If you have been to a wedding, banquet, charity dinner or a special event in the Napa Valley, then odds are very good that you have enjoyed some of Chef Peter McCaffrey's food. Founder and Executive Chef of Wine Valley Catering in Napa, McCaffrey has a resume that reads like a primer on how to climb the culinary ladder: a year each working for Alain Ducass at the famed Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo and with Chef Philippe de Givens in Paris, then time with Alain Senderens at La Timonerie and at hotels and restaurants in Boston, New York, Cape Cod and St. Thomas.

In the Market Basket
One eight-ounce salmon filet
One 1 1/2 pound boneless lamb roast
Four large prawns
One head red leaf lettuce
One Italian squash
One red bell pepper
Half pound snow peapods
Half pound baby carrots
One loaf French bread
Six Peruvian purple potatoes
Four russet potatoes
Two medium yams
Maytag Blue Cheese
1/4 cup pistachios
Fresh oregano
Fuji apple
Lemons
Shallots
Garlic
One piece gingerroot
Tin of wasabi

A native of Rhode Island and a Napa resident since 1994, McCaffrey and his partner and wife, Lorene, have made Wine Valley the largest catering company north of San Francisco. And to their credit, the quality of the food they produce has never suffered as they have grown to a company that now includes over three dozen talented veterans on the culinary staff alone.

With multiple events often going on simultaneously McCaffrey does seem to be in a perpetual state of motion, but the entire business functions as well as it does because of some basic rules. "Getting the freshest products we possibly can has always been our goal," the chef said.

"There's no substitution to purchasing the finest ingredients, and I believe in cooking with the seasons. Using what's available that day from local farmers and other suppliers. In that way we're very fortunate. There are so many wonderful ingredients available to us in this part of the country that we don't have to fly them in. We have them almost - sometimes literally - in our backyard."

McCaffrey remains ever mindful of his geography when it comes to what accompanies his food. "I'm a strong believer in tasting the wines that are to be served before we start cooking. That's how you make sure the food and wine pairing is exactly what the client had planned. That is what I do, keep people happy, no matter what kind of meal they have in mind."

He brought that same sensibility to our "Market Basket," where the rules are simple but call on creativity and skill. The chef has no idea what the ingredients will be; we make the list and shop for the food, and we deliver it to their kitchen. It is then up to the chef to create and execute the menu using these ingredients. No exotic restaurant equipment is allowed, no sous-chefs, helpers or assistants and time is of the essence. A few staples are permitted - salt, pepper, olive oil, wine, lemons, butter and the like - nothing you won't find on most home kitchen shelves. Is there any reason you can't do the same thing in your kitchen? None whatsoever. So feel free to get cooking, and enjoy!

Grilled Pacific Salmon & Roasted Red Pepper with Ginger Chive Sauce

Grilled Pacific Salmon
2 lb salmon medallions, 7 oz each
1 1/2 lb whole red peppers
30 snow peas
9 Purple Peruvian potatoes
1/2 cup Ginger Wasabi sauce

For the Ginger Wasabi sauce:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 oz shallots, minced
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp chives, finely cut
1/4 tsp Wasabi
Salt and pepper
Salmon drippings

Serves 4

To prepare the salmon, remove skin, season with salt and pepper. Sear in pan skin side up until light in color. Place on cookie sheet. Set aside, retaining salmon drippings.

Cover whole red peppers with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes in preheated 400° oven then place in stainless steel bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 5 minutes before removing skin and seeds. Cut into inch wide, end-to-end cuts. Set aside.
Blanch snow peas in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Remove to ice bath (brings out color). Quarter cut, season and roast the potatoes in a 375° oven for 45 minutes and set aside.

To make the sauce: In saucepan over high heat, mix lemon juice, shallots and ginger. Reduce by half, add the salmon drippings, blend and simmer. Remove from heat. Add butter a tablespoon at a time until melted. Do not put on heat again. Strain quickly then add the wasabi, chives, salt and pepper and keep warm.

In 375° oven, reheat salmon and potatoes for 12-15 minutes. In large sauté pan, melt butter and add snow peas and peppers. Reheat for no more than 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, put potatoes in the center of plate. With the snow peas and peppers on the side, place the salmon on top of the potatoes, spooning sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Jumbo Prawns with Purple Potatoes

16 jumbo prawns, leave in shell
3 Purple Peruvian potatoes, medium
Chardonnay lemon vinaigrette

For the Vinaigrette:
1 oz shallots, minced
Half cup Chardonnay wine (reduced to 1/4 cup)
Quarter cup olive oil
Lemon juice
Quarter tsp salt
Pinch fresh pepper

Serves 4 as Appetizer

Drop prawns in simmered water (optional: add a quartered lemon, 2 bay leaves and some peppercorns before bringing to a boil) for 2 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Peel, devein and remove tail. Slightly cut each prawn in half through the middle from head towards tail and set aside. Mix vinaigrette ingredients well and set aside.

Simmer potatoes until tender to the touch (approx. 20 minutes). Let cool then peel and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices.

Pulse the potatoes in a blender for 30 seconds. If it is too tart add more oil, if too oily add lemon or chardonnay. With potatoes on the plate, place prawns opened on potatoes and drizzle with Chardonnay Lemon Vinaigrette.

Roast Lamb
1 1/2 lb lamb saddle (roast), boneless
2 lb yams, cleaned and peeled
2 lb Russet potatoes, peeled
4 oz roasted and mashed garlic
4 oz butter
1 cup heavy cream
4 oz Maytag blue cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp Napa Mustard Festival Dijon-style mustard
1/4 cup balsamic glaze
Bunch fresh oregano
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Vegetable Medley:
28 whole shallots
20 baby carrots, peeled and blanched
28 baby zucchini, cleaned and blanched

Balsamic Glaze:
Cup Balsamic vinegar that has been reduced to 1/4 cup

Serves 4

Tenderize lamb with a mallet and rub lightly with salt and pepper inside and out. Fatty side down, evenly spread on garlic and oregano, roll slightly and tie snugly with kitchen twine.

Preheat roasting pan on stove top (using two burners) and brown lamb on all sides and end-to-end. Preheat oven to 375° and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until 120° internal temperature. Set aside.

Thin slice yams and potatoes lengthwise, trying to get 11 to 12 slices from each.

In Pyrex pan layer yam and potatoes with the heavy cream mixed with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese, pressing each layer slightly. Finish top with a few morsels of the cheese and cover with aluminum foil.

Place on bottom rack in 375° oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking until brown on top, approximately 15 more minutes.
Melt butter in large sauté pan and add pre-cooked shallots, carrots and zucchini, reheating for maximum of 2 minutes.

For sauce, remove lamb from roasting pan, scrape off bottom and sides with kitchen spoon and place pan on stovetop of two burners. Deglaze with red wine by heating pan for a few seconds, pouring in the wine and scraping sides and bottom of pan. Whisk in mustard, reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and strain. Whisk in tablespoon butter, add salt and pepper to taste. A nice addition is to squeeze in fresh lemon juice and serve quickly.

Remove twine from lamb, cut away excess fat and make 1 1/2 inch thick slices.

For plate preparation dip a small spoon into balsamic glaze and drizzle quickly over pre-heated plate. Place hot vegetable medley and potato au gratin on plate with lamb in the center, topped with sauce. Serve.

Red Leaf Salad
Head Red Leaf lettuce
1/2 Fuji apple
Squeeze of lemon
8 croutons
1 1/2 oz Balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup toasted pistachios
Salt and pepper

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette:
2 oz roasted whole garlic (roast with a little oil in 375° oven until light brown)
1 oz shallots (small, coarse chop)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp lemon juice (fresh squeezed)
2 1/2 oz Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 oz Balsamic vinegar
Pinch salt and freshly cracked pepper

Serves Two

Combine ingredients for vinaigrette in blender, mix and set aside.

Clean, cut and dry the lettuce. Core and quarter the apple then slice each quarter into 11 slices. Squeeze lemon juice on apple (to prevent browning). Place lettuce in bowl and toss with apple slices, salt and pepper, and vinaigrette.

Serve tossed lettuce on plate, placing apples on top. To finish place croutons on the salad, scattering pistachios on top and serve.