Get to the Root
Beets are the Ideal Autumn Veg
by Trudy Goodstein
People unfamiliar with beets might find the lopsided ovoids very un-food-like. Smaller than a baseball and just as hard, they can appear more suited to throwing than eating. Yet beets are actually a wonderful vegetable with an earthy sweetness that is accentuated through cooking. Available between May and December, depending on when and where they are planted, they are a fantastic source of fiber, potassium, and iron. Their colors range from golden yellow to classic red to deep purple.
The beet root you see in markets is not the only edible part of the plant. You can also eat the greens raw, add them to soup, or sauté them. If the stems are older, they may be woody but they are still delicious. Just cut them smaller and cook them longer than the leaves.
Beet roots are most commonly boiled or roasted. Roasting them results in a slightly sweeter flavor and can be done with whole beets or cut chunks, requiring 35-75 minutes in the oven. Boiling them is quicker, ranging from 20 minutes for small beets to 40 minutes for larger ones. Beets are fully cooked when you can pierce them with a paring knife or fork and it slides in easily.
After cooking, cool the beets until they are safe to handle, at which point the skins will slide right off. Handle the cooked beets in a sink or other non-stainable surface because they have a penchant to stain most things including hands, clothing, and wooden surfaces. Beet stain will come off your hands, though it might take a few washes.
Cooked beets are delicious served as simple slices topped with salt, pepper, and a dollop of sour cream with a sprinkle of dill. You can add them to salads, roast them with other root vegetables, or make borscht, a beet soup that can be served cold or hot.
Sour cream and dill are common flavors when preparing beets, but you can try different flavor combinations with your favorite spice or herb for some fun experimentation. Beets are stable enough in flavor and texture that they can handle culinary creativity vis-a-vis spice combinations and cooking styles. Tasty, hearty, and healthy, great served hot or cold, beets are perfect for fall’s changeable weather. And if you want to save them for any time of year, try pickling them with the recipe that follows.
Pickled Beets
by Trudy Goodstein
Trudy Goodstein has worked at Pettit Teton for the last five years jamming and canning many things. Before relocating to Mendocino County, she worked in fine dining in San Francisco.
Yield: (10) 12 oz jars
INGREDIENTS
6.5 lbs beets, with their rootlets and 2 inches of their tops, well-scrubbed • 11⁄2 tsp whole cloves
(3) 4-inch cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces or crushed to fit spice bag • 1 1⁄2-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced (frozen ok)
3 3⁄4 cups sugar
3 cups red wine
4 1⁄2 cups red wine vinegar
1 1⁄2 Tbsp salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Put the beets into a large pot and pour enough water over them to cover them. Bring the water to a boil and boil the beets for 25 to 40 minutes, depending on their size, until they are just tender.
Drain the beets and cover them with cold water. When they are cool, trim them and slip off their skins, then cut them into thick chunks.
Tie the cloves, cinnamon, and ginger in a spice bag or scrap of cheesecloth. Put this into a nonreactive pot with the sugar, wine, vinegar, and salt. Bring the contents to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Simmer the syrup, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
While the syrup simmers, pack the beets into sterilized pint mason jars. Remove the spice bag from the pan and pour the hot syrup over the beets, leaving 1⁄2 inch headspace. Process the jars for 30 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Store jars in a cool, dry, dark place for at least 3 weeks before eating the beets. Store in the refrigerator after opening.
Photo p5 by Torrey Douglass
Photo p6 by Natalia Fogarty courtesy of Unsplash
Chipotles!
Smoke Your Own for Perfect Adobo
by Holly Madrigal
The smoky deep flavor of chipotles in adobo sauce is as unique as a New Mexico sunset—complex, intense, rich, and subtly spicy. Some may not know that chipotle is actually ripe jalapeño peppers. Most commercial jalapeños are sold while still immature and green, but when left to grow in the garden, they ripen into a fire engine red. It’s these ripe red jalapeño peppers that are used to create the smoky chipotle. The ripeness adds a layered sweetness to the spice, but the pepper needs to be smoked and dried to achieve this signature chipotle flavor. Once you create your own, its uses in your culinary dishes—and even mezcal cocktails—are endless.
Wash and dry the peppers while keeping on a bit of the stem to use as a little handle. Wearing gloves is a good idea to avoid the accidental searing eye-touch. Arrange on the tray of your smoker and set to 200 degree smoke. Pecan wood chips are traditionally used in Mexico, but most smoking chips like apple or cherry will be fine. You will need enough wood material to smoke for three hours. The peppers should be leathery but not mushy, still firm to the touch.
Once smoked, chipotle peppers can be used as-is, dehydrated for long term storage, or added to an adobo sauce like the one here. When you see canned chipotles at the grocery, they are preserved “en adobo,” or in the sauce, which is made from a blend of puréed peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, and spices. If you have an adobo recipe you like, the chipotles should be simmered after smoking in the sauce for at least 20 minutes to combine the flavors. This summer, elevate your Mexican-inspired dishes with this knockout Chipotles en Adobo made from jalapeño peppers you can easily grow right in your own garden.
Chipotles en Adobo
by Adrán Medrano
Adrán Medrano is a chef, food writer, filmmaker, and author of Truly Texas Mexican: A Native Culinary Heritage In Recipes, which includes this recipe.
INGREDIENTS
4 ounces chipotle chiles (about 20-22 chiles)
2 chiles anchos
2 chiles pasilla
1 cup white onion, small diced
1 clove garlic
2 ripe tomatoes, boiled
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 cup white vinegar
1⁄4 cup piloncillo (Mexican unrefined cane sugar)
6 black peppercorns
6 cloves
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
INSTRUCTIONS
De-seed and de-vein the chiles anchos and chiles pasilla. Place the chiles in a saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to boil, turn off the heat and let the chiles soak for 20 minutes. Set aside.
Place all the chipotle chiles in a large saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil. Then turn off the heat and let the chipotles soak for 30 minutes to an hour to rehydrate. Make sure the chipotles remain intact. They can also soak in cold water overnight.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and then add the diced onion, cooking it for about 3 minutes, until it becomes translucent. Set aside.
In a blender, place the rehydrated guajillo and ancho chiles, tomatoes, garlic, black peppercorns, cloves, salt, and 1 cup of water. Blend on high for one minute or longer, until the mixture is a completely smooth purée. You can add 1⁄4 cup more water if needed. If the purée is still grainy, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve. It should be smooth and velvety.
In a dutch oven, heat 3⁄4 cup olive oil on medium heat, then add the chile purée and cook it for 8 minutes. You will see the color deepen.
Add the vinegar, onions, piloncillo, laurel leaves, oregano, and rosemary and stir to combine well. Cook for five minutes on simmer, stirring gently to make sure that the piloncillo is completely dissolved.
Add the rehydrated chipotle chiles, stirring gently so as to keep them intact. Cook on a gentle simmer for 45 minutes so that the flavors blend. The chipotles will add flavor to the adobo, and the adobo will penetrate the flesh of the chipotles.
Let the chiles cool, then store them in a glass container. They’ll be even more delicious the next day. They will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks. You can also freeze them in tightly sealed plastic bags for up to 3 months.
Find out more about Adrán Medrano at adanmedrano.com.
Photos by Hari Krishnan and Rafael Albaledejo courtesy of Unsplash
Brussels Sprouts
Not Your Grandma’s Sprouts
by Holly Madrigal
Those who dislike Brussels sprouts are legion. The cruciferous mini-cabbages of the days of old were so bitter that adults raised in the 1960s experience culinary flashbacks. As it turns out, though, they may be one of the vegetables most successfully altered, through plant breeding, by having the stark bitterness bred out of them. In the 1990s, scientists identified a specific chemical called glucosinolates that caused that disagreeable flavor. Plant breeders began growing older, sweeter varieties that had fallen out of favor due to their small harvests, and crossed these more delicious plants with modern ones selected for less of that bitter element. The result is that the Brussels sprouts you can now find at your farmers market or grocery are much more enjoyable, with a perfectly balanced flavor that creates a dish that is both delicious and nutritious.
Chefs have caught on to this vegetable wonder and created dishes that highlight and enhance its flavors. The Harbor View Bistro at the Noyo Harbor Inn has elevated this humble vegetable into a menu favorite. Their Flash Fried Brussels Sprouts are seared until they are bright green with a crispy char, then are tossed with morsels of bacon and diced pecans. A dash of Parmesan ups the umami flavor, and the maple syrup reduction and a splash of sherry coat each bite with a hint of sweetness. A tip for locals: if you come for happy hour, you can try these perfect sprouts as a small plate with a glass of white wine. Or you can add the Bistro’s phenomenal deviled eggs or wild mushroom bruschetta for a full meal.
Brussels sprouts are ripe now, and this dish beautifully highlights their singular flavor. Try it at home, or leave the prep to the pros and stop by the Noyo Harbor Inn. You know, for research.
Flash Fried Brussels Sprouts
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2
INGREDIENTS
• 3 cups Brussels sprouts
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup diced bacon
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (can roast ahead of time, if desired)
DIRECTIONS
Cut the Brussels sprouts in half (or quarters if large). In a sauté pot, cook sherry wine, vinegar, and maple syrup until reduced to a thick sauce (about 2/3 reduction). In a separate sauté pan, cook the bacon until nice and crispy, then remove onto a paper towel to absorb the grease.
Keep the sauté pan with the bacon drippings hot and use it to sauté the Brussels sprouts until they are brown on the edges and cooked through (can cook until crispy, if desired). Transfer the sprouts into a bowl and toss them with walnuts, parmesan cheese, bacon, salt and pepper, and the reduction. Serve and enjoy!
Noyo Harbor Inn
500 Casa del Noyo, Fort Bragg
707) 961-8000 | noyoharborinn.com
Open Wed - Mon
Happy Hour 3:00pm -5:30pm, Dinner 5:00pm to close
Brussels Sprouts photo by Matt Seymour courtesy of Unsplash.
MendoGrass
Sun Grown & Local Power Greens—Available All Year!
by Torrey Douglass
When Mendo Grass owner Adam Goldberg and his wife, Amanda Tuttle, started their wheatgrass and microgreens business in 2020, he was “hell-bent on growing with the sun.” Sungrown plants have better flavor and a lower carbon footprint, and this approach aligned with Adam’s priority to work with what he already had in order to keep overhead costs low. It is also less time-intensive since he doesn’t have to purchase and maintain complex climate control systems—though he does use a germinator shed where plants spend their first 3-5 days. This shed can be warmed or cooled, protecting young plants from winter’s freezing temperatures and extreme summer heat. After that, they are moved to the greenhouse where they will stay until harvested 10 to 21 days later, depending on the time of year.
Unlike diversified farming, wheatgrass and microgreens can be grown year-round, even when eschewing climate manipulation. This means Adam’s schedule doesn’t include the cold-season break other farmers enjoy. “It’s a marathon,” shares Adam. “Winter is slower but still busy. The rhythms are different from a regular farm.” Thanks to the greenhouse environment, Adam’s microgreens business is easier on his body than traditional farming. He doesn’t have to work on the ground, and the use of vertical space means a lot can be grown within a smaller footprint.
The success of Mendo Grass can be traced back to Adam’s past job with the former Solar Living Institute in Hopland, where his role included growing wheatgrass and microgreens for local restaurants and grocery stores. The program was let go after a time, but he had seen its potential as a sustainable local business. So when he and Amanda moved into a tiny home outside of Hopland in 2020, he had the time and bandwidth to launch Mendo Grass.
That was also the year that Adam lost his mom to cancer. He’d always admired how she had “lived on her own terms,” as he put it, balancing career, family, and personal interests so she could make the most out of the time she had. Her illness put things in perspective, motivating Adam to follow her example and take the entrepreneurial plunge so he could build a career that provided more time for family, as well as experience the satisfaction that comes from working for oneself. As someone with a Master’s in International Education, Adam appreciates how the intellectual and analytical challenges of running a business complement the physical and mental demands of farming. “I appreciate the balance of admin and dirty hands,” he reflects.
An early break helped get the business off the ground, when a Hopland business owner saw the potential for Mendo Grass and granted Adam a rent-free year on his ranch to get started. There was no infrastructure save a vineyard pond, but the price was right, so Adam and Amanda built a greenhouse on the site and proceeded to figure out, through trial and error, what it takes to grow and sell organic wheatgrass and microgreens to Mendocino and Sonoma counties.
These baby plants sell themselves in a lot of ways. They contain up to nine times more nutrients than their adult counterparts, making them beloved as an immunity-boosting superfood. Microgreens work beautifully as a garnish for restaurant dishes, delighting both the eye with their bright green hue and the palate with their tender taste. They go great in salads, smoothies, and sandwiches—for example, they add a little crunch and a lot of fresh flavor as a topping on avocado toast.
For folks who like to include fresh wheatgrass or microgreens in their morning smoothies, a convenient subscription program is available. You can find Mendo Grass microgreens at the Ukiah Farmers Market, Ukiah Natural Foods Co-Op, and Mariposa Market. Outside of the county, they are at the Healdsburg and Sebastopol farmers markets. In addition to the microgreens and wheatgrass, jars of fresh “peasto” and refreshing “Mendomosas”—a mocktail that combines a shot of wheatgrass, orange juice, and kombucha—are for sale. Both were developed by Amanda, whose expertise includes a background in the culinary arts. In addition to creating delicious, value-added items for their farmers market table, she also manages branding and marketing for the business.
Adam and Amanda’s belief that Mendo Grass was a viable business idea has been proven correct thanks to their hard work and creativity. Now, four years in, the business is stable, and they are a year or two away from hiring a manager to help carry some of the load so they can enjoy an even better work-life balance. Even with all the demands launching a startup business requires, Adam feels it allows him to live on his own terms, able to spend time with Amanda and their daughter, providing food that supports his customers’ health, and growing his plants according to his values: organic, sungrown, and watered with rainwater. “We are part of our community, very embedded,” Adam shares. “Being a local farm business and providing local, healthy foods is very rewarding.”
To get a delicious taste of Adam’s microgreens, make your avocado toast with the recipe below for a tasty and healthy start to your day.
Great Start Avocado Toast
INGREDIENTS
1 slice of artisan bread, toasted to perfection (we love Grainsong bread!)
1/4 cup Mendo Grass Peasto
2 oz microgreens
1 avocado, mashed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt + pepper to taste
Optional: red pepper flakes or toasted pumpkin seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
Toast a slice of bread until it reaches your desired level of crispiness. While the bread is toasting, mash the avocado in a bowl until smooth. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
Spread the mashed avocado evenly over the toast. Next, generously spread ¼ cup of Mendo Grass Peasto on top of the avocado. Top with 1 oz of Mendo Grass Microgreens, then sprinkle more salt and pepper over the microgreens if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy the delightful combination of flavors and textures!
Subscribe for regular deliveries of wheatgrass and/or microgreens at mendograss.com, or visit Healdsburg, Ukiah, and Sebastopol farmers markets to purchase.
Photo courtesy of Mendo Grass
Torrey Douglass is a web and graphic designer living in Boonville. Her life’s joys include reading by the fire, cooking something delicious, and drinking good coffee with a friend.
Autumn in a Glass
Frosty “Cocktails” with Gowan’s Heirloom Cider
by Holly Madrigal
Local tip: if you are driving to the coast on winding Highway 128 on a warm autumn day, make a stop for a special treat‑— the Frosé Margarita in the shady tasting grove at Gowan’s apple orchard. Travelers have stopped for years at Gowans Oak Tree for apple juice, dried fruits, produce, and snacks. The tasting grove, just a few hundred yards further west, opened in 2020 when the idea of an outdoor tasting room was fresh and new.
Beneath the dappled green shade of the apple trees, Sharon Gowan served up their signature hot weather treat. Frosty and rose-hued, the Frosé is made up of Gowan’s award-winning Rosé Applewine Cider, chilled to a delicious frappe consistency and dolloped into a Tajín- and plum powder-rimmed glass. (Sip with caution or you might suffer brain freeze.) The Rosé Cider is a blend of heirloom estate cider with Pinot Noir. The addictive spicy-salty rim complements the notes of plum within the Pinot. Sweet but dry, the combination is a delightful refresher on a hot afternoon.
The family has been busy developing a number of new ciders, turning heads and winning prizes at competitions like the Good Food Award. The 1876 Heirloom Cider and their Gravenstein Cider are local favorites, but they continue to explore other single varietals. Sharon shares that the Red Delicious Cider has flavors of tropical fruit. They have some creative blends like the Honey Citron, created by adding California honey and a zesty touch of citron (an heirlooom citrus) juice to the estate cider. The result is an explosion of complexity, honey ginger notes with a dry, not-toosweet finish. They have also begun serving cider in “cocktails,” such as the Gravenstein Cider Mimosa (cider and fresh orange juice) or the Rosé Cider Mint Julep.
With a storied legacy of growing apples in Anderson Valley since 1876, the Gowans continue to evolve. Sharon explained that they have a new addition to the farm—an autonomous tractor. This robot tractor can maneuver unattended to the orchard for mowing, do the work, and then drive itself back into the barn. Sharon believes this is the first commercial use of an automated tractor in an orchard in the United States.
Gowans also offers apple tastings, pulling in some boxes of what is at peak harvest to tempt the traveler’s palate with a slice of what is in season: Gravenstein, Golden Delicious, Jonathan, or the Sierra Beauty, which they have been growing since 1906. For a non-alcoholic beverage option, they have frozen apple juice as well. The orchard welcomes well-behaved dogs who can rest in the shade as you taste. So swing by and taste the season among the trees. Just be sure to sip slowly to avoid that brain freeze.
Apple Cider Margarita
INGREDIENTS
• 1 bottle Gowan’s Rosé Applewine
Cider
• Lime
• Tajín (Mexican chile/lime spice mix)
• Plum powder
DIRECTIONS
Pour the cider into a shallow glass cake pan. Place in the freezer, stirring and folding with a spatula every 30 minutes until it has a nice shaved ice consistency. Alternately, pour into an ice cube tray to freeze and then into a blender to reach slushie stage.
Using a lime wedge, moisten the rim of a margarita glass, then coat it in a mixture of Tajín with ground plum powder (also called Li Hing Mui Powder, which is available in Asian groceries and online). Pour the frozen cider slush into the glass and garnish with the lime wedge. Enjoy!
St. Orres
36601 S Highway 1, Gualala
(707) 884-3335 | www.saintorres.com
Open Thurs - Mon
Photos by Torrey Douglass
Torrey Douglass is a web and graphic designer living in Boonville. Her life’s joys include reading by the fire, cooking something delicious, and drinking good coffee with a friend.
Radishes
Color, Crunch, and that Quintessential Spring Flavor
by Lisa Ludwigsen
The first time I dined at the venerable Chez Panisse in Berkeley, way back in the early 2000s, the bite-sized amuse-bouche set on our table was a simple plate of oblong, pinkish, whole French style radishes arranged around a small plop of good butter and a sprinkling of some sort of flakey salt. The leafy green tops complemented the bright pink and white flesh on the plate. It was a memorable and appropriate beginning to an unadorned yet elegant meal.
On the other end of the culinary spectrum, my 85-year-old midwestern dad, who usually had no interest in being in the kitchen, would happily slather mushy white bread with Best Foods mayonnaise, cover it with a single layer of thickly sliced, deep red, early summer radishes, and gobble it down with glee. It was his favorite lunch. (He also enjoyed a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich, but that’s another story.)
Radishes come in an array of colors, shapes, and sizes. They’re featured in cuisines across a wide swath of the world, and with good reason—radishes are easy to grow and can be eaten raw, pickled, or cooked. They add sweetness, spice, and/or crunch like no other vegetable. Radish greens are edible, too!
Radishes are traditionally a spring or early summer vegetable, though those ubiquitous red globe radishes are widespread in grocery stores year-round, imported from warmer climates. Some local farmers grow radishes in hoop houses during the winter, so grab them if you see them at the farmers market or local grocer. Beyond their bright crunchy and fresh flavor, radishes hold nutritional value as well. One half-cup provides 15% of the daily recommendation for Vitamin C, and they also contain potassium and magnesium.
Keep your eyes peeled for varieties beyond the standard red spheres. Watermelon radishes are especially enchanting given their considerable size, bright pink flesh, and green exterior. These are big radishes with a slightly rough outer skin and a vibrant interior. Though they resemble their namesake, they don’t taste at all like a watermelon. A Guatemalan produce manager I worked with would make a simple guacamole with avocados, lime, cilantro, and salt, which he mounded onto a plate before covering with a uniform layer of sliced watermelon radishes. They added bright circles of pink and green, and a delightful crunch and pop of color to that bowl of green guac.
A cousin of the watermelon radish is the large tubular white daikon radish, a staple of Asian cuisine native to China and Japan. These radishes are the size of a large carrot and, like watermelon radishes, are non-starchy vegetables high in fiber and low in calories and carbs. Their long shelf life and versatility ensures that cooks almost always have a daikon in the fridge to provide crunch and flavor to salads, stir fries, or fermented dishes like kimchi.
I am partial to Easter Egg radishes, named for their pretty pastel hues and oval shape. Those colors scream “Eat me, now!” every time I run across them. They make me happy.
But radishes aren’t just for eating. The unassuming radish has a higher purpose! Caymin Ackerman, owner of Big Mesa Farm in Comptche, uses radishes to improve the soil quality on her organic farm. “When used as a cover crop, radishes can absorb excess nitrogen in the soil, keeping it from being leached into runoff,” she offered. “This helps watersheds, especially in heavy agricultural areas.”
Spring can be a rough time for local veggies as farmers wait for soils to dry out so they can get going with their planting. This year, shine a little light on the multifaceted radish. Their various colors and textures are sure to brighten any meal or palette, such as the versatile recipe that follows, which a friend whips up using any type of radish. It also works well with cucumbers or red onions.
Quick Pickled Radishes
INGREDIENTS
2 bunches radishes, or the equivalent of daikon or watermelon radishes
½ cup rice or white vinegar
½ cup water
1 T sugar
2 tsp salt
Approx ½ tsp peppercorns
½ tsp mustard seeds (optional)
PREPARATION
Thinly slice the radishes and place into as many jars as necessary. Don’t over pack. Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over the radishes, stir in peppercorns and mustard seed. Let cool, then chill until ready to use.
The pickled radishes will last approximately two weeks in the refrigerator.
Photo by Jo Lanta courtesy of Unsplash.com
Lisa Ludwigsen is a writer and marketer working with food, farms, and family small businesses. She has worked in organic agriculture, natural foods, and environmental education for over 20 years.
Caramelized Onion Jam
Sweet and Tangy with Winter Spices
by Laurel Gregory
I love finding new recipes and experimenting with things, especially condiments (can’t have too many of those!) My mom did some canning while I was growing up—I have memories of making blueberry and blackberry jam from fresh-picked berries and then pouring wax over top of the jam to seal it. As an adult, I have been very drawn to self-sustainability, gardening, and cooking in general, and I find that canning and food preservation is a lovely vector where these passions intersect.
I usually make recipes from the fruits and vegetables in our garden, but some years I have to supplement from the farmers market or other growers. Onions are something I always have to buy a little extra of, since I only grow a couple dozen on a good year, if that. I am fortunate to have a partner who loves to garden as much as I do, and who loves to eat whatever I make as well. My kids also enjoy the bounty—mostly their favorites are the simple ones like jams or pickles, but my oldest loves spicy goodies, so he’s always up for fermented hot sauce or salsas. Canned goods always make great gifts, and if people bring the jars back, I always send them home with more.
This time of year I get a powerful craving for carmelized onion jam. I came across this recipe on the YouTube channel ”That 1870s Homestead.” The host shares great info for people who enjoy canning or gardening. The recipe is simple, but unique. Use it as you would a chutney, or pour it over baked brie for the holidays.
Caramelized Onion Jam
INGREDIENTS
20 c sweet onions, diced
2 T unsalted butter
1-¾ c brown sugar
6 T maple syrup
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cardamom
2 tsp cinnamon
1 c balsamic vinegar
1 c apple cider vinegar
(You can use garam masala, if you have it, in place of some of the nutmeg and cardamom.)
INSTRUCTIONS
Caramelize onions with butter (this means cook them low and slow), then add the other ingredients and simmer until reduced. Fill half-pint jars and keep them in a waterbath at a rolling boil for 15 minutes. Safely remove onto a clean towel. Sit back and enjoy the pings of a properly sealed treasure.
Photo by Skyler Ewing courtesy of pexels.com
Laurel is a Mendo-grown mother to three, and a creative powerhouse with over 20 years as an artist and brand strategist. When her computer is off, she enjoys creating in the kitchen and nurturing her houseplant jungle.
Zucchini Flour
A New Use for ThisProlific Plant
by Dawn Emery Ballantine
Zucchini is a prolific plant, so much so that there are running jokes about keeping one’s car doors locked during harvest season to prevent the “gift” of the green gourd. It is a versatile vegetable, delectable on the grill, in a sauté, and in baking. It is high in nutrition and antioxidants, particularly Vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium, as well as both soluble and insoluble fiber. We don’t have a garden (thanks to the long-legged rodents some folks call “deer”), but if you have too much zucchini in yours, and no one to gift the excess to, you might try making zucchini flour.
Sometimes known as Amish Flour, zucchini flour has long been used in Amish and Mennonite communities, and became used more widely in the U.S. during the 1940s with the rationing of wheat flour. Theoretically, one could use any summer squash, and even some winter squash, to make this flour, which is typically used in a 1:2 ratio (that is, 1/3 cup zucchini flour and 2/3 cup wheat flour for recipes that call for 1 cup of flour). It acts like coconut flour in terms of absorption, but offers a much smoother texture. It can be used in baking, to thicken soups and sauces, and to bread meat and veggies. If used in baking, chocolate is a nice pairing to help cover any residual zucchini flavor. My then-12-year-old son’s blue-ribbon-winning Chocolate Zucchini Poundcake comes to mind!
Larger zucchinis impart a milder flavor to the flour, so what better way to use those giant clubs of zucchini, which are not especially flavorful when stir-fried or grilled. Keep in mind that larger zucchini have a tougher skin and bigger seeds, so it will yield a better end product to peel and scoop them away. If using smaller zucchini, leave both the peel (where much of the nutrition is) and the seeds intact. Zucchini is 90% water, and typically 5 pounds of squash yields 1 cup of flour. Yellow squash has a mellower flavor and is drier than zucchini, so it will take even less time to desiccate.
Alternatively, to preserve the squash for later use as either fresh flour or re-hydrated veg, simply shred/slice, dehydrate, and store as is, without grinding into flour. When needed, either grind the veg into flour, or soak the shreds/slices in water for 5 minutes before adding to your recipe, saving the soaking water for use as needed.
Zucchini Flour
Gather your zucchini, wash and dry, trim the ends, and peel and de-seed if necessary.
Thinly slice (1/4” thickness or less) or shred zucchini (for faster drying). Drying times will vary depending upon how the zucchini is prepared. Drain in a colander for 15-20 minutes. (Some folks squeeze the shredded zucchini in cheesecloth to remove more moisture.) Thinly spread the zucchini onto dehydrator screens, or on parchment paperlined baking sheets.
To dry in the oven, preheat to 150°F. Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven, with the door propped open 2-6”. (Note: Placing a fan at the open mouth of the oven aids in air circulation.) Dry zucchini for 2-5 hours, until brittle. Let cool for 10 minutes before grinding.
If using a dehydrator, set it at 135°F. Rotate the trays half way through the process, which will take from 8-10 hours. The squash must be completely dry and crispy.
Once the squash is completely dehydrated, put it in the blender or food processor and blend on high for 5-8 minutes, until it is a fine powder. PRO TIP: Leave the lid on for a few minutes after grinding to let the dust settle, or you will have a fine dusting of zucchini flour everywhere.
Store the flour in an airtight container such as a mason jar—a silica packet is a must—for 6 months to 1 year. Do not store in the refrigerator, as the moisture will damage the flour. The flour can also be vacuum sealed.
Dawn Emery Ballantine lives in Anderson Valley where she curates and sells books at Hedgehog Books, edits this magazine, and dreams of having a fenced-in garden.
Strawberries!
Summer’s Invitation to Slow Down and Savor
by Torrey Douglass
If summer has a mascot, it’s that red jewel of sweetness, the beloved strawberry. Growing up in New York’s Hudson Valley, strawberries were only ever available in the summer months. I adored them. They tasted like sunshine and freedom.
Later on, when I lived in Oakland, California, their fragrance would hover above the more urban scents of car exhaust and hustle as I walked to the farmers market tucked under an overpass by Lake Merritt, leading me by the nose to the tables crowded with cartons of square baskets filled with ruby-red treasure. A couple of those baskets usually joined me for the walk back home.
We’re very lucky to live in a time and place where we can get fresh strawberries throughout the year. That said, I will swear on whatever is good and green that a local strawberry picked in early summer before the serious heat arrives has no equal. Shout out to the Boonville Barn Collective in Anderson Valley for their most excellent strawberries—sold by the case.* But they are not the only farmers growing strawberries. Take a gander through MCFarm.org to find a Mendocino County farmers market near you so you can get some for yourself.
Sliced onto a chocolate crepe, into fruit salad, over vanilla ice cream, or happily savored as is, these precious gems capture the spirit of summer—a reminder that the season was made for front porch sitting and hammock reclining, leisurely lingering over life’s sweeter things.
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries:
Shortcut Edition
You have fresh strawberries. You have chocolate. But you might not have a lot of time. Here’s a simple approach for making this elegant classic in no time!
2/3 c chocolate chips
2 T water or heavy cream
1 basket fresh strawberries
Put 2/3 cup chocolate chips and 2 T water or heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat (Lily’s sugar-free semi-sweet morsels are perfect). Use a double boiler if you want to be safe, or just keep a close eye on it if you are in the mood to live risky. Stir until melted and smooth.
Wash the strawberries and shake gently to remove excess water, then dry with a paper towel. Cover a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each strawberry into the melted chocolate and place on the sheet. When all the strawberries are dipped, place the sheet in the fridge to chill the chocolate. These can either be served immediately or moved into a sealed container after an hour. If you’re feeling fancy, melt white chocolate, let it cool slightly, pour into a clean snack bag, snip off the corner,
*Boonville Barn Collective sells their strawberries directly to customers.
Contact them at hello@boonvillebarn.com to be added to the berry mailing list.
Garlic Scapes
Snappy Spring Snacks Add Zing to Almost Anything
by Jainned B. McDonnell
Garlic scapes are the flower stalks of the hard neck variety of the garlic plant. They are the curly edible teasers that come up about two months before the garlic bulbs are ready for harvest. They have a mild garlic flavor, with a shape and texture similar to asparagus or green beans. Though they are a wonderful fresh addition to almost any dish and make a fabulous pesto, I can never eat them all at once. Pickling and canning these curly savory treats lets me enjoy them all year round.
Pruning back the scape allows the plant to put its energy into growing larger bulbs. I usually harvest the scapes all at once, cutting them down to the first set of leaves. When harvesting scapes for eating purposes, I would recommend doing so before they start to have a prominent bend or curl, because they can become tough and woody. Curly scapes can still be used for this pickling recipe, just trim off both the flower tip and tough bottoms and, instead of laying them in a circular fashion (as shown in picture), cut them to jar length and pack them in jar vertically.
Pickled Garlic Scapes
Set aside four regular mouth pint jars and new canning lids, sanitized. Though wide mouth jars are easier to work with during the packing process, the scapes will expand and uncurl when the hot brine is poured over them. The bottle neck of a regular mouth jar helps keep the scapes in the jar and maintain the ½-inch head space for canning.
Ingredients
1 lb garlic scapes
2 c vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or distilled vinegar
2 c water
2 Tbsp pickling salt or kosher salt
2 tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp per jar
2 tsp whole peppercorns, ½ tsp per jar
2 tsp coriander seeds, ½ tsp per jar
Pinch of chili flakes per jar, optional
Lemon peel, ½ inch piece per jar, optional
Instructions
Start a water bath and bring to a boil. In a different pot, bring water, vinegar, and salt to a boil to make the brine.
Wash, dry, and trim the tough ends of the scapes. Pack the scapes into sanitized pint jars, leaving ½ inch space from the top. Add ½ tsp peppercorn, ½ tsp mustard seed, ½ tsp coriander seeds, a pinch of chili flakes, and ½ inch segment of lemon peel to each jar.
Fill the jars with hot brine, clean the tops of jars, and seal with canning lids. Process in water bath for 10 minutes.
I usually let these sit for at least four weeks before I break one open to snack on. These salty, garlicky, and tart pickles are a great garnish on noodle soup, stews, salads, savory pies, cheese boards, and martinis—really just about anything. If you come across garlic scapes at the farmers market or have extra from your garden this year, give these pickles a try for a year-round treat.
Jainned McDonnell discovered her love for food at a young age in her parents’ restaurant. She is a graduate from Mendocino College’s Agriculture Department. Inspired by local farmers of Mendocino, she is ardently growing a home garden at Shining Moon Ranch in Boonville, wild harvesting in the Mendocino area, and cooking her way through the seasonal offerings available in her garden and at the farm stands.
Olive Oil
Liquid Gold from a Late-Year Harvest
by Lisa Ludwigsen
Frantoio, Leccino, and Pendolino could be the names of a quaint trattoria or maybe the Italian bakery around the corner. In fact, those are the names of small, flavorful Italian olives that produce a unique, Tuscan-style olive oil. While they aren’t ideal for eating due to their small size, relatively large pit, and minimal flesh, these olive varieties produce exceptional oil: complex and bright, grassy, peppery, and pungent. Fortunately for those of us living in the hot, dry regions of northern California, these Italian varieties are just a few of the many types of olives that thrive here.
At last count, there are over 20 producers of olive oil in Mendocino and Lake counties. Most are small batch operations that are adjuncts to other farming endeavors, especially wine production. Olive trees are not only elegant, low maintenance landscape trees, but they also produce food, oil, and wildlife habitat.
One reason olives do so well in inland Mendocino and Lake counties is the true Mediterranean climate, defined by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers. A tiny percentage of global landmass is truly Mediterranean—roughly 3%. Though olives can be grown in other environments, true Mediterranean conditions produce the best olives, which were first domesticated in the 8th century BCE.
According to some studies, those ancient peoples were onto something. The polyphenols, monounsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil have been credited with preventing Alzheimer’s, reducing inflammation, helping support the nervous system, and improving heart health, among other health and beauty benefits.
In those ancient times, the oil was extracted by crushing the olives with large stones. The carved base was large and flat, roughly four feet in diameter, and included a lip around the perimeter. A stone in the center supported a wooden post that held a large, wheel-shaped stone perpendicular to the base. The wheel’s rotations along the lip of the base pressed the oil out of the fruit. The concept is pretty much the same today.
Individual oils vary in color, flavor, and intensity. Tuscan varieties result in a pungent oil with grassy and peppery notes, while olives originating from other regions yield different flavor profiles. Larger olives, such as the Spanish Sevillano or Manzanilla, have distinctive qualities that produce delicious oil, whether blended or on their own.
Here at home, planting olive trees and producing oil is a natural fit with the agricultural world. Olive harvest takes place in late November and December, which doesn’t compete with other crops. Stored properly, oil will keep for many months.
Olivino in Hopland is one of the area’s largest olive growers and producers of extra virgin olive oil. Owners Yvonne Hall and Jurg Fisher mill olives for clients throughout the region using two mills, including a traditional stone mill and a hammermill. Yvonne and Jurg also tend 2,500 Tuscan trees on their property, Romendo Ranch, in the highlands of Sonoma and Mendocino counties. Under the brand Terra Sávia, Olivino produces three single variety oils and a blend of five varieties. They also produce the very popular Meyer Lemon Olive Oil.
Olivino’s convenient location just off Highway 101 allows local growers to deliver their olives for milling on harvest day, a crucial step in producing premium extra virgin olive oil. The mills extract oil without the use of heat, since heat degrades quality. In order to receive an “extra virgin” designation, the oil must be free from any alterations in color, taste, nutrients, or vitamins and crushed without the use of heat or chemicals.
“We always put quality and care first with our milling practices,” said Yvonne. “Whether it’s for our own olives or our customers, we are dedicated to producing the best extra virgin olive oil possible. Plus, milling oil for our friends and neighbors gives us great pleasure. We strongly believe that the road to sustainability is easier when traveled with friends.”
One of those friends is Ken Ingels, just up the road in Talmage. Ken trucks his annual harvest of Frantoio, Leccino, Ascalano, and Maurino olives the short distance to Olivino for milling. “Our 350 trellised trees produce between 30 and 70 gallons of oil a year,” shared Ken. That quantity of oil allows Ken to sell at a few local markets—Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op, Harvest Market, Bottle Shop Deli in Talmage, and Schat’s Bakery in Ukiah—and to gift to friends. He also occasionally makes olive oil-based soap.
North of Olivino, along Highway 101, Saracina Vineyards’ tasting room is the setting for a group of stout, gnarled olive trees estimated to be over 120 years old. The trees were transplanted in 2018 from an orchard in Corning by Saracina owner Mark Talb; John Fetzer, who is Saracina’s original owner; and Alex Macgregor, Saracina’s director of winemaking. Macgregor stated, ”Once we decided to move 48 trees from Corning to the Hopland property, we needed to figure out a few critical logistical challenges.” He added, “We felt confident that we could do it, so we heavily pruned them, trenched around the root ball, watered them thoroughly, and then carefully lifted the trees onto a lowboy trailer. The trees had to fit under the freeway overpasses, so they had to be under 14’ tall. Fortunately, we were able to complete the job within one day.” All but one of the trees survived. Historical research through the U.C. Davis Agriculture Department determined that the trees were probably originally planted in 1878 or 1879.
Saracina also uses Olivino for milling. Macgregor stated, “There is nothing more magical than watching olives being processed. When the olives first hit the mill, they make a deep rumble, then it slowly quiets down as the olives are broken down.” He added, “The smells, the entire process really, feels very grounding and authentic. It’s a great time, and we appreciate the quality of work at Olivino.”
Saracina sells oil from their trees exclusively in their tasting room. Stop by to grab a bottle or two for gifts and for your own kitchen. Make sure to tip your hat to the stately old trees out front. If you listen closely, I think you may be able to hear those trees telling stories about the old days.
Olive oil unique to Mendocino and Lake counties is a real treat. Keep your eyes open at local farmers markets, tasting rooms, and grocery stores. It will transform your cooking and eating, and you’ll be taking part in an enduring tradition packed with health, vitality, and deliciousness.
Serving Suggestion: Ice Cream with Olivino Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
Yvonne Hall, co-owner of Olivino olive mill, created this simple, elegant dessert.
On 1-2 scoops of organic vanilla ice cream, drizzle up to a tablespoon of Terra Sávia Meyer Lemon olive oil. Sprinkle a few grains of Maldon’s sea salt over the top. Serve with biscotti.
Lisa Ludwigsen is a writer and marketer working with food, farms, and family small businesses. She has worked in organic agriculture, natural foods, and environmental education for over 20 years.
Fall’s Fabulous Figs!
The Versatile Fruit That’s Ready for Anything
Native to the Middle East, figs first made their appearance in California courtesy of the Spanish missionaries, who planted the first fig tree at the San Diego Mission in 1759. The tree was then planted in each mission in California, leading to the most widespread and popular variety, the Mission fig, black in color and rich in flavor. The tree is long-lived and provides a bounty, and the fruit can be enjoyed fresh, dried, or preserved.
In the late 1800s, central-valley farmers imported some Turkish fig varieties to broaden the market, but found that they did not bear fruit. Investigation as far flung as the Mediterranean resulted in the discovery that some fig varieties—most specifically the ones that were just planted in the Fresno area—require pollination. Some fig trees are male, some female, and some hemaphroditic, called caprifigs. This led to the introduction of both caprifigs and the fig wasp (this is a story for another day, and not for the faint of heart) as the delivery agent of pollen. The effort produced healthy crops but also led to the widespread sprouting of fig trees anywhere they could claim a root-hold. This is good for the wild fig lover (though not necessarily for the fig market economy), and finding a wild fig tree heavy in fruit is one of my favorite things.
There are uncounted varieties of figs today adapted to various weather regions, though the Mission fig is the most commercially available. Figs grow best in regions with plenty of sun and heat, thriving with multiple feedings of compost throughout the year. You can find them at various places throughout Mendocino County, both wild and cultivated.
Figs are lovely fresh, topped with some goat cheese, crushed walnuts, and a sprig of mint. They also make a delightful shrub. But they are particularly tasty in condiment form. Their gentle sweetness and earthy notes pair beautifully with savory meats and fish in a chutney, while a preserve on fresh bread or syrup over vanilla ice cream are equally delicious.
Check out the recipe to make your own and enjoy this fantastic fall fruit.
Mission Fig Chutney
8 ripe Mission Figs
1 T canola oil
1 onion, sliced
¼ c ginger (peeled, chopped fine)
½ c fresh orange juice
1 T brown sugar
1 t ground coriander
1 t ground cumin
Pull off any stems from the figs and cut them into four slices each. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, then sauté onions and ginger for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and let it bubble for 15 minutes. Pour into a glass jar and allow to cool, then serve with grilled meats or whatever strikes your fancy. Keeps for several weeks in the fridge—also a great gift for neighbors!
The Scent of Summer
Lavender at Running Springs Ranch
Deep in the interior of Mendocino County, the road winds through oak woodlands. Off onto a dirt lane, deer scatter, and past the golden hills rises a violet expanse—a hillside of lavender at Running Springs Ranch. Humming with pollinating bees, if the wind shifts you may be awash in the smell—not too sweet but distinctive, intoxicating, an aroma of the Mediterranean that reduces stress and invigorates the senses.
Running Springs Ranch welcomes visitors, so if you want to experience the enlivening atmosphere where lavender and crystals combine, plan a stay at this unique place in the rugged hills of Mendocino County, where Steffny, Alan and Nick grow organic lavender in the presence of Azeztulite crystals. They harvest this special lavender, grown at 2300’ elevation, and distill it into the highest quality essential oils and hydrosols. Only two ingredients are used in their distillation: lavender and mountain spring water.
Historically, lavender has had many uses as a healing aromatic and as a culinary ingredient like the lavender honey in the recipe below. Try it. We think it is a perfect nibble for a summer evening as the cooling temperature revives appetites held back by the day’s heat.anakopita with leeks instead of spinach.” So, I looked it up and discovered Prasopita–praso, meaning leek, and pita, meaning pie. This preparation will give you time to gaze at the beauty of this humble vegetable.
Goat Cheese Croquettes with Lavender Honey
Ingredients
4 oz fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
4 Tbsp panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/4 c raw clover honey
6 heads fresh lavender flowers (or 1 tsp dried lavender flowers)
Peanut or vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Make the lavender honey by warming the honey over low heat in a small saucepan. Stir in the lavender and then take off the heat. Cover and leave it alone for at least one full day.
Warm the honey again over low heat until it is runny. Strain through a wire sieve into a clean container, then let it cool. You’ll have more than you need for this recipe, so you can store the excess in the refrigerator for up to six months.
To prepare the croquettes, divide the goat cheese into eight equal ½ ounce servings. Roll each into a ball with your hands (about 3/4 inch in diameter), then roll each individually in flour.
Dip the floured ball into beaten egg, making sure it is evenly coated. Next, cover the coated ball completely in panko. Chef’s note: using a fork to maneuver the cheese around helps. Place the coated ball onto a plate, and continue with the other balls in the same manner. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to chill.
Add about 3/4 inch of peanut or vegetable oil to a cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high. Gently place the chilled croquettes into the oil and fry about 1 minute per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Allow them to cool somewhat before drizzling a tablespoon of the lavender honey over them.
Garnish with lavender petals and serve while still warm.
More information about Running Springs Ranch can be found at: RunningSpringsRanch.com
Leeks!
Nourishing Spring Beauties
Leeks are beautiful. I mean, have you ever stopped when slicing a leek and gazed at its symmetry, its perfect spring green vibrancy? Crosswise leek medallions are concentric targets with a delicious brilliant lime hue. While truly stunning, their visual appeal is not the only reason to love them. They are delicious. I most commonly eat them in Leek and Potato Soup, which has to be one of the easiest, heartiest soups for an early spring evening when the nights are still cold. My go-to is the version in the cookbook Plenty by Sarah McLachlan (yes, the musician). Sauté the leeks, add a bay leaf, some garlic, salt, and pepper. Add cubed potatoes and broth, simmering until tender. Remove the bay leaf and, using a hand blender, puree it all up right in the pan. You can add a little milk for additional creaminess, but you don’t need it. So soothing and warm.
Leeks are also known to have antibacterial properties. A woman I met from Bulgaria said that when her family did not have access to medications, her mom would steep leeks on the stove, let the water cool, and then administer a few drops to the ear to cure earaches. It was this same woman who shared her favorite leek dish, which she described as “spanakopita with leeks instead of spinach.” So, I looked it up and discovered Prasopita–praso, meaning leek, and pita, meaning pie. This preparation will give you time to gaze at the beauty of this humble vegetable.
Prasopita adapted from Cancale Kitchen (www.mycancalekitchen.com)
Ingredients
• 4 c leek greens, chopped (this is a great use of the darker portions you might normally discard)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil (reserve some for brushing phyllo sheets)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 egg beaten
• 6 oz feta, crumbled
• 1 package phyllo dough (approx. 8 sheets), thawed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Saute the leek greens in olive oil until softened. Add ½ cup of water to the pan, cover, and simmer over low heat until the leeks become very soft. Remove the lid, adding lemon juice, garlic, and spices. Cook until all the water has evaporated. Remove from heat to cool slightly. Stir in beaten egg and feta.
Cover the bottom of a loaf pan with a layer of phyllo dough and brush with olive oil. Place another sheet on top, and repeat the process until half of the phyllo sheets (about four layers) are used up. Add the filling to the layered phyllo sheets, spreading it evenly. Take the remaining sheets and layer them as before on top of the filling, brushing each with olive oil. Fold any extra edges over to close. Brush the top with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt. Pierce the top in a few spots to vent.
Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown. Let the Prasopita cool slightly before serving.
The Magic of Preserved Lemons
A Zesty Addition to Make Your Dish AmaZING
by April Cunningham
Preserving lemons in a salty brine is a tradition from Indian, North African, and 18th century English cuisine. Simple to make, with a very long shelf life in the fridge, preserved lemons add an intense, concentrated lemon flavor to a dish without all the tartness or sour blast. They will quickly become a staple ingredient in your cooking.
How to Make Preserved Lemons
Thoroughly scrub lemons. Cut the nubs off both ends before cutting ¾ of the way through, dividing into four sections that remain attached at the base. Add a teaspoon of kosher (not iodized) salt to the bottom of a pint-sized jar. Put another teaspoon of salt inside the quartered lemon, then push the lemon firmly into the bottom of the jar, open end down, to squish out the juices.
Sprinkle another teaspoon of salt over the top of the lemon.Add one or two bay leaves and a few peppercorns to the jar, then add two more lemons, following the same process. Add a teaspoon of salt on the very top.
The jar should be full of lemon juice from the compressed lemons. If needed, squeeze additional lemon juice into the jar until it is filled roughly ½” from the top.
Screw on the lid, mark the date, and let sit at room temperature for three days to two weeks. Check daily to make sure the lemons are covered with juice, pushing them down if they rise above it. You can add fresh lemon juice to cover them if needed. (Uncovered lemons can develop a white mold that is harmless and just needs to be washed off.)
Put the jar in the refrigerator and let sit for another three weeks before using. They will keep in the fridge for at least six months.
Tips
Use organic lemons and make sure to scrub thoroughly, because you will be eating the rind.
The quantity of salt may seem excessive, but it preserves the lemons. You can rinse the rind before using, if desired.
Plan on three to four lemons per pint-sized jar.
How to Use Preserved Lemons
Preserved lemons can be used in many ways.
Finely dice the rind and use in recipes for a lemony zing.
Puree the pulp (after removing the seeds) along with some rind.
Puree the whole lemon to use in the moment or freeze for later.
Leftover salty lemon juice can be saved and frozen to use in any recipe to replace salt and acid.
Preserved lemons are perfect in Moroccan recipes such as Chicken Tagine and Vegetable Couscous. The puree can be added to salad dressing, while the rind is great chopped into dips (hummus, salsa, eggplant, etc.). You can add them to cooked grains (hot or cold), fold into a sauce for fish or chicken, or mince and add to pasta dishes.
April Cunningham is the head chef of Caring Kitchen, a teen and adult volunteer-based program of North Coast Opportunities that prepares and delivers primarily plant based, nourishing, organic meals for those in our community facing cancer.
Support The Caring Kitchen by purchasing their new cookbook, Nourishing Community, at NCOinc.org.
Fall’s Gems
Versatile & Aromatic Quince
by Cozette Ellis
The Boonville Hotel’s Chef, Perry Hoffman, gets really excited about seasonal foods. I mean, really excited. So when I asked about what he looks forward to when fall comes, all he could talk about was quince, quince, quince!
The most sought-after culinary quince is a varietal known as Pineapple Quince, which Perry describes as “intoxicatingly aromatic” and “as important as asparagus is to spring.” A unique fruit, quince is almost indebible raw—it’s exceptionally astringent due to an abundance of tannins while its pectins make it jaw-breakingly hard. Once it’s cooked, however, its sweet and somewhat tropical flavors emerge. It also lasts for an incredibly long time after it is harvested, much longer than its autumn sisters, apples and pears.
You can poach, steam, or roast quince, put it in chutney (which is a staple at the Apple Farm), make membrillo (spanish quince paste), quince lemonade, shrub, and even ratafia (quince-infused vodka). Or, take a chance and make the recipe that Perry has created especially for this article. I can assure you it will be delectable.
Autumn Quince and Gorgonzola Salad
Ingredients
1-¾ c water
1-½ c sugar
15 black peppercorns
4 strips of orange zest
2 bay leaves
Juice of half lemon
¾ c red wine
2 medium pineapple quince
1 tsp grainy mustard
2 tsp cider vinegar
4 T olive oil, plus extra to finish
Salt and black pepper
2-½ c mixed seasonal greens (such as arugula, chicory, mustard)
4-5 oz Gorgonzola (Grazin' Girl gorgonzola from Valley Ford or Pennyroyal Boonters blue are great)
½ cup shelled unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted, some whole and some roughly chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 275° F.
Take a medium-sized heavy pan that can go in the oven—make sure it has a tight fitting lid. Place the water, sugar, peppercorns, orange zest, bay leaves, lemon juice, and red wine into the pan. Bring to a light simmer, removing from the heat as soon as the sugar dissolves.
Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to peel the quince, retaining the skin. Cut and core the fruit vertically into quarters with a heavy knife, keeping the cores as well. Cut each quarter into two segments.
Place the quince segments, skins, and cores into the sugar syrup. Cover the pan and place in the pre-heated oven for about two hours. After this time, the quince should be completely tender. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, uncovered.
Whisk together until smooth the mustard, vinegar, oil, four tablespoons of the quince cooking liquid, ½ teaspoon of salt, and a good grind of black pepper.
Place some salad leaves on four serving plates. Arrange four quince segments per portions and some hand-broken pieces of Gorgonzola on the leaves. Build the salad up by placing a few more salad leaves on top.
Spoon the dressing over and scatter the pistachios on top. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil. Alternatively, arrange in a large central mixing bowl and bring to the table.
Yields four servings.
The Boonville Hotel
14050 Hwy 128, Boonville
(707) 895-2210 | BoonvilleHotel.com
Gratitude for Summer’s Abundance of Basil
by Torrey Douglass
One of summer’s many blessings is its bounty of basil. Leafy, fragrant, and green as the Italian flag’s emerald stripe, it adds a zesty herbal flourish to everything from starters, salads, meat, fish, and even desserts. My success at growing basil would be generously described as mixed, so I turned to two time-tested experts for their sage (ha!) advice.
Mike and Vickie Brock have been farming their property north of Boonville for over twenty years, and their basil never disappoints. Vickie credits their use of remay, also known as floating row cover—a thin white cloth that protects the plants from frost damage in the cold and sun damage in the heat, and aids moisture retention in the soil.
A relative of mint, basil provides health benefits through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. In the kitchen, it plays well with other flavors like garlic, mustard, rosemary, and paprika. Mike and Vickie like to use it in their Lemon Basil Chicken for a summer dinner on the grill. Don’t let this season go by without taking full advantage of its abundance of fresh basil.
Lemon Basil Chicken
A note from Mike: This is what we do with home-grown chicken, which is a bit tougher since they run around a bit more than store-bought. It works best with chicken breast, or if you have legs and thighs, we marinate in lemon juice longer.
Juice of 2-3 lemons + some zest
2 large chicken breasts
1 garlic clove
1/3 c olive oil
1 bunch basil, stems removed, leaves chopped
Mix the lemon juice and zest in a bowl, then add the chicken breasts and let it marinate in the fridge for a half hour. Add the olive oil, crushed garlic, and chopped basil leaves, mix well, and marinate for another half hour. Remove the breasts and generously season with salt and pepper, then drizzle with additional olive oil and grill until cooked through. Great with a cold pasta salad or rice pilaf and a fresh summer salad.
Brock Farm
11960 Goodacre Lane (off lower Peachland Road), Boonville
Farmstand open seasonally
Pennyroyal’s Laychee
The First Cheese of Spring
by Torrey Douglass
When I was seven, I asked my parents for a bike. When my daughter was seven, she asked me for an American Girl Doll. When Erika McKenzie-Chapter was seven, she asked her parents for a cow. A live one. That she could milk.
This probably was not such a surprise for Erika’s parents, as they had family members who’d worked in the dairy business for generations. Erika’s great-grandfather operated a cow dairy in Sonoma County, later joined by his son. Her great-aunt also operated a cow dairy in Sonoma County with her husband, and currently a cousin owns a sheep dairy in the Central Valley with his wife. But for a child living in Fairfield, raising livestock was not an option, so Erika was forced to postpone the launch of her dairy career until more suitable conditions could be arranged.
This setback did not deter Erika from her destiny, though it did allow time for her to transition her focus from cows to dairy goats. “As soon as I started working with goats at UC Davis, I was hooked. They have so much personality,” Erika shared. “You have to develop trust with dairy goats, to milk them, to pull babies.” She was in the midst of a dairy science course at Davis when the class paid a visit to Vella Cheese Company, a creamery in Sonoma. Stepping into the facility was a singular delight, a kind of homecoming similar to the sensation of meeting a new-old friend. “I loved the smell,” she recalls. “I have a genuine joy for being around aged cheeses.”
After completing her Bachelor of Animal Science degree, Erika apprenticed at a goat dairy in France before returning to Davis to work on her M.S. in Animal Biology. There she met fellow grad student Sarah Bennett, a viticulture student who had grown up in her family’s winery, Navarro Vineyards of Anderson Valley. Though they were pursuing different fields, they shared a love of sustainable farming—agricultural endeavors that harmonize with the cycles of nature.
Sarah dreamed of integrating her ecological values into a new winery—specifically a combined winery/creamery, home to a herd large enough to produce enough manure for 100% of the vineyard’s fertilization needs. After two years of planning, three years of building, and the arrival of Erika’s 85 goats, the creamery at Pennyroyal Farm opened in May of 2012.
Pennyroyal provided the ideal testing ground for the pair’s agricultural ambitions. Some creameries use hormones or artificial lighting to stagger births so milk is available year round, but Pennyroyal prioritizes seasonality. This means the milk ebbs and flows throughout the year, as does the availability of certain cheeses. In the summer, milk production starts to wane from its peak of 15 pounds per day, and the decline continues once the goat and sheep mamas are bred in the fall. By the end of December, they’re “dried off,” producing no milk as their energy shifts to growing babies. It’s a welcome respite for everyone. “We want to embrace the seasonal nature of animals,” Erika explains. “We have a break in winter so no one gets burned out.”
This “winter maternity leave” lasts through January and into February and is one of Erika’s favorite times of year.She’ll walk into the barn where the pregnant goats are barely visible, buried in the straw and gently groaning from time to time, creating an ongoing soundtrack of maternal contentment she refers to as “the pregnancy hum.”
Then, in mid-February, the seasonal clock clicks forward again and the baby goats and sheep start arriving, and, with them, the milk. As cheesemaking resumes, the first product to hit the shelves is Laychee, a combination goat and sheep cheese that takes just 48 hours from start to finish. The milk arrives at the creamery, it ferments for 24 hours, the whey is drained from the curds, and voilà! Mix in salt (and blueberries if you’re feeling frisky), and it’s ready to eat.
Spring brings the maximum milk production from the sheep, so the proportion of sheep to goat milk is as high as 20% in the early batches of Laychee. This lends the cheese a particularly rich and creamy texture, as sheep milk is higher in fat and protein. It’s just a touch sweeter than the Laychee made later in the year, which expresses more citrusy flavors due to the higher amount of goat milk.
Other Pennyroyal cheeses take longer to mature. Bollie’s Mollies requires four weeks, while harder aged cheeses like Boont Corners, Fratty Corners, and Boonter’s Blue can take two months or more. Laychee, in contrast, is fast and fresh, the perfect spring cheese. Spread it on a slice of fresh bread with chutney, mix it into a creamy salad dressing, or go all out with Erika’s favorite Laychee Cheesecake for the perfect celebration dessert. Its creamy-sweet decadence embodies the jubilation that comes from being alive while the world shakes off winter’s frost and starts pushing green things up from the dirt under the welcome spring sun.
Laychee Cheesecake
by Erika McKenzie-Chapter
I take this cake to get-togethers, make it for holidays, etc. The crust can be modified with choice of spices to make it fit the occasion (i.e., I add nutmeg and cinnamon in the fall, some lemon or orange zest in the spring).
Crust:
10 graham crackers, crushed
6 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Spices to taste
Cheesecake:
2 lbs Pennyroyal’s Laychee cheese
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp flour
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Heat oven to 350˚. Grease 8” spring-form pan. Using a fork, mix the ingredients for the crust. Pour into pan and tamp down with a spoon or bottom of a glass. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until golden around the edges. Set aside to cool.
Combine Laychee, sugar, and flour in a stand mixer. Mix on low speed, then add one egg at a time. Add vanilla. Pour batter over the crust. Bake for 12 minutes at 350˚. Then lower temp to 250˚ and bake an additional 45-55 minutes, until the top of the cheesecake is slightly puffy and spongy-firm to the touch. The center should jiggle slightly when the pan is tapped. Let cool, serve, and enjoy!
Pennyroyal Farm, 14930 Highway 128, Boonville
(707) 895-2410 | PennyroyalFarm.com
Open Mon–Sun, 10am–5pm
Torrey Douglass is a web and graphic designer living in Boonville with her husband, two children, and a constantly revolving population of pets and farm animals.
McFadden Garlic
Grown to Help Sustain this Family Farm and Vineyard Year-Round
by Fontaine McFadden
Fifty years is a long time for experimentation. But in the northwest corner of Potter Valley, my dad, Guinness McFadden, has been doing just that. In 1969, he enrolled in Stanford Business School but quickly decided against a future of pin-striped suits and city offices, and instead opted for life in the country, where he would plant a vineyard. He found the ideal location when he arrived in Potter Valley in 1970. The only problem was that everyone said it was too cold to grow grapes commercially. But if you know Guinness, you’ll know that he is a man of his own mind. Not one to be dissuaded by silly warnings and cautionary tales of defeat, he paves his own way and does things in classic Frank Sinatra form, “my way.” Undeterred by the naysayers, he went ahead and planted 23 acres of grapes, to be followed in successive years by some 140 more. And boy, are we happy that he did.
Over the years, he planted and tended to the vineyards, trying many varieties to see which made the best wines. Some of his experiments worked, while others didn’t. We learned that Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, and Zinfandel all thrive in Potter Valley. Cabernet, on the other hand, is better left to Napa County.
Soon after planting the first vines, it became evident that attracting workers might be a problem. Potter Valley is miles north of Napa and Sonoma counties, and therefore crops mature later. By the time the grapes were ready for harvest, many pickers had gone south for the winter. Guinness decided to develop enterprises that provided year-round work, where people could put down roots and find stability outside of migratory labor patterns. So back to the drawing board he went. Over the years, he has experimented with wild rice, dried herbs, a fresh vegetable CSA, garlic braids, bay leaf wreaths, beef, barley, wheat, grape vine wreaths, dried beans, blackberry jam, and sun-dried tomatoes, to name just a few. The result of all that testing is a curated variety of specialty items that provides year-round work for the people who call this place home.
In the late summer, between suckering and harvest, we make Garlic Braids. After harvest, we start up with Bay Leaf Wreaths, Garlands, and Swags, which keep us very busy through the New Year. In the springtime, we plant culinary herbs which we later pick, dry, and bottle. Rounding out the lineup is our wild rice and the newest addition to our family of products, dried speckled bayo beans, a nutrient-dense varietal that is as rare as it is delicious. We’ve been organic since day one and became formally certified by California Certified Organic Farmers in 1991.
To further diversify activities around the farm, and to make sure there’s always something to fix, improve, or tinker with, Guinness built a hydroelectric power plant on the Russian River in 1983, followed by the installation of 300 solar panels in 2003.
All these facets—the combination of products we make, and the way in which we go about doing it—set us apart. This is a unique and magical corner of the world in which we are grateful to live. We strive to be good stewards of the land, honest producers for our customers, and reliable employers to our team and their families. The average tenure on the farm is about 20 years. We’ve got a thriving ecosystem of flora and fauna, and we’ve built a great network of customers who buy from us year after year. So, I think you could say the experiment has succeeded. And I couldn’t be prouder to be part of the family business, carrying on these great traditions.
Our Famous Garlic Spaghetti
Legend has it that this recipe comes from my dad’s dad, Jim McFadden. It’s been a staple in our home for as long as I can remember. Every year on our birthdays, we got to choose our dinner menu, and without fail my brothers and I would always choose garlic spaghetti. Comfort food at its finest, it’s best served with a big loaf of crunchy bread that you can dredge in the bottom of the bowl to sop up all that buttery, garlicky goodness.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 lb spaghetti
2 peeled, chopped heads of garlic (heads, not cloves)
½ lb butter
2 or 3 Tbsp dried parsley
Lots of Parmesan cheese, granulated not shredded
Salt and pepper
Instructions
While the pasta’s cooking, melt the butter and mix in the chopped garlic and dried parsley, but do not let it boil. When the pasta is done (8 minutes or so), strain through a colander, then add to a serving bowl. Immediately douse the pasta with the parmesan cheese and mix thoroughly. Pour the garlic and butter sauce over the pasta and garnish with a little more parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Order wine, garlic, herbs, and other McFadden products on their website, bluequail.com. You can also visit their tasting room at 13275 South Highway 101, No 5, Hopland | (707) 744-8463
Fontaine McFadden grew up on the farm in Potter Valley. She was away for fifteen years before making her way back home with her husband, Brian, to work for the family business. When she’s not working on marketing, branding, or operations at the farm, you can find her playing with their brand new son, Declan, or enjoying a glass of wine with friends and family.
A Decade of Patience
City Transplants Turned Naturalists Dig Deep into Truffles
by Lila Ryan
In 2006, I began looking for property in Mendocino County with my husband, Mike Burgess. We had started dreaming about how to leave Los Angeles shortly after we got married. Mike had grown up there, working in aerospace electronics “forever.” I had been there for more than 20 years, working at UCLA and becoming a psychologist. We were both enthusiastic gardeners in that benign coastal climate, but we were eager for something different.
We found that, with every exploratory trip to Mendocino County, our search narrowed more tightly around Willits. Each of us had been through and around Willits a number of times since the 70s, and we both liked the look and feel of what is now our town. As we envisioned our new home and “retirement” with garden and orchard, along with reading deeply in the blossoming permaculture literature, two big ideas emerged.
First, the Transition Town movement and WELL (Willits Economic LocaLization) came into focus. Since we were already thinking about food security, that connection was natural. We wanted to be able to contribute something to the foodshed that might fill a particular niche. We were drawn to nuts as long term, protein- and oil-rich crops, and we needed a place we could grow trees and be active in community life. Second, the layering element of permaculture design theory introduced us to the notion of the rhizosphere (where roots meet the soil for nutrient exchange). It didn’t take long to connect the dots: nut trees (like hazelnuts) + beneficial fungi for their roots (like Tuber melanosporum) = truffle orchard!
We found our spot in 2009, close enough to town to walk if it came to that, and far enough away to feel “out of the city.” Still living in LA, we started planting trees in Willits—first a dozen pecan trees, then 250 truffle-inoculated hazel seedlings, then a few apples and pears. We were also developing off-grid water and power systems and building the house we would move into.
While we waited for the nuts and truffles, we planted more fruit trees, blueberry bushes, and a few chestnut trees (a 99% fat-free carbohydrate) for balance. We found out the hard way what it means to plant young trees in drought- parched ground. We learned all about voles and gophers. We replaced what died and pressed forward. After graduating the California Naturalist training in 2013, we began developing a water- and fire-wise domestic landscape based on the extraordinary beauty and fortitude of California native plants.
A particularly big truffle
We had designed our house for winter solar gain and positioned it for summer shade from a huge and ancient oak—which fell, missing the house by inches, on Mother’s Day 2015. The wood from that tree heated our house for more than two years, and the loss of it inspired a major effort to protect and propagate oaks on our property, involving an Oak Woodlands Restoration Grant from Natural Resources Conservation Service and the planting and care of dozens of young oaks. Next year we plan to add inoculated native oaks to the truffle orchard.
Occasionally we find time to sit on the porch in awe.
Nuts take time to come into fruition, and so do truffles. Typically 7-10 years pass before truffles emerge, and those are some hard years of waiting and wondering! In 2018, at the same time Kendall-Jackson was announcing their first truffles in Sonoma county, we were rewarded for our patience, too—but saved the fanfare for now. 2019 and 2020 have seen increasingly larger truffle harvests each season, and the hazelnuts are keeping pace. Time to take the next step.
Remember “rhizosphere”? Those truffles are underground, and thus, not visible to human truffle hunters. Noses are needed to find the “black diamond” fungi, noses belonging to trained truffle-hunting dogs.
We would much rather keep these fungal gems in the county than send them all to a distant wholesaler. And we would be very excited to team up with a local scent-trained dog whose owner would share our vision. Just imagine “destination Willits,” with farm-to-table restaurants, visitors savoring seasonal truffle dishes, buying locally made truffled hazelnut oil, and maybe someday joining the fun of the truffle hunt. It could happen!
When not farming and gardening, Mike volunteers at KLLG and Little Lake Grange, where he and Lila are officers. Lila practices psychology and brings her energies to the School of Adaptive Agriculture.
Keep Health Blooming
Herbal Delights from Mancinelli Farms
by Holly Madrigal
Flecks of rose petal and bright orange calendula swirl in the piping hot water as the flower tea from Mancinelli Farms is steeped to release its essence. “This tea helps create peace,” says Melissa Mancinelli of her popular signature blend. “And could we all use a bit more of that right now?” Murmurs of agreement, and the tension and anxiety of the day drift away in the unfurling steam. She elaborates,“The flower tea is a relaxing blend but also a tonic, it heals the whole body. Instead of 5-hour energy, I’m promoting 5 hours of relaxing.”
The tea variety brings to mind an old-time apothecary. It can be found at the Trading Post, a corner store in downtown Covelo, along with a full complement of Mancinelli Farms teas, dried herbs, and tinctures. Melissa and her husband, John, have spent a lifetime learning the skills of wildcrafting and herbalism, taking the plants, seaweeds, and fungi of our environs, harvesting them at the peak of ripeness, and drying or processing them into bio-available forms.
John gained his initial herbal education from his Italian grandmother. (Side note: His family was famous in New York for making raviolis and pastas under the Salantano name.) John’s grandma taught him not only to cook, but seeded in him an appreciation for culinary herbs and their benefits. John went on to study herbalism at Dominion Herbal College in Canada.
Herbalist Melissa Mancinelli
Mancinelli Farms encompasses two acres cultivated in culinary and medicinal herbs. The farm was initially an overgrazed piece of land on the outskirts of the Covelo valley. Melissa and John fell in love with the space and set to work transforming it into their passion and livelihood. They built a strawbale house, living in the drying barn until the house was completed, and they have planted about twenty fruit trees and scores of herbs and vegetables, doing everything with very little money. The couple grew their own food, as well as herbs for their fledgling business. They raised their family and nurtured the business slowly, cultivating and selling their herbs and teas throughout Mendocino County and beyond.
Currently, Melissa and John work the farm on their own. The plants are sustainably grown using the Edenic Principle, without the use of chemicals, pesticides, or GMOs. Vines, bushes, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and herbs are interplanted and grown in a semi-wild habitat resulting in high quality, nutrient dense food and medicine crops produced in partnership with nature and the creative force of the universe.
Although their farm is in Covelo, the Mancinellis have cultivated coastal relationships as well. Their good friends Lee and Dorine own the Westport Hotel, and they have been working together to promote workshops and events. Melissa feels that “. . . our farm needs that coastal connection. We do wildcrafting for the nettles and coltsfoot and some other things on the coast. It gives us balance.” Their flower tea has also been well received there. Melissa explains, “I’m selling now at Corners of the Mouth in Mendocino. We have a great relationship with them.”
Mancinelli Farms encompasses two acres cultivated in culinary and medicinal herbs. The farm was initially an overgrazed piece of land on the outskirts of the Covelo valley. Melissa and John fell in love with the space and set to work transforming it into their passion and livelihood. They built a strawbale house, living in the drying barn until the house was completed, and they have planted about twenty fruit trees and scores of herbs and vegetables, doing everything with very little money. The couple grew their own food, as well as herbs for their fledgling business. They raised their family and nurtured the business slowly, cultivating and selling their herbs and teas throughout Mendocino County and beyond.
Currently, Melissa and John work the farm on their own. The plants are sustainably grown using the Edenic Principle, without the use of chemicals, pesticides, or GMOs. Vines, bushes, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and herbs are interplanted and grown in a semi-wild habitat resulting in high quality, nutrient dense food and medicine crops produced in partnership with nature and the creative force of the universe.
Although their farm is in Covelo, the Mancinellis have cultivated coastal relationships as well. Their good friends Lee and Dorine own the Westport Hotel, and they have been working together to promote workshops and events. Melissa feels that “. . . our farm needs that coastal connection. We do wildcrafting for the nettles and coltsfoot and some other things on the coast. It gives us balance.” Their flower tea has also been well received there. Melissa explains, “I’m selling now at Corners of the Mouth in Mendocino. We have a great relationship with them.”
Mancinelli Farms encompasses two acres cultivated in culinary and medicinal herbs. The farm was initially an overgrazed piece of land on the outskirts of the Covelo valley. Melissa and John fell in love with the space and set to work transforming it into their passion and livelihood. They built a strawbale house, living in the drying barn until the house was completed, and they have planted about twenty fruit trees and scores of herbs and vegetables, doing everything with very little money. The couple grew their own food, as well as herbs for their fledgling business. They raised their family and nurtured the business slowly, cultivating and selling their herbs and teas throughout Mendocino County and beyond.
Teas by Mancinelli Farms
Currently, Melissa and John work the farm on their own. The plants are sustainably grown using the Edenic Principle, without the use of chemicals, pesticides, or GMOs. Vines, bushes, fruit, nuts, vegetables, and herbs are interplanted and grown in a semi-wild habitat resulting in high quality, nutrient dense food and medicine crops produced in partnership with nature and the creative force of the universe.
Although their farm is in Covelo, the Mancinellis have cultivated coastal relationships as well. Their good friends Lee and Dorine own the Westport Hotel, and they have been working together to promote workshops and events. Melissa feels that “. . . our farm needs that coastal connection. We do wildcrafting for the nettles and coltsfoot and some other things on the coast. It gives us balance.” Their flower tea has also been well received there. Melissa explains, “I’m selling now at Corners of the Mouth in Mendocino. We have a great relationship with them.”
The Mancinellis have been in Covelo for 20 years and have borne witness to the environmental devastation from logging and overgrazing. They have noticed that the wild herbs are finally beginning to return. Plants such as Yerba Santa, which used to grow everywhere and was regularly used by the indigenous people of Round Valley, had all but disappeared. Now John and Melissa see it making a comeback. They also harvest wildcrafted plants like stinging nettles. “Most people do not know that the majority of nettles used in herbal remedies are grown and imported from Croatia,” Melissa shares. That is a whole lot of carbon footprint for something that grows quite well here in Mendocino County.
As John and Melissa get older, they are looking for creative ways to retain help on the farm in exchange for learning the herbalist trade. During this Shelter-in-Place, their son has returned to help out, creating a website and getting their products online. “It has been so wonderful to have him home,” says Melissa. “And having the retail space downtown has really been great, so that people can buy our products in the same place that they can buy clothes, artwork, and stop by for a haircut or beauty treatment.” Hopefully, they will open for the public again soon.
Melissa is developing a cookbook which will serve as her master’s thesis for Dominion Herbal College in Canada. “I’m basically teaching people how to eat real food again and how to incorporate herbs. Simple recipes that are easy to prepare and utilize. For example, cabbage is one of the best healers you can eat. It’s anti-viral, anti-cancer, anti-ulcer. In the 1920s and 1930s, they used to juice it and drink a quart a day!” Melissa also described the benefits of garbanzo beans, which “grow like crazy here at our farm. And if you make a broth of those beans and add some wakame, or dulse seaweed and kelp, that broth will have such fortifying goodness to help rebuild your bones. And winter squash! That is the perfect ‘end of the world crop’ because you can grow it and it stores so well.”
Melissa believes that people think pills and pharmaceuticals are going to cure them, when what they really need to learn is the benefits of healing plants right in their backyards. “Nobody knows these skills anymore,” Melissa mourns. “The information is everywhere and it’s nowhere. So much knowledge has been lost.” She rattles off various herbs that match with any ailment under the sun, including a smoking blend which improves lung health, and the wild carrot, which is an antidepressant.
In these trying times, ancient skills are experiencing a resurgence. Mancinelli Farms will continue to craft their teas and herbs, and they will educate on the importance of whole foods. These skills, so rooted in the past, have arrived at a new moment of usefulness and will arm us with resources to move into an uncertain future.
Mancinelli Farms products are available at the Trading Post in Covelo and the Covelo Farmers Market, at the Corners of the Mouth in Mendocino, and Downhome Foods in Fort Bragg. Their tea is served at the Westport Hotel. MancinelliFarms.com
Flower tea photo by Ree Slocum. Other photos by Holly Madrigal.
Springtime’s Asparagus
This time of year, bright green and purple asparagus tips pierce the soil in search of sunlight. This crop is not an instant gratification project; growing enough to harvest takes years of patience, biding your time for a couple of seasons as the corms are established, until enough is available for harvest. The asparagus patch needs to be tucked away from the garden beds that are frequently tilled or planted. But ooh, the rewards are worth the wait.
This asparagus recipe is so deliciously addictive and easy to prepare that I make it all the time. Asparagus is at its peak in the spring. Find a friend who has a patch or pick some up at your local market.
I credit this recipe to my mother-in-law, Bonnie Madrigal, whom I thank for opening my tastebuds to this savory delight.
Balsamic Asparagus with Parmesan
1 bunch asparagus
2 Tbs olive oil (or a substantial drizzle)
2 Tbs Balsamic vinegar (or a substantial drizzle)
¼ c parmesan, shredded
Rinse asparagus, snap off and discard the tough ends. Lay the asparagus spears in a single layer on a cookie sheet or toaster oven tray. Drizzle olive oil over the spears, using your fingertips to coat. Place in the broiler, or one toast cycle, for 3-4 minutes until bright green. Remove from oven. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and top with parmesan. Return to the broiler for an additional 3 minutes or so, keeping an eye out to make sure the vinegar caramelizes but does not burn and the parmesan cheese crisps up nicely. Serve hot as-is or dip in homemade mayo. Enjoy!
Photo by Stephanie Studer courtesy of Unsplash.
Hooray for Hazelnuts!
by Ellen Bartholomew
Ellen Bartholomew is a biointensive gardening maven who makes her home with the Church of the Golden Rule at Ridgewood Ranch near Willits. She planted three hazelnut trees back in 2003, and they now produce enough hazelnuts to fill a fifty-gallon drum on a good year. Ellen loves this recipe for Hazelnut Ice Cream. She says that hulling the nuts is a perfect cold weather activity, a time to sit around a warm fire while catching up with friends.
Hazelnut Ice Cream & More
After gathering hazelnuts from the ground, give them a day or two for the little leaves on the top of the shell to dry and rub off. If you can’t get to them right away, they should be fine on a dry shelf for a month or more. Put the raw nuts in the shell on a cookie sheet in a 275 degree oven and roast for 15-25 minutes. When you pull them out and crack one open, the nut should be a golden color and taste roasted. Many recipes suggest peeling the skins that might be left on the hazelnut, but we never have (we love that extra fiber!). So delicious.
To make hazelnut ice cream:
Take your roasted hazelnuts and simmer them in milk (or water, for vegans) at a 1:2 ratio for about half an hour. Put the mixture in a Vitamix or sturdy blender and process until the nuts are mostly liquified. Strain the mixture for a delicious hazelnut milk. Put the milk mixture in a tabletop Cuisinart ice cream maker (or similar) and add rum liquor, cherries, and chopped up candied hazelnuts (recipe below), along with some half and half. Turn on the machine as directed. The resulting ice cream is KILLER!
To make candied hazelnuts:
Take the shelled, roasted nuts and soak them for an hour or so in sorghum syrup (I make this on the ranch, but you could use simple syrup). Strain off the liquid and put the coated nuts on a cookie sheet in a 275 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. They store well, taste so good, and make a thoughtful gift.
More places to use hazelnuts:
Hazelnuts and bananas are a perfect pairing, especially if the hazelnuts are roasted, and the nuts are better in banana bread than walnuts. I love the hazelnuts with mashed up bananas in cream as well. Hazelnut Biscotti is crazy good and also makes a great gift.
Leaning In to Autumn’s Exhale
by Torrey Douglass
If spring is earth’s inhale—drawing in energy, preparing for the task of prolific output, a sharpening of focus right before throwing all intention behind making stuff grow—then fall is its exhale—a grateful sigh after the work is done, a relaxation of tensed muscles. Fall is the time to put down our tools, close our eyes, and lift our faces to savor the sun’s fading warmth. After the rowdy outburst of harvest, there’s a letting go, the quiet of completion. The work is over. What’s done is done. Pencils down and pass your papers to the front.
Essentially, fall is when nature sits back and takes a load off, and you can follow suit. Mimic the trees and shed what is no longer serving you. Mirror the animals and find a comfy spot to snuggle down for a rest—even if it’s only for an hour. Make some space to take a moment and shift from doing to being.
When you snag an opportunity to duck your to-do list and drink in the season’s beauty, it’s nice to have some mulled cider on hand. Not only will it involve all your senses in the exercise of autumnal appreciation, but the cooler nights and abundance of apples practically insist on it. It’s warming, sweet, and tart, with a combination of seasonal spices to perk up your palate. Brew up a batch using the guidelines below, kindly provided by Karen Bates of The Apple Farm. It’s perfect for sharing with a friend or just sipping solo on the porch while the autumn twilight settles peacefully around you.
Mulled Apple Cider
4 c apple juice (available at The Apple
Farm farm stand)
3 thin slices fresh ginger
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest
2-3 whole cloves
Simmer on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, strain while pouring into mugs, snuggle up, and savor the season!