Wedding Bells at Chautauqua

This past Sunday, we catered a wedding for 64 guests in the shadow of the Miller Bell Tower on the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution. The nuptials were those of Amy Klostermann and Mathew Lipp, who live in the Seattle area. We were recommended by long-time acquaintance Gerta Christensen, who does flowers on a freelance basis, and we very much appreciate that contact. The bride’s parents have a home at Chautauqua, yet because of the geographical distances, the entire planning process took place by phone, fax, and e-mail.

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day or a more beautiful setting. The Miller Bell Tower dates to 1911, designed in the Italian style by Buffalo architect E. B. Green. The tower is Chautauqua’s icon, and is used as the institution’s symbol. A tent was set up with tables of eight, and we set them with china and glassware from All Season Rentals in Amherst. The cocktail hour began around 5:30 with Spanakopita, Bacon-Wrapped Medjool Dates Stuffed with Almonds, Smoked Salmon Canapes, and Caprese Skewers. These last are a finger-food variation on the well-known salad of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with cracked black pepper. We used grape tomato halves which we hollowed out with a melon baller and beckoning, and layered these like a sandwich onto a skewer.

For dinner, we served a plated salad of Mixed Baby Greens with Chevre, Toasted Pignoli, and a Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette. The entrée choices included Hunter’s Chicken--the Americanized version of the French classic Poulet Chasseur, where chicken pieces are dredged in seasoned flour, sauteed, and simmered with mushrooms, the idea being that hunters in the field find fresh ones to cook with their bagged game. We also had Pork Tenderloin Stuffed with Apricots and Prunes with Rosemary, and we served both with Garlic Chive Mashed Potatoes and a side of Roasted Beets and Fennel. There were a few vegans in attendance, so their option was a Vegan Eggplant Curry served with Minted Green Peas and Indian Wedding Rice. This last is a biryani-style toss of Basmati rice with dried fruits, orange peel, and slivered almonds. We’ve done this dish with dried apricots, golden raisins and cranberries; this time we used Zante currants.

The wines served included a couple we didn’t know well. Mirth is a winery located in Sunnyside, Washingon, in the Yakima Valley appelation, and to give you an idea of how far north the vineyards are, that latitude lies north of Montreal, Canada. The valley is protected from the Pacific cool by three prominent Pacific Northwest mountains--Rainier, Adams, and Hood--and the growing season is hot and dry. (We still wonder whether a strange byproduct of climate change is ever better viticulture in places it wasn’t traditionally expected.) The other wine was a genuine discovery: a Marselan from Domaine de Couron, in the Coteaux de l’Ardeche. The grape is a cross between Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon, producing a highly-drinkable, medium-full bodied Rhone red.

In addition to these wines, guests helped themselves to home-brewed beers and ales made by the groom’s family. There was an India Pale Ale called Classic Mag and Best Bitter, brewed by the groom’s father, Pat Lipps, and a pair of kegs with Best Man Brown and a Belgian Witbier, made by the best man, John Beystehner (there's a beermaking surname, if we've ever heard one).

After darkness fell, it was time for a Chautauqua County tradition, Light the Lakes in which fireworks are set off from one lakeside community to the next, and not just along Chautauqua Lake. The fireworks some twenty or so miles downlake in Lakewood and Jamestown could be seen, as well as those from Mayville, but we really liked how long it took the sounds to carry the length of the body of water. It was a fitting salute to the end of what has been a productive and busy summer, and a fitting way to send off the newlyweds on their life together. We wish Amy and Mat health and happiness together for years to come!