Here is a photo album I'd like to share of a fundraiser I cooked for our non-profit

J

joe

Well-known member
in August (you may need a Facebook account to see it--sorry).

For this dinner I planned a really ambitious menu and wasn't quite prepared for the response we got--over 70 people! I was exhausted and swore to never cook again, but I have lived to cook again, and we raised a good sum for our charity.

The menu was all my Provencal standbys, with vegan alternatives (this is California and we are an organic garden group, so we always have to have options).

MENU

(v) = vegan

HORS D'OEUVRES:

Roasted Olives wth Lavender (v)

Tapenade Trio: Green Olive, Black Olive (v) and Balsamic Red Pepper (v)

Steamed Mussels

Fried sage leaves

SOUP:

Soupe de Poissons (Provençal fish soup) with rouille

or

Soupe au pistou (Provençal vegetable soup) with pesto (v)

FIRST COURSE:

Soufflé aux Courgettes Gratiné (Zucchini Soufflé with tomato cream sauce)

or

Courgette Farcie (Stuffed Zucchini with wild rice and cashews) (v)

BUFFET:

Poulet Provençal (Chicken in garlic pepper sauce)

Kebab d’Agneau à la moutarde et romarin (Grilled lamb skewers with mustard and rosemary)

Ragoût de Pois Chiche et Blette (Chickpea and Swiss Chard Stew with garlic and fennel oil) (v)

Baguette (Homemade French Breach)

Pilaf de Riz aux Fines Herbes (Herbed Rice Pilaf)

Couscous (v)

Tomates Farcies Provençales (Stuffed Tomatoes Provençal) (v)

Haricots Verts aux Amandes (Green Beans with almonds) (v)

Aubergines grillées (Grilled Eggplant) (v)

SALADE ET FROMAGE

Salade Verte (Green Salad) (v)

Fromages de Chevre (California Goat Cheeses)

Pain aux Figues (Homemade Fig-Rye Bread) (v)

DESSERT:

Tarte au Citron (Lemon Tart)

Peches Cardinales (Poached peaches in Raspberry sauce) (v)

Figues Grillées au Balsamique (Grilled Figs with Balsamic Reduction) (v)

https://www.facebook.com/Long-Beach-Organic-189241474465300/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1149205191802252

 
Absolutely FABooo! What a spread! Love the location too - that fireplace outside

I swoon for the food and location - was that someone in the group's home?

What a labor of love!

 
Thanks--it was the home of my good friends Dennis and Gary.

Some of you remember way back on epi I wrote about serving cassoulet for 70. It was for them, so I guess I called in the favor 10 years later!

 
Thanks, but these guys have been so generous over the years,

to Jacques and me and to the community. Exactly the folks you would want to cook cassoulet for 70 for. (But maybe only once.)

 
You call the menu ambitious? Holy cow Joe

70+ people? I bet you needed bed rest for a week after that one! What a stunning menu- well-balanced and so very interesting. I bet everyone enjoyed this feast and I hope you raised a ton of money for the cause. Wow! Great job, crazy man!

 
It looks like a fun party. All the women in their pretty summer dresses and the men with

fresh haircuts! Everyone was having a good time!

 
Crazy indeed. I had many volunteers, as you can see, and the grilling was done by another chef,

but yeah, I was in over my head this time. I was hell bent on serving Richard Olney's Zucchini Souffle, which is baked in a ring mold, unmolded, and gratineed. I borrowed every bundt pan in town and made 9 double recipes. Fortunately my friends have a huge oven that fit them all. I wanted the guests to see them before we cut them so I lined up the volunteers and gave each a hot soufflé on a pizza pan, one towel each, so we could parade them to the serving table outside. One kid dropped his and burned himself. While our treasurer tended to him the rest of us attempted our parade and got stuck--with all those people the tables were too close together. It was delicious though, one of my favorite summer recipes. Like I said, I swore I would never cook again.

 
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