Warm Tummy Makes Bear Cubs Happy

There's one picture I left out of the virtual venue visit the other day. Although I won't experience it until the wedding weekend, I'm 100% confident the food at Westwind will be delicious.

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Mmmmm.... Three types of heirloom tomatoes with fresh (buffalo, I hope?) mozzarella make quite the delectable Caprese Salad!

The best part (which I've mentioned before) is that everyone I've spoken to says the food is incredibly good! A year ago we tossed around the idea of having Wildwood cater (they're orgasm-in-your-mouth good), but the logistics and the cost would have been a nightmare. All the former brides & guests at Westwind I've talked with were self-described "foodies" (gourmet food is kind of a thing in Portland), so I feel completely secure in our decision to have the camp cater our wedding.

The thing that's perhaps the most unique about having the camp do the catering is that they will make (almost) anything we ask them, provided we give them recipes and general instructions. We have the power to create all the menus - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - for all three days that we'll be staying there.

I just so happen to love food - and I'm a little neurotic about food parings - so I'll fill you in on parts of our weekend, and wedding, menus as things get finalized.

The first menu item I wanted to play with was soup. I love soup. It's all warm and cozy in your mouth, and then hugs your tummy like a favorite old teddy bear! Soup always makes me smile - I could eat it for dinner every single night.

For the wedding dinner, I wanted a soup that would start the meal by reminding our guests of the changing of the seasons (in keeping with our "equinox" theme). Originally I thought of using my personal recipe for butternut squash soup, but a friend suggested a Pear and Zucchini soup recipe by Mark Bittman.

Photo by me

Luckily, it's delicious! It couldn't be more fitting, too - the article Bittman wrote to accompany this soup is titled "A Marriage Made at the End of Summer". You can read the whole article, but the most important part is when he says,

I love it for a number of reasons: the confluence of definitive end of summer and fall in full swing; the combination of two subtle but recognizable flavors; the creamy texture that comes without cream; and the ease with which you can throw together something that you’ve probably never thought of before.

We made this for dinner the other night, and we decided it's exactly what we want - simple, substantial, and warm in my happy belly.

How much liberty did you have in deciding on your wedding menu? What's your favorite soup?