Sagebrush on the Beach at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

We have had a succession of hot days that has dried the sagebrush plants by the shore at Pebble Beach, California:

Even dry the sagebrush is photogenic.

The Native Plant Volunteers keep Pebble Beach looking good:

Native Plant Volunteers Information

Photos and text by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Wing Wednesdays at Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey, California reposted by Ruth Paget

Wing Wednesdays is a great no-food waste initiative at Alvarado Street Brewery in  Monterey, California.  They offer a variety of sauces and….beers.  If you arrive early enough, the wings are half price. 

Details on pricing and dates follow:

Wing Wednesdays at Alvarado Street Brewery

Many neighborhoods also have Wing Stop Restaurants for wings every day of the week.  

Black Bear Diner in Salinas has an 8-wing plus fries basket that I like.  The garlic-Parmesan dipping sauce is pretty awesome for the wings.  I also liked the huckleberry cobbler, because it was not too sweet.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Bug Walk at Earthbound Farm Stand in Carmel Valley, California reposted by Ruth Paget

Find out about good bugs used in organic farming at the Earthbound Farm Stand in Carmel Valley, California on September 27, 2025.  Tickets are $10.  Information about the event and tickets follow:

Bug Walk at Earthbound Farm

This would be a cute monthly program, if there is interest.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Drawing Birds book by Maury Aaseng posted by Ruth Paget

Monterey County has many species of birds that live here like brown pelicans, cormorants, condors, and seagulls as well as hundreds that migrate through the region.

Drawing birds allows you to understand better the habitat birds live in, especially how they feed and fly.

Drawing Birds by Maury Aaseng is an introduction to this pleasurable hobby.  I put the Amazon link to this book below:

Drawing Birds Book

By Ruth Paget, Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Goats, Kiddy Tractors, and Organic Produce at The Farm in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Goats, Kiddy Tractors, and Organic Produce at The Farm in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Harvest 2025 is here at The Farm in Salinas, California, but everyone knows the real reasons kids want to visit are the goats and kiddy tractors they can spend time with while their parents shop for organic produce.

The windmill below is what you can see from Highway 68 going into Salinas lets you pinpoint the farm as you navigate your way there from the Spreckels Exit:

Once you are headed toward The Farm on the 1 1/2 paved lane paved service road, you will drive right into The Farm with its logo sign mounted on an old pickup truck:

The first thing you will see especially if you have children is the kiddy tractors play area.  This area is rich in photo opportunities:

Another great photo opportunity area is by the goat pen.  The Farm is not a petting zoo, so you cannot feed the animals but talking to them is fine if you are sweet like Dr. Doolittle.

The Farm’s organic produce is coming in everyday including flowers for u-pick purchase.  When my husband Laurent and I visited, the following crops were on sale:

One of my favorite bumper crop items is the apple.  I think one of the best ways to eat apples is in pie, which they sell at thyme Farm year-round.

The Farm will close in November and will reopen next year for Farm School classes and tractor rides.  The Farm’s website has details on these activities, which I have listed below:

The Farm in Salinas, California

For a fun country outing, The Farm in Salinas, California has something for everyone.

Strawberry earrings for $6 are a nice farm souvenir.

Row of vitamin C and antioxidant rich cilantro.  Cilantro is so good for you I think a security camera on it to prevent theft. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Risotto alla Milanese at Pub's (Growers Pub) in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Risotto alla Milanese at Pub’s (Growers Pub) in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

After a succession of hot days in the high 80s, my daughter Florence Paget, husband Laurent Paget, and I went out for an iodine-rich dinner at Pub’s (Growers Pub) in Salinas, California.

Salt depletion caused by sweating in high heat reduces iodine in the body.  Iodine depletion has been linked to several health disorders including thyroid cancer by the National Institutes of Health.  I have provided a hyperlink to the NIH site: NIH site regarding iodine depletion.  This text does not substitute for a doctor, but it might help guide dining choices for people who work outside all day or who do not have air conditioning and provide a discussion topic for doctor appointments.

With this grim information about iodine on my mind, I ordered a meal that a rich Milan, Italy dweller might order to deal with a hot days.

I started with fried calamari (squid) rings that I could dip in piquant sauce with fresh lemon squeezed on the calamari.  The crunchy, salty breading was delicious.  The squid itself has protein and selenium, which helps the thyroid produce hormones and is an antioxidant according to WebMD.com.

After the calamari, I ate iodine-rich salad with blue cheese dressing.  The blue cheese was very creamy and made me think it had been made with Gorgonzola or cheese made in the Gorgonzola style.  The crispy and cold romaine lettuce tasted great after a succession of hot days.

My main dish was an excellent risotto alla Milanese made with carnaroli rice from the app River Valley in Northern Italy.

Risotto is easy to make if you can patiently stand at the stove and add in a little chicken broth at a time to be absorbed by the rice before the next addition of broth.

I used the risotto alla Milanese (saffron risotto) recipe from the Mediterranean dish.combwebsite to guide me.  For this recipe, you heat chicken broth and pour some on saffron threads to steep before cooking.  The saffron makes the risotto a golden yellow.

After you do this, you soften chopped onion in olive oil.  Once this is done, you add in the pudgy carnaroli rice and coat it with hot rice for several minutes.

Next, you add dry white wine and broth followed by dissolved saffron.  After this, you keep turning the rice till it becomes al dente, adding broth along the way. When the rice is creamy, remove it from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or grains pedant along with butter.  Serve warm and enjoy the salty Parmesan cheese.

This meal does taste wonderful when the weather cools down at night after a hot day at Pub’s in Salinas, California.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

 

Empanada Night Mondays at Esteban Restaurant in Monterey, California reposted by Ruth Paget

Esteban Restaurant in Monterey, California is doing Empanada Night Mondays.  Pricing details follow from Monterey County Weekly Online Community Calendar:

Empanada Mondays at Esteban Restaurant In Monterey, Calendar Details

Try these savory delights that originated in Galicia, Spain.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France