Local Sonoma berries make great summer desserts - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
All over Sonoma County, the local blueberries are popping, the blackberries are drooping with ripeness and the fragrant aroma of sweet strawberries wafts from roadside patches and farmstands. But not everyone has the time or the desire to put up their own jams and make their own pie crust, especially when the weather is already hot and sticky. At Backyard in Forestville, chef/owner Daniel Kedan and his wife, pastry chef Marianna Gardenhire, source from local farms to turn out an array of accessible yet elegant fruit desserts. “We do very, very simple desserts,” said Kedan, who has earned a 2015 Bib Gourmand award from Michelin for being one of the best, moderately priced restaurants. The couple sources blueberries from Sonoma Swamp Blues on Occidental Road in Sebastopol and blackberries and raspberries from the Sebastopol Berry Farm on Ross Station Road. Their strawberries come from Lao Saetern’s farmstand on Highway 12 and from Bloomfield Organics on Valley Ford Road, which also offers a u-pick adventure to the public. “The berries from the Sebastopol Berry Farm are easy to find (at farm markets),” Kedan said. “We get marionberries (the most common blackberry cultivar) from Rainbow’s End Farm in Occidental. Source: www.pressdemocrat.com
