French Recipes for Warm Weather Parties

Classic French cuisine has a number of recipes perfect for enjoying outdoors. Imagine kicking back at a long wooden table laden with great food and excellent wine, the lavender-scented breeze and warm sunshine your only quiet companions. If you’ve seen a favorite movie of mine - A Good Year, with Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard - you know exactly what I mean. For those of us unable to hop a plane bound for Provence, here is a selection of outdoor-worthy French recipes for picnics or long, lazy dinners in the sunset. Bon appetit!

French Recipes for Entrée Salads:

Entrée salads are a great choice for a casual meal; they’re an entrée and side dish in one. These recipes are quintessential Provencal creations. Enjoyed year-round, they’re delicious; enjoyed in the fresh air, they’re sublime.

• Citrus Chicken Salad Recipe
• Grilled Seafood Nicoise Recipe
• Tuna Nicoise Recipe

French Recipes for Side-Dish Salads:

A great majority of the population in the United States will be grilling hamburgers and hotdogs – frankfurters – for Memorial Day this weekend. Here are some fantastic French salad recipes to add some panache to your picnic. These dishes are very simple and quick to put together. Make them a few hours in advance, so the flavors have time to develop and blend.

• Minted Zucchini Salad Recipe
• Cucumber Dill Salad Recipe
• Mixed Belgian Endive Salad Recipe

Make-Ahead French Recipes:

Make-ahead recipes aren’t technically faster in preparation time, but they save so much valuable time and energy by having them ready to go. Start your party, open your refrigerator, and the menu is ready to go. Here’s a selection of refreshing, chilled fruit soups and delicious breads that are wonderful to have on hand.

• Strawberry Orange Soup Recipe
• Vanilla-Scented Melon Soup Recipe
• Honey Muffins Recipe
• Simple Brioche Loaf Recipe

Minted Zucchini Salad Photo: Slavomir Ulicny