Wednesday, March 24, 2010

A PASTA INSPIRED TABLESCAPE


When you do your tablescapes, do you plan the dishes to go with your meal? Do you plan your menu based on your tablescape? Do care if your meal even goes with your tablescape? Or, do you not even really use your tablescape for a meal?



Most of the time I don't care if the meal goes with the theme of the tablescape. But, sometimes I do.

In fact, sometimes the meal dictates the theme of my tablescape. Like it did tonight.


I was at Rogers Gardens and found my way into their gourmet food section. I saw this colorful striped bow tie pasta and couldn't pass it up. I thought it was so pretty and couldn't wait to try it out.



So, I knew what we were having for dinner. It was now time to start pulling things together for the tablescape.

I had to use some of the pasta on my table. After all, it was the inspiration for what I was going to use.


I got these salad plates awhile ago at TJ Maxx. Look at the stripes on them. They are the same colors as the pasta! How could I not use these?



I love the many colors on these salad plates. There are greens, golds, blues, rusts and even some red.

The picture in the center of the salad plates are a vineyard. When I think of vineyards I think of rolling hills.


So I used golden dinner plates with an edge that reminds me of rollings hills.


The tablecloth was a plain dark rust and I pulled in more golds with the candles.



Each salad plate has a different scene of a vineyard. These plates could be used in several different tablescapes and I already had one planned out that is nothing like the one I did today.


However, I am going to have my sister and brother in law over later this summer and plan to eat outside with that tablescape. So, I had to come up with something different tonight.

I also used glasses I got at Macy's. They are big water goblets with a rim that is hand painted with a rust color band around the top.

The glasses matched the tablecloth perfectly.


I had found these napkins at Ross a few months back. They were in the clearance section. I had no idea what I would use them for but didn't they come in handy for today's tablescape.


They have the same colors and the stripes that the plates and pasta have.



The napkin rings are made of wood and I found them at Bed Bath and Beyond. I got them for last Thanksgiving. But I thought the natural look to them were great with the outdoor vineyard look.


I love the flatware. I found this set at TJ Maxx around Christmas time. I've seen several other flatware sets that sort of look like these. I would love to get them in different colors. I think they are so pretty.


Bad thing about these though is they say you have to hand wash them and they shouldn't go in the dishwasher. Oh jeez, I'm so lazy!


We started dinner with a colorful salad that look great on the plates. Mixed baby greens, fresh spinach, apples, walnuts, dried cranberries in a red wine (vineyard) dressing.


The pasta lost some of it's color as it cooked but still looked pretty good. Those the bows seemed to fall apart and they looked more like ribbons.

The pasta was colored with vegetable dye but had only the flavor of the plain pasta.

I put an Artichoke, lemon pesto sauce on it. Boy was this good!


I should have put a little bit of fresh basil on here, at least for the picture but I was to hungry so I just sprinkled a little bit of fresh cheese on there and dug in.

No dessert tonight!

I'm joining in the fun over at Tablescape Thursday at Naps on the Porch. If you have not yet pop in over there, please do so. There are a ton of beautiful tablescapes over there.

Photobucket

24 comments:

Blondie's Journal said...

What a fantastic tablescape post, Joanne. I love hearing about and seeing the meal that is being served. I can't get over the pasta. I thought for sure it was a combo of peppers, spinach, etc. I am sure it was just as delicious! And how it matched your napkins. I wonder what we are thinking when we buy napkins that we aren't sure how we will use. We always end up using them in some creative way. And they are perfect for those gorgeous dishes! I love the flatware too, the scroll design is what catches my eye.

And BTW, the salad and dressing look awesome, too!! ;-)

xoxo
Jane

Rach said...

Very nice. The pasta looks delish and so does the salad! You must have tons of dishes!

Lori @ Dining Delight said...

I can't believe how the stripe in the pasta went perfectly with the plates you used for your salad! They were made for each other! Both look wonderful!
My tablescapes for holiday meals are always used but I also do some just for fun and I do not coordinate the food with them...cooking is not fun for me!

DD

Allie and Pattie said...

Too cute! That pasta is too pretty to eat- I'd probably just put it in a jar! Though the dinner sounded wonderful...
xoxo Pattie and Allie

Beth said...

I love the salad plates, the napkins, the flatware and the pasta! Your finished meal looks very good!

Kathleen said...

Unbelievable..matching pasta, plates and napkins!
That was wonderful. I love it all..
I don't usually match my food to the plate...sometimes it just works out.
You did a great job!
Bon Appetito! I don't know how to spell that, I'm Irish!

Red Couch Recipes said...

What a fun and unusual tablescape...you have to love that pasta and I love it in the apothecary jar! Joni

Natasha in Oz said...

Wow, your table is so festive, colourful and coordinated-I love it!

I love the way you placed some of the beautiful pasta in the apothecary jar for your centrepiece too.

Best wishes,
Natasha.

Sonny G said...

Now this looks like a real party. wooohooo I like it~!

Phyllis @Around the House said...

I adore the stripes are the best, in the food the plates the napkins, wow it all looks so good, I love those napkins, soooo pretty, I would love those for summer outside, or now hee hee, phyllis

Yellow Rose Arbor said...

This is just great! Love the stripes on the plates, napkins, and pasta! Food looks and sounds really good!

Katherine

Mid-Atlantic Martha said...

How amazing that the pasta matched your dishes! That was too pretty to cook!....well almost -- sounds wonderful with the sauce -- and that salad is mouthwatering! Love your pretty dishes.

Marigene said...

I love all the stripes in your colorful tablescape.
I do try to use dishes that will compliment what I am serving...I have all color dishes except in the purple/lavender family and lots of white!

Kathryn @ Bonafide Southern said...

What a clever idea to put the pasta in the apothecary jar! I adore your silverware. It's perhaps the prettiest set I've ever seen. Thanks for sharing and happy TT to you!

Sharlotte said...

Joanne,
What a colorful post! I've never seen this type of pasta before and WOW, what amazing pieces you have to go along with it! Your dishes are so cute...I love it when there are different scenes for each plate...really makes your table interesting. Thanks so much for sharing, everything looks great and delicious!
Sharlotte

Anonymous said...

It just takes a little spark for our tablescape minds to work. That pasta goes perfect with your dishes. Thanks for sharing.

Teresa's New Life said...

Oh, those plates are fantastic! I've never seen any like that before. I love to have special plates just for pasta. I have great pasta bowls, but not plates, BTW that pasta dish is so delicious looking!

Tricia said...

Oh, my gosh, that striped pasta is amazing! I have never seen anything like that. And how perfectly your striped dishes and napkins work together! A beautiful table!

Yvonne @ StoneGable said...

Joanne! Why did you not invite me. I would have brought dessert! This is such a fresh table. I am wild about the pretty bow tie pasta! And it looks just as fabulous when cooked! And you said the magic words- artichoke and lemon. I can almost taste it. I love artichoke anything. I have been thinking of doing a post on how to make artichokes and aioli sauce. Now I know I will.
Your bowls with the beautiful scenes are one I'd love too. The colored stripes were perfect with the pasta. Very creative and a very good eye to put them together!
Yvonne

Linda said...

What a fun tablescape! Everything seemed to match perfectly, even the meal!

I'm a HUGH salad lover so your salad caught my eye. Did you mix your own salad dressing or was it bottled from the store? I'm always looking for new, delicious salad dressings.

Americana Lady said...

Blogging Friend, I love the pasta and it matches your plates too! Well I can't think of a better tablescape than that! Salad looked beautiful too! Joan

*Chic Provence* said...

Very inviting table, that pasta is incredible!

xx

Kit

kate said...

colorful plate, and wow, look at that, I'm already drooling, great color, looks delicious

Sandy said...

Oh, that pasta is way too fun. Love the colors and how it all comes together :)