On Sunday, eyes gazed upwards as a light drizzle blanketed the North Bay. “What about tomatoes?” we all wondered. Would the season end early this year, before we’d had our fill? I called Dan Magnuson, whose Soda Rock Farm tomatoes are praised by all who have tasted them. [...]
“We all know how to do this,” Brad Thompson of Roots of Creation Farm in Sebastopol says about growing food crops. “It is in our DNA.” Educating people about this, especially people his age--he’s 27--is one of the things he hopes to achieve with his new endeavor. “If you’re having [...]
A conversation with Joey Smith, founder of Let’s Go Farm in east Santa Rosa, is inspiring, in a very focused way. The young man--he is just 30--is passionate about both farming and gardening. “One of my goals,” he explains, “is to show people that they can grow a [...]
Nancy Skall of Middleton Farm grows what may be the best asparagus I’ve ever tasted. Stalks range from about the diameter of a chopstick to that of your big thumb and shoppers in the know reach for the fattest ones. The thinnest stalks are not, as many restaurant menus [...]
In today's Seasonal Pantry, I explore using collard greens to wrap corned beef hash and other foods. In that column, I promise photos that show how to prepare the collards.Here are the first of several photos. It will take a bit of time for me to get the others up, [...]
In today's Seasonal Pantry, which you can read here, I discuss the resurgence in popularity of the Mediterranean diet and its special relevance to California. I also promise to post links to Mediterranean dishes from the Seasonal Pantry archives. This is the first of a series of posts, [...]
Since Mike Collins relaunched his certified-organic Bloomfield Farms about three years ago, it has established itself as one of the heavy hitters of local produce, with a successful Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, a presence at Bay Area farmers markets and farm events that draw scores of visitors from both [...]
Everything at Sonrisa Family Farm in Petaluma seems to radiate with an inner glow, a sense of purpose, of intention and of beauty. The first word that came to mind as farmer Lisa Colorado lead me around the five acres where she and her husband have lived for more than [...]
Tomatoes are glorious this year. They arrived earlier than many of us anticipated and they are lingering deliciously at their peak flavor. Tomorow, there's one more chance to sample a wide range of heirloom varieties for free at the Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market, the one in [...]
Hector Alvarez of Hector’s Honey Farm just may be the James Brown of local agriculture. Granted, he doesn’t sport a satin cape or fall to his knees in faux heartbreak. But when you look at his schedule--nine farmers markets a week at the height of the season--it’s hard to argue [...]
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Have trouble remembering what’s in season when? Looking for a favorite recipe from the Seasonal Pantry or Pairing archives? Michele Anna Jordan, Press Democrat columnist, chef, teacher and author of almost 20 books, draws from 17 years of columns and articles for seasonal suggestions, recipes and menus and tips on exactly where to get the finest local foods at their peak moment. And, yes, she takes requests. Just name the dish or even a few of the ingredients and, like magic, you’ll find the recipe here in no time. Any questions related to ingredients, cooking, nutrition and eating are welcome.