I picked my first blackberry this week and, in my book, that was the day that summer officially began. A bit late this year, I’ve been obsessed with watching their slow ripening as I walk along the bike path. Are they ready yet? Are they ready yet? I’ve endlessly checked and rechecked my secret berry spots hoping and wishing that I’d arrive one morning and see their pale pink turn into that deep, mysterious shade of purple-black. Nothing is as evocative of summer to me than a blackberry. Summers spent in the mountains foraging for berries with my grandmother, one for me one for the basket, purple teeth and bramble scratches. A blackberry, sort of the ugly step sister of berries to the more regal raspberry or everybody’s favorite, the strawberry. For me, it’s all about the blackberry. More complex, tannic, sour-sweet. Just like they look, they taste darker, of a fruit that should grow among thorns, wild and nostalgic. With my first berries of the season, I thought nothing more appropriate than to put them in what turned out to be an unforgettable rustic cobbler. And to me, that dessert was a summer day. A la mode.
Going coastal
Where I come from, when you go to the beach, you go to the actual beach, sand in the toes and all. Now that I am a Sonoman, when we go to the “beach” what we’re really doing is going to the coast and when we go to the coast, what we’re really doing is going to eat oysters! Two of our favorite coastal oyster experiences are just north of Point Reyes in the little town of Marshall. When we’re feeling lazy and not up to the task of shuckin‘ our own, we always head to the Marshall Store. This little shack perched above the water, surrounded by moored sailboats and barking seals, farms their own and grills them to perfection. Because it’s almost always foggy and cool, we usually go for their warm and gooey oysters Rockefeller served with a massive chunk of artisan-baked bread smeared with a potent, garlicky herb butter. You can grab one of the few seats inside and snuggle up to the grill, but because you cannot consume alcohol on the premises, we always sit alongside 101 on a repurposed wine barrel the owners have thoughtfully provided just inches from their property line, enjoying a b.y.o.b. bottle of bubbly. If we’re felling motivated or just on a raw oyster eating mission, we always reserve a picnic table at Hog Island Oyster Farm. With all the necessary provisions in-hand – strong oyster knife, mignonette, hunk of fresh horseradish root, plenty of sparkling wine and usually a few pieces of cheese and bread – we purchase several dozen and get to shuckin.’ They have grills, which we often fire up, giving the oysters simply a little bath of warm butter. Nothing could be more ideal than soaking in the ocean air, gazing across at Point Reyes’ lush green-ness against the oyster shell sky…a belly full of bivalves. themarshallstore.com or hogislandoysters.com.
Full Moon Barn Dance
We Sonomans know a thing or two about what makes a great summer event. We’re basically bombarded all summer long with invites to this fundraiser or that winery concert. It’s a tough life, but someone has to live it! This week, I received an invite to an event that caused me to stop and say, “Now this truly sounds like an absolutely perfect summer event!” I don’t know if it’s my Southern roots, but I love a good barn dance! On Saturday, August 13, friends of the Ecology Center or 18 Reasons are invited to a “Full Moon Barn Dance” held in the atmospheric barn of a local ranch with real square dancing, games for the kids, live music and delicious food from Mike [the bejkr] and Bi-Rite Market. Local beer and wine will be courtesy of area producers, with homemade sodas from SodaCraft. The event is being hosted by the Sonoma Ecology Center, in conjunction with local realtor HWY 12 Properties and benefits 18 Reasons’ youth programs and the Ecology Center’s Enviro-Leaders Internship Program. 18 Reasons is an organization founded by the owners, and local Sonoma residents, of the fabulous food market in San Francisco, Bi-Rite Market. Camping on the ranch is optional, but sounds like fun! Visit brownpapertickets.com/event/183623 for more information.
On the Menu
Shiso Sushi & Grill hosts a party to celebrate the opening of their outdoor patio and Japanese chef’s garden this Saturday, July 23 from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. with live music and food and drink specials.
• Gloria Ferrer’s “Eighteenth Annual Catalan Festival” is this Saturday, July 23, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Don’t miss this festive celebration of the winery’s Spanish roots and their twenty-fifth anniversary. Guests will enjoy live music, dance, food and wine all in the unique spirit of Catalonia. Purchase tickets in advance for $50 per person by visiting gloriaferrer.com or at the door the day of the event for $55.
• Also on Saturday, July 23, the Sonoma Garden Park hosts their “Summer Pruning Workshop.” During this two-hour class, landscape designer Maile Arnold will discuss summer versus dormant pruning and provide hands-on demonstrations. Attendees should bring their own gloves and pruning tools. The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon, at the Sonoma Garden Park on Seventh Street East and is $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, contact Jessica at 996.0712 extension 110 or email her at jessica@sonomaecologycenter.org. Please make your reservations before July 22.
• Saturday, July 30, Kim Ryals, the founder of the Sonoma-based event management company, From Farm to Table, has partnered with the nonprofit Family Farms of the Coastal Valley and is throwing one heck of a kickoff dinner in the field at West Petaluma’s bucolic Canvas Ranch to celebrate and raise funds. Family Farms of the Coastal Valleys is a fledging group working to support the sustainability of small family farms and ranches, and is also a program of the Education Foundation of Sonoma County. The dinner features a menu sourced directly from Sonoma’s fields and farms and will be expertly prepared by local celebrity chef Duskie Estes, chef-owner of Zazu Restaurant. Find out more information at Fromfarmtotable.com or by calling 256.9409. Tickets are $160 per person and can be purchased through Brownpapertickets.com.
• Alsina Station Grill’s first “Tango and Milonga Night” is Sunday, July 31. Beginning at 5:30 p.m., the newish Argentinian restaurant at Cornerstone is hosting the San Francisco-based Argentine Tango band, Tangonero. The evening sounds like a fabulous opportunity to sit beneath the olive trees, dig into a beautiful, wood-grilled, all-natural steak, while sipping some wonderful Argentinian wines and either watching – or taking part – in the open Tango! Call Alsina at 933.4422 to make reservations. Visit alsinagrill.com or tangonero.com for more information.
Rustic Blackberry Cobbler recipe by Emeril Lagasse
serves 8
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup ice water
6 cups fresh blackberries
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 tablespoons flour
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 scoops vanilla bean ice cream
Fresh mint sprigs
Powdered sugar in shaker
Best quality vanilla ice cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the shortening and work it through with your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time and work the dough until you have a smooth ball. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out until the dough is 1/8-inch thick. Divide the rolled dough in half. Place half the dough in a 9 by 9 by 2-inch square baking pan. Reserve the other half for the top of the cobbler. In a mixing bowl, toss the blackberries with
the sugar, Grand Marnier, and flour. Pour the tossed blackberries into the prepared pan. Top the blackberries with the cubed butter. Lay the reserved crust over the blackberries, tucking the edges down into the pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Place a serving of the cobbler in a shallow bowl and serve with vanilla ice cream. Garnish with mint and powdered sugar. Serve warm with ice cream.
Kristin Viguerie is one of Sonoma’s most passionate, food obsessed residents. In this weekly column, she covers all the delicious happenings, foodie events and restaurants in Sonoma, the rest of Wine Country and beyond. Find her blogging daily as the Cook (thecardiganandcook.com) or via email at foodandwine@sonomasun.com.
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