Party like it's 2016

I had to seize the opportunity while S is here of having our so-called 4th of July party; it's now become a tradition to hold it in August. As usual we set out to keep it simple, but we were more successful than usual. Rather than risking a barbie in the garden sparking a forest fire, we decided to do it in the square next to our house. Yes, the same one where certain people kept us awake till 4 .a.m. on Sunday morning. But of course we wouldn't behave like that, ohhh no :) After all, we had only invited 15 people. But we took the vital step of inviting all the neighbours except the one who was away on holiday.

It was a lovely warm, windless evening. We played music quietly, and everyone mingled very satisfactorily as we had a buffet for the food and then arranged chairs round a couple of low tables. At about 12:30 the people staying in the gite in the courtyard returned from an evening out and looked a little nervous to see us (as they too must have been kept awake on Saturday). But despite V launching into a couple of songs in his stentorian voice, we packed up at around 1:30. 

It was one of the most enjoyable Fourths we've had, and we even got the quantity of food roughly right; there were almost no left overs apart from the tray of pork ribs that was swiftly relegated to the freezer when Suzanne turned up with a pile of delicious freshly grilled ones. But yes, as usual we did more different dishes than we really needed to, and way more than last year.

For the record, so I remember not to do so many next year:
sourdough blini with smoked salmon and cream cheese
sourdough focaccia
gazpacho
green salad with apricots and toasted hazelnuts
escalivade
sausages
spicy pork ribs
cheese
lemon cheesecake
apple tart (brought by a guest)

Oh, and since I had the oven on for so long in 35 degree heat,  I decided I might as well bake a carrot cake for another occasion.