It won’t be officially spring until March 20th, but now is the perfect time to get a jump on the latest trends to inspire your seasonal menus. Your kitchen is now your lab, so let’s have some fun experimenting with color, flavor, and presentation that result in Spring’s best trends.
1. Organic and Local produce to make refreshing beverages (with or without alcohol)
A delicious beverage is hit at any event. Refreshing and colorful is the name of the game this spring with it comes to drinks. Head down to your local market and find organic ingredients to combine together and create beverage delights that not only taste great but look amazing. Oh, and don’t forget the garnish, drinks need their accessories too so they can entertain as well as be enjoyed. A great idea for garnishes is freeze them in ice, a simple idea that makes a cool effect.
The flavors of cucumber and mint are delightfully refreshing when combined together. Try this simple Spring Cucumber-Mint Tonic-the green color reflects the Spring season perfectly. *photo courtesy of missrenaissance.com
Freezing flowers in ice cubes create a beautiful presentation. They can easily add elegance to a glass of citrus infused water, tea, or a light effervescent beverage. You can show off all the colors of Spring with this trend, or coordinate the flowers to go with a certain color theme.*photo courtesy of chestnutherbs.com
2. Spice It Up
We are extremely excited about this trend. Couples want their menu to reflect themselves, and everyone has a spicy side to their personality. You can really have fun with adding a spicy flavor to hors d'oeuvres or entree selections. This trend goes great with a cool refreshing beverage made from local ingredients...wink wink.
Margarita shrimp with a jalapeno lime sorbet, the combination of hot and cold is a perfect hors d'oeuvre that is bright and packed with flavor. *photo courtesy of catering by seasons.com
Crab Cakes are a classic at wedding and special events, but they are even better with a spicy rémoulade. To keep them less messy and you guests hands clean, try serving them on a single portion spoon. *photo courtesy of pictureperfectmeals.com
3. Comfort Food
Comfort food is a classic dish that never lets down the taste buds, but it is not very event-friendly. There is a lot of room to reinvent and innovate comfort food and make it exciting for your guests to eat lasagna and not get it all over themselves Create a down-home feel to any elegant event with this fun spring trend.
Fish & Chips make a great Cocktail Hour appetizer before the main event begins. By serving it in newspaper wrapping, your guests can schmooze freely without having to bother with a plate and utensils, also the presentation is just darling. *photo courtesy of alowcountrywed.com
Lasagna can be messy but not when it is baked into mini pastry cups. This is a simple appetizer that will add color and rich flavor to any menu. You don't have to do just lasagna, mac n' cheese or a tuna melt version would be great for spring and add pops of color to the plate. *photo courtesy of alowcountrywed.com
And what catering trend update is complete without the Sweets!
4. Frozen Treats
Frozen desserts will be all over the menus this spring and summer. You won't have to worry about these frozen treats melting because they will not be on the serving tray long enough. Just keep portion size in mind when creating your cool delights, think of the guests moving around and how they will be holding the desserts - that will help you in the creation process.
Smaller portions are great for frozen treats. Try serving a cool and refreshing Kiwi Gelato in the Kiwi. *photo courtesy of tastespotting.com
Appeal to your guest's inner child with these Frozen Poptart Pops. They are not actual poptarts that have been frozen but pastry with frozen filling, so basically miniaturized frozen poptarts with delicious frozen fruit filling. They are bright, colorful and portable. Convenience is key with desserts, your party guests can keep dancing the night away and not have to worry about plates and spoons. This dessert is completely customizable too, you can use any type of fruit and coordinate the colors to match the event theme. *photo courtesy of trendhunter.com
You can reflect the colors and tastes of spring with any of these great trends for 2014. Remember portions should stay small so guests can try many different options and make everything easy to handle. Having to hold onto a plate and utensils is inconvenient when mingling during cocktail hour or the reception. Have fun planning your Spring 2014 menu options
1. Organic and Local produce to make refreshing beverages (with or without alcohol)
A delicious beverage is hit at any event. Refreshing and colorful is the name of the game this spring with it comes to drinks. Head down to your local market and find organic ingredients to combine together and create beverage delights that not only taste great but look amazing. Oh, and don’t forget the garnish, drinks need their accessories too so they can entertain as well as be enjoyed. A great idea for garnishes is freeze them in ice, a simple idea that makes a cool effect.
The flavors of cucumber and mint are delightfully refreshing when combined together. Try this simple Spring Cucumber-Mint Tonic-the green color reflects the Spring season perfectly. *photo courtesy of missrenaissance.com
Freezing flowers in ice cubes create a beautiful presentation. They can easily add elegance to a glass of citrus infused water, tea, or a light effervescent beverage. You can show off all the colors of Spring with this trend, or coordinate the flowers to go with a certain color theme.*photo courtesy of chestnutherbs.com
2. Spice It Up
We are extremely excited about this trend. Couples want their menu to reflect themselves, and everyone has a spicy side to their personality. You can really have fun with adding a spicy flavor to hors d'oeuvres or entree selections. This trend goes great with a cool refreshing beverage made from local ingredients...wink wink.
Margarita shrimp with a jalapeno lime sorbet, the combination of hot and cold is a perfect hors d'oeuvre that is bright and packed with flavor. *photo courtesy of catering by seasons.com
Crab Cakes are a classic at wedding and special events, but they are even better with a spicy rémoulade. To keep them less messy and you guests hands clean, try serving them on a single portion spoon. *photo courtesy of pictureperfectmeals.com
3. Comfort Food
Comfort food is a classic dish that never lets down the taste buds, but it is not very event-friendly. There is a lot of room to reinvent and innovate comfort food and make it exciting for your guests to eat lasagna and not get it all over themselves Create a down-home feel to any elegant event with this fun spring trend.
Fish & Chips make a great Cocktail Hour appetizer before the main event begins. By serving it in newspaper wrapping, your guests can schmooze freely without having to bother with a plate and utensils, also the presentation is just darling. *photo courtesy of alowcountrywed.com
Lasagna can be messy but not when it is baked into mini pastry cups. This is a simple appetizer that will add color and rich flavor to any menu. You don't have to do just lasagna, mac n' cheese or a tuna melt version would be great for spring and add pops of color to the plate. *photo courtesy of alowcountrywed.com
And what catering trend update is complete without the Sweets!
4. Frozen Treats
Frozen desserts will be all over the menus this spring and summer. You won't have to worry about these frozen treats melting because they will not be on the serving tray long enough. Just keep portion size in mind when creating your cool delights, think of the guests moving around and how they will be holding the desserts - that will help you in the creation process.
Smaller portions are great for frozen treats. Try serving a cool and refreshing Kiwi Gelato in the Kiwi. *photo courtesy of tastespotting.com
You can reflect the colors and tastes of spring with any of these great trends for 2014. Remember portions should stay small so guests can try many different options and make everything easy to handle. Having to hold onto a plate and utensils is inconvenient when mingling during cocktail hour or the reception. Have fun planning your Spring 2014 menu options
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