Sustainable & Organic food with flair!

More and more caterers are increasing their “green” awareness and are able to provide food and services that reflect a concern for the well-being of our environment. Most ingredients are now available as organic, and many caterers will be happy to provide organic food for your reception, (usually for an additional charge). Feel free to ask you caterer about their food sources, and what their policy is regarding leftover food and their recycling practices. The good news is that organic dishes are no longer limited to spinach salads! Organic catering is on the rise and so is the design aspect of how it is presented.

Tips:
Use seasonable & local fruits & vegetable
Select free range chicken, wild salmon & grass fed beef

Ravishing Radish Catering is a Seattle icon offering  organic and locally sourced menus for weddings and other events. Not only is their food delightful to the palette, but it’s gorgeous to look at! The chef has a flair for design – her creations offer a creative edge to any wedding décor. Even if you despise beets, the organic beet salad is perfect for a spring wedding, adds just the right hint of color and contrast with the goat cheese, and it tastes fresh & light!

The radish wonton ahi is a perfect addition to every wedding and it’s presentation is perfect!

Kudos to Ravishing Radish for their commitment to locally grown produce and organic recipes, and amazing design – truly a Seattle favorite. I’m always impressed when working with this company that even at the end of a long, hard event, everything compostable gets scraped into a separate bin (and they offer recycled plastic cups (made out of a rice product!)

Sigh, I still remember when Ravishing Radish first started, out of a house – gosh, that was a LONG time ago!  Congrats to Lisbet (the owner ) and her team, on all the accomplishments over the years, and for being so dedicated to all things GREEN.  If you are in Seattle, you HAVE to see their new restaurant on eastlake.

If you haven’t had the chance to stop by Herban Feast, also in Seattle, then do take the opportunity! Full organic menu, wide selection and they can cater large events. Their menus are stunning – their food is absolutely amazing – and the design and attention to detail on every single truffle, cupcake, veggie platter, you name it – shows enormous attention to the overall design talent that goes into every bite!   Like everyone else in Seattle, I am addicted to their crab cakes.

If you decide to keep the extra food for yourselves, ask if you need to provide containers to store the leftovers. A community-minded alternative is to donate leftover food to homeless shelters or food banks.

Need a little inspiration for the season? Foods that are connected with passion, love and marriage make a strong presence; in spring, select bright green shoots of asparagus and the yellow primrose flower, in summer, red roses, lush red strawberries and sweet ripe peaches, in the autumn the season brings figs, honey and the richness of saffron and in winter, warming spices of ginger, cardamom and nutmeg.

Not in the Seattle area? Here’s a great list of suggestions for green catering in other cities:
Seedling Catering in Los Angeles focuses on vegan and macrobiotic menus.
Pharm Catering in Chattanooga, TN specializes on organic, local foods.
Gail’s Vegetarian Catering in Washington, D.C. does a variety of events, but specializes in vegetarian weddings.
Chowgirls in Minneapolis, MN
Phresh Organic Catering in Portland, OR caters to a more omnivorous crowd, and features a “commitment to sustainability” on its website.

Cheers to a ‘green’ wedding and a healthy new beginning!