Dani Wilcox from Farm to Pantry team in the Alexander Valley. Heather Irwin/PD
ON A PRIVATE ESTATE somewhere in the Alexander Valley, I’ve appointed myself Chief Cherry Tomato Tester. “This one’s good,” I’m telling Dani Wilcox, Program Director for Farm to Pantry, a nonprofit food gleaning program that collects 60,000 pounds of produce each year. Still warm from the sun, the golden fruit bursts open with the slightest pressure, releasing sweet, sour juice that’s better than any candy and exactly nothing like a grocery tomato.
Gleaned heirloom tomatoes donated from the Farm to Pantry team in the Alexander Valley. Heather Irwin/PD
With Wilcox and Gwen Garloff, program assistant for the Healdsburg-based program, today’s gleaning targets include Truett-Hurst’s winery garden and a private residence to collect tomatoes of all stripes — from the tiny Sungolds and massive Oxhearts to Romas, Brandywines and wee red Teardrops. In the mix are also early apples, a few stray squashes, the last of some hot peppers and just a handful of leftover strawberries that will go to a nonprofit meal assistance program.
Gleaning is a fancy word for gathering the leftovers of a harvest, bit by bit. It’s an ancient practice to collect every bit of food, but has made a comeback in recent years as the cost of nutritious, fresh, organic produce has skyrocketed and food waste has hit an all-time high.
Gleaning with the Farm to Pantry team at Truett-Hurst Winery in the Alexander Valley. Heather Irwin/PD
Since 2008, Farm to Pantry has collected more than 170 tons of produce that is distributed weekly to 23 local organizations that provide food to low-income and in-need residents. Founded by Melita Love, the grassroots organization uses volunteers to collect surplus produce throughout the year.
It’s an arduous process, but intensely rewarding as our small team gently treads through impeccably maintained rows of vegetables and fruits that have continued to produce, and produce, and produce throughout the long summer. Though Wilcox and Garloff collect throughout the winter and summer with volunteers and school children, the peak season of harvest is clearly getting close. Though clearly we’re not the first to have come through picking produce, tomatoes hang heavy on the vine, eager for harvest.
Gwen Garloff weighing food with the Farm to Pantry team in the Alexander Valley. Heather Irwin/PD
Sometimes it isn’t quite clear if something is ripe enough, which is where I’m eager to volunteer. A green apple, not so ripe. A few green tomatoes, not at all ripe. But finding those perfect specimens right from the vine at their red carpet moment? There’s nothing in the world like it. A few smushed and broken veggies get thrown to the goats who are eagerly standing by to test whatever fruit we don’t need.
After three hours in the August sun, it’s time to call it a day. We’ve gathered more than 100 pounds of produce that’s more perfect than anything you could buy at a store, and that would have otherwise gone to waste. With itchy arms, tingly fingers (we did pick a few Scotch bonnet peppers) and stray leaves in our hair, it’s been a good glean.
Wilcox and Garloff will begin again next week (they glean Tuesday through Thursday) responding to calls from some of the world’s most exclusive wineries, estates, farms and wherever else they’re invited to pick, pluck and collect, all for the benefit of those who need it most.
If you’re interested in volunteering or learning more about Farm to Pantry, go to farmtopantry.org for details
Gravlax cured salmon with mustard dill sauce at Stockhome Restaurant in Petaluma. heather irwin/PD
My family was recently rocked by a scandalous and shocking test result that will forever change our lives — our DNA turns out to be 52 percent Scandinavian. We are not blonde, we have no particular affinity toward meatballs and only occasionally shop at Ikea. The signs were always there, though — my mother’s dallying with pickled herring in the 1970s, the fact that as children, my brother and I could do a spot-on imitation of the Swedish Chef from the Muppets and a suspicion that lingonberry runs in our blood.
Turns out more of us with English heritage (up to 12 percent, according to Ancestry.com) can trace our lineage to the glacial lakes, forest and fjords than we expected. Blame the marauding Vikings — or don’t — but at least now you can experience a bit of Motherland cuisine right here in Sonoma County, no matter where your DNA says you’re from.
Stockhome Restaurant is a collaboration between husband and wife team Roberth and Andrea Sundell, who own the upscale Swedish restaurant Plaj in San Francisco. After living in Petaluma for years with their kids, the couple decided to open a walk-up cafe featuring unfussy family favorites closer to home. Open just two weeks, the restaurant has become a neighborhood hub, mixing Turkish and Mediterranean street food found in the larger cities of Sweden with homey classics like Swedish meatballs, pickled herring and Swedish pancakes on the menu — all of it with a few nods to California as well. Consider it the United Nations of local dining.
Lamb and Beef kebab plate with garlic yogurt at Stockhome Restaurant in Petaluma. heather irwin/PD
Fun fact: Though kabobs, schwarma and kofta seem a world away from the smoked salmon and rye bread usually associated with Scandinavian cuisine, Sweden actually has a long history of assimilation of Middle Eastern foods. Less than a month ago, the world was shocked to find out that the recipe for Swedish meatballs was actually brought from Turkey to Sweden by the exiled King Charles XII in the early 18th century, according to the country’s national Twitter account. But who’s cornered the market on the Swedish meatball? Ikea, the Swedish furniture company that sells more than 2 million per day, according to its website? Take that, Turkey.
The interior is the bright, classic Swedish minimalist look you’d expect, with cornflower blue paint outside welcoming you into a large open room with clean lines, long group tables and vintage Josef Frank floral wallpaper — something most Swedes immediately recognize from their childhoods, according to my co-worker and dining partner, Sofia, who, with my other co-worker, Annika, are both Stockholm natives.
Meal at Stockhome restaurant in Petaluma. Courtesy photo, Elise Aileen Photography.
Wherever you’re from and wherever you’re going, there’s one thing we can all agree on, and that’s tasty food. Combining the flavors and presentation of a fine dining experience in a casual environment, the Sundells have nailed a need that’s long existed in Sonoma County — where grownups and kids can both enjoy a solid meal with flavors both familiar and exotic. The bonus: The Swedish tradition of lördagsgodis, wherein kids are allowed candy only on Saturday, but can then indulge in as much as they want, is alive and well here, with tempting jars filled with Plopp! chocolates, gummy fish and (be warned) spicy salted licorice candy that only a Swede could love.
Best Bets
How did the food stack up with the Swedes? Both Annika and Sofia said the food was pretty spot on. I think I noticed a few little tears in their stoic Nordic eyes when we ate the pickled herring, but they’d never admit it. I’ve noted their favorites.
Street Food
Shrimp skagen at Stockhome Restaurant in Petaluma. heather irwin/PD
Korv Kiosk (hot dog stand) Tunnbrod Rulle ($9): This is serious post-drinking food, because no sober person would put a smoked German sausage, mashed potatoes, ketchup, mustard, iceberg lettuce and tomatoes inside a rolled Swedish flatbread. But somehow it’s delicious no matter what your inebriation status. Swedes approve.
Lamb and Beef Kebab Plate ($14): Thin slices of juicy lamb and beef are topped with a light tomato sauce and a side of garlic yogurt. “A lot of our Swedish friends tasted this to make sure it was right,” said Roberth. Served with fries or saffron rice, it’s a hearty portion of tender meat far better than your usual gyro fare. Swedes approved.
Small Plates
Roasted eggplant dip with pita bread at Stockhome Restaurant in Petaluma. heather irwin/PD
Celery Root Gratin with Wrangeback Cheese ($8): This dish is all about the sharp, herby raw cow’s milk cheese that’s melty in some spots and nicely crisped and caramelized in others. Thin slices of celery root are merely a transmission system for the cheese, butter and milk that make this so intensely addictive.
Grilled Stone Fruits ($9): Impossibly simple, perfectly seasonal nectarines get the lightest of grills, tossed with chewy barley and tart pomegranate molasses.
Shrimp Skagen ($12): The traditional Swedish shrimp salad on toast gets a California twist, made with bits of brioche toast, avocado, olive oil and chili. A refreshing small plate you won’t really want to share. Swedes approve.
Larger Dishes
Plank steak with duchess potatoes, tomato, asparagus and Bearnaise sauce at Stockhome Restaurant in Petaluma. heather irwin/PD
Plank Steak ($24): Literally a steak on a wooden plank. It arrives with an aggressive-looking upright knife stabbed into the center of the steak. Swedes are impressed and say this is very Old School childhood memory kind of food. Served with piped “Duchess” potatoes, asparagus, grilled tomato and Bearnaise sauce — a classic French tarragon cream sauce that’s a bit of a rarity anymore, but such a perfect pairing with steak.
Wienerschnitzel ($24): Most Americans make this with pounded pork — and its nothing like the velvety texture of veal, used in this version. If you’re looking for the most authentic version of this luxury dish, you’ve found it. Tiny roasted potatoes with English peas, capers and loads of butter may be one of the best sides I’ve had in recent memory.
Meatballs and mashed potatoes at Stockhome restaurant. Photo courtesy of www.newrevmedia.com
Mashed Potato Bowl ($18): Every Swede has a secret meatball recipe, and Roberth is no exception. His grandmother’s recipe is rich with clove and spices, with tender meat atop fluffy mashed potatoes and a delicate brown gravy. Of course there are lingonberries and pickled cucumbers. A pork cheek and mushroom or salmon version is also available, but really, come on, meatballs! Swedes were split on this one.
Swedish Pancakes ($7): I know my Swedish pancakes, because I’ve been making them on Sunday mornings for the past 15 years. Mine are sweeter, these are eggier, both are way better than French crepes by a long shot. With a scoop of vanilla whipped cream and berries, they’re indulgent, though I love mine with just lemon, butter and powdered sugar — a suggested variance? Swede approved.
Overall: A great family-friendly cafe with something for everyone. The kids’ menu will satisfy the young ones, while a nice beer and wine list (and excellent food) make the grown-ups happy. No matter where you’re from, you’re an honorary Swede at Stockhome.
Details: 220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707-981-8511, stockhomerestaurant.com. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 11a.m. to 9p.m.
If you’re looking to restyle your end-of-summer return to work or school, here are some stunners. Nothing restyles your look quicker than a new bag. Meet the work of local handbag makers, all right here in Sonoma County.
What a debt of gratitude we owe our sweet pets! Our sometime lap cats and our unfailingly loyal dogs, who follow us to every corner of the house, can certainly make us feel very special.
You can put your dollars to work at these Sonoma stores and events that support the well-being of our furry friends, many of whom aren’t lucky enough to have humans to follow around and be fed by—click through the above gallery for details.
çine Murphy of Birmingham, England tours Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve in Guerneville, Tuesday May 1, 2018. (Kent Porter / The Press Democrat) 2018
Already nostalgic for BottleRock Napa Valley or the Huichica Music Festival? It turns out the Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods — yes, you read that right — have a cure for your Wine Country music festival blues.
In fact, their antidote might be even better.
The nonprofit in charge of caring for some of Sonoma County’s most beloved outdoor treasures — think Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, Austin Creek State Recreation Area and Sonoma Coast State Park — is partnering with the Save the Redwoods League and Bay Area event producer Noise Pop to bring iconic ’90s indie rockers Built to Spill to Sonoma County for the most perfectly indie rock performance your five senses have ever experienced.
The show, set for Sept. 16 (doors at 5 p.m.), will take place at dusk in the historic WPA-built Armstrong Redwoods Forest Theater just north of Guerneville. The outdoor venue features log benches surrounded by a thick canopy of redwood trees, including the Parson Jones tree, which measures in as the tallest in the grove at more than 310 feet, and the Colonel Armstrong Tree, estimated to be more than 1,400 years old.
Tickets range in price from $40-75. Grab yours before they’re gone here.
Have Spotify? Check out music by Built to Spill here.
We love any excuse to escape to the coast — from Marin to Mendocino — and, of course, Sonoma! Whether it is to reward ourselves with a local beer after a long day of hiking or biking, or toast to a special occasion as the sun sets, a cocktail with a coastal view never gets old. Click through the gallery above to discover our favorite coastal bars.
Sure, the North Bay has plenty of lovely patios, but how about an amazing view and great food to boot? Not quite as easy. We’ve culled through our favorites and created a carefully curated list of spots where you can dole out some serious cheddar (that’s seriously worth it) or just bundle up with a plate of tacos by the bay. In Wine Country, you don’t necessarily have to spend a mint for a million dollar view. Click through the gallery for all the details.
Alex Moore jumps into the pool at the San Francisco North / Petaluma KOA campground on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 in Petaluma, California. (BETH SCHLANKER/ The Press Democrat)
At first thought, camping in wine country sounds like the perfect way to relax and unwind. What’s not to like about playing in the shade of redwoods, and falling asleep under the stars? But before you get to the good stuff, first you need to find your gear, pack the car, pitch your tent, and if you’re traveling with kids, be ready to entertain during all waking moments. Right about when you go to sleep – on the ground – you remember camping is a lot of work.
That is, unless you’re experiencing the great outdoors in Sonoma County, at the San Francisco North/Petaluma KOA.
“If you want to rough it, we’re not for you,” said co-owner Pauline Wood.
Built in 1972, the 60-acre family-owned and operated campground resort is high end, but still Sonoma County country. Bathrooms and showers scattered throughout the resort are lined with granite. The camp store sells s’mores fixings alongside a varied selection of Sonoma County wines and craft beers.
If part of your family bonding experience requires sleeping on the ground, there are 38 tent campsites that deliver. More than 200 sites (many of them beautifully landscaped) are dedicated to travel trailers and RVs. But it’s the 60 accommodations at the Petaluma resort that make for a unique wine country glamping experience. Deluxe Cabins or Lodges come with kitchens or kitchenettes, bathrooms, and sleep up to six people. Studios sleep four, and offer perks including bathrooms, microwaves, toasters and small refrigerators.
Camping cabins are a bit more rustic, but still cozy, with a full bed, a set of bunk beds, and room outside to set up a tent. All accommodations have a television and there’s Wi-Fi throughout the resort, but the variety means there’s something for just about every family’s needs and budget.
Sleeping well means kids (and kids at heart) have plenty of energy to get the most out of long, summer days. Family-friendly amenities are plentiful and complimentary. In addition to outdoor games like cornhole, horse shoes, and bocce ball, there’s a pool, playground, jumping pillow, (it’s like a massive trampoline) rock wall and petting zoo. (The San Francisco North/Petaluma KOA Camping Resort is home to 100 animals ranging from cows and goats to sheep and miniature donkeys.) Hayrides roll through camp in the evening, and everyone is invited to Karaoke on Friday nights, and the poolside dance party on Saturdays.
For campers looking to spend days exploring wine country, concierges can help arrange everything from wine tastings and dinner reservations, to providing directions to nearby Lagunitas Brewing Company.
Depending on accommodations, rates range from $100 to $300 per night. Tent site average costs are $50 to $80. Midweek tends to be quieter with more availability. Friendly dogs are welcome. 20 Rainsville Road, Petaluma, 707-763-1492, koa.com/campgrounds/san-francisco/
If you can pull the kids away from the pool long enough to dry off, here are few other family friendly things to check out in Petaluma.
Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory: Visit the factory floor and see how stickers are made at Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory. Tours run Monday through Thursday at 10:00am, 11:00am, 1:00pm and 2:00pm. Each tour is approximately 50 minutes, and includes free stickers. Admission: $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for kids age 3 to 11, under 3 are free. Reservations are required, no walk-ins. 3810 Cypress Drive, Petaluma, 707-765-8554, mrsgrossmans.com.
Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue: Public guided tours of the Sonoma County Wildlife Rescue are held on Saturdays, May through September, at 12:00pm and 2pm. (October through April, there is a tour at 2pm only.) Tours include a bag of pick your own produce from the organic Wildlife Education Garden. Admission: $25 adults and teens, $10 for kids age 4 to 12, under 4 are free. Reservations are recommended; tours can fill. 403 Mecham Road, Petaluma, 707-992-0274, scwildliferescue.org
Lala’s Creamery: Flavors the likes of Rocky Road, Salted Caramel, Banana Peanut Butter Fudge, and White Chocolate Blackberry Swirl are made using local organic Strauss dairy products. Dairy-free/vegan treats are made with coconut milk. Even the waffle cones and sauces are made from scratch. 134 Petaluma Blvd N, Petaluma, 707-763-5252, lalascreamery.com.
Gyro at Yia Yia – The Grateful Greek in Penngrove. Heather Irwin, PD
“OK, ready?” asks Chef Chris Adams-Albrecht as he smashes down a hunk of saganaki on the flattop grill.
The Greek cheese has lacy, browned edges as it starts oozing into a puddle of yum, ready for its red-carpet moment. I brace myself as a squirt of brandy goes on top and hold my breath in the bantam-weight kitchen of YiaYia’s The Grateful Greek in Penngrove. OK, I’m ready.
Click, click, whoosh! Adams-Albrecht lights the whole thing on fire, resulting in a 2-foot ball of flames and rush of heat that threatens every eyebrow in the room. As this is a Greek restaurant, the requisite Opa! is yelled, and a stream of lemon juice puts the whole cheese inferno out.
Now that’s how you do saganaki.
The former Yanni’s Sausage Grill, which has always been little more than a counter and a compact kitchen, has become one of Sonoma County’s best Greek restaurants. Possibly its only Greek restaurant at this moment, but that’s beside the point. Owners Tom Adams and Dr. Thea Robb have converted the onetime sausage factory into a takeout-only gyro spot with a Sonoma County spin.
Popi’s Flaming Cheese at Yia Yia – The Grateful Greek in Penngrove. Heather Irwin, PD
Chris, who is owner Tom Adams’ nephew, mans the kitchen. A former Yanni’s chef who yearned to open a Greek restaurant of his own, he’s worked (literally) day and night to get the menu on par with his grandma’s recipes. That means everything from soup to the gyro meat has to be made by hand. The family comes from what Tom Adams jokingly refers to as local “Spiritual Royalty,” with his grandfather as the founding priest of Novato’s Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox church. You get the picture pretty quickly that the family doesn’t take Greek food lightly, especially when grandma’s well-worn church cookbook (“Greek Cookery Marin,” compiled by the Ladies Philoptochos Society of Nativity of Christ Greek Orthodox Church) has a place of honor in the kitchen and is bookmarked in several places.
“This is a family place,” says Thea, who attended Sonoma State University and returned with husband Tom from southern California recently. “We want you to feel like you’re eating in someone’s kitchen,” she adds. That’s not really difficult, because when you’re ordering, you’re pretty much standing inside the restaurant kitchen.
Tom Adams and Thea Rabb, owners of Yia Yia – The Grateful Greek in Penngrove. Heather Irwin, PD
Each of the menu items is named after a family member — from Brother Bill’s GBLT (Greek bacon lettuce and tomato sandwich, favored by Tom’s Penngrove firefighter brother) to Tom’s Burger (Thea says her husband eats at least six a week and demanded there be one on the menu) to Popi’s Flaming Cheese, named for grandma.
It’s the gyro, however, that really puts the restaurant on the map. Made with a combination of beef and lamb, Chef Chris cooks it sous vide (basically a Cryovac-sealed meatloaf that’s cooked by circulating water). A technique often used by high-end chefs, it creates tender meat that’s given a crisping on the grill before slipping into a pita with its best friend, tzatziki (a cucumber yogurt sauce). This isn’t that rotating loaf of mystery meat imported from the far-off land of Chicago, where most pressed gyro is made. Instead, it’s the real-deal gyro made one loaf at a time in a tiny Penngrove kitchen.
The crew won’t laugh at you too much if you walk in and butcher the name gyro (pronounced yee-row, not ji-row) because really, it’s about sharing a passion for Greek food served up with a side of Opa!
Best Bets
One thing to know is that there are many “secret” menu items at YiaYia’s The Grateful Greek. You can find some of them at their Instagram account @thegratefulgreek. One to definitely try is the “Zeus,” a gyro with French fries on top.
King Christo’s The Grateful Greek Gyro, $9.95: This is what you’re here for. So just shut up and order it already.
Tom’s Burger, $9.95: Hat’s off to Tom, because this is one of the best burgers we’ve found lately. Made with a third-pound of fresh ground beef, there’s nothing fancy, but the luxe bun and piles of farm-fresh produce make it destination-worthy. The secret (we think) is all the gyro goodness that soaks into the flattop and brings this burger to life.
Popi’s Flaming Cheese at Yia Yia – The Grateful Greek in Penngrove. Heather Irwin, PD
Thea Thea’s Greek Salad, $7.75: You know that sad Greek salad with unripe tomatoes, bitter oregano and way too much olive oil you get at the salad bar? This is the opposite. Plump, juicy garden tomatoes, crisp fresh cucumber, red onion, fresh feta and a little bit of lemon juice and olive oil make this one divinely inspired. I even liked the Kalamata olives, and I’m not an olive fan.
Popi’s Flaming Cheese, $8.25: You had me at the buttered Italian bread, but the aforementioned fire show and salty, tart, crispy, melty cheese stuffed between two slices? Is it possible to marry a sandwich? Eat it immediately, because the ooey-gooey goodness is fleeting.
Fries, $3.75 to $4.75: Hand cut wedges fried within an inch of their lives, salted and topped with roasted garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, parsley and feta. These aren’t fries, these are a lifestyle choice that we all need to make.
If you go
The restaurant serves the nearby Penngrove Pub, and you can grab a pint and sit outside on the patio or have it delivered inside. Serious drinking food by the people that pretty much invented drinking.
Yanni’s sausage sandwiches are also available on request, you know, just for a little Greek continuity.
Details: 10007 Main St., Penngrove, 707-664-5442. Open Wednesday through Sunday from 11a.m. to 6p.m., website.
The annual Gravenstein Apple Fair takes place this weekend, August 11 and 12, at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol. Celebrating its 45th year, the apple fest hosted by Sonoma County Farm Trails is well-known for old-fashioned fun that includes everything from farm animals, and arts and crafts booths, to apple pie baking and eating contests. But the annual bash is gaining fans for its varied selection of artisan adult beverages. This year, fair-goers can choose from more than 35 Sonoma County wines, 17 ciders and 6 microbrews, all in one oak-shaded park. In other words, it’s hard to go wrong, no matter what you decide to fill your glass with. Click through the gallery for a preview of some of the delicious drinks on tap. Then get your fair tickets!
Admission to the Gravenstein Apple Fair: $15 adults (ages 13 and older), $12 adults who bike to the fair, $12 seniors and veterans, $10 kids (age 6 to 12), free for kids 5 and under. Advance tickets are available at discounted rates at all Copperfield’s Books locations, Harmony Farm Supply and Nursery, and Oliver’s Markets. Entrance to the Artisan Tasting Lounge is $20, in addition to fair admission. Drinks served in the Craft Cider Tent, Microbrew Tent, and Wine Tent cost $6. gravensteinapplefair.com
