By Kathy Hester
Eating seasonally and locally is a hot trend as well as environmentally friendly. There’s no reason you can’t have your wedding reception reflect your values. Many small family farms have a space set aside where you could even hold your wedding service. If you look hard enough, you can probably find one that also has a bed and breakfast. That way you could rent their space and you wouldn’t even have to supply dinnerware.
If you don’t have anything like that around, try talking to the farmer that you have your CSA share with or that you buy from at the farmers market every weekend. They will be happy to supply you with fresh food for you or your caterers. It would just be a bonus if you have your reception on a local farm as well.
Think about what’s in season around the time of your reception and plan your menu accordingly. If your reception will be at the peak of tomato season make sure to incorporate them, but if it’s not tomato season change the tomato bruschetta to mushrooms braised in port wine.
If you aren’t sure what’s in season you can google your area or ask a friend that has a vegetable garden. Right now my garden is full of Swiss chard, kale, summer squash, and cabbage.
The greens could brighten up a white bean soup with fresh rosemary and thyme. They could also be a great layer in a mushroom lasagna with tomato sauce that was canned last year. You could also serve kale chips as a cocktail snack. Just dehydrate them in the oven and they became a healthy, crispy treat.
Cabbage may seem too boring for your reception at first. But stir-fry it with some minced onion, garlic, and carrots in a sesame soy glaze – you’ll change your mind. On top of that, wrap them in dumpling wrappers, steam and serve on square dinnerware with a sriracha soy dip and your guests will be asking for more.
If you are planning months early, have a few backup dishes in case something happens and the strawberry crop is ruined. With a little flexibility and help from your favorite farmers, your reception will stand out in everyone’s mind for years to come.
