feast: fresh global cuisine   event planning
hello!

Welcome to feast's March cuisine of the month newsletter. 

As the weather is warming up again, we're starting to focus on spring and summer celebrations and the abundance of fresh spring produce that's starting to emerge.  The perennial artichoke plant is already standing tall in March, shooting up its long stalks of delicious flowers. Originating in the Mediterranean, artichokes have become a favorite staple on the dinner tables and tapas bars of Spain. Growing and enjoying artichokes is something Californians uniquely share with the Spaniards.  So we explored the similarities between Californian and Spanish ingredients by featuring the cuisine of Spain this month.

season's best: fresh artichokes.
fresh artichokes

buy
Many different varieties of artichokes can be found all around LA this month. But we like farmer Jerry Rutiz's artichokes from the California central coast. He can be found at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market on Wednesdays.


store  

In an air tight plastic bag in the refrigerator; slightly dampened either by wrapping in a damp paper towel or by sprinkling with a little water. Stored this way artichokes will stay fresh for about a week. Do not wash before storage.


serve  
Braised with lemon + wine,
grilled artichokes, sausage stuffed artichoke hearts, artichoke + arugula pizza, artichoke hummus with pita chips, spinach + artichoke crepes, artichoke caesar salad, shrimp + artichoke kebabs

cook 
Grilled Artichokes   Serves 3-4

3 artichokes
1 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
Salt + pepper to taste

Cut the top off the artichoke about 1/3 of the way down. Trim the outer leaves with scissors then cut the artichokes vertically into quarters. Remove the fuzzy centers from each quarter and any remaining rough or scratchy leaves. Soak in lemon water. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil and add artichokes, boiling until just tender on the outside. Drain and squeeze off excess water. Toss cooked artichokes in lemon juice, olive, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt + pepper, and grill over an open flame until tender and brown. Serve with green garlic aioli, pesto dip, or red pepper hummus.  

what's cooking .
tapas  paella with chicken  serrano wrapped dates

spanish fusion hors d'oeuvre party
pan con tomate, balsamic roasted shallot + cherry tomato
cabrales stuffed medjool dates wrapped in serrano ham
paella cake, spiced corkscrew shrimp + saffron aioli
garlic chickpea stuffed artichoke heart
chicken empanita, roasted pepper compote



traditional tapas celebration
serrano ham, shaved manchego + crusty baguette
roasted pepper with fresh sardine, lemon + olive oil
thyme + crushed pepper marinated olives
**
salt cod + squid ink croquette

braised chickpeas with spanish chorizo

roasted artichokes, warm aioli dressing + chopped fresh parsley
smoked baby octopus with meyer lemon


grilled beef tenderloin medallions, roasted garlic confit + truffle oil
 
japanese eggplant, fresh tomato basil + caper chutney

**
sour orange flan with fresh berries 



march spanish style luncheon
hearts of romaine + radicchio salad, cherry tomato, garlic crouton, aged sherry dressing

paella style free range chicken with rice, peppers, onions + spanish olives
saffron fettucini with petit peas, asparagus + prawns

broccolini with pimento + pistachio butter
potato, artichoke, fresh herbs + manchego gratin

cafe con leche magdalenas




Our menus are created using the best, fresh seasonal ingredients. To ensure premium quality and availability, orders must be placed 24-hours in advance. Contact us for personalized menus reflecting your event theme, culinary tastes or budget. Special dietary requirements can also be creatively accommodated.

details... .
citrus + pomegranate sangria  tapas place setting  spanish candy

our favorite cocktail this month: citrus white sangria
1 bottle dry Spanish white wine
1/2 liter ginger ale
3 shots triple sec orange liqueur
2 oranges, sliced
2 grapefruit, sliced
2 blood oranges, sliced
up to 2/3 cups sugar
pomegranate seeds for garnish

Prepare one day ahead for best results. Combine all ingredients (except sugar and garnish) into a large pitcher. Add sugar to desired sweetness. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, add ice to pitcher and garnish top of pitcher with pomegranate seeds. 


great ideas  

On a trip to Barcelona we ate at a popular tapas bar that prints their menu on individual paper bags filled with a napkin, fork and knife. The simple package was a great informal and practical place setting.  At a recent tapas style party we used this idea for casual place settings at the dinner tables as a way of letting the guests know what was being served for dinner.


feast loves...  
La Espanola; a Spanish meat and gourmet food purveyor since 1982, is well known for their own line of Spanish sausages and house cured Serrano ham. They carry a wide variety of gourmet Spanish food products such as olive oils, cheeses, canned fish, saffron, and chocolate. Their colorful Spanish candies make unique guest goody bags. And
we love the way their eleven different sizes of paella pans create a striking Spanish dinner buffet. On Saturdays they whip up a giant pan of paella for their weekend customers.  www.laespanolameats.com    


contact us

We build our business on referrals from our clients. We value our relationship with you, and appreciate the opportunity to stay in touch. Please think of us for the upcoming celebration on your calendar, and for your business catering needs. And, if you have a friend or colleague whom may need a caterer, please tell them about us. We can be contacted at 310-568-8600 or by email.  And as always, feel free to visit our website. We look forward to hearing from you very soon.

bon appetit!

Harvey Slater + your friends at feast
 

Facebook  Flickr   YouTube