Lotta Food This Weekend

On Thursday August 14, Marin Agricultural Land Trust. (MALT) had a tour of Hog Island Oyster and Straus Dairy. My brother was a guide. My friend John covered the event for the West Marin Citizen. Afterwards, we stopped by his farmhouse in Tomales for some oysters. Hint for oyster shucking: little pressure, lot of wiggle.

I've posted the tour description below in case they remove it.

HOG ISLAND OYSTER CO. & STRAUS DAIRY
Thursday, August 14

Join local oystermen for a tour of an oyster-growing operation. Taste oysters fresh from Tomales Bay while enjoying great views. Eat your own lunch or pre-order a made-in-Marin lunch from Tomales Bay Foods with your registration. Afterwards, carpool to the Straus Dairy where dairyman Albert Straus will talk about his organic dairy operation. Learn about the methane digester and other energy-producing and -conserving techniques used at the ranch. Watch the cows being milked in the dairy that was converted to organic in 1993.
TIME: 11 A.M–3 P.M.
WHERE TO MEET: Hog Island Oyster Co., 20215 Highway One, Marshall (10 miles north of Point Reyes Station). Carpool to dairy from there.
WHAT TO BRING: Water, picnic, shoes that can get dirty
DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY: Easy
COST: $30 / $35 non-members ( $20 additional to pre-order made-in-Marin lunch.)

On Friday my brother and I helped his friend Ray in Olema with some farm work in exchange for some superb tomatoes, plums and other goodies. On Saturday, I attended the West Coast BBQ Championship and Tomato Alley in Fairfield. My friend Donna is a Certified Kansas City Style BBQ Judge. The certification is fairly cheap and only one day. At competitions in CA, there are usually a dearth of judges, so they will also solicit non-certified people to help judge. It was quite an experience. I'm inspired to buy a professional smoker (saw a bunch in Donna's BBQ newspaper).

Day trips in West Marin

This Sunday, Aug 3, 2008, the NYT had an article about day trips around Pt. Reyes. That's my brother on the far left kayaking with Blue Waters Kayaking on Tomales Bay. The article is a good summary of things to do around Pt. Reyes. I've pasted it below.

A mere 40 miles north of San Francisco, Tomales Bay is a tranquil coastal estuary that stretches 12 miles along Highway 1. As you drive north, wetlands give way to sandy beaches and calm waters that open into Bodega Bay and the Pacific, perfect for kayak exploration. Rentals and tours are available from Blue Waters Kayaking in the towns of Marshall and Inverness (415-669-2600; www.bwkayak.com).

Wildlife abounds. There are herds of elk on Tomales Bay Point on the northwest side of the bay — part of Point Reyes National Seashore — while harbor seals frolic in the water or lounge on the sand.

Hog Island oysters are grown in Tomales Bay, and you can grill your own at the Farm, the Hog Island Oyster Company’s bayside picnic area (20215 Highway 1, Marshall; 415-663-9218; www.hogislandoysters.com). Nearby Point Reyes Station is home to the Cowgirl Creamery, specializing in organic artisanal cheeses. Among its award winners is Red Hawk, an aged triple-cream made with organic cow’s milk (80 Fourth Street, Point Reyes Station; 415-663-9335; www.cowgirlcreamery.com).

Ten miles north in Marshall, you’ll feel deliciously away from it all at Nick’s Cove, a string of 1930s-era cabins over the water, with an affiliated roadhouse by the San Francisco restaurateur Pat Kuleto (23240 Highway 1, Marshall; 866-636-4257; www.nickscove.com; from $225).Want to bed down even closer to nature? There are several campgrounds in the area, and a handful of permits are available each day for boat-in camping on the west-side beaches (415-663-8054; www.tomalesbay.net).

LA, Korea and Oaxaca

Was down in LA this weekend. A friend took us to Kobawoo House, a Korean place specializing in pork. Angelenos have fanatical opinions about their food, which you can read about on Yelp. Search the comments on Kobawoo for "b*itch" and "Fermat" for some enjoyable reading. We also tried various mole dishes at Monte Alban in Santa Monica. I picked up some Oaxacan drinking chocolate and Elotitos Xtreme candy (Elote is Mexican corn on the cob, usually with butter or mayo and chili sauce). The Juquilita drinking chocolate is in crumbly dry cylinders, which is typical of South American chocolate, but I was disappointed to find that this was pre-sweetened with sugar rather being pure cacao.

That candy sure looks spicy!