Santa Fe host-with-the-most, Ian Johnson, invites us to share a leisurely al fresco garden party lunch where the food, company, and welcome are second to none. The fine art of the midday meal is alive and well.
Throwing a Santa Fe Garden Party Lunch
My grandmother’s rules were clear: sit up straight, no elbows on the table, and napkin in my lap. If in doubt, simply follow the lead of the ladies who filled the old Palace restaurant in 1970s Santa Fe. Their hair was coiffed, they sipped gimlets or dry sherry, and were there as much to see as to be seen. The pièce de résistance was a fashion show where lithe models floated through the room, stopped at each table and booth, and with a quick swivel of the hips, showed off their Chanel-esque jackets or the smooth drape of champagne-colored Quiana. Listening to their muted oohs and aahs, I felt like a junior acolyte in a secret society-–the society of ladies who lunch.
Sadly, this was not my world when I joined the workforce. Yes, there was the odd client lunch but otherwise it was a mystery sandwich wolfed down at my desk, and a crumb-filled keyboard. If the dinner party was on life support, then lunch was deader than a dodo. Where was the glamor? The witty repartee? The clinking of glasses?
The Importance of Lunch Then and Now
It turns out the leisurely lunch, measured in bites and sips, not minutes, isn’t gone – it’s alive and well and living in Santa Fe. Born in Britain but calling Santa Fe home for over 20 years, Ian Johnson is the consummate host, whether it’s a dinner party indoors or lunch on the lawn. For a Spring outing, a group of ladies who I suspect rarely stop for lunch, arrived at his former bijou home via an iris-lined drive, so jaw-dropping that BBC Gardener’s World featured it in an episode.(He’s since moved to an even more desirable spot in town). We entered through a gate and were transported into an English garden, looking splendid even at 7,200 feet. A glass of something quickly found its way into my hand and suddenly work deadlines didn’t feel quite so urgent.
Ian produced a magical meal from a small but perfectly formed kitchen. An outdoor grill served as an impromptu station for filling martini glasses with a zesty watermelon gazpacho, artfully garnished with fresh berries, diced yellow pepper and a tortilla chip. A salad of feta cheese, red onion, and cucumber, along with a bowl of baby potatoes and peas, were perfect served at room temperature.
He says he does the prep and most of the cooking before the first guest arrives. “You make food you can make in advance, so you can enjoy your guests and it’s easy to serve,” he says of his entertaining philosophy. With unpredictable Santa Fe weather, he plays it by ear and has a Plan B, often setting up tables indoors and out to be on the safe side.
The Plus Side to Hosting
He seems unphased by hosting friends – new and old. “If it goes wrong, it goes wrong. I think the joy in life is cooking for people and having a table full at your house.”
And a relaxed host makes for happy guests. Gossip flowed as freely as the wine. Plates were removed, and dessert arrived, the quintessential British classic – Summer Pudding – oozing berry juices and served with a dollop of freshly whipped cream. Guest Cheryl Alters Jamison put it best when she said, “I’m late for where I’m going next, but I’m not leaving until I taste that dessert.”
But eventually, leave we did. Plates wiped clean. Glasses emptied. Hugs exchanged. Back out through the gate, leaving an English idyll behind. Basking in the hospitality, the warmth, and the welcome that only a few people can give so freely. Safe in the knowledge that lunch is far from dead and hoping for another invitation soon.
The Guests
- Mara Christian Harris, marketing and communications professional.
- Cheryl Alters Jamison, four-time James Beard award-winning food writer and TABLE Magazine contributor.
- Julia Platt Leonard, TABLE Magazine New Mexico regional editor.
- Paisley Mason, Managing Director of Webster Enterprises and real estate broker at Sotheby’s International Realty.
- Heather Sellers, co-owner of Horno Restaurant.
- Cyndy Tanner, freelance writer and co-owner of Parasol Productions
The Menu
- Watermelon Gazpacho
- Salmon en croute
- Potatoes with peas
- Cucumber salad with red onion & feta
- British summer pudding with fresh berries
Create an English Garden of Your Own
Fancy an English garden of your own? Ian Johnson shares tips on creating your ownpiece of English countryside.
- Start with the basics like figuring out where the sunny – and shady – spots are in the garden so you can pair plants with places where they’ll thrive. “Check on your north, south, east, and west and start at the back and work forward,” Johnson says.
- Get the ‘bones’ in place first with shrubs, trees, and perennial plants. Then use annuals to fill in the border and add color. “You can change those out every year,” he adds.
- Think about layering plants with different heights and shapes to create visual interest and movement in the garden.
- Pots are a must and can be moved around the garden and changed each season. “You can have a vegetable garden contained within a pot of fertile soil,” he says.
- And don’t forget garden ornament. “I love the use of sculptures or statues or little features – small things to take your eye to different corners and places in a garden,” he says.
- Don’t be afraid to be bold. “When you plant, make a statement. Splash it with color or splash it with something that really catches your eye.”
Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Photography by Gabriella Marks
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