Two-Fer: Dawn and Katy's Wedding (not to each other)

The final big wedding weekend for us, and we hammered it, absolutely hammered it. (that would be a good thing, as opposed to 'getting hammered', a bad thing.)

Dawn and John were married at Terra Blanca Winery and had the reception in their backyard, which happens to be on the slopes of Red Mountain out Benton City way, something like that. The weather did not play nice. It was misty and rainy and just a tad cold, not ideal weather for guests or outdoor grilling.

We served up a few appetizers, my favorite new thing being a crab and cheese stuffed jalepeno popper with a cilantro lime buttermilk dip.

For the dinner buffet, John (the groom) sourced us some beautiful halibut which we poached in olive oil and served with extra virgin olive oil stewed cherry tomatoes from Martinez Family Farm. Grilled whole beef tenderloins were glazed with a red wine, honey, herb sauce adding a perfect little charred wine/herb flavor; served with horseradish cream. Amity has some beautiful fingerling potatoes which we grilled, then tossed with dijon, chili flakes, garlic, and olive oil and served with aioli. Local greens tossed in a simple red wine vinaigrette, bread and butter, and some tasty vegetable gratins filled out the buffet.

Cheryl, uber-server extraordinaire proclaimed this to be the finest buffet she has taken part in. I have to agree. Just about perfect. (that is really hard for me to say.)

Katy and Matt were married at Walla Walla's beautiful and rainy Stone Creek Manor. 170 guests partook of simpler Graze Catering fare. Platter self serve appetizers followed by a rustic and homey buffet.

Grilled on-site rosemary chicken and aioli, vegetarian stuffed pasta shells, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, whole leaf ceasar salad, end of summer roasted vegetables, and baguettes and butter. The rain started in the morning, faked us out in the afternoon, and started again in earnest that evening. But a good time was had by all, and when Katy called me at the end of the reception her raves were indeed welcome and appreciated.

So the big ones are done. A couple of more posts regarding older events to come. And now we are on to the Fall and Holiday season. Next weekend the family heads to Portland for some r and r. And then the discussions for next years weddings begin!!!

Cheers

Stephanie's Wedding

It was a busy weekend for us. My son's first day of real pre-school at Betty's on Thursday.

Stephanie and Chris's rehearsal dinner at Three Rivers Winery Friday.

Amity's tomatoes, fresh mozz, basil, and bariani extra virgin olive oil.

For the rest we had a nice green salad, rosemary lemon grilled chicken, flat iron steak with hotel butter, and roasted red potatoes with dijon/garlic/thyme/mayo/bacon dressing.

The view from the deck of Three River's toward the end of dinner.

Saturday Chris and Stephanie had an Irish/Scottish reception. Chris, God bless him, got married wearing a kilt (the pants issue solved on day one). We did three passed apps, two of which passed as 'scot/irish'. Cured salmon and creme fraiche crostini, hard cheddar and cows milk cheese and crackers, and heirloom tomatoes with 25 year old balsmic and sea salt on toasted baguette slices.

The dinner buffet:

Spinach salad, citrus vinaigrette, shaved mushrooms, toasted almonds, jarlsberg cheese.

Roasted beets, carrots, and turnips with orange oil and chives.

Colcannon potatoes (cabbage and mashers).

Slow roast salmon and lemon butter.

Herb roast beef tenderloin and horseradish cream.

Veggie pot pies for the vegetarians.

Baguettes and Irish soda bread.

Then we brought out the desserts from Colville Street Patisserie. There is no better dessert, wedding buffet maker than Matt in the Pacific Northwest, of this I am convinced.

Lots of nice compliments from the good folks attending the festivities at Stone Creek Manor.

And to cap the weekend, Sunday we headed to Biscuit Ridge for an impromptu wine drinking, food snacking celebration for our friend's new land 'vineyard to be' purchase.

It really is tough living in Walla Walla sometimes.

Cheers

July 4th Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

For Darin and Andy's rehearsal dinner we did a simple backyard cookout for 40 guests. Simple, fresh, tasty. Server extraordinare Cheryl, who has been to quite a few of our events stated "This is my favorite one yet John, it isn't the fanciest, but it really looks fresh and tasty." Fortunately it tasted as clean and fresh as it looked. Forgot the camera so no pictures right now. Darin's sister snapped a couple and promises to email them, so hopefully some soon. Everything was cooked on site, is there really anything better than corn on the cobb right out of the simmering water?

Menu:
- Amity's greens, balsamic vinaigrette
- Grilled red potato salad, bacon, dijon, garlic, thyme dressing
- Corn on the cobb, lime butter
- Lemon garlic grilled chicken breast
- Flat iron steak and chimichurri

- Dessert: peach, apple, cherry cobbler and Tillamook vanilla ice cream

Highlights:

• I have been grilling potatoes for years, boiling, then tossing in a garlic thyme chili flake oil and searing and serving with aioli. But this time, on a lark, I decided to boil, grill, then toss in a mayo/dijon/garlic/thyme/bacon dressing. How about that, a previous favorite thing just got more favoriter. (If its not a word it should be.)


• I don't make desserts. I keep telling myself I don't, then I do something stupid and promise Rosemary a cobbler and ice cream. Wouldn't you know it was pretty great. No more desserts, I swear... well maybe a couple more cobblers.

Cheers

Darin and Andy's Wedding

Thai Wedding - Check.

Spanish Wedding - Check.

Nacho Wedding - Check.

'Merican Wedding - Check.

French Laundry Wedding - Check.

Vegetarian Appetizer Wedding - Check.

Add Darin and Andy's Filipino/Hawaiian Wedding to the checklist. (stay tuned for August's Indian Wedding)

We were paid the highest compliment a Filipino wedding goer can pay "These lumpia are pretty good... for a white guy." (And the highest compliment possible from our server Anna "Wow John, these are hot-dig-a-liscious." Whitman students... inventing language daily.)

Stone Creek Manor was our venue for 150 guests (their first wedding production ever), as fine a site for a Walla Walla wedding in town. The grounds were immaculate and I believe owner Christine orchestrated the coolest July 4th/5th weather ever recorded in Walla Walla. (weather manipulation fees are very affordable at Stone Creek.)

For the cocktail hour we served four tasty appetizers. Darin's mother's lumpia recipe with a garlic chili vinegar, melon and pineapple skewers with a citrus mint dipping sauce, thai omelet rolls with soy lime dip, and shrimp skewers with cilantro cucumber coulis. One guest offered a server $20 if she could bring him more lumpia when they were all devoured. The fruit and citrus mint was so refreshing it was like a vodka cocktail on a stick. And after countless variations the shrimp has found a perfect partner with cucumber cilantro coulis.

Buffet Menu

• Amity's greens, veggies, chinese black bean vinaigrette
• Japanese noodle salad, spicy red peppers, carrots, green onions, cilantro, peanuts, mirin soy dressing
• Sticky rice
• Aloha coconut sweet potatoes
• Thundering Hooves kahlua pork
• Adobo chicken
• Dessert - Hidden Valley Bakery sweet biscuits, Klicker strawberries, ice cream, whipped cream

Darin swears the coconut sweet potatoes were the star of the show. (seriously Darin, sweet potatoes?)

"Hi John

Thank you so much for a fabulous catering experience!

Rosie"

Cheers