As the Summer comes to a close many businesses are going through the end of season ritual of saying goodbye to their Summer interns.  We bid farewell to our two interns a few weeks back and their absence is surely being felt in all departments.  While some may part ways with a simple lunch or card signed by all the employees one of our clients decided to wish their students and summer associates well with a luncheon at a private residence last week.

Guests were treated to a variety of passed hors d’oeuvre including grilled scallops on a wasabi cracker with sweet chili sauce, grilled vegetable napoleons with herbed cheese, and spedini de mozzarella with prosciutto just to name a few.

The buffet, adorned with rustic BBQ themed décor, included grilled sirloin with discs of blue cheese walnut butter and grilled chicken breasts with sun-dried tomato demi.  Accompaniments to the main dishes consisted of Summer garden cheese tortellini salad, fresh fruit and chocolate dipped strawberries.

The atmosphere and conversation was full of wisdom and sound advice from veteran employees.  While the interns set out for another year of schooling, maybe their second, maybe their last, they have their whole lives ahead of them; they need only open the door to a world of possibility.  We so enjoyed being a part of this celebration of learning and thank our long time client for once again choosing J. Scott Catering.

Today, while feeling quite sentimental, I leave you with this-

The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand. ~Vince Lombardi

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Every culture celebrates this bond with different traditions symbolizing the journey the couple is about to embark upon.  This past weekend we catered a wedding for a young couple of which the bride was of Polish decent.  At the reception it is tradition for the parents of the bride to give the gift of bread, salt and wine to the couple to help them understand their new lives together.  The bread is for the hope that the couple will never go hungry, the salt is a reminder that life may be difficult at times and the wine gives hope that the couple will never go thirsty.  While these traditions may have been born from years past filled with hardship, they find a place in the 21^st century to remind us how fortunate we all are.

Through food, we are able to assist couples in making this seamless transition by incorporating items that celebrate the bride and grooms different cultures while also embracing new traditions they will create together. The couple themed their wedding around Hawaii and as such the décor for the stationary hor d’oeuvre table, which included a varietal cheese display, was Hawaiian inspired.

The hor d’oeuvre list included sesame California rolls, miniature classic Caesar salads, chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce, Portobello mushroom and fontina quesadilla and several other culturally diverse dishes.

Entrees included seared tilapia with jalapeno pineapple salsa and pesto rubbed flank steak thinly sliced and topped with tomato concasse.  Both entrees were accompanied by roasted red bliss potatoes and grilled seasonal vegetable batons.

The guests enjoyed a J. Scott exclusive in our black bars at the Phoenixville Foundry where this couples wedding was celebrated.  Adorned with candlelight filled lanterns and tall black lighthouses it is a piece that adds a special character to the venues atmosphere. The Foundry itself is a celebration of old meets new as it is a fully renovated steel foundry used for over 100 years.

We truly enjoy working with couples to achieve their dream wedding whether it is 100% traditional, a mix of the past and present or a modern affair.  Congratulations to the couple, from all of us at J. Scott Catering we wish you the best in the years to come.

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It’s difficult to truly capture our chef’s beautiful creations on camera. At the tasting yesterday our very own Julianne Faris captured the food perfectly by setting up a linen canvas and taking advantage of the natural sunlight. This first vibrant photo depicts the sesame beef skewers with scallion dipping sauce. The pale peach-colored linen makes the orange plate pop while the sesame seeds on the skewers give a 3D effect that draws you in even more. Our miniature caprese salad skewers are simply mozzarella balls, grape tomatoes, and basil leaves on a stick but when drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette and garnished with sliced peppers and lime, it adds more color to this plate making it appear like candy!

Cashew chicken salad turned into a work of art when placed into crispy wonton cups and served in a mini canoe-like tray. The rich wood accents the green scallions in the salad while the sliced cashew on the top provides a nice finishing touch. Moving onto the next color-filled picture, we have gorgonzola cheese and tomato walnut bruschetta. The lime green plate contrasts magnificently with the red diced tomatoes making it look just as good as it tastes. Even the shrimp spring rolls have color against the royal blue plate and next to the bright orange sweet chili sauce.

At first glance, the baguette rounds appear to have sliced ham on them, but look a little closer and you will see that it’s actually ruby port caramelized pear with chevre. Look even closer and you will see the crispiness of the toasted baguette and the thickness of each pear slice. Next, is my favorite hors d’oeuvre picture showing the tuna with mango and lime ceviche corn cups. This glass tray is gorgeous, but still doesn’t take away from the beauty of the toasted corn cups. Notice how clearly you can see every diced mango and piece of tuna. The angle also allows you to observe the depth of each cup.

There were two entrees that we presented; the gulf coast pan roasted red snapper with citrus zest and lemon, lime, and grapefruit extra virgin olive sauce and the seared tenderloin of beef au poivre. Each of these selections was accompanied by grilled vegetable batons and parmesan and garlic smashed potatoes. Once again, these photos were taken so well that you can actually see the spices that went into the fish, beef, and potatoes.

It goes without saying that this tasting was a success and our clients were very pleased with the variety of foods offered.

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At an event last week, our staff passed around three types of hors d’oeuvres outside in the beautiful summer weather. The first of these were mini caprese salad skewer. These skewers are made with fresh mozzarella, juicy grape tomatoes, and basil; garnished with orange flowers, sliced lime, and drizzled balsamic glaze for bountiful amounts of color.

Continuing with Italian dishes, the bocconcini was made with more mozzarella and delicately wrapped in saline prosciutto with elegantly drizzled balsamic glaze. Presented on a vibrant pink plate with yellow flowers and a sliced lemon, this dish screams summer. The sweet and creamy honey goat cheese that was offered was spread onto a lightly toasted crostini and topped with roasted sweet pea pesto. The blue plate, purple flower, and shredded orange carrot on top of the pesto made this an eye-catching hors d’oeuvre.

Other than the plates that were passed around, this event was set-up with stationary hors d’oeuvres on an exposed-stone surface outside. There was an array of dips that included: hot crab and artichoke, homemade guacamole, spinach and artichoke, and barbecue crab spread. Our chef was also there grilling up some petit beef tenderloin filets, marinated beer and basil grilled colossal shrimp, and grilled chicken strips for the kids. There were also grilled tuscan vegetables such as eggplant, vidalia onion, squash, zucchini, and portobello mushrooms. This summer event wouldn’t be complete without home-style potato salad and fresh jersey corn on the cob offered with sweet butter and sundried tomato butter.

Overall, great food, great weather, and a great event!

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