Trying to get a bigger pic for you..blog has to be samller..

I had added a link to utube and a video of Ricky Nelson singing Garden Party to my blog post, but it won't let me do that here. So, just remember that wonderful song as you view.

Click on the video and enjoy Ricky Nelson as he welcomes us to The Garden Party.

We love fresh vegetables and fortunately live in an area where they are plentiful throughout the summer months. I even have a perfect set of dishes with a vegetable theme, but I used those last week for Tablescape Thursday. So, I went digging through my stash of dishes looking for something for a Garden Party. I almost went with some china and an elegant theme. However, the weather has cooled somewhat and the late evening hours we are able to enjoy the outdoors for dining. So, I went for a more practical garden meal on the screened porch.

I decided that these plates with a birdhouse would work for the party this weekend. I tried to snag photos of the birds in the backyard, but since I was looking for them, they didn't show up. I have a male cardinal (red)and an occasional white female that visits my back yard area . I just love to watch them as they flitter from branch to branch. There is also a mockingbird that returns every year to make a nest in the spring. She is very territorial and has chased my husband up under the covered porch on several occasions when he was working under the tree that held her nest. We also have a couple of small rabbits that frequent the yard and many, many squirrels. All of them have been missing since I have manned the porch with a camera.

However, I decided that this rugged looking little birdhouse was an appropriate centerpiece for my Garden Party table for the evening.

I used round beaded placemats as chargers. I found these at a Salvation Army TS after Christmas for 99 cents each. They were new and still had the tags from Horchow! I couldn't believe the price.

I used a set of dark green handled flatware on top of red napkins and a red tablecloth.

Glassware used includes four amber wine goblets that I found recently for half price at a thrift store. They ended up being only 75 cents each that day. The other glasses were found last week at GW for $1 each and are green Coke looking glass. I love the shape and size of them for iced tea.

The menu for the evening was peel and eat shrimp that was cooked with Old Bay Seasoning served with cocktail sauce, Hoppin' John and a loaded baked potato.

Iced tea and an assortment of white wine was served. A Merlot was out for DH after meal time. He prefers the Merlots and enjoys them with most foods or as an after dinner drink.

This particular Cap Rock chardonnay is a Texas wine that I enjoy.

I always have to laugh at the piles of shrimp peelings that are left behind and tell their own story.

Dessert for the evening was homemade vanilla ice cream. I made this last weekend for one of the ice cream socials and froze several big bowls of it. Since it is not as hot this weekend and we are actually able to enjoy eating outside, the ice cream was a nice treat. However, I scooped it into the bowls and placed it inside the freezer for a few minutes before serving.

If you aren't from the South, you might not be familiar with Hoppin' John, so I looked up a little info for you.

Hoppin' John History

Eat poor that day, eat rich the rest of the year.
Rice for riches and peas for peace.
- Southern saying on eating a dish of Hoppin' John on New Year's Day.

Hoppin' John is found in most states of the South, but it is mainly associated with the Carolinas. Gullah or Low Country cuisine reflects the cooking of the Carolinas, especially the Sea islands (a cluster of islands stretching along the coats of south Carolina and northern Georgia). Black-eyed peas, also called cow peas, are thought to have been introduced to America by African slaves who worked the rice plantations. Hoppin' John is a rich bean dish made of black-eyed peas simmered with spicy sausages, ham hocks, or fat pork, rice, and tomato sauce.

This African-American dish is traditionally a high point of New Year's Day, when a shiny dime is often buried among the black-eyed peas before serving. whoever get the coin in his or her portion is assured good luck throughout the year. For maximum good luck in the new year, the first thing that should be eaten on New year's Day is Hoppin' John. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, many southern families toast each other with Champagne and a bowl of Hoppin' John. If it is served with collard greens you might, or might not, get rich during the coming year.

There are many variations to traditional Hoppin' John. Some cook the peas and rice in one pot, while others insist on simmering them separately.

Most food historians generally agree that "Hopping John" is an American dish with African/French/Caribbean roots. There are many tales or legends that explain how Hoppin' John got its name:

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It was the custom for children to gather in the dining room as the dish was brought forth and h op around the table before sitting down to eat.

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A man named John came "a-hoppin" when his wife took the dish from the stove.

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An obscure South Carolina custom was inviting a guest to eat by saying, "Hop in, John"

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The dish goes back at least as far as 1841, when, according to tradition, it was hawked in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina by a crippled black man who was know as Hoppin' John.

Although not from the Carolina's, a variation of this dish is a favorite of mine. However, I use jalapeno peppers in it. These pepper are one thing that I do have growing in a small garden tub. We eat lots of these peppers.

I cooked fresh black eyed peas and used fresh tomatoes and our own jalapeno peppers. I also usually leave the rice out, so in some circles it wouldn't really be Hoppin' John!

These are the dishes I mentioned in the post above. I just love the radish plates!!!!

It is so hot in Texas at the moment, that I don't even want to eat, much less cook! The only thing that salvages meal times around here is the abundance of fresh veggies during the summer. I enjoy using these cute vetetable themed plates for a nice cool dinner based on all the wonders of the garden.

The plates feature a blue pattern on the rim with veggies inserted at intervals and a wonderful bunch of radishes in the center. My tablecloth is a blue and white one with various vegetables in the square block patterns.

Since the plates are an offwhite color, I used solid offwhite napkins and my varigated blue handled flatware that came from Big Lots. The glassware is a light blue and I used a tall glass for iced tea and the shorter one as a water glass.

For the centerpiece for this lunch table for two, I combined several items. I used my small vegetable tureen flanked by carrot candleholder. I didn't want candles since this was lunch, but liked the looks of these. I think I will paint the inside for they won't look so much like candleholder in the future. I used an assortment of ceramic vegetables in a large basket to complete the centerpiece.

I hope you enjoyed my cool and crisp veggies tablescape. Now, I am off to visit my friend and pick up some fresh squash, okra, onions, and cucumbers. I still have a few tomatoes and picked some jalapenos this morning from my tub in the backyard.

DH is growing tomatoes in a Topsy Turvey planter. They haven't produced yet, but we do have numerous small ones and I see that he pulled one this morning to finish ripening on the porch sill. I planted them a little late this year.

Below are a few veggie recipes that we love in the hot weather. Neither is made from fresh veggies. We tend to just steam, bake, grill, or fry the fresh ones without bothering with a recipe. We so enjoy the few months of fresh veggies.

Both of these are made with canned vegetables, but are great cool things to enjoy in the heat of the summer.

Bush's Hominy Salad

1 15.5 oz. can BUSH'S BEST White Hominy
¼ cup chopped green pepper
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons chopped onion
¼ teaspoon celery seed
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup cubed or grated cheese
¼ cup drained pickle relish or sliced olives
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
2 tomatoes sliced into wedges

Rinse hominy and drain well. Combine with remaining ingredients and chill well. Serve on lettuce, garnished with tomato wedges and more mayonnaise if desired. To make a main-dish salad, add 1 can drained tuna fish or 1 cup diced ham or 4 chopped hard-cooked eggs.

TEXAS CAVIAR
2 cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1pkg. Italian dressing made by directions, or 1 c. Italian dressing
1 bunch chopped green onion or 1 small chopped onion
1 med. Green pepper
4-oz. can diced jalapeno peppers or 5 fresh jalapeno peppers
4-oz. can diced green chiles
½ tsp. garlic salt
Mix all ingredients and chill. Serve with tortilla or corn chips.

Kathleen, first off, your yard just looks gorgeous. You grow those hydrangea better than anyone--must be a combination of climate and your tender loving care!

Love the tablecloths too, those colors look so pretty, and you are right, so many choices of colors to pull from them. What a perfect gift from your sweet friend--those cabbage bowls are perfect. The little fan plates add just the right feminine touch too. Everything just looks lovely, but the food looks scrumptious! Wow!

PD, you must have quite a collection of plates, and I'd sure love to visit the TS in your area! What wonderful finds. I love both sets of plates. The radish plates are so cute, and I can't believe you even have veggies on your tablecloth. Where did you find those pretty ceramic veggies? I have some glass ones we found at the 99 cent store a couple years ago, but not nearly as pretty as your ceramic ones. For the cute birhouse plates, I think you should paint up a birdhouse to match and put together a couple topiary trees--wouldn't that be perfect? And birds, you can always add some little ceramic birds too! Oh, I wanted to mention also that you really got a fantastic bargain on those beaded placemats--what a lucky find--those things are usually so expensive!

Thanks for sharing the recipes, they both sound good. I cook black eyed peas for New Year's--but I'm not crazy about the flavor of them. I think I could just substitute black beans in the salads, don't you? And I do like hominey so always glad to find a new recipe for it. Thanks so much for sharing both your tables and the recipes. ;o)

Luvs

Kathleen, I dont know what to comment on first - the yard, the food or the tablesetting! Love everything btw. Your garden looks beautiful and serene. The food is making me hungry! I love the dessert - I am going to look for a recipe to make that. And of course, your tablesetting looks fabulous - as always. The cabbage bowls and fan plates are gorgeous. However, living in the pacific northwest, I have to say I hate snails - even when they are made to look cute. Snails are absolutely my enemies when it comes to gardening - my bean plant leaves are skeletons, thanks to them!

PD, those birdhouse dishes are very very cute. I love them! The red tablecloth really makes them pop too. I would not have thought to use beaded chargers but add a great contrast to the birdhouses. And luvs is right, a couple of topiaries would look very cute with that setting. Your veggies tablesetting is lovely with the radish plates. Very nice!

Mo

Mo, I agree, I don't like snalils with or without their shells..but I knew we were doing a Garden Party, so I thought they would be perfect!
And the deer here are a bigger problem...they eat everything..over 50 lilies one night!
Luvs and Mo thank you for your kind comments. Wish you could have joined me, we could have talked dishes!

Mo for the peaches and cream pie..
pie crust
cut up peaches, sugar and cinnamon to taste
some flour to thicken..
Bake
About 20 min before it is finished baking, mix up some sour cream, sugar and vanilla, just taste it to see if it is sweet enought for you..
Spoon over the top, and bake another 20 min till it sets..
Very easy!

Kathleen, your tables always look like magazine layouts, what a beautiful yard. I love your floral centerpieces, and OMgosh, the food!!!

PD, your tables are beautiful and summery too. Very cute dish sets and OMgosh!! more scrumptious looking food!! Thanks for sharing the recipes. - Gail

The tables and the food all looks scrumptious!!!!! I love the garden party tables....wish I could have visited!!!

PD, my computer is putting a funky symbol in your recipes. Is that 1/4 of the green pepper, pepper, relish and mayo???? And a 1/2 tsp. of garlic in the Texas Caviar???
Thank you all for posting!
J

Kathleen, your whole setting is so beautiful! I love those purple wine glasses. Did you cook all that food yourself? I bet your guests were beside themselves with such a beautiful setting and meal.

PD, love your table too! I really like the way you picked up the birdhouses on the plates by matching it with your centerpiece. I can't believe the price you got on those beaded placemats either! What a great find! The veggie plates are so cute too! thanks for posting these for us to see.

Donna

Ouch! I would start crying if something ate my lilies. I cut one lily down by mistake and I was so upset!!

Thanks for the recipe Kathleen. It sounds delicious - I am going to try it out real soon!

PD, thank you for the recipes too. That texas caviar recipe sounds great.

Mo