Left off yesterday with the building of the fruit salads. I also had to
put slaw out for 1600 people. Since no ready made product exists that can
take the place of hand made slaw... it is on me to make it up.
While I am prepping the salads and Zane is working on the final touches of
all the Q.... the service crew arrives... it will be led by CSU Senior Jessica
Peel and her fellow CSU band members. Jessica has worked for me since she
was in High School.... it is so nice to come 300 miles from home and have
someone that has worked for me within 25 miles to put together the service crew.
Plus all those years she has learned to decorate and set linens.
Don and Zane get in a little seat time while the crew finishes the set.
This is our Sunday bar... the CSU band set up and served over 80 gallons of
hand dipped ice cream to all the attendees! That is serious ice cream
consumed.
While that is going on I need to run the smoked sausage out of the cooker and
across the grill, then slice it up for service! I leave it in foil pans
and take it out a few at a time and grill mark it, then cambro the stuff to keep
it piping hot!
Finally we come to service time... 11 AM the gates opened and all were
welcome for free! What a party.
Now the brisket, pulled pork and sausage was consumed hot and heavy for 5
hours straight out... not one break! It was great but what we were able to
do at the end of the day was much much more rewarding. We came armed for
bear since the whole town was invited... so we could have fed 2200 without much
trouble, what to do with the left overs? First we stuffed the college
students cars with all they felt they could use at the campus. But I still
have about 200 pounds of food left..... so I call my daughter at Fort Lewis
College in Durango Colorado and ask her to find me a homeless shelter to donate
the rest of this to, we routinely donate to our local soup kitchen.... but I am
not carrying cooked food 300 miles.. to many temperature problems. So my
daughter calls back and say she found a place!
This is the OUR facility in Longmont
Colorado a truly worthy cause and definitely people whom welcomed the 200
pounds of barbeque and assorted sides.
And the center director called the executive chef to explain the donation....
that news brought Chef Debbie down to the kitchen to help break it down and get
it stored for use!
And that my friends is how I never have leftovers.... and all our food goes
to good use either paid for or to help those whom need a little extra help to
stay alive!
I hope you have enjoyed our two days in Erie Colorado... we did! And I
hope each of you will commit to helping a soup kitchen... many remember them at
the holidays, but the destitute an down on their luck need to eat all year, not
just at Thanksgiving and Christmas!
'til we speak again.... chose to make a difference locally, no matter what
locale you find yourself in!
Chef Bob Ballantyne
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering
Grand Junction, Colorado, USA
put slaw out for 1600 people. Since no ready made product exists that can
take the place of hand made slaw... it is on me to make it up.
While I am prepping the salads and Zane is working on the final touches of
all the Q.... the service crew arrives... it will be led by CSU Senior Jessica
Peel and her fellow CSU band members. Jessica has worked for me since she
was in High School.... it is so nice to come 300 miles from home and have
someone that has worked for me within 25 miles to put together the service crew.
Plus all those years she has learned to decorate and set linens.
Don and Zane get in a little seat time while the crew finishes the set.
This is our Sunday bar... the CSU band set up and served over 80 gallons of
hand dipped ice cream to all the attendees! That is serious ice cream
consumed.
While that is going on I need to run the smoked sausage out of the cooker and
across the grill, then slice it up for service! I leave it in foil pans
and take it out a few at a time and grill mark it, then cambro the stuff to keep
it piping hot!
Finally we come to service time... 11 AM the gates opened and all were
welcome for free! What a party.
Now the brisket, pulled pork and sausage was consumed hot and heavy for 5
hours straight out... not one break! It was great but what we were able to
do at the end of the day was much much more rewarding. We came armed for
bear since the whole town was invited... so we could have fed 2200 without much
trouble, what to do with the left overs? First we stuffed the college
students cars with all they felt they could use at the campus. But I still
have about 200 pounds of food left..... so I call my daughter at Fort Lewis
College in Durango Colorado and ask her to find me a homeless shelter to donate
the rest of this to, we routinely donate to our local soup kitchen.... but I am
not carrying cooked food 300 miles.. to many temperature problems. So my
daughter calls back and say she found a place!
This is the OUR facility in Longmont
Colorado a truly worthy cause and definitely people whom welcomed the 200
pounds of barbeque and assorted sides.
And the center director called the executive chef to explain the donation....
that news brought Chef Debbie down to the kitchen to help break it down and get
it stored for use!
And that my friends is how I never have leftovers.... and all our food goes
to good use either paid for or to help those whom need a little extra help to
stay alive!
I hope you have enjoyed our two days in Erie Colorado... we did! And I
hope each of you will commit to helping a soup kitchen... many remember them at
the holidays, but the destitute an down on their luck need to eat all year, not
just at Thanksgiving and Christmas!
'til we speak again.... chose to make a difference locally, no matter what
locale you find yourself in!
Chef Bob Ballantyne
The Cowboy and The Rose Catering
Grand Junction, Colorado, USA