Volume 3 of Rowan Loves is almost out, this time with designs from Martin Storey.  All the designs can be knit with either Pure Wool Worsted or Creative Focus Worsted and most designs can be knit as either a cardigan or a pullover.  The new Rowan Loves series has stolen my heart.  I've been knitting a few garments from each one, and will again with this book.  First up for me will be the striped Bellerose and then must make the scarf and hat.  Gorge.  My lys is having a 20% off sale this Friday and Saturday.  Good timing!  Rowan Loves has not hit the shops yet, but expect to see it in the next few weeks. Ravelry has the complete yarn requirements if you'd like to get a headstart and order the yarn before hand. 

Yikes, over the moon in love with stripes, and love gray and white together with bright pops of color.  Bellerose above can be made in cardigan or pullover.  Oh dear, which one to make first?  

Skyland below uses only 3 skeins of either PWW or Creative Focus.  Love the pompoms and always love the look of garter stitch.

The Union Slouch takes only one skein.  Best hat.

 Bergen Raglan above and Rockette below, for stylish weekend wear.

Who loves grandpa cardigans?  Me! Corona can be knit as a cardi above, or pullover, below.

It's nice when you plan a party, do all that work, and next day you consider it a success.  Both my husband and I love to throw (and attend!) parties and I feel that over the years we've developed a very casual, easy-does-it style.  My decorations are always simple and my food is always easy and, for the most part, do ahead.  Just this weekend we had a dinner for 14, including some of the women from my knitting group and their spouses. 

When planning a party, big or small, I like a theme to get me started on my decor and menu.  This could be a color, or a country's traditional cuisine, something growing in my garden, or even a disaster!  Once I was planning a party that happened to fall on the same night as the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. I recreated as best I could the last meal served in first class the night before the disaster.  We must take our inspirations where they come!

On the Thursday before the Saturday night party I sat outside with a stack of cookbooks hoping for inspiration.  One of the first cookbooks I thumbed through was Ojai's Table, my current favorite.  I found this quote below the recipe for an olive oil cake I'd been wanting to make: "Sun, stone, drought, silence and solitude: these are the five ingredients that according to Italian folk traditions, create the ideal habitat for the olive tree."  I looked up at one of our own olive trees and I had to agree--she was looking magnificent even with our year's long drought. She's thriving; no, she's flourishing.

The olive tree quote got me to thinking; I would celebrate the olive:  olive branches to decorate the house and olives in as many menu items as possible.  And add to that: corn, summer squash, tomatoes, oranges, lemons; all things fresh and local from my own backyard.

Menu

Frittata Bites

Rumaki

 

Honey Marinated Pork with Orange Gremolata from Ojai's Table

Ina's Vegetable Tian

Ina's Corn Salad
Sliced Tomatoes

Wedge Salad  

Pecan Orange Olive Oil Cake from Ojai's Table
with Lemon Curd

"Sun, stone, drought, silence and solitude: these are the five ingredients that create the ideal habitat for the olive tree."

Edited 2/7/17:  I've updated this post here, with more concise instructions and better pictures.

For the pretty side dish, I use Ina Garten's Vegetable Tian recipe for the most part.  I make this often in the summer, and each time it's similar, but changes with what's growing or what's on hand.  Everything was from the garden except the potatoes.  After slicing the vegetables, sprinkle with salt, then start layering in a dish.  It calls for a sliced onion that I didn't have so I sprinkled on some chopped green scallions that I did have.  I think Ina has you layer the veggies a different way, but I think the arrangement below is prettiest.  Douse with a few tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with fresh thyme, salt and pepper and cover with foil and bake in a hot oven for about an hour.  When tender, sprinkle with grated gruyère cheese, perhaps a cup, and bake uncovered until melted and browned, another 15 minutes or so.  It's really popular and perfect for this time of year. 

I'm having another party next week, this time for my knitting group.  We will have more people as I actually gave them two weeks notice, not just one!  I'll be serving the vegetable tian again, but don't know what else.  Maybe I can get my husband to bar-be-que as I'm planning to eat outdoors.

I hope you are having a great summer.  

Go Giants!