|
|
 |
The Easter table
|
| A little nest of stems delicately embracing quail eggs, tender green leaves and freshly mowed fields: the Easter centerpiece plays with the poetry of nature, creating a fresh, original table setting. Easy to assemble, the "nest" can be made in a number of ways. In the photo, it has been made by weaving a band of green stars into a garland, but it can also be made with little twigs arranged in a circle and held together with strands of raffia or string. |
|
|
|
|
Naturally, a nest like this has to hold some eggs. In the photo, you can see tiny quail eggs with their characteristic white and yellow nuances and speckled with tiny brown spots. If you want a more dramatic centerpiece, you can replace the quail eggs with regular chicken eggs, colored, if you wish, with natural substances so you can eat them later. If you want a yellow color, just boil them in tea; if you want a green color, boil them with a handful of spinach; they'll come out red if you boil them with some grated beet. Eggs are a universal symbol of the renewal of life and by featuring them on your Easter table you are expressing your wishes for a long, productive life for all your guests.
|
|
|
|
The colors will be those of wild flowers and the blossoms in your garden. If you are fond of vivacious combinations that are full of energy, you can base the entire decorative theme on the combination of white and yellow, the traditional Easter colors. For a more subdued statement, you can opt for pastel tones of pink and light blue. The important thing is to be sure and include little touches of green: valerian or even lettuce leaves, always selecting those that are most tender exemplars. In the spaces between the stars on the garland and between the leaves you can carefully insert little flowers, recreating the atmosphere of a meadow in full bloom. When it comes to the tablecloth and napkins, formal meals usually require subdued tones (the classic white, ivory or antique rose), but for a country meal you can certainly use a brightly colored rustic tablecloth in cotton or linen.
|
|
|
|
No Easter table setting would be complete without them, since one of the most ancient symbols of this joyous season happens to be light. An original idea is to use those stubby little food-warmer candles as place markers, or you can make your own very unique candles from empty eggshells by filling them with grains of wax and placing a wick in the center. To keep the eggs upright, you could set them in a base of colored sand or rock salt, arranging them all on a single dish or on separate little plates, one for each dinner guest.
|
|
|
|
|
