The New Chef of KC

"What do I know,I just make meatballs" I have heard my Best Friend Jasper say this so many times. Well he has competition now. Marvin is the head chef of Jasper's. He is getting older and needs to be looking for a younger person to carry on. A new head chef. I have learned so much from Marvin, I have been so lucky to have him share his knowledge with me. Marvin needs to watch out for this new Chef coming out! http://www.jasperskc.com/

The New Chef on the block is here!!!!! Thomas Aidan Hursey

This is my Grandson, Thomas. As you can tell he just stepped into the kitchen and took over.

WOW!!!!! He makes a mean meatball, Jasper.

I have another Grandson coming to KC in a year to attend the culinary program at JCCC. Colton, he can really cook, I was amazed how fast he picked it up.

Thomas Aidan Hursey at Casa Somerset

My 8th Grandchild, Thomas Aidan Hursey. He was born the 26th of May this year, a day after the planting of the Vineyard. This is his first trip here, he lives in Rapid City, S.D. Christine says this is her first Grandchild. She didn't even let them get out of the car before scooping Thomas up.

We took him up on the third floor of Casa Somerset today. Donna Cook and Dick had stopped by to check out the progress on the house, so Donna took our picture. It shows Christine, Beatriz, Joe, Thomas, and me. Joe is my oldest son, he just completed 20 years in the Air Force. I am very proud of him. They will move to Columbia, South America in 2 years, when he retires. That is where Beatriz's family lives.

There is also a picture of three generations of Hursey men in the Vineyard. Did you notice how tall the vines are getting? We are very excited!!

There will be more stories about my granchildren to come.

Hillsdale Bank Barbeque, PIZZA!!! WHAT?

This is Greg Beverlin, the Pizza Master,

Can you believe it,PIZZA in a Barbeque?!?!Wood Roasted Pizza?

I have known Greg for 20 years or more. I was really wondering about his thinking here,but WOW! The Pizza is something you have to come taste. Greg built this oven himself, I am really sure Donna ,his wife really led him.

Donna is a Kansas Master Gardner, She grows all of the great herbs Greg puts in his food. You have to see her water gardens and herbs, they surround the bank.

Greg is committed to the freshest ingredients. I am telling you you won't be disappointed, call me and I will come with you. I was there at the Pre-Grand opening, Greg invited me 20 years ago to taste what was going to be his calling.

Greg offers a wide variety of ingredients for his wood-fired pizzas. If something is missing call Greg and ask for Donna:):) 913-783-4333 Christina, their daughter, is the future.

http://www.barbqthesauce.com/

Roots Festival, Barbecue Contest.

Did I eat well!!! :):) This was my third year as a Judge, they just get better with age. It really is hard to judge, but I am getting better. You have to judge each entry as it is by it's self, not against another. It is really hard not to compare. This was an oficial KCBS contest (Kansas City Barbque Society). Fellow Slow Food members David and Jan Letts were there as well to judge.

We started with sausage, my favorite. I got to taste 4 entries. Two were spicy, but that is great as far as I am concerned. You absolutely do not know who's is who's. If I did, some would be very busy cooking for me. Next came the chicken, 6 entries. Then ribs, another favorite with me. Then we tasted pulled pork. Brisket was last. You judge each category by taking a sample of each entry. After tasting each, you take home more than you eat. Is this great or what? We will be eating BBQ till next week.

We are going to become certified judges . What a JOB:):)

The overall BBQ contest winner was `Munchin Hogs@ the Hilton.

Andy Groneman and Matt Winterscheid of Smoke on Wheels were best in Miami County

The smoke, the taste, and all of your friends. The music was a wonderful way to let your cares go away.

Lee Mott, Gary Patillio, and the entire team of the Paola Roots Festival have worked so hard to bring the best to Paola. We cannot praise their efforts enough. They and their volunteers are what takes us next year to our 20th year of the best effort in Miami county

Mike

Look for the Water Tower, Paola

Steel beams for the 3rd floor.

WOW!!! I can see the tower from 8 miles away.

We have now started the loft level ,the third floor. Today, my son Joshua took a picture from the third floor, of the Paola Water tower on Hedge Lane, which is a long ways. These are views that my friends will see when we are finished, as we enjoy each other's company and vino.

I have been checking everything out , Christine only has 8 bathrooms to clean. That is, if I don't put what she would call a "hillbilly one" out back, (maybe a four seater for the ones who would remember). Maybe I will write an article on outhouses. I have memories of my Grandparent's house.....:):)

The progress on the house is great, Jason and crew are doing great. I met Jason's brother-in law today at the Overland Park Farmers Market. I already knew him, but did not know not that he was related to Jason. I like to purchase local produce from him.

Mike

The "Porch" is coming

We went out early Sunday morning , after an evening at the Roots Festival, which will be our next story.

I had not told Christine of the progress , so that she would really be surprised.

I got her to climb up to the second floor too see the view that all of our friends will see in a couple of years as we all share a bottle of Casa Somerset Norton Cabernet.

I went up the ladder first , she wanted to see if anyone fell before she went up. I was the only one she had to sacrifice. She did make me feel better , telling me she would catch me on the third bounce. So, then I coaxed her up the ladder. I was very worried she would kick the ladder away and we would be there til Monday morning, when the construction crew showed up!! The view was worth the climb and risk.

We walked through each framed room , like we were staying there.

I am telling you, there are going to be some good times here ,very soon, with our Friends.

Chef Kay came by later in the morning, She is the mother of Cindy Reynolds' from the Somerset Ridge Winery, just a mile from our house and vineyard. I was spreading cotton burr compost in between the vines in the vineyard when she came to see the progress on the house. Julie Zoller told me about cotton burr compost years ago. You put down 6 sheets of newspaper and then cotton burr on top . The worms eat throught the newspaper (no color pages) to get to the cotton burr, and turn it into a great compost to feed the plants.

Call me I will tell you all about how this works if you are interested.
Mike

Third story next week??

We're on the Second floor!!!!

Third floor loft here we come. I am so excited. They framed in the second floor. I walked it off myself ,trying to figure out where everything was going to be and how it was going to fit.

I can see I will have to get my stuff in first, Christine will be pushing on me. :-)

I was trying to figure out the Kitchen, a very important room for me to prepare food for all of my friends. I will have to learn new recipes. I will call Jasper! I can see our friends coming over early, and all of us cooking with Love for more friends coming for dinner. Then later, all of us sitting on the porch enjoying each other's company, watching the sun set. The house faces the west.

Mike

The porch is coming ,soon!!!

Suzzan's Caesar Salad Dressing

SACRAMENTO- After attending my reunion, we stayed with my friends, Ed and Suzzan Arnold. We have known one another for AGES....

Suzzan makes the BEST California Caesar Salad Dressing. So every time I visit, I get her to make it. This time, Mike stood by her side and wrote the recipe down. I will share it with you here. The work and effort are really worth it!

SUZZAN'S CALIFORNIA CAESAR DRESSING

First of all, Suz makes her own croutons. She starts with sliced sourdough bread, butters it, and puts it in the oven till golden brown. Then she adds freshly grated parmesan cheese over it and browns that. These are removed to cool, then they are torn into "crouton size" pieces.

The dressing recipe makes a lot, but it was for a group. I am sure you can cut it in half.
6 cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced
1 c. olive oil
6T. red wine vinegar
2tsp. dry mustard
3 "dashes" of worchestershire sauce
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
This can be whisked, or run quickly in a food processor
Then add 4 oz. anchovies, finely chopped (Green Star brand box)
2 ripe avocados, mashed
3 T. capers
Mix all well and serve over your salad.

Thanks again, Ed and Suzzan, we had a wonderful time!!!

Mike the Tomato Connoisseur

TOMATOES , Mike's Favorite food . They are like a Fine Wine. You smell them and taste the full flavor just like a wine. Christine has brought me to one of the many Farmers Markets in Sacramento. It was a wonderland, just like Disney World to a Foodie.

The selection of Certified Organic produce was vast. The beets and beans were amazing. They offered Organic cheeses, which we purchased and took to Christine's childhood friends, Ed and Suzzan Arnold, where we stayed.

Then I came to the Heirloom Tomatoes, Wow, I was in love. They were certified Organic, and there were varieties I have not seen. Purple Russian, Pineapple, Copia, Cherokee Purple, Brandywine, then Black Zebra, Green Zebra and a Red Zebra I had never seen before. They were only $3.25 lb. Usually $4.95 in KC. I gathered them fighting the crowd to take home for our treats. No Ice Cream tonight, just these treasures.

I wish I could make a Gazpacho right here like the one Jasper made.

I would love to sit and share Tomatoes with friends like you would a fine wine. Covered with fresh basil and some freshly made mozzarella cheese . Ed and Suzzan had some Great Sea Salt to top with that drew out all of the tremendous flavor.

Fact: If you put your tomatoes on the counter stem side down they will last two weeks longer. Never put tomatoes in the refrigerator till you have sliced them, it will change the sugar balance.

But who would have any to left to put in fridge :) :)

Mike

Ferry Market

I have wanted to go to the Ferry Market for such a long time. It is often mentioned on the Travel Channel and on Food TV. The Slowfood USA Convention is there in September this year. We left the Fisherman's Wharf heading there. It was such a sight to see.

The peaches were the "in" thing there. Delicious and at the height of their season. We tried the Peach Bruschetta and Peaches roasted with Pancetta.

We shared on the pier both of the delightful treats. It was so great sitting in the sun and people watching. All of the birds flying overhead. The breeze in your face, a beautiful day.

After we walked outside the Market, we spotted an outdoor cafe. We sat and had a glass of wine, and some dessert. It was 08/08/08, and we watched a couple be married right there in front of us! The entire wedding party arrived in limos.

This was a great day in San Francisco. It was Christine's dream to take me there! If you want more information about the Market, go to www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

We left the "beautiful city by the bay", and were on our way to Sacramento.

Mike

Connie Johnson and Ralph Reese's Eggs

WOW!!! Wait till you taste these on a Sunday morning. High yolks and firm whites. This is what Free Range Chicken's eggs look and taste like. The flavor is so different.

On Easter, Connie set me up a 18 pack of eggs that out did any colored eggs I ever did. I don't know how she does it. There were five different colors. Place your Easter orders early ,she will run out.

The eggs of Ralph and Connie were sold at Louisburg Cidermill on the Farm Tour of Miami County.

Jasper Mirable had these featured on his blog.

"If It Swims We Have It" ...Mikey will eat anything!

WOW! Oysters, Christine told me to eat a lot. This was so good. Seafood on the San Francisco Bay. I really was taught in New Orleans how to eat Oysters after 3 Hurricanes ( the Drink).

This was a seafood eaters paradise, I could not figure out where to eat first. I loved "If it swims we have it" They had many outdoor food vendors offering every type of seafood imaginable. It was so hard to pick from all of the choices. We ate lunch at "Nonna Rose's" Great meal. The restaurant overlooked the fishing fleet, and the piers that they tie up to. San Francisco is full of interesting characters!

I knew Christine brought me here to share her heritage and the culture. It was sooo great!!!!!! I mean oysters, Chocolate, wine, Irish coffee, cable cars, and SanFrancisco!

She took me by Alcatraz, I thought she might leave me. That is another Story.

Thank You, Christine, for sharing memories.

Mike

Fisherman's Wharf - San Francisco

Well, I finally got Mike to San Francisco! Having lived in California most of my life, I knew he would love it here! We spent some time at Fisherman's Wharf, we went to the Buena Vista (where Irish Coffee was invented), and we went to Ghirardelli Square... the Chocolate Heaven- by- the- Bay!!! Mike loves chocolate so much, that our friend, Jasper Mirabile said that he could find chocolate anywhere in a city, which is what he did the whole time we were in Italy! The weather was foggy when we arrived, but by the time we left, in the afternoon, it was sunny and just beautiful! It was fun to share my home state with Mike finally.

Christine

Our Day in the Napa Valley

Mike and I spent our second day touring the wineries and sites in Napa.

On the left is the Clos Du Val Winery

It was very impressive.

Below that is the Andretti Winery. It is very Italian-looking, with porticos and heavy stuccoed walls.

On the right is a picture of me standing in front of the Oakville
Grocery Store. It is located in the
Napa Valley at the corner of Oakville Crossroad and Highway 29,
and was established in 1881!

Mike and I stopped here for lunch and it was such an adventure!
There was an incredible selection of gourmet cheeses, meats, and prepared foods. We opted for french bread, cheese, salami, and of course, WINE! :-) The people-watching was pretty good too! We heard many, many foreign languages being spoken there.

Behind the grocery store are gardens with tables and chairs for picnicing. We sat at a table for two under a tree and just enjoyed our lunch and the surroundings. We were able to slow down and relax.

If you get the chance to go to Napa, this is one stop you must make! See for yourself at

http://www.oakvillegrocery.com/default.php

Christine

Viansa, Mike's Favorite, "I am in Italy"

I was looking forward so much to going here, and it was more than I thought it would be.

After all of my visits to Tuscany ,this is really a taste of Tuscany in Sonoma. It is an old world, Italian style winery. The buildings have fresco-style, hand-painted murals. This winery has it all. Tastings, tours, and of course, sales of wine along with a wonderful Italian marketplace.

The grounds are well- kept, the olive trees are abundant, and most of all, the grapes... this is Italy in California. We had a great time here!

The pictures do not do it justice.... http://www.viansa.com/

Mike

The Residence has Begun,Casa Somerset

Finally it is under way. The first floor ,with two to go.

We are waiting for a delivery of beams now,but it should be corrected tomorrow.

Getting soooooo excited now!

It will be a reality this time next year,or sooner.

Keep watching, we will update the progress.

Grapes look Great!!!!

Mike

Our Second Stop the B.R. Cohn Winery

8/6/08

We headed up route 12, and we stopped at the Valley of the Moon Winery, but it closed at 4:30 and it was 4:35 pm. We then went on to B.R. Cohn Winery, and WOW, I loved it. Walking up to it there was a very well taken care of "Woodie" it is a car from the 50's (for the younger group)... my grandmother told me about it. :) We tasted many wines and bought a Cabernet. I also got a shirt, Christine let me buy it. :) I was standing outside looking at all of the vines and Olive trees. It is very Mediterranean feeling, and I thought I was back in Italy, with my friends the Caponetti's www.casacaponetti.com I was thinking of Lorenzo Caponetti, and his love of his olive trees in Tuscania, Italy.

It was then off to Santa Rosa ,to plan for tomorrow and our visit to the Napa Valley.

Mike

Christine taking Mike to Sonoma and Napa for an Education

Christine said Mike let's go this year to see the vineyards I grew up with. So as always, I did what Christine said. We booked the trip to Northern California; Napa and Sonoma,Sacramento and San Francisco. We flew into Sacramento, and drove to Sonoma County. This is where I was so in awe of all the vines, I think I saw over 1 billion vines during the trip.

Our first Winery was the Madonna winery, it was about 4 pm and we knew the wineries closed at 5. This winery was founded in 1922 by the Bartolucci Family. It is the third oldest winemaking family in the Napa Valley. You can read about them at http://www.madonnaestate.com/ . We tasted wine at their tasting room, and liked it so much that we purchased some for later.

Our second stop that day was the B.R.Cohn winery. Be sure to follow along with our travels through the Wine Country!

Mike

"The Difference in Opinions"

We needed a method to get the lake water to the vines. Richard Miller, my friend ,came up with what Christine calls "Hillbilly Handiwork"!!!

It really works well even with all of the unkind remarks, (it does have feelings).

I had an old paddle boat ,so we turned it over and mounted a pump to it. Ran 50 feet of pvc pipe into the lake. Then hooked up garden hose and we were in business. Christine has made me promise that we will build a pump house someday. Till then Richard and I are working on the patent for this one,we will be RICH!!!!! Mike

Christine and I are down on the Farm ,as she calls it. This is our version of "American Gothic" Really Casa Somerset.
This the planting of the first vine May 25th 2008.


Here is information we got from davisvines.com about the variety grapes in our vineyard.


Cabernet Sauvignon (clone from Rutherford, Ca) crossed with Norton (“Monticello” clone). Red wine grape intended for the production of barrel aged dry wine of the highest quality. Size of berries and clusters midway between Cabernet and Norton. In 2006 in west central Illinois the grapes were harvested on 9/18/06, with Brix 22.5, ph 3.32, Acid 7.75. Like Norton the berries hang extremely well and this vine could have been harvested later with little fear of late season rots.Unlike its parent Norton, which grows poorly during its first few seasons, Crimson Cabernet grows extremely well and can be trained to the top wire at the end of the first year if grown in a well managed vineyard. It can bear some trophy grapes in the second season and a modest commercial crop in the third. It seems to prefer cane pruning.Crimson Cabernet should be grown on a single curtain trellis system. The canes have a drooping tendency and are easily combed downward allowing for excellent air, sun and spray exposure. We have not noticed any particular disease, insect, or bird problems.The wine is a dark crimson color and has the body and middle pallet that Norton noticeably lacks but for which Cabernet is so renowned. It also is reminiscent of Merlot. We have not held stocks of wine long enough to comment on the extended aging ability of Crimson Cabernet, but of the three grand parents that we can identify (Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc, Vitis Cinerea) all make wines that markedly improve with age.

8/2/08



Welcome to Mike and Christine's blog!!!

The first section of the Casa Somerset vineyard is in!
We are located on 287th Street in Paola, KS.

That is me (Christine) getting ready for the planting!

The weekend of May 25th, some VERY good friends came out and helped us plant 400 cabernet grape vines on the gentle western slope of the property. As you can see, the vines overlook the lake, which is rather scenic!

Mike and I decided a year or so ago to plant some grape vines. We asked Dennis Reynolds of Somerset Ridge Winery to help us obtain the vines. Our vines are Norton cabernet and were grown in Illinois, so they will withstand the cold Kansas winters without dying. We decided the initial planting would be 10 rows of 40 vines each. They are approx. 5 feet apart in the row, and the rows are 9 feet apart. We had the rows trenched 2 feet deep, to make planting easier.

Because we are going to grow organically, we brought in cotton burr compost to add to each of the plants as they were put in the ground. (Mike is an organic gardener, so we are going to have organic wine!!) We have added cotton burr compost to the rows now, which helps to control the grass growing between the vines, as well as nourish the vines.

Right now the vines are growing in "Blue Tubes" (you can "Google" that) which protect the vines and help them to grow. A tall bamboo stake holds each one upright. You might wonder "where do you buy 400 bamboo stakes?", but our friends just up the road at the Somerset Ridge Winery helped us find BWI in Lenexa, KS., which has just about everything you could want for growing and gardening!

We are also building a house on the property. The house is up higher on the slope with a view of the lake and vines. I know eventually it will look beautiful. As soon as they start framing, I will add some pictures of the progress.
Christine