Written by Gail McGlothin | Photographed by April McGlothin-Eller

You are invited.

I am always excited to hear those words, especially if it includes lunch. For some reason, when the ladies gather for lunch, the food is always good, the conversation always interesting, and, in my crowd, a list of my next books to read is included.

Ladies luncheons in Coweta range from the most formal with china and silver to brown-bag at the Carnegie Library. Luncheons are often planned to celebrate the wonderful events in our lives. I’ve been invited to luncheons to say goodbye to friends and to welcome new friends to the neighborhood. Babies are born and grandmothers celebrate 2,000 miles away. Children and grandchildren come to visit and best friends are invited to lunch to enjoy their company.

A favorite ladies lunch has always been around game day. Board games go great with chicken salad sandwiches, sweet and hot pickles, cherry tomatoes, baby carrots, sliced radishes and potato chips. The finale is always at least two kinds of cookies: oatmeal freckles and chocolate crinkles are perfect.

Potluck luncheons are fun, especially if all your friends are good cooks, and mine are. My friends, however, rarely leave the menu to chance. They assign recipes and the hostess plans beautiful table settings and offers tea and coffee.

Tulips and azaleas bloom, welcoming spring and a round of ladies luncheons. For the fanciest of these, take the time to wash the china, iron the tablecloth, and polish the silver. Layering plates on chargers with napkins in napkin rings adds a touch of elegance. A small wrapped gift with a name tag for each guest alerts them to the seating arrangement. Flowers and candles reflect the special occasion.

Much of the menu featured here can be made in advance, leaving the hostess plenty of time to arrange the table. For dessert, meringues and lemon curd can be made ahead, leaving the hostess to take orders and put them together at the last minute.

May all your ladies luncheons be made special by the occasion, the table setting, the meal, and, most of all, the ladies.

Shrimp Remoulade in Tomato Cups

Tomatoes Stuffed with Shrimp Remoulade are easily done ahead of time, ready to be laid on the plate.

4 large red tomatoes

1 pound boiled shrimp

Cut the top third off of 4 large red tomatoes. Scoop out the insides, salt, and turn upside down to drain.

Peel and devein 1 pound purchased boiled shrimp, reserving 4 whole shrimp for garnish. Cut remaining shrimp in half, crosswise. Mix with Remoulade sauce. One hour prior to serving, stuff shrimp mixture into tomatoes. Garnish with whole shrimp.

Remoulade

The number of ingredients may seem overwhelming. I just set them all out at once so putting the sauce together takes very little time.

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoons capers

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarsely chop celery, green onion, parsley and garlic. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Smashed Potatoes

Be sure to bake the Smashed Potatoes long enough to be crispy. They are best served hot, but I have yet to see anyone decline slightly hot seconds.

1 pound small red skin potatoes

2 quarts water

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup canola oil, plus extra

1/4 cup melted butter

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

Fresh parsley, chopped

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. While potatoes are boiling, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; brush with canola oil. When potatoes are tender, drain and let sit for 5 minutes. Pour onto parchment paper. With a large fork, potato masher or bottom of a heavy glass, smash each potato to desired thickness. Let sit for 5 minutes. Mix ¼ cup canola oil and melted butter; brush over each potato. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt, fresh ground pepper and fresh parsley. Serve warm.

Asparagus Twists

Asparagus Twists offer an angle to the round tomatoes.

1 pound fat asparagus

1 (4-ounce) package prosciutto

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break off tough ends of asparagus. Cut prosciutto in half lengthwise; this is easy to do if you cut while the prosciutto is still on the paper.

Wrap asparagus with ½ slice prosciutto, twisting from bottom to top. Roll each twist in shredded Parmesan cheese. Place twists on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp.

Orange Apricot Scones

These scones are a favorite at our house and go well at breakfast, lunch or dinner. They are full of butter and buttermilk so no extra butter dish is needed.

3 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons butter, cold

1/3 cup chopped dried apricots

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup golden raisins

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

¾ cup buttermilk

2 eggs

Cooking spray

Melted butter or cooking spray

Sparkling sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Pulse butter until mixture is coarse. Stir in apricots, cranberries and raisins. Combine orange peel, buttermilk and eggs. Add to flour mixture, pulsing until just moist.

Turn dough onto floured surface. Toss and knead lightly 4 to 6 times. Roll dough into a 12x6-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 8 squares, flouring knife as needed. Cut each square into two triangles. Spray baking pan with cooking spray and place triangles on the pan. Brush with melted butter or spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with sparkling sugar. Bake 12 minutes or until done.

Meringues with Lemon Curd

Make individual meringues. Top with lemon curd and garnish with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.

Individual Meringue Cups

3 large egg whites

3/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line baking tray(s) with parchment paper. Separate the eggs, saving egg yolks for Lemon Curd, recipe below. Place egg whites in a bowl. Beat with electric mixer on high. After the egg whites get foamy, begin adding the sugar until all has been incorporated into the whites. With finger, rub a bit of the foam; if it is gritty, beat some more. Draw 6 circles on the parchment paper for the oven. Transfer the raw meringue onto the paper, smoothing it out and ensuring it has a dent for the curd. Bake 45 minutes. Let cool in oven.

Lemon Curd

4 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup unsalted butter

In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together until well combined. Pour into a heavy, non-reactive saucepan, and add lemon zest and lemon juice, pouring slowly as mixture is whisked. Drop in pats of butter. Over medium heat, whisk mixture constantly until the mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk for one minute. Set aside to cool, whisking occasionally. Transfer to bowl and refrigerate, covered, for up to two weeks.

Dark Chocolate Expresso Mousse

The Dark Chocolate Expresso Mousse is very rich, very chocolatey, and ready to serve from the refrigerator.

1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee

2 tablespoons boiling water

1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips

3 eggs, separated

2 tablespoons brandy

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

Chocolate bar for grating

In a small, heavy saucepan, stir instant coffee into boiling water until it’s dissolved completely. Add chocolate chips. Stir over low heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.

Whisk egg yolks, one at a time, into chocolate mixture. Cool completely. Beat well after each egg. Stir in brandy.

Beat egg whites until foamy, gradually adding sugar a tablespoon at a time. Beat until soft peaks form and sugar has dissolved. Fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon into 8 small serving dishes. Top with whipped cream. Grate chocolate over to garnish.