Sonoma Country Life

West Petaluma Neighborhood Olive Harvest

 

 

 

 

Olive harvest time in this West Petaluma neighborhood this weekend with busy people picking the ripened Tuscan varietals from backyard trees and fully-loaded olive groves such as that of scenic Ridgeway Family Estate (pictured in top seven photos).

Having arrived to help with the harvest a day late and a dollar short (Teela and Mike had wrapped up operations several hours ahead due to increased productivity of picking party despite an increased haul over last year's harvest) a mini tour of the newly expanded hen house and a sunflower beheading session more than sufficed for my supposed afternoon of rustic activity. 

Was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Amazing Grace, Teela's pet chicken, the pride of Petaluma and the West's most well traveled bird.

Though with the new addition of a strutting, highly motivated rooster named Hugh Hefner, the Ridgeway hen house should be multiplying at a rapid pace in coming months, making Grace's absence slightly less  of a wrench!

A couple of hours was enough to strip the olive trees on our hillside, here at Rivetti mountain. Took our slim pickings of beautiful olives over to blend with the Ridgeways and the Azari's of Azari Vineyard and Winery.

McEvoy Ranch had its first community crush of the season this morning, with a second opportunity for olive growers to have their fruit turned into oil on Sunday December 6th during the ranch's popular Open House.

Red Beet Gnocci at Cucina Paradiso

Squeezed into Cucina Paradiso late last night for a spot of supper with the Italian husband. Although this is a grainy shot from my phone, it captures the essence of how absolutely divine was Chef Dennis' red beet gnocci with black truffle cream sauce paired with a sultry glass of Dutton Estate Pinot Noir.

Cucina celebrates its one year anniversary in its new location on Petaluma Boulevard in the heart of downtown's restaurant row in mid-December. The most phenomenal success story for a restaurant in the midst of tough economic times. Don't even try to get seated before 9pm on a Friday or Saturday night without a reservation.

Pizza and Politics in Petaluma

Look who I captured on my phone cam whilst strolling homeward along B Street, in West Petaluma yesterday afternoon. None other than the flour-fingered, politically involved Naomi of Pizza Politana as she deftly dealt with a mound of the day's softest, fluffy, white dough for a fleet of delicious, wood oven artisan pizzas to please the crowd at Lynn Woolsey for Congress fundraiser at Petaluma Women's Club. With supporters from all over the North Bay in town for the afternoon, Pizza Politana was a warm welcome to Petaluma, showcasing the best of the best of our regional produce and family owned business. After all, that's what it's all about.

2009 Community Crush Season at Petaluma's McEvoy Olive Ranch

 

The rush to crush may be over in the wine world here in Sonoma County, but the next mad dash is hot on its heels - for Tuscan-varietal olive trees are a ripe for the picking and Petaluma's magical McEvoy Ranch makes it ever-so-easy for producing community crush oil.

In addition to milling McEvoy's own olive fruit, the ranch offers its Rapanelli mill and expert oil makers to other growers in the region. "We can mill your olives with our stone wheels or with one of our two blade mills. Our commitment to making high quality oil continues in our custom milling program, giving our customers the best possible oil that can be made from their fruit," says the web site for the scenic west Petaluma ranch positioned right along the border with West Marin off the D Street extension.

Due to the size of the McEvoy mill there is a 250 lb minimum for individual custom milling; those growers with fewer than 250 lbs of olives are invited to join one of two 2009 community mill days: Sunday November 15 or Sunday December 5. Price per lb of fruit: $1.00

For customers with small quantities of fruit who want to pool together with other growers, Tuscan olive varieties and all other varieties will be milled in two separate batches. Arrive between 9 and 12 p.m on either Sunda, preferably having picked your fruit the day before milling, keeping it dry and cool.

Alternatively, charge is $450.00/ton for custom milling (250 lb minumum) and the McEvoy mill is open from late-October to mid-December. Reservations can be made with Shari DeJoseph (shari@mcevoyranch.com 707-769-4100.

Bring your own oil containers (well-marked with your name) unless you would like to purchase them from McEvoy Ranch. Plan on 1 gallon from approximately 60 to 80 lbs of fruit depending on the overall ripeness.Fruit will be weighed and charged accordingly upon acceptance. Due to the amount of time to calculate and divide up everybody’s share of the oil, the following Tuesday is the designated pick-up day.

If the weather is looking wet, be sure to check with Samantha Dorsey at 707-769-4123 or samantha@mcevoyranch.com.

Fruit which is very badly damaged by olive fly will not be included in the milling and leaves must be thoroughly discarded. Thanks to Teela Ridgeway for reminding me and many more Tuscan olive tree growers in and around west Petaluma to get on with our annual harvest and participate. Teela is a passionate protector of the Petaluma olives, having launched a program last year to hand pick practically every unwanted specimen in town in order to protect growers like herself and husband Mike from having to endure a potential olive fly infestation that would swiftly swamp the area. It is really imperative not to leave unwanted olive fruit hanging or rotting on the ground. And why would you when the offer to conveniently produce your own house oil awaits at McEvoy?

Dinner and an Aerodynamic Date with Amelia

It's always advisable to travel on a full tummy and Sugo Trattoria on the Boulevard fit the bill for this evening's bite of supper prior to adventure's in cinematic exploration with Amelia.

My dinner date declared a dish of housemade pappardelle, rotisserie chicken, wild mushrooms, pistachios in a spicy broth just the ticket for taking on Ms Earhart's intrepid life story while I myself opted for even heartier fayre with the simmering special of slow braised short ribs in a red wine sauce over rigatoni. 

Having lunched at Sugo's several times over the past few months, I'd not had an opportunity to sample the cozy, yet stylish Trattoria's dinner menu. Suffice to say this is surely one of the best Monday night pre-movie dining spots in P'Town. 

"Defying the impossible, Living the Dream," Amelia Earhart vanished somewhere over the Pacific on July 2nd, 1937, but not before she had astonished the world with her own brand of historic feminine verve for brave solo discovery of the friendly skies.

On film, rather too much of the love story of which who really knew how much of it was true and not nearly enough of the fundamentals of Amelia herself. Though the planes and the clothes and the scenery were pretty fantastic. Kissing Richard Gere then Ewan McGregor, the Richard Gere again can't have been half bad, either and Hilary Swank's styling as the great Amelia was superb. 

One thing that really bugged me, however, is not knowing what a solo transatlantic pilot would have to do when she needed to pee?   

Calling All Crockpot Recipes

Calling all crockpot cooks from Petaluma and beyond. Please take a few minutes to email your favorite crockpot recipe to littlepepper16@hotmail.com.

"We had such a wonderful gathering at the Peterson Farm," says Krista Gawronski of the Petaluma Fabulous (Fundraising) Women Group. "We supported COTS, raising over a thousand dollars for our local Committee on the Shelterless Organization.  We are in the process of putting recipe books together for the transitional homes.....We plan on giving each home a book along with a new crock-pot.  The gesture is perfect as we enter the cold season.  I did get several recipes for soup and crock-pot meals, but we are still in need of more recipes.  It takes a few moments.......but you'll feel good knowing that you were a part of this project.  We aren't just donating money, we are sharing, teaching and influencing lifestyle changes.  I'm putting the books together with a few women on Thursday night.  Please send your recipes before then."

Cotati's Redwood Cafe Top Pick for Big Group Brunch

Party of 12 for the weekend? Don't sweat breakfast, lunch and dinner in your over-stuffed home kitchen, when the call of the pancake, waffle and good old-fashioned Denver omelet await a ravenous crew.  

Not too many breakfast joints around Southern Sonoma County that can seat and swiftly handle those big, boisterous groups for family brunch on the weekends. Top pick for one SoCo staple locale that can more than accomodate a Sunday morning slap-up breakie feast for the masses- (and not just because of the fact that frequently appearing Sonoma Country Life personalities Lesley and Michael are co-owners with partner Moose) is without a doubt the long-standing, super busy Redwood Cafe in Cotati.

I knew that breakfast/brunch at the cafe was a clear choice when figuring out the driving arrangements for would-be golfers, teens with homework on hold and pumpkin patch adventurers were standing on the doorstep scratching their heads in unison in post-harvest, family reunion recovery, looking to me for all of the answers at least until noon and the nosh-infused revival of previous-nights spirits. 

Thanks to Michael's infamous talents as Sunday morning host with the most, catering to this party of 12 was a breeze of fluffy short-stacks, sizzling sausages, bacon, toast and home fries, eggs galore and gallons of hot coffee.

The Redwood Cafe is located at 8240 Old Redwood Hwy, Cotati. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, seven days a week. If you are planning on taking the extended family out to eat over the holidays, it is a good idea to call ahead and have a table reserved, as the Redwood Cafe is a constant buzz of activity even on the quietest of weekends.

(707) 795-7868

The Aztec's Are Coming - Special Guest Performers at Valley Vista's Harvest Fair

Wow, wouldn't want to stand too close to these headpieces, but watching the San Vicente Aztec Dance Troupe bring history to full life at the Valley Vista Harvest Fair next Saturday (Halloween morning 9-12) would be a fantastic way to start the holiday!

Baile del Venado (Dance of the Deer) and Baile de la Lluvia (Dance of the Rain) are just two of the traditional harvest-time dances the fab San Vicente troupe will be performing. This special event is open to the community at large, so don't be shy! Fun and games galore after a healthy pancake breakfast with homemade applesauce and an emphasis on sustainable gardening centers around the school's showplace teaching garden.

Demise of Gourmet adds to Dwindling Stack of Glossy Mags

This morning's rather shocking news of Conde Naste's decision to unceremoniously can its venerable 68-year print run on monthly Gourmet Magazine is less of a surprise than a wake-up call to the fact of this brutal economy undoubtedly being poised to continue its push of a whole slew of glossy favorites yet to head off the publishing cliff. 

Though one of my favorites for the luscious photography, intelligent feature articles and very essence of good taste, even as a subscriber, I have to admit, my ramshackle, batter-stained binder of torn out recipes reveals a distinct lack of Gourmet originals.

Sunset Magazine's simple, seasonal, California-friendly repertoire, a few wonderful dishes from Food and Wine, but on the whole, it's a quick hit on the likes of Epicurious.com  and the FoodNetwork.com that yield the most prolific response to my frequent, rapid-decision making in the kitchen, these days.

As a magazine writer it's in my blood to renew those pesky subscription cards to contribute to the cause of traditional print journalism having a home in keeping the presses rolling. Magazine junkies of my generation find it hard to imagine a world without a pile of the latest and greatest. And yet, like everyone else, I've cut the fluff and concentrated only on the periodicals that yield the greatest pleasure in a regular read.  

And I'm finding more and more that it's the printed matter that we can relate to that's focused closer to home which makes the cut in a crunch. Food from exotic places is a little too fantastic for our palate at present. Figuring out a localized holiday dinner that delights not only those around the table, but the immediate region's farmers, cheese makers, bakers, wineries, farmers market vendors and independent shop keepers. That's what we want to read about today. Whether on line, or in some sort of sustainable print.

What's on your coffee table in the magazine stack?  

Petaluma's Up and Coming Jamie Oliver!

Happy Birthday, Dom! And watch out Jamie Oliver, you might have a bit of competition, state-side, over here in sunny, food-forward California!

What's an eleven-year-old SoCo chap to do but bake and decorate (and serve) his own birthday cake, bro? As for the wine bottle on the table - strictly for the old folks.