what's happening with Studio-Store?

so last october i told you about our temporary "pop-up" shop in downtown napa called Studio-Store . my friend, the artist valerie raven, and i moved into a vacant storefront @ 1144 main street, napa ca 94559. the plan was to be there until the landlord leased as a long term deal...so we could have been there a month? a year? who knew?...but you have to be creative in this economy. well....8 months later....the space has been leased. i am very happy for our landlord...she has been fantastic to work with....but a bit torn regarding my feelings for this development. on one hand, the napa farmhouse 1885 collection is now being carried by a few very cool shops throughout the napa valley and beyond. making the product and filling wholesale orders, along with website orders, is keeping me very busy...thank you very much. on the other hand, i have so loved meeting all the customers of the shop and hearing their comments, feedback and suggestions. and it has been so cool to showcase the product and merchandise the entire assortment together.

so valerie and i are announcing that Studio-Store is going on hiatus. we are closing down the end of june so the new tenants can take possession of the space july 1st. then we will take a few months this summer to decide if we want to "pop-up" somewhere else.

in the interim, the entire napa farmhouse 1885 collection, along with cool art from valerie , is available for purchase...so, please come and visit. we are open wednesday through saturday from noon to five (sometimes six!)

sign up for our mailing list and we will keep you posted on the status of Studio-Store. lastly, thank you so much to all our customers...especially the regulars. it has meant so much to hear your kind words.

best,
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "
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do you have grapeseed oil in your pantry? and a recipe for winter slow roasted tomatoes...

regarding the grapeseed oil question...if you don't have this ingredient in your pantry stop everything and go get some! o.k...even i think that sentence sounds a bit melodramatic. but really...how have i missed this for so long? regular readers are very aware of my addiction to extra virgin olive oil...i use the stuff in everything. but i have met the owners of salute sante!...a local grapeseed oil company...a number of times when they visited studio-store. then, i ran into them last month at the fancy food show...they had a booth...and i actually had the opportunity to hear about their company and taste their products...hi?? a local, green, organic, eco-friendly company producing a delicious, healthy and convenient product??? how perfect is that for napa farmhouse 1885™ ?

it has been a long time goal of mine to complement our line of farmhouse food with products made locally by artisans i know and trust...i started with organic coffee from paupaiz and am thrilled to add salute sante! to the assortment. so...a bit about grapeseed oil. it is made from the seeds of grapes after the wine is pressed. salute sante! advises using grapeseed oil this way:

"...long been the secret of gourmet chefs who love its light and nutty, yet neutral flavor. It has the unique ability to enhance the flavors of ingredients instead of overpowering them and leaves no greasy aftertaste! It makes savory marinades and salad dressings that will not cloud when chilled, so you can use them right out of the refrigerator. The high smoke point (485 F) makes it ideal for hot food preparation which means you can sauté, fry or bake without any smoking, splattering or burning. The excellent emulsification properties make it ideal for whipping mayonnaise and creamy dressings that will not separate when chilled..."

so how do i...an admitted evoo addict...use grapeseed oil? my favorite way is to sauté or pan fry whatever i am making with the grapeseed oil and then finish off the dish with an excellent quality extra virgin olive oil. the grapeseed oil is almost flavorless...so you really taste the pure clean taste of whatever you are cooking...and using just the really good stuff as far as the evoo goes results in a truly delicious dish. it is nice to have the choice...with some dishes i WANT to taste the food cooked in olive oil and finished with olive oil...the evoo is somewhat embedded in the dish...other times the grapeseed oil is the perfect option. here is an example.....

i have been longing for summer! it has been cold, grey and rainy for the past month... i just want sun...and summer produce...like tomatoes...i really want tomatoes. but i only eat fresh tomatoes when they are in season..otherwise, why bother? they taste terrible. i love taking fresh tomatoes and slow roasting them with evoo, garlic, herbs and sea salt...amazing. last week, i decided to try slow roasting excellent quality canned tomatoes to serve on bruschetta...but this time, i only wanted the tomato taste...nothing else...so i used san marzano tomatoes (i think they are the best quality canned tomatoes available...and note...these are tomatoes grown in san marzano, italy...not a brand name) and drizzled them in the grapeseed oil with a bit of grey salt...no herbs or garlic or evoo taste. wow...fantastic...super sweet with a big tomato taste...a perfect choice for mid-winter...and an example of a good time to use grapeseed oil.
**note, slow roasting takes a long time..so plan this on a day you can pop them in the oven first thing in the morning and hang around all day...i did this for super bowl...
the tomatoes before and after roasting
winter slow roasted tomatoes
2 28 oz cans san marzano whole tomatoes
grapeseed oil for drizzling
grey salt
italian or french bread sliced and toasted/grilled for bruschetta
preheat oven to 225 degrees. open tomato cans and strain through a colander...reserve the juice for another use. spread the tomatoes on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. drizzle the grapeseed oil over the tomatoes and sprinkle with the salt. roast in preheated oven for 4-6 hours or until the tomatoes have lost most...but not all...of their liquid. when the tomatoes are ready, serve them however you like...on top of the grilled bread? tossed with pasta? a side dish with scrambled organic eggs? if you are like me, many will be eaten straight off the baking sheet...never making it to a finished dish....so...there you go...a recipe for the grapeseed oil....there is so much i could tell you about the newest addition to my pantry...remember i told you this was an eco-friendly company? what if i told you they use used grapeseed oil to power their vehicles?? or maybe you would be interested in the line of infused grapeseed oils...lemon, roasted garlic, basil or rosemary..so, so good. this item deserves another post and...since my goal is to tell you the stories of the artisans who produce the items for my company....i am going to interview the founders of salute sante! and share some of their delicious recipes. for now, try the tomatoes....and consider adding grapeseed oil to your pantry. please visit our website for additional details or to purchase...and yes, we carry the products at studio-store.
here's to spring coming early this year!!!


best,
diane

diane padoven
founder/president
napa farmhouse 1885™
"live a green life of style™ "
follow me on twitter

to receive special offers only available to our preferred customers, please sign up for the mailing list on the right hand side of this post...