We had a great time this month making wonderful local dishes for parties weddings and local food events. We also got some big news but let’s save that for a little later.

Last week we attended the fundraiser for Sustainable Food Center at Barr Mansion and got the opportunity share our local favorites with other great local restaurants. We got to share our love of local sustainable foods with a wide variety of chefs and food lovers. We also had the opportunity to taste some amazing wines, foods, and cocktails created locally by other artisans committed to the food revolution.

Last weekend we had the great opportunity to be a part of two wonderful people’s wedding reception at the beautiful Three Points Ranch. It was an Italian style feast for 170 people and everyone including our staff had a great time.

Just a few days later we served up a special BBQ feast for our new friends and fellow revolutionaries at Reclaimed Space. The same night we got to toast some of our favorite farmers at Springdale Farm for the Slow Food Happy Hour.

We have been making so many new friends and spreading the word for local food within our community. It is a great feeling to be a part of such a wonderful group of people who are ready to take on the challenges of sustainability and who are there to support the people who have been doing the good work long before the words local and sustainable had such cache.

But now the big news…our wonderful Chef Cote has been inducted into the Les Dames d’Escoffier. This is an amazing honor and brings together women from all aspects of the food world to support and inspire each other and bring a powerful female voice to a primarily male dominated field. We couldn’t be happier to have our chef as part of this amazing group.

We have big things coming up and we will keep you updated as we make more plans, meet new friends, and keep spreading the local love.

photos by Leah Moss

It is Strawberry season y’all and this means delicious salads, desserts, jams and so much more. Strawberries grow great in Texas and are a part of many home growers and local farmers’ bounties for this season. We at Cote Catering love our little red friends and want everyone to share in the delight that is Strawberry PARTY!

Texas has a rich history with the lovely Strawberry. In 1900 Clara Barton of the American red Cross introduced Strawberries to the Pasadena area after the hurricane of 1900 and the community found in them a very profitable and prolific crop that managed to not only support their community but help it grow. Places like Poteet and Pasadena still celebrate their Strawberry history with a festival each year.

Strawberries come in several varieties Sequoia, Douglas and the south’s most popular, Chandler. Most Strawberries in Texas are June bearing but with our Texas weather that usually makes them start popping out their luscious little berries at the end of Spring.

Strawberries are high in antioxidants, great for regulating blood sugar, and are a natural anti-inflammatory. However, to get their best nutritional value they need to be fresh. So you know what that means, LOCAL! Frozen strawberries lose up to 60% of their nutritional value and can become mealy and overly tart.

There are many great recipes you can make with fresh Strawberries; heck you can even eat them off the vine (though we encourage rinsing). Chef Cote has put together some of her favorites to inspire you to go local and get some juicy red lovelies into your meals this season.

Grilled Lamb Chops with caramelized strawberries & coriander

1 lamb rack

salt & ground pepper

1 T red wine vinegar

1 T brown sugar

1 small onion, diced

1 t ground coriander

1/2 t cayenne

2 c strawberries, whole

1/2 c fresh mint, chiffonade

Preheat grill. Pour vinegar into a saucepot and add sugar, onion, coriander, cayenne, salt & pepper. Bring the mixture to a quick simmer and cook until the onions soften. Stir in the strawberries and continue cooking just long enough for the mixture to heat through. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Before grilling the lamb, pat the chops dry with paper towels and season them to taste with salt & pepper. Grill, turning once, until cooked through. Slice into chops & serve lamb chops with a generous amount of sauce and garnish with mint.

Strawberry Honey Vinaigrette:

1 small shallot, chopped

½ c strawberries, chopped

¼ c extra virgin olive oil

2 T local honey

1 T grainy mustard

3 T apple cider vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

blend in a blender until smooth

for Salad:

4 c spring lettuces, washed & dried

1 c fresh mixed herbs (such as parsley, dill, tarragon, basil, mint, oregano)

½ c goat cheese, crumbled

Place the lettuces & herbs in a large serving bowl & toss well. Shake vinaigrette, pour half of it over the lettuce/herb mixture; toss gently until well coated, add more as needed. Top with strawberries and crumbled goat cheese.

Oven dried strawberries & black pepper with zabajone

1c heavy cream, whipped until stiff

1 pint of strawberries, washed

1 c egg yolk

1 c sweet marsala wine

¾ c turbanado sugar

preheat oven to 250°. chop off green part of strawberries & place cut side down slowly roast strawberries until dry (about 4 hours) or leave in gas oven over night with no temp.

on a double boiler, whisk together the yolk & sugar until sugar in dissolved. slowly add wine. continue to cook until mixture forms a custard like consistency. place in serving bowls & cool. top with fresh cream & dried strawberries.

We had an amazing evening last Tuesday collaborating with musicians and composers Butcher Bear and Buzz Moran. While the composers looped ambient sounds and recorded the music of the cooking process, chef Sonya Cote prepared an immaculate 11 course meal sourcing all of her fresh ingredients from Springdale Farm. The center piece for the event were 4 slow cooked piglets direct from our friends at Countryside Farm, stuffed with fresh herbs and smoked in pecan wood.
The evening started with cool breezes and complimentary cocktails provided by Paula’s Texas Orange. With the help from our friends at Fusebox and Edible Austin we were able to create an evening of magic and decadence. We wanted to amaze the dinners without overwhelming. With courses that ranged from fresh vegetable terrines to grilled endive and honey as a dessert, we were able to tickle the taste buds and fill their bellies to resounding sighs of pleasure.
Please look for more events like this as we collaborate with more local artisans to bring you dinners that are more than just delicious, memorable. We are so proud to have been a part of this and glad to have a moment to show that your engagement with your food is more than just the consumption; it is the moment, it is the company, it is the environment, and it is the thought and time that makes it more than just a meal. It is the love.
Thank you everyone!

Photos by Leah Moss

jalapeno garlic pickles

splash of good quality white wine

white wine vinegar

water

whole sprig dill

bay

salt

turbanado sugar

peppercorns

red chili flakes

garlicm finely chopped

Slice jalapenos thinly and cover with half water and half white wine vinegar. Add remaining ingredients.

* Springdale Farms has some great jalapenos, organic, sustainable, and local!

2 goose boobs with fat on, tenderloins removed (snack on those while you make this)
1c salt
cinnamon stick
crushed garlic
paprika
coriander
tons of crushed black pepper
white pepper
ground yellow mustard seed
bay leaves
whole cloves
2 1/2 T sugar

Pack goose boobs in box of course kosher salt.
Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Remove from salt.
Combine all the rest of the ingredients.
Pat spice blend on fat side of breast
Wrap with cheese cloth
Tie up with fancy butcher knots and hang in you fridge for 10-12 days!
Slice on extremely sharp mandoline or deli slicer.

*if you live in a really cold climate (like Rhode Island) you can hang it in our basement

The final result! Beautiful and delicious!

Our wonderful friends and local farmers at Countryside farm delivered us a mountain of ducks and we have been coming up with innovative ways of presenting these delicious animals to the public at East Side Showroom. Tonight we make Duck Pate with Cremini Mushrooms!
And we are sharing our secrets (some of them)!!

In a processor blend together duck livers, add cream, 2 duck eggs, cognac, and secret pate spice blend*.
*pate spice blend
nutmeg
allspice
clove

Chop shallot, garlic chives, garlic clove.

Blanche whole Cremini mushrooms.

Season your blend, cool, and place on the bottom of a plastic wrapped pate pan.
Place the creminis in varying depth throughout the pate.

Cook until done in a double bath

Viola!