Birthday "Gather"ing...

Pisco Sour

For family birthdays, we always pick a special restaurant to celebrate. For my son's birthday this year, we chose a very special place in Berkeley, called Gather. Special because the team at Gather cares deeply about the food it serves and we share many of the same values...

Respect. For farmers, for food, for the earth, and for our bodies. We truly recognize that we don’t live in a vacuum. There is no such thing as an individual. We are all connected.

Honesty. This one's easy. If you can't do/say it truthfully, then don't do/say it at all. Simple (my words, not Gather's).

Transparency. Got a question about where something came from or why it’s in a dish? Ask the host for a copy of “The Source Book”— an index that traces the lifecycle of every ingredient served at Gather. From spices and oils to animals and vegetables, we’ve researched how it got to us and where it went along the way. Same goes for the materials used in our restaurant. Every ingredient, material, and action we put forth has been thoughtfully considered.

Comfort. Comfort comes in many forms. It’s about feeling at ease, soothed, well-fed, respected, welcomed, taken care of, included, satiated, and at peace. We want you to feel all of these things when you dine at Gather. (Actually, we want you to feel all of these things always.) It’s one of the many reasons we’ve designed our menu to give the members of the community what they want and need in any given moment.

Always Possible. When we hear people use the words “whenever possible” which are used quite often in regard to organic, seasonal and/or sustainable food, we have a slightly different take on things. Truth is – it’s always possible. If an ingredient can’t be found, we use something else. It’s that simple.

Then there is the decor... Gather is intent on striking an aesthetic balance in every possible way.

Our space combines reclaimed woods rich with history, metal, concrete, and other sustainable, long lasting materials. We created cushions from re-used leather belts, and wooden cabinetry to assure a beautiful and comfortable “home” environment. Natural color is found throughout the space in deep green, Heath ceramic tiles behind the open kitchen, in lighting elements, art accents and living plants. Practically every material used in our interior comes with a unique story. The bar is made from a Douglas Fir that grew and fell in Camp Meeker in Sebastopol. Because the trees grow really fast in wet forests like these the rings are huge and highly distinctive. (Read more)

Some of us, obviously, celebrated with Pisco Sours. Little did we kow about the origin of this drink, which is quite a befitting cocktail to consume in Berkeley. Apparently, in the early 20th century the Morris' Bar of Lima, Peru created and popularized the drink as a variety of the Whiskey Sour. The bar's owner, Victor Vaughn Morris, was a bartender born in Berkeley, California.

Squash Blossoms

Another way to manage the growth of your zucchini is to "nip them in the bud," literally.... By that I mean, if you pick baby zukes while their blossoms are still intact, you reduce the number of full-grown zucchini AND get to enjoy a wonderful treat. The preparation for this recipe requires a little time and tenderness, but its presentation can be dramatic, not to mention taste delicious. What better way to impress your guests than with your own Fiori di Zucchini...

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1. Here are my baby zukes with blossoms, fresh from the garden.
2. Gently wash the blossoms and remove the pistil from the flower center.
3. I used goat cheese, blue cheese, and garden-fresh chives and basil for my filling.
4. Gently spoon filling (about 1T) into blossom.
5. Close and seal by twisting tips of blossom.
6. Place each blossom in light batter of flour and soda water.
7. Heat olive oil in pan, add blossoms & cook just until cheese begins to melt. Serve immediately.

I served my fried squash blossoms (at back) with linguine & chicken, topped with sauteed zucchini ribbons and a dallup of my homemade zucchini/basil pesto...yumm!

Summer Surprise

As most experienced gardeners know, if you plant zucchini, you will get zucchini...and probably more than you want. I've spent the last month or so trying to make the most of my zukes (thank you to my friends). This past weekend, I found a fabulous recipe for this most-prolific plant... Zucchini-Lemon Sorbet. This is the surprise of the summer for me, and I can't wait to share it with you!

The recipe is really easy. The only snag I ran into was not owning an ice cream maker. But I found this work-around on the internet, which worked just fine! After all, they made frozen goodies long before there was ever an ice cream machine. See photos below...

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1. Start with fresh zucchini, like this one shown above from my garden.
2. Grate the zucchini, then puree with lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar and peppermint in blender or food processor. NOTE: I sifted mixture 3-4 times to make consistency smoother for freezing.
3. Place bowl of mixture in freezer on top of tray of ice; stir vigorously with whisk every 30-45 minutes to break up ice crystals.
4. Sorbet should be ready in 3-4 hours. I let mine freeze overnight and then used a hand mixer to puree once again to a smoother consistency. Makes for more enjoyable eating...

Bon Appetit!