Travis Binkley
Like so many businesses, Flavor Catering has made a lot of changes since COVID-19 struck.As events were being cancelled, owner Jason Crockarell says they pretty quickly switched to doing family meals.
“It was really out of a desire to make it easier on families. We said, ‘This is an area that we can step into and do it well,’” he says.
Along with their meals, which you can order online and pick up or have delivered, they’ve also repurposed their catering truck into a food truck for the short term, traveling to neighborhoods with comforting fare such as sliders and tater tots that can be ordered through an app.
“That has been a cool way to meet people in other spaces, in their own neighborhoods,” he adds.
Crockerell and his wife Lea will soon take over the former Hot Diggity Dogs space—their catering kitchen sits right next door to what was once a popular hot dog spot—to open Pietown Tacos, a nod to the neighborhood and Lea’s Mexican heritage. Flavor Catering also partners with Cul2vate, a nonprofit that grows food in local gardens while also giving a second chance to those in need by providing part-time work, job readiness, and life skills training. Flavor sources Cul2vate produce for its family meals, including basil, Roma tomatoes, and, for this perfect summer recipe, plenty of fresh zucchini.
Be sure to get a good sear on the zucchini so that it stands up to this arugula-packed gremolada, which Crockarell says, “is almost like this salad of goodness that sits up on top and just enhances everything.”
Flavor Catering, 615-258-5559; flavorcaters.com
Charred Zucchini & Arugula Gremolata
Courtesy of Flavor Catering, Makes 4 servings
Arugula Gremolata
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces baby arugula
- 1 bunch parsley
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Directions: Roughly chop the arugula and parsley together. Place chopped greens in a small bowl and toss with the olive oil, minced garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Set aside.
Toasted Spice Mixture
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 5 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Directions: Put the fennel, peppercorns, cumin seed, bay leaf, and coriander in a dry skillet and place on the stove. Turn to high heat. Toast the spices while swirling the pan the entire time so they do not scorch. When spices are slightly darkened and very fragrant, remove from the stove and quickly transfer to a spice grinder. Grind to a fine powder then stir in the kosher salt. Set aside.
Zucchini
Ingredients:
- 2 small zucchini (about 12 ounces each)
- ½ cup olive oil, divided
- 10 thyme sprigs
- 10 whole garlic cloves
- 14 black peppercorns, cracked
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions: Cut the 2 zucchini in half from top to bottom. On the cut side, score ¼-inch lines at a 45-degree angle then score again the opposite direction with ¼-inch lines. In a bowl, marinate the zucchini in ½ cup of olive oil with the thyme, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Set aside for about 4 hours.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Remove the zucchini from the marinade and brush dry with paper towels. Season the scored sides of the zucchini with the Toasted Spice Mixture. Put a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the remaining oil. Once hot, add the zucchini, scored/seasoned side down and immediately turn the heat down to medium. Let sear for 2 minutes until golden brown. Place seared zucchini seared side up on a sheet pan and finish in the oven for 20 minutes.
To serve, top the zucchini halves with the arugula gremolata and serve as is, or with your favorite rice, risotto, or pasta as a vegetarian main dish.