This time of year in Sacramento has quickly become our favorite. With harvest in full swing and the Farm-to-Fork initiative in full effect here in the region, we couldn’t be prouder to be living, working, eating and drinking in America’s Farm to Fork capital!
Because there are so many events and dinners going on this month, we captured some best local events in the round-up below to help you make the most of the festivities..
September 10 – 27
Farm-to-Fork Restaurant Weeks presented by Lexus
A portion of all proceeds made during the two-week event will be donated to the Food Literacy Center. To view participating restaurants and learn more about Restaurant Weeks, visit America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital’s website.
September 12
Fruit-to-Root Food Literacy Fair presented by Raley’s
In partnership with America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, Raley’s, the Sacramento Public Library with NeighborWorks and the Food Literacy Center will host the Fruit-to-Root Food Literacy Fair, a free community event inspired by Chef Dan Barber’s best-selling book, “The Third Plate.”
California Craft Brewers Showcase
The California Craft Brewers Association presents the Golden State’s signature beer festival with over 150 brewers pouring their coveted and unique beers in front of the California State Capitol.
Friends on the Farm Dinner presented by Track 7 Brewing Co
Track 7 Brewing Co.’s second annual Friends on the Farm dinner will be on the family farm at Hood Hops Ranch. This is an all-you-can-eat and drink affair with dinner prepared by Oliver Ridgeway of Grange paired with rare Track 7 brews.
September 14
Urban Brewery on the Urban Farm presented by New Helvetia Brewing Company
Join New Helvetia Brewing Co. at the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services Demonstration Garden for an evening of local craft beer, urban farming tips, and food truck cuisine from Cowtown Urban Eatery.
September 16
Whole Foods 5% Day
Shop at participating Whole Foods Market locations on September 16 and Whole Foods will donate 5% of the day’s net sales to the Food Literacy Center.
September 17
Legends of Wine
Wine-lovers will have the unique opportunity to sample and discover more about some of the region’s most celebrated varietals, as selected by two of Sacramento’s internationally recognized culinary powerhouses – Darrell Corti and David Berkley. Sip a wide array of award-winning wines paired and presented with artisan cheeses and more local delights.
September 19
2nd Annual Smoke on the River
The Sacramento Artists Council, Inc. in partnership with The Grid Agency and Dad’s Kitchen are hosting the 2nd Annual Smoke on the River. The event will feature a People’s Choice tasting, live entertainment, and unlimited beer tastings provide by local breweries.
California Brewers Festival Presented by Rotary Club of Point West
Come enjoy a great day of beer tasting from over 65 breweries, delicious food truck delicacies, and live music bands in support local charities. The 2015 festival will benefit WEAVE, Inc.
September 20
The Handle District’s Dirt-to-Dish
This year’s event will showcase local food, produce, meats, wines, beer, and entertainment in the heart of Midtown. The event will feature a classic BBQ throwdown between Broderick Roadhouse and Mulvaney’s B&L. Donations will be accepted at the gate to benefit “Plates-2-Go.”
September 26
Farm-to-Fork Festival
The free festival hosted on the Capitol Mall boasts a selection of Farm-to-Fork offerings that are produced and available in the Sacramento region. Attendees will find food, wine and beer from regional eateries and purveyors, as well as live music, five live cooking demonstration stages, a kids’ zone, interactive booths from local grocers, farms and ranches and more.
September 27
California Pear Bridge Dinner Presented by California Pear Advisory Board
This special dinner event is being held simultaneously with the incredibly popular Tower Bridge Gala organized by the America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital program. In the heart of one of the largest pear-growing regions in California, the Pear Bridge Dinner takes place on the small, historically named Dead Horse Island Bridge near the Delta community of Walnut Grove. Third generation owners of Giusti’s Place in Walnut Grove, will prepare the meal using locally-raised meats and other Delta-grown crops such as corn, tomatoes, endive, and, of course, pears. Delta area wines will be served along with local beers and other specialties prepared by select Sacramento Farm-to-Fork restaurant chefs.
Did we miss something? Shoot us a note!
How Green Does Your Garden Grow, Sacramento?
One of my strongest memories involving food is from the vegetable garden my parents used to grow every summer in our backyard. The tomato plants would grow to tree-like proportions, the green beans were practically small shrubs, and the strawberries would peek like ruby gems from underneath their leaves. It was a veritable jungle with edible treasures – at least in my mind’s eye as a kid!
This is my first year planting a vegetable garden in my own backyard. While it is mostly hard work, a lot of experimentation and some mighty big “FAILS,” there is still a feeling of magic and appreciation as you watch the seeds sprout into plants and, ultimately, edibles.
Our first “harvest” – radishes straight from the ground (so good served raw with some butter and sea salt) and some miniature strawberries, eaten as is.
I have made some pretty big mistakes – I over planted the tomatoes (no one really needs eight plants), and I forgot to harvest the micro greens, so they were terribly bitter and the entire garden is going to be over crowded as I was a little ambitious. I am not sure if all of my plants will make it, but thank goodness for the good people at the Green Acres Nursery and the local Sacramento Vegetable Gardening Blog who have been invaluable resources for my little plot of land.
Overwhelmingly, I am gaining a deeper appreciation of where my food is coming from and the hard work it takes to produce it – whether it is from the farmers’ market or from my backyard. I am re-learning that food that comes straight out of the dirt and into your kitchen is incredibly tasty. I am excited to see that vegetable gardening is becoming rather chic, where anyone with a window and a pot can make something grow for their kitchen.
As the growing season continues, I will write frequently on how the garden is growing and what new ways I discover to incorporate my fresh produce into my meals and into summer entertaining. I will also write about individuals here in Sacramento who are growing and incorporating local and seasonal produce in their kitchens – big and small.
I want to know from you – are you backyard gardener? What are you harvesting right now and how are you preparing it? Do you know of Sacramento restaurants or individuals who are doing cool things with local grown food? Drop me a line – I might blog about you too!
Lunch with Grange Restaurant & Bar's New Executive Chef
It’s not the first time we have been to the Grange – we have been big fans since it opened in 2009. But the invitation to come and dine with the new executive chef – Chef Oliver Ridgeway – got us excited about stopping in and seeing what changes Grange has been up to.
The atmosphere of every restaurant is so influenced by the people in the kitchen, behind the bar and running between the tables. Grange has come into its own with a level of easy comfort and intense dedication to quality that is reflective of the staff in the kitchen but also feels more like this town. It’s so…Sacramento.
Part of the change can certainly be attributed to the humble yet intense personality of the executive chef. As Chef Oliver sat with us, we were struck right away by his quiet charm, intensity for detail, and his extensive experience. His background is a travel/food lover’s dream – Australia, New Orleans and the Caribbean are just a few of the places he has spent time in kitchens, learning the craft. His last gig was as the head chef at the Anasazi Restauran in Santa Fe, New Mexico – a personal favorite of mine.
Despite Chef Oliver’s impressive global background, he remains dedicated to offering cuisine that highlights the sense of place and is definitively “Sacramentan.” The passion, the demand for the freshest and most local ingredients, and the obsession over detail was evident in every dish the kitchen put in front of us.
I loved that the head bartender came up with a seasonal new drink using fresh ingredients, and that because tomatoes were not in season, a roasted tomato compote was used in the burger instead.
Chef Oliver’s approach to regional food is by no means unheard of, but we are excited that Sacramento has another outstanding chef who is passionately dedicated to knowing the growers behind the food, insisting on local and seasonal menus, and is persistent in defining what it means to be Sacramento cuisine. We look forward to seeing what more Grange has in store!
Grange Restaurant & Bar
926 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 492-4450
Perfect Appetizer for Beer Drinkers
I love that the holidays allows me to share with my friends the recipes I have learned throughout the year. As I got prepared for a recent holiday gathering I was hosting at my house, one of the things I struggled with was finding a good appetizer that is simple, yummy and pairs well with beer.
Let’s face it – appetizer pairings for wine are a dime a dozen. How often we neglect our beer-loving friends – and with two brewers attending, the pressure was on to find the perfect pairing.
Enter the soft pretzel – in bite form!
It’s a classic pairing with lots of options for getting creative with sauces and finishes, and it is a lot easier to make than you think!
There are a million different recipes out there, but here is the one I keep going back to as the best (*cough* easiest) with a couple of tips that I have picked up along the way. Pair with a lager, a robust Märzen or a dark lager to combat the bite if serving with a spicy mustard.
Soft Pretzel Bites
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt
Directions
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.
Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.
In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. *See SacFoodie Notes Below!
Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.
Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.
SacFoodie Notes:
- Zap the water for the yeast in the microwave for 30 seconds to make sure that your yeast will be activated. Hot tap water is not warm enough. (Found that one out the hard way!)
- Don’t skip the baking soda bath – it gives the pretzels that beautiful brown chewy skin.
- Instead of forming into a rope – split the dough into 16 balls, and then take a knife and cut into quarters to make the perfect bite size.
- As you take your pretzels out of the bath – drop them onto a paper towel to get rid of that extra water before you bake them. It makes them crispier.
- Rough ground salt of any kind works in lieu of pretzel salt and is yummy with Hawaiian pink salt, truffle salt for a kick, or a rough ground sea salt.
Alternative to kick it to the next level:
- Instead of coating with salt – tumble pretzel bites in 1/4 cup of butter right as they come out of the oven and coat with a cinnamon sugar mix (1/3 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon) or with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Serve with a melted cheddar cheese sauce instead of mustard.
Recipe courtesy of Alton Brown from Food Network’s foodTV.com.
Alchemy Market, Murphys
When the hubster and I need to get away and turn off the world – or more realistically just step away from the cell phones and the Internet – we drive 45 minutes southeast of Sacramento to the town of Murphys.
This little California gem is nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and here, life moves at the pace of wine. The small, six-block downtown strip is home to many small wineries whose doors are open for tasting. All the shops are run by locals – you will find no chain stores or restaurants here! We enjoyed the day by walking down the strip where we took our time to rummage through the used bookstore, chat up the local antique sales person, hunt down some culinary treats, and taste the local wines.
We never forget to eat (of course) and my favorite place in Murphys to settle in for a relaxed dinner is at Alchemy Market.
Specializing in creating classically American dishes with a global twist, Alchemy captures the relaxing essence of Murphys by offering a menu that combines simple ingredients in some surprising ways. I recommend you try some of their must-haves: the fried calamari with a spiced aioli and hints of salt and jalapeño or the seasoned and smoky sweet potato fries that are the best I have ever had.
For entrées we tried something a little different with a seared ahi tuna salad that featured some spanakopita. Being Greek, I tend to be overly critical of anything attempting to be Greek food at restaurants, but these little pockets of cheese, phyllo and spinach made me so happy. We also tried the unique scallop and shrimp cakes with local veggies and pilaf.
One of the charming things about Alchemy is it focuses on keeping things local – an insider clued us in that Alchemy does not charge you a corkage fee if you bring in a local bottle of wine to enjoy with dinner. The attached market is also a great resource for picking up a couple of yummy gourmet cheeses, local produce or components for a picnic.
You won’t regret making Murphys a destination for your next weekend adventure, and don’t pass up the opportunity to visit Alchemy Market while you are visiting. You will find that the slower pace of life can be contagious!
Alchemy Market
191 Main Street
Murphys, CA 95247
(209)728-0700