Flowers are beautiful and can fit any decor which makes them a great choice for centerpieces. But why not try a different approach to decorating your table? Some of my favorite decorations are edible centerpieces since they provide such an assortment of colors, sizes and smells.
Edible centerpieces can be both functional and decorative. I love summer because of the fruits and vegetables that I can grow in the garden. I have a large glass fruit bowl that I keep filled with freshly picked tomatoes that I can eat whenever I like. The bowl sits on the middle of my table looking fresh and cheerful, while the tomatoes are in easy reach for food preparation. When I pick more tomatoes I rotate them to make sure the riper tomatoes are used first. Throw in the odd green tomato and you’ve got two complementary colors to add some excitement to your edible vegetable centerpiece.
I also use this glass bowl for in season fruits, provided that the fruits are hardy enough to not need refrigeration. During the Christmas season I keep the bowl stocked with clementines. The citrus smell is inviting and the fruit is easily accessed by guests if they want to munch on something sweet and fresh. Combinations of citrus fruits work great throughout the winter, depending on what your family enjoys eating. Try lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits together for a variety of colors. For a summer centerpiece, use pears and plums. Apples are perfect for autumn. You can make all of apples the same kind, or use a variety for added interest.
My absolute favorite centerpiece involves dessert! No surprise there! This is a great idea for parties where you have bite-sized desserts that everyone will be helping themselves to. In the middle of your buffet table, place a large serving plate with a slightly smaller serving bowl on top of it. It’s OK if they don’t match exactly, no one will be noticing! Fill the plate around the bowl with cream puffs, brownies, truffles and other small desserts. Then fill the bowl with freshly cut fruit pieces, like pineapple, melon, grapes, cherries, or strawberries. Make sure both the plate and bowl are overflowing with food so that it looks like a very decadent creation! You and your guests can then choose if they want to eat healthy or… not so healthy.
