Easter is a holiday where many families have an Easter tradition, as they usually go hunting for eggs either in the backyard – or if they don’t have one, in the living room – then have a good Easter meal.
The Easter holiday is also an opportunity for a special gathering with family and friends. So to delight your loved ones and guests during Easter dinner or brunch, think of an interesting and creative Easter table setting.
You can think outside of the box when it comes to your Easter table with these ideas by cookbook author Chantal Lascaris. For Lascaris, one of the most important parts of any family gathering like Easter is the food. And with a husband who’s half Greek, she’s always been inspired to base the dishes she serves on traditional Greek cuisine.
This year, Easter Sunday will see her family and friends gather around the table for a meal of delicious kleftiko (roast lamb), Greek-style lemon potatoes, and briam (mixed roast vegetables). Lascaris says a bonus for this menu is that each dish can be prepared beforehand, with the minimum effort.
With the dishes decided, below she shares a few Easter decor tips that will not only ensure your table looks ‘egg-cellent’, but also keep your kids creatively entertained.
Kids DIY
“Kids love to get involved with arts and crafts, and it can be super helpful to turn them into decorations for your Easter table. From name tags to painting white Easter eggs with food colouring, and the challenge even of making an Easter egg tree, there are plenty of ideas that can keep your kids busy and your table looking fit for a feast,” says Lascaris.
All in advance
“With a busy day of memory-making, it can be hard to pull yourself away to take care of all the tasks you need to do when you host your loved ones. Try to decorate the table the day before, or at least have the basics done, so there’s one less thing on your ‘to do’ list when the doorbell rings,” she says.
All-out-Easter!
Have some fun when it comes to setting your table. Raid your children’s stuffed animal collection for bunnies and, if you’re able, splurge a little on Easter decorations from the shops (these can be used over and over again, like Christmas decorations, so it can be a worthwhile investment). Add a little greenery from your garden for a simple table runner and dot it with vases or glasses full of coloured Easter eggs for an elegant yet impactful aesthetic,” adds Lascaris.
She also shares below a recipe that as a family you can try this Easter, that she will also be making.
Yummy Greek-style lemon potatoes
Ingredients
4-5 unpeeled potatoes
Olive oil
Coarse salt
Pepper to taste
2 lemons
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Method
Boil the potatoes in their jackets until just cooked.
Drain and leave them until just cool enough to handle.
Cut the potatoes into wedges and rub olive oil all over them.
Arrange on a baking tray, season liberally with salt and pepper, squeeze the juice of one lemon over the wedges and scatter the rosemary sprigs over them.
Place under the grill until they start to brown.
Remove, turn and place under the grill again.
Once done, squeeze the juice of the second lemon over the potato wedges and serve immediately.
Read the latest IOL Food DigiMag here.
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