2016-2017 Nevada County Gold Magazine | Page 96

096_CountyFare_NCG_2016_096_Food-Adventures_2016 5/13/16 10:19 AM Page 96 EAT & DRINK BACKPORCH MARKET 135 Colfax Ave., Grass Valley CIRINO’S AT MAIN STREET 126 Mill St., Grass Valley LAZY DOG CHOCOLATERIA 111 Mill St., Grass Valley TREATS 110 York St., Nevada City WHEYWARD GIRL CREAMERY 209 Commercial St., Nevada City LA GASTRONOMIA 104 E. Main St., Grass Valley HAPPY APPLE KITCHEN 18532 Colfax Hwy., Chicago Park BARBARA JEN ESS RIVERHILL FARM 1135 Cement Hill Rd., Nevada City THE OLIVE GROOVE 126 Mill St., Grass Valley Wheyward Girl Creamery, Nevada City Bloody Mary Cirino’s Bloody Mary A TASTE OF LOCAL FLAVOR W HETHER JUST PASSING THROUGH or new to the area, seeking out places to purchase interesting food can be delicious and fun. For example, visit BackPorch Market in Grass Valley. Discover an array of imported items, cured meats, cheese, prepared entrees and gourmet sandwiches. In the heart of downtown Grass Valley is The Olive Groove where you get the opportunity to taste before you buy. They carry top quality olive oils, fused and infused olive oils, a variety of balsamic vinegars, loose leaf teas and more. Across the street is Lazy Dog Chocolateria & Ice Cream Parlor, a whimsical spot. Featured are homemade ice cream products, including ice cream bars popular with locals. Treats in Nevada City also has a loyal following for their artisan ice cream and sorbet. Check out the seasonal ice creams they make. For an adult experience, head to the Cirino’s at Main Street bar in Grass Valley. Try a Bloody Mary, then purchase a bottle of Jerry Cirino’s legendary Bloody Mary Mix. His recipe has been a Nevada County tradition for 33 years. Relatively new to Nevada City is Wheyward Girl Creamery, where a cheesemaker plans to produce her own line. Also available is cheese from around the world and other goodies. In Grass Valley is another fairly new business, La Gastronomia, featuring Italian specialties–fresh take-away, carefully selected bread, deli meats and cheese, also sandwiches. Nevada County has a number of farms where you can buy from growers. Go to NevadaCountyGrown.org for a Farm Guide or stop by a chamber of commerce office. A drive to Bierwagen’s Donner Fruit Trail offers a bonus. Try a piece of homemade pie at their Happy Apple Kitchen, then shop at the farm market. Outside Nevada City is a u-pick opportunity at Riverhill Farm. Pick berries in season and shop at the farm stand from June into November (check website for days and times, riverhillfarm.com). 96 N E VA D A C O U N T Y G O L D IT’S PASTY TIME Beginning in the 1860s, miners from Cornwall, England, came to Nevada County to work the hardrock gold mines. One of the most popular traditions they brought with them proved to be the Cornish pasty. The pasty (pronounced passtee) is a filled pastry crust made into a special type of meat pie. Recipes varied, but most were made with beef, along with combinations of potatoes, onions and/or turnips and spices. Cornish miners carried their noonday meal into the mine in buckets that had three compartments. Typically there was brewed tea in the bottom, a pasty in the middle and a saffron bun on the top. Pasties are still made and enjoyed locally, with both traditional recipes and innovative combinations of ingredients. They are perfect for an authentic Nevada County picnic! COUSIN JACK PASTIES 100 S. Auburn St., Grass Valley MARSHALL’S PASTIES 203 Mill St., Grass Valley TREAT BOX BAKERY 11400 Donner Pass Rd, Truckee