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hello!
Welcome to feast's May cuisine of the month newsletter.
The warm weather is finally here! May and June bring many reasons to celebrate with robust garden fresh ingredients. Edible flowers, fresh berries, green garlic, young peas and fresh eggs are all at their best right now, and make ideal ingredients for an array of brunch menus. So we decided to dedicate this month entirely to brunch. Enjoy some of the creative ways our chefs and event planners have come up with to celebrate the best of May.
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season's best: fresh squash blossoms .
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buy
Your favorite farmer's market zucchini booth should have squash blossoms starting now and well into summer. We recently purchased some gorgeous blossoms at the Thursday evening South Pasadena market. Choose blossoms that were picked early in the morning and are slightly, but not tightly closed.
store
Squash blossoms are best if enjoyed the day they were picked. If you must store them for a few days, do so refrigerated in a tightly sealed zip lock bag. Do not expose them to water or any moisture until you are ready to use them.
serve
In quesadillas, as part of an omelet, squash blossom pizza, tossed with pasta, in risotto, stuffed with cheese, battered and pan fried, squash blossom quiche, stuffed with seafood.
cook
Beer Battered Squash Blossoms Serves 4-6
16 squash blossoms, rinsed
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup beer
Canola oil for frying
Sift together dry ingredients. Add beer slowly to desired consistency. Batter should be thin but still able to stick to the squash blossoms. Heat about 2 inches of the oil in a medium skillet to a temperature of 325 degrees, or hot enough to fry the blossoms quickly without burning. Toss the blossoms, about 3 at a time in the batter and coat well, allowing excess batter to fall off the blossoms. Fry for about 1 minute on each side or until golden brown. Try a stuffed variation of this dish using goat cheese, seafood, nasturtium blossoms, or fresh burrata.
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what's cooking .
  
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family brunch celebration
zucchini blossom latke, house smoked rainbow trout
truffled scrambled eggs + fines herbs
chocolate brioche french toast, grand marnier strawberries
baby spinach salad, pancetta, duck egg, caramelized leek vinaigrette
fresh melon + berries, limoncello zabaglione
fresh baked artisan breakfast breads
memorial day bbq brunch
potato + rosemary mini quiche
roasted pineapple wrapped serrano ham
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grilled maple glazed wild salmon
cilantro chicken sausage + sweet potato kebab
stone ground creamy grits, manchego + smoked tomato
grilled artichoke hearts, fresh tarragon aioli
spring baby greens, fresh strawberries, shaved fennel, radicchio, fresh peas, lemon verbena vinaigrette
cream biscuits, molasses butter
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crepes suzette, creme anglaise
bruncheon tea wedding reception
smoked salmon mousse + fresh dill tart
fresh pea + feta grilled bruschetta
truffle ham + cucumber pan de mie
warm goat cheese + caramelized plum croustade
house baked scones, clotted cream + orange curd
chocolate dipped fruit
rosemary infused shortbread tea cookies
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. |
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details... .
  
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our favorite cocktail this month: the classic bloody mary
1 ½ oz vodka in a highball glass filled with ice
Fill glass with tomato juice
1 dash each celery salt, fresh ground black pepper, Tabasco sauce
2-4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. pure ground horseradish
1/4 lemon, juiced
Garnish with celery stalk
Drink may be shaken or stirred as desired. Traditionally garnish with a leafy stalk of celery. Other possible garnishes include olives on picks, carrot sticks, pickle spears, chilled jumbo shrimp, pickled asparagus or green beans.
great ideas
Nothing says, "come outside" like the young green grass and fresh spring flowers. Wheat grass (known for its nutritious juicing qualities) is a great way to decorate your spring table. Flats of wheat grass make a great base for grilled vegetable skewers or chicken sates. They're also a great way to organize guest card displays. Wheat grass can be incorporated into a modern inspired table centerpiece, or just simply place it in a mix of different color or style containers to bring a fresh green spring time look to your brunch buffet.
feast loves...
Stem Floral Events; a small floral design studio, specializing in innovative floral designs for special events and occasions. Owner Que Lam uses her design back ground and passion for flowers to bring a fresh, unique and creative approach to the floral design industry. Stem Floral accepts a limited number of events at any given time of the year, enabling them to provide their clients with detailed attention. This philosophical approach to their work yields contemporary and distinctive floral designs that make an "individual statement". www.stemfe.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 Memorial Day and for any special 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.
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bon appetit!
Harvey Slater + your friends at feast
  
view our cuisine of the month archives!
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