Herbed Feta Appetizer

Thinking up quick and easy Summer hors d'oeuvre ideas for entertaining isn't always easy.  Summer is a hot and very humid time of year in DC and when I think appetizers/hors d'oeuvres, my repertoire of recipes tends to consist of foods that are served hot (not too appetizing for this time of year).  

After spending quite a bit of time researching and taste testing hors d'oeuvre ideas for summer, I have come up with an Herbed Feta Appetizer that easy to make and has a delicious flavor profile.  Best part?  This is a no-bake recipe, which makes it the perfect cool and refreshing hors d'oeuvre to serve during the hot Summer months. 

Ingredients

• Block of Feta Cheese
• Fresh Dill (about 1 Tbs)
• Fresh Chives (about 1 Tbs)
• 1 Lemon
• Olive Oil
• Freshly Cracked Pepper
• Maldon Sea Salt
• Baguette (Sliced thin on the diagonal and toasted)

Instructions

1. Place block of feta on a serving dish that has raised edges (like this CB2 Bento Plate)
2. Pull leaves off of dill stems and sprinkle on top of feta cheese
3. Using a pair of kitchen sheers, snip chives into finely cut pieces and sprinkle on top of cheese
4. Using a microplane, zest one half of a lemon over the top of the feta block
5. Then drizzle a high quality olive oil on top of the feta block 
6. Garnish with freshly cracked pepper and Maldon Sea Salt
7. Serve with freshly toasted baguette slices and/or 34 Degrees Crisps

**Note- If desired, the addition of Capers and/or Diced Kalamata Olives to the top of this herb feta cheese block would also pair beautifully.

4th of July Tablescape

This year I am hosting friends at our home for the 4th of July.  In the past, my husband and I have spent this holiday in a variety of locations (Beach, Mountains, Bay, DC) with both formal and informal settings.  While I love the idea of grilling on the 4th of July and creating a chic picnic scene, from my experience picnicking in July tends to be most enjoyable when the weather is below 80 degrees and the humidity is at a reasonable level.  Maybe this is just a personal preference, but it is really hard for me to work up an appetite and have an enjoyable dining experience when it's sweltering hot outside (like say, in DC in the dead of summer).  In preparation for Saturday's festivities I want to be mindful of tradition yet still provide my guests with a level of comfort, so I plan on grilling outside and serving dinner inside.  

When creating this tablescape, I wanted to incorporate a level of sophistication since we will be eating inside, but also incorporate a few festive whimsical touches.  I opted for a solids as opposed to patterns so that I could, a) use materials that I already owned and b) keep the table with a classic Ralph Lauren vibe (since he is the epitome of sophisticated American decor).  Here is a breakdown of what I used to create this tablescape:

• Table Cloth: Ballard Designs
• Placemats: Williams-Sonoma (or Similar here and here)
• Rattan Chargers: World Market
• Dinner Plates: Pillivuyt Basketweave
• Napkins: Pottery Barn Hemstitch Linen, Cranberry (love these napkins too!)
• Steak Knives: Laguiole 
• Party Hats: USA Party Hats, Set of 4 (*Recommend Wearing at a Jaunty Angle)
• High Ball Glasses: Reed & Barton
• Champagne Coupes: West Elm (or similar here)
• Wine Goblets: William Yeoward
• Coasters: Chilewich
• Centerpiece: Tiffany & Co. 
• Flowers: Locally Grown Red Tulips and Red African Roses (2 Bouquets of each)

Menu:

• Entree: Grilled Marinated Flank Steak
• Salad: Ina Garten's Panzanella Salad
• Side: Bobby Flay's Perfectly Grilled Corn
• Dessert: Patriotic Berry Trifle and Fresh Cut Watermelon
• Cocktail: Blueberry Ginger Bellinis

Prior to creating this tablescape, I spent a significant amount of time on Pinterest (see my 4th of July Pinterest Board here) trying to figure out how I wanted to go about creating this table setting.  In the end, I realized that I could use a bunch of staple items I already had on hand to create this scape.  The party hats, red flowers and napkins were the only new additions.  **Note- Red Napkins are a great staple to have on hand for entertaining (4th of July, Christmas, Valentines Day, etc…), but it can be challenging to find that perfect shade of red (Cranberry not Cherry Red).  

After dinner, we plan to head down to monuments to enjoy the fireworks.  While I am going against the norm by hosting an indoor dinner, I am still keeping with traditions through my menu, tablescape color scheme and post dinner field trip.  This evening will be a perfect combination of festive and comfortable (2 entertaining musts for me).  I hope this post has given you some inspiration for ways to celebrate the 4th of July with your friends and family.  Happy 4th of July everyone!

Ginger Jar Tablescape

Last week I broke one of my everyday basketweave mugs.  I know that that "accidents happen," but I was still slightly annoyed because I knew that I would need to replace the mug over the weekend (just one more thing to add on to my ever-growing to do list!).  In an effort to try and save a little money, I decided to venture out to the Williams Sonoma Outlet in Leesburg, VA.  It's about a 45 minute drive from the city, but well worth the trek because you can find great cookware and tableware for a fraction of the regular price.   

I ended up having quite a bit of success at the outlets on Saturday.  I was able to obtain a replacement mug  at 40% off and found a set of beautiful Ginger Jar napkins that were 60% off!  Sold and Sold!  If you have a Williams Sonoma Outlet within an hour drive of your home, I highly recommend making the trip out there.  The savings are mind-blowing!

Inspired by the newest acquisition (my ginger jar napkins), I was immediately compelled to create a blue and white themed tablescape.  Starting with my classic navy blue quilted placemats (similar here). I then framed my everyday dinner plates with these rattan chargers.  For this tablescape, I opted to forgo  napkin rings.  I wanted to have the pop of print displayed prominently, since the rest of the table was primarily a sea of solid colors.  For drinkware, I chose to use low Riedel water goblets paired with my  taller William Yeoward Fanny wine goblets (which can be used for red, white or rose wine), which were set on top of Gunmetal Chilewich Dahlia Coasters.  

For the table decor, I transformed 4 of my decorative Two's Company Canton Collection Tea Jars into bud vases with vintage glass votives interspersed throughout the table.  For the centerpiece, I opted for a simple yet robust bouquet of white hydrangeas paired with a vintage cut crystal vase and framed with a silver-plated tray.  At first the look wasn't quite right.  After thinking about what could be missing, I realized that the bud vases were in need of a hint of color.  The addition of a single pale pink rose to the center of each bud vase completed the look.  

I love this tablescape for three reasons.  The first reason being that it is a ginger jar themed tablescape and I absolutely love the ginger jar aesthetic in every shape and size.  The second reason why I love this tablescape is because, like this previous tablescape, I was able to create an entirely new look for my table with the only new additions being napkins and flowers.  And last but not least, I am a fan of this tablescape's versatility.  This could easily be used during both the spring and summer months for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. 

Don't be afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to decorating your table.  My Canton Tea Jars usually sit on shelves solely for decorative purposes, but as I have found out with this tablescape, they can also be re-purposed as bud vases.  I hope this tablescape has inspired you to look at objects in your own home differently. Most likely you will realize (like I have) that items you have used for one particular purpose, can actually be used in a variety of ways.