Wayne & Merle’s wedding was held at a home just a block from our house. It’s a cute Spanish style home and with a lush backyard fashioned after a beloved time share in Cabo San Lucas. It has a beautiful pool, lots of shade and places to lounge, a built in restaurant grade beer fridge, and it always has a bar set up. That day, however, it was set up for an intimate wedding with 50 guests- and we were lucky enough to be two of them. Family and friends of the happy couple were in attendance, celebrating a lifetime of love and companionship. This was a marriage 20+ years in the making, and was finally possible because the Case Against 8 (Proposition 8, that is) had finally been won (P.S. You must see this documentary). #LoveWins I’d seen a lot of weddings in my time as a wedding coordinator, but I’ve honestly never seen a couple so in love and committed to a union. You couldn’t help but cry over the victory that these two could finally be legally married. They had waited a long time.

In W&M fashion, they were supporting the local community by hiring a local restaurant from DTSA to cater their wedding. Everything was served family style on large platters to share.  The meal began with the most divine sweet and briny olive, cheese and honey appetizer. I will forever love that dish. Dinner was delicious and sharing it with these new friends made it that much sweeter.

It wouldn’t be a wedding without dancing, so tables were moved to make way for the dance floor. The happy couple shared their first dance. This would have been the time for the party to really start, but it was still daylight and it’s hard to get people to dance in daylight. Well, until you play the right music. Enter the magical “Sonos” machine… I made the request for Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines… and Sonos went into action.  “Everybody get up!” instructed Thicke from the speakers.  Yep, that worked. A better party was never had. From then on, I couldn’t hear that song without thinking of joyfulness and that wedding.

How to be Neighborly: Each home has a family and each family is unique. Honor that.

Here’s my attempt to recreate that divine dish we shared.

Olive Tapenade with Farmer’s Cheese & Honey

• 1 c ricotta
• 1/2 c black olives
• 1/4 c kalamata olives
• 1/2 green/Spanish olives
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Honey
• Bread toasted with olive oil (6 slices, cut in half)

Place the ricotta in cheese cloth in a strainer and let some of the whey drain off.  In a small food processor place the black olives, kalamata olives, and green olives with pepper, garlic powder and nutmeg.  Pulse until a paste forms.

Serve with toasted bread.  Layer toast, then cheese, then tapenade, then honey.  Enjoy!

Yes please!

Olive Tapanade and Farmer’s Cheese

Blurred Lines