Wednesday, Apr. 09, 2008

The garden (and) salad show

By ELIZABETH MCMUNN-TETANGCO
Sun-Star Correspondent

The Le Grand Community Garden Club's Annual Gourmet Salad Luncheon marks the season when tradition comes up with the crops and the days lengthen toward summertime.

This year's event, which will take place on April 16, promises garden and home enthusiasts a chance to learn more about their craft, meet with vendors, and pick up some new information along the way.

The Le Grand Garden Club focuses on more than one might think from its name alone. Founded in 1941 and reorganized in 1964, the club has spent decades working within the Le Grand area to promote gardening and the unique heritage of its community.

Heritage is a theme of central importance to club members. Virginia Bright, the club president, became a member when she moved back to Le Grand from Sacramento five years ago. She knew about the club because her mother has been a member for at least 20 years.

She and Lesanne Jacobsen, also a member, stress that the club is more than simply a place to talk about gardens; rather, it is a women's club that overlaps with church groups, parent organizations, community work -- and specifically, it is a club that tends to run in families. Many of the members joined the club in part because their mothers were (or in many cases still are) members.

Though this year's luncheon will not feature a tour, there will be plenty on display for those interested in improving their gardens. Vendors will be outside in the gardens of the Morning Glory Inn in Planada, and wares will include garden-related items, home items and locally grown produce -- some, for instance, from Merced Farmers' Market staple Serrano Farms, and Ann Robson's Josephine's Olive Oil.

Visitors will also be treated to artwork on display from artists featured at Merced's Arbor Gallery. There is a distinct focus at the luncheon on local products -- reflecting the long and storied history of the club and its relation to its hometown.

Each table at the luncheon will be run by a different club member, and each will have a different theme. Bright's table, for instance, has a cat theme -- reflecting her two adopted pets -- and promises placemats, decorations and ambiance related to this sensibility.

The tour will also feature a wide variety of salads made by club members. According to Jacobsen, the salads will range from "a typical green salad to Jell-O salad to gourmet."

Developing chefs are encouraged to use ideas from the luncheon's salads in the creation of their own, and Jacobsen emphasizes that it's always fun for people to be able to add their own flavor to what they make. Jacobsen, for instance, often substitutes lamb for ground beef when she cooks, because she and her family raise sheep. Others in the club add in produce from their gardens or find other ways to make their salads their own.

The luncheon will also feature a talk called "Big Ideas for Small Gardens" (also the name of his new book) from popular columnist and magazine writer Dave Egbert, who is an expert in the field of gardening, and whose expertise extends to organic and sustainable gardening. Egbert also hosts a syndicated garden show, "The Coastal Gardener," featured on cable and satellite networks.

Those interested in attending the luncheon should call (209) 389-4269 or (209) 389-0523 for ticket information -- tickets are $15 per person. The schedule includes market vendors at 10 a.m., the luncheon at 11:30 a.m., and the program featuring Dave Egbert at 12:30 p.m. The events will take place at the Morning Glory Inn in Planada, located at 7326 E. Highway 140 in Planada on April 16.