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Written by: Lake County News reports

Published: 24 October 2010

The blaze was one of two in unincorporated Napa County that kept county and Cal Fire firefighters busy on Sunday, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief and Napa County Fire Marshal Pete Muñoa.

The fire that claimed the lives of the cats was reported at 4:20 p.m. in the 5600 block of Silverado Trail in Napa, Muñoa said.

An accessory building, described to be a cattery to the rear of a residence, was fully involved by the time firefighters arrived at scene, he said. The 30 animals that died were located in the building.

Muñoa said investigators from the Napa County Fire Marshal’s Office are investigating the cause of the fire.

Earlier in the day, Napa County and Cal Fire firefighters responded to a residence on fire in the 2300 block of Stagecoach Canyon Road in Pope Valley, he reported.

When firefighters arrived on the scene of that fire, reported at 3:30 p.m., Muñoa said they found the home filled with smoke from a chimney fire that spread, causing damage to the attic and roof.

Muñoa said the 1,800-square-foot residence suffered approximately $15,000 in damage.

No humans were injured in either incident, Muñoa said.

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Written by: Lake County News Reports

Published: 23 October 2010

Devin Baker is stopped just short of the goal by Andrew Klaes on Kelseyville's first possession. Kelseyville scored on the next play on Friday, October 23, 2010, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – In a penalty- and injury-plagued game, the Kelseyville Knights roughed up a bruised Lower Lake Trojans football team Friday night, dominating in the second half and posting a convincing 60-18 win in Friday night’s North Central I – North league game.

The victory extends Kelseyville’s winning streak to six games this season, and brings their overall record to 6-1 (2-0 in league play), while the Trojans fall to 4-3 overall this season and 0-2 in league play.

After the game, Trojans head coach Stan Weiper talked about playing with a significantly weakened team.

“We lost (running back Roy) Percoats this week, and he’s a very, very good player,” Weiper said. “Then EJ Jermany got hurt out there tonight, so there goes our entire backfield. After that, you’re just looking at putting in anyone with two legs in the backfield.”

Also injured was Lower Lake quarterback Devante Scott, who suffered a pulled groin in the first half, and wide receiver Aaron James, who was carried off the field by stretcher with a serious ankle injury while play was halted for 30 minutes in the second half.

Lower Lake's sack of Knights quarterback Chris Augon in the middle of the second quarter led to the game's first punt during play between Kelseyville and Lower Lake on Friday, October 23, 2010, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

Of the 60 points his team scored against the Trojans, first year head coach Rob Ishihara said, “That’s the most points we’ve ever scored since I started coaching here.”

The two teams traded touchdowns in their opening possessions for most of the first quarter of Friday night’s game, with quarterback Chris Augon scoring on a couple of one-yard quarterback keeps for Kelseyville, while Lower Lake capped touchdown drives with a 16-yard run by Scott and a three-yard dash by Trojan running back Jack O’Hara.

But with the score tied at 12-12, a bad snap on a fourth-down Lower Lake punt attempt deep in their own territory was recovered by Kelseyville at the Trojans’ seven-yard line, and the Knights scored two plays later on a five-yard sweep by running back Mike Allen.

With 2:34 left in the half, the Trojans turned the ball over on downs, and the Knights made good use of the time remaining with a 49-yard Mike Davis touchdown reception that brought the score to 25-12 after Diego Barajas made the extra point for Kelseyville.

Lower Lake tried to close the gap before the half ended, but Mike Davis intercepted a wayward Devante Scott pass at midfield and ran it back to the Trojans’ six-yard line with just 22 seconds on the clock.

Two plays later the Trojans returned the favor when defensive back Marcus Radovan intercepted an errant Chris Augon pass, and the score stood at 25-12 going into halftime.

Kelseyville's Mike Allen breaks away from the Trojans' Alfonza Daniels to give the Knights an 18-12 lead on Friday, October 23, 2010. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

“Whenever anything positive happens to us, something negative happens,” Scott lamented midway through the game.

After a couple of Kelseyville penalties helped Lower Lake drive the ball down to the Knights’ two-yard line on their opening possession of the second half, the Trojans fumbled and Davis recovered the ball in the Lower Lake end zone.

A sharp, well-timed cutback on a critical fourth-down quarterback option by Augon allowed him to sprint 30 yards downfield for a touchdown and brought the score to 33-12.

After the game both coaches cited this Trojan turnover and the ensuing Knight score as significant, with Weiper adding, “It was probably the turning point in the game.”

Kelseyville went on to score four more unanswered touchdowns in the second half, including touchdowns by Mike Allen (a 1-yard run), Davis (a 19-yard pass), Garrett Huggins (on defense, recovering a Trojan fumble in their end zone) and Braiden Wayent (a 42-yard rush), an offensive onslaught that pushed the Knights out in front of Lower Lake 60-12.

Lower Lake’s only score of the second half came late in the 4th quarter on a wild play, when Scott took a Kelseyville kickoff all the way down to the Knights’ 15-yard line before fumbling to teammate Alphonzo Daniels, who picked up the ball and carried it into the Kelseyville end zone, making the final score 60-18.

Kelseyville’s Chris Augon completed three of six passes (all to Mike Davis) for 90 yards in Friday night’s game, and his team had a whopping 513 yards total offense, while Lower Lake’s Devante Scott completed just two of 18 passes for 17 yards in the game.

Jack O'Hara (22) was one of few running back options left for Lower Lake by the third quarter in the match between Kelseyville and Lower Lake on Friday, October 23, 2010, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

Defensively for the Knights, Davis had five tackles, two assists, a fumble recovery and an interception, while Devin Baker had four tackles and six assists.

Lower Lake’s Junior Varsity team fared better against Kelseyville, scoring several times late in the second half and walking away with a 41-14 victory.

The Trojans JV squad is now 5-2 overall (2-0 in league play), while the Knights JV team is 3-4 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Next week Kelseyville puts their first-place North Central I – North league standing on the line when they travel to Middletown to face off against a formidable Middletown Mustangs football team, who beat the previously-undefeated Timberwolves at Fort Bragg Friday night by a score of 38-14 and improved their record to 6-1 overall (1-0 in league play), while Lower Lake travels to Willits to face off against the Wolverines, who defeated Upper Lake Friday night and improved their overall record to 5-2 (0-1 in league play).

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Dustin Thaxton of the Knights leaps to intercept a pass intended for Camari Onwausoeze late in Kelseyville's 60-18 victory on Friday, October 23, 2010, in Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Ed Oswalt.

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Written by: Lake County News Reports

Published: 23 October 2010

Colorful carnival squash from Leonardis Organics of Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.

The rains are upon us, there’s a chill in the air and it’s time for the warm, hearty foods that nourish the soul.

I call this time of year my cooking season – it’s when I get most creative in the kitchen – and one of my favorite cool weather foods is the one which takes its name from the latter part of the season: winter squash.

Though winter squashes are planted in the summer, they’re harvested in their mature state, when the skin has hardened into a thick, protective rind. They’re available from August through March; however, they’re at their best in October and November when they’re in season.

They come in a plethora of colors, sizes and shapes, far more than what the typical local supermarket stocks. Unlike their summer relatives, such as zucchini and crookneck squash, they must be cooked before consuming.

We’re most familiar with pumpkins (which are members of the winter squash family) and acorn, butternut or spaghetti squash, but there are some lesser-known varieties.

Sweet dumpling squashes look like what their name suggests – round little dumplings – and their flesh is sweeter and drier than other squashes. The peel is soft enough to be eaten once cooked. Being fairly small, a half squash is equivalent to one portion. They’re typically pale yellow with orange stripes.

Kabocha squash (also known as Japanese squash or Japanese pumpkin) is a round, orange-fleshed squash with a deep green rind that has lighter green striations. Like sweet dumpling squashes, its flesh is sweeter and drier than other squashes. It tastes somewhat like sweet potatoes.

Hubbard squash has a bumpy, dark green rind that reminds me a bit of an avocado, though it has light green stripes. Its flesh is tasty, but its large size and extra thick rind makes it a bit difficult to handle.

The pumpkin-like golden nugget squash (also known as the oriental pumpkin) has a pleasant flavor, but has less flesh than most winter squashes. Like the Hubbard squash, its rind is thick and a bit difficult to cut.

Jim Leonardis' delicata squash. Photo by Esther Oertel.

Delicata squash, with its creamy flesh, is known to be one of the best tasting winter squashes. It’s long and oval shaped, with a light yellow rind that sports dark green horizontal bands. It’s sometimes called the sweet potato squash because of its taste. Choose squashes that are heavy for their size.

Squat, green buttercup squashes are known for their good taste, but may be a bit dry. Like delicata squash, they should be heavy for their size.

Long, large, smooth and yellow, banana squash are often sold in the market precut because of their size. The flesh is a rich golden color, which is beautiful as well as tasty.

Lastly (for purposes of this column) is the aptly named turban squash. With its dramatic two-tiered shape and bright colors, it makes a fantastic centerpiece. Unfortunately, its taste is not as interesting as its presentation, so it’s best used for decoration. When hollowed out, it makes for a nice soup tureen.

The variation in color, shape, size and skin type (grooved, smooth or bumpy) of winter squashes is almost unimaginable. To me, nothing says autumn more than a pile of these bright beauties, whether in a farmers’ field or the local market.

Squash is a member of the same family as melons and cucumbers and has been consumed by man for more than 10,000 years.

Today’s squashes are descendants of the wild squash that originated in an area between Mexico and Guatemala. This ancestor of modern squashes was initially cultivated for its seeds, as there was very little flesh and it was bitter.

Winter squashes are a veritable treasure trove of nutrients, with excellent stores of vitamin A, vitamin C, a variety of B vitamins, potassium, dietary fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. As well, they contain an abundance of beta-carotene, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Because of its thick skin, winter squash typically has a fairly long shelf life and, depending on the variety, can be stored for as long as six months. If picked fresh from the garden or the farmers’ field, the flavor continues to develop for about a month.

Today’s recipe offering is a duet of soups made with one of my favorite go-to winter squashes, butternut. The golden brown, pear-shaped butternut squash has deep orange flesh that adds a rich, buttery, earthy flavor to dishes made with it.

Both soups are made with pears, and I would suggest hurrying to find locally grown pears before they’re gone. Otherwise, supermarket pears will do just fine.

Farmers’ markets are winding down with this Wednesday and Saturday being the last for markets in Lakeport and Kelseyville, respectively, but winter squashes can be purchased directly from local farmers.

Sky Hoyt Specialty Growers of Kelseyville has grown a generous amount of butternut squash this year, and Leonardis Organics, also of Kelseyville, has the last of various interesting types of squash on hand. Hoyt can be reached at 707-279-0859 and call 707-483-4004 for Leonardis.

The first soup includes bacon, a nice accompaniment for winter squash, and the second one is a vegetarian version flavored with crispy sage. Enjoy!

Butternut squash soup with Lake County pears and bacon

6 strips bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken broth

4 cups peeled butternut squash cubes (about 1 small to medium squash)

3 large Lake County pears, such as Comice or Bartlett, peeled, cored and cubed

¾ cup chopped celery (3 – 4 ribs)

1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence

1 cup half and half

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Fresh thyme – use whole sprigs or coarsely chopped leaves for garnish

Sauté bacon in large stockpot until crisp, then remove to drain on paper towel.

Remove all but 1 tablespoon bacon grease from pot; add onion and sauté over medium heat until browned.

Add broth, squash, pears and celery to pot. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until quite tender.

Let cool slightly, then puree mixture until smooth with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender.

Return back to pot and add herbs and bacon. Simmer for 10 minutes more.

Stir in half and half and season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with thyme sprigs or leaves.

Butternut squash and pear soup with crispy sage

2-3 tablespoons salted butter

A healthy handful of whole, fresh sage leaves (enough to garnish each bowl, plus ten or so leaves for soup)

1-2 tablespoons olive oil (if needed)

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

4 cups peeled butternut squash cubes (about 1 small to medium squash)

3 large Lake County pears, such as Comice or Bartlett, peeled, cored and cubed

¾ cup chopped celery (about 2 ribs)

1 cup half and half

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt butter in large stock pot, allowing it to brown.

Add sage leaves and sauté until crisp. Remove leaves from pot with tongs and set aside.

Add onion (and olive oil, if needed) and sauté over medium heat until browned.

Add broth, squash, pears and celery to pot. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes, until quite tender.

Let cool slightly, then add about ten sage leaves and puree mixture until smooth with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender.

Return back to pot and simmer for 10 minutes more. Off heat, stir in half and half and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and garnish each with a crispy sage leaf.

Esther Oertel, the "Veggie Girl," is a personal chef and culinary coach and is passionate about local produce. Oertel owns The SageCoach Personal Chef Service and teaches culinary classes at Chic Le Chef in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., and The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport, Calif. She welcomes your questions and comments; e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Young sweet dumpling squash before developing yellow color. The squash is one of those grown by Jim Leonardis of Kelseyville, Calif. Photo by Esther Oertel.