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Holiday by James Tissot
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The Elegant Picnic
If you find yourself uninspired by the thought of fingers sticky with barbecue sauce, or bored with yet one more watermelon seed spitting contest, perhaps the Memorial Day weekend calls for an elegant picnic? Savor the clink of silverware on china between sips of fine wine and tasty delicacies while you relish the late spring breeze.
Whether you are dining on the beach or in one of our fabulous East Bay parks, make certain the stroll to the car is short. Or simply spread a blanket on the grass of your own backyard. Our menu suggestions:Cheese plate with Brillat-Savarin, Beemster XO, Cowgirl Creamery's
Mt. Tam, and perhaps some grapes
Cranberry Hazelnut Raincoast Crisps
Assorted olives and cornichons
Val de France Sparkling Juices
Miraval Rosé or Veuve Cliquot Cuvée Champagne
And finally, Graceful Cookie assortment with Poco Dolce Tiles
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As the days grow longer, there are still hours of daylight after school-and even work. Now is a great time of year to spend our evenings out in our parks and on some amazing trails, and leave the concrete of the city behind.
Stop by our store and build your own dinner from our hot food bar, pick up a Grab n' Go picnic dinner, a baguette, brie and bottle of wine, or even a sandwich and a cold drink...and head to the hills. Redwood Regional Park is a hidden redwood forest just a few miles over the ridge from our store. In addition to an extensive network of trails through coast redwoods, there are stroller and handicap friendly picnic areas and play structures. Read the article and get the links... |
Vendor of the Month
Blue Chair Fruit Company
Preserves Redefined
Blue Chair Fruit Company is the premier artisanal jam and marmalade company in the United States. Located in Oakland, CA, Blue Chair has redefined preserving.
Using organic and sustainably grown fruit from local growers, they preserve that vibrant fruit flavor through the use of traditional methods combined with modern sensibilities. They have amazing flavors and variety. Find out which flavors we carry at Piedmont Grocery...
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Piedmont Grocery will be closed on Monday, May 26th in honor of Memorial Day.
So, please get your shopping done early, so our customers and employees can spend the holiday with family and friends.
We will resume our regular hours on Tuesday, May 27th.
We are open seven days a week: Monday through Saturday 9 AM to 8 PM, and Sunday 9 AM to 7 PM.
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The age of the dismal mixer is over.
-Financial Times These award winning mixers taste clean, subtle, and are balanced with authentic flavors and champagne-style carbonation. Try a mixer that is just as good as the spirits you're pairing them with: tonic waters, ginger ale, bitter lemon, sparkling lemon and club soda. Highest-quality Ingredients are sourced from small specialist suppliers all over the globe. Visit our website for the link to some delicious cocktail recipes...
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Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
Six years ago, when we moved into our current house, one of the first things we did (even before fixing the doors) was plant a fruit orchard on the Front 40 of our lot.
We originally planted 12 trees: 2 Peach, 2 Nectarine, 1 French Prune, 1 Sekel Pear, 2 Cherry, and 4 Apple. It's been a painful process, often because we think we kinda know what we are doing-but we really don't.
Most of the time we just get lucky.
We lost one of the Peach trees to gophers, and have gone through multiple rounds of peach leaf curl. Last year we had quite a few prunes and apparently they were quite tasty. At least the squirrels thought so-since they ate them all.
This year things are looking up. The trees are bigger, and loaded with early signs of a decent crop: especially the Nectarine. It looks like we might actually get to harvest some of it. (Quick, somebody knock on wood!)
We usually head out to Brentwood to do our peach and nectarine picking this time of year, but I am hoping we can just eat our own crop. I have a feeling we will still end up in Brentwood. Peaches and nectarines do not last long in our house.
In the mean time I am keeping watch on the trees, and anticipating that first juicy, sweet bite. I am looking forward to a summer of recipes like this one from Michael Symon's cookbook Carnivore. The chicken is good, but the real reason I make this is for the peach salad. It's such a great match for anything grilled Read the rest of the article and get the recipe...
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