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3 weeks ago | 
mercurynews.com | Georgeanne Brennan
France’s bistros have spread their iconic dishes to restaurants around the world, but since those very dishes originated with regional French home cooking, it stands to reason they can readily be made at home with produce from your local farmers market, grocer or backyard garden. Local cherries are in full swing. Asparagus season is winding down, but there are still plenty available over the next few weeks, so take advantage of them sooner rather than later.
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1 month ago | 
napavalleyfocus.substack.com | Georgeanne Brennan
This is our version of a pledge drive. For the next two weeks, all content is behind a paywall — including our usual free Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday stories. We’re doing this to remind you: Napa Valley Features runs on reader support. No ads. No corporate owners. Just real local stories. Subscriptions start at just $8 a month, or $60 a year — that’s less than 17 cents a day. Want to go further?
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2 months ago | 
napavalleyfocus.substack.com | Cindy Claymore Watter |Mariam Hansen |Georgeanne Brennan
If you’re reading this, you care about independent, locally owned, ad-free journalism — reporting that puts our region’s stories first, not corporate interests or clickbait. Join a community that values in-depth, independent reporting. Become a paid subscriber today — and if you already are, thank you. Help us grow by liking, commenting and sharing our work.
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Feb 18, 2025 | 
santacruzsentinel.com | Georgeanne Brennan
The joys of that Chez Panisse darling, rosy radicchio — and how to cook it at home
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Feb 18, 2025 | 
eastbaytimes.com | Georgeanne Brennan
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Feb 18, 2025 | 
mercurynews.com | Georgeanne Brennan
In the early 1980s, when radicchio was just appearing in restaurants like Chez Panisse and Fourth Street Grill in Berkeley, I had a vegetable seed company. Le Marche Seeds International sold European and Asian seed varieties, supplying some of the pioneering organic market growers of the era as well as home gardeners who wanted to grow, for example, radicchio, a leafy vegetable in the chicory family.
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Feb 2, 2025 | 
napavalleyfocus.substack.com | Georgeanne Brennan
The devastating fires in Los Angeles County have left many in need, and thanks to our readers, we’ve been able to help. Because of your support, Napa Valley Features donated $300 in January to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Due to the ongoing need and the generosity of our community, we’re extending this effort through February 15, with 10% of all new paid subscriptions going toward relief. Your support truly makes a difference — thank you. NAPA VALLEY, Calif.
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Jan 26, 2025 | 
napavalleyfocus.substack.com | Georgeanne Brennan |Emily Dickinson
Having endured fires in our own region and felt the power of global support, our hearts are with those impacted by the Los Angeles County fires. Napa Valley Features will donate 10% of all new paid subscriptions through January to aid relief efforts. NAPA VALLEY, Calif. — For the people of France, King Henri IV’s wish for all his peasants to have a chicken in every pot on Sunday was a wish for universal prosperity. Whether he really said it or not is disputed.
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Dec 10, 2024 | 
marinij.com | Georgeanne Brennan
When winter heads our way, bringing chilly temperatures and dark nights, my thoughts turn to Cassoulet, the iconic comfort food from southwestern France. It has it all – juicy beans, duck leg confit, sausages and sometimes pork or lamb, slowly simmered in well-seasoned broth, then baked in a wide-mouthed, glazed terra-cotta dish called a cassole. Like any truly traditional dish, there are multiple versions, all claiming to be the “authentic one.” Cassoulet originated in southwestern France.
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Dec 7, 2024 | 
napavalleyfocus.substack.com | Georgeanne Brennan
Before we dive into “Under the Hood,” a quick reminder that Napa Valley Features is a subscriber-funded publication. Without continued support from paid subscribers, offerings like “Under the Hood” may need to be scaled back or could disappear altogether. If you value our ad-free conflict-free veteran-owned local journalism, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. For as little as 16 cents a day, you can help keep local news independent, relevant and sustainable.
