Paying my weekly visit to the Hollywood Farmer's Market last weekend, I sought out some freshly baked treats to serve to a guest at our home that morning. There was lots to choose from no doubt but my attention was quickly taken by the Sterling Catering stand, which boasted both sweet and savory treats.
About Sterling Catering:
Based out the NW on Everett Street, Sterling has both a retail location as well as a catering business. The Hollywood Farmer's market is an interesting choice for a retail extension, as I imagine it helps out with awareness for their catering business. I know that I'll probably look into it if I'm looking to order treats for an office party or a special occasion.
Specializing in sophisticated comfort food, both sweet and savory, Sterling is the brainchild of owner, Joe Sterling who has a good reputation in Portland--working at well known establishments such as Paley's Place, Bloom Catering and Artemis Food.
Breakfast Treats:
Opting for something savory, I chose two orders of the vegetable galettes and a tomato basil quiche. Both were excellent options and were the perfect thing to share with our guest. The inside of the galettes were packed to the gills with seasonal veggies such as corn, cherry tomatoes, onion, fresh herbs and thin slices of potato. Not only were these filling but the flaky dough that surrounded its contents served as the perfect vessel.
The quiche too was delightful, featuring a beautifully smooth egg custard filling and once again bejeweled with those sweet little cherry tomatoes. Bits of chunky feta cheese gave it a hint of tang, which was welcome.
Costs:
Costs aren't cheap but don't break the bank either at $2.50/piece. So for $7.50, I'd say you'll have enough to feed 3 people, plus a little left over.
3 Mmmms
Sterling Catering at the Hollywood Farmer's Market - NE Hancock Street between 44th and 45th Avenue, Portland OR
Attending our neighbor Randi's b-day party yesterday, I was looking for a festive summertime dessert to bring to the celebration. Since summer fruit is so incredibly delicious these days, I headed to the Hollywood Farmer's Market yesterday to see what I could gather up, and needless the say the choices were endless.
Settling on some luscious-looking blackberries, I picked up a pint and decided to make these lovely blackberry lemon bars. Adapted from my Luxurious Eats Pinterest board from a recipe that called for raspberries instead of blackberries, the recipe works either way and is really just about preference. Even though it can seem complicated, it took less than a half an hour to prepare and about 35 minutes to bake. A little tip for you is to make sure you cool them properly (and even in the fridge) for an hour or two before serving. Since the blackberries discolor the yellow color of the lemon filling, it's wise to dress up the bars with a plumb blackberry on top for a little extra effect. A sprig of fresh mint won't hurt either.
Blackberry Lemon bar recipe as adapted from Lovely Little Kitchen blog.
In honor of the 4th of July holiday, I spotted a beautiful berry cake on the Salted Plains blog that happened to be gluten free. And since we were celebrating the festivities in a mostly gluten free household, I thought this would be the perfect choice.
Taking a stroll over to the Hollywood Farmer's Market on the morning of the 4th, I found plenty of delicious-looking local fruit that would be perfect to place on top of the cake. The blackberries, which are the focal point of this dessert caught my eye right away and tasted so juicy and delicious. I also chose to substitute regular sweet red cherries that the original recipe used with little sour cherries. You can see how adorable they are above, and they even come in bunches of four!
Overall, the dessert takes a little bit of time and patience to put together, but because it's so beautiful looking, it's worth the time investment. I loved seeing my friends' reaction as I brought in the cake, and everyone dug in and seemed to savor its sweet, tart and seasonal flavors.
Hope you try the recipe as well, as adapted from Salted Plains blog.
