michael tuohy's

Grilling Local Sardines & Lamb Burgers!

temperatures are supposed to climb to the mid 80's today here in Napa. as we just pass the middle of spring and head into late spring, this blast of heat and warm winds from the northeast create lots of opportunities. i think of grilling! of course in northern california, we love to cook on hard woods like mesquite, oak, & alder. firing up the outdoor grill is one of those rights of passage to living here. it is fact, and proven again and again, grilling over real wood rather than gas has trememdous advantages, most noteably flavor. second, the ability to create a nice char and sear on whatever it is that you are cooking.

i have been seeing beautiful local monterey bay sardines at the market this week along with local lamb from nearby rio vista. tonight, should be a perfect warm summer like evening where we will grill and sit outside and enjoy the early season treat. 

Sardines, lightly seasoned with sea salt & extra virgin olive oil, simply skewered whole and placed onto a very hot grill will provide a delicious first course. accompanied by a fresh, bright and healthy salad of young fennel, celery, radishes, meyer lemon & california extra virgin olive oil from mad dog mesa in the sierras. next, lamb burgers, seasoned with kosher salt & piment d' espelette the addictive special AOC pepper from the Basque pyrenees. toppings are essential here and keeping with the brighter, healthier theme, tangy pickles & tzatziki sauce made from delicious thick greek yogurt and juice from meyer lemons off my tree.

the perfect wine to bridge the gap for both dishes in my opinion is a bright, dry, crisp rose'. specifically my new found favorite is the 2011 Rose' of Cabernet Franc from Virage in Napa Valley. truly a spectacular find from the Carneros (my hood) area of Napa. at only 12.5% alcohol, this light, refreshing and crisp wine will work well with many foods and especially, hot weather grilling!

Tasty Grilling!

 

Yesterday, I made a batch of one of my favorite comfort foods, Lamb Ragu with Bucatini. Using ground lamb from local producer Martin Amigh, I started out with a traditional approach of browning the meat then deglazing with some old vines zinfandel from nearby Cline Cellars, then adding aromatics, tomato paste, deglaze again, a little tomato puree. this approach is decidedly Italian but, I decided to take a turn and add some golden vadouvan spice to add nice sweet & fragrant spice notes. why haven't I thought of this before? i tend to be a very traditional cook when it comes to dishes like this but, every now and again, it's fun to mix it up! of course, i grated some nice 3 year parmigiano-reggiano on top. by the way, the Cline Old Vines Zin was a great pairing for the dish. it worked extremely well with the spice notes and the ragu........

Spring in Napa & Los Carneros

after a busy couple of months working in Los Angeles, it is truly exhilerating to return home to the Los Carneros of Napa. while, lA is as vibrant as ever, for me, there is no place other than the Napa Valley to stimulate all of my creative juices to cook, write, study, sip and savor the bounty that this mecca provides. there is no shortage of great food, wine and the sheer beauty of the landscape, provide inspiration at every turn. after a long drive home from la, it was time to relax on the deck, enjoy some delicious chardonnay from our neighbors at Etude Winery, along with snacks and delicious cheese from local artisan Souyong Scanlan, of Andante Dairy, and enjoy a beautiful sunset behind Mt. Tam and the san pablo bay. the next morning, a trip to town to the bustling Oxbow Market for impeccably fresh local organic produce. then, around the corner to re-charge at Model Bakery. finally, a splurge at my favorite local charcuterie store, Fatted Calf. here i was able to find dinner for the next couple of nights. lamb porterhouse chops from Martin Emigh in Rio Vista, duck breast from Jim Reichardt at Liberty Duck in Sonoma, and a nice heritage breed pork blade roast. this morning, i was admiring the green landscape that lays before me in every direction as bud break in the vineyards is in full swing. hopefully, the rest of the spring will bring a modest rainfall and dare i say, no more frost! i am very curious to see how the rest of the season goes. the rythms of the valley are quite special, something i was never really privy to growing up in nearby san francisco. being that this is my first spring living in the carneros, the southern most growing district of both the napa & sonoma valley's, i find myself actually giddy with excitment in being able to live here and see first hand why this is such a special and remarkable area for Chardonnay & Pinot Noir. Merlot and Pinot Gris grow quite well here also. compared to the rest of the valley's, the carneros sits at the top of the san pablo bay. it has it's own micro climate provided by the cool marine layer which finds it's way to the area from the nearby pacific ocean and the san pablo bay. this results in cool nights, often accompanied by morning cloud cover that eventually gives way to warm sunny days. this unique climatic on shore flow enables grapes to ripen more slowly and evenly providing great concentration of flavor without elevated sugar contents, keeping alchohol levels typically at or below 14.5%.

everything is in bloom now. the vineyards, flowers, trees, there is no mistake, it is spring!
in upcoming posts, i look forward to sharing more of the story of our neighborhood wineries as well as more of the local food artisans, as there are many and they are quite talented and special. if you would like to know more about this special area or are planning a visit in the near future, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.

This should be good!

CHAFFIN FAMILY ORCHARDS Joel Salatin speaking in Chico

   CHAFFIN FAMILY ORCHARDSJoel Salatin speaking in ChicoFolks This Ain't Normal
Joel Salatin Speaking in Chico Look out folks, this April 16th, Joel Salatin is back and we're going to be shaking things up more than ever!  If you're unfamiliar, Joel Salatin owns Polyface Farms in Virginia.  Joel and his beautiful style of farming have been featured in such films as Academy Award Nominated Food Inc., Fresh the Movie, and Farmageddon.  He is also the star farmer mentioned in Michael Pollan's New York Time's Best Seller Omnivore's Dilemma.  Joel has emerged over the last decade to be a superstar among gastronomes and food activists alike.  However, Joel has been a long time leader to farmers who want to opt out of conventional chemical based agriculture.  He's authored many books including You Can Farm, Pastured Poultry Profits, Salad Bar Beef, and Everything I want to Do Is Illegal. Joel's newest book, Folks, This Ain't Normal speaks to consumers about how far we've gotten away from common sense and what really works in the natural world.  It talks about the trade-offs we've made for the conveniences of our modern society.  So while I think Joel will spend a brief amount of time recapping his farm and all the amazing work he does, this year his lecture will be completely different and dive to a whole new level of depth surrounding food, farming, and culture.  I saw part of his new lecture recently and I have to admit it's funnier than ever.  If you know Joel, than you know you get lots of humor mixed into his sobering message.  I think you'll leave not only educated but also inspired to create change and support our local community in new ways.    
Here's an excerpt of Joel in FRESH The Movie 
POLYFACE FARM - Joel Salatin Here's a clip from KHSL Action News on his visit to Chico last year 
Story on Joel Salatin by Britt Carlson KHSL See Joel's entire Chico lecture from last year here Part 1 and  Part 2 Now here's the real meat of the issue.  Joel is always fantastic, but we're bringing Joel back for a VERY important reason.  I think the general public would be shocked to realize the level of bureaucracy and the ludicrous number of hoops farmers just selling at a farmers market are made to jump through.  And the number of different agencies that regulate food is growing all the time.  At this point it's extremely difficult for new producers to enter the marketplace and those that are already established are constantly struggling to make it work.  We've partnered with THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT...ya you read that right, the very same health regulators that up until this point have been seen as the enemy.  Some very influential people in that organization reached out to us to co-host a Local Food Summit with the design of finding common ground with food law enforcers.  We all recognize that obesity, diabetes, and a wide variety of auto immune diseases are plaguing this nation.  Both sides recognize that for the sake of our next generation we have to remove the road blocks from getting healthy, farm fresh local foods into the hands of families of all socio-economic backgrounds.  Failure is not an option!  So Joel is going to be speaking at a private lunch event with public officials from all over the state working towards building bridges and opening doors. 
We'll have folks from California Dept of Public Health, California Dept of Food and Agriculture, USDA, The University of California, The Grange, county Ag Commissioners from around the north state, state level and local Farm Bureau staff, local county supervisors and city council folks, farmers market managers, and more.  I really believe that this event is going to be something great and have a game-changing impact for a long time to come! So by attending the evening event you'll be helping to financially support that change.  Joel is a very busy guy and is booked to speak to consumer and farmer groups all over the world.  Due to his high demand he's understandably expensive, and all the other costs that go into hosting an event of this size aren't cheap either. So the purchase of your ticket will help pay Joel's way to be here and help fund the opportunity for a regulator to hear the farmer's point of view in a healthy open discussion.  Even if you can't make it to our public evening event but you'd like to donate to the cause and help see the Local Food Summit happen it would be so appreciated.  Unfortunately though as we're not a 501c3 this would be a non-tax deductible donation.  Last time Joel was here we sold out the 700 seats at the Masonic Hall in about 3 weeks of pre-selling tickets. This year we have rented the Neighborhood Church which seats a lot more people in comfortable tiered seats that will make it easier for everyone to see. It also has ample parking so everyone will be able to easily access the venue without hassle.   We'll also have an army of ticket takers to eliminate the lines and waiting we experienced with the flood of people last year. 
The best part is the price: Only $12 a ticket, $2 cheaper than last year. I've paid $50 many times before to see Joel speak so this is really a steal.  So please help us spread the word and lets continue creating positive change towards a healthy, fair, and just world.   Don't wait to get your tickets, there's already a buzz about how important this event is. Doors will open at 5:15 and Joel will start speaking at 6 pm.   

Ticket Price: $12 per ticket paid online Date: April Monday 16thDoors Open at 5:15pm Location:  Chico Neighborhood Church2801 Notre Dame Boulevard, Chico, CA  For tickets go to http://salatinchico.eventbrite.com/ 
 Co-Sponsored by the Butte Valley Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter    Chris KerstonChaffin Family Orchards606 Coal Canyon RdOroville, Ca 95965530-533-1676 Ranch Office530-370-6432 Cellhttp://www.ChaffinFamilyOrchards.comhttp://www.twitter.com/ChaffinOrchardshttp://www.facebook.com/chaffinorchardsChris_Kerston@ChaffinFamilyOrchards.com
Forward email  This email was sent to michaeltuohy1@mac.com by chris_kerston@chaffinfamilyorchards.com |  Update Profile/Email Address | Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy.Chaffin Family Orchards | 606 Coal Canyon Rd | Oroville | CA | 95965

This is a nice piece from our friends at preferred meats!

http://preferredmeatsblog.com/#!/page/1

beyond cochon 555 Napa

the fourth annual cochon 555 napa is one for the record books! while i did not bring home the trophy nor win the bragging rights, i am very pleased with the event. congratulations and a tip of the toque to Lars Kronmark, and his team from the CIA at Greystone. Lars and his team must have really brought it! because i know that we did and came up short. our menu consisted of:chorizo mac n cheese; moroccan spiced pork & chickpea stew; head & tummy with liver & kids/treviso marmellata; smoked ham biscuits/preserves/bourbon barrel sorghum; heart dog/house made condiments; porchetta/house made pickles.whew! it was a full week of intense preparations that began with the breakdown of a 200+ pound berkshire hog. then each day, step by step, preparations were made transorming this beautiful humanely raised hog, into the fantastic menu of dishes presented at the event.  

also, I would like to extend a heart felt congrats and thanks to my supper talented and friendly competitors, Duskie Estes & John Stewart of Zazu Restaurant + Farm, and Black Pig Meat Co (last years national cochon champs), Mark Dommen of One Market, and Chris L' Hommedieu of Michael Mina. thanks goes to all of the great farmers of: Walnut Keep, Grabish Farms, Hudson Ranch, Stone Valley Farm & Devils Gulch Ranch that provided the heritage breed pigs that we all got to work with and continue to work with in our culinary endeavors. thanks to the small family wineries: Elk Cove Vineyards, Scholium Project, Matthiasson, Wind Gap & Bherens Family Winery that provided the delicious drink for everyone's pleasure that I heard, really complimented the food! thanks to all who attended the event to make it a success. afterall, without you it would not be possible. special thanks goes to Brady Lowe & Taste Network, creators of the whole Cochon, you are truly helping to make a better world! thank you for letting me be a part of it!

 

Happy New Year!

i hope this finds you well thus far as we enter the new year. i don't know about you, but i am not one for making a list of new years "resolutions." i will say, when i put thoughts on paper at the beginning of the year about things that i would like to accomplish in the coming year, they tend to happen. maybe they are resolutions in disguise or just simply an outline of goals. without the risk of sounding too philisophical here since this blog is about food and food related topics, lets move in the direction of what to eat this year.

 

i believe in eating "good food." good food to me is not simply food that tastes good, although that is most always a benefit, but food that is real. food that is produced by people who truly care about what they do, whether that is a farmer, a craftsman, an artisan, a chef, a mother or father. it starts with a good source, such as responsibly raised meat such as beef, pork, lamb, goat, duck, chicken. responsibly caught fish, and responsibly grown vegetables. i believe a good diet comes from these places and should be varied and enjoyed, in moderation. i hear so many people say, "i need to go on a diet." what i believe they are really saying is that they need to change the way they are eating with the hopes of gaing some kind of benefit like perhaps losing weight and reducing their waistline. that is certainly an admirable goal for many, but too often that gets confused with, I can't eat real food and I need to eat diet food.

i am not a nutritionist, but am a chef by craft and a dedicated advocate for real food. food that is produced in a good, clean and fair way. i still subscribe to the concept that you can enjoy the things you like if they are not loaded with preservatives, too much sugar & sodium, and saturated fats. don't over eat at every meal and vary your diet to have balance. what is balance? if we vary our diet to include, fruits, vegetables, proteins and yes, some fat, we'll be generally ok. actually, quite good! you'll look good, feel good and won't be stressed out and feeling guilty about what you're supposed to have eaten.

so in 2012, let's all resolve to eat good food!

Catch me tonight @6pm on slow living radio with host Sally James!

http://www.crntalk.com/slowlivingradio

Happy Holidays!

Winter has come to napa valley. even though, today was 65 degrees, mostly sunny, & mustard is blooming in the vineyards. cool foggy mornings give moments of pause, while a walk through the vineyards says or shows that another season of growth has come to an end and it is time for rest, recuperation and anticipation of the next season to come. i can relate to this as another busy season nears an end. i love to think of what hearty dinner i will cook tonight, will it be be braised shortribs? a simple roasted chicken? or perhaps roasted squab with saffron fregola sarda enriched with aromatics, kale & medjool dates. one of these will certainly warm and nurture the soul, and I then ponder what wine will go best with it. 

as we head towards another new year, i would like to wish you a happy holiday season & a heathy and prosperous new year!

Fall in Napa Valley

fall in napa valley is spectacular! as the harvest and crush for grapes comes to an end, the leaves turn brilliant colors of gold and burnt orange and deep purple before they fall and vines are completely exposed. the last of the mission figs are ripening and the weather has yielded to sunny cool days and crisp nights.

as you drive through the valley, the alluring smell of grapes fermenting permeates the air and teases the senses of the upcoming vintage that will be released next spring or later. the cooler weather is perfect for the soulful complexity of braised dishes, beef shortribs, lamb shanks, and pork shoulder are just a few of the dishes that I begin to crave at this time of year. tonight will be, a more simple effort with chicken thighs braised with farro & chanterelles. i'm thinking some nice black mission figs with local honey for dessert might just do the trick.

I hope you will take the time over the next couple of weeks to come visit the Napa Valley and enjoy the beauty!