The Versatility of a Quiche!

Our children talked Susan and I into making our Chicken, Apple & Cheddar Quiche today.  You might not think of these flavors when you think about quiche...but it's delicious.  We borrowed this recipe from our dear friend, the talented caterer Kay Sands.

The wonderful thing about this dish (especially as a gift) is that it's so versatile - a fit for breakfast, lunch or even dinner.  We place this particular dish in the Breakfast and Brunch section of our Spring Menu, paired with brown sugar and pepper bacon, blueberry muffins and fresh O.J.  However, to make a complete dinner just add a fresh greens salad, crusty bread and a glass of white wine!

Alternative to Rice: Trader Joe's Harvest Blend Grains

Susan and I are still down in Coastal Georgia trying out new recipes. We're feasting on the wonderful local Southern comfort food in this area - lots of fried shrimp, oysters po' boys, cornbread muffins and collared greens.  However, after many meals of deep-fried this and that, we were craving something diferent. 


Susan saw this recipe for roasted cauliflower and tomatoes and just had to try it!



 The secret to this dish was the grains. Instead of rice or couscous, we served this dish atop Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Blend, a blend of Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa.  Its nutty flavor and unique texture was a perfect complement to the savory roasted cauliflower and tomatoes.

We served this all vegetarian dish for our children and grandchildren who were visiting.  Though its healthy and all-vegetarian (not typical of our traditional menu items) our babies and grandbabies couldn't get enough!

Gazpacho...bread or no bread?

Hello on a rainy day in Sea Island, Georgia.  With rain keeping us away from the beach, Susan and I are testing out and refreshing some of our upcoming summer menu items starting with....Gazpacho.

Susan and I rarely disagree.  However when it comes to our Gazpacho recipe, we part ways.  The ingredient at the heart of our disagreement is bread. Our traditional staple Gazpacho recipe that is found on our spring and summer menus is a heart-healthy, farm-fresh, all veggie chilled Gazpacho.  I vote "yum".  That said, some recipes call for bread.  Today, we tested out a new recipe which is similar to ours except for the addition of one cup of white bread crumbs that goes into the blender with the diced red bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tomato juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Garnished with cucumbers and red peppers, here's the final product:






As you can see, adding white bread thickens the texture and changes the color to a creamy pink.  Susan finds the addition of bread creates a more satisfying and complete meal. I find it too dense and less refreshing.

Let us know what you think!!

Welcome to our blog!

Hi! I’m Trish Burton.  My sister Susan Hazelrig and I are the founders of a local business in Charlottesville, Virginia called Comfort Food…Instead of Flowers (“Comfort Food”, for short).  You might call what we do “catering” but that doesn’t really fit.  We create custom, home-cooked meals that our clients can send as gifts to those in need of comfort in lieu of flowers.  Sometimes our clients serve our Comfort Food to their own families when they just don’t have time to prepare a meal! We focus on seasonal recipes, fresh ingredients and beautiful presentation.

The purpose of the blog is to take you behind the scenes of what we do at Comfort Food.  We’ll share pictures, stories, recipes and invite you in on the debates we have in pursuit of the best Comfort Food recipes.  I promise you, with two Southern women in the kitchen (especially sisters!), there’s never a dull moment!

Lots of folks ask us how we got started.  Well, Comfort Food traces its roots to our elegant Southern mother who loved to cook and entertain.  Mother was a graceful hostess and always clever and creative in the kitchen, whether it was preparing our weekly Sunday roast or whipping up lunch with a bare fridge (ever had a pineapple, cheese and mayonnaise sandwich?? Yum, believe me.)  Mother wasn’t the only chef in our family though; Daddy took over the kitchen on Saturday mornings making a full breakfast…sausage, cheese grits, corn beef hash, pancakes.  The bottom line… for me, Susan and our brother Cal, Southern comfort food has always been a way of life.

Before we teamed up, Susan and I pursued our passion for comfort food independently.  I took after my mother, and became a casual, self-trained ”Entertainer”.   From small parties of eight to large events of 100+ people, cooking and entertaining for friends and family was my passion for 30 years.  Susan, on the other hand, made a career out of cooking.  While raising her family in California, Louisiana and Northern Virginia, Susan ran her own professional catering company and taught cooking lessons.  Like me, Susan loves entertaining for small groups and large crowds, however the lifestyle of a caterer (weekends and late nights!) was not for her long term.

We got the idea to start Comfort Food together in 2010 when a family member was very ill.  Susan and I saw firsthand that home-cooked meals brought by friends were the best and sometimes only comfort for someone who is ill or recovering.  Fast forward three years, and here we are.
I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy the blog! We love hearing from friends, family and clients so please send us feedback and ideas. Thank you for reading!

Love, Trish