August 30, 2013. Working, taste wine, then work

LOCATION:  Organic farm near Ukiah, in NW California

WEATHER:  Beautiful.  Cool. Highs in upper 70s

Last night there was a beautiful full moon. Our friend Daniel is a great photographer and took this shot. You can see Ukiah in the valley below.

In the morning, we bustled around helping Paola get ready for the smaller Sunday market.  Then we fixed picnic lunches for an afternoon of wine-tasting., and we were off!  

The first winery, at the foot of the road leading up to our farm, was surprisingly great.  It is an organic winery, which normally means higher prices and less taste, but this one didn't fit the mold.  The wines were delicious;  the generous tastings were free; and the bottles inexpensive.  We met the 89-year-old owner who said this is his 70th harvest.  They started harvesting this year's crop last week, the earliest he has ever seen.

The second winery, less than a mile away, is an old Italian family's.  The unique aspect of their vineyards is that they don't irrigate.  We had our picnic here while sampling their wines.

The third one was very scenic.  We sat outside and the owner brought us the tastings.  Very nice.

Two of the wineries have food and music events coming up that we will probably check out.  Busy, busy!

Back at the ranch, we picked salad mix for dinner.  Here I am, searching for goodies.

DINNER:  Our great salad mix with a Dijon vinegarette, spaghetti with meat sauce, using up some of the gobs of tomatoes we have on hand, and garlic bread.  All with a Sangiovese that we bought today.  

August 29, 2015. Busy farmers' market day.

LOCATION:  Organic farm near Ukiah, California, in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Really nice.  Much cooler. Highs about 80

It rained during the night!  What a strange experience in drought-ridden California!  It was a light rain, but gave everything a nice wash.  The air just seems clearer now.  We got 1/10th of an inch, pretty impressive for the summer here. 

We got up at 5:30 to prepare for the market.  It takes a while to wash and spin-dry so much salad mix.  George cut some last-minute herbs and chard.  We loaded up the truck.  It was a tight fit with all the produce, tables, umbrella, baskets, signs, etc, but we all 4 squeezed in.

We set up at the market.  It continued to sprinkle on and off for a few hours, but thankfully did not deter the customers.

We did pretty well, selling out of our most popular items, salad mix and kale chips.  Our figs all sold, too.  We did so-so on the tomatoes, as everyone is selling them.  Minnie and Daniel helped us sell.  Daniel is a great salesman!  

After the market closed, we tore down, and recuperated at a cute bistro downtown.  They have a great beer selection and wood-fired pizzas.  Really nice!

We rested in the afternoon, and picked some veg for the Sunday market.  George found some beautiful heirloom tomatoes.  

DINNER:  Asian stir-fried chicken and rice with vegetables, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds.  Tasty!  

August 28, 2015. Work hard, play hard

LOCATION:  Organic farm near Ukiah, California, in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Hot. Highs in 90s

Our friends Minnie and Daniel pitched in and helped pick fruit and vegetables for tomorrow's market.  We picked 9 pounds of salad mix, lots of zucchini. TONS of tomatoes, figs, cucumbers, herbs and chard. 

After a hard day of work, we went to another winery's outdoor concert.  The band was called Petty Theft, a tribute band to Tom Petty.  The winery is in the middle of some redwood trees.  Really picturesque.  

We shared a bottle of wine from the winery and ate some BBQ, from a local caterer.

It was a very nice evening.  

August 27, 2015. Crazy drive through Sonoma Mountains

LOCATION:  Organic farm near Ukiah, California, in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Cool on coast.  Hot inland...100

We walked along the ocean bluff in Gualala.  Beautiful scenery from our motel.

We picked up our friends, Daniel and Minnie, at their campsite and headed back to the farm.  Our drive to the coast was so winding and narrow that we thought we would try a different route on the return trip.  It turned out to be impossibly worse!  There were several stretches of one-lane, only.  And, incredibly, logging trucks whizzed by!

We climbed and descended about 4 mountain ranges.  Our last descent was into Sonoma wine country.  The vineyards are so pretty.  

Back at the farm, we got Daniel and Minnie settled in.  They are eager to help us pick tomorrow.  

DINNER:  Eggplant/zucchini Parmesan using extra zucchini, onions, garlic and tomatoes.  

August 26, 2015. Trip to Gualala

LOCATION:  Organic farm outside of Ukiah, California in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Beautiful.  Highs at the coast in 70s

I've been spending time planning our trip to Australia next year.  We have 2 house-sitting assignments, one in Tasmania and one near Melbourne in 2016.  I sent our proposed itinerary for travels between the 2 housesits to the Tasmania homeowner.  She shared these maps with me to illustrate the magnitude of the country, I think perhaps hinting that my plans might be a bit ambitious.  

We took off from the farm heading toward the coast.  Right near our place, we encountered this cowboy.

Our destination was only 90 miles away, but took about 3 hours to get there due to the winding, narrow road.  When we got to the coast, we stopped at a pub in an old harbor for a quick pint.

Then on to Gualala where we met our friends Daniel and Minnie.  We first met them camping in a state park in 2013 in central Texas.  Then, we got together again in Big Bend National Park, then again last summer in  Alaska.  They are great fun.  Now they are on their way north from San Francisco to Oregon and Washington for another camping trip.  We had lunch together at a seaside restaurant, then went to Sea Ranch Chapel, a nondenominational chapel nearby.  The architecture is very interesting.

  

We went to the regional park where they are camping.  It was great catching up around the campfire.  

DINNER:  T-bones on the grill with sautéed zucchini and grilled French bread.  Great campfire food!

We decided to stay overnight, rather than face the 3-hour trip back.  We are at Surf Motel right on the ocean in Gualala.

August 25, 2015. Figs and mallow

LOCATION:  Organic farm near Ukiah, California.  NW part of state

WEATHER:  More of the same. Highs near 90

George and Paola did hand-watering while I packaged up dried foods for the market, and sliced up food to sun-dry.  We are a good team.

While they were in the orchard area, they discovered some figs ripe enough to pick.  We were very excited!

We will eat some, and hope several will last until Saturday so we can sell.  They will be a real treat for our customers.

On this farm, they grow a lot of mallow.  Some people consider it a weed, but it is very useful and has great nutritional benefits.  We put the tender leaves in the salad mix.  We also dry the leaves and pods to sell as chips and crispies.

The homeowners also grind up the pods and use to make bread.

Today's diet was full of vegetables again, using veg that didn't sell at last weekend's market.  Lunch was gazpacho.  Evening appetizer was a spicy salsa George made with tomatoes and peppers.

DINNER:  Ratatouille.  I made it in the afternoon, then we ate it at room temperature, rather than hot.  It is a melange of eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley and basil. 

August 24, 2015. Water conservation on the farm

LOCATION:  Organic farm near Ukiah, California in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Very nice. Highs in upper 80s

Today was a "project day" on the farm.  George picked 2 large batches of kale and we ran them through the dehydrator.  It takes quite a while to make the coating mix, wash and massage the leaves, place them on the dehydrator, run the dehydrator, then package/label/weigh them for the market. 

As in all of California, it is very dry here.  We have 2 ponds and a spring on this property, so we are luckier than many people.  There is a drip irrigation system in the garden coming from the spring and/or pond.  Most everything gets watered that way, although we (George and Paola) hand-water some areas and trees, too.  (I do indoor chores while they water in the heat)

We have a bucket in the shower where we collect the water as it is heating up for showers.  That goes on the dry spots in the garden later.  Dishwater is used to water the olive and citrus (kumquat, lime and lemon) trees around the house.  Note the dry, brown ground.....

Action shot watering the lavender bush....

I made tabbouleh salad again as it is such a good way to use up veg.  We had tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions, mint and parsley left from the farmers' market, so everything was ready to be mixed.  Instant lunch!

I did laundry since it is a sunny day.  I watch the solar power reader, and only run the washing machine when the number is approaching 100.   Clothes on the clothesline take only a very short time to dry in this hot, dry air.

DINNER:  Pork cutlets seasoned with a great spice my brother gave to me.  Too spicy for his taste, but we love it.  I sautéed some red cabbage and added caraway seeds.  Mashed potatoes on the side.  Sort of a prelude to Octoberfest!

August 23, 2015 continued

On our way home, George just had to stop at the Anderson Valley Brewing Company. This is one of their original bottling machines.

  

The brewery is the largest solar-powered one in USA.

We split a beer on their patio with this stuffed bear.

Back in Ukiah, we arrived just in time for the town's Sunday summer concert.  It was a blast.  Great music.  Everyone dancing.  Lots of interesting looking people in all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, walks of life.

Back home, we had a quick dinner and went to bed exhausted.

DINNER:  Black beans and rice, with leftover sausage sautéed with onions, garlic and cilantro.

August 23, 2015. Wine-tasting in Anderson Valley

LOCATION:  Organic farm outside of Ukiah, California in NW California

WEATHER:  Foggy in AM, keeping temps down. Highs in 80s

We helped load Paola's car and she did the farmers' market herself today.  We will man the Saturday market and she will do the smaller Sunday one. 

I picked bunches of basil and made pesto for the homeowners and us.  Summer deliciousness!  

We took off for an afternoon of wine-tasting in the nearby Anderson Valley.  It is about 25 miles away.  On map it is the reddish area, in Mendocino County.

First we had lunch in Boonville.  We ate at a local cafe, known for its great food.  We had a roasted garlic head with goat cheese,  and a squash tart.  Yum!  Everyone is selling local veg.  At the restaurant, they displayed their produce on a pool table!  

Hanging from the ceiling for decoration are dried onion pods and stems. Real Art Deco. 

The first winery, Navarro, has a beautiful arbor.  We enjoyed a glass of their Pinot noir under the vines.

Then we went to a second winery.  This one charged for tastings, so we just enjoyed the beautiful gardens.

Last, we went to a tiny winery.  The owners had just picked the grapes and she took us back  to show us the harvest.  The grapes are under the dark cover. 

See next post for more pics of our fun outing...

August 22, 2015. Farmers' market, fun, and fun!

LOCATION:  Organic farm outside of Ukiah, California, in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Very nice. Highs around 90

The alarm woke us up at 6:00 AM.  We rushed around to wash and spin-dry the salad mix and to load the car for market day.  We set up around 8:00, then the people started coming.  We did pretty well, selling out of the salad mix and the kale chips.  We didn't sell all the tomatoes and zucchini as many people grow their own.  Also sold out of peaches and tomatillos.

We recuperated from our hard work by eating lunch at a cute Vietnamese/Thai fusion restaurant.  We had a kale/mushroom rice bowl and some Asian buns.  Tasty and different.

Returning to the farm, George picked kale and got it ready for the dehydrator.  We jumped back into the truck and went to Parducci Winery for an outdoor blues/jazz concert.  It was a lovely evening.

The minute the band started, the people hit the dance floor.  Lots of grey ponytails (on both sexes)!  For dinner, we had BBQ catered by "sWine".  Cute.

When we returned home, late, we packaged the kale chips.  Paola had picked more salad, so we are ready for tomorrow's market.  Busy day!

August 21, 2015. Harvest day!

LOCATION:  Organic farm near Ukiah, CA, IN NW part of state

WEATHER:  Hot.  Highs in 90s

George's friend left early, and we picked vegetables and fruit.  We started at about 7:00, while it was still cool.  Most of our time was spent picking salad mix.  Several edible flowers, like this evening primrose, go into the mix.

We picked about 9 pounds of salad, more tomatoes, herbs, squash and zucchini.  In the evening, we went back for a little more.  George picked peaches.  We boxed up everything in preparation of tomorrow's busy packing morning.

DINNER:  Veggie burgers with sautéed mushrooms and zucchini.

August 20, 2015. Tomato day

LOCATION:  Organic farm near Ukiah, California in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Cooler.  Highs in 90s

We have to pick tomatoes almost every day, as they are ripening fast.  We oriented George's friend Michelle to the garden, and she helped us pick.  I picked some arugula, mint, and baby kale for tonight's dinner recipe.  

The ants started getting into our apples and pears in the cool storage room, so we sliced up a bunch to put on the sun-drying board.  

After a salad lunch (of course), we relaxed.  George and Michelle went out again in the evening for more picking. They found some peppers and squash.  

Here we are showing off a new bottle of wine appropriately called 'Road Trip'.  It was highly recommended.  

This has been our road trip so far....

Red-2013

Green-2014

Blue -2015

DINNER:  Fried chickpea salad from a Splendid Table recipe.  Besides the fried chickpeas, the salad consisted of baby kale, arugula, chopped mint, baby lettuce, cilantro, cherry tomatoes, scallions, cumin,  and garlic.  Topped with a yogurty vinaigrette. Good way to use garden produce!

August 19, 2015. Visit from a friend

LOCATION:  Organic farm near Ukiah, California in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Cooler. Highs in 90s

We took advantage of the cool morning by picking tomatoes and other veg.  The cooler temperature energized us to work in the garden.

Michelle, a friend of George, arrived in the afternoon.  George drove down the mountain to help guide her up our winding, narrow gravel road.  She has a 19-foot Airstream.  She is on her way from Monterey, California to Eugene, Oregon.  She owns the home where we stored our Airstream when  we flew to the Midwest. 

After showing her around the farm, we drove to Ukiah.  We went to one of our favorite restaurants for happy hour drinks and snacks.

We explored Ukiah, seeing some very nice residential areas.  

DINNER:  Lasagne with a tomato sauce I made from tomatoes that didn't sell at the market.  Added some leftover chicken, mushrooms, onions and garlic.  I even sneaked in some zucchini. :-)

August 18, 2015. Waste not!

LOCATION:  Organic farm outside of Ukiah, California in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Another day of beastly heat. Highs in low 100s

Even though the thermometer tops 100 degrees, it cools off in the 50s at night.  My chore in the morning is to close everything up to preserve the night's cool air.

The homeowners are very conscientious about the environment.  We compost everything.  We seem to have a lot of compost due to the amount of vegetables and fruit we are cleaning and eating.  George takes it to the horse manure pile and digs a hole....

Drops it in, and covers it up so animals won't get into it.

We go through several buckets a day.

We wash and dry eggshells and crumble them up.  They are used to keep the snails away.

Speaking of snails, we were real slugs most of the day.  It was too hot to do anything outside.  Thank goodness for good books.  It is supposed to be cooler tomorrow.

DINNER:  Panzaella, an Italian bread salad.  Consists of toasted French bread cubes, tomatoes, garlic, cucumbers, peppers and red onion.  Serve with a garlic vinegarette.  Tasty, cool, and pretty!

August 17, 2015. Ant invasion!

LOCATION:  Near Ukiah,  California, in NW part of state

WEATHER:  Beastly hot!  Highs up here on the mountain 105+, higher in valley below

As I was brushing my teeth this morning, still half asleep, I saw what appeared to be a black line in the tile.  Strange....then, I realized it was moving!  It was an army of ants making its way from the window sill, through the shower, across the bathroom floor, then up to the bag of dry cat food on top of the bathtub. The package was closed, but they were swarming it.  The hot weather is bringing them out.  The poor cats cannot eat their food as the ants are crowding them out.  I made each cat his/her own bowl in a moat of water to keep the ants away from their food.

 

We filled up water containers under the foo-drying table to keep the ants from crawling over our fruit.  

It was a long day, as we didn't feel like doing anything in the heat.  There is an irrigation system here, but there are some sections of the garden that don't get water.  George hand-watered them.  

After it cooled off, we cut up fruit and tomatoes for drying.  Asian pears.....

Paola cutting pears, too.... We also sliced some tomatoes to make sun-dried tomatoes.

I have been busy writing a newspaper article about our travels for our local (Rochester, MN) newspaper.  Alexis's friend helped me to create the map of our route. 

Red-2013

Green-2014

Blue-2015

We'll see if they publish it.

DINNER:  Rainbow salad, a recipe I found from The Splendid Table.  Shredded red cabbage, diced cucumber, shredded carrots, and lettuce, with an avocado/lemon dressing.  Nice and cool.