Catering to the Democratic Party just got even more political; rumors fly about a no-fried food zone and color-coded requirements.

Actually, they’re more than rumors.  According to an ABCNews.com article, the 2008 Democratic Convention host committee has come up with a catering Request for Proposal that specifies non-fried food, the majority of which should be organic and/or local fruits and veggies.  The RFP also has some interesting requirements that the food be colorful: “include at least three of the following five colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple, and white.”  The controversy is that some people find the idea of a “lean and green” meal to be unappealing and potential alienating to parts of the country that are known for fried foods (the South).

While the RFP may be a bit on the obsessive side, I’m curious to see what creative dishes these restrictions could inspire.  One local caterer quoted by ABCNews.com notes that filling very specific requests is not unusual for her; it’s part of her job.  Add to that the fact that the convention is being hosted in Denver, and the “lean and green” requirements begin to make a lot of sense.  If the convention were held in a southern state, I think we could all expect fried food to practically be mandated; it’s part of the heritage and culture of the area.

What do you think?  Any ideas for dishes that meet the RFP requirements?