Our Cup Runneth Over, A Toast to Napa

I hope you enjoy these photos of our recent trip to the Napa Valley in California, a place where I've never been. One of the highlights of our trip was a visit to the Schramsburg Winery which makes sparkling wines in the champagne method. (Only sparkling wines made and fermented in the Champagne Valley of France are allowed to be labeled as "champagne" by international law, serious stuff.) This is the house built by the founder, Jacob Schram for him and his family.

The wine is aged in caves that were dug 150 years ago by Chinese Immigrants. The work had to be done by hand as required by the soft tufa rock. You can see the pick axe marks on the walls of the caves which stay a constant 55 degrees F, perfect for aging wine.
Plaque detail from right of photo above.

Our tour of the winery took us into the caves which hold many, many rows of stacked wine bottles, front to end, approximately 5 thousand bottles per row. Some caves contain over 60 rows of wine. Wine is fermented for 2, 5, 10 years depending on vintage and harvest.

After the vintner has determined that the wine is ready, "drummers" unstack the wine and bang them against a rubber mat to dislodge the particles created by fermentation, i.e. the dead yeast that has digested the sugar. The wine then goes through a "riddling" process over a period of weeks to further clarify it. The particulate is removed with an "ice cork", (very ingenious), after being coaxed into the neck, and then a small amount of wine with varying amounts of sugar is added, before it's corked, wired, and foiled, and Voila, it's time to enjoy a most lovely glass, (or two), of California bubble-Liciousness! This is the good stuff, especially when you learn of the craftsmanship, time, effort, and the role of nature in this beverage, and the history of its creation, made "completely in the bottle", which has not changed for centuries.
It was a real treat to sample "champagne" in the caves, with the candlebras glowing and champagne flowing. It felt a little like something out of "Phantom of the Opera" as I kept expecting him or the Hunchback of Notre Dame to appear as we raised our glasses.

Thank you for joining me on my little tour and I hope you enjoyed it. While our hearts are full, our glasses too, a Toast to you and yours this Thanksgiving. I am Thankful for the gift of you.

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New Food Finds

Greek Yogurt and Berry Tart on Vanilla Wafer Crust adapted from this Food and Wine recipe.

Happy Wednesday and I send my best to you and yours this Mid-Week. In my quest to eat healthier, I am always on the lookout for foods that provide more nutrition and less "bad stuff", without sacrificing yumminess. A few new pantry items that are getting regular rotation include-



Organic Agave Syrup- Use in place of honey and sugar on cereal, yogurt, and fruit, also in baking. It provides a light and lovely sweetness without the sometimes overpowering taste of honey. It has a low "glycemic index" which means it doesn't cause a sugar rush and crash.

Greek Yogurt- Replaces sour cream in many dishes with its mild and delectable taste and consistency. It can be used as a topping on tacos, for dips, and drained to use in a tart. It's hard to believe that much flavor comes Non Fat.

Tomato Paste in a Tube- This isn't necessarily a new food item, but the tube packaging, (which is common in Europe), is wonderful and solves the age old dilemma of only needing a tablespoon or two of paste, and not wanting to waste the open can. (Or wait until it becomes green with mold and throwing it out anyway.)

What wonderful new foods or delivery systems have you discovered lately?
Thank you so much.

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Tasty Twenty Minute Tempura*

Happy Wednesday, and I hope you enjoy my "Twenty Minute Tempura"* recipe that is delicious, easy to prepare, and is versatile too.



Assemble and prepare ingredients-



Approximately 1 lb of raw meat, chicken, fish, etc. sliced into 1/2 inch wide x 2 inches in length strips. Cleaned shrimp can be cooked whole.



Two cups assorted raw vegetables, washed and dried, cut up into thin strips similar to meat. I sliced the cauliflower and carrots, and left the mushrooms whole after trimming stems. Onions, sweet potatoes, extra firm tofu, and zucchini are lovely prepared this way too.



1 egg, beaten with 1/2 tablespoon water in separate bowl.



1 cup flour seasoned with dash garlic salt in separate bowl.



1 1/2 cups of Panko or Japanese Bread crumbs in separate bowl.



1 to 2 cups vegetable oil in heavy, deep pan safe for frying, heated until shimmering, or a wooden spoon bubbles when placed into oil.









Beat egg with water in bowl, prepare seasoned flour and panko breadcrumbs for batter while oil is heating.





Dip vegetables and meat first into beaten egg, then seasoned flour, and finish with nice coating of panko breadcrumbs.





Fry meat and vegetables in small batches for 2-3 minutes and then drain on paper towel covered plate.







A tasty dipping sauce to accompany this can be made with 1/2 cup of Teriyaki or soy sauce, mixed with 1.5 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons water, heated for 45 seconds in the microwave.







I served this with rice because my boys are growing teens.



Thank you so much, and what twenty minute recipes do you rely on?



*Might take up to thirty minutes to prepare the first time you make it.

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Overloaded and Overwhelmed, but hey, the tomatoes are doing great!

Overloaded, overwhelmed, and undermotivated pretty much sums up how I've been feeling lately.

I have felt overloaded with work, both at home and the office. I feel like I have been in triage mode, just keeping things stable, until I have more time. When that time will ever happen, is really anybody's guess.

The boys are on summer break, and I am amazed and appalled at how much they eat, and how much mess and dishes they create! Thank goodness I have disabused them of the notion that I am their short order cook. They have learned to feed themselves, but still have a ways to go on the clean up.

On that note, I have learned to become very specific with chore assignments, and use the "carrot and stick approach", (major props to Tamy for reminding me of this quite awhile ago). Their future spouses will thank me for teaching them how to clean the kitchen, declutter, and do laundry, oh, yes indeed. (School starts in about 5 weeks, but whose counting??)

The house has also been demanding attention and money. Two out of three toilets decided to give up the ghost a week ago, and it was no fun to only have one functional bathroom for the four of us for a few days. No fun at all. We are also saving up for bathroom and roof renovations which need to be taken care of soon. I see why people call it being a "Home Moaner".

It hasn't been all work and no play, even though a lot of our "play" has been focused on the community swim team on which our youngest son participates. I volunteer as a cook in the canteen during swim meets and the 4th of July celebration. (Breakfast burrito anyone?)

For the last several years on the holiday at the pool, I have had to respond to first aid emergencies, and this year was no exception. There is a horseshoe tournament as part of the holiday gathering, and one of our neighbors and his brother participated, while consuming many cans of beer without the benefit of any other hydration or food. This tournament lasts several hours, and it was 100 F and humid monsoon conditions. I was chatting with some friends when I saw this man collapse on the deck stairs. His brother, (a sheriffs deputy supposedly trained in first aid), and a few lifeguards went over to attend to him. Several minutes went by with him on the stairs sweating in the heat, so I also went to check on him, and he was pale with a thready pulse and slurred speech. He denied any medical conditions like heart disease and denied drinking!! I insisted that the guards and brother bring him into the air conditioned clubhouse which we did. I got ice packs and water and had him start hydrating as he was suffering from heat exhaustion. His brother finally revealed that YES, they had been drinking quite heavily. (Really? Gosh, that's just lame to lie to people trying to help you, next time I will just assume someone has been drinking, it's more efficient that way. I have lost my Emergency Room nurse mojo I suppose.) He perked right up after some fluids and cooling time. Never a dull moment on the pool deck...

Gardening provides a respite from this craziness. I realized that I like gardening because the plants don't talk back, and do what they are supposed to, when provided with the right light, food, and water.



I used red plastic strips, (cut from a plastic tablecloth), to stake the tomatoes as agricultural research has shown that exposing tomato plants to the color RED, promotes more plentiful and faster ripening fruit.



Here are the lovely results from my Sweet 100 cherry and rainbow heirloom tomato plants. I have harvested 48 cherry tomatoes so far from my Sweet 100 plant, I want to see if the plant lives up to its name of yielding 100 tomatoes. I plan to make a tomato tart today.

I hope you are doing well this summer and thank you so much for allowing me to vent and share in summer overload!

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Pan Fried Zucchini Blossoms Recipe

A delicious, economical, and adventurous way to eat and cook, is to shop for food at your local farmers' market. Once you've tasted an egg fresh from the ranch, it is hard to go back to eating the month old eggs from the supermarket! Season's Bounty from both my herb garden and the local farmer's market.

Baby zucchinis with the blossoms attached are a summer treat. Prior to cooking the zucchini blossom, remove the center stamen while leaving blossom intact and attached to baby squash. Rinse thoroughly.

Beat one egg with a couple tablespoons of water and moisten squash completely. Next, coat zucchini in a mixture of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, Panko bread crumbs, a few tablespoons of whole wheat flour, and a few pinches of dried herbs, garlic, and salt.
Please add vegetable oil to a sturdy and deep fry pan to the depth of approximately one to one and one half inches. Heat oil until it creates bubbles when a wooden spoon is placed in the oil.

Gently shake off excess coating from zucchini and ease into oil. Cook for approximately 3-4 minutes, turning over zucchini midway through cooking.

When coating is golden brown, remove squash from oil and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately or keep warm for prompt serving.

This makes a delightful side dish and appetizer, and I've also made an entree out of it too! Another variation is to stuff the blossoms with filling like goat cheese or mushrooms, tie blossom with cooking string, and then fry as directed above.

Buon Appetito! Thank you so much for your visit and what seasonal delights and recipes do you enjoy?

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Season's Bounty - Tomato, Basil, and Buffalo Mozzarella Salad

Happy Wednesday, and today I wanted to share the Season's Bounty with a simple, delicious, fresh, and healthy recipe for Tomato, Herb, and Mozzarella salad.

Ingredients -
1 large ripe heirloom beefsteak style tomato, diced
1/4 cup basil, minced
1 - 2 tablespoons fresh oregano minced
1 cup of drained, diced fresh buffalo mozzarella (approximately one large ball)
1 to 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground pepper and kosher salt

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add fresh ground pepper and kosher salt to taste. Serve immediately.



It's a wonderful appetizer and healthy snack too. Buon Appetito! Prego!

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