"Those French Plates" A Tablescape for Show n Tell + Foodie Friday

It's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home, and Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum, plus I'm working my daily tablescape into this same post. Multi-tasking is going to be the norm I think, as we all move toward the coming holidays.


"Those French Plates" is how my family always referred to these plates, don't know why, maybe because they came from the Paris flea market. I've always loved them and the detail is wonderful, with a story to be told by each plate. They have a maker's mark on the back which I haven't identified and an incised stamped number 2235P.

We have the "Public Writer"

The "Shoemaker For Ladies and Young Girls"

"Soloman Commercial Second-hand Dealer"

A farm girl feeding her goat.

Girls in the gazebo playing with bubbles.

A woman street minstrel with her children, something about "Blind Love" and charity.

This is a tablescape filled with memories and family histories.  The dinner plates are Haviland and belonged to my folks.

The candelabra also came from the Paris flea market, along with the sterling pie server.

The salt-cellars are German and the butter knife belongs to the set of American Directoire sterling left to me by my mother-in-law, who also left me this cut-work German candy dish.

My mother-in-law also left me most of the crystal pieces, while the little glass pitcher was my maternal grandmother's.

One of the few wedding gifts still around after 45+ years is this sterling butter dish.

From my collections comes a set of Vera Wang crystal stemware and the roses from my garden.

A darling little dog's head jam pot by Homer Laughlin from my collection.

And a Bennett's stein from my collection.

All the generations of women from these families who loved and cherished their special things brings me comfort in this seaon of Thanksgiving. The blending of styles and periods brings together the memories on a table that could tell enough stories to last more than a single life-time.

And the food?

The menu was a small baby spinach salad w/fresh mandarin orange slices and a lemon vinegarette dressing, country fried slices of red potatoes w/parsley sprinkles, thinly sliced medium rare beef tenderloin, and to start my favorite French Onion Soup.  I use Alton Brown's recipe and find it is consistantly the hit of the meal. Keep the portions of the other courses small because the soup is really a meal in itself! I have used all of the onions from my garden, so next time it will have to be store bought veggies. :(

Alton Brown's French Onion Soup

Ingredients

5 sweet onions (like Vidalias) or a combination of sweet and red onions (about 4 pounds)
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white wine
10 ounces canned beef consume
10 ounces chicken broth ( I use the organic stuff from Costco)
10 ounces apple cider (unfiltered is best)

Bouquet garni; thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley tied together with kitchen string (DH doesn't like bay so I leave that out)
1 loaf country style bread
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Splash of Cognac (optional)
1 cup Fontina or Gruyere cheese, grated

Trim the ends off each onion then halve lengthwise. Remove peel and finely slice into half moon shapes. Set electric skillet to 300 degrees and add butter. Once butter has melted add a layer of onions and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat layering onions and salt until all onions are in the skillet. Do not try stirring until onions have sweated down for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, stir occasionally until onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups. This should take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not worry about burning.

Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn heat to high, reducing the wine to a syrup consistency. Add consume, chicken broth, apple cider and bouquet garni. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.

Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler.

Cut country bread in rounds large enough to fit mouth of oven safe soup crocks. Place the slices on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 1 minute.

Season soup mixture with salt, pepper and cognac. Remove bouquet garni and ladle soup into crocks leaving one inch to the lip. Place bread round, toasted side down, on top of soup and top with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.