News

HIGH VALLEY – Firefighters and air tankers responded to a small wildland fire along High Valley Road late Saturday afternoon.

The fire was reported at 12340 High Valley Road and Alta Vista Drive at about 4:40 p.m., according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire Capt. Joe Petersen said the fire burned a total of six acres.

One air attack, two air tankers, a helicopter, a bulldozer, two hand crews from Konocti Conservation Camp and five engines responded from Cal Fire, Petersen said. Local fire districts offered mutual aid response, he said.

Cal Fire reported power lines were down at the site.

JD Guidi, a spokesman with Pacific Gas & Electric, said an oak tree branch had knocked down the lines.

Guidi said a total of six PG&E customers were affected by the downed power lines. Power to all of those customers was expected to be restored by midnight.

The downed power lines are a possible fire cause, but Petersen said the investigation is still under way.

The fire was reportedly contained at approximately 5:17 p.m., said Petersen.

Three engines remained on scene throughout the evening, conducting mopup operations, he added.

Earlier in the day, shortly before 2 p.m., a small grass fire was reported along Highway 29 south of Witter Springs.

Petersen said that fire burned less than half an acre before it was contained a short time later.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .

 

 

 

 

I was once a much healthier person. I was a marathon runner and a weight lifter. I ate very healthily and if you were to see pictures of me from that era I was quite thin and in great shape. Nowadays if you see me running you better look out, because shortly there will be a werewolf bounding up in hot pursuit.

I haven’t noticed any mysterious deaths that could be attributed to werewolves here in the county, but they might be subsisting off of deer and the kills are being blamed on cougars. We’re lucky here in America to only have werewolves; according to my Asian horror encyclopedia, Japan also has werecats and werebears.

Even though I’m not in the shape I once was, some of the credit for me being able to escape the werewolves is that I try to eat a lot of low fat or no fat foods. One example is that I have lots of jams and jellies in my refrigerator at home. Not only are they no fat, but they provide diversity for my daughter’s school lunches instead of just lunch meat and cheese on bread everyday. I have to keep her in shape to be able to outrun the werewolves, too.

Another reason that I like jam is that it is an almost magical food to me. It’s a mixture of fruit juices and sugar that, through some sort of magic spell, transforms into a solid. It’s the magic of the pectin in the fruit cells. Just how that happens I’ll describe a little later.

The pectin that causes jams and jellies to be a solid is a soluble dietary fiber that has been found to lower blood cholesterol. Pectin is also an intestinal “lubricant” and is frequently used to cure both constipation and diarrhea. Up until recently pectin was a main ingredient in over-the-counter intestinal medications.

But what is the difference between jams, jellies and preserves? Is it just local dialect, or are there differences in the recipes, production, and products? There are also many different types of jellies, jams, and preserves made with meat, of which duck confit is the most familiar. Today we’ll just focus on those made with fruit.

Jelly is a “clear” fruit juice that either sets naturally or with the addition of pectin or occasionally gelatin. Jam is a jelly with the addition of fruit pulp, which is normally pureed or mashed. Preserves are typically a jam or jelly with whole or chunks of fruit. “Conserves” hold no legal definition but the term is occasionally used in the place of “preserves” but can include multiple different fruits, nuts, and other additions. Marmalade is jelly with the addition of fruit peels. Most marmalades are made with citrus fruits of all varieties. Citrus peels are very high in pectin.

And to add to your international food education, in the UK the word “jelly” actually refers to a gelatin dessert or what we call jello. The French word “gelee” is the root for jelly. The Greek word for the tomato is “Lycopersicum” and translates to “wolf’s peach.” The root word for pectin means “congealed.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration actually considers jams and preserves the same, but differentiates them from jelly. The United States Department of Agriculture requires that 45 percent of a jelly or jam be fruit.

 

The United States makes about one billion pounds of fruit spreads per year and the average American eats over two pounds of it in that same year. Your average child will eat 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the time they graduate high school.

Nobody knows the true origin of jellies but it is believed they originated in the Middle East. This makes sense because they had sugar cane to work with and would be able to preserve their fruit for long term use. European soldiers returning from the Crusades brought jellies and jams home with them. Oddly enough, the oldest book known to man, “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” which also originates from the Middle East, has a primary character named Enkidu who is a “man-beast.” Could this just be a coincidence? Did the crusaders bring lycanthropes to Europe from Jerusalem? You will have to judge for yourself.

There are several methods used in the making of jams, but since I’m not actually skilled in doing it I won’t go into recipes or describe how to make it. I’d probably leave out a very small but vital step and you’d wind up with strawberries all over your ceiling. The basic process comes from heating fruit which releases the pectin from the cells. The pectin binds together, trapping the juice and any fruit pulp in the matrix. There are “freezer jams” and no-cook type processes, but they aren’t as common or generally as successful as the heating method.

I have known Sabine Hue De La Roche for many years, and she has become a jam and jelly maker here in the county that is becoming quite popular. I have six jars of her different preserves in my refrigerator right now because my family likes them so much, and you know I am very interested in supporting local businesses.

She has a red bell pepper jam that is fantastic on a bagel with cream cheese, among its many other uses. There is also yellow bell pepper jam that has a little kick, and an orange bell pepper jam that has a real heat to it. She also makes pear, pear/cranberry, pear/rhubarb, plum, cherry/plum, peach, blackberry, pumpkin and, my personal favorite, kiwi/banana flavor.

I use the Hue De La Roche Farms jellies and jams in some unorthodox manners also, but I’m sure you were expecting something like that from me. I use them on various meats for braising, basting, even marinating in them. If you should want to experiment with them just keep in mind that straight jelly can and will burn easily due to the sugar content.

Dinner on a recent evening was chicken breasts with a red bell pepper jam, sour cream and garlic sauce. It was very good, although the mashed plantains as the side dish wasn’t as popular. I’ve also marinated beef in the red pepper jam mixed with soy sauce to make beef jerky, which was simply delicious.

You can purchase her jellies and jams at the High Valley Wines and Steele Winery tasting rooms, Nylander’s Red and White in Clearlake Oaks, and Seely Produce stand in Upper Lake. She can also be found at farmers markets around the lake. On Tuesdays, Kelseyville Lumber in Kelseyville; on Thursdays, Coyote Valley (Middletown), behind Hardester’s; Fridays, Redbud Park, Clearlake; and Saturdays: Steel Winery, Farmers Finest.

If you’re from out of the area, Sabine does ship. You can contact her for her full product line and pricing by sending an e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or writing to The Hue De Laroque Farm, P.O. Box 821, Clearlake Oaks, CA 95423.

 

I don’t think I have to tell you, but if you eat too many fatty foods you can really do some shape shifting in your own way. So, eat more jam and keep the werewolf at bay.

Ross A. Christensen is an award-winning gardener and gourmet cook. He is the author of "Sushi A to Z, The Ultimate Guide" and is currently working on a new book. He has been a public speaker for many years and enjoys being involved in the community. Follow him on Twitter, http://twitter.com/Foodiefreak .

LAKE COUNTY – Every 39 minutes someone in the U.S. is injured in a home fire.

Home fires result in hundreds of people being burned and even killed in Californian each year. That’s why Cal Fire is teaming up with fire departments across the country for Fire Prevention Week 2009 to urge all residents to “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned.”

This year’s fire prevention week campaign runs Oct. 4 through the 10 and focuses on ways to keep

homes fire safe and prevent painful burns.

The statistics are staggering. Each year roughly 3,000 people die nationwide as a result of home fires and burns, and more than 200,000 individuals are seen in the nation’s emergency rooms for burn injuries.

“Firefighters wear protective equipment to keep them from getting burned,” said Cal Fire Chief Del Walters. “This week we want to equip the public with knowledge to keep them safe from fire and prevent devastating burn injuries.”

By following simple safety rules, you can “Stay Fire Smart! Don’t Get Burned.”

– Keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges so they cannot be pulled down or knocked over.

– Have a 3-foot “kid-free” zone around the stove.

– Never hold a child in your arms while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage.

– Be careful when using things that get hot such as curling irons, ovens, irons, lamps and heaters.

– Never leave a child alone in a room with a lit candle, portable heater, lit fireplace or stove, or where a hot appliance might be in use.

For more fire safety tips visit the Cal Fire Web site at www.fire.ca.gov .

KELSEYVILLE – Now that it's the proud owner of a facility to house its administration offices and new domestic violence shelter, Lake Family Resource Center is getting settled into its new location.

The shelter and administration facility, which will include community classrooms and meeting rooms, is located at 5350 Main St. in Kelseyville.

“It's exciting to be actually on site,” said Executive Director Gloria Flaherty.

Following three years of fundraising and planning, escrow on the $1.1 million property closed in July, as Lake County News has reported.

Work is under way around the former motel property, which has several small cottage-type buildings that will temporarily house families seeking refuge from violent home environments. In all the facility will have 35 beds.

Flaherty said the domestic violence shelter isn't expected to be in place and ready for service until November.

Right now, however, the agency's administrative offices have relocated in the roughly 1,500-square-foot main building.

Next door is the Kelseyville Unified School District and Kelseyville High School, and the back of the administrative offices opens up into a large grassy area where birds can be heard loudly singing in the middle of town.

Flaherty said they're seeking assistance from service clubs to help landscape the grounds.

Contractors are busy at work around the grounds, preparing the shelter portion. Flaherty said Dave Meek is acting as general contractor on the project.

When it's done, the facility will have walk-in services and counseling for domestic violence victims on site in a separate building, said Flaherty. Another of the buildings will include community classrooms and storage.

While the facility is a nonconfidential shelter, with the idea being that the community will help monitor it, it will still be secured with cameras and a fenced parking area.

The shelter also will have a courtyard, a community area including laundry and kitchen facilities, and a children's playground at the back of the property, said Flaherty.

She said they're also seeking a grant to support placing pet kennels on the property. Flaherty explained that many people trying to escape a violent domestic environment are afraid to leave if they can't take their pets, because the animals also are in danger.

She added that the town of Kelseyville has been fantastic and supportive.

Just down the street, Lake Family Resource Center has rented a building to house its teen parenting, Healthy Families programs, and sexual assault and other programs.

Services also continue to be offered from it location on Lakeport Boulevard.

“We're pretty excited about it all,” said Flaherty.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow Lake County News on Twitter at http://twitter.com/LakeCoNews .