On Sundays, I tend to gather with family and friends for dinner, dogs, children and well behaved adults invited. Sometimes it’s a feast, sometimes it’s potluck and a little rosé, but always it’s a gathering of the people I love most in the world. A moment to share stories (although the wild recaps of Saturday nights seem to have simmered at this age!), to cook something from the garden or farm stand and to have connection. I love family dinner most in summer.

This guide is for creating that kind of evening, the one that feels spontaneous but special, with food that tastes like the season and a table that tells a story.