Mouthful: SRJC to hold its 1st wine benefit

SRJC Fete: On Sunday, Feb. 8, Santa Rosa Junior College hosts its First Annual SRJC Wine Classic, a benefit for scholarships for wine, culinary arts and hospitality students.

The event takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. at the college’s Lawrence A. Bertolini Student Center on the main campus in Santa Rosa.

About 30 wineries, including Balletto, Buena Vista, Coppola, Dry Creek Vineyard, Kosta Browne, Merry Edwards, Rodney Strong and Shone Farm, are participating.

Students in the Culinary Arts department will prepare appetizers and there will be a live performance by students from the music department.

Joe Martin, founder of St. Francis Winery and Vineyards in Sonoma Valley, and Rich Thomas, longtime SRJC viticulture instructor, are the event’s honorary co-chairs.

Tickets are $55 per person.

To purchase tickets and explore all participating wineries, visit srjcwineclassic.com.

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Honoring Nancy Skall: On Sunday, Feb. 1, around 11 a.m., there will be a brief presentation about Nancy Skall of Middleton Farm Gardens, the beloved farmer who passed away on Jan. 23. For many years, she has been a signature vendor at the Sebastopol Farmers Market, which takes place in the town plaza, at McKinley and Petaluma Avenues.

If you’d like to join in, consider wearing something orange, her favorite color.

As of press time, we did not know if her produce would be for sale at the market or not, but it is possible. Last Sunday, her stall was filled with her extraordinary garlics, Jerusalem artichokes, gorgeous leeks, sprouting broccoli, little pears, ripe persimmons, Trombetta squash, rhubarb, shallots, the first flowering quince and more.

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Shollenberger Shindig: Next Tuesday, Feb. 3, Lagunitas Tap Room and Beer Sanctuary (1280 No. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma) hosts a fundraiser for Friends of Shollenberger, which works to protect the Petaluma park. This is the fourth fete.

The evening event includes a light supper, a silent auction featuring wine and art, music by Larry Potts and Friends and the Tracy Rose Quarter, dancing and an update on the Dutra Asphalt Plant, a 38-acre production facility that may be located across the Petaluma River from Shollenberger Park.

Artisan beer will be available for purchase. Admission is $25 for anyone over 16; kids under 16 attend free.

To snag your tickets, visit saveshollenberger.com

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Poetry, yes; Dinner, no: Next Saturday, Feb. 7, Rumi’s Caravan hosts two celebrations of the ancient poet’s soul-warming poetry.

A 3 p.m. matinée, “Rumi’s Light,” features the words of the poet and several others, including Mary Oliver--CQ-- and Ranier Marie Rilke. Cake and tea will be served following the performance.

At 7 p.m., it’s “Rumi by Night,” which features poetry, music by Eliyahu Sills and Jason Ranjit Parmar, and dancing by Chelsea Rose, a whirling dervish dancer.

A 5 p.m. “Sensuous Persian Feast,” a sit-down dinner, takes place but the 60 available seats have all sold.

This all takes place at the Glaser Center (547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa). Cost for the matinée is $20; the evening presentation is $35. For tickets, stop by Many Rivers Books and Tea (130 South Main St., Sebastopol) or visit rumiscaravan2015.bpt.me. As always, lavish attire, while not required, is enthusiastically recommended.

This year’s proceeds benefit the Center for Climate Protection.

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How To Cook Rice: Next Friday, Feb. 6, Robin Koda and Sonoko Sakai will conduct a hands-on workshop on Japanese rice.

Sakai, who is Japanese, is a food writer and teacher, who shares Koda’s knowledge of and passion for rice.

Koda is a member of the Koda Farms family, which has owned and operated a rice farm and mill since 1928. She is now the proprietor of the family-owned farm, the oldest in California. The farm has certified organic medium grain brown rice, organic Japanese sweet rice, mochiko flour, made of ground sweet rice and used to make mochi and as a gluten-free alternative in baking and cooking and more.

Koda’s workshop menu includes Onigiri rice balls, winter soup with Kabocha and scallion miso and Shiratama mochi balls. Students will take home Nuka, a base for fermented pickles.

Participants are asked to bring a cutting board, a kitchen knife, a 3-cup glass container with a lid and an apron.

The workshop takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cost is $95 per person. Participants receive a 10 percent discount at Shed for the day of the workshop.

For tickets, visit healdsburgshed.com or stop by Shed, which is located at 25 North St., Healdsburg.

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Reminders: This Saturday evening starting at 5 p.m., The Casino hosts a benefit for Chef Mark Malicki, who is suffering from Crohn’s disease. The evening should be great fun, with several local chefs teaming up for a delicious four-course dinner. There’s also an auction of great local items, from art, restaurant meals and wine to books by local authors, jewelry and body products.

It’s first-come-first-served, cash-only, with a suggested donation of $50 per person. There is an ATM at The Casino, which is located at 17000 Bodega Highway in downtown Bodega.

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Kiss Your Farmer: On Saturday, February 14, farmers and other real food advocates will gather at the Petaluma Veterans Building (1094 Petaluma Blvd. South) to share resources, passions and more, at the “Farmers Guild Raising, An Interactive Gathering To Empower Communities.”

Topics to be covered include collective purchasing, peer-to-peer farm visits, land access, appropriate technologies, industry speed-dating and more, including a discussion about the farm-to-bouquet movement.

There are no keynote speakers and everyone is invited to join in.

It all takes place from 1:30 to 6 p.m.

Following the day’s work is a Valentine’s Day Ball, from 6 to 10 p. m. at the same location. The fete includes a whole-hog roast, organic foods with lots of vegetarian options, beer, wine, live music and dancing, along with auctions, games and --yes, it’s true-- a kissing booth! How can you resist?

Tickets are $5, which gets you admission to either or both events. If you’d like dinner, cost is $20, which includes drinks and admission.

For complete details, to get involved and to buy tickets, visit farmersguild.org.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 19 books to date, including the new “More Than Meatballs.” Email Jordan at michele@saladdresser.com. You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.co