Local Seasons Catering & Events: Unique, Personal Attention to Your Event

There is little doubt that finding “the dress” and selecting the perfect attire for your wedding party are where the fun of planning a wedding begins. Whether you’re wearing something passed down through generations or stepping outside the lines with a less traditional choice, either way, you are expressing your personality, history and the passion that brought both of you to your wedding day.

When you need a break from wedding fashion, take a minute and consider how personal and expressive you can be when selecting what you serve your guests! Let the food share insight into your life together. Food can tell a story of your family’s heritage and traditions, places you have been or even adventures you hope to take together.

Beyond the main course and dessert, imagine how cocktail hour hors d’oeuvres or a late-night station can be great ways to showcase your personal tastes and experiences.

Of course, there are trends in fashion, but think about the trends you’ve noticed in food and beverages.

Charcuterie Boards Are Everywhere!
They are a great statement piece and provide a perfect way for guests to interact and engage with each other. Plus, they offer a little bite of something for every palate.

Thoughtful Fare
There is definitely a trend toward more clean eating and a farm-to-table approach as well as an awareness of dietary limitations such as gluten free and vegan. For many guests, it’s a wonderful surprise to find “something they can eat” when attending an event. Thoughtful goes beyond thinking of others; thoughtful also means that there is thought and intention behind what is being served. Imagine the fun in serving a themed, crafted cocktail!

Discovery and Adventure
Behold the trend of mixing things up and introducing guests to something they may be tasting for first time. A mushroom they’ve never heard of, unexpected spice blends, artisanal grains and heirloom ingredients allow guests to truly discover something new in each bite.

And now, may we introduce you to Kansas City’s own Local Seasons Catering & Events!
The experts at Local Seasons Catering & Events specialize in creating unique, personal culinary experiences. Hollie Norton and Tarah Miller look forward to hearing your story, your vision and all ideas surrounding your celebration. They will work with founder Chef Sean Kirby and the team to design a menu that reflects both of you and works with your venue (not all kitchens are created equal), presents beautifully and works well for the group being served. That’s right, a customized menu!

Perhaps one of you is Cajun and the other Italian. Local Seasons Catering & Events will create a fusion of flavor that will impress and warm the hearts of your families and guests. Customized means you will not be handed a list of meal, snack and drink options to choose from; your menu will be uniquely
your menu.

Just as their name suggests, Local Seasons Catering & Events focuses on local sources such as Crum’s Heirlooms in Bonner Springs for the highest-quality produce, stone ground grits, smoked chilies and the corn for their house-made hominy. Fresh tastes better, and if it’s local, it’s fresh!

Chef Sean takes it to the next level by continually changing menus to align with the seasons. Seasonally prepared dishes allow continual inspiration; Chef Sean works with what nature has to offer while always providing guests with the freshest ingredients. Tomatoes just aren’t quite the same in January and it’s hard to beat the sweet juice of a fresh peach in the late summer! Local and seasonal are not limitations; they are a guarantee of freshness and, of course, unmatched quality
and flavor.

The best part of my job is not only meeting fascinating, gifted Kansas Citians such as Sean, Hollie, Brandon Winn, Andy Sloan and Riley Bock, but I also get to taste their genius! So, without further delay, let’s start with the tender, fall-apart roasted Cornish hen served with a spicy tomato cream sauce, asparagus and an unforgettable side of Minnesota wild rice. Chef Sean shared the story of his finding this specific rice while fly fishing in Northern Minnesota. Of course, he could choose to source his wild rice from a list of quality vendors, but that specific rice would not have been harvested from the clear clean lakes of Northern Minnesota, by hand, in a canoe, then toasted and painstakingly separated and prepared for someone to enjoy. This rice was like nothing I’ve ever tasted; it’s nutty, hearty, warm and quite memorable. This level of intention and attention goes into every recipe.

Next, I enjoyed roasted rack of lamb, served with purple sweet potatoes, baby carrots, sugar snap pea puree, a blueberry gastrique and last but certainly not least, the preserved chanterelle mushrooms were packed with an impressive amount of flavor. What a delicious morsel and gorgeous presentation (those purple sweet potatoes!) for a fall wedding.

Discovery and adventure were on the menu when I had cobia for the first time. Described as a meaty fish, similar to mahi-mahi; it’s naturally mild with a buttery taste that’s unlike any other fish. The cobia was seared to perfection and served atop sautéed Swiss chard with roasted tomatoes, chive oil and sweet corn cream sauce. This may have been my favorite.

The next plate was just lovely! Perfectly seared yellow fin tuna topped with bright and beautiful tangerine sections, thinly sliced jalapeno and Persian cucumber, cilantro, enoki mushrooms with a drizzle of Thai chili caramel. Again, it was a lovely presentation, full of flavor, crisp and light, perfect for a summer event!

The subsequent offering was not your typical surf and turf! Poached lobster tail with beef tenderloin served with a side of haricot verts with a saffron reduction and carrot puree.

Local Seasons doesn’t advertise, unless you consider the events they cater an advertisement. Their business continues to grow from referrals and glowing reviews from those who attended an event catered by Local Seasons, which was voted Best in Weddings by The Knot for the last five years.

I asked Chef Sean, what, outside of the loyal following and referrals, he believes has been the most important ingredient in his recipe for success. Without hesitation he replied, “The talent in the room. Everyone truly brings a different style and approach to the table, which allows us to constantly learn from each other, stay creative and imaginative, all while providing flexibility to
our clients.”

By the way, we’re talking about weddings in this issue but don’t think for a second that Local Seasons wouldn’t cook up something spectacular for whatever you’re wanting to celebrate, even if it’s a special dinner in your home for a handful of guests or just you and someone special.

To talk with Local Seasons Catering & Events, call 816-607-4150 or visit localseasonscatering.com.

Art director, illustrator and entrepreneur Sheryl Hammontree is happiest when creating. As a freelancer, she creates visual styling and targeted messaging to strategically solve challenges for clients. As the owner of Thoughtful Threads, she creates expressive apparel to empower people and build a community of kindness. Sheryl heads outside to find energy, inspiration and calm; whether in the garden or on a trail, her soul is fed by creating memories with her husband, Joel, family and friends.