Central Coast Wedding Catering Blog

Was your Valentines Dinner this good?

For Valentines Day, we were delighted to cater at Edna Valley Vineyard in San Luis Obispo.

The theme, “Love Actually,” drew in droves of romantic couples from Shell Beach to Paso Robles looking to enjoy a five-course catered dinner at a winery.

Each course with paired with a different Edna Valley wine.
Among the favorites was the crispy rice cake with green onion, sweet potato and jalapeno paired with a crisp Pinot Gris. The entree of seared duck breast served with spatzel hash and roasted root vegetable was also a hit. Guests finished off the evening with chocolate-covered strawberries & a ganache-filled chocolate crepe.

Here are just a couple of photos from the event.

This is an annual event for us so please consider joining us next year!

Four courses at Edna Valley Vineyard

The evening begins with spicy dungeness crab cakes and bleu cheese, caramelized shallot & pancetta tartlets paired with classic Edna Valley wines. That will be followed by a crispy rice cake with sweet potato puree, jalapenos and spicy pear chutney.

Next is a shrimp, scallop and crispy sand dab ragout, followed by seared duck breast served with spatzel hash and roasted root vegetables. Finish it off with a duo of chocolate crepe and a vanilla bean creme brulee.

Is there a better way to welcome Valentines Day 2010 than this? We didn’t think so.

All this rain means CHANTERELLES!

While many people get down when it rains, we at Pacific Harvest Catering get excited to go mushroom hunting! What better way to unwind from a big weekend in San Luis Obispo catering, than by hiking through local forests looking for glimpses of gold. Chanterelles are a delicious golden wild mushroom that are awesome in a variety of meals. The photo below is a great winter meal we created with them the night after finding them in an oak forest outside of San Luis Obispo.
This recipe for braised short ribs with chanterelles & potatoes is below. It’s an amazing winter recipe that takes just a few ingredients and a couple of hours in the oven. Enjoy!
(Sorry about the grainy photos, they’re from my phone…)

Braised short ribs with chanterelles & cubed potatoes

Braised Short Ribs with Chanterelles & Potatoes
4 short ribs
3 carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic
1.5 cups of red wine
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 potato, cubed & seasoned
2 chanterelles or wild mushrooms

Directions: Salt & pepper short ribs and sear in olive oil in a thick pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots and onions and sear for another 10 minutes. Stir in garlic & 1/2 of a chopped mushroom and cook for a minute or so. Add wine, cover and turn to higher heat for about 5 to 10 minutes until it reduces a bit.
Add a cup of water, cover and braise in the oven for 3 to 4 hours on low heat.
For potatoes: cube, season & toss in olive oil and bake at 375-400 until golden brown.
When ready to serve, sautee remaining chanterelle pieces in garlic and butter. Strain the sauce out of the pot and serve over the short ribs & potatoes while discarding the cooked vegetables. Top with delicious buttery chanterelles! Enjoy.

Visit this blog for more seasonal recipes!