We packed our bags and headed north to find our favorite farms to order our produce from. We didn't have to go far. Starting just north of LA in Fillmore we came across Beylik Family Farms who grow pesticide free hydroponic tomatoes and persian cucumbers (pictured). Great place for these items during the winter months. Heading back to the 101 we found McGrath Family Farm. These guys grow the most beautiful beets and squash, and have a huge amount of land. After stopping by Mary's Secret Garden in Ventura (the best vegan restaurant in socal!), we headed to Coleman Family Farms in Carpenteria. When we arrived we were treated to more delicious food and then a walk through with Romeo Coleman. We even got to see some family artwork (pictured). The Coleman Family pay close attention to their produce and are more than just organic farming. Only the best lettuce, greens, and herbs come out of this place. Check out the shiso pictured below.

Finally we stopped at Fairview Gardens in Goleta. We where fortunate to stumble upon the farm manager Toby McPartland who gave us all kinds of information on sustainable farming and his garden. This farm has a huge selection of produce and a great stand selling fresh organic vegetables right out of the ground. We camped at La Jalama Beach, which was amazing and had great surf, and then headed home the next day. Look for more farmer trips soon. We are always on the look for great food! (peaches at Fairview Gardens pictured below)

You can find all of these farms at the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

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One of Eco Caters best hors de ouevres is our Seafood Sausage. This sausage can be made a hundred different ways, as long as the fish and shellfish you are using are eco friendly. Check mbayaq.org and click on the Seafood Watch to make sure you are using fish that are good for you and for the ocean.

This version uses wild, house cured coho salmon, shrimp, and farmed bay scallops. We finish the dish with lemon aioli, and organic spicy radish sprout.

Ingredients (per 25 people):
17 oz fresh shrimp
17 oz fresh scallop
17 oz house cured salmon

Radish sprouts (4 oz will make 100 hors de oeuvres)
4 teaspoons Creole Seafood Seasoning

½ bunch minced chive
Lemon Aioli
Water crackers
Safflower Oil

Directions:
Peel and devein shrimp. Clean scallops. Trim any non-flesh off salmon. Lightly salt and puree 70% of scallops and shrimp together. Coarsely chop remaining shrimp and scallops. Finely chop salmon. Mix all chopped ingredients with creole seafood seasoning and chive. Fold chopped mixture in with pureed scallops and shrimp. Put pot of water on oven and turn flame on high. Place in pastry bag. Lay plastic wrap flat along table. Cut pastry bag accordingly to desired size of sausage. Squeeze out mixture leaving at least six inches of space on each end and about one and a half times the diameter of the sausage from the edge of the plastic. Carefully roll plastic around mixture forming your roll while holding ends or plastic taught. Poke any air holes out with knife while rolling. Twist ends and tie on one side. Roll into links of desired length. Tie the other end. Water in pot should be boiling at this point. Bring down heat to medium high and lower sausage links into pot. Boil 5 – 10 minutes depending on size. Remove from water and cool to room temp. Once the sausage has cooled, remove plastic wrap and sautee links on pan with butter or safflower oil until golden brown. Slice links into ¼ inch slices. Serve on water cracker with lemon aioli and pinch of radish sprouts.

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We catered a 40th Birthday brunch in Encino on September 19th. The food was fantastic, but of course the Organic Flourless Chocolate Tart stood out the most. Here is the recipe, and don't forget to buy organic and local ingredients!

For the Tart Shell:
1.5 cups pine nuts
1.5 cups preserve figs (whole)
1 cup dates
2 eggs

For the Chocolate Filling:
8oz. bittersweet chocolate
1.5 sticks butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
Whole nutmeg
Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 basket raspberries

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 cup fig, 1/2 cup pine nuts, and 1/2 cup dates in Cuisinart and blend well. Add eggs and mix until incorporated. Rough chop remaining ingredients and fold into the blend. Spread mixture into a 10”x 1” ring mold. Cut 14” circle out of foil, brush with vegetable oil, and use to press mixture evenly throughout mold. Then fill with pie weights or dry beans and place on a ½ sheet pan or cookie sheet. Place in the oven on the middle rack for 30 minutes.

While the tart shell is in the oven place the chocolate and the butter into a stainless steel bowl and place over pot of simmering water to create a double boiler for 12-15 minutes. If steam begins to escape sides turn down the temperature. Remove bowl from steam and mix chocolate and butter. Add sugar to mixture and mix well. Lightly whisk eggs and ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg and then add to chocolate until well incorporated. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature before placing into the refrigerator. Let the tart cool completely for at least 6 hours or overnight. Remove from the refrigerator, place raspberries around the rim of the tart, sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa powder and serve.

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Deborah Lindquist opened her eco-conscious clothing store in the trendy NoHo Art District and Eco Caters helped sponsor the event serving organic stationary and tray passed hors de oeuvres. Cucumber Cups with Mango, Jicama, Chili, and Lime, Roasted Tomato Crostini with Bagna Cauda (which is made with anchovie, chunked lemon, shallot, garlic, olive oil, parsley and spices), Roasted Garlic Hummus, Baba Ganouj and Fermented Radish with Cauliflower comprised the entirely organic menu. As the trend setter of eco-couture, Lindquist creates fashionable apparel out of a mix of "reincarnated" and Earth-friendly fabrics that not only makes it easy to be green but also great to be seen. Brides to be can check out her site at http://www.deborahlindquist.com/ if you are in the market for an eco-friendly wedding dress.


We had a great time with the green minded yet fashionable crowd and the other sponsors. We even took some pics with one of the models and our tray passed hors de oeuvres. The event went off very well and Eco Caters got some great publicity. We look forward to working with Deborah Lindquist on future events!

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July 26th 2008 Eco Caters at Rancho Del Cielo in Malibu. A hard to reach location, but worth every turn once you get to the top and have a view of the entire Santa Monica Bay (ranchodelcielomalibu.com). They also have a great shuttle service to bring guest up and down the mountain.

Hors De Oeuvres included a Cheese Display with Market Fruit, Farmers Market Veggie Crudite with Spinach Dip and Sundried Tomato Dip, our famous Seafood Sausage with Radish Sprout, Roasted Tomato and Onion Crostini with Bagna Cauda (pictured), and Roasted Free Range Chicken with Avocado Black Bean and Corn Crème.

We also presented a buffet with Organic Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Jus and Crispy Salmon with Dill Mustard, alongside Truffle Smashed Potatoes, Broccolini, and Wild Mushroom Quinoa.

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July 11th, 2008 Eco Caters and DC Shoes team up at the Japanese American Museum for Linkin Park front man Mike Shinoda's Art Show and shoe release, "Glorious Excess". Organic Hors de Oeuvres where tray passed to the many guests lined up around the block to see Shinoda's new collection.

July is the perfect time of year to gather some of California's finest produce, and we served up some beautiful organic dishes direct from the Santa Monica Farmers Market.

Spicy Black Bean and Watercress Cilantro Shooters with Tortilla Strips (pictured); Cucumber Cups with Mango, Jicama, Chili, and Lime; Seared Albacore with Valencia Orange and Oro Blanco Marinated Napa Cabbage (pictured); Grilled Organic Sirloin with Herbed Goat Cheese (pictured), and Roasted Red Peppers on Sesame Crostini; and for dessert Guava Tarts, Papaya Passion Fruit Tarts, Carrot Mango Tarts, and Organic Brownies with Raw Ganache and Caramel.

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We teamed up with Elite Racing to provide hundreds of elite athletes, their families, VIP sponsors and other marathon personnel 100% organic cuisine following the 11th annual Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in San Diego, California. We were able to provide environmentally sustainable catering services by utilizing biodegradable and compostable plates, forks, knives and napkins as well as presenting an entirely organic and seasonally fresh menu. We also bought the majority of our products from local farms, who we partner with for both sustainable agricultural goals and to espouse the benefits of organic edibles.

Our menu for the event consisted of a California cheese board coupled with fresh organic fruits and organic pickled and fermented vegetables. The main course included organic truffled potato puree, sautéed market vegetables, spinach stuffed wild Sole and free range organic chicken breast. The organic cuisine was served throughout a post race benefit concert headlined by Pat Benatar. Both Eco Caters and Elite Racing are excited about this new-found friendship, which will aid Green Earth causes and make the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon an even bigger and greener event in the future.

You can visit us at http://www.ecocaters.com/.