Crowd-Pleasing Recipes to Eat on Your Patio
Even if your patio is a tiny balcony.
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Photo by James Ransom
Welcome to Sunday Reset, where we share how we’re unwinding and what we have planned for the week ahead. This time, our Denver-based editor, Maurine, shares the last-minute dishes she’s been making—and bringing outside.
Hello from Denver! For me, this summer seems to be the summer of last-minute hosting—and I’m not mad about it. Between in-laws passing through and friends needing a place to crash, I’ve had a lot of excuses to whip up something special. And because it’s almost always sunny here, we usually enjoy that something special outside.
This week, I just found out, I’ve got more family joining me for a couple of days. Which is to say, I’m hard at work planning the menu. Three rules here: First, I’m a wannabe vegetarian, so we’re going meatless. Second, dessert is nonnegotiable. Third, everything must pair famously with sunshine and a warm breeze.
Here’s what I’m thinking:
A batch of everyone’s favorite granola for breakfast on the balcony—made ahead of time so guests can eat while I sleep in.
No-mayo pasta salad for a lunch in the park that hits all the right notes.
Black Bean–Chipotle Falafel Burgers for dinner en plein air, with a side of Nigella Lawson’s shoestring fries, natch.
This Torta Caprese for a dessert that’ll make us feel like we’re in Italy. (The story behind it makes for great table conversation, too.)
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Terrence from the Test Kitchen baked up a Georgia peach tart this past week, and it’s fast. (You don’t even have to parbake the crust!) If you need me, I’ll be inspecting peaches in the produce aisle, then heading here for the recipe.