I hope it’s not too soon to be posting more photos from the famed and prestigious Non-Consumer Institute. Either way, here goes . . . .
A recent beet purchase came with such luscious foliage that I had to put them to good use. Beet greens, A.K.A. "swiss chard" are so beautiful, with their red veined goodness, it's almost a shame to cook them up rather than put them in a vase.
My neighbor recently put this table out in front of her house for free. The table top was scummed with black stuff, candle wax and what finish was left was in pretty bad shape. I scrubbed up the scum and wax, and then turned it over to my mother who lightly sanded the top and applied four coats of paste wax. It's not perfect, but it's lovely nonetheless.
I almost didn't bring the table home, but it had gams that just wouldn't quit. It's the Betty Grable of console tables!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
What a fabulous find, Katy! Can I borrow your neighbor?
The table looks a lot like our kitchen table – which my mother-in-law actually rescued and restored in WI in the early 80s 🙂
Are beet greens and swiss chard the same thing? They’re in the family but I don’t think they’re the same thing.
Umm . . . just looked it up and you’re right! 🙁
Katy
Love love love beet greens. I only discovered them last year (can you believe I used to toss them?!). Add a bit of garlic and cook them down — sometimes I add sauteed mushrooms too — delicious!
And never mind the neighbor — can I borrow your mother?
That is a fantastic find! I love when I find treasures that others may consider trash. Yum on the greens too. Did you saute them any special way?
I heated up the cast iron skillet, added a small amount of olive oil and put in the washed greens. And then when they were to the cooked amount that I like, I added a little bit of smashed garlic, (I buy the jar from Trader Joe’s, and it’s perfect for when you don’t want chunks of garlic.) Yum!
Katy
That is a fantastic find! I love when I find treasures that others may consider trash. Yum on the greens too. Did you saute them any special way?
The beet greens look gorgeous and yummy. I, too, didn’t realize for the longest time that one could eat beet greens. It is like getting two veggies for the price of one.
Jessica is right. Swiss chard is a different type of green. I grow swiss chard in my vegetable garden. It is very easy to grow, cold tolerant, and can grow quite late into the year atleast in Northwest.
Katy, I don’t know if you vegetable garden, but you shoud check out the Territorial Seed Co. They are based in Cottage Grove, OR and I love their catalog (and seeds of course).
The table looks great. Its amazing what a little elbow grease can do.
If it’s not perfect, it sure does photograph well! Thanks for the tip on the beet greens, I didn’t know they were so close to swiss chard – that is like getting two veggies for the price of one!
Four cats of paste wax??!! I have two extra cats you could have; one with a very crooked tail. I am sure that would help get down in those legs! I could just picture your mom buffing out that table with a cat in each hand. My cats always want to ‘participate’ in projects.
My job as a child was always to wax (with Johnson’s Paste Wax) our nice little table and then rub it out. It had lots of curlicues on the legs. I still use Johnson’s on my nice bookcases, but it is getting harder to find.
terrific job, MOM!!
Ha! I just changed that to “coats.”
And from the look of the can of paste wax that my mother brought over, it may be a family relic. Either way, it worked!
Katy
Beautiful table …. don’t let your neighbor see it now… they might want it back!!!!!!
PS …. beets/swiss chard look delicious as well
I love what your mom did with the table, and thanks for that photo. It reminds me of the neat furniture fixes on Cash and Cari, which you turned me on to, so I have to thank you twice, Katy!
if ever I get the guts to buy fresh beets (don’t they make a stain-making mess?), I will most definitely eat the greens! and thanks, got a good chuckle over your table “gams.”
Beautiful table! I’m always amazed at what you find at Goodwill, too. I wonder if you have better second-hand stores where you live, or if I just need to do better at keeping my eyes open. I always get inspiration from your great finds, though!