Whether it’s a long, lazy dinner by the flicker of citronella candlelight or a post-work apéro on the terrace, summer entertaining is in full swing, and we’ve enlisted the help of the most stylish hosts we know to serve up their party tricks. Pour yourself a Campari soda and settle in—it’s Aperitivo Hour.
Sometimes, there’s a clear cause for celebration—a birthday, a new job, a housewarming. Sometimes, the reason for a gathering is a little more modest in origin—for example, a fresh crop of mandarins sprouting in your backyard. “Today, our tree gave up a small mountain of tangerines,” says Kendall Knox, the co-founder of L.A.-based interiors brand Olive Ateliers. “I decided to lean all the way into the European summer we’re all quietly craving.”
As far as we’re concerned, this is in fact the perfect incentive for a party; especially when the end result looks like this. Knox put together a colorful cornucopia of early summer treats inspired by what’s in season at her local farmer’s market and in her own garden. There’s the zucchini galette, sitting pretty on a vintage doily from her grandmother. The heirloom tomato salad, flecked with basil from her herb collection and tangerine zest from the aforementioned tree. Even the decor is on-theme—bowls and pots brimming with enough citrus fruit to cure a ship of scurvy. “The trick is that it should look like it took all day; actually, all it took was grabbing whatever was within arm’s reach,” she continues. “My kitchen is small, so the rule is simple: Two or three dishes, good cheese, good wine, done.”
This laid-back approach to entertaining is well-timed to summer; even the timing of the fête (“I’m devoted to a lazy linner—a lunch that forgets to end and slides into early dinner”) is flexible and forgiving, a formula anyone can adapt to what they have available. For a little inspiration, here’s how she pulled it all together.
Photography by Ben & Kendall Knox
Photography by Ben & Kendall Knox
Set the Scene
“Setting the table is my favorite part. I’ll happily style the whole table and let everyone bring food potluck-style—though I’ll defend my charcuterie board to the end. It all starts with the table itself. I love a French farmhouse table: the long, worn kind that’s clearly hosted a hundred dinners before mine. Typically, the color or theme for me is inspired by the produce in season; my tangerines being abundant led me to a citrus theme for this.
