The Last Dinner of Summer

There is always a point near the end of August when summer starts trying to leave before we're ready for it.

The sun disappears a little earlier.

The nights get cooler.

School starts showing up on the calendar.

Stores somehow have pumpkins everywhere.

And without really deciding to, we start moving on.

But summer isn't over yet.

There are still tomatoes on the counter. Peaches that are finally perfect. Basil growing faster than anyone knows what to do with. Warm evenings that don't require a jacket.

And probably a few people you've been saying all summer you should have over.

So have them over.

Not for a big party.

Not for anything that requires invitations, a theme, or three days of preparation.

Just dinner.

Outside.

One more time before summer actually leaves.

Don't Make It a Bigger Deal Than It Needs to Be

Sometimes the hardest part of entertaining is the word entertaining.

It makes everything sound like it needs to be planned.

The house needs to be perfect.

The menu needs three courses.

The table needs to look like you hired someone.

And suddenly having six people over for dinner has turned into a project.

It doesn't need to.

Send the text.

Dinner outside Saturday? Come around 6:30.

That's enough.

The best late-summer dinner isn't necessarily the one you planned two weeks ago.

Sometimes it's the one that happens because somebody finally says, “Are we actually doing this or are we going to keep talking about it until October?”

1. Keep the Guest List Small

This isn't the party where you invite everyone you know.

Think four people.

Six.

Maybe eight if you have the space.

A smaller group changes the entire feeling of the night.

Everyone can sit around one table. There aren't five separate conversations happening at once. You aren't spending the evening introducing people or making sure twenty guests have what they need.

You can actually sit down.

You can eat.

You can hear everybody.

And, importantly, you get to be at your own dinner.

That's something hosts forget sometimes.

The goal isn't to create a beautiful evening everyone else gets to enjoy while you spend three hours carrying things in and out of the house.

You're invited too.

2. Let Late Summer Make the Menu

You don't need to invent a menu in August.

Walk through a farmers market or produce section and half of it is sitting there waiting for you.

• Tomatoes
• Corn
• Peaches
• Berries
• Melon
• Fresh herbs

Maybe dinner is grilled chicken and corn with a huge tomato salad.

Maybe it's burgers and a peach salad.

Maybe it's good bread, tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, something from the grill, and whatever dessert looked good when you went shopping.

Or maybe you order pizza and make one beautiful salad.

Nobody has ever left a great night with friends saying:

The evening was wonderful, but unfortunately Danielle didn't make the pizza herself.

Give yourself permission to make one or two things well and let the rest be easy.

Summer food is particularly good at that.

3. Start Later Than You Think

Five o'clock can still feel like the surface of the sun in August.

You don't need your guests sitting outside sweating because the invitation said dinner starts at five.

Let the day cool down.

Have people come around 6:30.

Put something small out.

Pour drinks.

Talk.

Finish whatever needs finishing.

Then eat when the light starts getting good.

There's something about an outdoor dinner that gets better as the sun gets lower.

The table changes.

Everyone settles in.

The temperature drops.

Eventually somebody lights the candles.

Let the evening move with the light instead of fighting it.

4. Don't Decorate the Table. Set It.

There is a difference.

You don't need an elaborate tablescape to eat outside.

Start with what you already have.

• A linen tablecloth or runner if you want one
• Regular plates
• Cloth napkins if they're easy
• A few small glasses or jars with flowers, herbs, or greenery
• Candles

That's enough.

If you have basil, rosemary, mint, or something growing outside, put some on the table.

If you bought flowers earlier in the week and they're still hanging on, divide them between a few smaller glasses instead of trying to create one giant centerpiece.

And leave enough room for the food.

A table can look beautiful and still look like people are actually supposed to eat at it.

The best outdoor tables feel a little imperfect anyway.

A napkin moves in the breeze.

Somebody puts their sunglasses next to their plate.

Serving bowls don't match.

There's condensation everywhere.

Good.

It means people are using it.

5. Give Everyone Something to Do While Dinner Finishes

This is one of the easiest ways to make hosting feel less stressful.

People arrive before you're ready.

They always do.

Even when you're ready.

So instead of apologizing while running around the kitchen, give the beginning of the evening somewhere to go.

Put music on.

Set out something small to eat.

Have drinks ready.

If there's a yard, put out bocce, cornhole, or whatever you already own.

Let people sit outside and talk.

If someone asks whether they can help, give them something easy.

Take these outside. Cut this bread. Can you put ice in those glasses?

You don't have to disappear into the kitchen and emerge when everything is perfect.

Sometimes getting dinner onto the table together becomes part of the night.

6. Make a Playlist Before Anyone Arrives

Not during dinner.

Before.

This is important.

Otherwise someone eventually hands you a phone and asks what you want to listen to, and suddenly six adults are conducting a committee meeting about music.

Make one playlist.

Put it on.

Leave it alone.

It doesn't need to be clever.

Pick music that sounds good outside.

Start lighter while people arrive.

Let it pick up during dinner.

Let it settle back down later.

And don't make it so loud that everyone has to compete with it.

Music should change the atmosphere without becoming the atmosphere.

7. Save Something for After Dark

This might be my favorite part.

Don't serve everything at once.

Dinner ends.

Nobody needs to leave.

Clear some plates.

Light the candles.

Turn the music down a little.

Then twenty or thirty minutes later, bring something else out.

• Peach cobbler
• Ice cream
• Berries
• Cookies from the bakery you like
• Coffee
• Something cold to drink

It creates a second little chapter to the evening.

Nobody is staring at an empty dinner plate wondering whether this means it's time to go home.

And by then, the yard looks completely different than it did when everyone arrived.

That's the part of summer dinners I wish we could keep all year.

You Don't Need a Reason to Have People Over

Birthdays make sense.

Graduations make sense.

Holidays make sense.

But sometimes we've become so used to gatherings needing a reason that we forget Saturday is a reason.

Summer is a reason.

The weather being nice is a reason.

You finally having a night when everyone is free is a reason.

Or maybe there doesn't need to be one.

Some of the nights you remember most aren't attached to anything important.

They're just nights when the right people ended up around the same table.

Which feels like a pretty good reason to make another one happen.

The Nova Pour: Zero

Last week we introduced something new around here.

The Nova Pour: Zero.

Alcohol-free drinks we'd genuinely want to make, serve, and drink.

Not because they're pretending to be cocktails.

Not because somebody at the table needs a substitute.

Because they're good.

Our first was a Blackberry Vanilla Soda with lime and bubbles.

For the last warm dinners of August, we're going a little softer.

Peach.

Basil.

Lemon.

Tea.

Bubbles.

It tastes like it belongs on the table just before sunset.

The Last Light

A Peach, Basil & Lemon Zero-Proof Spritz

Ripe peach. Fresh basil. Bright lemon. Cold peach tea and sparkling water.

Simple.

Fresh.

And exactly what I want to drink outside while summer is still pretending it might last forever.

What You'll Need

• A ripe peach
• Fresh basil
• Fresh lemon
• Chilled unsweetened peach tea
• Chilled sparkling water
• Honey or simple syrup, optional
• Plenty of ice
• Peach slices and basil for garnish, optional

How to Make It

Add a few slices of ripe peach and a couple of basil leaves to the bottom of a glass.

Gently muddle them just enough to release the peach juice and basil.

Fill the glass generously with ice.

Pour in chilled peach tea and squeeze in some fresh lemon.

Top with sparkling water and give everything a gentle stir.

Taste it.

If your peach is really ripe, you may not need anything else.

Want it brighter? Add more lemon.

Want it a little sweeter? Add a small amount of honey or simple syrup.

Want more peach? Add another slice and muddle it gently.

Finish with a thin peach slice and a small sprig of basil if you have them.

That's it.

No complicated ingredients.

No bottle of zero-proof something you have to order online.

Just a really good late-summer drink.

Making It for the Table?

I wouldn't make a giant pitcher of the finished drink too far ahead because you'll lose the bubbles.

Instead, muddle peaches and basil in the bottom of a pitcher and add the chilled peach tea and lemon.

Keep that mixture cold.

When everyone is ready for a drink, pour it over ice and top each glass with sparkling water.

Put extra peach, basil, lemon, and sweetener nearby so people can adjust theirs however they like.

It doesn't need to be exact.

That's half the fun of making it.

Stay a Little Longer

Summer doesn't end because somebody put pumpkins in the store.

Not yet.

There are still warm nights left.

There are still peaches on the counter.

There are still people you've been meaning to invite over.

So put dinner outside.

Text the people you love.

Make something good to drink.

Turn the music on.

Light the candles when it gets dark.

And when somebody says they should probably get going, convince them to stay for one more song.

Summer will leave eventually.

It doesn't need our help.

We'll bring the drinks. Pour: Zero.

Frequently Asked Questions