Fresh Cherry BBQ Sauce from Taste of the Nation 2013

We have the honor of being the exclusive caterer at the 2013 Taste of the Nation VIP Reception at Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport.  The event benefits a number of different charities including The Good Shepherd Food Bank, Opportunity Alliance, Cultivating Community, as well as Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign.

One of the dishes that we are serving is a Seared Duck Breast with a Fresh Cherry Barbeque Sauce.  This sauce would go great with any poultry – serve it at your next summer barbeque or let us come prepare it for you!

Fresh Cherry BBQ Sauce

1 Yellow Onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 can Cherry Juice Concentrate
1 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 Chipotle Peppers, stems removed
4 packages of Dried Sour Cherries
8 cloves of Garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon Paprika
2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 cup Sour Cherry Preserves
1 jar Roasted Red Peppers, with liquid
2 tablespoons Rye or Bourbon Whiskey
2 tablespoons Sugar
Salt

Directions
In a heavy saucepan, sauté onion in oil until caramelized.  Add cherry juice, vinegar, chipotle peppers, half of the dried sour cherries, garlic, paprika, and roasted red peppers.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until chipotle peppers are completely softened, at least 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.

In a food processor, puree the mixture together with the remaining half of the dried sour cherries, the tomato paste, roasted red peppers, and cherry preserves until smooth.  Push puree through a mesh strainer into a saucepan.  Add sugar and salt to taste.  Add whiskey and return to stove to bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer for another 20 minutes or so.  If needed, add additional sugar/salt.

Engaged and what to do part 2

Okay, now you are overwhelmed. But informed which is good..believe me. Let’s look at this more carefully.

Now you know what you need to consider. What is most important to you? That is what it comes down to. Budgeting is the real deal and for many of you this is the first real experience at budgeting for yourself and your spouse to be. Most brides look at the wedding dress as the big thing. And that is true. My experience is that people remember wedding by 3 things; the dress, the food and the cake. Wow there is more to it than that! I mean what about the photo’s…isn’t that important? And flowers…what is up with that? The truth is it is all important in many different ways.

You will absolutely know the dress you want when you put it on. It is so personal I cannot reccomend anything to you. I will say that you should carefully consider how much of your budget will go into your dress. I know it is important, but consider that this is 1 day in your life to wear it.

The cake will probably follow your theme so consider this:

Let’s start with your theme. Is it beachy….chic…glam….unique in many ways? You can start your budget here, because you can decide where to go bearing budget in mind.

For instance, you can do DYI and go beachy by using shells you picked up on the beach on the tables as a throw or in vases or in a bowl for decor. Also sea grass in trellis small or large.. Maybe use sea glass and sand somehow. Blues and greens of course…

Maybe you do chic and use a single white orchid in a very tall black vase and use a classic black and white theme. I would use black linens and cover them with shorter white organza linens, or table runners of white. You can even do a white AND regular chocolate fountain!

Glam-orous is right up my alley. I LOVE bling! And black shows of bling like no other color. So start with black table linens and throw around some bling from craft stores and on line. Hang bling from the flower arrangements. Use crystal chandeliers. BTW they look great and glamorous in a tent!

Use a garden theme and have flowers in all kinds of pots and containers as if you were in a garden. A few years ago I created an English garden in a retail type bin display stand with colorful crudités in the bins to munch on and beautiful colorful flowers at the base with grass here and there poking out. Use pastel colors for linens and have everything scream spring.

Carry these themes and others into your food and beverage selections.

Beachy might mean a clam bake take off or at the very least seafood for food. I think of lobster bisque sip shots and clam cakes or crab cakes. How about lobster 3 ways? Maybe the lobster bisque soup shots, lobster salad on baby greens with a citrus vinaigrette of some sort and lobster tail with a lemon tarragon beurre blanc garnished with a filet and smokey bacon relish? Yummm if I do say so myself! Pair this with a signature drink of berries and aguave nectar and a pour of champagne- very refreshing.

Chic might start out with a classic martini- shaken not stirred poured through a fabulous ice martini louge. Serve wonderful scallops seared and presented with saffron aioli, then a wonderful micro green salad with pomegranate seeds and toasted candied walnuts and warm goat cheese with sherry honey vinaigrette, then lamb chops, with polenta, marscapone cheese, asparagus bundles and a dusting of smoked sea salt.

Glam might be starting with a simple seared scallop garnished with a light mole and gold leaf. Then a traditional Caesar salad prepared table side. Then beef Wellington and duchess potatoes with pattypan squash.

The garden theme is simple in season crudités in beautiful “picking baskets and flower pots. Then a harvest of seasonal vegetables for a beautiful simple salad and a light fish or chicken dish with a delicate lemon sauce with seasonal fresh vegetables.

The possibilities are endless really. If you can dream it you can create it and you can create it well with the help of professionals in the wedding business. Good luck and above all have fun!

Good Egg Bad Egg

May is National Egg Month!

I remember the days that I went to the store and there were 3 choices of eggs: eggs, large eggs and extra large eggs. Not now. Oh my gosh! You actually have to think about what you are buying! I guess an egg is not an egg anymore. Some eggs are natural, some are organic, some have omega added, some are brown and some are white. Some say farm fresh and some say grade “A”, some say free range, some cage free, some say pasteurized.  And some are even all ready hard boiled for you. What’s a girl to do?

Experts say the color of the egg shell does not affect the quality or performance of the egg. So, we can relax about which to choose. Interesting though is that brown eggs are usually larger and the hen requires more food so the brown egg is more expensive!

For years we were told that eggs are not good for you. Now we know that it is not true. Eggs are low in saturated fat with 1.5 grams per egg and they do not have any trans fat all. Eggs provide a lot of protein many essential amino acids, iron and other vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. A whole egg is approximately 3 tablespoons of liquid with the yolk containing about 1 tablespoon liquid. There is about 77 calories in 1 egg.

Generally there is a sell date and a best used by date. The sell by date suggests that if the eggs are not cracked and are kept refrigerated that the eggs can be used up to 30 days past that date. The best before date suggests that the eggs should be used within 2 weeks of that date.

Organic generally means that the hens have been raised, housed and fed according to National Organic Program administered by the USDA. They are not exposed to pesticides, antibiotics or hormones.

Cage free means the hens are allowed to roam freely within their house, have access to the out doors and where food and water is provided continuously. They live in their natural order and have nests in which to lay eggs.

Omega 3 eggs are achieved by feeding hens a special date that increases flaxseed. As an example the feed may be a combination of 20% flaxseed and grains.

Pasteurized eggs are required by law. So all eggs are pasteurized! The terms for All Natural are not defined, and therefore anyone can claim that they are raising an ‘all natural’ bird depending on their own interpretation of the word ‘natural’.

What should you consider when buying eggs? Always buy eggs from a refrigerated case. Choose eggs with clean, un-cracked shells. The USDA grade shield on the carton means that the eggs were graded for quality and checked for weight under the supervision of a trained USDA grader. State agencies monitor compliance for egg packers who do not use the USDA grading service. US Grade (quality) eggs are graded AA, A and B grades. The grade depends on the interior quality of the egg and the appearance and condition of the shell. Grade AA have whites that are thick and firm, yolks that are high and round and practically free from defects and have clean unbroken shells. Grade A have whites that are reasonably firm, yolks that are high and round and practically free from defects and have clean unbroken shells. Grade B have whites that are thinner, yolks that are wider and flatter and the shells will be unbroken but may have stains.

Eggs are used in all forms of baking and cooking and are relatively inexpensive. Most recipes call for large eggs even when not specified.

Did you know that the average American consumes about 250 eggs per year? Also, the average hen produces about 250 per year. That means that we all have a hen laying eggs for us! Do you know where your hen is?

For more information and recipes, please feel free to contact Chef Nancy at CVC Catering Group!

Maple Treats from Chef Nance!

As promised in my last blog, and in the spirit of Maine Maple Sunday, here are more Maple treats to enjoy!

 

Nancy’s Maple Syrup Dressing

*Please note that this recipe does use 3 raw and uncooked eggs.

2 eggs
3/8 Cups Pure Maple Syrup
3 Cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 Cup Water

Process all ingredients in the food processor until creamy and yummy. Store in refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using.

 

Nancy’s Chicken with Maple Syrup and Tarragon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken thighs
¼ cup melted butter
¼ cup or to taste pure maple syrup
¼ tsp. freshly grated lime rind
¼ tsp dried tarragon
salt and pepper
1 ½ teaspoon fresh lime juice

Place chicken in a buttered baking dish. Combine all ingredients and pour over the chicken. Bake for about 45 minutes or until bubbly and done. I like to serve this with a multi grain rice pilaf with peppers and onions and pineapple.

 

Nancy’s Good Old Fashioned Baked Beans

Preheat oven 250 degrees

Ingredients;

6 cups of navy beans soaked overnight in cold water and drained.
1 pound of thick cut chopped bacon
1 teaspoon of pepper
¾ teaspoon of dried mustard
¼ cup pure maple syrup
1 large onion diced and sautéed

Cover beans with fresh cold water and bring to a slow boil and cook until tender. Drain and save the liquid. Fry the bacon until crispy. Place half of the bacon and drippings in a casserole. Place ½ of the onions on top of the bacon. Combine 1 ¼ cup of bean liquid with the rest of the ingredients and mix with beans. Place beans over onions. Top with the rest of the onions and pour in enough bean liquid to just cover the beans. Top with the rest of the bacon. Cover and bake 8 hours.

Please enjoy and feel free to share your tasty Maple treats!

Don’t miss this year’s Maine Maple Sunday: March 28, 2010

The Sweetest Time of Year: Maine Maple Season

I am from “away”. So, I cannot tells tales of my childhood growing up in Maine of such things as Maine Maple Sunday and all the treats that go along with the education of one of the oldest traditions in Maine.

But when I first participated in Maine Maple Sunday I felt like a child in a grownup body. How fun is it to watch the process! In a real old fashioned sugar house! Imagine something that can be harvested in a Maine cold winter mode. With snow still on the ground! Something real and organic!

The sugar in maple sap only appears where warm, sunny days and below-freezing nights follow each other for days on end, as they do in Maine’s long, slow spring time usually starting in late February. Maple sap, as it drips from the tree, is a clear liquid containing about 2% dissolved sugar. It looks just like water, and has a very slight sweet taste. The true maple flavor comes out as part of the heating and boiling process.

Maple Sap Buckets

Some sugar houses are producing maple syrup in a high tech way. Fortunately for us many sugar houses in Maine still tap and produce the sap in the old fashioned way in buckets hung from trees and boiled down in big kettles over wood fires until the syrup reaches a temperature of seven degrees above the boiling point of water. Native Americans actually started this process in much the same way except they tapped the trees with axes. After they boiled the sap they left it to cool. They actually made maple sugar so that it lasted much longer.

There are more than seventy sugarhouses in Maine. According to Maine Maple Producers Association ONE 40 year old tree yields 40 quarts of sap per season which produces 1 quart of pure maple syrup? WOW – what a fact. That’s a lot of sap and not so much syrup. No wonder it is so expensive. But oh so worth it!

The end product is primarily the rich-flavored maple syrup that we have in our pantry all year round. It is used for waffles and pancakes; it’s also used to make a variety of confections, such as pure maple sugar and maple fudge. Or our own CVC maple walnut cookies. I also make a wonderful maple syrup salad dressing and a maple syrup glazed chicken and of course baked beans! Yummmmmmmmm!

 

CVC Maple Walnut Cookies

Preheat Oven 350 degrees

Please note that this is a true bakers recipe where the ingredients are measured by the pound and ounce not cups, teaspoons and tablespoons

Ingredients:

2 Lb of Butter and Margarine Blend
1 1/2lb Sugar
1 3/4 Lb Brown Sugar
2 Cups of Eggs- about 10 count
1 ¼   Oz Vanilla
4 ounces of maple flavoring
3 1/2 Lb All Purpose Flour
3/4  Oz of salt
1 oz Baking Soda
3/4  oz Baking Powder
1 Pounds of Chopped Walnuts

Method:

Cream butter, margarine and sugars until well blended. Add 2 eggs at a time until all is creamy. Add vanilla and maple flavoring. Mix all dry ingredients and add a little at a time until all is incorporated. Then add walnuts until mixed in. Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for about 12 minutes.

Enjoy and stay tuned for more great Maple treats! Also feel free to share your own creations!

Don’t miss this year’s Maine Maple Sunday: March 28, 2010

10 Tips to Choose a Caterer

Choosing the right caterer can make a big difference in any
event. Here are a few things to look for when choosing a
caterer:

1. A
   Tasting – A good caterer should offer a menu
   tasting. I think it is unreasonable for a caterer not to offer this
   service. How can you know what a caterers food is like if you don’t
   taste their food?
2. An
   Estimate – Provide your caterer with your budget. It
   is much easier to prepare an appropriate menu when the caterer is
   given a budget number. Note that most caterers do not include
   applicable State taxes and requested gratuity in the quoted (per
   person) price.
3. References – Ask for and
   seek out references, and then call them! A good caterer will be
   able to provide many references. Ask about the caterer’s
   presentation, enthusiasm, quality of food and service.
4. Respect – Find a caterer
   that will follow your food values if you require only local or
   organic ingredients, or a green event.
5. A Contract – Ask the caterer
   if there will be any additional fees. Make sure you secure a good
   contract.
6. A
   Presence – Ask the caterer if he/she will actually
   be at your event.
7. Accessories – Find out what
   the caterer provides in addition to food and ask for any charges
   applicable such as chafing dishes etc.
8. An Interest – Is the caterer
   you are talking to really listening to you? Is he or she really
   interested in you and your event?
9. Insurance – Make sure that
   the caterer is properly insured and licensed.
10. A Relationship – Always
    choose someone you are comfortable with.

If
you have any stories to share or questions to ask, please feel free
to comment!