Basil Tree Catering

Just last month I learned that one perk of working in an office that hosts events is that catering companies reach out to you to see if you'd like to sample their food! This was a foodie's dream! Basil Tree Catering, based here in Cambridge, offered to set up a sample lunch for me and a coworker but then I offered to bring together some of my coworkers in other offices to have more people exposed to the name and food! It was sort of like I got to host my own little girls lunch party for free - not a bad part of the workday a couple weeks ago. Basil Tree explains that they have an Earth Friendly approach to catering - trying to reduce waste and engage in green practices wherever possible, which is nice with catering where you typically see the exact opposite of those things.

On the day of our sample lunch Mindy, from Basil Tree, came by right on time and set up this lovely spread for us, recyclable table cloth and all. She explained all of the food and there were probably 8 of us from different centers across the university. The menu included:

Rosemary Lemon Grilled Shrimp
Roasted Pepper & Mozzarella Crostini
An assortment of their fresh sandwiches: 

Fresh Mozzarella & Sundried Tomato, The Vermonter, Falafel wrap, Caesar Salad Wrap
Sundried Tomato Tortellini Salad
Southwest Sweet Potato Salad
Selection of our Seasonal Mini Desserts
Earth Friendly Paper Goods

I think it's safe to say that we were all impressed with the diverse options and quality of the food. Probably the only thing that didn't float my boat was the Crostini, because it seemed like it was the type of menu item that should've been served right from the toaster or oven, not served chilled. Everything else though was delicious! I want to try and make a version of the Southwest Sweet Potato Salad myself - a nice alternative to the traditional mayonnaise filled potato salad you see at all the summer bbqs (and you all know how much I loathe mayo!). I tried a half of the falafel wrap which was great - served on a lavash bread. I think we all went back for seconds and would definitely use them for future events! We asked a lot of questions and had acceptable answers for all of them - they have box lunches, breakfast menu options, monthly specials to target the customer that can't necessarily afford their more expensive options. They're a little more pricey than we could justify for a casual lunch event, but for some of our faculty events or meetings they could be perfect!