Some time ago I purchased some handmade stoneware ceramic bowls and a Cassoulet pot from Clay Coyote Pottery. The bowls are a wonderful size for a main course braised dish or even a hearty soup, and were the perfect thing for our Cassoulet dinner. The yellow glaze is a warm, buttery colour that pairs well with the deep russets and greens of fall or with the muted more pastel tones of spring.

A bird patterned set of napkins and runner from Pottery Barn from several years ago served as the base for the table along with my twig placemats. Green cabbage dinner plates worked well as chargers for the ceramic bowls. The cutlery is a Dubost live handled set from Sur La Table. We went with very plain clear wine glasses and used simple wood bowls as open salt and pepper containers.

We started with a Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Walnuts. I had roasted the beets in the oven the previous day whilst the cassoulet was cooking, so they were all ready to be peeled and sliced. We had a false start with the goat cheese as Glenn had inadvertently purchased peach-flavoured goat cheese (?!). Happily this was quickly rectified by a last-minute trip to the grocery store. Ideally, the goat cheese for this salad is a log with a rind, which is heated until runny, but we couldn’t source one readily.

Lauren had brought a cake as we were celebrating Hannah’s second birthday. It was a delicious chocolate cake with layers of chocolate ganache and whipped cream. An excellent meal was enjoyed by all.