What their gardens grow
Caterers find peace, ingredients in landscapes
Liz Karr has been in the catering business since she was 18 years old, but she has been gardening for at least 30 years.
“I grew up in the country, and my mother made me garden and I hated it,” the Lawrence chef says. “But once I moved out, I immediately started gardening, and every day I thank her for introducing me to it.”
Not only does Karr find tranquility in her backyard plot – a place where she gears up in the morning for an intense day in the kitchen and then winds down in the evening – but she also finds inspiration and fresh ingredients for the dishes she serves.
She’s among a handful of Lawrence caterers who tend their own gardens – from expansive, sprawling scapes that have been growing for a century to modest apartment terrace gardens. Some of them use their landscapes as backdrops for dining events. They all love the convenience of ingredients sprouting just outside their doors.
“I love that I can pick the herbs and have fresh ingredients. Then I can be at work and look at various recipes and think about what I have growing in the yard,” Karr says. “In fact, I have a fig tree that a friend gave to me. I’m hoping that it will produce figs, although it is a tropical so you never know. But if it does, I’m going to find some great recipes for figs.”
As much as Karr loves to cook, I get the sneaking suspicion that everything in her life would be much less sweet if she didn’t start each day in her garden. She’s like a kid in a candy store as she leads me on a tour of her lush backyard.
Her only complaint: She’s running out of room. Because of limited space, Karr’s family helps contribute to her ever-blossoming business.
“My father and father-in-law both have acres of land, and they plant and supply me with all of my produce,” she says. “I would normally be spending about $2,000 a week on produce, but from the first of July to September, it is free.”
Karr grows cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli and lots of herbs, including at least three types of basil: chocolate, Thai and pineapple.
“I love herbs,” she says. “Even if I didn’t cook with them, I’d cut them and have various vases arranged just to have the smell permeate the house.”
Another fringe benefit for Karr is gardening’s therapeutic power.
“Catering is highly stressful, and after a rough day I’ll come out here and water or dig,” Karr says. “I love to dig. It really relieves a lot of that tension that catering can inflict.”
Soil steeped in tradition
Evan Williams, who owns and runs Evan Williams Catering, has recently opened her gorgeous homestead for catered events such as teas, weddings, retreats and rehearsal dinners. She’s booked for four weddings and a garden party this summer. And why not? A bride and groom would be hard-pressed to find a more idyllic atmosphere in which to pledge their eternal love.
Williams and her family moved into her childhood home about eight years ago, after the death of her mother, Jonell. The rustic yet elegant stone structure was built around 1864 on what was then a rural piece of land but is now a centrally located haven on a hill perched above Old West Lawrence.
When Williams, her husband, Roger, and their three boys moved in, the yard already had the essential “bones” that every garden needs but usually take years to establish. That hasn’t stopped the Williams clan from adding their own touches in the garden, multiplying the memories that already exist there.
“It is very pleasant early in the morning and in the evening,” Williams says of her garden. “I like the feel of the outdoors. I really like watching things age. I like the wild, overgrown look.”
Anchored into the slope of a hill is a peach tree with limbs so weighed down with plump, juicy fruit that they’re practically lying on the ground. The tree, planted in memory of Williams’ mom, produced a peach its very first season, which is rather unheard of.
“My son, Jake, climbed up the tree and ate that peach,” she recalls. “I cried.”
When Evan isn’t entertaining in her garden, she’s whipping up scrumptious treats in her kitchen. Many of these palette tantalizers are enhanced by finds in her garden.
“I run out to the herb garden two to three times a day, snipping off what I need,” she says. “We grow chives, parsley, mint, red and green basil, cilantro, sage and many more herbs. We have a pear tree, cherry tree, peach tree, which are great for cobblers and salsa. We even make candied rose petals, and I use many of my flowers for garnish and to enhance the overall aesthetics of a table.”
“My mom was a great cook,” Williams continues. “When I was in culinary school, she would whip up a wonderful lunch and I’d think, ‘Oh god, I’ll never be as good of a cook as my mother.’ She was a magnificent cook and gardener.”
Just getting started
Tina Bell, who owns Flavors catering and sells her creations at the Lawrence Farmers Market, has very little space to grow her own fruits and vegetables on her apartment terrace. But she’s making the most of what little space she has.
“I have lots of herbs in pots. It is wonderful to pick what you need and control the amount you grow,” she says. “When you buy herbs from a grocer, there is generally so much (that) some inevitably goes to waste.”
Since Bell doesn’t have the space to grow many of the ingredients she uses in her dishes, she often picks what she needs from a local orchard or farm.
“Gathering all the ingredients for a small catering business takes up almost as much time as cooking,” she says. “The perk to hand-picking is that you know you’re getting the best and that it is fresh. It is also a really relaxing activity, but, unfortunately, it is not always practical.”
When that is the case, Bell patronizes her fellow vendors at the farmers market for fresh ingredients.
Bell suggests staying seasonal as much as possible when cooking so the market can supply the freshest ingredients available. If a bride and groom want asparagus in December, Bell might try to steer them toward an alternative.
“Just because asparagus is available year-round does not mean we should cook with it all year,” she says. “Seasonal cooking requires understanding of what is available at what times, which is a great way to become educated about farming and nutrition.
“In Kansas we are somewhat limited because of our winters, but it makes the appeal for certain produce that much more enticing.”
Gardener-friendly recipes fresh for summer
Liz Karr’s tomato-basil tart with smoked mozzarella cheese
1 recipe tart dough (can use puff pastry sheets)
3/4 pound fresh tomatoes, seeded, drained and cut into half-inch pieces or about 1 1/2 cups
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
8-10 Greek olives, sliced, or plain black olives, sliced
Salt and pepper
3 large eggs
1 cup half and half
1/2 cup sour cream or crÃme fraiche
1 ounce smoked mozzarella, shredded, or 1 ounce regular mozzarella
1 ounce grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
Prepare the tart shell and pre-bake it. Toss the tomatoes, garlic, basil, olives, salt and pepper.
Let the mixture set for 15 minutes to marinate.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Beat the eggs in a bowl and add the half and half. Combine the mozzarella and Parmesan and sprinkle on the bottom of the tart shell. Spread the tomato mixture on top of the cheese mixture; pour the egg mixture over the top of tomatoes.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until the custard is set and the top is golden.
Evan Williams’ Peach mango salsa
1 1/2 cups cubed mango
1 1/2 cups cubed peeled peach
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
2 fine diced jalapeno (or to taste)
1/2 medium Vidalia onion, finely diced
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 cup fine diced red pepper
2 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger
Juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon real maple syrup, or to taste
Salt and white pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients three hours prior to serving. Allow flavors to marry and adjust to taste after two hours.