Pizzas, Wreaths and a Winter Feast

Another incredible day for wreath-making and eating pizza! Luck ruled the day! Prior, we weathered an atmospheric river, wondering just what we would do if the Saturday after Thanksgiving turned out to be filled with a torrential rain storm. Happily, the sun came out!

The Farmer’s Market Band from Willits joined in on the festivities, along with our friend John Croizat, the fiddle player.

Not as enamored of wreath-making, and filled with pizza, these eager young fisher-people, with Linden leading the way, hiked to the lake after finding worms for their adventure.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, the Good Farm Fund hosted a Winter Feast at Ridgewood Ranch (historical home of Seabiscuit), to celebrate the end of an abundant harvest, and to make money for the scholarships it funds for local farmers. We were given a grant to purchase our apple grinder last year… which has given so much more potential to our apple harvest. Not only do we have gallons of juice frozen (some of which was used for special mock-tails at the dinner), but we have many more gallons evolving into the best apple cider vinegar you’ll ever taste!

I was honored to be included in the chefs chosen to help prepare this year’s sumptuous repast…. you can see the biscuits I mixed up (just like I make them for Family Camp Breakfasts…) for the Chicken Pot Pies, the Angel Food Cakes (our own egg whites left-over from making the lemon filling)…. and the main dessert, Meyer Lemon Raspberry Sweet Tart Treats (lemons from our friends trees in Reeves Canyon, between Ukiah and Willits). What you don’t see is the Honey Ice Cream we served alongside the Angel Food Cake….. the honey coming from Carson Bees in Ukiah, churning done by Kashaya.

What fun to be part of an enormous team of artists, chefs and farmers, using their talents to create a memorable event for our local Mendocino County community ….. If ever you get the chance, the Good Farm Fund’s Winter Feast shouldn’t ever be missed!