A Moveable Feast
There’s no better place to picnic than the Sierra and its foothills, with all the parks, canyons, rivers and lakes. Here are some stores for gourmet food and wine: SUMMER THYME’S offers a box lunch with any sandwich and deli salad, a cookie and cold drink. The deli makes all of its menu items on […]
Fresh, local feasts for the holidays
In the foothills, the possibilities abound for preparing a fresh, local feast for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah or New Year’s. Here are some suggestions for finding the ingredients and preparing it: Farmers Markets “They’re only for summer,” you might think. Not so. The Foothill Farmers Market in Auburn is open year-round on Saturdays, 8 a.m.-noon at […]
Fresh Food Festivals and Farm Tours all summer long
PLACER COUNTY’S RURAL ROADS ARE LINED WITH rows of orchards, and the peaches, pears and plums are at their ripest. Farms are brimming with fresh vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. In the foothills and Truckee/Tahoe, the weekly farmers markets are in full swing, offering local produce, meat and eggs—and helping to build community spirit. […]
“Lettuce” Welcome Spring: Newcastle Produce and Foothill Flowers
WITH A LONG, WET WINTER BEHIND them, farmers are planting their summer crops and harvesting spring’s bounty. Spring lettuces, such as Red Leaf, Romaine and Oakleaf, are headed for the Foothill Farmers Market in Auburn and Roseville, just in time for seasonal salads. April is a time for the “A” crops, such as asparagus and […]
Good Eats along I-80 this winter
A WINTER JOURNEY UP THE INTERSTATE for skiing, snowboarding or tubing (or west-bound for warmer weather) doesn’t mean you have to compromise when it comes to a road stop for lunch or dinner. Just like the old Route 66, you can “get your kicks” and enjoy fresh, local and well-prepared food along I-80 between Sacramento […]
Fresh, local feasts
Historians aren’t sure what topped the table for the Pilgrim’s first Thanksgiving. But they suspect lobster, venison and partridge were on the menu — and not ham, pumpkin pie or mashed potatoes. The Pilgrims were the original “locavores” and now, after decades of factory farming and processed foods, many people have come full circle. They […]
Let’s Picnic in the Sierra
There’s no better place to picnic than the Sierra and its foothills, with all the parks, rivers, lakes and wineries. Our favorite stores for stocking up on gourmet food and wine include: Summer Thyme’s offers a box lunch with any sandwich and deli salad, a cookie and cold drink for $9.95. The deli makes all […]
Sinclair Family Farm for pasture-raised lamb
WITH ALL THE BUZZ ABOUT FACTORY farming, more people are looking for meat from animals raised in pastures on small farms. The foothills provide many choices: Nevada County Free Range Beef, Coffee Pot Ranch for pork and Chapel Farm for buffalo. Sinclair Family Farm in Penryn is the place to go for naturally raised lamb. […]
Apollo Olive Oil: To your health
FOR CENTURES, OLIVE OIL HAS BEEN prized for its health benefits. It contains antioxidants and polyphenols, proven to improve our health and longevity, according to the California Olive Oil Council. Olive oil also is an important part of the state’s heritage. Olive trees were first brought over by Spanish missionaries. In the past decade, nearly […]
Newcastle Deli & Produce for farm fresh food
IN THE MID-1800S, PROSPECTORS SET OUT for the Foothills to find gold. But the area around Newcastle was better known for its orchards than its abundant gold mines. Welsh settlers and others planted orchards that ranged from apples to apricots, plums to peaches, and Oriental pears to oranges. Now Mandarins, known for a distinct orange […]
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