Farm-to-Table Fun in The Vineyard

Phil Maddux, Winemaker

There's something so romantic about vineyards, don't you think? My partner, Jon, and I attended a wonderful six-course farm-to-table meal held in a local vineyard recently. Granite Bay, restaurateur and chef, Irie Gengler, partnered with local vintners, Phil & Jill Maddux, in a fabulous feast of locally grown and raised culinary delights. On a Sunday afternoon we toured the vineyard atop a majestic hill in the rolling countryside of South Auburn then tasted wines before taking our seat at the 50-foot-long table set outdoors on a beautiful autumn day. Herbs and arugula from the chef's own garden accompanied a rich array of produce from local orchards, farms, and ranches in Placer County, CA. The elegant menu artfully described each course noting where the produce came from. Free range beef, pork, and lamb from Sinclair Family Farms in Penryn were paired with kabocha squash, walnuts, chocolate persimmon, yuzu citrus, jujube, and pears from Otow Orchards and Pine Hill Orchards in Granite Bay and Loomis. Other ingredients including locally grown cippolini onions came from Twin Brooks in Newcastle. Each course was paired with a wine selection from Lone Buffalo Vineyards.There was something for everyone tastes!

Deb & Jon at Lone Buffalo Vineyards

Many happy diners we met that day were from Granite Bay and were familiar with Irie's talents having eaten at his restaurant, Source Global Tapas. Allison and Lauren, who work for HP and sat next to me said that Irie is well-known for his purple mashed potatoes which were served with the Rosemary Skewered Lamb with White Pomegranate-Soy Glaze. The soup was an Almond Wood Rotisserie Chicken in a Kabocha Squash Soup with Chive Oil - delicious! I loved the salad of arugula, candied walnuts, chocolate persimmon, blistered red peppers, a light whole grain mustard vinaigrette, and served with something I absolutely love on top - marigold petals! I love edible flowers - there is something so joyful about eating the vibrant color and delicateness of flower petals. I don't have a garden yet and must admit I experience edible flowers difficult to find even at the farmer's market. 

Arugula Salad - Photo: Deb Jordan

The meal just got better and better. The 4th course of Spiced Paella Pan Seared Beef and Pork Meatballs on a Bed of Braised Cippolini Onion and Fingerling Potatoes was so good I didn't even get a photo of it before it vanished! However, the 5th course was the pièce de résistance! At least for me, oh my, I still can remember the tenderness of 3 Hour Yuzu and Sasparilla Braised Beef Short Ribs on a Bed of Spaghetti Squash - yummm! I learned something, as I usually always do, that we have in our county an orchard that grows the Japanese citrus known as "yuzu". Yuzu is used to make a sauce called ponzu which I adore. This, I thought, was a hard-to-get ingredient in my area but not so. 

3 Hour Yuzu & Sasparilla Braised Beef Short Ribs/photo Deb

It's so much fun meeting new people, making new connections, and sharing good food! From my experience of Irie's artistry I know that I can't miss a visit to his restaurant soon. Everyone at the event received two coupons for appetizers at Source and Jon and I are looking forward to redeeming ours in the near future. The restaurant's blog says, "If you know anything about the team at Source, you know that It's the farm-to-table, direct from-the-grower concept that inspires and fuels us." It is so wonderful to see this farm-to-table movement take off supporting communities in their sustainability as well as encouraging people to eat more in sync with the season. There is something so natural and simple about seasonal cuisine. 

Lone Buffalo Vineyards - Viogner/photo: Jon Haass

Jill and Phil of Lone Buffalo are so passionate about their venture and I watched them thoroughly enjoying themselves at this event, sampling the food as they could in between courses. Lone Buffalo produces eight distinct wines including unique wines such as Tempranillo, Tawny Port, and Petite Sirah and produce about 1,400 cases of wine each year. Even daughter, Jocelyn Maddux, who does Marketing and PR for this boutique-vintner family has begun to make wine under her own label: jBrand. Jocelyn spoke to the crowd just before the sixth course thanking everyone for attending and encouraging them to support their local farmer's market. The Lone Buffalo vineyard, part of the Placer County Wine Trail, was planted 10 years ago and is a lovely place to visit with a tasting room that is open Friday-Sunday Noon-5 pm. 

50-foot-long table Lone Buffalo Vineyards/photo: Jon Haass

Don't forget, all you fellow locavores,  you don't want to miss the Mountain Mandarin Festival coming up November 18-20 at the Gold County Fairgrounds in Auburn.

For more information about local grown: Placer Grown

Love to you all, eat well, and be happy!

Deb 

Jill Maddux, Irie Gengler, Phil Maddux, Jocelyn Maddux

Dining at a Higher Level at Truckee's Dragonfly

I've eaten at the Dragonfly in historic downtown Truckee twice over this last summer. The first time, I wasn't very hungry so ate light but fell in love with a wonderful little appetizer called Crispy Gomashio Rice Balls - delicious, gluten-free, and a version of which I hope to have in our upcoming cookbook! In August - my family and I sampled half the menu. Rice Balls again; then Heirloom Tomato-Watermelon Salad to share; and next an appetizer-entree called "Sizzling Stone” Flank Steak with Green Papaya Salad and Peanut Sauce. I'm a little embarrassed but must confess that, as there was some delay in the arrival of the stone and so much food excitement on the table (albacore, sushi, salads, rice balls, soup, fish with mango salsa, etc.); I got confused and thought my dish was something like Steak Tar Tar. When the server arrived with the "stone" I had already eaten one piece - raw. Ha - smiles turned to laughter! I cooked the remaining steak on the "sizzling stone" and enjoyed it with my green papaya salad. Yum!

On both occasions, we sat outside on the beautiful upstairs balcony which is equipped with umbrellas, heaters, and blankets! The interior of the restaurant is beautifully decorated with warm wood tones and soft, colorful art. On the way to the ladies room you can't miss the beautiful Asian carved wood door at one end of the sushi bar. Owner-Chef, Billy McCullogh, who studied under Douglas Dale of Wolfdale's in Tahoe City, offers an artistic version of Pan-Asian cuisine. He's made available some wonderful free recipes! Although not advertised, the restaurant has a gluten-free menu and...hallelujah, they even have gluten-free tamari available for your table!

Chef Billy is one of 27 restaurateurs participating in the 2nd Annual Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week from October 2 - October 9. In 2010 the Dragonfly received a five-star award from Tahoe's Best.com and this year offers a four-course dinner: $40 for your choice of Sushi Roll, Sizzling Stone Flank Steak, Plantain and Panko Crusted Basa, Banana Stuffed Won Tons with Coconut Ice Cream and Chocolate Dipping Sauce. All I have to say is "wait for the stone"!

For those of you with food sensitivities, I spoke to Maitre'd, Jason Dobbs, who said that the Basa (fish) can be grilled (without the Panko), the Won Tons & Ice Cream can be substituted out for a sorbet. He wisely recommends customers let their server know about their allergy or intolerance because the marinade for the flank steak is not - but can be made - gluten-free. One can also order off the regular menu. If you like sushi, creative Asian-fusion cuisine, or excellent service, friendly to those with food sensitivities visit the Dragonfly.

But back to restaurant week. To my dismay, there are few restaurants offering a special-priced lunch and none that advertise being gluten-free friendly. We found one menu (besides the Dragonfly's) that appeals to our gluten-free food loving taste-buds. Will take our own delicious dessert - maybe our Raw Cacao After-dinner Mints!. For some reason bread pudding and ice cream seem to be this year's standard dessert-fare, with a few exceptions . All's well and good - however, Dawn & I don't do gluten, white sugar, and very little cow milk ingredients. If you do, have at it! Otherwise, make sure you shop the menus and inform your server before ordering.

dailypictures.info

So stay tuned for our take on our gluten-free lunch at a non-participating restaurant, a visit to Emerald Bay, our dining experience, and perhaps - I know it sounds odd but - a visit to a dream hardware store, Swigard's Truevalue, that I've been telling Dawn about!

The truth or dare for our readers this week: please share your most embarrassing dining experience with us - just for fun! Anyone? I bet someone has an artichoke story to tell...

One more thing, if you are considering participating in Tahoe's restaurant week make reservations next week! Check out the list of menus and participating restaurants and subscribe for email menu updates if you like.Discounted accommodations are available as well!

Till Dawn's post next week on our favorite leafy green - KALE...Eat well, be happy, and know that love IS in every bite of Life!

Deb

Placer County Gets Real

It was just about this time last year after moving from the bay area to my new home in Auburn, CA., that I received a copy of the Placer County Real Food Cookbook by local authors Joanne Neft and Laura Kenny as a housewarming gift from my realtor. It was the perfect gift to welcome me to the richness of what Placer County has to offer and what makes it so unique and special. I read the book cover to cover (not something I usually do with a cookbook!) and was inspired. I couldn't wait to visit my local farmers market and start cooking! Thanks to Joanne’s efforts over the last 22 years, which includes dressing up in a big red tomato outfit to lure freeway drivers to the market, I now have a number of thriving farmers markets available to me year round. The cookbook is the natural outgrowth of her passion for local “real food” obtained from local farmers. The book is a collection of 52 meals all lovingly prepared with ingredients obtained entirely during Joanne and Laura’s weekly trips to the market, and then enjoyed with friends and family each Monday night throughout a year. The photograph’s, shot mostly by friend and local photographer Keith Sutter, capture the beauty of the food as well as the passion with which it was prepared.

Last night, Deborah and I attended the celebration and premiere viewing of KVIE’s America’s Heartland with Rob Stewart at the historic State Theatre in downtown Auburn, in which Rob visits our local farmer’s market with Joanne and Laura. Prior to viewing the KVIE segment we also had the opportunity to view a short video called “Our Farmers Are Your Neighbors – Preserving Open Space in Placer County”. Both were inspiring and a joy to watch as the audience clapped and cheered each time friends and family made their appearance. It was said last night that Joanne Neft is Placer County’s story teller and she has definitely told it well. I felt she was truly a woman of my own heart when she spoke of her passion for “good healthy local food”,  and then gently reminded us that "we are what we eat”.    

Deb, Joanne Neft, Dawn

Attending the premiere last night was truly a pleasure as well as an honor. It was the first time Deborah and I had met Joanne and we both found her to be warm, welcoming and most of all genuine. We enjoyed wonderful food which was provided by the Foothills Farmer's Market and was prepared by local chef Courtney Mcdonald. We left feeling we had made new friends and very much aware of how blessed we are to be a part of this rich community. 

 

Until next week ...

Love and Blessings,

Dawn

We would love to hear from you about your local farmer’s markets. Do you attend them regularly? What has your experience been?

Below are some links for you as we want to encourage you to attend and support your local farmers and farmers markets. 

  Foothills Farmers Markets

  Nevada County Farmers Markets

  Sonoma County Farmers Markets

  Find A Farmers Market in Your Area 

If you are interested in viewing the America’s Heartland segment, the link below will take you to the program schedule. 

In Search of Great Kitchen Stores Series: Cooking Gallery, Truckee, CA

Suzanne & Romeo

Last week, in our first blog post, we outlined our Love'n Every Bite blog trip to Truckee, CA. This week I want to share with you, in depth, our visit with Suzanne and Mike Preaseau, owners of the Cooking Gallery. This beautiful, expansive, dog-friendly kitchen store is nestled in the heart of historic downtown. In the nearly 20 years I've lived in the Sierra Nevada Foothills it has been one of my favorite spots to get lost. The Cooking Gallery has been a family-run business for 36 years ever since Suzanne and Mike's father bought the budding Tahoe City business in 1975. The store ran successfully for 20 years there before moving to Truckee.

It was our good fortune that both Suzanne and Mike were in the store the day of our visit! They were not expecting us. Dawn & I entered the store and introduced ourselves (and Lulu) to Suzanne and her dog, Romeo. Suzanne and Romeo were very enthusiastic about showing us around and had just showed us their newest hot seller, the Chef'n StemGem Strawberry Stem Remover (try saying that out loud) when she got very busy with customers. After looking at this cool little tool that takes the crown and the core from the strawberry, I browsed the store for items on my wish list while Dawn, with Lulu in tow, snapped photos of the beautiful product displays.

Quite serendipitously, Mike and a friend just happened to walk in (on Mike's day off) to get something. Suzanne introduced me to Mike saying: "I want you to meet my brother: he does all the ordering". To add to the serendipity, it turns out that Mike's friend had just suggested that Mike blog about the store when we arrived saying we wanted to do just that! I love how Spirit works to bring the good we want into our lives! Mike began by telling me that the price of ceramic knives has come way down: a 6" Chef's knife which used to cost $200 is now $50. I have never used a ceramic knife and after learning that they are sharper and stay sharp 15 times longer than a Wusthof which I do have, I am sure there is a ceramic knife with my name on it in my future. We moved on to non-stick cookware with Dawn photographing us and at one point I looked back and saw Mike's friend taking photos of all of us with his iPad and posting them to Facebook! What fun! Mike's friend, if your reading this - thanks, we'd love to connect and get those photos for our Love'n Every Bite Facebook page.

Mike and I discussed the the health risks associated with the PFOA in Dupont's Teflon non-stick cookware. He is, like many other retailers in recent years, trying out the next-generation GreenPan which has an aluminum exterior with Thermolon Endurance non-stick interior coating. Thermolon-coated cookware is reported to release 50% fewer greenhouse gases during production and contain no toxic substances that could be released at high temperatures like Teflon does. Manufacturers of the GreenPan report that the coating has a high heat resistance (850°F or 450°C) and is scratch and abrasion resistant. It was developed as a response to the US EPA's request that manufacturers reduce their PFOA emissions by 95% before 2010. Among the Cooking Gallery's non-stick inventory you'll find Creuset enamel-coated cast iron, 3-ply stainless, Lodge Logic Cast Iron, a new light-weight cast iron skillet called ExcelSteel made by CookPro Inc., in addition to the GreenPan. Mike says that most of his customers ask for the convenience of non-stick cookware.

Mike shared with me that one of his personal favorite non-stick products is the good-oleLodge cast iron skillet which is fortified with iron - something our bodies naturally need a supply of and which will bio-degrade if it is tossed out. Once seasoned, that cast iron can last you a lifetime. Lodge is an American eco-responsible company with 100 years experience. If the events of the recent years of nuclear reactor failures and economic imbalance have taught us anything at all, it is that we live in an interconnected network of cause and effect. It makes good sense to consider the health of our bodies and the environment as top criteria when considering any purchase including cookware. It is my belief that to consider the whole is the loving, healthy thing to do! Green has many shades: find the color that's right for you!

I personally have not used coated cookware for more than 20 years since the time when I switched to cast iron and Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless with glass lids. I have learned to soak my stainless after cooking things like eggs. I have a great little scraper tool I use after soaking and it's easy-peasy! For myself, I'm just not attracted to a coating that can get into my lovingly-prepared food.

What do you think, to coat or not to coat?

Inquiring minds want to know: what kind of pans do your use and why do you use them? Do they serve you well? Is it convenience of clean-up, your eco-friendly heart, your concern for health, your desire to make a good investment, save money, or some other criteria?

Let us know what you think about non-stick and if you get a chance to visit this lovely store - do! Truckee is a great place for fun, good food, and re-creation.

Catch Dawn next week when she reports back after our trip to the premiere party before the Placer County Real Food Cookbook Worldwide PBS Broadcast which airs on National TV station KVIE September 14 at 7:30 pm PT. Little Auburn makes it national! I once had my foot on national TV...but that's another story!

In two weeks, I'll be providing more information about the upcoming 2nd Annual Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week in October and my review from one of the participating restaurants - the only one so far as I can see that markets the fact that they serve gluten-free entrees.

Till next time - May you know the Love that goes before and makes the way plain and happy! Deb

Welcome To Our Blog - A Day in Truckee, California

Deb, Dawn, & Lulu

Dawn Adams (writer/food coach/photographer) and Deborah Jordan (writer/food coach/yoga instructor) have embarked on an exciting journey and we invite you to come along with us as we explore and discover all things related to good food and happy, healthy living! Join us as we visit exciting new restaurants, organic farms, farmer's markets, unique spice and kitchen stores, and all things gluten-free. Two spirit-soul-sisters we are - who love food and l-o-v-e to travel. In addition, we plan to share our experience as we write our first cookbook for those with food sensitivities that reflects the wealth of our combined experience and our mindful, positive approach to eating.

Truckee River

On Tuesday, we headed out on Hwy 49 from Auburn, California, where we live, up to the beautiful historic town of Truckee for our first blogging adventure! It was a stellar day… Lulu (Dawn’s adorable Boston terrier) was in the backseat of Dawn’s bright red Volkswagen beetle with her pink Peace-Love t-shirt on ready to go! With the sunroof open and the sun shining, we began to make a list of the questions we wanted to ask in our first interview. We started the day with a stroll along the Truckee River.  It was slow-going as Lulu had not been there before and was busy sending and receiving what Dawn and her husband lovingly call “pee-mail”. The day was perfect for Dawn’s photography as you can see.

Suzanne Preaseau & Romeo

Our next destination was downtown Truckee for our visit to the Cooking Gallery, one of Deb’s favorite Truckee stops. Owners, brother and sister, Suzanne and Mike Preaseau, were gracious and welcoming. There store was humming with activity from both local and tourist shoppers and yet they happily showed us what was new in the store. Mike and Deb had a stimulating conversation about non-stick cookware while Dawn was busy snapping photos of the store. When you check out our blog next week, we hope you will participate in our discussion about the practical, environmental, and health aspects of various non-stick cookware. We will also share with you Mike and Suzanne’s best selling alternatives as well as their hottest new items.

Sebastian at the Squeeze In

Lunch anyone? We were ravenously hungry by now and had planned to visit Deb’s new favorite restaurant for Dawn’s birthday but instead decided to go to plan “B” so Lulu could eat with us too! Hot days are not good for being alone in the car. We enjoyed lunch outside at the Squeeze In, a whimsical restaurant featured on the Food Network and touted as serving the “Best Omelettes on the Planet.” Our adorable waiter, Sebastian, is featured in one of Dawn’s best photos of the day. We thoroughly enjoyed our salads and they accommodated our gluten-free requests, although they do not market themselves as a gluten-free restaurant. More to come about the Squeeze In in future posts!

We look forward to returning to the area at the beginning of October for the 2nd Annual Lake Tahoe Restaurant Week featuring 60 participating restaurants. So, look forward to our mid-October blog about this event.

Also, coming up in September we will be celebrating the local success of Placer County Real Food Cookbook authors, Joanne Neft and Laura Kenney. We will be attending and blogging about the premiere of KVIE's America's Heartland show on Joanne, her book, and the Auburn Farmer's Market on September 14.

Thanks for reading us. We invite you to join our blog and “like” us on Facebook. Until next week, we say live happy, eat healthy…and as Lulu says: “Peace and Love” to all!