March 31st Supper Club

Our next supper club is coming up soon. Please check it us out at VerdeSupperClub.com

Valentine's Day Supper Club

Anne Rutt and I are starting up the supper club again under a new name...Verde Supper Club. We are so excited to begin doing this again! Here is the menu I created for the event:

Smoked Duck with Cabernet-Red Currant Glaze & Dry Cherries

Fried Oyster with Passion Fruit Salsa

Reconstructed Waldorf Salad: Bibb Lettuce, Julienned Apples, Celery Leaves, Crispy Sweet Walnuts, and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Seared Sea Scallop with Tarragon Butter on Lavender, Orange & Honey Braised Endive

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Roasted Pearl Onions, Potato Puree, and Horseradish Crème Frâiche

Chocolate Terrine with Crème Anglaise and Pistachios

Mushrooms Stuffed with Braised Beef Short Ribs

Last month I cooked at a ranch for 3 days out in Junction, Texas. The host had been at a party I catered last December in which the entree was a new dish I have been offering: Braised Beef Short Ribs with Potato Puree, Roasted Pearl Onions, Sauteed Spinach and Horseradish Cream. I have to admit, it's one of the best things I've come up with in awhile but I never considered making it during the hot months of summer. However, she insisted I serve it for her ranch party and it was a hit once again, despite the heat and drought we are in right now.

The leftover braising liquid makes a beautiful sauce for the short ribs but there is always more left over than can be used when plating up the meal. So, of course, I froze it hoping to use it for something else and eventually wound up using it for a passed appetizer party I catered last week. While the picture may not do the dish justice since it was quickly taken with an iPhone, it was one of the best things I have put in my mouth in a long while. I basically took some short ribs and braised them in the leftover sauce, shredded the meat and stuffed them into mushroom caps and roasted them at 4oo degrees for about 8 minutes, put them on a platter and topped them with the horseradish cream.

Roasted Tomato Soup

I found some amazing heirloom tomatoes at Whole Foods a couple of days ago and turned them into a soup for a party I catered yesterday. Everyone LOVED it and someone asked me for the recipe so here it is...

I took about 4 pounds of tomatoes, cored and quartered them, tossed them with about 1/4 cup each of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic vinegar, a handful of whole, peeled garlic cloves, salt and freshly cracked pepper, put them on a non-reactive sheet pan and roasted them in a 500 degree oven for about 30 minutes. I was looking for some good, roasty, dark color on them which wasn't happening as much as I wanted so I turned on the broiler for a few minutes till I got the effect I was looking for. Then I took half a large onion, chopped it fine and sauted it in 1/4 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil till it was soft, added the tomatoes, a couple of cups of water and simmered it for a few minutes. Then I pureed everything with a couple of big handfuls of fresh basil till it was smooth. For the garnish I sliced a baguette into 10 rounds, each about a 1/2 inch thick, drizzled Extra Virgin Olive Oil on both sides, sprinkled them with salt and pepper and baked them in the 500 degree oven for a few minutes until lightly browned. Then I topped each one with some goat cheese and baked it for another minute till warm and used them as a garnish floating on top of each bowl of soup.

Green Gate Farms

My eyes have been opened to one of the best local farms I've ever been to. Green Gate Farms is located about 8 miles east of downtown Austin. My wife found out that they have week long summer day camps for kids so we sent our daughter there this summer. She said it was by far the best summer camp she'd ever been to. On her last day they invited all the parents for a pot luck meal and they stewed up a rooster. Erin Flynn, the owner, was giving a speech about Green Gate Farm, its history and its uncertain future because of Austin's growth and zoning. It's a wonderful place and I hope this Austin treasure never goes away.

Taking the feathers off a rooster.

Julia's camp journal.

Welcome to Cains Fine Catering's New Blog

In the coming months Cains Fine Catering will post blogs on cooking tips, cooking adventures and John's catering business.