Shop Locally: The Pinnacle Farmstand

Last Saturday at the Pinnacle Farmstand in San Juan Valley, this potato guy was smiling at us along with the young ladies who work there. They, the young ladies, brought out the potato's personality with green eyes and a carrot tail. And, of course, they let everyone know it's a product of the USA.

The Saturday farm stand is open until 1 p.m. today. It's the only place in San Benito County that sells fresh, local organic vegetables and fruits throughout the year. Thank you, Phil and Katherine Foster!

Conchita's Bakery

We have several Mexican bakeries in town. I like them all. Lately, I've been favoring Conchita's Bakery on 730 San Benito Street whenever I have a yen for something sweet.

What I like about Conchita's sweet stuff is that they aren't so sweet that I feel like my teeth are melting. The dentist should be happy about that. The savory offerings are very yummy, too.

I also like the prices. Fifty cents for a sweet roll. $1.50 for a ham and jalapeño roll, which, by the way, is quite hardy.

Conchita's Bakery is located in what was once the bagel place in the old Free Lance building. Still can't picture it? It's on the west side of San Benito Street, between South and Seventh Streets, across from the Blak Sage Gallery. 

Local Winter Squash

Boxes full of different organic squashes are available at The Farm—Bertuccio's Market.

Gourmet Tortillas

Chipotle, spinach, tomato, beets, whole wheat, and jalapeno & cilantro tortillas.  Sound yummy and nutritious, huh? Suppose you could buy a package of these 8-inch freshly-made tortillas for $1.75, or three packages for $5.00.  Would you? That's the cost of these gourmet tortillas when you could purchase them directly from the makers right here in Hollister.

That's right! Right here in Hollister, California. These yummy gourmet tortillas, along with regular flour and corn tortillas and bags of corn chips ($1/50/bag), are produced by La Piedad Tortilla Factory on 1551 Lana Way, off of Fallon Road. Here's a 2011 article about La Piedad Tortilla Factory when it was in Gilroy.

La Piedad Tortilla Factory is open from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is located on the north side of Lana Way. You can't miss the company's sign. Turn left into the driveway after the sign and go through the gates. Look for a black security screen door. That's the entry. Not only will you be able to buy the tortillas, you can check out the operations at work.

What other hidden gems do we have in our county?

Teresa at the 2013 San Benito Olive Festival

First Annual San Benito Olive Festival

Click here to go to the San Benito Olive Festival website

Agriculture has been the largest industry in San Benito County since. . .forever. In 2012, the industry grossed over $297 million, according to the San Benito County Agricultural Commissioner. That's definitely a big WOW! This includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, livestock, poultry, honey, whole grains, and nursery stock. It's only befitting that come October 19, 2013, we will be celebrating the abundant bounty of our land with the first annual San Benito Olive Festival.

It will be one humdinger of a gourmet celebration. Here's just a few of the olive oil producers, wineries, food artisans, restaurants, and merchants who will be participating: Brigantinto Olio de Oliva, Sons of Sicily, Oils of Paicines, Pietra Santa, Guerra Vineyards and Groves, Casa de Fruta, Marich Chocolates, San Benito Tea Company, Running Rooster, Paine's Restaurant, Grillin & Chillin, M&M Plant Sales, Soul Sweets, San Benito Bene, and McAbee Feed.

Food demonstrations will be given by foodie legend Dorothy McNett and the chef team of Gene Sakahara and Sam Bozzo (aka SakaBozzo). Other food demonstrators will be Chef Maurizio Cutrignelli of Maurizio’s Restaurant in Morgan Hill and Chef Matt Woolston of Supper Club/ Matteo’s in Sacramento.

Mr. O's Jazz Band, David Huboi and The Architecturals, RetroSpect, and Workhouse Poets will be some of the bands playing throughout the day. Other live entertainment will be offered as well.

Click here to go to the
San Benito Olive Festival website

Have I teased you too much with the what? Good. Then, you're ready for the when? where? how much?  and why?

When: October 19, 2013, 11 am to 5 pm

Where: Paicines Ranch, 13388 Airline Highway, Paicines 95043, about 12 miles south of Hollister  (Did you know that Judy Garland and Sid Luft got married at this working, historic ranch in 1952?)

How much: General admission tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children. VIP admission is $30, which includes access to the wine tasting.

You can purchase tickets online at Eventbrite.com. Tickets are also available at the door.

Why: The San Benito Olive Festival (SBOF) is a not-for-profit organization. Its mission is to  promote awareness and appreciation of the region's world-class culinary agriculture and premier artisans and to help support community causes with festival proceeds.

Program Schedule
The Music 

11 AM to 12 PM -- Mr. O's Jazz Band
12:30 to 1:30 PM -- Retrospect
2:00 to 3:00 PM  -- David Huboi and the Architecturals
3:30 to 4:30 PM -- Workhouse Poets

The Olive and Cooking Demonstrations

11:30 to 12:15 -- Don Landis, The Olive Guy
12:30 to 1:15 -- SakaBozzo, chef duo featured at the Gilroy Garlic Festival
1:30 to 2:15 -- Matt Woolston, chef/owner of Matteo's Pizza and Bistro and Supper Club in Sacramento area
2:30 to 3:15 -- Dorothy McNett, Central Coast Foodie, Chef and Instructor of the Cooking Club in Pacific Grove
3:30 to 4:30 -- Maurizio Cutrignelli, chef/owner of Maurizio`s Italian Restaurant in Morgan Hill

For more information about the first annual San Benito Olive Festival, visit www.sanbenitoolivefestival.com or its Facebook page.

Hope to see you there!

Disclosure: Just so you, dear readers, know, I'm volunteering on the SBOF's marketing committee. Hello, FCC: No money or free products were given me to write about the upcoming gourmet celebration.

Tres Pinos, California

Tres Pinos is about five miles south of Hollister.  Highway 25 runs through the business section of the quaint little town of 476 residents, so you can't miss it.  

In Spanish, Tres Pinos means three pines. But, in this Tres Pinos, the three pines do not exist. Originally, the town was called Paicines, after the Indian tribe of the area. About five miles to the south of the current Tres Pinos is an even smaller town by the name of Paicines. Uh-huh. You got it. Once upon the same time, that village was called Tres Pinos for the three pines that stood alongside the nearby creek. Why the name switch? Click here for the story.
 

Things to Do

The San Benito County Historic Park

Tres Pinos may be small, but it has a lot to offer. On the southern edge of town is the beautiful Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, which is worth a stop to look inside and to  around the grounds. Head over to here to see a few photos of it.
By the way, don't be surprised if you suddenly hear a strange flutter above you and then the sight of legs sticking out from under colorful parachutes. The field across from the church is the drop zone for Skydive Hollister, the local skydiving outfit.

If you're into golf, or just want to hit a bucket of balls, stop by the Bolado Park Golf Club, about half-a-mile or less down the road. It's a public golf course with 9 holes.  

Or, if it's history that you want to escape into, stop at the nearby San Benito County Historical and Recrational Park to wander through the Historical Village. There's also a short trail that goes along the hillside above the park. Nice far-away views from there.

The San Benito County Fairgrounds, more popularly known as Bolado Park, is also located in Tres Pinos. RV camping is available year-round on the lovely grounds. Two of the largest events held there each year are the San Benito County Saddle Horse Show & Rodeo in June and, of course, the County Fair, which will be from October 4 to 6 this year.

Crepes from Flapjack's Country Cafe

Restaurants

When you're hungry, you don't have to go far to fill your tummies with yummy food and drink. Heading back north from Bolado Park on Highway 25, your choices include:

• Club House Grill at the Bolado Park Golf Club 
• 19th Hole Booze & Food 
• Inn at Tres Pinos 
• Flapjack's Country Cafe 
• La Fogata  

Organic Crops

Some of the best tasting chickens, eggs, and walnuts are produced in Tres Pinos. Paul and Leti Hain of Hain Ranch Organics sell their products at farmers markets and through the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Folks can also purchase their goods directly at their farm on harvest days. You can't get any fresher than that!  Check out their website for details.  Be sure to watch the video in which Paul describes how he raises the chickens. 

A delivery of chickies to the Hain Ranch Organics.

Hanging Out at the Hollister Farmers Market

Today is Wednesday. That can only mean the Farmers Market is setting up on Fifth Street.  It starts at 3 p.m. and goes to 7 p.m., every Wednesday through the end of September. Fresh veggies, fruit, eggs, chicken,  meat, and flowers. Honey, tea, breads, cakes, and other handmade and handcrafted items from local artisans.  Can't forget the live music or yummy food ready to go. Yep.

The Hollister Farmers Market

If it's Wednesday, then it must be the Farmers Market Day in historical downtown Hollister.

Every Wednesday, from now until September 25, 2013, you can get your fresh local produce and meats,  breads, sausages, honey, and handcrafted food and wares at our farmers market. It's open from 3 to 7 pm. The produce and food vendors are lined along Fifth Street, between San Benito and Monterey, with many of the take-out fare in the parking lot between Fifth and the lawn in front of the parking garage. On the lawn, you can find craftspeople and nonprofit organizations, as well as entertainment.

Enjoy!

A is for Apricot

Today's post starts the A to Z Blogging Challenge. I'll be going through the alphabet during the month of April. No posts on Sundays though. The challenge was founded by Arlee Bird. Thank you, Arlee! You can check out  A to Z participants by clicking here. Now, on with the first post. . .

The Blenheim apricot, in particular. It's a smaller apricot, full of intense flavor, whether eaten fresh or dried.

Once upon a time, Hollister was surrounded with Blenheim apricot orchards. And, picking or cutting apricots was often the first job a kid of my generation got. The cut apricots were laid on trays and set to dry naturally in the sun. The few orchardists who are still in business continue the same process today. Two local sources for locally grown apricots are Apricot King and The Farm/Bertuccio's.

Shop Locally: Garlic Festival Foods

I can remember when the fields along Highway 25, near the 101 exit, were full of garlic. That was always a comforting sign I was heading home. There's nothing like the yummy taste of garlic. The smell, too. It is definitely heaven when I drive through that very sweet spot by Gilroy Foods where the strongest aroma of garlic is in the air. Ahhhhhhh.

With the smell and taste of garlic in your mind, have you ever tried any of the spice blends or sauces made by the Garlic Festival Foods?


I hadn't until the Holiday Cheer Shop Hop that took place at the beginning of December. Garlic Festival Foods was a participant. I had no idea its headquarters was located in Hollister; so, of course, I had to check it out. Jackpot! Another source for unique local gifts—garlic mustard, garlic olives, garlic salsa, garlic marinade, garlic condiment, garlic soap, and much more.

Garlic Festival Foods has been in business for 26 years. It is located at 1803 Shelton Drive (off of Fallon Road, by the Hollister Airport), and is open to customers from 8:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m., Monday to Thursday. For more information about Garlic Festival Foods, check out their Web site and/or their Facebook page. Their products are also available at San Benito Bene in downtown Hollister.

To FCC: Does taking a tiny package of spice from the  Garlic Festival Foods' freebie basket for customers count? If so, I did do that. And, does tasting the free samples of food given to customers that day count as well? I did do that, too.

© 2012 Su-sieee! Mac. All rights reserved. www.take25tohollister.com

The Farm aka Bertuccio's Market

As you're heading south (towards Tres Pinos) on Highway 25, look  ahead for the pink house on the right, just before you get to Union Road. There's a driveway a bit beyond the house that will lead you down to a longtime local farm stand known as Bertuccio's Market, aka The Farm. Another landmark to tell you where the driveway is this old truck.

The Farm is a good source to buy fresh local eggs and milk, as well as fresh veggies and gourmet olive oils, pickled veggies, jams, pasta, and such.The Farm features their own goods as well as products made by local agriculturists and food companies.

Check out these links to learn more about Bertuccio's.

• Bertuccio's
• The Farm/Bertuccio's Market
• Bertuccio's on Facebook
• A Bit of History about Bertuccio's

Note to FCC: Nobody paid me or gave me free samples to write about this establishment. That's right!

Hollister Hills Taproom & Brewery

Two Sundays ago, after a hot day of hiking up and down the deAnza Trail  in San Juan Bautista, the Husband and I longed for an ice cold beer. But, we weren't in the mood for going to one of the bars in San Juan or to either of the two beer pubs in Hollister. Nor were we interested in going to the market to buy a six-pack. Yeah, I know, picky, picky.

As we drove back to Hollister, the Husband suddenly said, "Maybe the new brewery is open." So, we swung by. And, wouldn't you know it. Open!

The Hollister Hills Taproom and Brewery was exactly where we wanted to be. It is a small, intimate establishment that serves various microbrewery beers on tap, including its own brew. That Sunday, it was Red Beard.  (Last Saturday, it was Easy like Sunday Morning). Oh, did that beer hit the spot. (So did the one on Saturday after a hot day at the county fair.)

The brewery is owned by two couples—Sean and Fran, and Chuck and JoAnn (who own Relax! Grillin & Chillin). We met Sean, Chuck, and JoAnn. Very cool people.

Sean gave us a tour of their nanobrewery. Yes, that's what he called the small room where they do their magic. They only brew small amounts of a beer at a time. They started brewing beer a few years ago. We thought they had been doing it much longer because of the passionate and joyous vibes that Sean gave out as he spoke about all that goes into crafting beer, including the choice of hops and other ingredients. I should've taken notes, but by then I was already "happy" from sipping the Red Beard so my notes wouldn't have made sense later on anyway.

Hollister Hills serves non-alcoholic beverages (their own brewed root beer, for example) and artisan fare.  They try to use fresh, local ingredients. What I like is the choice of ordering full or half portions of a sandwich, which comes with a side of macaroni, potato, or green salad.  We tried the Rueben and the  French Pig—prosciutto, brie, and apple slices on ciabatta. The potato salad was yummy, but the macaroni salad reminded us of Hawaii. Yep, that tasty.

Hollister Hills is open daily. Monday to Friday, 11a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday/Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. It's located in the Clock Tower Plaza on McCray Street. It's next to Subway Sandwiches and kitty corner from the pet store. Its exact address is 401 McCray Street, Suite B24. Click here to visit its Web site, and here to visit its  Facebook page.

Note to FCC: Nobody paid me or gave me free samples to write about this establishment. So, there.

Cute—and Yummy—Eggs

I was not even thinking taste when I saw these small eggs. They were just so cute! I was thinking about a way to remove the insides so I could have the shells intact for. . . Sigh! Crafting will have to wait for another day.

Eggs from the Hain Ranch Organics are always top quality, as far as I'm concerned. (So are its chickens, by the way.) But, that afternoon at the first Hollister Farmers Market, I didn't need any yummy eggs. So, I took a photo of the cute eggs and bought myself a pound of the local family farm's delicious organic walnuts.

Hain Ranch Organics is one of the several local farmers who sell their wares every Wednesday afternoon (3 to 7 p.m.) at the Hollister Farmers Market. Have you had a chance to check the market out yet?  Click here to see the market's photo album of its 2012 opening day.

This A Way, Folks!

That's the Swank Farms sign on San Felipe Road. It's pointing the way to its produce stand, which, unfortunately, is still closed.

However, I like to think that right now the sign is pointing to downtown Hollister. Yep, 'cause tomorrow, May 2, starts the Hollister Farmers Market, and you'll certainly find the Swank Farms there with their yummy produce.

The Hollister Farmers Market runs every Wednesday, from 3 to 7 p.m. all the way up to September 26.  Same place: Fifth Street, between San Benito and Monterey streets.

Hurrah for farmers markets!

Splish! Splash!

At this particular moment (last Friday afternoon), it was more like the end of Hail, hail, the hail is done! Once the moment was snapped, it was then a mad hop over the raging gutter and a grinning dash to The Heavenly Bakery for some yummy carrot cake cupcakes, which went directly to my hips, thank you very much.

For you non-locals, the photo shows Mars Hill Coffeehouse where you can see patrons participating in a wonderful rainy-day sport—sipping coffee and conversing with friends.

Orchards in Bloom

I was craving for a taste of wild mustard last Saturday. So, on our way home from the Pinnacle Farmstand, the Husband humored me and pulled over at an apple orchard. I happily traipsed through the orchard to gather a few handfuls of young mustard leaves.

The mustard leaves were first parboiled, then sauteed in olive oil, lots of garlic, and a couple of splashes of soy sauce. The result: The mustard was disappointingly quite mild. Oh, well.

I'm still craving a taste of wild mustard.

100 Things I Like: Heavenly Bakery

Lemon cake, lemon cupcake, and ciabatta bread. Heavenly.  The bakery's cinnamon roll, yum.

Heavenly Bakery is open 7 days a week.  Yaay!

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link. 

100 Things I Like: Using Fresh, Local Products

Can you really make butter by shaking cream in a jar?

Yep. I tried it yesterday with much success.

Step One: Buy Claravale Farm Cream at Bertuccio's. Located in Paicines, Claravale Farm sells certified raw milk, which they get from Jersey cows.  Yeah, there is a difference in taste.

Step Two: Find someone to shake cream into butter with you. Alternatively, wait until another person is hanging out in the kitchen or nearby. For me, it was after breakfast, while the husband was still reading the newspaper. He kinda had an idea of what was happening.

Step Three: Get a clean jar with a lid.  Pour whatever amount of the cream that you want into the jar. Screw lid on tightly. I experimented with about a 1/3 to 1/2 jar full of cream.

Step Four: Shake. Shake. Shake. Maybe do a little dance as you shake. After a minute or two, hand jar off to your captive butter-shaking partner. Watch him shake. Shake. Shake. Take turns until you hear no more sloshing in the jar—about seven to 10 minutes.

Step Five: Open the jar. You should see a coagulation of yellow. That's butter. Close jar again and shake vigorously. You should get some liquid. That's buttermilk. Carefully pour the buttermilk into another container.

Step Six: Add a bit of water to the jar, and shake again to remove any more buttermilky stuff from your butter. Pour liquid into your receptacle. There you go, fresh unsalted butter. And, fresh buttermilk! 

The next time I make butter, I'll be sure to have a loaf of bread from Heavenly Bakery on hand. 

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: That Dancing Pig

The dancing pig stands on the corner of Tres Pinos Road and Highway 25 on some Friday afternoons. She/he bounces and shimmies and shakes her/his sign  at passing traffic to let folks know that they can pick up some yummy tasting Mansmith's BBQ for dinner.

The Mansmith's BBQ truck is in Hollister only on Friday afternoons. The truck is not where the dancing pig is, but  about a half-mile or so south on Highway 25 from where the dancing pig stands. The truck is in a gravel parking lot on the right side. Don't worry, you can't help but notice it.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.

100 Things I Like: The Pinnacle Farm Stand

Fresh, organic, and yummy-licious locally grown vegetables and fruit. That's why the husband and I like to head over to the Pinnacle Farm Stand in San Juan Valley almost every Saturday. The farm stand is open from  8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more 100 Things I Like About Living in Hollister, click on that link.