Homerun the First Time at Bat

We had our first catering as Sage Catering last Saturday. And, we hit a total homerun!

It was a benefit dinner by a nonprofit, First Down Dreams Foundation, to raise money for Children's and Children's Village. We served approximately 150-160 people. They decided to serve the meal buffet style in order to save on cost, so we set up cool buffets with tons of food. The students from YV-Tech helped us run the gig, and they did a fantastic job. It really went off well.

The food was excellent. For starters, we had cucumber cups filled with shrimp cerviche, puff pastry with brie and chutney, fresh clams casino, and parmesan crisps with blue cheese and chutney. For salads we served spinach salad with goat cheese, candied pecans, dried cherries, apples and a bacon balsalmic vinaigrette, bleu cheese potato salad (my mom's recipe) and Pasta caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, basil, tomatoes and a vinaigrette. Sides included fresh corn salsa and herbed rice pilaf. The entrees were chicken stuffed with bacon, mozzarella, mushrooms and herbs served with a cherry honey mustard (it was a to-die-for sauce, my idea thank you) braised beef shortribs with a cherry barbeque sauce and cedar plank salmon with a lemon dill creme fraiche. Desserts: chocolate decadence, apple tarte tatin and fresh peach creme brulee served in the peaches. It was a beautiful evening, and the food was truly excellent. Although, Jeff at McDonald's on his way home because he forgot to eat some of the leftovers.

The next morning, I awoke to find my feet literally covered in blisters that I didn't remember getting during the event, and a bruise on my shin that I don't remember. My body was sore for days; I haven't done any events like this for a long time. I'm outta shape! And there is no work, like restaurant work. I don't think Jeff hardly moved at all for the whole day afterwards. I had to go to Portland for the day, so I didn't really get a break. Although, the eight hours in the car were much more appreciated than they would have been if I hadn't spent the few days before working 18 hours in order to be ready for the catering.

Eventually we should have pictures of the event. I didn't have time to snap very many myself and Denise Andersen, who took our other pictures, was there. So I hope she got some good ones. I do have some pictures of Jeff and the kids. They worked so hard and did so well. I think it's a real testament to Jeff's abilities as a cook and a teacher that he could take kids, after three weeks of instruction, and pull off and event like this one.

We are, understandably I think, very proud of ourselves after this last weekend. It really was a homerun on our first time up to the plate by ourselves.