One thing I’ve experienced with cycling in some the most remote and beautiful areas of California is that we come across a lot, and I mean a lot of farms. I didn’t realize but California Agriculture provides more than ½ of America’s produce of fruits, vegetables and nuts. Harley Farms is one such farm that I have passed too many times to count along one of my favorite routes from beautiful Palo Alto up to Skyline and down to Pescadero. This time around on a more leisure ride, my cycling friend and I decided to stop at this goat farm!... Continue reading

Paradise is a place of extreme beauty and that describes one of my favorite bikes rides - The Paradise loop. Paradise loop is a popular scenic route - just north of Sausalito and the Golden Gate bridge it has the best views of Angel Island, Paradise Cove, the East Bay, and the north bay toward San Quentin. And you are always riding in the shadow of Mt. Tam. This time at the end of the ride, I had the fortune of continuing to relax among a friend’s home and garden on the Paradise Loop. I was presented with this Patty... Continue reading

No doubt mine is protein these days...Heading up to Markleeville today for the classic tour of the California alps aka - Death ride Tomorrow is the big event and since I am still on my protein kick, what better way to prep the muscles and start the day with my version of the classic protein smoothie. For mine, I blend a cup of plain or vanilla yogurt, ½ cup of Greek yogurt (I am addicted to this yogurt and it offers a nice thickness that I like for my smoothies) a mix of frozen and fresh fruit – what I... Continue reading

A festive town ride on this day must be followed by those all American cupcakes! My choice, white cake, white icing and red/blue confetti to top it off. OK – these aren’t exactly homemade, I have to admit that I love cupcake mixes and pre-made frosting. The cake always comes out perfect and the icing is the right thickness. If you can’t eat all the cupcakes the day you bake them, either give them away to friends or freeze them – to freeze, I put them first on a cookie sheet and quick freeze them for about 30 minutes. Then... Continue reading

Pizza at the Bovine came at mile 70 of a near 100 mile ride. I always love the ride out to Pt. Reyes Lighthouse. For those of you not familiar, this lighthouse opened in 1870 in the gulf of the Farallones on Pt. Reyes in Marin Country – about 30 miles north of San Francisco. The route we took today added up to just under 100 miles - the actual road out to the lighthouse from the town of Pt. Reyes is about 20 miles, rolling hills and part of roads goes through historic farmland. This ride is always beautiful,... Continue reading

Yes, that is it – Protein Rich Superfoods…. I don't about you but as I dial up the riding to prepare for some hard endurance rides this summer, I am inherently conscious about my protein intake. It is summer and I don't have a lot of time so I am thinking salad, but how do I add protein to a salad? Bingo, Black beans (according WebMD Black beans is considered a protein rich superfood!) Yippy, I know just the recipe – a black bean and corn salad – Reminds me of July 4th which is fast approaching, easy to assemble... Continue reading

Ok, a fancy way of saying – when it comes to fish, I love salmon as my energy source. Salmon with fresh herbs, poached, grilled or oven baked in parchment paper. Simple but oh so good. After a long ride I crave sushi, but a shorter ride, I crave a piece of salmon on the BBQ. Living in my little city apartment, I am not equip with an outdoor BBQ so I opted this time for wrapping my salmon in parchment paper – this sort of steams it and keeps it moist. I sliced some fennel, onions, and placed some... Continue reading

Somehow I was dreaming of cycling in northern Europe as I did a little lap in the rustic hills around Woodside California this morning. OK, maybe it was because I am craving a European vacation right about now. But either way - In honor, the food that came to my mind were Brussel Sprouts - yes those mini little cabbages that people either love or hate. They were born in Brussels, Belgium! I decided to make them two different ways, sort of a taste test - my good friend Janine suggested the first get up - quarter each little cabbage... Continue reading

This salad is simple and refreshing. After a long bike ride, I know that simple prep to goo food is key. Slice Zucchini thin; use a mandolin slicer if you have one - that will give you the best slicing results. Toss with fresh lemon juice, a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper. Top with fresh parmigiana cheese. Throw some fish on the BBQ and accompany with your favorite bread - you are good to go. Simple and Fresh. Continue reading

Summers in Nantucket during my younger years meant lots of time at our family's favorite beach - Madaket. The waves, the sand and the water temperature was always p[perfect and it was at Madaket that I learned to body surf! I even have a piece of driftwood that says Madaket above my living room door-frame in San Francisco. Today my sister and I biked off road through the sandy trails to Madaket and back - what an amazing ride; I wish I had a map to show for this one - those of you who know the island, this is... Continue reading

As I rode today through the town of Nantucket and over the cobblestone streets, I couldn't stop thinking about the food version of cobbles - a fruit cobbler. So post ride I prepared a fresh blueberry and peach cobbler is to satisfy that sweet and as a treat for my sister and niece who had taken a late flight to the island from Hyannis. This cobbler recipe is adapted (see below for the full recipe) from Nina Simonds Spices of Lifecookbook; the Gingery peach-a-berry cobbler; it is easy to make and delicious hot or cold; with or without ice cream.... Continue reading

Cycling around the island this time of year is so enjoyable; everything is so green and the wildflowers are in full bloom. This is my sister's garden in Nantucket - I imagine it must be a mini version of the Obama's White House fresh garden as it is plush with multiple varieties of lettuce, veggies from carrots to zucchini to snap peas and more. Then there are the herbs; probably at least 15 kinds of herbs and spices - a cooking haven. So with this garden, I pulled out Nina Simonds Spices of Life cookbook. Last night I went into... Continue reading

I have been visiting Nantucket each summer ever since I can remember. And this summer, I am visiting with a new eye - as the Velo Gourmet. For those of you who are not familiar with Nantucket, it Is located 30 miles off the coast of the southern tip of the Cape Cod, MA. It is tiny – the island stretches 14 miles east to west and 3 ½ miles north to south. Want more trivia and history –read on. This week, I will be writing quite a bit about Nantucket biking and food so keep checking in: On the... Continue reading

Velo Gourmet is at Bravo’s Top Chef Tour in San Francisco. As a foodie, one of my favorite shows is Bravo’s Top Chef, in fact the new season kicks off next week, June 16 in DC. As part of Bravo’ Top Chef city tour, today they are in San Francisco at Justin Hermann Plaza which is across from the Ferry Building. The Velo Gourmet stopped by to check out the scene. I got see Jamie Lauren, 5th season contestant who is the executive chef at Absinthe right here in San Francisco. Not sure what she was cooking up, too crowded... Continue reading

Yes Cazadero – I know unless you bike or maybe camp you probably have never ever heard of that town and I bet it has not made your top 10 must visit list. One thing about feed stops – seriously they seem to just appear at the right time. Maybe that is because on long hard rides –any oasis is considered a welcome feed stop. My ride a couple of weeks ago involved hard, long climbs and steep climbs with tired legs… up in the heart of the Sonoma mountains – Levi Leipheimer land, yes that challenging! After 80 plus... Continue reading

I discovered Sweet/Savory Potato Fries – perfect balance to satisfy my cravings after a long and epic ride. So the sweet is the potato And the savory is a mustard seasoning Personally after a long ride, I crave sugar and salt equally – I have tried to decide if my taste buds want one over another - but really it comes out equal each and every time. I want both! Try my version of Sweet (Plus Savory) Potato Fries · Scrub off the dirt and then cut those sweet potatoes any way you wish; just don’t make them too thick... Continue reading

I thrive on late spring riding, the weather is perfect for long rides – not too hot and not too cold. I just completed the Davis Double century over the weekend and for some reason as I rode through all the farmland I could not stop thinking about fresh veggies combined with some sort of starch… So here you go – Summer Couscous: This is my mom’s version of the classic Moroccan dish – it is perfect as a cold salad, in fact I just made this dish for a ladies lunch/baby shower I hosted a couple weeks ago. Here... Continue reading

The Bike Hut on Tunitas Creek is the best feed stop ever for cyclists, its strategically positioned before you start the steady climb to Tunitas Creek. The climb up Tunitas is part of Stage Three tour of California next week. Back to the feed stop; it is literally a hut, but a very cute red hut that you can’t miss. Inside Karen (pictured in the door) and I found jugs of water to fill our bottles, snacks including bars, nuts and various salty items. There were extra tubes and tools and various other cycling necessities. All on the honor system,... Continue reading

Sweat, sweet smells and singing birds Part of a 3 day cycling retreat in Solvang, our ride yesterday before heading back home was truly epic and challenging. Beginning in Solvang, we headed toward Los Olivos through miles of beautiful farmland to Happy canyon and eventually started the climb up Figueroa Mountain Road. I had never heard of Figueroa Mountain before yesterday. Here is what I learned: · The road is located in in the Los Padres National Forest · This same route is a favorite of Lance Armstrong and his team when they train in Santa Barbara county; the loop... Continue reading

The Velo Gourmet is back with a new attitude and promise to keep up this blog with frequent postings. After a glorious 3 day cycling and food retreat in Solvang, CA the Velo Gourmet has realized the passion for feed stops, routes and gourmet cooking will never subside. To all my followers, enjoy and come back for more! Continue reading

These little packets save my life on long bike rides - I just love them - almond butter is my favorite but I also like the peanut packs. The packaging is very fun and cool and they are just the right size for a bike pocket. I found them at my local grocery store - I stocked up when I first saw them because I thought it was a fluke that the store carried them - but they are still in stock! I should have known - Justin's is a Boulder, CO company - they cater to everything cycling! Continue reading

Oh those good old bakery rides, you gotta love them. Comment to this post and share your favority bakery ride. Most recently it was Rob's birthday ride and while I missed the cake at the end of the ride through Mt. Tam,I did treat myself to Kara's cupcakes....a perfect post ride treat, OK maybe two...for a little variety. My favorite is riding up to Pt. Reyes for a cookie or two at Bovine bakery. Or up in Sonoma, the wildflour bakery for a savory bread. Continue reading