Twinkly lights under a wisteria arbor.  A bunch of velvety sage. Footsteps crunching on gravel. Laughter rising up into the starlit night.

My memories of this summer’s solstice are as bright as snapshots. Luckily, if they ever begin to fade, I’ll have photographer Jim Henkens’ photos of the evening to bring them back into focus. Jim and I met when he visited my garden last summer. He was on assignment from Sunset and I was so pleased that the magazine sent him. He took great care photographing my garden and all the food growing in it, and I was thrilled with how the photos came out.

Afterwards, I asked him if he’d like share some photos for DigginFood, but he had a better idea—to throw a little party. The theme: fresh picked herbs, from his garden and mine. The setting: a long rustic table set out in his exquisite backyard.

I invited my dear friends from college, my beekeeping mentor, and his girlfriend. Jim, God bless him, asked of Seattle’s best chefs to join us—Justin Niedermeyer, the founder of Spinasse, Julie Andres, who owns La Medusa and her husband Evan Andres, the owner of Columbia City Bakery, plus Gordon Wishard, who is the new chef at La Medusa. I love to cook, but Justin, Julie, and Gordon are chefs. They surveyed the ingredients Jim and I presented them with and without much discussion made a truly memorable dinner.

The menu included a leg of lamb rubbed with garlic, anchovies, and rosemary. Little potatoes roasted with thyme. Fava beans braised in vinegar. Homemade prosciutto. Soft boiled eggs drizzled with harissa. Zucchini cruda with pea vines, mint, fennel, fresh goat cheese, and olive oil. And the most exquisite bread baked by Evan.

It was so fun and inspiring to watch the cooking unfold, because, like these chefs, I often make up a meal on the fly with whatever is fresh from my garden. It doesn’t always work out as deliciously as our solstice meal, but I now certainly having something to aspire towards.

To see more really lovely photos of food, I highly encourage you to spend a few moments exploring Jim’s portfolios on his website www.jimhenkens.com. I’m partial to the bakery shots. You’ll know why when you see them.

Justin has moved on from Spinasse, but you can sample Julie and Gordon’s cooking at La Medusa in the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle. Evan bakes up the best bread in town at Columbia City Bakery—where he also sells homemade puff pastry. Swoon.