How did that come about? The flash-card answer is it’s an outcome of history. The detailed answer is the European winegrowers discovered centuries ago, through trial and error, that each grape variety does its best in specific types of soils, exposures, and environments. Eventually, those in the wine industry and, more importantly, their worldwide customers came to accept and acknowledge that, for example, the best Chardonnay originated in France’s Burgundy region (Bourgogne) as did the best Pinot Noir. And when someone was offered a Bourgogne Rouge (Red Burgundy) he/she was confident it was a Pinot Noir from that Region. It was, to be sure, the Real Thing.

The French appellation system, on which other European countries based their own system, was created in 1935 to protect growers in the most famous winemaking regions against the illegal “knock offs” from unscrupulous producers in other regions. Its goal was to give wine buyers a guarantee of origin and authenticity. Please note, it does not guarantee quality. However, overall, that has been the result. Without delving into arcane details, the appellation controls the following very important items: the permitted grapes, the geographical boundaries, vineyard yields, alcohol levels, and certain vineyard and vinification practices.

But does this system have any real consequence for you? You might notice while doing your supermarket shopping that some jug wines still carry the appellation names “Chablis” and “Burgundy”. Do you think you’re getting the Real Thing? Likewise California sparkling wine producers, who label theirs as “Champagne,” would have you imagine that theirs is identical to the French model. Think so? Don’t care? Well, suppose you’re drinking a bottle of red wine that is labeled “Napa Zinfandel,” but somehow it just doesn’t taste as you remember. It’s a lot cheaper, and seemed like a great deal at the price, but as you struggle through the last few sips, you pick up the bottle and spot some very small print on the back label that states “Produced in Yugoslavia.” Obviously, it’s not the Real Thing.

– Tom Barras

Don;t you just love summertime with all of the wonderfully fresh heirloom tomatoes in your garden or from the Farmer’s Market? I marvel at the many varieties and how different they taste. Rumor has it that tomatoes were first cultivated in Peru and transported to Mexico where the Aztecs prepared them with peppers and corn. And I’m certain that you know they are actually a fruit and not a vegetable!

Dad always grew the most wonderful delicious and juicy tomatoes in his garden in Connecticut. My brother and sisters would go to the nursery in the spring with him to select a variety of small plants, which we would carefully transplant in a special section of his garden. We were tasked with “guarding” them as they grew larger from those nasty fat green cutworms – he’d give us each a nickel or dime for each bug we plucked off the growing plants. (Of course, we had to save the bugs in a container to show him before collecting our loot.) On a hot steamy August day, my Mom and I would take a salt shaker and sit right down in the middle of the garden, eating tomatoes warmed by the sun and right off the vine, sprinkled with a little salt – summer heaven!

This tart is easy to make, and delicious. The fontina cheese, tomatoes and herbs blend nicely together for a very satisfying taste. You can serve the tart as an appetizer, or even for a light luncheon accompanied by a chilled butter lettuce salad.

TOMATO TART

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry
• 4 tomatoes, sliced and dried between paper towels
• 1 and 1/2 cups of shredded Fontina cheese
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (you can also use fresh basil)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Prepare your ripe tomatoes by slicing into 1/4 inch slices. You want nice large round slices, so may wish to save the ends for your salad or snack on them while preparing this recipe! Place sliced tomatoes on double layer of paper towels, and cover with another layer of paper towels, and pat to absorb the excess liquid.

Follow directions on package of frozen puff pastry, but do not defrost or let sit at room temperature too long. Roll the puff pastry out to about 9X13 inch rectangle. Slice about 1 inch of dough from each side. Place the large section of dough on parchment paper on a baking sheet, and put the small strips of dough on the edges of the large section of dough to make an edge / crust. Prepare the base of the tart by picking the dough with a fork being careful not to prick the edge / crust. Prepare the egg wash by beating the egg and water, and brush the egg mixture on the edges of the tart with a pastry brush.

Bake the tart dough for about 15 minutes or until the crust has puffed and is lightly golden. Don’t get it too dark, as you will continue to bake after adding the tomatoes – the idea is to brown the bottom of the tart. Remove the partially baked tart dough from the oven, and top with the shredded cheese, tomatoes (arrange them in a nice pattern), salt and pepper, and fresh thyme. Place the tart back into the oven for about 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp on the bottom. Slice and serve while still warm.

– Lynn Kathleen Adams

• Friday Movies for Everyone / 1:15PM (Unless Otherwise Announced) / Every Friday: Come to the Veterans Memorial Senior Center in September for a FREE feature movie in our state of the art movie theatre!
• Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Free Lecture / Wednesday, August 25th, 11AM-Noon: The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is a nationwide network of experienced adults who contribute their time and talent to important programs that strengthen their communities. Come hear Deborah Owdem, Program Director for RSVP of San Mateo & Northern Santa Clara Counties speak about current opportunities, how they match volunteers with organization and the benefits awarded to RSVP volunteers.
•  New & Improved Lunch Program / Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursday, @ Noon: Starting in July, Carroll’s Meats of Brisbane will be providing lunches Tuesday-Thursdays at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center. The Carroll family came to San Francisco in the early 1900′s and helped found “Butcher Town”. The lunch price will remain the same at $5, but the food will be cooked on site. Our current cook, Ruby, will still be making her famous soups and desserts. Lunch at the VMSC includes house made soup, cooked on site hot entre, yummy dessert along with milk or coffee all for just $5. It’s the best deal in town!

To learn more about the Redwood City Veterans Memorial Senior Center, call 780-7270.

There’s no question that we live in a society which is obsessed with physical appearance.

It’s impossible to go to a magazine stand, watch TV or go to the movies without being inundated with images of people looking “perfect.” Make-over type reality shows have further complicated this, and can contribute to feelings of inadequacy and the desire to radically change appearance. While many adults certainly struggle with this too, most of us will eventually come to recognize that people come in all shapes and sizes, and that appearance is only one part of what defines us. Some children and teens, however, may have a very different perspective and believe that part of being happy includes pursuing the perfect body. We need to be able to convey that we all have other, more important qualities. Being kind to others, a good student and a reliable friend are just a few traits which ultimately will provide more long term satisfaction in their lives.

It’s important to note that I’m referring to the normal worries that kids will have during a time of life which is often tumultuous. Of course, closer attention to the issue is vital if the child develops obvious medical issues (i.e., obesity and severe acne), psychological problems such as anorexia and bulimia, or if social and academic problems begin to surface as a result of too much worry over body image. Body dysmorphic disorder is another, though lesser known body image related problem which results in people obsessing over a part of their body they believe to be flawed in some way even though they typically look very normal to others. These all can develop into very serious problems and generally will require intervention by a medical and/or mental health professional.

As the old saying goes: kids will be kids. Worrying about their body is normal as they get older. Keep the lines of communication open. Encouraging healthy discussion about it when their young can help tremendously in avoiding more serious problems later in their lives.

– Scott M. Granet, LCSW

– Scott is a long-time resident of Redwood Shores, and is director of the OCD-BDD Clinic of Northern California in Redwood City. He would like to hear your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at sgranet@ocd-bddclinic.com

RSTC completed our signature Team Tennis with a Twist event in June and we are just about to hold our July tournament, a Mixed Scramble format. By the time you read this article, we will be preparing for our August BBQ tournament. We hold a fun tournament every month with various formats. There’s Men’s and Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, Changing Partners, and Fixed Partner formats. If you want to play doubles tennis without worrying about finding courts, partners, or opponents, our monthly tournaments make it easy!

Our socials are just as diverse and fun. The June theme was Skewer This! and everything came on a stick. Appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Strawberry Shortcake on a stick was perhaps the most unusual offering, and quite tasty. We would even have asked that the salads be on a stick (somehow) but there was a last minute change of who was bringing what.

This year, we are enjoying an active membership with nearly everyone coming to the tournaments and/or socials. Even though the tournaments are regularly filled to capacity, we have usually been able to accommodate those on the waitlist. In June, several members offered to play a half day in order to create an extra space for a new member (whom none had met) to get to play! This generosity of spirit is typical of the members of our club. It’s why I love being a part of RSTC.

For more information about the club, visit our website www.rstc.org . You can check out our News page for detailed recaps on our events!

Poison oak’s scientific name is Toxicodendron diversilobum, meaning toxic tree with diverse forms. Poison oak is a leafy plant that grows as both a bush in dense thickets and as a tree-climbing vine. It’s found throughout much of western North America and is common in the open country and hills surrounding the San Francisco Bay. Poison oak has myrtle green leaves in groupings of three in the spring that gradually turn reddish green then crimson over the course of the growing season, as it fruits a white berry. In the winter, only twigs and stems are left, making it especially difficult to identify.

Poison oak produces an oily resin called urushiol, which initiates the itchy rash. Studies show that it takes less than 50 micrograms, which is less than the weight of a grain of table salt, to initiate a rash in 90 percent of humans. Urushiol attaches easily to anything brushed against the leaves or stems of the plant. It can attach directly to skin or first to clothes and subsequently to skin. It’s not uncommon to get the rash from pets that have run through, or sports balls that have bounced into, poison oak bushes. The resin is tremendously stable. Dead plant specimens over 100 years old have been shown to cause the rash. If the plants are burned, for instance when clearing brush, the urushiol can get into the lungs, causing an especially dangerous reaction.

The rash occurs when some of the urushiol resin gets on and penetrates through the skin to cause a reaction called cell-mediated immunity. This is where our immune system makes the mistake. The molecules in the urushiol attach to the proteins and cells of our own body. This alters the appearance of these proteins and cells. Our own immune system is fooled by this altered appearance into thinking that a foreign invader, for instance a parasitic worm, is trying to enter our body. Our immune system marshals its diverse forces, releasing toxins locally to try to kill or repel the invader. Unfortunately the toxins also damage body tissues, causing the rash.

How can the rash be avoided? The first and best defense is to know how to recognize the plant and avoid it. If you need to go into an area with these plants, wear long pants and a long-sleeved shirt, and carefully remove and wash these in hot soapy water immediately afterward. If your pet or sports equipment may have contacted poison oak, wear gloves and give them a bath. There is now an over-the-counter product called Ivy Block that, if applied prior to exposure, physically blocks urushiol from attaching to skin.

If you get the rash, treatments are directed at reducing the local irritation, reducing the itch or stopping the underlying immune system reaction that caused the rash. The local irritation is typically treated with lotions such as calamine, cool water baths with oatmeal or baking soda or cool compresses. The itch can be treated with over-the-counter antihistamines such as diphenhydramine (e.g., Bendryl). Steroid creams or ointments, such as over-the-counter cortisone or more potent prescription strength steroids, can be used to quiet the immune response reaction. In severe cases systemic steroids may be necessary, either in pill form or, rarely, intravenously.

Poison oak is a fact of life in California, especially in the Bay Area. It’s best avoided, but can be an irritating reminder of just how hard our immune systems work to protect us from invaders.

– Bill Black, M.D., Ph.D.

– The Palo Alto Medical Foundation and column editor Arian Dasmalchi provide this monthly column.

The more ways you have to identify your animal, the more chances of you being reunited with your beloved companion animal. With this in mind, I always stress the importance for all animals to wear a collar, an ID tag and to also be micro chipped.

The first line of defense is for your dog and cat to always wear a collar with an identification tag. Yes, even if your kitty is an indoor only cat. It only takes one slip for a cat to get loose. If a kindly stranger should find “Harry, the escape artist,” a collar and an ID tag tells the finder they belong to someone.

Many owners tell me their cats detest collars. Yes, they can take some getting used to. Cats, in particular, are very adept at convincing their owners they are dying – yes, dying – with a collar on! I have seen some very convincing acts with my own cats, and some of the gyrations they go through would be worthy of an Academy Award! But, you the owner need to be strong and not fall for their antics. Give them a week or so and nine times out of ten they will adjust.

If you are reading this, and sitting back and thinking you’re safe because “Spot” has and wears an ID tag and collar, do yourself a favor and go look at “Spot’s” ID tag. Is the information current or does it contain addresses/phone numbers that are no longer current? Equally important, can you read the ID tag? An ID tag that cannot be read is as good as no ID tag. It might be time to go get some up-to-date ID tags!

Many people have told me that their cat or dog is micro chipped and for this reason they do not feel the need to have an ID tag or a collar. While I applaud those of you who have taken the steps to have your animals micro chipped, a micro chip alone is not enough! If someone finds your companion animal, they may just keep them, not thinking to check and see if the animal is indeed micro chipped.

If you have previously had your pets micro chipped, you probably filed their information with your other important papers. Maybe you even put the micro chip ID tag (if you got one) on their collar. Did you know most of the micro chip companies allow you to also go online and register your animal for a nominal onetime fee? You can also include important additional information such as medical conditions and alternate emergency contact numbers.

For my own animals, I have two local emergency contact numbers listed. However, should we have a major earthquake and I or one of my local contacts cannot be reached, I also have an out-of-state contact listed as well. I know my good friend Eindy in Atlanta will do whatever it takes to ensure my animals are kept safe and sound until I can be contacted.

While I hope your dog or cat never goes missing, you will have peace of mind knowing you took action with these three simple steps.

– Jan Brown

– Jan is the Owner of Jan’s Pet Sitting & a Pet Tech Pet First Aid Instructor. She can be reached at janspetsit@comcast.net

Here are the highlights of the 2010-11 Budget:

• General Fund Budget: $75 million
• Balanced budget without the use of Reserves
• Overall 8% reduction
• Department reductions ranged from 1% to 13%
• No layoffs of sworn police officers
• No layoffs of firefighters
• No pay cuts, reduction in benefits or furloughs
• Elimination of over 40 staff positions
• Layoffs of 15 - 20 staff

We also increased parking meter rates downtown, will be charging for annual fire department inspections of commercial properties and apartment buildings, and will be developing a new tree preservation ordinance with associated fees for tree removals.

Even though were able to approve a balanced budget, the hard work ahead will be implementing the changes that we made. What is even worse is that we are already looking at annual multi-million deficits for the foreseeable future.

The BIG questions that what we need to answer regarding our Quality of Life in Redwood City are:

• What are the services that we need Redwood City to provide?
• What are we willing to pay for these services?

If we are able to answer these two questions as a community, we might be able to establish a more sound financial foundation for our City. I look forward to hearing from you regarding your thoughts and answers.

– Councilperson Jeff Gee, jgee@redwoodcity.org

The committee is in the process of putting together the history of how this great community came to be. We will have on display information about the Shores from its start in the early ’60s. There will be photos showing how the area was developed showing some of the fond memories of the past like when Marine World was a part of our community and a great neighbor.

Those of us that can remember sitting in our back yards listening to the dolphins and whales to who remembers when there was only one road in and out of the Shores. Or better yet there was a time when we did not have a grocery store — anyone remember Byrnes Market?

The Shores is built out and now the RSCA works to keep it a great community. We’re proud how our community has developed, and we want to celebrate 40 years of progress and accomplishments.

Please mark your calendar for October 17 at the new Redwood Shores School. More details will be coming in the Pilot and our website ( www.rsca.org ). Please plan on attending bring your family.

If you have any memorabilia you might want to share please contact us at RSCA40@yahoo.com . We are also looking for groups who might want to participate with the activities during the celebration — contact us for more information.

– Sue Nix, Celebration Chairperson

This year, the Computer Recycle Committee is working in collaboration with Goodwill Industries. Together, the team has established a goal to receive 17,000 lbs of electronic waste on this day. You may be aware that the Goodwill San Mateo facility focuses a significant portion of its business to “green recycling” of computers and other electronics. Aside from this work, Goodwill uses this business to educate and retrain a transition workforce. This is a great chance for our community to contribute to the cause!