Restaurant chefs, wineries, and more participate in San Benito Olive Festival

Posted on October 17, 2013 by admin
It's time for the debut San Benito Olive Festival with treats and wine

San Benito Olive Festival

It’s time for the first annual San Benito Olive Festival, Saturday Oct. 19 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The event takes place at the historic Paicines Ranch about 12 miles south of Hollister.  Attendees can enjoy olive oils, wines, chocolates, dried fruits, teas, and more. General admission tickets are $20, or $10 for kids 5-12 (kids under 5 are free). Those 21 and over can purchase VIP tickets for $30 which include wine. Get more information and buy tickets online.

The inaugural festival features award-winning olive oils and wines from vendors such as Paraiso Vineyards, Scheid Vineyards, Oils of Paicines, Brigantino Olive Oil, Pietra Santa Winery, Calera Wine, Casa de Fruta and Guglielmo Winery. Visitors can enjoy a variety of foods and beverages from companies including Running Rooster, San Juan Oaks Dining, Paine’s Restaurant, Marich Premium Chocolates, and San Benito Tea Company.
There will be celebrity chef demos from Dorothy McNett (head chef and instructor of the Cooking Club in Pacific Grove, Maurizio Cutrignelli (owner/chef at Morgan Hill’s Maurizio’s), Matt Woolston (owner/chef at the Supper Club and Matteo’s Pizza & Bistro in the Sacramento area), and SakaBozzo (team of Gene Sakahara and Sam Bozzo, always present at the Gilroy Garlic Festival). Don Landis, also known as “The Olive Guy,” will be demonstrating three methods to de-bitter olives.
Mr. O’s Jazz Band, the Workhouse Poets and other bands are performing a mix of jazz, soul, country and other styles of music throughout the day. Plus, local art and cultural exhibits will be on display from the San Benito County Arts Council and the San Benito County Historical Society.

Location:
Paicines Ranch, 13388 Airline Hwy, Paicines
Follow me on Twitter @santacruzfoodie.

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Silicon Valley Restaurant Week Oct. 16-23, 2013 offers discount prix fixe 3-course dinners

Posted on October 17, 2013 by admin
Silicon Valley Restaurant Week offers discount prix fixe 3-course dinners

Silicon Valley Restaurant Week offers discount prix fixe 3-course dinners

Need a good excuse to try a restaurant you’ve never been to, or are you yearning to visit an old favorite but don’t want to spend as much as you usually do? Silicon Valley Restaurant Week started today: more than 50 local restaurants – from Los Gatos, Downtown San Jose and San Jose’s Santana Row to Mountain View, Saratoga, and Palo Alto – are serving three-course gourmet dinners for $35-65 per person. And you can win a $50 gift certificate from one of these restaurants through my site! Read end of article for details.

Special menus are offered Oct. 16-23, 2013 (or whatever days of that week the various restaurants are open), and typically include three options for each course: appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Customers choose one selection for each course. Some way wonder why the SVRW menu prices vary so greatly. This is because selected restaurants choose to serve larger portions, use more expensive ingredients, and/or want to showcase signature dishes.

Silicon Valley Restaurant Week began in 2009 as an annual event. It’s become so popular that it’s now held twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. Restaurant reservations are recommended but not required.
For more information, and to see menus and prices for selected restaurants, visit the event web site. Remember that the prix fixe cost of $35-65 doesn’t include tax or gratuity.

A few highlights:
One participating restaurant is Mountain View’s Bushido, known for delicious Japanese izakaya dining, sustainable seafood, and sushi created by Executive Chef Isamu Kanai. Bushido’s SVRW $40 menu is actually four courses with two choices for each course. First-course choices include steamed buns with soy-braised pork belly; second-course choices include sushi (vegan or standard).

Italian-American Bistro il Postale, based in Sunnyvale, is serving a $35 three-course menu with three choices for each. Choose appetizers such as steamed clams and mussels with garlic, olive oil, and white wine; entrees such as blackened salmon with fresh avocado shrimp salsa and lemon-white wine-cream sauce, accompanied by risotto and vegetables; desserts such as tiramisu.

LB Steak is offering different menus at its Santana Row and Menlo Park locations. Menlo Park costs $45, and Santana Row costs $65. The Santana Row menu sounds intriguing, with albacore tuna carpaccio and steak tartare included in the appetizer choices. Entrée selections such as potato-wrapped Mount Lassen trout and sweet dumpling squash ravioli and dessert selections such as pumpkin bread pudding and salted caramel crème brulee round out the special offerings.

A couple more tidbits to whet your appetite:

  • Persian restaurant Arya in Cupertino and Redwood City has a “dinner for two” for $39; this includes one appetizer (from seven choices), two entrees (from ten choices), and one dessert (from two choices).
  • Mexican restaurant Mezcal in downtown San Jose has a $30 three-course menu.
  • Palacio in Los Gatos is doing a three-course Peruvian tasting menu for $45 (add $15 for wine pairings).

****
THE CONTEST:
This contest is open to readers of examiner.com and santacruzfoodie.com, but employees of Examiner.com are not eligible to enter. Anyone who has won a prize from my site during the last 30 days is also ineligible.

PRIZE – One winner receives $50 in gift certificates for il Postale. Note: because the restaurant is already offering discounted meals Oct 16-23, these certificates are NOT VALID during Silicon Valley Restaurant Week 2013. To enter, email your name to tfatemiwalker@yahoo.com and include the words “Silicon Valley Restaurant Week.” Or post a comment to this article on my Facebook page and include “Silicon Valley Restaurant Week.”

Either way, the entry deadline is Sat. Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. I will pull a name from all entries and notify the winner by email.

On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.

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Fun tailgating recipes for football season

Posted on October 15, 2013 by admin
Onion Crunch adds punch to recipes

Onion Crunch adds punch to recipes

Looking for some fun recipes to liven up your tailgating parties during football season? Here are a few recipes that will kickstart the game AND your taste buds. I want to thank the folks at Onion Crunch for the ideas. If you’re unfamiliar with Onion Crunch, it’s a crispy, onion-topping condiment – made with real onions – that comes in several flavors including traditional, bacon, and chipotle.

On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.

  • Sweet & Sour Chicken Wings: Ditch the regular hot Buffalo wings for a tastier version of a classic tailgating dish. Combine Sriracha hot sauce with honey and orange juice to give your wings a sweet citrus flavor that still packs some heat.
  • Cheese-Stuffed Meatball Sliders:  Master the grill, spice up your tired hamburger sliders with some modern cheesy deliciousness.  Get the same classic look of burger sliders but with a twist.  Try adding bacon, pancetta or Chipotle-flavored Onion Crunch for added flavor.
  • Grilled Roasted Corn: When it comes to corn on the cob toppings, don’t be afraid to shy away from classic butter. Mix it up with fresh chives, mayonnaise, Cotija cheese, chile powder, or lime and you’ll be the tailgating champion.
  • Hot Guacamole: Trade the traditional guacamole recipe for a spicy one on game-day. Try adding jalapenos, cumin, and onions for a zesty dip nobody will be able to resist.

See more recipes featuring Onion Crunch.

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Meet chefs from local restaurants at Eat Local First Festival in Aptos

Posted on October 10, 2013 by admin
Eat Local First food festival is Sat Oct 12, 2013

Eat Local First food festival is Sat Oct 12, 2013

You can meet chefs from local restaurants, as well as folks from farms, confectionaries, and creameries, at the first annual Eat Local First Festival at the Aptos Farmers Market.

Think Local First Santa Cruz is hosting the food fair on Sat Oct 12 from 10am-1pm at the Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo College. The farmers market itself goes from 9am-noon; if you’ve never been, this is a great chance to do some shopping from the local farm vendors (there each week) and enjoy tasty treats from more than 20 restaurants, confectionaries, and creameries that will be visiting on Saturday.

In a recent “America’s Favorite Farmers Market” contest, the Aptos Farmers Market was named the Best Market in California, and the second best in the US!

Follow me on Twitter @santacruzfoodie.

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Two nights left for Santa Cruz Restaurant Week 2013

Posted on October 8, 2013 by admin
Food and drinks at La Posta, a participant in Santa Cruz Restaurant Week 2013

Food and drinks at La Posta, a participant in Santa Cruz Restaurant Week 2013

The fifth annual Santa Cruz Restaurant Week ends on Oct. 9; you have two more nights to dine at more than 30 local restaurants offering three-course dinners for $25. Read details in my event preview and recap of my 2013 Restaurant Week dinner at Hula’s.

Haven’t decided which restaurant(s) to visit? Some highlights: Pearl of the Ocean is participating for the first time, and this Sri Lankan venue is reportedly gaining lots of new fans with its delicious vegan and vegetarian cuisine. The Restaurant Week menu at Red Restaurant and Bar includes food PLUS a 3 oz. glass of wine with each of its three courses. Café Rio’s offerings include appetizer choices such as Rio Prawn Spring Roll featuring carrots, green onion, basil, mint, and hoisin dipping sauce (I enjoyed this tremendously at the recent Gourmet Grazing on the Green) and Caprese Salad. The restaurant Chocolate’s choices include Artichoke Shrimp Salad, Spumante Lemon Swordfish, and Gelato alla Crema with bittersweet chocolate sauce. La Posta is offering entrees such as Corn Tagliatelle with peppers, escarole, capers and parmigiana and Quail al mattone with potato-chard gratinata and green olive salsa.

Check out more menus and information at the Santa Cruz Restaurant Week web site.
On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.

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Pay $25 for 3 courses during Santa Cruz Restaurant Week at Hula’s

Posted on October 5, 2013 by admin
Scrumptious and whimsical Pot Brownie dessert at Santa Cruz restaurant Hula’s

Scrumptious and whimsical Pot Brownie dessert at Santa Cruz restaurant Hula’s

Santa Cruz restaurant Hula’s Island Grill & Tiki Room is participating in Santa Cruz Restaurant Week 2013, offering many tasty choices in its prix fixe $25 three-course menu. My family and I had a very good meal there earlier this week.

It’s the fifth annual Santa Cruz Restaurant Week, which began Wednesday and lasts until Oct 9. More than 30 local restaurants are offering special menus for eight nights. For more details, read my SC Restaurant Week event preview (includes restaurant list). This is the first year that Hula’s is participating. “We are incredibly excited to be a part of Restaurant Week,” said Hula’s General Manager Rita Price. “We love helping and being a big part of our Santa Cruz community and especially to be amongst such a great group of restaurants.”

My dinner at Hula’s included attentive service from a gracious waitress; it was pleasant to eat in one of the several family-friendly dining areas. There’s also a bar area for those who prefer that type of environment. For the first course I chose Vietnamese Spring Rolls, which I’ve had several times at Hula’s; it’s consistently good with ingredients such as organic tofu, apples, lemongrass, basil and carrots. I had a few bites of my husband’s sweet Tiki Torch Chicken Wings; I don’t always enjoy sweet sauces but this worked well with the meat. For a second course I selected Lemongrass Encrusted Hapu, a Hawaiian seabass. The lime-ginger-cream sauce was absolutely delectable, and those who don’t eat seafood can substitute tofu. It was a hearty serving accompanied by white rice and Hula’s popular and refreshing slaw.

I sampled my husband’s pulled pork entrée and enjoyed that as well. Ingredients included pineapple and soy. Because it had sweet seasonings like the chicken wings, I wouldn’t recommend choosing the wing app and pork entree as a combination unless you’re in a really sweet mood. Or, if you’re like us and you and your dining companions enjoy sharing food, this plan works fine because you get to try lots of different items and flavors!

For dessert we shared Pot Brownie and Hula Pie. I appreciated the whimsical title, and presentation, of the pot brownie, which was served in a terra cotta-looking pot (see photo above). It was a rich treat chock full of brownies, hot fudge, and whipped cream. Onto the pie, where the nutty flavor of macadamia nut ice cream provided balance for the sweet Oreo crust. A small dish of hot fudge plus whipped cream completed the dessert perfectly.

All in all, Hula’s Restaurant Week menu provided a great dinner, and an opportunity to try out some new dishes. Even though everything I chose for Restaurant Week is part of the restaurant’s regular menu, the only selection I’d tried before was the spring rolls. Price said that I am one of many regular customers that have been coming in and trying new things. “I love having a fun showcase of some of our different foods,” she added. “So many people assume we are strictly Hawaiian food, which just isn’t the case.  We offer many varieties of food,  from sustainable fresh seafood to vegetarian options or even to our gluten-friendly menu.” Do yourself a favor and take advantage of the showcase at Hula’s, and at many other restaurants over the next few days!

Visit the SC Restaurant Week web site.

Hula’s: 221 Cathcart Street, Santa Cruz 95060, (831) 426-4852.

On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.

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Two family-friendly & delicious Santa Cruz benefits this weekend: Mole fest & Oktoberfest

Posted on October 4, 2013 by admin
Family-friendly, Santa Cruz, Sample mole from eight local restaurants and chefs on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Miller Maxfield Inc.

Sample mole from eight local restaurants and chefs on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Miller Maxfield Inc.

There are many fun food-related activities this weekend in Santa Cruz, including two benefits that are family-friendly: the first annual Mole & Mariachi Festival Sat Oct 5, and Oktoberfest on Sunday, Oct 6. Below you’ll find details on both events.

Mole & Mariachi Festival Saturday Oct 5, 2013
The event is from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Santa Cruz Mission Adobe State Historic Park, and it’s full of fabulous food—and not just mole! In addition to lots of local food, wine, beer, and other beverages, guests can enjoy music and dance performances, kids’ activities (such as tortilla making, giant bubble making, a piñata, and paper flowers) and a silent auction. Eight local restaurants and chefs will prepare 10 different moles. Mole dishes will be judged by festival attendees and by a panel of local celebrity judges. If you want to participate in the judging, you’ll pay a $10 fee to enter a separate, roped-off area, taste samples of the competing moles, and then vote. For non-mole-competition food/drink items, tickets will be sold for $1 each and different vendors will decide how many tickets their respective items cost. A list of mole competitors and other vendors is below. If you’re not familiar with mole, it’s a wonderful and hearty traditional Mexican sauce, sometimes made using chocolate.

Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks Executive Director Bonny Hawley is very excited about the festival. “The Mole & Mariachi Festival marks the first time in many years that the Mission has hosted a heritage-themed event,” Hawley shared. “It is especially important to us since this downtown Santa Cruz State Park was slated for closure in 2012, but Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks was determined to save it and that’s what we did. The festival is a celebration of what our community has been able to accomplish saving this wonderful park and making it into a vibrant cultural event venue.”

There are 75 silent auction items including a week at a beachfront vacation home in Mexico, 3 nights in the beautiful artisan-rich city of Guanajuato, Mexico, multiple “staycations” (Costanoa and Hotel Paradox, for example), Disneyland and Boardwalk tickets, and certificates for all kinds of activities (such as golf, pilates, climbing, surfing, sailing, kayaking) plus restaurants and salons.

Event proceeds benefit Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks in support of Mission restoration projects, educational programming for school children and community cultural events at the park.

For more information visit the event Facebook page.

Location: Santa Cruz Mission Adobe State Historic Park, 144 School Street near downtown Santa Cruz

Mole competitors:
Cafe Carlos Mexican Restaurant (Scotts Valley)
El Chipotle Restaurant (Soquel)
El Jardin Restaurant (Santa Cruz)
El Palomar (Santa Cruz)
La Cabana Taqueria (Soquel)
Manuel’s Mexican Restaurant (Aptos)
My Mom’s Mole (Watsonville)
Tortilla Flats (Soquel)

Food & drink for sale:
Ceviche tostadas from H&H Fresh Fish
Garbanzo beans & roasted peanuts from R. Magdalena Produce
Mexican dishes from Café Carlos
Mexican dishes from El Chipotle
Hot dogs from Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks’ Snack Shack
Churros from Jesus Lopez (he usually sells churros at places such as “…the Corralitos town center, and Watsonville fruit stands/busy corner markets”)
Fruit cups from Antojitos Pepitos
Pumpkin bread & apple pie from Beckmann’s Old World Bakery
Cookies from Pacific Cookie Company
Ice cream from Mission Hill Creamery
Icy fruit drinks from Tejuinos Guadalajara
Wine from Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard
Beer from Discretion Brewing
30th Annual Oktoberfest Sunday Oct 6, 2013
Family-friendly event raises funds for local hospice programs
This event is Oct. 6 from 12-4 p.m. Proceeds benefit Hospice of Santa Cruz County. Admission is free. Lunch is available for purchase from 12-2:30 p.m. Items include kielbasa, sauerkraut, potato salad, and apple strudel prepared by Five Star Catering. Beverages available will include soft drinks, beer, wine, and cocktails.

The program includes live accordion music and both silent and live auctions; the silent one is from 12-3:30 p.m. and the live one begins at 2:45 p.m. Also, tickets will be sold for a drawing with cash prizes (and you don’t need to be present to win). Auction items include vacations and weekend getaways to places such as Hawaii, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and Palm Desert; a fantastic TiVo package; fine wines, tickets to sports events and area shows; jewelry; artwork; and restaurant and business gift certificates. “This is a wonderful event,” said Lorraine Margon, Friends of Hospice member and volunteer. “The food is really tasty and there are plenty of great items to bid on, many of which are fantastic bargains, and all for a worthy cause.”

If bidding for prizes isn’t your cup of tea, you can peruse the “cash and carry” tables and purchase products including holiday items as well as vintage and re-purposed items, and browse the large assortment of garden items such as flowering plants and ornamentals. For more info call (831) 430-3000.

If you’re on Twitter, please follow me @santacruzfoodie.

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Santa Cruz Restaurant Week Oct. 2-9 offers $25 3-course dinners

Posted on October 2, 2013 by admin
Food at Severino's in Aptos, one of more than 30 participants in Santa Cruz Restaurant Week 2013. Photo courtesy of SCRW Facebook page

Food at Severino’s in Aptos, one of more than 30 participants in Santa Cruz Restaurant Week 2013. Photo courtesy of SCRW Facebook page

Foodie alert: it’s time for the fifth annual Santa Cruz Restaurant Week where more than 30 local restaurants – from Aptos, Soquel and Capitola to Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley, Ben Lomond, and Felton – serve three-course gourmet dinners for only $25. And you can win a free Santa Cruz Restaurant Week dinner through my web site! Read end of article for details.
Special menus are offered Oct. 2-9, 2013,  and typically include three options for each course: appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Customers choose one selection from each course.

The 2012 Restaurant Week was very popular and a lot of fun for those of us who participated as customers! Restaurant reservations are recommended but not required.
I will post a few menus and at least one review in the next few days.

Restaurants that are participating, in alphabetical order:
• Aquarius at the Dream Inn
• Booka
• Café Rio
• Center Street Grill
• Chocolate
• The Crow’s Nest
• El Palomar
• Gabriella Café
• Hindquarter Bar & Grill
• Hoffman’s Bistro & Patisserie
• Hula’s Island Grill
• Ideal Bar & Grill
• Johnny’s Harborside
• La Posta
• Laili
• Linwood’s at Chaminade Resort
• Louie’s Cajun Kitchen & Bourbon Bar
• Main Street Garden & Café
• Michael’s on Main
• Oak Tree Ristorante
• Oswald
• Pearl of the Ocean
• Red Restaurant & Bar
• Ristorante Italiano
• Sanderlings at Seascape Resort
• Severino’s Bar & Grill
• Soif
• Stonehouse Bar & Grill at the Hilton Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley
• Süda
• The Point Chophouse & Lounge
• Tyrolean Inn & Restaurant
• Zelda’s On The Beach
• 515 Kitchen & Cocktails
For more information, visit the event web site.

****
THE CONTEST:
This contest is open to readers of examiner.com and santacruzfoodie.com, but employees of Examiner.com are not eligible to enter.
PRIZE – One winner receives two $25 gift certificates for dinner at Center Street Grill during Santa Cruz Restaurant Week 2013. To enter, email your name to tfatemiwalker@yahoo.com and include the words “Santa Cruz Restaurant Week.”
Or post a comment to this article on my Facebook page and include “Santa Cruz Restaurant Week.”

Either way, the entry deadline is Thurs. Oct. 3 at 9 a.m. I will pull a name from all entries and notify the winner by email.

Center Street Grill’s 2013 Restaurant Week menu includes entrée choices of Grilled Salmon Puttanesca with capers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, mashed potatoes, and green beans, Seafood Fettucine with crab, shrimp, smoked salmon, mushrooms, and lemon cream sauce, and Grilled Pork Loin Chop with blue cheese & peaches, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.
On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.

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Great 2013 Gourmet Grazing festival raised money for Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group

Posted on September 30, 2013 by admin
Asian Tuna Tartare on rice crisp & slaw with candied ginger peanut dressing from The Chef’s Table. Photo courtesy of SCCBG

Asian Tuna Tartare on rice crisp & slaw with candied ginger peanut dressing from The Chef’s Table. Photo courtesy of SCCBG

The annual Gourmet Grazing on the Green features a wonderful atmosphere, amazing food, and lots of delicious wine and beer. The 10th annual Gourmet Grazing, a sell-out, was held Saturday Sept 21, 2013 and raised important funds for the Santa Cruz Cancer Benefit Group. Everyone had a great time, even with the rainy weather! Read my preview article.

If you missed it this year, I recommend planning ahead for 2014. Buy your tickets early, either online or at New Leaf Markets. Because only a limited number of tickets are sold, the festival doesn’t get overly crowded. It’s enjoyable for families (I brought my young daughter) and individuals of all ages.

Here are some highlights from the 2013 festival to whet your appetite for 2014!

Food

  • Café Rio: Rio Prawn Spring Roll with mung bean noodles, sprouts, carrots, green onion, basil, and mint
  • Johnny’s Harborside: Gazpacho Seafood Cocktail with Calamari, Scallops and Shrimp and garnished with Baby Romaine and a Watermelon Radish

I must confess I had seconds of both of the above; they were that good!

  • The Whole Enchilada / Haute Enchilada: Delicious and refreshing Peruvian Ceviche with shrimp, Peruvian corn, onion, clam juice, sweet potato, mango, cilantro, habanero chile, and fresh lime juice.
  • East Side Eatery (Pleasure Pizza’s newest spot): Chicken Pozole which was hearty and satisfying, especially given the weather. It had a fun “add your own toppings” spin including green onions, queso fresco, and jalapenos. Apparently the version at the restaurant itself also includes avocados, so I’m sure it’s even better there!
  • Fresh Prep Kitchens: Mushroom and Asparagus Quinoa Risotto
  • The Chef’s Table: Asian Tuna Tartare on rice crisp & slaw with candied ginger peanut dressing (see photo)
  • Severino’s: Lobster Ravioli in a cherry-white wine-cream sauce
  • MacKenzie Bar & Grill at Pasatiempo: Pulled pork slider with coleslaw (very addicting!)
  • Zameen Mediterranean Cuisine: Lamb & Beef Gyro Wrap with heirloom tomatoes, lettuce & tzatziki sauce, served with Beet Salad
  • Solaire at Hotel Paradox: Sous vide shortrib over sweet polenta

Beer and Wine

  • Kathryn Kennedy: the winery poured a few exclusive bottles of their 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, for the lucky few that had a chance to taste before it was all gone!
  • Santa Cruz Ale Works: Santa Cruz AleWorks IPA, Santa Cruz AleWorks Kolsch
  • MYKA Cellars: 2012 Mitzi Unoak Chardonnay, 2012 Malbec Dry Rose, 2011 Kane Cabernet Sauvigonon
  • Santa Cruz Mounting Brewing: Madame Grey – Milk Honey Stout infused with earl grey, Fresh Hop Black IPA, Wilder Wheat

SCCBG has funded cancer research and local groups — including many that support people living with cancer — since 1995. The organization was started by a small group of friends who used to play tennis together once a week; they had each lost a relative or friend to cancer and wanted to do something to make a difference. The first event the group hosted was a Spring Forward Against Cancer Tennis Tournament and Celebration; these tournaments are still held each year. 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 Support and Services, The Katz Cancer Resource Center, UCSC Cancer Research, and WomenCARE.

On Twitter? Follow me @santacruzfoodie.

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Kid-friendly UCSC Harvest Festival boasts organic food, farm tours, live music

Posted on September 28, 2013 by admin
Scene from a previous Harvest Festival

Scene from a previous Harvest Festival

The 19th annual UCSC Harvest Festival, held at the campus’ 30-acre organic farm on Sunday, Sept 29 from 11a.m.-5 p.m., is fun for the whole family. It features live music—from bluegrass to reggae—plus organic food, kids’ crafts, rides, tours, produce and pumpkin sales, and an apple pie contest.

Admission varies between free and $5; general public adult admission is $5 but it’s free for UCSC students with ID, kids 12 and under, and members of the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden.

Visitors of all ages are invited to sample more than two dozen apple varieties, savor roasted peppers, enter the pie baking contest, try their hand at pressing cider, scale the climbing wall, and enjoy locally sourced, tasty treats. Also available: workshops on making salsa, growing and using peppers, saving seeds, creating popcorn treats, and understanding permaculture design, along with farm tours and an herb walk through the garden. Plus, there will be campus and community group information tables.

The event is co-sponsored by the UCSC’s Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS), UCSC’s Food Systems Working Group, UCSC’s Measure 43 (Sustainable Health & Wellness), and the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden. People Power is providing free valet parking for bicycles.

For those unfamiliar with CASFS, its research and education programs include the UCSC Farm, the Alan Chadwick Garden, and the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture. The apprenticeship program is a 6-month, full-time organic training program. Upwards of 1,300 people have graduated from the apprenticeship.

For more info, visit the CASFS web site and/or see schedule below. Free parking will be available at the Campus Facilities and Barn Theater parking lots, and a free shuttle will be running.

Follow me on Twitter @santacruzfoodie.


2013 Harvest Festival Schedule

Music

Feed Me Jack 11a.m. – noon

The Downbeets 12:15 – 1:30p.m.

Live Elk   1:45 – 2:45p.m.

Kinetic Poetics   3 – 3:25p.m.

Ancestree Reggae 3:30 – 5p.m.

Activities, Tours, Workshops

Apple and Pepper Variety Tasting                                         11:30 – 4:00
Apple Pie Contest Bake-Off (entry deadline)                          12:30
Salsa It Up!                                                                                     12:00 – 1:00
Crystal Owings, Food Systems Working Group
Guided Tours of the UCSC Farm                                                12:30 & 4 pm
Popcorn Palooza                                                                            1:15 – 2:15
Austin Lewis, Food Systems Working Group
Herb Talk & Walk through the Garden                                         2:00 – 3:00
Darren Huckle, Western/Chinese herbalist & licensed acupuncturist
Introduction to Permaculture Design                                            3:00 – 3:45
David Shaw, UCSC Common Ground Center
Pepper Talk: Varieties and How to Use Them                            3:30 – 4:00
Orin Martin, manager of the Alan Chadwick Garden
Seed Saving and Cleaning Workshop                                        4:00 – 5:00
Cole Thomas and Connor Spears, Demeter Seed Project

Official Rules for the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden Apple Pie Contest

Pie entries accepted 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Official judging begins at 12:45 p.m.

Winners will be announced at between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.

1. The Friends of Farm and Garden Apple Pie Bake-Off is a nonprofessional baking competition open to Harvest Festival attendees (entry to the Harvest Festival is $5; free admission for UCSC students, Friends of the Farm & Garden members and for children 12 and under).

2. Contestants are responsible for submitting a written (preferably typed) recipe with their pie.

3. Contestants are responsible for supplying all ingredients and baking the pie prior to bringing it to the contest.

4. All entries in this contest must be homemade.

5. A representative of the Friends of the Farm & Garden will assign each contestant a number. Contestants should verify that the number on the bottom of their container is the same number assigned by the representative.

6. Contestants’ entries are judged on taste, presentation, and creativity.

7. The decision of the judges shall be final. Pie not consumed during judging will be returned to the contestant.

All pies must be entered by 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 29, at the Fall Harvest Festival, UCSC Farm. For questions or additional copies of the rules, call (831) 459-3240 or e-mail casfs@ucsc.edu.

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