A Party with a Sweet Twist

My friends and family know that I count the days until Thanksgiving and Christmas, usually beginning during the bleakest days of January or February. I can't help myself because I'm so in love with the food, decorations, music and everything that goes with holiday entertaining. Fortunately, my admitted obsession for the holidays has a brief respite during the summer when beautiful and luscious fruits have their way with me, practically begging me to use them to celebrate the bounty that summer bestows on us.



    Having invited some close friends over for a casual summer dinner party, I set off for the farmers' market for inspiration. Surrounded by picture perfect displays of strawberries, cherries and peaches---virtually dessert at my fingertips---it was difficult to concentrate on savory possibilities for an appetizer and entrée. Finally, I abandoned all thoughts of a traditional dinner menu and succumbed to the sweet temptation of hosting the ultimate indulgence; a dessert party.
As I scribbled dessert menu ideas and flipped through dozens of cookbooks, I had to admit my party had the potential of being much too fruity and far too one dimensional (a horror of a culinary faux pax, to be sure!). The missing ingredient was glaringly obvious...chocolate, and lots of it. That problem was soon remedied as I worked into the menu some utterly spectacular chocolate treats.



    Guests didn't even try to hide their delight when they saw the desserts displayed on a table that was designed to be colorful and fun. I used a bright pink tablecloth, rented from Ballou's, as an under cloth and topped it with a piece of lighter pink fabric with orange and green polka dots. A combination of orange and pink napkins, also from Ballou's, tied them with orange and pink decorative trim, added even more color to the table. A glass vase filled with pink Gerbera daisies and greenery was a simple and casual centerpiece.
    Much of the menu was do-ahead easy, making it ideal for summer entertaining. The strawberry soup and mango peach tart were a delicious balance to some of the sweeter desserts that included:

German Chocolate Cake
Mango Peach Cheesecake
Chilled Strawberry Soup
Fresh Cherry Tart
Lemon Pie
Chocolate Truffle Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bourbon Cake