Mediterranean Lunch x Kra Sanctuary

A Taste of European Summer.

Grilled seafood, BBQ skewers, cheesy salads and Aperols… until travel opens up, it’s as close to a Mediterranean holiday as we can get!

I partnered with Kra Sanctuary, to showcase their beautiful Sii Faa collection. The sky blue ceramics inspired me to create a fresh, coastal and shareable menu for my friends.

Here are some ideas and tips for both your menu and decorations for your next Mediterranean lunch at home :)

Menu

Here’s what I cooked with some help from Jeroen!

Starters:

• Baked Artichokes with Dill and Feta

• Grilled Octopus with Chimmichurri

Mains

• Greek BBQ Skewers

• Stuffed Aromatic Fish

Sides

• Pear & Gorgonzola Salad

• Burrata with Cherry Tomatoes

• Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary

Dessert

• Salted Caramel Vanilla Cake with Figs.

Drinks

• Aperol Spritz.

Here are 3 food tips for your next Mediterranean lunch:

1. Seafood

I would always incorporate some element of seafood into a Mediterranean themed lunch. This can be in the form of fish, prawns or octopus. Sometimes seafood sounds like a lot of work eg. cleaning, marinating, cooking etc. So if you’re looking for an easy fix, here’s some ideas:

• Buy cooked octopus (that way you just have to heat it up on the BBQ). I buy mine from a Japanese supermarket in which they sell octopus to ready-to-eat for sushi.

• Garlic butter prawns with mixed herbs (usually only a 10 minute job)

• Present ready to eat seafood with a fresh colourful salad.

2. BBQ Skewers

Shareable, colourful and versatile, BBQ skewers are a great dinner party dish.

I love to keep red capsicums, zucchinis and red onions as a consistent ingredient. Then you can either add some chicken, lamb, or cheese, depending on who’s eating. Don’t forget to marinate the veggies in olive oil and mixed herbs before cooking. For chicken and lamb, you can also marinate them in greek yoghurt for extra taste.

3. Cheesy Salads

Burrata, Gorgonzola, Feta… give it all to me!

I love to incorporate cheese into my salads and it’s a definite must when I am doing a mediterranean lunch. Here are some ideas for cheese salads:

• Burrata with crisp apples and baby spinach.

• Pear Gorgonzola and walnut salad (lightly toasting pear slices in a pan).

• Tabouli with Feta.

Sweet Additions

Nothing says Euro summer like an Aperol Spritz! A vibrant cocktail with an easy to remember recipe:

• 3 parts Prosecco

• 2 parts Aperol

• 1 part Soda.

Don’t forget a fresh slice of orange too.

For dessert, I made a Salted Caramel Fig Vanilla cake. It sounds a lot more complicated than it is, trust me… as I use a cake mix and pre-made vanilla frosting. Haha. But for more information, check out my full recipe here.

Decorations

I wanted our lunch to feel like a Greek holiday. For me, this meant eucalyptus leaves, delicate white flowers; and light blue and white table linen.

For plates, I partnered with KRA Sanctuary to showcase their beautiful light turquoise collection.

Here’s 3 tips to set your own Mediterranean-inspired table:

1. Flowers

Think sage greens and soft whites.

My default for greens are eucalyptus leaves. I only recently discovered that there are a few different types of eucalyptus leaves (eg. Silver Dollar, Baby Blue, Parviola). I love using Silver Dollar, but for this shoot I thought Baby Blue looked a little bit more Mediterranean.

For soft whites, you really can’t go wrong Baby’s Breath. They look like little cotton clouds. The best thing is that they also dry out really nicely and last for weeks.

You can also add some actual flowers to tie the whole look together. I used small daisies to provide a little accent to the table.

2. Table Linen

I’ve learned to be really resourceful with table linen lol. I honestly don’t think you need to spend so much because at the end of the day, its fabric which will get dirty.

For this shoot I bought 3m of sheer chiffon from a local fabric store to us as a table runner. My white cotton serviettes are just from Spotlight, however for extra lush presentation I like to iron them.

3. Arch & Draping

Hanging flowers and fabric can look intimidating… and most times it is! For me it's been a lot of trial and error with the arch that I previously bought for Lizchella. At this shoot, I just wrapped it around the poles and used twine to keep certain places tucked in.

Most people won’t have an arch just handy at home, but here are some ideas to spark imagination in your home:

• Overhang table linen at the end of the table.

• Tie hanging eucalyptus leaves from light pendants.

• Keep little jars around the room to the kitchen and bathroom with the same flowers as the table.

We had a wonderful lunch filled with lots of shareable food and good laughter… or was that the Aperols talking?

Setting up a lunch like this takes a bit of effort, as you’re cooking for 6 people plus have to set up all the decorations. But if you’re just starting, start with a vase of flowers on the table. Sometimes you don’t have to go over the top. A simple bouquet can make the world of a difference. As long as there’s food coming, guests will always be grateful for your time!

I hope with these tips from this post you can also host your own version of a Mediterranean lunch. Best of luck and reach out if you have any questions xx

Photography by Carli Teteris.

Plates by KRA Sanctuary.