Well we are in our second week of the off-season and we have a couple of fresh stories for you. This week we still tackle the holidays. We have stories on the history of some of our favorite holiday traditions and we have a product that can help you keep your greens from drying out. We also have a story on how to make fresh mozzarella cheese and picking the right holiday wines.
Enjoy and we will see you soon.
This week we featured...
Holiday Heritage
Ever wonder why we use holly in our holiday decorating? What is the story behind kissing under the mistletoe? William and Judy covered the reasons why we use specific plants during the holidays. Holly’s origins are based on both Christian and non-Christian traditions. In one tradition, the holly protects the home from evil spirits. In another, the holly represents the crown of thorns of Christ’s passion and its berries represent the drops of blood. Ivy is a very misunderstood plant. We sometimes see it growing all over trees, almost smothering them. In the Middle Ages ivy meant prosperity, and if it died financial hard times were soon to follow. Mistletoe has a longer history. It has various meanings that include fertility, immortality and love. Of course the best meaning involved kissing. In proper English society you could not kiss your spouse-to-be in public. During the holidays you could kiss under the mistletoe, but you had to remove a white berry every time you did. Naturally, twigs with lots of berries were highly prized! So next time you are decorating your home, take some time and learn some of the meanings.
S
ealing Greens
The smell of fresh greens in the home during the holidays is intoxicating! But after a few days those fresh cut greens can become ‘dried’ cut greens and a fire hazard. We found a product that can help seal in the moisture and prevent those greens from drying out. Wilt Stop from Bonide can be sprayed on your greens to seal in the moisture and help them last longer. It can also be used on your outdoor conifers to seal in the moisture and help prevent winter wind and cold damage. We found this product at Cornell Farm (503-292-9895) but this product is available at most of your independent garden centers.
Holiday Wines
The holidays are filled with gatherings with family and friends. It can also be a time of stress! Even when it gets down to picking out the right wine for your dinners or parties. To get some good solid ‘wine’ advice we stopped by Stoller Family Estate (503-864-3404) and talked to our friend Melissa Burr, the winemaker at Stoller. She had some good practical advice for everyone. First of all don’t stress! These get-togethers are meant to be fun. She suggests that you bring a bottle of wine that you like. This should be a bottle that you can tell people about… ‘I really love this wine because…’ It is much more fun when you are sharing something that you enjoy. It also becomes even more personal when you can tell people about it.
But what if you are serving food? Once again the number one rule is to go with something you like. Now, if you are looking for a wine that will bring out the best in your holiday meals, then there are some characteristics that you should look for. Chardonnays are generally fruity and very food friendly. Chardonnays pair well with soups, cheeses and cream based dishes. William’s favorites, cabernets, tend to work well with meats and proteins because they tend to be a heavier wine with tannins. If you are looking for a good wine that can pair well with just about anything, look for a nice pinot noir. Oregon pinots are some of the best in the world and you can find a nice one without breaking the bank. These tend to be a little lighter on the tannins so they are not so overpowering.
Now with the New Year approaching you could be looking at an expensive ‘bubbly’ to enjoy, but Melissa told us to think local too. There are a lot of local sparkling wines and lighter wines that you can choose from. Stoller has a great variety of wines to choose from and they can also help you in picking out the right one. Give them a call or drop by the tasting room to sample some of their great vintages and then relax and enjoy the holidays.
Life of Pie Cheese
We are always interested in hearing about local businesses and restaurants that use local products. One of the newest restaurants in town is called ‘Life of Pie, Wood-fired Pizza’ (503-719-7321) and we heard that they make some outstanding pizza with the help of local growers and artisans. They are also the proud owners of the 6,900 pound Stefano Ferrara wood fired pizza oven. This oven was imported from Italy and lowered into the store with a crane! Another signature of the restaurant is their handmade mozzarella cheese. We met with owner Jason Kallingal who walked us through the process of making their cheese. First they take cheese curd that has been chosen because of its consistency and low sodium content and immerse it in a bath of water and salt that has been heated to 160 degrees. The cheese is then pulled like taffy to get the right consistency and flavor. Once it is pulled to the right texture it is set in a brine overnight and then it is ready to be used. This cheese works well in their oven. It melts evenly and doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients. If you are looking for a great pizza made with great local products, stop by and get a slice at Life of Pie.
