November catering

We have the food and wine match tasting tomorrow evening for our gastro evening on the 1st December, so Sonya has been sourcing some lovely wild venison from Gatcombe farm in Devon. We'll be meeting with Magnus from Nothing but the Grape, our wine supplier and Jane and Amelia from the tennis section of the club (our tasters, along with Sonya, Chef Ness and Magnus)

We've been delivering sandwich platters to The hub at Kings Cross with salad (roasted vegetables) and cake (organic carrot,or banana), also to Wastewatch.

Sunday 11th we catered for the Institute of Optimum Nutrition - it was graduation day ! So, many proud parents, partners, children, plus graduates accounted for 119 adults and 19 children to feed. We provided a healthy balanced finger buffet encompassing vegetable kebabs, prawn and avocado salsa on crispy leaf, tortilla slices, marinated chicken skewers, an English cheese selection with freshly baked bread, salmon with beetroot and sour cream, wraps with mashed beans and cream cheese - spicy tuna - humus and red pepper salad, then vegan muffins, fresh fruit kebabs and chocolate brownies..................Sonya and Chef Ness prepared fresh  at the venue, the salsa, the sandwiches, wraps and "put together" polenta topped with ratatouille and the salmon, beet with sour cream.

On Thursday we are catering for Locate, a film production company - a hot lunch with parsnip soup, chicken and pasta options, finishing with cake.

This weekend we're starting take aways from the lazy Sally kiosk in cherry Tree Wood - chicken dopiaza curry, chickpea and spinach curry will be our two for this weekend - a lovely takeaway for the weekend to relax and enjoy in front of Strictly or X factor or to share with friends and family and take the pressure off cooking - they'll last for three days, so any time you fancy it or even freeze it.

Sonya will be looking after the kiosk from Friday until Sunday.

On Monday we will be at the London Aquarium for their charity event - details to follow on the next blog.................

A very busy time at eco cuisine

We have a gastro evening coming up on the 1st December. It's our second one, as the first one was a great success. Basically, it's a festive fayre menu with wine to match each course
The menu as follows:
Curried parsnip soup
Gratin of smoked haddock with spinach and emmental
Cannon of venison on mulled wine red cabbage with roast potatoes
A file parcel with Cornish brie and cranberry
Winter fruit crumble with custard or clotted cream

 

Hope that gets your tastes buds going..............
We have also recently taken over the running of a kiosk in Cherry Tree Wood park, N2 - called Lazy Sally, introducing eco cuisine..............opening Friday to Sunday and school holidays..............offering homemade soups, toasted sandwiches, breakfasts, pasta - all organic or free-range of course. Then handmade cakes and organic offerings of speciality teas and coffees.

And on Wednesday we're off to the RSPCA good business awards..............although we're pitched in the same category as such industry organic well knowns as Helen Browning !!

 

 

Tasting Sessions Galore & Real Cornish Pasties!

Love the idea of a tasting session with only the finest organic food out there? So do we! It's something Eco Cuisine specialises in, and this past week we've done several for two completely different occasions. Absolutely ideal if you have an idea of the food you want for an upcoming event, but feel you need a little guidance to make the most of the occasion. And don't forget drink too. As well as bringing you the best food combinations, we can also advise on the wine to drink with it, bringing all the flavours into line and enhancing every course!

OK, sales pitch over. Now, onto the tastings...

First up was a tasting for a civil partnership that's happening in August, and second was a session with the Institute of Optimum Nutrition. Two very different things, as you can see, but with one thing in common: both wanted healthy food that was easy to eat and ideal for party mingling. Additionally, each was looking for some of this food to be wheat and gluten free as well. Not a problem for Eco Cuisine – many of our clients eat gluten free food, and we delight in surprising them with some great ideas that taste great and don't have to cost a fortune! (Though it should be noted that some gluten free food is more expensive, purely because of the need to remove the gluten in the first place).

On the menu first was prawn and avocado escebeche. Never heard of it? Once you've tasted it then you'd be unlikely to forget! Popular in South America, it's a zingy tasting dish of marinated seafood, in this case organic prawns and avocado. Next up we kept things eclectic with tortilla slices and marinated chicken, followed by polenta topped with ratatouille. There was much more than just this, of course, and the remainder of the menu kept everyone happy, consisting of smoked mackerel pate on crispy leaf and then salmon & beetroot tartare. To finish, we did goats' cheese with melon and cucumber, as well as delicious filo triangles of spinach & feta cheese!

Once again, in a complete change of style and flow, Friday brought something entirely different and interesting – a cookery course for six Italian students over here studying English (it was a memorable morning and Sonya even leant that there's no equivalent to a swede in Italy! Priceless information I think you'll agree).

It wasn't all fun with language though...because there was some serious work to be done! First of all, Sonya showed the students how to create a proper, genuine Cornish pastry (look this up and you'll see that there's a lot more to a proper Cornish pasty than first meets the eye!). Chef Ness was also on hand to, and showed them what great cupcakes were, including how to finish them off with amazing icing and decorations.

After this there was yet more to come…the students loved making their very own pastry from scratch and chopped their own vegetables. By all accounts they did a good job, as there was nothing left on any of their plates at the end!

So, a great day had by all, and when they left they got to take their cupcakes with them. An extra-special treat!

We'll be back soon with the next blog in our series. On Saturday we'll be doing an intriguing 5-course-dinner, so watch this space for news about the menu and how that went.

Wine Tasting, Platters & Essential Summer Drinks

Wine Tasting, Platters & Essential Summer Drinks

One of the perks of searching out the best eco-friendly cuisine is that, as you might expect, wine is often involved. Now, as we’re sure you know, wine is much more than just a drink – for Sonya and her team it's absolutely vital and a huge part of making the occasion come alive. Get the wine right and you set a great tone for the evening each and every time (not to mention wine is also welcome during the few breaks where Sonya and co get to relax, but I think you probably guessed that part!).

Wine matching is exactly what Eco Cuisine were doing last week for the gastro dinner coming up on the 21^st July. The chosen wines were light French varieties, followed by a Spanish red. And not just any Spanish red...but a special one made by the owner of the small organic wine business where all the wine was sourced. The event was finished off nicely with a sweet white wine from Provence. Just right to accompany an individual pavlova topped with fresh clotted cream and summer strawberries.

The Thursday night after that, it was time for the Imperial Innovations Summer Party. Here it was all about mixing eclectic tastes with complimentary flavours – on the menu were lovely platters of free-range Devon hand dried chorizo, salami and peppered salami too. Alongside these beauties were Cornish brie cheese and organic cheddar straight out of Somerset! All this was eaten with crusty bread, as cheese and salami should be.

Of course, cheese is wonderful but for variety, you need to think big. So, to make the flavours as diverse as possible, canapés were served up – think sweetcorn pancakes served with chilli sauce, courgette and halloumi cheese and marinated chicken skewers. Completing this irresistible line-up was mini duck pancakes and extra-special plum sauce!

As you can see, the menu was already pretty packed, but there were still a few other things which Sonya and co wanted to add to make the event complete. One idea Sonya came up with was a hot section, and to make it great Eco Cuisine decided to bring in Chef Ness to serve Aberdeen Angus steak burgers with white or wholemeal rolls! And a DIY choice of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and organic ketchup. This, plus HP or dijon mustard, meant that all tastes were catered for.

Lastly, you can't have a great event like this without some fantastic drinks to go with it. For this event, Eco Cuisine brought Pimms with cucumber & mint along, and to ensure everyone was looked after, Mario served Organic Italian Pinot Grigio and Chianti...along with deliciously smooth organic Freedom lagers. Mmm...

Another successful time had. It was fair to say everyone went home satisfied and full!

After this event, and a brief rest to gather energy, Sonya and co went on to cater for a small lunch of 12 for Wastewatch. On the menu this time was a generous platter of rolls and wraps, with fresh fruit to finish it off, and organic carrot and banana cake for those who fancied something a little different.

This week it's all go as Eco Cuisine take on some more tastings, and this week also sees the final week before the School of Economic Science break for the summer period.

Back soon with more!

The Party Season Begins For Eco Cuisine!

What's the best thing about running a catering business? Well, judging by what Sonya told me in her email yesterday, it's going about and catering both in and outside (as well as all the great feedback you get from running this kind of business, which always helps to improve your culinary skills, no matter how experienced you are). When it's too hot you can always head indoors, and when the heat calms down and the sun sets you can head outside. And that's exactly what Sonya and co did last Saturday evening. On the menu? An eclectic feast which covered every aspect of texture, flavour and deliciousness that you could possibly imagine! And not just any event, either, but a fiftieth birthday party: something which demanded the very best food delivered on time and to a high enough quality to fit the occasion. In other words, something which really mattered, and which Sonya and co worked hard to make as successful as they possibly could.

First up on the menu was everyone's favourite meat, poached chicken breast – the great foundation for a lovely range of tastes and flavours. Then came something to add a bit of contrast...namely anti-pasta with salami and spicy chorizo, olives and sun-dried tomatoes, accompanied by cornichons and baby red peppers (people really need to use more of these because they are exquisite! Ideal for use in so many things) These flavours mingle wonderfully together and provide the perfect backdrop to any Mediterranean event.

Next up was something a bit different: tortilla – full of potato and onion, baked fillet of salmon – different but also simple enough that it didn't feel like too much. The flavours didn't stop there, of course, because immediately following this was eco-coleslaw salad and delicious sautéed red peppers and a simple tomato salad.

As well as all this, there were a handful of most excellent starters on offer, too. We're talking some of Sonya's favourites...things like canapé starters of potato-beetroot-rosti, as well as courgette and halloumi (that gorgeous cheese which toasts beautifully on the BBQ and is so easy to cook that anyone can do it). Finally, a sumptuous banquet wouldn't be complete without some extra-special touches...in this case it was glorious lamb kofte with tzatziki and smoked mackerel pate on crispy leaf salad – now we're talking!

Other news for Eco Cuisine this week is that the School of Economic Science was treated to yet another marvel of a dish: a twist on the classic lentils theme that incorporated lentils with veg, topped with mashed potato. Need something like this for an event you're having? Send Sonya an email and she'll be only too pleased to discuss it with you.

Not so good news is that Sonya is currently recovering from straining some ligaments in her right arm...not much fun at all and something which the doctor says requires 3 days plus off, along with icing the painful parts every half an hour or so. Wish Sonya well for a swift recovery, please!

And remember, you can always follow Eco Cuisine on Twitter by searching for @EcoSmeagor and hitting the button.

Back soon with more news as the summer season ramps up...

Gluten free food and some great BBQ cheese!

This week's Eco Cuisine post is all about food which is gluten free, and if you're someone who suffers from Coeliacs Disease then you'll be all too aware of what a nuisance it can be...

But, before we get onto what Sonya's been doing recently, let's clear up a few misconceptions and make a few things clear for those of you who are new to this:

1: If you're gluten free, you really need to be careful: it may sound like a ridiculous allergy which really isn't that bad, but for a Coeliac, eating food with gluten in can be a real nightmare, resulting in stomach aches, diarrhoea and all-round bad feeling.

2: By all accounts, true Coeliacs differ from those who have just a slight intolerance to gluten. They can't eat barley, wheat, rye or spelt (also flour). More importantly, they have to avoid it in everything, because...

3: Gluten is in EVERYTHING. It's in wheat flour, and that's used in cake, biscuits, bread, desserts...you name it, it's in it!

So next time someone tells you they can't eat things with gluten in, please re-think what you're going to give them at dinner!

Now we move onto Sonya's adventures of the last week, which is where the no-gluten-thing comes in. The brief was this: a private party in Leytonstone, London, and it had to be totally free of this troublesome ingredient which is so good for binding bread and the like. Fortunately, Sonya and her crew know their stuff, and were able to create a range of food for the family which would be suitable for the 2 Coeliacs in question. And it worked out wonderfully. On the menu were dips, 'burnt' aubergine and tzatziki with carrot batons and oatcakes. Add this to all kinds of other lovely things – such as potato & beetroot rostis with soured cream made from Doves Farm wheat/gluten free flour – and you have a success story. Also on offer were individual tortillas, smoked mackerel pate and a waldorf salad using only natural yoghurt dressing. Lastly, there was rice noodle salad with sweet & sour dressing!

In other news, the School of Economic Science were the lucky receivers of a brand-new dish. That dish married the magical thing that is halloumi – that great cheese you can toast on a BBQ! – with whole-wheat pasta and roasted vegetables; in the mix were aubergine, carrots, courgette, onions and beetroot. All freshly cooked and a fantastic change. Because every once in a while there really is nothing like a change, right?

As for Sonya's van – you may recall an earlier blog post detailing Sonya and Mario's car-chase which resulted in them getting the stolen van back in what seemed to be one piece – the insurance company have finally made an offer, so that's good news. Hopefully it'll be sorted soon and a new van will be back on the road again.

Back again soon with more news, tips and interesting info courtesy of Eco Cuisine!

Amazing asparagus, Royal fun and really great tomatoes!

If I said Sonya wasn’t too busy in my last blog, maybe that was a mistake, because she’s certainly been busy ever since! But then, what with the Jubilee weekend – Sonya’s parents had come to visit – busyness was expected, and for Eco Cuisine that meant lots of catering for great people who know what fine organic food is all about.

It began with the Thames River Pageant – an event which so many of us got to see through the BBCs coverage, and one which Sonya and co were lucky enough to witness first-hand. After all the excitement, there was more food to come, when the neighbours came over on Monday and enjoyed all kinds of excellent food. We’re talking things like handmade burgers (so much better than the processed ones!) and spatchcock chicken. Not to forget Mario’s contribution, which consisted of pastourma – something Sonya explained to me was “Mario’s Cypriot sausage contribution”. After that there were yet more delights to come, with New Jersey Royals served up (they’re amazing potatoes), rice and mixed salad. And not just any mixed peppers, but ones straight off the BBQ…followed by that sweet thing we all know and love – that thing they call Eton Mess!

After that, Sonya had a brief pause – very brief, you know how it is! – before going back to term with the School of Economic Science. Those lucky people were more than satisfied with the food they were served, which included some deluxe couscous with roasted vegetables, and Jerusalem artichoke with puy lentil stew. Yum!

If you thought that was it, then you obviously haven’t been following our blog! One of the things Eco Cuisine does a lot of is tasting-sessions, and this was exactly what was on the agenda next, as Sonya flew over to see Louise Martin of Generation Investment Management near Piccadily. Keen to show off some simple seasonal food, there were all kinds of treats on offer, including asparagus tart, filo pastry with spinach & feta, and individual tortillas too! On top of this assortment of goodness there were a few more things which just can’t be beaten. This extensive list began with smoked mackerel pate and ended with a green leaf & asparagus salad, broccoli and black olives, sautéed red peppers and that most excellent of things: English Heritage Tomato salad.

And if you’ve heard of Heritage Tomatoes and not tried them yet, we insist you do! The ones Sonya had tracked down were some of the best. Direct from the Isle of Wight, the beauty of these is the amazing variety on offer. There were plum cherry, yellow, stripy and beef as well! “When you have tomatoes like these,” Sonya said, glowing with enthusiasm, “you seriously only need a sprinkle of good Cornish sea-salt or a drizzle of olive oil added just before serving and a few scattered basil leaves.”

What else is there to say…oh, asparagus! According to Sonya, English asparagus is still going strong and so are strawberries. Just what we like to hear. Love asparagus as much as we do? Then, in Sonya’s own words, “Try steaming your asparagus for one minute only and making a simple vinaigrette to dip them in - heaven !! and so simple.”

Back soon with more delicious food news for you.