Duck confit, foie gras, asparagus and many varieties of luscious strawberries. That’s what the Perigord region conjures up for me, and what we experienced when we visited the market while staying in a lovely flat right in the middle of Sarlat a few year ago.

It’s certainly what Guy Buffett conveys in this adorable set of tableware designed for Williams Sonoma.

They’re so colourful and lively – suitable for any season. There are six different salad plates:

 

I was particularly captivated by the plate with the man on the scooter. I had just purchased the plates from eBay when we came across this bottle of wine at a favourite Italian restaurant in Newport, Rhode Island, where we had lunch after doing The Servant’s Life tour at The Elms. Red scooters!

Styling the plates was easy: food and wine. I created a centrepiece of vegetables – easy and practical, because you can eat it afterwards – bonus!

The Vine Floral Boutis by Williams Sonoma is typical of the quilted runners and tablecloths produced in France. Striped napkins from Amazon, blue placemats from Pier 1 and pewter Danieli cutlery from World Market added some colour and continued with the rustic theme.

I had debated using Colonial Dame green glasses, as the green in the plates was so vibrant, but elected to go with Old Williamsburg Deep Blue by Imperial Glass instead. The chunkiness and clear blue tone just seemed right, and paired with simple red wine balloons.  The dinner plate is french porcelain, Queen Anne by Pillivuyt from Williams Sonoma.

These horn handled fruit knives are a recent Etsy find, and I got them from the same vendor who supplied the Choisy Faience plates I styled a couple of weeks ago. She was lovely; I had purchased eight knives, and they came in a case that held twelve, so she included four bakelite handled knives in the same pattern at no  charge. It was a very pleasant surprise, and they coordinate perfectly with the horn handles, as you can see.

Olive loaf, olives and cheese on a Gien Oiseaux Blue platter added to the ambience, and also had the virtue of being consumable! The wine coaster is in the same pattern.

It makes me want to go back to France and visit the Dordogne again. Sarlat is beautiful, and renowned for their incredible market, which we visited during our stay. Olives, meat (especially sausages), asparagus and strawberries galore. And the flowers! I couldn’t resist the incredible lilacs.

The castles in the region are more primitive than the ones in the Loire Valley. Situated high on the hills surrounding the valley, they provided defensive fortifications. Chateau de Beynac looks just like one of the castles shown in the background of two of the plates, doesn’t it? 

And Chateau de Castlenaud in the valley below

I can quite see how Guy Buffet was inspired to create these plates. This is the statue in Sarlat featuring the local canard (duck).

Good food, fine wine, convivial surroundings and good friends. That’s what these plates evoke.

Reminiscent of the marvellous lunch we had after shopping at the market in Sarlat. Cheers!

And all set to enjoy another wonderful meal…

Happy Thursday, everyone.  And happy February!

I’m sharing this post with Between Naps on the Porch.

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