Oysters for Valentine's day

Oysters are erotic, local, and in season. No need to make reservations two month in advance in order to take your sweetie out for perfect Valentine's day food. Just pack the oyster knife, a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, glasses, plates, and lots of napkins, a lemon or two, and drive to the oyster farm.

Last Sunday the weather was good, for a change, and we enjoyed the drive across the emerald green hills, dotted with cows and sheep, and through the redwoods, with the car top down, very much. I would have enjoyed it even better without a cop on my tail all the way from San Rafael to Point Reyes Station. With the cop, no place for me to stop or for him to pass, and the speed limit of 35 mph, it was a very slow scenic drive.

Since the last time we were there, Tomales Bay Oyster Company has put out new nice picnic tables, and lots of them, so even on a busy Sunday there is a good chance to find a spot.

By the time we got there, our friends found a table and got a hundred of extra-small oysters.
When we started opening them we were surprised by how plump and fat these oysters were. On the outside, they looked like regular extra-smalls, about 3 inches across, but the inside of the shell was filled completely with white, very sweet and delicate meat.

It appears that the unusual weather of this winter, colder then most years and with a lot of rain, is the oysters' paradise.

With a squeeze of lemon juice, a spoonful of mignonette sauce (white wine, minced shallot, salt and white pepper), or both, they were absolutely the best oysters I had in years.

We had trouble finishing a hundred of them between the six of us, just because we got so much more food then we expected, but we couldn't leave any, so we finally got them all. I wasn't hungry for two more days.
It's cold and raining again, and the wonderful oysters are growing fatter by the minute. I cannot wait for the next clear day to go to the farm. Next time we'll just get one dozen per person.