Janet and Larnie's Wedding

Janet and Larnie were tied in marital union at Three Rivers Winery October 18th. 65 guests enjoyed perfect weather, a stunning sunset over the three hole pitch and put golf course, and our food.

Appetizers:
- Cugini meatball skewers, roasted garlic marinara, and parmesan
- Assorted cheese crostini, brie and apple, fontina and dried cherries, manchego and roasted red peppers
- Cheese filled saffron rissoto balls with sun dried tomato dip


Buffet:
- Slow roast salmon and lemon butter
- Rosemary chicken breast and garlic cream
- Potato gratin
- Spinach salad, orange madelines, toasted almonds, croutons, goat cheese, champagne vinaigrette
- Welcome Table Farm roasted carrots, beets, rutabegas, chive sticks, and orange oil
- La Brea Bakery baguettes and butter

New Favorite Things:

• I love working at Three Rivers Winery. Not because of the kitchen (which is nice, but rather strangely laid out making plating difficult). I love working there because I get to play golf immediately following service. There is nothing better than finishing the buffet service with a quick three holes of golf. A welcome reward for a long day. During that little down time our capable servers have it under control and this cook gets to mess around.
• Is there a better meatball than Cugini's Italian market in Walla Walla, make that within 200 miles? I doubt it. Fantastic. Our nearing perfection roasted garlic marinara and their meatballs go together like... what is that Louis Jordan song "beans and cornbread"?

Cheers

Welcome to the Family

Homestead Catering went out of business. So we bought this.

Replacing the Volksy. (Can you believe this little van did a lunch for 600 and multiple weddings over 200?) You have been good to us Volksy, sad to see you relegated back to a family car.

So no more following Graze Catering reading random bumper stickers. Now all you get to read is our logo. I guess everyone needs to grow up sometime.

Cheers

Walla Walla Hospice

We donated our services to the Walla Walla Hospice as part of a dinner package. It went to auction at the Hospice event way back in February. We provided dinner for eight and service. Baker Boyer Bank lent their brand new 7th floor boardroom as the venue (possibly one of the highest points in little ww). Le Ecole Winery paired the wine for each course. And Wendye and John provided tableware, dessert, and played host. The package raised $2,500.











Apps:
- scallop cakes with sriracha mayo
- endive spears with goat cheese mousse and pecan gremolata
- baguette slice with pork rillette, dijon, and thyme

Dinner: - Welcome Table Farm mizuna and arugula, marinated beets, fresh apple, goat cheese, champagne vinaigrette, and candied pecans.
- Pureed corn soup, truffle butter, and chives.
- Porchetta (herb, caper, garlic, lemon stuffed pork shoulder roast), creamy polenta, roast rutabegas and carrots, vegetable gratin
- Dessert from the incomparable Colville Street Patisserie.


















Cheers

Mike's 50th Birthday

Friday we went to Beresan Winery to put on dinner for 16 guests celebrating Mike's 50th birthday. Winemaker Tom played host (and dj, keeping the kitchen hoppin' with everything from Cake to Dr. Dre) while we bombarded the guests with appetizers; five flavors to be exact.

Apps:

- Cheese stuffed risotto balls with sun dried tomato dip

- Pan fried scallop cake with sriracha mayo (pictured below)

- Baguette slice with pork rillette, dijon, thyme

- Crostini with beef ragu and parmesan

- Belgian endive spears with goat cheese mousse and pecan gremolata

Then we served the guests family style (my new favorite way to serve guests, a decidedly unfussy, communal, and convivial way to enjoy a meal). A simple salad of local greens, veggies, and champagne vinaigrette. For the main course we roasted Fehrenbacher Farm's Leg of Lamb, made some creamy polenta, roasted rutabegas, carrots, and beets, and built some vegetable gratins.

Of course I didn't get a picture of the lamb!!! Server Morgan's only real job all night (!) was to remind me to take a picture of the lamb/roasted vegetable platter, and she forgot. So this is the best we got, a lonesome carving in some sauce back in the kitchen.

New Favorite Things:

• I have roasted leg of lamb for lots of parties, and this was far and away the best. Same process as before, couple of days of marinating, a dijon, garlic, herb, salt paste on the outside. But this time I brushed the legs the last five minutes with a wine/honey/herb/pepper reduction that put the whole thing over the top. A bottle of Waterbrook Melange reduced to about two tablespoons, mixed with honey, then dijon and rosemary when cooled, and a pinch of pepper. Jammy, syrupy, intense wine fruit, an incredible red meat glaze.

• Scallop cakes. The guests couldn't get enough. Tom called them "money". Served them the next night and a guest proclaimed it to be the best appetizer she has 'ever' eaten (that may be a bit extreme). Chopped sea scallops, super fine mince of serrano pepper, chopped cilantro, minced shallot, dollop of mayo, and panko bread crumbs are all mixed together. Then formed into a patty coating with more panko, then pan fried. The sriracha mayo is just mayo mixed with enough sriracha to color nicely with a bit of a spicy kick.

Cheers

Old Stuff

Raj and Kelly's Wedding.

Way back in August, the 31st to be exact, we did and Indian Buffet for Raj and Kelly (same day we did Erin's wedding at Basel Cellars) at the same house that hosted the Paella reception. Raj and Randall/Caitlin were friends at Whitman yada yada ya. Appetizers of samsoas, fried paneer cheese, and garbanzo flour pancakes with raita dip.

No pictures unfortunately. For the buffet spicy garbanzo bean salad, lentil salad, basmati rice, chili fry lamb in coconut mild sauce, curried shrimp. Dessert from the Patisserie. The Indian Minister (flew in from India for the ceremony) was impressed. He told our cooks the food was very authentic. We only have Raj and Kelly to thank for the recipe/consultation help!

Megan's Wedding - Got a couple of pictures to share.

Pictures from Kim's Mom's Birthday at Watermill Winery (Thanks for the great shots Jamie Brown!)

Cheers