Mind Of A Caterer: A Festivities Farm Dinner (sponsored post)

I had it all planned.  My good friend, Jane Green, called and asked me and our team at Festivities to design and prepare a family style “Farm Dinner” celebrating the launch of her new book “The Sunshine Sisters.”   As the name indicates, the book’s heroines are three sisters…one of them “Lizzie,” a chef.  

Well first things first. Someone had to find the farm, and then convince said farmer that an invasion of party goers was an idea worth having.  It took some cajoling but we were in.  Each detail was clear in my head.  The menu, straight from the pages that described the Lizzie’s pop up dinners: Pork Tenderloin and plank grilled salmon, potato salad, roasted vegetables and of course, peach cobbler.  Colorful edible flowers would add to the lusciousness of the plate.  

But we needed a rain plan. Tenting wasn’t an option so our kind farmer quietly mumbled..”we could use one of the greenhouses”.  He started to smile with me as I danced around a greenhouse filled with hanging nasturtium plants in a riot of oranges and yellows.  I could picture it.. a long table filled with salad pails (born from the book) and platters of delicious foods,.. bliss

The day came and dawned with most beautiful blue sky. We began our set up, only to have a northwest wind come in and drop the temperature by about 20 degrees. Freezing guests and food wasn’t my idea of hospitality! But what to do? Our rentals and equipment including ovenswere all out on the field and a seeming mile stood between us and the greenhouse.  Smiling farmer to the rescue again complete with van and forklift! We had our Plan B—off to the greenhouse.

Now for the table design. Luckily, I had access to acres of the most beautiful herbs and miniature edibles… I was in heaven.

And soon enough, our guests were too…happily strolling from cocktails to the greenhouse and into a picture perfect intimate dinner for 70. 

“I have worked with Festivities for over 12 years.  And as soon as Penguin Random House suggested a farm dinner, I knew Festivities would be the perfect fit. They took care of absolutely everything, and made our evening utterly magical.”

—Jane Green, Best-Selling Author

What is it they say about best-laid plans…they sometimes go awry.  In this particular case, going awry turned out to be…wonderful.