GrassRoutes Eats

Finding a family-fun Italian-American restaurant that brings the goods each and every time is like finding a perfect pair of jeans, or getting into a great college – at least that’s how excited I am when I discover a new one.

In Sonoma this weekend I was told this was a must for family gatherings like the Sunday brunch I enjoyed. The menu is written on boards above the counter, but there’s far more available than deli food as the casual self-serve ordering style would suggest.

All the crucial items are made from scratch: ciabatta and foccacia breads, chocolate-dipped biscotti, lasagna and raviolli, roasted turkey and stimulating coffee drinks. Order a sandwich with such traditional sensations as mortadella or sliced leek frittata, and choose their homemade mozzarella as your cheese like I did. There’s local Russian River beers, wines from the surrounding acres and imported Italian bottles, plus plenty of tammer bevvies.

They let me have some mortadella and some of their house roasted turkey on my mozzarella sandwich – they added a pie of undressed coleslaw and served it on their freshly-baked foccacia bread

We also tried the Tuscan salami combination with a seedy mustard and very wet potato salad, the Damnation white beer from Russian River Brewing Company was an ideal pairing

A half-order of the lasagna is enough with an order of one of the tempting salads, like anchovy-heavy ceasar and tomato and mozzarella duo with aged balsamic

Plenty of homey, painted decor

Order here! Then you’ll be served everything else at the table…

Dutsi, my research assistant poodle and I checked out the scene, then he waited patiently outside until we were finished

Now is a perfect time to head to Sonoma County, California, as the wild yellow mustards make all the fields glow… this is Arnold Road, just a few minutes down the road from the restaurant

Looking up at the menu board, the desserts looked tempting even after we were full!

Isn’t Sonoma just beautiful!? Even with the vines bare…

Look how different the old vine zines look (some in the area are reaching 60 years in age) compared to the cabernet grapes above

If you go:

Cafe Citti is in Kenwood, on Arnold Road.

Goats have once again proven themselves to be one of the greatest animals on the planet – this time with help from Chef Mark Domman at One Market Restaurant in San Francisco.

We all know how delicious and creamy goat cheese can be, and how sweet the milk is, but the goat-centric tasting menu from One Market’s Weekly Beast event is yet another. Since last November, Chef Domman has been given all the freedom to create with whim for this weekly tasting menu, available only Friday and Saturday nights – the only catch is his got to use the whole animal, meld each dish with the freshest seasonal ingredients, and he’s got two days to come up with the menu. Considering the other classic crab, steak, and famous foie gras plates at One Market, which have been honed with time-honored care, this is the wild side of the restaurant to be sure.

Here are the snapshots of the many courses I tried, and I’ll post a link to the full review when it comes.

If you can make it tonight for a last minute prix fixe dinner (only $49 for 5 full courses) get acquainted with goat, or wait until next weekend’s suckling pig feature, or another Weekly Beast when you’re in town.

a “shrimp popsicle” amuse bouche made with charred Louisiana shrimp in creole spices with lime, chili, and tequila foam

no-casing on this goat sausage, but the bread crumb layer was extra crispy and went well with the tarragon-infused warm lentils (which I am pretty sure were mixed with diced celery root – I’m loving that combo)

“crab apple” with green apple water, fruit, and sorbet with the tastiest Dungeness crab, right from the ocean, and did I mention the jalapeno gelee underneath the whole lot?

octopus gone wild with “soy air”

the onion broth, and mirrored favor with smoked onion froth, really brought out the braised goat in these pasta pockets, unfortunately the handmade dough didn’t have the gluten built up enough so it was a bit tough

my extra course from Chef – Thanks Mark! This mahi mahi, which I never would have ordered, was cooked perfectly, I mean it!

duck – from Liberty Farms – served two ways, the rare breast was so succulent, with polenta

rack of goat with the first nettles of the season, pureed, and a crusty farina cake

honey cake – not your average Passover schlop – with honey and ripe pears, a Cyrpess Cove goat cheese torte, savory, and the best crispy little goat cookie there ever was

and Crunch Cake, not that we needed another bite!

and here’s the ivy topiary

Today I’m going over the line – I can’t say it is the first time I’ve crossed it, but going to One Market’s Weekly Beast dinner, featuring Goat, is at least a stark contrast to my recent goat-y experiences.

I was staying with some close friends who’ve had goats for some 20 years, but I was milking and then making cheese. So here’s to facing my food – not living under any dilusions, loving all the uses and wonders of livestock.

Especially with my farm-to-table mentality, it should be doable, plus the meat Chef Dommen picks is from the best local farms like Marin Sun, who treat their animals very well during their life, and never stuff them with antibiotics, hormones, or weird science diets through tubes in tight pens – no one wants that, even for something they’re planning on eating.

Here’s the chef prepping plates for a charity ball

All that said, make one of these seasonal prix fixe menus an outing for you and yours – the beast of the week is an affordable way to treat yourself to lots of courses from one of the city’s best chef. Lamb, duck, pig, and other beasts are soon to come, check back for menus and schedules. I’ll let you know how it all went~

Here are some pix from Food Gal – I hope I’m in store for some of this!

If you are continuing from my Examiner piece about today’s harvest, then read on, if not, go back and catch up, but either way, I hope you’ll love the slide show of what’s going on in the GrassRoutes Garden this week, at the close of February and an especially wet winter…

Other findings in today’s harvest-
The Meyer Lemon tree in my front yard is slowing down for some reason, but I grabbed a few to add to tea at breakfast. If I had more I’d make Israeli-style lemonade with mint (two kinds are sprouting now, chocolate peppermint and brilliant green spearmint). Head to Amba, Oakland’s newest kosher eatery to try their version.

Chives – nothing is better in an omelet. Like spring onions, my favorite crimson forest bunching onions, and scallions, these guys re-grow themselves in bundles and can be picked at different stages, from baby to full flower. Try the eggs at Mary’s (Aunt Mary’s Cafe, that is)- there are always fresh herbs added just like my chives.

Romaine Lettuce “Sea of Red”- nothing like this classic salad base in terms of color and also nutrition. You can pick the leaves when they are baby or wait, like I did in this case, until they become full heads of lettuce. Continue harvesting leaves from the base to make your plants produce longer. I got these seeds from Renee’s Garden, but I’ve harvest my own seed this past season.

The navel oranges were a gift from my Uncle Bill, from his abundant tree. I swap fruit and veggies with friends and family all the time – there’s even a couple gardeners around my neighborhood who have wanted to trade when something’s in full swing – that way we can have some figs on our salad, instead of lettuce coming out of our ears when the season’s stuck on one crop!

Here’s the slide show of the whole garden!

I love the feeling of getting my hands involved when making bread.

This was the very first recipe I ever learned, back when I was five or six. We used milk to froth the yeast, a dash of honey, and whole wheat bread flour.

Whichever bread recipe you use, these pictures still show the order of events so to speak. Happy baking! And better yet, happy sandwiching afterward!

(P.S. Bread is the best to make when you’ve got a days of random tasks around the house. Mix yeast and milk. Weed veggie garden, check email. Mix dry ingredients and wet ones, form dough and knead. Do laundry, walk dog, blog. Set oven, knead again, bake. Change sheets, mess around on Facebook. Set aside to cool. Go on a quick jog. Make sandwiches and enjoy!)

SO, HERE GOES!

Start with good ingredients. I use organic whole wheat flour, raw milk, free range eggs, rock salt, local olive oil (California Rocks!)…

Measure out your milk and place in a warm, not windy, spot.

Dust the packet of yeast over the milk’s surface

Don’t worry if it falls in and looks a bit messy – resist the urge to stir it and just walk away, returning in about 10-15 minutes to see if it is ready, i.e. foamed up

It’s foamy! Yippie!

Now, measure out the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Make a well in the dry ingredient bowl…

and add in your Wet Ingredients to the Well, including the foamy yeast mixture.

Stir with your hands

It’ll start to ball up and form a dough

Flour up your surface – I got this great piece of marble from a design studio that no longer needed it – I strongly suggest you ask around if you don’t already have a nice stone surface to knead on!

Knead the dough until there is a smooth consistency about it – depending on the pressure used it can take as little as five minutes and as much as 15.

Continually spin dough, press with heels of hand, then flip and spin again to get a good action going. After the dough is a good smooth consistency ball it up.

Then oil your bowl and dough ball and put it in that same warmish but not windy place to rise.

Cover it up!

Dough has risen! It usually take 30-45 minutes.

Now fit it into a loaf pan or two…

Paint it with oil and salt or an egg wash…

Hash the surface and bake according to your recipe

Yippie! Bread is done after cooling!

AND, here’s an approximation of the recipe I first learned at Waldorf School Kindergarten!

1 packet yeast
1 c warm water or milk
1 t. honey

6c flour- 4c bread flour, 2c whole wheat (or all whole wheat)
1-2 t. salt
3c water
1/3c honey
1/3c oil or melted butter

proof the yeast in small amount of water and honey until it gets bubbly.

mix water salt honey and oil in another bowl. Add yeast mixture to liquids and allow child with wooden spoon to stir while you add flour one cup at a time until it is too hard to stir. get your hands messy by mixing/kneading the rest in by hand until the flour is smooth and easy to work. knead for awhile until the dough is smooth and ’shiny’, put in clean bowl with a small amount of oil in it and cover with a damp towel. allow to rise double
punch down, make snakes, mountains, rocks, and loaves and allow to rise again.
350 oven for 40 min or so depending on the size of the loaves.

This year I’ve decided to start my on mini seed bank, so in each row of my garden I’ve left several plants go to seed. I was deeply inspired by my recent research about the state of seeds and biodiversity in America and beyond (I wrote more about that here), so that means I’ve only got a few broccoli heads left to harvest. Today was the day.

I steamed it just until it was a brilliant, almost neon green color, and sprinkled some Bulgarian feta on top just because, although the innate flavor of fresh broccoli doesn’t really need dolling up…

For the holidays, whichever one or ones you choose to celebrate, this seasonal dish is a crowd favorite. Provided the whole dish isn’t gobbled down, you can add a little stock and cream to transform it into fabulous soup – a reincarnation that doesn’t at all seem like lazy leftovers. Here’s to one satisfying combination!

Start with lightly peeled parsnips and about the same amount of pears, or a little less. Bosc work well, but use Seckles or Bartletts if that’s what you’ve got handy.

Chop into sticks and wedges of about the same size and add to olive oil-coated baking sheet. Chop two or three shallots into eighths and toss those in too. Sprinkle with chopped fresh sage (dried also works, but use a little less), sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, then get your hands into it and mix the fruit and veggies around until coated.

Roast at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes, or until uniformly golden. I use a “bain marie,” an aluminum pan filled to about 1/2 an inch with water on the lower baking rack, to prevent the parsnips from drying out while cooking.

Over medium heat, bring a stock pot with about 4 cups of milk (I use raw goats milk from a friend’s milker goat named Dahlia), to a simmer. Add in more chopped sage and about 1/2 a cup caramelized onions or shallots. Cook down for about 15-20 minutes until reduced and lovely-smelling.

Add in the roasted pears and parsnips and cook more, for up to 40 minutes, on low until the whole lot is incorporated and thick. (I like to reserve about five roasted parsnip pieces to use as garnish later).

Get out your trusty hand blender and create a smooth, but thick puree. Transfer to serving dish.

In a skillet, add 3 TB butter and melt down until almost brown, but not burned or smoking. Add a generous handful of fresh sage leaves and pan fry until crisp but still gray-green in color.

Cover serving dish with butter-fried sage leaves and roasted parsnip spears and bring to the table for all to enjoy! It’s vegetarian, very low in lactose (especially if you use goat’s milk, though plain soy milk or unflavored rice milk could also work), and goes with just about anything on the table!

Honed tastes, tradition epitomized, culture intoxicated -
just reminiscing my dining experience at New Orleans’ Upperline Restaurant with owner and community pillar JoAnne Clevenger makes me wax poetic. Here are the pictures:

Find this dining mecca at Upperline and Magazine Streets

Start with a Sazerac (complete with Peychaud’s Bitters)

A horse-y fan of the restaurant loved the food so much he named his race horse for it!

Upperline is famous for having combined local Louisiana shrimp remoulade with crispy fried green tomatoes – I’ve found this dish at many tables around town but there’s nothing quite like the original. All the appetizers I tried were scrumptious, and very complex

Depth of flavor continued with this rich lemon pith, peel, and pulp sauce, atop a local fried oyster

JoAnne’s personal art collection, almost exclusively by New Orleans artists, covers the walls so there’s always a lot to look at.

Finish with some Haitian rum and you’ll have extra fun breezing back to Canal Street on the St. Charles Street Car!

Back in high school when I was on swim team and a rowdy third home on the lacrosse field, I had the brilliant idea of going vegetarian. Morally, and socially, it seemed the thing to do, that was, until I passed out after a 200 backstroke and scared everyone at the pool. I just didn’t have the right constitution, or daily rhythm, to do veggie healthfully.

I praise anyone who has the know-how and follow through to do vegetarianism right – substituting animal protein with a well thought out collage of plant-based proteins and amino acids – but honestly, beef, and other meats, are a core of American dining for good reason. And luckily there are a great many ranchers who care about their cattle.

I’ve enjoyed the stuff across the globe, from thin beef slivers at sukiyaki houses in Kyoto, Japan, to filet mignon at the best restaurants in Lyon, France, but we’ve got beef down in this country too. The key is doing it humanely and tastefully, and that means considering factors way before the pan on your stove is sizzling.

Set aside your recipe book for a moment, and delve into the process of raising beef. Can you answer these questions about your next steak?

-Is it grass-fed?

-What kind of cattle is it from, Hereford? Angus?

-Are the cattle given antibiotics, or growth-promoting hormones?

-What kind of energy does the processing plant use? Solar or thermal, perhaps?

-How far did this beef travel to your kitchen?

If you do choose, as I do, to love your beef, than I highly recommend loving it right by considering the above questions. And the good news is that there are oodles of ranchers who care about their cattle, and their carbon footprint.

Try these excellent purveyors next time you are craving a juicy burger, or sumptuous flank steak:

Estancia, free-range beef

Harris Ranch, natural black angus beef

Tallgrass Beef

Dakota Beef Company

Drake’s Bay Family Farms

Long Meadow Ranch

Eating in America means many things to many people. From canning local veggies to slipping open a slice of processed American cheese, our food is as diverse as our tapestry of people.

Join me, Serena Bartlett, as I uncover the very best eating opportunities from around the country, and not just great restaurants, but handy kitchen tricks, gardening and farming discoveries, canning and cooking yourself.

Let’s Eat!