The dread of planning and preparing a meal for a group of friends should never keep you from entertaining. By following an outline, it will be just as easy to entertain for 12 as for 2. Stick to the basics (but do them very well), serve foods that work at room temperature and don’t require too much additional effort to multiply.

A Girlfriend Springtime Lunch:

1. Cheese board: 3 to 4 nice cheeses arranged on a cutting board with nuts, dried fruit and honey. If artisanal cheeses aren’t available or affordable, a simple log of goat’s cheese from the supermarket can seem special when presented this way.
   Portion size: 2-3 oz per person
2. Meat: Cured meats, smoked fish or even a plate of soft-boiled eggs halved and sprinkled with coarse salt.
   Portion size: around 1.5 oz per person
3. Leafy Greens: A big bowl of bright salad greens dressed in a simple vinaigrette.
4. French Lentils: Flavored with garlic, sea salt, pepper and lemon juice. Any dried bean or whole grain is delicious served this way.
   Portion size: 1/4 cup dried lentils per person.
5. Bread: For layering the cheeses and meat into miniature open-face sandwich bites, and for mopping up the last of the vinaigrette. Buy more than you think you need; leftover bread freezes well.
6. Spread: Avocado (my favorite), butter, hummus…anything that holds its own when spread on the bread but also complements the cheeses and meat.
7. Extras: A scattering of bowls filled with various treats to be eaten alone, or added to the lentils and salad. Options: segmented oranges, pistachios, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, crudités…

Result: a meal that’s elegant, pleasurable and simple.

Marci Cornett is a (mostly) plant-based chef who promotes health-supportive cuisine and the development of sustainable food systems. After graduating from the Natural Gourmet Institute in New York, she worked in several professional kitchens including the renowned vegetarian restaurant, Cafe Paradiso, in Cork City, Ireland. She develops and publishes nourishing recipes and writes about the latest thinking concerning nutrition and food issues on her blog, marcicornett.com. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.