Cooking with Friends

If you’d like to host a dinner party but the thought of preparing multiple courses is overwhelming, this is the menu for you. Invite friends over and have them join in the chopping, dicing and cooking, then sit down and enjoy the meal together.

We created a menu that’s perfect for a springtime gathering – the preparations are simple, so the garden-fresh flavors can shine. It works well for a group to prepare, featuring a balance of cooked foods that require the stovetop and oven (but not all at the same time), as well as dishes that need no cooking. These tips will help you orchestrate a fun and delicious evening.

As the host, shop for the groceries and make multiple copies of each recipe. Have drinks (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic) available when guests arrive.

This menu is based on eight people cooking together. To help your guests stay organized, divide them into four teams, each with two people. (Note that you will need to double some of the recipes to serve eight.)

Team 1: Prepare the appetizers – radishes with butter and sea salt, and tzatziki, the Greek cucumber-yogurt dip. These come together quickly and require no cooking. Set them out so everyone can snack as they cook. Then the team prepares the butter lettuce salad.

Team 2: Season the salmon and put it in the oven. As the fish slow-roasts, cook the potatoes on the stovetop.

Team 3: Prep the ingredients for the asparagus and shiitake stir-fry, then cook the ingredients just before the salmon comes out of the oven.

Team 4: Assemble the strawberry-rhubarb crumble, then put it in the oven when the salmon is done.