Cooking with David Maciel

Sponsored by Ray’s Food Place, Furber Plaza

This is a wonderful marinade for chicken thighs. It has an Italian Mediterranean overtone. You can grill them out doors or in the oven.

Ingredients

• • 2 – 2 ½ pounds bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary (substitute ¼ teaspoon of dried if fresh is not available)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme (substitute ¼ teaspoon of dried if fresh is not available)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic. Add chicken to a glass container or zip-top bag. Pour marinade over chicken.
  Add the fresh herbs. Cover container and place in fridge to marinate 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
• Remove chicken from the fridge. Heat grill to medium-high heat, or in the oven at 400 degrees. Grill chicken or place on a sheet pan with a rack. The chicken is done with internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Drizzle a bit of balsamic over the chicken & serve.

September is here, and that means it’s CREEK WEEK in the Russian River Watershed! We’re excited to join international, national, and local efforts to highlight the importance of clean water and to promote community cleanups of our local waterways. This year, Creek Week, National Pollution Prevention Week, and California’s Coastal Cleanup Day all take place between September 16th and 29th. These events aim to educate the public and encourage active participation in keeping our waterways free from trash and pollutants.

Participate in Creek Week with the City of Cloverdale
Every September, the Cloverdale community comes together to learn about the Russian River Watershed and actively contribute by removing trash from our creeks, rivers, and beaches. Last year, dedicated volunteers from Cloverdale filled three 30-yard dumpsters—nearly 20,000 pounds of waste removed from our local waterways! Without these efforts, that trash could have been swept downstream during the wet winter, impacting not just our river but also downstream communities and the Pacific Ocean.

This year, the City of Cloverdale will host two Russian River cleanup events on Saturday, September 21st, from 9-11 am. We need your help! Volunteers can choose to clean up the River at Asti Bridge (meeting at the Russian River bridge on Washington School Road) or at First Street Bridge (meeting near the cemetery on Crocker Road/E. First St.). All necessary supplies—gloves, trash grabbers, bags, and more—will be provided, and volunteers will receive a special gift as a token of our appreciation.

We hope to see you by the river! Your participation is key to making our annual Creek Week Cleanup a success. To join us in protecting our local environment, sign up for the cleanup event of your choice at:
• Asti Bridge Cleanup Signup: https://www.russianriverkeeper.org/asti-bridge-cleanup-signup/
• Cloverdale Near the Cemetery Cleanup Signup: https://russianriverkeeper.org/rrwcu-cloverdale-near-the-cemetery-cleanup-signup-9-21-24/

Groundwater Projects Connected to River Health
The City of Cloverdale is committed to sustaining and improving the health of the Russian River Watershed year-round, not just in September. The Russian River is a vital ecosystem and the source of Cloverdale’s freshwater supply. Beneath our river lies an intricate aquifer of gravels, sand, and clay, from which our City draws its drinking water. This water is pumped from a wellfield near Cloverdale River Park, treated, and then delivered via an extensive distribution network to our residents and businesses.

However, during droughts and dry periods, our pumping system can encounter challenges. As groundwater levels drop and river flow slows, our ability to pump water through existing wells is threatened. When this happens, air can get entrained in the wells which can clog the filters at the treatment plant. Clearing these clogs requires flushing the filters multiple times a day, requiring additional water and electricity.