I jump in the jeep and peel off down the coastal Highway One towards Santa Cruz. Radio blaring, hair stinging my eyes with the wind whipping it every which way, the salty sea air cleansing the grease off my skin from my kitchen after a very long, very chaotic, very exhausting Sunday brunch of 200 plus people.
Free at last. Free at last.
And although there is plenty of trouble to get into on a late Sunday afternoon in the sunny Marina, I need to get out of town or I can't truly relax. To go where my cell phone doesn't work. To be in wild blackberry bushes, and chicken coups, and zucchini plants up to my ears, and holly hocks and sunflowers towering over my head, and heirloom tomatoes ripe for the picking, and collard greens begging for attention.
I need to be at Echo Valley Ranch in Loma Mar, California.
One of the most enjoyable parts of being a chef in the Bay Area is making connections with the farmers. And I'm partial to the ones around Pescadero and Half Moon Bay.
Why? Because half my family lives here and I grew up on this coast boogie boarding and camping on the beaches and picking artichokes on the side of the road and buying beans at Phipps farm and getting fish just in off the boats.
I cracked my first dungeness crab at the local institution Duartes as a toddler. And have picked endless flats of the relatively unknown but nonetheless delicious berry, ollalieberry, to make jam with my mother.
Kate and Jeff Haas are the proud owners of Echo Valley Ranch. And they grow an array of beans, greens, squash, herbs, carrots, potatoes, and more. They also produce farm fresh eggs. (Although it can be quite challenging to find out where the chickens lay their eggs since they run around the farm at will - I even found one nestled at the base of a redwood tree)
I mentioned awhile back that I would really like zucchini flowers and maybe some interesting varieties of squash and now I've got so much of both I'm practically throwing them into all my dishes. This is a good problem to have.
Squash blossoms are a specialty item because they are difficult to transport. And for those who have suffered squash fatigue (I just picked all the zukes last night!!?! How is it possible that there are a gazillion more this morning??!), laugh not.
Although it is true that one plant can overwhelm a family and inundate a neighborhood with endless "gifts", restaurants pay top dollar for flowers and baby squash.
Currently on the menu I have handmade fettuccine with scallops, Laughing Bird shrimp, sautéed squash blossoms and dill white wine sauce. I have a walu (butterfish) garnished with stuffed blossoms in tempura batter.
But that's not all: I have grilled baby pumpkin and summer squash and a zucchini & basil soup garnished with basil-mint oil, crema, and micro cilantro. The only thing I don't have (and should have) on the menu is zucchini bread. I love zucchini bread.
This is my second home.
I walk out in the gardens and pick bright colored rainbow chard, nasturtium blossoms, peppery arugula, red runner beans, corn, squash, carrots, basil, and tumeric root.
I look at the bounty and brainstorm dishes for dinner supplementing with whatever protein is in the fridge. Kate pitches in and we cook together on her old Merrit O'Keiffe stove in well seasoned cast iron pans that make everything taste so much better. Jeff pours wine lending a hand where needed and always adding his sense of humor.
We polish off God knows how many bottles of wine (whose counting anyway?) and close the night with wild blackberry pie and coffee.
The roads through Loma Mar are windy and I never make the trek home after dinner. Instead I stay in the meditation cabin just feet from the river that surrounds the property and close my eyes to the music of water rushing over smooth rocks and pebbles.
My shoulders relax, the crease in my forehead disappears, I smile at my good fortune to be in such a magical place, I am at peace.
For the moment...
I still have to find more recipes for all the flats of blossoms and cases of squash I know I'll be driving home with in the morning.
Ooh! vacation!
You're looking somewhat pale so make sure you get that VitD or else them ricketts will make the kitchen an interesting exercise.
Sounds like Circa's starting to turn around albeit slowly so that's good to hear, especially if you are making these great connections to purveyors and growers.
I heard plenty about the magic cookie so I do need to make the time myself to go.
Anything special being planned for the upcoming autumn harvest?
Posted by: wattacetti | September 15, 2010 at 02:12 PM
Wow, hard watermelon lemonade, recipe!
Looking good, nice to breathe fresh air!
Happy cooking!
Posted by: jeremy | September 15, 2010 at 02:29 PM
Any kind of squash makes a good frittata. Don't forget the grated lemon rind.
Posted by: Expat Stu | September 16, 2010 at 07:19 AM
Sounds like a great place - I've lived in the Bay Area all my life, and still learn of new sources of great food from your blog.
Hope you are doing well.
Posted by: Steve | September 16, 2010 at 08:03 AM
frittata! great idea! THANKS!!!!
Posted by: Ms. Glaze | September 16, 2010 at 09:48 AM
My God Ms Glaze! How fantastic to have a farm to go to and relax! It sounds like Provence. I like zucchini prepared like a proper fried green tomato: seasoned, dredged in flour and sauteed in oil and then a little sqeeze of lemon. It can be complicated with herbs and galic etc. Stay cool! john
Posted by: john | September 16, 2010 at 10:25 AM
I just gotta say you're too cute, how old are you? Kidding kidding, but nice website its a source of inspiration. Oh yeah got any line cook openings.
Late
Posted by: Joseph | September 17, 2010 at 04:42 PM
I do have line cook positions opening up. Email me your [email protected]
And I'm old. very old....
Posted by: msglaze | September 17, 2010 at 07:00 PM
As always your post is like a mini-vacation…every morsel sounds like a feast.
My wife makes a fantastic chocolate banana loaf…thanks for bringing it to mind…I will nibble on it when I next visit…
I want to encourage you, your blog is always impressive.
Posted by: Livingsword | September 17, 2010 at 07:03 PM
How very EAT, PRAY,LOVE this all sounds!
Maybe your story is called:
PARIS, NEW YORK, HOME
? ? ?
BRAVO!
XXCarolg
Posted by: parisbreakfast | September 21, 2010 at 03:44 AM
Squash blossoms are very special one ..For the first time iam hearing abt chocolate banana ..great to visit ur blog ..http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viva-Magazine-Your-Premium-Womens-Natural-Health-Magazine/262734921452?ref=ts I know plenty about the magic cookie so I do need to make the time myself to go..
Posted by: Gardening | September 22, 2010 at 03:32 AM
Glaze, I don't know what is going on right this minute but I am happy to check up on your blog and find you happy! I will take that anytime however you need to put some skin in the game at some point. We all do....no matter how young or how old.....
Posted by: luis | September 29, 2010 at 07:36 PM
Looks very yummy : )When do we eat?
Posted by: Alabama Home Inspection | September 30, 2010 at 04:59 PM
There is a chance that when we retire ... there may a farm. If there is I would love for it to be such place...as this farm.
Glaze..there are wonderful things in your future and your present isn't all that bad. Not bad at all.
This beats the hell out of trekking through impossibly demanding kitchens either here or in France.
Smart girl.
Posted by: luis | October 02, 2010 at 07:15 PM
> And I'm old. very old....
Ha! You may be old in kitchen years but you appear far younger then your experiences, writings, and cooking wisdom would tell. I agree with Joseph, you are too cute!
I really enjoy reading of your adventures. Please keep writing.
-Fred (of a long ago types of mint question)
Posted by: Fred Muhlenberg | October 03, 2010 at 07:04 PM
Wow its really a awesome and a great idea i like this share post.
keep it up.
Nice blog.
Posted by: Custom Logo Design | October 04, 2010 at 01:28 AM
Glaze, Martian farms is a destination in folks minds. That it is real and doable...is a reachable destination..maybe. Just the same It doesn't get no mo better than that! And this is why you come back. Bless you all.
Posted by: luis | October 05, 2010 at 07:58 PM
Looks like you had great time on your family vacation, next month we are traveling to, your post made me to start pack immediately. Loved the nice pictures.
Posted by: holy land tours | October 11, 2010 at 08:36 AM
I love your photos. And I missed going to farms and chill there.
Posted by: tables | October 18, 2010 at 06:37 PM
I saw you on avec eric!
http://eater.com/archives/2010/10/25/progressing-through-le-bernardins-kitchens-stations.php#more
Posted by: danny | October 25, 2010 at 02:10 PM
Our tracker has picked up some exciting new info on the SF dining scene: http://sanfrancisco.grubstreet.com/2010/10/citizen_cake_gets_a_new_chef_a.html
Posted by: Rouleau | October 30, 2010 at 08:43 AM
You make me dream about Michel Bras or Alain Passard, now! Laughs. Beautiful photos, and above all this is very inspirational for people like us who love the purity of the ingredients
Posted by: S Lloyd | December 04, 2010 at 09:07 PM
I love that photo of the nasturtiums in the bowl.
Posted by: Barbara O'Neal | December 07, 2010 at 07:21 PM
The pumpkin really looks stunningly yummy and fresh. But not just the pumpkin, but the other vegetables as well. And the sunflower is really amazing, so blooming in that photo. You all looked very happy and relaxed in that farm visit. Don't you just love the smell of the fresh air in farms? Well I do! I miss my farm life.
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Interesting
Posted by: Mosha | December 17, 2010 at 08:09 PM
My God Ms Glaze! Write!
Posted by: john | December 27, 2010 at 11:04 AM
Excellent photos, excellent articles. I hope you will post again soon
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It seemed that you guys were having such wonderful time together, the photos were really cute. Life in the farm is really something.
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