We spend a lot of time making food, and even more time making art, so really, it was just a matter of time before these two things became one.

We’ve had monochromatic meals kicking around in our head for ages. As artists and food makers, the challenge of creating an interesting-to-eat, balanced meal within bizarre and essentially arbitrary parameters – such as a single color – fascinates us. But, apparently, just us. We’d floated the idea by most possible collaborators, and were disappointed again and again by the puzzled, what’s this avant-garde-weirdness reaction we were getting.

Then, we met Erin Zimmer.

And color dinners were born.

We hosted our first dinner – potluck style – on Sunday, to great success!

color dinner no. 1: green.

After some pondering (purple? blue? white?), we decided that our inaugural dinner would be a Springy green. With more seasonal options than we could build into a 12 course meal (12 people…12 courses…ish) and even more slightly-less-seasonal options at our fingertips, we figured it would be an easy and delicious way to begin. So, we met at the Grand Army Plaza Farmer’s Market Saturday, where Erin’s friend Sam, a green dinner guest who works for the Greenmarket, gave us the rundown on the day’s offerings. Where to begin! Everywhere we turned, there was some new green thing to catch our eye and make us drool: snap peas and pea shoots, skinny asparagus and broccoli rabe, green tomatoes, knobby spring spinach, herbs, spring onions, green garlic, the last of the over-winterized leafy greens and the beginning of springy greens like bright, lemony sorrel and spicy mustard leaves. And ramps!

Erin and Sam pose for a Greenmarket moment.

We gathered as much as we could, and were off to the kitchen.

(For inspiration beyond the Greenmarket, we also came up with a pinterest board of greenspiration to get ideas flowing.)

Sunday we pulled out the crepe paper and got to work green-ifying our space.

When guests arrived, they found their name tags in a (musical) box by the door.

We took advantage of the beautiful warm eve for a photo opp on the roof.

And then, to feast!

photo by gabriella bass

photo by gabriella bass

photo by gabriella bass

photo by gabriella bass

photo by gabriella bass

Here’s to many more to come!

:  : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :  :

pssst. we also made a manifeasto to guide our guests.