Happiness

When we arrived at the hospital yesterday for David's appointment with the surgeon we discovered they have a Farmer's Market out front every Friday morning. This was real treat to say the least! Made the trip out there fun for me.

The berries are so sweet! I am looking forward to stuffing the pascilla/poblano chiles and roasting the golden and orange carrots. I love that the orange carrots are pencil thin!

Here are a few more things I picked up at the Farmer's Market and Costco; looking forward to a tomatter sandwich today and using them in a variety of other ways. The asparagus will get grilled or roasted and I will be roasting the mini sweet peppers. Oh yum! The tangerines and lemons will be used in cooking as well as eating in their natural glory.

Last evening was out dinner group which met at Paulette's house this time around. She planned a simple grilling menu and I was to bring fruit salad. Here it is. It was so hot again yesterday that the fruit was very refreshing.

Catching up and sipping wine. Barbara, Verona and Bill and Rose brought wines this time. We forgot our contribution in wine at home! There was a variety of VJB wines of course and Barbara also brought a Turnbull cab for us to try. VERY good! I need to ask again the year it was.

Rose did the appetizers this time and she is getting them out at this point. There was an artichoke spread with jalapeno served with crostini, and mozzrella wrapped with prosciutto and basil leaves.

Bill opening and pouring wines.

Rose plating her appetizers and Paulette helping her.

Paulette's table.

Paulette marinated tri tips and grilled them outdoors. They were grilled perfectly and the marinade flavored the meat nicely.

Averill and Bob brought fresh corn.

Paulette's famous potato salad.

Verona, did dessert. We call her the dessert queen she is so good at it. This was a rustic apple and cranberry tart made with a puff pastry crust, full of apples, xcranberryies, orange essence, nuts, spices and glazed with starwberry jam. Incredibaly good. This would make a perfect Thanksgiving dessert. When I get the recipe from her I will definitely share it in my food/wine newsletter. ANYway it was a relaxed, enjoyable evening with good friends, good wine and good food.

A Non-Profit I Am Very Excited About

In a time we are all concerned about the environment, obesity, what is in our food and where it comes from, and the high cost of food and gas I have learned about a nonprofit in our area that I think is wonderful. They are called Soil Born Farms and are organic producers. Their goal is to bring fresh affordable produce to locals. They are growing the produce locally on 25 acres they have leased from Sacramento County. Right here in my own backyard so to speak. They have also been in discussions with the regions largest developer, Angelo K. Tsakopoulis who took the nonprofit on a tour of potential farm sites on his properities. When you think of it, the cost of fuel alone justifies putting more farms in locally.

They have lines at their produce stands which includes even some of the top local restaurants such as The Esquire Grill and The Kitchen, as well as stores such as Whole Foods and the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op.

But their mission goes far beyond feeding the affluent. Their main goal is to provide affordable, fresh vegetables to lower-income populations hit hard by the obesity epidedemic. The farm runs a farmers market in Del Paso Heights and farm stands at Head Start Programs.

It also runs Youth Corps, a volunteer program for students from 13 to 18 years old to help on the farm. The students learn to cook the food they grow, and they get to bring some home. Soil Born makes donations to food banks as well. I believe I read that about 30% of the produce is distributed that way. They would like to see it go much higher.

Their plans for the American River Site include an orchard, a kitchen and an outdoor classroom.

They have so many visions; they would like to see urban farms open up all around the region -- in exisiting neighborhoods and new ones. I think the possibilties for this non-profit are endless, and I for one am very excited about what they are doing. This is an organization I want to help by voluntering.

It's interesting, quite a few years ago, my neighbor Deborah and I were discussing taking a piece of county land right next to our community if the county allowed it, and turn it into a community garden. The county didn't go for it. Soil Born has taken the same concept, however turned it into a much bigger picture. One I support wholeheartedly.