Edible - San Joaquin Valley - Winter 2021

edible san joaquin valley 

™

Celebrating the bounty of the San Joaquin Valley Winter 2021

THE TASTES OF WINTER Member of Edible Communities WINTER 2021

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BRADSHAW HONEY FARMS

Local Love For Local Honey RAW • UNFILTERED • FRESH

Sip. Stay. Savor. Play.

O ur S o uth Gate to Yo sem ite.

It ’s yo ur G e taway !

Spice pumpkin smoothie with Bradshaw Honey!

Visit www.idlehourwinery.com to book a room at the inn or reserve your table for a tasting or a meal at our kitchen.

Purchase a Yosemite SIERRA gift card using this QR code and receive a FREE $10 gift card for every $50 purchased.

Shop Local.

Support Small Business.

Family owned and operated since 1958 @bradshawhoney www.beebotanical.com

While supplies last from 11/29 thru 12/31/21

www.queensinn.com

41139 Highway 41, Oakhurst Inn: 559-683-4354 Winery & Kitchen: 559-760-9090

CONTENTS WINTER 2021

30

meet the farmer

edible drinks 34 | S parkling Blood Orange Cocktail 35 | Champurrado: Mexican Hot Chocolate (cover recipe)

edible endeavors 26 | Q &A with Bella Bakery’s Paige Lamborn

FR ES H FL AVO RS Ferrer Family Farms

edible entrepreneur 12 | Tamales from Rosa Linda’s

featured recipes 10 | Easy Ramen 24 | B utternut Squash Bisque 25 | O ne Pot Roasted Chicken

special section 16 | From Edible Communities

in every issue 0 5 | Editor’s Note 0 6 | Farmers Markets 07 | C ontributors 0 8 | Local & In Season 09 | N ew & Notable

ON THE COVER Mexican Hot Chocolate

Recipe and styling by Jacque Baxley Photo by Dakota Jacobi

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The Mug Coffee themugfresno.com

Heirloom www.heirloom-eats.com

Nines Salon ninessalon.com

The Foundry thefoundrycollective.myshopify.com

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NINAS BAKERY l a h m a j o o n k i tc h e n

Nina’s Bakery - Fresno (559) 449-9999

VISIT THESE PLACES FOR YOUR EXTRA COPIES OF EDIBLE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Saint Joaquin saintjoaquin.com

WINTER 2021 Behold, the wondrous tastes of winter. Blood oranges, swiss chard and beets are among the many fresh ingredients that are inspiring our creativity in the kitchen this season. In this issue, we’ll introduce you to more of the people who inspire local flavors across the San Joaquin Valley, as well as introducing you to some of the Valley’s newcomers.

If you’re looking to switch up your traditional holiday feast, place your order early at Rosa Linda’s Alta Cocina Mexicana. Their award-winning tamales have become a holiday staple for a growing number of San Joaquin Valley residents.

Add some beauty and flavor to your farmers market haul with a stop at Ferrer Family Farms. Maria and Ignacio Ferrer and their four children built this farm from the ground up, and they delivered produce boxes around Madera, Fresno and Clovis during the pandemic. We’ve got some fantastic recipes that will make great use of their blood oranges and dazzle your holiday guests.

We’re delighted to introduce you to Paige Lamborn, the self-taught baker and creative mind behind Bella Bakery. Some of the creations came from family recipe books, others are her own inventions, but all of them are sweet as can be.

Check out our list of local farmers markets so you can start your next recipe with produce that doesn’t get any fresher. If you prepare something worth showing off, tag us @ediblesjv and you could be featured in our next issue.

“One cannot think, love, sleep well if one has not dined well.” -Virginia Woolf

edible

SAN JOAQUIN VALLE Y

®

YVONNE MAZZOTTA publisher MICHELLE ADAMS publisher MONICA FATICA editor in chief KERRI REGAN copy editor BRENNA DAVID advertising sales representative www.ediblesjv.com 1475 Placer Street, Suites C & D Redding, CA 96001 530.246.4687 office 530.246.2434 fax Email General/Sales and Advertising information: info@ediblesanjoaquin.com

©2021 by Edible San Joaquin Valley Magazine.

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rights

reserved.

Reproductions without permission are

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prohibited.

Articles

and advertisements in Edible San Joaquin Valley Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the

management,

employees,

or

freelance writers. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If an error is found, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us of the mistake. The businesses,

locations

and

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mentioned in our articles are solely determined by the editorial staff and are not influenced by advertising.

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FARMERS MARKETS —a quick look—

OLD TOWN CLOVIS FARMERS MARKETS Saturdays: 9-11:30am year round Located at Pollasky between 5th & Bullard HARLAN RANCH FRESH MARKET Wednesdays (year round) 5-9pm.

1620 N. Leonard Ave., Clovis VISALIA FARMERS MARKETS Saturdays: 8-11:30am year round Located at Caldwell and Shady St. DOWNTOWN VISALIA’S CERTIFIED FARMERS MARKET Thursdays 4-7pm (after daylight savings) Church & Main,

VINEYARD FARMERS MARKET Year round Wednesdays 2-5pm / Saturdays 7am-noon Rain or shine 100 West Shaw Ave., Fresno TESORO VIEJO FARMERS MARKET Year round Every other Sunday 9am-1pm In Tesoro Viejo Town Center Hwy 41 and Avenue 15/ Tesoro Viejo Blvd.

4150 Town Center Blvd., Madera Contact us to have your Farmers Market added to this list: info@ediblesanjoaquin.com

RIVER PARK FARMERS MARKET Tuesdays 5-9pm / Saturdays 10am-3pm River Park Shopping Center, Nees and Blackstone 220 E Paseo del Centro, Fresno FORT WASHINGTON FARMERS MARKET Year round Sundays 9am-2pm / Wednesdays 5-9pm Riverview Shopping Center at Fort Washington and Friant Roads, across the street from the east entrance of Woodward Park, Fresno

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Melissa Mendonca is a graduate of San Francisco State and Tulane universities.

She’s a lover of airports and road trips and believes in mentoring and service to create communities everyone can enjoy. Her favorite words are rebar, wanderlust and change.

Dakota Jacobi has been capturing love stories for three years, photographing families, seniors and couples. She aims to document the candid, organic, and “unposed” moments of life. Her mission is to not just take great pictures, but to build relationships and create experiences for her clients. When she’s not adventuring around California or editing in her favorite coffee shop, she spends her days at home with her two kids. www.dakotalynnphoto.com

Kara Stewart has been a published wedding and portrait photographer for more than 15 years. She feels honored to capture her clients’ life events and is trusted with their memories. From engagements, weddings, births, birthdays, graduations, family reunions and everything in between, she’s got you covered. Her three daughters make her better at life and photo capturing.

Yvonne Mazzotta is inspired by the need.

A publisher, content creator, graphic designer and mother of three, she brings beauty to all that she does. Marketing manager for a queen bee operation, Yvonne is grateful for beekeepers and farmers who bring the foods we highlight to the family tables. Whether it’s feeding her curiosity or finding the right balance in a brand campaign you can guarantee, she’s on it!

Monica Fatica is queen of the juggle.

From editing community magazines to dabbling in the farming industry, there aren’t many tasks Monica won’t try.

When she isn’t running from job to job, the married mother of three is catching up with family and loving all over her fur babies. Her passion for helping others and the love for her community inspire her to contribute to spreading all the good happening in the valley.

Paul David is the CEO of SocialxBusiness Inc. marketing agency, and he handles all things digital here at Edible San Joaquin. Paul, who has a master’s degree in business management, spent the first 10+ years of his career in the food and beverage industry, starting as a dishwasher at age 17. He then attended culinary school, worked his way to management and eventually owned his own restaurant in Northern California.

Lana Granfors enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking and spending time with her friends and family– especially her grandchildren, Jillian and Garet.

Michelle Adams publisher, designer, photo-retoucher, accountant, wife and mother, she puts the M in multitasking.

Michelle brings the calm and steady to an often chaotic environment and is a force of great wisdom with a gift for color choice. She loves bringing the great stories to life within the pages of multiple publications through beautiful design. But her favorite thing to do is spending time with her husband and daughter.

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local & in season Winter Harvest

FRUIT Chili peppers Mandarins Navel oranges Winter squashes HERBS Basil Cilantro Dill Lemongrass Mint Parsley

NUTS & SEEDS Peanuts FLOWER VEGETABLES Broccoli Cauliflower Collard greens Kale

LEAFY VEGETABLES Amaranth Endive Gailon Ong choy Mustard greens Radicchio Saluyot (okra leaf) Swiss chard Tong ho ROOT VEGETABLES Beets Carrots Daikon Garlic Onions Radishes STEM VEGETABLES Leeks

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NEW & NOTABLE

Bab Al-Yemen Cafe

Art by Elowyn

Find them on Facebook and Instagram

www.artbyelowyn.com Local illustrator and artist Elowyn aims to spark joy into people’s lives through her art creations that celebrate the simple joys of life. Although she has a wide range of subject matter, we’ve taken note of the many food designs she’s created. You can see many of them on her Instagram page, or stop by Fig & Honey in Downtown Fresno to enjoy them in person.

Bab Al-Yemen serves Yemeni-style coffee in a nod to the first country to export coffee beans more than 500 years ago. Yemeni-style coffee is similar to Turkish coffee, where water is boiled and poured over coffee and spices. The husk of the coffee bean is also used to flavor other drinks, giving a fruity and nutty flavor. They also serve espresso, lattes and Americanos, in addition to Yemeni-style pastries and fruit smoothies. All of the coffee is handpicked, organic and sun-dried.

Moto Delicatessen & Bodega

Smith & Len

www.motofresno.com

Find them on Facebook, Instagram and etsy

This neighborhood deli and market offers sandwiches, salads, beverages and daily provisions. A popular specialty is the Panes con Chumpe, a whole turkey braised in a Salvadorian mole made up of toasted nuts, seeds and salty olives. The shredded turkey meat is served on a toasted French roll with mayonnaise and yellow mustard, topped with a pickled oregano cabbage. A must try!

Smith & Len is a natural dyer who uses plants from their own backyard or from food waste to hand-dye their fabric to make linen towels, hair ties, robes, eye masks, socks and too many more to name. We just couldn’t help to highlight their creative innovation and are thrilled to have a business such as theirs in our community.

The Ugly Company

Saint Joaquin

www.theugly.company

www.saintjoaquin.com

The Ugly Company from Kingsburg decided to make a difference with food waste when they discovered California throws away more peaches that the state of Georgia produces annually.

They transform quirky and ugly discarded fruit like nectarines, kiwis and peaches into healthy dried snacks.

They like to call it a beautiful opportunity, and we agree!

The owners of the rooftop bar Quail State continue to pour into the revitalization of Downtown Fresno with their newest venture, Saint Joaquin.

This natural wine bar and bottle shop is in the Mural District, and their wines are made with little to no human intervention, added sulfites, chemicals, dyes or sugars. They also serve up yummy apps and host game nights.

Photos sourced from Instagram and Facebook

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FEATURED RECIPE

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easy does it Easy Ramen Recipe by Lana Granfors || Photo by Kara Stewart Who wants ramen? If you haven’t tried it, well, now you can! This ramen dish is full of flavor and is so easy. Don’t let the long list of ingredients keep you from trying this - they are all easy to find. It can be prepared, finished, and on the table in no time.

It’s a dark and flavorful broth, loaded with shredded chicken and noodles. And the ramen egg - amazing!

And please, don’t resist the slurping. It’s just part of the overall dining experience.

RAMEN EGG INGREDIENTS

4 eggs 1⁄4 cup low sodium soy sauce 1⁄4 cup rice vinegar

3⁄4 cup water RAMEN BROTH INGREDIENTS

2 T vegetable oil

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 onion, sliced into thin rings

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 T fresh ginger root, minced

4 cup chicken broth

1 cup water

1⁄2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1⁄4 cup rice vinegar

2 T oyster sauce

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1⁄2 lb. baby bok choy, sliced into quarters, lengthwise

1 package (17oz) fresh yakisoba noodles TOPPING OPTIONS Sliced green onions Cilantro Chili garlic sauce Sesame seeds Lime wedges Jalapeno slices Thinly sliced carrots Shredded cabbage

RAMEN EGG DIRECTIONS STEP 1: Fill a pot with enough water to cover the 4 eggs and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the eggs one at a time into the water using a spoon, being careful not to crack the eggs. Reduce heat to keep the water at a low boil. Cook for seven minutes for a soft boiled egg, 2 minutes longer if you prefer the eggs cooked a little more.

STEP 2: While the eggs boil, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar and water and set aside.

STEP 3: Next, prepare an ice bath – fill a bowl with water and ice. Once eggs are done, remove from the pot and place the eggs in the ice bath. Leave in the ice bath for 3 minutes. Remove from ice bath and gently peel (egg will be soft). Place peeled eggs in the marinade and make sure they are completely covered with the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate. Leave in the marinade for several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, reheat the eggs in the hot ramen broth for a short time, but not too long, as the egg will overcook.

RAMEN BROTH DIRECTIONS STEP 1: Heat oils in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for another 2 – 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for about 30 seconds, or just until fragrant so they don’t burn. Add the chicken broth, 1 cup of water, soy sauce, rice vinegar and oyster sauce. Stir to combine.

STEP 2: Bring back to a simmer and then add the chicken thighs and allow to simmer for 15 – 20 minutes more or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken and using two forks, shred the chicken. Add shredded chicken back to the broth, along with bok choy, and cook for 3 – 5 minutes. Cover and remove from heat.

PREPARE NOODLES If using fresh noodles, follow the package instructions or bring a pot of water to a boil, add the noodles and simmer for 3 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water. Toss with just a little sesame oil to keep from sticking; set aside. If using another type of noodle, follow the package directions.

ASSEMBLY In a deep bowl, place a serving of noodles, and then ladle the ramen broth over them. Top ramen with your choice of toppings. Let the slurping begin!

NOTES Store any leftover noodles and ramen soup separately.

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EDIBLE ENTREPRENEUR

house made Tamales from Rosa Linda’s Story by Melissa Mendonca

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UST BEFORE THANKSGIVING, the phones start ringing at Rosa Linda’s Alta Cocina Mexicana and they don’t slow down until the new year. The fall and winter holidays drive demand for tamales, and locals have known for years to call in their orders to Rosa Linda’s, either in Fresno, Clovis or the original Selma location. The tamales, along with Rosa Linda’s menudo and salsa, have won local competitions, and owner Rosalinda Tovar displays a large silver award tray designating her as having The Best Tamales in Town in 2003 at the B95’s Tamale Festival.

“I feel our tamales are a good ratio of masa and meat,” says Tanya Tovar, Rosalinda’s daughter and owner of the Clovis location. “A tamale is a tamale as to how you assemble it. It’s about the masa and the meat.” The masa, she continues, can’t be too dry. At Rosa Linda’s, masa is always house-made.

Keeping that consistency of moisture in the masa and maintaining a proper meat-to-masa ratio is a dedicated team of cooks that have been with the Tovars for decades. Catalina Ramirez has worked side by side with Rosalinda since the first restaurant was opened in Selma in 1997. The elder Tovar taught her the recipes, which she then passed on to Carmen Ayala, who now oversees tamale production for all three restaurants. “She’s the backbone to this,” says Tanya of Ayala. In peak season, a team of six tamale makers band together to cover the additional 3,000 chicken, pork and beef tamales needed to meet demand. Carlos Miranda, now retired from the restaurants, often pops in to help, unable to stay away too long. 4

continued on page 14

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“Consistency in food and preparation is key,” says Tanya, “as is having great customer service. It all goes hand in hand.” She recognizes that Rosa Linda’s ability to keep dedicated staff over the long haul is paramount to their success.

When Rosa Linda’s first opened in 1997, Rosalinda was freshly divorced and without capital. “She was starting from scratch,” says Tanya. “She was a woman and a minority. It was really hard in the beginning.” It didn’t take long, though, for a reporter from the Fresno Bee to write an article about her restaurant’s tamales. “After that things, were never the same. Business got really good.” By 2005, Rosalinda was presented with an award for Best Woman Owned Business in a Salute to Small Business award.

For Tanya, who opened the Clovis location of Rosa Linda’s in 2011 after returning to the Central Valley from New York in 2007, commitment runs deep. “This is a legacy I need to uphold,” she says.

“It means that I can’t fail. It’s a hard business. You have to love it.”

While she admits that a certain anxiety starts to build around September as she anticipates the onslaught of tamale orders that will come, there is also the joy in knowing that some of those tamales will go to the Sweet Eats Program in Memory of Hendrix Wille at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera. The restaurant, which donates food to the program every month, makes a big splash in December by cooking up 130 to 150 meals of a dozen tamales, rice, beans, chips and salsa for families with children at the hospital.

While tamales are particularly popular as a traditional food this time of year, the Tovars know they are good year-round, which is why they are a menu staple, served up smothered in red enchilada sauce with melted Monterey Jack cheese and sides of rice and beans. They can be ordered to go by the dozen or half dozen, and either ready to eat with sauce on or on the side or frozen.

Though tamales are a huge draw, so too are the famous Selma tacos originated at the first restaurant, which include carne asada in a hard shell made from house-made corn tortillas and shrimp enchiladas made with a green tomatillo sauce. The Selma and Clovis restaurants serve breakfast, where award-winning menudo is served up alongside chiliquiles and huevos rancheros. A full bar was recently added to the Fresno location and staff is having fun developing hand crafted cocktails to accompany the food.

As tamale season begins and customers clamor to put them on their holiday tables, a decidedly modern way to order has come their way via the internet. Of course, Tanya or Rosalinda or anyone else on their team would certainly be glad to take a phone order. A ringing telephone is just another joyful sound of the season at Rosa Linda’s. • Rosa Linda’s • www.rosalindascuisine.com 2905 McCall Ave., Selma 1420 Clovis Ave., Clovis 2057 Bullard Ave., Fresno Find them on Facebook and Instagram

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Photo: Saverio Blasi/shutterstock.com

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S E C T ION

WE ARE WHAT WE EAT It’s Time To Make Food Decisions With the Climate Crisis in Mind

STO RY

BY

Twilight Greenaway, senior editor of Civil Eats,

produced in partnership with civileats.com

If we had been told, a decade ago, that so many climate-

they said that other parts of the world—developing na-

fueled disasters would hit the food system so soon, would

tions with little infrastructure and large numbers of subsis-

we have believed it?

tence farmers—would face the worst of the problem. And

If someone had described the catastrophic flooding of the Missouri river that submerged a million acres of corn

those of us in North America? We’d be fine until at least the end of the century.

and soybeans in 2019 (followed a year later by winds in the

Then someone turned the lights back on, the economists

same region that were so destructive they flattened corn si-

thanked the audience and everyone went home. I wrote

los), produce crops in Texas freezing in April, winemakers

about the lecture, quoted the experts on the science and was

having to throw away entire vintages because they tasted of

careful to take a similarly calm tone, as if I were writing from

wildfire smoke, shellfish in British Columbia being literally

a great distance about something that may or may not occur.

cooked alive in the ocean and ranchers throughout the West

Of course, some climate scientists were already issuing

being forced to sell off tens of thousands of cattle so they

dire warnings at that point, and many had made concerns

wouldn’t starve due to drought—would we have listened?

about our ability to feed ourselves central to their pleas

Would we have done more to prepare?

for action.

I can’t help but think back to a lecture I sat in on in

But most of us had no idea how urgently we needed to

2008 on the future of food and climate change by a pair of

prepare for what we’re now seeing play out in the food sys-

Ivy League economists. I had seen An Inconvenient Truth

tem—and in the world at large. Indeed, the stakes couldn’t

and was serious about local food. And I had a hunch that

be higher. Food production has been rocked to the core and

reducing my “food miles” wouldn’t cut it.

many small and medium-scale farmers are contemplating

The economists talked about the potential boon to crop yields, due to “increased photosynthesis” and “CO2

throwing in the towel.

This fact was driven home for me this summer, as I

fertilization,” but added that warming temperature and ris-

trudged through ankle-deep mud on my family’s small farm

ing evaporation would balance one another out, at least in

in Captain Cook, Hawaii—on what was once the “dry side

our lifetimes. Some places would get too wet, and some

of the island” but has seen record-level, nearly non-stop rain-

would be too dry, they warned. And, as if to reassure us,

fall for the past year. My mother, a farmer, was dismayed at

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the constant rain’s impact on her orchards, and by the host of new

be marketing ploys, but it’s clear that they’ve realized “sustain-

invasive species—from fire ants and wild boars to slugs that carry

ability” is a term they must use literally, as in, do their business

a brain-eating parasite—that are thriving there due to warming

models have a future?

temperatures. The soil has been consistently saturated with water,

When it comes to making sure the rest of us have a future,

and the coffee and fruit trees are suffering from multiple fungal

however, I’m betting on the work of small-scale farmers and

diseases at once. The vegetables in the gardens are often stunted

ranchers—and more of them working at a human scale—as one

and mildewy as the sun has stubbornly refused to shine.

of our most important solutions to the climate crisis.

And I thought about those self-assured economists when I

If done right, farming and ranching can help bring the natu-

returned home to drought-stricken Northern California, where

ral world back into balance. And it has the potential to reverse our

I saved water from my kitchen and shower and lugged it to the

current scenario: millions of acres of land covered in monocrops

tiny garden I struggle to keep alive through the dry season. Most

growing in soil that is overly tilled, void of most life and actively

of the small-scale farms in the area didn’t have the luxury of re-

washing into the ocean nearly every time it rains.

claimed water; instead, they found themselves abandoning doz-

Soil holds three times more carbon globally than the atmo-

ens of acres at a time, making radical changes to their business

sphere does. And it can hold more if it’s managed in a way that

models, and discontinuing their CSAs. Meanwhile, the ongoing,

brings more of it back to life. But to do that we need producers

often terrifying onslaught of wildfires made the mere thought of

who are immensely curious and dedicated—who see the chal-

rain seem like a mirage on the other end of a very long desert.

lenge at hand and want to rise to meet it.

The fact that these “new normals” have already had a dra-

They need to work in concert, and they need to represent a

matic impact on the food system probably shouldn’t be a sur-

much wider swath of the population—here in North America

prise. Global temperatures have already risen 1.5 degrees Celsius

that means intentionally making space for exponentially more

above pre-industrial levels and the impacts are evident. The sixth

young people, more Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BI-

assessment report published by the Intergovernmental Panel on

POC) producers, and more LGBTQ producers. It also means

Climate Change (IPCC) in August warned of significant drops in

passing systemic policies that help them explore, invest in and

crop yields for corn, wheat, rice and other cereal grains if global

modernize the farming practices that have long been successful

temperatures hit the 2 degree C level. If that happens, the report

at cooling the planet.

said, there will be “more times of year when temperatures exceed

In plain terms that means we need more perennial crops, trees

what crops can stand” and “risks across energy, food and water

on farms (i.e., agroforestry and silvopasture), managed grazing,

sectors could overlap spatially and temporally, creating new and

cover crops, waffle gardens and other methods of deep-soil plant-

exacerbating current hazards, exposures, and vulnerabilities that

ing, crop diversity, prescriptive burns, seed sovereignty, local food

could affect increasing numbers of people and regions.”

and farm infrastructure, and multitrophic aquaculture.

Among the clear list of hazards are the “food shocks” caused

We need to help more farmers control weeds without tilling

by extreme weather events—and they show no sign of slowing

the soil. We need more compost on the surface of the soil and

down. For these reasons, food prices are expected to grow at a

more mycelia and living ecosystems below. We also need more

steadier clip than most of us have experienced in our lifetimes.

plants at the center of our plates. We need to spend more time

According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organi-

listening to Indigenous communities and remembering that our

zation (FAO), for instance, global food prices rose by nearly 33

needs are inextricable from the needs of the natural world, and

percent between September 2020 and September 2021.

the ecosystems that have kept it in balance for millennia.

It’s not just farmers who are scrambling to respond. Many of

Most of this probably won’t require new cap and trade

the world’s largest, most powerful food companies are starting

markets, new consumer labels or new technology. But it will

to examine their supply chains in a new light, hoping to posi-

require more hands—and very likely a different, more collec-

tion themselves as part of the solution. Multinational food com-

tive approach to land ownership, at a moment when building

panies like General Mills, Smithfield, Unilever and Danone are

housing is considered a much more valuable use of land than

all publicizing the changes they’re making in their supply chains

producing food.

to address emissions and rethink their farming practices. Some

None of this will mean much if we don’t also stop burning

of these changes could have a real impact and others might just

fossil fuels—and subsidizing that burning on a global scale. But continued

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there’s more and more agreement among scientists and cli-

their foods, it often has the curious effect of making us

mate advocates that we also need to turn more of our agri-

into the kinds of people who want to vote for—and fight

cultural soil into a carbon sink, and that doing so is a matter

for—systemic change.

of how—not if.

I was thinking about this recently while lugging a

The good news is that a lot of smart people are already

bucket of dishwater out to my garden and feeling a little

working on the how. And that’s where your dinner—and

like I was wasting my time, as my neighbors were still turn-

breakfast, lunch, snacks—enter the picture.

ing on their hoses. It hurts my back, it’s absurdly time con-

There’s a healthy debate in both agriculture and climate

suming. But every time I do it, I am made again and again

circles about the value of individual action versus the need

into the person who notices water and who keeps noticing

for systemic change. And food, thankfully, lies at the in-

water—who notices plants, notices soil. And being that

tersection of both. What we do—and eat—every day is

person is what makes me ache for climate policy that pri-

who we are. When we support people who produce food

oritizes survival for all.

with soil health and the climate in mind—whether that’s

Can we change the food system in time to help cool the

buying from them directly, using a farmers’ market dollar-

planet? That’s an open question. Do we have any real choice

matching program or dining in restaurants that cook with

but to try? As I see it, absolutely not.

Closing Thoughts From Our Founder Thank you for joining us on these pages, the third in a series of thought leadership pieces from Edible Communities.

We would like to send a special thanks to our partners for this issue, Twilight Greenaway, Naomi Starkman and the team at Civil Eats who made this story possible.

Telling powerful stories about local food and community has been the mission of Edible Communities for the past 20 years. And while I know we’ve had an impact on the way food is grown and consumed throughout North America, now more than ever there is a greater urgency for all of us to do more. A lot more.

As Twilight so elegantly points out in this article, taking individual action daily—whether recycling household water in our garden or demanding more inclusivity for those raising the food we eat—is what keeps us aware and makes us pay attention. It is what makes it impossible for us to ignore the honest reality inherent in: “What we do—and eat—every day is who we are.” And it is what will ultimately lead to systemic change.

During this holiday season and as we begin a new year, I want to express my deep and enduring gratitude to the network of wildly talented individuals who are the lifeblood of Edible Communities—the publishers, editors, contributors and staff who so diligently work to bring you these important stories throughout the year—every single one of whom has courageously and tirelessly fought to keep their local food communities alive, even in the face of a global pandemic. With independent journalism being threatened today more than at any time in our history, it’s especially important for us to support their efforts. The ability to maintain editorial independence and to dive deeply into urgent issues like the climate crisis are critical to the health of our society. That is why organizations like Civil Eats (civileats.com) are so important to us and to our mission. I encourage you to subscribe to their newsletter, donate, be informed, pay attention—help effect change.

Tracey Ryder, Co-Founder & CEO Edible Communities

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FEATURED RECIPES

It’s all in the Bisque Butternut Squash Bisque Recipe and photos by Paul David

INGREDIENTS

1 large butternut squash

¼ cup butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large sweet apple, peeled, cored and cubed

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 tsp. ground ginger

½ cup heavy cream Salt and pepper to taste GARNISH OPTIONS pomegranate seeds chopped basil sesame seeds sliced okra

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DIRECTIONS STEP 1: Heat oven to 375° F. Prepare butternut squash: Cut rinsed squash in half length-wise. Scoop out seeds and place on a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 45 minutes until tender. Allow to cool. Scoop out flesh and set aside for the recipe.

STEP 2: In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, jalapeno and garlic. Sauté, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.

STEP 3: Add apple, squash, broth and ground ginger. Stir to combine.

STEP 4: Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes, until apples are tender. Remove from heat.

STEP 5: Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Be careful of splatter.

STEP 6: Stir in cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook a few more minutes to increase the temperature, if necessary. Do not bring to a boil or the cream will curdle.

STEP 7: Top soup with pomegranate seeds, chopped basil, sesame seeds or sliced okra.

One & Done One Pot Roasted Chicken Recipe and photos by Paul David INGREDIENTS

1 T extra-virgin olive oil Kosher salt and ground red peppercorn

1 3 ½-pound chicken, giblets removed, rinsed and dried with paper towel

2 T unsalted butter

2 lbs. mixed vegetables: potatoes ¼-inch sliced, pearl onions, garlic clove halved

1 cup tarragon leaves

1 orange, sliced

¼ cup white wine

DIRECTIONS STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400° F. In a large Dutch oven with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken all over (not inside) with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken on 3 sides (breasts and 2 leg/thigh sections) until browned all over, about 15 minutes total.

STEP 2: Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to large bowl. Turn off the heat under the pot and add the butter, swirling until it melts. Add the vegetables, oranges and tarragon leaves. Toss, coating the vegetables with the butter. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss again.

STEP 3: Move the vegetables to the sides of the pot, making room for the chicken. Place the browned chicken on top, breast side up. Pour over 1/4 cup white wine, cover pot with the lid, and transfer the pot to the oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 165° when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, about 1 hour.

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EDIBLE ENDEAVORS

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The Sweet Life Q&A with Bella Bakery’s Paige Lamborn

Edible: When did your passion for baking begin? Was it a natural progression or a trained skill?

Paige: My passion for baking began some time after my mom opened Bella Rose Bakery & Café in 2011. I was also attending Fresno State at the time, so I didn’t start off by baking much. I had a small room in the back of the kitchen that I would bake out of for the café. Over time, I realized I really enjoyed baking, and everything just continued to progress from there over the next few years. Everything I know has been self-taught. I attended a week-long Fresh Pastry Boot Camp once at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, but apart from that, I have never attended school for any culinary training. Many of our recipes have been handed down through our family over generations, or we have come up with them on our own.

Edible: What are the work hours of a baker and do you have staff who support your operation?

Paige: The work hours can be very demanding, especially around the holidays. We make everything from scratch, so it can be very time-consuming to make sure we are able to keep things stocked for the bakery cases. But, so worth it!

Thankfully we have a wonderful staff with whom we are able to split up the workload and make everything happen. 4

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Edible: Do you have multiple businesses?

Paige: The bakery’s only location is our current storefront, although we do operate the Creamery next door.

Edible: What key principles do you have in place to manage work and home life?

Paige: Owning your own business is no easy task. My husband and I also have two little ones at home that we are raising while running the bakery, but the bakery has become like a second home to them. We plan our days around taking care of them and will switch off at home and at work to make sure both my husband and I are able to get our work done at the bakery as well. We try to make an effort to leave Sundays for family time enjoyed together at home.

Edible: Have you always envisioned your life as an entrepreneur?

Paige: I did not always envision my life as an entrepreneur and small business owner. I attended Fresno State where I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in biology. I had always thought I wanted to go to medical school, but after learning how costly that would be, I really began to focus everything into baking. The rest is history.

Edible: What is your favorite bakery food and why?

Paige: My favorite bakery item to eat would have to be a maple pecan scone. I love the flavor of maple syrup, and with the crushed pecans in the scone, it’s just the perfect snack for me. It’s not too sweet, but can do the trick to curb my sweet tooth. Plus, the pecans in them make me think I’m being kind of healthy (ha!).

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Edible: Are there future plans or dreams for Bella Bakery?

Paige: We have tons of ideas that float around in our head, but right now we would love to be able to get a food truck to take Bella Bakery on the road to weddings and big events. We would also love to expand to a second location, but that would be way in the future, once our kids are older. • Bella Bakery • 1501 Draper St., Kingsburg (559) 419-9667 Find them on Facebook and Instagram

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MEET THE FARMER

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| Fresh Flavors | Ferrer Family Farms Story by Melissa Mendonca

HEN MARIA FERRER SLICES into one of her blood oranges to demonstrate its beauty and flavor to her farmers market customers, she knows she’s also building a network around her fruit. “My mom really likes the relationships with the different customers she has,” says her youngest son, Oscar. “They’ve built a whole community around the farmers markets.”

Blood oranges ripen after December and have a much shorter season than the navel oranges that Ferrer Family Farms is also known for. Their unique color catches people’s attention, brightening up the dreary days of winter after holiday decorations have come down.

The blood and navel oranges are just two of many fresh produce items the family offers up year round, in a business Maria and Ignacio Ferrer have built from the ground and used to propel their children to college. Maria, from Oaxaca, and Ignacio, from Jalisco, met in the United States and began their careers as farm workers. In 2011, they leased their own land in Madera and started what is truly a family farm. All four of their children have assisted in its production. Oscar, 15, is a junior in high school and has learned to maintain the farm website and do online support, all while juggling four Advanced Placement and one honors course in high school.

In 2020, as the pandemic set in, the family quickly adopted a Community Supported Agriculture program and began delivering produce boxes around Madera, Fresno and Clovis. “A lot of times during the pandemic we put in 10-, 12-, 14-hour days,” says Oscar, noting that there was a huge learning curve to develop the program in such a stressful time. “Sometimes we’d be out delivering until 8 o’clock, 9 o’clock, 10 o’clock at night.”4

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“I appreciate their long hours and all the hard work they put into it,” he says. “And it’s how loving they are with everything. They’re really kind to their customers, as well.”

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Wrinkles have been smoothed out by now, and the family has developed three Community Supported Agriculture options, including a Classic Farmers Market Box at $25, Premium at $35 and Supreme at $40. Ingredients change with the season, but in early November they included everything from Asian pears to persimmons to two kinds of kale, collard greens, eggplants, oranges and much more. Ferrer Farm strawberries are especially sought after each summer.

“Our customers always go crazy and ask us all year about them,” Oscar says. Everything in the boxes is raised on the farm.

Nothing is wasted, either. The family has developed a relationship with Blue Seal Bagels, a Clovis-based cottage kitchen, to use excess fruit in its jams and jellies.

Maria and Ignacio appreciate the input of their children, including Tania Mitchum and her husband, Ryan, as well as Daniel, Carlos and Oscar Ferrer, but emphasize the importance of education. “They are always adamant about school,” says Oscar, who notes Tania graduated from Fresno State University and Daniel from the University of California at Irvine, while Carlos is now a freshman at Fresno State.

“They know that working the fields is really tiring for us. They want us to have the best, education-wise.” Oscar is thinking about pursuing engineering or computer science when it’s his turn to head off to college.

Through the words of Oscar, it’s clear Maria and Ignacio have also instilled the values of hard work and kindness in their children as well.

When offered a chance to expound on his appreciation for his parents’ business, he offered his admiration of their respect of their customers as well as the long hours they put in. “I appreciate their long hours and all the hard work they put into it,” he says. “And it’s how loving they are with everything. They’re really kind to their customers, as well.”

That kindness and hard work can be felt year round at area farmers markets, where the Ferrers are happy to get to know the people they sell to. While a CSA box may not supply the conversation to be found at the market, the hard work shines through in the taste and quality of the produce they send out to the communities they care so much for. • Ferrer Farm • www.ferrerfarmfresno.com Find them on Facebook and Instagram

Photos courtesy of Ferrer Farm

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EDIBLE DRINKS

with a twist Sparkling Blood Orange Mocktail

INGREDIENTS 8 oz. blood orange juice, freshly squeezed, strained or unstrained 1 ½ T honey ¼ tsp vanilla extract 4 oz. lime sparkling water blood orange slices and rosemary sprig for garnish INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1. Squeeze blood orange juice into a jar with a lid or cocktail shaker.

Add the honey and vanilla extract, and add ice to chill.

STEP 2. To serve, pour over ice. Top with lime sparkling water and a slice of blood orange on top. Enjoy right away.

Garnish with a slice of blood orange and rosemary sprig.

NOTES Blood orange juice will stain, so squeeze it on a non-porous surface.

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some like it hot Champurrado: Mexican Hot Chocolate

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ ⅛ 1 1 ¼ 1 1

cup water cup masa harina cup whole milk tablet Mexican chocolate (about 3 oz.) cup brown sugar cinnamon stick star anise Whipped cream

DIRECTIONS: STEP 1: In a saucepan, bring the water, cinnamon stick and star anise to a simmer, then turn off. Let steep for 10 minutes.

STEP 2: Remove the cinnamon and star anise, then turn the heat back on. Add the masa harina and whisk. Once combined, add the milk, Mexican chocolate and brown sugar.

STEP 3: Cook for about 10 minutes over medium heat, whisking often until the mixture comes to a boil. Once smooth and thickened, pour into mugs using a ladle spoon.

STEP 4: Add whipped cream and shaved cinnamon if you’d like.

Enjoy!

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