Set to Serve: Gracious Occasion

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ALFRESCO GET-TOGETHER:
Gather friends for a meal among the falling leaves, and capitalize on the season’s bounty for both décor and cuisine. A variety of creamy white pumpkins and blooms set a serene scene and make way for a subdued palette of soft blues, rich browns, and warm golden hues, fitting for a feminine setting.

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Present a menu composed of light and fresh fare with each dish highlighting distinctly autumnal ingredients, from pumpkin soup and a plum-studded salad to an herb-infused Capellini with Basil-Arugula Pesto pasta and Chicken with Mustard-Fig Cream Sauce.

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DAINTIEST OF DETAILS:
Showcase a more demure side of the season with a refined mix of patterns and materials that creates a classy yet comfortable ambiance, perfect for a close circle of companions.

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Hollow out mini pumpkins, and add an arrangement of flowers for a pretty place-setting idea. And no ladies’ luncheon would be complete without an elegant dessert—for a final sweet touch, serve up individual chocolate tarts piled high with pomegranate seeds.

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Styling by Tracey MacMillan Runnion
Recipe development and food styling by Mary-Claire Britton
Photography by William Dickey

From Southern Lady, October 2016

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