Central Coast Wedding Catering Blog

A Gala at Taft Barn

Ahhh, the magic of Taft Ranch. We love working here. The creek, the rolling hills, the wild flowers, the majestic oaks, the pond, the barn, and the AMAZING chandeliers inside. It’s has everything anyone would want for that ideal rustic barn wedding in San Luis Obispo County. And it’s a great alternative to a winery wedding.

Last weekend, we catered a fundraiser for the North County’s Women Shelter here. A crowd of about 230 guests enjoyed classic barbecue dishes of spice-rubbed tri tip, ribs, all the fixin’s and of course, housemade corn bread and honey, butter.

Guests bid on silent auction items, gambled at the faux casino as thousands of dollars were raised for the shelter. After a plated salad of mixed greens, candied pecans, gorgonzola & pomegranate vinaigrette, guests enjoyed a BBQ buffet. Then, a plated dessert included a classic apple cobbler topped with fresh whipped cream with vanilla and cinnamon.

While we spend much of our time catering San Luis Obispo or Paso Robles weddings, we are always happy to give to back to our community and support a worthy cause.

Events like this can allow a bit more freedrom or creativity for our event coordinators and chefs. This last picture doesn’t do it justice but had fun with the barn theme, using buckets and mason jars to adorn the appetizer areas.

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

Pacific Harvest Catering will be at Edna Valley Vineyard on February 13th catering a romantic four-course dinner.

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.

Some Bagpipes & a little bit of Haggis…

So, this past weekend we were delighted to cater the annual Central Coast Scottish Society event at the Pavilion on the Lake in Atascadero. The Pavilion is an awesome North County event venue.
The event pays tribute to Robert Burns, and is filled with festivities that include parading one of our chefs around with a tray full of haggis. Don’t know what haggis is? (Traditional Scottish dish that is unappealing to some, although loved by many…) While many of our clients know us as Paso Robles wedding caterer, we love these annual events that are festive, unique and fun.
Here’s Chef Joey as he begins the Haggis Parade.

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!