The Infinite Passion of Life

"A tavola non si invecchia."

"At the table, one never grows old."

Thank goodness, because we sure spend lots of time around tables enjoying food, friendship, great conversation, and traditions. I love every minute of our sharing stories and recipes. We try to gather together about once a month. Next time it will be at our house, so I'll have the helping hands of both Jeff and John Gonyer; they say they'll be my sous chefs. I'll need them.

The table holds a bowl of freshly harvested persimmons and pomegranates. Mother Nature creates the best decorations. A line of candles and persimmons parade down the center of the table.

Bonny, Lucy, and Cindy exchange family stories.

Cindy and our ever faithful hostess Susie Bassetti gripe about me taking a photo of them. I want you to know that these women are fantastic, creative, and loving. Susie and I have taught classes together; she once made all the wreaths for Heart's Ease, and she continues on as a beloved friend.

Left to right: Lee, our host Ellis (whose family has owned the ranch over 100 years), Buck Beery, my Jeff, and John Gonyer. The boys huddle outside in the herb garden and watch the food cooking.

This is our friend Bruce Black, who owns The Squibb House Bed and Breakfast and the Shop Next Door, the old barn next to the Squibb House. Bruce keeps the barn filled with antiques, art, and Amish furniture.

I think pot luck suppers are one of the best ways to learn about new foods. What you're seeing here is Ellis holding a glass of his own Bassetti Vineyards wine. They are also famous for their award winning Taggiasca olive oil, which is smooth and buttery. The tray to the right holds freshly picked poblanos stuffed with jack cheese, and grilled. My yellow Le Creuset is filled with wild and basmati rice, crimini mushrooms, which I cooked for an hour in a reduction sauce, and topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. We had ham, two chickens roasted in the wood-fired oven, baked pumpkin from the Kendall's Dos Pasos Ranch on Santa Rosa Creek Road, and a big salad of chopped brussel sprouts, kale, and lettuce. It was all divine, but it was just being there with friends that made it taste so great.

I promised Susie that I'd edit her out of this photo. This is our dear friend Virginia, who is also our neighbor in Maine. Ginny has helped me through some difficult times; she is one in a million and irreplaceable to us.

"There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life."

Federico Fellini

That is how it is...the infinite passion of life. Friends are the glue that mends broken hearts.

May you have many friends and feasts around your table.

Love across the miles,

Sharon

Recipe for my wild rice and crimini mushroom casserole:

Two cups of wild and basmati rice

Four cups of chicken broth

Tbsp. of butter and Tbsp. of olive oil

Bring to boil in a heavy duty pot. Turn down when it comes to boil. Lid the pot. Cook on low for about 20 minutes or until all the broth is absorbed. Use a fork to fluff the rice. 

While rice is cooking:

Clean and dry flavorful crimini mushrooms (I used 12 ounces) and slice thinly.

Chop shallots, carrots, and celery into tiny pieces.

Grate 2 cups fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Heat a heavy duty skillet, add Tbsp. of olive oil, Tbsp. of butter, mushrooms, and veggies. Stir constantly, slowly add a few Tbsp. of good balsamic vinegar (see my recipe below), a splash of soy sauce, and simmer it until it is reduced down to what looks like a brown glaze coating mushrooms.

Since I can't justify spending $50.00 on a good, syrupy balsamic, I make my own.

1 cup of balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

Mix the sugar and vinegar together and cook in a heavy duty saucepan over high heat. Stir and allow to come to a boil. Reduce heat and cook (stirring occasionally) until mixture thickens to the consistency of maple syrup. I keep this reduction in a jam jar in the fridge. It will last a few weeks.

Add mushrooms, celery, shallots, and carrots to the cooked rice. Stir in one cup of freshly grated Parmesan. Top casserole with one cup of grated Parmesan. Bake in about a 350 degree oven until the cheese melts. 

Can't a Girl Have the Blues??

This old fashioned "Juice-O-Mat" is a key ingredient to a sunny Sunday morning. Oh, and our fresh oranges are a big part of this.

EVALUATING THE HEIRLOOM BLUE SQUASH FOR TASTE

Ok, so I had the blues on Sunday, but it wasn't a BAD thing; it was great.  For the third or fourth year in a row, we celebrated the squash harvest at Dos Pasos Ranch on Santa Rosa Creek Road in Cambria,with our friends George and Beth Kendall and a cast of other friends we've known for decades.

Every year Beth bakes up a collection of heirloom squash for us to taste and evaluate. From our evaluations, she can make decisions for planting next year's favorites. We all take the task seriously, dipping into the squash, rolling it around in our mouths, and deciding if we would make soup, casseroles, or pies with them. This year she chose a selection of blue squash (some of them turn colors when baked), and we dipped into them with gusto.

The entrance to Dos Pasos Ranch. I am a good customer of their outdoor farm stand, which is kept stocked with squash, gourds, big bouquets, lemons, limes, oranges, and avocados. Their prices are reasonable, the produce is fresh, they have an "honesty piggy bank" (which I LOVE), and the drive out Santa Rosa Creek Rd. has always been one of my favorite–especially when the neighbor's hens are gleaning from along the fence lines.

The old barn and farmstand at the entry to their drive. LOVE these California barns, which are so essential to the survival of barn owls.

The entryway.

Entry rocks.

 

Blue-eyed Beth and brawny and brainy husband George tend fields and keep up with the newest offerings of heirloom seed. One drawer in the kitchen is stuffed with seed catalogs. Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds  are two of her (and my) favorites, and many of these squash came from them. That is my sweet husband Jeff behind Beth.

Fresh from the field and fresher from the oven.

Every squash is labeled and in order on the evaluation sheets.

We worked our way down the line, bite by bite. Please note: Double click on the image to see how I rated the squash. Queensland Blue was great, but there were so many good ones.

It looks like Vicki and Dick Greene are having serious deliberations.

No fair comparing notes you two.

Buck and Lucy are less serious.

Part of the joy of this day is the pot luck. Here is an offering of local, freshly picked grapes and some local cheeses. This was so gorgeous it deserved to be immortalized.

About a dozen tables were set up outdoors, either on the back terrace or the wide, welcoming front porch. What could be better than being with good friends, eating fresh local food, (and wines from some attending grape growers), in the rolling, golden California hills?

Ellis

I'll have to admit, this is one of my favorite people in the world. His family has lived on the rich land of Green Valley in Cambria for over 100 years. He is married to one of my other favorite people, Susie. For many years Susie made the great wreaths at Heart's Ease. She also stepped in when the business got too big for me to keep up and made barrels of pot pourri for me. Susie and I have taught cooking classes in their large country kitchen on the ranch. We're a good team, and we enjoy every minute together.

Beth and George keep their farmstand (and parties) supplied with glorious flowers.

And their land is rich with native perennials like this Zauschneria californica, which is a favorite of hummers.

But one of the best parts of the annual squash tasting is the children. Each year more kids get involved in not only the tastings, but also the fun. Nothing is better than hearing the laughter of happy children...

and the laughter of "Uncle Bruce" who all children love. Bruce owns the famous Squibb House Bed and Breakfast on Burton Drive in Cambria. If you come to the central coast and want to be in the heart of historic downtown Cambria, you'd enjoy staying there.

A few years ago, after taking the UC Davis olive oil intensive class, Jeff and I hosted an olive oil tasting at our home. Twenty two different oils were evaluated (all labels were covered) and we had a ball. Now, I look forward to big crops of a variety of fruits and vegetables. They're a great excuse to host a tasting. Think about it now and plan and plant ahead. You'll be amazed by the enthusiastic response by everyone, even the youngest participants.

Sending joyous wishes to you,

Sharon 

P.S. No matter where you live you'll enjoy my new Lowe's Garden Grow Along blog posting about bringing nature indoors and using it for your holiday decorating. Please drop in and leave me a comment.