Edible Ojai & Ventura County Winter Issue 2020/2021: Regeneration

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ISSUE 75 • WINTER 2020/2021

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Ojai & Ventura County CELEBRATING LOCAL FOOD & DRINK, SEASON BY SEASON

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CONTENTS

COVER Photo by Stephanie Plomarity

WINTER 2020/2021

4 EDITOR’S LETTER 6 EDIBLE NOTES

Marigold Farms | Shroomshots | Get Hooked

Papaya, cherimoya and citrus are the makings of a crisp tropical salad to brighten up the shorter winter days. Check your local farmers’ market for these underrated fixin’s and find the recipe on page 14.

12 TASTES LIKE WINTER

Fritters | Cherimoya Salad | Roasted Kohlrabi

18 DIY

Anatomy of Charcuterie

20 FORAGING FINDS 22 CHEF DEMO 26 EDIBLE ENDEAVORS

Nut Cases

BY ANNA ELLEDGE

30 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 36 IN THE FIELD

Growing Farmers for the Future

BY BONNIE RUBRECHT

40 A GENEROUS HELPING

Feeding Each Other

BY WENDY COYLE

44 EDIBLE ARTISAN

All Fired Up

BY JENNIFER RICHARDSON

48 EDIBLE WELLNESS

Remember to Hit “Refresh”

BY ERIC QUINN HARGROVE

50 FARMERS’ MARKET TIPS AND GUIDE 52 SOURCE GUIDE 54 DRINKS AND DINING GUIDE 56 THE LAST SIP 2

winter 2020/2021

ON THIS PAGE Photo by Stephanie Plomarity Purple kohlrabi, an unusual looking but pleasantly flavored vegetable that ripens best in the cooler temperatures of winter, could become a staple with the right recipes. Check out our story on page 12 for one that is quick and easy.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

nourishing you is our specialty

Ojai Alisal is nestled in the rolling hills of the upper Ojai Valley and guarded by the majestic Topa Topa mountains. Our beautiful south-facing vineyards dotted with sycamores (or Alisal in Spanish) and California walnuts are touched by strong daily breezes, bringing the spirit of the Rhone region to California.

Locally Sourced . Chef Inspired Seasonal Creations Vibrant EdibleAmbiance Summer . Winemaker Events . Dinner Specials Wine Tasting . Artisan Market . Cheese + Charcuterie Handcrafted wines using only Ojai grown grapes 805-640-3837 www.ojaialisal.com

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Visit ParadisePantry.com for our always fresh daily specials.

805 641 9440 • 222 East Main Street • Ventura California 93001

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EDITOR’S LETTER

publisher & editor

Tami Chu copy editor

Doug Adrianson design

Cheryl Angelina Koehler contributors

Tami Chu (right) drops off empty magazine boxes to Kat Merrick (left) for The Local Love Project

REGENERATION: The act of bringing back to the original function; regrowth of missing parts

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n some places, winter is a season of rest—when the earth sleeps and the weather drives people inside seeking warmth. Built in to this season is a natural pause to take a collective breath and to begin the regenerative process in preparation for spring.

I often think of this when I am sitting on my sunny 70° patio in the middle of December. Does our 11- to 12-month growing season in Southern California mean that our land never gets to rest? If there is never a time when we need to hunker down for warmth, do we ever get that moment to breathe? In my opinion, living in such a beautiful and temperate place requires a bit of intentionality, both in how we farm and garden and in how we breathe.

When I was considering themes for our 2020 issues, pre-pandemic, I decided on “Regeneration” for winter because I believed in the need for it as a general principle and the timing as appropriate seasonally. Little did I know that our need for regeneration would be so abundant at the end of such a long and extraordinary year.

While the theme remained, the content of this issue is quite different than I originally envisioned in that distant past life. I hope you find it even more inspiring. For example, I had wanted to include a story about regenerative farming and what that might look like, but instead found a farm collective that is growing regenerative farmers (page 36). Also included in these pages is a story about a chef who has found her peace in pottery (page 44); the tale of a couple who are disrupting the nut industry in the best ways (page 26); and an account of a community that has shown consistently how we come together in crisis (page 40). And just to wrap it all up in a neat little bow, there is even a list of ways that we can each work on our own self-regenerative practices.

As we head fully into this very special 2020-esque So Cal winter season, with celebrations limited by caution and state and county regulations on gathering sizes, perhaps we can all look for the silver linings in our every day. Maybe instead of getting stressed over the holidays, we can intentionally slow and take a breath. Maybe we can take advantage of staying at home, yet again, and get experimental in the kitchen (using our recipes, if you’d like); try things we wouldn’t normally try; wear things we wouldn’t normally wear; add purple to our hair. Maybe we can take this time as a much-needed regeneration—for our minds, for our bodies, for our gardens and for our communities.

Thank you, as always, for reading Edible Ojai & Ventura County and for supporting the local farmers and artisans in our pages. You are the reason we continue in our mission to celebrate local food and people.

Until next time, may the food you eat bring nourishment to your body and peace to your soul. May you be present at your table, humbled by the abundance and healed by the company.

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Wendy Coyle • Erin Davy Anna Elledge • Eric Hargrove Jennifer Richardson Bonnie Rubrecht Gisa Seeholzer illustrators

Toltemara • Adriel Chu photographers

Viktor Budnik • Tami Chu Mariah Green Stephanie Plomarity sales

Mary DiCesare subscriptions

EdibleVenturaCounty.com info@edibleventuracounty.com contact us

Edible Ojai & Ventura County 2470 Stearns St. #142 Simi Valley, CA 93063 805-622-9355 Info@EdibleVenturaCounty.com Founded 2002 by Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian, Edible Ojai & Ventura County is published seasonally, four times a year.

We are an advertising- and subscribersupported publication, locally and independently owned and operated and a member of Edible Communities, Inc. Distribution is throughout Ventura County and by subscription for $28 per year. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and let us know.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Farmer At Roan Mills we grow and process organic, heritage wheat in California and preserve the individual identity of the wheat variety throughout the process.

Miller Roan Mills flour has flavor. It is fragrant, with distinctive color, and has 100% of its natural nutrients intact.

Baker Three simple ingredients – flour, water and salt – are transformed well beyond the sum of their parts when time and temperature are skillfully applied.

Enjoy Pizza Fridays!

Pasta Maker Nothing showcases the flavor of freshly milled, whole grain flour better than this simple product made from just two ingredients.

We’re Wheating For You Visit the Roan Mills Bakery 411 Central Ave. Fillmore Learn more at RoanMills.com

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EDIBLE NOTES

MARIGOLD FARMS: GROWING COMMUNITY ONE SEEDLING AT A TIME

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have happened was the boom in gardening at home. We were able to provide seedlings to the community and eventually produce as well.

The seedling giveaway worked out so well that we now offer three giveaways a year: fall, spring and early summer. We are very excited to get more workshops going, as well as documentary screenings!”

The nonprofit was also able to give away seedling trays to schools and nonprofits in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Just recently, they received a grant from No Child Goes Hungry to produce seedlings for Ventura County school gardens and garden programs for 2021.

They’re currently working on expanding their growing beds, building their food forest and setting up a community farm cart that will allow families to drive up on the weekend to pick up farm goods.

“We hope that our programs will help address some of the economic issues our community faces, including food insecurity,” says Brent Haggin, board secretary and farm manager.

Just recently, Marigold Farms has partnered with Make Soil to help create healthy living soil through composting with the goal of giving it away to the community.

To learn how to drop off compostable items for the Worm World composting station or otherwise participate with Marigold Farms’ programs, visit Marigold-Farms.org.

Photo by Tami Chu

arigold Farms started with a dream: to teach people how to grow organic food in their own yards, emphasizing the native flora and fauna of Ventura County. When the nonprofit organization really got going in fall 2019, they were well on their way to offering several free workshops and events that would promote food over lawns, connect people with their food through regenerative gardening and teaching about living soil. And then, just like that, everything was closed.

Like every other business in 2020, Ojai-based Marigold Farms had to be creative to continue their program goals during the COVID-19 crisis.

“It was really hard when we had to stop our workshops,” says Sophie Seeholzer, board treasurer. “Hands-on education and community building are the two elements that started the organization; we needed to stop and see what our community needed.”

Within days, Sophie and her sister Gisa Seeholzer, board president and program director, came up with a new plan to offer seedlings to the community at large. They were able to receive donations for spring seedlings from Native Seeds in Arizona and used all the containers they had on hand to grow in.

“We started the seeds indoors under a grow light and would do about 144 seedlings at a time,” says Gisa. “The best thing that could

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

TIME

for

INFINITY

Biodynamic Botanicals tea studio & Gifts B y a p p o i n tm e n t o r o n l i n e at c lu b m a g i c h o u r . c o m

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EDIBLE NOTES

SHROOMSHOT BRINGS MUSHROOM BENEFITS TO THE MAINSTREAM

BY GISA SEEHOLZER

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Photo courtesy of Shroomshot

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hawn Dunn’s passion for foraging started six years ago in Los Angeles when he attended a class with renowned forager and wild-food-crafter extraordinaire Pascal Baudar.

“He inspired me to learn more about local plants and fungi in the Los Angeles area,” Shawn says.

Thereafter, Shawn, who earned a bachelor of arts degree in urban and environmental policy from Occidental College in 2015, started making his own wildcrafted creations including kombucha, tea, tinctures and more. Although he doesn’t utilize his degree directly, it helped shape his ideal for the world—where humans and nature can reconnect and live in harmony.

In 2018, while working in San Luis Obispo and teaching foraging classes, he realized that mushrooms still had a bit of a bad reputation in the mainstream. “Mushrooms are very foreign to most people. Typically, you’ll hear in the news how they are poisonous,” he says. “There are so many species of mushrooms and I wanted to turn people on to the varieties that have real benefits for human health.” The idea was born to create a mushroom product that tasted good and had mass appeal.

Shawn approached his brother Justin, a tournament poker player attending Humboldt State University. Justin was looking for something natural to keep him alert and awake while he played, so they started looking into edible mushrooms that could help with cognition.

The result of their research was Shroomshot’s first product: Mental Magic. “Each shot contains a live kombucha culture that helps preserve our health and promote healthy bacteria,” says Shawn.

The blend also contains lion’s mane mushroom, ashwagandha and blueberry juice.

To have a balanced product line, the brothers then created Golden Immunity, containing turkey tail mushroom, turmeric, ginger, black pepper and a live kombucha culture.

Caption here

“We use the ‘fruiting body,’ which is the part of the mushroom you can see.

It is more expensive and takes longer to produce, but by using this we can ensure that our customers are getting 100% pure mushroom.”

—Shawn Dunn

The mushrooms for Shroomshot are purchased from organic farms that grow mushrooms outside on wood.

“Mushrooms grow naturally on wood. It’s very important to know that we are not sourcing mycelium that are grown on grain,” Shawn explains. “The vast majority of mushroom products are made with mycelium, which is essentially the root system of the mushroom. They are cheaper and quicker to produce. Mycelium is typically grown on some type of grain and ends up in the final product because it cannot be separated. There are exceptions to this but they are rare. We instead use the ‘fruiting body,’ which is the part of the mushroom you can see. It is more expensive and takes longer to produce, but by using this we can ensure that our customers are getting 100% pure mushroom.”

Since January 2020, Shroomshot is being produced in a commercial kitchen in Westlake Village and the brothers are completely “hands on” with the products. “We are tasting everything all along the way and we truly put in the time and care it takes to make our products the best for the community,” says Shawn. “We believe that food is medicine. What you put into your body is how you feel!”

The brothers also have a goal to become a zero-waste business, moving away from plastic altogether. For now, though, the 100% recyclable bottles are the perfect reusable size for small servings of salad dressing, for camping spice blends or even to save seeds.

Shroomshot is available online as a subscription and from health stores in Ventura County. For more information, visit Shroomshot.co.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

EARTHTRINE FARM B.D. Dautch & Family Est. 1986

Go Wild, Eat Weeds

Mitchell Bee’s

BLUE RIDGE HONEY FAMILY OWNED 100% LOCAL ALWAYS RAW NEVER FILTERED

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE WE ARE LOCATED AT 1461 TOWER SQUARE IN VENTURA

Certified Organic by CCOF Supplying restaurants & schools for 30 + years At these farmers’ markets: Ojai – Sun Santa Barbara – Tues & Sat

805-941-3777

robertbdmoon@yahoo.com

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BlueRidgeHoneyCA.com

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EDIBLE NOTES

VC GETS HOOKED AS SEAFOOD SERVICE CASTS A WIDER NET

BY GISA SEEHOLZER | PHOTOS BY TAMI CHU

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iming to offer healthy, convenient and delicious local seafood to families in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties while supporting independent small-boat fishers, Kim Selkoe and Victoria Voss launched Get Hooked Seafood in November 2018.

Selkoe and a few others had started an early version of a community-supported fishery (CSF) program a few years after she earned her PhD in ecology, evolution and marine biology from UC Santa Barbara. It petered out within a couple years mostly due to administrative difficulties.

Just four years later, while working at the fish market in Santa Barbara, she realized there was again, perhaps, a community need.

“I got a lot of winces from people when I told them that the best way to get local seafood is to get up early on Saturday mornings to go to the Saturday Market in the Harbor. I realized that we need to provide more options and better timing,” she explained. “I wanted to do it again but with the right partner, and that’s when Victoria came along.”

Selkoe knew Voss’s father, commercial fisherman Chris Voss, through Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, where she is the executive director and he a board member. The entrepreneurs met when Victoria Voss came back from Australia—where she had moved temporarily for her husband’s work. She was looking for something to do and her father encouraged her to meet with Selkoe to explore the CSF idea.

“Get Hooked is my way of connecting more deeply with my dad and the fishing legacy that runs deep in our family,” she says. “I am so excited to share this tradition with my hometown community.”

Get Hooked is subscription-based program that delivers high-quality, sustainable seafood directly from local fishers who understand sustainability. The co-founders say that because they understand the importance of the independent fish business, they offer their fishers the best price they can for a variety of fresh seafood.

“The best part of fishing in the Santa Barbara Channel is the large variety of species

that are available,” says Voss. “We have both cold-water and warmwater species that we can cycle through.”

Deliveries from Get Hooked can be customized, with some limitations. Keeping a variety of options available for selection, the CSF follows the seasons, so the week’s offerings are announced the day before delivery. They also offer pantry items from local artisans and include recipes like Pan-Seared Rockfish with Fresh Herbs or Coconut Basil Marinated Halibut with the seafood deliveries.

“Our goal is to make seafood accessible and build people’s confidence and expertise in cooking local seafood,” says Selkoe.

Pickups are available at Topa Topa Brewery in Ojai and Ventura; Rincon Brewery in Ventura; and Main Street Meats in Ventura.

Home deliveries are also available.

For more information, visit GetHookedSeafood.com.

Gisa Seeholzer is a local freelance writer and nonprofit leader, with a focus on community and sustainable living. A beekeeper and avid gardener with a passion for buying locally sourced organic produce as well as artisanal goods. In her spare time she runs a nonprofit called, Marigold Farms that helps to educate the public on the benefits of growing their own food at home and in community spaces.

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

MAKES A GRE AT GIFT!

A Taste of Ojai, Flavors of the Valley, the third in the A Taste of California Series, contains more than 75 recipes for cocktails, appetizers, salads, main courses, side dishes, desserts, and more!

AVA I L A B L E F O R P U R C H A S E AT W W W.P R I VAT E C H E F R O B I N.C O M

Our Markets are OPEN to serve our community during this crisis with safety protocols in place.

Juicing Made Easy…

WEDNESDAYS MIDTOWN VENTURA Pacific View Mall 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Front West Parking Lot on Main Street

THURSDAYS THOUSAND OAKS The Oaks Mall 12 noon - 5:00 pm East End Parking Lot on Wilbur Road

WIC, CAL-FRESH/EBT & MARKET MATCH ACCEPTED HERE

www.vccfm.org EdibleVenturaCounty.com

SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN VENTURA City Parking Lot 8:30 am - 12 noon Santa Clara Street & Palm Street

SUNDAYS SANTA CLARITA College of the Canyons 8:30 am - 12 noon Parking Lot 5 Rockwell Canyon Road

CONNECT WITH US . . . 805.529.6266 Follow our markets on Social Media by visiting our website at www.vccfm.org

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TASTES LIKE WINTER

UNDERRATED WINTER VEGETABLES RECIPES BY ROBIN GOLDSTEIN PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE PLOMARITY

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ave you ever signed up for a seasonal produce box only to get some very strange-looking vegetables come winter?

Is this a carrot or a turnip? (Parsnip) What is that bulbous thing with alien protrusions? (Kohlrabi) Are we supposed to eat these brown, grey and purple-y root things? (Rutabaga) What about this fruit that looks like a combination of an artichoke and a dragon egg? (Cherimoya) Inherent in joining a community-supported agriculture (CSA) harvest subscription program is exposure to unusual, or downright weird, produce in season. While these vegetables may not have originated in Ventura County, they are quickly becoming a winter feature in local farmers’ markets. Knowing what they are and their flavor profiles can help even the inexperienced cook expand both palate and repertoire.

Parsnips have a complex flavor profile. They are root vegetables, sweet and similar to carrots, but contain more starch and have a complex earthy, nuttier taste. Before cane sugar, parsnips were often used as a sweetener. Introduced to North America by European colonists, they were largely replaced by the potato by the mid-19th century. Now finding popularity as an alternative starch, parsnips are often seen with roasts and winter side dishes and are a great source of potassium.

Rutabagas are a hybrid cross between turnips and cabbage, and this is evident in their flavor. The taste is buttery and sweet-savory when cooked. First referenced in 17th century Sweden, where they were found growing wild, they served well during food shortages, leaving some unpleasant associations historically. Interestingly, some people who find it bitter have a genetic sensitivity to some of the rutabaga’s chemical makeup, but for most, the mild starch is a pleasant way to get a little extra vitamin C. Cherimoya is considered a neotropical fruit, growing natively in South America and the Caribbean and, remarkably, cultivated successfully in Southern California. Nicknamed “custard apple” for its soft, non-gritty pear-like smooth flesh, the cherimoya has a tropical fruity flavor that has garnered acclaim as a “masterpiece of nature.”

Like an avocado or a pear, it’s ripe when generally firm with slight give when gently squeezed. The seeds are highly toxic when crushed, but the flesh is an excellent source of vitamins B6 and C and dietary fiber.

The odd-looking green or purple kohlrabi is a cool-season crop with a taste and texture similar to broccoli stems or cabbage, but slightly milder and sweeter. It is equally tasty eaten raw, roasted or steamed and is high in nutrients and low in calories. The word kohlrabi is German for “cabbage turnip” (kohl as in coleslaw, and rübe for turnip) though it is not a root vegetable.

Enjoy the following recipes, by Chef Robin, as some great examples of how these unfamiliar foods can quickly become family favorites.

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Parsnip and Rutabega Fritters Fritters are basically little fried pancakes. This recipe uses garbanzo bean flour, which pairs well with these savory roots and makes the recipe gluten free.

Makes about 12 medium-size fritters 1 cup raw parsnip, grated 1 cup rutabaga, rough chopped 1 carrot, grated (about ¼ cup) ¼ cup green onion, chopped fine 2 eggs ½ cup garbanzo bean flour ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon smoked paprika ¼ teaspoon cayenne 1½ teaspoons sea salt Ground black pepper, to taste 1 to 3 tablespoons water, if needed Olive oil for frying In a medium bowl mix the grated and chopped veggies with 2 eggs, then add garbanzo bean flour, baking soda, spices, EdibleVenturaCounty.com

salt and pepper and stir to incorporate. If it’s too thick, you can add 1 tablespoon at a time of water (up to 3 tablespoons) to loosen it up to create a pancake-like batter.

In a large skillet over medium heat, with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, fry spoonfuls of the mixture in batches, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Place fritters on a rack over a sheet pan in 200° oven until ready to serve.

Great served with tahini sauce, aioli or crème fraiche or sour cream sauce.

Chefs notes: If you don’t have the spices listed, be creative and use what you have on hand.

For a lower-fat alternative, bake the fritters on a lightly oiled pan at 400°F.

Cooking Tip: For more traditional pans like cast iron, stainless steel or ceramic, get the pan hot first, then add the oil and a pinch of sea salt to keep food from sticking. winter 2020/2021 13

Cherimoya Shrimp Salad Although cherimoyas are almost too good to eat any way other than out of hand, this shrimp salad is so refreshing and relatively simple to prepare—a fantastic way to highlight this unique fruit.

Serves 2 ¼ cup fresh lime juice ¼ cup fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon brown sugar ¼ teaspoon red chile flakes ¼ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon sesame oil 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon or lime zest ½ pound (20 count) large cooked shrimp, peeled and deveined ½ ripe Hawaiian papaya, peeled, cut into ½-inch chunks ½ ripe cherimoya, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks and tossed in juice of ½ lemon Optional: leaves from 4 to 6 heads of Little Gems lettuce For garnish: fresh cilantro leaves Combine the citrus juices, brown sugar, chile and salt in a small saucepan and boil over high heat, stirring often, until golden brown and reduced to ⅓ cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sesame and olive oils and citrus zest.

Divide shrimp, fruit and lettuce leaves (if using) between 2 plates. Drizzle salads with dressing and sprinkle with cilantro. As you eat the cherimoya, pick out any remaining seeds.

Chef’s Notes: This salad can be made with mango or other similar tropical fruits if cherimoya can’t be found.

Mint can be used instead for those who are indisposed to cilantro.

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

ADD SOME

ALTITUDE. Elevate your next wine pairing with LE GRUYÈRE® AOP, made for over 900 years from the purest cow’s milk in the Swiss Alps. Gruyère AOP’s nutty complexity sings with Chardonnay, boosts a Beaujolais, and perfects a Pinot Noir. For more information and some great recipes and pairing ideas, visit us at gruyere.com.

Switzerland.

Naturally.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

Cheeses from Switzerland. www.cheesesfromswitzerland.com

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Honey-Miso Pan-Roasted Kohlrabi With the sweet and savory miso sauce, these roasted vegetables tick all the flavor boxes for a side dish that will easily be a crowd pleaser.

Replace the potatoes with this dish at the holiday meal and see if anyone misses them.

Serves 4 ¼ cup honey ¼ cup white miso ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 pounds kohlrabi, peeled, cut into ¼- to ½-inch-thick slices Olive oil for pan Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and brush well with oil.

To prepare the miso glaze, whisk together honey, miso, soy sauce and garlic in a bowl until well incorporated.

Toss the kohlrabi wedges with ½ cup of the miso glaze and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes, until tender. Cooking time may vary, depending on the size and thickness of the kohlrabi.

Chef’s Note: These can also be roasted on the stove top in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat.

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

monicaros.org

JOYFUL LEARNING

Blending academic fundamentals with the richness of the visual arts, drama, and music.

75 years of

Preserving the magic of childhood in Ojai’s beautiful East End.

805.646.8184 783 McNell Rd. Ojai, CA 93023 monicaros.org

Pre-K - 3rd Grade • Toddler Program • Summer Camp

Edwin Slowik Board Certified Master Arborist

Consultation Tree Risk Assessment Tree Maintenance Pruning Fertilizing Planting and Removal

(805)652-0404

TreecoVentura@att.net

Our pruning standards are proven to promote healthy growth, strong structure and pleasant aesthetics for all trees. With our help your fruit trees can have better tasting fruit and more of it!

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Kissed by the California Sun Caressed by the Ocean Breeze Locally Grown Olives Handcrafted Olive Oils and Vinegars Private agricultural tours available Buongustofarms.com - (805) 641-1268 EdibleVenturaCounty.com

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DIY

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Anatomy of a

Charcuterie Board

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PHOTO BY VIKTOR BUDNIK

istorically, charcuterie refers to the preparation of meat products as a way to preserve meat before the advent of refrigeration, usually pork: pâtés, bacon, ham, confit, sausages and terrines, to name a few. While in 15th century France charcuterie was considered peasant food, it has hit gourmet trend status in the modern world. Now, meats are preserved with a focus on artisanal flavors, rather than long life, and often presented on a decorative wooden board.

Like all trends, the modern spin has incorporated other traditions to make something “new” that has more mass appeal.

Antipasto, the Italian first course, typically has the cured meats of charcuterie, but also adds cheeses, fruits and pickled produce.

Modern boards can be more traditional or have a vegan, wildforaged or holiday theme.

On the Board

Here are some ideas and options for a California-style board to spotlight some of our state’s fresh and artisanal bounty.

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Petty Ranch apples and figs: Fresh fruits from local farms add a hint of sweetness and acidity that balances the salty and savory flavors of the meats and olives. Grapes and pomegranates are great options when in season.

Rio Gozo Farm herbs: Whatever herbs are in season can be added as sprigs. Both for an aromatic and as a flavor burst, fresh herbs can elevate the meats and cheeses on your board.

Options to add: Homemade or local jams or low-sugar spreads, dried fruit, sun-dried tomatoes, nuts, crackers or crusty bread.

Pick your favorites and stay as local as you can to truly support your community. The only limit is your own imagination!

For more information on Ojai Oaks and where to buy charcuterie in Ventura County visit EdibleVenturaCounty.com.

Charcuterie design by Kelly Briglio. Co-owner and executive chef at Paradise Pantry, Chef Kelly has been making food look as good as it tastes for her whole career. As the co-owner/chef of Westside Cellar, 17 years ago she brought cheese boards to the forefront in Ventura with her future/current partner Tina Thayer. Briglio’s food is a work of art that tastes divine.

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Shooting Star Creamery Aries: Hailing from Paso Robles on the Central Coast, this is an award-winning creamy buttermilkflavored sheep-milk cheese, created by Avery Jones at age 15.

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Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk: Organic, forage-based milk provides the base for this rich and savory cheese from Tomales Bay.

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Trois Petits Cochons “Three Little Pigs” Cornichons: While not local, these baby sour gherkins represent the pickled piece that makes a charcuterie board truly antipasto.

Fermented foods are a traditional way to get digestion started before a meal.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

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6 5 4 Alle-Pia

Finocchiona: With a strong Italian influence, Chef Varia makes this salami with local natural pork, Chianti wine, crushed fennel seeds and black pepper.

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Olympia Provisions Loukaniko: A natural Greek-style salami with garlic, cumin and hints of orange.

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Alle-Pia Sopressa: This Central Coast salami is more robust in flavor, made with a Paso Robles Zinfandel, garlic, paprika and cayenne.

7 Stepladder Creamery Big Sur:

Made with both local goat and cow milk, this cheese is a triple crème with just a hint of the goat.

Salumi vs. Salami: Salumi is the craft of preparing cured meats.

Salami, a fermented sausage, is one of the products.

Not shown, but not to be missed: Angel’s Salumi and Truffles Lonzino: Sourced from Carlsbad, this lonzino is made from the heritage Berkshire pork, massaged with herbs and dry-cured for four months.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

Wood

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Board made by Ojai Oaks Fallen

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Heavenly Honey: Grab a variety of honeys from Bennett’s, Blue Ridge or Heavenly to add the perfect sweetness to your boards.

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Stepladder Creamery Paso Vino: Crafted in Cambria with local family-owned cow milk, this wine-soaked hard cheese is infinitely snackable.

10

Olives: Enhance your board with organic Ojai olives from Buon Gusto Farms. Pairing well with cheese and wine, olives are a foraging board winner.

Alle-Pia Calabrese: Created on the Central Coast by Chef Antonio Varia, this Calabrese salami is spicy and dry, pre-peeled and vacuum sealed.

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FORAGING FINDS

WINTER WILDS PHOTOS AND WORDS BY JESS STARWOOD

W

 inter is the season that Southern California foragers and wildcrafters get excited about. It is when the first green sprouts and mushrooms finally appear after seemingly endless months of dry weather. This season is prime time for nettle, mallow, dandelion, chickweed, bur chervil and many others. Keep an eye out for wild mushrooms such as oyster, turkey tail, wood blewit mushrooms and other edible species. Be completely certain of your identification before eating any wild foods, especially mushrooms.

STINGING NETTLE (Urtica dioica) has received a bad reputation for its nasty, burning sting when your skin brushes up against it in the garden or on the trail, but otherwise earns its place on the plate for its nutritional and healing benefits.

Why Should We Eat It? Nettle is loaded with vitamins and minerals, making it one of the most nutritious greens. It helps to reduce blood pressure, lessens seasonal allergies and regulates blood sugar.

Harvesting: Collect the leaves and tops using gloves. Blanch briefly, blend or dehydrate to denature their stinging hairs before consuming.

Try It! Nettle is a pleasant, robust, earthy green that can be added to soups and stews, smoothies or tea, and also makes an excellent pesto.

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

TURKEY TAIL MUSHROOMS (Taramites versicolor) are one of the most researched and studied medicinal mushrooms and they grow abundantly here in Ventura County.

Why Should We Eat It? Medicinal benefits include immune system boosting; contains antioxidants; may prevent cancer; and enhances the microbiome.

Harvesting: These small shelf polypore mushrooms grow on dead or dying hardwoods and have a white porous underside and striated top surface.

Try It! While the mushroom itself is too fibrous to eat, they make a delicious and immune-boosting broth that can be added to teas, soups, stews, legumes and grains to extract their flavor and health properties.

OYSTER MUSHROOMS (Pleurotus ostreatus) are easily cultivated but also have a delicious wild counterpart with a bit more complex flavor.

Why Should We Eat It? These low-calorie mushrooms are rich in many vitamins and minerals, help to lower cholesterol with significant antioxidant effects and are considered an immune system tonic.

Harvesting: These gilled mushrooms grow on dead or dying deciduous trees such as willow and cottonwood.

Try It! Use these as a substitution in any recipe calling for white button or portobello mushrooms for a gourmet upgrade, or try seasoning and oven roasting or grilling the large caps whole. They are also great pickled or seasoned and dehydrated into “jerky.�

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

For more on foraging visit JessStarwood.com. winter 2020/2021 21

CHEF DEMO

A WINTER DINNER

Join us for a free virtual chef demonstration of these cozy winter recipes on December 17, 6:30pm.

If you have ever felt intimidated by a recipe, this is the demo for you! Cook along with Jesus Medina, executive chef at Coin & Candor inside the Four Seasons, Westlake Village, as he shows us how to prepare three simple recipes with local gourmet flavors.

ON THE MENU California Christmas Cocktail Salanova Salad with Greek Goddess Dressing Roasted Peewee Potatoes Sign up on our website to get reminders, tips and shopping lists ahead of time.

Salanova Salad with Greek Goddess Dressing For the salad

For the salad:

2 red Salanova lettuce (or any crisp butter lettuce)

Wash lettuce and vegetables.

Slice vegetables using a mandoline slicer, or very thinly with a knife.

4 breakfast radishes 4 baby turnips

For the dressing 1 baby fennel stalk 1 bunch parsley 1 garlic clove Chef Jesus Medina, executive chef at Coin & Candor, embraces the Southern California seasonality of farmers with bold, ingredient-driven dishes. Hailing from Acuña, Mexico, Chef Medina credits his culinary curiosity to his beloved mother. His culinary career spans more than 14 years and has taken him to some of the world’s most celebrated gastronomic cities.

½ jalapeño

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Place all ingredients except oil in a blender and process until smooth. Add oil slowly, continuing to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2 ounces parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon 3 tablespoons fresh garlic chives 1 ounce mint 2 anchovy fillets 1 ounce lemon juice 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar ½ cup grapeseed oil 1 tablespoon honey 1 cup Greek yogurt Salt and pepper, to taste

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For the dressing:

Photos courtesy of Coin & Candor

Cast Iron Chicken

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Californian Christmas 2 ounces gin (Wilder Gin is local) 1 ounce maple syrup 1 ounce fresh-squeezed lime juice 1 sprig rosemary (ours is homegrown) 2–3 ounces tonic water

Garnish Rosemary sprig 1 lime wheel Pinch of cayenne pepper Shake with ice.

Strain and pour over ice.

Top with tonic and garnish.

Hannah Ellstrom’s illustrious career led her from her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin to acclaimed restaurants in NYC and onward to the Los Angeles to become general manager at Coin & Candor. Inspired by the seasons, she works to incorporate homegrown garden ingredients into the featured cocktails on the beverage menu.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

winter 2020/2021 23

Roasted Peewee Potatoes 1-pound Peewee potatoes 1 pinch salt 1 pinch black pepper 3 cloves garlic 1 sprig fresh thyme 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or neutral oil 1 tablespoon smoked paprika Chermoula Sauce Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut potatoes in half-length and put in mixing bowl. Season with salt, pepper, oil, thyme and garlic. Pour the mix on a baking sheet, spreading evenly. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Once they are cooked, tossed with the chermoula sauce and sprinkle them with smoked paprika.

Chermoula Sauce 2 bunches cilantro, leaves only 1 bunch parsley, leaves only 1 pinch salt 1 teaspoon fish sauce 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar 1 pinch black pepper Roughly chopped cilantro and parsley. In a mortar, grind together fresh herbs and pinch of salt. Add rest of ingredients and mix.

Cast Iron Half Chicken ½ organic chicken 2 tablespoons sunflower oil or any neutral oil 1 pinch salt 1 pinch black pepper 1 cup Brussels sprouts ½ cup chicken stock ½ cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon golden raisins 1 tablespoon butter 1 sprig each rosemary, thyme and parsley, chopped Salt and pepper, to taste Lemon juice to taste Preheat oven to 375°F. Season the chicken with oil, salt and pepper.

Cut the Brussels sprouts in half and blanch them in boiling water for 40 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the sprouts to a bowl with ice to stop the cooking process.

Heat a large cast-iron pan and add oil. Sear the chicken skin side down. When the skin begins to brown, transfer the pan to the oven for 15 to 18 minutes. Pull pan out of the oven, set chicken aside on a rack or directly onto the serving dish.

Using the same pan, add the Brussels sprouts, cook until golden brown, deglaze with chicken stock and reduced by half. Add the heavy cream and reduce by half. Turn off the heat and gently stir in mustard, golden raisins, butter and all chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Serve immediately.

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

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EDIBLE ENDEAVOR

NUT CASES

Next generation aims to crack open the walnut game

W

hen I get on the phone with Nicole Facciuto and Eric Hargrove it’s clear that they are on the road. It’s loud, but we exchange greetings and jump right into what they’re up to and how they’re faring in the smoky Northern California air.

“It’s part of farming and running a business,” Nicole says. “There are always some kind of shenanigans. Expect the unexpected!”

They’re instantly energetic, fun and easy to talk to, so it’s not surprising to learn that they have backgrounds in entertainment. But their 5-year-old business is based in a very different arena: organic walnuts.

Named after her 76-year-old father—who, with his wife, Vicki, has run a walnut farm in Yolo County near Sacramento for 45 years— Corky’s Nuts “has funny multiple meanings” and can quickly “go down a road that is fabulously inappropriate,” Nicole says, laughing.

While the walnuts for their products are grown on the farm up north, the couple owns a “beautiful anomaly time-capsule” home and runs a separate certified-organic production and retail facility in Fillmore, where they sort, label and ship their organic products all themselves. “We hand-sort every single walnut,” she says, noting that they also make cold-pressed walnut oil, raw walnut butter, raw 26

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walnut meal and pickled walnuts, all certified organic.

“I want people to understand what a walnut tastes like and that they’re really delicious,” Nicole says. “We believe that few have ever had the chance to try a walnut fresh off the tree—right after harvest.

Seasonal walnuts are very different than what you find in the grocery store aisle!”

According to the California Walnut Board, California produces more than 99% of U.S. walnuts and two-thirds of the world walnut trade. Walnuts are typically harvested late September through November. After hulling, washing and drying, many commercial walnut farms store the nuts in environmentally controlled silos, depending on the market demand. Most walnuts purchased from grocery stores can be up to one to two years old; once on store shelves or in bulk bins, they go unrefrigerated and their fragile oils quickly turn rancid.

“I’m, like, the nut disruptor!” Nicole jokes. “We’re trying to transform your relationship to walnuts, to understand the seasonality of food—including walnuts.”

Corky’s Nuts’ offerings are different than perhaps any other Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Photos courtesy of Corky’s Nuts

BY ANNA ELLEDGE

Opposite: Nicole Facciuto and Eric Hargrove, founders of Corky’s Nuts, spend harvest time helping out on the walnut farm where they source their nuts.

because they only sell the current harvest from the farm.

“We sell out every year. Our process was always built on seasonality and stocking up for the year,” Nicole says.

“Keep it like a squirrel does!”

A TASTE OF THE FUTURE While working in television in New York in the early 2000s, Nicole would share some of the harvest from home with celebrity chefs on set. The flavor and freshness were so unique that the nuts were even served in some highend NYC restaurants, (Per Se, for one). Since she grew up with fresh walnuts, she “didn’t understand why people were going nutty for these nuts!”

Eventually, she tasted “the night-and-day difference” for herself when Eric thoughtfully bought her a bag of store-bought organic walnuts on one of their first dates.

She tasted, then promptly spat them out. That, she says, was her aha! moment.

In spite of the nut incident, in less than two years she and Eric were married and starting a business.

Eric considers himself a tech geek and had been involved in LA’s startup scene, including digital advertising, for which he still does some consulting. So, when it came to starting Corky’s Nuts and selling direct to consumers, he had some pretty good resources to know how to test the market. When I ask Eric if this is where he saw his future self—marketing, packing walnuts and pressing walnut oil—his answer is “1,000%, no!”

But their shared scrappy attitude, which Nicole says she inherited from the generations before her, gave them the gumption to start the company with $100 and set it up as a preorder system. “It’s about learning what you need to learn to create something; knowing you have the ability to build a brand, a farm, a company by simply reaching out to your community and figuring it out as you go,” says Nicole. “If it didn’t work, we’d be OK. Just knowing we were going to try was all that mattered in the moment.”

Having the nut business already online has certainly been advantageous during COVID restrictions. “More people have had to move online to acquire their goods,” says Nicole. “We’re also super grateful so many are even more connected to their food.”

Green walnuts, harvested in the spring before the nuts mature, can be used to make nocino (walnut liqueur) and pickled walnuts.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

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Corky the walnut farmer refuses to be photographed, so we snuck up on him as he was trimming a walnut tree.

They are both quick to point out that the walnuts do need to be refrigerated or frozen, and they enjoy educating their customers on how to avoid experiencing “old nuts.”

SOURCING THE NUTS In 1975, after moving back to the States from Japan and committing to take over care for land belonging to Vicki’s parents, Corky consulted the local “old-timers” to figure out what would grow best in that climate. They chose walnuts to best utilize the land with the hope of providing enough extra income to eventually help put his kids through college. He planted the first orchard by hand in 1979.

A career in Japanese landscape architecture gave Corky the idea of giving plants and trees room to grow—not planting quite so close together as is the typical commercial practice for walnut farmers.

Caring for the trees diligently, with regenerative and sustainable practices, led to a transformation of the land, orchard by orchard, into the farm that has so long served as a family business.

“He taught himself to farm just like we are teaching ourselves to grow this business,” Nicole says, adding that the business is a way to give back to the family and help support the farm.

Now, Eric says, “We are thinking ahead so that we are able to provide support for the farm when [Corky], the workhorse, decides he’d rather just tell us what to do.” That means learning Corky’s farming process for the orchards, including irrigation (which is mostly sourced from runoff), watering schedules, pruning, mowing the cover crops, etc. “We are working on being proactive in our learning 28

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approach, so that we can limit any possible downtime that would result because of a learning curve or knowledge gap.”

“At this point,” Nicole adds, “we’re just there to help Dad in whatever capacity he needs.”

Lucky for them, the farm is a bit magical. “It’s very peaceful,” says Nicole. “We always love being there.”

‘NO NUT IS WASTED’ Earlier this year, their cold-pressed organic walnut oil won the 2020 Good Food Award for best oil from the Good Food Foundation, which celebrates companies that excel in flavor, social and environmental practices.

Nicole and Eric are committed to develop products and use packaging with an eye to the least amount of waste possible. Raw organic walnut milk and an organic walnut oil body bar scented with walnuttree-leaf-essence are just a few of the upcoming products that will be made with the less-aesthetic nuts and by-products of the oil. “No nut is wasted,” says Nicole. “Even the nuts that fall on the floor are for the chickens!”

For more information, visit CorkysNuts.com, and for a cozy winter cocktail recipe from Nicole and Eric, see page 56.

Anna Elledge is a journalist and professional photographer. Her interest in agriculture and holistic land management practices sprang from her work with a Colorado-based cattle management company. Raised in Santa Barbara, she currently lives in Ventura. To learn more, visit AnnaElledge.com Edible Ojai & Ventura County

RECIPES FOR

HOME

A COOKBOOK TO BENEFIT THE PUBLISHERS OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

80+ RECIPES

PHOTOGRAPHS, PODCASTS, VIDEOS AND COOKING ILLUSTRATIONS From the makers and advocates of local, sustainable food in Edible communities everywhere.

Every purchase you make will help a community continue their work in telling the story of local food.

Download our

Benefit Cookbook

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www.ediblecommunities.com/edible-cookbook

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winter 2020/2021 29

Sponsored content

EDIBLE

Holiday Gift Guide

Ventura County contains an extraordinary collection of artisans and creators who bring vibrancy to the region.

This holiday season we encourage you to support local businesses as much as possible.

Bourbon Old Fashioned Pre-Mixed Cocktail The Bourbon Old Fashioned was lovingly created by blending a small-batch bourbon whiskey with Angostura and orange bitters, natural cherry juice and refined pure cane sugar. Just pour over ice, add a cherry and enjoy this classic cocktail! Purchase locally at vomFASS Ventura.

VomFassVentura.com

PureWild Collagen

Annelle

Sustainably sourced and packaged, PureWild is the only non-GMO certified and kosher certified clean label collagen drink available, with 3,000 mgs of the cleanest marine collagen on the planet in each 12-ounce bottle. Three delicious flavors: Lime Agave Ginseng, Blueberry Holy Basil and Mango Turmeric. Buy locally at Rainbow Bridge.

PureWildCo.com

Throw on this hands-free cross-body for your day on the go! Made of super soft leather with an adjustable strap and multiple outside zippers to stash your phone and other essentials, it’s the perfect combination of sporty and classy. $199; 2% of sales go to The Honeybee Conservancy. Annelle.com

Bogue Soaps

GIFT GUIDE

Beautiful soaps made with meticulously researched botanicals, pure essential oils, organic and sustainable ingredients responsibly sourced or locally grown in Ojai.

Each of the all-natural, handmade, artisanal bath, wellness and hair and body products is created and wildcrafted to be mindful and effective. $6.75 Order online at BogueMilkSoap.com

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CORKY’S NUTS These are nothing like your grocery store walnut. CORKY’S NUTS, seasonal organic provisions are a perfect gift for the consummate foodie in your life. That’s if you don’t hoard them all to yourself. Choose from a variety of certified organic, award-winning products to amp up your holiday recipes, from freshly harvested buttery walnuts to cold-pressed organic walnut oil. Starting at $16. Order online at CorkysNuts.com.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

GOOD2GO by Seasons Catering Give the gift of unmistakably delicious food this holiday! Crafted by chefs, Good2Go is built on the principle that food is meant to be loved and shared. Our generously portioned meals, prepared with local farmfresh ingredients, offer an easy heat-and-serve solution. Gifts cards available at TheGood2Go.com/s/shop.

805-339-9665

Paradise Pantry: The Perfect Pairing Known for pairing foods and experiences, Paradise Pantry offers unique gifts for everyone on your list. Choose from more than 400 cheeses, an expansive wine selection, specialty vendors of jams, nut butters, and chocolates. Not sure? Pair a gift certificate and let them choose their own!

ParadisePantry.com

CataWiseDesigns Handmade fused-glass one-of-a-kind exquisite art created by Catalina Wise to own, use and wear: bowls, plates, coasters, soap dishes, ring plates, pendants, earrings and more. All pendants come with leather-like 18-inch cord. All jewelry is wrapped, ready for gifting, in a pillow box. Custom requests welcome.

Find Catawisedesigns on Etsy and Instagram and Sites.Google.com/view/CataWiseDesigns/home

Jellyfish Ventura Vintage Boutique Jellyfish features new coastal décor intertwined with vintage treasures for your home and office.

Showcasing the extraordinary works of local artists, Jellyfish offers great unique gift ideas for everyone, including you! “Come share the holiday season with us. Sea you soon!” JellyfishVentura.com

New Leaf Skin Care and Spa New Leaf is downtown Ojai’s certified green spa and “an oasis in your day,” a one-stop shop for the holidays.

A wonderland of clean and organic self-care products, eco-fashion, jewelry, vintage goods, and eclectic finds. Create a gift box or select one curated with staff favorites. “We’ll mail it for you!” NewLeafOjai.com EdibleVenturaCounty.com

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Topanga’s Finest Gourmet Jerky All gluten-free, each bag of beef, chicken or bacon is bursting with savory flavors, wholesome ingredients and includes a tooth flosser! Topanga’s Finest uses premium meats and makes a fabulous holiday gift! One bite and you’ll say, “Now that’s good jerky!” TopangasFinest.com

Sanctum Artful gifts for your home and loved ones to inspire peace, beauty and harmony. Sanctum’s organic, sustainable gifts nurture one’s inner sanctum. Honoring local and global artisans who respect old ways of creating, weaving and manufacturing.

Visit the store in Ojai or shop online at SanctumHomeGoods.com.

Historia Bakery

GIFT GUIDE

Surprise your friends and family with a unique 26-layer crepe cake great for any gathering! Flavors include chocolate, coffee, rainbow (strawberry), coconut, mango, blueberry and green tea. Call three days ahead to guarantee your order, or take your chances and stop in for a variety of flavors and other pastries.

Thousand Oaks; 805-371-1127

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My Sage Gourmet Grown locally and harvested at their peak, My Sage Gourmet offers a unique assortment of organic hand-blended seasonings and rubs perfect for anyone who desires to add to the delicious goodness in their kitchen.

Just good clean food! Visit at the Camarillo Farmers’ Market and online at MySageGourmet.com.

Canyon Supply Find hand-crafted goods including botanically tie-dyed socks and cashmere accessories, pottery, coffee and in-house embroidered T-shirt line, Banner Day. Go into this cozy space and walk out with something practical and special.

ShopCanyonSupply.com

winter 2020/2021

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Cryo Wellness Full service cryotherapy spa, organic corrective skincare, including full spectrum CBD vegan soft gels and CBD lip butter, and clinically formulated organic DNA skincare products make finding the perfect gift for anyone on your list a one-stop shop. Created locally in Ventura; prices starting at $10. Cryospa805.com

B. on Main An emporium of artfully curated goods with an emphasis on sustainable, socially aware and humor-from-the-heart wares. The place for unique cards, books, gifts, stocking stuffers, out-of-the-ordinary ornaments and beautiful decor that will make your house a home. Visit B. On Main in historic downtown Ventura at 446 E. Main St. or online at BonMain.com.

Shahastra Creations Coloring Book A delightful colorable collection of 30 peacemaking recipes you can “cook up” in the kitchen of your heart. Authored and illustrated by longtime Ojai artist, Shahastra Levy, this enchanting book portrays countries from around the world— their foods, costumes and cultures—to encourage planetary peaceful actions.

A wonderful gift for ages 7-adult. $14.

Available locally at Poppies Art & Gifts, 323 E. Matijila St., Ojai, and online at ShahastraCreations.com.

Edible Subscription Edible Ojai & Ventura County produces four print issues per year, full of seasonal recipes, helpful how-to tips, inspiring local stories and useful farm, food and drink resources.

Each subscription helps us to continue to support and celebrate the local chefs, artisans and growers who make Ventura County an extraordinary place to live and eat.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com/Subscribe-our-Magazine Ojai

ISSUE 74

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Get the gift of membership! Each month receive a box that includes one exclusive tea (only available to club members!), two additional teas and special treats or accessories. Your first box includes an infuser to get you started on your loose-leaf tea journey. Order online at Spice-Topia.com.

ER 2020

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edible

K MOORPAR PAULA A ORE • GE • FILLM EME • SANT LAKE VILLA CAMARILLO• PORT HUEN URA • WEST OXNARD OAKS • VENT OJAI • SAND NITIES COMMU EY • THOU R OF EDIBLE

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The Wellness Issue CAMARILLO OJAI • SIMI VALLE • OXNARD • FILLMORE • MOOR PORT Y • THOU PARK SAND OAKS HUENEME • SANTA • VENTU RA • WESTPAULA MEMBER OF EDIBLE LAKE VILLA COMMU NITIES

GE

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A Taste of California Cookbooks Created by spectacular Ojai chef Robin Goldstein, each of these cookbooks contains dozens of diverse, mouthwatering, beautifully crafted and photographed recipes with a focus on nourishing local ingredients. Choose one, two or all four books to delight the foodie in your life with a gift that will last all year!

PrivateChefRobin.com/cookbooks

Lava Stone Grill Sourced from Mt. Etna in Sicily, the ETNAWARE PAMPA Lava Stone Grill from BlueSky is an eco-friendly cooking stone that heats uniformly and arrives rapidly at ideal heat, minimizing fuel and maximizing healthconscious grilling. Order at BlueSkyBiochar.com.

Oil, Vinegar & Bruschetta Set

GIFT GUIDE

Medium-bodied extra-virgin olive oil and truly opulent Aceto Balsamico paired with Bruschetta Herbs. Best enjoyed with crusty French bread and a big glass of red wine! What a treat as a hostess gift or gift to yourself! Purchase locally at vomFASS Ventura.

VomFassVentura.com

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Ventura Spirits Angeleno Spritz With the citrus burst of Amaro Angeleno bitter liqueur as its base, brightened up with soda water and a hint of grapefruit, Angeleno Spritz is an easy-drinking sparkling canned cocktail perfect for every occasion. Order online at VenturaSpirits.com. winter 2020/2021

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Porch Gallery STORE and Beato Chocolates The STORE is a new retail space located inside the Porch Gallery Ojai. In addition to selling unique merchandise designed by acclaimed artists, The STORE features a full assortment of Beato Chocolates, a line of artisan confections formed from Beatrice Wood’s original pottery molds and inspired by her Dadaist works. PorchGalleryOjaiStore.com

Sweet Arleen’s Sweet Arleen’s has been serving Ventura County quality gourmet pastries for over 10 years. Their freshly baked menu includes: cake, cheesecakes, cake pops, cookies and award winning jumbo cupcakes that make great gifts for the holidays and all year long. Vegan, gluten free and keto options. SweetArleens.com

Lineage Botanica Home Decor | Restored Eastern European Textiles | Handwoven | Indigo | Embroidery | Towels | Pillows | Throws | Bags | Aprons | Apothecary The elegance of Lineage Botanica is conveyed in the narratives of each creation. We envision a contemplative lifestyle brand where every element of home life is a touchable, usable treasure. Ojai showroom open weekends and daily by appointment. Call/text 415-3007639. LineageBotanica.com

805 CraftHouse The Craft House is a blend of retail and DIY space featuring makers from the 805 and our Craft Bar. Patrons 21+ can reserve table space and DIY a variety of projects, like this interchangeable truck sign. Come enjoy a beer or wine and craft with us! Located in Moorpark.

TheCraftHouse805.com

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

Sespe Creek Collective Give the gift of relaxation, relief and revelry with a thoughtfully curated collection of California’s best cannabis products. Whether you seek tinctures, topicals, edibles, accessories, flower, vapes, or pre-rolls, you’ll find something for everyone on your list. An experienced staff is there to guide you whether you shop online, in-store or via discreet delivery. Sespe.org

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IN THE FIELD

McGrath Family Farms Grows Farmers for the Future

A

BY BONNIE RUBRECHT | PHOTOS BY VIKTOR BUDNIK

round five years ago, fifth-generation California farmer Phil McGrath began considering retirement. Unbeknownst to him, this transition at McGrath Family Farm set off a series of events culminating in a new enterprise, which is just beginning to take root.

Now “retired,” he’s part of McGrath Family Farmers (MFF), a collective that encompasses multiple small farms and a training ground for nascent farmers to learn agriculture firsthand.

The McGrath family has been farming in Ventura County since 1868. Years ago, Phil McGrath and his siblings decided to lease out most of their 300+ acres off Highway 101 in Camarillo for berry cultivation. The remaining 35 acres are now the lifeblood of several 36

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farms that practice organic and regenerative farming techniques. The members of MFF include Baby Root Farm, established in 2015 by Mike Roberts, who has worked with McGrath for 10 years. He’s been instrumental in bringing new micro-farms into the collective alongside more established farmers like those at the Carranza Family Farm, one of the premier organic flower growers in the area.

McGrath Family Farm is still active and lends its name, land and infrastructure to the collective; the smaller farms provide much of the energy, labor and output. The farms at MFF reflect the diversity of the area, in age, expertise and ethnicity, which allows for outstanding opportunities for those looking to learn.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Opposite: Some of the farmers and next generation farmers growing with McGrath Family Farmers are (from left) Inlakesh Amor of Living System Farm, Amanda Cox of Baby Root Farm, Jeni Carranza of Carranza Family Farm, Max Becher of Farmivore, Mike Roberts of Baby Root Farm, Mateo Palermo, of Exit Central Farm and Cameron Maestas of Baby Root Farm.

Right: Fifth generation farmer Phil McGrath is enjoying his “retirement.”

‘THE GROUND NEEDS TO REST TOO’ The farmers teach techniques that focus on organic and regenerative cultivation. “Most farmers are monocropping, maybe two or three [crops] if lucky,” says McGrath, 68, describing how farms often grow a single crop to maximize profit. Without diverse crops, the soil is depleted. Add chemical pesticides and herbicides and traditional tilling, and its quality is degraded further. “The last 70 years this area has been over-farmed. Just like anything in nature, the ground needs to rest too. This region was all small family farms, then larger cooperatives, now corporations farm most of VC. But we all get it NOW. There’s only so much water, so much labor, and you can only spray so many times before it just doesn’t work anymore,” says McGrath, adding, “we brought this on ourselves.”

McGrath and the other farmers at MFF see regenerative agriculture as a long-term investment in the region’s ability to produce nutritious, sustainable produce while simultaneously reducing environmental impact. “This point can’t be made strongly enough: Growing and eating what’s in season is the best for you and the environment,” says McGrath. It not only improves the nutrient value of the produce, improving the soil’s microbiology and sequestering carbon, but requires substantially less water and equipment than traditional farming. This allows new and small-scale farmers to rely on “sweat equity” rather than take out loans for major capital investments up front.

‘A GOOD BALANCE’ On the last Saturday of every month, MFF holds “Farm Experience Days,” which, after a brief hiatus, have been able to resume with proper COVID-19 precautions in place. “All the McGrath Farm farmers rotate in hosting,” McGrath says. “There is an introduction with the farmer … then a walking tour of our farms and facilities, participation in a small farm project alongside our farm team and then Q&A.” Out of these educational afternoons emerged Inlakesh Amor of Living Systems farm and Mateo Palermo of Exit Central, both of whom now have micro-farms as part of MFF. EdibleVenturaCounty.com

“I volunteered and it turned into a job, helping the crew harvesting and working the farmers’ markets,” Palermo says. “I began to think, ‘This is something that I could do.’ I love the work of farming.

Now I want to be able to teach someone like me who has that interest—at any scale.”

Jeni Carranza, of Carranza Family Farm, is one of his first students. “I’ve really liked learning out in the field alongside everyone on the farm,” Carranza says, smiling. Although she’s been working at farmers’ markets and overseeing operations for produce delivery with Farmivore, she’s excited to be learning more hands-on. MFF farmers typically trade off helping with training and education. “It’s a good balance, and the farm looks more alive.”

‘CAN I SEE YOUR FARM?’ Given the labor-intensive work involved in farming, it’s a wonder that McGrath has made time over the past 20 years for education. “It’s fun,” he laughs. “At the LA markets back in 1992, I began hearing people ask, ‘Can I see your farm?’ and I realized there was an unexplored educational component.” McGrath’s location right off the 101 makes it easier to find and more accessible than many other farms.

By the late 1990s, the farm was hosting scores of visitors, including students. “Between 1997 and 1998, one teacher from Santa Monica brought thousands of students on buses,” McGrath says. “We’d do maybe three tours of an hour each a day.”

MFF continues this tradition of educating young people with local school districts today. “We helped establish the Salad Bar Farms at Balboa Middle School in Ventura,” says Roberts, “and are consulting now on one for Rio School District.”

‘BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT ’ Recently, the collective piloted its first formal internship, a 21-day intensive, for a Ventura local. Amanda Cox grew up in the Santa Rosa Valley, where she gardened with her mom. Having worked previously

winter 2020/2021 37

“For me, I want to be out in the field—a huge part of the draw is physically working the land. My soul craves that.

I feel made for that.”

—Amanda Cox

at Patagonia, she’d learned about how effective regenerative farming can be in combating climate change.

When the pandemic hit and she wasn’t working, Cox reached out to Roberts at Baby Root Farm to explore her interest in farming. “The challenge for me,” says Cox, “was that I wanted to make a transition [to farming] but I didn’t know where to start.”

Roberts asked her what part of farming she wanted to learn about. “For me, I want to be out in the field—a huge part of the draw is physically working the land. My soul craves that. I feel made for that.” And perhaps it ran in her blood. Her grandfather started off farming and then returned to it after military service and another career.

Although she grew up in more conservative, blue collar world, she’s hopeful about how regenerative agriculture and ranching with organizations like MFF brings together people from different backgrounds. “It’s something unifying where we’re divided on so many things, and a win-win on so many levels—making farmers profitable and self-sustaining and also helping consumers to be healthier.”

“Mike put it best: ‘We grow farmers,’” says McGrath of Roberts, his colleague and friend. “I’d never heard it put like that before, but it’s absolutely true.”

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Farmer Inlakesh Amor shares a moment of joy among his Living System Farm crops, where he has found his passion.

“These farmers will grow regenerative systems of agriculture,” Roberts affirms. “We will share everything we learn in the hope of leaving our world better than we found it.”

For more information visit McGrathFamilyFarmers.com.

Bonnie Rubrecht is a freelance writer whose passion for sustainable agriculture traces back to her family, who have farmed in California for over 150 years. Read more of her writing at LittleGreenBlackbird.co.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

CSA and Other Food Box Options The Abundant Table Camarillo Membership: open Price: $30/box TheAbundantTable.org

Harvest Gathering Farm Ventura Membership: waitlist Prices: varies HarvestGatheringFarm.com

Steel Acres Ojai Membership: open Prices: varies SteelAcres.com

Blue Ridge Honey Ventura Membership: not required Prices: varies BlueRidgeHoneyCA.com

King & King Ranch (Also provide to the Abundant Table and one smaller Ventura CSA) Fillmore Membership: not required Prices: varies KingandKingRanch.com

Sow A Heart Farm Fillmore Membership: open Price: $50/box SowAHeart.com

Corky’s Nuts Fillmore Membership: not required Price: varies CorkysNuts.com Earthtrine Farms Ojai Call a day ahead to order and pick up at the farm, Tuesday, 9am–noon and Friday, 9:30 am–1pm.

Price: varies based on your order Call: 805-421-8483 Farmivore Produce from Baby Root Farm, McGrath Family Farms, First Steps Farm, John Givens Farm, Steel Acres, Poco Farm, Sol Y Mar Farm, Fair Hills Farm Camarillo Membership: $25 weekly (not required) Price: custom orders ($5 flat delivery rate) Farmivore.farm The Farmer & the Cook Ojai Membership: waitlist Price: $125/month Farmer-and-The-Cook.com

Main Street Meats Ventura Membership: not required Prices: varies by box MainStreetMeatsVentura.com Novy Ranches Simi Valley Membership: not required Prices: varies NovyRanches.com OLAS Foundation & Tutti Frutti Farms Certified Organic Produce Boxes Place order by 7pm on Mondays and Thursdays Price: $55 Text or call: 805-570-1638 or 805-794-1481 Prancers Village Ventura Membership: not required Price: $40/box PrancersVillage.com

Rio Gozo Farms Ojai Membership: Open Price: $30/weekly or $60/biweekly Get Hooked Seafood Text: 805-272-5337 with Santa Barbara/Ventura Membership: Weekly Pickup “Hi, my name is ... my address is ... I would like to receive a Price Varies Contact: GetHookedSeafood.com vegetable delivery on ...”

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

Underwood Farms Moorpark Membership: open Price: $45/box UnderwoodFamilyFarms.com Ventura Fresh Fish Ventura Membership: not required Prices: varies VenturaFreshFish.com The Ventura Meat Company Ventura Membership: not required Prices: varies VtaMeatCo.com Watkins Cattle Company Ojai Membership: not required Prices: varies WatkinsCattleCo.com White Dove Farm Santa Paula Membership: not required Prices: varies WhiteDovesFarmFresh.com

This list was updated November 4, 2020. If you know of another CSA that is not listed, please let us know at info@edibleventuracounty.com. winter 2020/2021 39

A GENEROUS HELPING

FEEDING EACH OTHER Local businesses, nonprofits step up during pandemic

BY WENDY COYLE

B

efore she was hit with coronavirus shutdowns, a 20-something office manager was able to pay her rent and student loans. Like so many, she lost her job early on and soon struggled to have enough money even for food. “Living on my own and going through the pandemic was eye-opening!”

An older couple had trouble getting out and shopping due to the restrictions of quarantining and social distancing.

A middle-aged woman helped to feed her neighbors by faithfully picking up boxes of food to share with the family of three.

A mother with six children in her van just needed enough groceries to put food on the table.

These are just a few of the people who picked up bags and boxes of food from a local relief program in Ventura County in September, many for the first time.

One out of every six residents in Ventura County suffers from food insecurity—lacking reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food since the pandemic struck. Unemployment, job insecurity, health issues and social distancing affect every socioeconomic class, race, age and gender.

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“[COVID-19] is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges we have faced in our lifetime” says Monica White, president and CEO of FOOD Share Ventura County, in their latest annual report.

FOOD Share, the central supplier for many food pantries, homeless shelters and other emergency food distribution sites in Ventura County, has seen an unprecedented increase in need, from approximately 75,000 people to about 150,000 people per month.

Supplied in large part by the USDA and supplemented by local supermarket and agricultural donations, Food Share is ramping up their operation, White said, to “meet the challenge of expanding numbers of our friends and neighbors who are facing real hunger.”

In Ventura County, over 150 food first-responders have distributed food for more than half a million individuals as of September, says Jennifer Caldwell, chief development officer of FOOD Share.

“It used to be approximately one million pounds of food per month.

Now it’s closer to three million pounds per month and the numbers are still going up!”

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

WORKING TOGETHER Back in April, when the lockdown first struck and the food industry was basically shut down, several local organizations and businesses teamed up to provide meals for hospital workers, struggling restaurant employees and the most vulnerable in the community.

“We made more than 20,000 meals over 12 weeks and also dispersed thousands of meals from other restaurants,” says Luisa Hyatt of Rincon Brewery Ventura, when asked about working together with World Central Kitchen and Kids & Families Together, a Ventura County nonprofit serving foster/adoption families.

“Many of our families had been struggling prior to the COVID outbreak,” says Caitlin Barringer, development manager of Kids & Families Together, “but it created even more of a hardship.”

The collaboration provided 400–900 meals each day, six days a week for three months. Since then, the organization obtained a large grant that allows them to provide gift cards for families to purchase their own groceries and supplies.

BOXES AND BAGS Also stepping up was Kat Merrick, founder of Totally Local VC and co-founder of The Local Love Project—which provides relief and support for Ventura County residents affected by disasters. She and hundreds of volunteers are filling donated produce boxes and bags filled with essential household items to be distributed to COVID-affected individuals during the stay-at-home lockdown.

“The way people are economically impacted is unbelievable, for every walk of life,” says Merrick. “We formed strong partnerships with local organizations, churches, businesses and individuals, coming together to fill the gap of need in our community.”

Limoneira, Houweling’s Group, Grapes and Hops, Peirano’s Market and Delicatessen, Winchester’s Grill & Saloon, United Farm Workers Foundation, Fresh and Fabulous and more are among those partners donating, packing and distributing the 1,900 to 2,300 boxes weekly all around the county.

From top: Volunteers at Simi At the Garden (SATG) help offload the produce donated by Food Forward for the Free Farmers’ Market.

Volunteer for The Local Love Project sorts donated produce for distribution to families affected by COVID crisis.

Local Love team member Mary Campbell moves completed produce boxes on their way to distribution.

Volunteers at SATG have bags prepped and ready to be picked up contact free for one of the first Free Farmers’ Markets in March.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

winter 2020/2021 41

FOOD FOR ALL Food Forward gathers food from local farmers, farmers’ markets and local backyard fruit excess, taking it to local groups to distribute to the community. Volunteer driver Jason Finizza from River Community Church, who distributes it six days a week, says he’s seen the faith community come together to meet the need.

“Regardless of what you believe and who you are, if you’re hungry, we give you food,” says Finizza. “We don’t discriminate. A lot of the people we’re giving it to really need it.”

Among those in need are the people listed at the beginning of this article. They were all in the line at the weekly Free Farmers’ Market sponsored by Simi at the Garden (SATG) and Food Forward.

“We realized there was a greater need with so many being unemployed,” says SATG secretary Chris Cooley. “Pre-COVID we used to serve 400–500 individuals per month. Since COVID, starting in April, we have been distributing up to 400 boxes per week!” Beginning in January, SATG will cut distribution back to just twice a month due to a lack of volunteers, though it is still double what was offered before the pandemic.

‘IN IT TOGETHER’ There has been “extraordinary community spirit” addressing food insecurity in Ventura County since COVID-19, says White. Finizza also applauds the community effort.

“I think people are still hopeful,” says Finizza. “We’re in it together.”

With the slow-moving tiered color system for reopening in Ventura County, the impact may be longer-term before we see full recovery.

These efforts by local food businesses, organizations, churches and volunteers are truly making a difference.

To learn how you can donate visit FoodForward.org; FoodShare.com; KidsAndFamilies.org; TotallyLocalVC.com/local-love-project; WCK.org

From top: Chef Stroh and crew members at Rincon Brewery made meals for grateful Kids and Families Together families.

Bags of donated food and provisions are ready to be distributed by The Local Love Project in Ventura.

Wendy Coyle is a freelance writer/editor, earned a BA in journalism at University of California, Santa Cruz, and is interested in urban homesteading, organic gardening, natural healing/cooking, fermentation experimenting—currently cultivating kombucha, ginger bugs, water kefir, sauerkraut and beet kvass.

HOW INDIVIDUALS ARE COPING WITH FOOD INSECURITY DURING COVID-19 30% grew herbs, vegetables and fruit 60% were sewing and repairing their own clothing 4% were raising chickens 2% were beekeeping Resource: Poll conducted by Yahoo of over 2,200 U.S. residents (June 2020)

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

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EdibleVenturaCounty.com

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winter 2020/2021 43

EDIBLE ARTISAN

ALL FIRED UP

Local artist finds kinship with the kiln at Firestick Pottery

BY JENNIFER RICHARDSON | PHOTOS BY MARIAH GREEN | RECIPES AND POTTERY BY JOANN WEBB

P

“

eople kind of panic because the [pottery] wheel is spinning just like the world is spinning in space, and if you think about everything that’s wrong it’s really hard to find center.

But if you just focus on center and don’t let your mind play games with you ... everything else will fall into place.”

This is the explanation that Joann Webb, manager and teacher at Firestick Pottery in Ojai, offers for the most common challenge facing first-time potters: how to center your clay on the wheel. That her advice works just as well for dealing with the myriad challenges of 2020 is a thought I have repeatedly while interviewing her at the pottery.

Webb begins her story in January 2020 when, then age 61, she took to social media to announce she was leaving professional cooking to be a full-time potter. She had been a potter since she first studied the medium more than 40 years earlier at Santa Rosa College, but this time was different. This time there was no side gig in the kitchen to pay the bills. She had quit that job to manage and teach at Firestick Pottery, where she would also make her art.

“It was a big deal,” she says, and I believe her. Who hasn’t daydreamed about making such a pronouncement to the world where the thing you’ve always loved to do is the thing you now officially do?

Webb, a native of Ventura, had traversed a creative path, and the Pacific Ocean, to arrive at this point. Her journey took her from Ventura County to Hawaii and back, and was unusually marked by disasters, both natural and manmade. Hers is a legacy of both physical labor and a rich creative life as a leather crafter, hammock weaver and, for the previous 23 years, chef for retreat programs at The Ojai Foundation in Upper Ojai and the Quail Springs Permaculture village in Los Padres National Forest.

Webb says that her experience “cooking for retreats, primarily as a vegetarian chef, has really shaped my relationship with preparing food in a health-conscious way that nourishes body, mind and spirit through all the senses.” She used her pottery to create a visual as well as edible feast, describing examples of her retreat dishes like “a coconut cashew and sweet potato yellow curry served in a deep red and

Beet, Apple and Fennel Salad Serves 4 4 large red beets

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

Juice of 1 sweet Valencia orange

2 Fuji apples, chopped

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon agave syrup Sea salt and pepper, to taste Cut beets into quarters, cutting off the top stems.

Place cut beets into medium saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until tender but still firm, 20–30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water to remove the skins.

Cut the beets into bite sized (½-inch) pieces and place into a mixing bowl.

Add apples and fennel. Toss together with lemon and orange juices, olive oil, agave syrup, salt and pepper.

Serve in beautiful ceramic bowl.

Optional: Add thinly sliced red onion, crumbled feta and pumpkin seeds for an extra-yummy touch!

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

cobalt blue ceramic bowl, with a basmati rice pilaf served in a Tenmoku-glazed serving dish.”

While at The Ojai Foundation, Webb experienced two fires. The more recent, the 2017 Thomas Fire, destroyed the foundation’s kitchen and pottery studio. When some of the youth rite-of-passage programs Webb had been cooking for at the foundation moved up Highway 33 to Quail Springs, she followed, spending two more years before handing over the reins to an aspiring young chef in order to make the leap to managing Firestick Pottery.

The fires in Ojai weren’t Webb’s only experience with disasters. Starting in 1982, she and her then-husband lived in a house in a jungle on the side of a volcano on the Big Island in Hawaii. By 1991, the house had been surrounded in lava, a shot of which featured in that year’s July issue of National Geographic.

When their house became effectively inaccessible, they did a work exchange to stay at a local retreat center, Kalani Honua. Webb, who had taught herself to weave hammocks and become a member of the Pacific Handicraft Guild while living in Hawaii, fell back on her earlier experience helping a friend cook at The Ojai Foundation and began cooking for Kalani Honua.

Meanwhile, Webb and her husband rebuilt in another community on the Big Island, Leilani Estates, not far from a geothermal plant. Two drilling-related geothermal blowouts later, Webb was back in Ojai for good. She was also pregnant with her son, Andrew, now 28 and an accomplished chef and apprentice potter himself.

With wildfires, lava and geothermal blowouts under her belt, it’s no surprise that Webb didn’t let a pandemic get in the way of her recent career change. She says she and pottery owner Robin Nahin were concerned after the shutdown in the spring, when the studio got very quiet, but chose to use the time for facility maintenance and, for Webb, experimenting with her own work. These EdibleVenturaCounty.com

winter 2020/2021 45

days the 3-plus-year-old pottery studio has never been busier with classes and workshops. “People [are] going back to the arts.”

One of these workshops is a direct result of the Thomas Fire and its destruction of the pottery studio at The Ojai Foundation. In 2019, Webb received a Creative Community Thomas Fire Recovery Grant from CreativityWorks and the Ventura County Arts Council. She used the funds to start a monthly raku firing workshop, teaching a 14th-century technique characterized by working with glazed pottery at high temperatures. She explains that “the word raku signifies enjoyment of freedom,” a yearning that seems apt for our time.

Despite her focus on the recent upswing in personal and public creativity, I can’t help asking Webb for her takeaways from close proximity to so many disasters. “Everything’s temporary. Life is precious. Enjoy the moment because you never know what tomorrow brings,” she says, “It’s that whole centering-on-the-wheel thing. If

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you’re always thinking about ... all the problems that are out there, you’re kind of missing the beauty of the moment.”

Webb chuckles as she acknowledges she’s veering into carpe-diem clichés, but knowing her story, they have the ring of hard-earned wisdom. She then goes on to say something that, delightfully, doesn’t sound cliché at all: “I’m just having a lot of fun right now.” Yet again, I believe her.

Firestick Pottery Studio 1804 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai For more information visit JoannWebbOjai.com.

Jennifer Richardson is the author of Americashire: A Field Guide to a Marriage, an Indie Reader Discovery Award winner for travel writing. She and her British husband consider themselves lucky to call both Ventura and a village in the English Cotswolds home. To learn more, visit JenniferRichardson.net.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Quinoa Lentil Mushroom Burgers with Green Goddess Dressing These delightfully seasoned hearty burgers are vegan, gluten free and the perfect gateway food for those who are trepidatious about mushrooms. Even better, they are chock full of nourishing health-boosting ingredients.

Serves 4 1½ cups quinoa 1 cup French green lentils, washed and soaked for an hour 1½ teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon cumin 3¾ cups filtered water

Heat ½ inch olive oil in a cast-iron skillet.

Cook burgers over medium heat until brown crust forms, 2–3 minutes per side.

Remove to wire rack to drain, then place on a baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Top with Green Goddess Dressing and serve warm on ceramic plates.

Wash and rough-chop the parsley, cilantro and green onions and put in blender or food processor. Add the flesh of 1 avocado, lemon juice and vinegar. Blend on high and slowly drizzle in the olive oil and water. Add salt. Blend until it reaches a smooth creamy consistency.

1 cup grated sweet potato or yam 1 medium onion, diced 12 ounces brown mushrooms, minced 4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups water ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ cup flax meal ½ cup ground pumpkin seeds ½ cup ground almond meal

Vegan Green Goddess Dressing 1 bunch organic fresh cilantro 1 bunch organic fresh parsley 4 green onions 1 ripe avocado Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ cup tamari sauce

⅓ cup organic olive oil

1 teaspoon each: garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, turmeric powder, smoked paprika, tamari sauce

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1 cup water

Olive oil for frying.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, dry-toast the quinoa and lentils with ½ teaspoon salt and cumin for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often Add the filtered water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Sauté grated yam, diced onions, minced mushrooms and garlic cloves in a separate skillet and season with remaining salt and pepper. Add mixture to the cooked quinoa and lentils. Add flax meal, pumpkin seeds, almond meal, tamari and remaining seasonings: garlic and onion powders, oregano, thyme, turmeric powder, smoked paprika. Stir to combine. Allow to cool, then with clean hands, mush ingredients together well.

Let mixture rest for 1 hour. Squish and squeeze mixture again before forming into patties about 2½ to 3 inches diameter and about ¾ to 1 inch thick. Use wet hands to prevent sticking.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

winter 2020/2021 47

EDIBLE WELLNESS

R E M EMBE R TO H I T ‘ R EF R ESH ’ Personal Regeneration in an Era of Fatigue

BY ERIC QUINN HARGROVE

W

ith the now-infamous 2020 coming to an end, terms like “digital fatigue” and “depleted surge capacity” have been making the internet rounds. Between Zoom meetings and the constantly changing health regulations, the current state of life is a mix of data overload, constant demands for our time and attention and expectations that we should be always available or plugged in.

I think we’re all yearning for a moment of peace and solitude where we can just relax and recharge; to have a chance, without phone, computers or to-do lists, to take a breath and recenter ourselves.

THE CH A L L ENG E This reality has been a frequent topic of conversation in different communities I’m in. Showing up most frequently as areas of struggle and dissatisfaction are the challenges around remote work, the divisive political landscape and social media pressures. Also expressed are feelings of being rundown, apathetic and anxious.

During one of these (ironically digital) group discussions, someone asked the following question: “How do we proactively and effectively manage challenges in these areas? How do we get back to our center, regenerate ourselves?”

Exploring the idea of “regenerating oneself ” provides an opportunity to look at where and how we spend our time, at our personal support structures and at the regenerative activities in which we do, or do not, engage. It requires intention, rest and new external inputs that support vitality.

Here are some suggestions for three distinct areas of being: mind, body and soul. It is up to you to consider and specify, individually, which areas need more attention, and to what degree.

MIND I noticed in myself a tendency to start feeling depleted when I’m not creating the mental space to stop processing my day-to-day tasks and stressors. By being hyper-connected to work, social media and the political discussion of a tenuous election year, it’s been easy to start feeling mentally exhausted and numb to it all. If you can relate, consider scheduling time for these practices:

• • • • • •

•

48

Spend time in silence (preferably outdoors).

Meditate. (Calm, Headspace, Ten Percent Happier and Insight Timer are all great apps for this.)

Read about topics of interest; learn something new.

Get present to accomplishments, goals and dreams.

Journal.

Unplug. (Get off of social media and the news— for days, when possible.)

Sleep.

winter 2020/2021

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

B ODY As a former athlete, I have considerable knowledge about caring for my body. I know what to do to maintain optimal physical health. However, knowledge does not always equal action. As an entrepreneur who is growing a young startup, I can often get caught up in late nights, insufficient rest, sporadic sleep schedules and ergonomically questionable working scenarios. Some of the practices that I find useful for regeneration for my body are: • • • • • • • •

Cooking/eating nourishing food Stretching/yoga Walking/hiking Gym or home workout routine Massage/acupressure (solo, or partnered) Soaking/hot shower Sex Sleep

SO U L I find “soul” to be the foundation of “mind” and “body.” I tend to spend the most amount of time on this area of my being by necessity. While I will schedule a few times per week on my mind and body, working on regenerating my soul is a daily practice. The soul mostly requires “being” and is therefore task-based. Here are some broad tasks to consider: • • • • • • •

Observation (of people and surroundings) Performing good deeds (spontaneous/anonymous) Speaking with/relating to others and understanding their world (practicing empathy and compassion) Exploring art (creation/consumption) Teaching/ sharing knowledge about a passion Sleep Seeking and sharing “joy”

You’ll notice that in all three areas, sleep is a common thread. There is a saying that “Without integrity, nothing works.” Because rest is integral to rejuvenation, this expression, lightly modified, also applies: “Without rest, nothing works.”

If you feel like there is not enough time in your day for these regenerative practices, I invite you to take a closer look at how much time you’re spending on non-essential activities that deplete you and remove vitality from your day. Consider scheduling specific (and limited) time for social media consumption and breaking up regenerative activities into small-sized segments throughout your day or week. In the end, it can only add more fulfillment, joy and vitality for you, those you love and the good you’re doing out in the world.

Eric Quinn Hargrove is a Southern California native and co-founder of CORKY’S NUTS. He also spends his time as a success coach and business development executive in the tech industry. You can find him on Twitter @MyResourceGuy.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

winter 2020/2021 49

LOCAVORE

TO MARKET, TO MARKET 8 tips to make the most of your farmers’ market experience

BY ERIN DAVY | PHOTOS BY MARIAH GREEN

F

armers’ markets are a foodie heaven. It’s so fun seeing what everyone has brought to market. The smells and the flavors are unparalleled, and freshness rules.

As a devoted locavore with over 10 years working in SoCal farmers’ markets, I make a concerted effort to buy local wherever possible. Here are some of my best tips for how to make the most of your market shopping. Some of these are for beginners and some are more advanced. Whatever your situation, I encourage you to get out there and “support local.” Your taste buds will thank you!

1 BE PREPARED AND TAKE YOUR TIME Get there at least 15 minutes early to get good parking and to get in line to enter the market. Bring your mask and bags; wear comfy clothes and shoes, a hat and possibly layers. Especially for your first time, it can easily take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours to

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really check everything out. Do a lap before you buy anything. Don’t rush. Enjoy it!

2 STRATEGIZE It helps to plan out your purchases. Consider bringing a wagon or wheeled cooler with ice packs. Remember that some items are heavier (juice, milk, meat) so either pick those up last or plan to go drop things into a cooler in your car. Another tip for cold items is to ask the seller if they can hold it while you finish shopping. Just don’t forget to go back to pick up!

3 BUDGET Bring cash in small bills for exact payment. Many vendors accept credit/ debit cards (and some prefer it due to COVID safety procedures) but don’t count on it. Some markets offer an ATM (or know of one nearby).

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

If you’re on a strict budget, make sure you shop the more expensive items first. Some perishable items like flowers, produce and baked goods might be marked down towards the end of the market, but proteins and canned items usually are not because they will keep to sell at the next market.

4 READ THE SIGNS Look for the words that matter to you: Sustainable, Biodynamic, No Spray, No Pesticides, Non-GMO, Pasture-raised, Grass-fed… If you aren’t sure what they mean or don’t see any signs, ASK! If the person behind the table doesn’t know, ask if you can call or email the farmer.

5 BE FRIENDLY & OPEN Talk to other shoppers while you wait in line, ask them about what they are getting, and even if they have other favorite booths they want to share with you.

You might even make a market friend! Don’t forget to remain physically distant!

6 DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS Support your farmers and vendors on social media and don’t forget to recommend them to your friends and family! Talk to them about what you made last week with their product and how much your family loved it. Maybe they will be willing to set things aside for you, or bring your standing order each week.

Some farmers offer a CSA or loyalty program for their devoted customers.

7 ORDER AHEAD Many of the vendors and farmers now have websites (or at least an email address) where you can place an advance order to pick up at market. You win, because you’ll get what you wanted, and they win, because it lets them pack what you ordered and still send enough of everything to the market for other customers.

8 RECYCLE Bring your own shopping bags, including smaller ones for produce (save store bags and use them too!). You can bring egg cartons and berry baskets back to the farmers to reuse. Some vendors that sell loose/bulk things like sprouts, beans or nuts might like it if you bring your own container, like a jar. Be creative, figure out what works for you (and ask about any specific COVID safety procedures)!

Finally, just enjoy it. The farmers and vendors count on you—that’s why they are there—but more than that, they appreciate you! Keep that in mind when you go, and take a moment to appreciate back. Make it part of your week and just go with the flow, savor the whole experience and build community around you.

Farm-lovin’ Erin Davy is a farmers’ market enthusiast whose 25 years in Ventura County have always centered around food, farms, friends and family. She and her husband, Joe Bacon, and their adorable doxie, Finn, are now traveling full time. You can follow their farmers’ market tours and other “adVANtures” on Instagram @thebaconsrebellion.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

VENTURA COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKETS WEDNESDAYS

SATURDAYS

Midtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market Pacific View Mall (West End Parking Lot) 3301 N. Main St. Wednesdays, 9am–1pm (rain or shine) VCCFM.org 805-529-6266

Camarillo Hospice Certified Farmers’ Market 2220 Ventura Blvd., Old Town Saturdays, 8am–noon (rain or shine) CamarilloFarmersMarket.com 805-987-3347

THURSDAYS Downtown Oxnard Certified Farmers’ Market Plaza Park, 5th St. & B St. Thursdays, 9am–1:30pm (rain or shine) OxnardFarmersMarket.com 805-247-0197

Thousand Oaks Certified Farmers’ Market The Oaks Shopping Center (East End Parking Lot) Wilbur Rd. & Oaks Mall Dr. Thursdays, noon–5pm (rain or shine) VCCFM.org 805-529-6266 FRIDAYS Simi Valley Certified Farmers’ Market Civic Center Plaza 2757 Tapo Canyon Rd. Fridays, 11am–3:30pm (rain or shine) Facebook.com/SimiValleyMarket 805-643-6458

Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market City Parking Lot Santa Clara St. & Palm St. Saturdays, 8:30am–noon (rain or shine) VCCFM.org 805-529-6266 SUNDAYS Ojai Certified Farmers’ Market Behind the Arcade 300 E. Matilija St. Sundays, 9am–1pm (rain or shine) OjaiCertifiedFarmersMarket.com 805-698-5555

Channel Islands Harbor Farmers’ Market Marine Emporium Landing 3350 S. Harbor Blvd., Oxnard Sundays, 10am–2pm (rain or shine) RawInspiration.org 818-591-8161

Westlake Village Farmers’ Market 2797 Agoura Rd. Sundays, 10am–2pm (rain or shine) RawInspiration.org 818-591-8161

Note: All info was updated in November 2020. As details do change, please contact the markets and CSAs for the latest info.

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FARMS & FARM MARKETS Earthtrine Farm (p. 9)

B.D. Dautch and family’s farm provides fresh specialty produce and herbs to restaurants and schools.

Certified Organic by CCOF, Earthtrine Farm’s produce can also be found at the Ojai Farmers’ Market and Santa Barbara Farmers’ Markets. robertbdmoon@yahoo.com

Friend’s Ranches (p. 38)

The Friend family has grown Ojai citrus since the 1870s. Produce is at farmers’ markets, and available for local wholesale and seasonal mail order. Visitors welcome Tu & F, 7am– noon. 15150 Maricopa Hwy., Ojai, 805-646-2871, FriendsRanches.com

Ojai Pixie Tangerines (p. 38)

The Ojai Pixie Growers Association is over 40 family farms growing Pixie tangerines in the Ojai Valley. Pixies ripen in March, and the Ojai Pixie Growers sell them wholesale and direct for as long as there is fruit to sell, usually until May or June.

OjaiPixies.com

Ventura County Certified Farmers’ Markets (p. 11)

Ventura County’s original farmers’ markets, providing connection of fresh and local foods and the finest small California farmers with locations in Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks and Ventura. 805-529-6266, VCCFM.org

FOOD RETAILERS Somis Nut House (p. 55)

For more than 55 years, one-ofa-kind retailer has offered a wide variety of candies, nuts, dried fruits and other goodies. Gift packages and shipping available. 4475 E. Los Angeles Ave., Somis, 805-386-1211, SomisNutHouse.com

GARDENING & LANDSCAPING

S O U RC E G U I D E

BlueSky BioChar (p. 39)

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Providing a wide array of premium soil amendments including Biochar, worm castings, rock dust, mycorrhizae and many other products to create Living Soil in your garden. Contact for free garden advice: Michael@blueskybiochar.com, 818-599-9119, BlueSkyBiochar.com

Otto & Sons Nursery (p. 7)

Over 800 varieties of roses annually, comprehensive selection of fruit trees and berries, including stone fruit, apples, citrus, avocados, cherries and eight varieties of blueberries, specially bred for our climate. 1835 E. Guiberson Rd., Fillmore, 805-524-2123, OttoAndSons-Nursery.com.

Treeco, Inc. (p. 17)

Specializes in residential and commercial tree care with a focus on promoting healthy growth. Planting, winter 2020/2021

pruning, fertilization, irrigation, removal, tree risk assessment and consultation. 2100 Goodyear Ave. #1, Ventura, 805-652-0404, treecoventura@ att.net, TreecoVentura.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Buon Gusto Farms (p. 17)

ingredients in anything sold here.

2650 E. Main St., Ventura, 805-6679159, VtaMeatCo.com

PLACES TO EAT & DRINK

Turn to page 54 for our Local Guide to Good Eats & Drinks

Grosman Chiropractic (p. 39)

For over 20 years, Dr. Grosman has been providing quality and affordable chiropractic care for the whole family. He believes that true healing is achieved when the patient is fully engaged in their own health and well-being and that sustainable health and wellness is a lifelong journey. 3625 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., #168, Westlake Village, 805-558-0286, GrosmanChiropractic.com

Ojai Energetics (p. 5)

A local company founded in 2014 providing the highest quality, certified organic, water-soluble, full spectrum, hemp CBD elixirs and topicals. Visit retail store for CBD, other wellness products and acupuncture clinic.

236 W. Ojai Ave. #100, Ojai, 805-6465586. OjaiEnergetics.com

HOME GOODS Sanctum (p. 43)

Artful gifts for your home and loved ones to inspire peace, beauty and harmony. Sanctum’s organic, sustainable wares nurture one’s inner sanctum. Featuring local and global artisans who respect old ways of creating, weaving and manufacturing.

307 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 805-633-9070.

SanctumOjai.com.

KITCHENWARE & GOURMET SUPPLIES BellaCopper (p. 55)

Copper conducts heat better! The original solid copper heat diffuser plate equalizes heating in your pans, with no hot spots. Also effective as a defroster plate and oven plate. Four sizes available. 805-218-3241, info@ bellacopper.com, BellaCopper.com

MEAT MARKETS Main Street Meats (p. 25)

Butcher shop combined with neighborhood market offering local products and deli counter. Features meats humanely raised, processed without hormones or steroids, and as local as possible. 3049 E. Main St., Ventura, 805-643-0318, MainStreetMeatsVentura.com

The Ventura Meat Company (p. 55)

Full-service, sustainable, retail butcher shop offering the highest quality, responsibly sourced meats at new lower prices. No artificial

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.

Highest-quality Buenaventura Olive Oil and California Coastal Olive Oils are made with olives that are handharvested, first pressed and cold pressed. Artisan California vinegars specially blended to pair with their oils. Available at farmers’ markets and local stores. Ventura, 805-641-1268, BuonGustoFarms.com

Corky’s Nuts (p. 30)

LightGabler Law (p. 43)

A 14-attorney law firm that works with employers to develop proactive strategies to enhance workplace productivity and avoid employment disputes. They guide employers on strategic compliance with current laws governing all areas of employment including wage and hour issues, training, discipline, disabilities and documentation. 760 Paseo Camarillo, Ste. 300, Camarillo, 805-248-7208, LightGablerLaw.com

Local, certified organic raw walnuts, oil & butter shipped directly to you, fresh from the farm. “You haven’t tasted a walnut until you’ve tasted CORKY’S NUTS!” Order online at corkysnuts.com

Flying Embers Hard Kombucha (p. 9)

Follow us on social media @FlyingEmbersBrew. Visit our website to find us near you and learn more!

FlyingEmbers.com

Magic Hour Tea (p. 7)

A Tea & Transformation company with a mission to connect the world through tea ceremony. The organic ceremonial teas are made with love in mystical Ojai, by Zhena Muzyka.

928 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 805-798-9199.

ClubMagicHour.com

SCHOOLS Monica Ros School (p. 17)

This school has been providing a magical beginning to education for generations of Ojai’s children. For 75 years, their mission has been to expand a child’s natural passion for learning in a setting that celebrates Ojai’s natural beauty. 783 McNell Rd., Ojai, 805-646-8184, MonicaRos.org

Pure Wild Co. (p. 1)

PureWild Marine Collagen Infusions combine organic juices like Blueberry, Lime, and Mango with wild harvested marine collagen and adaptogens for a delicious way to better health.

Available for purchase at Rainbow Bridge, Westridge Markets and Pacific Health Foods. PureWildCo.com

Oak Grove School (p. 57)

This progressive co-educational day and boarding school serves preschool through college preparatory high school students. Located on an expansive 150-acre wooded campus, the school fosters an environment where students are encouraged to ask deep questions that flower from a truth within. 220 W. Lomita Ave., Ojai, 805-646-8236, OakGroveSchool.org

WINERIES & WINE Ojai Alisal Vineyard (p. 3)

SPECIALTY FOODS & BEVERAGES Bennett’s Honey Farm (p. 7)

With kosher and organic certificates, Bennett’s produces, packs and distributes from their 100% solarpowered “green” facility, where they use a gravity straining process to retain the honey’s natural components.

Tasting room and store open seven days a week. 3176 Honey Lane (Hwy. 126), Fillmore, 805-521-1375, BennettHoney.com

Producer of handcrafted Rhone-style wines from grapes grown only at its Upper Ojai Valley vineyard, reflecting the terroir that is Ojai. Tasting room at Azu Restaurant. Wine club memberships available. Visit website for tasting locations, events and wine club information. 805-640-3837, OjaiAlisal.com.

Rincon Mountain Winery (p. 11)

This small boutique winery is located on top of Rincon Mountain in Ventura County. Tasting room is open in Carpinteria. 4187 Carpinteria Ave. Suites 1 & 2, Carpinteria, 805-318-9264.

RinconMtn.com

Blue Ridge Honey (p. 9)

1,600 bee colonies, pollinating locally.

Ventura County Fair Blue Ribbon– winning raw, unfiltered, local honey varieties: Orange, Avocado, Sage, Wildflower and Raspberry. Available at local markets, farmers’ markets, direct and wholesale. 805-9413777, info@blueridgehoneyca.com, BlueRidgeHoneyCA.com

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

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edible

Ojai & Ventura County

Local Guide to Good Eats & Drinks

CATERING (countywide) Private ChefCatering Robin Goldstein is a California chef who works her culinary magic combining unique flavors and seasonal ingredients with classic techniques inspired by her extensive travel around the Mediterranean.

PrivateChefRobin.com

FILLMORE Roan Mills Bakery California’s first land-to-loaf bakery, Roan Mills grows the wheat, mills the flour, bakes the bread and makes the pasta. Stop in at their bakery in historic downtown Fillmore and taste the difference.

411 Central Ave. | Fillmore | RoanMills.com

Please visit our advertisers and let them know you appreciate their support of Edible Ojai & Ventura County. They enable us to offer this magazine free of charge to readers throughout Ventura County.

OXNARD La Dolce Vita Ristorante & 1901 Lounge Features Italian and Mediterranean fusion cuisine, glutenfree options and 1901 Speakeasy Lounge. Serves lunch and dinner. Entertainment on weekends. Located in historic Heritage Square, and also offers on- and off-site catering and cooking classes.

740 S. B St. | Oxnard | 805-486-6878 | TheLDV.com

CAMARILLO All Things Tea European teahouse with certified Tea Specialist. Specialty loose leaf teas from the finest plantations and gardens around the world. Cream Tea, Afternoon Tea and High Tea. In Paseo Camarillo Center | 300 N. Lantana St., #37 | Camarillo | 805-445-8327 | Tea-Liteful.com

OJAI AZU California, Spanish & Mexican Cuisine, artisanal brewery offering light bodied, food friendly craft beers, local wines & fresh cocktails.

457 E. Ojai Ave. | Ojai | 805-640-7987 | AzuOjai.com

THOUSAND OAKS Chocolatine French Café An authentic French café established in 2004 in the heart of Thousand Oaks, the family-owned spot pleases daily with breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks of homemade quiches, sandwiches, crepes, macarons, coffee drinks and more!

2955 Thousand Oaks Blvd. | Thousand Oaks | 805-557-0561 | ChocolatineFrenchCafe.com

At La Dolce Vita/1901 Speakeasy, enjoy a Mediterranean salad, house-made focaccia with bruschetta and linguini bolognese. Pair with cocktails from 1901 Speakeasy downstairs or a local Cabernet for the whole delightful experience.

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Kay’s Coffee Shop Family owned and operated coffee shop and bakery proudly serves locally roasted coffees and premium organic loose leaf teas. Homestyle baked goods are freshly made from scratch. Two convenient locations.

2364 Ventura Blvd. | Camarillo | 805-383-6005 | 1124 S. Seaward Ave. | Ventura | 805-641-1581 | KaysCoffeeShop.com

The Wine Closet Wine lounge in Old Town Camarillo, featuring unique wines, craft beers, small plates, lunch and dinner. Weekly happy hours and featured wine tastings. Indoor and outdoor seating. The specialty market offers retail sales of fine wines, craft brews, artisan cheeses and charcuterie.

2423 Ventura Blvd. | Camarillo | 805-746-5708 | WineClosetInc.com

Revel Kombucha Bar Enjoy local jun kombucha on tap!

Treat yourself to an amazing acai bowl. Revive with coffee and matcha on nitro.

307 E. Matilija St. C. | Ojai | 805-272-0028 | RevelKombuchaBar.com

Sage Mindful Meals & Elixirs Offers beautiful outdoor seating nestled among the Arcade sycamores, happy hour in the Lounge or a quick bite at the elixir bar. The innovative healthful food and drink menu highlights local, organic, seasonal and sustainable ingredients.

217 E. Matilija St., Ojai | 805-646-9204 | SageOjai.com Currently closed. Stay tuned for reopen dates.

• European Tea Room • Over 130 Specialty Teas • Cream Tea, Afternoon Tea, High Tea • Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, Catering Tue–Sat, 10am–5pm 300 N. Lantana St. #37, Camarillo Tea-Liteful.com 805-445-8327 Call for reservations

BellaCopper

VENTURA Grapes and Hops Extensive selection of locally sourced wines and craft beers paired with regional flavors, served in the historic elegance of Ventura’s first bar and speakeasy. Plenty of outdoor seating.

454 E. Main St. | Ventura | 805-641-0053 | GrapesAndHops.org

Paradise Pantry Food with a local emphasis, including great sandwiches, salads, mac ‘n’ cheese, gourmet goodies, a cheese counter and an extensive wine shop. Diners can also enjoy craft beers, wines by the glass or wine flights.

222 E. Main St. | Ventura | 805-641-9440 | ParadisePantry.com

Poseidon Brewing Company

Ventura Spirits Since 2011, using the natural and agricultural bounty of California’s Central Coast to hand craft novel and delicious spirits.

3891 N. Ventura Ave. | Ventura | 805-232-4313 | VenturaSpirits.com

A small, local, veteran-owned craft brewery making a variety of beer styles. Visit the tasting room or take a growler to go.

5777 Olivas Park Dr., Ste. Q | Ventura | 805-477-0239 | PoseidonBrewingCo.com

WESTLAKE VILLAGE Coin & Candor at Four Seasons Westlake Village A seasonally inspired California brasserie featuring sophisticated casual in-door and out-door space with stunning views of the Santa Monica Mountains. The menu presents locally sourced dishes that incorporate wood-fired cooking techniques.

2 Dole Dr. | Westlake Village | 818-575-3044 | CoinAndCandor.com.

www.BellaCopper.com

Fresh Nuts, Dried Fruits & Candies Huge Selection of Gift Packs 4475 E. Los Angeles Ave., Somis 805-386-1211 • 800-266-NUTS Open 7 Days

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NABU Wines A member of the Malibu Coast Wine Trail, they make wines from the Santa Monica Mountains in the Malibu Coast AVA and the Napa Valley.

Tasting room open Sa-Su noon–8pm.

2649 Townsgate Rd. | Westlake Village | 818-835-3704 | NabuWines.com

Contact us at ads@edibleventuracounty.com to join the guide!

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

The Original Solid Copper Heat Diffuser, Defroster Plate & Oven Plate Copper conducts heat better!

Made in Ventura, CA since 2002

VtaMeatCo.com 2650 E. Main St., Ventura• (805) 667-9159

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LAST SIP

Walnut “Milk” Punch Recipe by Alaia Valentina, for CORKY’S NUTS Though this is a chilled cocktail, it has the soothing flavor of warm spices, perfect for a mild winter evening.

3 ounces walnut “milk” (use recipe below or make with any nut or dairy milk of preference) 2 ounces whiskey ½ ounce maple syrup Freshly grated nutmeg (1 hearty grating or 2 dashes of ground) Blend in high-speed blender and pour over ice. Garnish with one more dash of nutmeg.

Fresh walnuts look and taste vastly different from their grocery store counterparts.

Unsweetened Walnut “Milk” 1–1½ cups fresh walnuts, soaked in filtered water for at least 8 hours, then drained and rinsed 3 cups filtered water Dash vanilla extract (optional) Add nuts and water to blender and blend for 1 minute.

Strain mixer through a nut bag or 3–4 layers of cheese cloth into a large bowl, squeezing to get all excess. Pour “milk” into Mason jar or other glass jar, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Be sure to save and dry the walnut meal to use for other dishes!

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“You must understand

the whole of life,

not just one little part of it.

That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the skies, that is why you must sing, and dance, and write poems, and suffer, and understand, for all that is life.”

J. Krishnamurti, Founder

PRESCHOOL—HIGH SCHOOL & BOARDING

OAKGROVESCHOOL.ORG OAK GROVE SCHOOL EdibleVenturaCounty.com

The Art of Living and Learning

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