A Mediterranean Feast in a Vineyard !

   Awhile back,when I was visiting Santa Barbara,I was wondering what activities I could do that would be fun. The thought came to me to check out local cookbook author and cooking instructor  Pascale Beal's website ,where she lists her cooking class schedule. Pascale was raised in England and spent her summers in France,learning to cook French food from her mother and grandmother. Although a lot of her classes are held in her home,of which I have taken a couple, I noticed that she was going to be creating a picnic lunch to be held outdoors in the Zaca Mesa vineyard,which is in the Santa Inez Valley, a beautiful hilly area behind Santa Barbara. That being my supreme cup of tea,I immediately signed up and I think I may have gotten the last spot !
   The drive out there was beautiful, taking the winding roads up into the Oak Tree filled hills, going past pastoral vineyards lined with rose bushes out in front.
   Pascale and her friendly helpers were at the serene vineyard site to greet our group of eight. She  was cutting into a gorgeous, rectangular Mediterranean Quiche filled with onions,mushrooms,zucchini,eggs,cheeses,and tarragon,and the other ladies were tossing the gorgeous salads !

Along with the quiche,we indulged in a Mache and Pluot Salad (a pluot is a cross between a plum and an apricot) with an Herb and Pesto Vinaigrette..., Little Herb Tomatoes..., Roasted Carrots with Spices in a Herb Yogurt Sauce..., and a Couscous Salad with  Fresh Apricots.The hungry guests introduced themselves to one another,coming from various locales in California, and we listened to a representative from Zaca Mesa Winery tell us about the wines they were serving with our picnic feast.

For dessert we had sweet,but not too sweet Banana-Date Cake with a Mixed Berry Salad, that had orange juice and mint leaves added, along with Vanilla Cream.....a perfect ending to our delicious lunch !
   The combination of the beauty of the vineyard, the scrumptiousness of Pascale's Mediterranean cooking,and the camaraderie of the guests made me feel like I had died and gone to Heaven ! Woooweee ! We each received a signed copy of Pascale's "Spring" Cookbook ,which Haleluia had the picnic recipes inside, and we could  also  purchase more cookbooks if we had wanted to !
   If you are ever in the Santa Barbara,California area, check out www.pascaleskitchen.com for a schedule of her cooking classes, the lovely kitchen and food items she sells, her  gorgeous seasonal cookbooks ,and her entertaining writings about cuisine ! She has a new cookbook out called "Salade" which is overflowing with beautiful salad recipes !
   P.S. Santa Barbara is one of the most beautiful cities in the world....Mediterranean architecture, purple Jacaranda trees,Bird of Paradise flowers lining the main State Street,the azule Pacific Ocean.....well, you get the picture ! Just one of God's beautiful and incredible creations !!

Thank you Pascale, Sherry, and all the others who helped to create this fabulous cuisine and a memorable experience ! You are truly using and sharing the gifts,talents,and passions that God has blessed you with, to bless others and me ! Au Revoir et que Dieu vous benise !

P.P.S. I  hope God is recreating France in Heaven...because I reeeeally want to spend a billion years there...learning to cook from French mothers and grandmothers too...before moving on to Italy !!

Back in the Day Bakery and Sananna

On the third day,we drove into Savanna to walk around the city,exploring the streets,nooks,crannies,and the sites.Our first stop was the bakery called "Back in the Day".This bakery was created by Cheryl and Griff, a husband and wife team. He bakes the delicious breads and she bakes the sweets. The interior design was whimsical with lots of pink,baby blue,and turquoise colors.There was a chandelier made of marshmallows, old-fashioned signs hung on the walls and there were were cute dishes and stripped drinking straws for sale. I had a delicious chicken salad sandwich on the best rosemary foccacia bread I've ever had ! My only regret was that I didn't have one of their sweets for dessert ! What was I thinking ?!!

Savanna is a charming town.Some areas have old cobblestone roads.We enjoyed exploring the streets and discovering interesting shops and restaurants. I loved a French store that was filled with treasures from France on two levels.There was a tiny,adorable fabric store where some of the ladies bought fabric to use in their food photography.I found Georgia peach jam and grits in a darling chocolate store.We peeked in Paula Dean's "The Lady and Son's" restaurant and went next door to her lovely gift shop,filled with kitchen items and souvenirs from Savanna.
   Many of the trees had moss hanging from them There were gas lamps,reminiscent of yesteryear.Savanna is located on the Savanna River.One of our gals saw a huge 7 story yacht pull into port there ! I wonder who owns it ?!!

Saint Simons Island Food Photography Workshop

Greetings Friends…..
   In November I had the fun experience of attending the Saint Simons Island,Georgia  Food Photography Workshop,with Food Photographer,Author,and Blogger Helene DuJardin,Chef John,Assistant Libby,and 11 other participants.
   The first night inside a lovely rented home,we sat in a circle, introduced ourselves and talked about our interests or professions in relation to food photography. There were food photographers,a cookbook author,a wedding photographer,and others beginning to explore food photography like myself.I am writing a cookbook now and hope to include my photography in it.
   The second day, six of us listened to Helene talk about food photography,and we made tartines (open faced sandwiches) which we photographed outside by the swimming pool.The other six participants were inside the house photographing Chef John as he made homemade gnocchi.We switched locations in the afternoon. Helene had brought loads of ingredients for us to choose from like cucumbers,heirloom cherry tomatoes,parsley,peas,ect.,ect. Here is a picture of Helene making her tartine and a photo of my tartine with hummus,a watermelon radish slice,cucumber slices,peas,parsley,and a heirloom cherry tomato. These would be fun to make with friends at a casual lunch,tea party,or with children.

                                                            Tartines

Sliced bread of your choice
Hummus-any flavor
Mayonaise
nut butter
jam
cucumber
celery
sprouts
olives
tomatoes
radishes
watermelon radishes
peas
raisins
nuts
apples
meats
safe,edible flowers
whatever else you think of !

   
   Slice your veggies and fruits thin.A mandoline works great for making beautiful slices.Lay them out on dishes or on a cutting board.Spread your piece of bread with your choice of spreads.Choose the goodies that you want and layer them on top.Make an artistic creation ! Eat and enjoy !!
                          Isn't the variety of foods AMAZING that God has created for us !
                                        Jesus (Yeshua) loves you and so do I !

Girlfriends,Fun,and Grilled Veggies !!

"Girls just want to have fu- un !" Oh yes ! Our group,the Beach Bunnies does a lot of zany adventures,from being a lawn chair drill team in a parade in Aptos,to renting antique cars and driving them down 17 Mile Drive,to going to a street dance and pet parades,you name it ! One of our Bunnies was having a very special birthday,so after taking her out to lunch at a restaurant on Cannery Row,we went across the street to a shop that was filled with Old West costumes ! We chose costumes from saloon girls,to proper ladies,to Annie Oakley garb and had our photograph taken ! We probably laughed for a solid hour !! Here you can see a photo of some of our better sides !
   There's a picture of some of us in Carmel right before we sat down to eat outdoors on the charming patio of a restaurant called Portabella.You can watch the people walking by on Ocean Street as you dine there.For dessert,we shared an apricot bread pudding that was rich and scrumptious ! I would suggest sharing desserts in Carmel,as they are so delicious and one shouldn't have too much sugar ! Here you can also see "Bella and Fifi " in the kitchen,having just prepared grilled marinated flank steak,grilled summer vegetables,wild rice with dried apricots and toasted pine nuts,and a baby greens salad with oranges,blueberries,walnuts,and shaved parmesan cheese,with a champagne vinagrette dressing ! Ooooweeee !

                                               Grilled Summer Vegetables

zucchini squash,green and yellow,or other types of squash
bell peppers,green,red,yellow,orange
eggplant
whole garlic cloves
red or yellow onions
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
fresh herbs,basil,parsley,or tarragon

   Wash and slice the squash and eggplant about 1/3 inch thick, the peppers in 1 1/2 inch strips,and the onions about in 1/2 inch slices.Put all the vegetables in a large bowl.Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over all.Add salt and fresh ground pepper.Get your hands in there and toss until all the veggies are coated.The veggies may now be cooked in a large skillet on the stove (two skillets if needed),or they may be placed on an indoor iron grill stove top,or cooked on the bar-b-que.Some people use a grill basket for the bar-b-que.Watch carefully and turn the veggies over when they have grill marks or some browning on one side,and cook the other side until charred a little.Place the veggies on a pretty platter or bowl.A little balsamic vinegar may be drizzled on top,as well as a sprinkling of chopped  fresh basil,parsley,or tarragon.Place a sprig of basil on the side to decorate.

   love.....Having a friend or a group of friends is on of the healthiest things we can do.We laugh together, support and council one another in good times and bad,pray for each other,and spend time together.If you don't have a friend or a group of loving,wise friends,I would suggest attending a church,going to a class,a Bible study,a singles or couples group, or doing activities with people who share your interests.No man is an island,we can't do life alone.We need other people to help us stay on the straight and narrow road,to help keep us healthy,and to laugh with......hee hee !

                                  Well,adieu for now...Jesus loves you and so do I !

 


 

More Carmel Fun !

 Carmel is a quaint little village like town,where the shops and restaurants have cute European exteriors and interiors.The gorgeous ocean with it's silky white sand is just a few blocks down the hill.
   One of our MUST HAVE visits is to a wonderful French/Mediterranean restaurant called Casanova !! It was formerly a rustic little house,now converted to a Provencal-like restaurant with a charming patio. There are intimate tables with French linens on them,a  3 cherub fountain that softly gurgles,colorful lights strung around,and a private room where rests a wooden table that Vincent Van Gogh had been seated at in Provence,France.