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California
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
~distinctive flavors from the ‘American
Mediterranean’ ~
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McEvoy
Ranch
Petaluma, California
In 2002 I traveled to the Napa Valley
during the olive harvest to gather information for a feature
story on California extra-virgin olive oil.
I had the good fortune to tour the McEvoy Ranch, a
former cattle ranch turned olive ranch by Nan Tucker McEvoy. In
199I, Nan planted 80 acres of her 550 acres with Italian olive
tree cuttings. She also spent several million dollars installing
her own olive pressing mill which she outfitted with
state-of-the-art Italian equipment.
Today, McEvoy Ranch sustains over 18,000 olive trees in 6
varieties ( Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Maurino, Leccio del
Corno, Coratina ) and produces award-wining 100% Certified
Organic, 100 % California Grown and Produced Extra Virgin Olive
Oil.
The
Olive Harvest Cookbook
Olive Oil Lore
&
Recipes from the McEvoy Ranch
On the ranch,
impeccably-maintained vegetable gardens and fruit trees grow
luscious produce and fruit that Nan’s chef, Gerald Gass uses to
prepare a daily staff lunch for all ranch-hands.
This collection of Chef Gass’s recipes brings the mind-set of
the ‘American Mediterranean’ to us in contemporary dishes that
are presented with style but without fuss or complication. With
a very fresh California approach, these recipes combine
laid-back charm and sophistication with delicious,
straightforward flavors and a seasonal, healthful approach to
eating ( and living ) well. And, as you may well guess from the
concept of this book, most recipes incorporate the flavor of
fresh, grassy, and piquant olive oil.
Grab a
bottle of oil and a cookbook......
Sweet summertime is coming !
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Everyone Loves POTTERY
Our selection of French and Italian
pottery is as strong as ever. Last year, in anticipation of the
continued rise of the Euro, we made significant purchases of
French and Italian pottery from our sources abroad. By doing
this, many of our prices for French and Italian Pottery are 30%
less than they would be if these items were arriving in our
store today. By gambling that European prices and transportation
charges would continue to rise, we secured quantities of pottery
at last year’s prices. So, you don’t have to travel to Europe to
get the best prices !
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Vanilla $$ Prices $$ are down
↓
Thanks to an absence of cyclones, an abundance of good
weather, and political stability, the 2005 vanilla crop is
expected to exceed expectations and worldwide demand. We
were forewarned of this possibility and held off
purchasing our annual supplies of vanilla extract until
now. We can happily say that we have been able to reduce
the price of our 4 ounce Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Vanilla
extract from 13.50 to 9.50... a savings of $4.00 ! And, we
are once again stocking the 8 ounce bottle of this
extract, which offers bakers an even greater savings.
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Our ‘Just-in-time-for-Mother’s
Day’
Pottery Sale
One-of-a-kinds, discontinued items and odd pieces
from
the depths of our warehouse......
this will be a bargain hunters dream !
On Friday and Saturday, May
6th and 7th we will put sale tables out in front of our
store with lots of Vietri and other Italian pottery at
close-out-prices. If it rains, the sale will take place
May 13th and 14th.
Buy
now for all of your gift-giving needs...
don’t miss this chance to save $$$$$
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Tea
service at the
Blue Heron Restaurant
Soon
you will be able to relax after
(or before) a fine meal with a pot of fragrant
tea. At their request, Bob has selected
choice offerings from our vast tea collection
for Deborah and Barbara to feature on their
new, specialty tea menu.
~ Tea lovers....rejoice !
look for the tea service to start soon ~
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DaVero
Dry Creek Valley
Sonoma, California
Following a dream, Ridgley
Evers planted 4,200 olive trees on his 20 acres of land in
Sonoma county in 1991. The cuttings were taken from the area
around Lucca in northern Tuscany, where he found the climate and
soil to be the most similar to his conditions back home. Now, 14
years later, he is producing what many feel is the finest
extra-virgin olive oil in Northern California.
DaVero oil is lush, with a rich, earthy taste, redolent of fresh
artichokes and fennel. There is a pleasant bitterness in the
front of the mouth, a fullness in the middle and it ends with a
pleasant, spicy, peppery finish. This oil is a perfect blend of
complexity and subtle nuance.
DaVero
is the exclusive house extra-virgin olive oil at Mario Batali’s
Babbo Restaurant in NYC
Lila Jaeger
In the early
1970’s, before we knew that California had the potential to make
world-class wine, Lila Jaeger was dedicated to producing
world-class olive oil. She saw potential in the mature olive
trees that were planted by immigrants in the early 20th century
from Spanish, French, and Italian olive tree cuttings. She
convinced farmers and ranchers to restore hundreds of acres of
these olive trees to health and vigor, and began the push to
revive California olive oil. This oil is available for sale
outside of California for the first time this year.
Kitchen Line
Meyer Lemon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Albert and Kim Katz press fragrant
and juicy California Meyer Lemons with a special blend of olives
to create this sumptuous oil. Meyer Lemons have a soft lemon
flavor and hints of fresh savory and thyme. It is a must-have
staple in my kitchen, and a secret weapon for adding flavor to
pasta dishes and grilled or sautéed fish dishes!
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Caranda Tea
African red-bush caffeine-free blends
Indigenous to South Africa and
drunk by African Bushmen for centuries, Rooibos tea is made from
a flowering shrub that contains no caffeine, very little tannin
and significant amounts of polyphenol anti-oxidants. Rooibos tea
is a way of life across Africa and is drunk to promote health
and well-being.
Caranda Teas are well-crafted blends of rooibos, spices and
herbs that are a refreshing and delicious new dimension in tea
drinking. Created by Dougba H. Caranda-Martin III, a dynamic
young man from Liberia, these teas are all organic. Dougba
donates 10% of the sales of his tea to Project Momentum, an
African organization working with Aids and other humanitarian
relief efforts.
Drink Rooibos, help make a difference and feel good as well.
Choose from:
Ancient Amber, Shaman’s Secret, Sultry Blend, Voodoo Chai.
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~ Long Peppers from Bali ~
These long,
cylindrical peppers are also known as diplii diplii.
They are used like a peppercorn, but are not a true peppercorn.
Here is a great recipe from Gourmet Magazine, May
2004 issue. Sprinkle this aromatic and spicy mixture over
Asian-inspired salads.
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Northern
Thai Chile Powder
about 16
diplii diplii long peppers
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
2 tablespoons dried hot red chiles, seeds discarded
Break enough diplii diplii to measure 2
tablespoons. Toast diplii diplii, coriander,
cumin, Sichuan peppercorns and chiles together in a 10-12 inch
heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring until fragrant,
about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer spices to a bowl to cool, then
finely grind in an electric coffee grinder. Store in an airtight
container.
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~ Sichuan Peppercorns ~
Aromatic and tasty, these little
seed pods impart an intriguing, numbing bite to lips and tongue.
The Chinese refer to this sensation as ‘Ma’ - we call it
delicious. Sichuan peppercorns are an essential flavoring of
fiery Sichuan cuisine but they can also add flavor to all sorts
of dishes. Make up a batch of this zippy salt sprinkle from
Barbara Tropp’s
China Moon
Cookbookand you will
be hooked.
1/2 ounce package 3.00
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Roasted Sichuan Pepper-Salt
1/4 cup Sichuan peppercorns 1/2 cup kosher salt
Combine peppercorns
and salt in a heavy skillet and toast over moderate heat,
stirring, until the salt turns off-white, about 5 minutes. The
peppercorns will smoke but do not let them burn. Remove from the
heat and cool. Grind in an electric coffee grinder and sieve out
the peppercorn husks. Store in an airtight container. Sprinkle
on chicken, pork and steaks, and add to Asian soups and
marinades.
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