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May 11, 2024April 2, 2025

Vol. XVIII: In the Kitchen | Spring Lunch

Field Notes Vol. 18: In the Kitchen | Spring Lunch

When the weather finally gets nice in Connecticut in the spring, we end up hosting friends and family for lunch much more often. Last spring, I hosted a casual baby shower brunch, as well as a picnic with some design industry friends. I ended up using some of the same recipes for both because they were such simple crowd pleasers, including one of my all time favorites, quinoa fruit salad!

A few hosting tips for this kind of get together: The day before: - Set the table - Buy and arrange the flowers - Get all of your serveware ready The morning-of: - Have your list of cooking to-do's ready and hop to it first thing…lunch time will be here before you know it! Quinoa Fruit Salad I love this quinoa fruit salad as a perfect spring lunch accompaniment, especially with strawberries and mangoes being in season this time of year. It’s refreshing, delicious and pretty on your table…. promise it’s always a hit!

Ingredients: Quinoa: 1 cup quinoa (I use red quinoa) 1.5 cups water Pinch of salt Fruit: 1 ½ cups blueberries 1 ½ cups sliced strawberries 1 ½ cups chopped mango Extra chopped mint for garnish (optional) Honey lime dressing: Juice of 2 large limes 3 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon avocado oil 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

To prepare: I follow Serena Wolf’s method for cooking quinoa: Prepare quinoa according to package instructions but use only 1 ½ cups of liquid per cup of quinoa. To make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey, avocado oil and mint together until combined. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, blueberries, strawberries, and mango. Pour honey lime dressing over the fruit salad and mix until well combined. Garnish with additional mint, if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

download the recipe

 

Baby Shower BrunchItems for baby shower brunch

clockwise from top left:

Rattan-wrapped pitcher | Floral napkins | Plate | Wicker planter | Marble tulipiere | Embroidered tablecloth | Porcelain tiered stand

Picnic LunchRoundup of items for picnic lunch

clockwise from top left:

Vintage quilt | Enamel serveware | Woven tiered stand | Takeout containers | Wooden flatware | Basket cooler
Lilse McKenna Inc.

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Lilse McKenna designs homes that are rooted in tradition and tailored to reflect each client’s personality and lifestyle. Drawing on years of experience in residential design, Lilse expertly layers pattern, color, and texture to create spaces that are sophisticated yet eminently livable.

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