SHED Healdsburg

Posted on May 22, 2013 by To Markt To Markt

The SHED only recently opened in the early spring of 2013, but it has already made its mark in the restaurant-infused town of Healdsburg. One part cafe, one part market, one part gardening shop, SHED is a novel idea in the realm of ‘farm to table’ concepts. It is a spacious glass structure with massive garage doors at the front of the building, kept open throughout the day to demonstrate a natural fusion between nature and food, producers and consumers, gardeners and tools.

Salmon tartare on a bed of farm fresh lettuce

Their small menu changes daily based on what is available at local farms, thus it is guaranteed to be fresh and thoughtfully crafted. Shoppers, grazers, and diners alike can stand next to the chefs as they prep ingredients and shovel handmade pizzas into the oven. Once seated in a shady spot on the side patio, I opted for the salmon tartare salad, a perfectly proportioned, perfectly pink helping of the area’s freshest salmon. The large tossed salad is a favorite with its just-picked mixed greens and local, seasonal vegetables, like the crisp radishes seen in the photo below.

A young staff member educates her peer on the produce.

Obviously the area is a gourmet connoisseur’s mecca, and Healdsburg itself has over 50 restaurants within 3.78 square miles. SHED is unlike any other, as it is not a sit down restaurant, and it does not feel as awash with tourists as the rest of the square. The staff is young and helpful, and seeing young faces eager to learn about local produce and healthful, sustainable habits is surely a positive sign for generations to come. A self-professed community of learning, the cafe and shop hosts a variety of events and talks dedicated to educating its neighbors on gardening, farming, and sustainable living. SHED is a cheerful, airy space that reminds people how special the small treasures of nature can be if we would only stop to appreciate them more often.

Copperfields, an old-fashioned book store in the village square

SHED Healdsburg

25 North St,

Healdsburg, CA

Copperfields Books

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Arista Vineyards or an Organic Farm. Chardonnay or a glass of milk…

Posted on May 15, 2013 by To Markt To Markt

http://www.tomarkttomarkt.com

Arista Winery is a family owned business based in Healdsburg, but their estate vineyards are located in the scenic Russian River Valley. 30 of their 110 acres in this area are planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel. It is a perfectly tranquil, beautiful setting for an afternoon sojourn, even for a teetotaler. The idyllic views are enough to make this a worthwhile destination.

Next stop: Petaluma.

Local honey, jams, and other goodies at the farm store.

Located in Petaluma, Tara Firma Farms is a community-centric organic farm. It is open to all who value local, sustainable, and high quality food. The farm enjoys educating their customers and consumers on what they are eating and how they can be accountable for their environment. If you live in the area and are interested in having farm fresh food delivered to your doorstep, sign up for their CSA program, and do your part to support a healthy lifestyle and Tara Firma’s mission. If you’re passing through, make a quick stop in Petaluma and load up on local navel oranges, rainbow carrots, and just-laid eggs.

Baby doll sheep in the Russian River Valley

Exploring the Sonoma Coastline

Posted on May 8, 2013 by To Markt To Markt

The Sonoma coastline receives honorable mention in comparison to the cliffs of Big Sur in central California, but it is nearly as spectacular. Both can be described as stretches of jaw-dropping, mesmerizing vistas. At the height of one of Sonoma’s most favorable seasons (Spring), the sky is a deep, Roman azure, the nearby farmland bright green in contrast, and the food lovingly grown, crafted, and prepared. Just don’t look at the other side of the highway.

Beginning just north of Jenner, the Sonoma Coast State Park runs south for about 17 rocky miles until Bodega Head. Known for their hidden caves, eroded rock, and natural arch formations, the handful of beaches are ideal for walking, picnicking, fishing, and photographing; not sunbathing. Head south to L.A. for more traditional ‘laying out.’

Rivers End: The Russian River Meets the Pacific at a Gourmand’s Scenic Restaurant

Posted on May 4, 2013 by To Markt To Markt

River’s End Restaurant has prime real estate. It overlooks the meeting point of the Russian River and the Pacific Ocean, where one waterway ends and another begins. The restaurant’s food and ambience is as seamless as the flowing River. Once a haven for fishermen, it remains an unpretentious, sixties-ish, funky, fabulous haven for the area’s gourmands. The chefs work with local purveyors and take cues from cuisines around the world, resulting in utter freshness and international flavors (my father’s Portuguese clams an example of this unique combination). If you are cruising north of Bodega Bay, do not miss a mystical meal at the romantic River’s End Restaurant.

Orzo salad at River’s End. Butternut squash, zucchini, shaved fennel, feta, organic greens tossed with a citrus vinaigrette over warm orzo

Portuguese clams at River's End. Manila clams steamed in white wine with house made chorizo, sauteed garlic, tomatoes, and the house herb butter

Portuguese clams at River’s End. Manila clams steamed in white wine with house made chorizo, sautéed garlic, tomatoes, and the house herb butter

Jenner, CA: Where the Russian River meets the Pacific Ocean

Goat Rock

River’s End Restaurant in Jenner, CA

The mouth of the Russian River

Technicolor beet salad at River’s End. Roasted multi-color beets layered with redwood hill farms goat cheese, macadamia nuts and fresh basil with an orange balsamic reduction

Technicolor beet salad at River’s End, unhinged

Seeped tea at River’s End

The view at River’s End

Above, a private cottage at an inn, perched at the Pacific’s edge.

The Lovely Farmhouse Inn, a Russian River Valley Boutique Inn

Posted on April 28, 2013 by To Markt To Markt

If you venture north beyond Sebastopol, inland from the jagged California coastline, and Bodega Bay, you will find yourself in yet another valley: the Russian River Valley.

The Farmhouse Inn is a tranquil bed and breakfast in Forestville. It boasts a spa, a reputable restaurant with fantastically professional service (if not a little slow), and a beautifully manicured property complete with a herb garden and a chicken coop. After all, the name would be misleading without a few requisite barnyard animals. Breakfast is a decadent treat, to say the least. Repeat the phrase ‘I’m on vacation’ and allow yourself to indulge in homemade pastry, hot scones, just-picked seasonal fruit compotes, French toast filled with mascarpone, pancakes, sausage, and more. Dinner at the restaurant is prix fixe. The service is exceptionally trained and the plating is of course exquisite. The rooms are lovely; comfortable and luxurious, clean and charming. The service is overall excellent, and everyone exhibits that innate California friendliness that always throws a New Yorker slightly off kilter.

Swiss chard growing at the Farmhouse Inn

The Farmhouse Inn

We hope these chickens are for eggs and overall setting, rather than a poulet diner

Asparagus-Spring Onion Soup with chili roasted Dungeness crab meat and green garlic, at The Farmhouse

Frozen Rhubarb Mousse. Poached rhubarb, fennel cream, rhubarb puree, pistachio, and fizzy lime sugar, at The Farmhouse

The Farmhouse Inn's decadent breakfast pancakes with enough mascarpone cheese to classify it as dessert.

The Farmhouse Inn’s decadent oatmeal pancakes with enough mascarpone cheese and strawberry sauce to classify it as dessert.

Variations on Greens, Beans, and Grains

Posted on April 28, 2013 by To Markt To Markt

I didn’t have much time for cooking this week, even less for a trip to the fish store. Instead, I loaded up on easy-prep vegetables and mixed and matched for a few nights. Here are a few fast, easy, and fresh ideas for evenings when you just don’t have time to think about it. Of course having your greens washed ahead of time saves a few minutes at the sink.

Kale is one of those so-called superfoods, but in my book, these mixed vegetable dishes are a version of comfort food. I enjoy kale raw, sautéed, or steamed. In the above, I sautéed the kale with a little bit of minced garlic, onion, and olive oil. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and added chopped yellow bell pepper, drained and rinsed chickpeas, roughly chopped tomato, fennel, and a few chopped hazelnuts. It’s one of those ‘whatever is in my fridge’ kind of quick dinners.

In the above salad, I mixed chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, quinoa, cucumber, red onion, fennel, orange segments, and arugula in a big bowl with a pinch of salt and pepper, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons of leftover pesto. Et voila, a heaping plateful of nutrient-rich, protein-packed greens, beans, and grains await.

Ireland: A Blur of Green and Blue (and Grey)

Posted on April 14, 2013 by To Markt To Markt

Celtic Crosses

While staying in Dublin for a few days, I decide to hop on a big green bus and take a tour of Western Ireland. I heard from many people that the countryside is filled with atmospheric villages and lush greenery, craggy hills and jagged cliffs galore. Western Ireland encompasses quite a few counties, including Clare, Donegal, Galway, Limerick, Tipperary, and a few others that can all be covered in one day. I can barely understand my tour guide as he leads us to the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare. His thick Irish brogue and sarcasm leads the way as we wind through empty, deserted lands and pass by abandoned farms. He tells us how badly Ireland was effected by the ‘boom-to-bust’ economy, something I couldn’t help but notice even in the nicer areas of Dublin around St. Stephens Green. ‘For Let’ signs dotted nearly every colorful door. (The story of the colorful doors by the way, is that Irish husbands often came home late from the pubs, too drunk to remember which house was theirs. So the wives painted their doors different colors in order to differentiate.)

The Cliffs of Moher are quite spectacular. Incredible! Enormous! They are so enormous that it is difficult to wrap your brain around them. Even looking down at one cliff, my eyes couldn’t find a resting spot. They are just so big. I stood there on the cliff, trying to take in one of the other cliffs, and my eyes just kept darting around. They couldn’t figure out how to take it all in at once.

Back in Dublin, I chose to stay at the Fitzwilliam on St. Stephens Green. The staff are ever so gracious, the breakfast is bountiful and beautifully presented, and the beds are incredibly comfortable. In fact, I think I enjoyed the hotel more than Dublin itself. My room came replete with a deep bathtub, and I gorged in it every night, all the while listening to the sound of ‘Friends’ in the background. After 3 months of absolutely no television, I was elated to have a bit of American TV. It’s amazing what a good soak and the sound of Joey’s voice can do for one’s state of mind.

Wandering around, I could feel how much the recession effected the city. One of the most interesting things is how few immigrant workers there were in stores, restaurants, etc. Back in the states, we see immigrants everywhere, whereas in Dublin I noticed very few. I found few high-end luxury stores, although many of the restaurants were overpriced. There didn’t seem to be a middle ground between a very, very fine restaurant and a pub. (Admittedly, I was only in Dublin for a few nights and didn’t allow myself very much time to locate the city’s best eats). I did, however, discover a great sushi restaurant on the other side of the river. It was packed and bustling, and after months of Italian food, I couldn’t wait to chow down on a salmon roll and a bit of brown rice. The night before my tour of Western Ireland, I dined at a posh restaurant right along St. Stephens Green. My meal was quite good… sea bass and a side of rocket salad with shaved parmigiano. The service at the restaurant was excellent. One of the waiters told me that I would be blown away by Western Ireland and that the accents in the south will be incomprehensible. In retrospect, the only part that truly blew me away were the Cliffs of Moher, but perhaps this is because I was visiting in the cold, grey, winter month of March. The accents were indeed incomprehensible. Halfway through the tour I stopped pretending that I could remotely understand the guide, and I couldn’t wait to be warm in my big bed back at the Fitzwilliam, eating fancy pillow chocolates and indulging in a hot bath.

Sunday morning in St. Stephens Green

Picturesque Scenery at the Cliffs of Moher

Galeries Lafayette Gourmet: Produce Shopping Parisian Style

Posted on April 7, 2013 by To Markt To Markt

The gourmet store at Galeries Lafayette is not just for tourists. In fact, Parisians account for over 70% of the clientele. I equate it to a Grace’s Marketplace, (on 72nd and Lex) or a Citarella. They have pastries, bread, and pâtes galore, but they also have aisles of gourmet store basics and fabulous French packaged goods. There is ready-made Asian food as well as ready-made Italian and to-go salads. One evening, in search of a light dinner after an overdose of extravagant French cooking, I decided upon a ready-made Italian pesto dish. I got to chatting with the English-speaking French woman next to me, who informed me that the Galeries Lafayette Gourmet store is not only bien situé for the working professional to pick up lunch or dinner, but it is also a bon spot to meet a single French gentleman. Perhaps I will stop by more often….

Shopper beware: I learned the hard way that grazers are not allowed to touch the produce. There is no such thing as searching for your own ripe tomato at Galeries Lafayette: the grocers will pick them for you. There are also no pictures or cameras allowed, so these few dismal produce snapshots will have to suffice.

Le Bouchon et L’Assiette: A Critic’s Favorite ‘Canteen’ in Paris’ 17th

Posted on March 23, 2013 by To Markt To Markt

Fresh, featherweight aubergine soup and lox

I’ll let you in on un petit secret: if Gilles Pudlowski, renowned restaurant critic, sings a chef’s praises, the restaurant is in all likelihood as good as gold.

The restaurant is small with two separate rooms and a bar big enough for two or three. It’s size enables the lovely owners to engage with their clientele, who over the years have become their friends. Cécile Delabre and Clément Vidalon are as obliging and sincere as can be. Cécile takes your orders and pours the wine, Clément strides in and out of the kitchen to survey and overlook the dining rooms.

A charming presentation of white beans, herbs, and garlic served alongside my white fish.

Gateau cake served with stewed pears

Do not let the restaurant’s humble interiors fool you, however, as the Chef produces spectacular Basque-inspired dishes on par with Paris’ more well-known restaurants in the city center. Both man and wife have impressive backgrounds: Clément hails from Toulouse’s number one Restaurant Michael Serran and Michelin-starred Eric Frechon in Bristol. Cécile trained at The Mediterranean, in the Palais in Biarritz. So it is no wonder that they draw neighborhood locals and gourmands alike (such as Corinne Preteur, who guided us to this classic French restaurant). My thinly sliced salmon, served on a fresh French loaf accompanying my aubergine soup, was my introduction to France’s heavenly, refreshing lox. The chef’s soups are magnificent, none too heavy but bursting with creative flavors. His desserts are equally divine, with many fruit-based options. It certainly doesn’t have to be, depending on your ordering preferences, but I might declare this one of the lighter meals I had in Paris. 127 rue Cardinet, 75017