A Taste of Terroir Summary - 2009

And here we are again, the 3rd time already for the "A Taste of Terroir" event. Our writers embellish on the theme of those special foods which reflect their corner of the globe. The entries this year span the globe and go from the homey to the exotic.

Greece

The first entry I received was from Ivy of Kopiaste to Greek Hospitality, with a recipe for Port with Quince, Prunes and Chestnuts. Ivy talks about the history of the ingredients, including a bit of Greek mythology.

Germany

And Ulrike who writes Küchenlatein from Schleswig-Holstein, Germany writes about Förtchen from her kitchen. This particular recipe is from her grandmother, however these predate her grandmother and even antique cookbooks have a multitude of recipe variations. You'll enjoy her write up.

United States

Mike is a someone I actually know via the business world and we found that we have a common love of good food and the stories behind it. He writes about Livermore, California where he currently lives and has a great tale to weave into giving us a simple, elegant and delicious recipe for Raspberry and Petite Syrah syrup. Don't miss reading "The Time Lamont Prayed for Me" the entry from his blog, Welcome to a World Where Chefs Roam Free.

Joelen from Chicago, Illinois writes Jolen's Culinary Adventures. She writes about a dish that is unique and associated with Italian home cooking. Don miss her "Italian Timpano" which would be a great dish for anyone's special occasion.

And another Marin blog based in Sausalito, California, Come To Sausalito has added to the terroir conversation by walking us through the oodles of food terroir in that fair city, in the post entitled "A Taste of Terroir (Not Terror!)" The post was a group effort of the editors, and is a good sketch of special tastes that say "Sausalito". A photo wasn't included, so I chose one of my favorite Sausalito views.

Rounding out the US entries, is the post I made, In Search of Terrior, where I chronicle my efforts to find local, yet not native oysters in Marin County.

India

Priya writes Food and Laughter and gives us a post about the seasonal nature of cuisine in India. She chooses to share a couple recipes that are eaten in Punjab in the winter, Makai ki Roti and Sarson ka Saag. Although a photo is not included, her colorful and descriptive post almost has me tasting these healthy winter treats.

Philippines

Ning from Heart and Hearth takes the cake for the most exotic entry I received. She describes the process of making Philippine Civet Coffee, from the beans to the cup. Without a doubt, there is terroir in every sip of this.

Trinidad

Sarina from TriniGourmet writes about Trinidad Saheena, a dish using split pea flour and quite unique to her area. This tasty local appetizer has great pictoral directions, and suggestions for substitutions.

And so we come to the end of another year of A Taste of Terroir. Thanks to everyone who participated and those who are dropping by to follow our adventures together.

Another local food product

As I mentioned on Wednesday in the write up about the oyster journey, I found another local food product in case the oyster story didn't work out. Point Reyes Station was on the way home, and Tomales Bay Foods is a lovely spot to find more local deliciousness. Cowgirl Creamery made a home in this renovated barn in 1997 and there is a glassed in area where you can watch cheese being made.

There are lots of cheeses and accompaniments to buy, as well as sample towards the middle of the barn. I spied some creme fraiche, which brought me back to my student days in Paris where I first discovered this treat. I lived in a five story walk up pension where dinner was served on the top floor every evening. We were often served fresh berries with a cylindrical foil package of creme fraiche in a smaller bowl next to it, and a big pot of sugar for the table.

The creme fraiche in France I recall as being very thick. So I was rather surprised to find the Cowgirl Creamery version to be runny. However the taste was there and it still made a great strawberry topping, mixed with a bit of sugar. Marin is quite famous for its local dairies, and this cheese is very local despite its French twist.

In search of terroir

It was that beautiful 70F weather Sunday after a very cold streak of weather that the journey started. At the time, I didn't think I was starting a journey. I just got out of bed and saw the glorious day, and knew that I wanted to find my bit of Marin terroir! I had thought of writing again about one of Marin's great cheeses, but decided to stretch for something different and knew our oysters were second to none. That meant I could take a trip out to West Marin, were the seabed nurses these beauties.

And this is my post for the 3rd annual "A Taste of Terroir" where bloggers everywhere are invited to post about a special food that arises from and is made unique by their piece of the earth. The summaries of these with links will be at this site on January 31st, so please come back to sample and enjoy a culinary adventure!

There are three major oyster growers in Marin, Drake's Bay Oyster Company, Tomales Bay Oyster Company, and Hog Island Oyster Company. I had heard that Tomales Bay Oyster Company had a way to enjoy them on site, so they were my pick. I thought to call ahead and ask about the oysters and what the story on on-site visiting was. A very friendly man picked up the phone and explained that they weren't a restaurant, but there was a picnic area on the grounds, and they sold the oysters, oyster knife, gloves, and even jars of sauces and barbecue briquettes. He assured me that it wouldn't take long to get the hang of shucking the oysters and invited me over to the clear blue skies and matching 70F temperature (West Marin can be colder sometimes being on the coast of the Pacific Ocean).

It took no more prompting! In the back of the Prius I threw barbecue briquettes, tablecloth, and other tasty things from the fridge and cupboard to round out a picnic featuring fresh oysters! I made sure my father had layers and a blanket, and out the door we went. I started calling friends along the way to invite them to the picnic adventure. After a few stops, after all, it was a leisurely Sunday, we arrived at Tomales Bay Oyster Company.

It actually turned out to be lucky that friends weren't able to join for various reasons. Other people obviously woke up with the same idea! There was absolutely no room for us. Dad took one look at the crowd and said it was too much for him.

I left him in the car for a few minutes and took a walk around, to get a feel for the place, and to devise an alternate plan. It was a scenic place.

And I just loved these little boys having a conversation on the shoreline.

Despite the lack of tablespace, people were still lining up to buy oysters! And the parking lot was jammed, there were also cars lining the highway near the entrance.

So I proceeded on the alternate plan, driving up the road to a restaurant serving the local specialty, barbecued oysters. And those who read my lead up post last week know that the bottom line for that part of the adventure was that although delicious, the barbecued oysters at Tony's Seafood Restaurant, about three miles north of here, were not local, but from Washington State's Puget Sound. The story was that there aren't enough local oysters to supply the demand at the restaurant!

Leaving Tony's Seafood Restaurant, I did make a 'back-up' stop at a well known local cheese producer in case I couldn't find any local oysters! I'll be posting about that another day.

So home we went, and what I had assumed would be an easy piece on the delicious local oysters took me on another, more mental journey. I had to come to grips with what the concepts of 'local' and 'native' really were and how 'terroir' related to these.

UC Davis, Department of Animal Science has put together a very interesting piece on California Oyster Culture. It is worth reading in its entirety. (Passages in double quotes are from this document). I came to the conclusion that although these oysters I've been searching for are 'local', they are not native! Even people in the 1850's loved oysters and as a result, "Natural occurring populations of the only native oyster, Ostrea conchaphila (Ostrea lurida), declined rapidly because of intensive fishing." Populations of native oysters are still rather low, and the Ostrea conchaphila is a protected species in California.

So what are we eating? Pacific oysters of several varieties. "Currently, over 98 percent of the oysters grown in California are Pacific oysters produced from hatcheries in Washington and Oregon and from several smaller specialty hatcheries located within the state." The water temperatures are too low here for non-native oysters to spawn on their own. Locally, Drake's Bay Oyster Company uses an advanced hatchery technique to hand spawn on site. Unfortunately, our local oysters are not self-sustainable and require our intervention. Once the oysters are at a certain stage of their growth, they are quite happy in our waters.

Although not 'native', I still consider these 'local' because once the babies are in our waters, an adult oyster can filter up to 60 gallons of water a day while gathering its food, according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Oysters are very much a product of the terroir they live in. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation site also gives some reasons why oysters are our ecological friends.

So did I find 'local' oysters to eat? Yes! After all those mental musings, one evening I was still thinking about the problem of finding some to eat, but gave up it up for going to a nearby restaurant for dinner, leaving the rest of the journey for another day. And what should appear on the fresh sheet at Saylor's Restaurant & Bar in Sausalito, not more that a couple blocks from my workplace? Drake's Bay Oysters, sauteed in a lemon, garlic, shallot and cream sauce. Wow, these tiny babies are good! I personally prefer this dish over the more popularized barbecue version. In fact, I had these at Saylor's again this evening before finalizing this post just to be sure that you could get some if you drop by this week!

Great tasting seafood on Tomales Bay

Dad spent Sunday dashing about West Marin with me while working on research for my upcoming "A Taste of Terroir" post. I'm getting quite an education on things that grow in Marin. On the way, we found ourselves at Tony's Seafood Restaurant in Marshall right on Tomales Bay. We stopped in for some local flavor. The true terroir aspect is being a little elusive, but educational. Since it is not being a very simple task, I'm separating out some of the part, which I'll fuse back into the whole more 'official' posting soon.

Tony's was very busy, in fact we had to wait in quite a long line for a seat. The warning note about "Cash Only" had me checking my wallet to be sure there was adequate cash stashed. The interior was very nautical in theme and the Tomales Bay views were stunning, even across the room!

We were immediately informed that there was no more crab to be had for the day. The clam chowder was then a natural starter. It was delicious!

Next our order of barbecued oysters showed up on a paper plate. Wondering whether this famous local treat used Tomales Bay, Drake's Bay or Hog Island Oysters (the three local Marin oyster companies), I was told that these were in fact from Washington state! I asked where, and was told that they only knew from "Puget Sound". Being from Seattle, I knew that wasn't really very specific. I asked the waitress why they didn't use local oysters when Tomales Bay Oyster Company was merely 3 miles down the road from them? The response was that they couldn't get enough local oysters to supply the demand at the restaurant! Oh are we in trouble if the entire bay area becomes locavores and want oysters! At any rate the oysters were good and we enjoyed Tony's. I would come back again in a heartbeat, and enjoy the delicious seafood!

Restaurant Inspection Results
Critical: 3
Noncritical: 6
Last inspected: 8/15/2008

A Taste of Terroir - 2009

A Taste of Terroir 2009. Let's do it again! For the last two years bloggers from a world-wide community of food lovers who have an eye for taste and aesthetics put together unique posts, grounded in their own bit of terroir for this event. The origins of the event are outlined in a post I made on New Year's Eve, and the first round-up was posted on January 21, 2007. Last year's round up was posted on January 22, 2008. This time I'll be making the round up on January 31st as I wouldn't want to compete with the inauguration.


Wikipedia says this about terroir:

"Terroir (/tεʀwaʀ/ in French) was originally a French term in wine and coffee appreciation used to denote the special characteristics of geography that bestowed individuality upon the food product. It can be very loosely translated as "a sense of place" which is embodied in certain qualities, and the sum of the effects that the local environment has had on the manufacture of the product. ...Some writers include history, tradition, vineyard ownership and other factors. The contemporary meaning of the term clearly goes beyond mere geography, but at that point disagreement begins. Some assert that terroir is distinct from the characteristics imparted by the plant variety, the vintage and production methods (vinification, etc.), and is the product of a range of local influences that are transmitted into the character of the product."

I think that terroir can go far beyond the traditional use in the areas of wine and coffee, and be applied to those foods and drinks which truly give a sense of place, or the taste of the place can be observed in them. Would you join me in documenting an edible piece of your locale that you have a special connection with and would like to share with the world?

To join me in this food blog event, here are the rules:

1. Between now and January 29, 2009, create and post an entry on your blog which highlights a food or drink, or food/drink product, or recipe which highlights terroir in your location which you can write about with a personal perspective including a photo. Describe how it relates to your locale. Thought joggers:

• A special food only served at an annual event - like a fair.
• Foods produced from ingredients from a particular farm.
• A restaurant with an unique local dish.
• An antique recipe from your area.
• Etc.
  

2. The blog post should be unique to this event, not previously entered into any other event.

3. Entries should contain the words "A Taste of Terroir" with a link to this post at Anna's Cool Finds in the body. Use of a Technorati tag for "A Taste of Terroir" would be nice, but optional.

4. E-mail me (anna AT annalou DOT com) the your name, location, name of your blog (for posting on the summary) and a link to the post you are entering no later than 1:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on January 29th. I will recap entries compliant with the rules and make a summary posting on the 31st. Please put "A Taste of Terroir" in the subject line so I don't lose any!

A Taste of Terroir. Here follows the round up for the 2nd annual "A Taste of Terroir". The contributions have been excellent, and you will enjoy exploring each and every post.

Europe


I start with Europe because the first person to respond with an entry was Ulrike from Küchenlatein in Northern Germany who even includes a video on the making of Berliner Pfannkuchen (Berlin Pancakes)! Find out about the joke that is played on New Year's Eve with these.

United States


Moving west from Europe, the next entry came from Alaska. I'm not sure how much further west you could go without becoming east from there! Laurie from Anchorage who writes the blog, Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska, blogged about the best ways to freeze and thaw fish in her post that includes a mouthwatering recipe for Pomegranate Salmon and Parsley Couscous Pilaf. Even if you only thaw fish from Trader Joe's, this is well worth using her tips.


Holly who writes Phemomenon from Utah brings us World Famous Lion House Rolls giving us some historical perspective and still current popularity. These look good enough to eat off the page, no wonder they show up at every celebration!


Robert from al forno Charleston wrote about heirloom grits, which I can relate to very well having been brought up by a southern mother. Charleston, South Carolina is a place I've visited and it holds a number of culinary surprises. He also takes us through proper cooking technique, and if you ever want to attempt authentic southern grits, you'd best bookmark his post!


Moving north again, Manuela gives us the secret of her state's official dessert: Boston Creme Pie, hailing from Massachusetts. Her blog is called Baking History: A Taste for the Past and she does a good job of the history as well as the baking as you can see from the photo.


While across the country, in Marin County, California, I was burning up the pixels documenting the terroir around making Breakfast Cheese, handmade in the oldest continuously running cheese factory (since 1865).

Phillipines


Gay who is the scientist in A Scientist in the Kitchen shows us a local dish that would be difficult to replicate anywhere else, the particular shrimp species being very geographically distinct. She contributes the directions for making Ginataang hipon: Freshwater shrimps in coconut milk.

Australia


Anna from Morsels and Musings writing from Sydney, Australia brings us a trio of famous local foods in the same recipe! Emu with pepperberry & rosella sauce is the one, and she describes the unfamiliar spices so distinctively that I can almost taste them.

India


Priya from Food and Laughter, writing from India, takes us on an amazing regional culinary journey ending with detailed instructions on making a special Halwa. Beyond the very local and intimate information, her food descriptions are so apt that they bring you right out of present time into the local colors, flavors and sensations of her world.

What a wonderful journey around the world! Thanks to all who participated with such well-written and documented posts, and I hope those reading will enjoy the variety and depth of each post.

It's time! A Taste of Terroir is being hosted here, with a round up in the next couple days, but first, I have to make a post on my corner of the world.

The Marin French Cheese Company seemed to be a very appropriate choice to blog about for this event since it is the oldest continuingly operated cheese factory in the United States!

I knew I found the product when I read the sign saying that the Breakfast Cheese started it all, being handmade since 1865, right here in Marin. And the milk comes from cows grazing here on the grass which has been fed by the sun in the same part of the sky that shines on my home as well. My Dad and I also tried one of the goat cheeses, which is made from Marin County goats milk too.

There is a lovely picnic ground next to the store.

The grounds are spacious and have picnic tables near the pond, and also in back of the store in a lovely green field. There is a deli as well as all kinds of nice accompaniments to cheese, such as crackers, salamis, olives, and of course wine. There is seating inside as well, but if you want to enjoy the wine with your cheese, you'll have to have it outside.

Because it is still January, although beautiful, it was too cold to sit outside, so Dad and I had our cheese snack in the deli area.

We had the famous Breakfast Cheese that started it all. It had a nice smooth texture, creamy but not too 'fatty' tasting. The proprietor who spoke several languages to visitors while I was there, noted to me that the Petit Dejeuner has basically the same flavor, but has added cream. A sample of that at the counter proved her correct.

We also tried the Yellow Buck Chevre. It was lovely and had that after-effect in the nose after each bite like a camembert.

And what other treasures are there to be found in this rustic factory?

Well besides the usual cutsie stuff (cow power aprons, etc.) there was a very inviting display of Rouge et Noir Brie cheeses with some champagne.

And some mild, spreadable quark in various flavors.

And Les Petits, including the Petit Dejeuner mentioned earlier. All in all, it was a beautiful day, a beautiful drive, and such a touch of localness in this delicious Marin French place. Stay tuned for a round up soon of the others who have contributed to this event.