415-663-1033Our Garden Manager, Brendan Thomas, has been hard at work in our 2-acre, onsite garden called, “The Croft”. Here he talks about the climate challenges we face and what we are doing to keep a sustainable garden:
“A winter of record rainfall at Nick’s Cove has presented many challenges in the vegetable garden. Flooding, erosion, and landslides are all a result of relentless weather after years of bel
ow average rainfall. We have been working with a permaculture contractor to turn this potentially disastrous situation into an opportunity to improve the landscape and ecosystem in the garden.
Perennial Abundance Permaculture designed and installed a system of swales around the vegetable beds that all feed into a sequence of rain gardens. These rain gardens are large basins that are connected by a constructed creek bed. In a rain event, the water that would otherwise flood and erode the vegetable beds is directed into this system. The rain gardens fill and spill out into the creek, which fills the next basin before moving on.
The slowing and redirection of the flow allows the ground to absorb the water. The idea is to collect the runoff from a storm and allow it to penetrate the soil, or as the permaculture saying goes, ‘Slow it, spread it, sink it.’ Rather than quickly moving across the ground, taking very precious topsoil with it, the 
water is trapped and used to feed a beautifully planted garden.
These rain gardens are like seasonal ponds, and they are planted with California native wetland plants. All of the plants are selected for their adaptability to the seasonal changes that we see in California. Some are drought tolerant, some thrive in the very wet or submerged low spots in the rain system. With spring in full swing, now is a great time to come see these gardens in person, as everything is soaking up the increased sunlight and warmth.
Perennial Abundance Permaculture is Nate Chaput and Tom Le Blanc. They are passionate individuals who have helped transform the garden this winter. Come see their top notch work in person at Nick’s Cove and check them out at perennialabundancepermaculture.com.”
Hope to see you soon!
Think of Millerton Point as less of a hike and more of a stroll. This long stretch of shoreline around the peninsula known as Millerton Point 
In the summertime, overpowering fruits and artificial syrups too often cover up spirits. Although a lot of classic cocktails follow those guidelines, I find it a little too simple and mundane. The true beauty in mixology is incorporating different liquors that blend in harmonious vibrancy while taming the heat of spirits. Accomplishing this balance during the fall and winter proves even more difficult, as in-season fruits are slim-picking. However, our bartenders at Nick’s love the challenge and are constantly coming up with fun ideas to showcase classic cocktails with a contemporary twist.
I have so many ideas for the fall dessert menu at Nick’s, but I can’t put all of them on the menu at once! Since figs have the earliest (and the shortest!) season of all the fall fruits I love, they will be my primary focus. My newest dessert that is going on the menu today uses black mission figs, honey, balsamic vinegar, and Bellwether Farms sheep’s milk Greek yogurt. I am also a little bit in love with Bellwether Farms— their sheep and cow cheeses continually blow me away, and their Greek yogurt is perfect for this dessert: thick, creamy, tangy, and so silky. It’s a beautiful match for the sweet honey, tart vinegar, and juicy figs.
ello, my name is Brendan, I am the new garden manager at Nick’s Cove. Fall has officially begun, and it is truly an incredible time of year up in the garden. Though the days are noticeably shorter and the nights cooler, some late summer and early fall heat will still warm the garden during the day. The summer crops are still producing– the cherry tomato plants are still putting on fruit, the summer squash are still coming in, and the peppers and eggplants are ripening in the wonderful weather.
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