Kathleen Hill: Latest food news from around the Valley

Fourth of July dining

There are only a few places in town where you can dine and watch Sonoma's fabulous fireworks, estimated by many to be better than those of big cities.

Ramekins still has seats at its annual Fourth of July BBQ next door at the General's Daughter starting at 7 p.m. with a large buffet, live music by Forestville's David Luning Band, red, white and French rosé wines, along with Sangria and Sonoma's fireworks. David Luning made it through several rounds on 'American Idol' two years ago.

Guests might expect grilled corn and vegetables, potatoes, baby back ribs, grilled chicken, cornbread, Early Girl tomato arugula Caprese salad, potato chips, melons, grilled sausages, a candy bar, desserts, lavender lemonade and sangria, cash bar. Adults $65, kids 6 to 12 $25, age 5 and under free. 7 p.m. ramekins.com.

Nature Valley Protein Bar recall

According to Fox News, General Mills announced the recall of the popular Nature Valley protein bars due to possible listeria in sunflower kernels that came from a supplier. The flavors possibly affected include honey and almond with pumpkin seeds, peanut, almond and dark chocolate (yes!), roasted peanut, and honey almond cashew with sea salt.

Jean Arnold Sessions is ED of Sonoma County Vintners

Everyone's dear friend, Jean Arnold Sessions, just succeeded herself as Interim Executive Director to Executive Director of the Sonoma County Vintners' (SCV).

A fabulous woman who has helped hundreds of others have fun raising funds for breast cancer research has another side of her life: that of winery president at Hanzell and J wineries and director of Patz & Hall. She is also a great mentor to young women in the wine business, and we miss her in the Patten Street neighborhood since she moved to the Springs.

Many of us helped her through the illness and passing of her dear husband, Bob Sessions, former winemaker at Hanzell Vineyards, and congratulate her on such a positive move in her life.

Paul's Produce to open Saturdays

Great news, everyone.

For those of us who want to shop quietly for vegetables on the weekend, Paul's Produce, the pride and joy of Paul Wirtz and Candi Edmonson, will open its Arnold Drive farm stand across from Brocco's Old Barn on Saturday, July 9. Candi, her son, and a happy young farm-oriented crew will sell what's picked that morning by Paul and his gang. They will continue selling at both the Tuesday evening and Friday morning farmers markets as well.

Obama's Flatbed love

Flatbed Farm on Arnold Drive in Glen Ellen, farmed by Rachel Kohn-Obut, is also open, so get on her email list to find out exactly when. 13450 Highway 12 across from Bouverie Audubon Preserve in Glen Ellen. Contact her at rachel@flatbedfarm.com.

Rachel speculates that some of Flatbed Farm's vegetables and greens were served to President Barack Obama since Flatbed Farm and the restaurant, 25 Lusk, where the president dined last week while in the Bay Area for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit at Stanford, are both owned by the Dolan family, whose son Matthew is partner and executive chef at 25 Lusk.

Speaking of Sonoma/Glen Ellen veggies being served to President Obama at 25 Lusk in San Francisco Thursday evening, here is what he apparently was served: small bites of wild mushroom cheesecake, lobster corn dogs, cucumber and melon salad on greens, and a double order of yellowtail sashimi appetizer as his entrée. While not drinking any wine, the President sipped a Ketel One vodka on the rocks.

Nibs & Sips

Highly awarded chef and businesswoman extraordinaire Traci Des Jardins, who owns six San Francisco restaurants including Jardinière and Arguello, dropped in with part of her crew to visit Fred Johnson's new Starling, which used to be the Blue Moon Saloon.

Saul Gropman entertained famous visitors as well when NASCAR drivers Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Gordon stopped by Café LaHaye for dinner. Good thing Gropman now saves 30 percent of his restaurant's seating for locals and walk-ins.

Diver on the rise

Sonoma-grown diver and renowned diving coach Adam Sodati has again coached David Boudia into first place in the 2016 Olympic Diving Trials Sunday and will be taking him to Boudia's fourth Olympics in Rio to defend his 2012 gold medal. Soldati is known as one of the top diving coaches in the country (four-time NCAA Diving Coach of the Year) having also coached at the University of Indiana and Purdue University.

Soldati used to dive at Sonoma Valley High School way back when the high school had a pool. He and his wife Kimiko Hirai Soldati, a 2004 U.S. Olympic diver, have six children and now live in Indiana

Farm opens for brunch at Carneros Inn

Farm Restaurant at the Carneros Inn, just over the county line in Napa but a favorite of many Sonomans, will start serving brunch on its newly-renovated patio on Sunday, July 3.

Guests will choose four menu items as a table to be shared family-style from a changing menu that might include smoked fried chicken and waffle with pepper jelly, beets and berries with fresh ricotta, green salad, and fresh biscuits with Silverado Trail strawberries, foie gras mousse and Marshal Farms honey.

Bocce courts available. $45 per person. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 4048 Sonoma Highway (121). 299-4880. Farmatthecarnerosinn.com.

Public pressure reverses 'Wonderful' mistake

Seen widely in print, electronic and social media, the Wonderful Company, which owns Landmark Vineyards in Kenwood, Justin Vineyards & Winery and POM Wonderful pomegranate juices, scraped some 380 acres of hillsides clean of vegetation and oak trees west of Paso Robles to plant more vineyards.

Their actions so upset the locals that customers pressured area restaurants to remove Justin wines from their wine lists, which they did immediately in protest to the landscape rape.

Owners Lynda and Stewart Resnick said last Friday that they were 'ashamed and are sorry' for being 'asleep at the wheel' and letting this happen, according to the San Luis Obispo Tribune.

The Tribune also said that 'The Resnicks plan to give the property at 750 Sleepy Farm Road in west Paso Robles to an undetermined local nonprofit. In addition, they said they will restore the land to its natural contours by undoing extensive grading, halt the construction of an agricultural reservoir that would have been filled by pumping in 6 million gallons of groundwater, and are 'looking for other conservation opportunities in the greater Adelaida area.'

The couple also said they would be 'implementing measures to permanently protect oak woodlands from being removed on at least 100 acres of our property' and planting 5,000 new oaks across their properties, although they haven't said where the new trees would be located.'

Gingersnap ice cream

July 1 is National Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day as well as National Gingersnap Day. Nice pairing!