Heavenly Gaze

Summer in Felton has arrived and is in full swing. It's not as hot as in previous summers, the mornings are often cool and overcast from the movement inland of the marine layer that forms over the Pacific Ocean only 10 miles westward. Late nights can be damp from the mist that drifts upward into the coastal redwoods. Not that I am usually out and about "late night" but last night was an exception. I lugged my new telescope out to my astronomy club's prime viewing area in Bonny Doon. What an incredible display of the universe! More on that later.

In the garden, I am enjoying the fruits of my labor with delicious cherry tomatoes. These little darlings are red and sweet. I had less robust results from the lettuce I grew this year, but I do enjoy going out in the morning, picking some tender lettuce leaves and ripe tomatoes and calling it "lunch".

What a simple delight. In the evening, I use the fresh greens and tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to make a caprese salad paired with a very tasty Cab, 2009 Joel Gott 815. Delish.
I also have a bunch of green beans that haven't produced anything to eat yet, but they sure look nice as they turn their leaves towards the sun or cup them to collect moisture. They were supposed to be bush beans, but I have discovered tendrils commingling with the neighboring blackberry bush so perhaps they have bigger aspirations.

Now to the sky... Up here in the hills, we have skunks, we have deer, we have spiders, we have birds and bees, and of course, we have trees. And the folks who go to the trouble to live here like it quiet and dark. No or very few street lights. The beauty of that is the abundance of stars that are visible on most clear nights. After years of watching them sparkle, I was compelled to go further and get a telescope. My little view of the sky from my deck rises almost directly overhead with a small V between the tall trees towards the Northeast sky. The brightest star in that V is Vega, appropriately, and it was the first star I caught in my scope. A beauty. To enrich my knowledge and viewing opportunities, I joined an astronomy club and attended my first big sky star party last night in Bonny Doon, a nearby tiny mountain town far from city lights.
The location is up a winding mountain road to the top where there is a wide open space. Clear views of the West, South and East skies offered a night sky right out of the star charts. What a treat! I'm still learning how to use the beautiful telescope that is now so treasured, but I saw Polaris, the Big Dipper and many other constellations, and got Mars and Saturn to show me their best sides. Wow. 4 hours flew by until I started to fade and drove down the winding road to home. But I shall return.

Winter Garden

Winter is a time for contemplation and reflection. The earth goes into hibernation. The plants die back into the ground and the soil goes cold. The rain breaks down the leaves, roots, stems and fruits into nutrients that are absorbed into the soil and the bugs help break them down and return them to the dirt.

Up here in the mountains, the humans take advantage of the sparse limbs to trim back the growth so that in spring, we might have a fighting chance against nature. All around there are sounds of chainsaws and trimmers during the shortened daylight. The squirrels are staying warm somewhere and are not as frequent visitors dropping onto the deck to check the birdfeeders. But skunks still wander, not as visible or as noisy as before, but the nose knows they are around. The deer are keeping still and not encountered on the roads as often, but they are around too.

While we are having a mild winter, it is still cold in the trees. But it's a nice break from last year's unyielding rain and storms. And I for one am enjoying the relief, the warm sun, and the comforting glow of my little woodstove with the sweet furry creatures I call my family, Penny and Stella. Our sweet little Blanche is still here in our hearts. And my human family is in my thoughts and heart as well. Spring will come, life will renew, and the garden will blossom again. This season is a time to rest, renew, reflect and prepare for the challenges to come.

Harvest Time

It has been a cool summer here in the redwoods. Rarely hit 80 and the mornings were foggy and evenings chilly. The environment is reflecting that shortened warmth with smaller yields. The huge blackberry stand that winds itself from my fence in an L shape into the backyard has tons of berries on it, but they are smaller than last year's crop. I finally got around to picking them and baking a pie today. Used a Mario Batali recipe and loved his final instruction "Let it cool and devour." That is a definite with a homemade berry pie, eat it warm with cream and savor life's blessings.

This year I planted broccoli, onions, cabbage and cauliflower. The seeds from last years eggplant and tomatoes decided they wanted in on the action and are coming up in the bed as surprise and welcome guests. The tomatoes I planted in a container went in too early and the long rainy season drowned them, although they have made a slight comeback too against all the odds. But we'll see if they can get enough sun as the fall moves in and the sunlight takes a more slanted angle to the earth.

Since it was the first time I have grown broccoli, I had no idea what to expect. What I ended up with isn't what you see in the grocery store. I got a long stalk, really long, with a spindly looking flower end. The end that is supposed to be the edible part. So that was an experiment that didn't quite work out. The cabbage is coming along nicely if slowly, adding leaves and building a nice purple head. The great success is the onions. Easy to grow but my first attempt as well. I planted several kinds, red, yellow, and an Italian onion. They all grew and I now have several wonderful and delicious onions. I took one and just ate it on the spot raw, it was incredible. Can't wait to get them into a nice fresh salad with the sweet rich taste of a fresh, ripe tomato. 

The days are getting shorter. Right now it is only 7 pm and it is starting to get dark outside. But this year, I made a conscious effort to take full advantage of the long days and take those dog-initiated walks after work as late as 8 pm. So Penny and I got the most we could out of the summer's long days. My genius dog brings me socks and tosses them at me as I recoup from the commute on the couch. Gentle hint. Winter is coming, she wants to get in as much fun as possible before the rain limits our evening constitutionals.

Delle Venezia

Just ask my dog, Penelope, salmon is good. And smoked salmon is really good. Well worth the extra effort of mesquite on the grill and a slow fire. So this week in the hills, it is smoked salmon, grilled veggies, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, onions, and asparagus, so good! Marinated with a soy sauce-based marinade. And to go with it, a nice Pinot Grigio, Kris delle Venezie. Yes, it is good, yes, it is cheap, yes, it is perfect with grilled salmon and veggies. Of course, I marinated them in balsamic vinegar and olive oil and then just plain threw them on the hot grill. Salute!

Viva Espana!

Hello, fellow foodies! I have been busy with that thing they call "life". And I also started another blog that provides reviews of restaurants in Palo Alto specifically focused on lunch fare. Please check it out at hungryinpa.drupalgardens.com.

It is an odd spring season in my redwood forest and all over California. Lots of rain that never seems to end. But on the bright side, I don't have to water my little garden for now. I planted broccoli, 3 types of onions, and cabbage. The broccoli is for health (superfood, people), the cabbage a homemade coleslaw habit that my son started, and the onions... All veggies I have never grown before. I am especially excited about the onions, they are a key ingredient in so many of my favorite recipes and I know that the type of onion makes a huge difference in the flavor of a dish. My culinarily-gifted son and I were just talking about how leeks and shallots can alter the taste of a dish with their subtle essence.

So, things are quiet on the western front but the sun is coming and the earth is ready to bloom. My wild blackberry bushes are flowering their prediction of delicious berries to come. And the bistro table on the deck beckons. I am hosting my first bbq this weekend. Definitely chicken, steaks, and peppers with eggplant drenched in balsamic vinegar going on the grill.

Here is a great steak recipe you can use on a grill or on the stove. Skirt steak marinated in olive oil with minced garlic, onions, and bell peppers. The marinade is olive oil, Worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, a little sugar. You can also add red wine. Salt, so good, but I am cutting back on it, so I use it sparingly, especially since soy sauce already has sodium. And black pepper, of course.

Slice the steak in 1" slices against the grain. Mix the meat into the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the marinade for an hour or more.

Saute the marinated meat (with the marinade) first in olive oil for about 10 minutes while stirring regularly. Remove the meat to rest. Add a little more olive oil then saute the veggies: sliced red peppers first, slightly blacken these, then add the onions (yellow or chopped green onions, or try a new one, shallots perhaps) and sliced garlic. I added sliced fresh jalapeno peppers. Fresh ones are not extremely hot but they add a nice crunch and just a little heat. I mixed a little flour and water together to make a paste and added it to the sauce to thicken it (3 tbsp flour with water to make a soft paste). Let it thicken on low heat constantly stirring.Then put the meat back in and cook it in the sauce for awhile, 5 minutes on low heat.

For wine pairing, try a Spanish red. There are a lot of good ones but I recently tried Sierra Cantabria Rioja. It is very easy on the palate but substantial enough to stand up to the teriyaki steak and veggies. The delicious sauce can be soaked up by a bed of white rice.

Salud, amigos!

View from the mountains

The winter has started to give hints of its approach here in the redwoods of Northern California. There have been rain clouds on the horizon and evenings get cool before dinner is done. In the garden, tomatoes are ripening in the low sun and wait to be devoured off the vine. Wine on the deck in the sultry evening is giving way to red wines that warm the soul as the fog rolls in. And there is the ubiquitous humungous zucchini.

For that last hurrah of summer, I have a delicious and unusual white to recommend and try to describe. It is from the Drylands winery, a "Marlborough Winery of Nobilo Wine Group", imported from New Zealand. Marlborough is an area of New Zealand that is known for the Wairau River and plains dominated by rich, silty soils and river beds.

The Sauvignon Blanc is remarkable for the fresh herbal and citrus flavors. The nose alone wakes up the senses. And the taste is not like any other SB that I have tasted. It is not too sweet and has the lightness of a typical Blanc, but the distinct flavor brings more to the palate. It has a lemony brightness and tingle to it, reminiscent of a sparkling wine.

I tried it with fish off the barby, polenta and grilled vegetables with a red pepper sauce, brilliantly executed by my culinarily-gifted son. And I think it could hold up with other dishes, expecially when they are complimentary to citrus, such as lamb, pork, or seafood salads. Why not pair calamari on a bed of greens and a light parmesan/garlic/olive oil dressed pasta?

This is a true winner of a white. Drylands also produces a Pinot Noir and a Dry Riesling. You can be sure these are on my list of wines to try.

Savor the tastes of the harvest

The turning of the sun towards fall changes the angle of light. And the air begins to cool earlier in the day. The plants in my garden are doing much the same, even the redwoods are beginning to store their energy and branches turn brown.

My garden consists of a rather large and prolific zucchini plant, a pepper that seems intimidated next to the "beast", arugula, a robust rosemary plant, and my sweet humble tomato plant. The tomatoes are almost ripe, turning a bright red, and a nice size, not too big -not too small. Just right for a snack of raw tomato slices with olive oil, sprinkle of salt, olives, fresh mozzarella and basil, with a splash or two of balsamic vinegar. For fun, maybe some cold beans: fava, canneloni, garbonzo. Simply delicious.

There are so many good wines to highlight such delicate flavors, which to choose?

I think Pinot Noir offers a nice accompaniment to the mix. Light, fruity, not too sweet to compete with the tomatoes and basil. For instance, Santa Barbara and the Russian River area have several wineries, including Byron Wines, David Bruce, and Woodenhead known for their quality varietals.

For an Italian wine, find a quality Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris, the former being Italian the latter French but the same grape. A wine I have reviewed previously, one of the most popular imports in the US, Santa Margharita, is consistently delicious. But there are some being produced closer to home that stand out. For easier to find Pinots, try Acacia or Cambria Wineries.