Wild grapes grow along the roadsides in Capay Valley, California.  Here's my favorite way of using them: squishing them into juice.

1. Wash and put the grapes into a large ziplock bag. Seal the bag, removing as much air as possible.

2. Squeeze the grapes with your feet or fingers. Pop all the grapes. This is a very pleasant sensual experience!

3. Pour the grapes pulp into a strainer and press with the back of a spoon, catching the juice into a bowl.

4. Do not heat the juice! Heating it removes much of the delicious flavor. You can strain it further, but I don't.

5. Refrigerate or freeze the juice. If you allow the juice to stand at room temperature for a day or so before refrigerating it, you will get some natural carbonation from the yeast on the grape skins. I like this.

I get rave reviews from friends about the freshness of this juice and I serve it at my B&B, Cache Creek Inn.


In addition to running Cache Creek Inn, Camilla Barry and her husband invented the visual protractor shown here, which they describe as "the world's easiest protractor --- anyone can use it!"

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