The second day of the event one of our favorite clients hosted last weekend, gave guests the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful lunch buffet with the added twist of a make your own aspect.

At the beginning of buffet was a make your own salad station.  There was a choice of two salad greens–romaine lettuce and mesculin mix.  Salad toppings included grilled flaked salmon, grilled chicken strips, toasted pecans, roasted red peppers, crumbled feta cheese, grilled asparagus, heirloom tomato wedges, bean sprouts and artichoke hearts.  Quite the array to say the least.  Guests had a choice of either balsamic vinaigrette or raspberry vinaigrette.

The rest of the table held a wonderful selection of gourmet sandwiches.  On brioche was thinly sliced grilled sirloin with gorgonzola crumbles, caramelized onions, romaine and roasted tomatoes. Shrimp salad was offered on a delicately decadent croissant with lettuce and tomato. Lastly there was a grilled vegetable extravaganza sandwich with a roasted peppers, eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms with spreadable brie on either whole wheat baguette or herb foccacia.

A nice lunch spread to break up meetings is just the ticket to keeping clients and employees engaged throughout the day.

Share/Bookmark

The second night of our weekend long event was just as beautiful as the first. Tables were covered with ruby-orange shantung and ivory napkins at each setting.  As previously mentioned the client chose to utilize the same arrangements for the whole weekend so the colors used this night were in the same family as the ones used throughout the weekend.

Cocktail hour was held in a large open marble floored hall with a beautiful view of the city through floor to ceiling windows.  It was truly a stunning picturesque setting to welcome guests from across the world.

Hors d’oeuvre included our signature crisp cones with tuna tartar, smoked chicken, wild mushroom and fontina quesadilla, asparagus and chanterelle mushroom bruschetta, classic J. Scott mini cheesesteaks, bacon wrapped scallops with horseradish dipping sauce and figs with goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.

The first course was pre-set at the request of the client.  This style of service allows hungry guests the ability to enjoy their soup or salad while a speaker is presenting or someone is being honored.  The salad we served was a flavor packed Sicilian salad.  Crisp red and green romaine were the bed to marinated olives, artichokes, Roma tomatoes, roasted peppers and focaccia croutons; that was drizzled with white balsamic truffle vinaigrette.

The entrée, Lancaster county free range airline chicken breast, was topped with melted Maytag blue cheese and tomato fennel pomodoro.  The dish was accompanied by a variety of roasted fall vegetables and roasted garlic whipped potatoes. Guests also had the option for a vegetarian dish of goat cheese ravioli with sautéed asparagus tips and baby spinach, sauced with tomato veloute.

Dessert left nothing to be desired as it was a rich pumpkin cheesecake with chocolate drizzle.  By the end, nary a guest was hungry and all were happy, lively and full of interesting conversations.  That is what food does after all; it brings people together, it is our common ground.

Share/Bookmark

This past weekend was a whirlwind at J. Scott.  We had parties all across the Delaware Valley for all different kinds of clients.  Over the next few days we will give you a snapshot of all the festivities and the wonderful food we served.

The first event was for one of our long time corporate client’s annual three day conference. Members from across the country and the world come to celebrate and learn in their respective fields.  It is a great opportunity to find out what is going on both domestically and internationally while enjoying good food and good company.

The first evening’s dinner took place in a beautiful naturally lit hall that faced the west, allowing guests a view of the sunset as dusk fell.  Tables were covered in fun linen called theory rouge; it had a ruby background with mosaic style pattern in blue, white and orange. The client decided to utilize one set of flowers for the weekend’s events in an effort to cut costs in the tough economic time.  In doing so they chose an exquisite red and orange toned arrangement in a low wide trifle vase.  Other events throughout the weekend followed the same color scheme changing the linens and other details slightly for the different events so as not to seem repetitive.  This is a great tip if you are having a multi-day event and are looking to save money but remain stylish throughout.

The evening began with a cocktail reception that included a wine, beer and soda bar and passed hors d’oeuvre including pumpkin bisque with crème fraiche, wild mushroom and local goat cheese crostini with honey drizzle, a mini Maine lobster and prosciutto taco, ancho rubbed chicken roll-up, apple and blue cheese turnover and barbeque braised short rib on Yukon chip.

The salad and entrée were served on one plate at the clients request to keep the dinner service short.  Arugula, goat cheese, dried cranberries and roasted pumpkin tossed in a red wine vinaigrette sat next to an asparagus bundle and prime tenderloin steak with crimini mushrooms and caramelized onion rosemary jus. After dinner, each table was presented with two small dessert stands with a variety of miniature pastries for the guests to choose from.

This style of service worked well for the awards ceremony that was taking place during dinner.  It kept wait staff interruption to a minimum but still gave guests the opportunity to enjoy a sit down dinner after a long day of meetings.

Share/Bookmark

The Apple Varietal

Most would agree that one of the best parts of the fall season is the availability of many wonderful varieties of apples.  They come in many colors, have complex or subtle flavors and are suited to different uses depending on their characteristics.  Everyone has their favorite from the typical Granny Smith and Red Delicious to the lesser known Ginger Gold and Baya Marisa varieties.

Growing up, our family would visit local orchards every fall to pick apples (and usually pumpkins, but we’ll save that for later this month.)  We would mix and match trying to get nearly every type that grew in that orchard.  Back home my mom would slice up one of each apple into bite size pieces and arrange each variety in its own bowl on the counter, with a whole apple of the same variety behind the bowl.  Our annual apple tasting was one of my personal favorites; a chance to see if my taste buds had changed and to try any new apples that the orchard may have acquired previously.

So as I enjoyed the fruits of fall this weekend, I thought how perfect it would be to share with the world a few of my favorites.  Try a tasting for yourself, either blind or with descriptions to help guide you to find your favorite, it just might surprise you to realize your longtime “favorite” may have changed.

Braeburn- A crispy and juicy dessert apple it was first discovered in the 1950’s in New Zealand.  Has a wonderful full apple flavor with a hint of pear, sharp and sweet but never sugary.  Available starting late October, is best when picked midseason.  Keeps for a fairly long time after picking up to 170 days.

Ginger Gold- A decendant of Golden Delicious this variety was discovered in Virginia in the 1960’s.  It has an early growing season with prime picking from mid-late August.  Apples have a distinct sharp flavor but still just sweet enough.  Will keep up to 105 days after picking.

Granny Smith- This variety is one of the most recognizable of all apples. Discovered and marketed from Australia in the late 1800’s, this apple is very versatile in eating and cooking capabilities.  Tart flavor, crisp and juicy make this one of the most popular of all varieties.  It has a late season available in early November and lasts for a remarkably long time nearly 200 days.

Honeycrisp- My personal favorite, is a medium-large apple bred to withstand the extremely cold winters of the northern US.  The light green to yellow undertone topped with red pink overtone holds within an apple bursting with sweetness and less dense crispness unlike most others. Ripe in mid September this is apple lasts well after its picking season and remains flavorful even when kept at cold temperatures.

Liberty- This modern American apple was bred from a parentage including the Macoun variety and has a distinct McIntosh style.  It is a juicy well balanced apple with availability in late September.

Pink Lady®- Probably one of if not the best known modern apple.  This variety has succeeded with the aid of brand marketing keeping quality high and imposters at bay.  It grows best in warm climates and shares characteristics with Golden Delicious its parent variety.  Its season is late November but has a very long shelf life making it more readily available.

Winter Banana- I added this for fun although I have never had one but I also love bananas so its principles sound intriguing.  It is named for its banana like quality. Available from late October with a relatively long shelf life it appears to be somewhat susceptible to many diseases.  If you can find one, try it out!

“Apple – Braeburn – Tasting Notes, Where to Buy Fruit and Trees.” Apples, Plums, Cherries – Flavors, Tasting Notes, Identification, Fruit Trees for Sale. 21 May 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. <http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/braeburn>.

“Apple – Ginger Gold – Tasting Notes, Identification, Review This Apple Tree.” Apples, Plums, Cherries – Flavors, Tasting Notes, Identification, Fruit Trees for Sale. 29 Aug. 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. <http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/ginger-gold>.

“Apple – Granny Smith – Tasting Notes, Where to Buy Fruit and Trees.” Apples, Plums, Cherries – Flavors, Tasting Notes, Identification, Fruit Trees for Sale. 31 Aug. 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. <http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/granny-smith>.

“Apple – Honeycrisp – Tasting Notes, Where to Buy Fruit and Trees.” Apples, Plums, Cherries – Flavors, Tasting Notes, Identification, Fruit Trees for Sale. 23 Sept. 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. <http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/honey-crisp>.

“Apple – Liberty – Tasting Notes, Where to Buy Fruit and Trees.” Apples, Plums, Cherries – Flavors, Tasting Notes, Identification, Fruit Trees for Sale. 7 Jan. 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. <http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/liberty>.

“Apple – Pink Lady® – Tasting Notes, Identification, Review This Apple Tree.” Apples, Plums, Cherries – Flavors, Tasting Notes, Identification, Fruit Trees for Sale. 21 May 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. <http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/pinklady>.

“Apple – Winter Banana – Tasting Notes, Identification, Review This Apple Tree.” Apples, Plums, Cherries – Flavors, Tasting Notes, Identification, Fruit Trees for Sale. 9 Jan. 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. <http://www.orangepippin.com/apples/winter-banana>.

Krawczyk, G. PA Tree Fruit Production Guide. University Park: Publications Distribution Center, 2010. College of Agricultural Sciences %u2014 Penn State University. Pennsylvania State University. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. <http://agsci.psu.edu/tfpg>.

Share/Bookmark