A few weeks ago, Kathy and I were shopping for produce at the Saturday Farmers Market in neighboring Brentwood, and after Kath had her ration of pickling cukes, herbs and vegetables for the coming week’s recipes and culinary projects, she asked me if it would be wrong to go into the Co. Co. County Wine Company for an adult beverage. They open in the morning on Saturdays, specifically for the Farmers Market crowd.
Hey, as far as I’m concerned, it’s 5 a.m. somewhere.
Winemaker Becky Bloomfield of Bloomfield Vineyards owns the joint, and this particular ayem she was behind the stick making Mimosi and Bellino to order. Becky chatted us up a bit about a fundraising event that was upcoming, and to which she was donating some wine.
Before finishing our bevies, we took an event flier; later that afternoon Kathy had us take a flyer on the upcoming event: the Second Annual Fundraiser for Tess’ Community Farm Kitchen. Online reservations were made; soon, tax-deductible 501(C) 3 tickets were received by mail.
A decade ago, Brentwood business attorney (still practicing) Barbara Frantz purchased a 10-acre parcel of agricultural land near Discovery Bay (BTW: Kath recently brought home word of the dates for the next semi-annual Disco Bay Country Club wine event, which we’ve written about before.), with an idea to nurture the land, educate folks to the value of fresh produce, and to serve as a resource to local farmers, many of whom can lose a literal ton of fruit to the ground if the big boys (supermarkets) aren’t in the mood to buy this year.
[Sidebar, Your Honor: Several months ago, I overheard one very successful local farmer admit a fact that, in theoretical reality, made perfect sense, but that, in my touchy-feely-buy from-the-source-and-pay-a-premium-sometimes reality, kinda stung. It seems that super-high-end markets, such as Whole Foods and the like, want only unblemished, perfect-looking fruit. Agricultural acne of any kind will not be tolerated. Any produce exhibiting a minor blemish (and I emphasize “minor”; it’s not like these farmers distribute rotten fruit) is the stuff that goes to CSA subscribers and B-to-C walk-ins, at least in the case of this operation.]
It’s almost reminiscent of the wine biz: In what other world would the price be higher at its source (the winery) than off-site (the supermarket)?
But back to business: A big part of Barbara’s mission is to show how growers don’t have to lose that valuable fruit to the worms; culled fruit can be made into jams, sauces, vinaigrettes, pastries and other goodies that, as she notes, “last on a shelf a lot longer than on a tree.”
The Tess’ Community Farm Kitchen event definitely put the ‘fun” in “fundraiser.” Named for Barbara’s mom, the locale (and similarly named organization) served as a wonderful backdrop for the mission, as local farmers, vintners, retailers and restaurants donated goods and services to make for a very civilized late afternoon/evening of al fresco dining in the orchard. Didn’t hurt that all of our tablemates were a hoot, but when one of them is a beekeeper, that’s all I need to listen enrapt over one more cup of Chardonnay.
I talked for a long time with John Papini Sr, honcho of Papini Farms, a place Kathy and I have visited for the last two springtimes in order to get the jump on their U-Pick fruit. This man is the real deal, articulating the vagaries and the challenges of keeping the generational farm operating in the face of today’s business machinations, but at the same time he’s garrulous, hilarious and all kinds of good “ous”es one would find only in the dictionary. Check out our photo of John’s mobile grillmobile, at which he tended the corn, the chicken and the ribs, all donated from local farms and restaurants.
And what a menu! Multiple courses featuring heirloom tomatoes, organic figs, sweet potato dumplings with local honey, grilled zucchini, mixed greens with a white Balsamic, lemon cupcakes with lavender frosting, and the opportunity to grab a paper bag and scissors to snip off bunches of grapes in the vineyard to take home!
Our carte came with a list of donors, and it read like an Oakley, Brentwood, Disco Bay, Antioch and Byron “Who’s Who?”: Olive oil from our pals Dawn and David at Brentwood Olive Oil and Spices; peaches from Frog Hollow Farms; wines from Becky’s concern and Hannah Nicole Winery, beer from Schooner’s, a cool brewpub out west by the Vold-Mort (sorry, Wal-Mart). And gotta love that a couple of local Safeways and a Starbucks gave the love.
Which sort of seems to be the point of Tess’ Community Farm Kitchen.
Counselor Barbara A. Frantz, may I have you ask for a continuance, at least until next year?
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