Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Cataract Surgery
Cataract surgery fast, painless and effective
3 days ago
TRIBUNE PHOTO/LARRY BECKNER
Nancy Mayernik, LPN, left, and Dr. David Boes, work to remove a cataracts from Polly Kolstad eye at the Orthopedic Center of Montana.Flathead Lake Cherries -Toby Phillips
When life gives you a box of cherries (Flathead Cherries) – story from Polly
I knew I would
like Toby from the moment I first saw him.
Stocky legs capped
with sturdy boots came through my door lugging two boxes of fresh Flathead
cherries.
Toby Phillips had
arrived to help us with our wheat harvest bringing with him the sweet harvest
of cherries.
He had spent the
previous day picking and culling forty pounds with his father in law, Hugh
Hockaday, at the family orchard on Angel Point near Lakeside, Montana.
Has anyone ever
been disappointed with a gift of cherries?
Flathead cherries
come from northwest Montana and are grown in abundance around Flathead Lake. Orchard growers in this area are famous for
their quality fresh cherries. This is
the peak of the season. Though the
harvest is a little late, it is a good year for Flathead cherries. Picking began around the first of August and
will continue for another week to ten days.
The Hockaday
cherries are Chinooks; pollinizers that look like a Bing and come on a little
early.
“The cherries are
of good size, a lot of them had very little element damage (bugs or rain),” said
Hockaday, who has been running the operation for over fifty years.
Other big sweet
cherries that do well in the area are Bing, Lambert, and Queen Anne. These cherries ripen after the Washington and
Oregon cherries are off the market.
With a little
help, cherry trees live a long time. It
takes three to four years before they produce.
They peak at 12 years and may produce another 12 years. But Mother Nature wasn’t too kind to the Flathead
orchards that were devastated by the 1989 freeze when the temperature plummeted
from 50 degrees to 40 below the next day.
The Hockadays lost about 500 trees.
Over the years,
they have recovered and are very “picky” about the care of their trees. They cultivate them repeatedly over the
summer to keep the weeds out and to allow all the moisture to go to the
trees. Any split, cracked, or bruised cherries go on
the ground, left for the deer.
Hockaday moved on the property with his dad in
1946 when his grand dad had a stroke. Grand
dad bought it in 1910. There were some
trees there then, and he planted a bunch for commercial sales. Even then, cherries were big business.
“Grand dad hired girls to pick in the morning
and pack in the afternoon. Then the
cherries were loaded on ‘steamers’ (boats) and took to rail at Somers,”
explained Hockaday.
Today, the Hockaday orchard is strictly a
U-pick at a dollar a pound. Many people return year after year for the tree
ripened fruit which, according to Hockaday, is a lot sweeter because they don’t
irrigate and pump them full of water.
We have been eating cherries one by one
off the stem. My hands are beautifully stained
from handling and pitting the plump red fruit.
I’m eager to not let one go to waste, so I have prepared many
recipes. Still, I have a windfall of
Montana’s sweetest picking.
“Just throw them
in bags and freeze them,” suggests Phillips, “that’s what we do.”
“Then, in the cool
of winter take out a bowl of cherries and relish the delicious memory of
summer.”
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Where to get Flathead cherries:
Flathead cherries
are available at supermarkets and various farmers markets. When you shop, look for shiny, firm, plump
fruit with no marring on the skin or broken stems. The darkest cherries are the most ripe. They do not ripen after picking. Wash before eating. Store them in the refrigerator and they will
keep for about a week. If you choose to
pick your own at a U-pick, pick them with the stems on. They stay fresher that way. The Hockaday
orchard provides ladders, and boxes.
How good are cherries for you:
Sweet cherries
are a good source of potassium (260 mg in every cup consumed). Evidence shows that a diet rich in potassium
may help to control blood pressure and reduce the risk for hypertension and
stroke. Cherries are packed with antioxidants
including anthocyanins and melatonin.
Research indicates cherries my help maintain healthy joint functioning
and support a healthy cardiovascular system.
You can enjoy the
nutritious benefits of cherries in several ways: one serving is equal to 1 cup
fresh cherries; ½ cup dried cherries; 1 cup frozen cherries; or 1 cup cherry
juice. Calories in one cup of
cherries: 84.
Sweet cherries
are simply delicious: put them on top of your cereal in the morning, add them
to fruit salads, or layer them with granola and yogurt for a fresh parfait.
Pitting cherries:
These red round
gems have to be pitted. There are good
cherry pitters on the market. I have a
hand held device that works like a spring loaded bobby pin. It is called a “cherry chomper.” Pizazz in downtown Great Falls carries three
different cherry pitters, including the cherry chomper.
Recipes:
Sweet Cherry Jam or Topping
4 cups pitted sweet cherries
2 ½ cups sugar
½ cup lemon juice
Put ingredients in a heavy bottomed pan and mash together
lightly. Cook, stirring while mixture
boils, for five minutes. Cook five more
minutes until thick and syrupy. Ladle
into hot jelly jars. Seal with paraffin
wax. Will fill two pints, or four small
jelly jars.
Sweet Cherry Pie
Prepare pastry for 2-crust pie: Measure 2 cups flour into large bowl, and
with your hands, make a well in the center.
Pour in ¾ cup vegetable oil, and ¼ cup water. Mix together.
Divide into two balls of dough.
Roll out one ball between waxed paper and fit into a pie plate. (9 inch).
Roll out second ball between waxed paper, and set aside.
Prepare pie filling:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tblsp. Fresh lemon juice
4 cups pitted sweet cherries
2 Tblsp butter
Combine sugar, flour, and salt. Add lemon juice to cherries and toss with
sugar-flour mixture to mix thoroughly.
Turn into pastry lined pie pan. Dot with butter. Add top crust and crimp edges
so juice does not escape. With a knife,
make three slashes on the top. Bake in
hot oven (425 F) about 40 minutes.
Cherries Jubilee
4 cups pitted cherries
½ cup water
1 Tblsp. sugar mixed with 1 Tblsp cornstarch
¼ cup Kirsch (cherry liqueur
Vanilla ice cream
In a small dish, combine water with sugar and
cornstarch. In a skillet, heat cherries
with cornstarch mixture over moderate heat, until thick and clear. Add Kirsch just before serving. Scoop vanilla ice cream into cocktail glasses
or dessert dishes and spoon cherries down over ice cream. Serves 6.
Sweet Cherry Blondies
1 -1/3 cups flour
1 -1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pitted, halved cherries
½ cup chopped pecans
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder,
salt, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low
speed of electric mixer until blended.
Spread ½ batter on buttered and floured 9 inch baking pan. Toss cherries with small amount of flour. Scatter cherries over batter. Spread remaining batter over cherries. Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake @ 325 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes until
wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool and cut into 16 squares.
Cherry Coca-Cola
Salad
2 cups pitted sweet cherries
1 can (l lb. 4 oz) crushed pineapple
1 pkg. cherry (6 oz) gelatin
1 -12 oz can Coca Cola
Drain juice from pineapple, add enough water to make 2
cups. Heat to boiling. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Pour into large bowl. Add cola.
Stir. Add cherries and put into 1
– ½ quart mold. Chill until set.
Wilmington, NC
Travel story from Polly: Wilmington, North Carolina
A wedding can
take you to places you’ve never been.
Let the romantic occasion
become a journey, and you are immersed into fun and adventure in a far off
place that perhaps you have only occasionally heard of.
Recently, my
husband and I packed in a multitude of culture while attending a much
celebrated marriage in the southeastern part of North Carolina.
After flying
across the United States, we found ourselves in Wilmington, a city nestled
between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Coast.
Although it does
not actually border the ocean, the eastern portion of the municipality
overlooks the Sound, the Intercoastal Waterway, and barrier islands that lie
between.
Long ago, sailors
described the river as the “Cape of Fear” named for the high winds that raised
havoc with the ships.
The old part of
the port city rises from the riverwalk where voices of the past whisper from
the remains of shipyards, the Cotton Exchange, the city market, and restaurants
and shops housed in refurbished wharf buildings. Friendly guides relive the Revolutionary
and Civil War history from horse drawn carriages, trolleys, and even push-off
segways.
Before the Civil
War, Wilmington was an active seaport shipping great quantities of naval stores
(tar, pitch, and turpentine), wood products, and rice to Charleston, Baltimore,
New York, and the West Indies. The war
dramatically changed Wilmington as it became the Confederacy’s main blockade running
seaport. As the Union took over the
area, Wilmington was different, but they never gave up. Eventually, the southern families that owned
property were able to move back and restore their fine homes, churches, and
mansions that encompass an area of more than one hundred blocks.
Having survived
the hostilities between the North and the South, Wilmington showcases the
largest National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina, in fact, one of
the largest in the U.S.
Today, visitors walk
and tour the old district tripping along charming brick lined streets that the
locals refuse to give up.
“It’s a bumpy
ride,” said our trolley guide, Wes, explaining the ongoing controversy that
prevails to asphalt over the well worn red pavers.
He claimed that a
solid army of residents comes out at night with picks and shovels to attack any
hot mix truck that may invade the lovely magnolia lined streets.
Stories unfold as the historic plaques proudly
grace grand porches and holy steeples, structures that are maintained as they
were in the antebellum days. The city is
proud to have a historical committee that is diligent about keeping up the street
side and iron gated properties.
Built in 1848,
our Bed and Breakfast, the Rosehill Inn, has been lovingly restored by
innkeepers, Tricia, Bob, and Sean Milton. The two story white Georgian style house,
was once the home of Henry Bacon, who in the 1880s, served as the government
engineer in charge of the Cape Fear River improvements. He was the father of Henry Bacon II, who
later became the architect who designed the Lincoln Memorial in Washington,
D.C. Not only have the Miltons preserved
this historic inn, they meet and greet you at the airport. And in the eleventh hour, Bob takes the side
streets to whet your taste of the landscape that will awaken you in the
morning. Now that’s southern
hospitality!
Only a heavy
sleeper could snooze through the melodic carillon that is regularly rung from
the First Presbyterian Church down the street. The church, with its finials and
soaring stone spire, topped with a metal rooster, can be seen from any
vantage. It is said that the Reverend
Joseph R. Wilson, pastor from 1874 until 1885, would not have been proud of
son, Tommy’s, sling shot antics that shattered neighbors windows. However, he
would acknowledge that Thomas Woodrow Wilson grew up to be the 28th
President of the United States.
A few blocks away, the house where Anna McNeil
Whistler was born still stands. James
McNeill Whistler’s mother; yes, the lady in the painting, was proud to have
been from Wilmington.
Of particular
note along Market Street, is the pre-Civil War Bellamy mansion. Built in the scale seldom rivaled in the
States, for the family of physician Dr. John Bellamy, the house was seized and used
as the Union military headquarters at the end of the war. In September 1865, the U.S. government
pardoned Dr. Bellamy for his allegiance to the Confederacy and allowed him to
return with his family to the mansion. Finding
their home in a horrible state, the Bellamys were never the same. Much
political grief ensued even into the 1930s and the tale is still told how the
last surviving daughter refused President Taft entry when he knocked to just
have a look at the grand home. Restored
to its palatial style, the mansion is today a museum that is open to the
public.
If you are
looking for big shoes in sports, you’ll find them here. Wilmington just happens to be where Michael
Jordan grew up. He played basketball for
Laney High School, though, ironically, he was cut from the varsity shooters as
a sophomore. He never gave up, and
eventually made the team, leading them on to the state championship. Today, the high school gym is named after
Jordan.
The Riverwalk,
the heart and soul of the downtown Wilmington wharf, is an adventure on any
given day.
As we strolled
along, we came upon Darrell Chambers, a Scotsman, polishing and cleaning the
engraved silver on his bag pipe. A
member of a well known pipe band, Chambers showed us the intricate parts of his
tartan instrument. And then, without
prompting, he stood and played lovely tunes to honor his countrymen. We lingered for some time as he played on,
pausing briefly to boast that “there are more Scots here in Wilmington, than in
Scotland.”
Walking
along the Cape Fear River, you can’t avoid the fog horn of the Capt. J.N.
Maffitt, a tour boat. Originally
constructed as a “liberty launch” for the U.S. Navy, the boat was used to
convey sailors from ship to shore, on “liberty.” Soon, the lapping waves along the pier signaled
the arrival of the 600 passenger riverboat, Henrietta III, as it docked at the
completion of an afternoon cruise.
Across the river, the heroic
battleship North Carolina rested in calm waters, making World War II
history come alive with its’ narrated tours.
A well known sideshow to the battleship is Dophin Habitat - Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
Travel Story from Polly:
Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas
Just off the neon
boulevard of Nevada’s Las Vegas “strip,”
amongst the cacophony of casinos, is a unique animal habitat that houses
Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.
Sgt. Pepper,
Lightning, Duchess, Maverick, Huff N Puff, and Sage sound like characters from
Beatles songs.
In fact, they are a
family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins enjoying the four connected pools, an
artificial coral reef system and sandy bottom that replicates the dolphins natural
environment.
Some years ago,
Steven Wynn, the owner of the hotel, wanted to bring these intelligent marine
mammals to a research site that would benefit the community and educate
children in Clark County, Nevada.
Thusly, in 1989, a
facility, the Siegfried and Roy Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, was built,
and staffed with dolphin care specialists. From above and below vast pools, the world is
invited to come learn and observe the lifestyle and often, sense of humor,
exhibited in this group of hairless, finned cetaceans.
Referring to
their enriched lives and how endeared the dolphins are, Mimi Tilton, Public
Relations Manager MGM/Mirage, added that “we love them as they love us.”
“We are very involved in their health
here, and in the research process of the species, especially relating to their
reproductive system, hearing, and aging,” said Jim Hudson, curator of animal
care.
Hudson has a longtime interest in
animals. Beginning with elephants and
camels, he has been involved in animal training around the world since 1979. Here in Las Vegas, he has been at the habitat for
eight years overseeing the dolphins specialized care.
The Las Vegas facility, a member of the
Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, piggy- backs their research with
Texas A&M, Ohio State University, and Oklahoma State University.
Dolphins are
social animals. They enjoy communicating
and interacting with one another. They have
a special system of seeing and hearing called “echolocation,” the ability to
locate objects by emitted sound waves and interpret the resulting echo. This system of sonar allows a dolphin to
“see” without using its eyes. They use
echolocation to navigate and to find food.
Dolphins also
have a highly developed sense of touch.
They can hold their breath up to seven minutes, but will typically
breathe two to three times per minute.
Researchers have found that they learn sign
language quickly and easily.
In the United
States, Atlantic bottle nose dolphins can be found along the East Coast from
Cape Cod to the Gulf of Mexico. Adult
bottlenose dolphins weigh up to 650 pounds and their actual size varies from 6
– 12 feet. Males are slightly larger
than females. Living in a protected
facility, these mammals will live longer than their counterparts in the wild. Within
the Habitat, on average, a one-year-old bottlenose dolphin is expected to live
for more than 25 years.
With ten trainers
and one intern from UNLV, it’s clear that they are devoted to their animals.
They may have favorites, “but they are not pets,” emphasized Hudson, adding the
fact that dolphins don’t do tricks.
Their jumps, spins, flips and tail walks are part of their natural
behaviors. It is how they play,
exercise, and communicate.
The dolphin pod
living at the habitat include: Duchess, a 30 year-old female, the mother of, Huff N Puff, a 7 year old female; Maverick, a
5 year old male, and Sgt. Pepper, a male, born 10 months ago. The other dolphins are: Lightning, a 25 year
old male, and Sage, a 10 year-old female.
In addition to
the daily dolphin viewing, and educational programs for students from
kindergarten to university age, the habitat offers a Trainer for a Day program
whereby four participants stand side by side with the trainers and feed, train,
and signal behaviors with the dolphins.
The various people the dolphins are exposed to through this program
stimulates their brains and gives them variation in their environment.
I was fortunate to shadow Hudson, poolside, and
interact with Duchess, accompanied by her baby, Sgt. Pepper, who tried to get
into the act.
Swimming up to me, with a seemingly ever-
present smile, Duchess was eager to respond to hand movements. With a signal, she opened her mouth and
talked, revealing over 100 identical cone-shaped teeth in her cavernous
mouth. She swam away and flipped
vertically into the air when I gave her the “candle” sign. With a flick of the
hand, she would pose poolside raising her “fluke” (tail) high into the
air. Time after time, she returned
wanting to play and interact with me. After each maneuver, she skidded up pausing to
be stroked on the top of her head; even asking for a “kiss.” She felt like a wet hot dog or rubber.
But, even at
that, after all that fun, that didn’t stop me from giving her one big smooch
right on her bottlenose snout!
If you go:
Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat
Open Daily
11:00 am – 5:30
pm weekdays
10:00 am - 5:30
pm weekends
Admission
Adults - $15.00
Children 4-12 -
$10.00
Children 3 and under, free with adult
The Mirage Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada
More information, call: 702-791-7188.
.
Terrace Restaurant - Swan Lake, MT
The Terrace
You may know him
as a Billings auto dealer, car collector, guitar player, surf boarder and water
skier, but from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Sam Campbell and his wife, Therese,
gather their nine children and head to the summer business, The Terrace Supper
Club, on Swan Lake.
While many would
agree that some of the best eating is in family run restaurants where
consistency is the key, the Campbell’s have been able to channel fine cuisine
for more than a decade along Highway 83 between Bigfork and Swan Lake.
Along with their
children (most of whom have grown up working in the restaurant), the Campbell’s
have been operating The Terrace for thirteen years. Sam and Therese bought the restaurant which
had been closed for three years in 2000.
They reopened in May 2001 with their “American” menu as Sam describes, “from
east coast to west coast.”
It’s the evening
meal that matters to Sam who established this supper club harkening back to the
fifties and the sixties.
“If you want a
steak, ribs, shrimp, lobster, we have it,” says Sam, who originally grew up in
Great Falls but spent many summers on Swan Lake in the 1960s where his folks
had a place.
Early on, working
in restaurants interrupted Sam’s lingering lake activities.
“I started out at McDonalds when I was fourteen;
I bought a car from my dad and wrangled fries and have been off and on and in
since then,” he says.
In the 1980s, Sam
was affiliated with three different Bonanza Steak Houses. For some time, he owned T-Birds Rock n’ Roll
Bar and Therese worked at the Fifth Quarter Restaurant in Billings. For the last seven years, she has run the
restaurant at The Terrace.
“Running a
restaurant/bar is fun but a lot of work,” admits Therese, whose combined food
experiences have contributed to the family’s attributes. Their children have been the waiters,
waitresses, cooks and chefs. Currently,
son, Tucker, leads the helm in the kitchen.
They serve drinks
and food you will find yourself telling your friends about.
First, there is
the bar, dubbed The Moon Doggie Lounge, decorated in memorabilia featuring
Sam’s collection of surf boards, water skis, and vintage guitars. While waiting for a table from the cabaret
chairs, you can enjoy the décor and order a cocktail, a local beer, or a glass
of wine. You may select wine by the glass or by the bottle.
In the wine
closet Sam has reasonable bottles for fifteen dollars and up to one hundred
dollars for labels like Camus.
Undoubtedly,
there is an immediate sense of excitement and occasion about the place as the
deck is usually buzzing with crowded umbrella tables overlooking the beautiful
Emerald Bay.
“Everybody fights
for the deck, it’s so nice we are on the bay,” notes Therese.
Yet, to be in the light filled dining room
speaks pure pleasure and a bit more private.
Then, there is
the food.
The Terrace
treats cuisine with original enthusiasm.
Their best dishes
are simple in composition with a Campbell twist.
The menu opens with an array of appetizers
which include peel and eat shrimp served with their signature zesty cocktail
sauce. Sweet onion rings (Walla Walla or
Vidalia) are sliced, lightly battered and fried, as are tender calamari strips. Morel mushrooms, bought from local pickers,
then sautéed in butter, wine and herbs are a gourmand’s delicacy. You may want to order more than one plate to
stave off any squabbles over the last bites.
Almost everything
that follows reaches the same height of casual perfection.
The salmon is
lightly dusted with tempura batter for the fish n’ chips. Their 18 ounce Delmonico Rib Eye hand cut
prime steak is, according to Sam: “bigger and better than Emeril’s.” You won’t
find a hamburger on the menu, but a steakburger, ground sirloin grilled to your
perfection. They have a special way of
preparing Alaska King Crab legs, a gastronomic treasure! French fries are fresh and hand cut to order. Loaves of hot baked bread are brought to the
table.
Children have
their own calling: Dinners for Beginners.
One offering the kids won’t forget is the spaghetti in marinara sauce
with a giant meatball on top.
For dessert, end
dinner with a Montana touch: The Terrace Huckleberry sauce drizzled over New
York Cheesecake, or, Montana huckleberry ice cream.
Throughout the
menu, there are plenty of special sauces: madatcha, (on the Montana hot, wild
wings) marinara, peppercorn, Béarnaise, and zesty cocktail, which speak to the
seriousness of the kitchen. All recipes
are their own: secrets that they don’t
reveal.
Four times a
summer The Terrace has karaoke and throughout the season you may catch a live
band playing. Check it out: Sam is a musician, sings and plays the guitar,
and often sits in with the band.
The mix of the view
and the comfy, the nostalgia and the whimsical makes the The Terrace a good
place to stop. The restaurant is just eight miles from Bigfork (Mile Marker 79)
on Highway 83, and six miles from Swan Lake.
Or, come by boat on Swan Lake and turn into beautiful Emerald Bay.
The Terrace is
open: Memorial Day – Labor Day, Wednesday, through Sunday: from 5 pm on.
As locals and
tourists head to the pure mountains and lakes of Montana, the Campbell’s at The
Terrace Supper Club seek to please.
“We serve a
little later when light is on the lake in the summer,” says Therese.
Reservations
appreciated, but all welcome.
Phone: 406-837-5141
Website:
Theterracesupperclub.com
Saguaro Cactus
Saguaro Cactus – Travel Story from Polly
As a southwestern
visitor for a couple of weeks every year, I had always wondered about the
Saguaro cactus that signals a strange welcome into the vast Sonoran Desert.
Like stoic
sentinels guarding that zone, the giant Saguaro marches up mountains, harbors
highway roadsides, appears in the urban landscape, and even lives hazardously
along golf courses.
There are no two
alike inhabiting only the Sonoran Desert, an area that includes parts of
Arizona, California, and Mexico.
Many are just
green spiny pleated trunks rising out of the shadows of a paloverde tree or a
bursage bush. Yet others, who have the good genes of geriatric survival, have
arms that reach up to the sky, and may be thirty feet tall. There’s no blooming until they are about 50
years old, and the mature giant finally gets an appendage around its 75th
birthday. But then, the strange and unusual tree may tower in the desert until
it is 200 years old, and sport multiple branches.
It is not
permissible to take the Saguaro from the desert. Only certain people may obtain a permit to
get the giant cactus. If caught stealing one, a hefty fine is imposed.
Fascinated by
this multigenerational plant, I ventured out to the Desert Botanical Garden in
Phoenix, Arizona where the silhouetted Saguaro grows prolifically.
With a basket in
hand full of Saguaro “artifacts,” Nancy White, the Assistant Director of
Education at the Desert Botanical Garden, walked and talked about the Saguaro
which fits into the ecological landscape of the characteristic desert. It gets less than 10 inches of rain per year,
has a high evaporation rate, and can survive extreme temperature
fluctuations.
Nature has finely
engineered the Saguaro, which can weigh several tons, for the Sonoran
Desert.
“Think of a
Hummer vehicle loaded with the family and the dog,” explained White.
The columnar
structure of the pleated accordion-like surface allows the Saguaro to expand or
contract depending on the amount of water it is storing at any time. The Saguaro holds so much water, that it can
go for many months without new water from a rain.
The Saguaro is
able to withstand storms and winds that blow across the desert by a system of
lateral roots that run just below the surface of the ground for about the same
distance as the height of the saguaro. As
soon as it rains, these roots, and other hair like roots suck up as much
moisture as they can. Often, these roots can intertwine around rocks and give
the saguaro a phenomenal structural strength.
As we stood under
a three sided wooden structure, White pointed out the lateral poles. The center
structure of the saguaro is supported by an interior skeletal system, a series
of wooden rods that form a circle. These
round wooden sticks give the Saguaro great structural strength. They have been
used by native people as one of their strongest building materials. The Saguaro ribs are the side poles in this
wooden structure.
In late May, the
Saguaro sprouts creamy white blossoms with yellow centers from the top of the
plant, and clustered near the ends of the branches. The blossoms open during
cooler desert nights and close again by next midday. Not all of the flowers in a single Saguaro
bloom at the same time. Instead over a
period of a month or more, only a few open each night, secreting nectar into
their tubes, and awaiting pollination.
These flowers close about noon the following day, never to open
again. If fertilization has occurred,
fruit will begin to form immediately.
Bats and some
moths feed on the nectar, thus pollinating the plant to produce a pink fruit
about the size of a kiwi that has bright scarlet pulp with tiny black seeds.
The fruit ripens just before the fall rainy season. It is said to be one of the tastiest foods of
the desert. However, it is hard to pick
the fruit before the birds and other insects get them.
The native people harvest
the fruit with a long tool made from the dead skeletal wood of the Saguaro. They make preserves and syrups from the delicacy.
Fruit that is
left on the tree drop their seeds. They germinate and start growing under a
nurse plant. In about ten years, the new
saguaro will be about the size of your thumb.
Eventually, the nurse plant may die as the Saguaro takes the water from
it. To survive in most cases the saguaro
seed needs the shade and protection of a nurse plant, such as a paloverde or
bursage.
The typical
mature saguaro is a happy hotel for the birds that inhabit the Sonoran
Desert. The Gila Woodpecker drills holes
in the saguaros. That’s just fine with
the Saguaro as it forms a “scab” that internally becomes a compartment, a
nesting house for the bird.
The nests
maintain a comfortable temperature even during the warmest summer days due to
the protection from the sun and the natural air conditioning provided by the
saguaro. Many kinds of birds have been observed living
in the nests of the Saguaro including the woodpecker, cactus wren, elf owl,
screech owl, sparrow hawk, and white winged doves.
From her basket,
White pulled out an odd looking dried up boot from a dead Saguaro. Sometime ago, it was the inside home to many
birds. She also had the sturdy cross
section of the Saguaro core, and dried pieces of the fruit. Through her “show and tell” and her
informative tour, my many wonders of the cactus giant were answered.
There’s much more
to the amazing world of the Saguaro Cactus.
In fact, you might think that the new cell
towers sprouting up in Phoenician neighborhoods, sporting an organic look, are
real Saguaro cactus!
Ewald Vineyard
Russian River Vineyard –Travel story from Polly Kolstad
The Russian
River Valley, approximately fifty miles north of San Francisco is well known
for its viti culture. Located in Sonoma
County, it is one of California’s distinguished wine producing regions.
Along one of
the unabashedly beautiful roads in the area near Sebastopol, is the sculptured
iron gate to the Ewald Vineyard. Unique, in that it is owned by Sally (the
former Sally Hatcher of Great Falls), and her husband David Ewald, it is also
known for the 4,321 pinot noir vines, and the solar power that supplies the
energy for their operation.
My daughter and
I were fortunate to be house guests of the Ewalds this spring just as the
grapevines were about to bud, and leaf out.
The Ewalds hospitality
features their very fine wines, as well as, an ongoing education about their
second career paths: making wine. They are
no strangers to business and viticulture.
In fact, there’s
an upbeat breeze in the conversation as Sally pulls on her red Wellingtons, and
David checks their weather station before guiding us through their boutique
vineyard.
With a Master’s
degree from Stanford University, Sally has had a long career in business. Early on, she took a job with Western
Airlines in San Jose and rose to be the city manager of the company. Then, she went
into consulting for Wilson Learning Corporation. Eventually, she left and started
her own company, Learning Solutions
Alliance Global, where she continues as chairman of the board.
David, an
aeronautical engineer, was a spy satellite test controller in the late 60s, and
early 70s. After working in that field seven days a week for years, David
switched gears and went into residential and commercial real estate in the Palo
Alto area.
Even then, with
busy careers, they both found time to practice winemaking; the house they had
purchased in Los Altos came with fifty grape vines.
Initially, we
made batches like “Old Lead Pencil,” and “Chateau Garage,” said Sally with a
grin.
When they moved to
their Sebastopol vineyard in 2002, the already established vines had a good
reputation, and the Ewalds looked for a vineyard manager, who would oversee the
growing, harvesting and marketing of their grapes. Even at that, David is a perfectionist notes
Sally, “he’s out here (in the vineyard) all the time.”
Grapes grown in
this area are well known because of the terroir (climate, sun exposure, soil
make-up and surrounding flora ) and the grape growing strategy. The Russian
River Valley’s cool climate affords success with certain varietals, notably
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
As we headed down
the landscaped path of rosemary, lavender, and decorative grasses, our gaze was
pleasantly caught up in the symmetry of grape vines with arms stretched out in
perfect form supported by horizontal wires.
We walked between the rows as David pointed out how the vines are pruned
late to discourage early budding. Each
arm is limited to twelve spurs which will form buds. The buds become trained vertical vines that
yield good production of the grapes. He
notes that grape vines can live up to 100 years, but production drops off after
about thirty years.
In the spring,
David is particularly concerned with frost danger. In the master bedroom of
their home overlooking the vineyard, there is a weather station. Micromisters record the temperature in every
row of the vines broadcasting a reading.
“It is set at 37
degrees and tells me if I have to turn the water on,” explains David whose
nightly activity may involve hauling out of bed to get the various sprinkler
systems going in the vineyard that will encase the vines to protect them from
frost damage.
“I want water
flowing at 36 degrees; I recheck the forecast to know the dew point; if it is
above freezing you are less likely to get caught with frost. April and May are great concern when the
plant is leafing out and buds are beginning to form.
David’s ingenious
layout is powered by fifty solar panels that he has placed on the roof of his
barn. The solar panels provide energy
plus for the Ewalds. David has more than
enough power for his vineyard, house, and other projects. What he doesn’t use, he sells back to the
electric company’s grid.
As summer
progresses, the Ewalds and Jim Pratt, their vineyard manager, keep a close
watch over their three-and-a-half acres of premium vines. They want the autumn harvest to produce the
best grapes for Siduri Wines, their contract winemaker. They feel fortunate to have found a small winery
that produces wine in limited quantities for vineyard (single vineyard grapes)
designated wines.
Adam Lee,
co-owner Siduri, named for the Babylonian goddess of wine, and wife Dianna,
have been producing premium wines since 1994.
As the grapes ripen, they come out to the Ewald vineyard to taste, pick,
and then, haul the crop to the Siduri winery located in a Santa Rosa industrial
park. Lee, has been called “a powerhouse
pinot noir producer” and the Siduri Pinots regularly make the San Francisco
Chronicle top 100 wines list. Their
wines reflect the unique vineyards in which the grapes are grown.
With that
knowledge, we were eager to take in some wine tasting at the Siduri winery, a
short drive, about twenty minutes away. Many of the over 150 wineries in and
around the Russian River Valley are small operations and offer complimentary
tastings. We found this to be true, as we toured the winery and enjoyed free
tasting of six to eight wines including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah,
Viognier, and Zinfandel. (Siduri wines
may be special ordered through Pizazz in Great Falls.)
We had to
conclude that the Siduri Ewald Vineyard Russian River Pinot Noir was the best: a
classic wine to be remembered along with the excellent experience of being with
Sally and David.
Cheers!
Plum Pudding - Nancy and Chris Wulf
Plum Pudding story from Polly
There are many
traditions surrounding the Christmas season but none so endearing as getting
together and preparing a family recipe.
For Chris Wulf
and daughter, Nancy Pannell, the waft of “nana’s plum pudding” invades the
kitchen early on. It is a holiday
staple, and has been for generations.
“My mother helped
grandma, I helped mother, now I help Nancy, said Chris.
The reason they
love the puddings is in the fun of doing it together.
“It’s the
partnership,” allows Chris. “We’ve done
it for forty years and never missed a year.”
With a dash of
this, and a pinch of that, the recipe came with Chris’ maternal family as they
moved from England and settled in Salt Lake City.
In England, plum
pudding was an important part of the Christmas celebration with a rich history
with many traditions that surround it.
The traditional English delicacy was introduced in the nineteenth century
and first recorded in 1858 by A.
Trollope’s “Doctore Thorne.” It
contained dried fruit and spices,
(mostly dried plums, or prunes which have been replaced by raisins, but the
term “plum has lingered on), nuts, and raw beef or mutton fat (suet). It was made
five weeks before Christmas on “Stir up Sunday” when each member of the family
stirred the pudding and made a wish.
Traditionally, small silver charms were baked in the plum puddings
signifying good luck, safe harbor, wealth, etc.
Today, these tiny charms may still be bought and baked in the steamed
pudding. Covered with a wonderfully rich sauce and triumphantly served
decorated with a sprig of holly, doused in brandy, and set aflame, the plum
pudding is ceremoniously brought to the table where it is met with a rousing
round of applause.
Most Americans are
familiar with the plum pudding traditions as told in many carols and Christmas
stories.
From Charles
Dickens’ “Christmas Carol,” Mrs. Cratchit brought the pudding to the table, “blazing in
half of half a quartem of brandy, and bedight with Christmas holly stuck on
top.”
It is known that
families proudly hold their recipes which cannot be surpassed by any other. So
much so that when it comes to plum pudding preparation, there are no substitutes.
Nana lived with
Chris’ family and when it came to ordering pudding ingredients, she was a
“feisty little thing” according to Chris. She would tell the grocer what she wanted,
amen.
“That meant that
the suet was not to come from anywhere but the beef kidneys,” said Chris.
In recent times,
it has become difficult to acquire suet, so Chris and Nancy have adapted the
recipe to include butter which is mixed in with the breadcrumbs. They also add radiant fruit, dates, pecans,
candied cherries, and a bit of brandy, all of which is meticulously hand
stirred. Once the mixture is deemed
ready, it is carefully ladled into tin cans (well greased), covered with foil
and securely tied with string before being submerged into a long, hot steam
bath. Nancy notes that the pudding also
may be made in a mold and put in a water bath in the oven.
Just the way the
colorful, spicy, batter smells is something special. And, after several hours of heated
anticipation, the resultant piece de resistance is savored by many.
With every year,
mother and daughter, meet in Nancy’s kitchen for another joyous session of
making plum pudding, thusly fulfilling Santa’s list of a present from the past. Carried on in familial fashion, Nana’s plum
pudding has been happily received by generations.
A feeling of
sketches from life flavors the busy afternoon as Chris recalls the family and
friends who have come and gone taking with them the memory of plum pudding.
With a twinge of sadness, she solemnly sighs,
“we’ve lost a lot of pudding eaters over the years.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recipe: Nana’s Plum
Pudding (recipe makes about 10 soup cans of pudding)
Mix and set aside:
1 cup dark molasses (if very thick, soften for a few seconds
in the microwave)
½ teaspoon baking soda
Set aside until fluffy and light colored.
Dry ingredients: Measure into a large bowl.
2 cups bread crumbs processed in Cuisinart with ¾ cup cold
butter
2 cups golden raisins
1 ½ cups chopped dates
1 ½ cups candied fruit
8 oz. candied red cherries
8 oz. candied green cherries
1 cup broken pecans or walnuts
Toss all together with ½ cup flour.
Measure and mix together:
1 ½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
Add to dry ingredients, mixing well by hand.
Measure ¼ - ½ cup brandy, rum, or whiskey, and along
with molasses mixture, pour into dry ingredients.. Mix well.
Set aside.
In small bowl, beat together until frothy: ¾ cup whole milk,
2 eggs, 1 teas. vanilla.
Add to ingredients in large bowl. Mix well, by hand. The dough should be the consistency of muffin
dough. If necessary, add more flour.
Ladle mixture into well greased aluminum cans. Fill cans 2/3 – ¾ full. (leaving room for
pudding to puff up when steamed)
Top cans with heavy duty foil tied with double string so the
cans are air tight. (Trim foil evenly so
as not to touch water bath.)
Steam in oven in water bath or use an electric roaster. Water should be 1/3 – ½ way up on the can.
To steam: Set temperature at 350 and steam for 3 hours. Lower temperature to 250 and steam for 1 ½
hours. Add more water if necessary
during steaming time to avoid scorching the bottoms of the puddings. Remove.
Cool. Store in refrigerator or freeze. ( Will keep up to one year.)
To serve: Steam
pudding in a covered saucepan in about 1 inch of water for 45 minutes. Remove foil from can. Run sharp knife around the edges of the can
and carefully unmold pudding onto plate.
Slice and top with sauce.
Whipped Cream Sauce (serves 8)
Whip 1 cup cream almost to butter; Fold carefully, one at a
time to keep cream as stiff as possible: 1 beaten egg; 1 tablespoon melted
butter; powdered sugar to taste; ½ teaspoon vanilla. Refrigerate until serving time.
Brandy or Rum Sauce
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup water
½ teas. lemon juice
1 teas. vanilla
¼ cup brandy or rum.
Mix all in saucepan.
Stir over medium heat, boil, and cook stirring until desired
thickness. Serve hot.
.
Pam Hansen and her Smart Car
Pam Hansen Alfred’s Smart Car story from Polly
- Sitting in her
Great Falls office, Pam Hansen Alfred is far from Germany where she saw her
first “Smart Car” in 2004.
“It only took up
half a parking place” describes Alfred of the small common vehicles which
easily maneuvered through hectic traffic.
After all, narrow European roads and crowded cities existed before cars
were invented.
Right away, the
easy to park, eco-friendly car, appealed to Alfred. She had driven kids around for years in a big
Suburban.
Now, an empty
nester, she didn’t need all that room.
“I only drive to
church, the office, to workout, play tennis, and back home,” she says of her
five year quest to down size and get a Smart Car.
A cross town mini
car was what the Swatch Mercedes ART, (Smart) was designed for, according to
the Swiss watchmaker, Swatch, the original car manufacturer. Later, Swatch
partnered with Daimler-Benz and built a factory complex called Smartville in
Hambach, France.
Alfred sat by and
watched thousands of used Smart Cars come to the United States, but, it took
years for the Mercedes manufacturer to produce new cars that met U.S. emissions
standards.
Finally, in
September of 2007, U.S. customers could reserve a Smart Car for ninety-nine
dollars with delivery promised for January 2008. It was such a deal, that without question,
Alfred reserved one of the $12,000 - $15,000 vehicles. The popularity of the automobile backlogged
the company’s production by ninety days, while Alfred anxiously sat by waiting
for her affordable, energy efficient car.
Not only would
the car be unique, she wanted to use it as a “mobile billboard” for her State
Farm insurance business.
Husband Bob
questioned that she had never driven one; how would she know she would like it?
A trip to
California to visit a son in college solved that. Alfred found a Smart Car dealership in Santa
Barbara that offered her a test drive.
She was surprised how “fine” the car drove at 75 mph down the freeway,
and how comfortable it was. It was easy
to park and short enough to allow “nose in” parking. Its’ 8’x8” length would equal the width of a
regular parking slot, allowing two or three Smarts to park in the space as one
normal car.
That particular
dealership had a rally red Smart Car with red interior that a fellow had
reserved, but didn’t take.
When the car was
offered to her, she immediately said, “I want that car,” and cancelled her
original order.
Arrangements were made to ship the vehicle to
Montana.
The anxious
Alfred thought it would be just a week or so before she would officially slide
behind the wheel of her Smart car.
“But, guess
what,” she explains, “they lose my car in Sun Valley, California, forty miles
from the dealership.
However, days
later, the embarrassed shippers found the Smart Car and ultimately didn’t
charge for delivery.
Now, only weeks
on the streets with her three cylinder, 71 horsepower engine car, Alfred is
smiling.
“Everyone thinks
it is electric. No. It’s gas. It gets around 33 miles per gallon in
the city and over 40 mpg on the highway.
And, it has very safe ratings.”
Alfred’s Smart
Car also has power steering, automatic transmission, power windows and locks, a
stereo CD player, a sun roof, four air bags, and a steel encasement around the
driver. If she gets tired of the
exterior color, she can interchange the color panels.
Ecstatic that she
finally has her long sought after car, Alfred is surprised at the road
attention she garners.
“It’s a head turner, she says. “When I’m
stopped at the traffic lights, people roll down their windows, clap, and give
me a thumbs-up.”
.
Morocco with the Suits
Morroco with the Suits: story from Polly
Earlier this
summer, pianist, Su Suits sat in a courtyard in Fez, Morocco, playing a Robert
Schumann piece. The impromptu musical
moment happened to be at the Museum of Andalusian Music and the director came
running out, applauding. His ears were more
tuned to the darbouka (drums), the bendir (tambourines), the kamanja, and the
ud (lute): the music of northern Africa.
The melodies coming from the piano delighted him.
He was just one
of the many friendly and hospitable Moroccans that extended a welcoming hand to
Su and husband, Thad, on their adventure into ancient Morocco.
The journey to
northern Africa was something that Thad had dreamed for a long time. Immersed in the study of the Arabic language,
he wanted to go where even a taxi cab ride would be a linguistic opportunity.
Arabic is the native language of Morocco; the
sounds of which he recognized as soon as he and Su boated from the south of
Spain to Tangiers.
Upon landing, it
was a step back in time, “another world later,” observed Su. The country of Morocco, somewhat bigger than
the size of California, includes the barren Sahara desert, and still yields to
the old ways, as they have since the time of the Romans. Donkeys pull plows or carry wheat in carts
that has been harvested by hand. People
greeted you, vibrant people, ready to access you. The street scene was a bustling barometer of
markets where bartering is expected, an intrinsic part of the culture. Salesmanship
is a “fine art,” describes Su,one that immediately invites you to participate. And she did, ignoring the first price of
dirhams (their monetary system) the merchant put forward, ultimately making the
advantageous purchase in English, and, achieving a surprising compliment.
“You bargain like
a Moroccan woman,” declared one of the local vendors.
Immersed in the
rich and colorful life of the day to day rhythms, Morocco was the most exotic
place the Suits had ever visited.
“It
made me nervous,” said Su. “Life happens in the streets, vendors, souks
(markets), tanneries, minarets calling to prayer five times, but the day goes
on as usual.”
Yet, at the same
time, when they ventured out on their own, people were friendly, “excessively
friendly,”.
They were sensual
and visual.
According to Su,
“they touched my heart.”
Moroccans speak
Arabic and French, a leftover influence of the 1912 Treaty of Fez which made
Morocco a protectorate of France.
Although, Morocco gained independence in 1955, France continues to be
their primary trade partner. The government is a constitutional monarchy (King
Mohammad VI) with a parliament. People
still learn French which is more widely spoken then English.
Women have equal
rights, “at least on paper,” adds Thad, and they are allowed to work out of
their homes.
To the Suits,
global influence was apparent in Morocco.
Yet, they are
still trying to figure out what this mystical area is about. Moroccans do not
like to have their picture taken. They saw shrouded women in burqas, and some in
western clothing. Most women wear a hijab
to cover their hair, but not their face.
Kiosks boasted The New York Times and world- wide news, while preserved
meat sat in markets unrefrigerated, not far from piles of spices, and dates. But
then you would notice the cell phones and the daily cry of the minarets.
While in Fez, the third largest Moroccan city,
a cab driver took them to the gate of Medina, the original old walled city of
one million people. Here they were to
meet the man of the house where they were staying, Habid. He would walk them
through the labyrinth of ancient crowded streets where no autos are allowed.
“Habid, he’s my
best friend,” declared the driver.
“A one chance
encounter in a thousand,” thought Thad, but, it was true.
Habid met them,
and led them to their riad, a traditional Moroccan home where they stayed for
five days. Stained glass windows, mosaic floors and old wood, accented the
house, called, Dar Bennis, which had been beautifully restored to its original
Moroccan architecture.
Even the first
day, and each day following, their outings were only in Arabic, often with
Habid in the lead. But sometimes, they
ventured out on their own, and in doing so they found plenty of friendly folk
to ease their path. Interestingly, Thad
sought and found some Arabic language instruction from an American teacher who
taught at Dartmouth.
There was lots of
give and take, but, “I held my own,” said Thad.
Even the ticket agent at the train station opened his eyes wide and gave
him a “thumbs up” after he was trying to figure out the schedule.
“I had spoken
Arabic, and he liked that.”
In Morocco, it is
quite common to see henna on women’s hands and feet for weddings, special
occasions, or even just for a treat. It
is applied for luck as well as joy and beauty.
Henna, a native plant, is used to dye the skin in orange and brown
intricate patterns that last for two weeks.
The pale paisley remnants on Su’s hands revealed the treatment of an
artist that came to their Dar one afternoon and applied the modern mystical
adornment. Su enjoyed the experience, one that she wouldn’t pass up, as it was
part of just celebrating being in Morocco.
Those beautiful
hands went right into the food as they both smiled and explained the cuisine of
Morocco.
Declaring “one
third of the world comes to the table with knives, forks, and spoons; one third
takes on chopsticks; and one third (including Moroccans) eat with their hands,”
Thad tells it like it was.
They describe evenings of sitting on cushions
at low tables, enjoying couscous, vegetables, and meat food served from dome
topped tajines (clay pots). Mint tea is
the ever popular drink, which one must always take time to partake. It is the hallmark of Moroccan hospitality.
The fresh
ingredients for meals come from the lively markets (souks) where nearly
everything is sold. Shopkeepers and
artisans daily appear to hawk their wares among throngs wending their way
through crowded narrow ways.
One of the most
unusual souks, is the famous Dabbaghine, a tannery which has been in use for
over a thousand years. As Su and Thad approached the tannery, they were given
sprigs of mint to sniff to ward off the pungent smell from the processing
solution of salt, lime, and pigeon excrement (which contains ammoniac to make
the leather soft). The steps in the
tanning process take many, many coats of dipping in huge vats which look like
giant water color pools. The atmosphere
is enhanced by the finished tanned hides hanging out to dry from nearby terraces.
Experiencing the
exhilaration of Moroccan traditions and mingling among the daily crowds of
jalaba robed masses, the Suits looked around for foreigners. There were not many;
and, certainly, very few Americans.
“We didn’t
feel like we were in a tourist zone,” said Thad, adding he “never saw a
McDonalds.”
But they felt the
soul of Morocco and the last bastion of what it is.
Mission Santa Clara
Mission Santa Clara – Travel story from Polly Kolstad
For many, the
nine o’clock evening hour on Sunday harkens to end the weekend and get a good
night sleep.
At Santa Clara
University in Santa Clara, California, the late hour welcomes hundreds of
students to the celebration of Mass at the old Mission Santa Clara.
With a reverence
reserved for the faithful, the lights dim with the opening prayer, and the old
church comes alive as it has for over two hundred years.
Surrounded by
colonnades of blooming rose trees, the beautifully restored edifice, resurrects
spiritual pages as well as significant historical notes from the settling of
California.
It may
be a little known fact that Santa Clara University is the only college in
California to be the successor of a Spanish mission.
Equally
interesting is the fact that Santa Clara University, the oldest college in
California, was founded in 1850, and born amid the gold rush.
The 1777 Spanish mission has survived more
than a quadrant of disasters eventually finding its way to the present location
on El Camino Real.
Early Spanish
expeditions in the 1770s selected sites for future colonies in California. The frontier colonies had three
institutions: the pueblo, the presidio, and the mission. Pueblos were the peopled settlements;
presidios provided military protection; missions were responsible for the
native population.
The Spanish were
intent on civilizing the Native Americans who had lived in the hills and valleys
for thousands of years. The missions provided a place for the natives to live,
work, and worship.
The first Mission
Santa Clara de Asis, built along the banks of the Guadalupe River near the
present San Jose airport, was destroyed when the river overflowed its
banks. A temporary church was built on
higher ground. The mission moved to a
third site close to irrigation canals and was blessed on November, 19, 1781. The mission church survived a long period of
calm until it suffered severe damage in the 1818 earthquake. A temporary adobe church was then constructed
on the present site of Kenna Hall on the university campus. That building eventually became a dance hall
during the Mexican secularization period. Mission Santa Clara fell into
decrepit disrepair. A Jesuit priest,
John Nobili, was appointed pastor in 1851, and took over the task of
reparations and the beginning of instructing students. The
fifth and permanent site of the mission stood with various modifications, until
1926, when it was destroyed by fire, believed to have been started by a mouse
who ate through the wiring in the belfry. Restoration of the destroyed church
began almost immediately recapturing the appearance of the 1825 church.
Throughout the
history of the mission, the Franciscan fathers assisted the Spanish in
administering their government’s policy.
The Franciscans were orderly, dedicated missionaries driven by their
desire to bring salvation, life skills, and trades to the Native
Americans. They kept written family
records which are invaluable today.
“They taught
fifty-three trades, had cattle, tanneries, made clothing, and glassware,”
explained Betty Ross, a local, well-informed docent.
Today’s
impressive façade of the restored church is one of the first sites to greet
visitors to the Santa Clara University.
Beautiful
bronze reproductions of the original pear wood statues of St. John the Baptist,
St. Clare, and St. Francis, adorn the front of the building. Bells in the bell
tower include three that date from the Mission period, and one donated by King Alfonso
XIII of Spain. The bells are still rung
at 8:30 each evening.
Directly across
from the building stands a large wooden cross.
This is the original mission cross from 1777 and moved from site to site
since then. Historically, these large
crosses were set up to signify each mission, and direct the horseback
traveler. Usually, the missions were
about thirty miles apart, a day’s journey.
One’s eye is immediately drawn to the brown
metal bell to the left of the façade. In
the early days, the large mounted bells served many purposes. According to historical accounts, the Native
Americans had not seen anyone until 1767, and had only what was growing in
California. They had no metal, and were
fascinated by the bell. The colonizers
used the bell to call the Indians.
Entering the
mission church through the wooden doors, the large nave (main floor) is flanked
by seven side altars and the sanctuary which houses the main altar and the
pulpit. Several pear wood statues of
saints adorn the area. The high altar
ceiling is an exact replica of the 1825 church frescoed with Native American
designs. It also includes an interesting
depiction of the Holy Trinity, as three men and an unusual circular painting of
cherubs and seraphim above two of the large chandeliers. Every third angel has its eyes closed. These representations were taken from the
original church and used to teach the Native Americans. Most symbolic is a crucifix sculpture on a
side altar where Father Catala, an early mission priest prayed. Native American oral history claims that when
this holy man prayed, the arms of Christ moved. The chapel also houses the
console and pipes of a large organ. Seating on the floor harkens to the past.
Hundreds of wooden chairs are set up reverently row upon row.
For the Sunday
evening Mass, students reset all the chairs in a circular pattern. The old walls swell from the tenor of the ecclesiastical
music.
“I am blown away
by all my friends who choose to come here,” said Father Jack Treacy, Director
of Campus Ministry.
“There is a
powerful strong meaning here. It is a
spiritual home.”
Mission Santa
Clara is a signet to history and a holy dwelling place that continues to thrive
after more than two centuries.
The Mission Church serves as the university
chapel and is used by the university community for Masses, weddings, and
concerts. It is open to the public
daily, and welcomes visitors.
If you go: Docents
are available for guided tours. Call
the Mission Church office: 408-554-4023.
For more information on the web: www.scu.edu/mission.
Mission Santa Clara
Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
Mission Bistro, Stevensville, MT
Mission Bistro
Usually, it’s the
cake that steals the show, but the “amuse bouche,” brought to the table at the
Mission Bistro in Stevensville, Montana, immediately raises the “aha” moment. It’s the unsuspecting surprise that pleases
nightly patrons as they settle into the French version of a small inviting and
delicious bite that makes the mouth smile. Recently, unprepared for this gift from the
chef, our table was treated to a puff pastry square of wild mushroom sauté
crowned with herbed sour cream.
That welcome note
changes daily as the brother/sister owners, Eric and Angela Loessberg
enthusiastically welcome patrons to their quaint restaurant named for St.
Mary’s Mission, and based out of a century old farm house just off Stevensville’s
main street. The newly whitewashed and decorated thirty-four seat establishment
entices gourmet diners to sophisticated dishes prepared for audiences that are
surprised to find this fine restaurant in the Bitterrroot Valley.
“We are both
inspired by great food and great service and we wanted to bring that to our
friends, family, and community,” says Eric, adding, “food is meant to be
enjoyed with a loved one, with people who share the same love and joy of food
as you do and we just wanted to provide a warm comfortable place for everyone
to gather and serve great food with a smile!
A few years ago
(post haste ten), before he returned to his home town, Eric was honing his
culinary skills around the country.
He initially
worked at a restaurant in Missoula while in college. Not long after, he left for Nevada and
eventually landed in the Paddle Wheel Steamboat Cruise Line where as the pastry
chef, he made a lot of desserts. A trip
to Seattle to visit a friend ended up being nearly a two year commitment as he
attended the Seattle Art Institute Culinary School and graduated with
honors. He interned and worked for three
years with “The Chef in the Hat,” Thierry Rautureau’s upscale Rover’s.
Sister, Angie, has been a waitress,
bartender, and barista, in the customer end (the front end) of establishments. Several years ago, she moved to the east
coast and worked in a fine dining restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard. Yet, home was always calling, so she returned
to “the place she loved,” and moved in with her brother. She worked in a local café, and did some
catering before the familial duo opened the Mission Bistro June 1, 2012.
With his culinary
background, Eric’s cuisine style is northwest with French influence. He buys local and organic produce from the Big Creek Ranch. His butter and milk come from the Victor Life
Line Creamery. He orders goat cheese from Amaltheia, an organic dairy in
Belgrade, Montana. The only beers sold
are from two local breweries: The Black Smith, and the Wildwood Brewery. They stock a good selection of wines from the
Northwest: Washington, Oregon, California and continue to expand the cellar.
We discovered
they have a fresh fish special every night as they fly in pacific seafood out
of Seattle. King salmon, pan seared with
herbed red quinoa, and garlic sautéed spinach topped with huckleberry buerre
rouge remained an absolute favorite at our table. However, according to Angie, the most popular
fish entrée is the hazelnut crusted filet of sole.
The grilled rib
Eye (10 oz. with red wine reduction) and the pork chop brined with Granny Smith
apple chutney/golden raisins will please the meaty palate.
For pasta lovers,
Eric makes his own every day. His
signature dish: Andouille sausage ,
Mexican Blue prawns, in a roasted red pepper cream sauce served over homemade
pasta.
Entrees are
conveniently priced from: $16 to $24; accompanied with a choice of roasted red
potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, or red caraway cabbage with bacon.
With character
restraint, a few of us ordered from their small plate menu which included: Brown
Butter sea scallops with red lentils, and sautéed radicchio salad ($11.00); Steamed
Clams with fennel, Andouille sausage ($11.00); Bison Sliders 3 ways with stone
ground mustard ($10.00); and local and imported cheese and salumi plate with
fresh bread, and toasted marcona almonds ($11.00)
The food Eric
prepares nightly always includes his succulent French onion soup with a petit
crouton and gruyere cheese, and a fresh soup of the night. I had fresh roasted
yellow squash, delicious, with dots of crème fraiche surfacing.
You don’t get away with just greens when
ordering a salad. The Caesar, spinach,
and house salad are all original recipes served with homemade dressings.
To end it all,
save room for dessert. The former pastry
chef (Eric) makes all his own desserts: Big Creek Espresso Crème Brulee; Flour-less
Chocolate Torte, Warm Guittard Molten Chocolate Cake served with Big Dipper
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream; Cheesecake topped with Huckleberry Sauce, seasonal
sorbets, and Big Dipper Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Sundae with Candied Walnuts,
Fresh Berries, Caramel and Chocolate Sauce.
Beneath it all,
the kitchen chooses mismatched interesting dishes and stem ware that complement
the innovative presentations. The casual
ambience and the attention to details make for a memorable dining experience.
Eric has an uncanny eye and is always looking
for something fun and local. He changes
the menu with the season. He is pleased
that he gets crowds from Missoula, Hamilton, and the Stock Farm. This is just the start of a dream. He hopes to expand in the future.
At that, “there’s
no time now, he admits, “we are pretty much here seven days a week.”
The Mission Bistro
101 Church Street
Stevensville, Montana
Open: Wednesday thru Saturday 5 -10 pm
9 – 3 pm Sunday brunch
Walk in or call: 406-777-6945
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