My friend Yasmine has an acute eye for detail, that is one reason she is so talented with floral design. So when she asked us to do a little lunch buffet for her workshop at Poketo (see it featured on The Chalkboard), I asked Matt to whip up whatever he wanted because he has an eye for detail too and when you allow him be creative, he really works magic.
This friends, is an Autumn Harvest gratin which has kale, sweet peppers, baby eggplants, pears and carrots. Matt said he put it together like a layered gratin or lasagna alternating the roasted veggies and pears (these leant a delicate sweetness) with béchamel and smoked mozzarella. That and a salad is a meal I could eat every night.
Okay, these were gorgeous. They started with a beet cream cheese (see that color there, oh, I die!), smeared on a toasted crusty bread rubbed with garlic and topped with a house cured salmon, green chickpeas, lemon cucumbers, and capers. Help me, I could’ve eaten the whole platter. These elegant crostinis took bagels and lox to a completely different spectrum.
Oh man, and these. Whoa. We have sliced roasted yams as the bed here for a whipped potato salad (yes, everything you find in a potato salad, whipped up and then piped out) and topped with deviled eggs and trout. I know you would lose it like I did over these. Honestly I was cramming them in my mouth and hoping no one would ask me a question, and it was real challenging at this time not to stomp the ground in joy. They were that sensational.
No, no, no… are you serious? These were vegan? How is that even possible you wizard Matthew Poley? Spicy Beet Gazpacho with a Persimmon Bruschetta. People were freaking out the most over these beauties. Look at the color!
And there was a beautiful cous cous salad, and a gorgeous garden salad and a colorful crostini station, as well as our house wine, but you’ve seen all those. These items above here, Matt just came up with them on the fly this past Sunday morning while prepping for three weddings after a night of four weddings. That, in case you didn’t know, is called bad ass. I didn’t even remind him that Yasmine ate fish but no other meat, it’s just his gift this catering thing. I marvel constantly. Constantly. There are a lot of great chefs in this city, their food is unbelievable and I’m so happy to call many of them friends, but Matt is in a class of his own holding down this rapidly growing company of ours while cooking like a magician. Stay tuned, he has so much more to cook for you.
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| See feature here |
