Colwill and Gargiulo devised a seasonal menu that incorporated favorite, time-honored recipes. "Simple is best," says Gargiulo, who prepared the meal. "Choose foods that can be made ahead and served at room temperature." Passed hors d'oeuvres included scallops wrapped in bacon, cheese puffs, and sausage biscuits -- old-fashioned savory bites that no one could resist.

Later, guests helped themselves to a buffet of Maryland crab cakes, stuffed beef tenderloin, baked asparagus, minted potatoes, and Try and Guess Salad, a recipe handed down from Colwill's mother. "It's always a hit," says Colwill of the decidedly retro aspic dish that has become one of the farm's "great culinary traditions."

Guests sat at two tables with place cards to ensure that couples separated and everyone mixed. For this special group, Colwill and Gargiulo brought out slipcovered antique Chippendale chairs in lieu of the usual less-than-comfy outdoor furniture. "It was an unexpected detail that our friends loved," says Gargiulo. "When it was time to go inside for coffee and dessert, without being asked, everyone picked up a chair and carried it indoors."

"My mother had a motto: Good friends, good food, and good drink make for good times," says Colwill, reflecting on a memorable day. "And you know? She was right."