Edible Austin Wellness 2018

edible

No. 59 July/August | Wellness 2018

Austin

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Celebrating Central Texas food culture, season by season

where good times and great meals

bring people together We deliver the finest all-natural Angus steaks from our farm to your home.

Quality is bred into everything we do, and you’ll be able to taste the difference.

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REAL FARMERS WHO MAKE

REAL WINE

Vineyard manager Jake Terrell and his dog, Willie.

From our farm to your table.

Authentic Sonoma wines, handcrafted from Sonoma County grapes.

©2018 Kobrand Corporation, Purchase, NY www.kobrandwineandspirits.com

CONTENTS 8 what’s on our COUNTER 10 notable EDIBLES Wiseman Family Practice, Heartwood Community Garden.

14 PEOPLE

Ren Garcia.

28

22 MELTING pot

The Mesoamerican Milpa.

26 edible ENDEAVOR

Bola Pizza.

19

39 edible ENDEAVOR

Cookbook Café.

42 edible GARDENS

39

Sill-life with herbs.

features 19 Rain Lily Farm

This growing family delivers the bounty of local.

44 edible BEAUTY

Hair conditioning by nature.

28 Better Grains Using Barton Springs Mill to freshen up baking.

47 The Directory

34 Saving Food’s Soul

50 edible DIY

36 Turn and Face the Strange

Peaches.

COVER: Simple Rye Loaf (page 28).

Photography by Casey Woods.

Local investor group supports the small scale.

Local chef’s move to recovery.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE LET’S GET WELL TOGETHER

PUBLISHER Jenna Northcutt

EDITOR Kim Lane

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Dawn Weston

COPY EDITOR Anne Marie Hampshire

DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER Darby Kendall

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

R

Claire Cella, Dena Garcia

ecently, while visiting with some of our local urban farmers, I heard the best news. Not only have Chef Sonya Coté and multimedia pro-

MARKETING SPECIALIST

ducer David Barrow signed a commercial lease saving the Spring-

Rachel Davis

dale Farm property from closure, but they’re going to steward the land and

INTERN

continue to farm for the next couple years! They’ll also be taking over the

Meara Isenberg

two-days-a-week farmstands. Sonya, who owns Eden East, Hillside Farmacy and Sinclair, hopes to preserve Springdale Farm’s longtime reputation as a beloved community-gathering place, and we couldn’t be happier to see one of our precious urban farms rescued and renewed, even at the eleventh hour. If food is medicine, our local farms help keep us well.

DISTRIBUTION Craig Fisher, Flying Fish

FOUNDER Marla Camp

ADVISORY GROUP In light of the news, putting together the Wellness issue was made that much sweeter. We enjoyed recognizing and celebrating Rain Lily, another great urban farm, and their unique delivery service (page 19). Abby Love, an amazing local baker, pops in to share some favorite recipes (peach-crisp pie, anyone?) and gives us a tour of Barton Springs Mill and their impressive array of fresh-milled heirloom grains (page 28). We learn about neighbors coming together to heal a plot of land torn raw from disaster and sadness with the power of a community garden (page 13). And we speak to Chef Philip Speer about changes, hope and things learned on a personal journey (page 36). This and so much more. Welcome to the Wellness issue.

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JULY/AUGUST 2018

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

Terry Thompson-Anderson, Paula Angerstein, Dorsey Barger, Jim Hightower, Toni Tipton-Martin, Mary Sanger, Carol Ann Sayle

CONTACT US 1101 Navasota St., Ste. 1, Austin, TX 78702 512-441-3971 info@edibleaustin.com edibleaustin.com Edible Austin is published bimonthly by Edible Austin L.L.C. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. ©2018. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us.

learn alongside austin experts

Join us

Buy a la Carte or come to all pick your flavor

Presented by

with Dos Lunas Cheese in September

Build your own Bratwurst

Mix it uP

with US Foods in August

with support from

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with Lick Honest Ice Creams in July

with Cannon + Belle in October

All things cookie

with Make it Sweet in December

limited seating—tickets at edibleAustin.com/edl

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W H AT ’ S

ON OUR

COUNTER

by DARBY KENDALL photography by JENNA NORTHCUTT

We’re always trying new local products. Take a look at what our staff is enjoying this month.

LICK HONEST ICE CREAMS Bringing pints home from Lick Honest Ice Creams is a treat, but we love their toppings, too! Made in the same local kitchen as the ice creams, Lick’s rich chocolate sauce goes with much more than just frozen treats. We love it drizzled on fruit or toasted marshmallows, and on the classic go-to: an empty spoon. It also pairs well with Lick’s dairy-free ice cream—the sauce is both vegan and gluten-free. Whenever a craving for some ooey, gooey chocolate hits, we’re always glad to reach for this jar. You can find the sauce at any of Lick’s three scoop shops around Austin. ilikelick.com

EL MILAGRO As any bonafide Texan knows, every salsa needs a tasty chip to scoop it up, and no taco is complete without a quality tortilla. Lucky for us, we have a fantastic tortilleria in the heart of Austin. El Milagro produces their products—ranging from the classic corn tortilla to the oversized burrito tortilla—in San Marcos, and sells them at grocery stores around Texas. If you want the full spread of their torterilla options, we recommend visiting their storefront on East 7th Street.

512-477-6476 905 E. 7th St. el-milagro.com

JAIME’S SPANISH VILLAGE Speaking of salsa, we have the perfect pairing for those chips! Since 1931, Jaime’s Spanish Village has been making some of Austin’s best salsas, which were originally sold at their former location on Red River. Now the tradition lives on in both red and green salsas that range in heat levels.

Each batch is handcrafted using Chef Gonzalo’s original recipes and pairs perfectly with enchiladas, burritos or any dish you want to spice up. Find the salsas at grocers around town, including Royal Blue Grocery, Whole Foods Market and Wheatsville Co-op. jaimessalsas.com

UPRIVER CACAO Chocolate-based beverages are often imagined as chocolate milk or hot cocoa, rather than a clear, refreshing drink that resembles iced coffee. New local business Upriver Cacao is out to change that with their cold-brewed cacao drinks. Chocolate is a natural source of caffeine, so when we’re craving a pick-me-up but want something a little milder than coffee, we reach for Upriver Cacao—available in three flavors: Dark Wild, Vanilla Cream and Raspberry Rose. Find the bottles around town at local grocers, and at Texas Farmers Market locations at Mueller and Lakeline. uprivercacao.com

notable EDIBLES THE DOCTOR WILL FEED YOU NOW the doctor is the one selling the apples? As far as Dr. Jeremy Wiseman is concerned, the patient is better off for it. Every

he’s embraced since he started practicing in 2009. He doesn’t shy

week, Wiseman Family Practice delivers healthful foods—to

away from conventional medications, but he tries to balance that

patients and non-patients alike—from nearby farms such as Rich-

with more natural remedies when possible: acupuncture, yoga

ardson Farms, Johnson’s Backyard Garden and Humble Rooster

therapy, chiropractic and now, local food delivery. Always open to

Farm. Any visitor to the practice’s site can order things like beef

new ideas, he’s also installed produce gardens at the Cedar Park

from grassfed cows, low-temp pasteurized milk, local produce

and Central Austin locations of his practice, and he produces and

and other grub; pay about what they’d pay at a CSA program or

stars in regular online videos about healthful living. “We’re trying

farmers market; and Wiseman’s practice itself arranges delivery.

to define a better model for primary care that goes beyond just

Twenty years ago, a doctor selling groceries may have sounded

drugs and surgery,” he says.

the quack alarm, but given how people have embraced the health-

Wiseman says he found inspiration in the way Whole Foods

ier-food movement, Wiseman wonders why more doctors haven’t

Market revolutionized the grocery store model, but he’s hardly

tried something like this sooner. “Food is one of the biggest cor-

out to compete with the food industry. He just sees the venture

nerstones of disease prevention,” he says. “It also plays a major

as another of his services—one that connects medicine and food

role in treatment. If you take a larger view that a doctor’s job is

in a more tangible way. “Delivering [local] farm food serves a

to prevent disease and treat the whole person, then making the

larger purpose of giving patients more natural options for staying

doctor a connection to a food source makes perfect sense.”

healthy,” he says. “Plus…I think it’s cool.” —Steve Wilson

For Wiseman, selling a dozen eggs from pasture-raised chickens is just another tool in the integrative approach to medicine

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For more information, visit wisemanfamilypractice.com

Photography by Allison Marras

I

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THE GIFT OF GATHER

T

here’s a big heart formation in the trunk of an old mulberry tree on the corner of Heartwood and Thistlewood Drives in South Austin. Under the shade of that tree, neighbors gather

Photography by Darby Kendall

this sunny Saturday to reconnect or introduce themselves, eat tacos from the food truck down the street and admire the 28 new garden plots they recently dug and planted with veggies, herbs and flowers.

This is the new Heartwood Community Garden, situated on an empty lot across the street from Williamson Creek—one of dozens of empty lots that line the street after the City bought and razed the houses that were most at risk for potentially deadly flooding.

Kathy Kimbrough, a resident of the area since 2010, recalls the last serious flood, in October 2013, that prompted the City buyouts and home demolitions. Her house, along a tributary of the creek, got a few inches of rain, but the houses along Heartwood Drive suffered devastating damage. “Later that day, while taking a break from throwing out ruined items and trying to figure out what to do next, I drove down Heartwood to see how everyone was doing,” says Kimbrough. “It was heartbreaking to see my neighbors and the friendly faces that would wave when we would pass by now in their yards seeing what could be salvaged, what keepsakes would now just become memories.”

Fast-forward several years, and a newer, post-flood resident of the area, Jessica Sager, saw this heart tree and the sunny space beyond it, and immediately envisioned a garden. “I’m not really that much of a gardener to be quite honest,” she says. “But I saw the space and it needed to be born.” She took this vision and ran with it—starting the process of obtaining permitting and licensing for the community garden in July 2017. Realizing this dream, however, was not easy.

Unlike other community gardens owned by Austin Parks & Recreation, this is Austin’s first-ever community garden in a 25-year floodplain, and because the City’s Watershed Protection Department owns the land, Sager had to navigate the red tape associated with the lack of process and funding. But being the first has its rewards: The process workflow that has come out of the project will help others expedite creating their own gardens in the future. And in a fast-growing, increasingly flood-prone Austin, there will likely be plenty of opportunities. “It’s highlighting a need in the community—how do we make this land useful and meaningful? I want to

make this process easier for Average Joe citizens,” Sager says.

Whether new to the ’hood or here for 25 years, homeowner or renter, newbie gardener or master green thumb, neighbors have stepped up to help Sager make it official. Kimbrough, who set up the group’s Facebook page, helps with membership, for example.

Others help with finances, technical design, gardening know-how and, of course, muscle. “That’s what’s been so great about all this— folks took small chunks and we made it happen,” Kimbrough says.

After talking to several neighbors who’ve remained through the floods, the buyouts and the demolitions, it’s clear that a lot of the energy and commitment being poured into the garden comes from a place of healing. “This area where we dug in, where we once again came together as a community, is special,” says Kimbrough.

“It’s symbolism that something good can come from something painful; that destructive waters also give way to nourishing rain.”

And for those who didn’t witness the floods and ensuing events firsthand, Heartwood Community Garden is a welcome addition that simply feels good. “Most of us go home and stay in our houses at night, and it’s becoming increasingly uncommon for people to know their neighbors, despite the appearance of living in such a highly connected world,” says Sager. “I think we are all hungry for connection and community, and our neighborhoods need spaces—like gardens—that draw us out and draw us in, together.”

—Anne Marie Hampshire For more information, visit heartwoodcommunitygarden.com

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PEOPLE

REN GARCIA

BY A N N E M A R I E H A M PS H I R E • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY A N DY SA M S

O

ne glance at Chef Ren Garcia’s résumé and you’ll notice

opened Enoteca Vespaio. He already knew the owners of Vespaio

it reads like a who’s who or what’s what of the Austin cu-

from a different context, so he thought he’d give it a shot. “They

linary scene for the past three decades—Bouldin Creek

saw me [at the interview], and they were like, ‘You can cook?’

Café, Vespaio, Dai Due and now, Micklethwait Craft Meats, are

And I said, ‘Yeah, I can cook pretty good!’” Thus began a swift

all there. It’s clear he has the chops to handle the chops…and

ladder-climb from “pizza guy” to sous chef at Enoteca, then grill

brisket and ribs…working the pit at the popular barbecue food

and sous chef at Vespaio, and then eventually, kitchen manager

trailer, but interestingly, he wasn’t always a connoisseur, or even

of both restaurants—a position he held for eight years. “That’s

consumer, of such things. Garcia’s evolving culinary prowess all

where I learned all the sausage-making, the butchering, fish-cut-

started when this once-devout vegetarian moved to Austin in his

ting…Learning under Ryan Samson just blew my mind. He’s the

20s (to play in a band, of course) and found that cooking was

best I’ve ever worked with.”

also his jam.

The transition from tofu scrambler to beef Bologneser was

In 1995, he started working in the kitchen at the original Ker-

not without its twists and turns. First, it required that after 14

bey Lane Café, with brief stints at Jake’s Coffee on The Drag,

years as a vegetarian, Garcia eat meat again (a chef has to know

where a monkey named Jasmine would sit on his shoulder while

how things taste). He also learned how to butcher an animal

he made lattes. He loved the gigs, but they got monotonous. “I was

without any waste. “Butchering is a trained thing,” he says. “You

[at Kerbey] like four years, off and on,” he says. “I would quit and

have to know what you’re doing; you don’t want to mess up the

then they’d call me and ask, ‘Can you pick up a shift?’ and then

animal.” In addition to all the knowledge gained from working

I’d go back and get fired. And then a couple days would go by and

under Samson, Garcia fell in love with sourcing ingredients

they would be like, ‘Hey, can you pick up some shifts?’ So it was

from local farmers—which Vespaio has been quietly practicing

like that.”

for years. “We never said, ‘All these tomatoes are from Tecolote

Next stop was vegetarian mecca Bouldin Creek Café in 2000,

and all these greens are from Springdale and these heirlooms

which had just opened a couple months before in its tiny first lo-

are from Rain Lily,’” Garcia explains. “We put them on the menu

cation. “Originally, we just had the most ghetto Hotpoint range,”

because they’re good…because they’re the best. I mean, you have

he says. “The oven was hooked up with a bungee cord. We only

to have a really good tomato if you’re gonna do a Caprese salad!”

had four little burners and a George Foreman to heat up our hash

After Vespaio, Garcia worked a year and a half with Chef Jesse

browns. And then sometimes during service, the bungee cord

Griffiths (also a former employee of Vespaio) to first open, then

would bust, and the oven door would just hit you right in the

help run, the kitchen at Griffiths’ new brick and mortar, Dai Due.

knees and you’d be like, ‘Owwwww!’” Despite the startup equip-

Garcia went on to help friend Stephanie Scherzer—co-owner of

ment before the café became the award-winning institution it is

Rain Lily Farm and Farmhouse Delivery—launch a new meal-kit

today, Garcia put his vegetarian cooking skills to the test while

product, called Supper Club, comprised entirely of local foods. “It

there—refining recipes (the “Ren Taco” is still on the menu) and

was a challenge,” he explains. “These are the only things you have

learning the ropes of managing a kitchen.

to use. And you have to make it delicious and easy for families.

Wanting to learn something new after another four years as a short-order cook, Garcia went in for an interview at the newly

It’s the end of summer and it’s only eggplant and okra. You get no garlic and you get no onions. Go!”

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

JULY/AUGUST 2018

15

But Garcia not only rose to the challenge, he was inspired by it—and by all the ways he found to make locally grown vegetables elevate any dish. In fact, it was almost like returning to his vegetarian days.

“Seeing all these vegetables and getting to work with them was the biggest treat for me…realizing how amazing and diverse Texas is. You really don’t even need any meat for any of this!”

These days, Garcia and his partner, Rob Patton, are “90 percent veggie” at home, and in addition to slinging barbecue at Micklethwait, Garcia also does consulting work for Bouldin Creek Café. While some die-hard veg-heads may find this a contradiction, it isn’t for Garcia. It’s all a part of his journey to becoming a well-rounded, well-informed celebrator of food and where it comes from—perhaps a chef ’s answer to Michael Pollan’s classic “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.”

“To learn how to turn cheap cuts of meat into amazing dishes and pair them with vegetables and herbs and spices…and busting your balls trying to make a good dish,” he says, “I wouldn’t have learned how to make a vegetable really shine if it weren’t for the experience of learning how to braise and grill and cook and smoke with meat.”

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FARMERS diary

RAIN LILY FARM

BY K AT H L E E N T H O R N B E R RY • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY A N DY SA M S

Left to right: Kim Beal and Stephanie Scherzer.

F

rom the street, Rain Lily Farm looks like a typical prewar

nectarine trees, with artichoke plants and shrub herbs tucked

bungalow. You wouldn’t know there’s an urban farm there

here and there. Pulling into the circular drive, you can see doz-

at all, and for most of the property’s history, there wasn’t.

ens of rows of tomato plants in the main field, bordered by beds

Before Stephanie Scherzer and wife Kim Beal bought the proper-

of mint and cilantro. The greenhouse and well house are behind

ty in 2001, the triangular 4 acres that fanned out behind the East

the bungalow, and farther back are the fields that form the tip of

Austin rent house were covered in trash, junked cars and brush.

the triangle, now planted with lima beans and tomatillos. In the

Bordered by Boggy Creek on the north, the land was never devel-

center of the drive, there’s a stage for Shakespeare on the Farm, a

oped due to flooding concerns—not even after Boggy Creek was

free and accessible theater event that Rain Lily has been hosting

straightjacketed into a safe (albeit ugly) concrete runoff channel.

for the last eight years.

Now the bungalow is updated and surrounded by mounds of

When Scherzer and Beal bought the property, farming wasn’t

purple larkspur, crimson snapdragons and pink phlox. Studding

even on their radar. “What I wanted was a house on a fairly big

the lawns and acreage are thriving peach, palm, pecan, olive and

piece of property,” Scherzer says. “We were just starting our landEDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

JULY/AUGUST 2018

19

scaping company, Rain Lily Design, and we thought we might need the space. Once that was up and running, I started growing food—at first just for us. Once we carted off all the trash, we realized we had a pretty decent amount of land. So we brought in goats to clear off the brush and brought it all under cultivation.”

East Austin has some of the richest soil in Texas, and soon Scherzer was dealing with bumper crops—producing far more than the family could eat. “None of the options were a good fit,” she says, “I couldn’t sell enough with a farm stand, and the farmers markets took too much time. So, I started Farmhouse Delivery—it was a natural progression.”

Farmhouse Delivery takes the bounty of local farmers and delivers directly to consumers, like a customizable CSA program box. Now in its 13th year, the company operates in Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio—delivering not only herbs and vegetables, but locally produced meats, cheeses, honey and meal kits.

“Our meal kits are the only ones on the market that use entirely locally-sourced ingredients,” Scherzer notes. “I work closely with Central Texas farmers and ranchers, so we can get everything at the peak of season. It keeps the price competitive while keeping the quality high. Matt Taylor is our chef, and he’s amazing.”

A typical day at the farm sees Scherzer up at 6 a.m. with their

two daughters—one an infant needing to be fed, the other a 6-year-old needing to be readied for school. “Then I water the plants in the greenhouse, walk through the fields and take a look at everything, feed the chickens, turn the irrigation on and set my iPhone timer so I remember to turn it off!” Then it’s off to Farmhouse Delivery, where she puts in about 50 hours a week.

“Usually on a Wednesday we’ll pick everything that needs picking, and I’ll take it with me to work; today I took in twenty dozen eggs,” she says. “We change out the crops seasonally: In winter we do lettuce, kale, collards and mustard greens; in spring, tomatoes and beans; and a cover crop in the summer.” The newest additions to the farm “family” are the olive trees, which are taking off spectacularly along the creek frontage. “We cured our first batch last year,” Scherzer says. “And this year’s crop is going to be even better. The olive trees love it along the creek shoulder—concrete rubble, hot sun and thirteen inches of rain a year. They love it.”

When she gets home from work, Scherzer does it all again, starting with feeding the baby. “I guess you could say, everything I do is about connecting people with their food!”

Rain Lily Farm 512-585-0697 914 Shady Ln.

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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21

MELTING pot

THE MESOAMERICAN MILPA

BY DA R BY K E N DA L L

T

he next time you pick up a pack

between farmers and their land and be-

of corn tortillas, take a second

tween the land and the community. For

to appreciate the ease of buy-

example, one of the ancient Mayan cre-

ing such a delicious staple. Centuries

ation stories—the Popol Vuh—tells how

of work went into that rather sim-

the first humans were successfully made

ple-looking product derived from the

out of maize (corn) picked from a milpa

development and cultivation of corn

field. “Thus was found the food that would

around 9,000 years ago. Farmers from

become the flesh of the newly framed and

Mesoamerica (roughly the region that

shaped people,” the story reads. “Water

is now Central Mexico down to north-

was their blood…their flesh was merely yel-

ern Costa Rica) spent eras selectively

low ears of maize and white ears of maize.”

breeding wild grass for its large kernels

Once the Spanish arrived in 1519 to

until around 1,500 B.C., when the cluster

the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan (located

of kernels began to resemble the large

in what is now Mexico City), crops in la

corncobs we know and love today. (We

milpa became of great interest to them.

can also thank them for inventing the

Foods that the Aztecs identified in their

nixtamalization process that makes corn

native language of Nahuatl as ahuacamol-

more nutritious and easier to grind.)

li, xocolatl, chilli and tomatl would, centu-

Corn quickly became a pivotal crop for many of the pre-Columbian civiliza-

ries later, become familiar to us as guacamole, chocolate, chile and tomato. Food

tions, such as the Aztecs and Mayans, but it’s just one of myriad Me-

historian Rachel Laudan, author of “Cuisine and Empire: Cooking

soamerican foods we’re lucky to still enjoy today—in both modern

in World History,” explains that the Spanish were in search of more

Mexican cuisine and on our beloved Tex-Mex plates. Chef Iliana de

than just gold when they came to the New World. They were looking

la Vega of Rainey Street District’s El Naranjo specializes in authentic

for what she calls “green gold.” “They wanted any kind of plant that

Mexican food, and incorporates ancient flavors into her dishes daily.

could be valuable—mainly for food but also for medicines, for making

She explains that certain key crops became staples in Mesoamerica

clothes, all kinds of things,” Laudan says. “What’s really interesting

for more than just their flavor. “An essential part of the Mexican diet is

is that although these ingredients—particularly corn and chocolate—

something we call la milpa,” she says. “The translation literally would

have spread around the world, they’re not used in the way that they

be ‘the cornfield.’ But it’s important not only because you grow corn

are in Mexico. The plants went, but not the techniques.”

there, but because in la milpa, you grow all the essential things that are

These days, many Mesoamerican foods are heavily associated

a part of the basic Mexican diet…corn, chiles, tomatoes, squash and

with other cultures because of this culinary conquest by the Spanish.

avocados all grow around each other.”

Green gold is reflected in Italy’s love of tomatoes, the French’s ado-

The concept of la milpa is best understood as the symbiosis

ration of vanilla and the global obsession with chocolate. La milpa

that was discovered between vastly different plants as they grew

provided the world with flavors we now can’t imagine living without.

alongside one another. To grow well, corn needs high levels of ni-

As Texans, we’re lucky to have our particular geographic place-

trogen in the soil, and bean plants happen to be natural providers

ment. Our beloved queso was never a part of the Mesoamerican

of nitrogen. Squash also contributed to this crop collaboration—it

diet (they didn’t have herd animals to produce milk regularly) and

was typically grown in the rows between the corn, with its large

our tacos often contain more meat than was ever consumed daily

leaves covering the ground and keeping out weeds. Over time, it

by Aztecs or Mayans, but we’re blessed to be able to enjoy many

was noticed and recorded that these staples kept people healthy,

of the same foods from la milpa that were eaten on this continent

and that the plants complemented each other nutritionally.

thousands of years ago. “Knowing the history of your food not only

For the Mesoamericans, though, la milpa went well beyond the planting of particular crops. Culturally, it came to represent the relationships 22

JULY/AUGUST 2018

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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edible ENDEAVOR

BOLA PIZZA

BY A DA M B O L ES • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY A L I SO N N A R RO

S

tuck in traffic on north 183, I often wonder what goes on

product. Fans say that Bola Pizza is easily the best frozen pizza

in all those sprawling, anonymous storefront office units

they’ve ever eaten, and stands up next to any artisan, farm-to-ta-

and warehouses lining the highway. Most of it is proba-

ble pizza served in our city’s many Italian eateries.

bly pretty mundane—insurance companies, bookkeepers, medical

The road to frozen pizza dominance is a circuitous one, and

supplies—but maybe, my daydreams suggest, there’s an episode

begins with a chance encounter with old-school Austin chef Rino

of “Breaking Bad” going on somewhere in there. I would never

Lanzalotti of Bottega Della Pasta when Jamie was 19. “Rino had a

think that tucked behind a custom 4x4 auto parts garage lives the

Vespa, so that’s how I met him. He ran his own pasta shop, and he

burgeoning frozen pizza empire, Bola Pizza.

gave me his pizza dough recipe and I started having pizza nights

The location is fitting, if coincidental—Austin native Jamie Bowers, one half of the husband-and-wife team that created Bola

for friends,” she says. “That recipe isn’t anywhere close to the dough recipe we have these days, but my friends loved it.”

Pizza, spent much of her late teens and 20s learning to tear apart

When Jamie returned to college at the University of Texas in her

and rebuild Vespa scooters and any number of other Italian auto-

mid-20s, she rescued her future company’s namesake—a Blue Lacy

mobiles. “I once did the brakes on a Ferrari,” she tells me when

pup she named Bola. “That’s when the pizza parties as a tradition

I meet her at Bola’s kitchen headquarters. “That was the most

really got cemented. It was every Wednesday I would make pizza…

glamorous job I had.” What Jamie and her husband, Christian,

all my friends would be in the living room. I’d be making pizza,

have sacrificed in glamor, they’ve totally made up for with their

and they’d be spoiling [Bola] rotten feeding him crusts behind my

26

JULY/AUGUST 2018

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

back.”

It was at one of these parties that Christian Bowers showed up as the guest of a friend, and a now-14-year partnership was born.

Years later, after they were married and their friends started having kids, the newlyweds’ social life took a dip. Christian suggested they reboot the pizza nights. “But we need to change the dough recipe,” he said.

“He was really interested in the fermentation process,” says Jamie of Christian, who she describes by turns as an artist, a chef and a mad scientist. “We thought the three- and four-day [fermented dough] was the tastiest. It’s still really puffy on the inside, but it’s crunchy on the outside, and it’s just like a good French baguette—you bite into it and it’s got that toothy feel.”

The redux pizza parties turned out to be a hit. “It was just for fun,” Jamie says. “We wanted to meet some new people and expand our social circle. We never really thought we’d be a pizza company.”

Then, in 2008, the financial crisis hit, and work for Christian dried up. Jamie was working for the State, and her salary was barely supporting them. They knew they had to make a change. Christian sold an heirloom watch he had, and they used the cash to buy a pizza oven and have a trailer built. Bola Pizza was conceived as a catering business—debuting in 2010 at The Green Corn Project Fall Festival held at Boggy Creek Farm. “I’m getting nervous just thinking about it—it was so exciting,” Jamie says of that fateful day. “We’re getting the oven fired up…and then I hear this voice, and I turn around, and I’m like, ‘Rino?!’ And it’s Rino Lanzalotti who gave me the dough recipe I started out with! It was absolutely wild. It was totally uncanny. Looking at it in hindsight, it was like all these little pieces fell into place. I was shaking [while handing him] the first piece of pizza. Rino looks at me and goes, ‘Wow! This is better than my dough recipe!’”

The catering business was a fast success, and the couple began to get attention from big guns like Whole Foods Market and Central Market. After some trial and error at home, they landed on their methods and recipes for a whole line of frozen pizzas. “It’s a frozen pizza, but it’s not a frozen pizza,” Jamie says. “Most frozen pizzas are not made by hand. We never use nonorganic tomatoes for our sauce; we never use anything other than King Arthur flour. I continue to look for suppliers who

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have the same ethos we have. Our mozzarella is Andrew & Everett; it’s all hormone- and antibiotic-free. All of our meats are the same way—humanely raised. That’s something that’s super important to me.”

Bola Pizzas are now in the freezer sections of all nine Central Markets, approximately 60 H-E-B locations in Texas and many locally owned markets all around Austin. Their small kitchen behind the auto parts warehouse produces upwards of 750 handmade pizzas per day, and the company is still growing. “I never thought we would fail,” Jamie says of her nascent empire. “I always thought: This is it. This is what we should be doing. I love pizza. I love to share food with people!”

Find out more at bolafrozenpizza.com or call 512-453-7223.

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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27

COOKING FRESH

BETTER

GRAINS

by ABBY LOVE photography by CASEY WOODS

pesticides. They have a historical presence here dating back to before industrialization changed the agricultural makeup—and their return is a win for all of us. Many of my gluten-sensitive customers and baking students report an ability to enjoy these heirloom varieties without difficulty. Not to mention the wheat’s surprising complexity of flavors—it’s a new thrill for me to bake bread that actually tastes like its ingredients: grassy, earthy, spicy, nutty.

The mill boasts a growing list of organic wheats, ryes, corns and buckwheat, and Brown and his team mill them fresh every week. They offer a spectrum of grinds and winnows so that you can find just the right product for your project, and a wealth of advice if you feel overwhelmed by the range of options.

Here are a few introductory recipes for incorporating these wholesome flours into your baking routine. Though I’ve been baking professionally for years, working with fresh-milled flours is a learning process for me. They behave a little differently than store-bought flour, but the flavors, textures and nutritional boost are well worth a crash course. For your own experimentation, a good general rule is to start by replacing no more than 50 percent of the flour in any recipe with a whole-wheat or whole-grain alternative, and then inch up from there as you get to know the ingredients. Happy baking!

Currently in Austin, you can find Barton Springs Mill flours at Salt & Time, Confituras Little Kitchen, Sour Duck Market, Texas Farmers Market at Mueller and the mill’s retail shop in Dripping Springs.

WHOLE-WHEAT COCOA BROWNIES

F

or a staple as old as early human societies, wheat has had a rough go this century. First it was calories, then it was carbs.

Whole-wheat flour blends perfectly and invisibly into this brownie recipe. Find it at EdibleAustin.com

These days, it’s the mysterious, invisible, nominally under-

stood gluten. But as a pastry chef, baker and wheat peddler, I’ve spent the last decade defending wheat’s rapidly tanking reputation. We now know there’s a big difference between industrialized, high-production, heavily processed wheat, and organic, heirloom or landrace, minimally processed wheat—both in quality and nutrition. Demand for this superior wheat and other heritage grains has been growing, but finding a local source has been a challenge.

James A. Brown knows this all too well. He started Barton Springs Mill in 2016, after his desire to make a tasty loaf of bread spiraled into a full-on quest for organic wheat responsibly grown, minimally processed and available fresh. Since he couldn’t find such a source, he built one. His mill currently offers heirloom and landrace grains that are stone-milled onsite in Dripping Springs.

CORN SPOON BREAD Serves 4 Barton Springs Mill has several colorful varieties of cornmeal that make for a dramatic dish. Bloody Butcher and Green Oaxacan are my favorites.

2½ c. milk ¼ c. butter, plus more for greasing 1 T. honey 1 c. Barton Springs Mill stone-ground cornmeal 3 eggs 1 t. salt 1 T. baking powder

Unlike the complex roller-milling process that creates the white flour we buy from the store, stone-milling is a simpler process that retains all the wheat’s natural vitamins, minerals, fiber and fatty acids. (Without all those volatile but nourishing elements, commercial flour “performs” better and has a longer shelf life, so they’re edited out as part of the refinement process.)

Brown has also partnered with farmers all over the western U.S. to grow the specific heritage varieties that stock the mill. Unlike modern grains cultivated for disease resistance and high yield, heritage and landrace grains grow without aggressive fertilizers or

Heat the oven to 350° and butter a small casserole or soufflé dish. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, butter and honey to a boil. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal and stir constantly until the mixture thickens—this will happen almost immediately. Remove from the heat. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the salt and baking powder. Add a spoonful at a time of the hot corn mush to the eggs—whisking all the while—to temper the eggs slowly. Once the egg mixture is warm, add the remaining corn mush and whisk until homogeneous. Transfer to the prepared dish. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour—until the center looks set and a knife inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with a big spoon.

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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PEACH-CRISP PIE Makes one 8-inch pie (with an extra disc of dough for later) I have worked with Barton Springs Mill flours to develop a multi-duty, all-purpose flour. It requires the mixture of two different types of wheat: hard-red and soft-white. Barton Springs Mill offers many types of hard-red wheat—Rouge de Bordeaux, Marquis, Red Fife, Turkey Red and TAM 105—all will do here. There is only one soft-white wheat, Sonora, and it’s a beaut. Both should be used in their ‘00’ form, which is to say, the form in which as much of the bran has been sifted out as possible. If you’d like, you can simply use all of one type of flour. It will still come out beautifully.

For the pie dough: 1¾ c. Barton Springs Mill hard-red wheat flour, type ‘00’ ¾ c. Barton Springs Mill Sonora wheat flour, type ‘00’ 1 T. sugar ¼ t. salt 1 c. cold butter, cubed 6 T. ice water Toss together the flours, sugar and salt. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture until coarse crumbles remain. Add the water and mix by hand until the dough just comes together. Divide in half, form into 2 discs and wrap tightly in cling film. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 2 days. The dough may also be frozen at this point for up to 2 weeks.

For the oat-crumb topping: ½ c. Barton Springs Mill hard-red wheat flour ¼ c. Barton Springs Mill Sonora wheat flour 1 c. rolled oats (not instant) 1 c. brown sugar 1 t. salt 4 oz. butter

For the pie: 2 lb. peaches or other ripe, in-season fruit 1 c. sugar 1 t. salt 1 chilled pie-dough disc 3 T. Barton Springs Mill Sonora wheat flour 1 recipe oat-crumb topping Ice cream, for serving Pit and slice the peaches. Toss with the sugar and salt and allow to macerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, roll the chilled pie disc into a 10inch round. Carefully transfer the dough to a pie plate, crimp the edges and freeze for 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 425°. Toss the macerated peaches with the flour, then transfer to the frozen pie shell by lifting them with a slotted spoon and letting the excess liquid drain off. When all the peaches are in the shell, scoop out about ¼ cup of the juice left in the macerating bowl and drizzle over the pie. Top with the oat crumble—making sure to go all the way to the edges. Set the pie on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325° and bake an additional hour. If your pie plate is glass, check for doneness by looking at the underside of the pie. Cool completely (or as long as you can wait) before cutting and serving with ice cream.

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Melt the butter and pour over the top—tossing to combine. The mixture should form clumps when you squeeze it. Set aside.

Corn Spoon Bread EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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31

EINKORN TORTILLAS Makes about a dozen 6-inch tortillas Einkorn flour is a favorite of mine. It’s one of the oldest grains on the planet and has a delicious nutty flavor. Its gluten properties are far more delicate than other modern wheats, making it work best in flat applications, like tortillas or pita bread.

3 c. B arton Springs Mill whole-grain einkorn flour, plus more for rolling tortillas 1½ t. salt 1 t. baking powder ¼ c. soft butter, lard or oil 1 c. warm water Stir together the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl.

Add the butter and warm water—mixing with your hands until a soft dough forms. (If the dough seems sticky, don’t worry; fresh, stonemilled flours tend to be thirstier than shelf-stable, store-bought flours, so the einkorn will absorb some of that extra hydration as it sits.) Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Heat a comal, cast-iron skillet or regular pan to medium heat. Pull off lime-size chunks of dough and roll them between well-floured hands into little balls. Working with one at a time, roll each ball into a flat circle measuring about 6 inches across. Cook on the hot comal or pan for 30 to 45 seconds, or until the tortilla begins to puff in spots and bits of char appear on the surface. Flip and repeat. Cover with a warm towel until all the tortillas are cooked. Serve immediately.

SIMPLE RYE LOAF Makes 1 loaf This is a straightforward yeast loaf that will produce rye bread in a couple of hours. Using half all-purpose or bread flour will result in a proper rise, but you may substitute in any Barton Springs Mill hard-red wheat flour, if you wish. The loaf will be squatter and denser.

1 c. warm water 1½ c. all-purpose or bread flour 1½ c. Barton Springs Mill whole-grain rye flour 2¼ t. (1 packet) instant yeast 2 T. molasses 2 T. soft butter 1½ t. salt 2 t. caraway seeds Add all ingredients except the caraway seeds into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a hook attachment. Knead on low speed for 6 minutes.

Increase the speed to medium for 2 minutes. Add the caraway seeds and knead 1 minute more on medium. The dough will be sticky and some of it may stick to the bottom of the bowl—this is okay. (If mixing by hand, add all the ingredients except the caraway seeds into a medium bowl and mix until everything is hydrated. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes—being careful not to incorporate

too much extra flour into the dough. It will be sticky. Add the caraway seeds and knead just to incorporate.) Gather the dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm spot for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Turn out the puffy dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pat it into a rectangle roughly 8” x 6” using the flat palms of your hands and extended fingers. (Do not stretch or pull the dough; it will go as far as it wants to. Rye has a much more delicate gluten structure, so this dough is at greater risk of tearing.) Starting from the shorter edge, roll the dough away from you like a yoga mat, ending with the seam down on the counter. Rock the rolled dough back and forth to create an even log, equal to the length of your loaf pan. Spray the pan with cooking spray and transfer the log into it, seam-side down. Cover and allow the dough to proof for 45 minutes to an hour, until it rises to about an inch above the sides of the loaf pan. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375°. If you’d like, brush the loaf with butter before baking. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 200°. Turn the loaf out of the pan and cool on a cooling rack.

edible ENDEAVOR

SAVING FOOD’S SOUL LOCAL INVESTOR GROUP SUPPORTS THE SMALL SCALE

BY L I N DSAY STA F FO R D M A D E R • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY N AT H A N B E E LS

Left to right: Curt Nelson, Eric de Valpine and Jarred Maxwell.

S

everal years ago, Austinite Jarred Maxwell spent his days as

rural economies through sustainable investment. But his first

a rural land broker, traveling to the less-populated areas of

several attempts failed to deploy significant funds. Then, in 2014,

the state that had once been home to vibrant communities.

he joined with Curt Nelson, a technology entrepreneur who had

Maxwell, who had grown up loving these small towns, was bothered

recently moved to Texas, to launch Austin Foodshed Investors

to see that the places “that make Texas, Texas” had become deso-

(AFI). In its first four years, the innovative company—part busi-

late and boarded up. “Big cities are pretty homogeneous these days

ness consulting, part angel investing—has engaged more than 200

because of all the moving in and out,” he says. “Those small, rural

food and agriculture entrepreneurs, funded 30 projects and dis-

communities are where [Texas] kind of got its identity, and I feel like

bursed $2 million across Central Texas.

if all that stuff disappears, everything along with it goes away.”

Several aspects of AFI’s structure make it unique. Businesses seek-

Maxwell stresses that this type of cultural erosion directly af-

ing funding must be doing something in line with AFI’s mission “to

fects the local food systems used by nearby larger communities.

increase the supply of good, clean, fair food,” such as creating liv-

In 2015, the City of Austin reported that less than 1 percent of food

ing-wage jobs, improving the environment through organic practices

consumed by Travis County residents is produced locally. Despite

or directly impacting small-scale producers. AFI’s not interested in

our urban farms and bountiful farmers markets, the City noted that

companies vying to grow rapidly and get acquired or go public. “So

“food production is diminishing rapidly as farmland is lost, farmers

we don’t just pass any company through,” says partner Eric de Valpine.

age and income for farm labor remains below the poverty level.”

Likewise, the AFI Investor Network isn’t a good fit for all inves-

Inspired by the Slow Money movement that encourages cap-

tors. Maxwell explains with a hypothetical of Jim Richardson, owner

ital flow for local food enterprises, Maxwell wanted to revive

of Richardson Farms in Rockdale, Texas, pitching to a typical group

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EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

of angel investors used to working with tech companies. “Mr. Richardson talks about how his farm works and how the long-

weekly, local prix-fixe menu • family owned

term success of his business will be giving it to his son. Those investors [have] absolutely no idea how to deal with that.” To remedy a situation like this, AFI makes sure that its accredited investors, who decide individually whether to participate in a deal, are mission-aligned and like-minded. The company welcomes investors who want market-rate returns but makes it clear it is not in the game of equity investments.

Wally El-Hitamy, a Lakeway optometrist, says this is exactly why he joined AFI’s Investor Network. “Investing should always be about more than the return on investment,” El-Hitamy says. “Joining AFI was a way for me to also help local entrepreneurs realize their

1807 South First Street 512-215-9778 lenoirrestaurant.com

dreams and for us to have a positive impact on the environment.”

Some businesses—deemed “pass-throughs”—are investor-ready upon applying to AFI, and are quickly introduced to the AFI Investor Network for a one-time onboarding fee of $250. Qualifying businesses that aren’t there yet don’t get turned away, though. In-

THE LEANING PEAR H ill Country -inspired C uisine

stead, they go through the customized “assist” process where they receive training and mentoring to learn how to speak investors’ language—perhaps the most crucial difference between AFI and other investment groups. “Most of the farmers and ranchers are incredibly sophisticated about soil health, about animal husbandry, about their production,” de Valpine explains. “They just haven’t been forced to put it in the mundane accounting terms.”

For a monthly fee of $250, AFI assists by taking a close look at the business and then defines the work it needs to do. This can

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include connecting owners to partners who can help with preparing financial forecasting and a specific breakdown of how a loan would be spent (e.g., grant writers, accountants, city contacts, local ag-extension offices, etc.); prioritizing the order of these steps; and reviewing progress along the way. Once ready, “assists” are connected to the AFI Investor Network or, sometimes, other sources of potential funding, such as banks, the Small Business Administration or the U.S. Department of Agriculture—wherever they can get the best deal. And yes, AFI’s investors are okay with that.

Abianne Falla, co-founder of CatSpring Yaupon, which makes tea from the leaves of the native, drought-resistant yaupon tree and employs people leaving the criminal justice system, says she and her sister initially had trouble finding funding for their business. Then

“Let food (like raw, organic, cold-pressed juice) be thy medicine and Peoples be thy pharmacy.”

— Hippocrates*

*some creative license taken

they went through the assist process. “With AFI, we found understanding investors who were more interested in being our advocates for success than in compromising our company for a return,” says Falla. “If more folks approached business and collaboration like the team at AFI, I have no doubt the world would be a better place.”

This spring, AFI joined with the Texas Center for Local Food to launch a statewide local food event calendar to connect the public with the farms and ranches that produce their food, and it also just announced a potentially groundbreaking program to enable senior farmers to retire through mentoring younger farmers to take over the business. Referring to the City of Austin’s report on the magnitude of disappearing farms and aging farmers, de Valpine says, “That is exactly why we’re doing this.”

Find out more at austinfoodshedinvestors.com or call 512-571-0100.

peoplesrx.com EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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35

PEOPLE

TURN AND FACE THE STRANGE

BY L I N DSAY STA F FO R D M A D E R • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY D UST I N M EY E R

O

n a cool morning in April, Chef Philip Speer pulls up to

oldest daughter] was in high school and people were watching

Better Half Coffee & Cocktails, his motorcycle rumbling

that video, and I could only imagine how she felt. That honestly

through the post-rush-hour quiet. After ordering a spar-

was the worst feeling.”

kling water, he sits on the patio under filtered sun and begins to

Speer entered rehab, where he learned something big: the sci-

talk about the incident in late 2014, and what came after. “I was

ence behind alcohol’s effect on brain chemicals that eventually

very ashamed and very embarrassed,” Speer says, his arms and

leads a person to need increasing amounts to experience the same

hands, beautifully tattooed, resting on the picnic table between

feelings of reward. This helped him drop the story he’d been tell-

us. “I lost everything…like, literally lost everything that I had.”

ing himself that someday he’d be able to drink in moderation or

Speer is referring to the fall night he spent drinking heavily

perhaps just drink beer. “I can go months without drinking,” he

with industry friends followed by more drinks at a downtown bar.

says, “but when I drink, I drink to blackout. By the time I was

Around 2 a.m., he got in his car and was driving home when he

finished [with rehab], I knew that I would choose to never drink

veered off Cameron Road. His car hit a natural gas pipe, causing

again.” Speer quickly admits circumstances forced his hand to

a leak, then flipped. This resulted in his fourth DWI. Austin news

seek recovery—having known the court would eventually order

outlets showed footage of police finding him sleeping on the side

him to do so. He also recognizes the privilege inherent in his abil-

of the road (after reportedly running from the scene), then re-

ity to afford treatment and a good attorney, as well as his sentenc-

sponding to questions while handcuffed.

ing of 10 days in jail and seven years of probation.

Before his highly publicized rock bottom, Speer had been at

“I don’t want to blame anyone but myself for decisions I made,”

the top of his professional game as the culinary director for Uchi

Speer continues—making it unflinchingly clear that he doesn’t

with four James Beard Award nominations. But he had also tak-

fault the restaurant industry, which, according to the Substance

en on a lifestyle of hard work, stress, events, travel—and lots of

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, has the highest

booze. “It started out being the life of the party and probably hav-

rate of substance use disorder, almost double the average of all oth-

ing a little too much here and there, to every time, and then my

er professions. But the current industry culture also has some big

life was so out of balance as far as what my priorities were,” Speer

trigger issues, such as the cultivation of intense, full-throttle chefs

says—noting that much of it had to do with ego. “It’s that badge of

who make it look very cool to drink their way across Thailand.

honor: I can go drink until four a.m. and still go to work at eight

And, Speer says, it’s also simple things like shift beers, long and

a.m. and do my job better than anyone else around me.”

late hours and communal partying with your work family. “This is

While the previous three DWIs made Speer think he had “a

the romanticized part. You’re hanging out through the ‘war zone,’

luck problem,” the fourth meant reckoning with separating from

and it’s hard and high stress and you get off work and you still have

his wife, Callie (chef-owner of Holy Roller), selling his house, los-

adrenaline running. And you [go] to the bar.” Speer spent two years

ing his job and facing up to 10 years in prison. “With that last

doing consulting work and developing coping skills before return-

group of drinks I took,” he says, “I simultaneously disappointed

ing to the atmosphere of full-time restaurant work.

everyone I know. So, nothing can compare to that. I knew that [my

Since the incident and finding sobriety, Speer has been focused

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

JULY/AUGUST 2018

37

We’re Revealing the Chefs Very Soon!

Left to right: Ella, Philip, Callie and Lucia Speer.

on reducing the stigma of addiction and creating more supportive

October 4

at The Allan House

working environments. He also makes sure people feel like they can talk about their problems. Since the closing of Speer’s and William Ball’s coffee/food trailer, My Name is Joe, where they employed people in recovery and donated to a recovery center, the partners have set up The Joe Foundation to continue fundraising.

And Speer says that whenever possible, he’ll continue to employ

tickets and information at

people in recovery to help get them back on their feet.

edibleaustin.com

way of living—one he didn’t know existed a few years ago. He

benefiting Sustainable Food Center and Urban Roots Thanks to our sponsors

Toward the end of our conversation, Speer talks about his new forms work relationships over coffee or lunch—having realized “a conversation is just a conversation” and doesn’t have to include cocktails at bars. If he’s working and gets off late, he goes straight home and goes to sleep. He wakes up for breakfast with his 9-year-old daughter, which “helps more than anything.” He runs marathons and goes bouldering. He journals, he reads, he finds inspiration in nature. Since reconciling, he and Callie, who is also in recovery, like trying different restaurants. None of this is earth-shattering, until it is.

“It’s not just all-work-all-the-time,” Speer says. “There has to be a balance. I’m absolutely still very passionate about cooking,

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but I’m now passionate about other things, as well. There are new things to try every single day. I mean, the old Austin was awesome; that’s why I came here. But without evolution, it’s death.

It’s stagnant, right? Growth is great.”

38

JULY/AUGUST 2018

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

edible ENDEAVOR

COOKBOOK CAFÉ EDUCATION, FOOD AND COMMUNITY AT THE AUSTIN CENTRAL LIBRARY

BY J E N H A M I LTO N • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY D UST I N M EY E R

I

n a city that’s constantly growing upward into the sky and

Designed by Lake/Flato Architects with Shepley Bulfinch firm,

outward into neighboring towns, the new Austin Central Li-

the library is bordered by Lady Bird Lake to the south and Shoal

brary was perhaps the most eagerly anticipated “growth” of

Creek to the east. As writer Jack Murphy put it in a February 2018

2017. I visited shortly after grand opening weekend with my then-

piece for The Architect’s Newspaper: “The building is a con-

3-year-old son, and as he played with a wooden spaceship in the

structed chakra of Austin’s energy right now, vortexed into being

expansive third-floor children’s area, I thought to myself, “He has

from the frenzy of development at work in the city. It feels like

no idea; this is not the kind of library I grew up with.”

the karstic landscape and the accepted way of building upon it is

We had already climbed steps from the library’s underground

peeled up and knotted into a bowline of pure Austin-ness.”

parking garage and main entrance and walked across bridges that

If this library seems more coffee shop or coworking space than

zigzag the airy, light-filled atrium extending up through the li-

the traditional libraries you grew up with, it’s in keeping with the

brary’s six floors. It felt like a Mount Bonnell hike with compa-

evolving role of libraries worldwide. In a recent transformation,

rable views. I had rushed him past tantalizing screens featuring

the space of a library is now called to be just as much a communi-

educational games in an effort to focus on the sole purpose of our

ty resource as the books it houses.

visit that Saturday: to find a stack of children’s books to check out and fill our tote bag.

Books are still very much the focus in the space though, and visitors to the much-anticipated Cookbook Café will be encouraged EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

JULY/AUGUST 2018

39

to discover the very books that guide cuisines and food cultures

crawfish and the classic technique of meunière. Julia Child’s split

across the globe. Helmed by ELM Restaurant Group’s Andrew

pea soup with ham hock is so classic I couldn’t pass it up, and

Curren—whose influence on the Austin culinary scene began just

Marcella Hazan’s tomatoes stuffed with tuna is a clean, old-school

under a decade ago when he opened 24 Diner, and has since flour-

option that filled a niche on the menu and will allow me to repre-

ished with several more successful projects (Irene’s, Italic, Fare-

sent tomatoes at the height of our season here in Austin.”

ground)—the concept of the café bridges the communal and ed-

Upon entering Cookbook Café, visitors will be immediately

ucational aspects of the library with the added elements of food,

greeted by a display of cookbooks featured on the menu. In ad-

caffeine, beer, wine and cocktails. To bind it all together, Curren’s

dition, the late Virginia Wood—longtime food writer and Austin

inspired café menu leans on, and celebrates, actual recipes from

Chronicle food editor—donated her collection of cookbooks to

cookbooks available in the library. “I want all my Austin concepts

be displayed in the café. “When people come in, we want it to not

to be based on that Italian ability to look out the window and say,

only be another amenity to the library, but almost another section

‘What do we want to eat today? What makes sense for where I

of the library,” Curren says. Both the food menu and the cocktail

am?’” Curren says. “With the library, the food had to be even more

menu are annotated—directing visitors to the parts of the library

relevant, so we had this idea where we’re referencing and paying

where they can find the cookbooks and recipes. Notes on the lit-

homage to these amazing cookbooks and authors.”

erary-themed cocktail menu (Tequila Mockingbird, anyone?) tell

Curren chose recipes representing three categories: the South, the classics and his own mentors. To give patrons a taste of the

stories of local purveyors whose products and visions contributed to the menu.

South, he chose recipes by Sean Brock, Frank Stitt and Rick Bay-

Education, information and community, after all, are what lead

less—the latter representing “way south” Mexico. In the classics

to mastery. “I’m in the hospitality industry to make people hap-

category are Thomas Keller, Julia Child and Marcella Hazan. And

py,” says Curren. “The only way for us to do that is by constantly

Curren nods to his mentors, Floyd Cardoz, Jonathan Waxman

learning from our mistakes and other people’s mistakes, and by

and Justin Smillie, as well. “At Cookbook, we want each recipe to

reading more books and talking to more people. I’m raising my

lend itself to an approachable and enjoyable dish that will be well

kids here and want them to have great restaurants and more plac-

received in Austin, while still feeling Austin enough for out-of-

es to learn and more culturally driven opportunities.” With the

towners,” Curren says. “I chose the chicken pot pie recipe from

opening of Cookbook Café, those opportunities seem rich.

Thomas Keller’s ‘Ad Hoc at Home’ cookbook for its simple elegance that relies on finesse and technique to execute a classic

Find out more at cookbookatx.com

dish. Asparagus with crawfish meunière from Frank Stitt was a perfect fit because it pays homage to our bordering state’s Louisianan

Shrimp BLT

Watercress, arugula, pear, walnut and Parmesan salad

GREEN CORN PROJECT

A FABULOUS PAIRING

BY RENEE STUDEBAKER

I

n the summer of 1998, Boggy Creek Farm co-owner Carol Ann Sayle, avid gardener Dayna Conner and Satay restaurant owner/chef Foo Swasdee were sitting in the back row of a garden

THE RSON PETE HERS BROT

club meeting. The three enterprising women began a quiet conversation that would eventually result in one of Austin’s favorite annual food and wine festivals: the “Grow Locally, Cook Globally”

BAND

fall fundraiser.

The way Sayle tells the story, Conner mentioned to Sayle that she needed funding for a new nonprofit group she and friend Shannon Kemp had created. They were calling it the “Green Corn Project,” and its mission was to help Austinites in need grow their own organic food. Then Swasdee leaned in on Sayle’s other side to say that she was looking for a community service project. At that point, Sayle remembers saying something like, “I think we’ve got something here.”

It only took a few minutes for them to get on the same page.

A fundraiser? At Boggy Creek Farm? Why not? Swasdee got busy recruiting local chefs. Conner and Kemp rounded up volunteers.

Sayle and husband Larry Butler got the farm ready to host a crowd.

A few months later, a celebration of growing and cooking good

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food was born. The festival only featured three restaurants and drew only about 100 guests, but at $20 a ticket, it raised enough money to give the Green Corn Project a financial boost, and

Eat. Drink.

Laugh.

Share.

guests loved it. “People told us it was so much fun that we should do it again,” says Swasdee.

So they did. And over the next few years, the event grew. Eventually, Swasdee, Conner and Kemp passed their duties along to dedicated volunteers who promised to keep the nonprofit alive. Sayle and Butler have continued to host the annual fundraiser at Boggy Creek.

Although a few tweaks have been made to the event since 1999, guests at this year’s 20th fall festival on Oct. 28 can still expect a shady, relaxed and not-too-crowded stroll around one of Austin’s

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first homesteads (built in 1841)—complete with live music on the

150 South LBJ Dr.

back porch, to-die-for food samples from about 20 local chefs, a

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play area for kids, a silent auction and plenty of free parking. All that for $40 (advance ticket price; children 12 and under are free).

Earlier this spring—using proceeds from the Green Corn Project’s 2017 fundraiser (along with other donations)—the group’s core members purchased soil, tools and compost, and led volun-

JON TAFFER AND HARBORTOUCH ARE CREATING A

Smart POS System

teers on “dig-ins” to plant or replant about 35 gardens. In September, the entire process will repeat for another 30 or more gardens.

That’s a lot of digging and planting, which probably explains why the Green Corn Project and Boggy Creek Farm have been growing so well together for all these years. “The only way to change the food supply is to get everyone to appreciate freshly grown food,” says Sayle. “You want your kids to eat vegetables?

Get a garden. It’s that simple.”

For more information visit greencornproject.org

No Up-Front Cost!

30-day Trial Low Monthly Fee Lifetime Warranty HarbortouchGeorgetown.com

631-754-2977 EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

JULY/AUGUST 2018

41

edible GARDENS

SILL-LIFE WITH HERBS

BY SA RA H J. N I E LS E N

S

ummer windowsill herb gardens offer easy access to fresh,

Potting soil is specifically formulated to remain light, fluffy and

delicious herbs without melting in our brutal heat, but just

hydrated inside of a container, but it isn’t necessarily great for the

like any garden, getting started takes a little preparation.

kitchen environment. It can harbor pests, germs or generally make

If you want to be top-tech about the endeavor, then by all means,

a mess. Most garden centers sell some sort of potting medium that

invest a few dollars in a spectrometer and gauge the actual sunlight

isn’t traditional potting soil—whether clay- or coconut-based—

entering your windows. This might be critical knowledge, actually,

that’s sterile and effective as growing materials. Of course, if you’re

depending on the age of your windows. Some newer varieties limit

a traditionalist and want to use potting soil, please do! (I do.) But

UV-spectrum so effectively that not even Mary’s garden will grow.

we live in a golden age of gardening, and options abound.

If this sounds like your case, you can still grow indoors! Look into

Growing in a container means that nutrients for the plants must

the many options for indoor plant-growing light systems. Our local

be supplemented, so add appropriate fertilizer according to your

community has amazing resources for this sort of horticulture. If,

plant’s needs. There are plenty of organically derived herb- and

however, you have a sturdy, wide sill below a south-facing tradi-

vegetable-specific plant foods, so ask for an appropriate liquid or

tional-glass window, or a bump-out garden window, then you’ll just

pelleted form when at the nursery. Be sure to mention that the food

need to obtain containers, a growing medium and some seeds or

is for indoor use! Some sources of fertilizer are rather odiferous.

starts for your indoor summertime herb garden.

You can grow nearly any herb inside during any season, with

Containers are largely a matter of taste, but some are better suit-

appropriate conditions, so choose what kinds to grow according to

ed for sill gardening than others. Make sure your container has a

your culinary tastes. Basil, thyme, oregano, chives, mint and cilantro

system for catching water-runoff to prevent damaging the sill or

are all very hardy and great choices. (You can even grow a bay tree

causing the plants to sit in stagnant water. There are also very effi-

in a very sunny spot inside your home, so explore your options, but

cient self-watering containers with leak-proof bases. Keep in mind

be careful of moisture levels.) Plan on one plant per every four inch-

that you’ll want the leaves of the plants to be in the sun and the

es of container space, and keep the plant’s needs and your potting

roots to stay shady and cool. I recommend traditional glazed clay

choices in mind if you tend to over- or under-water. Also, consider

containers with thick walls because they maintain temperature

making use of different windows for different times of the year. No

around root masses more evenly than thin or plastic containers.

matter what, be sure to enjoy the constant experiment and learning

The medium used to grow the plants is also up for discussion.

42

JULY/AUGUST 2018

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

process that is gardening—whether indoors or out.

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edible BEAUTY

HAIR CONDITIONING

BY NATURE

BY K AT H Y W H I T E

W

e typically associate a silky, thick mane of hair with

shaft, they act as plasticizers—coating and sealing off the hair cuti-

youth, sexiness and vibrant health. And a trip down most

cle from water and air. Nutrients and moisture are prevented from

hair-care aisles reveals dozens of products promising to

entering the hair shaft, and because silicones are not easily washed

transform your dull tresses into this crown of glory—all in the con-

away, they build up in layers and eventually make hair feel heavy

venience of your own shower. These bottles of pretty, fragrant con-

and greasy. Ultimately (and ironically), hair becomes dry and brittle

ditioning potions even seem a bit magical—tangles and snarls are

from the lack of moisture, so it weakens and breaks easily. And not

instantly dissolved! Hair becomes silk-like, lustrous and oh-so-soft!

only does silicone coat the hair, it also coats and builds up on the

The truth is, the “miracle” ingredient in many hair condition-

scalp, which can lead to loss of hair.

ers is silicone, which imparts shine, slip and lubrication to the hair.

Diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) are addi-

Common silicones found in hair-care products include dimethicone,

tional ingredients that are also widely used as pH adjusters or

cyclomethicone, dimethiconol and stearyl dimethicone, but sadly,

secondary surfactants in supposed “conditioning” hair products.

they’re not miraculous at all. Silicones only make hair appear to be

Both are known to break down the keratin (the protein building

healthy and shiny. Instead of moisturizing and conditioning the hair

block of human hair), causing hair to become dry and brittle.

44

JULY/AUGUST 2018

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

They are also known allergens and skin irritants.

But fret not! Simple, healthy and natural hair conditioning alternatives may be as close by as your kitchen pantry. Botanical or plantbased oils have been used throughout the ages to support healthy hair, and they’re easy to customize for different hair types and needs.

NATURAL CONDITIONING WITH OILS There are three classifications of oils for use on the hair: high penetration, moderate penetration and low-to-no penetration.

High-penetration oil is best for very dry, porous and/or damaged hair. These are oils that are highly revitalizing and heavier, such as babassu oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil and ucuuba oil. Moderate-penetration oil is best for normal or fine/thin hair with little to no damage. These oils are medium-weight and include apricot kernel oil, argan oil, avocado oil, canola oil, olive oil and shea butter.

Low-to-no-penetration oil is best for hair that tends to frizz and/ or lacks shine. These are light oils and can be used in combination with the other two types of oils at a lower percentage (5 to 15 percent). They include jojoba oil (not a true oil but technically a liquid plant wax) and rice bran oil. Choose one or more oils based on your hair needs. Mix small amounts at first and experiment a bit to find which oil or combination of oils works best for your hair. Mix in a 2-ounce or 4-ounce bottle with a dropper lid, and add a few drops of essential oils (if desired) to give your hair oil fragrance.

To use, rub a few drops (2 to 5 drops, depending on hair length and thickness) between your hands and work into the hair beginning at the ends and stopping a few inches before reaching the hair roots. Apply to damp, freshly washed hair as a leave-in conditioner. It may also be used on dry (meaning, not damp) hair that has very dry and/or damaged ends.

DEEP-CONDITIONING HAIR MASK

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Makes about 16 ounces 1 c. + 3 T. shea butter ½ c. + 1½ T. coconut oil 3 T. sunflower oil 8–10 T. any combination of dried botanicals, such as rosemary, lavender, horsetail, chamomile, nettle, comfrey or calendula Up to 1 t. essential oils for fragrance, optional Place all ingredients in an oven-proof container with a lid. Heat at 180˚ to 185˚ for 2 hours. Remove from the oven and let sit to cool slightly.

While the mixture is still warm, and before it begins to solidify, strain the botanicals and discard. Pour the mixture into glass jars with tight lids. To use, warm the jarred mask by setting the container in a hot water bath for a few minutes. Once warm, apply 1 to 2 tablespoons of product to the scalp—massaging gently with your fingertips—and work into the rest of the hair. If you have long hair, pile it loosely on top of your head after applying and wrap with a warm, damp towel or a shower cap. Leave on for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Shampoo and style as usual. It may take an additional lather to completely remove the mask from the hair.

This deep conditioner may also be used as a leave-in conditioner—use a pea-size (or smaller) amount and apply only to the ends of the hair. Store at room temperature. Hair mask will keep for as long as the shortest expiration date of any of the ingredients.

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formerly Capital Area Food Bank

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edible BLUE RIDGE

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No. 27 Spring 2013

Austin

®

Celebrating Central Texas food culture, season by season

Number 31 Summer 2016

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ISSUE 6 | Spring 2018

Celebrating the food culture of Central Virginia

summer pickles

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foraging in the Valley

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Barboursville’s wondrous garden

easy, seasonal recipes

edible Columbus

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Celebrating local, fresh foods in Dallas, Fort Worth and North Texas—Season by Season

No. 23 Fall 2014

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TELLING THE STORY OF HOW THE LOWCOUNTRY EATS & DRINKS

CAPITAL DISTRICT

Issue No. 15

Celebrating Local Foods, Season by Season

Fall 2013

Eat. Drink. Read. Think.

Petal Pusher

Fall Comfort Food

Raise the Roof

Southern Born and Bred

Support Local Community, Food & Drink

OBERLIN • GRANARIES OF MEMORY • INTEGRATION ACRES • STONEFIELD NATURALS SCHMALTZ • THE APPLE • WILLOW BASKETS • OHIO’S HISTORIC BARNS

Cheers, Honey!

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The FruiTs OF The Fall harvesT

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edible GREEN MOUNTAINS

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NO.1 SPRING 2018

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No. 12 2015

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green mountains celebrating vermont’s local food culture through the seasons

N O. 37 • S P R I N G 2018

HUDSON VA L L E Y

Celebrating the Bounty of the Hudson Valley

denver • boulder • ft.collins EAT. DRINK. THINK. LOCAL.

The Liquid Assets Issue

THE LIQUID ASSETS ISSUE

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NEVERSINK SPIRITS • SYLVIA WOODSTOCK FISHING THE ESOPUS • CUKES & SQUASH • LOCAL GINGER

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Issue 34

MARIN & Summer 2017 WINE COUNTRY

Celebrating the harvest of Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties, season by season

EDIBLE FLOW ERS • OYSTERS • FA R MERS M A R K ETS

Local Scoop Shops Sonoma County’s Brand Power Wild Huckleberries No. 1 | SPRING 2018

Cowgirl Creamery Sells

No. 1 | SPRING 2018

EDIBLE FLOWERS • OYSTERS • FARMERS MARKETS

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Explore a world of local food through the magazines and websites of Edible Communities. We’ll introduce you to the chefs, farmers, brewers, home cooks and others who inspire and sustain local flavors across the US and Canada.

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Issue #33 | Summer 2017

Celebrating the Local Food Community of Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven Counties

MARKET DAY AT BARBERRY HILL FARM • YUMI ECO SOLUTIONS SUMMER RECIPES • HOW CONNECTICUT RAISED THE MODERN CHICKEN

N O. 18 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R 2 017

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A LOCAVORE THANKSGIVING HOTEL DINING: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE

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THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL ISSUE faux cheese ∙ food on the fringe ∙ the odd bits NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION • KINGSTON • PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY • EASTERN ONTARIO

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CELEBRATING THE ABUNDANCE OF LOCAL FOOD IN AMERICA’S FARM-TO-FORK CAPITAL

Celebrating the Bounty of Rhode Island, Season by Season

CHEF MATT MASERA

Good food. Good drink. Good read. • No. 42 • July-August 2017

THE WORLD’S NEWEST VEGETABLE

State Bird 695880 - Cover Toronto

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ISSUE 47 MARCH / APRIL 2017

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LUCKY DOG RANCH

COOKS CSA Cooking with Chef Felmley Farmer Sandra Broussard Cooks Fresh Fisherman Dan Major and Local Box Crab Young Baker Gets Creative with Cupcakes Exploring Imperial Beach

FRESH START MARCH / APRIL 2017

ISSUE 21 • SPRING 2014

Santa Barbara Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

5

YEAR

Anniversary Issue

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N O. 39 JA N UA RY/ F E B R UA RY 2 018

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edible

24 HARVEST 2014

ev

Canada hasn’t always nailed immigration policy.

VA N C O U V E R

But our dumpling policy, apparent in the variety of dough-bundled treats found in the GTA, is a slam dunk!

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®

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edible

N O. 2 S P R I N G 2018

WESTCHESTER

Stay up to the minute on all things Edible.

Everything Delicious, from the Hudson to the Sound

E A T. D R I N K . R E A D . T H I N K .

ISSUE THIRTY TWO • AUTUMN 2013

HOMEMADE STOCK • GARLIC • HOT COCKTAILS • SEEDS

AR GOW

of

ness

RAVIOLI

the future is

PRIMITIVE

ES

urban rabbit

the drinks issue

apple detectives spirits of the wild

GREATER TORONTO • THE GOLDEN HORSESHOE • NIAGARA • PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY • SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO

Member of Edible Communities

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No. 24, Harvest 2014 A MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

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Our Food, Our Stories, Our Community

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JEFF GORDINIER’S WESTCHESTER • NEVERSINK SPIRITS MOREL FORAGING • FISHING THE ESOPUS • LOCAL GINGER MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

#loyaltolocal

THE DIRECTORY ARTISANAL FOODS Gillen’s Candies + Wine Chocolate shop, wine bar and market.

A place to come experience a myriad of flavors. Enjoy cheese, coffee, jerky and craft beer. Taste olive oil and vinegar on tap.

830-833-3233 1725 S. Hwy. 281, Blanco gillenscandies.com

Lick Honest Ice Creams Artisan ice creams celebrating the finest ingredients Texas has to offer!

Handmade in small batches in our Austin kitchen. Natural, local and seasonal.

512-363-5622 1100 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 1135 512-609-8029 6555 Burnet Rd., Ste. 200 512-502-5949 1905 Aldrich St., Ste. 150 ilikelick.com

BEVERAGES AquaBrew Brewery & Beer Garden Craft beer, culinary delights, local music and community all meet here.

Come get a taste of what we’re all about.

512-353-2739 150 S. LBJ Dr., San Marcos aqua-brew.com

Becker Vineyards Winery, vineyards and tasting room with wines for tasting and for sale.

Lavender fields, lavender products and annual Lavender Fest.

830-644-2681 464 Becker Farms Rd., Stonewall 307 E. Main St., Fredericksburg beckervineyards.com

Craft Pride A Texas-only craft beer bar serving up the highest quality beer from regional breweries. With 54 taps and a knowledgeable staff, it’s an inviting space for dedicated beer lovers and casual drinkers alike.

512-428-5571 61 Rainey St. craftprideaustin.com

Growler Express Taproom and growler fill station serving craft beer, ciders and wine.

512-361-0911 1567 Main St., Ste. 800, Buda growlerexpresstx.com

KTonic Kombucha Proudly brewed in Austin. We produce Texas’ only 100 percent organic, low-sugar and all-tea kombuchas. Our delicious varieties are great on their own or added to your favorite spirit. ktonickombucha.com

Martine Honeysuckle Liqueur Martine is a distilled dalliance with a bouquet of honeysuckle blossoms and opulent notes of nectarine and vanilla.

Created and perfected in Austin. martinehoneysuckle.com

Messina Hof Est in 1977. Messina Hof is a family owned winery based on the three cornerstones of family, tradition and romance.

979-778-9463 4545 Old Reliance Rd., Bryan 830-990-4653 9996 U.S. 290, Fredericksburg 817-442-8463 201 S. Main St., Grapevine messinahof.com

Bending Branch Winery Bending Branch Winery is a premier Hill Country winery with award-winning wines, including our signature Texas Tannat. Visit us Thursday through Sunday.

830-995-2948 142 Lindner Branch Trl., Comfort 830-995-3394 704 High St., Comfort bendingbranchwinery.com

Civil Goat Coffee Cafe, roastery and artisanal wholesale coffee.

512-792-9929 704 N. Cuernavaca Dr. civilgoats.com

Spec’s Wine Spirits and Finer Foods Family-owned since 1962, Spec’s offers expert service and Texas’ largest selection of wines, spirits and beers along with gourmet foods and more!

512-366-8260 4970 W. US Hwy. 290 512-342-6893 10515 N. MoPac Hwy. 512-280-7400 9900 S. I-35 512-263-9981 13015 Shops Pkwy.

512-366-8300 5775 Airport Blvd. specsonline.com

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

Pink Avocado

For more than four decades, the wines of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards have reflected the finest mountain and valley vineyards in Sonoma County.

888-675-9463 100 Pythian Rd., Santa Rosa, CA stfranciswinery.com

A custom catering company specializing in tailored menus, incredible food, and surprisingly good professional service.

512-656-4348 401 Sabine St., Ste. B pinkavocadocatering.com

Still Austin Whiskey Co. Whiskey distillery.

512-276-2700 440 E. Saint Elmo Rd., Bldg. F stillaustin.com

Texas Coffee Traders East Austin’s artisinal coffee roaster and one-stop shop offering a wide selection of certified organic and fair trade options for wholesale and retail.

512-476-2279 1400 E. 4th St. texascoffeetraders.com

Texas Keeper Ciders Local cidery making dry, small-batch ciders from 100% pressed juice. Beautiful taproom in far South Austin open to the public Friday through Sunday, and weekdays for private events.

512-910-3409 12521 Twin Creeks Rd. texaskeeper.com

FARMERS MARKETS Downtown Buda Farmers Market Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., you’ll find fresh local goods that promote sustainability, and support healthy living for Buda residents and surrounding communities, while enjoying live music.

512-395-5775 308 S. Main St., Buda budafarmersmarket.com

FARMS 44 Farms Founded and Family-owned since 1909 in Cameron, 44 Farms is the U.S. premier producer of ethically raised Angus beef. Our ranchers produce beef with no added hormones, antibiotics or artificial ingredients.

254-697-4401 963 PR 44, Cameron 1509 S. Hwy 36, Cameron 44farms.com

Tito’s Handmade Vodka Tito’s Handmade Vodka is handcrafted from 100% corn and distilled six times by Tito Beveridge in Austin, TX at America’s original microdistillery.

Gluten-free!

512-389-9011 titosvodka.com

EDUCATION Julia’s Garden Montessori School Offering a nature-based Association Montessori International curriculum, with a focus on gardening and foreign languages, to ages 0 to 9 years in Central Austin.

512-790-4094 juliasgardenmontessori.com

EVENTS Birch + Brass An event rental company specializing in curated vintage and modern pieces for weddings, corporate events and social gatherings.

512-596-2922 birchandbrass.com

GROCERS Royal Blue Grocery Downtown Austin’s neighborhood grocer—with dairy, prepared foods, beer and wine, Royal Blue has it all, in a convenient and compact format.

Catering too!

512-499-3993; 247 W. 3rd St. 512-476-5700; 360 Nueces St. 512-469-5888; 609 Congress Ave. 512-386-1617; 301 Brazos St., Ste. 110 512-480-0061; 51 Rainey St. 512-524-0740; 1645 E. 6th St. royalbluegrocery.com

Whole Foods Market Selling the highest quality natural and organic products.

512-542-2200 525 N. Lamar Blvd.

512-345-5003 9607 Research Blvd.

512-206-2730 12601 Hill Country Blvd., Bee Cave 512-358-2460 4301 W. William Cannon Dr. 512-690-2605 5001 183 Toll Rd., Bldg. A, Ste. 100 wholefoodsmarket.com

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HEALTH AND WELLNESS Modern Acupuncture Offering an approachable, natural pathway, validated by thousands of years of practice, to better health and well-being for all, in a convenient, peaceful and modern location.

512-599-4506 9722 Great Hills Trl., Ste. 125 512-920-3791 3300 Bee Caves Rd., Ste. 610 modernacupuncture.com

Peoples Rx Pharmacy and Deli Since 1980, Austin’s favorite pharmacy keeps locals healthy through Rx compounding, supplements and prescriptions, holistic practitioners and natural foods.

512-459-9090; 4018 N. Lamar Blvd.

512-444-8866; 3801 S. Lamar Blvd.

512-327-8877; 4201 Westbank Dr. 512-219-9499; 13860 Hwy. 183 N. peoplesrx.com

Rawsome LLC We sell all organic, Colorado-grown, Texas-blended CBD oils.

856-422-3669 2907 Race St., Fort Worth 1210 Rosewood Ave., Ste. 10 getrawsome.com

HOUSEWARES AND GIFTS Der Küchen Laden Retail gourmet kitchen shop, featuring cookware, cutlery, bakeware, small electrics, textiles and kitchen gadgets.

830-997-4937 258 E. Main St., Fredericksburg littlechef.com

Natural Gardener We are a garden center and teaching facility dedicated to promoting organic time-tested gardening practices.

512-288-6113 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd. naturalgardeneraustin.com

LODGING AND TOURISM

Best place to cure what ails you and a resource center since 1986. Our Optimal Health Advisers are highly trained, knowledgeable and compassionate.

512-444-6251 200 W. Mary St. theherbbar.com

LANDSCAPE AND GARDENING

Cooking classes, beautiful dining room venue for private events, hill country cabin rental.

830-833-0910 5818 RR 165, Dripping Springs juniperhillsfarm.com

NONPROFIT Central Texas Food Bank The Central Texas Food Bank is on the front line of hunger relief in a 21-county area, helping nearly 46,000 Central Texans each week access nutritious food when they need it the most.

512-282-2111 6500 Metropolis Dr. centraltexasfoodbank.org

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Austin Label Company Custom labels up to 10 x 20 on paper, foil, synthetics, multiple adhesives, embossing, hot foil and UV coatings.

Proud members of Go Texan, FTA and TWGGA. 512-302-0204 1610 Dungan Ln. austinlabel.com

Recycled plastic moving boxes for rent.

512-815-0234 bronkobox.com

Merchant Cafe Inc. Harbortouch is a leading national supplier of point of sale (POS) systems, credit card processing equipment and a full range of merchant services.

866-973-9988 9901 Brodie Ln., Ste. 160, #712 harbortouchgeorgetown.com

Barton Springs Nursery Locally grown Texas native plants.

Organic pest management. Environmentally friendly soil amendments.

Beautiful gifts.

512-328-6655 3601 Bee Caves Rd. bartonspringsnursery.net

Kerbey Lane Cafe

Judd Waggoman Real Estate Your ultimate source for luxury real estate in Los Cabos. Ranked #1 Realtor in Los Cabos, Mexico by InMexico Magazine.

530-751-6797 judcaborealestate.com

RESTAURANTS Onion Creek Kitchens at Juniper Hills Farm

Bronko Box The Herb Bar

REAL ESTATE

US Foods US Foods is one of America’s leading food distributors servicing restaurants, healthcare, hospitality, government and educational institutions.

800-572-3889 usfoods.com

Kerbey Lane Cafe is a local Austin haunt serving up tasty, healthy food (mostly) 24/7. Stop by any of our 6 locations for a delicious stack of pancakes!

512-451-1436 kerbeylanecafe.com

The Leaning Pear Café & Eatery

Austin Beer Garden Brewing Co. Locally-sourced lunch and dinner. Craft brewery, live music, good people, dog friendly, creative community. #beermakesitbetter #ouratx 512-298-2242 1305 W. Oltorf St. theabgb.com

Barlata Tapas Bar Located in the heart of South Lamar.

Barlata offers a variety of tapas, paellas, regional Spanish wines and cavas.

Come and enjoy a bit of Spain with us.

512-473-2211 1500 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 150 barlataaustin.com

Serving the Texas Hill Country fresh and seasonal favorites using local ingredients.

512-847-7327 111 River Rd., Wimberley leaningpear.com

Lenoir Lenoir is an intimate, family-run restaurant offering a weekly, local prix-fixe menu, great wine and friendly service.

512-215-9778 1807 S. 1st St. lenoirrestaurant.com

ThunderCloud Subs

East Side Pies Fresh, local thin crust pizza - we know what you want.

512-524-0933 1401B Rosewood Ave. 512-454-7437 5312 G Airport Blvd.

512-467-8900 1809-1 W. Anderson Ln. eastsidepies.com

Flyrite Chicken At Flyrite, we believe fast food should be real food. Our delicious sandwiches, wraps and shakes are fresh and made to order. Drive Thru. Eat Well!

512-284-8014 2129 E. 7th St. 512-243-6258 6539 Burnet Rd. flyritechicken.com

Fonda San Miguel Distinctive interior Mexican cuisine and fine art.

512-459-4121 2330 W. North Loop fondasanmiguel.com

For fresh, fast and healthy, head on over to your neighborhood ThunderCloud Subs, Austin’s original sub shop. Founded in 1975 with the simple philosophy of selling a great sub at a reasonable price. Now with 30 locations throughout Central Texas.

512-479-8805 thundercloud.com

Vinaigrette A farm-to-table restaurant serving entrée salads and botany-inspired drinks/cocktails. Patio dining and parking available. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

512-852-8791 2201 College Ave. 505-820-9205 709 Don Cubero Alley, Santa Fe, NM 505-842-5507 1828 Central Ave. SW, Albuquerque, NM vinaigretteonline.com

SPECIALTY MARKETS

Intero Ristorante An Italian inspired menu that highlights the changing seasons in Central Texas.

Embracing the importance of sustainability with locally raised animals and farmed produce.

512-599-4052 2612 E. Cesar Chavez St. interorestaurant.com

Make It Sweet At Make It Sweet, you can find tools, supplies and ingredients to make cakes, cookies and candies and learn fun, new techniques in the classes offered.

512-371-3401 9070 Research Blvd. makeitsweet.com

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EDIBLE DIY

PEACHES

by STEPHANIE MCCLENNY

W

hen I was a little girl in Southern California, I routinely turned up my nose at fresh fruit. Like many kids, I preferred the soft, unidentifiable, brightly colored fruit

cubes that came so conveniently out of a can. (I know I wasn’t the only kid partial to that sweet, syrupy fruit from the ’70s, but the irony of walking to school through orange groves in the agricultural capital of the nation, paired with my chosen career as a fruit preserver, is not lost on me.)

One summer day, my older brother came up with a money-making scheme to suspend fresh peach slices in cups of Jell-O, top them with Reddi-wip and sell them on the street in front of our apartment building for money that we could spend on candy at the corner store (we weren’t allowed such things at our house).

I WAS IN. Although I initially thought I was in it for the money (aka the candy), it turns out that I never, ever forgot about those juicy peaches elegantly weightless in their orange-hued pillows. I was peach-smitten. Fast forward 15 years and I’m driving across the country heading east, sailing past the peach stands on Highway 290 toward Austin. I had no idea what I was getting into when I moved to Texas, but peaches turned out to be a delicious part.

By most accounts, peaches are native to China, but Tex-

QUICK PEACH PICKLES Makes 1–2 pints A southern tradition, peach pickles were often preserved in midsummer, when the peach harvest was at its peak, then reserved for special meals during the winter holidays with goose or wild game. Turns out they go equally well alongside grilled pork tenderloin or spooned over vanilla ice cream. This recipe uses traditional fruit pickling spices, but listed below are other suggestions for making the pickles your own.

6 firm, ripe peaches, preferably freestone 1½ c. distilled white vinegar 1 c. sugar (or to taste) ½ t. whole black peppercorns 5 allspice berries 1 whole clove 1 3-inch cinnamon stick Pinch kosher salt Alternative spice combinations: 2–3 bay leaves + black peppercorns + lemon peel 1 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced + lemon peel 1 stalk lemongrass, coarsely chopped and bruised + chile de arbol + lime peel

as peaches have a long-standing history in the Lone Star State.

Though not the state fruit (that designation belongs to Texas Red Grapefruit), peaches are one of the leading fruit crops, and it’s estimated that there are more than 1 million trees planted statewide.

Average annual production is more than 1 million bushels—that’s 48 million pounds to those of us unschooled in farm lingo!

The birth of the Texas peach is said to have begun in the Tyler area in the late 19th century, courtesy of ideal growing conditions and rail lines that could take the fruit to market. Onward into the next century, peach orchards sprouted up throughout the state— moving south and west—reaching a glorious peak in Gillespie County, where the red clay soil produces the highest yield and, many say, the state’s best-tasting peaches.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, and fill a large bowl with ice water. Using a sharp paring knife, mark an “X” on the bottom of each peach. Add the peaches to the boiling water and blanch until the skins start to peel away—1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the peaches to the ice bath and let them cool completely. Peel, halve and pit the peaches and transfer to a large, heatproof bowl. At this point, you may choose to slice the peaches, but not too small or they will fall apart. Combine the vinegar, sugar, spices and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil—stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat, add the peaches to the pan and allow to cool completely. Transfer to a large jar or bowl and refrigerate a few days before serving to allow the flavors to develop. Peaches will keep up to 3 months, but bear in mind that the spices will continue to infuse and cause the brine to darken over time.

Thanks to modern science and horticulture’ research, Texas now grows peach varieties that generally begin ripening in May (clingstones) and reach a peachy crescendo sometime in August and as late as September (freestones). We are spoiled indeed.

Let’s face it, there’s simply nothing better than eating a fresh peach out of hand, with the juices running all over, but if you find yourself with a few extra, here are some new ways to cook with this sweet, iconic fruit.

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GRILLED PEACHES

with White Balsamic Vinegar-Honey Glaze and Fresh Ricotta

Beat the Texas heat and throw everything on the grill outside. This summertime treat can be served as an appetizer or dessert. Recipe at EdibleAustin.com

A new kind of iced tea from 1,500 years ago. #Matcha #MakesMeWhole