Farm to Table Dinner Party

Shopping at the local farmer's market is a favorite summer pastime for many people. Buying fresh produce and artisan food creations locally is a wonderful way to tempt your taste buds while supporting agriculture in your area. Taking food from farm to table is more than a growing entertaining trend; it's a healthy lifestyle choice that allows you to eat seasonally, and get access to unexpected varieties of less expensive, better tasting fruits and veggies.

Stroll the aisles of your local market and you're bound to find eye-catching displays of vibrant red radishes and tomatoes, zesty green bunches of lettuce and greens, and earthy bundles of carrots freshly pulled from the ground. Along with fresh produce, you're likely to find treasures like homemade hummus, pita chips, jerky, nuts and honey. Some markets even feature cheeses and meats, as well as ice cream.

Join us as we browse the aisles of our local market and select items for an impromptu picnic. We've created a portable dinner party right on the grounds of the farmer's market. There's even a delectable Strawberry Basil Gimlet Cocktail recipe and a fresh and fun craft for DIY Mason Jar Place Cards to coordinate with this engaging theme.

Throw Some Shade

You can bank on some sunshine when you venture out to shop for a farm to table party. Soak up the sun, but don't forget some shade for when the heat gets intense! This beautiful floral and bird patterned parasol makes a lovely accessory for tossing into your market bag to keep at arms reach when you need to cool down for a bit. Fun and fluffy yellow pom pom trim is simply attached with hot glue for a whimsical look.

Natural Selection

For a farm to table dinner party, the menu is simple and understated. Fresh lettuce and vegetables for a salad and some hummus with pita chips for an appetizer are lively and wonderful introductions to the meal. A roasted chicken from the local butcher and a loaf of bread with fresh churned butter and honey make the perfect main course, and of course, some fresh berries and cookies from one of the artisan bakers are an exceptional way to top it all off.

How to Choose Produce

Shopping at the farmer's market is different from shopping at the grocery store in many ways. Finding ripe produce is one of the benefits of staying local, and it's easy to find many items that are ready to eat, right off the stand. How do you know if produce is ripe? Ripe tomatoes are firm when squeezed, but have a little give. For melons, they should smell something like the perfume of flowers when they're ready to eat. Avocados are ripe when they are slightly soft, but not mushy. When shopping organic, be sure to take an extra look for damage to items like lettuce, berries and delicate greens.

Paper or Plastic? Go Reusable!

Help the environment by bringing your own shopper tote to the market. This cuts down on paper and plastic waste, and gives you a great opportunity to get creative by decorating your bags to your own personal style. This bag was accented with a double line of red stripes and the word "Market" stenciled on in dark gray. A royal blue striped ribbon tassel adds a nice touch to the strap of the bag. It's the perfect size for collecting tasty treats for a farm to table dinner party.

Bringing It All Together

The table was set with a simple white linen and topped with a kraft paper runner. For a fun touch, a letterboard was set up using the fun phrase, "Kale Yeah, It's Party Thyme", for a clever play on words reflecting the theme. A small privacy screen was fashioned by tying three wire frames together with raffia ribbon. This enabled them to stand freely on the table and create some visual interest to the otherwise flat table. A rustic wheelbarrow was piled high with lush leaves of kale and butter lettuce, loaves of bread, carrots with their green tops attached, and ripe garden tomatoes. It's remarkable how this table looks so colorful and vibrant without the use of flowers!

Place Settings

Green gingham plates were placed atop white scalloped chargers. This is one of the only formal touches to the table, and really adds to the elegance of this otherwise casual theme. The black handles on the premium disposable flatware really set off the colors on the table. Place cards take the place of a traditional floral centerpiece. These Seed Packet Mason Jar Place Cards are the perfect enhancement for a pretty party like this farm to table dinner.

Use What You Have Decorating

For the few necessities that were needed to pack from home, we placed them in wood crates that were later stood on end, and doubled as small side tables. These were layered with vibrant vegetables and extra dishes. Who says you have to spend a lot to get the designer look? All of this pretty produce was sourced right at the market for under fifteen dollars.

Simple Starters

At the market, we found a delicious hummus made with garlic and just couldn't resist taking a dip on a crispy pita chip! Crystal patterned wine glasses and white napkins tied with royal blue striped ribbons set off the plate of fresh and healthy starters beautifully.

Craft Cocktails and Delectable Desserts

Craft cocktail recipes are very popular for dinner parties and a farm to table dinner is the perfect excuse for a Strawberry Basil Gimlet. The fresh ingredients can be quickly curated from the aisles of the market and mixed into a culinary cocktail topped with sprigs of thyme. This drink is lovely served in a mason jar but you could try serving it in a crystal patterned wine glass for a touch of elegance.

Cookies and berries found at the market are a sweet way to end this special meal with friends.

We hope you've found a healthy dose of inspiration with this fun and delicious farm to table dinner party! Be sure to check out the recipe for a Strawberry Basil Gimlet cocktail and see how we made DIY Mason Jar Place Cards.

Photos by Five Whimsy Lane