ND farmer finds oil spill while harvesting wheat

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A North Dakota farmer who discovered an oil spill the size of seven football fields while out harvesting wheat says that when he found it, crude was bubbling up out of the ground.

Farmer Steve Jensen says he smelled the crude for days before the tires on his combines were coated in it. At the apparent break in the Tesoro Corp.'s underground pipeline, the oil was "spewing and bubbling 6 inches high," he said in a telephone interview Thursday.

What Jensen had found on Sept. 29 turned out it was one of the largest spills recorded in the state. At 20,600 barrels it was four times the size of a pipeline rupture in late March that forced the evacuation of more than 20 homes in Arkansas.

But it was 12 days after Jensen reported the spill before state officials told the public what had happened, raising questions about how North Dakota, which is in the midst of an oil boom, reports such incidents.

The spill happened in a remote area in the northwest corner of the state. The nearest home is a half-mile away, and Tesoro says no water sources were contaminated, no wildlife was hurt and no one was injured.

The release of oil has been stopped, state environment geologist Kris Roberts said Thursday. And the spill — spread out over 7.3 acres, or about the size of seven football fields, — has been contained.

Jacob Wiedmer, who was helping Jensen harvest his wheat crop, likened the Sept. 29 discovery to the theme song from "The Beverly Hillbillies" television show.

"It was just like Jed Clampett shooting at some food ..." he said of the oil coming from the ground. "Except we weren't hunting, we were harvesting."

Gov. Jack Dalrymple, who says he wasn't even told about what happened until Wednesday night, said the state is now investigating its procedures for reporting spills.

"There are many questions to be answered on how it occurred and how it was detected and if there was anything that could have been done that could have made a difference," Dalrymple said Thursday, when questioned at a news conference on a separate topic.

"Initially, it was felt that the spill was not overly large," Dalrymple said. "When they realized it was a fairly sizable spill, they began to contact more people about it."

Jensen said he had harvested most of his wheat before the spill, but the land is no longer usable for planting.

"We expect not to be able to farm that ground for several years," he said.

Tesoro Logistics, a subsidiary of the San Antonio, Texas-based company that owns and operates parts of Tesoro's oil infrastructure, said in a statement that the affected portion of the pipeline has been shut down.

"Protection and care of the environment are fundamental to our core values, and we deeply regret any impact to the landowner," Tesoro CEO Greg Goff said in a statement. "We will continue to work tirelessly to fully remediate the release area."

Wayde Schafer, a North Dakota spokesman for the Sierra Club, said the spill is an example of the lack of oversight in a state that has exploded with oil development in recent years.

"We need more inspectors and more transparency," Schafer said. "Not only is the public not informed, but agencies don't appear to be aware of what's going on and that's not good."

Eric Haugstad, Tesoro's director of contingency planning and emergency response, said the hole in the 20-year-old pipeline was a quarter-inch in diameter. Tesoro officials were investigating what caused the hole in the 6-inch-diameter steel pipeline that runs underground about 35 miles from Tioga to a rail facility outside of Columbus, near the Canadian border.

Roberts said state and federal regulators are monitoring the cleanup, and Tesoro estimated it would cost $4 million.

A natural layer of clay more than 40 feet thick underlies the spill site and has "held the oil up" so that it does not spread to underground water sources, Roberts said.

"It is completely contained and under control," Roberts said Thursday. "They got very lucky."

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nd-farmer-finds-oil-spill-while-harvesting-wheat-050659313.html
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Food and Wine Pairings

As I tell my students the basic premise of food and wine pairing is to harmonize and enhance the flavors of both the food and wine. The following are basic guidelines to take into consideration when pairing and matching food and wine.

Food & Wine Pairing 101

First rule of thumb is to eat and drink what you like, no matter what the “rules” are. And quite frankly there are no “rules”, just guidelines, to enhance your pairing experience. However, if you are willing to go on the food and wine ride, then you may want to apply a few principles to ensure a palate pleasing outcome.

First step on the pairing adventure is to loosen the reins on what you know about red wine being paired with beef and white wine being with chicken and fish. Yes, most generic pairings in these categories work but the logic behind it is “weight with weight”; heavy foods with heavy wines; i.e., filet mignon served with Cabernet Sauvignon; and grilled flank steak served with an oaked Chardonnay. Begin to think about the weight of the food when considering your wine.

Pasta with meat sauce or pasta with olive oil and grilled vegetables is a good example. Both are pasta dishes yes, however, it’s not the pasta that you’re pairing with the wine but rather the sauce and what you’re adding to the pasta. Ideally you want to pair your wine to the most dominant flavor of the dish.You wouldn’t pair the same wine with both dishes, for the pasta with a meat sauce you’ll be safe with a Dolcetto, or a Merlot and for the pasta with olive oil and grilled vegetables try a Pinot Gris or a Gavi. Armed with, the weight with weight knowledge, you’re ready to take on a whole new adventure with your food and wine.  Some quick points of reference when pairing are:

• Salty foods camouflage the sweetness of wine


• Acidic wines are softened with fatty or sweet foods


• Tannins are more pronounced with salty foods


• Sweet foods balance tannic wines


• Heavy proteins such as beef will soften tannins (bitterness) in red wine


• Spicy foods pair best with a low alcohol wine, a sweet wine and dry red wines

Sauvignon Blanc is planted in many wine regions around the world; Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, dry white wine.

Guideline food pairings and matchings for Sauvignon Blanc:

South Florida Food and Wine Pairing

Meats & Fish: Shellfish, Sushi, Sole, Chicken, Pork

Cheese: Feta, Chévre

Fruits & Vegetables: Citrus fruits, Melons, Green Apples, Asparagus

Desserts: Lemon, and Apricot based desserts

 

 

 

 

Chardonnay  is a very neutral, and versatile wine that can be made in different styles, from heavy and oaky to lean and minerally. These styles are a result of the terroir in which they are grown and the fermenting process. Chardonnay is planted and grown all over the world.

Guideline food pairings and matchings for unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay

Meats & Fish: Salmon, Chicken, Pork, Shellfish

Fruit & Vegetables: Peach, Mango, Salads with Chicken (Chicken Caesar)

Sauces: Mild Curry

Pasta & Grains: Risotto, pasta in cream sauce

Dessert: Key Lime Pie, Granny Smith Apple Pie

 

Guideline food pairings and matchings for oaked Chardonnay

Meats & Fish: Salmon, Lobster, Scallops, Chicken Breast, Turkey Breast, Pork Loin

South Florida Food and Wine Pairings

Cheese: Asiago, Havarti, Mozzarella

Fruit & Vegetables: Asparagus, Avocado, Potatoes, White Mushrooms, Peas,  Squash,  Zucchini; Mangos, Peaches

Sauces: Mild Curry Sauce, Butter Sauces, Cream Sauces

Pasta & Grains: Risotto, Pasta [in cream sauce]

Dessert: Apple Pie, Pecan Pie, Butter Pound Cake

 

 

 

Riesling is a white grape, producing white wines. Riesling is an aromatic wine with flowery, perfume aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and sparkling.

South Florida Food and Wine Pairing

Guideline food pairings and matchings for dry Riesling.

Meats & Fish: Smoked fish, Crab, Fish Tacos, Duck, Pork, Bacon, Chicken, Dim Sum, Ceviche

Cheese: Soft Cow’s Cheese

Fruits & Vegetables: Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Squash, Carrots

Dessert: Apple Desserts

 

Pinot Noir is a black wine grape that produces a red wine. Pinot Noir is grown around the world and is considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world. Pinot Noir is a fruit forward wine fruit-forward wine with notes of strawberry, cherry, raspberry and blackberry; and spice notes of cinnamon, and clove as well as earth nuances of herb, mushroom, and leather.

South Florida Food and Wine Pairing

Guideline food pairings and matchings for Pinot Noir

Meats & Fish: Duck, Goose, Squab, Lamb, Quail, Pheasant, Rabbit, Venison, Elk, Antelope, Ostrich, Buffalo, Beef, Lobster Bisque, Pork

Cheese: Creamy Bleu, Camembert, Gruyere, Goat, Brie

Fruits & Vegetables: Mushrooms, beans, Lentils, Eggplant, Fennel

Pasta & Grains: Wild Rice, Quinoa, Mushroom Pizza

 

Cabernet Sauvignon very much like Chardonnay is one of the world’s most widely recognized grape varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon is a black wine grape and is grown in most every wine producing region. Cabernet Sauvignon’s distinction comes from bell pepper, asparagus, jam, mint, black pepper, and eucalyptus.

South Florida Food and Wine Pairings

Guideline food pairings and matchings for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Meats & Fish: Steaks, hamburgers, Ribs, Sausages, Beef Casseroles, Beef Stew

Cheese:  Manchego, Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheddar Cheese, Blue cheese

Fruits & Vegetables: Currants, Endive, Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Portabello, Radicchio

Pasta & Grains: Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Jambalaya

Dessert: Chocolate Cake

 

Merlot is a black wine grape that produces red wine. Merlot is used as a blending grape as well as a single varietal, Merlot is planted in various wine regions around the world. The characteristics of Merlot show strawberry, black cherry, plum, cedar, tobacco, blackberry, fruitcake, and chocolate.

South Florida Food and Wine Pairings

Guideline food pairings and matchings for Merlot

Meats & Fish: Italian-style Sausages, Braised Short Ribs, Veal, Pork, Lamb, Roast Chicken, Roast Duck, Turkey Guineafowl

Cheese: Parmesan, Havarti, Swiss, Muenster, Provolone, Asiago, Smoked Cheddar

Fruits & Vegetables: Fried Vegetables

Sauces: Bolognese, Béarnaise

Desserts:    Chocolate Cake, Brownies, Chocolate Torte

 

Zinfandel  is a black wine grape that produces a robust red wine; also known as Primitivo grown in Puglia, Italy. Zinfandel is famously planted in California. Zinfandel’s distinctiveness takes on red berry fruit blackberry, anise, and pepper.

South Florida Food and Wine Pairings

Guideline food pairings and matchings for Zinfandel

Meats & Fish: Grilled Sausages, Ribs, Blackened Fish

Cheese: Triple-cream and aged cheeses

Fruits & Vegetables: Cranberries, peppers

Sauces: Cajun sauce, hot salsa

Desserts:  Spice cake, pumpkin pie, gingerbread, carrot cake

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