From Garden to Table

One of my nearest and dearest friends lives out of town and visits each year in July and December. Every time she’s “home,” our friend group does what we always do best… catch up over dinner and drinks.

This time, we decided to make it a little more intentional.

Cooking with what we had

Instead of planning an elaborate menu or running to the store for specialty ingredients, we took stock of what was already growing in our gardens. Produce, herbs, whatever was ready; that became the starting point. We chose the menu together, cooked side by side, assembled the dishes as we went, and let the night unfold naturally at my home.

It ended up being one of my favorite dinners, and honestly, not just because of the food.

A perfect summer evening

The weather showed up for us. We sat out on the deck, light jazz playing in the background, catching up in the way that only happens when you slow down long enough to really be present. The kind of night where conversation flows easily, glasses are refilled without thinking, and time feels suspended… even though you know it’s never quite enough.