Going Green With Our New Garden

For years, we have always has a selection of fresh herbs growing along the north side or our building.  We planted a little mint a few years back, and of course, it has spread like wildfire and lasts ALL summer.  We would plant some thyme or opal basil, but never anything significant.  The mint was used primarily for dessert garnishes, and the basil could be used 2-3 times a year... there just wasn't that much of it.

Well, that is all changing this year.  Marcia and Stewart spend hours building our new garden and finished it early this week.  The mint is now contained, and the herb section has be drastically expanded to 3 beds along the north of our building.  We are now growing chives, tarragon, dill, fennel, parsley (flat leaf and curly), cilantro (their flowers taste great), sage (regular and tricolor), basil, opal basil and rosemary! 

A special THANK YOU to our neighbors behind us for letting us expand into their property a little.  In the larger beds to the west are a variety of at least heirloom tomato plants.  These Heirloom tomatoes come in all sizes and colors, and are the most delicious summer-time treat.  When served with some herbed goat cheese, fresh basil, and some extra virgin olive oil, it is truly a treat for your mouth!  No longer do we have to go to the farmer's markets and be at their mercy... we will be able to serve these tomatoes literally just a few hours after being picked fresh from the vine.

In another bed are the squash plants.  We have planted zucchini, butternut, and yellow varieties.  While the vegetable is delicious, we can't wait to use the blossoms in our food!  Also planted are some eggplants, peppers, fennel and flowers to keep bugs and critters away.

While these plants will allow us to provide the freshest, most flavorful produce available to our clients, it is also a small step in becoming more green.  Without using harsh chemicals or transporting vegetables 1000's of miles to it's final destination, this is a small step in becoming more sustainable and environmentally responsible.

 

Our Most Popular Recipes

Regardless of where we are or what the occasion is, almost everyone LOVES our onion puffs. This is really one of the easiest items we make, but is by far and away a crowd favorite. Recently on our Facebook page, we asked guests what their favorite item was, and of course, the Onion Puff was the winner. With out any further wait, here is the recipe for our famous Onion Puffs:

Lon Lane's Inspired Occasion's Onion Puffs

1 loaf thinly sliced white bread—preferably Pepperidge Farm
1 cup Mayonnaise (Hellman's)
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons grated onion
2 Tablespoons chopped green onion tops
Cracked Black Pepper to taste

Cut bite size rounds from bread slices with a hors d’oeuvre cutter. Place rounds on a baking sheet and bake in a 200 degree oven until toasts are completely dry. They need to be about the size of a quarter.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine mayo, cheese, onions and pepper. Top toasted bread rounds with mixture using a teaspoon. Broil until golden and bubbly. Cool and serve.

Tips: Each slice of bread should yield about 4 hors d'oeuvre size rounds. When putting the mixture on the toasts, use a teaspoon and "mound" the mixture on top. It should cover the entire toast round, but do not pile too high, or it will "puff" over during baking. For best results, bake 10-20 at a time, and serve in batches while hot.

Cheddar and Chutney Cheesecake

At cocktail parties and hors d'oeuvre parties, we like to have a variety of foods available. There's always some proteins (Tenderloin sandwiches, caramelized salmon, chicken skewers, etc), a vegetable option, a hot dip of some sort (roasted corn dip is delicious), and a cheese dish. While many people like the traditional cheese tray, we also offer an beautiful selection of domestic or imported specialty cheeses as well as a number of savory cheesecakes (Cheesecakes around the World is for another post).


The most popular of those cheesecakes is our Cheddar and Chutney cheesecake. This is a savory blend of cream cheese and cheddar cheese with a hint of sweet and a hint of spice. It's signature presentation is highlighted by red and green apple wedges and crisp wonton chips "blooming" out of the cake.

As you can see, there are 4 sections of apples and 4 sections of wontons. See the TIPS section on how to assemble them so they look like the photo.

Inspired Occasion's Cheddar and Chutney Cheesecake (serves 35-40)

48 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar
4 eggs
2/3 cup grated onion
1 tsp. Cayenne
2 cups Mango chutney (Major Grey’s) divided
2 cups Chopped Pecans divided
1 tsp. Sherry

Preheat oven to 250°.

Combine cream cheese and cheddar cheese in mixer and beat at high speed until creamy. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Add the rest including half of the chutney and half of the pecans and beat until smooth. Pack in 8" spring form pan. Swirl additional 1-cup chutney and remaining 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans over top. Bake in water bath for 2 hours (ish) or until the center is set. Serve with red and green apple wedges and fried wonton wedges.

TIPS: Wrap the inside and outside of the pan with aluminum foil to prevent any water from seeping into the cake. Allow to chill completely before inserting apples and wontons. When frying the wontons, it is important that the oil is not too hot, or the wontons will be too bubbly, and fall apart when you try to insert them. Starting at the 12 o'clock position, start at the top of the edge, and insert the wontons in the edge of the cake, and let them flow over to the top edge. Repeat at the 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions, leaving enough room to do the same with the apples.
Cut up 2 red and green apples, and treat with lemon juice or Fruit Fresh to prevent them from coloring while exposed to the air. Again, starting at the top, insert them randomly into the edge of the cheesecake in between the wontons. There's always room to add more chips or apples.