This afternoon, I took my pups Joey and Lark for a walk in downtown Sebastopol, one of their favorite things to do because they know exactly which businesses keep dog treats on hand and where they stash them. As we turned the corner of Petaluma Ave. and Bodega [...]
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 [...]
A few nights ago, there was a knock at my door fairly late in the evening, close to 10 p.m. Although it is always startling when someone shows up that late, I knew it had to be my neighbor, out walking her pup before bed. Sometimes they stop by to [...]
“I want to recreate the experience of having a home garden for customers who don’t have one,” Lee Higbeeof the new Farm Sinclair says. Such freshness, he believes, is what makes customers choose a famers market over a grocery store. Currently, Higbee attends two farmers markets with rainbow chard and [...]
A few days ago, I was chatting with a friend who is also a fellow chef and teacher. Between us was an enormous bowl of lemons, the leftovers of a bushel that friends had given me. As we chatted about what we like to do when we have a lot [...]
I didn’t expect the aroma of onions as I stepped out of my car at Lao Saetern’s strawberry stand on Highway 12 between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol but that is just what enveloped me as I breathed in the cool spring air. At that moment, there were nothing [...]
As promised in yesterday's Seasonal Pantry, here are links to some of my favorite Mexican dishes. In that column, which featured recipes for snapper ceviche, Drunken Chicken, orange, onion and jicama salad and strawberry-hibiscus agua fresca, I also promised a recipe for one of the best appetizers ever. It's true--Queso [...]
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 [...]
Sam Kim of Bohemian Well Being Farm is a familiar face to farmers market shoppers throughout Sonoma County. At the peak of the season, when all our markets are in full swing, you’ll find him at several each week with his cultivated and wild mushrooms, some not much bigger [...]
At 9 a.m. Saturday morning, the legendary cowbell will ring in the first Healdsburg farmers market of 2013. The opening of this market heralds the beginning of the abundant season, when we’re no longer gasping with delight at those first precious radishes and instead are racing to keep up with [...]
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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.