Joe Fish.

Pictured here, some of Rebecca King's sheep out at Deep Roots Ranch, where I took an out-of-state visitor who found me online. I had  written this up, below, and forgot to post until I read Shuna's post here.

Wednesday, May 24, 2007

The day after I gave Russ Parsons a tour of some local farms, I spent a second perfect day in the company of one Joe "Fish" Cangelosi (no kin to Ms. Shuna Fish Lydon herself), and am publicly announcing that I am having to resist the impulse to propose marriage to him. Who is this guy? I had no idea myself, except that back in February, I got an e-mail from someone introducing himself as an admirer of my work, saying he was contemplating moving to California from Manhattan, and wondered if I'd mind if he tagged along with me on a farm visit. Being the private person I am (you have no idea about the things I omit from my writing), I was a little nervous about saying "yes." But his good-natured and forthright writing style—and some photos of a very intelligent, very bright-eyed, very handsome face—convinced me it was okay, and so we put a plan into place.

I was so exhausted after Monday's activities (all that work with the food reminded me of why I quit catering: sore back and sore feet!) that I wasn't sure I had the stamina to entertain another visitor as I had Russ Parsons, but a good night's sleep fixed all that.

We headed out in the late morning with Logan, meandering through Watsonville because (shock!) I was busy blabbing and didn't pay attention to where I was driving. I'd seen Bob Thorson at the reading the night before, who'd told me there were more new lambs at Deep Roots Ranch, and so that's where we headed.

Everything is growing: the animals, the grasses, all changing colors and shapes. The sheep have all been sheared since my last visit, and small remnants of their wool were scattered faintly here and there. The smell of hay was so pleasant, as was the breeze, the gentle clucking of the chickens, and the occasional moo from one of the cows.

(Pictured here, little Calvin, who has doubled in size since I last visited.)

The only thing silent on the farm was the pigs. They were so silent, Bob wondered where they were, and then found them sleeping, deep inside a stand of purple-flowered vetch. I think Joe's seen a pig or two, and said these are the biggest ones he's ever seen. It was hard to gauge their size, because they were all sleeping on their sides, but those sides looked to be at least 18" tall. We didn't disturb them, but walked around the rest of the ranch.

Later in the afternoon, I took him up to the sweet little farmers market in Felton, where he bought items for a dinner he would cook for his hosts where he's staying in Berkeley: a cut of pork from Severino's Community Butcher, scapes and lettuces (including a new one: Bereniece) from Teresa at Everett Family Farm, Albion strawberries from Dirty Girl, onions from Live Earth Farm, and some white irises from Thomas Family Farm.

Pictured here: a very happy Logan, hiding in a bush at the Felton Farmers market.

I thought I would show him one more beautiful farm, so we drove up the little street that houses Dirty Girl, just so he could see a farm inside a city. We didn't stop, and I gestured over to a road where one of the Route One Farms fields lives—this he loved, thinking about farms in a city.

Lucky us: his hosts had other plans for dinner, so I invited him to stay. And what did he turn around and do? Cook everything he'd bought at the market for me. In my kitchen. I didn't lift a finger—this never happens in my house. I ignored the impulse to photograph the beautiful meal—heart more than histrionics for a blog seemed more the course of the evening. I don't know when I've enjoyed a meal more: Logan loved him (instantly, which is not all that common but very telling), Bob loved him, and now the whole world knows that I love him, too. Logan ate huge portions of everything, and that included:

• Sugar snap peas and carrots, glazed [Lindencroft Farm]
• Pan-roasted squash (Patty Pan, eight-ball and Ronde du Nice) [Happy Boy Farms]
• Fresh ham roast "poeleed" or butter-braised with garlic scapes and caramelized white onions
• Salad with red butter and Bereneice lettuces [Everett Family Farm]
• Humboldt Fog and another cheddar-like cheese from River Cafe & Cheese Shop (neither of us knows the name)
• Alden's organic strawberry and vanilla ice cream (the best strawberry ice cream I've had since I was a little girl)

Too many months will pass before Mr. Joe Fish is back in town, but all I can say is, if he asks to tag along for anything, say yes. You will only be the better for it. He's passionate about clean food, sane agricultural legislation, rightfully thinks Jim Leff is "strictly to yawn for," and that packaged foods are crap.

With his permission, I will add one of the photos he sent—it's all in the eyes, folks. Bright and good.

• • • • • • • • • • •

And that's all for today. I did not get to milk a sheep yesterday, but I hope I might one day soon. I did get to take Guillermo Payet out to the ranch, though, and we had a great visit. More about him soon!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: “I hate housework! You make the bed, you do the dishes—and six months later you have to do it all over again!” — Joan Rivers

Thanks for visiting. (Thank you, Joe, for visiting, too.)

Comments

[shuna fish lydon]

It's always lovely to have someone cook you dinner in your own house-- I agree! And there's something amazing about a visitor who comes via the black hole that is the Internet, and becomes a friend.

What we have in California, with our small farms and amazing produce, is indeed something to envy.

Nice to hear your write up too.