By Mike Higdon, Reno Gazette-Journal

Nevada’s craft brewpubs will be able to make more than twice as much beer starting in July if Gov. Brian Sandoval signs an omnibus liquor bill.

Nevada is one of the top beer consuming states but one of the most restrictive on production, according to 24/7 Wall Street. Most of that consumption comes from Las Vegas tourism and most of that beer is large-scale domestic beers with no limits to the amount they can import and sell in the state, according to Nevada Department of Taxation numbers.

The local craft brewers would like to change that in their favor so that tourists seek out local beer on tap at the casinos instead. This new bill might give them that opportunity.

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By Kathryn Reed

I’m one of those fair-weather barbecuers. Love that the season is upon us.

This salad is so incredibly easy to assemble, colorful and healthy. Any vegetables you like will work well. It’s not that they have to be grilled, but the flavor and charred look add so much.

It makes for a perfect entrée. It’s also one of the salads that is served at room temp or warm as opposed to cold.

Plus, by using quinoa the protein is taken care of.

Grilled Quinoa Salad

1½ C quinoa

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more

¼ C olive oil, plus more

3 T fresh lemon juice

Fresh ground black pepper

1 bunch scallions

1 bunch asparagus

1 red pepper

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 avocado, cut into 1-inch pieces

½ cup mint leaves

¼ cup sunflower seeds

Sea salt

Cook quinoa.

Whisk oil and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour over warm quinoa and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

Grill scallions, asparagus and pepper (halved) over medium-high grill. Grill tomatoes in a basket. Cook until done; should have char marks on veggies, including tomatoes splitting. Cut onions, asparagus and peppers into bite-size pieces.

Divide quinoa onto plates, add veggies. Then top with avocado, mint and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

By Kathryn Reed

PLACERVILLE – With the sudden heat wave, it can seem like last winter’s deluge was in some other decade. For El Dorado County vintners, it’s all in a day’s work to contend with whatever Mother Nature brings.

Growing grapes is farming. And all farmers know they are at the whim of the weather.

Coming out of multiple years of drought, though, is bringing a bit of optimism to many in the foothills.

El Dorado County winemakers are thrilled with the moisture that fell this past winter. Photo/Kathryn Reed

Elliot and Sherrie Graham, owners of Busby Cellars, dry farm 7 of the 15 acres that are planted. That acreage without irrigation yielded 4 tons of grapes last year. This compares to 14 tons in 2012.

They are hoping this year will be similar to 2006 which followed two dry years. That vintage saw 40 tons of grapes from the whole 15 acres.

Grape vines can have roots that are 20-feet deep, so it takes a bit of water to reach that depth.

While many vineyards were sitting in several inches of water during the winter, this was no big deal because the vines are dormant. Trouble would come if that same ponding were to occur between now and harvest in late summer/early fall.

The abundance of winter moisture is expected to bring in yields that have not been recorded for years. And while robust harvests can actually mean the quality is less, the opposite tends to be true when the higher tonnage comes after a year or two of dry conditions.

Vaughn Jodar respects Mother Nature, knowing she always has another lesson to teach. Photo/Kathryn Reed

At Jodar Vineyard and Winery the rocky mountain side makes it near impossible to keep any moisture in the ground by the vines. Five wells on the 40-acre parcel provide water to the vineyard and the family house.

“Two years ago we were really frightened,” owner Vaughn Jodar told Lake Tahoe News. “We were surprised we still had water.”

Vineyard managers would draw on the wells early in the morning to irrigate, then overnight the aquifer was refreshed. The drought that finally came to an end this winter tested those wells more than they had been in the last 30 years.

“There are many lessons you don’t want to learn, but Mother Nature will teach you,” Jodar said.

The Placerville area received about 80 inches of rain this past winter. Bud-break was normal, coming in April. But a frost last month damaged vines in the region. At Madrona it hit some of the Chardonnay and Cabernet grapes.

“In 2015, a lot of berries didn’t mature, though the quality was off the charts,” Paul Bush, Madrona owner, told Lake Tahoe News. “I think this could be a bumper crop and exceptional quality this year. It will depend on the summertime temperatures.”

By Jay R. Brooks, San Jose Mercury News

Each year, nearly 5 million people visit Lake Tahoe. You could almost say there are two Tahoes. And considering that each state has its own alcohol laws that determine what’s available and where it can be sold, there are two Tahoe beer scenes, as well.

If Lake Tahoe were a clock, you’d find Tahoe Mountain Brewing at 10 o’clock. The Tahoe City brewpub sits across the street from the lake, offering picturesque views to go with your burger or pint. The brewpub taps include a wide of selection of beers available year round, as well as a fun selection of limited-release beers.

South Lake Tahoe sits at the 6 o’clock spot, with the highest concentration of breweries in the area.

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The Food Bank of El Dorado County will be in South Lake Tahoe on May 24.

Food for those eligible to receive this assistance will be handed out at a new location. From 10-11am people make pick up food at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church on Lyons Avenue.

For more information, email info@foodbankedc.org.

The El Dorado County Area Agency on Aging has a limited supply of senior farmers’ market check booklets available for qualified El Dorado County residents.

Each eligible senior will receive one booklet that includes five checks redeemable for $4 each to be used at certified farmers’ markets for the purchase of fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, cut herbs and raw unprocessed honey.

Distribution of the booklets will take place as follows:

• July 11 from 8am-1pm at the South Lake Tahoe Farmers’ Market, American Legion
• July 15 from 9am-noon at the People’s Mountain Market, Garden Valley Park
• July 19 from 8am-noon at the Burke’s Junction Farmers’ Market in Cameron Park.
• July 26 from 4pm to dusk at the Main Street Farmers’ Market in Placerville. 

Farmers’ market check booklets will be distributed to seniors who are at least 60 years of age and meet income guidelines (one person household with annual income less than $22,311 or $1,860 per month or two person household with income less than $30,044 or $2,504 per month). Checks are good for all certified farmers’ markets in California.

Quantities of the booklets are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

By Craig Giammona, Bloomberg

The American grocery store has so far been mostly immune to the ravages of online shopping and the all around apocalyptic outlook facing the nation’s retailers. But a war is coming to the staid supermarket, and that could mean more consolidation, bankruptcies, and falling prices.

An invasion is getting under way. Lidl, a German retailer known for low prices and efficient operations, is expected to start an aggressive U.S. expansion in the coming weeks that could open as many as 100 new stores across the East Coast by the summer of 2018. The company, which runs about 10,000 stores in Europe, has also set its sights on Texas, one of the most competitive grocery markets in the U.S. Analysts expect Lidl to expand to nearly $9 billion in sales by 2023.

The last thing U.S. grocers need is more cutthroat competition. As the ranks of U.S. grocery stores have swelled, food has become a way for struggling brick-and-mortar retailers such as dollar stores and pharmacies to compete for customers. Even though groceries have been somewhat insulated from online pressure, Amazon.com remains dedicated to cracking the code, finally, on fresh food.

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Farmers’ market season is about to begin in the Lake Tahoe-Truckee area.

Here is a schedule of most of them:

·      Sundays – June 4-Sept. 24, 10am-2pm: 12047 Donner Pass Road, Truckee (in the Sears and Coffeebar Bakery center).

·      Tuesdays – June 6-Oct. 10, 8am-1pm: American Legion parking lot in South Lake Tahoe. Certified organic market.

·      Wednesdays – May 24-Sept. 13, 4-7pm: Kahle Community Park in Stateline. It will feature farm-fresh vegetables and fruits, handmade soy candles and bath products, sweets and treats, gluten free products, grape seed oils, lavender products, martini olives, flowers, cookies and baked goods.

·      Thursdays – May 18-Oct. 12, am-1pm: Commons Beach, Tahoe City. Fresh produce and other food.

·      Thursdays – May 25-Aug. 31, 4-7pm: Lake Tahoe School, Incline Village. Farm fresh vegetables and fruit.

·      Fridays – June 2-August, 3-8pm: Ski Run Boulevard, South Lake Tahoe. Organic farm fresh produce, local eats, a bounce house for kids, live music, beer garden and locally made arts and crafts.

UCCE Master Gardeners of Lake Tahoe is hosting free workshops to teach people how to grow food at the lake.

These spring workshops will be focused on strawberries, asparagus and tomatoes.

May 13: Kahle Community Center, (1-3pm)—Strawberries
May 20: South Lake Tahoe Library, (10am-noon) — Asparagus
May 30: South Lake Tahoe Library, (6-8pm) — Tomatoes

Participants receive instruction on cultivation techniques, history and background on the plants being highlighted. Everyone will leave with free plants for their gardens. These are family friendly workshops, with hands-on opportunities to get acquainted with growing vegetables.

By Weston Williams, Christian Science Monitor

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has had a busy first week. Only six days after his appointment to the new position, Perdue announced he would roll back Obama-era school nutrition standards, a move that has prompted criticism from a number of nutrition experts around the country.

Perdue called for a relaxation of the standards in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act introduced in 2010, which had been championed by former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama.

The rollback would reduce whole-grain requirements, allow higher levels of sodium entrees, and restore higher-fat and sweetened milk to school cafeterias nationwide.

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