Recently, I invited four friends from the blogging world over for lunch. It was relaxed and fun. Hopefully, you will be inspired to have a California Casual Girlfriends Lunch soon!
But first, my pals Annie and Cindy are featuring our San Francisco home on their blogs today. I’m interested to see what they highlight! I will be featuring their homes in the next two months…can’t wait!
My guests: Kim “Northern California Style”, Chief and Me, Cindy “Rough Luxe”, Annie “Most Lovely Things”, Elizabeth “The Vintage Contessa”
Isn’t it interesting how the internet has made the world smaller? I love how I’ve met these ladies online and now have them as friends. We are each individual with different styles but have common interests. Just like I think you and I would be friends since you are here reading this!
Flowers
Annie came out to visit from Connecticut and I took her to the SF Flower Mart. We both spied these purple anemones …perfect for our table.
Setting A Feminine Table
I used my great Aunt Janet’s hand crocheted lace napkins. These are a treasure to me and I don’t use them often. They must be about 100 years old now. I like the lady-like feel of them.
Annie matches the flowers! I used an old Ralph Lauren quilt for the table cloth and white Sazon dishes bought on vacation in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
The raffia placemats are an old Home Goods find.
Girly Party Favors
You can read about the party favor Sugar Scrub that I made here.
white planter/vases ($15 for a set of three) • gray water tumbler • Riedel stemless wine glasses These are my favorite everyday white wine glasses. They have a very thin crystal feel…nice in the hand.
California Casual Girlfriends Lunch Menu
One of my guests eats gluten-free for health reasons, so the menu doesn’t contain gluten.
- Champagne, Rosé wine, San Pellegrino, Iced Tea
- Herb Salad with Feta
- Mexican Chicken Lasagne served with chopped heirloom tomatoes with toasted pinenuts
- Fresh Italian bakery cookies and strawberries (Annie walked down into North Beach to pick them up at Victoria Pastry the morning of our lunch). Made with almond flour, they are gluten-free too.
Herb Salad with Feta
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 cup firmly packed fresh curly-leaf parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves
- 1 small head Boston lettuce torn into bite-size pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese the block feta lasts longer
Instructions
- Whisk together oil and lemon juice in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add flat-leaf parsley, curly-leaf parsley, mint, and lettuce; toss to combine. Garnish with cheese.
Mexican Chicken Lasagne With Tomatillo Sauce
Ingredients
Tomatillo Sauce
- 2 lbs. large tomatillos, husked, rinsed, halved
- 1 1/4 cups low-salt chicken broth
- 10 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 cups sliced green onions
- 2 cups (packed) very coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 1 large serrano chile, sliced
Casserole
- 12 5 inch corn tortillas toasted in a pan on the stove to crispen
- 1 purchased roasted chicken, meat torn into strips (about 4 cups)
- 1 lb. shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup sour cream or creme fraiche
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix tomatillos, chicken broth, and garlic cloves in a large saucepan. Cover and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat; simmer gently until tomatillos are soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer hot mixture to processor. Add sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and sliced chile; blend the mixture to a coarse puree. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. You can make this a day or two in advance.
- Overlap 6 tortillas in 13x9x2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. I used scissors to cut some in half for the sides. Top tortillas with half of the chicken strips and half of the mozzarella. Pour 2 cups tomatillo sauce evenly over. Top with remaining tortillas, chicken strips, and mozzarella. Dollop sour cream on top and smooth out partially. Pour 1 1/2 cups tomatillo sauce over, Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Cool enchiladas 10 minutes. Serve with remaining tomatillo sauce.
- For a vegetarian version, I have also made it without the chicken and added two to four cups of shredded cheddar.
Kim gave me this awesome book: Nathan Turner’s I Love California: Live, Eat, and Entertain the West Coast Way.
After reading the book and upon reflection, the little California Casual Girlfriends lunch we had was the same West Coast style Nathan Turner writes about…from the Napa wines, local salad greens and strawberries, and Mexican cuisine influence. It’s informal and relaxed.
Look at this amazing salad bar he made… makes me want to have another party.
Be sure to check out our home at
Most Lovely Things
and Rough Luxe
and leave them a message!
Love and thanks,
Mary Ann
PS. Kim from Northern California Style just did a post about our lunch if you are not getting overloaded with this! Kim has some “behind the scene/not perfect” photos 🙂 for a realistic view.
One day I am gonna make one of those lunches:)
Can’t wait to make the salad and chicken lasagna. TJ’s tomatillo is the best.
Your guests are some of my favorites bloggers. Have met both Kim and the Contessa a few years ago at a luncheon at La Contessa’s home. Great ladies. Looks like it was a fun time.
Yes!! Those ladies are so great!
I just love your table and your home. The lace napkins are so special! Love that you used a family heirloom. All of you are so gorgeous! Great post, MaryAnn!
Thanks, Carla…wish you were with us!
Mary Ann, Just wrote about the lunch today finally! I hope it’s okay I shares your beautiful place.. I linked to you all as some of the gals had better pics. So much to love in your place and what a great hostess you are. I had to link to your recipes. It was fun and I know a lot of work, but what a memorable and special day. I feel so lucky to be included and I hope to have you here soon to do the same…I’m so glad you like the book!! The scrub is awesome. Thanks again for everything. xoxo Kim
I made the Mexican lasagna recipe last night with a substitution. I live in North Carolina and my local Trader Joe’s did not have the tomatillo sauce. At the clerk’s suggestion I successfully used green enchilaa sauce. For those wanting a bit more “heat” I passed a bowl of TJ’s Zhoug Sauce It got terrific reviews. The finishing touch was our fabulous, fresh picked strawberries at their peak right now.
Thanks so much!!! I always enjoy your blog
Sue
Wow…bet your family was happy! I’m going to pick up some Zhoug sauce (haven’t heard of it but we like spicy). Thanks so much for your comment.
What a fun girls lunch! I could never set a table like that. You either have it or you don’t and you certainly do! Love the Contessa!
Thanks! I love the Contessa, too! She is a gem.
What a luscious occasion. Your apartment looks spectacular—the views are like art! As I have said before I think you and Cindy are two peas+one pod! So glad you two found each other. I’m going to make the chicken dish. It looks delicious!
What a fabulous hostess you are Mary Ann! Your home looked absolutely picture perfect on both Annie and Cindy’s blogs, and it was so fun to attend your luncheon vicariously through all of these lovely blog posts. I can’t wait to make your yummy looking recipes that I just printed out.
I loved seeing your beautiful apartment through two different eyes. It has such character and you’ve decorated it beautifully.
Thanks so much, Joanna!!!
You are the Martha Stewart of SF. You entertain so beautifully and effortlessly (well you make it look effortless!!) I feel so lucky to have you as a friend. You are the best!!
It was very relaxed for me in spite of the fact that you all are talented hostesses/bloggers…you are all non-judgemental. Ha! It helped to go first, too.
THANK YOU AGAIN for a LOVELY DAY!IT truly was so EXCITING to SEE YOUR ABODE and to Meet CHIEF!
Cannot wait to REPEAT that Lunch!!!!You were so kind to think of ME being GF!Those cookies you sent me home with were gone by the time I made the 15 mile trek back HOME across that Bridge!
IT was LOVELY meeting ANNIE as well……………and YES WE ALL SHARE A FEW THINGS IN COMMON!!!
XX
OF course, you are my dear GF!!! We need to do it again…soon. I need to return your bowl…your fresh organic eggs are great…Howard and I are still enjoying them. I will let you know when I can drop it off to make sure you are home. Thanks so much!
How wonderful to be able to gather internet friends around a beautiful lunch! I have followed all of these beautiful ladies for years and it is fun to see you all together. I cannot wait to make your salad and mexican lasagna! Have a great day!
So true, Elizabeth! Wish you were with us!