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 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!!!

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

We were so busy getting the weblog up and going last month that we almost forgot to mention two catering events that really warmed our hearts during the month of June.

On June 7th we catered the Annual Family Picnic for Transition House. This event honors the amazing contributions of the volunteers, staff, donors, and clients that make up the heart of Transition House. This year was extra special, as Transition House celebrated their 25th anniversary in Santa Barbara. That is quite a milestone. Shalhoob Meat Company provided the tri-tip and chicken for the event and SBB Gourmet Catering and Grilling (that’s us!) had the fun of grilling on site, carving the meats, and serving the fabulous guests.

Transition House is a local nonprofit organization that provides food, shelter, and assistance to families in Santa Barbara who have lost their housing. It is a tragic fact of life that many Santa Barbara families suddenly find themselves without a home. Where would you go if this were to happen to you? The staff and volunteers at Transition House stand ready to help. They assist with emergency housing needs at their shelter and then provide a path toward independence through transitional living and affordable housing. They do a great job, and have an incredible 60% success rate in helping people get back on their feet. Check out their website at: http://www.transitionhouse.com/

Just a few days earlier on June 5th we catered the Unity Shoppe Golf Classic at Sandpiper Golf Course. The Golf Classic is a large fundraiser to benefit the operations of the Unity Shoppe. We donated our catering prowess to help make it a delicious event. Pulled pork sandwiches, homemade potato chips, and a colorful array of fresh peaches, plums, and apricots rounded out the lunch selection. It was a lot of great food and great fun in service of a great charity.

The Unity Shoppe is a local nonprofit organization that seeks to assist individuals in need. Their philosophy is that homelessness and welfare dependency can be prevented through the supply of basic needs like food, shelter, and clothing. If people don’t have to choose between paying the rent and feeding their children they can focus on staying in their current home and stabilizing their life. The Unity Shoppe assists over 19,000 people a year and maintains a local “Free” store that helps provide necessities like food and clothing. Check out their website at: http://www.unityshoppe.org/

To wrap up, these are fantastic local organizations that provide critical services to those Santa Barbara residents most in need. We love and respect what they do, which is why we will continue donating to their cause in the future. We hope that you will consider doing the same.

Best ~ SBB

SBB Gourmet Catering spent the July 4th holiday serving about 1000 patriotic citizens at the 14th Annual Montecito Village Fourth of July celebration in Montecito, California. This is the fourth consecutive year the event has been catered by SBB Gourmet Catering and we are very proud of this and our support of this wonderful tradition. The town’s citizens of all ages lined the local streets to watch the annual parade and then moved down to the adjacent city park to enjoy festivities, tug-of-rope competitions, great music, and our sumptuous barbeque hamburgers and hot dogs.

A special thanks to the Montecito Association, who orchestrates the event every year and all the other multiple supporters including the Montecito Rotary Club. From the pancake breakfast served up by the Montecito Fire House to the parade to the afternoon celebration – it was a great time.

Click on the photos below to check out the celebration.

~SBBGCG