Plant and Seed Opens in Orange County With a Elevated Plant-Based Menu
Calling all Earth-lovers, health gurus and anyone looking to add more veggies into their diet! In line with the health-forward lifestyle movement, Orange County welcomes an all-new vegan catering company in Newport Beach. Thoughtfully designed by Chef Eileen Elizabeth, Plant and Seed’s seasonal menu is created to not look or taste vegan at all. Meat eaters will never know what they’re missing! Plus, with elevated stand-outs like Smoked Salmon Blini and Short Rib Bourguignon, your next event with Plant and Seed will feel more like a dignified dinner party rather than a catered buffet. Veggies never looked and tasted so good!
Hosting an event is stressful enough already, without worrying about what to serve, who’s vegetarian, who’s dairy free, who’s gluten free—the list goes on and on. An all-vegan menu takes out the hassle of dietary restrictions. Plant and Seed’s plant-forward foods are artistically plated and designed to be kind to both the planet and to your body. Let the experts do the heavy lifting, and become the talk of the town by bringing health-forward fine dining to your next dinner party, milestone celebration or corporate affair.
Plant and Seed is not just for the vegans; Chef Eileen actually isn’t targeting vegans at all with her plant-based parties. “I always joke that I am a vegan chef for the meat eaters, because I create food that appeals to them,” she shares. With a sleight of hand, Eileen conceals non-traditional ingredients in her menu selections, which don’t shy away from umami-forward flavors. Each dish is intentionally named after the ingredient it replicates, like Chicken Dijon and Seared Sea Scallops, rather than the veggie they are made with. This is one of the tactics Plant and Seed employs to show that eating vegan doesn’t have to come at a sacrifice. “Honestly, I am hoping to expose the most people to eating healthy but without feeling like they are sacrificing anything. People think they have to give up so much to go vegan or eat better. That is just simply not true. Anything you can make, I can make vegan—anything!” Eileen reiterates.
Aside from the all-vegan menu, what sets Plant and Seed apart from other catering businesses is its aspiration for fine dining. Eileen began in the industry as a hostess at age 14, watching the work of incredible chefs from the sidelines all the way through college. It was in these fine-dining facilities where Eileen drew the inspiration for her elevated menu design. “The food was beautiful, inventive—like art on a plate,” she reflects.
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Eileen didn’t step into the kitchen until she moved to Los Angeles, and a private vegan celebrity chef moved in as her roommate. “I ended up being her sous chef that weekend for an event at Jeremy Piven’s house. The rest is history,” Eileen recalled. And the rest really was history! Since then, Eileen has developed vegan menus for restaurants, trained the culinary team at George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch and is currently writing her own plant-based cookbook. There is nothing Eileen isn’t willing to tackle; Plant and Seed is proof of that. “I feel like Plant and Seed is the culmination of all my experience so far, and I cannot wait to see it come to life,” she shares.
The menu at Plant and Seed will always be chef-driven, reflecting Eileen’s current inspirations. “I have always cooked from instinct and heart,” she says. “When I want to feel inspired, I take a walk through a farmers market. I take in the color and variety and start to envision what I could create with each item of produce I select. Giant golden beets are going to become blackened salmon filets. Then I build off that inspiration.”
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Plant and Seed’s fall menu highlights the bounty of the season with comforting dishes like rustic Kale and Garlic Ravioli dressed in a decadent sage cream sauce. There are also elevated options like plant-based Black Pearl Caviar. And no event is complete without dessert. Plant and Seed’s Chocolate Mousse is light and airy with rich cocoa and a tart blackberry puree to top it off. You’ll definitely want to order some extra!
Local Insight: Plant and Seed partners with local businesses, such as Yvonne’s Vegan Kitchen (for desserts), Melissa’s Produce (for fruits and veggies), Bread SRSLY (for gluten-free bread) and Blackbird Foods (for plant-based protein).
Plant and Seed is also launching a meal-prep service, so you can enjoy restaurant-worthy meals nightly. Their goal is to make beautiful, healthy foods accessible, whether it’s just for you or your whole crew.
Plant and Seed
@plantandseedcatering
