Recently, Lynne Rosetto Kasper of public radio’s The Splendid Table asked Sally to come up with some ideas for decorating the holiday table. (On December 21st, you can listen to a packed 6 or so minutes of ideas). Sally went right to her local farmer’s market to “forage” for visually beautiful, of-the-season items she could put right on the table, to create an instant still-lifes in lieu of, or in combination with, flowers. For Thanksgiving, she found fragrant quinces (above), apples and tiny seckel pears. The secret of their charm: Sally carefully picks through the crates to find fruits with their leaves still attached which evoke farms and orchards… (After the meal, they can be roasted or braised.)

And playing on an idea we posted some time ago of flower-and-vegetable arrangements, Sally plunked single radishes with their leaves in glass beakers and vases, for a suprising vegetal bouquet:

Another surprise was baby romanesco cauliflowers, that look like some elaborate architectural spiral:

There are ALWAYS treasures to be found at farmer’s markets that will vary with the season, from produce to herbs to vines and branches; they can be grouped or clustered to make tabletop arrangements that put you and your guests in the NOW.

Here are more ideas for unexpected tabletop decorations:

Flowers + Vegetables = Charming Arrangements
copy this: vines and leafy vegetables as flowers
Giant Wooden Trivet (A Gorgeous Rough Board DIY)
Impromptu Fall Flowers
Improv Flower Arrangement: A Pond In a Vase 
Little Makeshift Vases