Set for Spring
We’ve seen it at last: a forsythia covered in buds of bright yellow. Call the press! Spring has sprung. We all know this is the time of year for redecorating and freshening up, but perhaps more importantly it’s also time to reconnect with friends and family as we all work our way out of hibernation. To celebrate that, this week we’re going to share some fun ideas for breathing life back into the dining room. So pull back the curtains and dust up your dining room, because we’re anticipating family and friends gathered round soon.
A spring table should always incorporate a little nature, and a lot of cheer. Some of our favorite ideas for a spring table are the simplest, such as filling a cluster of small vases with clippings from spring bulbs and shoots, rotating them as they become available. We also love a variation of the look by setting a row of mini-vases set in a rustic wooden base. Or you can use that real-life bird’s nest you found forever ago and decorate it for a charming spring focal piece. Need a gardening fix? Try scattering wheat seeds in a small dish of soil to sprout some greenery right before your eyes (can’t find wheat seed? try a birdseed blend). Tall clippings from flowering trees, such as quince or apple, can be placed in tall, narrow vases and will transform from a structural, bare element into a delicately flowering display of the season.
Colorful runners give a table appeal. Try layering a bright fabric with a rustic burlap to capture the feel of the season. For placemats and settings, options abound. You can use them as an understated and neutral backdrop to your centerpiece, or you can mix and match different pieces with a common color, style, or pattern for a playful look. Some of our favorites this year are from Pine Cone Hill and come in a wild array of bright colors and bold patterns
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Want more inspiration? Check out our Pinterest board, Set for Spring for more visuals.
Last, but certainly not least, we’re leaving you this week with a perfect spring side dish for spring entertaining from one of our favorite in-store cookbooks: Farm-Fresh Recipes from the Missing Goat Farm. Its author, Heather Cameron, is a homesteader in British Columbia, raising children and animals in a wholesome, fresh, natural style. Her recipes reflect a love and appreciation of nature’s bounty, and her career as a magazine stylist is apparent in the beautiful photographs throughout. Heather created the following twist on a potato salad, using early season produce:
- 8-10 small-medium new potatoes
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
- 1 Tbsp Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp superfine Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Celery Salt
- 1/4 cup Shallot, finely minced
- 1 Tbsp Butter
- 6 Radish, chopped
- Fresh peas or chopped sugar snap peas
- 2-3 small Kale leaves, finely chopped
- 2 Eggs, hardboiled and chopped
- 1/4 cup Quinoa (optional)
1) Cook potatoes in boiling water until soft
2) While potatoes are cooking, mix the mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, sugar, celery salt, and shallots together and place mixture in fridge.
3) Drain potatoes and chop to desired size. Add butter and toss gently. Pour mayonnaise mixture over the warm potatoes and toss again.
4) Add chopped radish, peas, kale, and eggs and mix in well. If using quinoa, sprinkle it across the top as a garnish.
Enjoy!
