Farmer’s markets occur multiple times in our area during the week. Tuesday’s market is so vibrant and bountiful, it’s one of our favorite days of the week. Our Executive Chef Jason Tuley stepped out this week for his usual farmer’s market trip, and as a part of his outing, we asked him to highlight a seasonal ingredient that’s prime for picking in our early Spring months and give us a recipe to accompany his selections. Jason’s commitment to farm fresh produce, harvest to table, is the passion behind his delicious food, and this recipe is no exception.

We also wanted to highlight the fantastic BD Farms stand we purchased the produce from. Bob Dautch has been attending the Tuesday and Saturday farmer’s market since they first began in the 1980’s. His philosophy of fresh, organic, and sustainable is presented in his selection of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and always has unique produce to bring to shoppers. What do they recommend from their stand? Pea tendrils, fava beans, and tangelos. Jason’s ingredient? Well, we lucked out on two: fava beans and mint. The effect is refreshing without sacrificing flavor. This is exactly what a Spring pasta should be.

Tagliatelle Pasta with Fava Beans, Mint, Guanciale & Parmesan

Ingredients:
5 portions cooked tagliatelle pasta (homemade recipe coming!)
2 cups shelled farmer’s market fresh fava beans
3 Tblsp fresh farmer’s market mint
¼ lb guanciale (cured pork – Italian bacon)
¼ c fresh reggiano parmesano
Salt and fresh pepper

Render guanciale in a large sautee pan for 2 minutes or until slightly brown. Discard half of the rendered fat and remove from heat.

Blanch fava beans in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes then shock them in ice water. Remove outer hull from blanched fava beans. Place fava beans in sautee pan with guanciale and return to heat.

Cook pasta in the boiling salted water for 1 minute then add pasta to fava beans and guanciale. Add mint, salt, and pepper to pasta with 2 oz of pasta water.

Toss all ingredients together and serve with a light topping of parmesan.

Hungry? We are.

SBB Gourmet Catering has worked with Armando Martinez of Alegria By Design for many years on many amazing events. From a beautiful wedding day to an incredible corporate dinner, Armondo is simply an astounding local event planner.

Below is an interview we recently conducted with Armondo regarding his approach to assembling the perfect event. SBBGC is also looking forward to participating in the local Wedding Courtier Fair, which is the brain child of Armando’s. The Courtier Fair will be taking place on March 27, 2010 at the University Club from 2:00 to 6:00.

For more information on Armondo’s event planning services with Alegria By Design, or for more information on the Courtier Fair, you can search his website or use the following information to contact him directly:
www.alegriabydesign.com
armando@alegriabydesign.com
805.452.0450

All the Best ~ SBBGC

(SBBGC) How long have you been in this business?

I established Alegria by Design in 2001.
 

(SBBGC) How did you get your start?

I have a background in retail store design, visual direction, retail branding, photo shoot styling and project management. After taking some time off to reflect on what in life makes me happy, I created Alegria. Alegria reflects my personal dedication to beauty, style, cultural diversity and most importantly, happiness.
 

(SBBGC) What are the most important things that an event planner provides to a client?

I believe that having professional assistance is a wedding gift a bride and grooms give to themselves. From the day planning begins, through the final dance, I want my clients to relax and enjoy the experience. Designing an environment, developing and managing a budget, collecting vendor recommendations and interviewing vendors, not to mention coordinating the wedding day, can be a daunting task. For me, it all comes down to celebrating what matters most in our lives. I feel lucky to be a part of making memories.
 

(SBBGC) What sets a good event planner above the rest?

I begin by working with each couple to determine their dreams for the day: how they want the event to look and feel, what they want guests to remember, and how they envision the day unfolding. The most important thing for couples is to work with people they trust and enjoy, who can help them articulate exactly what they want from their wedding day. From there, all the other decisions come together so much more easily.
 

(SBBGC) What are some of this year’s trends in events and weddings

”Design with precision” and a trend to the “updated Classic” is what I’m experiencing. Excess and unnecessarily overly layered décor has been replaced with impactful placement, functional furniture and more personalization than ever! Soulful events that reflect personal style and tell a story or send a message transform a party to an event!
 

(SBBGC) What do you look for in a good food caterer?

I look for creativity in a caterer. Creating a menu that not only looks beautiful but tastes amazing, requires an innate artistry.
 

(SBBGC) What was your experience working with SBB Gourmet Catering

I refer SBB Gourmet Catering to my clients because I trust and have tremendous confidence in them. SBB Gourmet Catering offers excellent service, years of experience and incredible food at a great price! My reputation is everything and who I refer my clients to is critical. This is a tremendous and highly professional Santa Barbara catering company and to top it off, they are a lot of fun and joy to work with.
 

Armando Martinez
Alegria By Design
www.alegriabydesign.com
armando@alegriabydesign.com
805.452.0450

SBB Gourmet Catering was pleased to provide food catering at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum’s holiday fundraiser in December 2009.   The event’s theme was “Remember The Magic” instilling the wonder and joy of the holiday season to all attendees young and old with yuletide carolers, a bit of snow and a visit from Father Christmas.

We provided the Museum’s guests with a dinner consisting of our Santa Barbara Pear Salad followed by a main course of Bistro Medallion of Beef and four cheese ravioli.  Dessert was chocolate cups with a seasonal treat of “Believe Berries”.   The dance floor filled quickly following dinner with the wonder of the season continuing to be felt throughout the evening. The Museum and event organizers truly put on an evening of magic to remember and we are proud that we were included.

We sincerely appreciate and thank Cori Arnold of the Museum staff for her comment about our food and service:  “SBB Gourmet Catering went beyond exceeding my expectations!  Sidney Adams-Raney and Bia Pessoa are highly organized and efficient and brought along a service crew that carries the same of professionalism.  The Santa Barbara Historical Museum staff and Board of Trustees have not stopped raving about the presentation and flavor of the cuisine.  We cannot say enough about what a pleasure it is to have worked with them as a caterer and anxiously await our next event together!”

We are excited about working with the Museum again too.   It is one of the great institutions of Santa Barbara and we feel honored to be one of their premier caterers.   Some of our photos from the “Remember The Magic” event are posted in a gallery below.  You can also find an expanded set of event photos taken by Amore Dolce Photography.  Amore Dolce did a fantastic job of capturing the beauty and energy and magic of the event.

Thank you again Santa Barbara Historical Museum for giving Santa Barbara Gourmet Catering the honor of catering your holiday fundraiser event!!!

We often receive rave reviews of our work that we like to share on the weblog. The following is an unedited testimonial from one of our very satisfied customers.

Ode to SBB Gourmet Catering

We honestly can’t say enough about our experience with SBB Gourmet Catering. We are a couple who take our food VERY seriously, and our friends and family feel the exact same way. So picking our caterer and our menu for our wedding was one of the most important decisions to make once we started planning the event. And WOW – did we make the right decision. Sidney just got us - and the feeling we were trying to create for our wedding - right off the bat, which made the whole process nothing but pure, unadulterated FUN. And the food… Oh, the food!!! Everything was hot, fresh, beautifully prepared, and INCREDIBLY delicious. We were amazed and overwhelmed at the quality of the food – it felt like we were dining at a four-star restaurant, instead of at an outdoor buffet on a VERY cold night.

SBB Gourmet Catering exceeded all of our expectations, and helped make our wedding more special than we could have imagined. From the food to the staff — who were as just amazing as the cuisine — we could not have asked for a better experience. Or better food, for that matter! And our guests are still talking about how good the food was, two months after the wedding!

So thank you to Sidney and everyone at SBB Gourmet Catering – we hope to dine with you again soon!

One of our favorite non-profit groups in Santa Barbara is Hearts Adaptive Riding, a unique therapeutic center which focuses on helping those with special needs. Hearts employs the power of horses to enhance the capabilities of children and adults with a range of disabilities, from brain injuries and autism to strokes and fibromyalgia.

Hearts Adaptive Riding recently hosted their largest fundraiser of the year, a silent auction and Hoe Down. The Executive Director, Kirby Gillispie, invited SBB Gourmet Catering (us!) to cater a delicious dinner for them on site. The evening was a great success, with the horses nearby to saying hello and the sun setting in the background - you couldn’t have asked for a more picture perfect dinner! Not only was there good food, but there was a live band, dancing, and an unveiling of a very special portrait of the Hearts Adaptive horse Max by artist Katie Upton.

We here at SBB Gourmet Catering greatly appreciate all that Kirby and Hearts have done for the community and those with special needs. It warmed our own hearts to help their organization with their fundraiser and we look forward to seeing all that they achieve in the coming year.

If you are interested in learning more about Hearts Adaptive Riding, check out their website: http://www.heartsadaptiveriding.org

Best ~ SBB

There is an area of town that has special significance for us at SBB. The Godric Grove area of Elings Park has simply stolen our heart with its breathtaking vistas and cozy atmosphere. We cater dozens of events in Godric Grove every year, but on August 28th we had the opportunity to give a little back to the park that we love so much. We catered “An Evening Under the Moon and Stars”, which was a grand fundraiser for the operations of Elings Park. We spent the evening grilling up a delectable selection of Argentine asado BBQ to go along with fantastic wine, tango dancing, and beautiful scenery.

If you aren’t familiar with Elings Park then take a few minutes and surf over to http://elingspark.org learn more about this incredible location. It is a 230-acre private, non-profit park that has some of the most beautiful views you will find of our city. Constructed upon the old City of Santa Barbara landfill, it has become a real recreational jewel in the time since its creation. Almost 250,000 people use the park each year, and for good reason - it is truly beautiful. If you are thinking of an outdoor venue for your reception or event you might consider putting Elings Park (in particular the Godric Grove area) on your list to check out.

~SBBGCG