KDHamptons.com Founder Kelli Delaney's Guide to Alfresco Entertaining

To celebrate the launch of her new luxury lifestyle app, KDHamptons.com founder Kelli Delaney hosted an alfresco affair at Maple Shade, the Water Mill farmhouse that she shares with her husband, Dr. Mark Kot. “The KDHamptons website and app showcase the alluring people, places, beauty, and happenings on the East End,” says Delaney, who also loves to entertain, especially in high summer. “Incredible food, fabulous flowers, lavish tabletop decor, and a great guest list are signature elements for an unforgettable Hamptons evening. I prefer to host more intimate dinner parties, so I can spoil my guests with decadent details.” Further amplifying Delaney’s night to remember, a dazzling palette of blue and white sets the tone for more fun to come.

“One of the many rewards of being a gardener is that I have my own floral design shop right in my backyard,” says Delaney. “Our farmhouse property is hugged by rows of blue, white, and pink hydrangeas, and my parterre garden is full of peonies, roses, lupines, and lilies, which can all stand alone in arrangements or complement each other in mixed bouquets.”

Janet O’Brien has been creating memorable, stylish celebrations from Manhattan to Montauk for the past 20 years. “I avoid using the trendy ‘dock to dish’ and ‘farm to table’ lingo that has become so popular,” she says. “I suppose that’s because I have been cooking and running my business on the East End since before all the catchphrases became hashtags! I source every ingredient possible from local farms and fishermen.”  

Brady Hopkins, Genifer Lancaster, Kelli Delaney, Rita Schrager, and Hernan Arriaga get selfie-conscious.

“Scallops are my favorite thing to eat year-round,” says O’Brien. “I have them delivered from Cutchogue daily and serve them with micro greens from my friend Brendan’s Good Water Farms in Amagansett. He grows the finest organic micro greens you will ever taste.”

“Rustic bread from Sullivan Street Bakery in New York City is the best,” says O’Brien. “Just brush it with olive oil and pop it on the grill. It’s perfect with fresh goat cheese from Catapano Farms on the North Fork, drizzled with some honey. Keep some grilled chunks of bread on the side to serve with Halsey Farm tomatoes in a panzanella salad.”

“I love filet mignon,” says Delaney. “It’s a great cut of beef and can be served at room temperature, so you can relax and enjoy the party until you are ready to slice and serve.”

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

1 lt. Casamigos tequila or Belvedere vodka
1 qt. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1 qt. simple syrup
Water to taste
Fresh mint leaves

Pour liquid ingredients into a large pitcher and stir to combine, adding water to taste. Pour over ice in tall glasses and garnish with mint leaves.

“My eight-year-old nephew, Brady, chose custom ice cream flavors from eCreamery.com,” says Delaney. “Dessert was a huge hit!” 

To decorate the table, Delaney rarely uses glass vases for arrangements. “I opt for porcelain ginger jars or vintage china instead,” she says. 

“I like to grill peaches and figs to complement other dishes,” says O’Brien. “They boost the look of the serving platter, too.”

“Striped bass is the ‘local’ fish in the Hamptons in the summer and fall,” O’Brien says. “It’s great whole, stuffed with sliced red onions, oranges, and fennel fronds and cooked in an Amagansett Sea Salt crust.”