Home on the (free) range

Free Range-Provisions & Eats offers products and menu items that are locally sourced.|

Free Range – Provisions & Eats emerges from its winter slumber this Friday, March 20th, the same day as the Spring Equinox. Spring gives Free Range a chance to be born anew, with rejuvenated flavors and a refreshed line of artisan products.

Each fall, shop owner Suzanne Alexandre shutters her boutique shop, located between Acre Coffee and B Street Mercantile on 4th Street in downtown Petaluma. She spends the winter months discovering new farms and artisan producers, as well as reconnecting with old favorites around her hometown of Petaluma. Alexandre takes what she learned during the previous season and combines that with the knowledge she gains on her winter scouting trips, in an effort to improve and innovate her products.

Born in San Francisco, but raised around the globe, Alexandre became familiar with local and seasonal ingredients at a young age. Her father was born in Berlin, Germany of Russian ancestry and her mother was Peruvian, so Alexandre was multicultural before it was a popular catch phrase. For part of her childhood, her family lived in Spain, where her father tried his hand in a charter boat business. Alexandre was assigned to cooking duties but not surprising, the 11 year old hated being at sea. She remembers being the “best moorer” because as soon as anyone spotted land Alexandre was on deck and ready to tie up. Once docked, the inquisitive youth would eagerly sprint off to the neighborhood market to not only buy provisions but to learn about unfamiliar ingredients and exotic dishes. “I always paid attention when other people would cook,” says Alexandre. “I would asked lots of questions and then try to emulate those dishes back on the boat.” She would later learn about French cooking from frequent visits to a five-star restaurant owned by a family friend on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

As an adult in the Bay Area, Alexandre became involved in community event planning around San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. But it was her return to the North Bay that awoke fond memories of the fresh ingredients of her childhood. While volunteering at the Sonoma-Marin Fair, Alexandre was asked to put on a “farm to table” exhibit, before that term became synonymous with the Petaluma food culture. While reaching out to regional farmers Alexandre rediscovered her appreciation for cooking with local and seasonal ingredients that she had gained as a child in Spain. From this experience the idea to open her own shop was born. “It’s been a goal of mine to illustrate the relationship with the farmer in a meaningful way,” says Alexandre, “and Free Range gives me that opportunity.” But it wasn’t until after spending time as executive director of Farm Trails, working with the Sonoma-Marin and Sonoma County Fairs, and promoting other agriculturally focused events, such as the first Freestone Fermentation Festival, that Alexandre finally set her sights on the space that would eventually become Free Range – Provisions & Eats.

Free Range – Provisions & Eats opened softly in Fall 2013, with the grand opening in Spring 2014. Offering an authentic taste of Northern California, Alexandre indoctrinates and educates locals and visitors alike on how to get the most out of our community, while also helping to sustain it. “Integrity and love define the work of small-batch producers whose commitment to quality over quantity makes some of the best foods in America,” says Alexandre. “Free Range sources foods from within 100 miles of Sonoma County and stocks the shelves with the most delicious preserves, cheeses, condiments and sweets. Together we’re helping build a healthy and sustainable food system that preserves our natural resources while supporting a community where farmers, ranchers and food artisans can continue to thrive.”

Even the decor at Free Range has a story of its own, and relates to the community around us. Petaluma artist Kate Blakeslee created the rural mural that embellishes the back wall and helps to illustrate the vibrancy of our California landscape. We can expect to see a new mural by Blakeslee for the upcoming season. The walls of the tiny shop are adorned with reclaimed redwood from the renowned Fujita family home, a family with deep roots in our chicken farming past. After standing abandoned for many years, Alexandre and her husband bought and renovated the Fujita residence on the south side of Petaluma. It is fitting that Free Range’s decor has a connection to Petaluma’s history and culture because a view of our historic Carnegie Library fills Free Range’s front window. The Petaluma Museum currently resides in the Carnegie building and hosts exhibits, dinners, and events that highlight the current agricultural reemergence and pay homage to our farming heritage. With an appreciative smile, Alexandre proclaims, “I have the best view in town.” Free Range loans blankets to those who wish to find a sunny picnic spot on the museum’s lawn and allows patrons to take the slow food movement to a higher level. This communal aura extends to the style of seating offered at Free Range. Instead of separate café tables, the sidewalk in front of Free Range hosts a picnic table, where friends and strangers alike can enjoy freshly prepared meals.

Alexandre looks forward to the reopening so she can show off Free Range’s recently scouted provisions and refreshed interior. “The first year was all about learning the business,” says Alexandre. “This year is all about the connection between the shop and the community. I think we all have enough stuff so I prefer to offer meaningful items. I want to tell the story of what Northern California living is all about.” Alexandre’s sentiment echoes that of 19th century designer, poet and activist William Morris, who advocated only having things in the home that were useful, or that you believe to be beautiful.

Alexandre has succeeded in creating a modern day General Store, where she knows the story behind every product gracing her shelves. Along with locally produced honeys, mustards, olive oils, salts, jams, nuts, and chocolates, Free Range has an impressive selection of picnic, kitchen, and home related items. These include useful kitchen items such as flour tins, cake cutters, bottle openers, cheese knives, and handmade ceramic mugs and burl wood bowls. You can also find farm animal-shaped cutting boards and farm animal print dish towels, along with reclaimed wine bottle glasses, canisters, and carafes. Looking for great gift ideas? Check out the artisan soaps, scarves, wallets and jewelry. Another favorite is the array of Do-It-Yourself Kits, which allow you to become your own home cheese, beer, vinegar, and/or butter maker. Also available are salvaged Sunset Line and Twine spools, which have been repurposed into paper towel holders. Sunset, located on Lakeville Street and closed down in 2006, was internationally known for manufacturing fishing line, silk parachutes (during World War II), and the parachute cords that went on the Gemini and Apollo space missions. (Petaluma Hills Brewery and HenHouse Brewing pay homage too by naming their IPA “Line and Twine.”) Last but not least are copies of local author Frances Rivetti’s book “Fog Valley Crush”, which is a must-read for anyone interested in the Sonoma and Marin county food culture and history.

Mid-interview I met Free Range’s honey supplier, and sure enough, Alexandre knew everything about them, their family history, and how they run their farm. She doesn’t stock the average catalog faire, but instead offers all the best things that attract us to our local craft fairs, art events, and farmers’ market.

Local food culture is clearly not a passing fad for Alexandre. Her list of friends and associates is a who’s-who of the Petaluma food culture, including the above-mentioned Rivetti and Tara Smith of regionally renowned Tara Firma Farms. Alexandre is well known for creating legendary supper clubs and hosting epic dinner parties, blending creativity with locally sourced foods. She invites professionally trained chefs as well as rank amateurs, so long as they have an appreciation for food, farmers, and the fields they come from and work in. This attitude permeates the shop, where Alexandre strives to promote a deeper connection between her customers and the farmers and small-batch producers that supply Free Range’s ingredients.

Free Range’s menu will change about once a month. This will allow Alexandre to better connect what is growing in the fields and being harvested on the farms with the flavor profiles she is offering. “Flavor combinations are very important and are easy to enjoy when one looks at what is already growing together in the garden. It’s a marriage. What is growing together this season was meant to be served together,” says Alexandre. For simplicity of sourcing ingredients and producing salads and sandwiches, Free Range will continue with its tradition of offering limited choices, but diverse flavors.

Back by popular demand is the Silo and Sea Protein salad, which is packed with brown rice, grains, lentils, garbanzo bean, peas, sunflower seed, pole-caught tuna, and crisp greens tossed with olive oil, lemon and fresh herb vinaigrette. “We are shaped by our food experiences,” continues Alexandre. “All of my recipes are original and come from my own taste profile. This salad reminds me of my youth on Mallorca where I would help my cousin pick fresh herbs for her salad. It was a mix of fresh tuna and rice atop a bed of lettuce then guests would choose from the surrounding veggies, sardines, olives, and nuts to make an incredibly flavorful and filling dish.” In addition to the Silo and Sea, Free Range will offer a second more seasonal salad, a daily sandwich, and a baked good – you don’t want to miss the peanut butter cookie. The options and diversity at Free Range are far superior to restaurants that offer a large number of menu choices. Those menus often lack creativity or freshness and frequently lead to waste.

During a recent visit to the Argus-Courier offices, I was caught off guard by a question from the editors, who wanted to know what Petaluma’s best kept food secret was. Being fairly well versed in the Petaluma food culture, I don’t normally think of even the smallest back alley restaurant or sandwich shop as a “secret.” Often, when asked about the “best” restaurant in town I usually have to respond with something like, “for what?” There is a time and place for every taste, and the best restaurant for a romantic dinner is not necessarily the best venue to impress out of town guests, or to enjoy a nice family dinner. But Petaluma’s best kept food secret? That was an easy choice. My mental Rolodex of restaurant suggestions immediately jumped to Free Range – Provisions & Eats.

Although not a restaurant per say, if I want to treat someone to great food, an unexpected experience, and an education on how rewarding a connection to our community can be, Free Range fits the bill every time. Through her passion for fresh, provincial, home-grown foods and provisions, Suzanne Alexandre has created a small, yet vibrant window into the heart of our beloved and unique North Bay community.

(Visit Houston Porter’s blog at http://rivertown.blogs.petaluma360.com)

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.