Kettle Gumbo at Acorn Winery

Farmer Chef Jeff took the show on the road this past weekend, just down the road, to Acorn Winery. It was "Winter Wineland", a weekend in which over 100 wineries in the Russian River Wine Road group participate by opening for tastings paired with yummy food.

Tell me: what man can resist cooking with fire? So far we have, all having to do with fire, a wood burning oven, a "weed dragon" which incinerates weeds, and now the kettle over the fire ring!

What is in the kettle? The full title? Kettle Cooked Chicken and Housemade Andouille Sausage Gumbo. Yep...it was as good as it sounds!

(Photos taken and kindly shared by Bill Goode)

Cooking with Fire!

My sweet honey, Farmer Jeff, just loves fire. Not just any fire, but fire that can be harnessed to cook food. He built a great and impressive wood burning oven a couple of years ago. For the first year of its existence he cooked just about every meal, including breakfast, with a mighty fire in the oven.

During the summer friends of our were on vacation in Tennessee and called early one Sunday morning. They had made a great discovery of treasure. They had found a big, black iron cooking cauldron! They wanted to know if Farmer/Chef Jeff wanted it. Yes, of course, he did want it but how in the world would they get it here on the plane??? Turns out that family members were driving to CA and would bring it with them. YEAH!!! It has become an instant hit with him. So far he has done a test run and then an actual catering with it, cooking a magnificent Jambalaya with duck, house-made andouille sausage and gulf shrimp! YUM!!!

While Farmer Jeff was playing with his new toy, I was taking pictures of pears. I ended up picking them right after taking this picture. They are creamy bartlett pears. We have been so blessed with an abundance of tasty produce.