2019-10-01_Southern_Lady

11 SOUTHERNLADYMAGAZINE.COM

I

have always had a fondness for ginkgo trees, both for the

delicate fan shape of the leaves and the way they seem to

explode into brilliant gold overnight as fall reaches its

zenith. When late afternoon sunlight beams through the

branches, the glow is pure magic—as you'll see in our outdoor

table setting on page 33. We loved working with the gracious

folks at the Mitchell House, a white-columned belle near

Alabama’s Lake Martin, to create a tableau that so beautifully

captures the spirit of autumn in the South. As luck would have

it, our timing was spot-on: the day after we wrapped the shoot,

almost all of those leaves fell to the ground.

Throughout this issue, we off er lots of ideas to enhance

classic fall colors with unexpected hues for a fresh seasonal

look. Our elegant supper on the porch (page 79) weaves together

rusty orange with turquoise and indigo, while Mix & Match

(page 27) stars a fanciful garden-motif plate in rich plum tones.

For the alfresco meal on page 51, crimson and mauve mingle

with serene gray, a compelling contrast between warm and cool

(just like this month’s weather).

When busy schedules spark a need for make-ahead suppers,

our casserole recipes (page 103) are the answer. There’s a

simple pasta and meatball pairing, a twist on good old poppy

seed chicken, and more. And if you are hosting an elegant get-

together, whet appetites with the mushroom and cheese grits

parfaits on page 109. It’s one of my favorite recipes ever

to appear in Southern Lady—give it a try!

I wish you a beautiful October fi lled with the very best the

season has to off er.

OCTOBER IDYLL

Lisa Frederick

EDITOR

FROM THE EDITOR