What a party! Big water fight down by the East River until every kid was soaked then back to the house. Warmed little tortillas in the oven. Set out platters of seared flank steak with chive butter, chicken breast marinated in lime, cilantro, fresh mint, onion and olive oil then roasted and sliced thin, a bowl of salsa: tomatillo, cilantro, avocado, plenty of fresh lime juice, salt and just a bit of water to thin it out, a bowl of romesco sauce: pan toasted almonds, ancho chiles, lemon, vinegar, bread, garlic, tomato and bit of arugula, a bowl of black beans and rice w/coriander seed, fennel seed, and fresh lime juice and butter at the end, plate of chopped tomatoes with cilantro, red onion, red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt, plate of avocado slices, red onion and cilantro garnish and I completely forgot the salad of romaine, slivered radish and chive. Could have had almost twice the amount of rice and beans. The first (huge) lot got overcooked to a paste when I decided it would save time to take a shower while they were simmering. I threw it out and started over, but all I had to use was one cup of dry rice and two cans of black beans; it was more like a black bean and rice “accent.”
Stacked chocolate cake with whipped cream for dessert, decorated with pansies from the garden, fresh mint and blueberries.
Jonathan served peach juice w/proseco and blueberries and everybody was happy and everybody ate. Our friends were the best part of the party. And our beautiful boy is going to be 10 years old.