IF YOU INVITE THEM, THEY WILL COME

By Cheryl KC
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As soon as I lived on my own, with or without roommates during and after college, I learned an important lesson. Invite a friend or two (or more) over for a snack, tea, lunch, dinner or a party; for any reason, anytime, and you will have company. People LOVE to gather for meals and conversation.

When I was a child, my friend Laurel lived down the street and had 10 brothers and sisters. Laurel and I walked to school together, and I would often take an extra bagel and smear it with cream cheese, wrap it in a napkin and stuff it into my pocket to give it to her to eat on the way to school, as I knew she may be hungry. She said in her house one had to fight her big brothers to get food at times, and thus I had my first experience sharing food with others.

Fast forward many years. I love having people over to share a meal together. I’ll admit I don’t love cleaning up as much as I love planning, preparing, cooking and serving food to guests. I also love potluck style, or at least everyone bringing something to share, even if it is planned. These are my “tips” for hosting.

1) You don’t have to clean your house in order to have people over. Of course, you can, but you don’t HAVE to. A good friend of mine once said, “When we die, there won’t be the words ‘she kept a clean house’ on our gravestones.” This is certainly true.

2) Prep ahead what you can. Though some things have to be done last minute, the more you do ahead the more enjoyment you will have with your guests. I like to freeze some items ahead of time that can just be taken out the day of a gathering. Don’t have much time? Don’t hesitate to get some fresh or frozen pre-made items that can compliment your meal: egg rolls, mini-quiches, pie or cookies, for example.

3) Delegate. People love to help, most of the time. Speak up.

4) Serve a variety of foods that are inclusive for guests on special diets. It is not as hard as it sounds. Ask your guests ahead of time and, if you’re having a potluck, request that people label what’s in their food. Last night Papa and I had two friends over, and because the weather had turned hot I wanted to make a cold soup. What’s in season now? …..beets are plentiful at the market, so I made a cold borscht. I wouldn’t make that for just anyone, but for folks I knew would enjoy it. Borscht is fun to make, because the beets stain one’s hands, and the additions that go in the soup while serving make it absolutely delicious. Here is the recipe I used. I look at recipes just to get ideas, and then I improvise based on what I have available, and my judgement about quantities and taste preference.

Our full menu:

Appetizers - keeping it simple and trying not to let people fill up too much before the full dinner: Fresh cherries, toasted almonds, Iberico cheese with Simple Mills almond crackers. Herbal tea and seltzer as our guests did not drink wine. I may have otherwise served a cold rosé.

First course- Cheryl’s homemade borscht with additions optional: boiled potatoes (traditional), cucumber, radish, dill and sour cream (also traditional and makes a lovely color transformation in the soup).

Main- Grilled Oregon Ling Cod with tomatillo salsa topping, cold fennel and apple salad with toasted pecans and optional parmesan, and tomato, mango and onion salad brought by our guests, with fresh mint garnish.

Dessert: Vanilla Bean Speck ice cream with seasonal strawberries and peach topping, with option for coconut ice cream for non-dairy preferences.

What made this dinner even more special, other than using fresh seasonal and local foods, is that we are just beginning to have guests into our home after this pandemic year. Since most all of our friends and us are now vaccinated, we are able to  visit without masks, and hug each other again!

P.S. My grandmother Sylvia told me something while I was in college that I have never forgotten. “Treat yourself the same way you would treat company”. This is a very important self care tool that I have done my best to honor through the years. Put a flower in a vase and set the table for yourself when alone. Fix something yummy, and sit down and savor the meal—-you are worth fussing over!