Penngrove ready for 4th of July parade

Penngrove’s Fourth of July parade has been a local favorite for going on 40 years now. But the July 4 “Biggest Little Parade in Northern California” is only one of the weekend’s festivities, which also includes a Saturday breakfast and a Sunday afternoon barbecue.

Rancho Adobe Fire Department puts on the pancake breakfast July 2 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. inside the station at the corner of Old Redwood Highway and Petaluma Hill Road. As a native Penngrovian, it’s always fun to sit around and visit with folks that I haven’t seen since childhood, all while enjoying a hearty breakfast.

We never miss the July 3 parade, and I can usually be seen rushing back to my seat with a bag full of Yanni’s Sausage sandwiches. They open just as the parade kicks off at 11 a.m. sharp. But Yanni’s is just the appetizer. Once the parade winds its way back to Penngrove Park around noon, the food, music, and kid’s games begin.

The menu includes old fashioned pit beef, barbecued chicken, beef sandwiches, oysters and hot dogs, with Lagunitas beer to keep you cool. As always, dessert is provided by the Penngrove 4-H at $1 per piece of cake or pie, so save a fiver so you can try a good selection of sweets.

Bright Bear Bakery

I’m hearing rave reviews about the new Bright Bear Bakery from folks all over town. Located at the crossroads of Lakeville Highway and Casa Grande Road in the small shopping center in front of Azure at Lakeville Square Apartments, Petaluma’s newest bakery seems to be putting smiles on everyone’s faces with great coffee, pastries and some real food too, like their chickpea and sweat potato wrap. Thanks to local mortgage broker and fellow Petaluma Yacht Club member Connie Madrid and husband Reny Madrid, a chef at the San Francisco Yacht Club, for the heads up. I get a lot of recommendations, but when the Madrids say something is good, I listen.

Sandwich of the month

Along with several of Yanni’s well-loved, regularly available sausage sandwiches, we’ll be snacking on their monthly special while watching the Penngrove Parade. July’s special is the Buffalo Chicken Wing Sausage sandwich. This is a unique chicken sausage flavored with Frank’s Original buffalo wing sauce, served on grilled sweet Italian bread from Penngrove’s Full Circle Bakery and topped with blue cheese dressing and freshly chopped celery.

Marin French Cheese

Marin French Cheese Company was a Sofi Award finalist in the New Products category for its Dark Moon, a petite ash-rinded, triple-cream brie. “Sofi” stands for ‘specialty outstanding food innovation’ and represents the best in culinary creativity from around the world.

Winners are chosen at the Specialty Food Association headquarters in New York City by a panel of nationally recognized culinary experts, and are then showcased at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York, followed by the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco.

Dark Moon gets its name from the layer of vegetable ash that protects the lush, creamy inside, and it has the delicate, earthy overtones to prove it. While it isn’t common to envelop soft-ripened cheeses with ash, Marin French is always innovating by combining traditional production practices with inventive techniques to create both delectable and visually enticing cheese.

The new 4-ounce triple-cream wheel is part of Marin French’s “Petite Brie Collection,” which cheesemonger extraordinaire Marie always has in stock over at Petaluma Market.

Dark Moon also won Gold at this year’s California State Fair, where Marin French Cheese and sister company Laura Chenel’s took home 20 awards. Marin French won gold medals for their New Petite Jalapen~o, Petite Cre'me, Petite Truffle, Schloss, Supreme 1.1-pound and Traditional Brie, and silver medals for their Petite Breakfast, Petite Supreme and the Triple Cre'me Brie.

Laura Chenel’s snagged nine medals, including gold for the Chef’s Che'vre and Original log. They received silver for their recently launched Cabecou Marinated in Herbs and Spicy Cabecou, as well as the brand’s Honey Log, Goat Brie and Taupinie're. Laura Chenel’s won bronze for their new Pimento & Garlic, a blend of fresh goat cheese and garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, coated with red and green pimento peppers.

This cheese is as attractive as it is tasty.

(Contact Houston Porter at houston@avant-larde.com.)