CALENDAR UPDATE
Just
to recap October, I would say it was a juicy and bountiful month indeed!
I
served at two retreats at Stillheart Institute in Woodside California, my
favorite retreat
center to cater for. Both groups were wonderful to meet and prepare food for,
my team was awesome and I loved going out on the balcony to breathe in the redwoods
between kitchen tasks. I really feel like those trees have a lot to do with
the healing quality of the food and sustaining our energy for those all day shifts!
Sadly, the center is being sold and the new owners will be using their own in-house
kitchen staff. But I am grateful for all the work I was entrusted with over the
past few years. It will be a hard act to follow!
One
of the retreats (led by Rony Reingold) asked me to speak briefly to their group
about my food philosophy and hold a Q & A which proved to be a wonderful
opportunity for me to organize my thoughts and experiences in the format
of a mini class with a group of people that are striving to reach the highest level
of awareness around their health, relationships with food, and kitchen skills that
reflect those prinicples. I felt that I stepped easily into that mentoring
role and
look forward to many more opportunites to share that knowledge and consciousness.
Mid-month
I was invited to join a panel of culinary professionals that was hosted by
Piner High School near me here in Santa Rosa. Their school has a garden and culinary program
and this event ~ "Three
Sisters: Garden to Plate" was a showcase of their efforts
and a fundraiser for their programs. I was so honored to be asked to present
side by side by seasoned chefs from our community. And it warms my heart
to see the tenets of sustainable agriculture
joining with food vocations for these
kids and their families. Thank you to Slow Food Russian River for their efforts
in organizing this event and for inviting me to contribute!
Last
but not least, a local farm, CSA and farm stand, Tierra Vegetables partnered
with me to do a demo and tasting at the farm stand using their right-from-the-field produce. I created a number of recipes for the attendees to taste and
take
home to try. We sold about 20 tickets and everyone stayed the whole 2-3 hours as I went through the menu. This is currently my favorite farm - they grow
everything they sell right here in Fulton, nothing is shipped, packaged, stamped,
stickered, boxed, bagged, sprayed, waxed,
or anything other than grown,
picked, carried a few yards to the barn and laid out for sale or boxed up for
CSA members.
I
will have one more Farmer's Market this year - Saturday, December 14 at Wells Fargo
Center, Santa Rosa. That will mark the end of an entire year of creating recipes,
meeting farmers, teaching and cooking outside, connecting with the community
and marking the seasonal changes by the harvest all around
us, some less than 5 miles away! I now feel like I have
a much more intimate connection with this terroir and have reached hundreds
of people with a true healthy eating model - mostly plants! Since most of
the food prepared at the market features local meats, cheeses, eggs, and bakery
goods,
I decided from the start to focus the fruits and veggies. I was told over and
over how much folks appreciated this because many times there was produce for
sale that they had never seen in its natural form much less known how to transform
into a dish or a meal. It's been extremely satisfying to be the one to introduce
them to items such as celeriac, kohlrabi, watermelon radish, romanesco, burdock
root, 2
kinds of persimmon, medicinal mushrooms and much more! I hope to put it all in
one place - a book perhaps? - so I can share what we have discovered together.
The
next step will be to take the outdoor demos and teaching inside. I've located a wonderful
new teaching space where we can meet, watch demos, and learn hands-on
kitchen skills. I am working with a new designer on a website that will feature
all you
will need to know to find out about and sign up for next year's classes. Do stay
tuned!
RAW-LIDAY! a
special dinner by reservation prepared and presented by me and my team.
I
have been hosting a Raw Cuisine Meetup at my home for the past year and we will be culminating the year with a sit down dinner (vs. a potluck buffet).
Menu
will include:
beverage, appetizer, soup, salad, main dish and dessert
Tickets and Menu ~ are available on my website.
Go to: www.PassionPalate.com and click on the "Monthly" tab. There you will find info about the dinner and a Paypal button to buy tickets. Only $25 for 2.
It's coming right up on Sunday the 24th, so R.S.V.P. A.S.A.P. Love to see you!
SURVEY
Would you be willing to take a short survey (coming your way SOON) to help me craft my upcoming culinary programs? I've written up 10 questions
that would help me *immensely* to home in on exactly what you might desire for classes, both LIVE
and
ONLINE - depending on your location!
THANK
YOU GIFT:
For
anyone returning the survey I will be sending a free eBook as well as a discount
good
towards a future class or one of my programs. Thank you in advance
for your
time and input!!
Good night for now.
Good night for now.
