My husband and I recently decided to do a spur-of-the-moment mid-week trip to Lake Tahoe.  He had bought new ski gear and we decided to go up and spend a few relaxing days in the snow. 

 On the way up, we encountered some harsh driving conditions, but we made it through.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel opened in a remote area of the Northstar resort in 2009.  It is absolutely gorgeous and plush.  And they have great mid-week rates.  The rooms have gas fireplaces and our room had a beautiful snowy mountain view.  There were several wonderful seating areas with fireplaces in the lounge. 

It snowed on our way up and during our first night there.  The conditions were ideal for skiing with light, powdery snow. 

Although the snow was tempting, the spa was calling my name.  A manicure and a pedicure instead of bundling up and braving the cold?  Sure thing!

We never had to leave the hotel during our stay.  There were three restaurant choices and all were good.  The Manzanita dining room was fantastic.  There we dined on cabbage soup, roasted beet salad, seared scallops with truffled potatoes and braised short ribs. 

It was a lovely mini-vacation and leaving there was difficult.  We have been checking our calendars for another date and time for a mid-week excursion before the snow melts. 

We just recently returned from Provence where the focus of our Getaway was truffles!  Black Perigord (tuber melanosporum) truffles, to be exact.   We had a fun, energetic group and an active agenda for the week. 

During our Truffle Getaway,  we stayed in a gorgeously-remodeled farmhouse in the Luberon area of Provence, near the village of Goult.  This farmhouse features five bedrooms, all with private bathrooms, a chef’s kitchen, a swimming pool, a luxurious living room with fireplace, a formal dining room and lovely grounds. 

 To start the week off, we went for a truffle hunt with a farmer and his dog, Griselle.  Griselle found about a dozen truffles in the span of half an hour.  What fun it was to see her start digging and then watch the farmer move in with his special truffle tool to complete the extraction of the truffle from the hole.  Afterward, we watched an educational video about truffles and then enjoyed a hearty dish of scrambled eggs loaded with black melanosporum truffles. 

Each day, we enjoyed spectacular truffle meals, both at home and in local restaurants.  We also had special demonstrations on truffles and got to taste several different varieties in order to understand the differences.   

We also cooked with a French chef and dined on our creations – brandade with truffles, chicken fricasee with truffled mashed potatoes and sauteed artichokes, and pineapple carpaccio and kiwi fruit with truffles.   

We ate local cheeses, some with truffles and some not.  We tasted local wines and olive oils. 

We shopped at the local markets and ate favorite regional specialties, such as saucissons, Provencal olives, tappenade, pickled garlic, and anchovy aioli. 

Did I mention that we  had fabulous meals prepared for us both in restaurants and at the farmhouse, too?   

I can hardly wait to do it again next year.

For more information and pictures from our truffle week, check out the Fresh Local and Best blog site.

A very special event, Les Printemps de Chateauneuf-du-Pape, is coming up on April 10th & 11th in France.  This event is being organized by the young winemakers in the Chateauneuf-du-Pape region.   The event will showcase wines from 60 wine makers in Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  One of the biggest attractions is that there will be a chance to taste old vintage Chateauneuf-du-Pape wines.  In fact, there will be stations set up that focus on old vintage wines, on terroir, on the different grape varietals in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, and on food and wine pairings.  Sixty bottles of Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine will be given away in a lottery fashion to ticket-holders. 

I will be organizing a trip for a small group to attend so contact me right away if you have an interest in going with us.

It has been raining - actually, storming would be more accurate – this entire week in Sausalito.  However, even through the rain, the presence of sunshine is in my yard in the form of gorgeous yellow Meyer lemons.

Meyer lemons grow year-round here.   They seem to really thrive on the weather in Sausalito.  Meyer lemons are a cross between lemons and sweet oranges and have a mild flavor that is sweeter than more common lemons, such as Eurekas.   I use them in both sweet and savory dishes.  They are extremely versatile and highly fragrant.  A bowl of Meyer lemons sitting on your countertop with give a delicate, citrus fragrance to your kitchen.

One of my favorite ways in which to use Meyer lemons is in this Meyer Lemon Pecan Shortbread Squares recipe.  This recipe is so simple yet memorable and delicious.  This makes a fantastic pairing with a double cappuccino or espresso. 

Ingredients
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature + 1 teaspoon for pan
2 cups plain unbleached flour
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
Zest of 2 Meyer lemons
½ cup toasted pecans

You will also need:
Large casserole or baking dish (approx. 13×9×2”)
Microplaner or zester
Mixer

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325oF.

Butter the baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar together in the mixer at medium speed until they are fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Reduce the speed of the mixer and add the flour, salt and cornmeal. Mix until just incorporated. Stir in the zest and the toasted pecans.

Pour the mixture (it should still be crumbly, but moist) into the prepared baking dish. Press it down with your hands until it is even in the dish. Make decorative patterns with the prongs of a fork, if desired. Bake for approx. 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove the pan from the oven. Let the shortbread cool for about 5 minutes. Loosen the sides of the shortbread from the dish and cut into pieces. Do not remove from the pan for another 15-20 minutes, when much cooler and set. Remove carefully from the baking pan. Eat immediately or store for up to three days in an airtight container.

Makes about 2 dozen squares.

One of my favorite treats this time of year is local Dungeness crab. Dungeness crab is the most abundant type of crab in California.  It is found primarily in Northern California.  Dungeness crab has a reddish brown shell with a white underside and white-tipped pincers.   It is one of the largest edible crabs found along the Pacific Coast of America.    

Dungeness crab is meaty and sweet.  I love cracked Dungeness crab – it is so worth the work required to pull the crabmeat out of the shells.  During crab season, I order it at least once a week at Fish Restaurant in Sausalito.  Their crab is the best I have ever tasted, and I don’t like to eat it anywhere else.  In addition to chilled cracked crab, Fish makes an unbelievable crab cioppino and also gingered crab that is served over linguini.  At times, they also have crab tacos (my husband’s favorite) and a crab potpie.   

At Fish, I know that the crab that I order, as well as the fish, are all sustainably-fished.    This is important to me and I’m willing to pay a little more for it.  And I love that the Dungeness crab is sourced locally, as is Fish’s fresh produce.   

Fish Restaurant is located at 350 Harbor Drive in Sausalito, California.  Note that Fish takes cash only and has an ATM machine onsite.

Finding Bordeaux spinach at Everything Under the Sun’s farmstand at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market was a nice surprise this morning .  Bordeaux spinach has beautiful red stems and veins and dark green leaves that are shaped like tattered arrowheads.  I find it to be sweeter than traditional spinach.  You can use it in salads to provide a burst of color and flavor.  You can also use it the way you would use traditional spinach – in soups, sautéed or wilted, but the stems do tend to lose their red color when cooked. As in traditional spinach, the Bordeaux spinach is it is rich in Vitamins A and C, beta-carotene and dietary fiber.  The growing season for this spinach is short, so snap it up whenever you find it.  One of my favorite ways to use it is in a simple salad with winter fruits, nuts and goat cheese.

Ingredients
4 cups Bordeaux spinach leaves, washed and dried
2 large blood oranges, peeled and sliced crosswise
2 kiwis, peeled and sliced crosswise
1 round of your favorite fresh goat cheese, quartered
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

For the dressing:
3 Tablespoons walnut oil (such as the one from Glashoff Farms.)
1 Tablespoon great-quality red wine vinegar (such as the one from Round Pond)
1 Tablespoon honey (such as that sold by Marshall’s Farm)
Sea salt and pepper

You will also need:
Individual salad plates
Small mixing bowl for dressing
Whisk

Instructions
Divide the Bordeaux spinach among the 4 salad plates.  Top each one with the sliced blood oranges and the kiwis.  Add a wedge of goat cheese to each plate.  Sprinkle the toasted walnuts on top. 

To make the dressing, combine the walnut oil, vinegar and honey and whisk to combine.  Add a large pinch of sea salt and some freshly-ground pepper.  Stir well.   Drizzle the salad dressing over the salads just before serving. 

Serves 4.

First of the season kumquats (yum!) surfaced this morning at the Hamada Farms stand at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.  I love the sweet skin and tart flesh of this citrus-y fruit.  In season, we keep a few out on the countertop so that we can just grab them for a treat when we walk by.  I also put kumquats into beet salads, use the zest to garnish fava beans and burrata, and make kumquat shortbread cookies.  One of my favorite ways to use kumquats, though, is in this dense upside-down cake.  I cook it in a cast iron skillet.

Ingredients
For bottom of pan:
1/2 stick butter (2 oz.)
¾ cup brown sugar
About two dozen ripe kumquats, washed and dried

For the cake:
1 stick butter (4 oz.), softened
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs – 2 separated into yolks and whites
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plain)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup  orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

You will also need:
Iron skillet or 10″ baking pan
Paring knife
Cutting board
Mixing bowl
Electric mixer
Large spoon

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Cut 1/2 stick of butter into chunks and put them into an iron skillet. Melt over medium heat on top of the stove. When the butter has melted, add ¾ cup of brown sugar and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Slice the kumquats crosswise into 1/4″ thick slices. Remove any seeds and discard them.  Place the kumquat slices on top of the butter and brown sugar mixture in a decorative pattern.

Using an electric mixer, beat a stick of butter at medium speed until it is smooth. Add a cup of brown sugar and mix for about 1 minute. Add the whole egg and 2 egg yolks and beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add ½ of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar. Mix until just combined. Add half of the orange juice. Mix to combine. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and juice. Mix to just combine the ingredients. Stir in the vanilla. The mixture will still be lumpy.

Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the batter.

Pour the batter on top of the kumquat slices in the skillet. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes until cake is set.

Remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Run a knife around the side of the skillet to loosen the cake. Invert onto a serving platter. Let cool and serve with a dollop of freshly-whipped cream or creme fraiche.

Serves 8.

Last week at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, I spotted the most beautiful Japanese turnips at Eatwell Farm’s stand.   These turnips are favorites of mine for adding to salads.  I believe the variety is Hakurei.  These turnips are sweet, spicy and can be used without peeling.   Not only do I use the roots, but I adore the green tops as well.   I add both to my salads, but they are equally as delicious when sauteed, roasted or added to soups.  Here is one of my favorite ways to use Japanese turnips in a salad.

Ingredients
4 cups mixed winter greens, washed and dried
4 small Japanese turnips (roots and greens), washed and dried
2 medium-sized apples, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
4 small radishes, washed and thinly-sliced

For the dressing:
3 Tablespoons great quality extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon high quality red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon honey
Sea salt and pepper

You will also need:
Salad plates for serving
Bowl for mixing dressing

Instructions
Place one cup of greens onto each salad plate.

Remove the green tops from the turnips.  Slice the greens coarsely and add them to the salad plates.  Snip off the long root from each turnip.  Cut each turnip in half and then slice each half thinly.  Add to the salad plates.

Distribute the sliced apples evenly across each salad plate.  Scatter the chopped almonds on top.  Add thin slices of radishes to each plate. 

Make the dressing at the last minute by combining the olive oil, vinegar and honey and mixing well.  Add a large pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper.    Drizzle a Tablespoon of salad dressing on the top of each salad.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Cibo has become one of our favorite cafes in Sausalito.  I am very picky about espresso drinks and coffee, and Cibo serves Blue Bottle Coffee.  They use two shots of espresso in their coffee drinks so they have a deep, robust coffee flavor.   Cibo features a seasonal menu, and they have specials that change daily.  They serve both breakfast and lunch seven days a week.  Some examples of their breakfast menu include granola with yogurt, toast with housemade conserve, steel cut oats, a seasonal vegetable frittata, and poached eggs with creme fraiche.  For lunch, they serve a variety of seasonal paninis along with soup and salad.  Some of my favorite lunch menu items are their yellow and red beet salad, their dungeness crab panini, the wild mushroom panini and their lentil salad.  Today their specials included a winter vegetable and farro soup, a stuffed artichoke and a meatball sandwich. 

Cibo is owned by the Ancona family of Sausalito, also owners of Angelino Restaurant here in town.  They are open daily from 7am to 5pm. 

Cibo
1201 Bridgeway
Sausalito, CA  94965
(415) 331-2426

I was buying collard greens from Everything Under the Sun’s farm stand at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market last Saturday when owner Bill Crepps asked me if I had tried roasting kale.  I responded that I hadn’t yet tried it, but that I loved roasted vegetables.  After I left the stand, I kept thinking about it.  Before I left the market, I went back and bought two bunches of his beautiful, deep green kale for $3.  That evening, we roasted it in the oven and it was so tasty – like eating potato chips.   Kale is in season right now and this dish is so simple to make.  Only takes about 15 minutes to cook! 

Ingredients
1 bunch (handful) of kale leaves, washed and stems cut off near the base of the leaf
Enough olive oil to coat the leaves
Fleur de sel (sea salt) to finish

You will also need:
1 medium bowl
1 shallow baking pan

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Toss the leaves with olive oil and lay them out onto the baking sheet in a single layer.   Bake them for about 15 minutes until golden brown and crisp.  Remove them from the oven and sprinkle with fleur de sel.  Serve right away. 

Serves 2 as appetizer or side dish.