I registered, um, I mean Steven took the initiative to register my name for a community garden plot after we moved to Potrero Hill in San Francisco about eight years ago. I’d wanted one for ages! But every time I looked at the SF community garden website I just felt dismayed by the number of people that were ahead of me on every list: about 50 or so. It seemed impossible. So, silly me, I just kept dreaming about growing my own veggies someday vaguely in the future. Steven’s more pragmatic. It only takes a moment to join the list, and who knows? Perhaps that’s another kind of dream. I dithered for about three years then waited for five on the list, so it was a test of patience and fortitude. Even so, it turns out that the community garden dream came true faster than I’d imagined possible.

smiling in the new plot before the work really began--my back wasn't hurting then

the Swiss chard and flowers came with the plot--it even has some fava

We were so happy about our first plot despite its puny size. As soon as we got the green light from the garden coordinator we started digging, revolving the dirt, bringing in new top soil and uprooting weeds in that cold, sunless and wet December. Steven’s parents came for visit that month and we took them there. They were excited about it and not too long afterward, Steven’s mother, Lynda presented me with few books on organic gardening. Very cool! Thanks again for the useful gift.

right now it looks a little messed up

Steven looks like a farmer here, don't you think?

it's looking a little better now that the fence is in place and the heavy lifting is over... oops I forgot those bags of dirt

Since it was winter, the first thing that we tried to grow was French radish. They’re so cute, and crunchy, tasty and mostly sweet. The roots are white at the bottom and red at the top. You know, the pretty kind. Per package instructions, they thrive in cold weather. What the instructions failed to mention was the voracious appetite of all the birds! I was a tad upset when they were devoured before we had time to pick them. But looking at the bright side, I think we made some winged creatures happy and I truly appreciate waking up every morning to the free avian concert right off my bedroom window. It’s all good and I mean it, especially because we registered for multiple gardens and our number kept coming up!

Twin Peaks view from our plot

some of the herbs, tomatoes and other yummies ready for planting

A few months later I got a thrilling email from the community garden we wanted in the first place. When Dan, then the garden coordinator, showed us the new plot I was smitten. It was perhaps 2 to 3 times the size of the first one, in a more established garden with incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Twin Peaks, the Mission and Civic Center areas of San Francisco, all an improvement. So we switched. It’s not all a bed of roses. The place is really windy. So windy that I was contemplating getting a few sheets of plexiglass to break it a bit. Over the last year we grew many different veggies. It’s incredible how fecund the land is. Right now it is dominated by fava beans. Really the place is like an unruly beard or even a small jungle. Fava beans are a delicious vegetarian source of protein. I love eating the whole young pod deep fried in tempura batter or just eating them shelled and puréed. This is my absolute favorite recipe. And now’s the time of the year to eat enjoy them. We planted the whole thing to fava both because we like the beans but also they’re supposed to fix nitrogen in the soil, thereby revitalizing it.

our new plot after all the heavy lifting and toil

here I planted the edible pansies

our baby tomato plants

We were looking forward to harvesting a lot of fava from the garden and then move on to a summer crop. But then three weeks ago during our spring garden meeting, the unimaginable happened: it was announced that one of the gardeners had surrendered her plot after moving to Oakland. Hers is one of the biggest there: about 23 feet by 11 feet. Huge! The first proposal was to split it up to allow more gardeners in. But that was voted down after someone suggested that gardeners working in larger plots would be more motivated and stable members of the community. Plus it’s sort of a reward for those who stuck it out in smaller plots, as they can transfer. Plus, from the coordinator’s point of view, more plots means more individual gardeners to ‘take care of.’ I‘ve always looked at the bigger plots with a bit of envy. I’ve been happy we ours, but more is more, right? Next to vote on was the reassignment of this large plot, number 17. I raised my hand immediately, and yippie, I got it!

The new plot is more than twice the size of our last one and probably 5 to 6 times bigger than the first. It took us two entire weekends to cut down the weeds, remove the many rocks and debris, build a new fence, replenish it with top soil, prune some bushes, redesign the plot and plant. We would come home exhausted, covered in dirt with muscle pains in places that we didn’t even know existed. That’s why our blogging has slowed down in recent weeks. We hardly had time to shop for food, let alone write about it. But it is totally excellent!!!

these are pretty and the bumble bees are excited, too

We preserved some of the original plants and added several more. It already had some Swiss chard, a small rosemary bush, a Buddha’s hand tree, some artichoke and rhubarb plants as well as a few herbs and flowers. We planted about eight kinds of tomato, some zucchini, Japanese eggplant, broccoli rabe and some edible flowers to attract bees and other insects.

I’m thrilled with the new plot. I’m exhausted, too. It does actually hurt having to move, though everyone knows that. Now, like farmers worldwide, I hope that the weather keeps so our plants can flourish.

Some restaurants tend to make meat the focus of the main dish and skimp with regards to vegetable portions. How many times have you seen a huge steak served on a massive dish with a tiny portion of vegetables: something like a few minuscule cubes of carrot; a single, near microscopic broccoli floret or a lone spear of asparagus? Really the vegetables are there just for decoration.

sautéed zucchini and yellow squash

When you ask for additional vegetables, or, if they’re not on the menu, request that the chef prepares a dish with veggies, the wait-staff look at you as if you come from another planet. And once again, inevitably, when the vegetable plate arrives, the portion is just as absurdly little. (And I’m not even talking about the flavor here, as most often these mini-veggies only taste like butter.) It is funny as I have always thought that vegetables were cheaper (and healthier) than meat to serve, so they’d likely improve the bottom line of any restaurant. What’s up with that?

I’m pulling your metaphorical leg here a bit, as I know the reason for this. We’re trained to ignore veggies and focus on fattening foods, especially when we dine out. How sad.

Actually this dreadful paucity of veggies happened to me the other day when we went to Zuni with friends. I was not very excited about the main course offerings, so instead, I ordered appetizers and wanted some vegetables to go with them. The waiter promptly offered to have the chef prepare a ‘special’ side of veggies for me. On the face of it that sounds really excellent, don’t you think? Well, this chef-inspired dish turned out to have maybe a half-dozen small pieces of mixed veggies, probably 4 to 6 oz total, if not less. That’ll teach me to special order.

Needless to say, when we’re home, the vegetable portions tend to be a trifle bigger, and I love it. I served this zucchini and yellow squash sauté as a side to go with halibut en papilote. It matched well with the dish, I ate a lot and enjoyed every minute of it.

sautéed zucchini and yellow squash

2 Italian zucchini, cubed small
2 yellow squash, cubed small
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
Black pepper
Kosher salt
Chili flakes
2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
½ tsp minced lemon thyme

Heat up olive oil in a skillet, sweat shallot then add garlic. In goes the zucchini, yellow squash, salt, pepper, chili flakes, parsley and thyme. Toss around for about 4 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and voilà!

A throw back to the past? Maybe, but the thing is I had never prepared fish this way before using the actual parchment paper. It’s a snap with tin foil, but the result is not as dramatic and pretty. I made this for five people, so reduce or increase your proportions accordingly. The approach is Mediterranean but I did bake the fish steaks over carrot cumin rice which adds an Indian flare. I sort of used Mireille Guiliano’s halibut recipe from French Women Don’t Get Fat.

halibut en papilote

We at weirdcombinations were obsessed by Mireille a year or so ago, and she remains a fave. Jasmine met her in San Francsico once, if you can believe it!?! Of course, we loved the classic FWDGF! Who doesn’t really? Did you like the book about food and style over the seasons? I haven’t read the one about work, but Jasmine loved it.

Anyway, back to the fish. We had Jasmine Turner for this splendid Mireille-inspired meal. I forgot to mention it at the time, but I’m sure that she knows all about it by now. Love you, Jasmine!!

a charger with several halibut en papilote

halibut en papilote

5 pieces of wild caught Pacific halibut
5 pieces of parchment paper, each about 13×26 inches
cumin carrot rice: double this recipe
½ cup dry white wine
4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped fine
½ tbsp lemon zest
juice of 1 lemon
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter at room temperature
chili flakes to taste
Kosher salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for brushing

Mix salt, butter, tablespoon of olive oil, lemon zest, parsley, black and chili peppers together. Set aside.

Pre heat oven to 375F.

Fold each parchment paper into a 13×13 inch square. Lay one folded paper on top of another. Draw a half heart shape on top, filling as much of the paper as you can, then cut it out to form large paper hearts.

filling my heart shaped piece of parchment paper with carrot cumin basmati rice

all set and ready to fold closed

Place one heart shaped parchment paper on counter top. Brush with olive oil. Put two scoops of carrot cumin rice in the center, top with a halibut steak, smear some of the herbed butter over, and add a tablespoon of white wine. Inch by inch fold the edge of paper in such way that the folds overlap one another until you get to the “tip” of the half-heart. Twist the tip tightly to seal everything together. Repeat process with remaining portions. Put individual papilotes on baking trays and bake for about 15 minutes. Serve in paper.

This was a first: we went to a Williams Selyem pick up event and it didn’t rain. It wasn’t cold either. In fact, it was so sunny and warm that I wore shorts and sandals comfortably. The car said that the ambient temperature at the winery was 91 degrees. Ah, miracle! I love Indian summer.

Jasmine standing at the vineyard's edge with two empty Williams Selyem wine glasses--it's almost too sad--empty glasses!

If you’ve been following us at all, then you know that I’m a little pinot noir crazy, at least in the past few years. Strangely, I didn’t really enjoy the stuff before. It seemed so watered down and sharp compared to hearty zinfandels, syrahs or even cabs. I guess I’ve changed. So often I feel overwhelmed by powerful zins and cabs these days. Don’t get me wrong. They’re fun to drink, sort of like having a big slice of cherry pie à la mode. But I can’t eat big desserts too often and, in any event, they don’t usually work as a side dish to the main course. Pinot noir shines with food, and they’re even tasty all by themselves.

Jasmine and I went last Friday. It was way less crowded than the usual Saturday scene. The volunteer staff kept remarking how “Friday’s the day” and urged us to come on future Fridays. One even said while he poured us some of the vin gris that Wms Selyem has trouble getting volunteers for Saturdays due to the throngs of thirsty people.

Williams Selyem estate vineyard with mountains in the background

Like previous visits, several current releases were available for tasting. Plus there were a number of local vendors of other artisanal food products on hand, offering tastes and things for purchase. Since Hegui couldn’t come (he worked instead—poor thing!), I got a bottle of Dry Creek olive oil for him, as he really enjoys it. After we sampled the wines once or twice, Jasmine selected a lovely sour dough round which we had with cheese in the shade. We talked, sipped a bit more wine, and really enjoyed the marvelous sunny warm day in wine country. What could be better than that?

Wine Spectator poo-pooed the 2010 pinot vintage and it’s true that these wines were less “wow” compared to last year. Nevertheless, we enjoyed them all and a few, like the Central Coast and Westside Road Neighbors pinots were memorable. Jasmine is particularly creative in her wine descriptions, which made tasting even more delightful.

we saw several of these absurdly unwelcoming warning poison oak rattlesanke signs thorughout the winery

2010 unoaked chardonnay: a transparent yellow diamond color with a nose of dried apricot and tropical fruit that led to more apricot with a citrusy finish.

2011 vin gris: this is a rosé of pinot noir. A transparent salmon pink with aromatic strawberries and Maraschino cherry, it tasted of sour cherry and mineral with a lovely pink grapefruit finish. Mmmm!

2010 Central Coast pinot noir: ruby with plum, smoked bacon, and eucalyptus leading to rich, plum filled peppery flavors. Jasmine says, “Kinda elegant.”

2010 Sonoma County pinot noir: a darker ruby with raspberries and blackberries and was that a hint of sage? It was fruity but less focused than the Central Coast. The finish was long and creamy. Comparing the two, we preferred the Central Coast overall. J: “It was drama all the way. If it was a woman, she’d have long black hair and be very dramatic.”

2010 Sonoma Coast pinot noir: ruby with some earth and fruit—sort of like “straw with berries underneath.” Full bodied with red fruit, Jasmine thought it was “very good like grape juice.” “It’s a party wine,” not too complicated but fun.

enjoying the Friday "crowd" at Williams Selyem

2010 Russian River Valley pinot noir: deep ruby with a subtle nose of berries, floral and smoky notes. Richer still, smooth and with more depth, this full bodied wine has ample red fruit, lots of pepper, hints of caramel and a nice finish.

2010 Westside Road Neighbors pinot noir: ruby with rich fruit and floral notes, some eucalyptus and a bit of vanilla. This was delicious! It grabs hold of your mouth and won’t let go. We detected red and blue fruit esp. sour cherry and plum, with a great mineral earthy component.

2009 Forchini Vineyard “South Knoll” zinfandel: opaque reddish purple. The nose was blackberry and fruit compote. This was “over the top jammy” “something that you’d put on waffles.” It overwhelms your senses before you even take a sip. Fat, it was so full and rich, with loads of fruit and a mild peppery finish. This was a “stand alone” wine, perhaps best suited for grilled beef or maybe breakfast.

classic pan fried mahi-mahi

These mahi-mahi steaks were wild caught from Hawaii. I purchased them at Sun Fat in the Mission. Among the many good things about food that arrives at your table super-fresh like this fish is that you don’t need to fuss with it too much to bring out the best flavor. I always go for the classic combo of lemon, salt, olive oil and occasionally a bit of garlic. That’s it. It sounds Greek. Sometimes I grill; sometimes I just cook them on the stove top.

classic pan fried mahi-mahi

3 small, ultra fresh wild caught mahi-mahi steaks
½ tsp lemon zest
Juice of ½ lemon
Kosher salt
Black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
½ garlic clove, mashed
3 thin slices of lemon for garnish

Season fish steaks with salt, pepper, lemon zest and garlic. Rub pieces with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Pour remaining olive oil into a large skillet on high heat. Give pan a good swirl to coat the surface. Put fish steaks in and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Finish by squeezing lemon juice into pan. Let it sizzle a bit. Transfer to a warm serving dish and decorate with lemon slices.

I love pumpkin. Lately, I’ve begun to think that I might not be alone, as I’ve been reading Neide Rigo’s blog, come-se, and am thrilled to see that she’s been advocating it too.

kabocha pumpkin in dashi-shoyu sauce

These are some of my favorite pumpkin recipes that we’ve published thus far: quibebe, risotto, compote, ravioli, bread, gnocci, garden tempeh, snow peas and kabocha. They’re all good and feature pumpkin in classic and sometimes unusual ways.

I made this recipe to go with a Japanese inspired dinner we had recently. The dashi-mushroom broth adds umami flavor.

kabocha pumpkin in dashi-shoyu sauce

½ kabocha pumpkin, cut into wedges, skin on, seeds removed
1 cup dashi broth (follow link for instructions on making dashi)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp sugar
sprinkles of kosher salt

Place kabocha wedges at the bottom of a large sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients, cover pan and cook at low heat until pumpkin is soft. Liquid will evaporate. Add a couple more tablespoons of water if needed. Serve warm or room temperature as a side dish to go with any meal.

Hegui holding our bottle of Wine Spectator's 2011 wine of the year with the magazine article about Kosta Browne

I’ve been shying away from our “drink me” category for a while. There’s just way too much competition to sustain it. But since it’s not every day that we try a bottle of Wine Spectator’s “wine of the year,” I couldn’t resist.

That’s right: wine of the year! Drum roll please…

I was delighted when WS named the 2009 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir its number one wine. Mostly because I had three bottles of it stashed away in my cellar. A work friend signed herself and her husband up on Kosta Browne’s purchasing wait-list about six years ago. Both names advanced to the active member list last spring, right around the time I was getting into pinot. So she offered to let me buy one of the shipments. That first one had the Sonoma Coast bottling. Wow. It was like winning the lottery twice. First, I got some of this hard-to-get wine at a good price and then the WS decision in 2011.

Despite the thrill of victory, I’m still a bit skeptical about the idea of naming a top wine. Really it is a bit silly. There are many good and great wines, but part of what makes them good is that they’re distinctive, and thus, hard to compare. What do you think?

Perhaps ranking things this way is an American obsession? Or maybe it has a sales element? According to CellarTracker, the price per bottle almost tripled after the WS announcement. That’s good for business.

Wine of the Year: 2009 Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

We opened this winner for Easter dinner and shared it with our friend and fellow wine-lover, John. All of us (maybe not Hegui, who isn’t too into pinot) were expecting fireworks and to uncontrollably gasp, “ahhhhhhhh!”

It didn’t happen. John’s immediate response, “How can this be wine of the year? I think some of the Williams Selyem pinots are better, don’t you think?” pretty much summed up what we were thinking and feeling.

Don’t get me wrong, this wine is tasty. My work friend suggested that perhaps we had drunk it too young. Could be? Though the WS people drank it even younger than we did. I don’t know. How could the wine live up to all the magazine hype? That’s a lot of pressure.

It was a ruby color with a nose of red berries. Full bodied with red fruit, mineral and a long finish; it was rich and smooth—almost cabernet like in texture. We drank it all, that’s true. Plus I saved the bottle for my “trophy” collection, mostly because this was Wine of the Year!!!!!!

I’d say this one is worth trying, and it is. Though now that the price has skyrocketed, perhaps something else?