Southern Sonoma Country Life

Pretend Just for a Few Minutes that You Were at the Chez Panisse 40th Festivities

There are several Southern Sonoma County connections to Alice Water's Chez Panisse of today and a quick browse of the menu brings it home that we certainly do live in the land of bountiful fresh.

But oh to have been even the lowliest of the original locavore luminaries this past week for the internationally renowned, pioneering, Berkeley cafe's 40th anniversary festivities. 

Wanna be transported to the birthday table at Chez Panisse for a few minutes. Spread your napkin, pour yourself a glass of wine and read former Editor in Chief of much missed Gourmet Magazine's Ruth Reichl's glowing after-party blog post. 

Reichl played a large part in the food revolution and this "Chez Panisse- Forty years Later" captures the history and the sense of community that continues to evolve in the rich culinary world of the Bay Area.

Petaluma Gap Wine Tasting for Friends of the Petaluma River

Here we were snapping pics with the iphone of fellow pourers at the Petaluma Gap hosted wine tasting bar at Saturday's extremely festive Moonlit Fandango, annual fundraiser for The Friends of the Petaluma River.

 

Positioned under beams on the patio of the super-exclusive Rockin’ H Ranch on Lakeville Highway, just outside of Petaluma, this gorgeous, al-fresco wine tasting station was the place to be as Fandango guests arrived via hay rides to the reception portion of the evening at the luxe western home that once was General Vallejo’s brick munitions depot, later used for wine storage and brandy aging.

 

A flurry of attentive volunteer servers passed platters of Watershed Bounty around Sid and Gigi Hendricks’ spacious and stunning poolside patio area, overlooking a peaceful, private stretch of the marshy, 14-mile tidal slough that is the Petaluma River.

 

Movers and shakers of Sonoma County’s prominent environmental, conservation and political groups and Petalumans who simply love their waterway were meeting and greeting over Stephanie Rastetter of Water Street Bistro’s superb local appetizers and tastes of the best of our micro-region’s cool climate wines. Armagh Vineyard, Azari Winery, Clary Ranch Wines, Pfendler Vineyards and Ridgeway Family Vineyards poured from their premium Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

 

 

Tasting Around Town - A Foodie's Sneak Preview of the 6th Annual Taste of Petaluma, Saturday, August 27th, 2011

Click here for Prime Time Sneak Preview Taste of Petaluma post on West Petaluma Living

Check out what's in store for Taste of Petaluma goers at Taps

Who can resist? Petaluma Pie Company's a top pick for Taste of Petaluma

Get the scoop on Viva Cocolat's fabulous fondue at the 6th annual Taste of Petaluma

Take your pick of Bovine 's best this Saturday during Taste of Petaluma

Meet the Eco-Entrepreneur Behind Southern Sonoma County-based Siren SeaSA

 Photos in this post courtesy of James Collier of Foie Gras & Flannel and Kimberly Hasselbrink of www.theyearinfood.com  

Eating fish that has been sourced within a 100-mile radius is a good rule of thumb when buying seafood. Yet according to Petaluma-based sustainable seafood entrepreneur, Anna Larsen, method of catch carries just as much clout in the consumption of wholesome, locally sourced fish as it does in lessening stresses on threatened ocean ecology systems. 

As founder of Siren SeaSA, the eco-minded entrepreneur is one of the first in the Bay Area to form a community support agriculture program with the goal of connecting young fishermen directly to a customer base that will encourage them to choose sustainable fishing methods.  In tracking down the finest local and sustainably caught seafood, the focused Casa Grande and UCLA alum has hit the coastal ground running this summer, talking to and signing up fishermen for her increasingly popular Saturday drop-off points in the East and South Bay, San Francisco and Marin.

With the first, six-week sign-up series of the summer coming to a successful close, Larsen’s expanding delivery of her CSA to her hometown of Petaluma, starting with her second series, on September 10^{th, 2011.}

"There was fish, and it was GOOD.  So good," said Larsen of his introductory series. "I am so grateful to have been a part of this first series.  It was a lot of hard work and sleepless nights, but very much worth it.  I had a blast, and that is entirely because I got to chat with my wonderful subscribers and drop site hosts.  We are a great group of people."

In fact, Siren SeaSA is transitioning into a year-round CSF, meaning there will no longer be a set number of weeks per series.  "I have had the pleasure of working with the good people at Farmigo to build a system that will allow subscribers more flexibility in how much fish they get and when they get it.  You can now sign up for a Full Fillet share (4 servings) a Half Fillet share (2 servings) or a Whole Fish share (6-8 servings of whole fish).  You can sign up for delivery of those shares on a weekly or bi-weekly basis AND you can choose to pay for 4, 8 or 12 deliveries at a time," said Larsen, who regularly posts recipes from her chef buddies, online.

 “I also post a bit of background information on the fisherman/farm that provided the fish in addition to tips on storing/processing that week's delivery. I have sourced mussels from Cove Mussel Co. in Marshall, King salmon from Bodega Bay and Ft. Bragg, Halibut from Bodega Bay, Squid from Monterey, oysters from Cove Mussel Co and beautiful hook and line black cod from Bodega Bay.” 

Stunning photos of boats, fish and docks plus tempting recipes from Larsen’s professional coastal forays are updated on a daily basis at http://sirenseasa.com/, along with contact information and how to sign up for your share of the freshest catch of our local coast.

Here's a recipe from Kimberly Hasselbrink's wonderful A Year in Food website, featured also on Siren SeaSA's site certain to whet your appetite for fresh sea food salad. With cherry tomato season in full swing here in Southern Sonoma County right now, what could be a better combo?

The Year in Food's Grilled Squid Salad

Yield: about 4 servings

1.5 pounds whole squid,cleaned
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup arugula
1 cup chopped radicchio
1 cup cooked garbanzo beans
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, halved and juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt + pepper to taste

First, marinate the squid. In a mixing bowl, combine the squid with 2 tablespoons olive oil, half the lemon juice, the minced garlic, and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Set aside. You’ll want them to sit for no more than a half hour in their marinating liquid, because the acid of the lemon juice will start to cook them.

Prepare your grill for the squid.

While the charcoal briquettes/gas grill are readying, prepare the rest of the salad by mixing together the cherry tomatoes, arugula, radicchio and garbanzo beans. Set this aside and dress at the very end.

When your grill is ready, place squid on the grill. You may use skewers if you’d like, but it’s not necessary. Grill for about 2 minutes on each side. (If your grill is less hot, you may need to increase the time, just a little.)

Remove squid from grill. Slice squid body into one inch sections. Leave tentacles whole.

Toss squid with the rest of the salad. Add the remaining lemon juice, another tablespoon of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Best served immediately.

View subscription agreement details for Siren SeaSA here

Tuscan-Style Grape Torte from the Vineyard Kitchen

Adpated from Jamie Oliver's Torta di Nada, I can't resist whipping up one of these beauties when the tiny, little purple champage grapes appear in the market late summer.

In keeping with a liking for knowing where our fruit is from these days, Three Sisters Organic Champagne Grapes are grown in the Central Valley at the Soghomonian family's Fresno farm.

Tuscan-Style Grape Torte from the Vineyard Kitchen

4 farm fresh eggs

9  ounces of sugar

7 ounces of melted, unsalted (Clover) butter

4 fluid ounces of extra virgin olive oil (I used our house oil from the Ridgeway's annual custom crush at McEvoy Ranch)

6 fluid ounces of milk

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

14 ounces of white, organic wholewheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda

pinch of salt

zest of a lemon

zest of an orange

1 pound of fresh champagne (or muscat) grapes

Heat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 1/2 inch, square baking dish and line with parchment paper. Beat eggs and sugar until thick and creamy, adding butter, oil, milk and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt, lemon and orange zest. Mix thoroughly. Let sit for five to 10 minutes. Fold in a half of the grapes into mixture and piour into baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle the remaining fruit on top, pushing down into batter, gently. Bake for a further 30 minutes or more until golden brown on top. Allow to cool before serving with ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream.

 

 

Fantasy Lit Lovers' Pick - "Horse Stalker" - A New Novel by Sonoma County Author and Journalist

The Petaluma Educational Foundation and local author/journalist Robert Digitale are teaming up for a PEF WEEK booking signing and benefit Sept. 17, 2011 at Copperfield's Books in Petaluma.

Digitale, a longtime newspaper reporter in Santa Rosa, is releasing a new fantasy novel, "Horse Stalker." The foundation will receive $1 from every copy of the book sold at the store in September and October.

"School foundations make a huge difference in keeping alive art, music and other great programs for our children," Digitale said. "I am delighted to join with the Petaluma Educational Foundation and to spread the word about the important work of helping our schools."

The book signing will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the store, 140 Kentucky St., Petaluma.

The Sept. 17 event is one of four book signings at Copperfield's locations around Sonoma County. Each is a benefit for local school groups.

Santa Rosa newspaper columnist Chris Smith wrote of "Horse Stalker": “From Robert Digitale’s imagination and heart springs an odyssey that beckons the reader with alliances both dark and enlightened, landscapes enchanting and perilous, first love and treachery. The fantastic journey plummets and ascends along the full trajectory of human potential, from the sinister to the holy. Saddle up!”

"Horse Stalker," the first book in a series titled "The Root of Glory," has been published through Digitale's own company, Franklin Park Press. The book's price is $13.99.

Sample chapters are available for reading at DigitaleStories, a blog hosted by the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, at www.digitalestories.com.

More information about the book, including a video with original music from "Horse Stalker," can be found here.

London Mayhem - A Clockwork Orange Brought to Life

Anyone who has ever read Anthony Burgess' unforgettably disturbing 1962 dystopian novella, A Clockwork Orange can't help but wonder if the author's vision of near-future England has become violent reality in this week's shocking madness and mayhem in the streets of London and now many more of England's major cities.

Speaking by phone and email to friends and family in the UK, it's sounding like precisely the sorts of sociopathic, hardened juvenile delinquents who rampaged in ultra-violent gangs throughout A Clockwork Orange, who have risen from the welfare-supported ranks of England's inner cities to rob, burn, ransack and terrorize the streets and any law abiding citizen who gets in their way.

In fact, I am still awaiting further news of a close family member who has suffered some degree of burns to the arm protecting his car from being burned at his workplace in the one of the centers of the rioting in London. Others make their way home to the outskirts of London via trains and bikes and safe routes are unpredictable.

I've heard reports of gangs swiping a baby from a flat in a riotous sweep of that particular neighborhood (mercifully returning it unharmed to its mother an hour later), destroying businesses that have been in hard working families for generations in mere minutes, ransacking and setting fire to stores, causing pubs and restaurants to shutter across the country and keeping law-abiding Brits indoors for fear of escalating copy-cat gangs storming their city's.

Parliament has reconvened for a day in its summer hiatus and the prime minister and mayor have flown back to London from holiday locales. Stratford has been sealed off to protect the Olympic structures, though this is surely one of the worst kinds of pre-Olympic tourism deterrents imaginable.

If I might add my own two pennyworth, I'd have to say that the average aged 14-16 year old English youths who clearly have free run of their homes and the country this week have no idea how cushy they've actually had it with their council housing accommodation, social security and free health care.

Now that gangs of opposition youths are out on the streets to protect neighborhoods from being any further devastated, the potential for race violence is unprecedented in Britain. It's up to the government and police forces to put an end to this, now.

As fellow Southern SoCo Brit, Lesley said to me this morning, it's hard to imagine those glorious, flag filled streets of London during April's royal wedding taking on such a sinister development.

 

 

Straus Family Creamery Introduces Artisanal Organic Sour Cream

Heads up to home cooks in the Bay Area - Straus Family Creamery’s latest addition to its organic dairy line-up is its an artisanal, locally made, organic sour cream available at grocery stores throughout the region.

Straus Family Creamery Sour Cream comes in two varieties: full fat and light. Both have a naturally thick texture and a pure, rich flavor with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy on the palate. Slow cultured using a traditional 16-hour process and made in small batches without additives, Straus Family Creamery Sour Cream makes recipes better.
 
 “I wanted to create a pure, simple sour cream that tastes great,” said Albert Straus, President of Straus Family Creamery.  “It all starts with the milk. Although making sour cream without gums or stabilizers takes time, it’s worth the effort.  It's more art than science to let the unique flavor of our milk come through with just the right balance of sweet and tangy.  Like all of our products, our sour cream is both organic and Non-GMO. It’s exciting to introduce the first Non-GMO Project Verified sour cream in the country.”
 
With a quality family creamery like Straus devoting its skills to making a sour cream worthy of attention, this versatile old-world dairy product is poised for a culinary comeback. Straus Family Creamery Organic Sour Cream has a clean flavor that’s a perfect base for dips and dressings; its slow, natural culturing process results in a mildly sour cream with just the right amount of zip for topping tacos, enchiladas, and baked potatoes; it imparts a tanginess to muffins, scones, cakes, and other baked goods that is both subtle and distinctive; and it lends a rich creaminess to traditional stroganoff and other stews, and doesn’t break when heated.
 
Like all Straus Family Creamery dairy products, Straus Family Creamery Sour Cream carries the Non-GMO Project Verification seal, a third-party verification seal to inform consumers that best practices for avoiding GMO contamination were followed. Straus Family Creamery is the first organic dairy brand in the country to carry the seal on all of its products.
 

Devil Makes Three - Foot Stomping Finale at Petaluma's Fourth Annual Music Festival

Being a people watcher, I was in my element in the crowd on the concrete dance floor at main stage for Saturday's Petaluma Music Festival's fourth annual finale - Santa Cruz-based American blues band, Devil Makes Three.

Thousands of festival-goers had spent the best part of a beautifully sunny day camped out with colorful rugs, blankets and low-profile lawn chairs on the grass by main stage at the Sonoma Marin Fairgrounds, in the center of town.

Hundreds of state and country-wide followers of the summer music circuit and of the 16 bands performing at this year's Petaluma Music Festival were in from out of town, with an eclectic festival-fashion style as captivating to me as what was going on on-stage.

Homespun summer frocks, babies in gingham bonnets, tattoos, trilby hats (lots of), bare feet, a bounty of fascinating folk from all walks of life.

From what it looked light from a main stage audience perspective, Petaluma Music Festival's fab production team most likely pulled in a good profit from this year's packed event for funding the future of music programs in Petaluma schools. A win-win for music lovers, young musicians and the maestros themselves. Marvelous.

Celebrate, Educate, Participate - Petaluma Educational Foundation's in Full Gear

Back to school for students, moms and dads means a return to regular routines, earlier nights, brown bag lunches, new shoes and fresh focus.

For the dedicated folks at Petaluma Educational Foundation, back to school season equates to full-throttle, enthusiastic fundraising time in the community at large. Major outreaching has been happening all summer-long, developing partnerships for the big bucks to come together for city-wide school grant and program funding, at the upcoming, annual (September 10th) gala BASH.

This year, a new and exciting addition to the foundation's major fundraising campaign comes in the form of PEF Week, directly following the glitz and glamor of The BASH and in full force in many of your favorite Petaluma businesses, cafes, services and restaurants from September 10th to 17th, 2011.

The PEF team is delighted to have been offered a % rebate of sales at various hot-spots during PEF Week, with generous donors so far including: Bus Stop Coffee (40 Fourth Street); Mike's Barbershop (741 Western Ave); Pinky's Pizza (321 Petaluma Boulevard South); Hollingsworth Jewelry (5 Petaluma Boulevard North); a soon-to-be-announced E-Book by local author - signing at Copperfields (140 Kentucky Street); and Tres Hombres (151 Petaluma Blvd. South #129). NOTE: Specific PEF days apply to most participating partners - dates to be posted when PEF Week schedule is complete.

Applebees Restaurant (5301 Old Redwood Hwy) has planned a special "Tip a Teacher" pancake breakfast during PEF Week, on Saturday September 17th.

PEF is delighted with the initial response by local businesses in support of the first annual PEF Week and would love to add additional businesses and services throughout the city to participate in the program that's anticipated to grow in leaps and bounds in years to come.

It's great to get everyone united in support of the innovative work of PEF, as it prepares for funding of next year's Major Impact and Enrichment Grants. The Foundation's 19^th gala BASH, Boogie, Blowout, takes place at The Sequoia Center, 1400 No. McDowell, Petaluma.  Tickets will be on sale next week. Watch for more news soon. 

Also new this year is a pre-BASH online auction open to everyone. Starts August 19th - with lots of terrific items and activities to bid on in support of our schools.