Writing apps that use XML storage solutions

Question

I am an old Xbase programmer trying to update myself, but experiencing only minor success at this point.  The problem: Converting (as a teaching exercise) a small data storage and reporting application from Visual FoxPro to C# and utilizing XML tables as the storage device.  When developing the app in VFP I simply create the empty tables and then write appropriate code to append, insert or delete data.  In reading some of the articles on this site and experimenting with XML tables, it appears that the table cannot exist as an empty container, but must be initialized with dummy data.   That just seems wrong to me.  Of course, the problem really only exist with a new install.  Once the table(s) have data in them I find it easy to treat them just as I would a VFP or dBase table.  Perhaps it is a matter of improper understanding or perspective.  Can someone straighten me out?