I think you could add some lovely breads or rolls. Personally, the spinach/gruyere soup sounds a bit heavy - but not having tasted it, I don't know. I would probably be inclined to do a fresh spring pea soup (perhaps served cold) instead. Are you serving all this at one time, or in courses? I am thinking that you could use some other beverage, as you have a lot of fruit things going on, and something non-fruity might be nice. It sounds like a lovely luncheon for the ladies of the family!

Glad to hear it went well. I love those kind of summer, salady meals! And I am a huge fan of anitpasta platters, where folks can pick and choose their own perfect little plates! As for lentils, like I said, I love lentil salad too and I always have to struggle getting the lentils just right--not too mushy, not to hard. I now special order French green lentil and also have tried the black beluga ones. They are both rounder and seem to be better for salads. But anyway, glad to hear the dinner went well. I knew it would! But I still love it when folks report back. What can I say, I am so busy and devoid of a social life I have to live vicariously through others, lol! So thanks for sharing the fun!

This is my twisted version of Tlalpeno Soup. Traditionally it has chipotle peppers in adobo but I don't like them. I tend not to use recipes so this is a "loose" recipe intended for those comfortable with seasoning to taste. It is very adaptable to your own preferences and what you have on hand. Like I said previously, I've dropped the chicken and upped the chickpeas.. I have also added brown rice. The one thing I wouldn't eliminate is the cilantro. I know many people don't care for cilantro but it really makes this particular soup. Ingredients: 1 small onion diced 1 stalk celery diced 1-2 jalapeno, diced 1 roasted poblano pepper, skin removed 1 chicken breast (1 large breast) 6 cups chicken broth (I sometimes swap a cup of tomato juice for a cup of broth) 1 can petite diced tomatoes with chilies (or use fresh italian tomatoes) 1 cup chickpeas 1 c fresh cilantro chopped Add seasonings to taste: oregano chile powder cumin cayenne pepper salt pepper garlic powder (if you prefer minced, add at the very end of the vegetable saute) Directions:1. Shred or dice the cooked chicken. Saute onion, celery, jalapenos in a small amount of olive oil until soft (about 3-5 min). Add chickpeas, tomatoes, chicken and broth. (it should be a fairly brothy soup at this point). Add 1/4 cup or so of the chopped cilantro and seasoning to taste. Be cautious with seasonings at this point-- the spiciness will intensify as it simmers. 5. Let simmer for 30-40 min. Taste again and add seasonings as required. 6. Add remaining cilantro and let simmer 5 min. 7. Serve in bowls and top with some, none or all of the following optional toppings: avocado, shredded cabbage, chopped radish, sour cream. Me? I like just a squeeze of lime.

Just reporting back to let everyone know how the lunch went. Despite on and off showers, the temp was great so we were able to sit out on the deck, half of which is covered so we were dry and comfortable and enjoying the outdoors. Friend brought a hot appetizer with melted cheese that was delish. I had a Latin salami slices with cucumber slices; roasted red pepper hummus with pita chips, smoke gouda and jarlsburg cheese with crackers, and a dish with celery and carrot sticks. Lunch rec'd all kinds of compliments...grilled chicken breasts marinated in a lemon BBQ sauce and I served it with quinoa pesto (found it at TJs). Lentil salad with carrots and celery. Haricot vert with fennel and toasted pecans in a lemon dijon sauce (Martha Stewart). I sliced up a whole wheat ciabatta bread and had an herb package from which to make a dipping sauce with EVOO. For dessert I made a mixed berry crumble (blue and rasp) with choc chip ice cream from a local creamery. Coffee and tea. The beauty of it was that most of the cooking was done a day ahead so I was able to enjoy the company on the deck and not be a slave to the kitchen in prep.