HAPPY PIGGIES Tastes Like Chicken Ranch, otherwise known as TLC, is the answer to the question of where to get local, organically fed, pasture-raised meat. Owner Jim Dunlop is mainly known for the tasty pork he raises, but he's also dedicated to sustainable husbandry. After a brief timeout from direct sales at farmers markets, TLC is reappearing at the Westside Saturday market as well as at Mountain View's Sunday morning market. For a more interactive role in your meat consumption, you can also buy half or whole pigs from the ranch, which are then delivered to your butcher of choice for custom cutting and curing. Aside from a few Bay Area restaurants like Quince and Oliveto, the list of committed subscribers to TLC meat in our area has been limited to Ristorante Avanti. However, we now have a brand-new outlet for TLC pork dishes, at Carried Away in Aptos. Chez Panisse-trained chef Tom McNary has some exciting plans for his first pig on order, including roast pork leg served with pecans, dried fruit bread stuffing, sautéed Brussels sprouts and port jus and a classic pork saltimbocca with mushroom Marsala sauce. In business for almost 20 years, Carried Away features high-quality take-home entrees and catering services as well as an ever-changing variety of handcrafted soups, sandwiches, salads, desserts, and wine to match; www.carriedawayfoods.com, www.tasteslikechickenranch.com.

WINTER CHEESES If you make Roudon-Smith Winery in Scotts Valley part of your next Passport Saturday route on Jan. 19, you will find "cheese chick" Tabitha Stroup pairing pours with various winter milk cheeses from noon to 4pm. This bonus cheese seminar will also focus on aspects of terroir, the 100-mile diet and ways to embrace locality in our busy lives. Any doubts our area is delicious? Tastes of local honey, vanilla bean, dried apricots, homemade chutneys and Stroup's own organic Summit black walnuts will put those to rest. The Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association puts on these Passport days quarterly; it's a wonderful way to trek around the county. Chilly winter wine tastings seem to be even more rewarding; www.praisecheesespassthewine.com, www.roudonsmith.com.

GEMSTONES and JUICE Unless a very specific jewelry repair question coaxes you to stop into Andersen Jewelry Design past Felton on Highway 9, I doubt many of you know what awaits inside. Alan Andersen is not only a highly knowledgeable and experienced gem master (with a lot of stories to share), he also makes wine. Following his father's legacy as a winemaker, he has picked up the reins, relying on memories of Italian teachings and a philosophy of "vine to wine ... labor of love." This very small-scale, estate-only vineyard features organically grown cabernet sauvignon and merlot grapes. They don't have a tasting room, but vintages of their two wines, the Romantic Red blend and a big cab, are available at New Leaf and Vinocruz, and by the glass at Redwood Pizzeria in Felton. For more information, call 831.336.3525 or stop in the jewelry shop for some of Alan's lessons on jewelry, love and life.

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