10 minute read
East Bay Living
Cool Dishes for Hot Summer Days
With the East Bay sweltering in high temperatures, our thoughts turn to something right out of the fridge for supper
VEGETABLE WRAPS
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste 8 (8-inch) four tortillas, warmed 2 tomatoes, diced 1 cucumber, sliced 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips 1 head lettuce, chopped 1 (8-ounce) package fresh
Mozzarella cheese, sliced
Garden Fresh Pasta Salad
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Prepare spread: mash diced avocado, mayonnaise, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper in a bowl with a fork until well blended.
Assemble wraps: spread tortillas with a layer of avocado spread. Place diced tomatoes, cucumber slices, bell pepper strips, lettuce, and Mozzarella cheese slices onto each wrap, leaving about 2 inches of space at the bottom. Fold bottoms up. Roll tortillas over vegetables firmly to enclose fillings. Makes 8 wraps.
COLD CUCUMBER SOUP
2 large cucumbers 1/2 cup chopped green onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1 container (16 ounces) plain yogurt
Peel cucumbers; cut lengthwise in half and remove seeds. Cut into pieces.
Place cucumbers and remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Cover and blend on high speed until well blended. Refrigerate 1 hour or until chilled.
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS
Garnish soup with fresh dill weed or radish slices if desired. Yields 4 servings.
GARDEN FRESH
PASTA SALAD
1 (16-ounce) package bow-tie pasta, uncooked 2 cups broccoli forets 1 red onion chopped 1 red pepper, chopped 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes Vinaigrette dressing 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse pasta mixture with cold water; drain well. Place in large bowl.
Add all remaining ingredients except cheese; mix lightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Stir gently before serving; top with cheese. Serves 8 to 10.
COLD GINGER & CARROT SOUP
2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled, grated 1 clove garlic, sliced 2 pounds carrots, sliced 6 cups vegetable broth Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for garnish 1 cup plain yogurt (not nonfat) Salt and black pepper
Warm oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Raise heat to medium-high; stir in carrots. Pour broth into pot, cover and bring to a simmer. Remove cover, reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer and cook until carrots are very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove soup from heat and let cool.
In batches, purée soup in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
Just before serving, stir in lime juice and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled, garnished with lime
PINEAPPLE & CHICKEN
SALAD PITAS
2-1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (1 pound) 1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots 1/3 cup light mayonnaise 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted 1/4 cup chopped green onions 1/4 cup plain fatfree yogurt 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained 4 (6-inch) pitas, each cut in half 8 Romaine lettuce leaves
Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Line each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf; fill each half with 1/3 cup chicken mixture. Yields 4 servings.
CALIFORNIA
AVOCADO PIE
1 ripe, avocado, seeded, peeled and mashed 1/2 cup lemon juice Lemon zest to taste 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (9-inch) prepared graham cracker pie crust Whipped cream, for garnish Sliced almonds, for garnish (optional)
Blend avocado, lemon juice, lemon zest and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
Pour mixture into prepared pie crust.
Top with whipped cream and sliced almonds, if desired.
Place pie in refrigerator for 3-4 hours and allow to set.
Slice and serve. Yields 8 to 10 servings.
PLEASE RECYCLE
THIS NEWSPAPER
On Sale in September! Back To School
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CHILDREN’S MULTIVITAMINS
NATURAL FOODS San Leandro 182 Pelton Center (510) 483-3630 Castro Valley 3446 Village Dr. (510) 581-0220
PHOTO COURTESY OF PG&E
PG&E has installed about 70 weather stations in the East Bay, including one installed in Castro Valley last week.
PG&E Installs New Weather Stations Throughout County
By installing weather stations across its service area, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) said it can better refine the scope of Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events and is more prepared for severe weather events.
More than 200 new weather stations have been installed this year alone. Six of those are in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, the company said.
PG&E plans to have a total of 1,300 by the end of 2021. This will equip the company with one weather station for every 20-line miles of electric distribution circuits within Tier 2 and Tier 3 High Fire-Threat Districts, as designated by the California Public Utilities Commission.
Data captured by the weather stations such as temperature, wind speed and humidity levels help PG&E meteorologists evaluate where severe weather may be headed. During a PSPS, PG&E turns off specific power lines, based on severe weather conditions, for public safety. This is to prevent tree branches and other debris from contacting energized power lines.
“We know that losing power disrupts lives, especially for our customers with medical needs,” said Mark Quinlan, Vice President of PSPS Operations. “That is why we are finding ways to reduce the impact of PSPS events without compromising safety.”
Since 2018, PG&E has installed more than 1,200 weather stations mostly across high fire-threat areas in Northern and Central California. There are nearly 70 weather stations in the East Bay, with the newest one installed last week in Castro Valley.
The weather stations help better predict when critical fire weather conditions may occur,” said Ashley Helmetag, Senior PG&E Meteorologist.
These new weather stations across PG&E’s service territory are now sending hyperlocal data not only to PG&E meteorologists, but also to analysts and experts in PG&E’s Wildfire Safety Operations Center (WSOC). The WSOC is the hub where PG&E detects, evaluates, monitors, and responds to wildfire threats across its service area. The information from these stations is also viewable by the public at pge. com/weather and is combined with other weather station information and shared with partners through MesoWest.
PG&E’s Community Wildfire Safety Program The program also includes the installation of hundreds of sectionalizing devices to break the grid into smaller pieces and hardening hundreds of miles of lines, poles, and other infrastructure to reduce wildfire risk and lessen the effects of PSPS events on customers.
These tools and technologies helped keep the lights on for hundreds of thousands of customers during the PSPS events in 2020, as compared to those events in 2019, the company said.
Deep Liquor Partners with U-Haul
U-Haul Company of California announced last week that Deep Liquor signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer to serve the Castro Valley community.
Deep Liquor at 22058 Center St. will offer essential services like U-Haul trucks, trailers and moving supplies.
Normal business hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Reserve U-Haul products at this dealer location by calling (510) 731-0020 or visiting www.uhaul.com.
Deep Liquor partners Chetana Amin and Jagdish Soni have joined the moving and self-storage company to better serve Alameda County, the company said.
U-Haul has teamed with independent dealers to offer moving equipment since 1945. With the pandemic creating challenging times for small businesses, more than 20,000 dealers across the United States and Canada are creating supplemental income through their U-Haul partnership.
When a customer rents from a U-Haul dealer, they are directly supporting an independent small business in their community. As an essential service provider, U-Haul stores and dealers continue to serve the public. U-Haul products are utilized by First Responders; delivery companies bringing needed supplies to people’s homes; small businesses trying to remain afloat; college students; and countless other dependent groups – in addition to the household mover.
Back to School Isn’t Just for Kids
By Linette Escobar
SPECIAL TO THE FORUM
As we become less isolated, Castro Valley Adult & Career Education (CVACE) is welcoming adults back to in-person learning with an array of new classes. What part of yourself needs nurturing and the community a class offers? Your health: CVACE Your Creative Side: Have
offers affordable access to nutrition and fitness experts. Nutritionist Susan Blanc offers a timely new class, “Reclaim Your Healthy Weight! Lose that Extra ‘Covid 20.’” Pair it with some great stretching classes after a year with too much sitting. CVACE offers “Pilates, Power and Posture” along with “Chair Yoga” and “Gentle Yoga.” If you are not ready for in-person learning, try “Introduction to Tai Chi” which will remain virtual.
Your brain: Researchers have found that learning another language improves brain function at any age. Plus, it helps you order good food and make friends when you travel. Take Spanish or Italian. you always wanted to write your memoir or learn the ukulele? “Writing Your Life” and “Guitar and Ukulele Fundamentals” will get you started. There’s also an exciting new offering “Mad About the Movies” which will include film history and visits from special effects veterans.
Your tech side: Need help with your Apple products? Instructor Mike Mathews is a patient instructor who will get you up to speed with “All About iCloud” or “Apple Wallet & Apple Pay.” There are also classes to improve workplace skills including “Excel”, “Windows 10” and “Google Tools for the Workplace.”
Your Inner Pastry Chef: Take “Cake Decorating 101”
which includes picture transferring to give your parties that special touch. CVACE also welcomes back the former owner of Swiss Delices, Christine Clement Shurma, who will offer a series of baking classes including “Make Your Own French Macarons.” Your Career: In addition to community interest classes, CVACE also offers short-term certificate programs in Clinical Medical Assisting, Medical Administrative Specialist, Community Health Worker, Wastewater Operations, as well as computer skills classes. If you’ve always wanted to earn a high school diploma or GED, study to become a U.S. citizen, or learn English, you can do that, too. Whatever your interest, visit www.cvadult.org or contact Castro Valley Adult & Career Education at (510) 886-1000 to learn more or sign up for classes before they fll. CVSan Forum Ad for 9/01/21
wipes
2022 CVSAN CALENDAR AND ANNUAL REPORT
For more than 20 years, CVSan has distributed a paper Calendar that includes an Annual Report to Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) residents. Last year, we conducted an outreach survey to help us determine the community’s appetite for such outreach materials, and allow us to identify areas where cost savings might be achieved. In response to that survey, CVSan is developing a digital calendar for our customers to use. There is also the option to individually optout of receiving a paper calendar in the mail. If you do not want to receive paper calendars in the future, please send an email with your name and address to optout@cvsan.org, or call (510) 537-0757 and ask to “opt out”.
