Fresh Porcini Tortilla Española al Mateo Granados (Healdsburg)

[Melanie Wong]

A couple weekends ago I joined up with my visitors at the Saturday Healdsburg farmers market to start with a hearty breakfast before a day of wine tasting. They ordered Huevos Rancheros 1/, and Cordero Lechal (suckling lamb) Hash 2/. The loaded plates elicited gasps of astonishment at the colorful presentation. My friends were overcome by squeals of utter delight and multiple “OMIGOD”s upon tasting, and then turned on me with a stern admonishment.

“Sure you’ve been posting about this food for a while, but I’m just saying . . . you haven’t raved enough about how GOOD this is”, one scolded me. Then the other, “You should have been more EMPHATIC. I would have driven up here every weekend to eat this!”

For me, the Tortilla Española 3/, made with some of the first fresh porcini (aka panzas or cepes) of the season. The very generous portion of juicy wild mushrooms was bound with a soft and rich omelet of local duck eggs. Some oozy bucheron from Pug’s Leap in the center melted from the warmth of the dish adding an earthy pungency and tang. Stir-fried, bright and toothsome broccoli sprouts and grilled pimientos de padron composed an utterly delicious garnish of greenery. And for a more fiery touch, I added a few drops of the housemade habanero salsa. As always, even an al fresco breakfast plate shows the hand of a master chef. Precise yet soulful, and with impeccable sourcing and composition.

Fresh Porcini Tortilla Española
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melaniewong/4101496692/

Yesterday I ran into a friend from Santa Rosa at a farmstand. She said that this summer Mateo Granados had catered a sit-down, six-course dinner for 14 guests at her home. The itinerary for her reunion had included special dinners at Martini House in St. Helena and Café St. Rose (now closed) in Sebastopol. She said his catered meal was the best of the three.

I don’t know what else I can say about the cooking of Mateo Granados. The market in Healdsburg goes on winter break at the end of the month. So there are two more chances to catch him in Healdsburg, as well as a Sunday (maybe two) more at the Sebastopol market this year. Perhaps he’ll return to the Saturday Santa Rosa market after these finish, but that’s up in the air.

More on Mateo Granados
http://www.chow.com/restaurants/15645...

Descriptions from the chalkboard menu -
1/ Huevos Rancheros: Puma Spring hen egg, Soda Rock tomato-habanero sauce, Redwood Hill Farm raw feta cheese, Tierra Vegetables black bean puree, crispy tostada, $10

2/Cordero Lechal Hash: Preston Vineyards tender lamb, Lou’s potatoes, La Bonne Terre carrots, duck fat fried Salmon Creek farm duck egg, Full Circle ciabatta bread, $14

3/ Tortilla Española: Salmon Creek duck eggs, Gualala Coast cepes, Pug's Leap bucheron, Lou Preston's sourdough bread, broccoli sprouts salad, pimientos de padron, $14

[Cynsa]

Mateo Granados did the tacos fest at the Tierra Vegetables farm stand - SOLD OUT crowds back in October: CHEF GRANADOS AT TIERRA VEGETABLES - Tierra Vegetables will host a “Real Deal, Meal in the Field” with roving chef Mateo Granados from 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at the farm. Granados is planning to serve salsa, homemade tacos, roasted lamb, roasted vegetables and Agua Fresca. Cost is $22. To sign up, call 837-8366 or e-mail [e-mail]. The farm is at 651 Airport Blvd.

[Melanie Wong]

I bumped into my friend at Tierra yesterday, and evie was telling us about the pizza night we missed. Thanks for your report inthe other thread. Anyway she said that Mateos event drew 140 people, can't imagine how they could handle that size of crowd last month,
but I heard the food was fantastic. I still haven't been to any of the sit down dinners.

[Robert Lauriston]

Duck egg tortilla española with cèpes at a farmers market? Wow.

[Melanie Wong]

Wow is right. And, the ingredients are from within 30 miles (my own reckoning). The portions are large too, a breakfast order has weight here. We had three plates, couldn't finish our food, and our two latecomers polished them off. So, three orders fed 5 people. Now, I almost always finish when I'm by myself, but that's my big meal of the day and I'll have a salad for dinner.

If you take a look at the chef's bonafides on the website, you'll be impressed by his background too. He brings a full commercial range to the market. They're not cooking on hot plates.

It's kind of a running joke that Chef Mateo now cooks my order personally. Not really needed because his people are well-trained and good cooks themselves. But once I had to send my eggs back because they were too hard, and he did the do-over personally. So now I jokingly ask if Chef Mateo will cook my order when I place it, and he always does.

[moto]

nov. 14 we made it to the sunday sebastopol market, but the fresh porcinis weren't on granados' menu. ended up choosing the lamb tamale, black mole, duck egg, ass't young kale and turnip greens--outstanding. that weekend we tried quite a few outstanding dishes from fresh local ingredients, and granados' cooking ranked with the best (incl. a small plate of delicious fresh pasta at Cyrus, brussel sprouts sauteed w. guanciale from Zazu, assorted pizzas from that wood fired oven on wheels...) managed to snag one of the last loaves of Preston's sourdough when we visited the farm/tasting room on sat. --it too equals the best in the bay area. cheers

[Melanie Wong]

One of the staff told us that the menu changes between Saturday in Healdsburg and Sunday in Sebastopol based on what's at the farmers market that morning. That might have been a way to encourage us to dine with them both days. But that weekend, 11/7, he said they had enough cepes to serve it on Sunday too. They had the whole mushrooms on display at the order window. When I saw them, i knew I had to order this dish.

[moto]

we plan our escapes to Healdsburg via Sebastopol around getting to either farmer's market and having Granados' cooking. he served a brilliant persimmon agua fresca that day. i was quite impressed with the Sebastopol market--beautiful chiles and gorgeous heirloom Hopi squash among other things--and now we'll try to do the consecutive days when both markets are active. we also get tamales from the Viva Mexico cafe right on the highway; their interpretation uses a lighter and more delicate mixtamal than most places we've tried in northern cali.

[Melanie Wong]

Oh yes, Sebastopol's a great market too. I've only been once this season. Did you notice if Ga Ga Cafe or Ecco had a coffee stand there?

I've not tried Viva Mexicana yet. Thanks for the tip on tamales.

[moto]

We got to the market near closing time and after eating some of the vendors were already packing up, so I'm not sure about what coffee stands were there. Did see an espresso/coffee vendor set up to serve from a window in the side of a van, but didn't catch the name. The whole wheat pitas we snagged from the Hummus Guy are some of the best we've had--they puff up a bit after heating them, and are slightly larger than average in area, making the inner pocket easy to use if one favors that technique.

[Melanie Wong]

Thanks, Ecco used to serve at the Sebastopol FM and had a table set-up, so probably not the same folks.

[Mick Ruthven]

What are the hours for the farmers markets in Healdsburg (Saturday) and Sebastopol (Sunday)? Does Mateo Granados run out of food before closing time and/or begin serving after opening hours?

[Cynsa]

9 am to Noon - Saturday at the Healdsburg Farmers Market
http://www.healdsburgfarmersmarket.org/

10 am to 1:30 pm - Sunday at the Sebastopol Farmers Market
http://www.sonomauncorked.com/wine-co...
(soon to close for the season)

[Mick Ruthven]

The Sebastopol Farmers Market website says their last day in Nov 25, which is tomorrow, so it's over until next year. Right?

[Cynsa]

Tomorrow is the 25th. Windsor's Farmers Market has also closed for the season.

[Mick Ruthven]

I know, but since the Sebastopol Farmers Market is a Sunday event, it's already over, right?

[Melanie Wong]

Problem is, you don't know how old that listing is. Nov 25 was a Sunday in 2007.

When I wrote the original post, I did a quick search to see if I could find the closing date for the Sebastopol FM. I couldn't find one that I trusted, but again, that was a quick look. You might try calling the market manager at the number shown or sending an email to Granados if you need to know for certain.

[Mick Ruthven]

Ah ha, maybe it's 2007 old and that was the last Sunday in November, and maybe the last day is always the last Sunday in November which is coming up. Makes sense to me. I really don't need to know for sure, but that probability of it being open this Sunday is enough to get me to go there and just eat somewhere else if it's not open.

[Melanie Wong]

The Sebastopol market is across the street from BBQ Smokehouse. PizzaVino 707 is right there too though I don't know if it is open for lunch.

If you can make it up to Healdsburg on Saturday, I'm planning to be at the market and will probably have my breakfast there. Join me.

[Mick Ruthven]

Thanks for the Healdsburg invite. I'm holding Saturday morning open for taking a visiting friend to SFO, but her relatives may take her instead but I won't know till later. What time will you be there?

[Melanie Wong]

Probably around 10:30am/11:00ish. The weekend after Thanksgiving is a prime time to hit the wineries for tasting. Many will have open houses, offer special deals, etc.

[rworange]

While it isn't 100% correct, this site is the most reliable I've found
http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/index...

It says it runs thru the end of November which would mean 11/29/2009. There is a contact number.

[Cynsa]

thank you - that seems sensible for 2009

[Melanie Wong]

That page of the site doesn't actually say it runs thru the end of November, rather
"Sundays, 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM, April - November", which is not the same thing. Do call ahead if it's important to you. Also, the market actually goes until 2pm.

[Cynsa]

Sunday November 29 - LAST SEBASTOPOL FARMERS MARKET for 2009 and Patisserie Angelica will be there.

[Melanie Wong]

Thank you, maybe I'll have TWO Mateo breakfasts this weekend, topped off with Angelica's goodies.

[Melanie Wong]

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