Pretty to look at and tasty to eat.
For your next dinner party, you’ve created a delicious and seasonal menu, downloaded a mood-setting playlist, and stocked up on great wine, but you still want to add a touch of whimsy to your party that guests will remember. Of course, preparing the food is only half of the battle. When it comes to a memorable meal, the experience usually comes down to two things: taste and beauty.
This spring you can impress your guests with a feast for their eyes as well as their stomachs and go beyond the basic flower display. When you incorporate fresh greens into your tablescape, you get a seasonally-inspired look with an extra touch of fun.
We love using greens on the table for the bright, natural color they add. Beyond that, the unique texture and sturdiness of greens like kale and brassica make them ideal for floral design. Be careful not to overwhelm the table and remember that simple and clean is best. With only a handful of colors and a subtle mix of interesting textures, here are a few simple, elegant ways to take greens from the produce aisle straight to your table’s centerpiece:
Swiss chard
For a sophisticated look, try loading rainbow Swiss chard in clear, tall cylindrical vases. Line them up vertically to show off the bright red, yellow and orange stalks next to one another, letting the chard’s leaves create a bouquet of green at the top. To accentuate the rainbow of colors in the vase, pair with a crisp, white table cloth.
Kale and cabbage
Dark green kale looks great against the lighter green of cabbage. Load up a low, wide vase with these hearty greens, to serve as the anchor of your table.
Brassica
For a more straight-from-the-garden feel, roll open the leaves of some green, white and violet brassica and arrange them in a metal bucket. These beautiful greens can almost pass for roses, but are more diverse in their texture and won’t add any competing scents that might distract from the meal you’ve prepared.
Purple kale
Don’t forget about the beautiful hue of violet found in purple kale. This ornamental vegetable will look great with various sized succulents and other greens, adding just the right amount of color to a green tablescape.
If you find that you need a new refrigerator to keep your greens fresh or a new grill for your outdoor space, come into Friedman’s and we can help you find exactly what you need to have a memorable dinner party.
