Weekday lunch for friends.....

Robin took this week off from work so we were able to invite some friends over for a weekday lunch. Our friends Nat and Chance just had a baby girl in December and we've tried to get together with them a few times and it just never happened.

I decided to make Nicoise salad and goat cheese crostini with basil. I served some leftover Texas sheet cake( left from a dinner party we attended on Saturday night) and the chocolate truffles. The salad comes from Martha Stewart Living. Last weekend when we were snowed in, I spotted the magazine at my MIL's house and as soon as I saw the salad I knew it would be perfect. Robin wasnt sure they would eat it because it's somewhat different for folks around these parts. They loved it though and I was really glad. I only wish I had a bigger platter because it was all bunched up. I made a garlic vinagerette for the dressing. My client gave me some wonderful fingerling potatoes that I used. The potatoes are tossed with the dressing and then drizzled over the other ingredients. I used red leaf, green beans, roasted asparagus, chopped red pepper and cucumber( I had these leftover from the weekend's cooking for a client) nicoise olives, and of course tuna and hard cooked eggs. The crostini were simple, slice a baquette, spread with goat cheese, broil and top with basil.

Our friends( lesbian couple) have been trying for years to get pregnant and finally with the help of IVF, they were able too. Amazingly the baby looks like Chance but she isnt the birth mother.