By Elizabeth Dimick
Kim Klopstock’s story begins in the downstate village of Nyack where she spent the early years of her life until the age of 10 when her parents moved to Saratoga Springs.
It was during these young impressionable years her family and extended family instilled upon her the morals and ethical values that she, not only still clings to today but is the foundation for which Klopstock lives her life and runs her successful business, Lilly and The Rose catering which services events in several states across the country but centered in the Saratoga Springs area.
Klopstock spoke fondly of how social her family was and how often they would entertain guests and believes it was these experiences that led her to love to entertain as a career.
As an adult, she hitchhiked cross-country after graduating from Skidmore, only to settle in a tight-knit community in California. It was here that she kindled her interest in organic food, using foods to cure illness, energy healing, and alternative medicine.
Once she moved back to the Saratoga area, she and her husband settled on their organic farm in Cossayuna, northeast of Saratoga Springs, to raise and nurture their two children. In 1996, she and her husband parted ways and Klopstock needed to support herself, so she opened Lilly and The Rose.
“All I want to do is live my life, be the best I can be. I want to try to leave this world a better place,” said Klopstock.
She incorporates her organic lifestyle, as much as she can, into her business. It is the love, family and togetherness that have been the driving force for all she does. “Community and family have just been such a big part of my life, I love bringing people together,” she said.
She said the only challenges she has faced were with Lilly and The Rose Kim were economic ones.
She said the only challenges she has faced were with Lilly and The Rose Kim were economic ones.
“People love to cut corners when money is tight and taxes are strangling businesses. I refuse to cut corners. I want to bring the best organic meats and foods to my guests,” she said. Food is gluten free.
Her business caters events like Saratoga destination weddings, and she has catered events in New York City and Vermont. The menus are fanciful, as the information on the Lily and the Rose website reveals.
They include hors d’oeuvres like crudite—a mix of fresh organic vegetables and and herbed dip, and homemade boursin made with fresh herbs and served with gourmet crackers.
Choices for an Asian station, for example, could include an assortment of vegetable sushi, sashimi, vegetable spring rolls, hand rolls; pan- seared, line-caught tuna served in a mini martini glass filled with seaweed salad and wasabi cream. Salmon Chaud-froids involves a whole poached salmon served with its head and tail on, decorated with paper-thin English cucumbers and served with a cucumber dill sauce, the website notes.
Choices for an Asian station, for example, could include an assortment of vegetable sushi, sashimi, vegetable spring rolls, hand rolls; pan- seared, line-caught tuna served in a mini martini glass filled with seaweed salad and wasabi cream. Salmon Chaud-froids involves a whole poached salmon served with its head and tail on, decorated with paper-thin English cucumbers and served with a cucumber dill sauce, the website notes.
Entree ideas that can be served as either a sit down dinner or on a station, an include such offerings as herbed New Zealand rack of lamb with herbed red roasted potatoes, and spinach timbale.
Tuscan Chicken is pounded chicken breast sauteed with red roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes in a white wine sauce served on a bed of gemelli, according to the menu.
The Lily and the Rose website is www.lilyandtherose.com.
The Lily and the Rose website is www.lilyandtherose.com.
Klopstock can be reached at 587-1953, or via e-mail at customerservice@lilyandtherose.com.