when i started catering almost three years ago i had NO CLUE what i was doing. sure, i could cook, but cooking for the masses is a different story. and even more than that, cooking for the masses, taking it somewhere else, unpacking it, serving it and then cleaning everything up to go back and clean up the original space on top of cooking delicious food is OVERWHELMING. but, wes followed my crazy lead and we did it anyway. and through out the years, we’ve gotten quite good at it.

in the beginning, the hardware house didn’t really have a “menu.” every single event we were coming up with new dishes tailored to the client. but now, we actually have a bank of delicious dishes to choose from and i am currently working on finalizing proper menus for brunch, lunch and dinner options.

i realized as i went through the best of the best that there were so many delicious dishes i hadn’t shared yet. this salad is a brunch best. we specialize in beautiful brunches and in california, even brunch has a salad. this salad is hearty, healthy, gluten free & can quickly be made vegan by omitting the goat cheese.

sautéed apple & kale salad

serves: 2 dinner size or 4 side salad servings

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 15 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: 8 oz finely chopped kale (if you find kale to rough you can always pick up the baby version, it is much more tender). 1 pink lady apple (or other sweet/sour pink apple). 1 red onion, halved and sliced .25 inch thick. .5 cup goat cheese crumbles. .25 cup roasted & salted pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels). 3 tbs olive oil. 3 tbs lemon juice (about the juice of 1 juicy lemon). 1 tbs whole grain mustard. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper.

start by pouring 1 tbs of the lemon juice over the kale and toss with the goat cheese. preheat a pan over medium heat. combine the remaining lemon juice, the olive oil, half the salt and pepper and the whole grain mustard in a small bowl.

whisk together until everything is combined.

when your pan is hot, add in the onions and 2 tbs of the vinaigrette.

cook your onions until they begin to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes. add in the apples and season with the remaining salt and pepper.

cook until the apples are browned and tender, stirring every couple minutes. about 8 minutes. while you are cooking your apples down, add the pepitas and the remaining vinaigrette to the kale and toss well.

when your apples and onions are cooked, add them straight from the hot pan onto the kale salad.

toss well allowing the hot apples and onions to melt the goat cheese a bit and slightly wilting the very hearty kale.

serve immediately or you could allow it to cool completely and chill it for a more refreshing summer version.

xo, a

sautéed apple & kale salad

serves: 2 dinner size or 4 side salad servings

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 15 minutes

total time: 25 minutes

ingredients: 8 oz finely chopped kale (if you find kale to rough you can always pick up the baby version, it is much more tender). 1 pink lady apple (or other sweet/sour pink apple). 1 red onion, halved and sliced .25 inch thick. .5 cup goat cheese crumbles. .25 cup roasted & salted pepitas (pumpkin seed kernels). 3 tbs olive oil. 3 tbs lemon juice (about the juice of 1 juicy lemon). 1 tbs whole grain mustard. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper.

start by pouring 1 tbs of the lemon juice over the kale and toss with the goat cheese. preheat a pan over medium heat. combine the remaining lemon juice, the olive oil, half the salt and pepper and the whole grain mustard in a small bowl. whisk together until everything is combined. when your pan is hot, add in the onions and 2 tbs of the vinaigrette. cook your onions until they begin to soften and turn translucent, about 5 minutes. add in the apples and season with the remaining salt and pepper. cook until the apples are browned and tender, stirring every couple minutes. about 8 minutes. while you are cooking your apples down, add the pepitas and the remaining vinaigrette to the kale and toss well. when your apples and onions are cooked, add them straight from the hot pan onto the kale salad. toss well allowing the hot apples and onions to melt the goat cheese a bit and slightly wilting the very hearty kale. serve immediately or you could allow it to cool completely and chill it for a more refreshing summer version.

i know that i’m about a month early, but i am already getting excited for valentine’s day. it is hands down my favorite holiday. yes, yes, i know that seems a little odd. and you could probably dive deep into years back to hear all my theories on love and valentine’s day. but i’ll sum up the moral of the story for you.

to me, love isn’t just about feeling all warm and fuzzy about your significant other. to me, that special day of love is all about showing love to your friends, your family and yourself. love is beautiful in it’s many forms and it should be celebrated a little bit EVERY day.

with all that love in mind, i’m spending the next few weeks focused on delicious and beautiful dishes that are perfect for celebrating love with anyone you love. dishes that are great for a crowd, an intimate gathering or enjoyed all on your own.

first up is an absolutely DELECTABLE and beautifully seasonal winter salad. citrus is at it’s BEST right now and are the brightest, boldest and most colorful deep in the winter. not only that, it is packed full of vitamins & minerals to keep your immune system pumped up during cold and flu season.

i prepped this salad for wes and i to enjoy together, but i gave him one bite to show him how amazing it was and then i ate the rest by myself. you know, showing myself some self love.

roasted beet & winter citrus salad

serves: 4

prep time: 15 minutes

cook/active time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: .25 cup olive oil. 4 cups arugula. 6-8 assorted citrus fruit, peeled and sliced into .25 inch thick slices (if you are not sure the best way to easily peel your citrus, follow THIS GUIDE. reserve the skins with any fruit on them to squeeze the juice out.i used 2 grapefruit, 2 blood oranges and 2 cara cara oranges because all but my blood oranges were pretty large. however, you can use any combination of citrus fruit that you enjoy eating straight. options like grapefruit, pomelo, blood, valencia, cara cara, and navel oranges as well as tangerines are all awesome options. get creative. the varied fruits give a lot of flavor and visual appeal). 1 smaller red beet (about the size of a tennis ball) peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces. *note that i cut mine to big. make them a size that you can take in one bite so the salad is easier to eat and they cook faster. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese. .25 cup chopped pistachios. 1 small shallot, minced. the juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp finely chopped chives. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. baking sheet. parchment paper.

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place your beets on the pan in an even layer. drizzle them with about .2 tbs of the olive oil and season with half the salt and pepper. roast your beets till tender. about 30-40 minutes.

while your beets roast, set up the rest of your salad. in a large bowl or on a platter, lay out your citrus. sprinkle with half the remaining salt and pepper. top the citrus with the arugula, the goat cheese and the pistachios. in a small bowl, combine the rest of the oil, the shallot, any remaining citrus juice you got from your peels, the juice of your lemon, mustard, chives and the remaining salt and pepper. stir well till everything is combined. and set it aside.

when your beets are ready, spoon the nice and hot beets onto your salad. drizzle the salad with your vinaigrette.

serve and enjoy.

xo, a

roasted beet & winter citrus salad

serves: 4

prep time: 15 minutes

cook/active time: 45 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: .25 cup olive oil. 4 cups arugula. 6-8 assorted citrus fruit, peeled and sliced into .25 inch thick slices (if you are not sure the best way to easily peel your citrus, follow THIS GUIDE. reserve the skins with any fruit on them to squeeze the juice out.i used 2 grapefruit, 2 blood oranges and 2 cara cara oranges because all but my blood oranges were pretty large. however, you can use any combination of citrus fruit that you enjoy eating straight. options like grapefruit, pomelo, blood, valencia, cara cara, and navel oranges as well as tangerines are all awesome options. get creative. the varied fruits give a lot of flavor and visual appeal). 1 smaller red beet (about the size of a tennis ball) peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces. *note that i cut mine to big. make them a size that you can take in one bite so the salad is easier to eat and they cook faster. .25 cup crumbled goat cheese. .25 cup chopped pistachios. 1 small shallot, minced. the juice of 1 lemon. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp finely chopped chives. 1 tsp kosher salt. .25 tsp freshly ground pepper. baking sheet. parchment paper.

start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees f. line your baking sheet with parchment paper and place your beets on the pan in an even layer. drizzle them with about .2 tbs of the olive oil and season with half the salt and pepper. roast your beets till tender. about 30-40 minutes. while your beets roast, set up the rest of your salad. in a large bowl or on a platter, lay out your citrus. sprinkle with half the remaining salt and pepper. top the citrus with the arugula, the goat cheese and the pistachios. in a small bowl, combine the rest of the oil, the shallot, any remaining citrus juice you got from your peels, the juice of your lemon, mustard, chives and the remaining salt and pepper. stir well till everything is combined. and set it aside. when your beets are ready, spoon the nice and hot beets onto your salad. drizzle the salad with your vinaigrette. serve and enjoy.