News from the Kitchen

The heat of August brings on the glut of fresh produce from California, from the smaller farms along the coast to the larger farms in the Central valley. Tomatoes, peaches, just about whatever you could wish for is available at this time of year.

We are using the big, fresh, juicy tomatoes from the Valley for some of the special offerings we have each day. Stone fruits are gracing our appetizer plates, along with sugar laden melon and berries. Greenleaf Produce Company and San Francisco Specialty Produce provide us with a plethora of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Frog Hollow Farms from Brentwood produces some of the best nectarines, peaches and apricots. Brentwood is also known for their corn production, the white being exceptionally sweet and delicate.

Skyhill Goat Cheese adds a lovely, smooth creamy bite to our salad. This local farm has been in operation since 1990. Amy Wend founded the 83-acre farm in the Carneros hills of Napa Valley. She now owns 200 acres of wide-open space where her goats can graze freely on pesticide free grasses. She is starting the process of becoming certified organic, a very special designation.

Also gracing our salads are our freshly prepared candied walnuts. We candy them in house, but purchase the walnuts locally from a business called Napa Nuts. Maxine and Al have been in business for 18 years, providing dried fruits and nuts to the Valley and all over the world. Summer provides us with such a variety of fresh produce, sometimes it is difficult to choose! We feel so lucky to have access to so much local product, as it comes to us fresher, riper, and with a smaller carbon footprint.

Meet more of our suppliers:
Riverdog Farm, supplier of organic fruits and vegetables.
Tomales Bay Oyster Company, a Marin county shellfish farm.