In the open air
I am lucky to call Kelowna, BC home - a place no matter where you happen to be looking, are confronted with stunning vistas of mountains, lake, and vineyards. I decided to capitalize on our beautiful weather as of late and host an outdoor dinner party aptly themed "In the Open Air".
I wanted it to feel ethereal, whimsical, sexy and effortless. Candlelight, white linen, delectable local food and of course - duh - wine that flows like the salmon of Capistrano. (brownie points to anyone who gets that reference).
As we were expecting a large group of people - 14 total - I didn't have all the glass and plate ware on hand sufficient enough to serve that large of a group. Not wanting to spend an arm and a leg on discretionary plate ware I'll likely only use a few times a year - I decided to go to Habitat for Humanity to see what they might have on hand for vintage dishware. I was absolutely elated to find the cutest array of creamy egg white coloured dishes, wine glasses and bowls that aligned exactly with the vision I was going for. I wanted it to be mismatched- but by design.
The place settings itself from there were pretty simple - the setting was the star and I didn't want to detract from the view. I simply clipped bushels of lavender and haphazardly scattered them around the table along with ample candlelight.
On the menu:
-dry boiled baby potatoes in water as salty as the sea, paired with chimichurri sauce
-beet, mint and feta salad
-rice pilaf
-beans and yams from my parent's garden roasted with garlic
-zucchini gazpacho, again from my parent's garden
-cheese & charcuterie, baguette and butter
-kale salad
I'll do a separate post on the wine as it was abundant but for now, the standout:
-2015 Savignan from the Willamette - this was the star of the evening, slightly petillant with super crisp acidity, it paired well with almost every dish. Fun fact - savignan is the same grape as the non-aromatic varietal Traminer. It was also confused for Albarino in Australia.
I can't wait to host the next one!
I wanted it to feel ethereal, whimsical, sexy and effortless. Candlelight, white linen, delectable local food and of course - duh - wine that flows like the salmon of Capistrano. (brownie points to anyone who gets that reference).
As we were expecting a large group of people - 14 total - I didn't have all the glass and plate ware on hand sufficient enough to serve that large of a group. Not wanting to spend an arm and a leg on discretionary plate ware I'll likely only use a few times a year - I decided to go to Habitat for Humanity to see what they might have on hand for vintage dishware. I was absolutely elated to find the cutest array of creamy egg white coloured dishes, wine glasses and bowls that aligned exactly with the vision I was going for. I wanted it to be mismatched- but by design.
The place settings itself from there were pretty simple - the setting was the star and I didn't want to detract from the view. I simply clipped bushels of lavender and haphazardly scattered them around the table along with ample candlelight.
On the menu:
-dry boiled baby potatoes in water as salty as the sea, paired with chimichurri sauce
-beet, mint and feta salad
-rice pilaf
-beans and yams from my parent's garden roasted with garlic
-zucchini gazpacho, again from my parent's garden
-cheese & charcuterie, baguette and butter
-kale salad
I'll do a separate post on the wine as it was abundant but for now, the standout:
-2015 Savignan from the Willamette - this was the star of the evening, slightly petillant with super crisp acidity, it paired well with almost every dish. Fun fact - savignan is the same grape as the non-aromatic varietal Traminer. It was also confused for Albarino in Australia.
I can't wait to host the next one!
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