Paradise Catering

From Farm to Flavor Jon and Nancy have been working together for over 22 years. By supporting local and growing their own vegetables, they have created menus for their clients based on inspiration from their travels and have grown Paradise Catering into the best catering company on the Monterey peninsula. MEET JON KASKY: Jon was influenced by his experience with Wolfgang Puck, Jeremiah Tower, Alice Waters, and Ken Hom while at the California Culinary Academy. Upon graduating with honors, he became the private chef at a major California winery, where he remained until founding Bird of Paradise Catering in 1985. MEET NANCY ROHAN: Growing up on the East Coast fresh food was not readily available, so my small garden where I grew radishes, carrots and lettuce was crucial. While at home I was learning the importance of growing my own ingredients, at my Grandma Edna’s house I learned the importance of good taste–she was my inspiration, teaching me how to cook Hungarian food and baking from scratch. I worked with her in the kitchen from a very young age! Years passed, I went to college in Boston, studying the arts, before moving to California. Once here my two worlds, the old-world and new world of foods collided. Having taken classes at Cordon Bleu and learning from top chefs, I developed my skills and love of great cuisine. Before Paradise Catering, I worked alongside a great teacher, Sharon Campbell, starting our own catering company, Ontrays; together we worked hard to embrace our community utilizing all local foods. And then I met Jon... I joined his company Bird of Paradise as a chef and we put our two souls together to create a strong catering company that supported our values. Bird of Paradise grew and grew and is now considered today’s top catering company on the Monterey Peninsula. We love what we do–and it shows in our food. THE FARM In their 1-acre farm in Carmel Valley Village, Jon and Nancy embrace the seasons and grow: - Mainly unusual and heirloom vegetables including: Tomatoes, Squash & Beans (seeds purchased in Italy) - Various Lettuces - Herbs - Greenery and Garnishes to decorate their presentations - 100 Zinfandel Vines to make their own wine in their cellar! - 14 citrus trees: 10 varieties! Have you ever seen a “Buddha-hand”? (They also utilize composts to enhance the soils.) Their farm also houses a few fanciful touches: - Unusual succulents, “Monsters & Crests” - Giant Staghorn Ferns - The notorious “Pink Apples” recovered from Earthbound Farms - Greenhouse - Tree-house (for the adults... fun!) FAVORITES TO GROW: Jon and Nancy love to buy seeds of unusuals wherever they travel and grow them in their greenhouse to bring rare specialties to your event. For example, Jon found “Orchidea” (orchid-colored) Cicoria (Radicchio) on their trip to Umbria, Italy in 2009. Also, heirloom tomatoes are an ongoing passion–Jon and Nancy participate in the Carmel Tomatofest and seek out the unusual tomatoes you can’t buy. DOING THEIR PART: The kitchen at Paradise Catering generates a lot of compost; always has. If you think about it, that’s a huge plus: it means they peel and process tons of vegetables and fruits. This says loads about their focus on serving fresh, not-processed foods; as well as their commitment to minimize their “foot print”. Imagine 25 years of enhancing their farm soil rather than adding to a landfill!