A special message for our
E-Newsletter Subscribers:

Thank you for entrusting us with your email address. Our primary reason for publishing this newsletter is to share extra bits that don’t fit into our quarterly print magazine. But it also gives us a way to solicit your opinions, from time to time, or to offer special rewards. For instance, in this newsletter, there’s an intriguing invitation from Cheryl Angelina Koehler, publisher/ editor of Edible East Bay. Make sure to scroll down for the surprises.

 

In this newsletter:

• Book Review & Recipe: 

   I Scream Sandwich! by Jennie Schacht

   with a recipe for Peachy Keen SANDWICH!
   and a list of Jennie's many upcoming book events with
   opportunities to taste!

Dinner Party in a
Sierra Nevada Meadow:
AKA "Burning Lamb"

Saturday June 29, 2013

 

Cast iron pots are essential equipment in Basque sheepherder cookery.

In 2001, as I was roaming the Sierra Nevada doing research for my book (Touring the Sierra Nevada, published by University of Nevada Press, 2007), I learned about a unique USPS archeological site located in a high-mountain meadow north of Lake Tahoe. One of the very few exhibits at this rarely visited site is a restored and working Basque sheepherders’ bread oven. Nearly every year since, I have put on a dinner party there right around the time of the summer solstice. For sheer amusement, we named the event “Burning Lamb,” but I can tell you most assuredly that we do not roast a whole lamb on a spit. Instead, we cook a menu that honors the site and those people who labored (and occasionally relaxed) there in the early-to-mid- 20th century, when it was a summer base camp serving the sheepherders.

(In the photo above, provided courtesy of Irene Giossi, whose parents owned and ran the Wheeler Sheep Camp at this site in the 1930s-50s, the camp tender, Eugenio Murillo, has just brought the week's loaves of bread out of the oven.)
 

     At Burning Lamb, our day in the meadow begins with mixing and baking the bread. Then we prepare various stews in the style of the Basque sheepherders. We eat and drink this leisurely meal in the lingering light of evening, and there are always quite a few musicians on hand. A professional chef, Rick DeBeaord of Café Rouge in Berkeley, is joining us this year, as he has once before, to add further magic to what is already a deliriously magical setting.
     Most guests who attend spend the weekend, making their own arrangements at nearby campgrounds (which always have space) or at various affordable indoor options, which include a clothing-optional hot springs resort! We also host several appealing field trips for those who come up early or stay on. There’s a modest fee for the dinner, and you need to reserve a week before the event (like, right away!). If interested, please reply to this newsletter with "Burning Lamb" in the subject line, and I will send you more details.      —Cheryl

Garden Mix Cocktail Class at
The Gardens at Heather Farm

Thursday June 20, 6–8pm

1540 Marchbanks Dr, Walnut Creek

Rohini Moradi preparing to teach a cocktail class near the Sensory Garden at The Gardens at Heather Farm. (Photo by Sean Yokomizo)

Celebrate the upcoming summer solstice learning to make cocktails using flowers and herbs from your garden. Rohini Moradi of Elevated Spirits brings her love of plants and cocktail creation to this hands-on class, where participants get to craft five original cocktails that incorporate herbs and flowers grown at The Gardens at Heather Farm. You’ll learn about the health benefits of adding herbs to cocktails and how to pair those botanicals with the flavors of various spirits. Then you'll revel in the healthy, revolutionary art of herbal mixology as you sample the drinks along with appetizers matched to the cocktails. The class takes place in the large, tranquil terraced area adjoining the Sensory Garden.

Cost: $70 members/$80 non-members; Couples discount: $55 members/$65 non-members.
$15 materials fee payable directly to the instructor (includes spirits, mixes, appetizers, shaker set and recipes) 
Enrollment is limited
. Register by mail, at gardenshf.org or by calling 925.947.1678

Make Your Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer Cool and Sweet!

 

Jennie Schacht's I Scream Sandwich! 
A book review by Kristina Sepetys 

 

(Photo by Sara Remington)

I love summer, partly because I love ice cream. It’s the rare week when my kids and I aren’t lining up at IScream on Solano Avenue for a split scoop of Mexican chocolate and salted caramel, or at Ici on College for a fragrant ball of rose ice cream. And when we’re not queuing, we’re spinning our own ice cream at home, lounging in the sunshine on the back porch, savoring a homemade cone filled with cold, melty goodness while browsing our latest haul from the North Berkeley Library. Bliss.

     So I’m always excited when a new book appears to expand our ice cream repertoire, especially when it offers intriguing variations on the delivery vehicle, as Oakland-based culinary writer and consultant Jennie Schacht does in I Scream Sandwich! Inspired Recipes for the Ultimate Frozen Treat.
     Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang in May, Schacht’s book includes dozens of recipes for creating creative, flavorful ice cream sandwiches, with palate-enticing photos by Emeryville local, Sara Remington. Who can resist the lure of alchemies like Rosewater Ice Cream between Pistachio-Cardamom Cookies, Vanilla Bean Frozen Custard on Oatmeal Cookies Dipped in Dark Chocolate, or Five-Spice Cookies with Kaffir Lime and Lemongrass Sorbet? There are also nearly a dozen recipes for using the farm-fresh bounty in the markets this time of year, recipes like Strawberry-Balsamic Frozen Yogurt on Black Pepper Cookies.

     I especially like that most of Schacht’s ice cream recipes don’t require egg yolks, removing some of the preparation complexity (and cholesterol) and instead employ tapioca and other thickeners. According to Schacht, “I discovered starch-thickened ice creams while visiting Italy where, especially in the south of that country, starch is preferred for creating dense, creamy gelato.” No time to make your own ice cream? Schacht provides suggestions for using store-purchased ice creams and sorbets to make sandwiches.

     If you’d like to meet Jennie Schacht in person and sample some of her delights, she has several upcoming appearances scheduled around town. Along with copies of I Scream SANDWICH!, she’ll have her other books: Farmers’ Market Desserts and The Wine Lover’s Dessert Cookbook to sign. Mark your calendars!

 

Sunday June 16, 10am–1pm


Father’s Day book signing and ice cream sandwich sampling!


Temescal Farmers’ Market, 5300 Claremont Ave (DMV), Oakland


 

Thursday June 20, 4–6pm


Sweet Celebration at Sweet Bar Bakery!


Sweet Bar Bakery, 2355 Broadway 24th St, Oakland


 

Saturday June 29, 1–3pm


Reading is So Delicious! program at the Oakland Public Library

Dimond Branch, 3565 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland

 

Tuesday July 16, 6–7pm


Reading is So Delicious! program at the Oakland Public Library


Montclair Branch, 1687 Mountain Boulevard, Oakland

 

Friday August 2, 6–8pm


Makers & Tasters Series:
Celebrate National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!


Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street, Oakland


At this Makers & Tasters event as part of Fridays at OMCA, come view a demo and unlock the secrets to great ice cream sandwiches. Taste samples, get your questions answered by the author, and get your autographed books. Then enjoy dinner from a collection of Oakland food trucks from Off the Grid, soft and adult beverages, music, and a festive atmosphere for celebrating National Ice Cream Sandwich Day!

 

Looking for other suggestions for great East Bay ice cream and frozen treats? Take a look at our feature article from last summer — Sweet Cold and Unforgettable Pleasure
 

 

Recipe
 

Peachy Keen SANDWICH!:
Peaches and Cream Ice Cream on Oatmeal Cookies

Reprinted from I Scream Sandwich! Inspired Recipes for the Ultimate Frozen Treat (Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang,
May 2013 $19.95).

Nothing says summer like a dripping, velvet-skinned peach. This sandwich captures that essence, with melting ice cream that will be dribbling down your chin rather than peach juice. Leaving the peach skins on gives the ice cream a rosy glow. If you prefer to peel them, you can skip the straining step.

 

Makes 12 sandwiches

 

Peaches and Cream Ice Cream

 

11/2 pounds ripe peaches, about 5 medium peaches, pitted and
     cut into 1/2 inch chunks

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup heavy cream

11/2 tablespoons mild-flavored honey, such as
     clover or orange blossom

1 tablespoon tapioca starch or cornstarch

2/3 cup crème fraîche, labne, or plain Greek-style
     whole-milk yogurt, stirred smooth

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Stir together the peaches, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a bowl. Set aside to get juicy.

     Whisk the cream, honey, and tapioca in a medium saucepan until no lumps remain. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, stirring with a heatproof spatula, until it begins to steam and slightly bubble at the edges. Adjust to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a cream sauce, about 1 minute longer; do not fully boil. Transfer the mixture to a medium metal bowl, then nest the bowl inside a larger bowl of ice and water until cool, taking care not to slosh water into the mixture.

     While the mixture cools, process the peaches with all of their juices in a blender or food processor until smooth. Strain through a standard or fine-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard the solids. Remove the cooled milk from the ice bath and stir in the peaches, crème fraîche, and vanilla until smooth.

     Cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours. Transfer the bowl to the freezer for the last half hour before spinning it.

     Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. When it is ready, transfer the ice cream to a chilled container. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.

 

Oatmeal Cookies

 

3/4 cup white whole wheat, whole wheat, or gluten-free oat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

11/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

     Put the butter and brown sugar in a mixing bowl and use a wooden spoon or a handheld electric mixer to mix until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture just until everything is well combined, then stir in the oats and raisins, if using.

     Spoon or scoop the batter in tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly, to make 24 cookies. Press the cookies with lightly dampened fingers to flatten them slightly—they will spread further as they bake.

     Bake until the cookies are light golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them directly to a wire rack to cool completely, sliding a spatula under them if they do not release easily.

 

SANDWICH!
 

Pair the completely cooled cookies with like-size mates. Slightly soften the ice cream. Sandwich a scoop of ice cream between each set of cookie bottoms. Press gently to squeeze the ice cream slightly beyond the edges. If you wish, smooth the ice cream flush with the cookie edge.

 

TAKE IT EASY: Use store-bought oatmeal cookies and peach ice cream.

 

DRESS IT UP: Roll the sides of the sandwiches in chopped toasted pecans or walnuts, or in chopped crystalized ginger.