Food Happenings this month

Cafe Fiore is offering 30% off any bottle of wine this Sunday (Father's Day), June 20th. Call 653-1266 to make your reservation.

Check out the Wine and Wishes event at the Ventura Wine Company on Sunday, June 27th from 2-5pm. They will be pouring tastes of over 100 of their favorite wines, alongside small bites prepared by their chef, Gary Daniel. The cost is $55 per person, and $30 of each ticket will go to the local chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The Sidecar Restaurant is celebrating local food yet again with their Rio Gozo Farm dinner on Wednesday June 30th. This four Course meal costs $45 per person, plus tax and gratuity. This menu is available in addition to their regular dinner menu from 5pm-9pm. Farmers will be on hand to talk about their farms and produce! Reservations are recommended.

McGrath Family Farm

This week, their big carrots are half-off. Now, normally, I wouldn't get really excited about carrots, but they put this recipe in their weekly newsletter, and its got me thinking. I just might need to play hooky from work, drive down there right now, and get me some carrots.

Roasted Carrot Salad

2 pounds carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the diagonal

1/2 cup slivered almonds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 (4 ounce) package crumbled Danish blue cheese

2 cups arugula

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Combine the carrots, almonds, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread out onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the carrots in the preheated oven until soft and the edges turn brown, about 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once cool, return the carrots to the mixing bowl, and drizzle with honey and vinegar; toss until coated. Add the cranberries and blue cheese; toss again until evenly mixed. Combine with the arugula and serve immediately.