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Anticipating the Tastes of Spring By Paula Roy, Ottawa Business Journal As we bid farewell to a long cold season of comfort foods, spring is the time for light, lively food to take centre stage. This season's associations include not only tulips and daffodils, but also tender young asparagus, sweet peas and a mouth-watering array of gorgeous green herbs and other vegetables, many of which will soon be available from local food purveyors. True to its motto of innovative, fresh catering, Ottawa's DISH Catering's offerings change seasonally to incorporate the most current flavors and ingredients available. "We're in a unique position in that many parts of Canada, including Ottawa, our spring season is very short. This makes the true spring foods all the more special because they make such brief appearances," explains DISH Catering's founder, Erin Clatney. "Our approach is to celebrate the new season and let the foods shine through simple preparations," says Ms Clatney. "We'll certainly be including fiddleheads, asparagus, spring peas and rhubarb in some of our creations. It's important to us to embrace whatever is local, fresh, and delicious." Such delicious fare as a salad of Bryson Farm greens with smoked trout and a grapefruit miso emulsion, or local fiddleheads with lemons butter are among DISH Catering's new spring offerings. "The majority of our food involves customizing menus to fit specific tastes and event requirements. As a result, our menu is always evolving, and not just season to season, but often day to day, depending on what top-quality ingredients are available," says Ms. Clatney. "When you love food as I do, that constant change keeps things both exciting and inspiring." DISH Catering's spring food will also gain a lighter look from garnishes of fresh micro herbs, as well as new presentation methods and brighter serving pieces. "The bright, fresh colours of spring are so easy to work with -- all the vibrant shades of green look beautiful on the plate," says Ms Clatney. "We have fun with highlighting one colour in our plans then carrying it throughout the food, linens and flowers to pull together a strong visual impact for an entire event. This cohesiveness lends a subtle elegance to a gathering."
This article originally appeared in the April 11th 2005 issue of the Ottawa Business Journal.
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