With love, from another happy bride

To those lucky enough to have found Main Course,

My husband and I married on July 10, 2010 in Ojai, California. Rachel Main and Main Course handled all the catering for the reception. When I met with Rachel and her team for a tasting I knew they had a tall order. I had asked for a Southern menu (hailing from Texas and Mississippi that was a must), but one that was elegant enough for a wedding without being stuffy. I also couldn't have pork in the menu (a Southern staple!) and they had to accommodate vegetarians, vegans, and siliacs. The food was fantastic! Every bite reminded me of home. They had managed to make fried green tomatoes, BBQ, and stewed southern greens refined and exciting. Friends and family are STILL complementing me on the food and service at our wedding. I could not have asked for more, and I wouldn't have changed a thing were we to do it all again.

I must say, as superior and thoughtful as the food was - that was not what impressed me most about this company. What I loved - what I was blown away by - was their customer service. When I wanted to try a beef brisket just to make sure I still wanted the short ribs - no problem. When I wanted not 1, not 2, but 3 different but equally wonderful signature southern cocktails - no problem. When we decided we wanted my mother to make the wedding cake to add to homemade feel - no problem. They even let my mother use their kitchen! Rachel came to my florist meeting just so she could get a feel for the style of the wedding. She instantly got my vision of "grandmother's backyard party". So much so that I entrusted her to pick out and rent all of the serving platters for the wedding, and since it was a family style service that was about 200 platters. They were spectacular and I couldn't have done better myself. Every single person at that company goes above and beyond.

On the day of the wedding never did I see "the chaos" of the behind the scenes of a party. Everyone was professional, calm and efficient. All of the servers had a smile on their face and I didn't see a glass that needed a refill all night. They took such good care of my guests from the welcome drinks before the ceremony all the way to smores by the fire at the end of the evening. Rachel and her staff made my day bigger, better, and easier. You won't be disappointed.

Sincerely,

Hillary Croll

Eating fresh from the farm

Fresh tomatoes at McGrath Farm, originally uploaded by Main Course California.

“If the food isn't fresh, we don't put it on the plate”
- Chef Nadia Licea & Rachel Main

Main Course California and McGrath Family Farm invite you to the field for a unique dining experience. We use food and community as a way to generate awareness of the importance and vitality of our local farms and the delicious, wholesome and abundant food we provide. The McGrath Farms Dinners highlight the richness of our local traditions of farming and the often-forgotten value of eating vibrant food – freshly harvested by a dedicated farmer you know and trust.

Sunday, October 3rd

5:30 Welcome Reception, Wine Pouring & Appetizers

6:00 Dinner

$150 per person

1012 W. Ventura Blvd, Camarillo

Soup

Three Bean California Cassoulet

Flageolet, Tiger Eye and Tongue of Fire Beans

simmered with spices, sauteed onion & baby chard

Entree

Braised Watkins Ranch Beef

Glazed Cippolini Onions, Turnips, Tahitian Squash & Rapini

with Chili Flake & Garlic

-or-

Local Chicken Breast stuffed with Basil & Home-made Mozzarella

Heirloom Tomato-Oregano Chutney, Grilled Red Carrots, Baby Squash,

Green & Yellow Bean Bundle & Roasted Lemon Oil

-or-

Home Made Tagliatelle

Glazed Cippolini Onions, Turnips , Tahitian Squash & Rapini

with Chili Flake & Garlic

Dessert

Chocolate Lava Cake with Candied Beet Trio & Roasted Strawberries

Basil-Orange Mascarpone Gelato

For reservations email: mcgrathfarmcenter@gmail.com or Info@MainCourseCa.com. For more info visit www.mcgrathfamilyfarm.com or www.MainCourseca.com.

Recipe of the Month

Is your garden overflowing? Are you wondering what do with all those tomatoes and cucumbers that decided to ripen at the exact same time? Well then, Main Course California Executive Chef, Nadia Licea, has just the recipe for you:

Heirloom Tomato & English Cucumber Salad

1 english cucumber

1 1/2 pounds heirloom tomatoes

1/4 red onion, thinly shaved

4 oz. roasted mini sweet peppers

1/3 cup kalamata olives

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/2 bunch chopped fresh oregano

zest of 1 lemon

Combine the following in a medium sized bowl:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoon sugar

3 Tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

You will also need:

Your favorite lemon vinaigrette

Quarter the heirloom tomatoes and lay down on a platter in a single layer. Next, cut the cucumber in 1/2 lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and then julienne into 1/4" batons at an angle.

Toss the cucumber and the red onion in the vinegar mix and let sit for abot 5 minutes.

Then place the cucumbers on top of the tomatoes and sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over the cucumbers. Drizzle with lemon vinaigrette. This salad is great with grilled hanger steak. Happy gardening and happy eating!

Put a little South in your mouth

Main Course co-owner, Rachel Main, was raised in southern Louisiana, so you can probably imagine just how much fun she has when given the opportunity to create a catering menu for a Southern themed event. Recently, she had one of these opportunities, and boy did she have fun with it.

The wedding took place at Twin Peaks Ranch in the beautiful Ojai valley. Guests were greeted with Lavender Iced Tea, Lemon Water, and Sparkling Peach Spritzers before the ceremony.

During cocktail hour, guests enjoyed Fried Green Tomatoes with black eyed pea salsa & ranch dressing (see photo above) and Feta, Mint & Local Honey served in ice-cold water melon cups.

Dinner was served family style, and included Buttermilk Biscuits & Sweet Cream Butter, Grilled Peaches with basil & honey, Slow-Braised Boneless Chili Shortribs, and Stewed Southern Greens with sweet & sour raisins. And then there was the dessert buffet...s’mores next to the Fire, Chocolate Fudge Wedding Cakes, Buttermilk Pie & Strawberries, and more. If you want to read more, here is the full menu.

What makes us different?

We're pretty confident that we're not your average caterer. There's no average food, no average service, no average presentation at Main Course California. Our goal is to make your event, party, wedding, and even your sandwich platter make you look like a rockstar host.

If the food isn't fresh, we don't put it on the plate. If a server doesn't have the gift of customer service, we don't hire them. If our schedule is crazy and we've got too many events going on on a single day, we won't take on another event just to make an extra buck. We're a catering company with a conscience, a sharp eye for the details, and a team of killer chefs.

You also won't ever hear us say, "That's not my job." Sure, its not really our job to make your flowers look pretty if you've hired a florist to do so. Sure, its not really our job to make sure the parking goes smoothly at your wedding when you've hired a valet. But when we cater your event, what's most important is that the whole thing goes smoothly, that you don't have to worry about a thing, and that your guests first and last impressions are nothing but spectacular. So, if we have to pitch in and help with the flowers, track down the valet, or share supplies with your bartender to make your event a success, you betcha, we'll do it.

What our clients are saying...

"I have been running events and parties in Santa Barbara for twenty years. I can honestly say that Rachel's food is fabulous, in both taste and presentation. Each guest raved about the food being the best they ever had. Her food is scrumptious! She is organized, dependable and great natured. My guests always end up watching her in amazement and chatting with her in the kitchen. Rachel will deliver a meal to remember." Valerie Williams

"Rachel and the Main Course California team did a fantastic job for my wedding. I gave her a food concept and a style of service that I wanted. She hit the nail on the head! The food was delicious and the presentation of the small plates was spectacular. The specialty drinks served at the bar were also great. My guests really enjoyed the food; and the staff was friendly and accommodating." Tabitha

"I just wanted to thank you all again for making our wedding one of the best days of our lives. It was beyond all our expectations...the food was so incredibly memorable..." - Andy Marcus, Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs Fox Media, Los Angeles

"...Food was fantastic! Service - excellent - nothing but great comments from all the guests." Christine Garvey, Director - Habitat for Humanity, Santa Barbara

"Thank you so much for all your assistance... you were a true pleasure to work with! Throughout this entire process I kept having the feeling I was forgetting something - then I realized that you were doing it! I appreciate the fact that you followed up with me; and that was really huge! The food was great...the bacon wrapped chorizo was everyones favorite!" Kathy Aschoff, Operations Manager, Jaguar Land Rover Ventura

Ask the Chef...

Do you ever find yourself in the kitchen, wishing you could just pick up the phone and call the Food Network directly with your cooking and baking questions? Maybe you're wondering if you can use salted butter in a recipe that calls for unsalted? Maybe you don't have any buttermilk, but you vaguely remember that there's something else you can use instead? Maybe you keep burning cookies even though your oven thermometer says all is well in your oven? Some of you might call Mom, some may hop on the internet and ask Google what to do. Well, we've got a few talented chefs with lots of years of experience kickin' around at Main Course, and we'd love to answer some of your burning kitchen-related questions. Leave a comment here...and we'll try to get you an answer within a day or two. Happy cooking!