A Valentine dinner for friends (Winter-Citrus themed)

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I didn’t want Valentine’s day to pass this year without getting a chance to let some of the friends in my life know how special they are—the holiday is really just a good excuse to tell people you love them, romantically or otherwise. So when Camille Styles reached out to ask if I’d like to be featured in her “Entertaining With” series, I took it as the prompting I needed to start planning.

The feature ran on her site yesterday, and I loved seeing how Michelle Drewes captured the preparations for the Winter Citrus-themed dinner. Head over to Camille Styles to read the interview and to find the recipe for the main dish, a one-pot Meyer Lemon Roasted Chicken with Olives that my friend Emarie introduced to me.

Above are a few photos from the shoot that Michelle was kind enough to share.  And of course I couldn’t help but snap some more of my own while she was working, below…

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Our quince tree was in full bloom, so I brought in some branches for the table.

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And the lemons and the kumquats came from the backyard, too. (Remember these potted trees?)

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While the chicken braised, we prepped for champagne fizzes with gin, sparkling grapefruit juice, and blood oranges. (And champagne, of course.)

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It all made for a very happy (early) Valentine’s dinner. And I’m thankful to Camille for the extra nudge.

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It’s been quite a party-filled week! But I’d love to share more if you’re feeling as inspired by all the beautiful citrus in season as I am. Tomorrow, I’ll introduce a special contributor to share one of her favorite recipes, and we can talk dessert on Friday.

In the meantime, I hope you’ll check out the interview!

P.S. A Valentine’s port-and-chocolate tasting party.

[Top three photos courtesy of Michelle Drewes for Camille Styles; others my own]

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