On the Homefront: Memorial Day Shrimp Extravaganza Table

Herring Bone by Taste Setter
(from Replacements, Ltd.)

My husband purchased a beautiful set of dinner plates and a serving platter with a huge shrimp design called Herring Bone (by Taste Setter) long before I even met him.  I have been wanting to set a table featuring these plates for a while, and Memorial Day seemed like a good time to finally bring them out.  My color scheme was inspired by a coastal-themed tablescape on the Between Naps on the Porch blog, which dared to break away from the traditional watery blues and greens and instead featured reds and corals.

Coral pink striped place mat and napkin; shrimp dinner plate (Herring Bone by Taste Setter); carved wood shrimp chopstick/knife rest; white-handled flatware from Target; pale green goblet; clear water glass (unfortunately I don't remember where most of these items came from -- we've had most of them a long time!).

Two pale pink candles in white scallop shell-shaped bowls
flank the large shrimp platter.

A closer look at the large shrimp platter, as well as a small shrimp
trivet we bought in Charleston a couple of years ago.

My husband brought this ceramic piece home from his travels
years ago; I don't remember where it came from, but the
design looks very Asian.

Two fish-shaped ceramic plates are set out to hold appetizers.

A tiny shrimp-shaped chopstick/knife rest
carved from wood (bamboo?).

Obviously shrimp is on the menu for this Memorial Day table!  I made a rare trip to Trader Joe's last week and was delighted to find some huge frozen shrimp labelled "colossal" which I just had to purchase for our holiday meal.  For an appetizer, I thought it only appropriate to go to the opposite extreme in terms of size and use some canned salad shrimp labelled "tiny" for this course.  Some asparagus (tossed with olive oil and salt, roasted at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes, then topped with fresh lemon zest and juice) and a fruit-flavored dessert round out our simple dinner.

Memorial Day Shrimp Extravaganza Menu:

Shrimp Puffs*

Roasted Shrimp with Orzo

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon

Black Raspberry Cream Pie

*Shrimp Puffs

1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 C. mayonnaise

2 T. minced scallions

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 can (4 oz.) tiny shrimp, rinsed and drained (I used Bumble Bee)

10-12 Ritz or other buttery crackers (or small bread rounds)

Combine the first four ingredients in a small bowl.  Stir in the shrimp.  Mound a tablespoonful of the shrimp mixture onto each cracker.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes until heated through (keep an eye on the crackers to make sure they don't burn).  Serve immediately.  Serves 5-6.

Note:  You can eliminate the baking and serve the shrimp mixture as a dip (chill for a couple of hours to allow the flavors to meld).

Irish Cream-flavored Lindt Lindor truffles are offered in a pretty little bowl decorated with delicate pink shrimp:

Did you think I forgot about Dalmatians for this table?  Think again!

Coral the Dalmatian sits discreetly off to the side, wearing
her necklace of tiny shells to suit the coastal theme!

A heartfelt thank you to all of the brave men and women who risked their lives defending our great nation -- we owe you a debt of gratitude that can never be adequately repaid.