Contributing Writer

Originally, I sliced the figs in quarters but now I slice them in half because they are easier to sauté that way. 

There is something rare and precious about this salad. Rare because it can only be made during the short time when fresh figs are in season. The window closes so quickly. I tried making it once with dried figs and it wasn’t even close to the taste of warm fresh figs. You can make it with just the warm grapes if you are craving it during other seasons of the year.

You can individually plate this salad or you can serve it on a giant platter. The key is to add the warm ingredients at the very last minute. You can sauté the grapes and figs slightly in advance and have them waiting in a warm pan. The caramelized onions can be made up to three days in advance and rewarmed just before service.

The amounts for the main ingredients will vary depending on how many people you are serving. Accordingly, I have only listed the ingredients and not the amounts.

WARM ROASTED FIG & GRAPE SALAD

For the Caramelized Onions:

2 Yellow Onions

1/4 cup Olive Oil, plus more as needed

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar, reduced (optional)

For the Salad:

Baby Arugula

Goat Cheese (I use the Silver Chèvre pictured above)

Fresh Figs

Red Grapes

Marcona Almonds

2 tablespoons Olive Oil for sautéing

1 Tablespoon of Sugar

Pinch of Kosher Salt

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

3/4 cup Olive Oil

Make the caramelized onions:

The key to caramelized onions is having enough olive oil in the pan, letting them sit, and then occasionally stirring. Put a generous amount of olive oil in and sprinkle the onions with kosher salt. Add more oil halfway through the cooking process. Cook the onions until they are golden brown and sweet. Sometimes I add reduced Balsamic vinegar at the end of the caramelization process. Be sure the onions are fully caramelized before you add the vinegar since the acid will stop the caramelization process.

The onions can be made three days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Make the Balsamic Vinaigrette:

The most important part of making any salad dressing is adding the olive oil in SLOWLY. Always start by combining all of your other ingredients and then slowly adding the olive oil in a stream while you whisk away. Stop pouring to emulsify. Generally, the rule of proportions is 1/4 vinegar to 3/4 olive oil. (That will give you a cup of dressing.) Add the salt and pepper to taste. (Some people like a pinch of sugar as well.) I’ve also made this recipe without any vinaigrette at all because the balsamic onions make their own dressing. Thus, the dressing is optional!

Sauté the fruit:

Cut the grapes in half. Cut the figs in halves or quarters. Heat the largest sauté pan (frying pan, skillet) to medium high heat. If you have a small pan, sauté the fruit separately. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, then add the fruit and sprinkle with sugar and a pinch of salt. Keep warm in the pan until you are ready to serve.

Reheat the caramelized onions if you have made these in advance.

Assemble the Arugula on a big platter or on individual plates. Break the goat cheese up into small chunks and evenly distribute over the salad. Place the warm caramelized onions around the salad. Pour the warm fruit over the salad. Sprinkle the Marcona almonds evenly on the salad. Drizzle with the Balsamic vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

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The River of Giving group was created to provide groceries and paper goods to the hard-working families in restaurants and the hospitality industry who are temporarily out of work due to the COVID-19 crisis.

“St. Mark’s is generously providing soup to seniors and families on Tuesdays and Saturdays and is filling the need for housebound people who are unable to cook. We are fulfilling an opposite need,” said Maili Halme, coordinator of the project. “We are providing food for families with an average six household members and some with 8 to 12 in one household. Because our focus group originally was on cooks, we knew that if we provided wholesale, raw ingredients that they would be able to prepare that food to feed their families for a week.”

Maili Halme, coordinator of the project, explained that the group is called The River of Giving because the money flows from donations though the group and directly to the hard working families who need help for the first time in their lives.

Each delivery provides two kinds of protein. The first week was tri-tip and chicken, the second week was pork shoulder and ground beef and the third week consisted of chicken and ranchera beef. In addition to the meat, the deliveries contain milk, eggs, cheese, butter, carrots, tomatoes, cabbage or lettuce, onions, cilantro, jalapeños, potatoes, rice, beans, bread, apples, oranges or tangerines, and strawberries which were generously donated. Also provided is toilet paper, hand soap, paper towels and optional items such as pineapples, melons, cooking oil, mayonnaise, salt and laundry detergent. A separate donor specifically provides diapers, and another donates dog and cat food.

“We are delivering to 61 families (approximately 350 people) in the Santa Ynez Valley as well as Lompoc and Los Alamos,” Halme said. “We knew we were not reaching everyone, so we recently partnered with The Ranch Church. They have a meeting place in the former auto parts store location on Fir Street behind the hardware store and next to the laundromat. 

The next River of Giving event will be from 2 – 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, in both Solvang and Buellton locations. Since this story was written there has been an additional location pop up from 2 – 4 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara. 

“It is an ideal location in walking distance for the residences of the core of our work force in Solvang. Recently we provided food for 40 families (an additional 200+ people) and we ran out in 15 minutes. It was our first day and now that we know the demand is high, we are planning for 500 on Thursday. The shipment for Thursday will include: 500 10-pound bags of potatoes, 2,000 bags of carrots, 480 cauliflower, 600 heads of lettuce, 600 bags of celery, and then pallets of oranges, turnips, onions, tomatoes and peppers. We will also include chickens and ground beef, rice, beans, tortillas, and bread.”

The River of Giving is providing food for families with an average six household members and some with eight to 12 in one household.

Halme explained that the group is called The River of Giving because the money flows from donations though the group and directly to the hard-working families who need help for the first time in their lives. Food is purchased wholesale and in bulk, so the cost is very low. It is an all-volunteer group so 100 percent of the donations go directly to food for the families.

“As one woman said to me, ‘I’ve never needed food nor asked for help before. If I ever needed anything, I just got another job. This has been very humbling, but I have to feed my children and my parents live with us too,’” Halme said. “She lost both of her jobs because of the restaurant closures and her husband lost both of his jobs. All of the people we are donating too are looking forward to our town reopening so we can all go back to work.”

“The tears of gratitude from the families we are reaching have been immense,” she continued. “These are the people who feed us year in and year out at the restaurants we love. It is an honor to be able to give something back to them in this time of great need.” 

The group has partnered with two nonprofits so that donations can be made directly to these 501c3 organizations. They will receive 100 percent of the funds donated to either group on their behalf. Please make a note on your donation specifying that it is for “The River of Giving.”

Donations can be made to: The Santa Ynez Valley Senior Citizen Foundation, P.O. Box 1946, Buellton, CA 93427 (TAX ID: 95-3169593) or to The Ranch Church, P.O. Box 679, Solvang, CA 93464 (TAX ID 26-0373981)

For more information or to let Halme know about other families they can help, call her at 805-705-1994, or email mailihalme@gmail.com. 

Please watch our video on this incredible community group!

The post Help flows through The River of Giving appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Contributed

My sister Melissa is famous for her artichoke dip. She makes it for every holiday and family celebration. It is always devoured and everyone always asks for the recipe.

I’ve gotten so many requests for it that I decided it was easiest to put it on my blog. It is super easy and the ingredients can be combined a day in advance. Then you just pop it in the oven before the guests arrive.

You can use any oven-safe casserole or serving dish to bake this in. Smaller dishes make a deeper dip and wider containers make a thinner layer. Either way, they all taste wonderful!

Dip

2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, packed in water

2 cups grated parmesan cheese (not the powdered stuff, but the one that looks more like shredded cheese. Or grate some yourself)

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (or 1 cup works too)

1 4-ounce can diced jalapenos

1 4-ounce can diced green chiles

Tortilla Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Drain artichokes and chop roughly. (If you use artichokes packed in oil, rinse them well. The artichokes packed in water are best.) Place chopped artichokes, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, jalapenos, and green chiles in a bowl and mix well.

Pour into the baking dish of your choice (You can use an 8 x 8-inch square or a 7 x 11 rectangle or whatever you happen to own.) Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes until it is browned on top and bubbly.

Makes about 6 cups, serving 12 to 20 guests as an hors d’oeuvres.

For more holiday recipes, visit Maili Halme’s blog at www.themailifiles.blogspot.com.

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Contributing Writer

Photo contributed

This recipe makes about 32 pancakes that are 5 inches in diameter, so it typically serves 8 to 10 people.

My oldest daughter doesn’t like lemons, so when I make these for my kids I omit the lemon zest. Most other people love the slight hint of lemon, but do whatever you prefer. 

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Lemon zest from one lemon (optional)

6 eggs

4 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Peanut oil to grease griddle or pan

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs and buttermilk. Pour the egg and buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add the melted butter. Gently stir to combine all ingredients, but do not over mix. Otherwise, the batter will be lumpy, so do it this way.

The trickiest part is getting your griddle or pan to the right temperature. Sometimes you have to sacrifice the first pancake or two to get the temperature right.

Generally, medium to medium-high heat is best, but every single stove, pan or griddle I’ve ever used is different, so adjust the heat to what works. Grease the pan or griddle with peanut oil before the first batch of pancakes. You will not need to add additional grease after that.

My girls like them with powdered sugar and syrup. I like them with granulated sugar and lemon juice or with blueberries and peaches.

Note: If you want to make “letter” pancakes, substitute canola oil for the butter. The butter sometimes clogs up a squeeze bottle.

I use the microwave for only two things: to melt butter and to melt chocolate. The easiest way to melt butter is in the microwave. Put wax paper over a glass bowl so the butter doesn’t splatter all over the microwave.

Anytime you make items using baking soda (for example, blueberry muffins, banana bread, quick breads, cornbread, pancakes, etc.), you do not want to over-mix the ingredients. If you do that, the items will be flat and not rise.

Chef Maili Halme started her career at 19 years old, cooking for the Barrack family. She has cooked for numerous dignitaries and celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey. Read more at www.mailihalme.com.

The post Buttermilk pancakes are a hit, with or without lemon zest appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

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The restaurant at the landmark Mattei’s Tavern, which opened to much fanfare in December, will close June 3.

Restaurant owner and chef Maili Halme made the surprise announcement on Facebook, where the backlash was quick and, in some cases, bitter.

“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to fulfill my dream and I look forward to returning to other pursuits. The future of the restaurant is in the hands of the Strange family, and they have asked the community to stay tuned for their upcoming plans,” Halme posted.

Many Facebook comments were directed against the Strange family, which owns the historic building in Los Olivos and leased the restaurant to Halme. Some postings suggested that the family had hit Halme with an unfair and unexpected demand to pay property taxes.

“It was no surprise, as we had it in the lease with Maili that property taxes for the restaurant building had to be paid twice a year. She came to us as she couldn’t make the payment, and we mutually worked out what we thought as a smooth transition exit plan. We released her from her lease and paid the property taxes with her initial deposit and the remaining balance,” Shamra Strange said.

“Mattei’s is special to our family, as we had our last family gathering there before my stepson passed away several years ago. The moment I stepped into that building I knew it was special, which is why we chose Maili to lease it. We wanted her there for as long as she wanted, but the restaurant business is difficult and it didn’t go as planned,” Strange added.

The hotel and tavern built by Italian Swiss immigrant Felix Mattei was an important link in the transportation chain through Santa Barbara County.

Mattei first saw the Santa Ynez Valley when he was driving a herd of horses through it; he decided after some years to build a hotel and restaurant in Los Olivos in 1886.

The property has gone through several owners in the past few decades. The Strange family bought the property when it went into foreclosure, they said, because they knew the history of the building and the importance it had for the valley. They wanted it to be restored to its former glory, and chose Halme because her dream matched theirs.

The family operates the hotel side of the property and outdoor events, and Halme’s portion was the interior of the restaurant.

“We love Maili, we love Mattei’s and the valley, and don’t want anyone to think we just are taking over and going to change it. We want to be a part of the community, and if we had it our way Maili would still be there,” Strange added.

Halme said that anyone with a restaurant gift certificate should redeem it before June 3.

To get more information or make reservations, log onto www.matteistavern1886.com.

The post Newly opened Mattei’s Tavern to close again appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

The clopping of horses’ hooves and the creaking of stagecoach wheels were once again heard at Mattei’s Tavern on Dec. 2 as hundreds of people came to the grand re-opening of the historic hotel and restaurant in Los Olivos.

“It feels like falling in love all over again, and I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me in this process and came today to support us and the Santa Ynez Historical Museum,” said Chef Maili Halme, who has been restoring the hotel and tavern to its original glory for several months.

Halme pulled out all the stagecoach stops. Old carriages on display were part of the celebration and a fundraiser for the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and Parks-Janeway Carriage House.

At one time, the hotel and tavern built by Italian Swiss immigrant Felix Mattei was an important link in the transportation chain through Santa Barbara County.

Mattei first saw the Santa Ynez Valley when he was driving a herd of horses through it; he decided after some years to build a hotel and restaurant in Los Olivos in 1886.

Originally called the New Central Hotel, it became well known as the last stop for the northbound stagecoach from Santa Barbara; the train took travelers north from Mattei’s. Later it was known as Hotel Los Olivos and eventually Mattei’s Tavern.

In 1901 the expansion of the Southern Pacific Railroad allowed travelers to take the train down the coast, so the Los Olivos Depot was no longer used.

The Mattei family line in the area ended when Bert Mattei died in August 1961. The tavern has been sold several times since then. The new owners are the Strange family, longtime friends of Halme’s.

“We want to thank Chef Maili and the Strange family for their generosity to the museum and the valley for this reopening in the very best sense, and for those who came out and made donations to the museum,” said Brian Stenfors, executive director of the historical museum and carriage house.

As people wandered around the hotel’s rooms they saw original light fixtures, portraits of the Mattei family and other historic items, and they were able to watch old movies of when the railroad used to pass through Los Olivos.

Those who came through also signed the guest book, which is an important piece of history for Halme. She has found all the old guest books that contain names of famous patrons from movie stars to local figures, including the founders of Solvang who signed the guest book as they got off the train and stayed in the hotel before going on to Solvang.

Gregg and Jody Cutler enjoyed taking guests around Mattei’s in their Dekalb Wagon, made in the early 1900s and pulled by their two Welsh ponies.

“We love supporting the museum and an excuse to ride around in the wagon. We love showing people a piece of what life was like back then. And imagine having to ride one of these to Santa Barbara and back,” Gregg Cutler said.

People who have grown up in the Santa Ynez Valley know the significance of the historic white building on Highway 154 in Los Olivos, and many have wondered what it was like when trains rolled up in front of Mattei’s Tavern.

“Mattei’s became to me what it was to everyone else in the valley: the place we all gathered to celebrate birthdays, graduations and anniversaries. It was a beloved restaurant filled with memories of personal celebrations,” Halme said.

Halme has built a fine reputation of her own, cooking for numerous dignitaries and celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey.

She started her career as a chef at 19 years old, cooking for the Barrack family and working as a waitress at Mattei’s. Her mother and sister own the world-famous Solvang Bakery and her grandfather was a chef who owned Bray’s 101 in Goleta.

“You can’t know the feeling of excitement I had when I got to go upstairs for the first time (at Mattei’s Tavern). I have wanted to do that my whole life.”

At the top of the stairs are the original hotel rooms, which are now used as offices. The rooms were tiny; guests got only a bed and a dresser.

Halme wants to respect as much of the tavern’s history as possible, including some of its classic dishes, while adding her own touches. She hopes even to bring back some of the menu created by its renowned cook Gin Lung Gin, who was Mattei’s chef and a trusted family friend for 37 years. He is even buried on the property.

“Gin could take anything and make it into something fabulous, from what I read in the history books. That’s the level of cooking I want, where people come to appreciate not just the history of the tavern but can taste it as well,” Halme said.

To get more information or make reservations, log onto www.matteistavern1886.com.

The post Grand celebration reopens historic Mattei’s Tavern appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

When Chef Maili Halme was shown the old bar’s mantle, portraits of the Mattei family, and other relics of the historic Mattei’s Tavern, she started jumping up and down with glee.

“I can’t even begin to tell you the amazing response I’ve had since we announced that we are restoring Mattei’s to its former glory days and breathing new life into it,” she said.

Halme, the new chef and owner of the restaurant that will open early next year in the Los Olivos tavern, will host an open house on Dec. 2. For the occasion, she is pulling out all the stagecoach stops; she plans to have old carriages on display as a fundraiser for the Santa Ynez Valley’s Carriage Museum.

“If they want the finest food and drink in the valley — in the whole state, by gar! — they will come to Mattei’s.” — Felix Mattei

“People have been contacting me from all around saying they have photos of their first date, rehearsal dinner, artifacts from the restaurant, historical photos, and I am just soaking up all of it. I keep pinching myself that this isn’t a dream,” Halme said.

Those that have grown up in the Santa Ynez Valley know the significance of the historic white building on Highway 154 in Los Olivos, and many have wondered what it was like when trains rolled up in front of Mattei’s Tavern.

“Mattei’s became to me what it was to everyone else in the valley: the place we all gathered to celebrate birthdays, graduations and anniversaries. It was a beloved restaurant filled with memories of personal celebrations,” Halme said.

She also recalls a fond memory of sitting on the fence at Mattei’s and thinking that one day she would like to own it.

Halme started her career as a chef at 19 years old, cooking for the Barrack family and working as a waitress at Mattei’s. Her mother and sister own the world-famous Solvang Bakery, where she helps out when she can, and her grandfather was a chef who owned Bray’s 101 in Goleta.

“I loved their tomato soup so much that I snuck into the kitchen to copy the recipe and I made that tomato soup from then on. I loved the crisp salad bar with the cold plates. I loved the squaw bread and the artichokes. I loved everything about it,” she said.

Halme has built a fine reputation of her own, cooking for numerous dignitaries and celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey.

“I am a total history buff and love collecting cookbooks. It’s fitting that I have a cookbook from the White House in 1887 and I hope to incorporate some of those recipes from the day into the restaurant,” Halme said.

On a tour of the restaurant as a construction crew restored the floors, took out modern lighting and replaced the original lamps and portraits, she paused as she took a step on the stairs.

“You can’t know the feeling of excitement I had when I got to go upstairs for the first time. I have wanted to do that my whole life.”

At the top of the stairs are the original hotel rooms, which are now used as offices. The rooms were tiny, as guests got only a bed and a dresser.

At one time, the hotel and tavern built by Italian Swiss immigrant Felix Mattei were an important link in the transportation chain through Santa Barbara County.

Mattei was born in 1854 in Cevio, Switzerland, the son of a doctor. He emigrated to New York and rode the train to California to visit relatives near San Francisco, according to a history book by Walter A. Tompkins. He then became a dairyman and worked his way down to San Luis Obispo County and operated the Huasna Rancho near Arroyo Grande.

The Mattei family came to Los Olivos from Huasna Valley in Arroyo Grande and left a 40-year family legacy of running their hotel, stagecoach and railway stop.

He married Lucy Fisher, daughter of a San Luis Obispo gunsmith, in 1879, and they had five sons. In addition to the ranch they also operated a hotel in Cayucos, where Mattei found his love for the hotel industry.

He first came to the Santa Ynez Valley when he was driving a herd of horses and decided after some years to build a hotel and restaurant in Los Olivos in 1886.

Originally called the New Central Hotel, it became a well known as the last stop for the stagecoach from Santa Barbara; the train took travelers north from Mattei’s. Later it was known as Hotel Los Olivos and eventually Mattei’s Tavern.

In 1901 the expansion of the Southern Pacific Railroad allowed travelers to take the train down the coast, so the Los Olivos Depot was no longer used, according to the Santa Ynez Historical Museum.

Among many colorful tales told about Mattei’s Tavern is the one of a lynch mob in 1891. According to stories told by the family, the mob gathered outside of Mattei’s as suspects in the murder of Fred Hoar, the Los Olivos telegraph operator, awaited transportation to the Santa Barbara Jail.

The suspects had been caught in Los Alamos and Sheriff Broughton was adamant that they stand trial. To escape the mob, the sheriff dressed the suspects in Lucy Mattei’s dresses and sneaked them out when the tavern was being emptied.

The suspects were then tried and found guilty, ending their days in San Quentin Penitentiary.

Early travelers, including the founders of Solvang, signed the tavern’s guest book as they got off the train or stagecoach and stayed in the hotel.

Adding to the tavern’s historical significance, Halme added, is that Solvang’s founders stayed there when they arrived in the valley. They signed the guest book as they got off the train and stayed in the hotel before going on to Solvang.

“The first ride for the founding of the Vaqueros Visitadores also came to Mattei’s and they all signed the guestbook as proof of who attended their first meeting. I love our valley so much, and this is way bigger than me reopening Mattei’s,” Halme said.

The Mattei family line in the area ended when Bert Mattei died in August 1961. The tavern has been sold several times since then. The new owners are the Strange family, longtime friends of Halme’s.

Halme wants to respect as much of the tavern’s history as possible, including some of its classic dishes, while adding her own touches. She hopes even to bring back some of the menu created by its renowned cook Gin Lung Gin, who was Mattei’s chef and a trusted family friend for 37 years. He is even buried on the property.

“Gin could take anything and make it into something fabulous. from what I read in the history books. That’s the level of cooking I want, where people come to appreciate not just the history of the tavern but can taste it as well,” Halme said.

She invites anyone who has something to share, whether that is a story about the Mattei family or an experience at the restaurant, to contact her on Facebook.

The post New chef wants to revive more than restaurant appeared first on Santa Ynez Valley Star.

Staff Report

Third-generation Santa Ynez Valley resident Katherine Brocke has been named the 2017 Youth Recreation Queen.

She will be participating in a series of fundraising events for Youth Rec in the group’s annual Queen Campaign to raise money for its year-long community efforts to provide community recreation facilities and opportunities.

Katherine is involved in many high school activities, from tennis to Future Farmers of America. She participates in a weightlifting class sponsored by Youth Rec, and her family members actively participate in programs as well.

Her grandparents, Paul and Susan Halme, moved to the valley in 1976 to raise their children. Her grandfather is an attorney and grandmother owns and operates Solvang Bakery with her aunt, Melissa Redell. Her mother, Maili Halme, is a chef who owns her own catering company

SYV Youth Rec has funded many projects at the high school, fields at local elementary and middle schools, and the baseball and soccer fields at Sunny Fields Park, among other accomplishments.

When Ballard School was remodeled, for example, the group put in the basketball courts, ball fields and playground equipment.

For more information on SYV Youth Rec, log onto www.syvyr.com. The schedule of Katherine’s fundraising events will be listed in our second April issue along with a full interview with her.

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