Dinner Under the Trees

Nestled among the trees, guests enjoyed the changing foliage, delicious four-course meal, and warm company of close friends. Our “Dinner Under the Trees” served as a celebration of all things fall, inspired by seasonal produce and rustic decor.  With 20 guests on the invite list, a long table was perfect. 3 large wooden tables were put together to create the rustic setting, surrounded by mismatched chairs, each with a different adornment - from bows to sashes.

The tablescape featured arrangements made of fresh dahlias, roses, hydrangeas, amaranthus, accented with dusty miller and seeded eucalyptus. At the end of the table, the arrangement cascaded down onto the ground, where it was met with folded blankets - how perfect for dining outdoors? We used chargers of different colors in each section of the table, where our homemade menu card was placed.

Local chef and caterer, Jeff Chrystal of Jeffrey Chrystal Catering, designed the menu around fresh produce from Gasper’s Farm located in Salem, Ohio. We picked radishes for our harvest salad, red pepper and corn for the soup, and were able to get the last batch of raspberries for the season, featured in our dessert. The fish was freshly caught in Lake Erie and gnocchi was handmade, served family style.

The meal was accompanied by custom wine pairings. The first course of fire-roasted corn chowder paired with 2015 Charles Smith’s Kung Fu Girl Riesling. The harvest salad paired with  a 2016 Meiomi Rose from Sonoma Monterey, Santa Barbara Counties. Our main course was accompanied by a 2015 Black Stallion Sauvignon Blanc and the meal ended with our butter cake paired with Montinore Estate Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley in Oregon.