{Recipes of the Week}: What to do with Jicama

dena — Thu, 17 May 2012 18:50:33 +0000

I’m looking at some menu items from this weekend’s lineup. What to write about. What to write about. And then it hit me {quite like a ton of bricks}. JICAMA. Yes, that quirky root vegetable that resembles a turnip. But much different than a turnip – you can eat it raw, in salads, slaws – both savory and sweet.

It’s definitely one of those vegetables that scares people. What do you possibly do with Jicama? Well, we have a few options for you!

On one of this weekend’s most SPECIAL events, we have a ‘Mexican Fruit Salad’. It’s simple…

Jicama, Cantaloupe, Pineaple, Mango and Cucumber Spears, Dressed with Honey and Lime, dusted with Chili Powder.

Or one of Martha’s recipes…this Jicama Citrus Salad looks tasty.

OR, as a snack. Jicama can be eaten {and totally enjoyed} simply cut and dusted with chili powder, salt and pepper and a little lime juice!

{What We’re Up To}: Cutting Ribbons

dena — Tue, 15 May 2012 18:19:33 +0000

What?!

Yes, that’s right. We’re cutting a ribbon. A giant red ribbon with GIANT scissors. To

CHRISTEN OUR NEW SPACE!

We moved to our new building, in North Stonington, last June/July {half of us moved in June and the other half in July}, however it’s been a work in progress. And now, with the season QUICKLY approaching {our first official season in this building}, we’re ready to bless this space. With ribbon cutting ceremony and a Party!!

It’s next Wednesday, May 23rd. And we have some fun menu ideas up our sleeve.

Next week we’ll have photos to share!

{Photos of the Week}: Brimfield Treasures, From Pretty to Pretty Interesting

dena — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:00:20 +0000

On Friday we told you how Anna was headed to Brimfield. She took it by storm, and so did Emily!

Brimfield Antique & Collectibles show, which is an incredible flea market multiplied by MILES, has quite a bit to offer its brave {yes, I am certain – I mean BRAVE} shoppers. It’s one of those places that you must go to with an open mind – and you’re sure to find a plethora of items waiting to be purchased.

Emily and Anna both found items from pretty and {pretty} dainty to {pretty} weird and {pretty} interesting – an adventure, nonetheless.

Vintage Bottles for a few dollars a pop. Pretty…

These gold letters at $30 each {and gigantic in size} would be an awesome wall piece. Or hang bride and groom initials at your wedding for a drastic effect.

Use an old-fashioned typewriter as your guestbook. OR, use it as a unique decor element in your office!

How about this {not quite sure what to call it}…however, we imagine it could be used to hang cards at home; placecards, menus or other various signs at your wedding or event.

And this server! It has a gorgeous marble top.

And then there was {pretty} interesting.

You can actually purchase a camel ride. Have $.25 {to take the ride, that is}?

You can also buy this vintage carnival game. HILARIOUS. We might have to keep it at the office, for {REALLY} stressful days.

So that’s just a small recap. The market is over one mile long but it’s back in July!

{Happy Weekend!}: Go Buy Awesome Stuff at Brimfield!

dena — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:30:14 +0000

The Brimfield Antique Show is going on right now. If you haven’t heard of Brimfield, you should. Brimfield, Massachusetts is home of the largest antique show in New England. And lasts for SIX DAYS, three times each year. It literally goes on for miles and miles. Anna was there all afternoon yesterday…and we have some AWESOME new stuff to show for it!

It’s going on through Sunday, so get on over there!!

{Recipe of the Week}: Long Meetings, Snacks and Eggplant Caponata!

dena — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:08:40 +0000

Tuesday morning {slash most of the day} we sat through a long {but VERY productive} meeting. We were talking about this Spring/Summer’s weddings! We are so excited for this season to get going! The meeting started at 10:00. We all arrived, coffees, menus and notepads in hand. And quickly 10:00 became 11:00 and before we knew it, 1:00 arrived. And darling Chef Jen brought us some snacks to get through the next TWO HOURS! Apples, crackers, cheese, a little toasted ciabatta bread, and…

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Ingredients

1 large eggplant (1 1/2 pounds)
Good olive oil
4 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, chopped
1/2 cup large green olives, pitted and chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
3 tablespoons minced parsley
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons drained capers
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Toasted pita triangles, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

Place the whole eggplant on the pan, prick with a fork in several places, and rub with olive oil. Roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until the eggplant is very soft when pierced with a knife. Set aside to cool. Halve the eggplant, peel, and discard the skin. Place the eggplant, peppers, and olives in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped. Pour into a mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onion is lightly browned. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, and add to the eggplant mixture. Add the parsley, pine nuts lemon juice, capers, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, and pepper and mix. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. Taste for seasonings and serve at room temperature with toasted pita triangles.

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Do you want to know how long it took us to devour the bowl? Probably not. It was DELISH. And gave us the energy we needed to power on! We are SO ready for this season.

{What We’re Doing}: Pinning!

dena — Wed, 09 May 2012 19:52:59 +0000

Pinning what? Well, it’s all the rage and many of you probably know the answer to THAT! But, for those of you who do not…We’re pinning photo inspirations {that we find about the internet} to Pinterest!

Please do check us out! And follow us!! We like more than just food. We love to entertain, so we’re always looking for new ideas. We love pretty things, whether in our house or as part of our ensemble. We love to watch for the latest wedding trends because in addition to being your favorite caterer, we also help you plan your events – the look and feel and design – if necessary!

We’re here: Gourmet Galley Catering on Pinterest!!

{Photo of the Week}: Style Me Pretty Feature and Pickle Bar!

dena — Mon, 07 May 2012 20:36:34 +0000

Last week one of the weddings that we catered last Fall was featured on Style Me Pretty Massachusetts. Amy and Tim, wed on Stonington’s Elihu Island, had a beautiful day {see more details, here}. The details were endless and one of our favorite parts? The PICKLE BAR! We had fun making the pickles and designing the display too!

Photo by Anna Sawin Photography

{Recipe of the Week}: Mint Juleps!!

dena — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:54:12 +0000

Our dear officemate, Kristen, has a dog named Mint Julep, but we won’t be featuring her on the blog. However, here is a lovely photo.

The Mint Julep that we’re featuring today is the REAL DEAL. And involves Bourbon. Dating back to it’s first appearance circa 1800, this cocktail involves four simple ingredients: mint leaf (spearmint is the mint of choice in Kentucky), Bourbon, Sugar and Water. And it looks something like this (traditionally served in silver or pewter cups):

So, without further adieu (this recipe yields 10 – 12 servings):

Ingredients

4 cups bourbon
2 bunches fresh spearmint
1 cup distilled water
1 cup granulated sugar

Directions

To prepare mint extract, remove about 40 small mint leaves. Wash and place in a small bowl. Cover with 3 ounces bourbon. Allow the leaves to soak for 15 minutes. Then gather the leaves in paper toweling. Thoroughly wring the mint over the bowl of whisky. Dip the bundle again and repeat the process several times.

To prepare simple syrup, mix 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of distilled water in a small saucepan. Heat to dissolve sugar. Stir constantly so the sugar does not burn. Set aside to cool.

To prepare mint julep mixture, pour 3 1/2 cups of bourbon into a large glass bowl or glass pitcher. Add 1 cup of the simple syrup to the bourbon.

Now begin adding the mint extract 1 tablespoon at a time to the julep mixture. Each batch of mint extract is different, so you must taste and smell after each tablespoon is added. You are looking for a soft mint aroma and taste-generally about 3 tablespoons. When you think it’s right, pour the whole mixture back into the empty liter bottle and refrigerate it for at least 24 hours to “marry” the flavors.

To serve the julep, fill each glass (preferably a silver mint julep cup) 1/2 full with shaved ice. Insert a spring of mint and then pack in more ice to about 1-inch over the top of the cup. Then, insert a straw that has been cut to 1-inch above the top of the cup so the nose is forced close to the mint when sipping the julep.

When frost forms on the cup, pour the refrigerated julep mixture over the ice. Serve immediately.

{Employee Spotlight}: Me! Dena Poblete

dena — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:47:57 +0000

I didn’t want to leave you hanging with no ‘spotlight’ post this week! And a certain someone was too busy celebrating her birthday (I know, so selfish, right?), to answer my questions! So, you get ME. Cheers!

First Job? You’ll like this one. I worked at a local farm. But before I tell you how it went down, I need to tell you that I was 15; I had just received my working papers and the only job I had ever had was babysitting. So, with that preface, hopefully you won’t judge me as much when I tell you that I picked peas and strawberries for one day (roughly a 7 hour shift) and then [gasp] quit! It was HARD WORK. And my belly was full (I could not eat that many strawberries EVER again in a 7 hour period). Pathetic, I know.

How did you end up at Gourmet Galley? Well, I went to college for English Literature (no, I didn’t get my teaching certificate and the allegations were all correct: I had no idea what I was going to do with this degree). It was fun. I got to read Jane Eyre 3 times in just 4 years. So, with a degree in English and no plans to teach the subject, I found myself working in advertising – recruitment advertising. It was fast paced and taught me how to multi-task if nothing else. From there, I worked for a recruitment software company, so it was a natural progression when I started with Gourmet Galley as the Staffing Coordinator. And, my background in writing paved the way to become the Marketing Coordinator as well. My love of weddings grew and could only be suppressed for so long before I knew I wanted to start coordinating them. And, here I am today!

Favorite Meal? Pizza. Any kind. Particularly that served in Italy, however my grandmother’s is pretty darn close. And I’m perfecting mine as well. Whether it is fig and prosciutto or plain mozzarella, I LOVE IT.

Favorite Meal to Prepare? For some reason I love what I like to call ‘one-pot-shot’ meals. So, I have to say Risotto (as an all-inclusive meal that includes veggies and protein). I like to get creative with it.

Best part of a Wedding? First dance. It gets me every time. Chills and goosebumps invade me!

So there you have it. Short and sweet.

{What We’re Catering}: Senior Prom at the Senior Center

dena — Tue, 01 May 2012 13:57:09 +0000

It’s that time of year. PROM time! And this prom is extra special. Organized by Connecticut College Office of Volunteers for Community Service and the Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy, we present to you:

We’ll be providing the food for this grand affair – can’t wait! A simple meal of Roasted Chicken, our {mouth-watering} mashed potatoes and Green Beans; we have a little something special for dessert!