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Dinner Party Tips
Crafting a Sustainable Dinner Party Menu
As with any dinner party, the most important part of the sustainable dinner is the menu. Try to buy ingredients that follow the three pillars of sustainability:
When food for the dinner party is locally produced it helps support nearby farmers and their families, as well as the people who work on their farms. Buying local helps keep local businesses profitable, creating a self-sufficient community economy that produces enough food to support itself.
Organic Foods
Buying organic produce and meat is another important step in creating a sustainable dinner party. Organic farming helps reduce pollution to the ecosystem, and humanely-raised, free range, antibiotic and hormone-free meats help animals lead a better quality of life.
Not only are organic foods consequently richer in antioxidants, nutrition, vitamins and minerals, they also taste better - a huge plus for a successful dinner party.
Seasonal Foods
Finally, it's important to incorporate seasonal foods into a sustainable dinner paty menu. Buying seasonally goes hand-in-hand with buying locally, since the easiest way to ensure your food is in season is to shop at your local farmer's market. By choosing food in season you ensure a fresh, delicious menu with ingredients that are at the peak of their flavor and ripeness.
Also consider buying artisanal and heirloom varieties of your favorite fruits and vegetables. They impart a uniquely yummy flavor to a meal and help preserve traditional, historic varieties of fruits and vegetables.
As with any dinner party, the most important part of the sustainable dinner is the menu. Try to buy ingredients that follow the three pillars of sustainability:
- Locally produced
- Organic
- Seasonal
When food for the dinner party is locally produced it helps support nearby farmers and their families, as well as the people who work on their farms. Buying local helps keep local businesses profitable, creating a self-sufficient community economy that produces enough food to support itself.
Organic Foods
Buying organic produce and meat is another important step in creating a sustainable dinner party. Organic farming helps reduce pollution to the ecosystem, and humanely-raised, free range, antibiotic and hormone-free meats help animals lead a better quality of life.
Not only are organic foods consequently richer in antioxidants, nutrition, vitamins and minerals, they also taste better - a huge plus for a successful dinner party.
Seasonal Foods
Finally, it's important to incorporate seasonal foods into a sustainable dinner paty menu. Buying seasonally goes hand-in-hand with buying locally, since the easiest way to ensure your food is in season is to shop at your local farmer's market. By choosing food in season you ensure a fresh, delicious menu with ingredients that are at the peak of their flavor and ripeness.
Also consider buying artisanal and heirloom varieties of your favorite fruits and vegetables. They impart a uniquely yummy flavor to a meal and help preserve traditional, historic varieties of fruits and vegetables.
With a little forethought and creativity, you can decorate your dinner party without sacrificing style or sustainability. Here's how:
1. Buy locally-grown, organic flowers for your dinner table arrangements. Use old wine bottles (remove the label by soaking in warm soapy water overnight in the sink) as rustic, makeshift vases for the flowers.
Even better, consider buying potted organic flowers that will last long after the dinner party is over. Once the blooms fall off, re-plant your flowers outside so they can blossom again next year.
2. Buy sustainable bottles of wine to pair with your dinner menu, and add decorative torn strips of natural linen over the bottle labels for a earthy feel. Use brown twine to tie the linen securely onto the bottle and place the decorated bottles down the table spaced evenly apart so they can double as decor.
3. Choose soy wax candles to impart a lovely, warm glow on your sustainable dinner party. Soy wax is easier on the environment since it releases less pollutants into the air as it burns.
4. Forgo a regular table linen, and instead use burlap sack remnants as an 18" wide runner down the center of your table. Try visiting a local coffee shop or farmers market to see if you can collect old burlap sacks for free to use as your runner.
5. Use linen napkins made from organic cotton that can be rewashed and used again.
6. Finally, serve food family-style from platters. This way, leftovers are easily stored and refrigerated for subsequent meals instead of brushed off a guest's overfilled plate at the end of the evening. Or, send guests home with leftover packages made from corn plastic or bamboo containers.
1. Buy locally-grown, organic flowers for your dinner table arrangements. Use old wine bottles (remove the label by soaking in warm soapy water overnight in the sink) as rustic, makeshift vases for the flowers.
Even better, consider buying potted organic flowers that will last long after the dinner party is over. Once the blooms fall off, re-plant your flowers outside so they can blossom again next year.
2. Buy sustainable bottles of wine to pair with your dinner menu, and add decorative torn strips of natural linen over the bottle labels for a earthy feel. Use brown twine to tie the linen securely onto the bottle and place the decorated bottles down the table spaced evenly apart so they can double as decor.
3. Choose soy wax candles to impart a lovely, warm glow on your sustainable dinner party. Soy wax is easier on the environment since it releases less pollutants into the air as it burns.
4. Forgo a regular table linen, and instead use burlap sack remnants as an 18" wide runner down the center of your table. Try visiting a local coffee shop or farmers market to see if you can collect old burlap sacks for free to use as your runner.
5. Use linen napkins made from organic cotton that can be rewashed and used again.
6. Finally, serve food family-style from platters. This way, leftovers are easily stored and refrigerated for subsequent meals instead of brushed off a guest's overfilled plate at the end of the evening. Or, send guests home with leftover packages made from corn plastic or bamboo containers.
Thank you!
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