Tag Archives: Everett Family Farm
Saturday’s Taste of Soquel benefits Second Harvest
Bill and Dee Hongmanee of Sawasdee at a previous “A Taste of Soquel” event
The ninth annual “A Taste of Soquel,” benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank, takes place in the courtyard of the Congregational Church of Soquel Saturday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be lots of food, drinks and music at this family-friendly festival.
Attendees can enjoy food from restaurants and vendors HOME, The Kitchen at Discretion, El Chipotle Taqueria, Café Cruz, Bella Chi-Cha, Jeff Walls’ Family Honey, Aldo’s Italian Bakery, and Sawasdee Thai Cuisine. There will be fresh cider from Everett Family Farm, beer and wine from Discretion Brewing, Soquel Vineyards, Bargetto Winery, Hunter Hill Vineyard & Winery, VinoCruz, Wargin Wines and Poetic Cellars.
See menu details below.
There will be lots of live music, including The Carolyn Sills Combo and “members of the EXPENDABLES Unplugged.” Complimentary coffee will be served by The Ugly Mug, plus tea, lemonade, and more from The Bagelry, Driscoll’s and Donut Station. A kids’ area will feature free activities such as singing with Musical Me, face painting, drumming, art with CherryVale Art Farm, inflatable archery with Kennolyn Camp, and crafts with Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery. More than 50 local businesses participate in the raffle, featuring prizes such as store and restaurant gift certificates.
Tickets are $25 for adults (includes music, food, wine) and $10 for youth 12-20 (includes music, food). Kids under 12 are free. Call 831-475-2867 for details. Advance tickets are available at the church or online www.brownpapertickets.com.
During the past eight years the event has raised over $62,000, providing 250,000 healthy meals to families in need in Santa Cruz County. The Congregational Church of Soquel and the Capitola/Soquel Chamber of Commerce co-sponsor A Taste of Soquel. Learn more at tasteofsoquel.org.
A few selections at Taste of Soquel 2017
Aldo’s: Tiramisu and Lemoncello Bites; Assorted cookies
Bella Chi-Cha: Pesto Sauce; Cheese Spread
The Kitchen at Discretion: Sourdough Crostini, Strawberry Gastrique, Fresh Herbed Ricotta, Pickled Red Onions
Sawasdee: Papaya Salad; Orange Chicken Thai
El Chipotle: Fresh Chips, Guacamole and Red Salsa
Jeff Walls’ Family Honey: Sample honeys from a variety of floral sources their bees have worked including Soquel-Wildflower, Sage, Buckwheat, Pumpkin-Squash, Lima Bean, Tocalote Thistle & Vanilla (infused) Sage while checking out the observation hive where you can see the inner workings of a hive.
Bargetto Merlot and Pino Grigio
Soquel Vineyards Trinity Rosso & Trinity Bianco
Hunter Hill 2014 Merlot & 2013 Chardonnay
Poetic Cellars 2012 Cab Sauvignon & 2010 Pinot Noir
Wargin Wines Sangiovese & Pinot Gris
Everett Family Farm Soquel Cider
Location: Congregational Church of Soquel, 4951 Soquel Dr., Soquel
Follow me on:
Twitter @santacruzfoodie
Instagram @tarafatemiwalker
Facebook @santacruzfoodieexaminer
Midtown Café & Burn Hot Sauce partner for Standing Rock benefit pop-up
Midtown Café is the site of Friday’s benefit, photo courtesy of Midtown Facebook page
Stand with Standing Rock: A Pop-Up Fundraiser, from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 16 at Santa Cruz’s Midtown Café, will feature creations from Burn Hot Sauce, Assembly and Outstanding in the Field.
Amanda Pargh of Burn Hot Sauce, Jessica Yarr of Assembly, and Seth Heitzenrater of Outstanding in the Field will be collaborating to serve up heaping bowls of beans-and-brown rice made with ingredients including Everett Family Farm onions, and a variety of optional toppings such as Burn pickled jalapenos and hot sauce and sprouts from New Natives. Local musicians Spurs, Jessie Marks, and Aliza Hava will perform in the back patio.
Organizers invite attendees to join for “an evening of community and solidarity with the water protectors at Standing Rock in North Dakota.” All proceeds from this event—including sales from a silent auction with many local products and services—will go directly to the camps at Standing Rock and their medical and legal funds. Food and drink-related businesses donating to the auction include Live Earth Farm, Companion Bakeshop, Alta Organic Coffee and Steamer Lane Supply.
Also, there will be a presentation by a member of the Lakota People’s Law Project, who will share their experiences and explain the current reality and future of the anti-pipeline efforts.
Location: Midtown Café, 1121 Soquel Ave. Santa Cruz
Date/Time: Friday, Dec. 16, 5-9 p.m.
Follow me on:
Twitter @santacruzfoodie
Instagram @tarafatemiwalker
Facebook @santacruzfoodieexaminer
Santa Cruz’s Chaminade launches 2016 Farm to Table Wine Dinners this Friday
Chaminade’s 2016 Farm to Table Wine Dinner series starts Friday
Believe it or not, June is here (!), which means the start of Chaminade Resort’s annual Farm to Table Dinner series. The first dinner is this Friday, June 3, beginning at 6 p.m. with a reception, and there are still a few tickets available.
The series showcases local wineries, local farms and other local food vendors. Dinners are in a beautiful outdoor setting, with long communal tables and lots of great food and drinks. Representatives from wineries and farms attend the dinners and talk to guests about the history of their products, which often stimulates interesting dialogue.
The cost is $110 inclusive per person and this includes hors d’oeuvres (served at the 6 p.m. reception with wine), a multi-course family style dinner with wine pairings (6:30 p.m.), and dessert. Call (831) 475-5600 or visit web site for details, including specific wineries/farmers for particular nights.
For this Friday’s dinner, Executive Chef Nicholas Church is utilizing produce from Fiesta Farm and Coke Farm; see menu below. Wine from Equinox/Bartolo Winery will be featured. Church returned to Chaminade in August 2015; he first worked at Chaminade in 1994 as a line cook, moving up to executive sous chef—a position he held until 2012. When he returned to Chaminade in 2015 he was executive sous chef under executive chef Kirsten Ponza. In April 2016, Ponza was promoted to Food & Beverage Director and Church was promoted to executive chef.
Church is very excited about his first season of leading the farm to table wine dinners.
“It is always fun to cook with seasonal ingredients fresh from the farm,” he recently shared. “I look forward to working with all the farms this year.”
I didn’t have the opportunity to attend a Chaminade farm to table dinner in 2015, but I have vivid memories of one from 2014, when produce from Santa Cruz’s Yellow Wall Farm was featured. During the reception, there were several appetizers including strawberries stuffed with smoked blue cheese and pancetta. At the time, I spoke to executive chef Ponza who said it was Yellow Wall Farm’s delectable crop of strawberries that helped inspire the stuffed strawberries, in addition to a wonderful first course during the sit-down dinner. The unique strawberry hazelnut gazpacho starter had a delightful Belle Farms olive oil and chive garnish.
Before returning to the Chaminade, Church owned and operated restaurant Mama Mia’s in Felton for two years. His career includes 28 years of culinary experience. I’m sure the new executive chef will do amazing feasts this season. Between now and October, the bounty of top ingredients from local vendors will include produce from Live Earth Farm, Everett Family Farm and Route 1 Farms, seafood from Stagnaro Bros. and grassfed beef from Leftcoast. Beverages will be provided by first-rate wineries such as Storrs, Martin Ranch, Alfaro and the Summit to Sea wine group.
I recommend planning ahead for at least one dinner this season; these events do sell out.
June 3 menu:
Reception
Canellini Bean Soup Shots
Pulled Chicken Spring Roll
Lamb Sliders and Flatbread
First Course
Chicken Pate served on Walnut Bread with Sofritto Oil
Second Course
Braised Pork Belly with Slow Poached Eggs
Third Course
Roasted Beet Salad with Frisee and Arugula, Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
Fourth Course
Beer Brined Chicken served with Chicken Jus
German Potatoes, Rainbow Baby Carrots, Herbed Fava Beans
Dessert
Apricot Tart with Almond Frangipane
Cherry Mousse
The Details
Farm to Table Dinner Series
Monthly through October 2016, Selected Fridays at 6 p.m.:
June 3, July 8, Aug. 5, Sept. 9, Oct. 7
Courtyard Terrace at Chaminade Resort, One Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz
(831) 475-5600
$110 per person
On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.
Santa Cruz’s Chaminade serves up new season of Farm to Table Wine Dinners
A scene from Chaminade’s 2014 Farm to Table Dinner Series. Photo credit: Chaminade Facebook page
Chaminade Resort’s annual Farm to Table Dinner series, which features very fresh items from local farms plus delectable libations from Central Coast wineries, is starting soon. Want to whet your appetite? Read my recap of 2014’s opening night feast.
2015 Chaminade dinner dates:
- June 26: Martin Ranch Winery, Coke Farms, Black Hen Farm
- July 24: Storrs Winery, Fiesta Farm
- August 21: Morgan Winery, LeftCoast GrassFed
- September 25: Summit to Sea Wineries, Everett Family Farm
- October 30: Alfaro Winery, Route 1 Farms
The cost is $110 per person and that includes hors d’oeuvres (served at the 6 p.m. reception), a seated five-course dinner at 6:30 p.m., and wine (served at reception AND dinner). Tax and gratuity are excluded. Call (831) 475-5600 or visit web site for details, including links to the wineries and farms that are being showcased. The specific menu is posted as each event draws near.
Chef Kirsten Ponza promises an exciting season. “We are very excited to be welcoming a new farm Pescadero called LeftCoast GrassFed,” says Ponza. “Also, Rebecca King will be coming back this year with her Garden Variety Cheeses.” I’m a big fan of Garden Variety Cheese; if you haven’t yet tried King’s products, or even if you have, I can only imagine the scrumptious and creative ways that Ponza will incorporate them into her menu! Chef Ponza hasn’t yet decided which night she will feature these, but when she does, it will be posted on the Chaminade site.
For people visiting from another town who want to stay overnight—or for locals interested in a fun “staycation,” the Chaminade offers Farm to Table culinary packages that include overnight accommodations for two, Farm to Table dinner for two, and breakfast for two.
Chaminade’s first Farm to Table Wine Dinner was held in 2008 with only a dozen guests. Now each event draws dozens of guests, and usually sells out quite a while ahead of time.
On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.
The Details
Farm to Table Dinner Series
Monthly, June through October 2015: Selected Fridays at 6 p.m.
Chaminade Resort, One Chaminade Lane, Santa Cruz
(831) 475-5600
$110 per person
Don’t miss Gourmet Grazing cancer research benefit with a wide array of food & wine
Attendees at a previous Gourmet Grazing on the Green
It’s time for the 11th annual Gourmet Grazing on the Green, where you can enjoy a large amount of first-rate food (from local restaurants and caterers)—plus beverages from local wineries, breweries, and distilleries—in a friendly and festive atmosphere. And you will be helping support the very worthwhile Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group (SCCBG).
Gourmet Grazing is Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014 from noon to 4 p.m. at Aptos Village Park.
The event usually sells out a few days ahead of time, so I recommend you buy tickets soon. This year organizers are allowing 1,200 tickets to be sold instead of 800, so it is possible that tickets won’t sell out as fast—but you never know! SCCBG Board member Mary Anne Carson commented: “Due to its popularity, we’ve expanded our space in order to bring in more food purveyors, restaurants and vintners, as well as more Grazers, this year. We look forward to another stellar event and raising even more funds for the benefit of our beneficiaries.”
Purchase $65 tickets at New Leaf Community Markets (downtown, Westside or Capitola locations) or online. If you have a group of 10, you can get tickets for $50 each. Admission includes food, wine, beer, a souvenir wineglass, and live music. The event is outdoors; last year it actually rained for a short while, but everyone just ran under the few sheltered spots and it stopped as quickly as it started.
New this year is a “big bottle silent auction,” courtesy of new festival partner Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association (SCMWA). There will also be a bottle booth operated by SCMWA, an alliance of more than 60 wineries promoting wine produced from the Santa Cruz Mountains Viticultural Appellation.
Some of the food creations that participants will taste have been created with products generously donated by event sponsors Coke Farm, Watsonville Coast Produce, and presenting sponsor New Leaf Community Markets.
Some of my favorite dishes from last year’s festival included Café Rio’s Rio Prawn Spring Roll (included mung bean noodles, sprouts, carrots, green onion, basil, and mint) and Johnny’s Harborside’s Gazpacho Seafood Cocktail (calamari, scallops, shrimp, garnished with baby romaine and a watermelon radish). For more 2013 highlights, see my recap article.
There are more than 25 participating restaurants, farms, and food vendors for 2014 including The Crow’s Nest, Shadowbrook, Café Cruz, Café Rio, The Whole Enchilada, Solaire Restaurant and Bar, Hula’s Island Grill, Santa Cruz Fish Co., Everett Family Farm, MacKenzie Bar & Grill, Friend in Cheeses Jam Co., Redwood Hill Farms, The Penny Ice Creamery, and The True Olive Connection.
More than 25 participating wineries, breweries and distilleries include Venus Spirits, Alfaro Family Vineyards and Winery, Beauregard Vineyards, Burrell School Vineyards, Hunter Hill Vineyard & Winery, Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard, Seabright Brewery, Sones Cellars, Bonny Doon Vineyards, and Kathryn Kennedy Winery.
This year, Kathryn Kennedy Winery will pour wine including 2011 Kathryn Kennedy Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, which sources say is “amazing.”
Proceeds from SCCBG’s events, including this year’s Gourmet Grazing, benefit these local cancer support and research organizations: Hospice of Santa Cruz County, Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Association, Katz Cancer Resource Center, UCSC Cancer Research, the Teen Kitchen Project, and WomenCARE Cancer Advocacy. Over the last decade, SCCBG has distributed more than $1.5 million to directly support the Santa Cruz community.
There will be a raffle, with ticket sales benefiting SCCBG. Prizes include jewelry, restaurant gift certificates, a wetsuit from O’Neill, and SCMWA Wine Passports.
More details:
There is free parking and free shuttle service from Cabrillo College Lot E.
For more information on the event, see www.sccbg.org or call (831) 465-1989
Aptos Village Park: 100 Aptos Creek Road, Aptos
On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.
Pop-up dinner at Everett Family Farm in Soquel with chef Uncie Ro
Padrons stuffed with local cheese and pasture raised pork, accompanied by house made mozzarella & organic heirloom tomatoes
It’s the third season of the Soquel Supper Club, a pop-up eatery at Everett Family Farm with food by chef Roland Konicke of Uncie Ro’s, and the next event is Sunday, Sept. 21. The goal of these dinners is to bring the local community together for a delicious meal that nourishes not only the participants, but also chefs, organic food producers, and small businesses.
Konicke really enjoys these events. “What I love most about supper club is that I can really showcase all the local ingredients from the area and prepare them right in front of everyone at the supper in our wood fired oven,” he says. The oven method enables him to get very creative with the food.
A farm tour led by Rich Everett starts at 5:30 p.m. and a multi-course dinner begins at 6 p.m. – see menu below. Tickets are $75 (dinner only) or $100 (with wine pairings from Odonata Winery). Buy tickets online for the Sept. 21 event at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/725726.
During the 2014 season, there were dinners in June and August. After this September dinner, there will be one more in October.
For more information, call (831) 419-8191 or email roland@uncie-ros.com
Location:
Everett Family Farm, 2119 Old San Jose Road, Soquel
September 21 Menu
LITTLE GEM & SUMMER SQUASH SALAD
with roasted walnuts & pecorino
…
GAZPACHO
with Everett Family Farm tomatoes
…
BRAISED PORK RIBS
with wood-oven baked beans & organic coleslaw
…
STUFFED PADRON PEPPERS
…
CREAM PUFFS
with mixed summer berries
Follow me on Twitter @santacruzfoodie.