Kathleen Hill: Ring in the harvest and other food news

Ring in the harvest with any ole bell

Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance announced a new quasi-European celebration to announce the launch of the grape harvest. All wineries, grape growers, winemakers and wine drinkers (and that could be you) will ring bells at noon on the first day of harvest. Maureen Cottingham, executive director of SVVGA, will let us all know when that day comes, but it's usually in late August.

This announcement came at the SVVGA's first Harvest Kickoff Party in the hidden park-like setting of shaded long green grass in the middle of Serres Ranch's 180 acres of vineyard and cattle. (Serres blueberries grow in Laytonville where the soil and climate are more to the berries' liking.)

The bell-ringing was announced to great cheers when emcee and GlenLyon/Two Amigos grower/winemaker Squire Fridell introduced Steve Sangiacomo, filling in for his dad, Angelo Sangiacomo, as Honorary Bell Ringer to clang the first commemorative Sonoma Valley Harvest Bell.

Then SVVGA Board President Kenneth Juhasz of Auteur Wines used a saber to crack open a bottle of Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards sparkling wine.

Meanwhile, the more than 200 locals representing more than 100 wineries and 140 grape growers feasted on a barbecue by Rob Larman's Cochon Volant that included meaty baby back ribs, melt-in-your-mouth 14-hour Five Dot Ranch beef brisket (the fat helps), freshly baked beans, brined and smoked chicken breasts with perfect coleslaw, pickled onions, green salad, watermelon and wild arugula salad with feta and olives, and chili cheese corn bread, all followed by bowls of Serres blueberry-laden cobbler topped with slowly melting vanilla ice cream.

A great success, and most guests can't wait for bell ringing and next year's party.

Farmer Rachel brings veggies to Frenchie

Farmer Rachel Kohn Obut, part-time farmer at Flatbed Farm in Glen Ellen, is also farming new-to-her land in Napa.

Starting Friday, Aug. 3, Farmer Rachel will deliver CSA boxes on Fridays to Liz Payne and Sarah Pinkin's Frenchie Picnics & Provisions in addition to her pickup location at Little Moon Farm in Napa. She brings whatever is perfect for picking in her field: from tomatoes to Shishito peppers, strawberries, eggplant, cucumbers and other salad ingredients. Her CSA offers Salad Lover's CSA shares with options for weekly flower bouquet add-ons and a 'Traveler's Share' for those who plan to be out of town. Join either the Napa or Sonoma CSA at littlemoonfarmnapa.com. For a one-time sample box email rkohnobut@gmail.com.

Other local small farmers have had to relocate to Napa and beyond to find land they could afford to rent to grow food.

Free soup Fridays

Having heard about Soup for Seniors free soup Fridays at Vintage House, I sauntered over there last Friday after my radio show to check it out and see what was going on with my own eyes. What a surprise!

Maybe 40 people were chatting, laughing and slurping excellent soup, made by volunteer and private chef Taylor Hale. She had been away until that morning and was unable to bake bread herself, so substituted Mike the Bejkr's bread from the Friday morning farmers' market.

The bread went well with the light broth Italian sausage and tortellini soup with fresh tomatoes and cheeses to your taste. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays. 264 First St. E., Sonoma 996-0311.

Programs and services manager Kelsey Maddox has purchased baskets to hold free vegetables they hope to receive from Sweetwater Spectrum to give away to seniors as well. If other local farmers would like to contribute extra vegetables, contact Kelsey.maddox@vintagehouse.org.

While Soup for Seniors is, admittedly, an effort to feed seniors a warm meal, get some people out of their houses to socialize, and offer a community effort between Vintage House and the adult autistic community of Sweetwater Spectrum, some of us might try to get beyond any hesitation we have about going to Vintage House for anything. It is not shameful to admit one is 55 years young, and if we can get over that there are some valuable programs to enjoy while chatting with and learning from our elders. End of speech.

Larson starts tours

Larson Family Winery, almost down at Wingo, just started to offer tours of their winery and production barns, which should be super interesting. This Millerick and Larson family property used to be a steamboat port loaded with cowboys, cattle and rodeos that moved on to vineyards and wine.

From 1929 until the 1950s the Sonoma Rodeo took place at Millerick Ranch and attracted 8,000 fans. It was founded by Tom Larson's great grandfather, Michael Millerick. Tom and his father Bob planted their first chardonnay vines in 1977, ultimately producing more wine than the family could drink, leading to the winery's slogan of 'We drink what we can and sell the rest.' Not entirely a folksy effort, Tom earned his BS in Fermentation Science from U.C. Davis and founded Larson Family Winery in 1988.

And they mean family winery to include everyone's family, not just their own. Most of their events are child- and dog-friendly. Tours every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., including barrel tasting. Wine club members $25, guests $35, non-drinking adults $15. No dogs or children on these tours of production facilities.

Reservations required at 938-3031, Ext. 28 or at larsonfamilywinery.com.

Chronicle Food + Home hits, misses

Last Sunday's San Francisco Chronicle's Food + Home section devoted an entire page to Morgan Twain-Peterson's new Bedrock tasting room in the old General Joseph Hooker House in El Paseo courtyard.

Writer Esther Mobley highlighted portraits of grape growers who supply grapes for Bedrock's prized old-vine Zinfandels, including those from esteemed vineyards such as Evangelho, Monte Rosso, and Tedeschi.

Some free tastes and other seated tastings are available by appointment only. One free 'Hooker' joke tolerated, then $10 thereafter to go to Sonoma League for Historic Preservation. 414 First St. E., Sonoma. Thursday through Monday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 343-1478. Bedrockwineco.com.

On the other hand, the same Food + Wine section named 'Get your licks in 16 top spots for ice cream shops around the Bay Area.' Clearly the Chronicle team didn't venture north of Posie in Larkspur, the only Marin County ice cream maker mentioned.

I wrote a front cover featured story on independent ice cream makers in Napa, Sonoma and Marin Counties for Edible Marin & Wine Country a few months ago. Obviously the Chronicle folks haven't tried Sonoma's Sweet Scoops or La Michoacana ice cream.

Sweet Scoops fought back Sunday, posting their Lavender Fig and Mardone Viognier Pomegranate ice creams of the day, with its scroll bulletin board announcing the farms where they get their featured fresh ingredients.

La Michoacana Natural Ice Cream in The Springs serves yummy natural paletas (on a stick) and interesting flavors such as coconut-pineapple, cucumber, mango, Mexican Neapolitan, blueberry yogurt loaded with blueberries, and many more.

Who was Jonathan Gold?

Many American newspapers ran stories this week on the passing of Jonathan Gold at age 57 from pancreatic cancer, diagnosed just three weeks previously. Why should we be interested?

A slightly rotund fellow with blowing long sandy-colored hair, Gold was one of the nicest and most opinionated food editors and writers anywhere. Those whose restaurants he didn't care for saw him differently.

A classically trained musician, he first wrote about music and migrated to food and entertainment.

Gold wrote about food and guided Angelinos through their big city's foods and ethnic restaurants for the Los Angeles Times, where Ochoa is Arts & Entertainment Editor.

Gold described himself as the 'belly of Los Angeles,' and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2007 and several James Beard Foundation journalism awards during his career, including the M.F.K. Fisher prize for distinguished writing in 2011.

The L.A. Times quotes Gold as saying, 'I love going out to eat in the way a theater critic loves theater. I love going to farmers markets. I love sticking my hands in pots, and it turns out food is a pretty good prism through which to view humanity.' Amen.