We whipped up the best darn Vegan menu for the Humane Society of Santa Barbara this past weekend. Let me tell you, it was some good vegan eats! The Humane Society of Santa Barbara threw a fundraising event for their newest Chapter in Santa Barbara. It was an honor to be able to contribute to this well known organization and feed so many wonderful locals this delicious animal-free menu:
Passed Appetizers: Belgian Endive Spears with Local Tarragon Lemon Vegan Cashew Sour Cream // Vegan Bite Sized Mushroom Risotto Cakes Skordalia // Vegan Hand Folded Filo Triangles with Sauteed Spinach, Golden Raisins and Toasted Pine Nuts
Mediterranean Mezze Station: Local Eggplant Caponata, Olives, Homemade Red Pepper Hummus and Baba Ghanoush, Toasted Pita Points, Figs, Dates, Pistachios, Urns of Beautiful Tangerines & Grapes
Beautifully Plated Three Course Menu:
First Course: Roasted Local Beets on Arugula, Candied Pecans with Blood Orange Vinaigrette and Baskets of Hearth Baked Breads and Rolls with Terra Cotta Saucers of Provincial Dipping Oil
Second Course: Rosemary Speared Grilled Vegetable & Polenta Tower on Basil Tofu Cream and Roasted Tomato Pasilla Sauce
Third Course: Vegan Baklava & Local Fresh Fruits and Vanilla Bean Orange Tartlets
The entire event was a success from beginning to end. The attendance was fabulous, as was the fundraiser. It always makes Pure Joy feel great about participating in such philanthropic causes. We donate to a number of other organizations in town every year. Check them out on our Compassion Page!
After the event, we received this absolutely wonderful and gracious Thank You letter from the Humane Society:
Hi Ellen and Patrick – I wanted to email you this morning to thank you for doing such an incredible job at our first Santa Barbara gala last night. Ellen – you were so responsive and patient with the many changes leading up to the event and Patrick, you and your team were lifesavers the day of the event with all of the table changes and snug table arrangements. The food was phenomenal – guests were raving about it (a first for one of our events!) Your staff was so incredibly professional and helpful in assisting my team with our myriad of needs throughout the night. Ryan – one of your servers – was fantastic. He catered to our VIPs beautifully, making them feel comfortable and well-taken care of. Any time I needed extra assistance, Ryan was right there to lend a hand. Patrick, thank you for being my support throughout the evening with the sometimes cluster of issues that presented themselves! You were a true pleasure to work with. Ellen, thank you for helping me design such a delicious menu (you were totally right about that veggie tower – I wish I was eating leftovers right now!). Please thank your entire team for me, if you can. Have a great rest of your weekend. I look forward to working with your team again for next year’s event! Best, The Humane Society of the United States