The Guild Comes to Dinner
May was my month to host the Ladies’ Literary Guild. Our book was ‘As Always, Julia’ - the letters that passed between Julia Child and Avis DeVoto, and the history of their friendship.
I briefly considered pulling out ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ and preparing a classic Julia feast, before recognizing that although I love what that masterpiece represents, I don’t actually cook or eat quite that way. But having rejected that idea, I found myself oddly without inspiration … until my British sister unwittingly came to the rescue.
She has been planning an al fresco summer lunch party, to allow my mother to return the hospitality of all her neighbors in Cambridge, England. I am tasked with approving the menu, and arriving a couple of days before the event to assist with the shopping and preparation. We’d been talking through different alternatives, and had shaped a fine repast. What I realized, just two days before the Guild arrived at my door, was that I could borrow almost exactly that menu, and give it a test run.
So the recipes that follow (see the next few posts) were served to the Guild on May 25, and most will be served in the garden at 18 Bowers Croft in Cambridge, England, on June 11. Weather permitting.
The poached salmon I strongly recommend - the poaching liquid is more flavorful than any I’ve ever used before. The Camargue rice salad is basically delicious because of the rice, and you can tweak it any number of ways. In England we’re serving two salads - one with basic greens, and one with watercress, rocket (yes, that’s arugula) and mango. I went for the green beans as our Guild vegetable (I happen to love the combination of orange and pistachio with beans), and the watercress etc. salad as well. And for the Guild I added, as extra protein for anyone who wasn’t going to eat fish (although I think we all ended up eating everything), a lentil, roasted pepper, mint and feta salad that I’ve already posted, some months if not years back.
For dessert we had a Pavlova (vanilla meringue), heaped with berries in a light syrup, with whipped cream for those who dared.
We drank good wine, enjoyed one another’s company, and toasted Julia, Avis, and friendship among women.
