by Cheryl Wolhar - MyVineSpace on October 11, 2011
Beekeeping Workshop at Love Apple Farms
Did you know that farmers depend on bees for pollination and that 2/3 of the foods we eat today depend on bees? This subject always comes up when planting a garden of fresh vegetables for my family’s health and enjoyment. I’m always hearing the questions, “Do I need bees to pollinate my tomatoes” and “Why doesn’t my lemon tree have lemons”?
It turns out that tomatoes are self-fertile when conditions are ideal, however, the best pollinator for tomatoes is the original, bees! And some lemon trees, such as indoor varieties, will produce fruit without bees and insects to pollinate them, but again, you have a better chance if you have bees!
If you want to learn all about this fun and essential hobby, take the beekeeping workshop at Love Apple Farms on Sunday, October 23rd.
Be a Beekeeper!.
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bees,
farming,
gardening,
love apple farms,
slow food
by Laura Ness - HerVineNess on June 14, 2010
Ah, what is better than a pavilion filled with exotic Italian wines, a cornucopia of comely California wines, breezy jazz and tables laden with gourmet food prepared from sustainably farmed local ingredients by local artisans and some of San Francisco’s best Slow Food restaurants? Throw in a crystal clear San Francisco Bay dotted with boats at full sail as a backdrop, and season with a smattering of the most charmingly handsome Italian guys you’ve seen outside of GQ, and you have a winning formula for Golden Glass, a Slow Food San Francisco fundraiser held at Fort Mason in San Francisco on June 12.
This event is a must for lovers of well-made Slow Food and devotees of fine wine made the old fashioned way. A salad of snap beans, summer squash, shaved pecorino, English peas and arugula prepared by Ristobar was a perfect pair a delightful Italian white called Lugana. It’s a clone of Trebbianno grown near Lake Ardo. It’s from a winery called Zenato, and you could drink a lot of it. The other Italian white that ascended quickly to the top of my fave rave list was Greco di Tufo, a Silver medal winner in the associated wine [...]
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Golden Glass,
Italy,
Lugana,
Montepulciano,
Pecorino,
Rustic Bakery,
Serpentine,
Slow Club,
slow food,
Stella Cadente
by Cheryl Wolhar - MyVineSpace on September 24, 2009
This is our favorite gravy and I make it every year for Thanksgiving. The spicy flavor goes so well with the Turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes. I usually serve a crisp, spicy Gewurztraminer with this gravy. This is the only gravy I make for Thanksgiving now and it is a huge family favorite. I used to struggle to make gravy each year using drippings or simmering neck bones and giblets until I found this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks Chef Paul Prudhomme, K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. This is now one of my Thanksgiving staples and as long as you can make a roux then you can have delicious gravy every time.
Ingredients:
¾ c chopped onions
¾ c chopped green bell peppers
¼ c chopped celery
¼ veg oil
¼ + 1 tlbs all-purpose flour
¾ tsp ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp black pepper
2 bay leaves
¼ c minced jalapeno peppers
1 tsp minced garlic (I usually use 3 – 4 large cloves)
3 c broth (beef, chicken, vegetable or turkey)
Directions:
I usually double the recipe so we have plenty for leftovers. Fresh jalapenos are preferred; if you have to use pickled ones, rinse as much vinegar from them as possible. I use 2 peppers; 1 [...]
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food,
gravy,
Recipes,
slow food,
spicy,
Thanksgiving
by Cheryl Wolhar on August 25, 2009
This is another family favorite and is usually served on Thanksgiving, however, this year I served the Pumpkin Soup which was also a big hit! The best thing about this recipe is that you can use it to make any “cream” soup that you want, i.e. Cream of Broccoli, Cream of Asparagus, etc… Just substitute the green chilies for any vegetable that you prefer.
Ingredients:
58 oz. fresh chicken stock
(4 – 14 ½ oz. cans if fresh is unavailable)
1 onion diced small
12 oz canned green chilies minced
½ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup butter melted
1 cup flour
Salt to taste
1 cup heavy cream
Directions:
Bring stock to a boil.
Sauté onion and green chilies in a small amount of oil on low heat until onion is soft and somewhat caramelized; add spices; add to stock and simmer 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine melted butter and flour, mix well.
Add ¾ of butter/flour mixture to the soup and whip until smooth. It will begin to thicken (If a thicker soup is desired add more of the mixture.)
To finish, add the cream slowly while stirring. Add salt and adjust seasonings.
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Recipes,
slow food
by Cheryl Wolhar - MyVineSpace on March 20, 2009
I first got involved in the “Slow Food” movement when I read this book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; by Barbara Kingsolver and realized that the Industrial Food Industry was making us sick! We are too far way from our food sources which is a bad idea for many reasons. I have spent the last year learning more about finding local fresh food sources and in learning to grow food for my family.
Alice Waters may not really be the mother of the Slow Food movement but she has certainly been a major influence.
Watch this CNN video to learn more.
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Alice Waters,
Chez Panisse,
slow food
