FALL BRUNCH—Creating my favorite tablescapes w/ Carthage.co
Decorating, Cooking, and Fall
If I was to sing a personalized version of “Favorite Things” a few of the things I’d include are: sharing a good meal, baking, autumn, and beautiful ceramics. (Also on that list is candles, a good book, pillows, vinyl records, and face masks—but that’s a story for a different time.) It should be no surprise then, that one of my hobbies is tablescaping. Yep, I enjoy setting the table almost as much as I enjoy cooking the food I put on it. I know this isn’t everyone’s jam, but I spent my 20s jumping at any opportunity I had to take classes on table setting, floral arranging, and food plating. Most of my dinner parties originate from a thought of “I have a recipe I want to test out,” or “it’d be a shame if no one else got to enjoy this centerpiece.” This is basically how I came round to the idea of hosting a fall brunch.
Portland is beautiful in fall. We typically have these “Indian Summers” where the weather stays sunny and warm well through September before getting wet and raining through the rest of fall (and winter… and spring if we’re being honest). I spent a good part of my free time in August casually thinking about fall, what seasonal decor I’d use this year, and what I’d want to serve at brunch. Alas, my original plans ended up getting rained out! The rainy season hit a bit early this year. With my heart set on using my rustic outdoor patio, I found myself gazing out my kitchen window onto the wet backyard and thinking, “Maybe next weekend we’ll get sun?” It finally happened: the sun came out one glorious Saturday and my well-planed brunch became an impromptu fall breakfast for me and my friend Haley.
Setting The Table
The piece that got me inspired to “brunch” is this beautiful jade ceramic pitcher I recently got—it’s basically the center piece of my tablescape, only I didn’t place it in the exact center. I was gifted this from Carthage.co. They have some gorgeous ceramic serving ware ( I may just pick up the matching jade baking dish as well). I was immediately drawn to the pitcher as I didn’t yet have one I really loved, and I’ve recently started drinking a lot more juice at breakfast (thanks to my boyfriend). The jade color is just as pretty in person as I imagined it would be. I love how it compliments my pink plates and am very excited to pull it out for my Christmas morning breakfast spread.
I often start my table settings with the centerpiece. I wanted this one to have a cornucopian vibe to it, and take up a fair amount of space. There wasn’t going to be a lot of people at the table, so I had the luxury of being able to use the extra space to make the centerpiece long. I’m a big fan of mixing textiles into my decor, so I started with this lovely fall scarf (which I’ve used as a table runner for years). I like to really drape and scrunch parts of it to create depth and texture. Then I added all my fall bits: pumpkins and squash; apples and plums; fall leaves and acorns. I love mixing in real food into my table decor.
Once my decor was in place, it’s time for all the plates! When it comes to table setting, I tend to favor charges over placemats. For fall/winter, my go-to is this pretty wooden set I picked up from Pottery Barn. With the chargers in place, I layer the rest of the dishes on top. When picking out my current dish set (all from West Elm), I wanted a few items that would complement the main dishes, but not match exactly. My main set of plates has a textured, cream color for the top. To add a bit of “pop” to the mix, I use the pastel speckle salad plates. I love how each plate in the set has a different pattern. Mixing and matching my dinnerware is a habit I picked up from a professional tablescaper (dream job?) a few years back. I love the look, but be warned: It’s a slippery slope to owning way too many dishes.
I finish the look with two sizes of bowls—layering is not just for fashion—water cups, goblets, linen napkins, and my very sleek flatware (ask me how I got my flatware someday; it’s a fun story).
The Menu
Since this particular breakfast was pulled together somewhat last minute, I went for a few of my favorite easy. breakfast options: Spiced Apple Dutch Baby (recipe here) and balsamic cherry tomatoes on toast. I featured the seasonal dutch baby on my blog last year and I still bake some version of a dutch baby nearly monthly. It’s been a favorite weekend breakfast of mine since I was a kid. Roasted or baked tomatoes for breakfast is one of my favorite seasonal items. The tomatoes start to ripen in my garden in August, and I often have fresh tomatoes all the way through September. For this particular recipe, I like smaller tomatoes in a variety of colors. If you don’t grow your own, I recommend picking up a pack of heirloom cherry tomatoes from your local grocery (Trader Joe’s sells them at a great price). I roast them in pan on my stovetop and it couldn’t be easier. Here I’ve used them as a topping for a thick slice of toast, but I’ll also toss them on eggs or even pasta.
Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
Handful Cheery Tomatoes
1 Tablespoon Butter
Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Balsamic Vinegar
Toss butter into a pan, place on the stovetop on medium heat, and let it start to melt. If you are making a larger batch, I use about 1 tablespoon butter for every cup of tomatoes. As the butter starts to melt, add tomatoes (stems removed) and use a wooden spatula to toss them in the melted butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook tomatoes, stirring occasionally, until browning. They should be releasing some juices. When tomatoes are browning and starting to get nice and soft, add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar (no more than a tablespoon per serving, though honestly, I just eyeball it.) Let continue to cook over medium heat for a couple of minutes while the balsamic thickens into a reduction.