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Written by: Lake County News reports

Published: 01 October 2012

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Road Department is planning preventive maintenance treatments in several parts of the county this week.

The fog seal treatment will consist of applying a thin coating of oil over the road surface to seal and preserve the pavement, the department reported.

The coating material must remain undisturbed for one hour following treatment, depending on temperature and humidity, to allow for proper hardening, and so the areas must not be walked or driven on during that time, according to the department. No street parking will be allowed during that time period when the material is curing.

Treatments will take place in the following locations on the dates and times listed below.

Tuesday, Oct. 2

• Pitney Lane: From Elk Mountain Road to Alley Creek Bridge, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Elk Mountain Road: From Rancheria Road to Middle Creek Road, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Middle Creek Road: From Elk Mountain Road to Second Street, 10 a.m. to noon.
• Government Street; From First Street to Highway 20, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 3

• Seigler Canyon Road: From Perini Road (east intersection) to Loch Lomond Road; one-way traffic control in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with up to one hour delay expected.

Thursday, Oct. 4

• Loch Lomond Road: From Seigler Canyon Road to Highway 175; one-way traffic control in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with up to one hour delay expected.
• Seigler Canyon Road: From Perini Road (east intersection) to Highway 29; one-way traffic control in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with up to one hour delay expected.

The Lake County Road Department asks the community to plan on using alternate routes whenever possible on days the treatments are scheduled, don’t use the areas for parking and not to allow children to play in the treatment areas, as the treatment material is extremely difficult to remove from clothing and hands, requiring the use of kerosene or cleaning solvent.

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Written by: Elizabeth Larson

Published: 30 September 2012

CLEARLAKE OAKS, Calif. – Lake County’s oldest grocery store this week made history when it sold a SuperLotto ticket that ended up being the largest jackpot won in the county since the state lottery began.

Gary Nylander, owner of the Red and White Store in Clearlake Oaks, said that shortly before 6:30 a.m. Sunday he received a call from the California State Lottery, notifying him that one of two multimillion dollar lottery tickets had been sold at his store.

The California State Lottery reported that the winning ticket sold at the Red and White Store was one of two tickets that matched all five numbers plus the mega number in Saturday night’s $28 million SuperLotto Plus drawing.

The winning numbers were 30, 27, 4, 3 and 39, with the mega number being 3.

The holder of the Clearlake Oaks ticket will receive $14 million, as will the person who purchased the second ticket at the Ocean Super Market in Milpitas, according to the California State Lottery Web site.

Nylander, whose store has sold lottery tickets since the state lottery began 28 years ago, said it’s the biggest jackpot in the county’s history.

As of Sunday evening, Nylander said the winner had not yet come forward, adding that winners can remain anonymous.

“I really hope it’s one of my customers that shops regularly,” he said.

Nylander said he doesn’t know when, precisely, the ticket was purchased, only that the sale occurred sometime this past week. He said in his experience most SuperLotto tickets are sold the same days as the drawings, which take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

It’s also a win for Nylander’s store, which his grandparents – Cory and Eddie Nylander – opened in 1933.

Up until this point, selling lottery tickets alone hasn’t been a very profitable offering for the store, with Nylander pointing out that they receive six cents for every ticket sold.

However, as the retailer who sold the winning ticket, Nylander will receive $70,000 – or one half of 1 percent of the jackpot – from the California State Lottery. In about three weeks he should be receiving his check.

“It will go back into the store,” he said. “We’ve seen some pretty lean years.”

Just this past year Nylander put about $30,000 in new paint and signage into the store, which sits along Highway 20, next to Nylander Park. Nylander and his family sold the property for the park to the county several years ago at a reduced rate, with the park helping form a new town center.

Nylander has been running the store since 1983. He plans to retire this year and hand over the store to his daughter, Jodie, making it a fourth-generation family business.

He said he hopes that being the source of the county’s biggest lottery ticket will draw some hopeful lottery enthusiasts from farther afield.

With the infusion of cash and excitement – plus some extraordinarily good luck – Nylander said, “I’m feeling pretty good today.”

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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Written by: Lake County News Reports

Published: 30 September 2012

 
My father once raved about a curried red lentil soup that I made decades ago and I’ve been trying to recreate it ever since.
 
Does that ever happen to you?
 
A little of this goes into the pot, then a little of that, a few tastes are taken during the process, adjustments are made and finally the perfect product is created.
 
You’re amazed, others are amazed, and at some point you try to do it again, but can’t.
 
That’s what it’s like with the tasty but now elusive soup I made at my father’s Massachusetts home when I was a 20-something single woman.
 
There was peanut butter involved, and curry and tender celery leaves, and I recall my father saying it tasted North African, but the rest is beyond me. But I’ll keep trying, and maybe someday I’ll find my way back to it.
 
Putting all that aside, according to archaeological evidence, today’s topic has been eaten by humankind for perhaps 13,000 years (at least 9,500); that is, since pre-pottery Neolithic times.
 
Lentils are thought to have originated in the Mediterranean region or in the Near East and were one of the first crops cultivated there.
 
They store indefinitely, no doubt one of the reasons they were beloved by early civilizations.
 
These tiny disk-like legumes grow in pods on bushy plants. There are typically two lentils per pod, making hand-harvesting them labor intensive.
 
The word lentil comes from the Latin lens; in fact, the optic lens took its name from this similar shaped bean relative.
 
There are hundreds of varieties of lentils, with as many as 50 cultivated for food. They come in a variety of colors – brown, green, red, orange, black, yellow – and have a pleasant, earthy taste.
 
Some have hints of nuttiness or pepper in their flavor.
 
When dried and halved, lentils resemble their cousins, the split pea. Like them, they cook relatively quickly and without the requisite soaking other legumes require.
 
Typical supermarket lentils are of the brown variety, which soften but hold their shape pretty well when cooked. They still have their seed coats attached and haven’t been split. They work well in salads if not overcooked, and soups prepared with them generally contain whole lentils.
 
Most orange, red or yellow lentils soften quickly as they’ve had their hulls removed. They disintegrate when cooked, making them especially nice for soups, purees, or as stew thickeners.
 
Other lentil varieties include olive and slate colored French lentils, which remain the most firm with cooking. Also from France are Le Puy lentils, perhaps the most expensive variety. Considered by many the most flavorful lentil, they retain their shape when cooked.
 
Persian green lentils turn brown as they cook, becoming tender yet firm.
 
Often used in salads and popular with chefs, pricey Beluga lentils are black and glisten like caviar.
 
It’s worth noting that lentils don’t contain sulfur, the gas-producing element in other legumes, making the post-consumption period more pleasant than that of their odiferous kin.
 
They are, however, packed with high-quality protein; about 30 percent of their calories come from it. In fact, they contain the third-highest level of protein by weight of any legume or nut, eclipsed only by soybeans and hemp.
 
They’re considered an inexpensive source of protein in many parts of the world, especially in West Asia and the Indian subcontinent, which have large vegetarian populations. When served with rice, the meal becomes a source of complete protein.
 
In India, the country responsible for one quarter of worldwide lentil production, lentils are used to make dal, a stew which is also popular in nearby countries.
 
Lentil flour, available in some markets, is used to make fermented bread in India.
 
In addition to protein, lentils are an excellent source of soluble fiber, the type which assists in lowering cholesterol levels. They also contain good stores of manganese, folate, iron, vitamin B1 and potassium.
 
When purchasing lentils, select those that are dry, clean, firm and unshriveled, with a fairly uniform color. They should be inspected and rinsed before cooking, with any errant stones or chaff removed.
 
If stored in a sealed package or air-tight container in a cool, dry place, lentils will keep indefinitely; however, for best flavor and presentation, use within a year.
 
Cooked lentils may be refrigerated up to a week or frozen for six months. If frozen, handle them gently to avoid their falling apart.
 
Depending on the type, lentils cook within ten to 40 minutes. Acidic ingredients such as wine or tomatoes lengthen the cooking process, so whenever possible, add those components once the lentils have become tender.
 
Similarly, salt will make lentils tough, so add it at the end of the cooking process.
 
Lentils make a nutritious, flavorful soup that’s inexpensive and easy to prepare, they’re a wonderful ingredient in stews, and a wide variety of salads are created with them, both warm and cold.
 
A staple at a friend’s house is a thick, stewy side dish of wild rice and lentils. She once served me baked cod atop this concoction and it was delicious.
 
One surprising use for lentils is cookies. Alton Brown, Food Network personality and host of “Good Eats” uses lentil puree along with oatmeal for cookies, and several dessert recipes are offered on the USA Dry Pea and Lentil Council website, including pecan pie, spice cake, and butterscotch cookies.
 
This is something I haven’t tried, but who knows? I may get round to making sweets with lentils before I get my baffling soup right.
 
Today’s recipe is for lentil salad a la Alton Brown. It includes pork, but should be tasty without that ingredient for vegetarian cooks.
 
Lentils are considered good luck in some cultures, so before I leave I’ll wish you good lentil.
 
Happy Sunday and bon appétit!
 
Lentil salad

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 recipe basic cooked lentils, see recipe below
6 to 8 slices thick-sliced bacon, cooked and chopped (optional)
 
Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme together in a large mixing bowl. Add the warm lentils and bacon and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
 
Basic cooked lentils

1 pound brown or green lentils, approximately 2 1/2 cups
1 small onion, halved
1 large clove garlic, halved
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 pound salt pork, optional
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
Pick over the lentils, rinse and drain. Place the lentils along with the onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt and pork into a large 6-quart saucepan and cover with water by 2 to 3 inches.

Place over high heat and bring just to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

Drain any remaining liquid and discard the onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt pork. Stir in black pepper and taste immediately for salt. Serve immediately.
 
Recipe by Alton Brown and courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com .

Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .