What: Caring Ball to benefit the Temple Free Clinic

When: Saturday

Where: Frank W. Mayborn Civic and Convention Center

Note: Today is the ticket reservation deadline. To reserve yours, call (254) 771-3374

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So, 600 of your best friends are coming to seated dinner. What are you going to serve?

If you’re Dave and Katie Hermann, owners of the Range of Salado, that’s no problem. Also, if you’re Dave and Katie, you don’t start cooking until two days before.

The two graduates of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., will cater Saturday’s Caring Ball, a formal gala designed to raise funds for the Temple Community Free Clinic and to help the working poor.

For appetizers, guests will munch roasted garlic and herbed goat cheese in endive, chicken empanadas and vegetable spring rolls. Then, servers will roll out plates of steakhouse style salad of Bibb lettuce with fresh veggies in red wine vinaigrette.

Guests may choose between main courses of seared beef tenderloin with parmesan crusted pork tenderloin over cheddar scalloped potatoes or acorn squash roasted and full of roasted vegetables over herbed scented couscous.

Dessert will be free-flowing chocolate and butterscotch fountains with of fruits, cakes and sweet things to gnosh.

The Caring Ball, complete with dinner, dancing and two auctions, is the result of a unique partnership with local service organizations, the area medical community and dedicated volunteers.

A formal dinner of that size requires much planning and preparation, which started weeks before, Ms. Hermann said. To assure freshness, the actual food and supplies won’t arrive until just a few days before. The grocery list includes more than 150 heads of Boston Bibb Lettuce, 300 pounds of meat, 400 pounds of potatoes and 30 pounds of cheese just for the potatoes.

The theme will be a shimmering blue-and-silver “Caring Ball at the Crystal Palace.” Blue crystal centerpieces with gossamer net swirls will carry out the theme.