The Mission: cater a cocktail party for approximately 50 people, in a beautiful gallery space. The rub? Do so on a budget, a tight budget, a paltry $150 budget. In addition to my money woes, the gallery does not provide a stove, oven, or refrigerator, and preparation time is limited. So this is going to take a bit of time, careful thought, and innovation. And by innovation I do not mean sculpting giant cheese wheels, but rather using everyday ingredients in a unique manner.

Knowing that all of the hors d’oeuvres have to be prepared and served at room temperature, there’s only one option– revel in this fact! Throwing a party of entirely room temperature foods is relatively low-stress. Due to the budget, the preparation has to be entirely done by me and me alone. That means all the food has to be out and ready before the guests arrive. A buffet is a great option; not only can the food look impressive while laying out, set-up and tear-down is kept at a minimum.

And then there is the food. A few things to remember: vegetarian is cheap and delicious; have a small selection of foods from crudites, to cheeses, to assembled hors d’oeuvres; and while variety may be the spice of life, it is the downfall of many catering gigs. It is much better, and more cost effective, to have a handful of recipes that are fresh, and excellently prepared, then it is to have a boat load of clumsy, mediocre, and unattractive fare.

When designing a banquet on a budget, eating seasonally becomes all the more important. Now is a particularly wonderful time to do this. The earth is in limbo about what season it is. Summer stone fruit is taking its last gasps, while tomatoes still abound in the markets, and sturdy winter squash are starting to rumble into the grocery. Knowing that I want to take advantage of the plethora of produce available, what’s better, and more cost effective, than throwing a vegetarian feast? With a little help from the basics like polenta, extraordinary cheeses, unusual spices and fragrant fresh herbs, I am gaining confidence that not only can this cocktail party be done, but it can be done well.

Stay tuned to find out how the cocktail party went, photos of the event, and recipes for some of the food.