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Summer Soiree on the Patio

A few weeks ago, I threw a little party on my patio for Clos du Bois. It was an al fresco soiree for editors to come over, see my house, eat some delicious appetizers and try their new Lightly Bubbled Chardonnay and Rosé. It was honestly such a fun shoot day, with the loveliest client, food stylist, photographer and PR team. I try to avoid shooting here in the evening because of the kids and the general disruption that normally ensues with these types of things, but Brian kept them out for a movie so we could have a happy hour on the patio with editors. I hadn’t planned on blogging about it but the food was so good, the DIYs were so cute and the patio looked beautiful, and I couldn’t help myself. So in case you need some summer party inspiration, here you go:

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 95 Edited 1

We came up with three different recipe ideas that would pair well with the wine. BLTs, lemon tarts and yummy fries (my favorite food groups), and my good friend Jeanne Kelley – a food stylist and chef who I have worked with and adored for YEARS – helped me bring it all together.

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 70

Despite how beautiful they look, trust me when I say these recipes are SO simple to pull off. I’m all about ‘The Art of Easy Entertaining’ and while these bites look beautiful and taste great, they aren’t complicated to make and, more importantly, really easy to eat. Once they are out, guests can snack on them without silverware and the cleanup is fast and painless.

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 39

First up are these BLTs – they are incredibly delicious and don’t require you to enroll into culinary school to make them because they come together so fast without much fuss (pretty wrapping not optional if you really want to wow your guests with your natural given hosting prowess). These were paired with the Lightly Bubbled Chardonnay and the combo made my mouth very happy.

Mini Summer BLTs with California Mayo

This favorite gets transformed into perfectly diminutive party fare.

Makes 12, about 6 servings

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon minced shallot
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • 12 slices (about 10 ounces) bacon, cut in half
  • 6 slices of sourdough sandwich loaf, crust removed and cut into 24 two- to three-inch squares
  • 4 small (about 12 ounces) tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 avocados, peeled and sliced (optional)
  • Arugula leaves, about 1 cup

Stir mayonnaise, mustard, shallot and thyme together in a small bowl. (California Mayo can be made up to four days ahead; cover and refrigerate.)

Cook the bacon until crisp and drain well. Lightly toast the bread.

Spread half of the toasts with California Mayo. Top with tomato slices, two pieces of bacon, avocado slices and arugula. Spread the remaining pieces of toast with the mayo and place atop sandwiches; press gently to compress slightly. Secure with a sandwich pick and serve.

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 71

We ate them for days. The bread had the perfect CRUNCH.

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 100 Edited

These French fries…my goodness. Being a pro-fry person, I’m typically anti any fries that don’t come with a big dollop of ketchup, but these were finished off beautifully with a chunk of goat cheese that was truly mouthwatering. It’s some kind of wizardry that I wouldn’t ever have been able to dream up without Jeanne. This one was again paired with the Lightly Bubbled Chardonnay to help bring out the savory flavors in the fries and oh my were those flavors delicious.

Truffle-scented Oven-crisped Fries with Baked Goat Cheese and Sage

You won’t miss the extra fat or fuss of deep-fried French fries (frites) in this oven-roasted version. These are wonderful dipped into the creamy baked cheese. Turn this appetizer into dinner by pairing with fresh arugula. Truffle oil adds an earthy quality.

6 servings

  • 3/4 cup lightly toasted breadcrumbs
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
  • Olive oil
  • 1 11-ounce log chilled soft fresh goat cheese, cut into 6 rounds
  • 2 very large (about 1 pound each) baking potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/3-inch-thick and 3-inch long strips
  • 1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
  • Fleur de sel sea salt
  • Black truffle oil to taste, about 1 teaspoon

Combine breadcrumbs and minced sage in a small, shallow bowl. Brush a small baking sheet lightly with olive oil. Brush goat cheese rounds generously with olive oil and roll in the breadcrumb mixture until all sides are coated; transfer rounds to prepared baking sheet. (Can be prepared up to one day ahead. Cover with plastic and refrigerate.)

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Brush two heavy large baking sheets with olive oil. Toss the potatoes in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons olive oil. Divide the potatoes between prepared baking sheets and spread out into single layer. Bake until the potatoes begin to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir the potatoes and add the sage leaves to the baking sheets, dividing evenly. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and return to the oven. Place the baking sheet with the goat cheese in the oven alongside the fries. Bake until the cheese is soft and the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the potatoes are crisp on the edges yet tender on the inside, stirring the potatoes once, about 15 minutes. Drizzle the potatoes with truffle oil to taste. Transfer goat cheese rounds to small plates and surround with potatoes and sage leaves and serve.

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 83 Edited

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 29

The little lemon pies were the perfect one-bite dessert to pop in your mouth. These went perfectly with Clos du Bois’ Lightly Bubbled Rosé which is sweet, fruity and an excellent complement to the berry tarts.

Little Lemon Pies

These easy-to-assemble tartlets can be made in a muffin cup – no specialty equipment needed. A little Clos du Bois Lightly Bubbled wine adds a fun kick to the tart lemon filling. Top the little pies with whipped cream and fresh berries or blood orange sections.

Makes 12 small pies

  • 1 package (2 sheets) frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons Clos du Bois Lightly Bubbled Chardonnay or Rosé
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Whipped cream for topping
  • Berries or blood orange sections

Preheat oven to 375°F. If necessary, roll dough out to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut dough into twelve 3 1/2-inch squares. Using fork, prick dough all over surface. Press dough into a 12-mold cupcake pan. (Dough will not extend all the way up sides.) Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar and lemon peel until well blended in a heavy medium saucepan. Mix in lemon juice and wine. Whisk over medium-high heat until mixture thickens and just boils.* Transfer curd to bowl and cool slightly.

Stir cream into curd and spoon into crusts, dividing evenly. Bake until set and just slightly puffed around the edges, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. Carefully unmold pies and transfer to plate; refrigerate until chilled, about two hours. (Can be prepared one day ahead; cover with plastic.)

Top pies with whipped cream and garnish with berries or blood orange sections if desired and serve.

*lemon juice stabilizes the eggs – boiling here is necessary for the filling to thicken. It will not curdle.

This is the only recipe from the day that felt intimidating to me, so for the shoot, Jeanne (my food stylist) had to hold my hand and babysit me in making these because I was obviously nervous about how they would turn out.

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 91 Edited

The food/drink pairings were meant to be the star, but to give the editors some activities and to keep the party moving, we created some DIY ideas that went along with our theme. We made these really cute berry basket floral arrangements, with seasonal flowers and cute little wood berry boxes.

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 90 Edited

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 102 Edited

We also made these DIY coasters with nail polish and inexpensive tile. I had seen this project on Pinterest but was shocked at how easy it turned out to be:

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Coaster Diy 1 1

The process is simple and the materials are very affordable and easy to source.

Materials Needed for Marbleized Coasters:

Instructions:

  • Start by laying your plate on the table and filling it halfway to the rim with warm water (we used a pretty white basin since we were shooting it but you could use a large plastic Tupperware that you could toss or recycle after. 
  • Next, carefully drizzle a few drops of nail polish into the water, keeping your hand close to the surface so that the drops of nail polish don’t sink straight down.
  • Add a few more drops of a different color – don’t worry about where the drops go, you can always move them around with the skewer.
  • Once all the desired colors are in the water, lightly swirl and move them around using a toothpick or skewer (note: go slowly here so that the colors don’t blend together too much and start to look muddy).

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Coaster Diy 2 1

  • Flip the tile over so the finished side is toward the water and touch the surface of the tile to the water. The trick with this is that you will want to start with one side and then tilt the rest of the tile in. If you place it flat on the surface of the water, it can sometimes create a bubble on the surface and not transfer over correctly.
  • After you dip it in, carefully lift it up and flip it over. The design that was on the water will have transferred onto the tile. 

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Coaster Diy 3 1

  • Set the tile aside on a clean plate or paper towel to dry.
  • Use the skewer to grab all the excess nail polish. It will start to dry on the surface so if you move the skewer around, it will collect around the tip of it and dry (much like you would do with cotton candy).
  • Repeat process with a new set of colors.
  • Once the tiles have dried, you can seal them (if desired) with a satin finish clear spray and adhere bumpers to the bottom of each tile to prevent scratching.

Lastly, we created some ‘floral wine rings’ using fresh roses, floral wire and dark green florist tape. These are so handy to help identify which glass belongs to which guest at a get-together. I for one need this for every glass in my life. I set down and move around my glass constantly and I NEVER know which one is mine.

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Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 99 Edited

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Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 9

How cute are those? Thanks to ValleyBrinkRoad for helping us out with the flowers.

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Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 1

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 2

The party was SO MUCH FUN. I genuinely love talking to editors (or anyone for that matter) and these ladies were all excited to talk about design, food, the wine and LA life in general.

Emily Henderson Closdubois Wine Party Pic 54

Thanks to Clos Du Bois for helping me throw a summer soiree on the patio.

[drawattention ID=149865]

1. Wood Bread Board (similar) | 2. Dot Plate | 3. Striped Napkins | 4. Copper Cup | 5. Striped Table Runner (similar) | 6. Copper and Stone Tray | 7. Wine Glass | 8. Flatware | 9. Cake Plate | 10. Terracotta Rim Plate (similar) | 11. White Ceramic Plate (similar) | 12. Scissors | 13. Galvanized Vase (Similar) | 14. Terracotta Bud Vase | 15. Copper Mercury Glass Votive Holder (similar) | 16. Galvanized Rectangle Vase | 17. Wood Berry Boxes | 18. White Platter (similar) | 19. Dining Chair | 20. Coral Tablecloth (similar) | 21. Terracotta Hourglass Vase | 22. Wood Pruning Sheers | 23. Round Chairpads |  24. Wood Bar Cart | 25. Nail Polish |  26. Matte Pink Plate | 27. White Basin | 28. Outdoor Loveseat | 29. Copper String Lights | 30. White Vase/Utensil Holder | 31. Tall Galvanized Vase

***Thanks to our friends at Rolling Greens and Lost & Found for letting us borrow some of your beautiful products for this shoot. 

***Photos by Tessa Neustadt for EHD

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Tiffanie
6 years ago

Is it too much trouble to display the items in the othe format where you swipe?

Lisa H.
6 years ago

Very beautiful and looks delicious! You forgot one thing: a source for your DRESS! 🙂

christina
6 years ago
Reply to  Lisa H.

I just moved into a new house and am still figuring out how to entertain in it. Where to put the drinks, the napkins, the ice! Thanks for sharing your ideas which are much more elegant than some of the pinterest inspirations out there. I like your relaxed yet purposeful approach.
And yes, I need to know the source of that DRESS!

EHD
6 years ago
Reply to  Lisa H.

It’s Ulla Johnson! I’m sorry I couldn’t find a link to share, but check out the brand. xx

Jenni
6 years ago
Reply to  EHD
loveley of honeymoonvintage.com
6 years ago

everything looks so beautiful. LOVE all the flowers!
questions about the tile DIY. what do you do with the water/nail polish mixture when you’re done? put it down the drain? from an environmental standpoint, this seems horrible. i love DIYs, but with stuff like this, i usually avoid stuff that creates more environmental pollution than the end product is worth. do you scrape all the polish off the top of the water and dump the water? i’m really wondering. thanks!

Jenna
6 years ago

Once the project is done, you can use a craft stick/popsicle stick to collect all the extra nail polish & the water can be dumped. The popsicle stick can be re-used in future craft /paint projects since the polish dries so hard & the bowl can also be reused for future projects!! Happy crafting!!

Loveley of honeymoonvintage.com
6 years ago
Reply to  Jenna

Thank you!

Susie
6 years ago

Emily this is a feast of beautiful eye candy, colors, and ideas! Oh my gosh- the flowers! Everything is so pretty!

S
6 years ago

What about your dress please?

S
6 years ago

Two things:
1. We do the coaster move on special rocks my kids find and they have a treasured collection

2. You can use the same technique with your kids but using shaving cream and food die for paper (and use it for gift tags of their own stationary) and even on eggs for Easter. It’s beautiful and I think even more special when the kids diy it.

Elise
6 years ago

So gorgeous! Great post, even a DIY project to warm my heart (and help me use up discarded nail polish!). We love Clos du Bois wines! Look forward to trying their slightly-bubbly chardonnay. Usually sparkling wines are too fizzy for me, so this sounds perfect. Happy Spring!

Christa
6 years ago

That dress looks so elegant on you!
The patio is perfection, what a beautiful party.

Daria
6 years ago

lmao i am definitely jumping on board for a dress source 🙂

Pam
6 years ago
Reply to  Daria

Me too!

Katie J
6 years ago

Stealing 99% of this for Mother’s Day Lunch, Thank you!
and yes please, the source for the dress!

Heidi
6 years ago

I was JUST thinking about your patio posts last year that prompted me to buy those adorable Target juice glasses. This time I’m eyeing that coral tablecloth from Wayfair.

And I love the berry basket flower arrangement! I might DIY this for my mom and grandma this Mother’s Day. What product did you add around the sides to hide the floral foam – tissue paper?

Beautiful stuff as always! Much love to you and your team!

Laura
6 years ago

GORGEOUS! I love entertaining inspiration. I made a charcuterie board (on a much smaller scale) inspired by your last entertaining post!

Christine Schwalm Design
6 years ago

For larger quantities of bacon, I cook them on a rack in the oven. Keeps them straight and you don’t have to babysit.

Paula
6 years ago

Yep, it’s the only way I make bacon these days. Microwaving doesn’t get it as crisp as I like, and pan-frying takes too dang long!

klurie
6 years ago

EHD,
Love that dress you are wearing!! Do you mind sharing information about it? Clos duBois, always a good choice (and my husband’s company product, so…). Trying those recipes out on my sunny Switzerland patio!

Paula
6 years ago

I’m bookmarking this one for the marbled coasters. Genius!

Jen
6 years ago

Delicious. What a fun gathering.

cc
6 years ago

PS ladies interested in the dress…. The Ulla J version is $520 + tax but I stumbled on a blush-colored knockoff at Ann Taylor today at a fraction of the price. It’s amazing. It’s apparently not available online but there was a rackful at my local store in Houston (River Oaks). https://www.anntaylor.com/smocked-tie-waist-ruffle-dress/465051

Turner
6 years ago
Reply to  cc

??????

Liz
6 years ago

Shoe source please? ?

Chandler Road
6 years ago

what (or how?), exactly, is the wrapper executed for the BLTs? Beautiful post!

fonsi
6 years ago
Reply to  Chandler Road

the evening because of the kids and the general disruption that normally ensues with these types of things splixio.online

Heidi
6 years ago

You look gorgeous! Very polished and ‘well-put-together’!
SPRING soiree, even.
THAT patio is so, so beautiful.

Janet Fazio
6 years ago

I can’t tell you how excited I am about the lightly bubbled chardonnay. We had something similar (at least I hope it’s similar) in Italy and I haven’t been able to find anything quite like it since. Can’t wait to try it.

Kate
6 years ago

I’ve made marbelized demi-dishes before but coasters are also beautiful and SO practical! Great idea. I think I’ll make some with a glass of Clos du Bois’ of course! 😉

fonsi
6 years ago

Where to put the drinks, the napkins, the ice! Thanks for sharing your ideas which are much more elegant than some of the splixio.online

Veronique
6 years ago

I dream of being so rigorous about the details. The results are amazing!

I wondered where the small console comes from with the marble top and wrought iron patterns? Also, in the first picture, I wondered if it was a real marble counter or rather laminate. I hesitate between the two, but the laminate is cheaper: http://www.formica.com/en/ca/products/formica-laminate-home#swatchesTab. What do you recommand?

Heather
6 years ago

Emily, where is your outdoor table from? It’s gorgeous!