New gourmet company puts food on the ‘Table’

By LESLIE DINABERG

South Coast Beacon

Looking for home-cooked flavor without the home-cooked effort? Get in line. Olive Street Table, one of Santa Barbara’s newest entrepreneurial ventures, is off to a rousing start. “(There’s been a) last minute holiday big huge rush… we’re at the maximum of what we can handle right now,” said Montecito’s Connie Lindberg, a former caterer who partnered in the new venture with local residents Ann Hutchinson and Liz Bradley.

Lindberg said she and Bradley got the inspiration for their business after working together on a number of large events for Crane School. “It’s so easy to just have something elegant to serve,” said Lindberg.

Specializing in a line of frozen gourmet fare, Olive Street Table’s offerings include a variety of sweet and savory galettes. These rustic French tarts are filled with combinations such as smoked salmon and brie, caramelized onions, rosemary, Gorgonzola and Prosciutto and seasonal fruit. The company also offers chicken pot pies and “who-needs-Martha” homemade cookies. All items come frozen, gift-wrapped as “brown paper packages tied up with string” and ready to pop in the oven and serve fresh at your convenience.

First on Olive Street Table’s New Year “to-do” list is to create a website. Meanwhile, menus can be requested, and orders can be placed by calling 455.4590, or sending an email to olivestreettable@verizon.net.

Olive Street Table’s fare is also available for pick up directly from the kitchen from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays at 710 E. Haley St. Also keep an eye out for the goods to be available at Montecito’s new ice cream store, Here’s the Scoop, which will be open on Coast Village Road in February.

From the Internet to your kitchen, holiday recipes are a click away

Still looking for that special recipe to share with friends and family this holiday season? Look no further than your computer for a wide range of recipes, from the traditional to kosher to holiday cookies that pack well to tasty hors d’ oeuvres for New Year’s Eve. We’ve gathered a few here, but also try using www.google.com to search for your favorite kinds of recipes.

Bon appetit!

www.allrecipes.com/

www.top100recipesites.com/

www.koshercooking.com/ recipes/sites.html

www.bestcookingsites.com/recipes.html

southernfood.about.com/cs/holidayrecipes/tp /tpholiday2.htm

www.landolakes.com/holiday2003

eat.epicurious.com/

This one is the online host of Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. Look for recipes, menus, chef profiles and more.

— From staff reports