MARIPOSA NEWS SPRING 2016

Earth Day Pledges

Compensating for aching muscles, stretched and

torqued by springtime projects, we make our way

towards summer. Before we know it, the produce

department will say farewell to winter fare and wel-

come in the summer fruits. Already we have early

California peaches, and melons from Mexico which

will only improve as the days lengthen. Come May

and June more peaches will arrive on the scene, as

well as California grapes, nectarines, apricots, rasp-

berries, and cherries. The strawberry season has

been a little disappointing this year with prices high

and quality not always at its best. This could change

as the weather dries and production may accelerate.

Try the Formosa papaya from Mexico if you have

not already. It is superb and very different in flavor

from the Hawaiian variety which we usually see.

Blueberries have been all over the map, sometimes

hard to come by, but the Driscoll berries are getting

top marks for flavor.

Potatoes are scarce until the new crop is dug,

and carrots have been hard to come by again, as

problems in the field and huge demand have caused

the harvests to be inadequate. Hopefully, this will

improve as summer approaches. On the up side, the

sugar snap peas have been lush, the greens beautiful

and the broccoli and cauliflower springtime delicious.

Notice that citrus such as cara caras, navels, and

tangerines will be fading out. Valencia oranges get

our full attention in the summer months. Limes re-

place lemons as the cheaper option. Apples and

pears will continue to come from South America

until July when our season starts. Your best bet for

tomato flavor is still the red grape style tomato from

Mexico. California avocados are at their peak and

outstandingly delicious. And, those micro-greens

make a unique and sprightly addition to your salad.

Get your final fill of asparagus; the season’s end is in

sight!

Mariposa Market - 500 S. Main St., Willits, CA 95490 - Ph (707) 459-9630

Notes from Mary Anne

Hours Mon-Fri 8-7 Sat 9-6 Sun 9-5

Mariposa Market just celebrated the 46th anniver-

sary of Earth Day with a party designed to honor our

Mother Earth. Open to all, the celebration was well-

attended in spite of the rain. Food, live music, seed-

planting, drawings for ornamental and edible plants,

and an information table were some of the aspects of

this special day. A few of our venders were also there

with their wares. Next year we plan to expand our

Earth Day with visits from local recycling and toxic

waste managements with more emphasis on ways to

actually support our Mother.

On Earth Day, we had a pledge tree where folks

could leave their promises for a better earth. Here

are a few of the entries:

I pledge:

1. to use only earth friendly laundry and dish soaps.

2. to not use plastic water bottles.

3. to install solar panels.

4. to use water wisely.

5. to pick up trash whenever I see it.

6. to re-use my plastic bags; to love Ma E daily.

7. to walk to work one day a week.

8. to waste less food.

9. to bike to work whenever possible.

10. to recycle better at home.

11. to have gratitude for Mother Earth every day.

Cuckoo For Coconut - Page 3

Yoga And Your Brain - Page 4

Suggestion Box - Page 7

hint is try making your broth in an area aside from

your kitchen. The aroma can get pretty over-

powering. So, if you have an enclosed mud room or

garage to brew your stock everyone in the house

might be happier.

If making broth is not your thing, gelatin is sold

in a powdered supplement in two forms. Regular

gelatin is what most people are familiar with and is

used as a stabilizer, and thickener. In Latin the ac-

tual word translates as “stiff”.

We also sell a “hydrolyzed” form, where en-

zymes have been used to break down the protein

bonds, so that it won’t gel in liquids, making it more

appealing to drink. Both have the same health bene-

fits.

Speaking about health benefits, gelatin is rich in

two star amino acids; proline and glycine. These

proteins are the reason gelatin is the “superfood”

that it is. Without them our bodies would literally

fall apart! They are the key components, the “glue”

of our connective tissue, from our cartilage to the

matrix of cells that forms our joints, muscles and

tendons. Proline tightens, builds, and strengthens

cell structure. Glycine helps the body synthesize

collagen, aids in wound healing, and supports the

release of the human growth hormone. It also aids

in the body’s detoxification processes.

Consuming gelatin will improve your digestion

in a few ways. As it’s ingested, it bonds to water

naturally, and helps food to move through the diges-

tive tract while it increases gastric juices. It also

works in the same way collagen tightens and tones

your skin; it tightens and repairs any damage to the

intestinal wall.

So….heal your leaky gut, sleep better, look

younger, boost your immune system, protect your

joints, strengthen your bones and get a boost of

energy, all while you sit and enjoy sipping your

broth! There is actually a “bone-broth-only take-

out” window in New York’s East Village called

“Brodo”. Here they serve up grass-fed and organic

broths with fermented beet juice, turmeric and

shiitakes, in coffee cups all to-go. Move over

Starbucks, the bone broth trend has reached the Big

Apple!

Gelatin is a colorless, tasteless food, which

comes from the joints, tendons and connective tis-

sues of animals. It is produced during the process of

simmering bones, and is derived when the collagen

in the connective tissue are broken down. Collagen

is the most abundant protein in our bodies and, as

we know, provides strength and cushioning to many

areas of the body. Our connective tissues are made

up of bundles of collagen fibers but as we age, our

body’s production of collagen declines. Hence many

undesirable things start to occur, like sagging wrinkly

skin, with overall less elasticity.

Our joints move with less ease, leaving us feeling

stiff and swollen. Our bones lose strength. Our

metabolism slows down leaving us feeling like we

have less energy everyday as our weight seems

harder to control. And to top it off, we don’t sleep

with the same quality as when we were young! All

these things could be attributed to the ever increas-

ing rate of collagen decline!

Bone broths are a fantastic way to get gelatin

into your diet. Inexpensive and nutrient dense, these

mineral rich concoctions are high in calcium, magne-

sium potassium and phosphorus. By slow cooking

bones in water for anywhere between 4 and 48

hours, depending on the type of bones you’re using,

collagen/gelatin will be extracted creating a healthy

and nourishing stock!

Broths are good for up to a week in the fridge

and you can freeze them indefinitely! Roasting the

bones for about a half hour on 375 degree oven will

gives the broth a richer flavor. Adding veggies to-

wards the end of the cooking time, allowing enough

time to completely extract the nutrients, and spices

during the final half hour will make it pretty yummy.

Start slow when adding spices, they can really take

over.

A good thing to do is to pop your veggie scraps

in the freezer during the week, onion skins will give

it a nice golden color, carrot tops and garlic skins

and other veggie bits can be used for future broths.

Include a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

which will help draw the nutrients out of the bones.

One important rule is to not add salt. If you

plan to reduce it to make a sauce, salt flavor can be-

come too heavily concentrated. Another helpful

PAGE 2 MARIPOSA NEWS SPRING 2016

Bones For Your Joints

creamed coconut is you can add 1 part creamed

coconut to 2 1/2 parts water, and you have “coconut

cream”. Add 1 part to 5 parts water and you get

“coconut milk”, which we also sell. Furthermore,

whipping the coconut meat creates coconut “butter”

which tastes like coconut and is a bit sweet. It’s great

for eating right out of the jar in addition to its

versatility in the kitchen.

Dried coconut meat that has gone through cer-

tain industrial drying processes is called “copra”. This

is a commodity that is sold on the open market and

has been available to manufacturers for decades. It is

labeled inedible at this point until further processing

by the manufacturer. The copra still retains its

valuable oil content and anti-oxidants, but loses some

nutritional value. Products using copra are not eligible

to be called “virgin”. Therefore, the products labeled

“virgin” have the lesser processed coconut.

The terms “virgin “and “extra virgin” are basically

interchangeable. There is no “second pressing” of the

coconut meat as there is in olive oil production and

therefore no need to differentiate the two. “Extra

virgin” is basically a marketing term. Another

marketing term is “organic”. There is no value in

spraying pesticides 20 feet into the air to avoid

infestations and seldom, if ever, applied to the soil.

There are a myriad of uses for coconuts including

cosmetics, medicines, cooking and food production. I

hope you will try some of what we sell and experi-

ence the “joy of cooking” with coconut.

PAGE 3 SPRING 2016 MARIPOSA NEWS

Hello, gentle readers. It time to get the skinny

on the fat--coconut fat.

As I looked over our shelves of jarred coconut-

derived cooking products, I realized there is proba-

bly a little confusion over what, if any, difference

there is between them. Well let me tell you, there

are differences and researching this subject led me

deep into the jungle of coconut facts. Due to space

considerations, I will pass on what I think is most

helpful as you shop the aisles of Mariposa or any

other market you may happen to find yourself.

To begin, we sell the following jarred products:

Artisana Raw Coconut Butter, Aunt Patty’s Organic

Creamed Coconut, Let’s Do Organic Organic

Creamed Coconut, Dr. Bronner’s Organic Virgin

Coconut Oil, Harvest Bay Organic Extra Virgin

Coconut Oil, Nutiva Organic Coconut Manna

(coconut butter), Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil

(butter flavor), Ojio Raw Organic Extra Virgin

Coconut Oil, Spectrum Organic Virgin Coconut Oil.

So, what should you know to make an informed

purchase?

Let’s start with the coconut. It is the fruit from

the coconut tree. If you break open the coconut you

will get the liquid inside, which is referred to as

coconut water (which we also sell), and the

surrounding white meat of the coconut. From this

meat all sorts of products spring forth. For example,

if you quick dry the fresh coconut meat to a

moisture content around 3% and shred, or flake it

you get “desiccated coconut”. If you decide to

instead ground it into a semi-solid paste, you will

have “creamed coconut”. The cool thing about

Cuckoo For Coconut

By Kevin, Grocery Manager

PAGE 4 MARIPOSA NEWS SPRING 2016

Your brain is an organ of the body just like your heart or liver. Although the organ itself resides in the skull,

it is not isolated from the rest of your body, as you might tend to think. Through a network of nerves, your

brain is essentially connected to all the other organs, structures, and systems of your body.

So, what we do to keep our other organs and systems healthy has an effect on our brains and we shouldn’t

be surprised by that. But we are surprised! We tend to think of keeping the brain healthy just by feeding it new

information and experiences, such as by learning new languages, playing music, and doing crossword puzzles.

But just plain physical exercise could be as or more important than mental exercise. In fact, a recent study that

looked at both leg strength and cognitive ability in twins as they aged showed that those who maintained better

leg strength as a result of exercising had better memory and other cognitive functions than their non-exercising

twin.

But targeting cardiovascular health with your practice could be especially helpful for brain health. As our

colleague Ram says, “What is good for the heart is good for the brain.” And just as a healthy diet is important

for the physical health of our heart and other organs, the same is true for our brains.

Learning a bit about the basic components that make up “the brain” will help you understand how your

yoga practice can have a stronger influence over the health of your brain than you might first think:

Brain. The organ we call the brain is housed securely within your skull, and extends down your toward

your spinal cord in the form of the brain stem. The part of your brain located in your skull has different areas

that are associated with different functions. For example, the deeper parts of the brain deal with background

functions, such as digestion, blood pressure, hormonal bal-

ance, to name just a few and the more superficial parts are

involved in activities associated with our conscious

thoughts and actions.

Throughout our lives, our brains can change, heal, and

grow though a process called “neuroplasticity”. In re-

sponse to stimulation and learning, the brain actively grows

and rewires itself. With your yoga practice, learning new

poses and practices, not to mention delving into yoga phi-

losophy, will directly stimulate your brain. Other factors

that influence your brain’s plasticity include lifestyle, envi-

ronment, and exercise, so using yoga for exercise and

stress management as well as to support healthy choices

about lifestyle and environment will benefit brain plasticity.

Your brain is also strongly affected by your physical

condition. For example, chronic stress can affect how your

brain functions day to day, such as making your thinking

foggy, and, over longer periods of time, even change the

structure of your brain for the worse, such as shrinking

certain areas. Your circulatory system influences your

brain because a sudden change in blood flow could cause

dizziness or fainting, or in extreme cases, a stroke, which

could result in permanent damage or even death.

Sleep also has a strong effect of healthy brain function because too little sleep leaves us drowsy and unable

to concentrate in the short run, and leads to impaired memory and physical performance in the long run. And

Continued on page 5

Your Brain is More Than That Thing in Your Skull

by Baxter and Nina

scientists now believe that sleep helps to clear out toxins from the brain as well as from the body, which is vital

for the long-term health of your brain.

In general, using yoga for exercise, stress management, maintaining circulatory system health, improving

sleep, supporting a healthy diet, will all contribute to the health of your brain, as does participating in your local

yoga community.

Blood-Brain Barrier. The brain and spinal cord are surrounded by three layers of connective tissue,

which create the blood-brain barrier. This barrier protects your brain, making it very hard for infections to get

to the brain and preventing the fluid around the brain from seeping out. However, blood vessels still directly

penetrate and surround the entire brain, so your circulatory system can deliver fuel to and remove waste from

it moment by moment. You can have a positive influence on the moment-by-moment supply to your brain with

your yoga practice by supporting good digestion and circulation, and lowering your stress levels.

Nervous System. Your brain communicates with your entire body through your central and peripheral

nervous systems. The central nervous system consists of the brain and the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous

system consists of the large and small nerves that connect your spinal cord to all the parts of the rest of your

body. Together, they all work together to make up the entire nervous system.

Because the nerves from your peripheral nervous system plug into just about every structure in your body,

they create a two-way communication system between the brain and body. Due to this two-way communica-

tion, we can influence the function and physiology of the brain with our yoga practices. For example, when we

use our breath, meditation, or asana practice to trigger the Relaxation Response, we not only create a mental

state of calm but we also expand our thought-behavior repertoire to include a wider range of possibilities than

those we have in stress mode (see Stress and Your Thought-Behavior Repertoire).

Gut. Although your brain has two-way communication with all the parts of your body, it may not surprise

you to learn that your brain has a special two-way relationship with your gut. The human gut has a semi-

independent nervous system, called the enteric nervous system, which derived from the same embryonic neu-

ral crest cells that give rise to the brain. Your gut is in constant communication with your brain, primarily

through your central and peripheral nervous systems. But your gut also communicates with your brain through

neuropeptides to regulate complex feeding behavior and pain perception. And there is new evidence that even

your gut bacteria communicates with and coordinates signals between the gut and the brain. So keeping your

gut happy and healthy through a well-balanced asana practice, stress management, and a healthy diet will benefit

your brain health as well (see The Digestion System and Yoga).

Circulatory System. As mentioned above, the circulatory system supplies fuel to and removes waste

from our brain each moment of our lives to keep the brain healthy and operating well. If the circulatory be-

comes compromised with conditions such as plaque build-up in the large blood vessels leading the brain, or if it

has weak spots that could rupture and bleed, then the brain is at risk for strokes. Using yoga to keep your cir-

culatory system healthy may lower your chances of developing cardiovascular disease (see Techniques for Im-

proving Cardiovascular and Heart Health). And if a stroke does occur, yoga can be useful in your recovery.

We hope this gives you a good appreciation of the ways in which your brain is closely tied to the other

systems of your body, and a better understanding of how yoga can help you foster brain health. For specific tips

about how to do this, see the article at our website, “6 Ways to Foster Brain Health with Yoga.”

Borrowed from "Yoga for Healthy Aging Blogspot:

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utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=emai l&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YogaForHealthyAging+%

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PAGE 5 SPRING 2016 MARIPOSA NEWS

Your Brain — Continued from Page 4

In the past few weeks a heated controversy has

arisen over the Driscoll Corporation and its farming

practices and treatment of workers. Driscoll, for

those of you who don’t know, is a large corporate

farming conglomerate which specializes in berry

production, especially strawberries, blueberries, and

raspberries. Known for its high quality and succulent

fruit, Driscoll has been under attack for mistreating

its farm workers and for misrepresenting its berries

as organic. I immediately became fascinated by this

news as I am ever on the lookout for break-downs in

organic product lines. Interestingly, no cut and dried

answers came from my research.

The question about whether Driscoll berries are

really organic I delved into first. I was amazed to dis-

cover that with strawberries the USDA allows berry

plugs to be grown in fumigated soils until they are

ready to be transplanted into their permanent

homes. As long as they are grown organically once

they are transplanted into their permanent fields,

they can be called “organic” even though they may

have a toxically fumigated infancy. It seems like most

commercially grown organic berries are farmed with

the use of these fumigated starts, because non

treated berry plants can carry soil pathogens to

organic soils. Large commercial operations of

strawberries which are not organic use fumigated

starts as well as soil drenches in their permanent

fields and numerous pesticides, herbicides, and

fungicides. Non-organic strawberries are the most

chemically sprayed of any crop. Smaller operations

like Alba and Santa Cruz Berry Farm do not use

fumigated starts. Many weeks of the growing season,

these particular berries are not available to us. We

often buy Driscoll organic berries, which to be

USDA Organic cannot be sprayed, dusted, or

drenched with any chemical products once they are

transplanted into their permanent fields. Driscoll

also has an extensive non-organic production.

Driscoll, as mentioned before, is a very large cor-

porate farming conglomerate. They contract farmers

all over California, Oregon, Washington, and Mexico

to grow berries for their organization. In Mexico,

Driscoll goes under the name of BerryMax in its the

main growing region, which is Baja California’s San

Quintin Valley. The internet is full of stories praising

PAGE 6 MARIPOSA NEWS SPRING 2016

the social progressiveness of the Driscoll company,

and many others contesting its treatment of

farmworkers. It’s really hard to tell exactly what is

going on. I spoke to Mike, our produce vender, to

see if he had any information he could share. He said

that Driscoll has had some farmworker problems

and issues, but when they were brought to light the

company acted to remedy the situation. He said that

in California he had never heard that Driscoll

unfairly treated their workers, but that in Mexico

and at a blueberry farm in Washington there had

been allegations of misconduct.

However, the information about BerryMax in

Mexico stated that the workers got above average

wages, social security, and medical care. Contesters

stated that the benefits were over-rated and that

BerryMax forced its workers to work seven days a

week during the season and cut their hours if they

insisted on a day off. Still the company did raise the

pay for farmworkers and has had 100% attendance

since March 31st. Driscoll feels that it has been

singled out because their brand is world-wide. They

are both admired and vulnerable at the same time.

Driscoll is currently working to secure “fair-

trade” status, at least for their organic berry

production. They also are third party certified by

Elevate Global Limited which conducts audits of

worker’s welfare standards. Driscoll claims zero

tolerance for child labor, forced labor, human

trafficking, coercion, abuse, harassment, and any

dangerous health and safety issues which pose

immediate risk to life or limb.

The questions that we asked about Driscoll

cannot be answered with any amount of

assuredness. We are unable to determine if Driscoll

really allows abuse of its farmworkers. It seems that

once the problems are brought to light that the

company does work to address the issues. The

berries most likely are started in fumigated soil but

are grown organically in their permanent fields.

Whether or not you wish to support Driscoll is up

to you and your buying dollar. We like Driscoll for

its superior flavor and quality, but often buy other

brands as well as local berries when they are

available. Let us know what you think.

Controversy Over Driscoll’s Farming Practices

By Mary Anne

A Few Words From The

Organic Consumers Association Please return the "Juice Squeeze" to the

cooler. We miss it. It's the only one we like.

Thank You: This product has been discontinued by

the manufacturer until 2017. There are problems with

a new CEO product reformulation. We are sad too- a

popular and delicious product.

Clover Organic Blueberry Kefir, the

best!: We will get it.

Amazake Tiger Chai. One size. So much

better than the other varieties. Please?: We

will try to find it.

Rupams Tooth Soap, Spearmint: Good

idea.

Mad Hippie Vitamin C Facial Serum.

Please bring this brand back! I purchased

your last box at your customer appreciation

event & haven't seen it since. I hate to go to

Ukiah for this: We discontinued this brand, but we

can special order anything that you would like.

Have any good (hard) goat cheese in the

Deli please: We can't possibly offer every kind of

cheese in the Deli, but you are always welcome to pur-

chase anything we sell here in the store and the Deli

staff would be happy to add it to your sandwich.

Any organic whole chicken. Rotisserie.

You'd sell bunches: We've often discussed this pos-

sibility. It's a big investment, but it will probably happen

eventually.

Chili Gods Green Hot Sauce, 12 oz bot-

tle. Local product-Sonoma: We have this prod-

uct.

Prepaid sandwiches; 2 weeks ago a

"Tuna" sandwich was chicken salad, last

week the Veggie & Cheese had no mustard,

today the Veggie & Cheese had no mustard,

no mayo, and NO CHEESE!: We appreciate the

feedback and our Deli manager will get right on top of

this. In the future if you could bring such complaints

directly to the Deli manager we could fix the problem in

a more timely fashion.

From Our Suggestion Box

The giant pesticide and genetic engineering corpora-

tions, the chemical, cosmetics, body care, food packag-ing, bottled water, and home furnishing industries, all are

hiding a dirty little secret. These “Better Living Through Chemistry”

companies and their PR firms and trade associations, bolstered by their minions in advertising, mass media,

and academia, like to reassure us that these toxic, carcinogenic, gender-bending compounds, have all been

tested and approved by the USDA and the FDA and

other regulatory bodies. But, in fact, they haven’t. And,

we are only beginning to learn that even the tiniest amounts of these substances are dangerous—sometimes

more so than at higher levels. This is because they can disrupt the body’s complex endocrine system which is

responsible for growth, stress response, insulin production, sexual development and reproduction,

metabolism, immunity, and even intelligence and behavior. Corporations would have us believe that there

is no harm in consuming or inhaling or absorbing small amounts of these chemicals into our bodies. But

mounting evidence suggests otherwise. The endocrine disrupting chemicals affect your body by mimicking,

antagonizing or complexly disrupting endocrine

pathways. These EDC’s can not only block normal

development but can cause a wide range of health problems. Ways to avoid these dangerous substances

are to make conscious efforts to: Buy only organic produce and grass fed, free range

meats. Avoid processed, pre-packaged food. Buy products that come in glass jars or bottles or plas-

tics and cans which are BPA-free. Use only natural cleaning products or make your

own using vinegar, lemon, or baking soda. Opt for organic personal care brands. The Environ-

mental Working Group has a comprehensive database of safe and high quality products.

Avoid products with artificial fragrances including dryer sheets, air fresheners, and fabric softeners.

The Organic Consumers Association also encour-ages you to keep up the fight for GMO labeling. Al-

though the measure to ban labeling did not make it through the Senate, the powers that be (e.g. Monsanto

and others) are fighting hard to get this measure through Congress by using devious and under-handed methods

to trick the public. They are determined to undermine the right of states to mandate labeling before the labeling

law goes into effect in Vermont on June 1st. Please insist that Congress listen to the will of the people.

PAGE 7 SPRING 2016 MARIPOSA NEWS

SPRING 2016 MARIPOSA NEWS PAGE 8

We often hear from our customers that they do not trust organic food from Mexico. This worry is proba-

bly unfounded as all produce coming from Mexico and entering California must be produced under CCOF stan-

dards, the same as any organic farm in our state. However, one farm in particular consistently stands out as a

paragon of the Mexican organic food industry. Covilli Brand Organics is located in Guyamas, Mexico and is con-

sidered to be representative of the standards to which the Mexican organic farm industry aspires.

Covilli promotes sustainable methods that translate into a more just food system. They not only nourish

our bodies, especially in the winter months, but also minimize the impact that farming leaves behind in their

lands and water. It also gives value to the men and women who work there. Certified organic and Fair Trade,

they adhere to high standards. They only sell what they grow—there are no outside growers or outsourcing.

This allows them full control of their operation from seedlings to distribution. Their operation is 25% non-

hydroponic greenhouses and 75% open field. They enforce an intensive Integrated Pest Management Program

which includes insect monitoring stations, crop rotation, beneficial insects, cover crop rotation, introducing local

mycorrhiza, building their own shade and greenhouses, and working with a local honey producer who brings

hives to their farm and later sells the locally produced honey. As Mexican farmers, they must comply with more

and stricter regulations because their products cross the border into the United States.

Covilli has a strong commitment to the environment. All plastic is recycled. Clean cardboard is incorporated

into their compost, as well as all farm trimmings. All the water used comes from their own well and drip irriga-

tion is utilized throughout the entire operation to conserve water.

Food safety is critical to Covilli’s brand. They are certified in Global Food Safety, Good Agricultural

Practices, and Good Manufacturing Practices, making them triple certified.

Covilli is also Fair Trade Certified. This certification guarantees support for the hard working men and

women who grow the products. The few-cents-per-pound that it adds to the consumer price allows for democ-

ratically chosen projects to become a reality in Covilli’s farm worker communities.

Every worker at Covilli Brand Organics has the objective of contributing towards a great product that is

good and meaningful, that protects our earth, their workers and their families, as well as ours. The company

takes great pride in this. They are truly organic and truly fair, and their produce reflects this in its quality.

Covilli - A Farm With An Environmental Mission

By Mary Anne

I love that we live in such a wonderful area where we have access to so many great local wines and craft

beers. New products are always on the market and employees and customers are great sources of information

of new things to try. Here are a few new wines and beer that we have available in the store.

We recently got three new wines from Philo Ridge winery. Philo Ridge is located in Anderson Valley and

they use sustainable farming practices. They are 100% vegan and 100% wind and solar powered. They make

small, handcrafted lots of eleven wines for a total of 2,500 cases per year. The 2013 Viognier is 100% tank fer-

mented. The wine begins with a floral nose with hints of vanilla, following with tastes of peaches and ripe apri-

cots, with a creamy mid-palate. It pairs well with roasted chicken and

hearty fish dishes. The Pinot Gris is also 100% tank fermented. Freshly

squeezed citrus is the first taste to cross the palate, followed by Bart-

lett pear, with hints of grapefruit and mineral notes. The 2014 Vino Di

Mendocino is a very full-bodied red wine blend with excellent struc-

ture and balance. There are distinct flavors of black currants and bright

black berries from the Zinfandel and the Petite Syrah, while the Syrah

and Carignane give it an earthy, brambly quality.

Two new blends from Campovida are called “Mendocino Classico”.

The red is a classic Italian red wine selected from the top barrel lots

spanning multiple vintages. This wine is produced from grapes grown

along the hillside overlooking the Russian River. The white is 90% Chardonnay and 10% Viognier and aged in

stainless steel to retain its crispness and freshness. Both are organic and sustainable farmed and a deal at

$10.49.

One more fairly new wine is Rivino 2014 Chardonnay. The grapes are estate grown and located along the

Russian River. It has notes of pear and green apple and is aged in stainless steel for a crisp taste.

We have a few new choices in the beer section, which also include ciders; I hope that you will enjoy at

least one of them. From Northcoast brewery we have a four pack called “Puck”. Puck is a petite Saison that is

pale in color and taste, with a 4% ABV. It is brewed with premium pils and wheat malts. Puck is sharp and

spritzy with a delicious flower, spicy dry-hop aroma. It is a great food beer and perfect for summer. Sierra

Nevada introduces Otra Vez, which is a gose style beer. They add prickly pear and grapefruit to a traditional

German gose recipe to balance the tart acidic bite of the sour wheat ale with complex fruity flavors. An

effervescent pale-copper pour, the ale offers a first impression of citrus and tropical fruit. Herbal aromas

mingle with those of citrus and tropical fruit and each sip begins with a bright burst of lemon and tart kiwi fruit,

balanced with raspberry and vinegar bitterness.

We also have a Sonoma Apple Cider called “The Hatchet”. This unique blend of native organic apples is

handcrafted to bring out the fresh ripe apple aromas, carefully pairing sweet and tart varietals. The result is a

clean, refreshing hard cider with noticeable complexity and a lively finish.

Next on the list is “Not your Father’s Root Beer”. You definitely need to like root beer to enjoy the hard

version of it. Small town brewery uses the ancient practice of bittering ales with roots, spices, flowers and

berries. It is brewed with creativity and a painstaking commitment to flavor complexity. I’ve had several people

tell me that it is great with vanilla ice cream, for an adult root beer float!!

We had a request for Ballast Point out of San Diego. We started with Sculpin, which is a gold medal IPA

whose inspired use of hops creates hit of apricots, peach, mango and lemon flavors. We moved on to Big Eye,

which is a big hoppy brew with extra hops. We just got pineapple-flavored Ballast Point. The combination of

fruity flavors and hop intensity definitely packs a punch. The tropical note of sweet juicy pineapple is definitely a

sweet treat. Hopefully, one or more of these additions will be something that you will enjoy. Let us know what

you think, we always appreciate your comments and suggestions.

PAGE 9 SPRING 2016 MARIPOSA NEWS

New Selections For Imbibing This Summer

By Debbie Mac

Philo Ridge Winery

Its tender, golden crumb makes this cake a good foundation for a sort of unstructured strawberry short-

cake. Serve it in wedges with a puddle of juicy crushed berries and soft whipped cream. In summer, enjoy it

with blackberries, raspberries, peaches, or a combination of ripe fruits from the farmers' market. It wouldn't

hurt to flavor the whipped cream with a little rum or brandy.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

Unsalted butter and cornmeal for preparing the pan 1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

6 tablespoons yellow cornmeal 2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar 2 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Strawberries:

2 baskets (1 pint each) strawberries

Sugar to taste, plus 2 teaspoons

Fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch

sides, then dust with cornmeal, shaking out excess.

2. In a bowl, stir together the cake flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

3. In an electric mixer, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar gradually and beat, scraping down sides of bowl

once or twice, until creamy and light. Add eggs one at a time, beating will after each addition. Add lemon zest.

4. Combine milk and vanilla extract. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in three batches, alter-

nating with milk. Beat just until blended, scraping down sides of bowl once or twice. Spread batter evenly in

prepared pan.

5. Bake until top is golden brown and firm to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pan 20 minutes. In-

vert the cake onto a rack, then re-invert onto another rack. Cool to room temperature, then transfer to a

serving platter.

6. Hull the strawberries. Put half of them in a large bowl and crush with a potato masher. Slice the remain-

ing strawberries and add to the bowl. Sweeten to taste with sugar. Add enough lemon juice to give the mixture

a refreshing tart edge. Cover and chill.

7. Just before serving, whip cream to soft peaks with 2 teaspoons sugar.

8. Cut the cake into 8 portions and transfer to serving plates. Divide the berries and the cream evenly

among the portions.

From: Fresh From the Farmers' Market by Janet Fletcher

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 35-40 min

Total time: About an hour

Yield: Makes one 9-inch cake; serves 8

Borrowed from The Splendid Table: http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/cornmeal-cake-strawberries

SPRING 2016 MARIPOSA NEWS PAGE 10

Newsletter Design by Dragon Enterprise - Steven Hellman - Bhuggs@saber.net

Cornmeal Cake With Strawberries

by Janet Fletcher