I was working through the menu for the dinner gathering next weekend and wanted to run it by you. I am planning a roast chicken with thyme and garlic as the main. For sides I thought roasted potatoes with a light rosemary finish and a simple arugula salad with shaved parmesan and lemon vinaigrette would work well. I also want to do a vegetable dish maybe roasted carrots with a touch of honey and fresh dill. For dessert I am considering a pear tart with a almond crust or maybe a panna cotta with berries depending on what looks good at the market. Let me know if anyone has dietary preferences I should account for. I will send a reminder a few days before with the time and address so we can coordinate. I think keeping the meal straightforward but thoughtful will make for a nice evening.

I wanted to follow up on the conversation about the community garden plots for the coming season. I think we should consider rotating the crops to keep the soil balanced and reduce pest pressure. The tomatoes produced well in the south bed last year but the peppers struggled in that spot and I think they need more direct sun than they got. My suggestion would be to move the peppers to the area where we had the beans and put the beans where the tomatoes were. The soil in the north bed could use some compost amendment before planting and I have been working on a passive composting system that should yield good material by spring. I also think we should add a few more perennial herbs along the fence line. Let me know what you think about these adjustments for the planning meeting next week.