Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Garlic Caper Aioli | Easy Summer Entertaining Recipes

This is one of my all time favorite 'restaurant' recipes.  Anytime I go to a restaurant and I see grilled artichokes on the menu, I order them.  I've found that I like them best when simply grilled with a little bit of seasoning and a great dipping sauce.  I used to be intimidated by making a dipping sauce- especially those named 'aioli' until I discovered that 'aioli' is mayonnaise...  Now I use mayonnaise as a base to make all kinds of great dipping sauces- this lemon and caper is one of my favorites.  It is great with grilled shrimp, too- a favorite from my catering days.

Grilled Artichokes
with a Lemon Garlic Caper Aioli

3 artichokes, quartered
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of sea salt + 2 teaspoons
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper

for the aioli:
3/4 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 lemon, the juice of
1 clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of capers (or more, if you'd like)
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper

Combine olive oil and 1 clove of garlic cut in slices.  Let the garlic infuse into the oil while you are preparing the artichokes.

Cut the artichokes in quarters, lengthwise.  Fill a medium saucepan with water with 1 tablespoon of sea salt.  Bring to a boil.  Add artichoke quarters and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender.  Remove from water and let them cool on a baking sheet.  If you are preparing these ahead of time, you can refrigerate them at this point up to over night.

Before grilling, brush the garlic infused olive oil onto all sides of the artichoke hearts.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until there is a nice char on the leaves.

For the sauce, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, garlic capers, salt and pepper.   Add more lemon, salt and/or pepper to taste.

The grilled artichokes are the perfect compliment to Grilled Prosciutto & Fresh Mozzarella toasts.

Grilled Prosciutto, Fresh Mozzarella Garlic Toasts with Fresh Basil | Easy Summer Entertaining Recipes

Prosciutto & Fresh Mozzarella
on Grilled Garlic Toasts

makes 24 toasts
1 baguette
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
3 tablespoons of olive oil
8 ounces of fresh mozzarella, sliced
6 slices of prosciutto, thinly sliced
sea salt & cracked pepper
fresh basil, chopped

Prepare the bread by slicing it into thin slices.  Grill bread just before serving.  You can do it under the broiler in your oven, or on the grill.  Brush the bread with olive oil on one side.  If broiling, place them on a sheet oiled side up and place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes.  Be careful not to burn!  If grilling, also grill the bread for 1-2 minutes.  When you remove them from the grill or oven, let them cool slightly, then rub the raw clove of garlic on each piece.

If grilling, brush the other side of the bread with oil, the put that side down on the baking sheet or tray.  If you are broiling in the oven, just keep the toasts on the sheet with their toasted side up. Top each piece of bread with small, thin slices of prosciutto.  Then, top each with a slice of fresh mozzarella.  Grill or broil the toasts for 2 minutes, or just until the mozzarella begins to melt.  Remove from the grill or broiler and top with salt, pepper and fresh basil.

Ready to go on the grill along with some artichokes (Grilled Artichokes recipe here).

The toasts have been grilled, now I'm ready to top them with prosciutto and cheese.

Hot from the grill - these are great as an appetizer or as part of dinner... like deluxe cheese bread.  I often serve them when we're having a vegetarian soup or pasta, then Mike feels like we've had something hearty with meat.



I like to serve these with another grilled appetizer favorite - Grill Artichokes with a Lemon Caper Aioli.  Both make great appetizers or as a side with a steak, grilled fish or kebabs.

To find more of my Entertaining Essentials, stop by my store of specially selected favorites.

Favorite Summer Farmers Market Menu : Steak Kebabs, Creamy Cilantro Sweet Corn & Tomato Panzanella

My Favorite Summer Entertaining Menu

Real, local Summer produce is just getting started - real heirloom tomatoes, fresh sweet corn, berries and peaches.  I put this menu together that features all of these seasonal stars... and what we'll be making for our next get together.  We might be moving the party inside though, since this relentless heat and abundance of mosquitos don't seem to be going anywhere for a while.

I do like to move the party outside after dinner, though.  Dessert and after dinner drinks on the back porch (after the sun has gone down) still makes it feel like summer.

Everything can be made ahead of time and then cooked out on the grill - including the creamy cilantro corn.  I have been making by using the gas burner on the side of our grill, but you could also put the skillet right on the grill, too.



Blue & White Block Print Tablecloth

Sometimes I restock certain items because the sell out before I am able to keep one for myself : )  This Blue & White tablecloth is one of those items.  I neeeeded this tablecloth.  To me, this print is everything I love about entertaining - casual, classic and easy.  I will use this every single season of the year.

$68

60" x 98"


Brown Sugar & Sesame Steak Kebabs

Creamy Cilantro Corn

Tomato Panzanella

Fresh Peaches & Sugared Scones

Summer Table Setting | Tomato Tasting Party Inspiration

For the Tomato Tasting Dinner Party, I wanted the setting to be very simple- farm-to-table-esque.

-Red Striped Natural Linen Napkins (that I made- see note below)
-A Cherry Tomato
-Herb Box Centerpiece (see note below)
-Match Pewter Bud Vase with White Zinnia
-Pewter Flatware
-White Pantry Plates
-Country Wine Glasses
-French Water Glasses
-Bare Wooden Table

Celebrating Tomato Season | Tomato Tasting Party

Recently, I was asked to contribute to the The Party Dress Magazine.  My contribution was to be... a party celebrating Tomato Season.





It was an easy task for me as for the last three years I have attended my cousins' Fahrmeier Farms Tomato Days back in Kansas City- a festival held at their farm with local chefs that prepare recipes featuring heirloom tomatoes picked fresh from their fields.

Many of the chefs had created great inventive dishes- sorbets, spicy gazpachos, soups, etc., but my favorite stop at the festival was the actual tomato tasting tent.  They had out every variety (15+), sliced ready for tasting and comparing- inspiration!  A tasting would be the perfect start for my Tomato Celebration Dinner Party.



So, for the Tomato Celebration Party, I decided to start the evening off with the "Tomato Tasting" instead of hors d'oeuvres.  I displayed a variety of sliced tomatoes and a board, served with sea salt and a bit of fresh basil... the perfect and simplest way to enjoy real summer tomatoes.

With the Tomato Tasting I offered another Summer favorite- Frozen Watermelon Margarita with an Heirloom Cherry Tomato Garnish.  

Fresh Watermelon Margarita Recipe- here!

For the setting, I created a custom Painted Linen Napkin (the easiest craft you'll ever do- see other samples here!) with red stripes on an oatmeal linen.  Click here for more details on the setting.

For the main course, I decided to use the tomatoes in a different way than typically served- they're grilled.  In fact, I used every Summer vegetable I could find- tomatoes, eggplant, squash, peppers- brushed them with olive oil, then they were grilled and tossed with fresh pasta.  The tomatoes and eggplant broke apart, creating this amazingly fresh and flavorful sauce that coated the pasta- it was almost the texture of a meaty bolognese sauce.  It was really amazing- Mike was convinced there was meat in it!

Summer Vegetable Bolognese with Fresh Pasta Recipe, here!

It had never occurred to me to grill tomatoes.  They had such great flavor from the grill and were cooked perfectly- ready to fall apart into a sauce, but not into a mushy mess.  The texture was amazing.

For dessert, a really fresh taste of the best of Summer- a Strawberry, Watermelon and Tomato Salad with a sweet basil drizzle.  Recipe coming later this week!

For more Summer Inspiration, visit my Summer Entertaining Guide home page- I've created links and shortcuts for everything from great Grilled Appetizers, Summer Menus, Tomato Recipes, Simple Summer Table Settings, Summer Travel and more.

Here is the easy-to-pin strip!

Brown Sugar Chili Lime Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

I think kebabs might be the single best Summer Entertaining recipe.  They are the perfect thing to serve at a every type of party.  Dinner party?  Make them big.  Cocktail party?  Make them small.  Vegetarian guest?  Leave off the meat.  They are made completely in advance, they are a full meal in one efficient package, and you can make them in endless varieties.  Need one more reason?  Budget friendly.  A pound of steak, chicken or shrimp can be stretched to serve 3-4 people by adding colorful (and inexpensive) summer produce like squash and peppers.  Oh, and they are healthy!

Here is one of our favorite versions... what's yours? 

Brown Sugar Chili Lime
Grilled Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs

Marinade :
1/4 cup of oil
3 limes, juiced - freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons of cracked pepper

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2-inch cubes
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 red peppers, 2-inch pieces
2 cups of mushrooms, thickly sliced
8 skewers

In a large bowl, combine all of the marinate ingredients.  Separate the marinade into two separate bowls.  Slice vegetables then place them in one of the bowls of marinade.  Cut the chicken into large cubes, then put them in the other bowl of marinade.  Let the vegetables and chicken marinate for 1 hour (or more, up to overnight) in the refrigerator.  Skewer the chicken and vegetables on wooden or metal skewers.  Grill for 3-5 minutes, on each side until the chicken has cooked all the way through.

For a complete grilling party menu, serve the kebabs with Grilled Artichokes with Lemon Caper Aioli and Grilled Prosciutto & Fresh Mozzarella Toasts.

Tomato, Zucchini and Olive Bruschetta | Fresh Summer Party Food

I love good party food.  I really do think there is an art to designing a menu for a party.   It should be fresh, really flavorful, not too complicated and look bountiful - no one likes to go to a party where they feel like the food is rationed out or they have to wonder what it is they're eating!   When I was catering, I was able to observe what people when crazy for, then I would think about why...  

Here are my rules for great party food :

- Goes great with a cocktail, beer or glass of wine

- Easy to eat with one hand

- Easy to eat in a couple of bits

- Good hot, cold and/or at room temperature

These bruschetta fit the bill- in fact, most all bruschetta fit the bill.  I really like this combination of tomatoes, zucchini and olives - it feels very summery to me.  Another reason this is great party food?  Budget friendly.  The zucchini is a budget friendly way to stretch the more expensive tomatoes and olives.  Zucchini typically takes on the flavors you add to it, so the garlic and seasoning will make it taste very flavorful, not to mention the great green color it adds.  Don't feel like you have to splurge on heirloom tomatoes for this recipe- the seasoning and the other ingredients provide plenty of color.  Save your splurge for something else.  

 

Tomato, Zucchini & Olive Bruschetta
perfectly fresh party food for summer

serves 8 people for appetizers

1 zucchini, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small pinch of red pepper flakes
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper
..........
3 cups of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup of kalamata olives
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cracked pepper
..........
1 large baguette, sliced into 24 slices
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 clove of garlic 

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Place diced zucchini on a baking sheet and toss it in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 small pinch of red pepper flakes, minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and cracked pepper.  Roast it in the oven for 10 minutes until the zucchini begins to brown on the tips.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, dice tomatoes and olives and place them in a medium bowl.  Dress the tomatoes and olives with  olive oil, salt & pepper.  Add the zucchini and toss.  Refrigerate until you're ready to use- I like to serve this cold, but it is great at room temperature, too.

Prepare the bread by slicing it into thin slices.  Toast bread just before serving.  You can do it under the broiler in your oven, or on the grill.  Brush the bread with olive oil on both sides.  If broiling, place them on a sheet and place them under the broiler for 1-2 minutes on each side.  Be careful not to burn!  If grilling, also grill the bread on each side for 1-2 minutes.  When you remove them from the grill or oven, let them cool slightly, then rub the raw clove of garlic on each piece.

Serve with the tomato mix and parmesan cheese on the side to be assemble by the guests, so the bread does not get soggy.  If you would like to serve them pre-assembled, I recommend assembling, then serving them immediately from a passed tray.

Piled high.  Don't you like the napkin?  I made it myself!

 

I gobbled up these three right after shooting... I would plan for 3 per person.  At least.

 



I think these work great for pre-dinner appetizers because they are not too heavy- light and fresh before dinner so your guests are still hungry!  Paired with some other hors d'oeuvres they are great for a cocktail party, too, as they are substantial enough to be satisfying... think of them as a side dish as party of a mini meal. 

I'm so ready for some Summer parties... and Summer cocktails.  What are your favorites to serve to a crowd?