Foie Gras & Flannel

Half an hour outside of Sacramento is the tiny town of Capay. A green sign at the entrance announces the population: 200. Elevation, 250.

Kim and I visited last month, driving up for the annual Capay Tomato Festival. The event is actually named after Capay Organic Farm (the town is just a few miles east)–all festivities, including overnight camping in the fig orchards, take place on the 30 year old farm.

We learned about the event from Bay-area friends who went a few years back. Our group claimed three rows in the fig orchards, and re-acquainted over drinks, contraband cheese from Italy, and what could only be described as food porn: homemade crème fraiche, mixed with fresh berries and drizzled in honey. *Drool*

This was a tomato tasting, so we sampled:

Of course, with only six or seven varieties to taste (that’s all the family grows on the farm), that didn’t take long.

Not to worry, we didn’t go hungry–not that a group of foodies would. Vendors sold tacos, elote, paletas and more.

Really, though, the event wasn’t about tomatoes. It was about great music, strawberry picking, tractor rides, roaming about and exploring the family’s farm.

Other activities included picking fresh fennel, infusing herbs and rock salt, and several things for families and kids.

And more great music.

We partied into the night, eating, drinking and dancing (even I danced, though that could be credited to the drinking).

Cool mornings don’t last long in the Valley, so we rose early, ate breakfast (thanks to Neil), and packed up our tents.

Well, not all of us got up. Last we saw Alex he was asleep inside of the case he brought for his upright bass…

I’m still a little overwhelmed thinking about everything available at the farmer’s market this morning. It’s incredible. But since I won’t have time to cook for a few days, I kept to a short list: an apple danish for breakfast, a handful of fresh mission figs, and two Fay Elberta peaches–the last of the season!

Yum!

The beauty of summer in the Central Valley is the abundant harvest—if you plant it and give it a little water, it’ll probably grow here. Come August, we’re up to our ears in corn (yeah, I went there), tomatoes, peppers, herbs, stone fruit, strawberries (they’re still around!)…the full list of what’s in season is overwhelming.

A couple weekends back, friend and super-foodie Tracy—who sometimes blogs—hosted a “harvest exchange” to celebrate all that’s growing and being cooked this time of year. She says her co-host Eloise read about the concept in a magazine:

Eloise thought it was a perfect fit for the Valley, as almost everyone has access to too much zucchini and there is a growing number of folks who are canning and preserving at home.  We also thought it would be fun to bring together her friends, (boomers) with mine (gen y) for some cross-generational tips and inspiration.

Here’s Tracy, with husband Nyeland:

We gathered on a Saturday morning (to beat the heat), and started with introductions,

And then we ate:

We polished plums:

And then we shopped:

For fresh fruit and veggies:

For dried herbs:

For pickles and jams:

And for other goods (kumquat vodka, anyone?).

It was incredible. And I’m still nibbling on what I took home. The event was a reminder that good food—really good food—should be shared with others!

Addendum for the parents:

As mentioned in the last post, I spent an extended weekend in San Francisco, and worked up an appetite walking around. I attended a conference on Sunday afternoon out at Fort Mason Center, and by late afternoon I was craving a burger. The Cured Ham recommended that I walk up Gough to Union, and explore the blocks en route to Fillmore; that’s how I came across Roam.

The concept and menu reminded me of The Counter in Pasadena—complete with an option for buffalo, which Roam offers as a permanent menu option, and one-ups with elk. I ordered the Heritage: applewood-smoked bacon, fontina cheese, butter lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions and herb mayo (I’m a no-mayo kind of guy). I added an order of russet potato fries and ice tea, and took a seat outside.

From their website:

Roam is committed to utilizing sustainable meats and produce, as well as other high-quality ingredients in its menu, which begins with 100% grass-fed beef, free-range turkey, all-natural bison and an organic veggie burger.

The burger was tasty—a little greasy, but that’s what I was craving. The meat was lightly seasoned, and had good flavor on its own; the cheese helped keep it together, and the onions gave it a quite a bit of sweetness. The lettuce was crisp, as expected (I wish more restaurants offered user butter instead of iceberg).

The fries were…well, fries. Nothing notable, but they did the trick. And the place was packed, though what restaurant in SF isn’t around dinner time?

I walked back to my hotel in the Financial District to burn off the calories. I regretted not ordering a shake.

Warning: this post is only a tease. A delicious, summery-savory tease.

(more…)

All spring I complained about the abundance of citrus, and longed for the first bite of stone fruit. Now, I’m swimming in peaches, nectarines, plums, pluots and apriums. I’ve sliced ’em and eaten them fresh; I’ve soaked them in wine, and covered them with honey whipped cream.

They keep showing up in my CSA boxes.

So I made a cobbler.

I’ve always loved fresh peach cobbler, and covet a good blackberry cobbler, but I think this one takes the cake (pun intended). It marries the texture of the peach with the tartness of the berries, but the plums* also have a character all their own.

*I had a mixture of plums, pluots and apriums on hand, but any plum or plum hybrid will taste good tossed in sugar and covered in a buttery batter!

Ingredients

• 8-10 fresh plums/pluots/apriums (enough to fill a little over 4 cups when sliced)
• 3/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Halve and seed fruit; slice to 3/8- or 1/2-inch thick. (Note: This is a great use of over-ripe fruit, though it can be difficult to handle if it’s too soft.) Coat the fruit in a mixture of 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon, and spread in the bottom of a 13″x9″ pan—or, do as I did and split the mixture into two small cake pans so it’s easier to share.

In another bowl, combine the rest of the sugar with the flour, baking powder and salt. I like a doughy cobbler, so I cut in the softened butter, but If you prefer more of a crumble, cut in cold butter with a fork or your fingers until course crumbles form. Lightly stir in the milk and egg to moisten.

Gently spread the batter or sprinkle the moistened crumbles over the top of the fruit mixture. Bake for 35 minutes. Serve warm, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you dare.

If you try this with a different fruit mixture, please report back!

I licked the wax paper.

Drive west from Fresno to Mendota and you’ll be greeted with a sign announcing the city–population 11,000–as the cantaloupe capital of the world.

My friend Roque claims that’s not true. He says Firebaugh (just 8.7 miles north), is and has been the cantaloupe capital–and that Mendota stole their sign. So to settle the debate, he and Heather took Kim and me to Firebaugh’s annual Cantaloupe Round Up.

Here’s Kim, excited for cantaloupe:

The festival starts on Thursday and runs through the weekend, so we showed up on Sunday hungry for lunch. It turns out that most of the vendors and staff spend that day recovering from the previous night’s festivities, so we were limited to a few taco stands.

Selection aside, I was impressed, especially since most of the vendors were churches and community groups. The chicharron pupusa alone was worth the trip.

So what about the cantaloupe? We didn’t try any. Only a handful of vendors advertised it, but none of those were open. No problem, shaved ice will do in a pinch.

Time for the rides! They could have been fun, had they been running…and assuming we I could fit.

Yes, that’s a smoking bulldog on a children’s ride. (Nice catch, Heather!)

Just so you don’t think we were the only ones out on Sunday:

Next year, we know to go on Saturday.

I teased Saturday’s dinner on TasteFresno, but the two photos I posted didn’t do the full spread justice. David (of The Cured Ham), Chef Tommy, and Falina put on an incredible feast–one of the tastiest meals I’ve had, actually.

For more photos and the full menu (including a description of the “Prime Tasting of Three Ranches”) check out The Ham’s recap.

For dessert: bread pudding with praline sauce. *drool*

Did I mention there was wine? Brut, brut rose, Sangiovese, cabernet sauvignon, muscat canelli and port, to be specific. Also, Averna (that’s what Kim’s clutching below), grappa and rum.

Special thanks to Falina and John for hosting. Looking forward to many more gatherings!

Today was weird—not bad, just weird. In fact, the last week or so has felt this way, and I can’t help but think it’s because I haven’t been to the Bay in a while. I need a day trip for inspiration.

That’s going to be hard to pull off this week, so instead, I’m flipping through recent photos from a trip to Ferry Building Marketplace.

Fresno Amtrak station. That was my first experience on a train; I think I like driving.

Inside the Ferry Building. It’s incredible (even if a little crowded).

Mozzarella sandwich from Cowgirl Creamery Sidekick. Simple and delicious.

This guy sold me salmon jerky sticks—”swim jims.” I love him.