A summer dinner party menu for six, built around lion's mane mushroom "crab" cakes. Every dish is plant-based.

The Menu at a Glance

The main event

• Electric Lion's Mane "Crab" Cakes — shredded lion's mane has the stringy pull of lump crab.
• Jennifer's Vegan Remoulade — Louisiana-style, with mustard and smoked paprika. Better on day two.
• Jennifer's Creamy Sweet Corn Grits — the bed underneath the crab cakes. Must use stone ground.

On the side

• Jennifer's Charred Corn & Peach Panzanella — grilled corn, ripe peaches, blistered tomatoes, sourdough soaking up the juices.
• Jennifer's Crisp Cucumber & Radish Salad — the one dish that gets better sitting on a buffet.
• Jennifer's Blistered Green Beans with Almond Gremolata — five minutes at the stove, done at the last second.

Dessert

• Jennifer's Skillet Peach & Blackberry Crisp — goes in the oven while everyone eats. Comes out bubbling. This was the best thing of the dinner.

What You Can Make Ahead

This is the part that decides whether you enjoy your own party.

The night before

• [ ] Buy the lion's mane — I found mine at the farmer’s market. You can also try Asian market.
• [ ] Make the remoulade (it genuinely improves overnight)
• [ ] Make the crisp topping, store it in a zip bag