You will need:

1) vidalia onions (3)

2) 4 red bell peppers

3) High fiber tortillas.  These tend to have more protein (about 8g)

4) cheese, salsa

5) cocnut oil

I started sauteeing everthing in coconut oil a few months back and it has really made a difference.  It does not burn as easily as olive oil and it is a lot healthier than many of the other fats.  It is one of the oils recommended for skin and hair heath which is exactly what I remind myself when I am slathering it on my food. I like Aunt Patty’s cocunut oil

Chop the onions and red peppers up.  Warm a pan over medium high heat with a about spoon of coconut oil. Saute onions and red peppers in pan untill tender (about 10-15min)

Warm tortilla.  I generally just throw on the burner and flip it until it is gently blistered.  Fill tortilla with peppers, onions and cheese and salsa.  Yum!  You will be surprised at how tasty and filling it is.  It is also very low calories and high in antioxidents. 

Pair with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.  I really enjoy Kendall Jacksons Grand Reserve Sauvignon Blanc.  It is under $18 and it is a very solid Sauvignon Blanc.

The Healdsburg Jazz festival is one of the best small jazz festivals in the country. It is spread out over different venues with different types of jazz artists. 

Like Jazz with your dinner?  No problem, there will be jazz at the Dry Creek Kitchen.  Like your Jazz free in the park.  No problem?  Want to see Jazz all stars? They have that too.

For times and venues and more information check out

http://www.healdsburgjazzfestival.org/wordpress/#

The black iris is amazing in that at sometimes it appears black while at others it appears a rich purple.  I first became entranced in this flower a few years back when I was going through a dark stage.  My garden was full of pink and red but I wanted something deeper and richer. 

One of the most beautiful flowers they do not fair well when cut.  If you cut one of these and put it in the vase it turns the water an inky blue and then furls up and dies.  It is not a flower to be cut and gifted.  It is a plant that needs to be with its root.  At least this variety and color do.  This is a tuberous plant which populates on its own.  The picture above was started with two tubers 3 years ago.  They keep growing and growing. A great plant to grow if you want to get a strong plant that will fill space and be beautiful,

Random Black Iris Facts:  It is the national flower of Jordan

There is nothing like a rose.  A nice fat garden rose. Scents can range from a true rose scent to a violet or citrus smell.  No other flower has such a color or fragrance range.  No other flowers elicits such love as a rose.   

According to fossils the rose is 35 million years old.   Over the years it has evolved through both nature and science to survive most climates and soils.  Roses will grow almost anywhere. There are over 30,000 varieties of Roses.

Roses have a long history of being sought after and loved.   In the seventeenth century roses were in such high demand that roses and rose water were considered as legal tender. In this capacity they were used as barter in the markets as well as for any payments the common people had to make to royalty.  Imagine today if we could make payments with rosewater. Hmm…

In Healdsburg we have the ultimate Rose lovers dream, The Russian River Rose company.      They are open to the public on certain weekends.  They have a demonstration garden as well as a nursery.  One of my favorite spots in the scent bench.  It is basically a bench surrounded by the most fragrant of the roses.  It is a fantastic place to sit, relax and inhale. 

I like to take my son to the garden at least once a year.  We go flower by flower smelling each one and talking about what it smells like.  Very few roses smell like a traditional rose.  Some smell like cinnamon or chocolate or lemons.  There is quite a wide range.  It has helped him identify notes in wine much better (he just smells it).  They have over 600 rose varieties so needless to say it is at least a few hour excursion. 

They also make perfume at the Russian River rose company.  You can actually do a perfume experience where you make your own perfume from the roses.

If you are a rose enthusiast this is the place to go.  I have bought many roses from them over the years and they are the roses I have that do the best.  If you like climber they have one called fairy which is amazing.  I planted one 3 years ago and it has climbed into the redwood next to it over 60 feet and is trailing into our neighbors yard as well as ours.  Luckily we both love roses.

The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek godof medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeussaved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.

The peony flower smells like a spicy old rose.  I mean a rose of antique varietal.  The cost of growing your own peonies can be as small as $10 to $1000+.  They are certain varieties that are very rare and thus very costly.  Personally, I do not think they are easy to grow.  The bud attracts ants therefore you have to be super diligent or else the ant will get to the bud before you can. The pink ones I bought at the farmers market for $7. I got 6 flowers for that price.

The Peony is used in eastern medicine for everything from curing bad dreams to relieving gall stones. There is speculation that compounds found in the peony will be used in modern medicine to treat some of our most serious diseases.  The peonies grown for medicinal use today come almost exclusively from China, Korea and Taiwan.

In Feng Shui the Peony is a cure for love and romance. It is considered metaphor for female beauty. It is often said that two peony in a single woman’s home will attract a mate.  It is crucial to have at least 2.  They also say that peonies in the bedroom of an older couple will bring an affair.  If you are married just keep them out of the bedroom just in case.  They look perfectly beautiful on the kitchen table.

(peony buds below)

To pair with the wine I made a flat iron steak on a bed of sauteed spinach with caramelized onions and Italian truffle cheese. This is a one pan meal which is always a bonus because who likes washing pans?  Not me.

Cook the onions first (remove) and then the flat iron steak (remove) and then saute the spinach in a portion of the juices left over from the steak.  Plate the spinach on the bottom with flank steak on top and caramelized onions around.  Cover with italian truffle cheese.  Enjoy:)

Total time less than 20 min. The pairing was delicious and low carb.

Notes of green and red apples, peach, and nice sweet oak. A solid everyday Chardonnay.  Estimated Retail: $14   This wine provides a lot of value for its cost.  It is far superior to most of its competitors in this price range. If you want to spend under $20 on a Chardonnay this is a great choice.

Random Fact:  This is the #1 selling Chardonnay nationwide for the last 20 years

1) Willi’s Wine Bar, Santa Rosa.  Local small production cheeses with a bit of foreign chesse to provide the perfect mixture of ummm and hmm.  They always have truffle honey which is absolutley divine.  Don’t go there without trying their cheese plate.  Also their martini’s are pretty addictive too.  Martini’s and cheese for dinner = perfect.

2) Napa Rose, Anaheim.  I am amazed by the cheese they find.  Every cheese has a story and every cheese is one I have never tried or seen.  I am 90% sure they have a person whose entire job is searching out small production cheeses. If you are going any where near Disneyland, make sure you book dinner at Napa Rose.  You can bring kids and the waiters are amazing with them but for the experience and cost I would drop them off at the Grand Adventure hotel daycare.  The wine list is even better than the cheese plate.

I discovered my love of Tilapia at Portofino’s in Santa Rosa.  Portofino’s is like the TV show Cheers.  There are all the regulars who know each other but sit a few seats away from each other at the bar (daytime).  I spent quite a few lunches there when I worked downtown.  On the weekends the Portofino’s bar is packed.  It has been packed for the last 15 years on Saturday nights.   They have the best bartenders of all time, Sue and Joel, and an atmosphere where you know you can just relax. 

Once in awhile they do a coconut crusted Tilapia that is beyond good. I know that replicating that recipe is far beyond my capabilities so instead I just do a basic olive oil with herbs and garlic.  Bake at 350, covered for 20-25 min and serve with a wedge of lemon and some vegetables.  Yum!  Try it, you will be pleasantly surprised and it is good for you.

NOTE: Stay away from farm raised Tilapia.  The farm raised fish eats feed stuffed with corn which basically destroys the health benefits.

-Jennifer Ready