PARTY THEMES: FARM STYLE BACKYARD BBQ

Need an idea for a big birthday party or something unique for a rehearsal dinner? With popularity of weekend farms and trips to the farmer’s market, enjoy all that summer has to offer by transforming your typical backyard BBQ. Add farm fresh produce, some bales of hay and your party will take on a whole new feel. Get your grill on this weekend and invite your gang over for backyard barbeque—farm style!


DECORATIONS

The beauty of a casual barbeque in the backyard is the word casual. You don’t need much more than baskets of fruit or vegetables, a few bales of hay and maybe flowers from the yard for decorations. Instead of setting up a table, I used the back of an old farm truck for our buffet. A picnic blanket, quilt, or burlap can be used for a tablecloth—design your color palette around that. I’m all about trying to use what you have in a new and different way. Drape some holiday lights in the trees or bring your candles outdoors and display them on a wooden or metal tray to add some style to your party decorations. Bales of hay are available at a nursery or from your local landscape company. Throw them around the yard—they add atmosphere and can be used as extra seating, too. Provide colorful bandanas to use as napkins. Galvanized tin tubs are inexpensive and can be used for other household chores (like washing the dog) after the party is over!

Make sure to have a backyard survival kit for guests complete with bug spray, sunscreen, fans, and wipes. Make up a refreshing station: put hand towels in an ice bath so guests can freshen up and cool off if the party is on a hot day. Here’s a link to my article on what to include when you are hosting a party outdoors.

PARTY FOOD

Change up your normal BBQ menu by adding lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, like my famous grilled sweet corn, grilled peaches, and bruschetta skewers with homegrown tomatoes. Remember, the key to great grilling is to use fresh ingredients, have the right tools and plenty of patience. Make sure to let your grill or charcoal come to the right temperature before adding your food. Don’t turn items too soon or too frequently; allow enough time to get that char and those prized grill marks! Here are my recipes for a farm stand BBQ:

BBQ RIB RUB

MOM’S BBQ SAUCE

TRADITIONAL ALABAMA STYLE BBQ RIBS

HOMEMADE QUICK PICKLES

POTATO SALAD

BEVERAGES

I am a big fan of the signature cocktail. Mix them in advance and guests can serve themselves with ease. It is also easier to estimate quantities so you control costs better than you can with an open bar. For this party, I made a lemonade station with regular lemonade for the kids and a ‘loaded’ version spiked with bourbon for the adults. Since it was a hot day, I also iced down lots of beer and lots of bottled water in a galvanized tin tub.

ENTERTAINMENT

Since this party was actually at a farm, we fished, rode the tractor, and played games until everyone was exhausted. We did get up a quickie game of whiffle ball—that plastic baseball game we used to play as kids. I could almost hear my mom calling me in for dinner as it began to get dark— it really took me back. Some other ideas are badminton, croquet, and horseshoes. 

You can host this ‘down on the farm’ backyard barbeque anywhere. You don’t even have to have a backyard or an outdoor space to create a casual mood. How rustic you want to go is up to you. You may not want to drag bales of hay into your high rise apartment, but by using some of the ideas I’ve shared and adding some country music to your party playlist, you’ll create a laid-back atmosphere— even if you have to grill it up inside

SUMMER FUN: HOW TO MAKE A S’MORES BAR!

Want to add a little DIY fun to any outdoor party or just make some memories on a summer night? Build a S’mores bar! It’s really easy to create some old school fun… and who doesn’t love S’mores?

First question: what kind of party are you having? Casual? Elegant? Don’t worry. You can create a S’mores bar with unique ingredients to suit the style and theme of your party. Use containers and vessels to suit the decor and mood of your event. Since this one was very rustic, we used wood, tin and burlap to decorate the table and display all of the toppings. 

I like to make the marshmallows easy to reach so I create a little “sculpture” with them. For roasting, use something you can put into the fire— wooden skewers work well, but only if you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes first so they don’t burn up. Since you are using skewers or pointed objects, make sure you have adult supervision when you have children on the guest list.

Select ingredients that will suit your menu. Traditional s’mores ingredients include: Hershey bars, graham crackers, and Jet-puffed marshmallows. New twists include: Nutella chocolate hazlenut spread, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, raspberries, coconut toasted marshmallows or peanut butter. Add different types of cookies: Biscoff, Almond Thins, and ginger snaps are all good choices but any flat cookie will work.

Now, simply toast up your marshmallows to the desired degree of doneness. I don’t like mine too burnt, but I know some of you do. Spread Nutella on your cookie. Layer sliced strawberries or raspberries. Add your toasted marshmallows and top with another cookie spread with Nutella. Your guests will love this variation on a campout classic!

Martie Duncan How to Make a S'mores Bar

S’MORES BAR INGREDIENT LIST

Almost any toppings you find at an ice cream or yogurt shop will work for a S’mores bar!

  • Hershey Bars
  • Nutella Spread
  • Dulce de Leche or Caramel
  • Peanut Butter
  • Almond Butter
  • Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Marshmallows
  • Toasted Coconut Marshmallows
  • Orange Marmalade
  • Sliced Strawberries
  • Sliced Bananas
  • Raspberries
  • Sprinkles
  • Shredded Coconut
  • Chopped Peanuts (be sure and label any nuts for guests with allergies)
  • Chopped, Toasted Hazelnuts
  • Chopped Pistachios

....And a variety of different cookies:

  • Graham Crackers
  • Cinnamon Graham Crackers
  • Biscoff Cookies
  • Ginger Cookies
  • Oatmeal Cookies
  • Thin Mints or any you think would be delicious!
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RECIPE: MARTIE'S BEST EVER STEAKHOUSE STEAK WITH HERB BUTTER

If you are a steak lover and think the best steak can only come from your grill, think again. My cast iron skillet will deliver a steakhouse quality steak and in record time, too. Add the compound butter at the end and you may give your grill away. This has long been one of my most posted and shared recipes… and I think it is because it is just so easy and so good. This is the perfect recipe for Father’s Day, Game Day or a romantic dinner for two. The secret is in the sear… make sure you really have a hot pan and don’t turn your steak too soon. You want a nice char before you flip it.

Martie Duncan Skillet Steak

MARTIE’S STEAK HOUSE STEAK IN A CAST IRON SKILLET

Skill level: Easy    Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

Essential equipment: cast iron skillet, meat thermometer

MEDIUM RARE 130-135°

RARE 120-125°

MEDIUM 140-145°

INGREDIENTS

1 steak of your choice, I prefer a T-bone, bone-in rib-eye or a Porterhouse; not cut too thick

1 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter for the skillet plus 1/4 cup for the herb butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

Fresh finely chopped herbs

For the herb butter: place 1/4 cup butter at room temp in a small bowl and use a fork to sort of mash and whip it until soft. Add finely chopped herbs of your choice—basil and thyme are my favorites. Chives are stronger but also nice. About a tablespoon is all you need but that’s up to you if you want more— add more. Line a small ramekin or bowl with plastic wrap and spoon the butter mixture into it. Wrap the plastic over the butter and chill well. You can make this a few days in advance and unmold it when you are ready to use it.

For the steak: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. You will have to vary your cooking time based on the degree of doneness you want for your steak. Let the steak sit out at least 15 minutes to take some of the chill off before you cook it. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of good olive oil to the pan and let them melt together. You may need more depending on the size of your pan. Increase the heat to medium high.

Season both sides of the steak liberally with salt and pepper.

When the butter is melted– it burns easily so watch out—and the pan is very hot, put in your steak and sear it well on both sides. Do not pick up the steak or move it around. Let it sear on one side before turning it— about 3 minutes per side depending on the heat and the size of your steak. After you’ve seared the steak on both sides, carefully move the pan to your preheated oven. After the steak has been in the oven for about 3 minutes, carefully open the door (watch out as there will be quite a lot of steam) and put a large slice of the herb butter on top of the steak– it will melt down over the steak and add a wonderful flavor during the last minutes of cooking.

I like my steak just under medium so I cook it in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the meat thermometer reaches about 140 degrees. Remove from the oven, place off of heat and cover with foil. Let the steak rest for at least 5 minutes so the juices will redistribute. The steak will actually continue to cook a bit during the resting period so I remove it from the oven just under the desired temperature.

COOKING FOR A CROWD

If you have a big crowd, you will find this recipe hard to do unless you have several skillets. I typically reserve this recipe for smaller, more intimate groups but for 4 or more, I’ll use a Porterhouse cut and that gives me a filet and a New York Strip from each steak so I can serve 2-3 people from one steak.