{"id":152067,"date":"2016-05-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gracious-khorana.45-76-20-142.plesk.page\/the-essential-ingredients-of-an-inspired-gathering-a-recipe-for-asparagus-ricotta-garlic-scape-pesto-flatbread\/"},"modified":"2023-06-26T18:37:37","modified_gmt":"2023-06-26T18:37:37","slug":"the-essential-ingredients-of-an-inspired-gathering-a-recipe-for-asparagus-ricotta-garlic-scape-pesto-flatbread","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/localmilkblog.com\/2016\/05\/the-essential-ingredients-of-an-inspired-gathering-a-recipe-for-asparagus-ricotta-garlic-scape-pesto-flatbread.html","title":{"rendered":"The Essential Ingredients of an Inspired Gathering + Asparagus, Ricotta, & Garlic Scape Pesto Flatbread"},"content":{"rendered":"
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As many of you who follow me on Instagram<\/a> know, I\u2019m a cat lady. It all started with my childhood cat, a temperamental, sleek black cat named G. Just G. He was a rescue that upon regaining his strength showed his true colors as a creature that bites that hand that feeds yet desperately wants love & affection. As a teenager, I deeply related to that cat; we were kindred spirits. Over the years since G I\u2019ve had Olive, Critter Lee, Gremlin, and now we have my two boys, the cuddliest of the bunch, that we adopted nearly a year ago as kittens: Kohi & Miruku (their names mean coffee and milk respectively in Japanese\u2014we\u2019re cheesy, I know). They make me happy when I\u2019m sad, calm when I\u2019m stressed, and laugh when I\u2019m angry. So, yes, I had a birthday party for my cats. That\u2019s what you\u2019re looking at here. Well, that and\u00a0photos of them from kitten to now.<\/p>\n

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There\u2019s nothing more personal than a party in honor of pets, and our friends love them as much as we do, so for their 1-year birthday (and to assure them that despite the baby coming they\u2019re still our babies too) we had a fete last weekend. There was a farmer\u2019s market inspired menu starring flatbreads topped with homemade ricotta, my favorite garlic scape & pistachio pesto, and all manner of local veggies like asparagus, radish, and nettles for the people folk (recipe below) & Fancy Feast Medleys, culinary combinations for kitties<\/a> that elevate their meal & make them feel special, for the sweet beasts we affectionately refer to alternately as the \u201clittle princes\u201d and \u201cfur chickens\u201d.<\/p>\n

They dined on Wild Salmon Primavera Pate with Garden Veggies & Greens<\/a>\u2014so I think that day they were the little princes. Usually they can be found counter surfing & destroying boxes of donuts under the cover of night (which leads me to believe they might be bored of kibble), but after this they were sated and let us eat in peace. Mostly. Intention & love are the ingredients that make anything great\u2014be it dinner party, a recipe for flatbread, or a meal for feline friends. Keeping this around will lead to more happy moments for the baes\u2026they\u2019ll think it\u2019s their birthday every week. Cause cats can\u2019t calendar.<\/p>\n

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When I was putting this party together I kept thinking about the magical alchemy that is a recipe, disparate ingredients coming together as more than a sum of their parts, and about how dinner parties are the same way, how everything great (even cat food!) is the same way. The flowers, the food, the playlist, the table setting, the company\u2014it all adds up to much more than the elements themselves. The ingredients & intentions are what make things great. So I wanted to write a guide to the essential ingredients of a great gathering because when all those elements come together you have a beautiful, warm & loving experience that\u2019s a source of sustenance far beyond the food on the table. Here it is:<\/p>\n

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The Essential Ingredients of a Gathering<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

1. Guests<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s a lot of advice out there about how to curate a great guest list, but I think only one rule applies: invite people you truly want to see, connect with, and love. Don\u2019t go with obligation, who knows who, or who\u2019s the life of the party. Invite people you\u2019re comfortable around, and you\u2019ll always have a good time. Life is short, spend it with people who really matter to you.<\/p>\n

2. Place & Time<\/strong><\/p>\n

Brunch on a farm is a far different experience than dinner at home or a sunset cook out on the beach. Think about the occasion, the season, and what\u2019s inspiring you. All dinner parties don\u2019t have to be in dining rooms or be dinner at all!<\/p>\n

3. Florals & Decor<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a big believer in fresh flowers (usually foraged stems\u00a0mixed with blooms\u00a0from the local flower shop or farmer\u2019s market) making an appearance on the table. My favorite part about foraging is that it\u2019s free! Wild rambling vines or branches plucked from your own street can be as beautiful as anything found in the shop. I like to do both. Here we used foraged flowers to decorate our \u201ctoppings bar\u201d and used gems from the shop on the table. Think outside the box when it comes to arranging them. Sometimes I skip the vase altogether like on the bar and just lay the branches and flowers out, others I look for alternatives to traditional vases like the beakers I used on the table.<\/p>\n

4. Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

I like music that sets a convivial mood but that doesn\u2019t overpower the conversation. It should be an energizing flow that fills the gaps without dominating the soundscape of your evening. I really love French pop music like Francoise Hardy and Jane Birkin or a low key vibe like Beach House. I save my garage rock & top 40 loves (I\u2019ve been known to swing from The Sonics to Flo Rida\u2026) for the clean up.<\/p>\n

5. Menu<\/strong><\/p>\n

I believe a good menu always reflects the season, and I also think that if something particularly precious is in season (in this case asparagus & strawberries among others!) they ought make as many appearances in as many forms as possible on the menu. I want to highlight the best of the market more than I want every single thing to be different. So I really let asparagus be the star of this menu with support from other spring favorites like garlic scapes, stinging nettles, and fresh herbs. For summer think local heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, summer squash, peaches, and blackberries.<\/p>\n

6. Table Setting<\/strong><\/p>\n

To this day I have to google which side of the plate the fork is supposed to go on. The beautiful thing about table setting now is there are no rules. Put out what you need, mix and match to your hearts content, and get creative. I always like to include\u00a0a little touch of something special on each plate, flowers or herbs or greenery or a small gift. In this case, each plate had a little, vintage glass vase with a floral sprig in it.<\/p>\n

7. Love<\/strong><\/p>\n

It sounds sentimental and clich\u00e9 but what truly makes a meal special is the heart &\u00a0soul put into it. We all know that at the end of the day if you stripped away the music, the flowers, and the pretty table and just put a simple, homemade dish together in a matter of minutes and sat down with people you love, you\u2019d have a great time. Food that nourishes and company that sustains, those are the only truly essential ingredients to a gathering. The rest is just nice. Relationships first, appearances second. Always.<\/p>\n

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Lastly here\u2019s our menu & the flatbread recipe.<\/p>\n

Drink | Honeysuckle Cordial + Champagne Sparklers<\/p>\n

Salad | Asparagus Ribbon Salad & Chevre Salad + Lemon Vinaigrette<\/p>\n

Soup | Asparagus Herb Gazpacho<\/p>\n

Main | Asparagus, Ricotta, and Garlic Scape & Pistachio Pesto Spring Flatbreads<\/p>\n

Sweet | Strawberry + Rhubarb Tart<\/p>\n

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