Flower Fairies

Hello, Viewers!

Back to the topic of Fairies! Having gotten off to a rip-roaring beginning, the Fairie Friends were now begging for more...

A Spring Convocation was the obvious next step, and this time I was a little better prepared. The call went out, and the Faeries gathered, their wands at the ready. This is what they saw.

For this center piece I used the same wide glass bowl filled with water, but with an underlay of shiny turquoise paper to suggest a lily pond. 

A couple of water lilies are floating around, and an antique bud vase holds a few roses in the center. 

The pond is surrounded with china bird and flower figurines; butterflies are hanging from the chandelier.

The tablecloth consists of a gold liner with an overlay of pink netting. (The gold layer doesn't show very well in this picture, but in real life there was a visible shimmer.) Small pastel-colored fabric flower petals are nestled between the layers. The rose topiary and the gazebo candle lantern add to the flower garden theme.

The plates are disposable plastic that I gussied up with plastic flowers and leaves - a glue gun will do the trick in no time. Our first course consisted of roasted beets, blue cheese and walnuts on a bed of mesclun lettuce, lightly dressed with lemon and olive oil, and garnished with an edible flower - of course!

Nut-encrusted salmon (see recipe below) with slow-roasted tomatoes was the main course, together with an Israeli couscous & asparagus salad, which turned out to be a winning combination. 

 
The dill dip I bought ready-made, so I can't vouch for the ingredients, but it involved some mayonnaise, loads of dill, a hint of garlic - and the rest will have to be left to the reader's own imagination and creativity.

Dessert consisted of these pretty Ladurée-style macaroons and coffee.

The craft project for this gathering was fairy tiaras. I had bought circular forms from a millinery supplies store to serve as a base, and then I let my fairies loose in the boxes of stuff - extra tulle, feathers and flowers, of course, made for some astounding creations.

Below: The Meeting of the Wands!

Nut-Encrusted Salmon

Salmon fillet - skin removed; cut in portion size pieces (this dish works beautifully both as an appetizer and as a main course!)
Egg white(s)
Chopped nuts - preferably walnuts or pecans, but hazelnuts would also work, or a mixture of several kinds
Salt & pepper
Garlic powder
Tarragon or another herb that you like

1. Mix nuts and seasoning: spread out on a large plate
2. Beat egg white(s) lightly until foamy in wide, flat bowl
3. Coat fish pieces lightly in egg white; then dip in nut mixture (for your own peace of mind, you may want to don disposable plastic gloves for this procedure)
`24. Place on lightly greased coo0kie sheet, or in an oven-proof pan; bake at 375 for approximately 10-15 minutes on each side. (Cooking time will obviously have to vary, depending on the size of the slices.)

Can be served hot, but my preference is to eat it at room temperature, which makes it the perfect party food - it can be prepared well in advance. However, do not refrigerate, since this will destroy some of the flavor and crispness of the nuts. But the dish will keep very well in normal room temperature for at least 3-4 hours. This being said, leftovers manage fine in the fridge for a couple of days, and if desired, one can always reheat them in a hot oven for a minute or two to revive the nut coating.

Variation
(This was actually my husband's idea!)
Instead of dipping the fillets in egg white, brush them lightly with honey Dijon mustard (or regular Dijon, if you prefer). Exquisite!

Appetizer Variation
To make more of a small fish slice, serve on a bed of finely diced, sautéed zucchini (seasoned with salt & pepper). Simple but delicious - it sounds like nothing special, but it really works!

Regards from Rosebud!