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3rd Annual Farm to Table Dinner at Indian Head Farm

Posted by Pepper's Team Blog on Thu, Sep 01, 2016

3rd Annual Farm to Table Dinner at Indian Head Farm

Another year and another successful farm to table dinner at Indian Head Farm. We are fortunate to collaborate year after year with Lilac Hedge, Indian Head and Crystal Brook Farm to offer a delicious dinner featuring great local products. Over the course of two days we fed more than 140 guests an array of passed appetizers, local beer, and a three course dinner. Music for the event was provided by The Brother Rule Band and The 19 Carter Band.

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Menu

Hors d'oeuvre

Zucchini, Lemon & Mint Bruschetta

Roasted Vegetable Croustade, Crystal Brook Chevre Boursin

Pissaladiere Tart with Honey from Peppers own Bee's

Eggplant Caviar, Bloody Mary Pearls, Basil Crust Cornet

First Course

Chilled Local Corn Soup, Basil Chantilly Crema

Field Green & Herb Salad, Shaved Radish, Beets & Herb Vinaigrette

Second Course

Nicoise Potato Salad, on Rocket Lettuce, French Tarragon

Farm Fresh Vegetable and Spelt Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette Honey Roasted Carrots with Tahini Yogurt

Braised Cabbage with Raspberries Zucchini and Summer Squash Potatoes au Gratin

Smoked Lilac Hedge Ham

Spit Roasted Baron of Beef from Lilac Hedge Farm

Third Course

Fresh Basil Pot d' Creme

For More Information about the farms:
http://www.indianheadfarm.com/
http://www.crystalbrookfarm.com/
http://lilachedgefarms.com/

We are proud to be a Certified Green Caterer by the Green Restaurant Association. Click here to learn more about our green catering program.  

 

 

Think Green, Live Green, Cater Green!

Posted by Peppers Team on Mon, Nov 09, 2015

Pepper's Catering was recently certified as a 2 Star Certified Green Caterer by the Green Restaurant Association, a national nonprofit organization helping restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable. 

We have taken great steps to become a leader among catering companies by maintaining several sustainability initiatives.  As more information has become available about the importance of maintaining our environment and preserving our natural resources, Pepper’s has chosen to make sustainability a key corporate value.  Over the past year Pepper’s has been inspired to take steps to limit our energy consumption, increase our recycling initiatives, and source many food and floral products from local farms and vendors.

Water Reduction:

As a provider of off premise catering, water is a critical component of our ware washing and event preparation.  By installing a state of the art energy efficient ware washing machine, Peppers has been able to reduce ware washing related water consumption by nearly 50%.  Furthermore, Pepper’s has taken steps to become mindful of wasting water in our day to day operations by installing flow regulating aerators on prep and hand washing sinks.  Flow regulating aerators have allowed our team to become more mindful of how much water they actually need to use in day to day tasks.

Electrical Reduction:

Peppers has begun to take several significant steps towards reducing electrical consumption during day to day operations.  This year a Solar Panel array will be installed on the roof of our facility.  The array will be large enough to generate 20% of our annual electrical needs, all from the sustainable energy provided by the Sun’s rays.  Peppers has also begun the process of becoming an entirely LED lit facility.  By switching to LED based lighting fixtures, Peppers is able to reduce lighting based electrical consumption by nearly 50%.  Our electricity saving initiatives extend to our culinary team as well.  Our kitchen convection ovens were recently upgraded to energy star rated models that are able to offer our chefs improved cooking performance by utilizing less electricity.

Waste Reduction:

Since April Peppers has been utilizing a single stream or all in one recycling program.  Single stream programs have revolutionized recycling by simplifying the disposal process and reducing the number of trips vendors need to make to pick up products.  Our current arrangement allows for us to recycle all paper, cardboard, glass, aluminum, and select other recyclable products with great ease.  Since inception Peppers has significantly reduce the amount of waste the company has sent to the landfill and the volume of product recycled has increased by 100%.

Sourcing Local Produce and On Site Composting:

Peppers culinary team take great pride in being able to source product, herbs, and florals directly from the company’s on premise, all organic garden.  The success of the organic garden, has been further enabled by Pepper’s on site composting system.  Our culinary team has diligently been contributing all eligible food waste into two rotating compost drums that help the food items to break down and become a natural, sustainable source of nutrients for the plants in the organic garden. Furthermore, we continue to support our local farms by sourcing our meats and produce from them. Each year we par take in a farm to table event in which all product from flowers to food is provided using local farms. 

Fuel Efficiency:

Pepper’s has taken great steps to be mindful of the impact that an off premise caterer can have on carbon emissions.  Since May, Peppers has taken delivery of three fuel efficient Mercedes Bluetech diesel powered catering vans.  Utilizing our new fuel efficient vans has represented a decrease in fuel consumption, and cleaner burning emission into the environment.  Pepper’s has been able to travel significantly further distances, while using less fuel than our former gasoline powered catering vans.

 

Cater green with us!

 

Hydroponic Gardening: Thai Basil & Beyond

Posted by Susan Lawrence on Fri, Jul 17, 2015
hydroponic gardening resized 600

 

We have so enjoyed the rewards of our organic gardens and honey from our bees, and now it is time for a new opportunity to learn about hydroponic gardening.


Hydroponic gardening refers to the practice of growing plants in nutrient solutions often under lights, and there is a much shorter growing time compared to field grown plants. For beginners it’s easy to grow many herbs, basil, oregano, mint, as well as strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, lettuces and kale.

 

The adventure has begun and we have started with growing Thai basil, and what a treat! Thai basil has sturdy leaves and a spicy anise flavor that is a stand out. Seriously it is the perfect ingredient for an endless variety of recipes as well as in beverages.

 

Want Thai basil recipe ideas – go to Pinterest. WOW what a collection of delicious and creative ideas. We recently made a Limeade with Thai basil and fresh lavender, a Thai basil pesto with cashews, and fresh summer rolls with Thai basil, avocado, kale and a spicy garlic peanut sauce.

 

Our hydroponic gardening opportunity began when meeting with Nancy Thibault from Rainbow Child Development Center, a non-profit early education and care agency in Worcester. She wanted the children to learn how to grow and enjoy healthy fresh herbs and vegetables that can be grown indoors all year round. She asked for our support and we wanted to be part of this effort. It has been a fun and rewarding experience. This photo above is of Nancy with the children from the center selling basil lemonade at the Worcester City Center. Not only did the children grow the basil and squeeze the lemons, they were also learning about customer service and running a business.

 

It’s time to start some more seeds and we think we will grow some arugula. Meanwhile it’s 80 degrees outside and I just saw a recipe for Lemongrass, Lime and Thai Basil Mojitos so I have to go for now.

 

 

Community Give-Back: Rainbow's Garden Stand

Posted by Pepper's Team Blog on Tue, Jun 30, 2015
Rainbow Child Development Center Community Give-Back

Rainbow Child Development Center announces Rainbow's Young Entrepreneurs - aka Rainbow’s Kidpreur$, Young Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas!

This Thursday July 2nd from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rainbow Child Development Center will participate in Worcester's 'Out to Lunch' Summer Concert Series & Farmers' Market on the historic Worcester Common.


Rainbow’s Kidpreur$ will be selling fresh veggies from Rainbow’s garden, Basil Lemonade and energizing Fruit Infused Water. Refreshments will be served from the Center’s beautiful new merchandising cart donated by Pepper’s Fine Catering.


The Center is taking its nutrition and healthy lifestyle program to a new level……namely introducing children to Entrepreneurship while learning how to develop a career path.


For a fun way to kick off this 4th of July Holiday - stop by Rainbow’s Merchandising Cart and enjoy a refreshing glass of Basil Lemonade. (Check out the children’s outstanding customer service!)

 

 

Chef Inspiration: Creative Interests & Presentation

Posted by Pepper's Team Blog on Thu, Jun 25, 2015

 

chef inspiration

 

By: Chris Lawrence

As a chef at Pepper's Fine Catering for over 25 years I am passionate about food and presentation. I enjoy creating a memorable visual presentation and using different types of foods as authentically as possible.


While designing food presentations for our clients, I try to use the most creative and visually stimulating formats. I work at creating a lasting impression for our customers by arranging great food that always looks as good as it tastes. I'm left with a great deal of pride when our clients comment on my work, which continues to insprire and motivate me to research and try new ideas.


My passion extends to working in the organic garden at Pepper's and at my home. In my home garden I love to recycle and make homemade compost. For the first bed in my back yard, I made a bean crawler out of tomato stakes and rope, and in the second bed I used chicken wire and twigs to make a cucumber support. Both structures are currently working quite well, very exciting!
 

*photos (upper three) -  The Imagery Studio 

 

 

 

Brighten up your table: Rhubarb Salad

Posted by Pepper's Team Blog on Fri, May 08, 2015

Rhubarb Salad

 

Spring?

 

What does your Spring taste like?

After this past Winter, many are saying, "Thank goodness"!

But seriously, what local foods do you look most forward to every Spring?

Ramps, Asparagus, Peas, Rhubarb, uuurrrrppp?

 

* Rhubarb isn’t on your short list seasonal Spring food sourced from local farms?

* Rhubarb only goes with strawberry and it’s in a crust !

 

Stop for a minute and ponder these rhubarb ideas...

* Made into a chutney and napped over grilled chicken

* Roasted with golden & Chioggia beets and combined with Berkshire Blue Cheese

* Pickled sweet & sour rhubarb over deviled eggs

* Wheatberry Field Green & Spelt Salad, Rhubarb Mint Dressing

 

OK, are you still with me?

We spoke with one of our favorite local food sources, farmer Tim Wheeler over at Indian Head Farm, in Berlin, the other day and he expects to see his first of the season Rhubarb in his food stand in mid-May. His asparagus is in and it is yummy. Rush on over and prepare this terrific salad.

 

We'd like to suggest trying a Spring Salad with a roasted beet combo, roasted rhubarb, local blue cheese and orange section garnish as a delightful first course for Spring/Early Summer Entertaining.

 

Beet, Blue Cheese and Rhubarb Salad

2 Lbs. Beets, peel and cut into bite size pieces

3/4 Lb. Rhubarb, cut into 1/2" pieces

1/4 cup Sugar

2 tbsp. Kosher Salt

1 tbsp. Pomegranate Molasses

1 tbsp. Sherry Vinegar

2 tbsp. Maple Syrup

1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil

2 pinch Allspice

1 each Red Onion, peeled, cut in half, then strips (julienne)

1 cup Parsley, coarse chop

4 oz. Blue Cheese, Berkshire Blue or other creamy Blue Cheese

Salt and fresh peppers grinds

Pre-heat a 375 degree oven set on convection.

Combine the cut up beets, dust with kosher salt and 3 tbsp. of the olive oil in a bowl and toss for 20 seconds.

Place the beets on a cookie sheet and roast till softened. 30 minutes should be close.

Combine the rhubarb with the sugar and a splash of olive oil and also roast for about 10 - 12 minutes, let cool.

Place the vinegar, molasses, maple syrup, remaining oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, a

few grinds of pepper, along with the onion into a bowl and let this sit for 15- 20 minutes to soften the onion a bit.

Combine this mixture with the roasted beets and give everything a stir or toss.

Add in the blue cheese and rhubarb to the above ingredients and give it a gentle mix.

Taste, adjust the salt & pepper and serve, topped with the chopped parsley or arugula sprouts.

 


 

Good Living & Great Chicken

Posted by John Lawrence on Thu, Oct 23, 2014

Good Living & Great Chicken

 

Recently Susan and John visited Murray’s Chicken Farm in the Amish area of PA to meet with some of the farmers who raise our chicken as well as visit the plant that prepares these chickens for our catering clients.

murrays

 

Now you may wonder:

  1. Why we would make such a trek at our own expense?

  2. How do you feel about Murray’s family farmed chicken after seeing such a “behind the scenes” look?

  1. Were the chickens given free range, great feed, treated humanely, etc.?

To see and speak with farmers and the staff at the processing plant who are as passionate about what they do each day to produce the best product they can, as we see in our staff, was very moving to say the least.

We know that Murray’s Chicken is unparalleled in taste as we've tasted 3 other well-known national & regional brands of chicken. Murray’s won the taste test, hands down. Now we have an even better grasp of their program. Murray’s chickens have plenty of room to roam (creative toys in which to romp & play), fresh air (cooled on hot days) along with pristine water and a nutritious vegetarian diet of corn and soybeans.

The farms are even inspected by the ASPCA and given their approval of ethical treatment. 

chickens

Everything that Murray’s Chicken has done has been ahead of the market.


 

 

 

They were the:

  1. First antibiotic free raised chicken.

  2. First to be approved by the American Heart Association.

  3. First to be Certified Humane.

  4. The only chicken label approved by the USDA to have the word “lean” on the labels.

How fresh, you might ask?

We observed chickens that were being processed on Tuesday that were delivered to our kitchen on Thursday. From the farmer who is raising these happy birds to the trim staff who are hand cutting our wings and other parts, we walked away from our 2 day visit with Murray’s with total satisfaction that all of Murray’s claims are factual and earn the right to state that they raise their tasty birds in a kind and humane way. We are proud that we are a Murray’s customer.

 

 

Farm-to-Table Dinner Event

Posted by Pepper's Team Blog on Tue, Aug 19, 2014

Being Customer #1

Have you ever been the first customer of a business?


While participating and donating samples of our catering cuisine at a benefit for the Worcester County Food Bank nearly 17 years ago, I met with Ann Starbird from Crystal Brook Farm. Ann was sampling the first offering of her yummy Chevre and I was taken aback with the delightful tang, mouthfeel of her delicious cheese. Before the doors opened for the general public, I found myself placing our first order and therefor begining a long relationship, offering Ann’s local Chevre to the delight of the customers of Pepper's Fine Catering. In the first year that Ann was in business, we were buying up nearly all the Chevre she produced, which for a small business can be both a godsend and a leap of faith. While we have always sought to be the best caterer in the area, offering enjoyable cuisine crafted by a passionate culinary team, being customer number 1 to a local farm will forever remain a highlight and speak volumes to our culture.

Fast forward to this past Thursday when Pepper's Fine Catering collaborated with Crystal Brook's Chevre, Lilac Hedge Farm (grass fed meats) and our gracious hosts, Indian Head Farm in Berlin. MA to produce their first Farm-to-Table dinner. Tim Wheeler’s family has been farming on their land in Berlin for over 200 years and it is a spectacular farm in which Tim’s wife Janet has raised another generation of Wheelers to continue the traditions of farming.

Farm to Table

The setting of our 70 foot long table overlooking the berry fields couldn’t have been more idyllic. The torrential rains of the evening before had given way to blue skies.

chalkboard menu and design

The wafting aroma of spit-roasted pork steamship provide by Lilac Hedge Farm, the charming & enticing food display and table settings by Caitlin Spaulding, Stylist extraordinaire, along with set-up Chefs Tom Little and Matt Bauce together created an over-the-top cuisine experience for the 70 guests. All of the fruits and vegetables were picked within 24 hours of dinner and the creative chefs crafted a menu that showcased the nuances and tastes of the unique terroir of Indian Head Farm.

farm table setting

Imagine... fresh Kale Caesar Salad, stuffed eggs 3 ways with Lilac Hedge's fresh eggs, Vegetable Ratatouille, Corn Pudding as well as 5 other enticing dishes and a three berry desert in the Garden Shed with local musicians who popped in for the fun of it.

garden shed

It took a team effort to provide such a memorable feast, and we are so thankful for the farmers that we were able to feature and support. Also a big thank you the volunteers from Pepper's and Indian Head Farm for their exceptional help as well as the guests who didn’t hesitate to be the first to experience this amazing event. Tickets sold out in 3 days of the Indian Head Farm (to table dinner) - it is likely the dinner memory of the summer.

 

Here's to Customer number one!

 

 

 

Farm to Fork, Farm to Table - Call it what you’d like.

Posted by John Lawrence on Fri, Jul 18, 2014

Farm to Fork, Farm to Table, call it what you’d like.

We’ll call it fresh...

fresh berries resized 600

Do all strawberries taste the same?

Head over to a local farm, say Indian Head Farm in Berlin and bring your sweet tooth and napkins.

Eat slowly. Savor the vibrant color, the aroma after your first bite, then the overwhelming essence of strawberry and the excessively juicy berry oozing of goodness ( this is where the need for napkins comes in ). OMG. After consuming a dry, shipped from across the country berry from a super market, you’re sure to have an epiphany.

This was my experience a few weeks back when I had stopped over to Indian Head Farm in Berlin a few weeks back and picked up a few baskets of strawberries & blueberries. I met with Tim and Janet Woodward and began chatting about the farm, their produce and their love for what they produce. The Woodward’s had shared that they would love to host a dinner in which lovers of “fresh” could experience what they do, each and every day.

Tomatoes cheese eggs

60 seconds. That’s about how long it took me to commit myself and Pepper's Fine Catering to join with the Woodward’s and cater a farm to table dinner event. We all became animated while walking over the fields. The ideas were flowing and we broadened the concept to include products for other local farms as well. No doubt that we would invite Ann Starbird to bring over some of her delicious Chevre from her Crystal Brook Farm. Eggs would come from Lilac Hedge Farm and Tim would source the Steamship of Pork from another local farmer and so began the menu considerations.

We have already began crafting a few new ideas and this past Sunday we tested out a grilled zucchini, sweet corn & goat cheese salad with a fresh rosemary, lavender salt dressing.

Having shopped at Indian Head for some 25 years makes this an easy evening to wrap our heads around and be forewarned to purchase tickets asap. We will only sell 50 at 50 dollars each. The menu, farm and the evening will far exceed your expectations and chef Lawrence will also throw in a barrel of his craft brewed beer made with his best buddy, Tim McGee to complement the tastes of the evening.

The Farm to Fork Dinner is to be held on Thursday, Aug. 14 from 5-8pm, with volunteers from the farm as well as Pepper's Fine Catering will be putting in collaboration with Indian Head Farm at their 232 Pleasant Street location in Berlin.  

Farm Fresh Veggies

Rice is really boring…or so I thought

Posted by John Lawrence on Thu, Dec 20, 2012
rice

For years my close friends and associates have tolerated my rants about eating locally grown foods, understanding that it goes way beyond being trendy or simply supporting a local business. My occasional waxing prophetically about eating what is grown, caught and produced locally is about taste and taste alone.

Recently Pepper’s has committed to offering only Murray’s Chicken to our clients. Murray’s Farms are located in New York and Pennsylvania. Each farm is committed to not using growth hormones or any type of antibiotics. This great care makes Murray’s Chickens particularly moist, and they taste delicious.

So where am I going with this? What do Murray’s locally raised chickens and rice have in common?

Last evening my wife and I had a hankering for Asian food. We debated ordering sushi or getting takeout. But it was Monday, and fresh fish is generally not so fresh on Mondays. Okay, what next?

Cook at home of course!

A quick shopping trip brought some fresh petit Asian eggplant, lemongrass, bok choi, Chinese long beans, ginger, cilantro and a really good looking piece of D'artanian Smoked Duck.

We figured we would make some simple rice to go along with the dish that’s taking shape. Combing through the cupboards revealed that we were out of rice, with one exception. We had been saving a bag of rice that was given to us from a local woman from the rice terrace area of Longsheng, a region of China near Gullin.

There’s a long story behind how we came upon this modest ½ lb. bag of rice, but in the interest of brevity let me just share that the indigenous residents of this area have been growing rice pretty much the same way for thousands of years. The rice terraces are an unbelievable site to be seen.

We parceled out ¼ of our stash to have with our dinner. Wow! Neither of us could believe how wonderful rice could be.  This rice has not been genetically modified and absolutely reflects the local terroir of Longsheng.  It was creamy, alive with flavor and just a delight to eat. We kept the preparation quite simple. It was cooked gently in filtered water, and at the finish, we merely added a few dashes of sea salt and a handful of diced preserved lemon Susan had made.

This rice made for yet another convincing argument for eating locally grown foods; and it is especially gratifying to have met the grower.  

susanrice