Throw a Garden Party!

Early in the summer, when it's not too hot, is just about the perfect time to throw an afternoon or evening garden party. On the broadcast Friday, Katie Lee, "Early Show" contributor and author of "The Comfort Table," prepared some simple and delicious dishes you can make that are perfect companions to a great party.

Special Feature: Katie Lee
"Early Show" Recipes Galore

Lee says, "There's something that sounds so whimsical about having a garden party. As soon as someone says the words, my mind goes to 'Alice in Wonderland' and I start having visions of the Mat Hatter. I set up a table in my garden and decorate with flowers, green, and herbs, and I serve a variety of mini sandwiches. One of the great things about this party is that it works any time of day -- beautiful for brunch, lunch, afternoon, or even dusk."

RECIPES:

Caramelized Vidalia Onion Dip with Homemade Potato Chips
Onion dip is a total classic. The caramelized Vidalia onions add a whole new element of sweet flavor to the savory dip. I like to make homemade potato chips - they are much easier than one might think. If you're in a time crunch, though, just buy kettle chips from the grocery store.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Large Vidalia onion, very thinly sliced (if you can't find Vidalia, use another sweet variety like Walla Walla, Maui or Texas Spring)
1/4 Cup water
One 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
1/4 Cup sour cream
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Scallion, green part only, thinly sliced
Homemade potato chips (recipe follows)

METHOD:
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium- high heat.

Add the onions and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, until beginning to brown. Stir in the water and scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Turn the heat to low and cook 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown. If the pan looks to dry, add a tablespoon of water. Let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, Worcestershire, garlic salt, onion powder and pepper.

Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Stir in the reserved onions and the scallions. Chill until serving time.

Serve with chips.

8 servings (2 1/2 cups)
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: At least 30 minutes to chill in refrigerator
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Homemade Potato Chips
INGREDIENTS:
2 Small Baking potatoes
About 2 quarts peanut oil
Kosher salt

METHOD:
Use a mandoline to slice the potatoes 1/8-inch thick.

Place the potato slices in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Refrigerate 1 hour. Drain and pat very dry with paper towels.

Heat a few inches of peanut oil to 350°F in a Dutch oven. Fry the potatoes in batches of 10 to 12 depending on the size of your pan, until golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

8 Servings
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Curried Chicken Salad in Pitas
This salad has great flavor and excellent texture from the tender chicken, creamy dressing, crunchy apples, and chewy raisins. It's delicious in a pita, but also really nice served on a bed of mixed greens. It makes for perfect lunchbox leftovers, too!

INGREDIENTS:
(For the Chicken Salad)
4 Bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Teaspoons kosher salt
1 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
1/4 Cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Teaspoons curry powder
2 Teaspoons honey
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Granny smith apple, cored and diced
1/4 Cup golden raisins
2 Tablespoons scallions, thinly sliced
(For the Sandwiches)
About 24 mini pitas
About 1/2 head of green leaf lettuce

METHOD:
(For the chicken)
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet skin side up, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until cooked all the way through, about 30 minutes.

Cool to the touch. Remove and discard the skin and bones. And cut the chicken into chunks.

(For the salad)
In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, curry powder, honey salt and pepper. Stir until combined.
Add the chicken, apples, raisins, and scallions and mix well.

(To serve)
Spoon the chicken salad into mini pitas and add a leaf of lettuce.

8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Tomato Sandwiches
Tomato sandwiches are a Southern classic, usually eaten in the afternoon as a snack with a big glass of iced sweet tea. They are welcome on my table any time of the day. So simple and just divine.

INGREDIENTS:
8 Slices white bread
1/3 Cup Mayonnaise
2 to 3 Roma tomatoes, each sliced into 8 rounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 Basil leaves
(Special Equipment: 2-inch Biscuit cutter)

METHOD:
Cut the bread into 2-inch rounds using a small biscuit cutter (you should get two rounds per slice of white bread).

Spread each round with mayonnaise. Top half of the bread with a slice of tomato and season with salt and pepper.

Top with a basil leaf and the remaining bread rounds.

8 servings
Prep time: 10 minutes

For more recipes, go to Page 2.

Shrimp Salad Sandwiches
I love, love, love shrimp salad. I keep mine pretty simple, just shrimp, celery and scallions. There's something so decadent about eating it on brioche buns, which add a nice buttery taste and fluffy texture.

INGREDIENTS:
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
3/4 Cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 Teaspoon sugar
1/2 Kosher salt
1/2 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 Pounds cooked shrimp, peeled, tails removed, and diced
2 Celery stalks, finely diced
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
Brioche buns (16 to 20 minis, or 4 or 5 regular size)

METHOD:
In a large bowl, mix the lemon juice, mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper.

Stir in the shrimp, celery, and scallions.

Serve on mini brioche buns cut into quarters.

8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes

Bibb Lettuce Salad with Avocado, Grapefruit, and Toasted Almonds
I could eat this entire salad by myself. It is just the right combination of flavors, and the Bibb lettuce is so delicate next to the other elements of the salad. C'est magnifique!

INGREDIENTS:
2 Heads Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 Avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
1 Grapefruit, peel and pith removed, cut into segments
1/4 Cup toasted sliced almonds
2 Tablespoons minced chives
2 Tablespoons minced shallots
2 Tablespoons champagne vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 Teaspoon honey
3/4 Teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:
Combine the lettuce, avocado, grapefruit, almonds and chives in a large salad bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk the shallots, vinegar, olive oil, mustard, honey, salt and pepper until emulsified.

Drizzle onto salad and toss to combine.

Serve immediately

8 Servings
Prep time: 15 minutes

Passion Fruit Mojitos
Casa Tua is one of the chicest restaurants on South Beach, decorated in blue and white, with Moroccan lanterns hanging from trees that look as if they've been there since the start of time. When I walk through the gate I feel as though I've been transported to some faraway place. One night my friend ordered this cocktail and it instantly became my favorite. I asked the bartender how he made it and he was kind enough to share the ingredients with me. Fresh passion fruit is expensive and sometimes hard to find, but look in the freezer section of a Latin grocery store and you are sure to find its pulp.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tablespoon minced fresh mint
1 1/2 Ounces passion fruit pulp
1 1/2 Ounces white rum
1 Ounce simple syrup
3/4 Ounce fresh lemon juice
Splash of club soda

METHOD:
Place mint on bottom of a rocks glass and muddle.

In a cocktail shaker filed with ice, combine the passion fruit pulp, rum, syrup and lemon juice.

Strain into the glass and top with a splash of club soda.

1 Cocktail
Prep time: 5 minutes

Frozen Lemon Cream Pie
This is one of the easiest and tastiest pies I have ever made. If you're not the best baker, just try making this pie and you will fool everyone into thinking you are an award-winning pie maker.

INGREDIENTS:
(For the crust)
2 Cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
1/3 Cup sugar
1/4 Teaspoon kosher salt
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

(For the filling)
One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
4 Extra large egg yolks
2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest
1/3 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup fresh lemon juice

(For the topping)
Whipped Cream
Candied Lemon Peel

METHOD:
For the Crust
Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and salt. Stir in butter.

Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan. Evenly press the bottom and up the sides to make a crust (I use a metal measuring cup to press the crumbs).

Bake 12 Minutes. Let cool completely.

For the Filling
In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk, egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and juice. Whisk until all the ingredients are completely blended. Pour the filling into the cooled crust.

Freeze for at least 2 hours.

For the topping
Top with whipped cream and garnish with candied lemon peel.

8 Servings
Inactive prep time: 30 minutes to cool crust, 2 hours to freeze
Cook time: 12 minutes