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.”

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  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.

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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.”

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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

  

Mary Papoulis - NIA

Mary Papoulis – Nia

     Mary Papoulis

     Mary Papoulis is the Concertmaster, and principal violinist with the Great Falls Symphony.  She has played the violin since she was nine years old. 

     Throughout life and her musical career, Mary has found many types of exercise.  As she puts it, she is now in a place of self- healing. 

     I do Nia and dance for an hour at home to work out the kinks.”

1.  Why Nia? How did you get started?

          I was at a women’s retreat in Boulder Hot Springs, Montana.  I took a class and loved it.  It spoke to my passion for yoga, martial arts, freedom of movement, body awareness; to be in touch with many parts of our body that we don’t normally reach.  Nobody was teaching Nia in Great Falls.  I got to know Pam Quinn, and she said, “you go and train.” I went to a one week (seven solid days) of training in Canada, and have done further training in Helena.  I am in my third year of teaching. 

       Nia, a sensory based movement, was started by Debbie Rosas in Portland, Oregon, in the 1980s.  Originally, Rosas wanted to bring together neuromuscular integrative action (Nia).  She was looking for something more than aerobics.  It became a philosophy of life: how to move, or the sensory awareness  to understand the body so we can move more than properly. The awareness brings more movement and the adrenaline flows. To self heal by getting in touch with our body.

2.  What is your weekly training routine?

        I get up with my kids and do Nia on my own every day.  I also teach one or two classes every week at the Yoga For Wellness Studio.  There are a variety of routines, and steps, but a large part is my own work.  I just turn on the music and take a break from the daily routine of things and move in ways that I need.  Nia is creative dance where choreography comes from a wonderful way to get ready to play the violin.

3.   What other activities do you do?

       I studied Pilates and yoga and the disciplines I have done before.  I have been a swimmer all my life.  I love to run, but Nia is much more fun and easy on my joints.  I enjoy the social energy of the people in the class.  That makes a difference.

4.   What keeps you motivated?

     My love of dancing. I enter into my life to stay in a healthy physical, emotional, and spiritual way.  That opens me up; a great way to start the day.  The “joy of movement,” the #1 principle behind Nia gets rid of the personal pain. Nia releases energy and frees you up.  It is a full body, healing place of needing to find that nothing else works in this way of commitment.

5.   Have you faced any setbacks or injuries with Nia?  How did you overcome them?

     I’ve had a variety of body work: rotator cuff issues, and some violin based conditions.  I’ve played tennis on again, off again, without warming up.   There were a few years where I was nursing an arm issue. I’ve have had hips that have been tight, and knee pain.  Nia frees it up.  No injuries in Nia.  You take body awareness and listen to the body.  That helps to heal.

6.  What tips do you have for someone who wants to get started in Nia?

       Nia is totally built for anybody at any level even in a wheel chair.  We can modify.  The smallest amount of movement, even a tiny bit, will help get started to heal.  Music is a big portion of Nia: the spirit drumming to get dynamism in the legs and arms.  The variety of movement in my body is extremely good for agility, mobility, flexibility, and stability.

7.  What health benefits have you seen?

       I have seen overall health benefit in my own flexibility. I play the violin better.  I am in touch with my own body, loose and free. The strength and Tae Kwon Do movements keep my upper body engaged, my muscles tight, but not too tight. Over the summer, I missed the class, and I totally could feel the difference.

8.  Do you have any warm-up or cool down tips?

     The flow of the class has that built into the routine.  When at different levels everybody gauges their exertion from the beginning.  We start with a slower warm-up and then cool down at the end.

9.  How do you incorporate nutrition into your workout routine?

     Heading into the holidays, moving into pleasure, through healing, feels good. The body awareness of food keeps me really in touch. So, when I’m eating that cookie, it must be all in moderation.  When you free the whole body with awareness, you gravitate toward what is good for the body.  Through pleasure and awareness, there is only one cookie.  Water hydration is always important. We must take breaks and have access to water.

10.   Is Nia hard to do?

        No.  Nia is a challenge for some people.  They need to be ready to go in with a little bit of caution.  Listen to your body. Nia feels good in ways you didn’t know you could do at your own level.  Fast or slow, as you want.

Nia Classes

6 week schedule” $60

Yoga for Wellness Studio

221 6 St. So.

Great Falls

Yogaforwellness.org

Monday 7:00 am; Thursday 7:00 pm (starts January)

Call: Pam Quinn: 452-9642 or Mary Papoulis: 727-8934

Free introduction to Nia and Yoga

Festival of Lights: Food, Spirits, Dance

December 20, 2013 @ 5:30 pm.

Yoga for Wellness Studio