Wine & Dessert Party for Four

My individual project for this episode was to serve a dual purpose, first of which was to present a project that reflects me. What better than hosting an intimate dessert party for four? The second purpose was to help rid my team of as many apples as possible. For my project, I chose to use all the green apples. A monochromatic color scheme always works in a small-scale vignette.

First I gathered all the Gala, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and Mutsu/Crispin Apples I could that we had picked at Lyman Orchard. Then I set out to create a welcoming display that both enticed the eyes as well as the pallet. I prepared two types of Apple Tarts that were sure to be a hit with my guests. When laying out food for a party, it is important to remember height and elevation in your display. I always like to include fresh flowers in my displays. I used wooden candlesticks for pillars to hold a simple, yet elegant floral arrangement. I began the floral arrangement with a clear bowl filled with Oasis Foam to which I would anchor the Hydrangea stems. Then to finish off the arrangement, I placed several apples in the base of the bowl. Voila! A big look for very little money.

The flicker of candlelight is always appealing on a food service table. I took simple tea lights and hot-glued Reindeer Moss around the base of each candle. A lovely chilled Chardonnay was served, with beautiful crystal stemware, and crisp white linen napkins delicately rolled with jewel encrusted napkin rings. How elegant is that? I placed a sign on a small table sized easel that I constructed out of hand made paper with one simple sentiment for my guests: ENJOY. More reindeer moss & green apples in baskets were neatly tucked and purposefully arranged in the vignette to boy out the story. The white shutters were the perfect backdrop for the green fabric draped table. Yes, that is just fabric on the table right off the bolt, so no sewing required on this project, folks. The table was constructed of plywood and 2x4s. Then it was time for my guests - and it is my hope that they enjoyed this intimate gathering, as much as I enjoyed putting it together.