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.

valentine’s day is just weeks away. every year for valentine’s day, wes and i celebrate with grilled lobster tails and my lemon caesar salad. but this year, i thought it would be fun to add a twist to our lobster tradition.

wes has been working on adding freshly baked bread to our repertoire, so i’ve pretty much been using it for EVERYTHING. and it is the perfect base for a delicious appetizer take on one of the best lobster cob salads i’ve ever had.

these little toasts are packed full of flavor and decadence, and are great for a party with your gals, a dinner party with friends or a sexy night in.

butter poached lobster toasts

serves: 24 mini toasts

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 30 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 6-8oz lobster tail. 1 stick butter (for extra flavor you could use THIS garlic herb butter). juice of 1 lemon. .25 cup white wine. 1 garlic clove, smashed. 1 small avocado. 1 tbs chopped chives. 10 arugula leaves finely chopped. 10 cherry tomatoes, thinly slice enough for each toast and roughly chop the rest. 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 24 bread squares (about 1 inch squared) using your favorite crouton/toast bread).

start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. while your oven is preheating, lay your bread pieces on a baking sheet and lightly brush each with some of the olive oil. once your oven is preheated, toast the bread for 7-10 minutes till it is toasted but still a little soft on the inside.

heat the butter in a sauce pan until it has melted. once it has melted, add in the garlic clove, half the lemon juice and the white wine. bring the mixture to a soft boil.

cut the shell away from the lobster and slice the lobster tail in half.

season well with salt and pepper and when your butter is softly boiling, add in the lobster.

cook until the lobster is barely cooked through. cooking it too long, will give you a chewy lobster. 6-8 minutes should do it. use a spoon to continuously spoon butter over the lobster as it poaches.

once the lobster is cooked, remove it from the butter and allow it to rest and cool. once it has cooled to room temperature, place it in the fridge till it has chilled. combine the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, mustard, remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk it till well combined.

once the lobster is chilled, slice it into small pieces and toss it in a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, arugula and the chives.

swipe just a little bit of avocado on each slice of toasted bread.

top the bread with a half teaspoon of lobster mix. top each lobster toast with a sliced tomato and drizzle with your vinaigrette.

serve and enjoy.

xo, a

butter poached lobster toasts

serves: 24 mini toasts

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 30 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 6-8oz lobster tail. 1 stick butter (for extra flavor you could use THIS garlic herb butter). juice of 1 lemon. .25 cup white wine. 1 garlic clove, smashed. 1 small avocado. 1 tbs chopped chives. 10 arugula leaves finely chopped. 10 cherry tomatoes, thinly slice enough for each toast and roughly chop the rest. 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 24 bread squares (about 1 inch squared) using your favorite crouton/toast bread).

start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. while your oven is preheating, lay your bread pieces on a baking sheet and lightly brush each with some of the olive oil. once your oven is preheated, toast the bread for 7-10 minutes till it is toasted but still a little soft on the inside. heat the butter in a sauce pan until it has melted. once it has melted, add in the garlic clove, half the lemon juice and the white wine. bring the mixture to a soft boil. cut the shell away from the lobster and slice the lobster tail in half. season well with salt and pepper and when your butter is softly boiling, add in the lobster. cook until the lobster is barely cooked through. cooking it too long, will give you a chewy lobster. 6-8 minutes should do it. use a spoon to continuously spoon butter over the lobster as it poaches. once the lobster is cooked, remove it from the butter and allow it to rest and cool. once it has cooled to room temperature, place it in the fridge till it has chilled. combine the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, mustard, remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk it till well combined. once the lobster is chilled, slice it into small pieces and toss it in a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, arugula and the chives. swipe just a little bit of avocado on each slice of toasted bread. top the bread with a half teaspoon of lobster mix. top each lobster toast with a sliced tomato and drizzle with your vinaigrette. serve and enjoy.