Wine grapes are fabulous.  Heaven knows we love what they turn into.  Wine!  (Ok, that’s stating the obvious…)  But, one of the many things that makes our lovely Russian River Valley, and Sonoma County as a whole, unique, is our incredible diversity of agriculture and artisan produce.  We farm- and our farming really speaks to the old world traditions of using the land for a variety of different crops, livestock and native habitats.  More and more, we’re seeing the farmers and ranchers expand from one crop or one animal on the land to a variety of uses on one property.

On our ranch, where we’ve farmed for five generations, we have chickens for eggs and meat, antique apple trees, vegetable gardens, bee hives for honey and polination, prunes, plums, cherries, peaches and berries scattered about the property and lovely creeks with riparian habitats.   

Lettuces and Heirloom Shelling Beans

This kind of farming is wonderful, because it’s year-round.  We have produce, eggs and meat every month of the year.  But, I have to admit that this month and the next few months are just amazing and so incredibly bountiful! 

An heirloom squash and its delicious blossoms

Doesn’t eveyone just love the idea of a Wine Country picnic?  You and your sweetheart tucked  in amid the vineyards and the rolling hills of Sonoma Wine Country, or out on the Sonoma Coast, toasting your everlasting love with Russian River Valley sparkling wine (or maybe pinot noir), nibbling bites of locally made Laura Chenel cabecou cheese, hand-crafted salumi and Farmhouse cured olives…  Well I do.   Throw in some lovely Russian River Valley spring or summer weather and nothing to do for the rest of the afternoon and I don’t think there’s much that can beat it.

For some time now, I’ve been asking our fabulous team of chefs to come up with the “Perfect Wine Country Picnic”.  Which, now that I look back, is sort of a lot of pressure.  Not just the “Ok” or “Fine Wine Country Picnic”, but perfect.  Definitive.  A brown tote bag filled with a lovely selection of delectable foods, all prepared by us or our friends.   And, easy to prepare, maintain, tote and enjoy.  So, ok, a little pressure.

We’ll they’ve finally pulled it together.  We offered our first picnics to guests about two weeks ago.  And, the feedback’s been worth the wait.  I’ve even packed one off to the beach myself- and loved it!  The picnic changes with the whims of the chef, but always includes salumi, olives, local cheese, house-made hummus or something similar, fresh greens and a vinaigrette, seasonal fruit from our ranch or a neighbor, flatbread and the most amazing desserts from Patti (right now it’s a decadent chocolate brownie).  We offer some great wines that you can purchase to take along, or, if you’ll be picnicking at a winery, pick up wine there.

Copain Winery

Our concierge team is equipped with a list of our very favorite spots.  From Copain Winery, up on a hill overlooking the Russian River Valley, to Quivira Winery, deep in Dry Creek Valley, where you can picnic in the biodynamic vegetable garden overlooking their vineyards, to the Armstrong Redwood Forest

Armstrong Woods, Redwood Forest

or, my favorite, out on the Sonoma Coast… we can send you in a million great directions.  Oh, last Monday, we packed up and headed down to Marshall to Hog Island Oyster Company where we added briny, fresh sweet water oysters to the mix. 

Oysters at Hog Island

 (If you visit their website, download their clam chowder recipe.  I brought home 5# of clams and made their chowder with carrots and celery from my garden….So crazy good!  But that’s another post…) 

Summer’s heating up, the produce coming in from our farm is incredible, the winery gardens are in full bloom or full swing, and, doesn’t a picnic just evoke magical images of timeless, laid back, romance and good old fashioned fun? 

I’d love to know some of your favorite picnic ideas and locations- around here, where you are now, or around the world. 

Joe and I both spend a lot of time entertaining press, visiting our little Russian River Valley and Wine Country Inn.  We take them around the area, introduce them to our friends and show them around our ranch.  And we love it.  It’s always such fun.  We adore bringing people in and showing them how wonderful and diverse this area actually is.  And we make life-long friends.  Well, this time, we decided to take our little show on the road.  To New York City!

Joe and me in front of the Conde Nast Building.

Susie Dobson, our fabulous PR person, put the word out that we’d be there introducing our new spa.  We gave her a “wish list” of editors and publications- O Magazine, Elle Magazine, Vogue, Travel and Leisure, Conde Nast Traveller, Town and Country, Departures… You get the gist.  And Joe and I were astounded by the response we got.  They ALL agreed to meet us.  Plus, Susie set up loads of meetings with freelance writers and tucked them in everywhere.

Then we got nervous.  Showing them around Wine Country is one thing- it’s easy to get how beautiful, friendly and delicious it is when you can actually see, experience and taste it.  But bringing the Farmhouse to them?  What to do?  So, after much pondering, we came up with a cool little gift bag.  The concept was Farm-to-Table.  And the bag included the makings for an afternoon tea and a mini facial.  Using the same ingredients- carrots, chamomile and honey- all from our ranch.  We offered the chamomile as a tea, the honey as a sweetener and the carrots baked, by Pattie, into gorgeous little white chocolate dipped madeleines.  Then, for the spa/facial component, the chamomile as a bath addition, the honey as a “honey pat” skin treatment (see below for technique) and the carrot tops as a facial spritz (our Spa Partners, Peggy and Loma actually made a carrot-top infusion that we packed and brought.)  We hand stamped some recycled cotton bags, tucked the goodies in with a bottle of Fred Scherrer’s fabulous RRV Pinot and a bunch of fresh carrots (those were interesting to manage- I was obsessed with the tops staying fresh and crisp throughout the trip.  They actually ended up living in the bathtub, slathered with ice.) and volia!  Farmhouse in a sack.   Or something like that…

So, we spent three days, dashing around the city from amazing office to amazing office talking about our incredible new spa and our recent expansions and our never ending plans for what’s next.  We ate to-die-for food in extraordinary environments with great new friends and really lived it up.  But, boy were we glad to get home!

Here’s the Honey Pat Technique:

Autumn honey from the Bartolomei Ranch

The Honey Pat from The Spa at Farmhouse Dip your fingers into a bit of honey and apply it to your face in an upward revolving motion.  Now pat your face with your fingertips as if you were typing a letter on your face.  Once the mask is very tacky, rinse your face with tepid water or mineral water.  Honey is a natural rejuvenator and humectants and leaves you feeling refreshed and invigorated.  Skin ages not because it loses its ability to hold oil, but because it loses its ability to retain moisture.  Honey is a natural hydrator, that is, it seems to have the capacity to maintain or restore the normal proportion of water in the skin.   The Honey Pat feels smooth and leaves the skin lightly tight and firm with a warm feeling and light, pleasant smell.  Because the honey is acid, it helps to rid the face of blemishes and blackheads.

Images of our new spa taken by photographer Edward Duarte

In partnership with Francis and Alexander (of Auberge du Soleil, Calistoga Ranch, Solage, and Mansion on Peachtree fame, just to name a few) Farmhouse, or rather I, get to announce the launch of our fabulous new farm-to-table spa- Spa at Farmhouse, by Francis and Alexander.  Romantic couples treatments, girls getaways or individual therapeutic healing, our new spa embraces and celebrates it all!  Exciting, huh?  Well, it really, really is for us.  Spas are hard.  Really hard.  I should know.  My brother, Joe and I have been at this for nine years.  And we’re just getting it right. 

Peggy Francis and Loma Alexander

 Joe and I bought the then rundown and oh so creepy (but loaded with potential and a great location in the Russian River Valley Wine Country!)  Farmhouse back in 2001 (Valentine’s Day was our first day of ownership), with an incredibly optimistic business plan and about $.50 to update the entire property and realize our “vision”  (oh my!).   

For what seemed like the worst, but turned out to be the better, we didn’t have the upfront money to simply come in and fix everything that was wrong .  We had to do it bit by bit, as we earned the money.  But, in retrospect, we could have spent millions- and we’d have spent it all wrong. Our first “direction” for the property “Wine Country Chic Amid the Vines” (what does that even mean?) involved a lot of shiny fabric that couldn’t be burned with a blow torch or stained with squid ink…  (apparently we didn’t have much faith in our guests-to-be…)  Although we’ve always emphasized local, seasonal and organic- for ages, we just didn’t know how to take that out of the restaurant and into the rest of the business.

We”ll, through endless fits and starts, we’ve finally come to a point where Farmhouse is a truly Farm-to-Table property-wide.  Meaning that the food and products from the farm, ours and our neighbors,  make their way into every corner of the business.  From breakfast to spa to dinner to the product you use in your after dinner bath, the farm is present.

Early winter honey from the bees on our ranch

Last year we added the Barn, redecorated and re-renovated the Cottages and restaurant- and last but far from least, we’re finally launching the spa we’ve been dreaming of.

The spa has been, by far, the toughest thing to get our arms around.  When we purchased Farmhouse, our then marketing consultant convinced us that we needed a “spa”.  Guests of a “Wine Country Chic” Inn wanted massage!  Well, that sounded good to us.  So we hired a local massage therapist to head it up, got some phone numbers from some local therapists and voila!  Most of our rooms were too small to fit a massage table, so our “spa” moved all over the property, each location weirder, colder and more remote than the last. 

Finally, about 5 years ago, Joe and I decided to give our little spa a home at last.  Still, with no budget, we committed our vast and completely under utilized “event center” (that’s a whole other story) to the spa.  We built some walls, painted them sky blue and yellow (I know, what was I thinking), brought in a wonderful local woman to “manage” it, and called it a day.  With grand dreams of farm-to-table treatments, utilizing our own cream, eggs and honey, Joe and I waited.  And waited.  And, what we ultimately found out was that spa is easy to talk about and as hard to make happen as a Michelin Starred restaurant.  See, we’re learning as we go!

Outdoor massage, fireside on a Barn deck

This time, I think we’ve done it right.  We turned to Myra Hoefer again for the interior design.  Weathered wood floors, creamy wainscotted walls and fresh, farmy accents have evolved our two spa rooms into cozy, warm and simply lovely spaces.  Our great room has been transformed into a haven for relaxation.  Comfy chairs, ottomans and sofas invite guests to choose one of our many lovely spa, art or design books off our huge farm table (or bring a book of their own) and stay a while. 

One of our lovely new spa rooms, designed by Myra Hoefer

Well, I’m so pleased and proud of the partnership that we’ve created and that’s resulted in our incredible new spa!  Please, take a look at our new spa menu, an actual masterpiece by Francis and Alexander.  We think it’s simply delightful- and hope you’ll join us soon and take advantage of one of our new treatments.  They’re all so exciting and will make you feel divine.   ”Catherine’s Favorite” really is my favorite.  Every time I have it my five year old daughter makes me bring her a towel with the delicious scented oil for her to sleep with (cute, huh?).  But the Carrot, Carrot, Carrot is wonderful too.  Loma actually has added a fresh carrot eye treatment and has been finishing it up with a carrot muffin.  So Carrot times 5?  Maybe too much.  Then again, maybe not.

Yes, and breakfast and lunch too!  We’re sold, we’re excited, we’re totally turned on.  How did this come about, you might ask.  Well, slowly actually.  We’ve been reading about the health benefits of various seaweeds and sea vegetables- they’re really high in trace minerals and vitamins, and they’re reputed to have wonderful, medicinal qualities.  But, we haven’t been able to commit to integrating it into our daily routines.  Until this past weekend.

In an effort to regroup and come down from a really crazy summer/year, Rod and I rented a little house up at Sea Ranch for a week. 

The view from our house

Sea Ranch is one of our absolute favorite spots in the world.  Just an hour away from Forestville, but a whole world away from our day to day.  Seven days of nothing but rugged coastline and, beautiful beaches, totally isolated, but surrounded by a really exciting, eclectic community.  When things get crazy, we pack and head up the coast.  We eat, we drink and we just hang out together.  And inevitably, we encounter something new and exciting that comes home with us.  No, not the snake. 

Helen and her "beach pet" a small, friendly snake

At the Gualala Farmer’s Market last Saturday, we were pleasantly surprised to find a small but thriving community of

Biodynamic for 32 years.

biodynamic and just plain-old farmers, beekeepers and environmentalists all working together and producing/creating a diverse and beautiful collection of crafts and edibles.  Of course we picked up loads of dry farmed tomatoes, lacey lettuces and absolutely gorgeous coastal berries and some fantastic pickles. 

Wild halibut tacos with local tomato salsa, shell beans and, of couse, kombu!

 But, what really caught our attention, were two different stalls.  One with beautifully crafted containers of salt and what looked like a seasoning mix.  And one with bags and bags of dried seaweed and vegetables piled in big baskets. 

The first turned out to be a new venture, The Mendocino Sea Salt Company,

Bob and Lora La Mar, and their bounty

started by Bob and Lora La Mar when fishery closures forced their commercial fishing business to close its doors.  Rather than dry up and move away, they discovered another sea harvest.  Salt!  Bob takes the boat out into deep areas off the Mendocino and Sonoma Coasts and gathers water.  He brings it ashore and through a painstaking and meticulous process, crystalizes the salt, extracts it and packages it for sale.  Lora, who’s a passionate cook, has created a blend, using locally harvested seaweeds, ground and blended with the salt.  At first taste we were hooked.  We picked up some salt and some of the blend, which they call Seasoning Sand, and we’ve been using it on everything. It’s local, it’s amazing and it’s healthy!  They’re bringing in samples.  I”m hoping to start using it in the restaurant.

The other stall housed Gualala Seaweed Products.  Founded by the self-proclaimed, and I think actually Renaissance woman, Donna Bishop, they sell all kinds of edible seaweed and seaweed products.  Donna does all of the harvesting, drying and processing herself.  We picked up some of her Kombu- which is particularly great added to beans, while they’re cooking, stews and soups. 

If you haven’t tuned into seaweed yet, look into it.  It doesn’t just taste good, it’s easy to use, really versatile, and a super-powerhouse.  Best of all, for me anyway, now we can get it locally!

Helen and Rocco having a tong battle. Things get interesting when we're just hanging out...

I know, that sounds really cute.  Gotta get my Farmer’s Market fix?  Or what?  I go postal for want of fresh picked peas?  I go into fits from the absence of perfectly ripe heirloom tomatoes perched, all fragrant and enticing, on my kitchen counter?  Well yes.  Actually.  I realize that that’s just kind of precious.  I live in Wine Country, it’s all about the “lifestyle”, here, right?  So we put on our big straw hats, grab our chic, but totally organic market baskets, and we head to the market to see and be seen by other fabulous Wine Country-lifestyle-types, while we purchase perfectly peeled, dewy produce and feel so good about “doing the right thing”.  Isn’t is just so green to be addicted to the Farmer’s market? 

Actually, that’s not it at all.  Eating fresh, seasonal food, grown or made by people you know and like, is addictive.  Not gotta have my Twinkie addictive, but it becomes a sort of food for your soul as much as anything.  Plus, our Farmer’s Market is just so much fun!   We go to Sebastopol and Occidental.  Western Sonoma County.  The Green Capital of America.  More kids per capita than any other towns anywhere.  Barely even Wine Country at all.  Not to say that Wine Country doesn’t have it’s share of Farmer’s Markets that are more, say, glamorous.  But they’re not over here in West County.

Sunday morning is all about the market.  We roll out of bed, load up the kids and the stroller, grab coffee and a donut at My Friend Joe’s (yes, an actual donut.  Helen likes the ones with sprinkles,

Pink sprinkles for Helen thank you very much

Rod goes for Old Fashioned and Rocco will take anything we give him.  For me, it’s those greasy double-fried apple fritter things.  I know it’s gross, but it’s only once a week… And, we’re on the way to Nutrition Nirvana…) and head for Sebastopol. 

The Farmer’s Markets are a weekly festival.  Music, food, crafts and incredible produce grown by dynamic farmers.  We load Rocco into the stroller/shopping cart  (the super-grubby, falling apart thing that used to be Helen’s) and away we go. 

First stop (always, can’t be missed or skipped) Hector’s stand, for honey sticks.  $.25 each.  Everyone gets two.  Helen is in charge of choosing flavors and passing out.  We also get spring garlic, sweet onions and lemon cucumbers from Hector. 

That's Hector

Next, once the kids are good and sticky, we make our way all the way to the end of the market.  Got to see who’s got what.  And it gives the kids a chance to “check out the scene”. 

While we sort of “troll” the market, we decide the menu for the week.  We have to be strategic- because we’re committed to eating everything we buy.  Before next Sunday.  Beautiful squash blossoms?  Great, what are they going into?  And when?  

This week’s Sunday dinner ended up being our favorite salad of yellow wax beans (the ones tinged with green that are unbearably fresh and sweet tasting) and grilled fresh, wild Copper River salmon with a sorrel aioli. 

Full Circle Breads

The salad is one we live on in the summer.  My grandmother made it religiously every Sunday for my uncle. When she had beans in the garden, anyway.  We called it “Cuncia”.  I’m not sure where it got the name, but it’s basically tender green beans with sweet onions, olive oil and red wine vinegar.  The trick it tossing the beans with the oil and vinegar and salt when they’re still warm.  They get the most amazing flavor.  In my family you could add canned tuna- the really good Italian stuff packed in oil, you could add potatoes, starchy ones, so the potatoes break up and coat the beans, pesto (that’s from my great grandmother, who put pesto on everything), and that’s it.  End of the line.  Can’t add anything else.  Well, we do.  Tomatoes, olives, cucumber, you name it, it all works and is really good. 

The sorrel aioli or mayonnaise is also a basic at our house.  Pretty much every Sunday Rod makes some form of aioli from whatever herbs we find: nettles, sorrel and basil are standard for us with our eggs and some McEvoy olive oil.  We smear it on everything all week. 

Jill from Crescent Moon Farm

Anyway, back at the market… We make our stops at Crescent Moon for all of our hot fresh and dried ground chili peppers (we use a lot of peppers) and heirloom shelling beans, Laguna Farm for lettuces and the sweetest carrots you’ve ever had-their corn is fantastic too.

Then we head over to see Mateoat his Yucatan Tamale cart for “Farmer’s Market Huevos Rancheros”.  Fresh duck eggs, housemade tortillas, fresh salsa, peppers from Cresent Moon.  You get the picture.  And an agua fresca- this week was peach and thyme. 

We eat while the kids dance in the fountain with the other jillion half naked, tribal toddlers and pop in for occasional bites and slurps.  There’s always live music.  Sometimes its great, sometimes it’s not, but the kids always love it, and actually we do too.   The Farmer’s Market, like the seasons themselves only lasts a short while.  We anticipate its arrival, we mourn its departure and we sure make the most of  it while it’s here.