recipephile

The People of Sonoma - Beth Thorp of Nightingale Breads

Florence Nightingale believed that nursing was her calling similarly Beth Thorp, former nurse now owner and founder of Nightingale Breads in Forestville, has turned the making of bread into her life work.  Her shop is named in honor of the famous caregiver.

For years Beth worked tirelessly as a traveling nurse and while she loved the patient interaction she loathed the corporate grind and longed for something simpler and creative. 

“I started feeling like I was getting lost in the system and while nursing was rewarding in many ways the writing on the wall became clear.  All paths were leading to me being a 65 year old crotchety nurse and that is something I truly wanted to avoid,” said Beth.

The seed of the “Nightingale Bread” idea came while she was living in Montana.  Beth was making bread as a hobby and often wondered if she could actually make a career out of her passion.  So she started working in a bakery full time to hone her skills knowing that this was the first step to owning her own bakery.

When she was ready to make the move from nursing patients to making bread Beth began searching for a location in Napa with a potential partner.  Luckily for Sonoma her search for space resulted in nothing. Someone mentioned the town of Forestville to Beth as a potential spot for a future bakery. This peaked her interest as her grandmother had grown up in Forestville. Months later a building came on the market on Forestville's main street and she immediately saw it's potential and put an offer on the space.

Like any small business owner on day one Beth worried. “This was not like opening a retail shop with pre-made product on the shelves. I had to make the bread and if it didn’t turn out right or people did not like it I feared that my dream would be shattered,” she said.   Those dreams were far from shattered and on December 18^th , 2008 the doors opened and the community welcomed her with open arms.        

Nightingale keeps it simple. Initially she was producing five breads including her famed Forestville French, but then she has expanded into other breads.  While some complain that her doors should be open more often (she operates Wednesday thru Saturday) Beth feels that her limited hours and limited selection keep the quality where it needs to be and her product more exclusive and special. “I’d rather do one thing really well than do 17 things just average,” she believes.

Her philosophy is that when you love what you do it comes out in the product you make. “I feel really fortunate that I have the chance to do this. Bread making is more than just a job for me it is my passion.” 

 

The People of Sonoma - Gourmet Mushrooms, Inc.

Large non-descript buildings in Sonoma County often signal a wine storage facility or a winery sans tasting room.  People always wonder what lurks behind the big walls.  Sitting across from Merry Edwards Winery is one of these buildings. You hardly notice it as you drive by on Highway 116, but the contents and activity beyond the exterior is something pretty amazing.

Back in 1976 Malcolm Clark, who was at the time a lab director in Toronto, was introduced to David Law, a graduate student at the time.  The two had a vision to pioneer the cultivation of exotic mushrooms and chose to pursue this venture in Western Sonoma County.

Clark and Law worked closely with renowned mycologist Dr. Tsuneto Yoshii of the Yoshii Mycological Research Institute in Oita, Japan. "Dr. Yoshii was THE pioneer of sawdust cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms," explains Law, president and CEO of Gourmet Mushroom, Inc. He taught them how to cultivate mushrooms in a very non-traditional way.

While the typical button mushroom that you find in the grocery store is cultivated in manure, the team at Gourmet Mushroom, Inc. uses an entirely different process, which was developed by the late Dr. Yoshii, and the Japanese mushroom industry.

Their foundation for the growth of mushrooms is largely made up of agricultural byproduct, which includes sawdust, soybean hulls and the husks of corn.  These organic components are blended together to create the “soil” that is used to nurture the spawns that ultimately grow into their gourmet specialty mushrooms.

The inside of the 40,000+ square foot building is fascinating and somewhat resembles a winemaking facility.  While they don’t have a crush pad, they do have a receiving area where the sawdust, soy hulls and husks are delivered.  These ingredients are loaded into a large machine, similar to a press, that blends and prepares the mix to be packed into the tiny containers.  The tiny plastic containers are kind of like large oak wine barrels.  Their role is to serve as a vessel for the cultivation of something that evolves from a mere spawn into a bouquet of gorgeous mushrooms.

To see the process from agricultural byproduct to tiny container housing spawn is pretty cool.  It is a mixture of organics, innovation and pure science.  While wine can take years to mature in barrels, the mushrooms they produce live in a climate controlled room for 6-12 weeks (depending on the variety) before being harvested, packaged and then shipped to grocery stores and some of the finest restaurants in the country.  You know these fungi must be something special when names like Thomas Keller and Wolfgang Puck roll off of David’s tongue as a few of the company’s thousands of customers in North America.

One of their most interesting species is the Forest Nameko™ variety.  This mushroom has a naturally occurring gelatin on the cap that lightly thickens soups or sauces.  While the Maitake Frondosa™ with its crunchy texture and earthy flavor superbly compliments roasted meats and greens.  

With six varieties in all Gourmet Mushroom Inc. has cornered the North American market and literally created the specialty mushroom category.  Their products can be found on plates at some of the finest restaurants in the country and now at local grocery stores including Whole Foods and Safeway.  Consumer can also order gourmet mushroom gift baskets by logging on to their site and placing an order.  They also offer up a number of recipes on their site as well.

 

 

The People of Sonoma - Barbara Paul of Graton Ridge Cellars

When you walk into Graton Ridge Cellars you immediately feel at home.  Often times Barbara Paul, the matriarch of this Russian River Valley winery, will greet you as you enter into their homey wine tasting room and quickly pour you a glass of their award winning Chardonnay.  She and her husband Art, whose parents purchased the 4.5 acres and moved their family here in 1945, along with their two daughters run the business and its day-to-day operations. 

The land they live on has gone through a number of iterations. When Art’s father got out of the service after WWII he and his wife Viola moved their five children to Graton. Long before pinots were all the rage, the Paul’s were growing plums, apples, peaches and walnuts. The house they lived in served as both their living quarters where they marketed their crops and sold snacks, dressed ducks and chickens and a few other general store items to neighbors and passersby.   In the mid-50’s the Paul’s had two more children so they remodeled one of the chicken coops on the property and moved in.

In 1962 when Barb was a sophomore in high school and Art was a senior the two met. Two years later the high school sweethearts married and in two more years they welcomed their first daughter, Kristine, to the world.  Three years later their daughter Sue was born.

At the time, Art and Barb were making their own way in Western Sonoma County.  They settled in Sebastopol and Art drove a truck delivering sundries for a local distributor while Barb worked for a CPA.  Art soon got the farming bug and in 1969 he and Barb decided to lease the land that Art grew up on and grow Golden Delicious apples.  They leased more land down the road and grew the famed Gravensteins that Western Sonoma County is known for.

While still working for a CPA, Barb would bring her daughters to the property and sell apples under the trees right on Highway 116.

“I’d take apple boxes and turn them upside down for displays. Sue was just a baby at the time so I’d bring blankets with me and use an apple bin as a playpen for her,” Barb explained. “In the early 70s we started making and selling cider that we sold under the tree.”

The Paul’s decided that they could expand even more and started, well before it was in vogue, to distribute organic and natural food and other products beyond the cider they made and bottled.   They also started making juice blends that they also distributed.

“For about six years we were working around the clock,” continued Barb. “So we scaled back the business and stuck to apples, the crop that started it all.”

For many apple growers in the area the market changes in the late 70s and early 80s had a profound effect on their business.  The canneries that were buying the Paul’s apples started sourcing from competition and paying very little for their crop. So the Paul’s went back to the drawing board.  Art began working part time and Barb sat for her real estate license (she still sells to this day). The fruit stand closed and although they still sold apples they split their time between the land and their new jobs.

In the late 90s as pinot started gaining traction Barb and Art followed the path that many of their neighboring famers began heading down.  They decided to plant their first vines, pinot, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, on the farm.  As they looked back on their years of living on the property and building a future for themselves they realized that they had not adequately prepared for retirement.  The desire to save for their “golden years” and create something that they could pass down to their daughters is what got them into the winemaking business.

For four years they worked with the state and local government to gain the permits they needed for winemaking and in 2007 they cracked open their first bottles of pinot noir and chardonnay aged only in French and American oak barrels, which adds the depth and richness so prominent in their wines.  The winemaker for their first vintage, Nick Legg, still works with Barb and Art to produce their prized wines and in the words of Barb “He is the perfect fit for us.”

Graton Ridge Cellars has expanded considerably since their first vintage.  They now buy grapes from Bacigalupi for the petite sirah and zinfandels they produce. Additional purchases of pinot and chardonnay grapes have also helped them expand the number of cases they make.  In 2010 they made 1800 cases of wine including their port and apple wine. 

The apple wine has an interesting history. About 4 years ago their grandson Kyle innocently told his grandfather, Art, that he should make an apple wine. His instinct and Art’s drive to fulfill his grandson’s wish, paid off for the Pauls.  In 2007 their first apple wine vintage won a gold medal at the Grand Harvest Awards.

Graton Ridge Cellars will continue on as a family business.  Their daughter Sue lives on the property with her two children and their other daughter Kristine, who lives in Hawaii, stays close to the business by pitching in from afar.

Barb never thought she would be where she is today, but her philosophy on winemaking and running a business is all about balance.  With this latest chapter in the lives of her entire family she looks back with pride on what they have grown (literally) over the years and what will continue to grow for years to come. 

 

Food and Wine Pairings In Sonoma - Lynmar Estate

Lynmar Estate

www.lynmarestate.com

Price – Prices depend on the pairing you choose.  Log on to the site to learn more.

Phone – 707-829-3374

Address – 3909 Frei Rd, Sebastopol, CA

Reservations Required – Yes

What Not To Miss – A tour of the gardens where a lot of the food on the menu comes from.

Many wineries in Sonoma are lovers of the land that their grapes come from and Lynmar Estate is no exception. As a matter of fact Lynmar is its own ecosystem.  They keep bees, grow veggies, have a chicken coop, are in the process of making balsamic vinegar… You could live off of the land at Lynmar and feed yourself very well.

It is no surprise, then, that the land is a key component of the Lynmar brand.  The founders of Lynmar, Lynn Fritz and Anisya Fritz are also the founders of the Fritz Institute, a non-profit dedicated to working in partnership with governments, nonprofit organizations and corporations around the world to facilitate rapid and effective disaster response and recovery. In the spirit of giving back to the land that feeds us, they created Lynmar Estate and not only produce exceptional wine, but also delicious food.

The winery has a number of different pairing experiences and each is priced depending on the amount of food and wine that comes with the pairing.  The day I visited the winery I got to try the ‘Cooking Light’ Food and Wine Pairings. The menu relies on recipes which the winery’s executive chef, Sandra Simile, developed for Cooking Light magazine.

The cost of this tasting was pretty high compared to others in the area ($125), but they balance the cost with copious amounts of food and wine, incredible service and an outstanding facility. Of the courses that we tried my absolute favorite was the risotto with squash and pancetta. The risotto was surprisingly light and delicate and so it called for a light and delicate pinot noir, which balanced the dish with the perfect amount of acidity.  Honestly, I could have licked the plate the risotto was so good.

While the winery has a number of varying food and wine pairing experiences, this is one I would not miss.  Give yourself about 2-3 hours and request a tour of gardens and vineyards that are really the lifeblood behind this great winery. 

 

Food and Wine Pairings In Sonoma - J Bubble Room

J Bubble Room

www.jwine.com

Price - $60 for three courses (with multiple items in each course and dessert too)

Phone – 707-431-5430

Address - 11447 Old Redwood Highway, Healdsburg, CA

Reservations Required – Yes  

What Not To Miss – Do your best to get a behind the scenes tour of the winemaking facility.

Having heard a lot about the food and wine pairing experience at J, I had to head over and give it a try, and at $60 per flight I walked away very impressed.

The first course consisted of corn chowder with smoked pancetta that was paired with a generous pour of their Russian River Valley 2007 Chardonnay.  It was an amazingly velvety and coupled nicely with the creamy textured wine.  A few other favorites included the grass fed local lamb sliders that were served on a pretzel roll with IPA beer battered onion ring and paired with Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.  J is known for its sparkling, and we enjoyed a nice glass of Russian River Valley Brut Rose as well as a glass of vintage brut with a cheese and meat pairing.

The long leisurely experience was highlighted by the incredibly attentive team that served up the dishes, but don’t bank on trying the dishes mentioned above.  They change the menu seasonally, but I guarantee the quality and great flavors likely follow as the menu changes with each passing season.

 

Food and Wine Pairings In Sonoma - Dutton Estate

Dutton Estate

www.duttonestate.com

Price - $20 per couple

Phone – 707-829-4673

Address – 8757 Green Valley Road, Sebastopol, CA

Reservations Required – No

What Not To Miss – The free food and wine pairing that happens on the 1^st and 3^rd Friday of every month.

There is something to be said for simplicity, and that is what the food and wine pairing is all about at Dutton Estate.  There is also something to be said for someone who absolutely loves food and loves pairing great wines with food and that is what Executive Chef Cynthia Newcomb is all about.

Cynthia has a simple style.  She pairs Dutton wines with a selection of cheeses and meats and usually one other dish.  When I visited it was supposed to be her salmon mousse, but unfortunately for me the menu was just about to change and she was out of that pairing.  However, where Dutton lacked in the missing dish Cynthia made up for it with her insightful and almost scientific explanations of why certain foods were paired with the wines she was pouring.   She went on and on about the characteristics of a buttery chardonnay and why it works so well with creamy dishes. 

I half suspected that Cynthia was spending time with me because of the piece I was writing, but the more she spoke the more I realized that she likely does this with anyone who engages her in a conversation about food.  That in and of itself made the experience something very special.

She invited me back for the free pairing that takes place on the 1^st and 3^rd Friday of every month, after hours between 4 and 6.  Luckily for me I was available and made it just in time to try her deep-fried creamy macaroni and cheese paired with a buttery chardonnay.

 

The People of Sonoma - Lynn and Anisya Fritz, Owners of Lynmar Estate Winery

Lynn and Anisya Fritz of Lynmar Estate Winery love challenges.  After Lynn grew his family's logistics business and took it public with offices in more than 120 countries he decided it was time to move on to something new.  He and Anisya wanted to give back and as they looked into the world of non-profit organizations they realized that their past experiences in the logistics world could help relief organizations like the Red Cross and OXFAM better assist people and countries in disastrous situations. They founded the Fritz Institute and created a new sector in the world of logistics called Humanitarian Logistics.  Humanitarian Logistics is all about getting the relief and life saving materials to the right people at the right time.  It is now offered as a degree at universities all over the world and is the standard for relief organizations.

Conquering logistics was not enough for Lynn, while working on building the Fritz Companies and he purchased a plot of 35 acres in Western Sonoma County.  It was originally purchased as a vacation property and housed some of what Lynn and Anisya refer to as the heritage pinot noir vines of Sonoma County.  This was more than 30 years ago.

For ten years they sold grapes to Merry Edwards, at the time she was at Matanzas Creek, Tony Soter of Etude and Sea Ridge. Lynn began watching both Mary and Tony as they explored the property and continued to purchase grapes from them year after year. As they became a part of the property around them and tasted the amazing product that resulted in their close relationship with the land and the people that believed in their crop they realized how truly blessed they were. "I wanted to ratchet it up a notch, challenge ourselves and see what we could draw out of this serendipitous opportunity. We saw so much potential," said Lynn.

In 1992, while still involved in the logistics business, Lynn started making wine in small quantities. In 2001 Lynn and Anisya sold out of the logistics business and began construction on a gravity flow production facility and 11,000 square feet of caves. In a gravity flow winery, grapes and the juice that they produce descend into the fermenting tanks by exploiting the force of gravity and shunning mechanical pumps altogether.  In this age old process wine is moves "softly" through the process and is not "bruised" by the mechanics of pushing fermenting and aging grapes from one tank to another. This process is best suited for low volume production of high quality wines.  Lynn and Anisya are also firm believers in native yeast. No commercial yeasts are used in the process of making a bottle of Lynmar wine.

Lynn believes that a number of things encompass his overall philosophy of balance in the winemaking process. "We are owners that also run the day to day business, have our own vineyards, farm those vineyards, make the wine right on the property and have a full time winemaker. Everything you see here is 100% Lynmar. That balance makes our chances of producing something that we can feel confident about much higher and it also draws in the best people."

Anisya concurred and added, "We had this property for years and would come from the city to visit on the weekend.  Neither of us ever wanted to leave and so finally I said, let's stay and become part of this thriving ecosystem.  The property drew us in and now we feel as though we are stewards of the land it is up to us to nurture that as it continues to grow and evolve."

And grow they have.  Since they bought the property in 1980 the two have expanded into more than 100 acres and grow 14 different clones of pinot noir.  They built a new wine tasting facility in 2005 and immediately hired Sandra Simile as the executive chef.  Sandra is well known for the food and wine pairings that she prepares for visitors to the estate and has helped Lynn and Anisya create a farm to table experience.  All of the food that is prepared at the winery is sustainable and sourced either from the property (they have a chicken coop and grow all sorts of vegetables and herbs) or within a 10 mile radius.

It is truly fascinating how 100 acres of land can have such a profound impact on people.  Lynmar and the property it lives on will continue to thrive at the hands of Lynn and Anisya, but, as Anisya was quick to point out, "People will forget about us years from now, but this property will always be here. It is up to us to make sure we leave it in better condition than we found it."

 

 

 

Food and Wine Pairings In Sonoma - Mayo Family Winery Reserve Tasting Room

Mayo Family Winery Reserve Tasting Room

www.mayofamilywinery.com

Price - $35 for seven courses paired with wines

Phone - 707-833-5504

Address – 9200 HWY 12, Kenwood, CA

Reservations Required – Reservations are recommended

What Not To Miss – A visit to the other Mayo Family tasting room to experience more of their great wines.

Situated along Highway 12 about 20 minutes from the town of Sonoma sits the reserve room for Mayo Family Winery. Mayo Family was one of the first and still very few of the Sonoma County wineries to offer a food and wine pairing, and it’s one you do not want to miss out on.  

The majority of the 25 different wines that Mayo produces are single vineyard and small batch.  The family believes strongly in terroir wine production.  Terroir focuses on creating single vineyard wines, which allows a person to really taste everything about the land where it was produced. For example, grapes grown along the northern coast of Sonoma will have much different flavor profile than those produced further inland. This is because of the temperature in each of these regions.  The northern coast is cooler and has much more fog while it drier and hotter inland. 

While the atmosphere in the Reserve Room is unassuming, the food that executive chef, Max Porter-Elliot serves up is absolutely amazing.

For $35 you receive seven courses that are paired with seven tastings. Although the menu changes often, if you are lucky, you will have the chance to sample the Brillat-Savarin Chevre, Parmesan and Ripe Seasonal Fruit paired with a Vigonier. The wine goes through a malo-lactic fermentation and when paired with cheese (also high in lactic acid), you get a burst of flavor in your mouth, what many call the flavor explosion.

Another favorite dish was the creative and delicious dessert of Blueberry Creme Fraiche and Basil With Blue Pepper Crack.  Blue Pepper Crack you ask?  It may not be on the menu when you get there, but talk to the pasty chef, Khambay, and I am sure she will be happy to explain.

 

Sonoma Source - Krave Beef Jerky

Beef Jerky is a great snack right before a workout or in the middle of the day when you are craving something savory. It is a great source of protein, provides between seven and 12 grams of protein, two grams of carbohydrate (two grams of sugar), and less than five grams of saturated fat, and is trans-fat free.   Jerky is also an excellent source of zinc at 11% of recommended daily values and is also high in iron (6%).

The company that makes one of my new favorites is Krave, located conveniently in Sonoma, CA and also online so that anyone, anywhere can get their hands on this great product.

Right now my diet consists of about six meals a day that are low in calories and high in protein (okay I admit I fall off of the wagon at times).  Right before a hike or bike ride I try to nibble on something that will give me energy and keep me satiated for the hour and half I spend in the woods, on a bike or in front of the TV at the mercy of Tony Horton and P90X.   

The chili lime jerky is pretty tasty. Slightly spicy and sweet with the refreshing bite of lime.  This is a great alternative snack that keeps me going.  Jerky has a tendency to make me want water, so make sure you have some on hand.  

 

 

Sonoma Source - McEvoy Ranch Olio Nuovo and Torta Frita Recipe

Olive oil is often one of the leading ingredients in many of the meals that I prepare and serve.  From the beginnings of a marinara sauce at the bottom of a sauce pan to the finishing off of a soup with just a drizzle before serving, the earthiness of a fine Olive Oil has the power to magically alter a dish in so many flavorful ways.

McEvoy Ranch is known for their oils.  So when I spotted a bottle of Olio Nuovo while shopping in Sonoma it called to me and I had to give it a try.

As is the case with many products grown, harvested and produced in this region from orchard to bottle McEvoy oils are certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF).

Their olives are grown, harvested, milled, blended and bottled entirely on the ranch. According to their site, at Tuscan agronomist and olive oil production consultant Maurizio Castelli's recommendation, in 1997 they imported the "Maserati of olive oil mills" (our state-of-the-art Rapanelli frantoio), now an integral part of the cold-process production unique to McEvoy Ranch.

Olio Nuovo ("New Oil") is available for only a few short months following autumn's harvest. The oil is bottled immediately, without filtration, and has a vibrant green color, rich fruit flavor and a peppery finish.  Although it was supposed to be past its prime (I just tested the oil the other day) it held up to what I know of nuovo oils.  It has a peppery and grassy taste that blended well with the cauliflower, leek and parsnip soup we prepared as well as with the sauteed kale with lemon and garlic.

The star of the evening however was the Torta Frita that my good friend Bob and I prepared. My grandmother used to make this when I stayed with her for the weekends while my parents, sister and brother would haul off to go skiing.  This is one of the dishes that we shared together and always bring back fond memories.

This went wonderfully with the Olio Nuovo and I definitely think you should give it a try.

Just about any pizza dough recipe will work with this. 

- 1 package of active dry yeast or 1/3 cake of fresh yeast

- 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water

- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

- Grated Parmeggiano Reggiano

Canola oil for frying

McEvoy Ranch Olio Nuovo

In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water. Let it proof for 10 minutes. Add the flour, salt, 1 tbsp olive oil, and rosemary and remaining water. Mix well and knead until the dough is smooth, about 10 minutes.

Let rise until the dough has doubled in size (about one hour), punch down the dough and let it rest for another 10 minutes. Roll out the dough with a wine bottle (this is how my Grandma did it) or rolling pin until it is pretty thin and cut into 3 or 4-inch squares.

Heat about 2 cups of Canola oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and fry up the pieces of dough until golden brown. It is best to turn and remove the puffy dough pieces with tongs and make sure you salt and sprinkle them with a little bit of the grated cheese as they come out of pan. Place on a paper towel to help absorb the grease, let cool and serve with a bowl of McEvoy Ranch Olive Oil for dipping and a bottle of Red Car Tomorrowland Syrah.