Winter Minestrone

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound Swiss Chard

1 Potato, peeled, cubed

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary sprig

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

2 cups water

1 ounce freshly grated parmesan

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

Method

Heat the oil in pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic, and celery. Sauté for about ten minutes until the onion is translucent. Add potatoes and Swiss Chard. Add tomatoes and herbs. Sauté for two minutes. Simmer for about 8 more minutes until Swiss Chard is wilted.

Blend ¼ cup water and ¾ of the can of cannellini beans in blender. Add pureed mixture plus the rest of the water into the pot. Simmer for about 15 more minutes. Stir in whole beans and parsley. Ladle into bowls and served topped with parmesan.

Pizza?


Yep, pizza.


Announcing the Pizza on Earth Series: 
World-cuisine-inspired Artisan Pizzas!

We're redefining ourselves for the winter. We're doing pizzas with a worldbeat theme, showcasing Greek, Portuguese, Japanese, and other international ingredients and styles, plus of course classic Italian pizza. Modest prices. Multiple vegetarian/vegan choices. Salads, soups, desserts, too, of course. Wine, beer, cocktails, and lower-octane drinks.

We kicked it off Friday night to a full house (in a couple of senses of full). Seemed like a fine time was had by all. We're looking forward to your visit!

Thursday-Sunday, 5-8 PM.

Tequilas and Tapas Was a Hit

Thanks to all who made Wednesday's Tequila and Tapas event a success. This event and last week's Beer Dinner were a couple of experiments in special events, and the response to both was gratifying. We'd love to hear your ideas for special events that you'd enjoy attending.

Shopping Smarter for Produce

Choosing to eat organic fruits and vegetables is smart. Fresh, local, organic produce is more nutritious than factory farmed fruits and vegetables, and it tastes better, too. Going organic is also an important safeguard for preserving health. Chemical pesticides and herbicides are known to cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system and brain damage, and developmental problems in children.

But locating and purchasing only organic fruits and vegetables can be a challenge. When you can't go organic, a natural alternative is simply to avoid certain kinds of produce when organic is not available or affordable. The “dirty dozen” are the foods most highly contaminated with pesticides and chemicals — even after washing and peeling. For those fruits and vegetables, at least, the smart policy is “organic or nothing!” Check out this link to find out those fruits and vegetables that contain both the highest and lowest percentages of pesticides.

-Nancy

The Food Pyramid Is now a Plate

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, and First Lady Michelle Obama recently launched MyPlate, an iconical visual representation of recommended percentages of food groups.

This colorful plate replaces the venerable Food Pyramid and urges folks to build their meals of fifty percent fruits and vegetables (with vegetables taking up a little bit more of the plate).

I applaud their efforts to update and upgrade this information in an effort to promote healthy eating, a cause for which the First Lady is a tireless advocate.

I'm disappointed, though, that the experts on the website make no distinction between between foods grown organically and those grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers, between unprocessed dairy products from dairy-fed cows and pasteurized dairy products from confined animals raised on processed feed, between range-fed meats and those from animals raised in crowded quarters, or between organic pasture-fed eggs and battery-produced ones.

Well, at least the site distinguishes between whole grains and refined, recommending that you make sure at least half of your grains are whole.

Good information at the site. I just wish there were more.

-Nancy

Oregon Wine Press bikes to Summer Jo's

"Arguably the best restaurant in Josephine County and among the top farm-to-table restaurants in these parts."

Many thanks to Michael Altman for including Summer Jo's in his recent report titled "Will Bike for Bottles" in Oregon Wine Press. Here is a excerpt of what he wrote about his culinary bicycle excursion around the Rogue region. There's a link to read the full report at the end.

"...If you’re thinking about also visiting the Southern Oregon Coast — close to the California Redwoods and Smith River—for surfing, fishing or beachcombing, Grants Pass is your launch pad. 

That said, assuming you left Portland on a Friday morning, you’d get to Grants Pass early enough in the afternoon to unwind, and ride over to Summer Jo’s — via G Street’s bike lane. It’s arguably the best restaurant in Josephine County and among the top farm-to-table restaurants in these parts, not to mention it has a setting to match.
Though Summer Jo’s menu isn’t vast, it’s diverse, and the food is tasty, fresh and high quality, featuring produce from their farm. Grab a table on the porch, lawn, or inside near the open kitchen. Chef Travis Wyant features fish nightly from Port Orford Sustainable Seafood. 

Recently at Summer Jo’s, I ate lunch accompanied by a two-ounce pour — again, think cycling — of stellar Brandborg 2009 Umpqua Valley Gewürztraminer.  The restaurant’s new wine steward, Andy Phillips, is an industry veteran and cyclist who may have some riding advice as well as regional wine suggestions.
“We’re focusing on a lot of Southern Oregon wines, including Umpqua, and we’ll host wine events regularly on Thursdays,” Phillips said.

Daylight permitting, instead of going directly back to your hotel, detour to nearby All Sports Park by way of a five-mile loop. If you’re lugging little ones or bringing teenagers, this is a stop for fishing, bird watching or turtle spotting from the pond’s pedestrian bridge, a Frisbee toss and a walk by the Rogue River.  It’s a nice size park with ballfields and other amenities. Then it’s a quick ride back to your room to get some rest for Day Two.  The loop is on moderately traveled but relatively safe, flat roads for which a mirror and lights wouldn’t be bad investments, along with a lock and patch kit. Reversing the loop is an option, too. 

In the morning, check out the steadily swelling farmers market in Grants Pass.Oak Leaf Creamery’s booth has wine-worthy cheeses to match Summer Jo’s fresh bread. When I spoke to Oak Leaf owner Dave Peterson, he recommended the Peaceful Mountain Tomme, a farmhouse-style, natural rind, mild, semi-firm pâté,” perfect for pairing with Pinot Gris or Riesling.  His Billy Blue would stand up to a Port-style dessert wine. The Maine transplant has other cheeses, too..."

» Read the full report in Oregon Wine Press

Why Thursday May Become Your Favorite Night of the Week

All kindsa goodness is going on at Summer Jo's on Thursday nights. There's Happy Hour (and a half) from 4:30 to 6, when everything at the bar, from drinks to small plates, is under ten bucks. But that's every night, Thursday through Sunday.

On Thursdays we're also doing wine tastings plus live music. And with the weather cooperating finally, the lawn is where you'll want to dine. And taste. And listen to music.

That's our wine director Andy Phillips serving some guests under the umbrellas last night.