The Society for Homestead Preservation at the 2011 Handcar Regatta was six hours of cheese making, beer making, butchery, fermentation stomping, pie-eating, apple-pressing, butter-churning, preserve-making, kombucha drinking, coffee-roasting and spice-sniffing amazement.
The newest addition to the Handcar Regatta, the Homestead brought together more than a dozen of Sonoma County’s best culinary artisans for a massive collection of DIY demos of the grandma arts — a throwback to the slower, time-honored ways of eating, drinking and savoring the best of what life has to offer.
In a drive-thru world, there’s something to be said for re-learning the skills that sustained the human race, and that most of us have either forgotten, or never learned at all.
Here’s a sampling of what was on the menu:
– Sourdough starter: The Real San Francisco starter and how to do it at home
– Whole Hog Breakdown: How to use every part of the pig
– Rabbit Butchery: A lesser-known meat, but easy to raise at home
– Coffee Roasting: How to roast your own beans for better coffee
– Spicing it Up: Using fresh spices to make tastier meals
– Poultry Butchering: Skip the breasts and DIY the bird yourself.
– Porchetta de Testa: Whole Head Hog Salumi
– Kombucha: Know your SCOBE? Why fermented drinks are great for your gut
– Fermentation 101: Cabbage stomping to kraut, learning all about fermentation
– Fresh Pies: Sassy gals making homemade pies from scratch
– Cheese making: Fresh cheese to cultured ones, how to start with a gallon of milk and end up with a great cheese
– Beer Making: Sud-making at home
– Preserves: From strawberries to marmalade, how to cook up a quick batch of summer’s best
– Ask A Vegan: Want to go meatless? Learning how to use less and taste more
– Apple Pressing: Using some good old elbow grease to make the season’s best cider
Missed the event? There are many opportunities in Sonoma County for classes, products and other DIY arts.
Beverage People
Courtway Catering
Savory Spice
Testa Duro Salumi
Meat Revolution
Epicurean Connection
Preston Vineyards
McEvoy Ranch
Medlock Ames
Revive Kombucha
Hat Creek Coffee Roasting
This was a six-month project by BiteClub to bring Sonoma County’s homestead arts to a large audience. A million thank yous to everyone who was part of the Regatta Homestead on Sunday. Culinary props to Nancy from Gleason Ranch for EVERYTHING, Meloni Courtway and the Pie Hole Girls, Revive Kombucha, Christopher Hanson, Jason Azevedo, Berry Smith Salinas, Savory Spice, Roger Martial Praplan, Sean Thorniley, Hat Creek Coffee, Lou Preston, Merrilee Olson, Medlock Ames, McEvoy Ranch, Sheana Davis, Beverage People, Mary Bergin, my amazing family, Ty Jones, Spring Maxfield, Handcar Regatta, Nan Sea Love and the compassionate vegans, Josh Stithem, Amy and anyone I forgot.
WARNING. These pictures include butchered animals. If that offends you, don’t look.
I agree Heather… it’s a FOOD blog! I found it very interesting!
I agree Heather… it’s a FOOD blog! I found it very interesting!
Well, Heather, I wish there was a ‘whoohoo’ or thumbs up button, etc. Indeed, this is a FOOD blog site. You eat and write about meat, amongst other foods. You have appreciation for meat and of where its from, how its grown, etc (as you do other foods). C’mon people, if you are vegetarian or against , you’re ranting in the wrong place, and its borderline harassment. Lets just please respect the blogger and her topic of food. The opinions on animals are highly respected, but this isn’t the place to convert meat eaters to non-meat eaters, and v. versa.
Well, Heather, I wish there was a ‘whoohoo’ or thumbs up button, etc. Indeed, this is a FOOD blog site. You eat and write about meat, amongst other foods. You have appreciation for meat and of where its from, how its grown, etc (as you do other foods). C’mon people, if you are vegetarian or against , you’re ranting in the wrong place, and its borderline harassment. Lets just please respect the blogger and her topic of food. The opinions on animals are highly respected, but this isn’t the place to convert meat eaters to non-meat eaters, and v. versa.
How does one find out more about the Society for Homestead Preservation? Is it a real thing, or just made up for this event?
made it up, but registered the site. i think i might do something with it. hmmm.
How does one find out more about the Society for Homestead Preservation? Is it a real thing, or just made up for this event?
made it up, but registered the site. i think i might do something with it. hmmm.
While it’s unexpected to see photos like this, if you ever travel to England or Europe then be prepared to see all sorts of animals hanging in the butcher shops or in the markets. (Probably true in other countries as well).
While it’s unexpected to see photos like this, if you ever travel to England or Europe then be prepared to see all sorts of animals hanging in the butcher shops or in the markets. (Probably true in other countries as well).
Sorry Heather, I’ve got to agree with Kelley. While I love BiteClub, I’m a mostly vegetarian with a pretty weak stomach. Maybe you could put a warning on the photos for your fans that are like me?
I agree. I too am a vegetarian and after seeing these photos, I am so glad I missed the Regatta. Completely unnecessary and inconsiderate.
Sorry Heather, I’ve got to agree with Kelley. While I love BiteClub, I’m a mostly vegetarian with a pretty weak stomach. Maybe you could put a warning on the photos for your fans that are like me?
I agree. I too am a vegetarian and after seeing these photos, I am so glad I missed the Regatta. Completely unnecessary and inconsiderate.
I am disgusted by the photo’s of the pig.
I know he is not all that handsome for a Butcher…but a Pig?? That’s going a bit far don’t you think?
I am bored with your disgust. Find something else to do.
I am amazed that you would make such a comment or have NO CONSIDERATION for others that don’t appreciate the same as you do as far as seeing a pig being butchered. When just a few days ago on the front page there was a little pig SAVED by GREAT people (unlike yourself).
Goes to show that YOU have NO class or regard as to your ratings or being linked to the press democrat.
Might want to choose your words wisely & photos if you plan on making it in the world.
grrrr. you forgot “shame on you”.
For my vegetarian Biteclubbers — okay, i get it and I put a warning up.
But for the rest of you self-righteous folks who have never read a single biteclub post and have no idea about the whole Reggie journey nor why I am kind of proud of the pictures of the pig I personally got involved with please take your indignation elsewhere. I am offended by your small-mindedness and tired of you disrupting a blog that is about…um…FOOD. For most of us that includes meat.
We had a number of vegetarians come to the booth who expressed interest and fascination with what we were doing and wanted to learn about the process. That was cool. People who weren’t into it didn’t participate. I did my part to talk to the vegans and Nan and her crew were very cool. I invited them to Regatta. We had fun. They actually didn’t complain at all about the butchery tent because we created a dialogue rather than leaving weak-spirited anonymous posts.
This is a community, not a soapbox for vegetarian ideals. I’m moving on to other more pressing issues.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes!
I am disgusted by the photo’s of the pig.
I know he is not all that handsome for a Butcher…but a Pig?? That’s going a bit far don’t you think?
I am bored with your disgust. Find something else to do.
I am amazed that you would make such a comment or have NO CONSIDERATION for others that don’t appreciate the same as you do as far as seeing a pig being butchered. When just a few days ago on the front page there was a little pig SAVED by GREAT people (unlike yourself).
Goes to show that YOU have NO class or regard as to your ratings or being linked to the press democrat.
Might want to choose your words wisely & photos if you plan on making it in the world.
grrrr. you forgot “shame on you”.
For my vegetarian Biteclubbers — okay, i get it and I put a warning up.
But for the rest of you self-righteous folks who have never read a single biteclub post and have no idea about the whole Reggie journey nor why I am kind of proud of the pictures of the pig I personally got involved with please take your indignation elsewhere. I am offended by your small-mindedness and tired of you disrupting a blog that is about…um…FOOD. For most of us that includes meat.
We had a number of vegetarians come to the booth who expressed interest and fascination with what we were doing and wanted to learn about the process. That was cool. People who weren’t into it didn’t participate. I did my part to talk to the vegans and Nan and her crew were very cool. I invited them to Regatta. We had fun. They actually didn’t complain at all about the butchery tent because we created a dialogue rather than leaving weak-spirited anonymous posts.
This is a community, not a soapbox for vegetarian ideals. I’m moving on to other more pressing issues.
HAHAHAHAHAHA! Yes!