Spring Table Inspiration

A week before Easter I was feeling a bit funky. I think it finally set in how long its been and how long it will be before I can see friends and family. While I’m still so, so grateful for all I have, and I’m not taking that for granted, it started to get to me. But Zoom calls will have to do until it’s safe to meet again.

As I moped on the couch, an idea to decorate a fancy Easter table sprang to mind. Creativity usually lifts my spirits so I slowly dragged out my computer and began putting together a moodboard. Lavender/Lilac shades have been creeping back up my favorites list for a while (my whole wedding was based off of these shades!) so I started there and began to build a palette.

I imagined large amounts of airy white space since I’ve been craving a fresh feeling while cooped up in our little apartment. Tiny pops of bright color would be placed artfully around the table. I put the restriction on myself that I can’t buy anything new, I have to use what’s in the house. Fortunately, I couldn’t order much anyways because I only had a week.

I’ve been cooking with loads of lemon and orange, so I decided to bring those flavors into the meal and onto the table. Whole fruit is such an easy decorative element, as evidenced by the baby shower I threw last fall. It’s even better when you can snack on it while you work!

Ever since the aforementioned baby shower, I’ve been obsessed with the chicken we grilled up for lunch - fontina and prosciutto rolled up in a chicken breast with a killer sage/orange vinaigrette. I searched the internet for the recipe and found a copy (it’s from Bobby Flay’s cookbook). There’s only two of us so for sides I decided on a mini cheese plate to snack on with more fresh fruit, and a light side salad (I love the herby arugula salad from Eat Beautiful). I opted out of extra carbs since we had the cake for dessert too, but a quinoa salad or toasty bread would have made great additions too.

For the grand finale I wanted to try my hand at a springy cake with bits of dried florals (lavender and orange peel!) I had leftover dried edible florals from a bridal shower that I sometimes add to cocktails to fancy up, but a vision popped into my head of a minimal cake with tiny touches of color. I settled on a coconut chiffon cake filled with lemon curd.

The Menu

The day before Easter was spent mostly baking the cake - why do cakes take so long?! The texture came out really nicely for a gluten free version, but the coconut extract made it too perfume-y for my taste. I think next time I’d go lemon flavored all the way. My husband was a big fan though!

The morning of, I threw together the cheese plate to snack on while dinner cooked. Sliced apples, boursin cheese for me and unexpected cheddar for him, dried apricots and crackers.

Then we were wrapping chicken cutlets in slices of fontina and prosciutto and blending the sage orange vinaigrette. We don’t have a grill so I did a baked variation instead - just broil for 2 minutes to get the prosciutto crispy at the end! Good olive oil is key to the vinaigrette tasting amazing.

As the chicken baked I tossed the salad together - arugula and spinach for the base with fresh mint chopped and mixed in, a sprinkling of parmesan, and roasted sunflower seeds. I doused my greens in a dose of the same sage orange vinaigrette. Incredible.

For dessert, cake and prosecco. Even though it was just the two of us, making the effort to do something special really lifted our spirits. I think I would have done it even if I lived alone! The cleanup was minimal (would you believe the table is a folding card table we store downstairs) and the flowers are still brightening my kitchen at this very moment.

Try setting a spring table for two for a special date night, an anniversary, or a birthday during quarantine to lift your spirits! Even a fancy roommate or friend dinner could be fun. I saw something that had the idea for a dinner party theme where you wear an outfit you love but can never find an occasion to wear - how fun would it be to get dressed up for a Saturday night in? I can’t wait to have more friends and family gathered around my apartment in the future but for now, we’re making do with what we’ve got.

x, M