Pop Up Restaurant

Heirloom Gatherings is having a special event on Thursday, November 3rd and you should all be there!  We will be hosting a “pop up” restaurant (as in making a restaurant pop up out of nowhere) at our favorite coffee shop, Jungle Java in Ocean Beach.  Griffin Farm will be providing produce for three courses and wine.   Noon Designs made this wonderful flyer for us.  RSVP to amheirloom@hotmail.com, space is VERY limited!

See You There!

Kids Cowboy Party

Heirloom catered a darling cowboy themed birthday party over the weekend.  From the gingham tablecloths, three year olds in cowboy boots and REAL LIFE PONIES the party was oozing with cuteness.  I enjoyed how much the little kids liked pretending to be on a farm, it made me feel a little bit cooler.  On the menu was, an organic cruditee platter, I used multi colored Griffin Farm carrots and I honestly believe this made the little kids want to eat them, onion tarts, organic griffin farm greens with radishes, cucumbers, avocados and King Chavez ranch, roasted chicken breasts with homemade barbeque sauce (my new obsession), scalloped potatoes with chives, rainbow macaroni and cheese, mini brioche buns and a cake with a PONY on it (the pony was wearing a real bandana) made by Michele Coulon.  The hostess and birthday boy’s mom put out little cups of Annie’s Organic Cheddar Bunnies, which were awesome.  Not only did I want to eat them all day, but all the little kids loved them.  One little girl loved them so much that she tried to carry as many of the little cups away in her tiny little arms, and when she saw I noticed she got so scared and ran away dropping almost all of them it was really sad I would have let her eat them all.  Oh and the onion tarts, one little girl licked about ten of them and put them back on the plate.  Kids birthday parties are amazing!

Enjoy the pictures!  Do you have any farm or cowboy themed birthday party ideas?

Griffin Farm Wedding Shoot

Griffin Farm would be a really great place to have a wedding.  With its mountain scenery, big gorgeous barn and country charm it was the perfect setting for a wedding shoot.  Myself, Griffin Farm- the location, Anne Martin- the amazing photographer and stylist, Leslie Miller- event coordinator and stylist, Flower Child- the gorgeous floral arrangements, Noon Designs- Jewelry and Paper Goods, Acute Designs- the awesome head pieces, and the amazing models all joined forces to create the shoot.   It was rustic, meets country meets elegant.   It inspired me to put some focus on table arrangements  at Heirloom Events, and it really inspired me to have a big party at the farm.  Enjoy the pictures!  What style would you like if you were getting married on a farm?

Quinoa Salad

This recipe is for my sister, Jacqueline.  It is so simple I almost didn’t want to post it, thinking the overall response would be, “duh.”  But, my sister is always looking for simple recipes with one major guideline-  it has to be, brace yourself vegan.  No, my sister is not a vegan, (thank god) but her boyfriend is.  It was a little hard for me to deal with at first, but I had to learn that even though I live for butter, and the only milk I drink is the one where you have to push back the cream first and that cheese is like a family member, I learned that surprisingly not everyone is like this.  When they first started dating I would make something and think it was vegan, I would start listing ingredients like eggplant, garlic, olive oil, eggs….  I got a little confused.  I actually thought vegans ate parmesan at one point.

Even though this recipe is extremely simple it will come handy for anything from feeding a vegan or as a nice and healthy side dish to something like fish, or bacon (why not?).  It will keep for days so feel free to make it on Sunday and eat for you weeks lunches.

Recipe:

For every one cup of Quinoa use 2 cups of water.

In a stock pot place quinoa, water a dash of salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Cover pot, bring to a boil and then let simmer covered.

When water is ALMOST dissolved (leave like a 1/2 teaspoon) remove from heat and “fluff up” with a wooden spoon, a drizzle of olive oil and the juice of one lemon. Season with salt and pepper.

In the recipe above I added one chopped cucumber and one bunch of chopped green onions. Feel free to add things like cashews, bell peppers, sauteed carrots, parsley, cilantro, olives or anything else you see fit.

Weeknight Office Party

Heirloom was happy to supply food to a little after work get together.  On the menu was an artisan cheese platter with fruits and nuts, goat cheese and mushroom tartines, roast beef and greens bruschetta, belgian endive with shrimp and avocado and strawberry tarts.

Potato Salad with Vinaigrette

This is a recipe for a light potato salad with a vinaigrette.  As much as I love the classic potato salad with loads of mayonnaise and mustard, sometimes a lighter version of the classic works better with your menu.  The green beans add a nice touch and if you want to get really crazy you can add chopped bacon.

Recipe ( Serves 8 )

1 Pound Red Potatoes

1 Pound Fingerling Poatoes

2 Small Idaho Potatoes or One Large

1/2 Pound Green Beans

2 tablespoons stone ground mustard

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 shallot

Salt and Pepper

Cook each type of potato separately, as they are all different sizes.  For each type of potato, take a large stock pot, place potatoes inside and cover with water by at least 6 inches.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt.  Bring water to boil and then let potatoes simmer until tender.  Drain the potatoes into a colander and immediately place colander (with potatoes in it) back into the stock pot, cover with a clean kitchen towel or cloth napkin to let potatoes steam.

To cook the green beans.  Place green beans into heavily salted boiling water and remove when tender, but still crisp, place green beans into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking.

For the vinaigrette- Chop shallot finely and place in bowl with vinegar.  Whisk in the mustard and when smooth slowly whisk in the olive oil.

While potatoes are still warm place into large bowl with drained green beans.  Add vinaigrette (you may not want to add all of it) and toss all ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Feel free to add more olive oil or vinegar if desired.

Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

Warm Olives and Nuts

Whenever I have people over for dinner, I like to have a little something start.  For one it is a nice little treat, and it helps if you are not able to get your meal out right on time.  This takes no longer than five minutes and goes great with champagne.

You can use any type of olive,  I like Kalamata, Nicoise and Sevillano.  For four people I would use one cup of olives.  Mix the olives with one cup of almonds and toss with 1/4 cup olive oil.   Season with salt and pepper.  I use a smoked paprika salt which makes it a little spicy.   If I am really lucky I get to use Griffin Farm savory as another flavorful garnish.

Place the olives and almonds in a heavy bottom pan and heat for a few minutes on stove until olives and almonds are warmed.  Serve with champagne or a campari cocktail for a perfect start to any meal.

40th Anniversary Party

Heirloom was very happy to be part of a wonderful party celebrating an even more wonderful couple on their 40th wedding anniversary.  While in other parts of the country the temperatures are cooling down, here in California we often experience the height of our summer temperatures in September.  The hostess decided to serve an all cool or room temperature menu to help with the high temperatures.  The menu would also work served warm and could be adapted as a lunch menu for colder months.  On the menu was:

Tuna Tartare on Cucumber Rounds

Goat Cheese Prosciutto and Herb Bruschetta

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Organic Fruit Salad with Mint

Tomato Buratta and Basil Salad

Potato Salad with Green Beans

Quinoa and Cucumber Salad

Beef Tenderloin with Herb Pesto

Poached Salmon with Dill and Creme Fraiche

Berry and Lemon Curd Tarts

Chocolate Hazelnut and Meringue Cakes

Kale Salad

If you have hopped on the bandwagon and become a Kale fanatic here is salad recipe to help keep kale in your weekly repertoire of meals.  The avocado helps to coat the kale and the parmesan adds one more superfood for you to enjoy!

Ingredients: (Seves Four Smaller Portions)

One Bunch Kale

1 avocado

2 garlic cloves

3 green onions

Juice of one lemon

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Sesame Seeds (optional)

Recipe:

Clean and slice kale.  Remove ribs and stem from kale and slice into thin strips.

Chop Garlic into very small dice.  Slice Green Onions.

Juice lemon and whisk in olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

In large bowl, add Kale, Garlic, Green Onions, Dressing and Sliced Avocado.  Toss gently and season to taste.  Top with parmesan cheese and sesame seeds if desired.

 

Summer Scallops

Scallops are perfect for any summer party.  Serve one for a nice starter to your meal, or serve more than one as light main course.

When heading to your local fishmonger for scallops you will may encounter many different varieties and sizes coming from locations all over the world.  Right now in San Diego we are getting a lot of beautiful scallops from Guerrero Negro in central Baja California. These scallops usually weigh in at about 8-10 scallops per pound, but I prefer the ones that are not too big because they work well for searing and slicing thin. When shopping for scallops look for fresh, moist looking white flesh that is intact without breaks or areas that look dried out or mis-colored. A fresh scallop should have a sweet shellfish type smell and should not smell of ammonia or any other strong odor. Ask your fishmonger for the freshest they have because you are going to be eating them raw ( even if you are searing your scallops, if you tell your fishmonger you will be using it for sushi he may be more inclined to give you a fresher cut). Quickly and lightly rinse your scallops before cooking and pat them dry with a clean towel.

To Cook The Scallops:

Melt olive oil in cast iron or heavy bottom pan

Sear scallops on each side until golden brown (season each side with salt and pepper)

If the scallops are thick, you can slice into thin circles and fan out

While scallops are tricky to cook, they are always better under cooked, you do not want them to have a rubber like consistency, or have them be too dry

To Make The Sauce: (Serves Four)

Take 2 cups white and wine and reduce by half

Whisk in 2 tablespoons of butter slowly

Add 2 tablespoons of cream

Pour Over Scallops

For Garnish add fresh herbs such as parsley cilantro or basil, or as in the picture above you can garnish with  julienned carrots and celery root with a touch of sage flowers.