5 Easy Summer Party Recipes

Make an elegant meal with these 5 easy summer party recipes. The recipes make enough for a summer party of 6 persons. These summer recipes are fresh, easy, and made to impress.

1. Lemon Limeade

If you want to serve lemon limeade at your summer party, you will need:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• Zest from one lemon
• Zest from one lime
• 3 lemons, juiced
• 3 limes, juiced
• 5 cups cold water

1. In a saucepan add 1/4 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Put in the sugar and keep stirring until it is dissolved.
2. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the lemon and lime zest. Add the lemon and lime juice. Mix together.
3. Put 5 cups cold water into a pitcher. Stir the lemon lime mixture into the water. Add ice.
4. Stir together. Serve with a slice of lemon.

2. Summer Tomato Soup

If you want to make summer tomato soup for a summer party, you will need:

• 12 ripe tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds. Peel, core, de-seed and chop them.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook over low heat.
3. Add the tomatoes and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. They are ready when the tomatoes are broken down and starting to liquefy. Stir in the basil.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer the tomatoes to a blender and blend until smooth.
5. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Reheat gently if needed.
6. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with basil and drizzle with olive oil. Serve as a first course at a summer party.

3. Skewered Shrimp and Sole

If you want to make this elegant summer party dish, skewered shrimp and sole, you will need:

• 6 fillets of sole
• 18 medium-sized raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 24 asparagus tips, blanched
• 2 limes, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 4 medium cucumbers
• Fresh dill
• 4 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Thread a skewer through the fish fillets lengthwise. Alternate with the shrimp.
2. Put each skewer onto a square of foil. Place the asparagus tips next to the skewer.
3. Cut the lime slices in half and tuck them underneath the shrimp. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Peel the cucumbers. Use a melon baller to make cucumber balls. Sprinkle these over the fish.
5. Chop the dill and sprinkle it over the top. Dot with butter.
6. Seal up the foil packets. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes.
7. Place the packet on individual plates. Guests open them at the table.

4. Parsleyed Rice

If you want to make parsleyed rice for a summer meal, you will need:

• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups long grain rice
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 stick butter, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups chopped Italian parsley

1. Bring the stock to a boil. Stir the rice into the pan with the salt. Turn the heat to low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Once the rice is cooked take off the lid. Add the butter and parsley on top without stirring it in.
3. Cover and let stand for five minutes. Uncover and mix in the parsley and butter.

5. Melon Cups

If you want to make melon cups for dessert, you will need:

• 3 small cantaloupes
• 6 scoops vanilla ice cream

1. Cut the melons in half. Scrape out the seeds in the center.
2. Put a scoop of ice cream in each half. Serve right away for an impressive finish to your summer meal.