Going Solo in the Kitchen, but Mo was there too!

 

So Zane and Mary Lou are away for some down time! Well deserved I might
add! Al is now in full swing of teaching and one of our special clients
has to have lunch. Mike is away at a wedding in Texas so can I put out a
lunch for 12 without burning the kitchen to the ground?



Easy enough chef salad and I have to make a fall dessert. OK have at it!



So first I gather up the mixed greens and layout the plates,








Then I start adding in what I think will be some very cool stuff, so I
cut a little cuke on the bias and place it around the edges, marinate
off a few dozen artichoke hearts with olive oil, balsamic, basil and
sundries'. (The ladies don't want the meat rolled, Al has spoiled them
with cut meats!) So I cut some turkey breast and some ham and lay it on
the salad.








Add in a little avocado, some boiled eggs sliced up, and some sliced
mushrooms. And that completes the basic chef salad. Except I want mine
different. So I had slacked off some smoked salmon, and I took the time
to cook up some lumpia filling. I did a cured pork and shrimp lumpia. I
also put up an oyster sweet sauce for dipping the lumpia into for their
dining pleasure!








Last I place the lumpia on, the sweet sauce in individual serving cups,
salt, pepper and then clean and wrap them.








Next the need the "dessert" as Mary Lou requested. Something fall like
or that reminds them of fall. I think I had the idea and Mo was going to
be here! First plates, I like plates and I think plates are important to
any event. So I picked these up cheap on close out at Wal-Mart.








My idea was to do a cornucopia with some of the fall fruits in and
around it. So I got to work.








Placing the marble chocolate horns down. I then went to building the
chocolate raspberry mousse.







This is a basic mousse with, chocolate, raspberry brandy, Apfel apple
liquor, a little sugar and some cream. Then I whipped the cream with a
little Mexican vanilla, sugar and a slight almond extract was drizzled
into the cream. Folded the two together after cooling the chocolate and
pushed it into the piping bag.



I prepared pears and did a group of spiced apple slices and then topped
it with Mo Mckenna's Brandied Cherries. She gave me a jar of them in
Windsor. And I thought they would be great to finish this dish.








The pear you can not see as I have it sliced thin and inside the horn. I
cover it with the mousse on purpose so the client would discover it
while eating.



Then I thought I would finish it with a little fall Snow Storm.








And there you have it one quick lunch for the Hospice people. All plates
cleaned when I arrived to pick up.



Of course it did not go off without a hitch, I had everything loaded and
was just pulling out to serve when the phone rings. Hospice on the other
end, we have had an additional person add for lunch. Sure but I am going
to be about 10 minutes later on set up. So out of the truck and into the
kitchen I flew. Set up another salad, build another dessert, out the
door over to the site. Three flights of stairs and 5 trips to get it
done. Damn I am getting to old to do this three story catering stuff!



Til we talk again try some of these fall fruits they are fantastic!
Fuji apples are really nice this year and they cook and spice cure well.
Same with the late bosch pears.



Chef Bob Ballantyne

The Cowboy and The Rose Catering

Grand Junction, Colorado, USA