Spring Cleanse!

Recently I listened to a nutritional lecture. The speaker emphasized how matching a cleansing fast with the seasons is a great way to start trying detoxes. It makes sense... every time the season changes I get this renewed sense of productivity and excitement and that can go hand in hand with a detox.

The body builds up years of toxins, especially when you consider how we live in a fast pace lifestyle, mowing down whatever is in front of us in a stressful situation at work, at home, when we are bored, etc. Most informative sites I visit recommend cleansing quarterly, so again this spring cleanse is a great way to dive in and start.

The wonderul hot yoga studio in Encinitas, Yoga Tropics, will be hosting a FREE event tomorrow night to help you figure out any detox confusion. Here is a few words from them!

"This spring, forget about the house! Renew your energy, vitality, and optimal health by cleaning out your insides instead! Come and hang out with everyone at Yoga Tropics and listen to Barnet Meltzer, M.D. divulge the importance and ease of cleansing with the change of season. As the weather warms, we all want to be outside soaking up the sunshine, being productive, and feeling grand! And with Dr. Meltzer's help, we can avoid feeling anything less!"

So I hope to see you there! Click here for more information.

Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: Yoga Tropics
Street: 830 S Coast Hwy 101
City/Town: Encinitas, CA

Kumquat Tea Bread

I love the smell of fresh baking bread in the morning. This bread is no exception, and actually brings back some nostalgic childhood memories of picking kumquats. If you love those little citrus fruits as much as I do, try this recipe out.

1 9 oz jar La Vigne Kumquat Conserve
1 cup of broken walnuts or pecans pieces
½ cup bakers small candied ginger piece
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium egg
2 TBSP oil
1 medium orange, juiced
Water as needed

Chop La Vigne Kumquat Conserve coarsely, and hold aside with nuts and ginger.
Put orange juice in measuring cup, add oil and egg & water until liquid ingredients are 1 cup. Sift dry ingredients.
Beat egg and blend with liquid ingredients. Add to the dry ingredients.
Do not over mix.
Pour in greased loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 50 to 60 minutes and test with cake tester.

Kumquat Ginger Ice Cream

Spring is approaching fast, and we've got one of the sweetest treats for you to try! Kumquat Ginger Ice Cream!

Equipment: Ice cream machine.

Ingredients:

1-1 /2 cups (12 ounces) whole milk

1-1 /2 cups (12 ounces) heavy whipping cream

1 /2 cup (3-1/2 ounces) sugar

4 large egg yolks

1 cup Kumquat Ginger Syrup, cold

1 jar (10 ounces) La Vigne Kumquat Conserve

Directions:

Place the milk and cream in a medium saucepan. Warm over medium-low heat to just below the boiling point. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisking constantly, slowly add about 1 cup of the hot cream to the yolks. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (about 170 F. on an instant read thermometer). Immediately pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into a large bowl. Set the bowl into an ice bath and stir the custard until it is cold. Stir in the Kumquat Ginger Syrup.

Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer's directions.

Meanwhile, place the conserve in a strainer, rinse and pat the fruit dry. Remove any seeds and discard. Slice each kumquat into 4 or 5 pieces, and give the entire pile a rough chop.

When the ice cream has finished freezing, transfer it to a storage container and then stir in the chopped conserve. Cover and place in the freezer until needed.

(Makes 1 – 1 /2 quarts)

Olives and Olive Oil Class

Now this is cool! Being Italian, I really love olive oil. Pretty much everything that my family ever cooks has to have olive oil in it. Or as Racheal Ray says, "A little EVOO"!

In collaboration with The University of California Cooperative Extension and the San Diego County Farm and Home Advisor's Office, Slow Food SD invites you to join them for a short course on Olives and Olive Oil Production Strategies for Southern California . The course will be featuring internationally known olive and olive oil expert Paul Vossen.

February 27, 2010 8:00 AM

Click here for more details. See you there!

By Tracy

Raw Foods Dehydrating Class

Delaney's Artisan Foods Market is hosting a class tonight, Wednesday February 17th from 5 - 6:30pm.

The class will be conducted by Colin Buchannan of Raw Revelations, one of great local gurus of whole and healthy foods! He will be showing how to dehydrate foods at 115 degrees or less and also show you how he makes his tasty kale chips.

The class is $25.00 and for more information on all the details, contact Delaney's at 760-277-8575. The store is located at 41955 5th St, Suite 101 Temecula, CA

Alive, Organic Chocolate Persimmon Rolls

This is sure exciting. Living Tree Foods up in Berkeley, Ca has been using our persimmon fruit leathers to create a new chocolate treat. Read on to see how they do it!

"We begin with a sheet of organic and bio-dynamic certified persimmon leather and add a layer of California grown almonds, walnuts and sun dried raisins.We add cashews also and top it with raw chocolate to complete the filling.We then roll it ecstatically and dip the whole into our alive chocolate made from 100% raw cacao,carob, mesquite, lucuma, cacao butter and alive honey. We also add maca for energy.

Most raw chocolates out there use sugar in one form or another. I’m delighted to say that instead of sugar we use honey. Alive honey has powerful antibacterial properties and is even effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria. It is a complex substance containing over 800 compounds, little understood by conventional science."

Wow it sounds AMAZING. If you want to try them, click here and order some!

Have an Appetite for Kumquats?

One of our best selling products is our kumquat piquant sauce. People always ask me how I like to use it. Well I'm going to share one of my super easy ideas that you can do for any occasion. You ready? It's really easy...

Take the cracker of your choice
Add your favorite cheese
Decide to add a slice of turkey
Dab on the piquant sauce
and WOW, it's a party on a plate

Enjoy!!

ChileCo Announces New Socials for 2010

What is a social you might ask? The ChileCo Social is a gathering of a limited number of guests for the enjoyment of each others company while being treated to a five course meal. It is a wine and dinner pairing in celebration of artisanal goods, local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen.

Here is a picture of a beautiful social they held at The Beck Grove last year, it was so amazing. It was the first social I had ever been to, Helene was kind enough to invite me to participate at the long table! Everyone is wonderful, chatty, and so pleasant to be around, I won't ever forget that amazing experience.


Ok so the next social is in March and it's called "Water". Check out the menu, it looks so good!

“WATER”
March 21^st at 6:21pm
Catalina Offshore

Our first Social of 2010 embraces the element of water. And what could be more fitting than discussing the sustainability of the Oceans at Catalina Offshore. Amongst many a surprises – we will get down n’ intimate with Uni, experience a blind sake tasting, spoon up some off the charts grub and as always – dine to the flicker of 1,000 candles. The experience exceeds any preconceived notations and will sure leave you awestruck and inspired! Spaces are limited – reserve your place today!

The March Social Menu “Water”
Artesian Wine Pairings by Holiday Wine Cellars & Blind Sake Tasting

Libations

Bluewater Iced down Melancholy of the Sailor Sort

Beginners

Pacifico Chef Scotty’s seasonally Organic Innovations of Bluefin, Caviar, Ebi & More

Amuse Bouche

the Cure Chef Scotty’s Sampling of Salt Cured Fishies

1^st Course

Unified Thai inspired Uni Risotto with Diver Boat Sea Scallop on Lemongrass Kabob

Intermezzo

Entrée

It’s a G-thang! Gingerized pan-seared Grouper, Tandori Béchamel, Wok’d Garbanzo Minestra

Dessert

Pink Panther Pink Pepper-White Chocolate Crème Brulee with Fennel laced Shortbread

Do You Hear Cupid Calling?

Cupid called and wanted to remind me that although chocolate is oh so divine, not everybody wants that for Valentine's Day! If you have a health conscious sweetie, consider a mindful gift basket filled with 100% organic and biodynamic goodies like sweet dried persimmons, zesty salsas, and fresh exotic fruit...

There are many baskets available, and we can custom make one with any of our products. My personal recommendation is is this little beauty right here!

Basket consists of

Dried Persimmons

4 Fruit Leathers

Blood Orange Syrup

Persimmon Chipotle Sauce

Persimmon Salsa

$20. Plus Shipping

Perfect for the healthy snacker! These dried persimmons are my favorite in between meal bite, absolutely guilt free and naturally so sweet.

If you'd like to send your sweetheart some of our organic treats, let us know and we'd be happy to hand write a card as well.

One last tip! For a delicious addition to your glass of champagne, drizzle the kumquat conserve in the bottom of your glass, add half a kumquat, and it's absolutely out of this world.

Slow Food San Diego Event!

Road to Healthy Meals in Our Schools with Chef Ann Cooper

Meet the leader of the School Lunch Revolution, Chef Ann Cooper, a.k.a. "The Renegade Lunch Lady" and author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children. Chef Ann is on a mission to ensure that every child in America receives healthy, delicious food every day in school. Hear her thoughts on how San Diego area schools can make simple, yet significant changes to improve lunch programs. Pre-lecture reception with local food artisans and community food groups 6-6:30 PM. Co-presented by Slow Food Urban San Diego and Whole Foods Market

Thursday, February 18, 2010; 6:30-8 PM

Advance registration recommended.

$5 per person

For more information or to register, contact 619/255-0203 or visit http://www.sdnhm.org/education/lectures.html

San Diego Natural History Museum
1788 El Prado
Balboa Park
San Diego, CA 92101
619/255-0203

Harvest Ranch

Guess what? La Vigne is going to be in Harvest Ranch very soon! We love Harvest Ranch, they have such a great variety of gourmet foods you can't find just anywhere. And you know what else that means, I'll be doing demos there too! Stay tuned for more info and I'll be sure to fill you in when I'll be sampling our awesome condiments!

La Vigne to speak at Quail Gardens Festival

By now, everybody is familiar with the term organic. However the general public is still very unaware of biodynamic agriculture. La Vigne will be giving a lecture on the fundamentals of biodynamics, sort of an introduction if you will.

The lecture will be taking place during the Quail Botanical Gardens Tomatillo Festival in late March.
Stay tuned for more details on the time and date!

Foodies On Foot- Little Italy San Diego

Want to get an insider's view of the Mercato and of other nearby artisan food businesses? Laura Massoni Travel is offering Foodies on Foot Tours every Saturday in February. Destinations will vary but they all start with a tour of the Little Italy Farmers' Market. On February 6th, the tour will also include a gelato-making lecture (with samples, of course), and bread, cheese, coffee and chocolate demos. Tickets are available at Foodies on Foot Reserve now!