my husband and I were on a camping trip in Provence. We watched a French family eating lunch on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. My memory is that everyone was seated at a long table; they were all dressed in white, and big white market umbrellas shaded them from the afternoon sun. Everyone was talking at once, and they were clearly having lots of fun. All Mediterranean cultures—French, Italian, Greek—love to eat al fresco, or outdoors, and the summer weather makes me want to re-create that lunch. I put everything out on a big table and let my friends just help themselves: baskets of fresh breads; plates of prosciutto di Parma; platters of sliced tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil; marinated olives; big wedges of Brie; plus a platter of fresh melons and figs for dessert. There’s absolutely nothing to cook! But how good it is.

This party is designed like a Greek lunch al fresco. I drag the dining room table out to the garden, where we can catch the summer breezes. Earlier in the day, I’ll grill an herb-marinated butterflied leg of lamb to be put out, sliced, with baskets of pita bread and salads such as tzatziki (a cucumber yogurt salad) and tabbouleh (a spicy wheat salad). All I need to add are bowls of gorgeous sliced cucumbers, tomato wedges, shards of good feta cheese, and maybe a green salad. We all take pita bread and fill it with our favorite ingredients.

The best parties at my house happen when everyone is involved in the meal. Platters are being passed, someone is serving wine, and lunch goes on for hours. This menu is one of my favorites, but be creative and add any Mediterranean ingredients you like.

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB

SERVES 8 TO 12

This is a classic summer dish that was developed by Rori Spinelli. Be sure the lamb is the highest quality, and make your life easy; ask the butcher to butterfly it for you. The grilled lamb should be crusty on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside.

2 pounds	plain yogurt (regular or low-fat)
½ cup	good olive oil, plus more for brushing grill
	Zest of 1 lemon
½ cup	freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 lemons)
¾ cup	fresh whole rosemary leaves (2 large bunches)
2 teaspoons	kosher salt
1 teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper
1	5-pound butterflied leg of lamb (9 pounds bone-in)

Combine the yogurt, olive oil, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a large, nonreactive bowl. Add the lamb, making sure it is covered with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight or up to 3 days.

Bring the lamb to room temperature. Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals. Scrape the marinade off the lamb, wipe the meat with paper towels, and season it generously with salt and pepper. Brush the grill with oil to keep the lamb from sticking, and grill on both sides until the internal temperature is 120 to 125 degrees for rare. This will take 40 minutes to an hour, depending on how hot the grill is.

Remove the lamb to a cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Then slice and serve.

My ideal sandwich: lamb, tomato, cucumber, and tzatziki in pita bread.

TABBOULEH

SERVES 8

This is my idea of not cooking! You pour boiling water over the bulgur, then add the rest of the ingredients. There’s no wondering, Is it done? Is it not done? You can serve this tabbouleh as part of a buffet, but it’s also delicious as a summer salad with grilled fish or chicken. It serves eight in pita sandwiches or six to eight as a side dish with dinner.

1 cup	bulgur wheat
1½ cups	boiling water
¼ cup	freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
¼ cup	good olive oil
3½ teaspoons	kosher salt
1 cup	minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
1 cup	chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
1 cup	chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
1	hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
2 cups	cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper

Place the bulgur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1½ teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about an hour.

Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season to taste and serve, or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

Bulgur is an exceptionally nutritious wheat grain that is popular in the Middle East.

TZATZIKI

MAKES 5 CUPS

This appetizer is easy to assemble, although it takes a bit of planning. But oh! is it worth the wait. As part of a light summer meal it is a cool and satisfying salad; it’s also terrific with pita as a dip. It can be prepared days ahead of time.

4 cups	plain yogurt, whole milk or low-fat
2	hothouse cucumbers, unpeeled and seeded
2 tablespoons	plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup	sour cream
2 tablespoons	champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
¼ cup	freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 tablespoons	good olive oil
1 tablespoon	minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 tablespoon	minced fresh dill
¼ teaspoon	freshly ground black pepper

Place the yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined sieve and set it over a bowl. Grate the cucumber and toss it with 2 tablespoons salt; place it in another sieve and set it over another bowl. Place both bowls in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours so the yogurt and cucumber can drain.

Transfer the thickened yogurt to a large bowl. Squeeze as much liquid from the cucumbers as you can and add the cucumbers to the yogurt. Mix in the sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. You can serve it immediately, but I prefer to allow the tzatziki to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours for the flavors to blend.

Good-quality, plain white paper towels can be used instead of cheesecloth.

OVEN-ROASTED FRUIT

SERVES 8

This is a wonderful and versatile dessert. I love to serve it warm with a dollop of crème fraîche, but it is also delicious at room temperature over vanilla ice cream or on a slice of Lemon Cake (this page). My friend Johanne Killeen made a dessert like this at her romantic house in Provence, and I couldn’t wait to get home to make it, too.

6	peaches, pitted and cut into eighths
6	plums or Italian prune plums, pitted and halved or quartered
½ cup	sugar
2 cups	fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons	orange juice

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the peaches and plums snugly in a single layer, cut-side up, in two glass or porcelain ovenproof baking dishes. Sprinkle with the sugar, and then add the raspberries. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.

Heat the broiler and place the fruit about 5 inches below the heat and broil for 5 to 8 minutes until the berries release some of their juices.

Remove from the broiler and sprinkle with the orange juice. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

You can use all kinds of soft fruit: figs, nectarines, papaya, mango, blueberries, or blackberries.