We’re picking salad ingredients from the wild 🥗

Cheeseweed mallow, bur clover and sow thistle: It’s time to forage

Instructor Garth Harwood introduces students to shepherd’s purse during a foraging basics class at Hidden Villa in Los Altos Hills. Photo by Magali Gauthier.

Childhood is sticky, but not all childhood memories stick. Interestingly, a sticky childhood memory that stuck with me is of sipping sticky honey from honeysuckles after school (try saying that three times fast!).

That memory is probably the closest I ever got to foraging, which is the subject of this week’s food feature. Assistant lifestyle editor Karla Kane signed up for Hidden Villa’s “Make a Wild Salad! Foraging Basics” class and learned all about foraging, from sour grass to sow thistle.

And speaking of childhood memories, one of my favorite restaurants as a kid was The Counter. I rarely had an opportunity to indulge in a burger, so having the opportunity to not only eat one, but to customize it to be as crazy as I could imagine was such a treat. This week, I talked with the longtime owner of the Bay Area locations of The Counter, who is closing and selling his remaining locations.

Stay tasty,
Adrienne

A taste of the wild: A local naturalist teaches how to forage for edible plants responsibly

Why forage? Hidden Villa senior naturalist Garth Harwood said it grows your connection with nature and is healthy and fun. Dig into local foraging with reporter Karla Kane as she attends a foraging class.

Attention all food lovers, April 19th – 27 is your chance to try specialty dishes at some of your favorite local restaurants

Explore Peninsula Restaurant Week’s dining deals from nearly 100 local restaurants. > LEARN MORE

A new Italian market, three restaurant closures and Easter events

The Counter is a build-your-own burger chain founded in 2003 in Santa Monica. Peter Katz opened the second location in Palo Alto in 2006, eventually owning seven total in Northern California. Embarcadero Media file photo by Norbert von der Groeben. Credit: Norbert von der Groeben

Ryan Salet, founder of Coastside online farmers market REBYL Food, talks about plans to open REBYL Coffee, a cafe located within REBYL Food’s recently opened brick-and-mortar at Half Moon Bay’s Shoreline Station.
The Counter in Cupertino is closing Sunday, and two other locations are changing ownership. The longtime owner said he thinks “people would be insane to open a restaurant in California these days.”
Gourmet Franks closed March 17 after 43 years serving hot dogs at Stanford Shopping Center. The owner said it closed because of a 65% rent increase.
Still deciding on Easter plans? Check out our Easter events roundup.
The Mountain View Library is hosting a webinar Tuesday with Paula Johnson, curator and project director of the American Food History Project, discussing the book “Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us.”
Sidecar Modern Tavern closed March 17 after over four years in Los Gatos.
The Menlo Park development Springline’s newest addition is il Mercato di Che Fico, an Italian market by the team behind Che Fico Parco Menlo, which opened March 21.

Matcha Meyer Lemon Bars

When life gives you lemons, make…lemon bars? Well that’s what I decided to do when my mom’s friend gave her a bunch of Meyer lemons from her lemon tree. I love lemon bars. I think they’re the ultimate tangy-tart dessert. Buttery shortbread under creamy, mouth-puckering lemon curd is just an elite combo.

And if you know me, you know I love matcha. The concentrated green tea powder is such a great pairing with Meyer lemon because it adds a slight bitterness to the otherwise sweet-and-sour flavor.

Chef in the house
Andrea Potischman dishes on her new blog, Simmer + Sauce

FROM THE FOODIST

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We cover the dynamic, under-the-radar food scene around the Peninsula through articles, interviews and eating excursions. Pass along tips, comments and recipes to PeninsulaFoodist@PaloAltoOnline.com.

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