Farmers Market Luncheons

April 30, 2009 12:26 pm

It's shower season. Whether it is a bridal shower, a baby shower or an engagement event, spring and love is in the air. If you are hosting or helping to prepare the menu, I have lived through enough of these events to come up with some great tips and tricks for how to serve an affordable, tasty and decorative luncheon. If you can access your local farmers market, this is a great way to support the local economy, and your ease the pressure on your own purse savings as well.

This past weekend my friend and I hosted 16 ladies for a bridal luncheon. My friend being the ultimate hostess planned the perfect menu. We started with passed deviled eggs and crab cakes. Simple, easy to prepare and eat, and identifiable to the guests. We also had a cheese plate for vegetarians.

Not wanting to be too simple, we spiced up the morning event with a fun, mixed drink of St. Germain liquor, champagne and club soda. St. Germain Elderflower liqueur is made with fresh wild elderflowers picked in the Alps and not as sweet as Chambord. You can accent this cocktail with a twist of lemon to make it taste even more like spring. St. Germain liqueur can be tricky to find (try larger liquor retailers with substantial selections) but makes for an affordable drink that won't get grandma loopy. For those wanting something without alcohol, we had a large pitcher of water with fresh sliced lemons in it. This turned out to be perfect for the first warm spring day of the year.

Lunch was a plated chicken salad with large endives decorated with baby red tomatoes, three different types of cheese and a fresh croissant from the local bakery. It was an excellent combination, easy to serve and friendly to different palates. The center pieces on the table later became dessert, accompanied by a scrumptious small cake brought by the bride's Aunts. We had large platters filled with green and red grapes and plump fresh strawberries on the tables, all purchased from Boston's Farmers Market that morning. Boston's Faneuil Hall Market hosts a great collection of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables at incredible prices on Fridays and Saturdays.

A local farmers market is an excellent way to serve fresh vegetables and fruit without breaking the bank. Most states have a Farmers Market Association. In Massachusetts, they are very well organized and can identify a local market near you with little difficulty. We were able to get 24 limes, 24 lemons and 12 oranges for $15 and use them in vases as decoration. And of course we can use them throughout the week to make anything from guacamole to freshly squeezed orange juice.

Overall the bridal shower was fun for the guests and affordable to the hostesses. I recommend accenting your next party with fruit and vegetables from a local farmers market to add a spring taste to your food.

Nancy G. Gleason