Christmas Preparations with Grethe Holst

The Apron has been a dream of mine for many years. I have always loved shops with things for the kitchen. I love to cook, and there is just something wonderful about the beauty of everyday things: cooking risotto in a copper pan, collecting apples in a handmade basket and drying my antique glasses with a linen tea towel.

One of my jobs at Kvänum was styling the showroom. When styling, I used a mix of old and new, but always things of quality. Very often, customers would ask if we sold the items. I don’t think it was about the items themselves but more about how they felt inspired. That's when I thought I wanted to create a shop that felt like a warm kitchen. It has to inspire cooking, setting a beautiful table and making marmalade.

In the shop, I have created countless table settings, and of course, the festive holiday table is always so much fun. For me, one of the essentials is nice napkins. A simple trick is to tie bows from silk or velvet ribbons as napkin rings, perhaps even adding a homemade trinket to each bow.

Flowers are always beautiful, but remember to keep them low so they don't block your guests' view. Place larger flower arrangements and maybe candles on side tables or consoles close to your dining table to set the atmosphere without crowding your table. 
Nice wine glasses are always wonderful, but there's no need to rush to IKEA for the full set if you don’t have enough. Mixing and matching from charity shops can look absolutely stunning. The same goes for plates. However, if you mix lots of different items, try to keep one thing consistent. If you have mixed plates or glasses, keep the napkins the same colour or pattern.

My uniform in The Apron almost all year around is a cashmere sweater, jeans and an apron. Being a shopkeeper is anything but glamorous…  but a cashmere knit is a perfect way to elevate an everyday look. Christmas at home is very much the same thing, however, I found the perfect black lace skirt from Zimmermann to pair with my knits. Shoes have to be flats as I cook a lot. I live in my leopard ballerinas from Francesco Russo or my trusted Venetian velvet slippers from Piedáterre.

No Christmas without a wreath on our door and a mistletoe. I am so lucky to have a garden full of evergreens, so I make my own wreath, using whatever is around. We have a huge amount of ivy, and that is such a brilliant plant for a wreath. This year I added some thyme, dried wild oregano flowers, pine and spruce. The Mistletoe reminds me of when my children were small, and how they would place themselves underneath to get kisses. Now I could not imagine a Christmas without. This year, I found some huge ones in a tree in North Sealand and managed to cut them down with an extension saw... I was so happy. 

Warm goat cheese salad is such a winter staple in my family and at Christmas time, I add lots of pigeon apples and walnuts. The apples are from our garden, and they keep well into the new year if placed in a basket outside in a shed or somewhere cool.

Forgive me if this recipe is a bit loose. I cook this one so often but rarely use exact measurements. 

Warm Goat salad with Pigeon Apples

Good bread, if it is a day old or two, it is fine
Goat cheese
Mixed salad (a mix of romaine, baby leaves and maybe some kale)
Pigeon apples, cut into pieces
Roasted walnuts

Vinaigrette
Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Crushed garlic
Dijon mustard
Honey or sugar 

Slice the bread and place on a toasting rack. Add slices of goat cheese and drizzle with olive oil. Rince the salads, and tear or chop the larger pieces. Dry the salad with a tea towel or spin it in a salad dryer. Place on a large serving plate. Mix in the apples. Whisk up the vinaigrette, and pour over the salad. Mix the dressing well into the salad.

Roast the bread with the goat cheese in a hot oven for about 5 minutes, until the goat cheese starts to bubble and turn light golden. Serve the warm goat cheese bread on top of the salad and sprinkle with chopped roasted walnuts.

Bon appetit!

Content by @theapronhellerup