Here in the northeast of the United States we are experiencing lots of snow, wind and freezing temperatures.  Which tells me that its time to break out the extra large pot and get some soup cooking.  I especially love when clients ask us to do a soup course for an event because it gives our chefs an opportunity to be creative with something that is typically so simple.  The above photos are  (from left to right) of a butternut squash soup, a traditional vegetable soup and a crab bisque.  Whether it’s a  cream or broth based soup one thing is for sure; just one spoonful and the chill in the air is whisked away, replaced by that wonderful feeling of warmth that spreads from your nose to your toes.  Try this delicious recipe for vegetable barley soup tonight!

Vegetable Barley Soup

 1 l/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

1 l/2 teaspoon fresh, chopped garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 bay leaf

1 pound white mushrooms, cleaned and quartered

l/4 cup barley, uncooked

2 stalks chopped celery

2 large sliced carrots

6 cups of chicken stock

1 can diced tomatoes

Salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Instructions:

Place oil in a large soup pot

Add onions and cook over low heat 10 minutes or until wilted

Add the garlic, bay leaf and thyme

Add the mushrooms and cook for 20 minutes over medium heat, stirring

Add the barley, celery, carrots and broth

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 25-30 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender, skimming any foam that rises to the top

Remove bay leaf

Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes more

Season to taste with salt, pepper

Stir in the parsley just before serving the soup

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Executing a party in someone’s home adds an extra element of fun for us in the catering world.  Not only are we able to prepare food for a slightly smaller crowd but we have the ability to utilize an even more critical attention to detail. 

Typically passed hors d’oeuvres are only seen at larger parties and weddings.  Adding this movement to your party encourages guests to get up and move around.  Here we have miniature crab cakes with a horseradish creme, pear and goat cheese tart topped with caramelized onions and Indian chicken sate, with a traditional peanut sauce.

Having a seated meal then allows guests a chance to relax and enjoy wonderful food in courses.  This client chose a harvest salad with arugula, pumpkin seeds, gorgonzola cheese, cranberries and raspberry vinaigrette, for the first course.  The entree consisted of three choices, chicken florentine, chilean sea bass with a lemongrass and rosemary infused butter sauce and a vegetable gallete with a wide array of grilled vegetables, topped with fresh mozzarella and drizzled with a balsamic reduction.  Each was accompanied by green beans with an almond brown butter and roasted rosemary red bliss potatoes; hard to say but delicious to eat.

And of course, what  would a meal be without a tempting dessert.  Here we have an unbelievably light and airy chocolate mousse in a tempered chocolate shell.  The client chose a simple blue and white color scape, perhaps to represent the recent snowfalls.  It was a simple dinner party in theory, but a truly elegant affair in practice.

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Like so many of us here in the Delaware Valley, J. Scott Catering had some huge challenges presented to us during the pre-Christmas snow storm. The busiest Saturday of the month our kitchen was in full production for the end of the week getting ready for many events. Saturday’s snows came in hard and so did the cancellations of events. One event just couldn’t be cancelled and that was for a fantastic bride and groom who were holding their reception at the Phoenixville Foundry. The process of planning the reception was a true delight because of the bride’s – one of my favorites — fun, casual nature. It was just a joy to work with her and I was really looking forward to putting on a great reception for her. Well, the snow and the wind came and everyone knows the rest of this story.

Our team worked hard to get an early start on their long trek to Phoenixville. I am proud to say that all of the staff arrived early and the preparations were completed quickly and efficiently. Our bride was challenged by guests calling to say that they couldn’t make it out of their driveways, as well as some wedding vendors letting the weather get the best of them. Our bride did a fantastic job of putting on her game face and still making the very best of a difficult situation. I applaud her for her impressingly calm demeanor. The guests finally arrived on shuttles and were ready to party no matter the weather.

The bar was crowded and drinks and many plates of food were consumed. We set this reception up as action stations and used the lobby of the Foundry to create our stations. We had a chef-attended Pasta Station with Jumbo Lump Crab, Asparagus and a multitude of other toppings. We also featured a traditional carving station among other delightful selections.

In the end, everyone had a fantastic time and the bride went away with a great smile on her face. I am proud of my team for pulling and working together to ensure that JSC produced a fantastic reception no matter the challenges.
Next blog we will let you know where all the food went for cancellations.

Cheers,
Scott

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Guest Blogger: Nicole Sigda, Event Planner

For many, snow puts a damper on a holiday party.  But for one special J. Scott Catering client, their event became a winter wonderland, creating the most perfect backdrop for a fantastic holiday engagement party.

Saturday, December 5th, the Main Line received its first snowfall of the season and our client was overjoyed with the romantic backdrop to her daughter’s engagement party of 100 guests.  With her home completely decorated with trees, lights, wreaths, candles and all things Christmas, the only thing missing was snow!  I had already looked into biodegradable artificial snow for the evening, but the effect just wasn’t the same.  We let nature take its course and by 7 pm, when guests arrived, the house was covered with a beautiful blanket of fresh snow. With snow falling, valet service allowing guests to be driven directly to the front door where the festive sounds of Christmas carolers greeted kicked off an amazing evening for all.

The party began with passed hors d’oeuves including Butternut Squash Soup Shooters, Traditional Jumbo Shrimp, Petit Beef Wellingtons, and Lobster Salad Eclairs.  Guests were then thrilled to create their own risotto as our chef prepared delicious combinations served in martini glasses.  They also enjoyed a Pork tenderloin station with choices of Broccoli Rabe & Sharp Provolone or Traditional Holiday Stuffing and Cranberry Chutney. The evening was topped off with warm chocolate chip cookies served with ice cold milk, demi tas cups with homemade hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, and warm dark rum apple cider.  The evening would not have been complete without our staff offering guests warm chestnuts from our roaster as they left for home that evening.

It was a fantastic event, and our whole team is now excited to cater the wedding next year.  We wish the couple happiness and health in their life together!

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