Your Los Angeles Caterers along with other vendors came together for a Shine Global Fundraising Event.

Shine Global is dedicated to ending the abuse and exploitation of children worldwide through films that raise awareness, promote action and inspire political change. Shine Global is a 501(c)(3) non-profit film production company. All contributions to Shine are used to produce their films and are tax deductible. Net profits are returned to the children they document through local non-governmental agencies. At this event Cupcake Couture of Manhattan Beach (www.cupcakescouturemb.com), VeeV Acai Spirits (www.veevlife.com) and Eco Caters, Los Angeles Catering Division dedicated their time and efforts to the cause.

The VeeV Spirit helped washed down the delicious flavors of the stationary hors d’oeuvres served by your Los Angeles Caterers. The ever popular Chef’s Choice Cheese Display with Market fruit and Homemade Preserves. Yes, Nick Brune, our Executive Chef makes his own preserves. The Los Angeles Catering Crew also put out Antipasto with Marinated Artichoke, Sweet Peppers with Arugula, Marinated Cherry Tomato with Mozzarella, and Mixed Olives. If you can believe it, this is one item on our organic menus. They are perfect for a cocktail party such as this. Another item being served was the Vegetable Crudite with Roasted Onion Dip and House Ranch. You must be informed that even our Roasted Onion Dip and Ranch Dip are housemade by your Los Angeles Caterer.

The protein on the buffet was our mixed sliders of Curry Chicken Salad with California Golden Raisins, Muffoletta with Olive Salad and Provolone, finally our Pickled Zucchini with Grilled Red Onion and House Aioli. Every ingredient you see here was personally prepared and cooked by your Los Angeles Caterer.

To learn more about Shine Global and their efforts, please visit their website at www.shineglobal.org

Your Los Angeles Catering Division of Eco Caters was delighted to cater once again the annual holiday party for Pinkberry Corporate.

We all know what Pinkberry is, so there is no need to get into the de-tails. For the second year in a row they called your Los Angeles Catering crew to come into their offices during the lunch hour to serve their staff. They were planning ahead with the food comma immediately following, as they closed the doors to the meeting room and played White Elephant. Which is a common holiday game for all ages and situations whether co-coworkers, friends, family or all. You get the idea. You can imagine with being a mid-day break and knowing the rest of your day is filled with fun, that everyone was anxious to get started on the food.

Your Los Angeles Caterers began with Chef’s Choice Cheese Display along with the Antipasto. Eco Caters Antipasto consists of Marinated Artichoke, Sweet Peppers with Arugula, Marinated Cherry Tomato with Mozzarella, and Mixed Olives. Before the last bite was taken your Los Angeles Catering crew moved into the main course which included a salad, two entrees and two sides. Dessert of course was Pinkberry ice cream out of the machine in their break room. Jealous!

The host chose the Farmer’s Market Salad with a house vinaigrette dressing. The entrees served were Jidori Chicken Pakora and Grilled Vegetarian Lasagna with House Ricotta and Market Vegetables. As if the staff could not get enough cheese, your Los Angeles Caterers served up the Gouda Mac and Cheese and Grilled Balsamic Eggplant.

Pinkberry among other global companies is moving forward with being eco-friendly. Being their efforts they chose to use VerTerra, the line of biodegradable products Eco Caters has available. We also have Aspen Ware for utensils which they also chose to use. You can see more about these products in our blog about VerTerra and Aspen Ware.

Eco Caters, Los Angeles Wedding Catering Crew teams up with some great vendors at the Smog Shoppe for an Up! themed wedding

Your Los Angeles Wedding Caterers are at Smog Shoppe yet again for this fun filled, Up! themed wedding. All the way from the runners on the tables up to the movie showing on the big screen. This wedding stopped at nothing. Even their photo booth shared the theme with the props. Guests of all ages enjoyed the entertainment and with an MC guiding their entire evening, not a step was missed. There was even an impromtu dance number performed by a guest with all the bridesmaids. So fun and fabulous!

Immediately following the ceremony, complete with the grooms friends giving him a lift to the alter, guests began enjoying the flavors put out by your Los Angeles Wedding Catering crew. Tray passed items of Truffled Grilled Cheese, Roasted Tomato Crostini with Bagna Cauda (not vegetarian as some would think. This is because the Bagna Cauda has anchovies – though Eco Caters, Los Angeles Wedding Caterers can make a vegetarian style of this item) and the final item was Watercress Cilantro Shooter with Rock Salt Shrimp.

After the cocktail hour, introduction of the bridal party and the first dance, we moved into the salad course. The salad and main entree course was plated which required our Los Angeles Catering crew to have precise communication with all aspects of the staff from the Head Chef to the Expediter to the Captain on the floor. If you are curious about these roles, you can contact any of our Los Angeles Wedding Caterer, Event Coordinators at info@ecocaters.com. Moving on! The salad was a refreshing Wild Arugula with peach, nectarine, chevre and apple cider vinaigrette. Their plated entrees were Grilled Organic Sirloin, Crispy Salmon and for the vegetarians a Polenta Lasagna. All of these dishes with full descriptions can be found on our Organic Menus tab at the top of this page.

Last but not least, the children feasted on Grilled Jidori Chicken with Grandma’s Mac-N-Cheese plus green beans. A healthy and fun meal for all served by your Los Angeles Wedding Caterer!

Our Los Angeles Wedding Caterers went a little North and a little East for this Latin themed backyard wedding in Woodland Hills.

We began our day with a little chill in the air which lead to extreme heat of 105 degrees. But, that did not seem to bother anyone with the valley breeze coming through from time to time and the beautiful umbrellas scattered throughout the event to create shade. (Please see photos above.) Guests cooled down with our Organic Beverage Service of fresh squeezed lemonade, iced tea and mint water. Their guests also enjoyed the signature drink of Minty Mojito’s and a vintage selection of wines from their personal inventory.

Going along with the Latin theme, our Los Angeles Wedding Catering division tray passed Argentinean Beef Chimmi Churri, Potato Latkas with Creme Fraiche, Portabella Sliders, Eggplant Sliders and Bruschetta with Preserve Lemon. The guests loved the appetizers so much they could hardly wait for the buffet. Once opened it got very quiet as everyone was enjoying the delicious flavors that our Los Angeles Wedding Caterers put together. It began with a Mixed Green Salad with carrots, dried cranberry, candied walnuts, bleu cheese in a balsamic vinaigrette and a Fresh Fruit Salad. The main dishes were Lime Cilantro Chicken Breast and Roasted Coho Salmon. The chicken also had a refreshing Mango Tequila Sauce and a Cilantro Creme Fraiche, both served on the side. The salmon was marinated with garlic, lemon, black peppercorn and parsley. They chose our Fried Plantains, Green Bean Amandine and Garlic Rice as their sides. You can really taste the difference in the quality of the completely organic ingredients.

California Olive Ranch offers many different types of amazing and decadent Olive Oils. Many of their oils have won awards for their taste and freshness. Here are a few tips for keeping your olive oil fresh.

1 – Exposure to Light: It is generally a good idea to store olive oil in a dark cupboard and away from direct light. That’s because UV rays can break down an olive oil over time. This is the primary reason why all California Olive Ranch products consist of very dark bottles or packaging which strictly limits the oil’s exposure to light.

2 – Exposure to Heat: Olive oil can also get damaged if it is exposed to warmth or heat from a nearby stove or oven. The ideal storage temperature for California Olive Ranch EVOO is room temperature – preferably in a cupboard away from any heat source. Refrigerating the oil will hold the freshness only while it is refrigerated. Once you bring it back to room temperature the oil will last for a shorter period of time. Some flavors are lost when the oil moves from a solid (refrigerated) state to a liquid state.

3 – Exposure to Oxygen: Olive oil is a form of fruit juice. Therefore, it is perishable. Exposing an oil to air accelerates the oxidation process and will eventually cause the oil to go rancid. Once the bottle is opened, we recommend using the oil quickly (30-60 days) as the flavor and aroma will fade. California Olive Ranch uses glass bottles for its oil is to minimize oxidation and exposure to UV rays. Plastic bottles have a tendency to “breathe”. This means that oxygen passes through the bottle wall, makes contact with the oil and accelerates the oxidation process. An unopened bottle of oil stored in a temperature controlled environment will last longer than its intended shelf life. As oil (any oil) ages, it is exposed to heat, oxygen and light. Over time, the quality, fresh aroma and flavor of the oil will fade and deteriorate. The oil slowly becomes rancid.

Eco Caters San Diego Catering Division Serves Organic Cuisine at Private Home Wedding in Del Mar

Although we had rough weather all week it cleared up and turned out to be a perfect day for this beautiful wedding in Del Mar.  Eco Caters provided all organic food to the friends and family of the bride and groom on this unbelievable April evening.  The ceremony was held in the back yard and then everyone moved to the front for a drink and some organic hors d’oeuvres.  We started off with stationary hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hour which included a Chef’s Choice Cheese Display with Market Fruit and Preserves (pictured above), Antipasto with Marinated Artichoke, Sweet Peppers with Arugula, Marinated Cherry Tomato with Mozzarella, and Mixed Olives and a mixed slider platter boasting Curry Chicken Salad with California Golden Raisins, Muffoletta with Olive Salad and Provolone (pictured above), and Grilled Eggplant with Tomato, Arugula, and Marjoram Aioli.  During the cocktail hour the photographer was snapping photos of the guests and our food (all pictures above) which all came out very nice.  They can be found at www.barnettphoto.com.  After about 1 hour of mingling the guests moved back to the back yard where the set up had been transformed by the Eco Caters staff and ready for the dinner buffet.  As guests sat down we brought them a plated salad which consisted of Organic Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese, Sliced Almonds, 9 Grain Croutons, Goji Berries, and Avocado Dressing.  The heartfelt toasts ended as we opened up the buffet which people were very excited about.  The chafers were nicely filled with Rosemary Marjoram Chicken Breast finished with a Wild Mushroom Sauce, Pan Seared Rockfish with Cali-Crystal Beurre Blanc, Wild Mushroom Quinoa and Grilled Farmers Market Vegetables.  We also put out fresh baked organic french bread and honey whipped butter with dinner.  All of the produce was bought from local organic farms, much of which came from Suzie’s Farm in San Diego.  The seafood was sustainably caught by Catalina Offshore and the chicken organic free range from Northern California.

After dinner guests continued to mingle around enjoying each others company and some dessert with Eco Caters organic fair trade coffee and tea service.  The dessert was a spread of different options made by the mother of the bride and friends.  The bride and groom actually came out from the east coast and picked Eco Caters San Diego Catering division specifically because we serve organic cuisine.  We could tell that they had a knack for organic food as well when we saw the organic vegetable and herb garden in the side yard.  It is always great to serve fresh organic cuisine in a lovely setting to people who truly appreciate it.  We look forward to more Del Mar catering events and weddings, especially the ones with a view of the ocean!

Eco Caters loves Sage Mountain Farm, not just for their savory Sage Candy Onions, but for their dedication to educate people on sustainable and organic foods. They are one of the leaders of sustainable farming in Southern California. Owners Phil and Juany Noble have grown their farm significantly over the last 5 years. They are Certified Organic growers, and are located at 40630 Sage Road, in Aguanga, California (about 20 miles East of Temecula – if you want to check out the farm for yourself. Just be ready to pick up a shovel and help out while you are there. One thing you will find out if you visit is just how much they care for the produce and animals they are raising. Their vegetables are grown using sparkling clean natural well water. At their high desert property, they use pure organic guidelines to raise steers, chickens, pigs and goats. You can get produce from Sage Mountain Farms in many different ways other than visiting the farm. You can find their produce at Whole Foods grocery stores around San Diego as well as many farmers markets including Ocean Beach and Hillcrest. You can also join their CSA program to get a fresh box of organic produce delivered weekly. Find out more at www.sagemountainfarm.com.

All Organic Catering Services – Los Angeles Catering – Woronker Wedding

Eco Caters did an all organic catered wedding at the Smogg Shoppe on November 21st. The location was as beautiful as it was unique, being that it actually used to be a smog shop. This was no traditional Jewish wedding as we learned quickly about the unique passions that the couple shared, including their obvious love for music. After the evening ceremony, our servers tray passed hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hour that included truffled grilled cheese; roasted chicken with avocado, sweet corn, and fermented black bean; and cucumber cups with mango, preserve lemon, chili, and lime. The hungry guests’ appreciated all of the delicious hors d’oeuvres but it was the truffled grilled cheese that was an overall favorite.

All of the guests seemed to really appreciate all of the organic food even though most of them had never experienced an organic catering event before. After cocktail hour, the guests as well as the bride and the groom took their seats and started with their toasts. We started the dinner with a beautiful herb mix salad with edible flowers , pea sprouts, heirloom tomato and avocado dressing. For the main entrée guests had their choice of a bisonburger with smoked cheddar, grilled onion and beefsteak tomato with house mustard, ketchup and hand cut fries; Coconut oil poached yellowtail with celeriac, lime zest, and cilantro; or polenta lasagna with grilled fennel, squash, and homemade rocotta and grilled broccolini. As everyone engaged in conversation and laughs, the bride and groom cut their cake and danced the night away. We have catered many events in the Los Angeles and surrounding areas and at this venue and will continue to bring organic catering bliss to the Smogg Shoppe.

All of the event photography was done by Annie McElwain Photography. To see more photos go to  www.amphotography.com

All Organic Catering- Pasadena Catering

Organic catering is Eco Caters specialty and at the wedding of Vicky and Mike on October 17th, 2009 we were able to showcase our many skills. It was held at the beautiful Japanese American Museum in Pasadena. The décor was exquisite, the colorful lanterns hanging from the walls was a perfect complement to the rest of the museum. Once the beautiful ceremony was completely, stationary hors d’oeuvres were set up in the courtyard. There was a chef’s choice cheese display with market fruit and preserves and vegetable crudités with roasted onion dip and house ranch.

While the bride and groom enjoyed conversation with their guests before dinner, more hors d’oeuvres were being tray passed. Those startes consisted of roasted chicken with avocado, sweet corn, and fermented black beans; grilled shrimp with mojo and pineapple; and asparagus with crispy jamon. The truffile grilled cheese seemed to be the favorite of all the appetizers, as guests were reaching for their second and thirds.

Organic catering can definitely impress those taste buds that have never had the pleasure of really exploring what local fresh ingredients can taste like. For dinner we served a stellar salad mix with pumpkin seed, shaved purple onion, tomato, and sweet pepper vinaigrette. The guests’ then had the\ choice between ancho crusted ribeye served with golden beets, horseradish, and chive; herb crusted chicken breast with truffled potato and grilled squash; and the vegetarian option, spaghetti squash with portobella chimmichurri. Although some guest were skeptical about an all organic wedding, after getting a taste of what Eco Caters had to offer, people were very pleased and many asked for business cards.

Apple pie is a favorite dessert of both the bride and groom, so after dinner warmed apple pie was served to all guests that chose to enjoy something sweet after a filling meal. The event photographer Rob Greer took many beautiful artistic pictures which can found on his website http://www.robgreerweddings.com/blog/. The wedding came to a conclusion with all guests dancing the night away, and a very satisfied bride and groom.  Eco Caters has been doing Pasadena Catering since they opened in 2007 and this was a very nice event.

San Diego Catering Team prepares Vegetarian Meal for Carlsbad Wedding

It was a beautiful October day for the wedding of Justine and Scott. For this couple, it was really important to have an organic pescetarian meal, and San Diego Catering company Eco Caters made that happen.  For those of you who may not know what a pescetarian is, it is like being a vegetarian, but they eat fish too. Due to our spot as an organic San Diego Caterer, Eco Caters gets lots of special requests for dietary, or lifestyle needs.

For this party, guest were greeted with stationary appetizers of Chef’s Choice Cheese Display with Market Fruit and Preserves, our popular Mezze Platter with Hummus, Baba Ganouj, Roasted Red Peppers, Olives Salad, and Fresh Pita, and crowd pleasing Vegetable Crudite with Roasted Onion Dip and House Ranch. This couple wanted to add something exciting and different to their appetizers, to they chose our fruit Melon Basil Skewers with Pistachio Oil, and refreshing Cucumber Cups with Mango, Jicama, Chili, and Lime.

After grazing for a bit, the party was treated to a lovely salad of  Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese, Sliced Almonds, 9 Grain Croutons, Goji Berries, and Avocado Dressing. For the main meal the pescetarians feasted on Spinach Stuffed Sole with Mandarin Oil and Black Sesame. There was also Grilled Portabella Mushrooms with Chimmi Churri on a bed of Spaghetti Squash for the vegitarians. Both served with Mac-n-Cheese with Cave Aged Gruyere, and Lemon Scented Israeli Cous Cous. All items were prepared from scratch by San Diego caterer, Eco Caters.

This was a custom menu created just for the couple. Eco Caters, San Diego Catering would be happy to prepare the meal of your dreams for your event. We can work with you to put together a menu that reflect you as a couple and indulge your guest at the same time.