MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – A neighbor is being credited for saving the life of a Middletown man whose home caught fire on Saturday morning.

The fire at the home, located in the 24000 block of Hildebrand Road, was first reported minutes before 10 a.m. Saturday, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Mike Wink.

Wink said the home’s resident was unaware that the home was on fire, but that a neighbor riding by on a motorcycle stopped and got into the home to warn him.

The two men and the resident’s two pets were able to get out without injury, according to Wink.

“They got out just in time,” he said.

At the time of the fire the temperature was 92 degrees, with 12 percent humidity, Wink said.

Wink said the two main factors in keeping the fire from spreading into nearby wildland was a lack of any wind and the availability of a lot of local fire resources, with nine volunteers happening to be at the South Lake County Fire Station when the call was dispatched.

Personnel from South Lake County Fire, Cal Fire and Calistoga Fire Department responded, he said.

The residence and three outbuildings were destroyed, said Wink.

Wink said if there had been wind the fire could have gone right up nearby McGuire Peak, potentially sparking a major wildland fire.

The fire was knocked down within 45 minutes, but Wink said firefighters were on scene until 4 p.m., and checked the scene later that night and again on Sunday.

Wink estimated total losses at $200,000.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A wildland fire complex in northern Mendocino County continued to grow on Monday, destroying another structure in its path.

The two-fire Pass Complex reached 5,700 acres by mid-morning, with firefighters getting 10-percent containment on it, according to Cal Fire Mendocino Unit spokesperson Julie Cooley.

The fires have been burning in heavy timber in the Williams Valley area, 10 miles northeast of Covelo, since Saturday morning. Cal Fire has not yet estimated a time for containment.

Cooley said the complex is showing rapid rates of spread with extreme fire behavior.

By Monday morning, the fire had burned another outbuilding, bringing the total to two that had been destroyed, according to Cooley.

No evacuations had been ordered, but Cooley said there were road closures, including Traveler’s Home Trail and Hams Pass/Blands Cove Road above Traveler’s Home Trailhead.

Resources assigned on Monday morning included 618 personnel, 41 fire engines, 26 fire crews, 14 bulldozers, three airtankers, one helicopter and10 water tenders, Cooley reported.

Cal Fire and the US Forest Service have unified command of the complex. Cooley said a federal Type 2 team is anticipated to arrive at the fire later Monday to take over full command.

The complex has been sending smoke south into the rest of Mendocino County as well as Lake County.

The fire prompted the Mendocino County Air Quality Management District to issue an air quality alert for inland Mendocino County on Sunday evening. The district also issued an air quality alert for Covelo/Round Valley based on high readings recorded in the area.

Both alerts were expected to be extended after they expired Monday morning, according to the district.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity has fired its laser for the first time on Mars.

On Sunday the mission’s ChemCam instrument hit a fist-sized rock named “Coronation” with 30 pulses of its laser during a 10-second period. Each pulse delivers more than a million watts of power for about five one-billionths of a second.

The energy from the laser creates a puff of ionized, glowing plasma.

ChemCam catches the light with a telescope and analyzes it with three spectrometers for information about what elements are in the rock.

The spectrometers record 6,144 different wavelengths of ultraviolet, visible and infrared light.

“We got a great spectrum of Coronation – lots of signal,” said ChemCam Principal Investigator Roger Wiens of Los Alamos National Laboratory, N.M. “Our team is both thrilled and working hard, looking at the results. After eight years building the instrument, it’s payoff time!”

ChemCam recorded spectra from each of the 30 pulses. The goal of this initial use of the laser on Mars was to serve as target practice for characterizing the instrument, but the activity may provide additional value.

Researchers will check whether the composition changed as the pulses progressed. If it did change, that could indicate dust or other surface material being penetrated to reveal different composition beneath the surface.

“It’s surprising that the data are even better than we ever had during tests on Earth, in signal-to-noise ratio,” said ChemCam Deputy Project Scientist Sylvestre Maurice of the Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP) in Toulouse, France. “It’s so rich, we can expect great science from investigating what might be thousands of targets with ChemCam in the next two years.”

The technique used by ChemCam, called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, has been used to determine composition of targets in other extreme environments, such as inside nuclear reactors and on the sea floor, and has had experimental applications in environmental monitoring and cancer detection.

Sunday’s investigation of Coronation is the first use of the technique in interplanetary exploration.

More information about ChemCam is available at www.msl-chemcam.com .

Dr. Tony Phillips works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lake County Live!, the music and variety program that debuted in January of this year, will present its eighth production on Sunday, Aug. 26, at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport.

This month, the show will feature the group Majide!, featuring the talents of keyboard player Paul Kemp and vocalist Machiko. Joining them for this performance will be Jim Leonardis on saxophone. They present styles including smooth jazz, blues and a variety of other musical genres.

Also on the venue will be the return of Ear Reverence, the a cappella vocal quartet featuring Valerie Reid, Carol Cole Lewis, Bill Bordisso and Nick Reid. They delighted the audience in January, and have more great songs for you to enjoy on Aug. 26.

“We are continually looking for both new and returning guests who can entertain our audience in the theatre and on the air,” said show creator and host Doug Rhoades. “Our audience continues to grow, so I want to make sure we’re giving them the enjoyment they deserve during the hour they spend with us and the show.”  

This month’s show will feature the return of Ladies of the Lake, a visit to Kelseyville, a word from Pet Owners, Operators and Proprietors, and a lot of laughs.  

“We try to always make the humor topical, but keep it at about a PG rating,” Rhoades added. “We always want to make people laugh, and never offend.  I think we’ve met that goal since the first show.”

Lake County Live! airs at 6 p.m. on Lake County Community Radio KPFZ at 88.1 FM and is also streamed live on the Internet via www.kpfz.org .

Tickets are available at the theater box office at 275 S. Main in Lakeport Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Travel Center in Lakeport at 1265 S. Main, and online at www.soperreesetheatre.com .

This week’s Fall Football Preview will feature the county’s high school teams as they get ready for the upcoming season. The series starts with the Lower Lake High Trojans.

LOWER LAKE, Calif. – For a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2007, the mood at Lower Lake’s practice sessions last week was surprisingly upbeat. For a team that didn’t win a game last year, the Trojans appeared convincingly confident.

Before heading out the gymnasium door for three and a half hours of drills in the sweltering summer heat, several players were discussing how they couldn’t wait to get another shot at those teams that had their way with them last year, like Hoopa Valley, which beat the Trojans, 54-0, and Middletown, which tagged them with a 35-0 loss.

No one was vowing to even the score, mind you; it was more like anticipating “the opportunity” – a popular term at the Lower Lake camp this summer.  

“We expect a lot of improvement,” said Jerald Drummond, the senior running back and safety. “Other teams are going to improve, too. But if we work hard, we have an opportunity to achieve something this season.”

For a few seconds there, you had to wonder what second-year head coach Mike Huffman was slipping into the Gatorade. Whatever it was, his players were obviously lapping it up.

Or maybe offensive coordinator Justin Gaddy, whose Facebook page is brimming with words of inspiration and team spirit, had somehow incorporated some Norman Vincent Peale into his veer option playbook, mixing in some power of positive thinking with the Trojans’ power running game.

Seriously, though, isn’t this the same group that went 0-9-1 last season, managing only a tie with Cloverdale?

In large part, it is. And that’s one of the reasons Lower Lake is projecting a different kind of vibe this summer, the poised and business-like demeanor of a group that’s survived some tough times together, and now believes that some day soon, those hard-knock lessons are going to start paying dividends.

 “We were young and inexperienced last year,” Huffman said. “This year we’re the opposite.”

Lower Lake returns six starters on offense, led by Drummond, who rushed for over 600 yards last season, quarterback Richard Tucker, who led the county with over 1200 passing yards, and  240-pound center Mike Warren, who anchors the line.

Also back is receiver Thomas Cross, whose 6-foot-2, 195-pound frame should provide Tucker with a large and mobile target.

Cross demonstrated his athleticism last winter when he emerged as the league’s top wrestler in his weight class – and among the best in the section.

Billy Martin also adds size and experience to the offensive line, which could be the most improved part of the team.

“We were small in the line last year and it was hard to get our running game going,” Huffman said. “We ended up having to pass a lot. Our line should be bigger and better this season on both sides of the ball.”

Especially if sophomore Willie Isaacs, up from last year’s 6-4 JV team, can make a sudden impact on the varsity. At 6-3, 292 pounds, he’s one of those athletic anomalies in Lake County, a kid who, at age 15 and without any varsity experience, already has some folks believing he’s a legitimate college prospect. Maybe even a Division I (large school) prospect.

“Willie has the size and he has the heart (to play Division I),” Huffman said.

Most of the standouts on offense play key roles on a Trojan defense that returns eight starters.

Tucker, Cross and Drummond are fixtures in the secondary and Warren and Martin bring some heft to the heart of the line. You have to figure Isaacs, with the size to clog up a lot running lanes, will get some “D” time as well.

“He’s a throw-back – a country boy with a great work ethic,” Huffman said of his prize sophomore.

The Lower Lake coaching staff is also a “throw-back” of sorts – to the Trojan teams of the mid-’90s that regularly competed for league titles. Nearly all of the coaches are Lower Lake alumni.  

Huffman, Gaddy and linebacker/receivers coach Ed Fuchs played for coaching legend Gordon Sadler’s last team at Lower Lake in 1995. The following year, under first-year coach Bill Cox, they won a league championship.

Huffman was an all-league lineman who, knowing he lacked the size to play college ball (at least as a lineman), opted for the Army.

Two years after graduating from high school, he was driving a tank in Kosovo as part of the NATO-led peacekeeping force.

When he came home he went to work at his alma mater, supervising the high school facilities. He also was quick to get back into football, assisting on the high school staff and connecting with the youth program.

When he took over the Trojan program last summer, he knew the job would be a challenge. He came on in late August and didn’t have an off-season program to get his players on the same page. The team spent the first part of the season playing catch-up.

About five games into the campaign, Huffman began to see improvement. “We started being competitive,” he said.

The natural ebb and flow of talent is a big part of small-school football, and with the exception of the powerhouse Middletown program, Lake County’s teams have had their shares of ups and downs over the past decade.   

Lower Lake’s football fortunes have been on the ebb for a couple years. But the staff is determined to bring some continuity back to the program – Huffman says he and his coaches are in it for the long-haul. In the meantime, they’re channeling new energy – and a new attitude.

If you’re part of Lower Lake football, there is no room gloom. There are only “opportunities” waiting to be seized.    

Unlike some head coaches who work off-campus, Huffman is there every day, along assistant coach Gary Logoteta, another Trojan alumnus who also works as a campus supervisor.

“We help the vice principal with discipline and campus control and safety,” Huffman said. “We have the opportunity to talk with all the kids and help them anyway we can.”

His job as head coach, he explains, “is about recruiting, staying involved with the youth programs; it’s about changing the culture, which means getting everyone involved. We try to get everyone to play. We don’t cut anyone. We look at it as an opportunity to teach the game.”

Players know the Huffman code, which isn’t only partly about football; it’s about 1) doing the right thing; 2) treating others the way you want to be treated; and 3) giving maximum effort all the time.
Everything else, he believes, will take care of itself, including the team’s only goal: “We want to play for the league championship every year,” he said – a lofty goal this year in what promises to be a competitive NCL I race.  

But you know the players are relishing the opportunity.

Tomorrow: The Kelseyville Knights prepare for the coming season.

Rich Mellott can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Lower Lake Trojans

Coach/Record: Mike Huffman (2nd year), 0-9-1.
Assistants: Justin Gaddy, Ed Fuchs, Scott Benefield, Troy Dahneke.
Last year: 0-9-1.
League: 0-6-1.
JVs: 6-4.
Offense: Veer option.
Returning starters: 6 on offense, 8 on defense.
Top players: QB/S Richard Tucker, C/NG Mike Warren, WR-CB Thomas Cross (6-2, 195), RB/S Jerald Drummond  (5-9, 145), OL/DL Billy Martin.
Keep an eye on: Sophomore lineman Willie Isaacs, up from the junior varsity, whom Huffman believes has the size (6-3, 292 lbs.) work ethic and potential to play Div. I college ball. Another stat Huffman likes: Isaacs’ 2.78 GPA.
Key games: Though they’ll be big underdogs in their season-opener at Hoopa Valley,  how the Trojans hold up against the Div. V section power could be an early indicator of what to expect this season. The Warriors rolled to a 55-0 win in last year’s opener … The NCL contest against Fort Bragg (5-5 ) at home on Sept. 5 could be another tell-tale  contest around which a successful season might hinge.

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A complex of fires burning in northern Mendocino County rapidly increased in size on Sunday.

The Pass Complex Fire grew to 5,015 acres by Sunday evening, five times the size it was reported to be earlier in the day, according to a report from Cal Fire spokesperson Julie Cooley.

Approximately 540 firefighting personnel were working the fire on Sunday evening, with Cooley reporting 10 percent containment.

The complex was first reported shortly before 3 a.m. Saturday 10 miles northeast of Covelo in Williams Valley.

The two-fire complex includes the Pass 1, which has burned into the Mendocino National Forest, and the Pass 2, which Cooley said jumped the fire line and is burning toward Pass 1.

The fires are moving east and southeast in heavy timber, Cooley reported.

Since the morning report, one outbuilding had been destroyed, according to Cooley. No evacuations were in place.

Resources on scene Sunday evening included 41 fire engines, 20 fire crews, nine bulldozers, two airtankers, two helicopters and six water tenders, Cooley reported.

Cal Fire and the US Forest Service have a unified command on the incident.

Satellite images of Northern California show the Pass Complex is sending smoke south into Lake County, where residents complained of smoky conditions throughout the day.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

NORTH COAST, Calif. – A wildland fire complex burning in northern Mendocino County continued to increase in size on Monday.

The Pass Complex grew by more than 400 acres during the course of Monday, reaching 6,015 acres by nighttime, with containment remaining at 10 percent, Cal Fire reported.

The two-fire complex is located along Mendocino Pass Road, 10 miles northeast of Covelo, in both the State Responsibility Area and the Mendocino National Forest. Cal Fire and the US Forest Service have unified command of the incident.

Cal Fire said the Pass Complex was started by lightning.

Burning since Saturday morning, the Pass 1 Fire has burned 6,000 acres, some in the national forest. The Pass 2 Fire, which jumped the fire line and is burning toward Pass 1, has burned 15 acres, Cal Fire reported.

Forty-five residences are threatened. Cal Fire had reported earlier Monday that two outbuildings had been destroyed.

There were 732 fire personnel on scene Monday, as well as 65 engines, 21 fire crews, three airtankers, three helicopters, 14 bulldozers and nine water tenders.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

When Mike Huffman got the head coaching job at Lower Lake last summer, and began assembling a staff of a dozen or so assistants, there was one resource that proved particularly useful – and it wasn’t Craigslist, Monster.com or  the classified ads of any newspaper.

Instead, he just reached for his high school yearbook.

Huffman, class of 1997, picked former teammates Justin Gaddy and Ed Fuchs as varsity assistants, Gaddy as his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and Fuchs as his linebacker and receivers coach.

Then he filled out the staff with more Trojan bluebloods, former Lower Lake students and athletes who shared his love for the school and his passion for the football program.

“The entire coaching staff, both varsity and JVs, is Lower Lake alumni” except one coach, Gaddy writes in an email.

As Trojan assistants over the years, Fuchs, Gaddy and Huffman have coached players who are now coaching with them.

For example, Fuchs coached current varsity assistant Scott Benefield when he played at Lower Lake; and Huffman and Gaddy coached current JV assistant Jeremiah Gamble when he played for the Trojans.

Gaddy and Huffman go all the way back to sixth grade, when they started playing youth football together.  

“As little kids, Mike and I would go to the high school and watch Gordon Saddler coach his teams,” Gaddy writes. “Ed Fuchs played high school ball with us and we won multiple championships together.

“Our junior year (1995) was Saddler’s last year as head coach at Lower Lake. We then won a league championship the following year (1996) under Coach Bill Cox,” Gaddy said.

Gaddy recalled how the Trojans won the game that clinched the championship.

“The last three plays … included a huge (defensive) play by Huffman on second down, a deflection on the goal line by Fuchs on third down, and a deflection in the corner of the end zone by me on fourth down.

“To keep it short, we have a lot of wonderful history with this school and community. We all look forward to our future (on the coaching staff).”

Gaddy said the only non-Lower Lake alum on the 2012 staff is varsity assistant Troy Dahneke.

“But we love him as a Lower Lake brother anyway,” Gaddy said.

Rich Mellott can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A fire in neighboring Mendocino County doubled in size, sending smoke into the Lake County air basin, while wildland fires continued to burn across the northern part of the state.

Cal Fire said the Pass Complex, first reported on Saturday afternoon, had grown to 1,000 acres in size by Sunday, with only 5 percent containment.

The fire is located on Mendocino Pass Road northeast of Covelo, according to Cal Fire.

Cal Fire said the Pass Fire was caused by lightning. Several Lake County residents had reported on Lake County News’ Facebook page and by email that they had seen lightning strikes to the north late Friday.

The fire has resulted in three minor injuries, according to Cal Fire.

No structures were reported threatened, but Cal Fire said the fire was projected to move in a northeast direction toward the Mendocino National Forest and Middle Eel Wilderness.

On Sunday there were 173 personnel on scene, with 35 engines – 34 of them from Cal Fire – as well as 11 fire crews, three airtankers, three helicopters, eight bulldozers and six water tenders. Most of the resources came from Cal Fire.

Cooperating agencies are Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Covelo Fire, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the California National Guard.

Other major incidents around Northern California on Sunday included the Ponderosa Fire southeast of Manton in Tehama and Shasta counties.

The fire, which began Saturday morning, had ballooned to 12,000 acres by Sunday afternoon, with no containment yet reached, according to Cal Fire. The cause is under investigation.

Approximately 974 fire personnel, 105 engines, 22 fire crews, 3 helicopters 31 bulldozers and 20 air tankers were assigned in an effort to protect the area’s residents and the 3,000 home, 20 commercial properties and 300 outbuildings that were threatened, Cal Fire said.

Cal Fire said four structures had been destroyed by Sunday afternoon.

Evacuations were put in place for the area, and all roads out of Manton were closed. Cal Fire reported that the Manton School was closed and an evacuation center opened in Redding.

Cal Fire said the Ponderosa Fire was burning one mile from Highway 44, and was moving toward the communities of Shingletown and Viola. Highway 299 should be used as an alternate route in the area.

A fire information number was set up at 530-225-2510.

Elsewhere in Northern California on Sunday afternoon, the SHU Lightning Fire had burned 350 acres in the Whitmore area of Shasta County, with 20 percent containment; the Mill Fire, located northwest of Butte Meadows in Butte County, had burned 1,610 acres and was 35 percent contained; the Reading Fire, located in Lassen National Park, was 51 percent contained at 27,849 acres; the Fort Complex, located 10 miles northeast of Happy Camp, was 200 acres with no containment estimate; the Chips Fire on the Plumas and Lassen National Forests was 38-percent contained at 44,793 acres; and the Rush Fire, located on Bureau of Land Management land in the Northern California District near Ravendale, has scorched 249,578 acres since it began last Sunday, Aug. 12, with 45 percent containment.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Clearlake Oaks man was arrested Sunday night after he attempted to evade a California Highway Patrol officer and later was found with drugs, paraphernalia and a large amount of cash.

Anthony Joseph Padilla Jr., 31, was arrested following a short pursuit, according to CHP Officer Kory Reynolds.

Reynolds said CHP Officer Matt Norton was working a traffic control detail with Caltrans as they paved a portion of Highway 53 south of 18th Avenue near Clearlake Sunday night.

At approximately 9:25 p.m. Norton observed a vehicle strike a traffic cone and enter the closed lane of southbound Highway 53, Reynolds said. The vehicle then swerved back into the open lane, striking two more traffic cones.

Norton attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle, which accelerated away from him onto Old Highway 53. Reynolds said Norton observed the driver throw a plastic baggie from the vehicle.  

The vehicle made a left turn and then yielded on Highlands Harbor Drive, Reynolds said.

Norton contacted the driver, identified as Padilla, and arrested him for failing to yield to his activated lights and siren, according to Reynolds.

Reynolds said that during a search Norton located $5,943 in cash on Padilla.

Norton and CHP Officer Adam Garcia returned to the area where Norton saw Padilla throw the baggie from the vehicle and they located the baggie, which contained nearly an once of methamphetamine, Reynolds said.

Padilla was booked into the Lake County Jail for possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for sale, transporting a controlled substance, driving on a suspended license, evading arrest and a probation hold, according to Reynolds.

Padilla’s bail was set at $35,000. Jail records indicated that he remained in custody on Monday.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Four adoptable cats are waiting for homes at Lake County Animal Care and Control this week.

There are three kittens and a cat ready to join your home.

Cats that are adopted from Lake County Animal Care and Control are either neutered or spayed and microchipped before being released to their new owner. License fees do not apply to residents of the cities of Lakeport or Clearlake.

If you're looking for a new companion, visit the shelter. There are many great pets there, hoping you'll choose them.

The following cats at the Lake County Animal Care and Control shelter have been cleared for adoption (other cats pictured on the animal control Web site that are not listed here are still “on hold”).

Female gray and white tabby

This female tabby is 2 years old.

She has a short gray and white coat, gold eyes and has not yet been spayed.

Find her in cat room kennel No. 46, ID No. 33740.

Black and white domestic long hair

This female domestic long hair mix kitten is 14 weeks old.

The kitten has a black and white coat and gold eyes. It has not been altered.

Find her in cat room kennel 95a, ID No. 33736.

Domestic long hair mix kitten

This female black and white domestic long hair mix kitten is 14 weeks old.

She has gold eyes and has not yet been altered.

She’s in cat room kennel 95b, ID No. 33737.

Male domestic long hair mix kitten

This male domestic long hair mix kitten is 14 weeks old.

He ha gold eyes and has not yet been altered.

He’s in cat room kennel 95c, ID No. 33738.

Adoptable cats also can be seen at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Cats_and_Kittens.htm or at www.petfinder.com .

Please note: Cats listed at the shelter's Web page that are said to be “on hold” are not yet cleared for adoption.

To fill out an adoption application online visit http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control/Adopt/Dog___Cat_Adoption_Application.htm .

Lake County Animal Care and Control is located at 4949 Helbush in Lakeport, next to the Hill Road Correctional Facility.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday. The shelter is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Visit the shelter online at http://www.co.lake.ca.us/Government/Directory/Animal_Care_And_Control.htm .

For more information call Lake County Animal Care and Control at 707-263-0278.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

When I was a little girl, a treat of immense proportions was to be taken with my brother to the soda fountain that was tucked into the corner of the local drugstore.

Light meals were served there, but more importantly, an occasional dish of ice cream could be had when my mother felt my brother and I deserved a goody.
 
In those days, chocolate, vanilla and strawberry ice creams were standard fare at such places, but this particular drug store also had a flavor that seemed outlandish to me: pistachio.
 
And that’s the one I always chose.
 
I had no idea what pistachios were (nor could I efficiently pronounce the name), but the peregrine nature of such a frozen concoction intrigued me.
 
As we have ice cream in nearly every flavor now, I rarely choose pistachio when I indulge, but my fascination with the nut remains.
 
When my husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary recently and the waitress placed my pistachio-crusted salmon in front of me, I felt like a kid again, spoon poised above a metal dish of green ice cream between spins on my drug store counter stool.
 
Pistachios, native to Persia (modern day Iran and part of Iraq) and a sometime denizen of the hanging gardens of Babylon, grow in grape-like clusters on trees. The shells are formed first on female trees, and if there is a male tree nearby for pollination, the empty shells will fill with green pistachio nuts.
 
One male tree produces enough pollen for eight to twelve female nut-bearing trees.
 
A fleshy outer skin that’s removed during processing covers the hard shells in which the green nuts form. It changes color as the nut ripens, from green to yellowish-red, adding to pistachios’ grape-like look when on the tree.
 
Pistachios, technically the seed of a fruit, are considered a culinary nut, rather than a true botanical nut. They’re related to cashews (another culinary nut), and the cashew family also includes mangoes, the spice sumac, and poison ivy.
 
Other than in Australia where February is the harvest month, pistachios are gathered in September. A particularly hot summer might make them ready the last week of August.
 
When ripe, the nuts split open with a pop. In some places in the Middle East, one would be considered lucky if sitting under a pistachio tree when they snap open.
 
In those countries the nuts are sometimes called “smiling pistachios,” possibly because the broad opening makes the nut look like it’s in the midst of a big grin.
 
Because the shells are open with the nuts exposed during harvest, it’s important that they’re kept from falling on the ground to avoid contamination.
 
In California’s San Joaquin Valley, where fully 98 percent of pistachios consumed in the U.S. are grown, elaborate machines that prevent the nuts from touching the ground are employed during the harvest.
 
The specially designed contraptions shake the trees while surrounding the trunk with tilted platforms from which the nuts roll onto a conveyor belt that carries them to a pull-along trailer.
 
A link is below for any uber curious folks who wish to see the machines in action. It really is pretty amazing.
 
A more primitive, but effective, method of protecting the inner nut is to line the ground surrounding the trees with tarps to catch hand-harvested nuts.
 
Pistachios like hot, dry conditions, and New Mexico and Nevada are two other states where pistachios are cultivated. Iran is the largest worldwide producer, with most nuts exported to Europe and Asia.
 
Thankfully, tasty pistachios are considered a beneficial food.
 
The health benefits of tree nuts have been demonstrated in a variety of scientific studies, and pistachios specifically contain an impressive array of nutrients per serving.
 
Full of fiber and protein, pistachios also contain healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, phytosterols for heart health, stores of potassium, vitamin B6, and lutein, which promotes eye wellness.
 
They have more antioxidants pound-for-pound than antioxidant power houses blueberries, blackberries, garlic, and pomegranate juice.
 
Because they originated in the Middle East, they’re a typical ingredient in foods there, including in the ground lamb kebabs known as gyros and in desserts like baklava.
 
Do you remember when pistachios were dyed a ghastly pinkish red? That was mostly to cover shell discoloration on lower grade nuts. Thankfully, it’s not done much anymore; I can’t remember when I last spotted some.
 
Because of their high oil and low water content, pistachios have been known to self-combust in bulk container shipments.
 
Such an event would belie their Chinese nickname, the “happy nut.”
 
Like other nuts, there is a near endless variety of ways pistachios can be used in cuisine. And, of course, they’re wonderful when eaten out of hand.
 
Some favorite pairings are with apricots or peaches, cheeses such as goat, Parmesan, brie, or ricotta, chicken and dishes that accompany fowl (think stuffing or rice), white or dark chocolate, honey, and lemon.
 
Because of the strong taste of pistachios, they work well with meats such as lamb and pork, both as a crust or as a component in a sauce, chutney, or accompanying dish.
 
For a treat on your morning toast, try combining softened butter, pistachios, and a bit of honey in a food processor or blender. A pinch of cinnamon may also be added.
 
As to today’s recipe, the citrus-pistachio couscous salad below is especially good as a bed for grilled salmon, but is also nice on its own.
 
And below is the video on the harvest.
 
Enjoy, and happy Sunday!
 
Citrus-pistachio couscous salad

Juice of two oranges
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup couscous
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced small
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup shelled pistachios, chopped
Dressing:
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lemon

Cook couscous according to directions on box, using broth in place of water. Once cooked, add orange juice and salt and mix well. Fold in cucumber, red bell pepper and pistachios.

For dressing:

Mix all ingredients for dressing in bowl and whisk. Pour over salad to taste.

This recipe serves four and is courtesy of the American Pistachio Growers Web site, www.americanpistachios.org .

Esther Oertel, a freelance writer, cooking teacher, and speaker, is passionate about local produce and all foods in the vegetable kingdom. She welcomes your questions and comments and may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .