Sometimes a good thing does happen twice. It’s especially joyful when it happens on your birthday month.

Last September I was overflowing with excitement for Santa Rosa’s first National Heirloom Exposition.

Amazing displays, thought-provoking food policy discussions, demonstrations by local chefs and of course expo swag, like my “anti-Monstanto” coffee cup and designer seed packets from Hudson Valley Seed Company.

Over 11,000 passionate “pure food” enthusiasts descended upon Sonoma County. Ah-h, such a happy girl I was.

Well this September 11, 12 and 13th, Santa Rosa will be hosting the 2nd Annual Heirloom Expo.  For those who missed it, here’s your chance to see over 3000 varietals and over 300 exhibitors.

This year’s speaker line up will include Vandana Shiva, India’s leading supporter of the pure food movement. Dr. Shiva drew over 1200 people to her talk last year;  Percy Schmeiser, a long-time Canadian farmer who was sued by Monsanto after his crop was contaminated by their GMO canola; Anna Lappe, author of Diet for a Hot Planet and founding principal of the Small Planet Institute; Jere Gettle of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; and my personal favorite Dave Murphy of Food Democracy Now.

And if you’re into display “eye candy,” Mac Condill, the talent responsible for the White House’s Halloween pumpkin display will lend his artistic eye to deliver serious food art.

Now these are just a few of the 70 (+) educational speakers that will be here this upcoming September.  Interested in going? Check out Heirloom Expo and maybe I’ll see you there.

And for those who like to keep up on Marin, Sonoma and Napa’s sustainable food activities year-round check out Edible Marin and Wine Country. It’s a great little periodical of goodies.

A guy walks into a bar and orders a cucumber margarita…

Is he from NorCal or SoCal?

These are the kind of philosophical discussions one can have over three shots of tequila and a few margaritas.

Taking a walk on the ‘wild side,’ we broke free from our traditional winemaker dinner pairing excursions and explored the world of tequila tasting at an event which occurs quarterly at the newly remodeled La Rosa’s Tequileria and Grille (formerly ‘The Cantina’) in downtown Santa Rosa last Thursday evening.

Tres Agaves was the featured libation star, an independently own tequila distillery from the tequila valley of Jalisco, Mexico. La Rosa added the extra love of fresh squeezed juices like passion fruit with spiced salted rims.

The Executive Chef kicked off the evening with fresh ceviche and a clean and herbaceous blanco tequila shooter. Yum. So yum, I almost forgot to take the picture.

Followed by a spinach and wild garlic soup with a hint of chili oil, accompanied with two petite taquitos and a shooter of reposado tequila aged in Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniels and Heaven Hill barrels for 6-9 months. Outstanding.

Lastly we ended with an Anejo tequila shooter, which was aged for 18 months. Even lovelier. At this point, I lost track of the food, but somehow managed to  squeeze in another cucumber margarita. I looooved this margarita, so refreshing.

The service was excellent and the price was affordable. My table of tequila tasting cohorts made the evening especially memorable. Can’t wait for the next one!