inventory

today, post-catering (which i'll get to) and pre-prep, i took a few minutes to rifle through all of my freezers. sometimes it's a little tough to keep track of everything that i have in stock, and that is exactly what i have done of late.

this is just a small section of one of my four freezers... yeesh. i've already bought all of the supplies for this week, so i'll still be prepping like a fool so nothing spoils, but after this week i think i'll slow it down a little and focus on the salads and sweets heading into the warmer weather, oh & bbq sauce can't forget that!

today i actually remembered to go to staples as well, to buy label paper & ink for my printer. not only did i label all of the soups in my freezer at the market, but i'm now well equipped to have directions clearly adhered to each take home meal & my bbq sauces marked as well - sorry, i've been letting that fall by the wayside lately.

so, today i catered a lunch. i concocted a new vegan dish & a new chicken dish. they're both really healthy, fresh & flavourful and for once i planned ahead and made extra so i can package up a few of each to have on hand at the market.

the vegan dish is a complete invention - i've labelled it a 'moroccan tofu tagine'. i'm calling it moroccan because i used harissa, fennel seed, lemon, ginger, dates & sumac but there is nothing traditional about it. there's tofu, sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, spinach and cilantro in a zesty tomato sauce with a side of quinoa.

the chicken dish is more mediterranean inspired. it's also in a tomato sauce but this time there's braised chicken thighs, eggplant, zucchini, red peppers, olives, basil, oregano & a smidge of parmesan cheese. this one is served with lemon-garlic couscous.

after running through all of my inventory, i've noticed that i have the hardest time keeping the chicken & pork dishes in stock so those will be my focus in the near future. also, as it's warming up outside, i want to get away from the stick-to-your-ribs comfort food & lighten it up as bikini season is fast approaching. if you have any suggestions or requests please, please, please let me know. either post a comment here or on my facebook page, or tweet me, or visit me at the market, or write me a letter... i actually got a letter in the mail from a customer yesterday, it sort of blew my mind a little! anyway, i'm a very collaborative cook but that's a little difficult when you work alone in a kitchen at the edge of the earth, so any outside influence is greatly appreciated.

okee dokee back to the kitchen & brainstorming cinco de mayo dessert ideas... if only i could set up a mini deep fryer and serve warm cinnamon sugar churros, alas the health department wouldn't take too kindly to that. i'll figure something out!

happy wednesday.