the parties are OVER!!

It is a sort of windy, grey day. I am just puttering around, cleaning up after Friday night's party. We had about 14 people over, and I made food suitable for 'grazing'. I had to work the day before, and the day of the party, so make ahead items were essential. My menu went something like this:
with drinks: Spicy nuts: slightly modified from a recipe by Karen McSherry
Marinated olives: as above
Caramelized red onion,Parmesan,and fresh thyme tart/Fresh pesto and cherry tomato tart with Parmesan cheese: both Nigel Slater
Light Supper: Three bean salad: Janet and Greta Podleski (Looney Spoons cookbook series) Potato salad: my recipe. A whole ring of farmer sausage courtesy of Rempel Meats in Abbotsford, steamed with assorted mustard's. A side of salmon glazed with grainy mustard, real maple syrup and capers: my recipe adapted from Michael Smith. New carrots and cucumber fingers with sour cream/green onion dip: my recipe.
Dessert: Chocolate Mousse...courtesy of Michel @ Le Vol Au Vent. This mousse is really delicious, and the P-Man insisted on having it.
Almost everything I served, I had prepared before. The only thing that was quite new, and I was quite surprised by was the olives. Before I worked at Delitalia, I had never really eaten olives. Now I am a convert. This recipe called for 3 or 4 different types of olives, combined in a dish with good olive oil,fresh herbs such as oregano, rosemary,and thyme, some chili flakes, and some slices of fresh lemon. They can sit in the fridge under the oil, almost indefinitely, and when taken out an hour or so before eating, and allowed to come to room temperature...they really are a revelation. Slightly salty, and spicy, and almost bitter, with the nearly pickled lemon.
Once I get everything cleaned up, and put away, I am going to wander down to Le Vol au Vent to pay for the mousse. It looks like the sun is coming out, and I am sure that there will be something tempting on the menu to enjoy for lunch. The P-Man is away for a few days in a really big city. I will make sure to enjoy the beach for both of us...