Spring Dining in Casual Comfort

You know we don’t do anything fancy at Red Barn Mercantile. When it comes to entertaining, we just don’t believe in a lot of fuss when we can be spending time with the folks we love. That’s why we say, put on your favorite jeans and pull up a seat at a Red Barn Mercantile-prescribed Spring dinner party.We just got what is now my new favorite book in last week. It’s called Entertaining in the Country: Love Where You Eat by Joan Osofsky and Abby Adams. Joan is the proprietress of the beloved Hammertown Barn in New York’s Hudson Valley. She and Abby selected some of their favorite food professionals and home cooks to dish up sixty easy-to-prepare dishes and drinks for any range of party.Chef Julia Turshen and her wife, Grace Bonney of Design*Sponge, serve up a chicken pot pie that looks delicious, while Dana Cowin of Food & Wine fame hosts a garden cocktail party. Oh, and there is the James Beard-nominated chef/owner of The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine, Erin French, preparing lunch in her vintage Airstream. (BTW, if you want reservations at The Lost Kitchen, you now have to do so by mail. As a paper store owner, I can get behind that!) Mix and match from any of the events or go straight for one they pulled together for you.More than this stellar lineup of feast makers, I love the beautiful interior – and exterior – shots of these gathering places. This book truly transports you to an easier way of life. One that you can recreate right here in the heart of Alexandria, our little urban oasis.[divider height="30" style="default" line="default" themecolor="0"]The recipe for our Easter dinner includes rustic farm tables, earthenware, wrinkled linen napkins, candlelight, and flowers from the garden – or at least look like they are straight from the garden. The base for our dining is a beautiful farm house style table from Environment. Surround it with Parsons chairs slipcovered in white denim from Cisco Brothers. I know, you think I’m crazy about the white denim, but he fabric is hardy and you can bleach the livin’ daylights out of it. Toss a Dash & Albert indoor/oudoor rug like the new Akono underneath and you have a fool-proof dining experience.Keep the tabletop simple and let the food be the star. As you know, we are big fans of Farmhouse Pottery. What you didn’t know is that we are now offering their place settings via special order. The Silo and Silo White come in four-piece place settings and are oven-, microwave-, and dishwasher-safe. A mix of form and function made in pottery heaven.Add beautiful linen napkins. Navy blue and white are a classic combo and these linen chambray striped napkins are super sweet. If you’re so inclined, you can even fold your napkins in bunny shapes a la Martha Stewart.Finally, top it off with blooms you got from Enchanted Florist or Helen Olivia or the garden, arranged in something unexpected like an old milk bottle or a tin can sans the label, or perhaps something sentimental like a family heirloom vase. Here is just a bit of inspiration for you…[nemus_slider id="47394"]

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[divider height="30" style="default" line="default" themecolor="0"]Entertaining should be easy. That way, we will do it again and again and again. For there is not much better than breaking bread and making memories with the folks we love.Enjoy and Happy Spring!![divider height="30" style="default" line="default" themecolor="0"]

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