"Girly Red Purse Salad" & Other Stories...

...from the first annual(?) 2005 Bay Area Food Bloggers Picnic

Dine & Dish Reminder: Be Rachael Ray, One Week From Today!

A few pounds of Early Girl tomatoes from both Heirloom Organics and Dirty Girl were quartered and their juice and seeds removed. They were then placed on two jelly pans in the oven and slow roasted at a heat of 150F for five hours. Once cooled to room temperature, the tomatoes were scattered on a bed of Purslane and Sorrel Leaves from Four Sisters Farm. Next, Redwood Hill Farm chevre was crumbled on top. Finally, this locally sourced salad was dressed with a 3:1 ratio of Sciabica Sevillano Variety Fall Harvest Olive Oil and Hare Hollow Apple Pomegranate Balsalmic Vinegar (seasoned with non-local salt and pepper).

Just Who Was I trying to Impress with this Salad?
Oh, just a bustling throng of Bay Area Food Bloggers, that's all. Yesterday, we all met up at Dr Biggle's Smoke House for an afternoon of drinking, eating and gossiping about food and blogging. So much delicious nosh, so many faces behind the names, so many good people all in one place. Let me share a few photographic memories with you all (click on any of the pictures for a larger than life, food in your face, version)...

Grilled Anaconda and Bacon

These amazing Andouille sausages were made by Haddock from Knife's Edge. I didn't think I liked Andouille until I tried one of these. Wow! Dr Biggle's was conducting an all day bacon tasting. Although I liked all of the varieties he tested on us, my favourite was from The Fatted Calf.

See why he calls it Meathenge

Pork, pork and more pork. Dr Biggles was grilling up a storm.

Food Bloggers are Sweeeeeet!

Spicetart Molly was spotted with cupcakes, although they weren't beetroot pink this time. Only a BunRab would be crazy and brave enough to make macarons for such a discerning food-obsessed audience. Hmmm, I think I ate four. Maybe even five.

Pastry from the Professional!

Our favourite Eggbeater, Shuna, made this delicious fruit pie which was quickly gobbled up. It contained a special secret ingredient which I almost guessed correctly. I would tell you, but I think I'd have to kill you.

I wish I'd had time to talk to everyone for longer and photograph everyone's delicious food. However, I was too busy nattering and having fun. I'd like to send out another huge thanks to Dr Biggles and his lovely wife for letting us use their yard. A hi-five is also winging its way to my other, fellow organisers, the Minty Potato Salad Queen, Cooking with Amy, Princess of the Persian Eggplant dish, Gastronmie-SF, Fatemeh and our very own Eat Local Expert, Jen, from Life Begins at 30.

And a big hello to all the other bloggers I either met for the first time, or reconnected with... Jeanne from World on a Plate (great watermelon fresca), Haddock from Knife's Edge (we missed the GM, but we liked the sausage), Pim from Chez Pim (scrumptious peanut sauce), Joy the Restaurant Whore (love her to bits), Catherine and Mr Food Musings (delicious dessert), Alder (and a summery pasta salad) from Vinography, Charlotte from Love and Cooking (with a tasty tomato and bread salad), Tom from Butter Pig (I'm going to have to beg him for his glorious CousCous recipe), ahhh, at last, Cookiecrumb from I'm Mad and I Eat , Nosheteria's Adrienne (and her super-dooper succotash), Derrick, Melissa, an Obsession with Food (and tomatilla salsa), the lovely Elise from Simply Recipes (thank you so much for the jar of apple butter!), Dr Five Pints (who I never quite caught up with properly, sorry Dr), Spicetart, Molly, (with cupcakes, good news and husband-to-be in tow), Shuna from Eggbeater (with the aforementioned tart), Heidi, from 101 Cookbooks, with a crunchy Caesar salad, Kim from Bay Area Bites with the most beautiful blue eyes (and a penchant for rhubarb), both bunrabs and their chocolate macarons and finally Steve from Blue Bottle (a huge thanks for the coffee!)

I am sure I have forgotten someone, please let me know if I missed you out. Last, but not least, we have to thank all the patient husbands, wives, partners and significant others who used this occasion to form an impromptu Food Blogger Spouse Support Group. You're a long-suffering bunch and we bloggers appreciate your patience. But heh! Just think about all the free food you got out of it!

posted in Food and Blogging and Eat Local and Picnic and Bay Area