Are You That Woman: January 2018

A decade gone by on this wonderful Sonoma memory

Oh, joy! It's another beautifully foggy day! Even more exciting, getting into my Subaru and driving during the height of the morning commute. I am positively giddy.

The fog is thick. I mean really thick! We live in the city and when fog is at street level you know it's bad out in the open spaces. But I am not concerned. I am one of the few sane drivers who actually slows down in this pea soup weather and keeps a real distance between my Subaru and other auto projectiles.

As expected, out on the freeway, people are whizzing...jetting...zooming at rates that simply can't be defined by simply saying they are speeding or driving too fast. In this stuff, whatever it is they are doing is simply insane! Staying in the right-hand lane, I let anyone who wants to pass me go right ahead. I won't exceed the posted speed and, imagine, I'm actually driving a little under the legal limit.

The fog is heavy until just past Davis and then. as if some unseen force had wiped the haze from your eyes, it's suddenly clear blue and sunshine. I'm still enjoying my blissful cruise along the interstate; heading for one of my favorite destinations—Sonoma! The anticipation is almost heart-stopping.

Speaking of stopping, suddenly traffic comes to a near stop—a crawl—as we approach the exit to Sonoma. I have no idea what's happening since I've never been at this junction, I-80 and Hwy. 12, so early (8:00am) before. Are all these cars heading up valley (that would be Napa) or is this some shortcut I don't know about? We creep along, but I don't mind. It gives me time to almost enjoy the scenery because now the fog has returned. Newly greened hillsides and rural landscapes are visible through the ghostly mist. Soon the terraced vineyards appear. Stripped bare for winter their vines twist above the velvety rows of cover crops.

Suddenly, just out of the corner of my eye a vision flapping, descending—the fancily form of a great blue heron comes floating out of the fog to a graceful, one-legged perch atop a grape stake. I am awestruck and wonder if any of my other road-mates observed this marvel. Just then I see, an overturned big rig has spilled a load of sand onto Hwy. 12. OMG! This is the reason for the rush-hour crawl. It appears no one is hurt and cars are easing by and (of course) quickly back to pedal to the metal. Personally, I am thankful for this momentary lag in my morning drive.

I leave all the traffic behind me as I head towards beautiful Sonoma and the yet to be discovered, Relais du Soleil a rustic country ranch B&B tucked away in the hidden wilds of Sonoma County. I have no idea the wonders that await me. The visions of a landscape that seem almost forgotten by time and a rutted and narrow road. My Subaru and I live for just the sort of thing.

If my Subaru can't get me there,
that's a good reason not to go!

Sacramento is the gateway to farm-fresh diversions. Less than 50 miles away, in its quiet, rural communities, Placer County offers winter tours and baskets brimming with edible and seasonal delights. Heralding the arrival of mandarin season, the annual celebration of these diminutive citrus gems takes place along Placer County farm trails and at farmers’ markets and festivals.

Agriculture was Placer County’s second Gold Rush. By 1856, nearly 6,000 Placer County acres were under cultivation. In the early 1900s, Newcastle was the fruit-shipping capital of the world. The diverse landscape —– valleys, Gold Country foothills, majestic Sierra Nevada — supports a wide range of crops, including world-famous mandarins.

In 1994, Placer County growers decided they needed a marketing arm for promoting agriculture and started Placer Grown. That same year, Joanne Neft, along with the Newcastle Business Association, founded the Mountain Mandarin Festival. That first year, six mandarin orchard farmers participated and saw close to 1,500 attendees. Today, there are 60 mandarin growers in Placer County, and 17 orchards are represented at the festival, which now attracts more than 25,000 visitors a year who delight in this succulent fruit, available only from November through January.

The Satsuma mandarin is the signature citrus crop for Placer County; these mountain mandarins are well-known within California and beyond. Satsumas are distinctive as a result of the terroir where they are grown. Warm days and cool nights translate into more intense flavors and sugars than mandarins grown in the valley or in warmer locations.

“If you buy Placer County Owari Satsuma mandarins, you’re buying from the farmer,” says Rich Colwell, owner of Thundering Herd Ranch in Penryn. “We only pick when fruit is ripe. It’s sweet and more flavorful.”

Cuties and Halos, the tiny mandarins that are sold widely in grocery stores, are grown on large-scale farms throughout the San Joaquin Valley. They are clementine, tango, or Murcott mandarins, but they are not Satsumas. Available November through April, those fruits are efficiently harvested at mature green, so may not have full coloration or the same rich flavors as locally produced mandarins. They are stored in large packinghouses, often for long periods of time, and may be treated with ethylene gas to increase their orange color.

“Placer County farmers pick fully ripened fruit according to color and feel,” says Cindy Fake, director at University of California Cooperative Extension for Placer/Nevada counties. “It’s not treated with ethylene, and it’s stored in ambient temperature conditions. We don’t grow enough for large-scale commercial markets. Generally, I would say our fruit is going to a very premium market and at premium prices.”

Placer County mandarins are available at local farmers’ and specialty markets. On weekends in December, follow the mandarin trail during Mountain Mandarin Orchard Days to mandarin oils, sauces, honey, juices, cookies, cakes, spreads, and, of course, hand-picked and tree-ripened fruit. Enjoy arts and crafts, farm animals, and even a visit with Santa. Combine this local excursion with farm stays, bed and breakfasts, and vacation rentals, and you have a delicious night or weekend ahead of you.

It's never too late to plan. The 25th Annual Mountain Mandarin Festival, Nov. 16-18, 2018, marks the official beginning of the Placer County mandarin season. Enjoy frequent entertainment, food, arts and crafts, Best Mandarin Contest, and more.

Gold Country Fairgrounds
1273 High Street, Auburn (Parking and entry available at 209 Fairgate Road)

Courtesy of Joanne Neft, co-author, Placer County Real Food From Farmers Markets: Recipes & Menus for Every Week of the Year: Spiced Mandarins with Pomegranate & Kiwi

2 cups sugar

3 cups water

2 cinnamon sticks, each about 4 inches long

14 whole cloves

½ cup fresh ginger, peeled, thinly sliced

8 green cardamom seeds

6 whole star anise

12 Satsuma mandarins

1 to 2 kiwis, peeled, thinly sliced

½ cup pomegranate seeds

Dissolve sugar in water and bring to boil. Add cinnamon, cloves, ginger, cardamom, and anise. Simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover pan, and let steep 15 minutes. Using sieve, strain spices and discard. Chill syrup in covered pan several hours. Cut peel from mandarins, being sure to remove pith. Slice mandarins in ⅜-inch rounds, then place in large serving bowl. Cover with syrup and refrigerate 2 hours. Serve in small dessert bowls; top with kiwi and pomegranate seeds. Serves 8.

The Dish on Placer County