JDK Catering is the culmination of many years of cooking, restaurant businesses and other food ventures all the way from rural N.E. Mississippi to rural Central Vermont. While there have been some big city influences along the way, Jimmy’s cooking is real, down-home, comfort food and has been featured in many local and national newspapers, magazines and television. But most importantly, has been enjoyed by family, friends and customers for many years now.
The catering company will bring to your event the same food, personality and service that have made Jimmy’s restaurants so well known and respected. Our specialty is Southern BBQ as well as buffet and family style feasts. However, if you want something other than BBQ, Southern or Creole just ask. We also offer award-winning breakfast, picnic baskets, or drop off packages.
Appetizers from 2024 Weddings and Events
· Charcuterie Board · Hushpuppies
· Pinchos de Pollo (marinated and grilled chicken skewers) · Fried Chicken and Biscuits with Maple Syrup Drizzle
· Smoked Trout Pate · Pulled Pork Sliders
· Grilled Cajun Shrimp Skewers · Mini Street Tacos
· Fried Dill Pickles · Pork Belly Burnt Ends
· BBQ Baby Spareribs · Smoked Deviled Eggs
· Pimento Cheese Cocktail Sandwiches · Caprese Skewers
· Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce · Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
· Fish Cakes with Tartar Sauce · Bruschetta – vegetable, fruit, cheese
· Fruit Bowls · Meatball Skewers
· Mac and Cheese Bites · Breadbasket -Biscuits, Cornbread, local bread including GF options
· Chicken Wings - BBQ/Hot/Buffalo
Sample Menus from 2024
Pulled Pork
BBQ Chicken
Mac and Cheese
Cole Slaw
Green Salad
Cornbread and/or biscuits
Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo
Fried Chicken
Red Beans and Rice
Collard Greens
Cole Slaw
Jalapeno Cornbread
Smoked Brisket
Fried Catfish
BBQ Chicken/Marinated Chicken Thighs
Mac and Cheese
Roasted Potatoes
Grilled Vegetables
Green Salad with Buttermilk Dill and Maple Vinaigrette
Grilled Steak with Blue Cheese, Horseradish or Herb Butter
Pan Seared Salmon with Lemon Dill Sauce
Marinated and Grilled Chicken Thighs
Baby New Potatoes
Massaged Kale Salad
Roasted Summer Vegetables
Breadbasket
Pulled pork
BBQ Chicken
Smoked Mac and Cheese
Mixed Green Salad
Baked Beans
Fried Dill Pickles
Cornbread
Corn on the Cob
Pulled Pork
BBQ Chicken
Smoked Mac and Cheese
Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya
BBQ “Baby” Spare ribs
Cole Slaw
Green Salad and Dressing
Baked Beans
Cornbread and Biscuits
Grilled Ribeye
Grilled Catfish
Marinated and Grilled Chicken Thighs
Mixed Green Salad or comparable green salad
Grilled Summer Vegetables
Roasted Potatoes
Breadbasket
These packages represent a small sampling of the menus we prepared and served in 2024. While we’re known more for BBQ, Southern and Cajun/Creole, there’s really no limit to the style or type of cuisine we can make for your event. We specialize in gluten-free and offer full vegetarian and vegan menus. Also, ask about our desserts.
To talk about or book an event:
Contact Jimmy @ 802-249-0175 or jimmydkennedy@gmail.com
We also partner with Zenbarn in Waterbury, VT., one of the top wedding venues in the state. We can cater your wedding, reception, event or meeting in their barn, studio space or outdoors depending on size. At Zen we can also offer wood-fired pizza as well as our regular menu packages. Check out their website for bookings or more info.
https://www.zenbarnvt.com/weddings/
My thoughts on BBQ
There’s been plenty written, much discussion, and more than a little controversy about barbecue. But there is one thing that all BBQer’s worth their sauce will agree on, and that is, simply, theirs is the best.
To define our terms, BBQ is basically the same as hot-smoking, which means cooking food at a temperature of around 175 to 200 degrees for a long time. The smoke and heat are either from a separate firebox or from a very low hardwood fire right under the food.
There are many styles of BBQ: Carolina, Texas, Kansas City, Memphis style among them. My BBQ would best be described as Memphis style, which uses a dry rub during the long slow cooking time and a sweet, sometimes spicy tomato-based sauce mopped on after cooking, mixed in with, or just served alongside the meat.
At home and at River Run, I’ve made several workable if not sometimes unusual smokers. The first smoker at River Run was a jimmy-rigged outfit that combined an electric caterer’s oven and a small woodstove. The woodstove was outside; the oven hung half in and half out of the kitchen window. It was a funny looking rig with a very long stovepipe and it became much too small much to fast, but it worked great. The next smoker was a whole lot larger and a whole lot heavier. It was an antique reach in refrigerator in one of the oldest running general stores in Vermont. It also weighed about ten tons, at least it felt like it. We used this rig for several years at the old building and we even built an extra heavy duty deck just for the smoker. This smoker worked even better than the first one and had about six times more room. We eventually moved the “beast” to the new location, and because of the unbelievable weight of the smoker (they used real metal in those days) it took quite a beating. A little worse for the wear it still worked just fine, until it met a fiery ending. Today, River Run has a new homemade smoker. It is an large double door stainless steel refrigerator that I found in Hardwick, Vt. I managed to place the firebox in the refrigerator/smoker, which makes for a little hotter temperature but better for winter smoking.
Another alternative, if you must, is to forget the smoking and just use your oven. Purists will disagree, but you can make BBQ to be proud of, at least pulled pork and chicken, right in your own kitchen. You won’t have as much smoky flavor, but with a good rub and a good sauce the results are still going to be delicious. Use the dry rub while the meat slow cooks, then finish the meat off on the grill or under the broiler and serve it with your favorite sauce.
One of the great things about BBQ is that it’s impossible to go wrong. Nearly everyone likes the taste of slow-cooked meat and a tasty sauce. Another great thing about BBQ is developing your own style and method. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Of course, it will be hard to equal the results of my BBQ. I know for sure, as any good BBQer, that mine is the best!
