Inspiration

Small ideas that make an ordinary evening feel like something.

Tablescapes, foodscapes and the handful of things I reach for every time. Nothing here takes a week, and nothing needs a theme.

Dahlias and candles on the table at duskSave

The centerpiece

One flower, cut short.

A centerpiece isn't an arrangement. Pick the flower that's having its week, cut it short, and put it in the one vessel you love.

  • Keep it below eye level, so everyone can see each other.
  • One variety, in quantity, looks intentional.
  • Unscented only. The food should be what people smell.
See the garden
A table laid for an evening outsideSave

The table

Set it the night before.

Half the calm of a dinner party is walking past a table that's already done. Everything goes down after bedtime, and the next day belongs to the food.

  • Water glass above the knife, wine glass to its right.
  • Candles lit before the first guest arrives.
  • Napkins folded once, not fussed with.
Plan an evening
Roast chicken on a bed of green herb sauceSave

The food

Serve it on the table, not from the stove.

Big platters, family style, straight down the middle. A roast chicken on a bed of green sauce does more for a table than anything you could buy for it.

  • White and green serving dishes flatter almost everything.
  • A serving spoon goes in every dish before it leaves the kitchen.
  • Herbs go on at the last minute, so they stay green.
Find a recipe
Baskets of just-picked vegetables on the garden stepsSave

The garden

Whatever is in the basket is the menu.

In high summer the garden decides dinner before the store does. Tomatoes, squash and herbs set the plan, and whatever's left sits in a basket on the counter.

  • A basket of vegetables is a centerpiece too.
  • Herbs in a glass of water keep for days and look like flowers.
Cook for the season

From the table

A summer of evenings, mostly outside. Save what you like.

Brittney beside a table set with white hydrangeas Save
Setting the garden table with hydrangeas Save
A strawberry galette beside pink ranunculus Save
Meatballs on a blue-rimmed plate with dahlias Save
A lattice berry pie with ranunculus Save
A hydrangea centerpiece on the bistro table Save
A small hand reaching for a chocolate chip cookie Save
Blueberry galette with vanilla ice cream Save
A summer salad with feta on the outdoor table Save
Roasted fish with tomato and pepper salsa on a glass platter Save
A blueberry galette on a wooden board Save
Spaghetti served from a cabbage-leaf bowl Save
See the garden Plan an evening