Why choose a seasonal menu for an event?

Seasonal produce is easier to find fresh and usually costs less than out-of-season produce. It also gives the menu a link to the area and the time of year, which guests notice.

When is Romanesco artichoke season?

According to Turismo Roma, Romanesco artichokes are available from January to May, at their peak between March and April. The Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio is an IGP product.

Which Lazio DOP and IGP products can you ask the caterer for?

Among those most used at events are Pecorino Romano DOP, Ricotta Romana DOP, Abbacchio Romano IGP, Porchetta di Ariccia IGP, Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio IGP and Nocciola Romana DOP. The full list is on the Lazio Region's website.

If the event is a year away, can I decide the menu now?

You can decide the format and the style, but it's wiser to fix the final menu two or three months before, when the caterer knows what the season will offer. Ask for a tasting with produce close to that of the event's time of year.

Seasonal menu in Rome: a calendar of Lazio produce for events

In short

The event date decides the ingredients of the menu even before the format.

The calendar below is approximate: weather and the year can shift the windows by a few weeks.

Lazio has several DOP and IGP products that are useful on an event menu.

Fix the final menu 2-3 months before, when the season is more predictable.

A seasonal menu isn't a fashion. It's the simplest way to get fresh ingredients, reasonable prices and dishes tied to the area, whatever the style of cooking: seafood, creative, international or Roman. An artichoke in October comes from far away; in March it comes from the Roman countryside or the coast.

Why the season matters for catering

Freshness. The caterer finds the produce nearby, in quantity, at the right time.
Cost. Seasonal produce is usually more available and therefore cheaper. It's not a fixed rule, but it's a good starting point in negotiation.
Coherence. A summer menu with courgette flowers and tomatoes reflects the time of the event.
Results. Some dishes only make sense in one month: vignarola in spring, puntarelle in winter.

The calendar month by month

The calendar is approximate: it depends on the weather, the growing area and the year. Some references are verified: for Turismo Roma, the Romanesco artichoke runs from January to May, at its peak between March and April; the Romanesco courgette is a late-spring and summer product but can be found until November; Romanesco broccoli is a winter vegetable harvested until May.

Month	Vegetables	Fruit	Other	Menu ideas
January	Romanesco broccoli, puntarelle, chicory, first artichokes	Oranges, kiwis	Dried pulses	Pasta and broccoli, puntarelle, soups
February	Artichokes, broccoli, fennel	Oranges, apples	Carnival frappe and castagnole	Roman-style artichokes, Carnival fried sweets
March	Artichokes (peak), asparagus, broad beans, peas	Citrus	Bignè di San Giuseppe (19 March)	Jewish-style artichokes, vignarola
April	Artichokes, broad beans, peas, Roman lettuce	Strawberries (early)	Abbacchio, eggs (Easter)	Abbacchio, broad beans and pecorino
May	Broad beans, last artichokes, courgettes (early)	Strawberries, cherries	Fresh pecorino	Broad beans and pecorino, pasta with spring vegetables
June	Courgettes, courgette flowers, green beans	Cherries, apricots, sour cherries	Ricotta	Courgette flowers, sour cherry tart
July	Tomatoes, aubergines, peppers	Peaches, watermelons, melons	Fish from the coast	Rice-stuffed tomatoes, panzanella, raw seafood
August	Tomatoes, aubergines, peppers	Figs, melons, watermelons	Gelato and granita	Cold, light menus
September	Last courgettes, peppers	Grapes, figs	Grape harvest	Figs and prosciutto, pasta with vegetables
October	Mushrooms, pumpkin, cabbages	Grapes, chestnuts, pomegranates	Hazelnuts	Pasta with mushrooms, chestnuts in desserts
November	Romanesco broccoli, chicory, cauliflower	Persimmons, chestnuts, mandarins	New-season olive oil	Bruschetta with new oil, broccoli
December	Broccoli, puntarelle, artichokes (early)	Citrus	Festive fried food	Mixed fried food, pangiallo, puntarelle

Lazio's protected products

Lazio has a list of products with a protected designation of origin, published by the Lazio Region and by Arsial, the regional agency for agricultural development. Those that come up most often on event menus:

Product	Mark	How to use it
Pecorino Romano	DOP	Cacio e pepe, broad beans and pecorino, shavings with honey
Ricotta Romana	DOP	Desserts, tart with sour cherries, pasta
Abbacchio Romano	IGP	Spring main course, grilled scottadito chops
Porchetta di Ariccia	IGP	Counter with a slicer, mini rolls
Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio	IGP	Roman-style, Jewish-style, as a cream
Nocciola Romana	DOP	Desserts, chopped nuts, pralines

If the caterer writes "DOP" or "IGP" on the menu, you can ask which producer the product comes from. It's a normal question, and a well-prepared caterer will be glad to answer.

Sample menus by season

Four example structures in different styles, to adapt to the format. They're ideas, not set menus: the same seasonal produce goes into a seafood menu, a creative one or a Roman one.

Spring (April), Roman cuisine menu

Aperitivo: Jewish-style artichokes, broad beans and pecorino, pizza bianca and mortadella
First course: tonnarelli with artichokes and wild mint
Main course: roast abbacchio (lamb) with potatoes
Dessert: bignè or ricotta tart

Summer (June-July), seafood menu

Aperitivo: fried courgette flowers, raw fish, stuffed cherry tomatoes
First course: a cold pasta with courgettes and fish, or fettuccine with courgettes and their flowers
Main course: grilled fish from the coast
Dessert: fresh fruit, sorbets, fruit tart

Autumn (October), creative Italian menu

Aperitivo: mushroom crostini, figs and prosciutto, pumpkin finger food
First course: fettuccine with porcini or pumpkin risotto
Main course: roast suckling pig or fillet with chestnuts
Dessert: desserts with chestnuts or hazelnuts

Winter (January), meat menu

Aperitivo: puntarelle in small cups, battered salt cod, vegetable tempura
First course: pasta e ceci, or pasta and broccoli
Main course: roast with winter vegetables, or a braise
Dessert: citrus, chocolate desserts, mini pastries

More complete menus are in the wedding menu examples and those for corporate events. If you'd like an all-Roman menu, you'll find the dishes in detail in the guide to the Roman cuisine catering menu and, for weddings, in the Roman wedding menu.

An event is often booked many months ahead, but the season can't be predicted a year in advance. A practical approach:

When	What to decide
On signing the contract	Format, number of courses, style of cooking
2-3 months before	Final menu with the produce of the period
2-4 weeks before	Confirmation with the caterer on product availability

Also ask what happens if a product is missing: a cold season can delay the artichokes, a very hot summer can shorten the courgette flower season. A good contract allows for an equivalent substitute.

The Lazio sea

Fish has a season too. The Lazio coast, from Civitavecchia to Gaeta by way of Fiumicino, Anzio and Terracina, brings fish to Rome that changes with the months and the weather. If you choose a seafood menu, ask the caterer what comes in from Lazio's fishing fleets at the time of your event, rather than fixing a precise species now. And if you're planning raw seafood, read the guide to sushi and raw fish at events.

Questions to ask the caterer

Is the menu you're proposing designed for the month of my event?
Which products come from Lazio, and from which producers?
Do you use DOP or IGP products? Which ones?
What happens if an ingredient isn't available on the day?
Is the tasting done with seasonal produce or with substitutes?
Does the price change if I move the event to another season?
Do you have vegan or gluten-free versions of the seasonal dishes?

Before asking for a quote

Give the date, even approximately: the caterer will suggest a more realistic menu. You can explore all the suppliers in the catering section and, when you're ready, request a quote with the month of the event already stated.