Hello, My Garden & Outdoor Living Friends!

Saturday evening, my husband and I were royally treated to an alfresco dining experience worth writing about!  Our friends, Karen and Keeter Stuart, hosted a dinner party for 16 of our friends at their beautiful rustic home in West Linn, Oregon, a short drive outside downtown Portland. – “Cocktails at 5, Dinner at 6.”  The weather was a perfect late summer day – sunny and 70 degrees. 

I’ll start with the fabulous table – Two long 10′ tables were hand-built by Keeter and pushed together to accommodate all the guests.  Karen hand-painted the tables with brushes and rags in colors of chartreuse, blue and black, giving the tables a worn country antiquish-look.  To add even more charm, Karen set out a different chair at each place setting, chairs given to her as gifts from her friends, each with their own personal story – sweet!

Karen’s vintage green Depression glass, some collected and some given to her by her grandmother, displayed old-fashioned blue hydrangea blooms.  Did you know that Depression glass, during the Depression, was given away in boxes of Quaker oatmeal and in laundry detergent boxes, as an incentive to purchase…:-)?  It’s been highly collected since the 1960′s.  Karen also set out her blue and white patterned and solid white dishes to compliment the table and theme.  Zinnias, strawflowers, and echinaceas gave splashes of bright color down the long table.

For light and a relaxed ambience, a colorful rope was strung across the table from the house to the far end tree directly over the table.  Clear bulb lights were attached to the rope which sat perfectly over the table – clever use of space and availability!  Lots of candles were set out to add dappled dancing light, sparkle and a romantic ambience.  I call Karen and Keeter’s style “Sophisticated Country!”

Gosh, I haven’t even talked about the food – Spanish in theme, we started out with Sangria and an assortment of appetizers to keep our appetites at bay, followed by a delicious, slightly chunky Gazpacho soup with crusty artisan bread.  Chef Keeter prepared the main dish – Paella with prawns, clams, Spanish chorizo and of course the key ingredient saffron, served with a green salad, Spanish tortilla (potato omelette) and a platter of fresh avocadoes and tomatoes was passed around the table…. divine!  Guests contributed with multiple bottles of vino and topping the meal was a to-die-for fresh peach cobbler, baked by our hostess!

As the weather cooled, with all guests being musicians and music lovers, we gathered around a fire in the Stuart Weber bbq kettle and listened to tunes from Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, Tom Waits, and John Hiatt!   Relaxed, “Sophisticated Country” at its best – fun, fun, fun!

Love,

Holly, Your Garden Guru