Photographs by Jim Stott

I consider myself a liberated woman, one who grew up believing in women’s rights and equality for all. I have been known to chop and stack wood, mow the lawn, and partake in all sorts of other so-called “male” jobs. And I am married to someone who frequently helps with the cooking and cleaning (not to mention that he is a mean ironer)—all chores that have been traditionally considered “women’s work.” Truth be told, we have a pretty balanced relationship. That is, until it comes to grilling.

When I was a kid, the only cooking my father did was to man the grill, with the emphasis on “man.” The backyard barbecue was his domain. May through November, on nearly every weekend, he could be found in the backyard, a white apron wrapped around his thick waist, splashing lighter fluid on charcoal, creating huge fires, and then flipping burgers, hot dogs, and steaks, and on special occasions, a lamb chop or two.

If you want to get Freudian about this, I guess you could say I was brought up in a male-grilling environment. So it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise that, as the years rolled by and my husband and I set up housekeeping and had a family, the barbecue became his domain, and the kitchen mine. I never had much of a problem with this arrangement. During grilling season, I would cook the side dishes and make the salad and send him outdoors to grill the food. It did occur to me on those first glorious summer evenings, when the light turns a pale shade of purple and lingers in the sky until nearly nine, with a cool breeze blowing, that he had the better end of the deal. Why couldn’t I get out of the hot kitchen and be outside with the live fire and all that barbecue action?

It took a book contract to make it happen. Last year, I spent close to a year working on a book with Stonewall Kitchen devoted to the subject of grilling. (Stonewall Kitchen Grilling will be published by Chronicle Press in the spring of 2010.) To say it was a revelation is an understatement. I grilled for nine months straight and learned a very basic truth: there are very few foods that don’t taste better when they are cooked over an open fire.

I experimented with everything from the standard foods one would expect to barbecue—steaks, hot dogs, sausages, burgers, and fish—to unusual ingredients like olives, pizza, bread, cheese, pineapple, bananas, and more. The primal appeal of smoke and sizzle seems to bring out the best in virtually everything.

What I learned through much trial and error is that there are several basic principals of successful grilling. Number one: you need to control the fire and not let the fire control you—which means avoid leaping flames and super hot temperatures.

Here are some more grilling basics I learned this past year.

Whether you use gas, charcoal, or wood fire, there are two ways to grill, direct and indirect. Understanding how these techniques work will change your outdoor cooking.

Direct grilling involves searing your ingredients. You are cooking over a hot, direct flame, sealing in the flavors and cooking the food fast. This is the right technique to use when you are grilling thick cuts of meat, burgers, or a thick filet of fish. It’s also the right choice when you want the food to have those gorgeous golden brown grill marks on the outside. Direct cooking doesn’t work with more delicate, thinner, or “fragile” foods like vegetables, certain types of seafood and pizza, or foods like brisket or a whole turkey that needs to cook slowly over a long period of time.

Indirect grilling is ideal for most seafood, grilled pizzas, vegetables, and slow-cooked foods like barbecued brisket or whole chickens and turkeys. You light the grill—charcoal, gas, or wood—and let it get good and hot. Then you create two zones in your barbecue—a hot one and a cooler one. With a charcoal or wood fire, you get the coals good and hot and then bank them to one side of the grill. The other side is where you put the food.  Indirect grilling requires a grill with a cover. The vents of the cover should be over the cool side of the grill where the food is being cooked, so the heat from the coals is pulled across the food before it is released through the vent. With a gas grill, you heat the two outside burners (or the burners on one end of the grill) and leave the other burners unlit. By creating these two zones, you can move the food around from intense heat to moderate heat so that you can control how fast, or slow, your food cooks. Most indirect grilling is about long, slow cooking. For instance, when you cook ribs, you want to keep them over the cooler part of the grill and let them cook for hours. But in other cases, like grilling a whole turkey or chicken, you want to take advantage of the hot part of the grill first (searing the food over the coals) and then let the bulk of the cooking happen over the cooler part of the grill so the food has a chance to get juicy and cook slowly. When you use both sides of the grill—taking advantage of the direct and indirect grilling techniques—you get the good seared flavor you expect from grilling, without overcooking your food or letting it blacken or get burned. The result? Food that is perfectly cooked and fully flavored. Try experimenting with indirect heat grilling and you’ll notice an immediate difference in the flavor, texture, and overall quality of all your grilled foods.

Knowing when the grill is hot is also an important step in having food that is cooked properly and not burned or undercooked. The best way to gauge the heat of your grill is to have a built in thermometer in your grill that gives you the precise temperature. But many grills, particularly older ones, don’t come with this feature. There’s a really simple trick that will help you gauge if your grill is hot enough. Place your hand a few inches from the grill rack. If it feels like “Oh-my-God-my-hand-is-burning-off!” and you can’t keep it there for more than a second or two, then the grill is hot and ready to go. If you can keep your hand steady for about 3 to 4 seconds before it feels too hot, the grill is medium hot. And if you can keep your hand over the grill for more than six seconds, it’s not very hot at all.

The truth about kebobs and skewer cooking
Everyone loves kebobs and foods grilled on skewers, but no one likes it when half the items on the skewer are perfectly cooked, some are raw, and others are overcooked. Here’s a little trick: rather than place all kinds of different foods on one skewer—like a traditional shish kebob where meat is alternated with a variety of vegetables—place only one type of food on each skewer. If, let’s say, you’re grilling a seafood shish kebob with chunks of swordfish, whole shrimp, scallops, red pepper strips, tomatoes, and onions (see recipe below), think about using one skewer for each ingredient—one skewer of swordfish, one of tomatoes, and so on. This way you can control how long each ingredient cooks without compromise, and have perfectly grilled skewers of many ingredients.

Another great trick when grilling food on skewers is to experiment with natural skewers. Use thick, woody stems of rosemary for skewering tender chunks of lamb or seafood. You can also use long pieces of lemongrass (usually found in the Asian food aisle of the supermarket or at Asian food stores) and skewer meat, fish, poultry or vegetables on the lemongrass to infuse it with a subtle lemony flavor. Be sure to soak all sticks—wooden, bamboo, herbal or lemongrass—in cold water for about an hour before skewering and grilling so they won’t burn when they come into contact with the fire.

Rubs, Marinades, and Sauces
Dry rubs are a combination of aromatic spices, sugars, and salts that are pressed onto foods to act as a quick flavoring and marinade before the food is cooked. (See my recipe below) Marinades are a combination of liquids like wine, soy sauce, citrus juice, and spices like garlic or ginger and herbs that are placed on the ingredients before they are grilled and help to tenderize. Sauces can be placed on foods before they are grilled to act as a marinade or brushed onto food while it’s grilling, or served on the side like a condiment—or sometimes all three. Experiment with all three to find your favorites.

The Tools of the Trade
What tools do you really need for good grilling? You’d be surprised how few you really need.
• A long, sturdy wire brush for cleaning your grill. There are many styles and varieties of grilling brushes; ideally you want something with two sides—one that looks like a stiff wire brush and the other that is flat and looks like a big brillo pad—that will clean your grill before you cook anything. Cooking over a clean grill is crucial. Always clean your grill when it’s hot and foods that are stuck to the grill racks will come off quickly and easily.
• A grill rack or tray is simply a flat grill tray with some type of perforation that allows air and heat to have contact with your food but protects ingredients from falling through the regular grates on a grill. These racks are inexpensive and terrific for smaller pieces of food—shrimp, scallops, pepper strips, small cuts of chicken, etc. Be sure to heat the rack up when you heat the grill so that when the food is placed on top it is at the proper temperature. You might also consider a grilling basket for foods that require higher sides and even more protection from falling into the grill.
• Tongs are essential. You’ll want an inexpensive pair to use for flipping foods over, moving them from one side of the grill to the other, and so on. The worse thing you can do it use a fork (or one of those long barbecue forks) to move food around a grill. Every time you “stab” a piece of food with a fork, you lose precious juices. Tongs allow you to move foods without ever losing any moisture or flavor.
• A pizza paddle or a wide metal spatula are great for moving larger foods from one side of the grill to the other. We use the pizza paddle when grilling pizzas or whole birds—chicken or turkey—and found that it’s easier to get a grip on larger foods.
• Chimney starters are really helpful getting charcoal fires started quickly and easily. These inexpensive metal cylinders have a wire grate on the bottom and vent holes. They are designed to heat the charcoal more quickly and efficiently than throwing a handful of charcoal and newspaper into the bottom of a grill and hoping the coals will catch. Simply place the charcoal into the tube, add a few sheets of newspaper into the bottom grate, light the fire and in about 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll have hot coals that can be poured out onto the grill.
• Ovenproof mitts are important for raising and lowering the grill, moving food off the grill quickly, or generally touching anything hot on or near the grill. We like those thin silicone mitts because they can handle really high heat.
• A brush for marinades. Look for a natural bristle, long-handled grilling brush for mopping marinades and sauces onto foods. You want a long handle so you can brush the marinades onto the food while it’s on the grill without getting too close to the fire and heat. Be sure to clean your brush after each use in warm, soapy water.
• A timer that you can keep out by the grill will keep you from constantly running from the grill into the house to check the clock, as we used to do before we realized how simple it is to have a timer that you can keep out by the grill. It’s impossible to keep track of cooking times without one. Be sure to keep the timer covered and out of the weather when you’re not using it.
• Instant read thermometers are helpful for taking the internal temperature on roasts, chops, thick seafood steaks, etc.
• A plant sprayer or water gun is a great tool to have on hand for putting out flare ups and small fires that are created when fat or oil drips from the food onto the fire. Look for a small, inexpensive variety.


Seafood Shish Kebob One at a Time
Serves 4.

In this recipe, I grill each ingredient separately so that each is grilled to perfection. Plan on letting the ingredients marinate for about an hour. Serve with couscous, rice pilaf, pasta, or crusty bread.

You can add or substitute scallops, onions, new potatoes, or any other seafood or vegetables you like.

1 pound swordfish, or any firm-flesh fish, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound medium shrimp, deveined with shell on
2 medium-sized zucchini or summer squash, or one of each, cut into 1⁄2-inch slices
12 cherry tomatoes
1 red, green, or yellow pepper, cut into 8 wedges
1⁄4 cup olive oil
1 cup white wine
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
11⁄2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
11⁄2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon chile paste, Sirachi, or cayenne
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon and 1 lime, cut into wedges
Hot pepper sauce

1. Place the swordfish on one or two skewers. Place the shrimp on one or two skewers. Place the zucchini, tomatoes, and peppers (skin side out) on their own skewers. Place the skewers in a broiler pan or a cookie sheet with high sides.
2. In a small bowl mix the oil, wine, garlic, thyme, rosemary, chile paste, paprika, lemon juice and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Pour over the fish and vegetables and let marinate for about 1 hour; do not marinate for more than 2 hours or the lemon juice will begin to “cook” the fish.
3. Preheat the grill for direct cooking until hot, about 425 degrees. Place a grill rack or grill basket on the grill and let them get hot. Remove the skewers from the marinade and place the marinade in a small saucepan and heat over moderate heat for 5 minutes, until bubbling and slightly reduced.
4. Grill the swordfish and the zucchini for 6 to 7 minutes on each side, or until tender. Grill the pepper for 5 minutes per side, or until the skin is slightly blackened and the peppers are tender. Grill the shrimp for 3 minutes on each side, or until pink and firm. Grill the tomatoes for 2 minutes on each side. Serve hot with lemon and lime wedges and hot pepper sauce.

Rosemary-Coriander-Fennel Rub
This rub is particularly good on pork chops, chicken, ribs, steak, or salmon.

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1⁄8 teaspoon sea salt
Generous grinding black pepper
2 tablespoons dried rosemary leaves

1. In a small skillet set over low heat, cook the coriander and fennel seeds for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until they become aromatic. Add the salt and pepper and stir well.
2. Remove from the heat. Add the rosemary. In a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind the spices until coarsely chopped. Makes enough for about two pounds meat, poultry or fish.

Didi Davis’ Grilled Summer Home Fries
Serves 4.

This recipe for home fries combines grilled potatoes, onions, and fresh corn mixed with garlic and herbs. The recipe works well with a charcoal or gas grill, or over a wood fire. It comes from Didi Davis, owner of Salt Traders. (http://www.salttraders.com/StoreFront.bok) and didi davis food, makers of flavored salt and sugar blends in Ipswich, Mass-achusetts. Serve with egg dishes, steak, sausage, or grilled fish.

1 pound medium-size red potatoes of uniform size, unpeeled
Olive oil
2 medium-size red onions, peeled and cut into 1⁄3 inch-thick slices
4 ears sweet corn, husks and silk removed
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or thyme
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Prepare the grill by lighting charcoal, gas or wood fire until hot.
2. Bring the potatoes to a boil in a pot of water and cook 5 to 7 minutes until barely tender.  Drain and cool. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1⁄3” thick slices. Brush the slices with olive oil to coat and set aside on a plate.
3. When the coals are ready (there should be no flames, just glowing red coals with a layer of gray ash around them), brush all the onion slices and the ears of corn with olive oil. Grill the potatoes, onions, and corn about 6 inches from the coals until browned, starting with the onion slices, since they take the longest to cook. Grill the onions about 5 minutes per side, or until just slightly resistant when pierced with the tip of a knife. Grill the potatoes 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until soft when pierced with the tip of a knife. Grill the corn for 3 to 5 minutes, turning often.
4. As the onions and potatoes finish cooking, transfer them to a cutting board and cut into large pieces. Place the pieces in a serving bowl.  Cut the corn from the cob and add the kernels to the bowl. Add the garlic, herb of choice, and a few tablespoons of olive oil to coat the vegetables. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and toss everything together. Taste for seasoning and serve.


Rubs and Sauces: Go Local
In the last few years, many local companies have starting producing award-winning rubs, sauces, and BBQ flavorings. Here’s who they are and where to find them:

• Appledore Cove of North Berwick, Maine, recently won the coveted Silver Finalist Award presented by the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, for their Seaside Barbecue Sauce. Smokey, sweet, with just a slight tinge of spice, the sauce is delicious smothered on ribs, chicken, pork, or even shrimp. For more information, contact Appledore Cove, 19 Buffum Road, N. Berwick, ME 03906; 888-849-1787; www.appledorecove.com .

• Stonewall Kitchen of York, Maine, makes a wide assortment of fabulous grilling sauces. (As the author of their cookbooks, I am somewhat biased.) I particularly like the Maple Chipotle Grill Sauce (Winner of Outstanding Savory Condiment in 1997), the Roadhouse Steak Sauce, Wasabi-Ginger Sauce (excellent on shrimp and fish), Garlic Teriyaki, and Citrus Teriyaki. For more information, contact Stonewall Kitchen, Stonewall Lane, York, ME; www.stonewallkitchen .com, or call 800-826-1752.

• Denny Mike’s ‘Cue Stuff, made in York, Maine, has a large line of rubs and sauces specifically designed to make your barbecued foods taste even better. At this year’s BBQ Association Conference held in Austin, Texas, Dennis M. Sherman (“DennyMike”) won five awards for his rubs and sauces. I tried rubbing Sublime Swine Rub on some thick pork chops and threw them on the grill and the results were excellent. The chops had a full, spicy flavor with no extra work for the cook. I also like the Hot ‘N Nasty Barbecue Sauce and the vinegar-based Carolina-Style Sauce for ribs and BBQ brisket. For more information, contact DennyMike’s ‘Cue Stuff, 49 Birch Hill Road, York, ME; or www.dennymikes.com ; or call 207-251-0023

Kathy Gunst is a cookbook author, freelance writer, blogger, and "Resident Chef" of the award-winning radio show, Here and Now, heard on over 60 public radio stations nationwide. She is author of the upcoming books, Stonewall Kitchen Breakfast and Stonewall Kitchen Winter Holiday Entertaining (Chronicle Books, September 2009).

Be first to write a review | Quote this article on your site

Partnerships between chefs & farmers are ripe with possibilities

Photograph by Charter Weeks

Fields of corn rustle in the summer breeze, the golden ears growing plump and ripe under the warm sun. Nearby, rows of lettuce, beans, and other produce flourish in the rich soil. The cluck of chickens can be heard as they scurry about their yard, pecking up grain, while in their coop, clutches of hearty brown eggs fill their nests.

This bucolic scene was once common throughout New England, but in the 1970’s, acre after acre of farmland began to disappear, sold for development to strip malls and subdivisions. New England farmers faced overwhelming odds as they tried to compete with the agribusinesses of the Midwest, while handicapped by our region’s short growing season. With developers dangling big dollars, many farmers sold their land, and a vital part of New England’s heritage began to be lost.

It takes years of careful cultivation to turn plain old dirt into rich soil, capable of producing bountiful crops. The same care is applied to orchards, as trees are meticulously pruned and managed. When a farm disappears, top soil is typically stripped and sold, orchards are cut or go wild, and important land goes out of production. Not only are current generations affected, but future ones as well.

For years, much of our food has come from the Midwest, Mexico, South America and China. Each step of its journey has transformed it from a food into more of a technological marvel. Vegetables and meats undergo numerous chemical and biological processes to allow for long-distance travel, extend shelf-life, and improved appearance. The vaguely pink force-ripened supermarket tomato, with no heady garden smell, has become the symbol of our over-processed age. 

Buying Local, Cooking Better
Today, the tide is turning. Across the country, Americans are waking up to the value of fresh, local food. From 1994 to 2006, the number of farmers’ markets nationwide more than doubled— from 1,755 to 4,385—and that number is growing, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In New Hampshire alone, the number of farmers’ markets has gone from only a dozen in the 1990’s, to 60, according to the State Division of Agricultural Development. The New Hampshire Business Review reported (June 7, 2007) that the state’s farms are enjoying excellent growth, and pumped more than $2.3 billion in sales into the state’s economy.

Today’s farms are different than the farms of yesteryear. Many of them grow for niche markets, specializing in certain types of crops, rather than a broad spectrum of vegetables and livestock. A vital outlet is the restaurant market, which has played an integral role in farming’s resurgence.
Chefs have long valued the quality of fresh food. As local chefs rediscovered the region’s farms and forged ongoing relationships, the farmers have reaped the benefit of year-round sales.

“I did organic gardening way back, so eating natural, organic foods has always been my preference,” says Lindsay Altshul, owner of the Pepperland Cafe in South Berwick, Maine. “Working with local farms allows me to get good food to my customers. We use only farm fresh meats and eggs—fresh eggs make a huge difference in your cooking—plus goat cheese and vegetables. We order regularly from Heartsong Farms, the Farmer’s Shed, Breezy Hill, and Kellie Brook Farm, just to name a few. It can be a balancing act, as farmers can’t always have what you want when you want it, but we understand the issues involved in growing, and we work with them. Any adjustment is more than compensated for by the freshness of the produce and knowing how the animals were raised.”

Patrick Soucy, executive chef at The Green Monkey in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, grows a lot of his own blueberries and blackberries, so he won’t settle for anything less than locally grown when it comes to other foodstuffs. “My sous chef, Ian Thomas, hits the Portsmouth Farmers’ Market first thing every Saturday and brings home incredible items,” he says. “It’s fantastic that Portsmouth has a market of this quality so close to all the downtown restaurants. I also partner with a number of local farms. It’s a blessing to work with them, as farmers and chefs both care passionately about food. I have enormous respect for their work ethic.”

Soucy picks apples, peaches and other fruit at Applecrest Farm in Hampton Falls; gets his beef, chicken, turkey and corn from Tendercrop Farm in West Newbury, Massachusetts, and a range of products from Arrowhead Farm in Newburyport, Massachusetts, which has been owned by the same family since 1683.

“I think the relationship between restaurants and farmers is only going to get stronger,” he states. “I don’t think it’s a trend; I think it’s more of a move back to basics, to how things were supposed to be.”

Jeff Paige, chef/owner of Cotton in Manchester, New Hampshire, was among the first chefs to seek out a long-standing relationship with local farms. “I’ve been involved with Nesenkeag Farms in Litchfield, New Hampshire for 20 years,” he says. “When I got out of cooking school, I worked with Chef Jim Haller at the Blue Strawbery. I wanted to know where food came from—other than the big supply truck that hauled in cases of food along with toilet paper. Jim invited me to visit Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, New Hampshire, and I became hooked on growing local. The Shakers were very self-sufficient; they had an organic garden and grew their own herbs. I worked at the Village for a long time, and when I left, sought out the relationship with Nesenkeag.”

Nesenkeag is one of New Hampshire’s oldest and largest certified organic farms. They are non-profit, and donate much of their produce to food banks in Massachusetts. To keep the farm profitable, farm manager Eero Ruuttila asked Boston chefs what type of produce they wanted, and then began growing accordingly. Over time, word spread, and he now contracts with a number of restaurants in the region. In addition, thanks to his success, Ruuttila has been able to assist other farms, subcontracting with a farm in Hollis, for example, for heirloom apples, honey, and maple syrup.

“Eero grows anything and everything you can imagine,” says Paige. “He has mesclun salad greens, edible flowers such as chive blooms, pea tendrils and nasturtiums, numerous varieties of spinach, lettuce and heirloom tomatoes. I can get pretty much anything I want from May to November. Nesenkeag also has a fair number of Cambodian workers, who have their own garden, so  I can get home-grown Thai basil, lemongrass, tatsoi, baby bok choy, Shanghai baby bok choy, and more. The farm is a chef’s dream.”

For Paige, working with local farms just “feels right,” as he likes working with people he knows. The fact that his business is helping the farms survive is an important benefit.

“It would be easy for farmers to sell their land for golf courses and condos,” he says. “You never get a day off, and you have to constantly battle mother nature. When you become a farmer, you make a huge commitment, and one that requires a lot of stamina. To be a farmer is truly a labor of love.”

“I’m glad to see that the ‘buy local’ movement is definitely catching on,” he continues. “People are more conscientious about where their food comes from, and like buying what they know. That mindset is certainly helping preserve our farms. The farms
I work with say business is getting better.”

For Love of the Land
Timothy Rocha of Kellie Brook Farm in Greenland, New Hampshire has noticed a significant increase in business. Rocha owns 30 acres, with eight acres in different forms of agricultural use. He grew up on a dairy farm in Massachusetts, but left farming for a career in engineering before returning to his roots in 1992 with the purchase of Kellie Brook. He received his first restaurant contracts in 2004, and now regularly works with six to eight eateries.

“Initially, I mostly sold vegetables,” he says. “But now I sell chicken, eggs, and a little beef and veal. Being local is definitely the attraction, both for restaurants and the public, as I see increased interest in farmers’ markets and the like. The restaurant contracts are a huge benefit, and I make sure to offer services that make it easier for them. I deliver, and I make emergency trips if they come up short. Chefs are really busy, so they like that they can call or e-mail their orders, and they know I’ll be there every Thursday with their products. I also offer custom cuts of meat, which they appreciate. For example, some chefs want coarsely ground meat if they’re making sausages. They mix the spices in with the course ground, then regrind on a finer setting. Being able to accommodate their needs, and provide a fresh, healthy product gives us an edge.”

The restaurant connection, along with the addition of a few winter farmers’ markets, has helped Rocha do well even in the winter time. “Before, with our short growing season, we had to make all our money in just a few months. I would have had to take a second job over the winter to survive, but now, I have steady income all year. It makes a huge difference.”

Kellie Brook’s success has allowed Rocha to expand his offerings to include some prepared foods, made with his meats, but prepared by the restaurants he works with. “At the farm, and at farmers’ markets, we sell chicken cacciatore, chicken chili, chicken pot pies, and a Bolognese sauce,” he says. “They’ve been popular so we may offer more food items.”

Rocha thinks the future looks bright for the region’s farms. “The buy local movement is helping tremendously,” he says. “I can sell directly to my customers, and my business is growing each year. It’s definitely keeping me going.”

Ben Hasty, who worked with Executive Chef Rob Evans at Hugo’s in Portland, Maine, is now the Executive Chef at Epoch in Exeter, New Hampshire. He grew up on Breezy Hill Farm in South Berwick, Maine, so he has seen both sides of the picture. “A big part of what we offer at Hugo’s is based on fresh, natural, local food,” he says. “My style of cooking is inspired by the ingredients I work with. I bring eggs, herbs and pork from my family’s farm, but also work with other Maine farms. It’s very important to work with local farms. The fruits and vegetables are fresher, and they are better for you because they haven’t been harvested before they are ripe. Their nutrients are still intact, and they haven’t traveled miles to get here. It’s exactly what a chef wants.”

Hasty also relies on the knowledge of local farmers when preparing his menus. “Ninety-nine percent of good cooking comes from the ingredients, so going with what is fresh right now makes a difference. The farmers know what’s at its peak, so I listen to their recommendations. If ground cherries and potatoes are good now, I’ll go with those, and the result will be fabulous.”

Hasty notes that the farm/restaurant connection helps farms cut out the middle man, allowing them to make more money, and enabling more farms to survive.

“Even beef farmers are selling direct,” he explains. “The farmer still has to pay the slaughter and inspection fee, and those costs are passed on, but he’s eliminated the butcher’s fee, which helps. We’re seeing this in part because restaurants have learned that they can buy a whole pig, veal calf or lamb, and cut it up themselves. Chefs are learning to use the whole animal, which is less wasteful, and they can cut up the meat the way they want it. I’ve taught a number of chefs how to cut up a pig and store the meat. They learn what parts to use for ham, sausage, soups, and more.”

Typically, dairy farms have benefited the least from the buy local/restaurant movement, as milk still has to go to a processing plant. But recently, even dairies have found ways to sell direct, by venturing into production of cheese and other products.

Tom Hasty, Ben’s father, and owner of Breezy Hill along with his wife, Betsy, has had this farm since 1979. A native Mainer, he grew up on a nearby farm which he maintains along with Breezy Hill. The Hasty’s have dairy cows, some beef, pigs, and vegetables. They also sell eggs and butter. Hasty supplies food to half a dozen restaurants regularly, and others on occasion, plus some local markets. He says the connection has definitely increased his business.

“My business has increased every year for the past four years now,” he says. “Winters used to be tough, but things are easier now. I think people as a whole are much more receptive to buying local food. They know they are getting the freshest product they can, and they don’t have to worry about some of the food scares associated with food from out of the country. U.S. food regulations are pretty strict. We used to just ship our products to market, but now we sell direct. We can offer a better price, and everyone eats better.”

Hasty is hopeful that the commitment to buying from local farms will continue, so his land will pass to the next generation. “This farm has survived for 300 years,” he says. “The buy local movement is definitely helping me hang on to my land. I feel like people are going back to being more self-sufficient, like their grandparents were, and I think it’s a good thing.”

The Chef as Farmer
Derek Sarno, chef/owner of Mizuna Cafe in Greenland, New Hampshire is that rare combination of a chef/farmer. A few years back, he personally farmed 1.5 acres, growing everything from blueberries to heirloom tomatoes.

“I wanted to know more about the growing process, about what went into the food I served my customers,” he explains. “The downside to locally-grown produce always seemed to be the cost and I wanted to understand more about what was involved. I learned that in reality, food becomes more cost-effective if it’s grown locally, as the shipping and transportation costs aren’t factored in, and there are huge benefits in terms of quality and healthiness.”

Sarno admits that his foray into growing was extremely hard work, but that it provided valuable lessons. “It’s tough to be both a farmer and a chef as both are extremely demanding time-wise,” he laughs. “But it was gratifying to be involved with food from start to finish, to see something from that earliest seed, through the growth of the plant, then the harvest, and finally turned into a tasty dish.”

Sarno believes that the renewed interest in local farms, both by chefs and the general public, can only be beneficial. “We in the restaurant business need to do all we can to preserve our farmland and support our farmers. Their survival is essential to what we do. I don’t want to see any more farms lost, and I hope we can encourage more folks to not only start farming, but also bring more diverse type of farming and products to the marketplace.”

At Arrows in Ogunquit, Maine, chef/owners Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier grow 90 percent of the produce used at Arrows. They also grow 30 percent of the produce used at Arrows’ sister restaurant, MC Perkin’s Cove, and their third restaurant, Summer Winter in Burlington, Massachusetts, has its own garden and greenhouse.

They raise 46 varieties of lettuce, 15 types of onions, and much more. Frasier and Gaier launched the garden in 1992 because they were frustrated with the lack of specialty vegetable purveyors in the area. In the beginning, just the two of them tended the garden, but it soon grew so large that full-time help was needed, and a restaurant staff member, with an interest in gardening, took over. Today, a professional gardener oversees the effort.

“The garden is an integral part of the restaurant,” says Frasier. “It enhances all of our cooking. Everything we serve was harvested that morning. You not only taste the difference, you see it in the color and vibrancy of the food. And you can’t get more local than stepping out your back door!”

Frasier also likes knowing exactly what was put into the soil that grew his vegetables; the gardens are organic, and only organic sprays are used on the surrounding apple orchards.

“The house that our restaurant is in was built in 1755, when people were very self-sufficient,” he says. “We feel that we are being true to the restaurant’s origins and the heritage of this land by growing our own food.”

The garden has quadrupled in size since it’s earliest days, and now covers nearly an acre. Over the years, Frasier and Gaier have added raised beds, row covers, and a greenhouse. They continuously try new seeds and varieties of vegetables, and are always seeking to increase their production.

“We hope to enhance the efficiency of the garden so we can generate more produce for MC, and perhaps next year, even add a windmill to make the garden truly self-sustaining,” explains Fraiser. “The windmill would pump the garden’s water, and heat the greenhouse in winter. Keeping the garden growing, and being environmentally responsible, is what we’re all about.”

Crystal Ward Kent is Contributing Editor to Taste magazine and has written for Taste since its inception. She is a frequent contributor to numerous regional magazines, including Yankee, Accent, and New Hampshire Home.

Editor’s Note:
Ground cherries are a small yellow fruit not unlike a cherry tomato.

Be first to write a review | Quote this article on your site

*Photographs by Greg West

Today, it seems that just about everyone is doing their best to reduce their carbon “footprint” and to be greener and more environmentally friendly, the new Portsmouth oasis, Two Ceres Street, was designed from the ground up to be green in every possible way. But older establishments are getting with the program, too, as you'll see in this article.—Ed.

The Greening of Ceres Street

There is a little green oasis at the corner of Ceres and Bow streets in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. No, it’s not a park, but a small restaurant that is ecologically “green” in nearly every aspect of its decor and products. Two Ceres Street is a charming bistro run by Marlisa Geroulo, a Boston pastry chef, and her husband, John Golumb, the owner of Poco’s Bow Street Cantina. According to Geroulo, the two made a commitment to design Two Ceres with green and sustainable products because that is how they live.

“We both drive hybrids, we shop the farmers’ markets, and we have a rain barrel at home,” she explains. “We try to carry this commitment over into other areas of our lives. Being ‘green’ is a lifestyle for us. It comes naturally, and it’s good for the community.”

The 300-year-old brick building that houses Two Ceres lends itself perfectly to the decor, which is done in earth tones and uses a wide variety of natural materials and textures. The soft brown floor feels like cork, but is actually made of 100 percent recycled plastic bottles. The bar top, which is one smooth, dark curve, is fabricated from PaperStone, a unique composite material resembling soapstone. Made from recycled cashew nut oils and water-based resins, PaperStone is nontoxic, stain-resistant, repairable, and can withstand extreme heat. “It’s made of the same materials used in high school chemistry labs,” notes Geroulo.

The front of the bar is created from kirei board, a panel product constructed from the stalks of the sorghum plant. After sorghum has been harvested for food, the left over stalks are pressed with a non-toxic adhesive to form the lightweight but strong, Kirei board.

When she learned that the 100-year-old barn door from nearby Moran Towing was being replaced, Geroulo asked if she could have it. Her carpenters then turned the wood into the new fireplace mantle and extra beams for the ceiling and such. Similarly, the stools and small end tables are created from a 100-year-old silver maple that came down in a storm. The seating is leather, and was selected for durability, as well as being a natural product.

Those walls that aren’t brick are painted a dark tan, using low VOC paint (paint with low volatile organic compounds), and the soft kiwi green and black rug is woven from 100 percent pure wool. Indeed, the color scheme plays off the fabric art over the mantel, which itself reuses other materials. Created by Lisa Grey, the art panel features silk squares which have been worked into designs and mounted on boards.

Geroulo thought of every detail when designing Two Ceres; the bistro uses low-voltage electricity inside, and solar lighting outside. The terrariums in the bay window are layers of mossy greens and blue stones, and they, like the nearby jade tree, require little water.

“Even our sign is recycled—in a manner of speaking,” laughs Geroulo. “The sign was already there with the name ‘Two Ceres World Industries’; it is nice bronze work, so we said ‘Let’s call the restaurant Two Ceres’ and just grind out the rest of it.”

Architect Lisa DeStefano, of DeStefano Associates in Ports-mouth, totally supported Geroulo’s desire to go green. “We made the best use of the existing bricks and beams, and installed mechanical and electrical systems that are energy efficient,” she says. “The use of cork, stone, and wood gives the place an organic feel. It’s cozy yet open and airy at the same time, thanks to the windows. And they have great mojitos!”

Two Ceres has an extensive appetizer menu, and the soon-to-debut entrée menu will highlight dishes from the slow food movement. The alcohol used in the cocktails is organic and low sulfur. Even the menu is in a cork binder and printed on recycled paper. Still, Geroulo isn’t done.

“I want to have a rain barrel outside,” she says. “We’ll use that water to water plants inside and out and for scrubbing things down. I’m also networking with local pig farmers to find out how to get scraps to them. Most of what I did here, I learned from magazines and the Internet, but I’m hoping to learn more. I’m taking a class in environmental management, and I’m hoping that what we do will have a ripple effect among other businesses and restaurants. I’m sure it will. Portsmouth is a great community that way, and I believe that people will get involved and work for change.”

No website yet, but call (603) 433-CERE for more information.

Others Who are Doing Their Part

The Recycler: At Fogarty’s restaurant in South Berwick, Maine, you might say that everything old is new again. Fogarty’s has been a landmark eatery for fifty years, and according to owner Larry Fogarty, is now returning to its thrifty Yankee roots.

“Our entire staff has a commitment to being green,” he says. “Much of this is just common sense—like our grandparents used to do—you use it up, make it last, or find another use for it. We first started making changes when we noticed how much trash we were producing every week. We were horrified! We’ve now reduced that amount from two dumpsters every week to one dumpster every other week. We’ve cut our trash in half, and we’re continuing to do more. We recycle cardboard, glass, metal, paper, and plastic. It goes to the local transfer station and now the town makes money from it.”

Next, the staff looked at other areas where waste was occurring; they quickly eliminated Styrofoam containers, switching to ones made of rice instead. Food service film and Saran wrap were the next to go, as Fogarty invested in storage containers with covers. Plastic bags were soon targeted.

“We’d been using the bags for portion control when one of my cooks became concerned about the waste,” says Fogarty. “The idea was that the bags would help the cooks work faster, but then we tried going without them. The cooks adapted, and we actually freed up a person since we no longer need someone on the line portioning things into bags.”

Fogarty got his customers involved, and they have embraced the restaurant’s efforts to reduce waste. “A year ago, I put up a notice on our bulletin board asking if any customers wanted our scraps for their pigs,” he recalls. “Within an hour, someone called and asked for the scraps. When she found she didn’t have to pay for them, she decided to buy more pigs! That worked so well, I invited our customers to take our leftover pickle barrels, fish boxes, and tomato boxes. I go through a lot of these and used to throw them out; now I put them out with a ‘Free’ sign and they’re gone within thirty minutes! I actually have a waiting list for them! You know, my father never had to pay anyone to take his trash. Everything was reused, used up, or swapped with someone else. When you look at what you throw away and how it might be reused, it’s amazing the ideas you can develop.”

Fogarty gives a bonus to employees who come up with good recycling ideas; this led to the composting of their coffee grounds. Coffee grounds were a huge part of the restaurant’s waste until a server offered to take them to the community compost pile where they are now used on the town’s gardens.

Fogarty’s ecological thinking has brought changes to the menu, as well. “We used to offer a lot of imported beers, but I thought about the energy used to bring them here and decided it wasn’t worth it,” he says. “We have great local beers right here. By using them, we’re saving energy and supporting local business, and the customers have been fine with the change.”

Fogarty and his team are excited about the changes they’ve made and have more planned. They are working on solar hot water and using rainwater for landscaping and flushing toilets.

“Every little bit helps reduce the strain on our natural resources,” says Fogarty. “And in Maine, our natural resources are a big part of who we are. You know, when the gas prices shot up, it made me rethink a lot of things. I found I drove half as much. I really evaluated whether I had to go somewhere or not, and when I did go, I was more efficient with my errands. I actually wound up with more free time. Changing my mindset back to
a more old-fashioned way of doing things has been good.”

Fogarty’s is located at 471 Main Street in South Berwick, Maine. Call (207) 384-8361 for more information.

The Energizer: Cevon Corporation of South Berwick, Maine, is in the oil business—not the Houston kind, but the vegetable oil trade. Cevon opened in 2005 as a green energy company, providing consultation and materials that promote energy conservation and efficiency. They work with renewable and alternative fuels, and also install solar panels and other systems that combine heat and power. Recently, they’ve begun converting diesel engines to run on vegetable oil.

Cevon collects the vegetable oil from area restaurants, filters it, then removes the water so it is ready to be run in a diesel engine. “The oil has to be heated in order for it to work,” explains Rich Nowak, president. “The diesel engine is retrofitted with a system that preheats the vegetable oil—this is a separate system from the regular diesel system; there is a separate tank for the oil. When operating, you start the engine with the diesel, and the heat from the engine warms up the vegetable oil. Once the vegetable oil reaches 160 degrees F or higher, then you flip a switch and you’re engine is running on 100 percent vegetable oil. The exhaust actually smells like french fries! With vegetable oil, the mileage is the same and the power is the same. You really don’t notice a difference.”

Nowak became intrigued by the vegetable oil idea after seeing a television program about the concept. He did some research, found it was viable, and began doing the work himself.

“Around the early 1900s, Rudolph Diesel developed the diesel engine,” he says. “And the first fuel he used was actually peanut oil. He thought that if farmers used peanut oil they could then cheaply grow their own fuel for their farm machines. Then came the big petroleum discoveries out West and suddenly gas was cheap, so peanut oil was pushed out of the picture. Now, it may return.”

While Nowak hopes that one day the diesel conversion may be done on a large scale, currently the cost and complexity of the process are holding that effort back. “It does require retrofitting and two separate systems,” he notes. “The cost is $2,500 to $5,500 to retrofit, and currently the vegetable oil is in limited supply—not because there’s not enough available, but because there are not that many people collecting it, filtering it, and providing a supply.”

Nowak hopes to expand his collections so he can not only do more conversions but also become a vegetable oil fuel provider. At that point, he will then be able to provide fuel to more engines than just the ones he converts.

To learn more, visit www.CEVONCorp.com, or call (877) 807-7700.

The Naturalists: Built in 1780 as a working farm, Clay Hill Farm in York, Maine, is now a 220-seat restaurant and special occasion venue nestled among thirteen acres of rolling lawns, protected woodlands, brooks, a pond, and colorful gardens.

In 1991, Clay Hill Farm became the first restaurant in the country to be certified as a natural wildlife habitat and bird sanctuary, with more than 150 birdhouses around the property. Thanks to these early and continued conservation efforts, wildlife thrives throughout the property, preserving a unique slice of Maine and delighting the Farm’s many guests.

In 2008, Clay Hill Farm became one of the first businesses in Southern Maine to be recognized as an Environmental Leader. The restaurant was cited by the State of Maine’s Environmental Leadership Program for providing and protecting natural wildlife habitats, composting, preserving Maine’s natural resources with holistic gardening, growing their own herbs and vegetables for the restaurant, recycling, eliminating the use of pesticides and chemicals throughout the property, and creating a menu committed to seasonal fresh and local products.

For more information, visit www.clayhillfarm.com.

The Super Kitchen: In Eliot, Maine, the huge Regatta Commissary Kitchen supplies not only the Shipyard Brew Pub and the Regatta Room function center, but also six other Maine restaurants—and it does so with the utmost energy efficiency. The hot water is solar heated and the lighting is energy efficient. All machinery and motors are energy efficient, and energy-saving appliances are the only kinds used in the kitchen. Preheated water and cooking systems utilize steam generated by natural gas. In the massive refrigeration room, the hot waste air from the compressors is recycled and pumped back to heat the kitchen and other parts of the complex. Plans are underway for a wind turbine, composting, and for the kitchen to grow its own herbs and spices; the restaurant complex recycles but looks to reduce its waste footprint even more. “We’ve done a good job, but we can do better,” says Ed Nadeau, food and beverage controller. Call (866) 566-6469 for more information.

Did You Know?
• When eating out locally or on the road, you can help the environment by choosing green restaurants. Find one by checking out www.dinegreen.com. Each restaurant is certified by the Green Restaurant Association, which requires eateries to have full-scale recycling programs in place.

• Supermarkets throw away $20 billion in food each year. Stores in the United States waste twice as much as those in Europe. One reason is that food travels an average of 1,500 miles to reach your plate, and some of it spoils in transit. Americans are also used to lavish produce displays so more is put out than can be sold. Some supermarkets are trying to do better by reducing display items, and many, including some in New Hampshire, are composting spoiled produce, meat, and even flowers. Let your grocer know that you support their “green” efforts. (Source www.parade.com)

THE GREENING OF THE REGION
• The Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is a truly eco-friendly resort. Rooms are cleaned with nontoxic Green Seal products, the fitness room has recycled rubber floors, and the pool is heated with solar panels. The Sea Glass restaurant features indigenous fare from surrounding farms and fishermen, including Maine-foraged mushrooms, Maine mussels, scallops, and lobster.

• The Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has received the New Hampshire Sustainable Lodging and Restaurant Program Environmental Champion Award.

• The 2008 Hampton Seafood Festival in Hampton, New Hampshire, recycled all plastic containers from the sale of soda and water bottles. More than 25,000 bottles were recycled during the two-and-a-half day festival that attracted more than 250,000 people. This recycling effort was the first phase of a multiyear plan to make the festival, ranked as one of the top 100 American festivals, more eco-friendly.

• In Kennebunkport, Maine, The Nonantum Resort adopted an environmental policy that states the resort is committed to reducing its environmental footprint. A range of property-wide efforts have gained the resort Environmental Leader status, and reduced the hotel’s solid waste, conserved energy, and increased recycling. No Styrofoam is used, and all organic matter is taken to a composting outlet. All chemicals used in the housekeeping and laundry departments are certified “green,” and no chemicals are used on the gardens. Low-flow faucets and toilets, and waterless urinals have increased water conservation. Motion sensors in all guest rooms and public restrooms have reduced electricity usage, and energy-efficient bulbs are in place throughout the property. In the kitchen, the chefs are committed to using organic and Maine food whenever possible, and The Nonantum grows their own herbs and edible flowers.

“We receive wonderful positive feedback from our guests,” says Tina Hewett-Gordon, general manager. “The comments make the effort all the more worthwhile. We’re so excited about the changes that we now have a bottle donation program where we collect returnables from the restaurant, bar, and guests.”

• Also in Kennebunkport is On the Marsh restaurant, another certified Environmental Leader.

“We received our certification in February of 2008,” says Denise Rubin, proprietor, “but we have been doing many of these things for a long time. I grew up in Europe and have also lived in Holland for many years. Because Holland is such a tiny country, they are very aware of chemicals and are very focused on environmental practices. I wanted to bring some of those efforts here.”

On the Marsh recycles diligently, grows their flowers and herbs organically, uses energy-saving lights, has Thermopane windows, uses only “green” cleaning chemicals, and focuses on sustainable and locally grown products in its menus. To announce its mission to become as environmentally conscious as possible, the restaurant gave guests packets of seeds with a note encouraging everyone to go green. 

“You have to be committed to doing this,” says Rubin. “In the old days, people recycled out of necessity—tires, tin, scrap metal—all were reused; in homes, even bits of soap were used until gone. We know how to do this, but we’ve forgotten our old methods. Now, it’s time to remember them again. The United States has an abundance of natural resources and its time we started protecting them.”

Be first to write a review | Quote this article on your site

The weddings featured in magazines and television shows are extraordinary creations, held in luxurious, fairy tale settings. The food is sumptuous, the bride a vision of wedding couture, and every detail ties to an overall theme. Today’s brides dream of such an event, but costs for weddings such as these can soar into the stratosphere. How can you have a fabulous wedding and still afford your car payment? Some of the area’s top wedding planners reveal how they “get the look for less.”

Good Value Venues
“No matter what kind of budget they have, I ask the couple to pick two things that are most important to them,” says Kim Buxton of Exclusive Occasions by Kimberly of Stratham, New Hampshire. “It may be the venue, the food, the flowers, entertainment, or aspects of the ceremony itself. Whatever they pick, that’s where most of the dollars will be allocated. I always do a spreadsheet, showing all costs, so they know exactly how the money is spent.”

If the venue is important, and the one the couple wants is high-end, then Buxton suggests booking for a Friday night or Sunday afternoon, or even a Thursday night, which are all “off-peak” times. “Saturday afternoon and evening are prime time, so not only will you have a harder time securing a popular venue, you will also pay more,” she explains. “Any time you go off-peak, availability is greater, and you save money, on both the space and the vendors. You can negotiate a better price with the vendors since they are being booked for what is typically a slower time, and they can still schedule a weekend event.”

Linnea Tangorra of Tangorra Wedding Planning of Newburyport, Massachusetts, says that country clubs tend to be very good values in terms of expense. “They are usually in a nice setting, and because they do so many functions, they have everything you need right there. Renting a hall is also a good way to save, but you will have to bring in a caterer, decorator, and so on.”

Tangorra stresses that having an outdoor wedding, or a wedding at home, usually does not save money. “With an outdoor wedding, you have to arrange for backup, so it usually costs a fair amount,” she explains. “An at-home wedding is the same thing. These places aren’t set up for events so everything has to be brought in and that costs more.”

Frugal Yet Flavorful Food
Couples looking to economize can also take heart from recent trends that show more receptions featuring heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails rather than a sit-down meal. By having the reception mid-afternoon, guests don’t expect lunch or dinner. A multicourse dinner no longer has to be the rule.
“I had one couple who was very ingenious,” relays Buxton. “They got married in the early morning and did brunch—it was fabulous. The food was fantastic, but cost less than a regular dinner. They also saved on the bar bill because it was morning, and very few people had cocktails, save for some mimosas. This event happened to be at a private residence, but if they had booked a venue they would have saved money because it was off-peak.”
“Skipping the multicourse meal is a great way to save money,” agrees Tangorra. “Simply offering a salad and an entrée is fine. But make sure the food is really good—don’t skimp on the vendors. You can also save by opting for chicken as opposed to seafood or beef. Another option is reducing the number of appetizers—have just two passed and one station.”
Tangorra doesn’t encourage buffets as she feels guests want to sit down and be served, but she does them if asked. If requested, she encourages choosing the typical long table full of food rather than different serving stations. “If the goal is to save money, then avoid multiple stations as those cost more because each one has to be staffed,” she says. 

Economizing on Entertainment
Both planners stressed that it never pays to book an inexpensive band. “Good enter-tainment is important,” says Tangorra. “People remember if the band was really bad, and you do get what you pay for. If you can’t afford a band, go with a good deejay.”

Robyn Allen of Gala Events of Maine in Topsham says that whether you use a band or a deejay, booking them through an event planner can save money and headaches. “A planner will know who’s reliable and who isn’t,” she says. “They’ll make sure your money is well spent. You want to be sure the entertainer has backup equipment in case something breaks at the event. If it’s a band, do they have a backup singer? Personal experience is also valuable in making your choice. Is this a deejay or band you’ve heard before? Did they do a good job with the music and the announcements? If you have someone in mind, check them out before the event.”

Buxton takes it one step further. “Basically, you need someone who can handle the music and who can do announcements,” she says. “Some brides load all the songs they want onto a laptop then ask a friend with deejay experience, or with an outgoing personality, to handle the hosting. You can really save money by going this route—it’s about $750 to rent the appropriate music equipment, versus $5,000 to $7,000 and up for a band. Of course, the bride has to put in the time loading the songs, but it can be worth it. The wedding planner can cue the friend as to when to make announcements and what to say, and when to play music. It can work well.”

Decor Is in the Details
Tangorra notes that you can create a luxury look by simply upgrading your linens. She suggests opting for simpler centerpieces but choosing really nice linens. Fine cotton linens, which are also available in great colors, can substitute for silk and still look fabulous.

Massing candles and using lanterns is another inexpensive way to add glamour and romance to any room without incurring a heavy floral cost. Allen notes that you can buy a range of pillar candles in different heights and a variety of colors at the dollar store. “A mass of candles in glass cylinders is always elegant,” she says.

If the bride’s heart is set on flowers, she can still save money by making smart choices.

“Go for flowers that are in season, they cost less,” says Tangorra. “Substitute garden roses for peonies—they are less expensive and they look similar. Berries and other natural elements cost less and work great for fall and winter weddings. For a fall wedding, you can create spectacular tablescapes out of gourds, pumpkins, squashes, and Indian corn. Acorns work well, too. For a winter wedding, add different types of pinecones. You can even supply these elements yourself and let the decorator go to work.”

According to Buxton, anything goes today for centerpieces. “I had a couple who were having a Tuscan-themed wedding,” she relates. “They were getting married outdoors, under a tent, and the bride wanted to save money on the centerpieces. We did glass cubes filled with lemons and bay leaves. Between the cubes were simple glass vases filled with one Gerber daisy and surrounded by lots of votives. The wedding went from late afternoon into the evening, and the tables looked fabulous with all the candlelight, the textures of the lemons, and the glass.”

Compromise can also reduce the floral cost. If the bride wants orchids, but can’t afford to have them in all the displays and centerpieces, she can economize by having orchids on just half the tables, and choosing less expensive flowers for the rest.

Allen notes that being selective about where you place key arrangements can make a big difference. “Focus on the head table, the gift table, the buffet table, and the cake table as those are the areas that will draw most people’s attention,” she says. “You can also add a lot of glamour for little money by adding big, beautiful bows to these tables. Bows dress things up.”

A balloon designer, Allen frequently merges balloons with flowers, lights, and other decor to create an overall effect. “Balloons can be very magical and elegant,” she says. “It’s never a birthday party effect. The way balloons float, move, and reflect light is captivating. You have lots of color and texture choices, you can do archways, make them part of tablescapes, or highlight a section of the room. They are an inexpensive way to create a mood.”

Lighting is another easy way to add atmosphere. Tangorra loves to use pinlights and spotlights to bathe the room in soft colors and make the centerpieces glow. However, until recently, such lighting could be expensive. “You can now get battery-operated LED lights, which you place on the floor next to the walls and they bathe the walls in different colors. It’s an inexpensive way to set the mood. I used them in Boston for a Miami-themed wedding and they worked perfectly.”

Elegant Invitations at Home
“Never do an e-vite,” emphasizes Tangorra. “If you need to save money on invitations, make your own. There are all kinds of great papers available at Paper Source. You can order them and print your invitations yourself. You can also make your own place cards and menus. There are all kinds of templates online.”

“Staples has great invitation kits, too,” says Buxton. “If you decide to design your own, I’d enlist the help of a friend with graphic design experience. Then you get a professional look—and avoid problems—but still save money.”

The Dress: Shop the Mall or Not?
Every planner noted that buying a dress “off the rack” as opposed to a couture number was perfectly acceptable. “My couture dress was a waste of money,” laughs Allen. “Finding the right dress is about finding what looks good on you, not about the label.” Adds Buxton, “I’ve seen both high-end and off the rack, and the brides have looked spectacular in both.” All agreed that few brides, however, were so economical that they converted their dress into a cocktail number or other outfit after the wedding. “The dress is about capturing the feeling of that special day,” says Buxton. “Most brides keep theirs intact for sentimental reasons, whether it came from a designer or from the mall.”

The Bottom Line
“Never skimp on the wedding planner!” laughs Tangorra. “Seriously, you want someone reliable, reputable, and respectful. If you get someone who is not nice, don’t work with them. You want someone who wants to accommodate you. Planning the event should not be stressful. You don’t need that. This is a happy occasion and you want someone who is happy for you. You’ll be spending a lot of time with them in the months to come and on the big day.”

Buxton concurs. “With a wedding you have one shot,” she says. “There is no retake. Make sure the planner you hire is right for you and can give you what you want. There are a lot of planners out there who aren’t really planners. They did their weddings and liked it and now they are advertising themselves as planners, but they don’t have much experience. Weddings are a business and you need to know how to navigate that world. If you don’t, you can wind up spending a lot more than necessary. Brides often make decisions out of emotion—it’s an emotional time—but these need to be business decisions, and that’s where the planner comes in. A wedding planner will find vendors who are professional, reliable, and fit your budget. It’s our job to align ourselves with people of quality because it’s our reputation that’s out there. Investing in a good planner can actually save you money in the long run.”

Crystal Ward Kent is Contributing Editor to Taste magazine and has written for Taste since its inception. She is a frequent contributor to numerous regional magazines, including Yankee, Accent, and New Hampshire Home.

Sources
Exclusive Occasions by Kimberly
7 Seavey Pasture Road
Stratham, NH 
(603) 772-9722
www.eobykimberly.com

Tangorra Wedding Planning
17 Green Street
Newburyport, MA
(978) 809-0275
www.linneatangorra.com

Gala Events of Maine
P.O. Box 265
Topsham, Maine
(207) 725-8895
www.galaeventsofmaine.com

Be first to write a review | Quote this article on your site