There are no elegant dishes on this table, no heirloom linens, no shiny flatware. But it was one of the best meals I can remember. When my husband and I were in Paris, we shopped for our evening meal a couple of times. We found plastic wine glasses that come apart for packing, a small corkscrew and those were all the implements needed.
Peering at the food in the nearby store, we picked up some cold ham, lettuce, and tomatoes. We tucked a half litre of wine into our shopping basket, went by the boulangerie/patisserie for a baguette, a slice of apple tarte and a slice of strawberry tarte, then to the fromagerie for some cheese. We set it all out on a placemat fashioned from the wrapping of the baguette. Our plates were nothing more than the plastic containers the meat came in. The cashier at the Monoprix was happy to give us a couple of plastic forks and knives, and voilà, une picnique à la française!
We ate in front of our window overlooking the streets of Paris. Tablescapes don't have to take time or expense - the most important thing is to nourish both body and soul at the table.
For more Tablescapes, visit Susan at Between Naps on the Porch. She does a wonderful job of hosting every week.
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Well said and lovely!
ReplyDeleteYes, this is very lovely indeed ! I never would have thought of making a tablecloth of the paper wrapping the baguette ! (I use it for marking my quilting motifs so as not to trace onto the fabric !)
ReplyDeleteAnd may I add, these apple and strawberry tarts look absolutely delicious !!!
Thank you. This reminds us what the dining table is really about: Good food, good folks, good conversation, good times. And not the power of the credit card to buy more stuff. I think Julia Child would be pleased by this.
ReplyDeleteOh, this looks just simply devine!! Sometimes simple is the most elegant.
ReplyDeleteLooks great and those can be some of the most memorable meals! One of my favorites was on the Island of Capri. We were climbing to a historical site and stopped to get assorted olives, bread, and cheese--we ate it in an alleyway on the climb--Nice!
ReplyDelete(I posted my tablescape on my spindle cottage blog--but I do have other blogs...that blog is going to be mostly for house type pics)
There is something so very romantic about the markets, street and otherwise in Paris. The food always looked so scrumptious....and don't get me started on the bakeries and pastry shops. This was a lovely post.
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie! I'm just passing through, but I had to say how much I LOVE this post!.. It is definitely one of my favorite tablescapes today! ~tina
ReplyDeleteHi Lorrie,
ReplyDeleteYummie done right! It is not always about the beauty of the picnic but the taste of beauty.
BTW I started to learn to knit and my first project is using 4 needles to knit mittens. Love it.
Kindredly, Lynne Laura
I don't think you could have had a better dinner than that in Paris!!
ReplyDeleteWow! A romantic dinner in Paris!! Doesn't get much better!!
ReplyDeleteI just posted my roosters!
Katherine
At first glance, I thought everything was crystal! Then, after reading your post, I found out it was plastic! I think you're right...it's not what a delicious meal is served in, it's the company you're sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
One of the best tablescapes -- it was a perfect meal I am sure!
ReplyDeleteWow that loks devine! Well said too. Sometimes the most unplanned event is perfect.
ReplyDeleteSounds perfect to me!
ReplyDeleteOh I can imagine a lovely meal at a window overlooking Paris! What a wonderful tablescape.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine the memories you associate with this meal and how special they are to you. It is so true, sometimes the spur of the moment, simple things we throw together end up being way more meaningful than those parties/meals we spend days planning and preparing!
ReplyDeleteDD