Country Bunnies Tablescape

 

This table is set for a country Easter brunch. I started with the rustic bunnies holding faux hydrangea blossoms, and glazed pitcher, filled with faux grasses for the centerpiece, and went from there.

This table setting came together very quickly, because I used so many elements from my previous table. Let this be a lesson to you, a few changes, particularly where color is concerned, and you have an entirely different look.

 

 The plate stack features a variety of colors and textures. The chargers are Bordallo Pinheiro cabbage plates, topped with Amelie Versailles dinner plates in white, topped with bamboo salad plates, topped with a Blue Ombre appetizer plate by Pfaltzgraff in their “Logan” pattern, on top of which I have lovely vintage glass tea cups with matching saucers, perfect for holding a cup of cold summer soup prior to the meal. That is quite a descriptive sentence, and quite a plate stack, isn’t it?

 

My mother made the sweet bunny napkins many years ago. I had completely forgotten about them until I started digging around in the Easter decorations and there they were. I’m so happy to have them at my table.

 

 The silver, freshly polished, is by International in the “Contessa” pattern. A friend gifted it to me, and I absolutely love it. I am one of those people who does not mind at all polishing silver.

 The cups are simple white cappuccino cups, the water glasses Villeroy & Boch.

Overnight guests gifted the pale green teapot to Jim and me years ago. The country cottage sugar and creamer set belonged to my mother. I had no idea that she had this set until I unearthed it when I was emptying out her and dad‘s house. I have had them on display in my home ever since.

 

I think you will agree that this is a charming and serene table for an Easter brunch.

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Celebrating St. Pat's

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 Green is my favorite color so I always enjoy decorating for St. Patrick’s Day. I had hardly closed the book on Valentine’s Day before I started getting out all my cute little green goodies in order to decorate my two-tiered tray. Here it is! Doesn’t it make you think of spring?

 

  The leprechaun salt and pepper shakers are from Fitz and Floyd. I dearly love these little guys. You can fine a similar set here.

The cups that you saw with a hunt scene last month have been reversed to the thatched cottage side. I have honestly never known tea cups to be quite as versatile as these. The name of this pattern is “Ireland Pursuit” from Noritake.

The oil rubbed bronze cabin with the light inside is something I find so charming that I keep it out year-round. It seems to go with just about everything.

 I found the little cottage sugar and creamer set among my mother’s things. Honestly, I had no idea that she even had this adorable set, so I plan to put it to lots of good use. It seemed most appropriate here.

 The vintage postcard plaques are new this year. I love using postcards in tablescapes and decor, but I find that because they’re so thin they tend to fall over or warp. These seemed to be the perfect answer.

 I bought a set of four of these shamrock tins to use it place settings to hold green popcorn.

St. Patrick’s Day wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without a pot of gold, or in this case mint M&Ms.

 Do any of you decorate for St. Pat’s? Aren’t we all Irish on March 17^th?

 

Springtime Pasta with Asparagus and Morels

When I get nervous, I cook. Sunday, while listening to the hockey game between the St. Louis Blues and the Dallas Stars, I was very nervous. Baseball is my game, but when a local team advances to the playoffs, I am suddenly an avid fan. The Blues, had they lost the game, would have been eliminated from the playoffs, so I was a bit tense, to put it mildly.

I find cooking during moments like these to be relaxing, and so, with windows and doors open, and balmy spring breezes floating in, I pulled out ingredients suitable for the day and set to work.

Springtime Pasta with Asparagus and Morels

1 lb. Melissa’s asparagus - green, white, or a combination of both

1 ½-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried morels*, 

hydrated according to pkg. directions
1 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1 large shallot, minced

2 T. garlic, minced
1½ c. whole milk
1 c. Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/3 c. minced fresh parsley
Juice of one lemon (about 3 T.)
8 oz. pasta of choice, I used orecchiette

Trim asparagus and cut into 2” diagonal pieces. Bring a large pot of water to a furious boil, and drop in asparagus. Return to a boil, cover, and set a timer for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large mixing bowl with ice water and grab a spider. When the timer goes off, using the spider**, remove asparagus to the ice water-filled bowl to cool, and add the pasta to the boiling water. Cook according to package directions; drain.

Drain asparagus while pasta is cooking.

Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet.  Add the garlic and shallot, and sauté until translucent, approximately 3-4 minutes. Add whole milk to the skillet and whisk occasionally, bringing to a simmer; whisk in cornstarch. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.  Simmer until sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add pasta and vegetables, stirring to coat.

Just before serving, drizzle the lemon juice over the whole skillet. Serve with an additional sprinkle of parsley and Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 main dish servings.

*If you are lucky enough to have fresh morels, by all means, use them!

**If you don’t have one, get one, you will find them invaluable. I have this one.

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If you are the morel fan that I am, you will certainly enjoy this Poached Wild Salmon with Pea and Morels.

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Tropical Chicken Salad (Served in a Coconut Bowl)

It’s the season for spring and summer lunches, featuring fresh and delicious salads. As May is National Salad Month I thought it the perfect time to share this recipe for chicken salad with you, along a fantastic way in which to serve it. This version of a lunchtime favorite has a tropical bent thanks to the inclusion of coconut, macadamias, and fresh pineapple. Anyone can serve it on fresh leaves of lettuce or sandwiched in a flaky croissant, so why not come up with something unique and serve yours in a coconut half? I used coconut hearts from Melissa’s Produce. Because they are shelled and skinned, they are easy to slice in half (saving the delicious coconut water that is inside) and use this as your serving bowl. Who wouldn’t be in awe of a beautiful lunch like this?

Tropical Chicken Salad

¾ - 1 cup mayonnaise

¼ teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ cup macadamia nuts, rough chopped

½ cup fresh pineapple, cut into ½-inch dice

2 Tablespoons Melissa’s shredded coconut

½ cup diced celery

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

In a large bowl whisk together mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, and paprika. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in nuts, pineapple, coconut, and celery. Gently fold in chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight, to allow flavors to meld. Serve on top of lettuce leaves, or in a coconut half.

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Wow Us Wednesday
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Wake up Wednesday

Full Plate Thursday

The DIY Collective
Simple and Sweet Fridays

Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Do you know what I love about this time of the year? Asparagus. Well, there are other things, too, but I dearly love asparagus. When I had the garden space and could grow my own, I never did because I just didn't have the patience to wait three years for a decent crop. Thinking back, if I'd have had the patience to wait back then, I could have enjoyed decades of fresh asparagus by now. Let this be a lesson to you.

There are many ways to enjoy this vegetable, from simple roasting and sauteing, to prosciutto-wrapped, to amandine and piled on toast, but no way is more delicious than in this wonderful bowl of soup. Served cold, hot, or room temperature, it is fresh, complex, and exceedingly delicious. A bowl and crusty roll makes for a satisfying meal; served in ramekins, it is a lovely side to tea sandwiches or a spring greens salad. For a welcome addition to a brunch, fill shooter glasses and serve it as a part of your buffet.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

3 cups fresh asparagus, cut in into 1” pieces

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup onion, diced

2 large garlic cloves, diced fine

1/4 cup flour

3 cups half and half

1-1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 teaspoons L.B. Jamison chicken-flavored soup base

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Bring a 2-quart pot of water to a full boil over high heat. Drop in asparagus pieces, reduce heat slightly, and boil for 5 minutes; drain and reserve.

In the same pot, melt butter over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until translucent (2-4 minutes). Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add half and half, milk, and cream, stirring constantly with each addition. Add soup base, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a low boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer and gently add drained asparagus. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in Parmesan, and simmer for an additional 1 minute.

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Tea Ladies’ Chicken Salad (To be eaten with a gloved hand.)

I don’t know why, but the months of April and May make me think of ladies dressed in elegant attire, strands of pearls at their neck, and wearing white gloves. I’m dating myself here, I know, but back when I was very young, my mother used to host ladies’ luncheons and teas. I would climb up on my bed, press my face against the glass in my window, and watch them arrive. I loved seeing the wave of the skirts on their dresses, hearing their heels click as they walked, seeing the flash of jewelry at their ears, and enjoyed the titter of conversation. What a lovely, civilized time! Often on the menu was one or other variety of chicken salad, so, to this day, I cannot make it without thinking of these ladies, all of whom are now, sadly, gone.

So, as we greet the warming months of spring, I’d like to honor the memory of these ladies with a chicken salad recipe that I know they would enjoy. The ladies would have loved it served with slice of freshly baked date nut tea bread, or sandwiched between same.

Tea Ladies’ Chicken Salad

(To be eaten with a gloved hand.)

1 cup finely diced rotisserie chicken 

(equal parts dark and light meats)

1/4 cup celery, finely diced

1/3 cup Duke’s mayonnaise

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon sweet pickle juice

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon Melissa’s dried bing cherries, finely diced

Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together until well blended. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to meld. Serve on a bed of spring lettuce, or sandwich between thin slices of date bread.

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