Friends are totally getting into tablescapes these days. They blame it on me, but you know what, I think they are enjoying the effort and the kudos it brings. Whatever the reason for this interest in tablescaping, everyone is doing a great job.
Take this table at a recent gathering of our gourmet group. Yes, I started one in Maine copying the idea of our Houston group. The hosts plan the menu and assigns each of the other couples a dish that is made from a provided recipe. It’s a great way to have a dinner party as no one has to do all the preparation. But, I do digress.
This night Indian food was on the menu, and our hostess found a great tablecloth with a paisley motif in green and white with coral accents
which she complemented with similarly colored striped napkins and bright yellow stems. All colors reminded of India’s energetic palette. The piece de resistance were the coral beeswax candles. Can you see the sparkles? By the end of the evening we were all sparkling from touching the candles and then our faces.
I can’t resist showing the wonderful dining room chairs, each with a different and beautiful needlepoint cushion. I can only imagine how much time is represented in each lovingly done piece. Even with the less than perfect photo, I think you can see how lovely they are.
As mentioned, the menu featured Indian food, and it was delicious. My contribution was Vegetable Samosas. Though they took a little time to make, they were not difficult and I think they would be a wonderful thing to have in the freezer for that last minute appetizer.
Vegetable Samosas
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 2″ pieces
1 t. curry powder
6 T. vegetable oil
1/2 c. chopped yellow onion
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
1/2 c. frozen green peas, thawed
3 T. minced cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed in the refrigerator
1 egg beated with 1 T. water
2 t. caraway seets
Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Using a fork, mash well, mixing in the curry powder and 3 T. of the oil.
Warm the remaining 3 T. of oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté 3-4 minutes. Add the carrot and sauté for 3-4 more minutes. Stir the onion and carrot into the potatoes. Add thawed frozen peas to the mixture, season with salt and pepper.
Roll out the puff pastry very thin. Cut into 3″ rounds. Place about 1 t. of cooled potato mixture in the center of each round. Brush the edges with egg-water mixture, fold in half and press the edges together to seal.
Place the filled pastries on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Brush with remaining egg-water mixture and sprinkly with caraway seeds. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 until golden brown, about 15-18 minutes. Serve hot.
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Love Indian food and I’m sure your samosas were delicious. They really are a nice appetizer to keep in the freezer as I think most people enjoy them.
Now that is one cool, exciting gathering. Great friends sharing a delicious food with a twist. I love Indian food and my favorites are Samosas and chicken Masala with Basmati rice…Mmmm!
The table is beautiful….and I love Indian food!…your contribution of the Vegetable Samosas look wonderful!!…What a treat to make ahead and serve guests at the last moment!….
Your table looks lovely and the theme is awesome. What a great evening! I just love to have friends over to enjoy a lovely dinner party. Hope you have a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
It looks lovely, Lulu. Simple and inviting!
Thar chairs are works of art!
Thanks for linking to Let’s Dish!
Enjoy the weekend, gorgeous weather , beach day tomorrow. They are numbered!
How right you are, Kathleen. Summer is fading fast and soon will be no more than a memory.
Samosas made with puff pastry? I am trying these! I love the idea of baked rather than fried. Thanks for the recipe.
You’ll be happy if you do try them. At this end they were a big hit. Thanks for stopping by.
What fun to get together with friends and enjoy a wonderful meal that everyone takes part in. Your vegetable samosas look and sound delicious!
Yes, it is fun and a wonderful way to spend time with people you enjoy.
Hi Lulu! Looks like a lovely evening with good friends. We’ve tried putting gourmet groups together in past years and they’ve fizzled out due to everyone being so busy, but now that we’re all closer to retirement age and the kids are grown, I’m thinking we should give it another try. These Samosas would make a perfect light supper with a salad, too. And those chairs? Gorgeous!
Yes, having the group stick together can be a challenge, but if you find the right folks and put dates on the calendar, it works and everyone looks forward to the get together.
Those Samosas sound delicious!
Oh, how fun to be part of a gourmet group…and dine on Indian food!
You should start one in the middle of nowhere! It’s a great way to share time with friends.
What a lovely idea to have a gourmet group! And you kno who wmuch I love samosa….. your recipe sounds perfectly delicious, nice an dlight and tasty
What a fun group! I would enjoy trying different foods like that!
Thanks for the recipe, we are going to a meeting of our dinner group this Saturday and I am in charge of appetizers, now I know what I am bringing!
Take along some chutney to dip them in.
It really catches on, doesn’t it? I think that’s a good thing! Our country as moved SO far away from the formalities of decades past that they have all but forgotten the joy of nice sit down dinners with all the accoutrements. When we take the time to slow it down and “put on the dog” as my great-Grandmother used to say, I think guests really appreciate the effort and thought that goes into it. We don’t all eat this way every day of our lives, but it’s nice to do it occasionally…especially when company is present. Your friend created a really inviting and colorful table for your enjoyment. The sparkly candles are a great touch! The Samosas sound really good!!!!!!
I rarely do fancy, but I try to do something at every meal. Somehow it makes eating seem special rather than something we do out of habit.
The food looks delicious and the tablescape looks so pretty. These chairs are lovely! I have a good friend who is Indian and she fixes Indian food for us sometimes and it’s good. Funny you should say about your friends doing tablescapes now, it’s contagious, isn’t it? My friends tell me that before they met me, they were happy with 1 set of dinnerware, now they are shopping for more. It helps the econonmy, lol…Christine
I hadn’t thought about tablescaping in terms of the economy, but you have a point!
Your gourmet group looks like alot of fun! The table looked lovely and those chairs! Wow!