Thursday, March 18, 2010

GREEN GATHERING

Our little gathering for St. Patrick's Day---our BabyGirl helped me gather up little green things from the china cabinet, the linen press, the kitchen, and kept saying, "THIS is GREEN!!" for the sugar bowl, the creamer, the gravy boat. We made use of everything we could, in our mix and match table, and I think she did quite a creditable job, in that we started about an hour before time for dinner.


The table---the very last of a beautiful hyacinth, clipped at the base and put into a little vinegar bottle, with only a few fresh bright little bells still blooming, for the flowers, and whatever else we could gather up. In the sherbet dishes at our places is the GREEN version of Pink Salad, with crushed pineapple, marshmallows, sour cream, and quartered grapes. The blue bowl is Sweetpea's carrots---set to cool before the big bowl was put on the table.





The shiny, juicy roast chicken---dismantled warm and inviting by Chris, five minutes after being brought home in that fragrant SAM'S container:



Our Girl's favorite thing (besides the croissants, of course, ditto from Sam's, for making sandwiches of the leftover-chicken-made-into-salad for tonight's dinner)---she's a carrot girl, and we called them our "bowl of gold."




The Green---fresh green beans, blanched for five minutes in salted water, left to cool and dry beneath a damp paper towel, and stir-fried at the last minute with caramelized onion, soy sauce, sugar, garlic and a little sesame oil---everybody's favorite:





More GOLD---Yukon Golds. We thought they would be an acceptable stand-in for REAL Irish Potatoes---simply jacket-boiled in salted water.




Their accompaniments---simply butter, salt and pepper (in a little Spring gathering-basket).






Some tiny bocconcini---balls of fresh Mozzarella, marinated in olive oil and herbs, with a little hit of red pepper flakes. Also from Sam's, and put on the table because they were HERE.







Crispy little flaunts of celery in an old spooner, for salad. The two little side-bowls are the dips---peanut butter and honey, and Knorr Vegetable Dip.




Dessert was mini-cupcakes from Caro's bakery, with vanilla buttercream and shamrock sprinkles, of course. We didn't even use the dessert plates---we just peeled away the fancy paper and bit the creamy tops off.


This was an easy, prepare-it-in-a-few-minutes dinner; the getting together the cloths and plates and napkins took more time than the cooking, and was great fun besides.


Nice, quiet celebration of the day---hope yours was lovely, as well.


And if last night has lingered into today, there's always this, from this time last year:

http://lawntea.blogspot.com/2009/03/morning-after.html

7 comments:

  1. Sounds like it was a lovely celebration, Rachel ... especially with your Little One there to help gather things with you.

    We're having a family gathering this weekend and I can't wait to have everyone under one roof -- OURS!

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  2. Green is my all time favourite colour on my table and your dinner looks devine and comforting as Autumn hits our part of the world.......tell your baby girl she did a big job in helping set a wonderful table.

    Lee-ann

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  3. I want a plate full of those green beans. Sounds so good!

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  4. Hi my friend! I've been catching up on all the wonderful posts I missed from your pen (or fingers, as it were). Loved the Gussy/Hussy post! Oh, my yes...there is a difference. It was so not a good thing to be called a HUZZY! And, yes, you do say it with z's!

    I loved the 'green' table! I bet that sweet little one enjoyed it, too!

    I did not have the time to read while I was gone...but, I loved catching up with you today!

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  5. Pretty pretty pretty! I especially love the green tumblers -- and the idea of a relaxed family feast.

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  6. Make you want to stand up and sing "Oh Danny Boy" !! You make every day life so special!!

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  7. Y'all make MY DAYS SO SPECIAL!!

    And I wish you could have every one been here. It was a quiet little dinner, just us few, and our conversation was varied from the getting out of the dishes to the recipe for the beans (DDIL's favorite food, I think).
    If anybody wants the recipe, sing out!

    Thank you all for dropping in---soon will come the "dropping out" as we move most of our activities out into the Spring sunshine. I SO look forward to having meals on the patio and letting our little ones roast marshmallows out at the firepit again. Ganner makes FAB s'mores! He uses peanut butter smeared on those DIPPED RITZ for a base, and it's onward and upward from there.

    And Maggie, the tumblers are plastic---bought at Sam's for the lawn last year, in four colors---he came home with two sets of eight. Guess he thought we were gonna have lots of company.

    I'd sure like some soon.

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