Persimmon is a Fall favorite, native to China, introduced to California during the mid 1800’s. There are many varieties of the “non-astringent” persimmon which contains less tannins than its “astringent” cousins which must ripen fully to be eaten or included in recipes. I have used both California persimmons most easily found, the Fuyu and Hachiya varieties in baking by ripening them in...[Read More]
Wondering what to do with all that squash? Too many apples? You’ve been called to Apple Hill™ and know the first day of Autumn is September 22, Thursday (2016). You know the trees will soon be a blaze of color: Come visit the farms! The farmers’ markets are bounding in every kind of squash, melon and pumpkin imaginable....[Read More]
The year was 1947. The place is Pasadena, California. The people gathered around the bridge table are regulars. The topic is a regular complaint about the lousy weather, and the city congestion. It was, as L. G. “Frank” Beals put it at the time, “making him sick.” Frank was is one of the gang with a regular itch for country life and hopeful for a resolution to his “citified”...[Read More]
If it’s Labor Day the chances are pretty good that tomatoes are available and in demand. Ingomar Packing is one of the biggest tomato processing companies in the Central Valley / Los Banos area. A typical tomato truck holds 50,000 pounds of tomatoes, which is about 300,000 tomatoes. California is the nation’s largest producer of processed tomatoes, accounting for 96% of U.S. output and...[Read More]
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“Schlein – Hurley” are two historical El Dorado County family names carved into the sign on Garden Valley Road along with “Irish Creek Ranch”. Twenty-nine gravestones in the cemetery at Georgetown attest to the size of this large local family who lived and worked here. It was great-grandmother Rebella Schlein who continued the ranching tradition by buying up 350 acres three miles south...[Read More]
The parable of the fig tree exists throughout the bible and in other spiritual and fictional works. In Matthew 24:32 it tells us “its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.” Many references of the fig and fig tree are translated over and over and symbolizing many things for many people....[Read More]
Two delicious fig dessert recipes featuring fresh figs, including a crostata and a fig walnut tart with rich, seasonal flavors. ...[Read More]
You’re likely to see your local farming family, like the Hoovers (Hooverville Orchards, Placerville, CA, or the Perez family) all pitching in to get the farm fresh produce out and about. This is where Real Honest to Goodness takes place: Real Food without hormones, pesticides, wax, sprays and irradiation. Certified Farmers Markets foster the community as well as the farmers who grew your...[Read More]
“Nothing is more rewarding or more practical than taking care of what gives you life.” On this premise, in 2008, Ben and Mary started farming on a small lot. They acquired a bunch of chicks, a bunch of compost they could add to, two boys, Yarrow and Alder, and began planting perennials, trees and plants. In 2012, they found “a very nice acre” to rent close by with good water, full sun and...[Read More]
Betty is a California-based writer whose work explores local history, travel, food, and the people who shape community life. Her storytelling is rooted in curiosity, culture, and real-world experience.
Stories of place, people, and culture - told with curiosity and heart - telling stories that bring places and people to life.
Betty is a Gold Country-based writer covering regional history, travel, food, and human-interest stories, with a focus on the people and traditions that define a place.