EOVC Winter 2023/24: Global Connections

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ISSUE 87 • WINTER 2023/24

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

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

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EPICUREAN delights You may come for the ocean adventure, but you’ll stay for the culinary delights that ignite your senses. A vast kaleidoscope of flavors and meal options from your morning coffee to late-night libations. Here, suites meet the salty ocean, savor the moments at Zachari Dunes.

2101 Mandalay Beach Road, Oxnard, CA 93035 | (805) 984-2500 | zacharidunes.com | @zacharidunes | @oxandocean | @sugarbeatsoxnard 2

WINTER 2023/24

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Raised With Care

®

All natural pork, beef and lamb raised sustainably and humanely by a

community of more than 600 independent family farmers and ranchers

to produce the highest quality meat.

100% Certified Humane® No antibiotics or added hormones—EVER No crates—EVER Raised outdoors and in deeply bedded pens 100% vegetarian feeds

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CONTENTS WINTER 2023/24 FEATURES 8 EDIBLE NOTABLES Robely Café Freedom Coffee Moody Market

14 LIQUID ASSETS

New Spin for Wagon Wheel

BY ERIKA BOLDEN

28 EATING GLOBALLY Kain Na!

BY BAMBI HOSAKA

REGULARS

32 FOR THE PLANET Farming for Fashion

PUBLISHER’S POST

BY KIM MASTER

16 TASTES LIKE WINTER

BY AVERY LIEB

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50 ROBIN’S RECIPES 52 FARMERS’ MARKETS 54 DINING GUIDE

An Interview with Patagonia

38 HELPING HANDS

Kids Help Fight Food Insecurity

BY NELL LIEB

40 RECIPE BOX

A Warm Cup of Comfort

44 FIRST PERSON

Returning to the Joy of Food

BY CHRISTINA BERKE

46 EDIBLE TRADITION

RECIPES 16 Roasted Kabocha Squash with Maple Lemon Yogurt and Brown Butter Sage 18 Apple Raisin Chutney 20 Brined Pork Chop with Brown Sugar Molasses Syrup 43 Ventura County Hot Chocolate 50 Pear Gorgonzola Appetizer Bites 51 Mulled Wine Spritzer 56 Butterscotch White Russian

Tradition by the Teacup

BY JENNIFER RICHARDSON

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THE ART OF LIVING & LEARNING at Oak Grove School

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR PRESCHOOL THROUGH 12TH 220 West Lomita Avenue • Ojai, California • 805-646-8236 • OakGroveSchool.org

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PUBLISHER’S Post

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W

hen I was a child I wanted to be a novelist. I took creative writing courses all the way through college and have scores of short stories scattered in notebooks somewhere in storage. Then I wanted to be an actor, performing in plays in both high school and college with half a hope of attending the performing arts program at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria. While I did attend the school for a year—and watched several performances—my focus shifted after I took a sign language class there. Eventually, I earned degrees in deaf studies and special education, taught school, had children, became a stay-at-home mom, then earned a degree in nutrition and finally became a publisher. I like to say I have several past lives all within this one living experience.

Planning each issue of this magazine is a little like planning my career and future. I have it all laid out way ahead of time with themes and ideas, and then we start the process. Sometimes it goes exactly according to plan. Other times, new ideas are introduced, or the state of the world prompts changes (global pandemic, anyone?), or personal life events happen, or stories have to be pulled for various reasons and it shifts the focus of the season. Then, I find that I am just along for the ride.

This Winter issue was meant to be “The Drinks Issue.” While we do have some fun drink recipes and interesting pieces about hot chocolate and tea ceremonies around the world (see pages 40 and 46, respectively), I found that the theme has shifted quite a bit since its inception. We have included stories of amazing Filipino food artisans who are honoring their culture in Ventura County (page 28); farmers, ranchers and companies who are actively producing sustainable fibers for clothing (page 32); kids who are standing up and fighting food insecurity (page 38); a woman who has overcome disordered eating (page 44); and local food makers who are nodding to the past while moving forward toward new futures (starting on page 8).

In this issue we use the phrase “catching waves” in a couple articles as a metaphor for following trends that we would like to see become the new normal. The people in our pages, I think, are innovators, sometimes even originators of local trends toward sustainability or uplifting various cultures.

It is through their perseverance that these ideas become trends with potential for global impact.

So perhaps our theme for this issue is “Innovation and Perseverance.” Or maybe “Warming Trends.” Or even “Global Connections.” Whichever resonates with you is the right one, dear reader, but the lesson I have learned—again—is that sometimes the best laid plans are just there to make a path for something new and unexpected, and maybe even better than the original idea. So, if you desire, make one of our yummy drinks, settle into a cozy chair and take your time savoring these pages. I hope you leave them as inspired as I am.

Ojai & Ventura County publisher & editor

Tami Chu copy editor

Doug Adrianson design

Cheryl Angelina Koehler contributors

Christina Berke • Erika Bolden Tami Chu • Gabe Garcia Robin Goldstein • Bambi Hosaka Anne Kallas • Avery Lieb Nell Lieb • Kim Master Jennifer Richardson photographers

Viktor Budnik • Mariah Green Liam Pickhardt • Stephen Schafer illustrator

Adriel Chu sales

Mary DiCesare mary@edibleventuracounty.com 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

Until next season,

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may be used without written permission of the publisher. © 2023. All rights reserved.

OF LEC HE ISS UE 87

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Founded 2002 by Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian, Edible Ojai & Ventura County is published seasonally, four times a year. We are an advertising- and subscriber-supported 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. No part of this publication

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EDIBLE Notables

Fresh Start for Ventura Bakery Partnership brings home a world of pastries

BY ANNE KALLAS | PHOTO BY VIKTOR BUDNIK

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ach day Roberto Maravilla, co-owner of Robely Café and French Bakery with Mariela Elizabeth “Liz” Ocampo, puts out a stunning display of hand-crafted pastries and baked goods that reflect any and all influences that strike his fancy. One day it’s all strudels. The next day might be scones, or focaccia, or cinnamon rolls. And each day customers come in and grab a coffee from Liz to sip alongside their pastry as they sit on the tree-canopied patio across the street from the Majestic Ventura Theater in downtown Ventura.

Roberto learned his craft over 19 years working at Xanadu French Bakery in Montecito before it closed in 2015. He’s been working as a chef ever since, finding solace in the kitchen after his wife died two years ago. Liz was a professional criminal lawyer in Mexico before coming to Oxnard 10 years ago with her American husband, with whom she worked on the business side of his squid import/export company. That marriage ended two years ago, although the two remain friends.

Liz says that once she saw the work Roberto could do, she wanted to go into business with such a talent.

They felt that each could bring a needed skill for a business, and they emphasize that there’s no personal relationship. It’s all business.

They were discussing concepts around the time Roberto walked by the empty Marie Shannon Confections spot on Chestnut Street. (Former owner Shannon Wright closed the store in summer 2022 in favor of made-to-order baking.) He immediately called his business partner, who came rushing.

“It was perfect. I knew immediately. When you know to do it, you do it,” says Liz. They combined their names “Rob” for Roberto and “Ely” for Elizabeth because that is what her family calls her—Robely. And they opened in January 2023.

Liz says people will come inside before they realize that it’s a new place, in spite of the change in décor. Once they’re told it’s no longer the former shop, the people sometimes walk out without tasting anything. It confounds the business partners.

Liz does all customer service, marketing, bookkeeping and operations work. She’s also the barista for the shop. Roberto is the artist who works his magic in the bakery in the back of the shop.

In addition to the daily display, Roberto also bakes cakes and bread to order—baguettes, sourdough, focaccia, rye, wheat.

As the holiday season approaches, Roberto says he’s planning special tamales with unique flavors like turkey or mushroom, which will be sold individually or by special order for bigger quantities.

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Robely Café and French Bakery 27 S. Chestnut, Ventura 805-628-9092 Instagram: @robelycafe

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EDIBLE Notables

Catching a Coffee Wave Freedom Coffee opens at C Street

BY ANNE KALLAS

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bout 20 years ago, when Andy Kirkwood was an exchange student from Scotland, he’d ride his bike daily from where he was staying to Ventura High School via the Ventura Promenade.

“I fell in love with it here. It’s an awesome place,” says Andy. And the promenade stayed with him, even as he returned to Scotland, married Holly, and they had Amelia, now 3.

Andy and Holly had the idea of a coffee kiosk by the sea—specifically, a place on the Ventura Promenade. They had successful careers in Scotland, but after COVID intervened, Ventura beckoned.

“We started with the belief that coffee is a social thing,” says Andy.

“People are experiencing physical and mental health problems created by the noise and pain all around us in the society that we have been born into. They’re stressed. Sometimes the best thing is to get outside and get a cup of coffee with old and new friends.”

The couple enlisted the help of Andy’s best friend from high school, Derek Meyer. “I thought it was a cool idea when Andy (and Holly) brought it to me a little over a year ago,” says Derek. “He’s my brother from another continent. I know the ropes when it comes to permitting and other issues.” Derek has been working for years for

FortuneBuilders, a company that specializes in entrepreneurship and teaching people how to start and grow businesses.

They decided to set a “hard deadline” of the 2023 X Games, July 21–23, to get things up and running, figuring that the promenade would be the busiest it’s ever been. “Through a series of miracles, we met that goal,” says Derek. “We opened on our deadline.”

The reception was less miraculous.

“It was a flop. It was the worst weekend we’ve had, though there were a lot of victories that came from it,” says Derek, who blamed part of the problem on people thinking they were opportunists from out of town. Things have been better now that the Freedom Coffee cart is becoming an established presence next to Aloha Steakhouse, with an agreement to use the restaurant’s power, water and kitchen temporarily.

Freedom Coffee happily serves local Beacon Coffee. Andy says the menu is largely vegan, with some dairy exceptions. “But it doesn’t taste vegan. There’s also gluten-free. Everything is all from small businesses, and the majority of the menu is organic and sourced locally,” says Andy, noting that the customer favorite is the Hawaiian macadamia/coconut latte, iced with oat milk. “Everything we do has the planet in mind; we are a platinum accredited Surfrider Ocean Friendly Restaurant,” he adds. (For more on ocean friendly restaurants, see our article linked at the QR code.)

Photos courtesy of Freedom Coffee

Freedom Coffee is located on the Ventura Promenade next to Aloha Steakhouse, 364 S. California St., Ventura. For more information, visit FreedomCoffeeLife.com or call 619-317-4052.

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Andy and Holly Kirkwood (pictured at left with daughter Amelia), partnered with Andy’s best friend from high school, Derek Meyer (at right with wife Crissy and son Duke), to create the beach front coffee kiosk Freedom Coffee.

The name Freedom Coffee was carefully selected. “It’s a bit cheeky because we are from Scotland (a nod to Braveheart), but we loved the name because it hits different notes with different people,” says Andy. “We specifically didn’t use stars and stripes [in the logo] because they mean a lot of specific things to different people, which can be about politics. That’s not what we’re about. Freedom Coffee is about freedom from that stress of everyday life.”

Derek says he was surprised at how people in Ventura reacted to the little cart. “I feel like I learned a lot about core Ventura attributes. People were looking at us skeptically when they thought we were outsiders. Nobody knew who we were. When they realized we were local, people were excited we are staying around,” he says.

Andy says they plan to put in a more permanent kiosk with its own electricity early in the new year. Eventually they hope to put coffee kiosks in Ventura and Channel Islands harbors, and any other places that need a little chillaxing.

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EDIBLE Notables

SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT Moody Rooster adds market to expanded restaurant

BY ANNE KALLAS | PHOTOS BY MARIAH GREEN

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hen we last checked in with the Moody Rooster in Westlake Village, it was 2017. So much has happened since then, says Vicki Crannell, who owns the restaurant along with husband and chef Collin Crannell. They have been able to parlay their success into expanding their business, though it has proved arduous.

“We were still using the old spot as a restaurant while we remodeled the old Taco Bell,” says Vicki, explaining that their landlord at Westlake Commons brought it to their attention when the larger, more prominent spot in the strip mall became available. The Moody Rooster moved in in February 2022.

The Crannells wanted to also keep the old space and convert it into Moody Market and Provisions, a deli with sandwiches, gourmet salads, farm bowls, whole roasts, snacks, desserts, beer and wine and provisions by other artisans. “Everything is ‘to go’ but guests can dine at our outside tables or indoors on our stools,” says Vicki, adding that carryout meals can be ordered ahead.

As with all of the offerings at the Moody Rooster, the deli will sell the freshest, local, sustainable food in compostable packaging. “We’ll be selling pita and ciabatta bread from our starter, Doughra, who started in 2017.”

“We thought we’d settle in [the new space] and iron out the kinks. Then we would convert the old market, and it wouldn’t take forever,” says Vicki, explaining that the mall is actually in Thousand Oaks for planning purposes. This meant establishing the Moody Market and Provisions—which is a few dozen feet away from the new restaurant spot—as though they were new tenants, not a continuation of the original Moody Rooster. This turned out to be an unexpectedly slow process. She says she has filed this episode as another story to tell going forward.

The Crannells had always planned on opening a deli once the restaurant got going. The pandemic and the resulting slowing of business to takeout-only moved things along. “The pandemic propelled us into getting our ideas down on paper. We were trying to utilize that opportunity to create ideas for a new market,” says Vicki.

The Moody Rooster Restaurant 2900 Townsgate Rd., Westlake Village Moody Rooster Market and Provisions. 2891 Townsgate Rd., Westlake Village

For more information about the Moody Rooster, visit MoodyRoosterWLV.com or scan the QR code for our 2017 article.

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They looked into compostable packaging, online ordering and delivery programs. During the pandemic, the Crannells found they could efficiently use their own staff at the Moody Rooster restaurant for deliveries, without sharing proprietary data with the larger food delivery services.

Over the years, the passion for fresh, local, sustainable fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat and all other recipe ingredients hasn’t abated.

The weekly Westlake farmers’ market is held Sunday morning right outside the restaurant doors. Chef Collin is a regular, exploring the stalls looking for inspiration and freshness.

“We don’t follow trends. We just do what we feel. Collin’s an artist. He gets inspiration from anything —a smell, a tree, the farmers’ market. We just do what we want to do,” says Vicki.

Over the past six years, Vicki says she’s noticed more local chefs at the farmers’ market, as more embrace local food sources.

“I would say I see a lot of creativity coming out of the pandemic. I hope more people are more open to food from local farmers. I would prefer having something that grew out of ground right here, not in another country,” she says.

Anne Kallas is a prolific freelance writer focusing on Ventura County. A fan of local, seasonal produce, she was the farmers’ market segment contributor for the “LIVE 805” show on KVTA 1590AM. She lives in Ventura and is a former columnist, writer and copy editor for the Ventura County Star.

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LIQUID Assets

NEW SPIN FOR OXNARD’S WAGON WHEEL

Brewery-restaurant honors both past and future

BY ERIKA BOLDEN | PHOTO BY STEPHEN SCHAFER

The original Wagon Wheel Junction, (demolished in 2011), stood at the 101 and Oxnard Boulevard, with its iconic sign as a signal for travelers to stop, eat and rest. The restored sign now rests over the entrance to the Wagon Wheel Brewing Company, at the same location.

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Photos courtesy of BWagon Wheel Brewing Company

The new Wagon Wheel Brewing Company has created its own iconic symbols with a Frida Kahlo mural and a “Mi Casa Es Su Casa” sign (pictured here behind Executive Chef Stefhanie Meyers) in the lobby. Chef Meyers creates the pub food dishes with a Mexican twist while Brewmaster Kolaan Busbice creates the house beers that fill half the 24 taps. GM Heidi Guzman shows her skill in the full bar.

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ew longtime Ventura County residents could forget the Wagon Wheel Motel buckboard once visible from the southbound 101 freeway. The sign, now fully restored, still invites locals and travelers for a drink and a bite—these days to the Wagon Wheel Brewing Company.

Open and airy, the restaurant sits at the base of the Wagon Wheel housing development in Oxnard. Marquee lights welcome guests, “Mi casa es su casa,” to the main dining room and bar. Towering windows and an expansive south-facing patio maximize the Southern California sun.

Those lights outline the vision, says General Manager Heidi Guzman. “Our focus is hospitality—creating a warm and welcoming environment where it really does feel like your house,” she says. Guzman works collaboratively with owners Kelley and Caroline Renezeder, Assistant General Manager Dan Bridges and Executive Chef Stefhanie Meyers, to set the tone for the team.

Pouring from 24 taps, Wagon Wheel offers a full range of beer styles—half from their brewhouse, half guest beers. Brewmaster Kolaan Busbice joined the team three years ago after working with Modern Times in San Diego. He helped the Renezeders handpick and design the brewhouse specifically toward the types of beers he wanted to brew, as they gave him creative control. The EdibleVenturaCounty.com

flight reflects those choices with four core beers: Wagon Wheel (blonde ale, 4.6% alcohol by volume or ABV); Salsera Sour (fruited gose, 6%); Roller Gardens (West Coast IPA, 6.9%); and Road Rash (hazy DIPA, 8%), also available in 4-packs to go.

The menu is American pub food with a Mexican twist, drawing from the Oaxaca region. Pizzas have toppings like mole black bean spread or adobo braised chicken. Most popular among regulars is a family meal of pork carnitas.

“How could you go wrong with that?” asks Chef Meyers. She oversees handmade corn tortillas in the kitchen and sources flour tortillas from local favorite Vallarta Supermarket. Chef Meyers recommends their house-made almond pound cake with strawberries from Tamai Family Farms—a Wagon Wheel spin on strawberry shortcake.

The Mexican influence extends to the full bar. Order a Michelada and it arrives in a handmade imported ceramic cup. Choose from local and Mexican spirits on the cocktail list or an alcohol-free selection and enjoy the cheerful spear of marigold garnishing your drink.

That balance of culture and nostalgia emerges in the details. “We refurbished the original stagecoach Wagon Wheel neon sign; it now hangs above our brewery,” says Guzman. “I especially love that detail because

that neon sign has always been such a staple in the community.” Three large communalstyle tables were made from former Wagon Wheel bowling lanes. Illustrations on can labels nod to the past and names of beers pay homage to the historic property.

Wagon Wheel has found a niche in the community for hosting large parties and events, says Guzman. You can reserve a private dining room that opens up to the large patio, allowing guests to circulate in and outdoors. Custom menus add a special touch to occasions.

“We’re excited for 2024,” says Guzman.

Wagon Wheel will continue with outdoor movies, trivia and live music. Along with an NFL package, they’ve added a tailgating menu and beer pong for football fans.

“We’re most looking forward to some amazing fundraisers and raising money for the nonprofits in our community.”

Wagon Wheel Brewing Company 2601 Wagon Wheel Rd. Suite 15 Oxnard

Erika Bolden is a freelance writer based in Southern California. She has written for the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Weekly and All About Beer Magazine. She can be found planting her front yard to CA natives or toting a cold one through the backcountry. @erikabolden WINTER 2023/24 15

A SEASONAL TABLE TASTES Like Winter

BY GABE GARCIA

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH WITH MAPLE LEMON YOGURT AND BROWN BUTTER SAGE This gorgeous dish can be served as a side to your holiday feast or as a unique dessert. The combination of savory and sweet flavors will leave your guests wanting more. (We recommend saving a bit of the maple yogurt aside for a midnight snack after all the guests have left.)

Serves 4

2 cups plain Greek yogurt 2 pounds kabocha squash (can substitute acorn or delicata) 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon chili flakes ¼ cup maple syrup Zest of 1 lemon 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 10 fresh sage leaves ¼ cup pecans (toasted or candied)

Eight to 24 hours before roasting your squash: Place a strainer or metal sieve in a bowl, making sure that the bottom of the strainer isn’t touching the button of the bowl. Place 2 layers of cheesecloth over the strainer and pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth. Bring the four corners of the cheesecloth together and tie into a ballshaped bundle. You may need to use some butcher’s twine to tighten the bundle.

Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When ready to resume preparation: Preheat oven to 450°F and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Wash the squash, cut in half and remove seeds. Slice into ¼-inch uniform slices.

Place squash in bowl and add oil, salt and chili flakes. Toss to coat the slices evenly.

Place the squash slices evenly spaced on the prepared sheet pans. Roast for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip each slice to ensure even roasting.

Bake for another 5 minutes, or until squash is fork tender. Remove from the oven and cool.

Remove chilled and strained yogurt from the cheesecloth and place in dry bowl.

Discard excess liquid. Add maple syrup and lemon zest to the yogurt and whisk.

To serve, pick your favorite serving platter, spread strained yogurt in the center of the platter. Arrange roasted squash on top of the yogurt in some pleasing pattern.

In a sauté pan on medium heat, add butter and cook for 3 minutes, or until browned and fragrant. Add whole leaves of sage, and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, until the sage is slightly crispy. Take the pan off the heat, and spoon brown butter and sage on top of squash. Finish with chopped toasted or candied pecans.

After 16 years as the executive chef at Tierra Sur, Gabe Garcia has a remarkable background in kosher fine dining. Drawing from this expertise, he has embarked on a new culinary journey at Neighborhood Social.

There, he masterfully blends high-quality ingredients with his passion for fine dining to craft a more casual yet exquisite dining experience, redefining the art of accessible gourmet cuisine. Find him on Instagram @_neighborhoodsocial_.

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APPLE RAISIN CHUTNEY This spicy sweet and savory side dish can be served warm or cold—with pork chops, on a cheese plate, with charcuterie, in a sandwich or many other ways. For a unique treat, throw it on top of plain Greek yogurt or use it to add some zing to your oatmeal.

Makes about 3 cups 3 tablespoons avocado oil 1 cup small-diced red onion 4 tablespoons minced ginger (about 2 inches of the root, peeled) 3 tablespoons minced garlic, (about 4–5 cloves) 5 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped (Fuji or Honeycrisp) ½ cup diced dried persimmons (optional) ¼ cup chopped Korean jujube (or substitute with dates) ½ cup golden raisins 1 cup apple cider vinegar ¼ cup red wine vinegar 1 cup dark brown sugar ¼ cup honey

In a 3-quart sauce pot on medium-high, slightly heat avocado oil. Add red onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté until fragrant. Add apples, persimmon, jujube and raisins to the pot. Continue to sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour in apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, brown sugar and honey. Stir, then add cinnamon, chili de arbol, mustard seed and salt.

Bring chutney to a boil and cover; turn heat down to a low simmer. After 10 minutes, uncover, increase heat to medium low and stir regularly for 20 to 30 minutes.

When liquid has reduced and apples are soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon, remove the chutney from the pot and discard cinnamon sticks.

Allow to cool, then serve with your favorite cheese or pork chop, or in a fun sandwich. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for 3 months.

2 cinnamon sticks 4 pods chili de arbol (or substitute 1 teaspoon red chili flakes) 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed 1 teaspoon kosher salt

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BRINED PORK CHOP WITH BROWN SUGAR MOLASSES SYRUP For the meat lover in your life, these tender flavorful chops can be served with the chutney or the molasses syrup for a burst of sweetness.

Serves 2 1 pound pork chops (½ inch to 1 inch thick) 3 tablespoons of high-temperature cooking oil

For the brine: 8 cups water 5 tablespoons kosher salt 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon black peppercorns ½ teaspoon juniper berries (can substitute rosemary or bay leaves) 3–4 allspice berries 3 cloves 2 garlic cloves, cracked ¼ of 1 onion 4 sprigs thyme 2 sprigs sage ½ teaspoon non-iodized sea salt*

For the syrup: ¼ cup brown sugar ¼ cup molasses ½ cup apple cider vinegar 24 hours ahead of preparing meal: Combine all brine ingredients into a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from heat and allow brine to cool. Place pork chops into cooled brine, making sure chops are completely submerged. Cover and refrigerate.

After 24 hours, pull pork chops out of brine, rinse and pat dry.

In a small sauce pot, combine brown sugar, molasses and apple cider vinegar and cook over medium-low heat, stirring regularly until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken slightly, creating a syrup (about 5–7 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside until ready to serve.

In a heavy sauté pan or skillet on medium-high heat, add high-temperature cooking oil. Add chops and sear until done, about 3 minutes on each side. (Internal temperature should reach 145°F.) Remove from heat and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, place chops on a plate and spoon brown sugar molasses glaze over the top. *Note: I used a commercial curing salt called Prague Powder #1.

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EDIBLE

Shop Local Gift Guide Shopping Locally Helps Us All!

Ventura County contains an extraordinary collection of artisans and creators who bring vibrancy to the region. Shopping these local purveyors helps our local economy, employs local people and helps keep friends, neighbors and families in business during these trying times.

Like many of these companies, we are also a small locally owned business. Supporting our ad partners keeps us going and allows us to continue to share the stories and recipes that bring joy to many.

This and every holiday season we encourage you to support local businesses as much as possible. And tell them we sent you!

 Bogüe Milk Soap 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.

 Bonito Coffee Roasters A Bonito Coffee Gift Box comes with a bag of single-origin coffee, a branded tumbler and a gift card.

Choose the variety of coffee, the color of the tumbler and the gift card amount to be shipped to your loved one’s front door. Price varies based on coffee selection and gift card balance.

BonitoCoffee.com

The Refill Shoppe  Thoughtful, practical and playful gifts are abundant at The Refill Shoppe, including custom-scented bubble bath and bath salts, custom lotion or body butter, candles, eco-friendly reusables, fun stocking stuffers, easy hostess gifts and so much more. You’re sure to find something special for your special someone. Visit the shop located in Downtown Ventura or shop online. Prices: $8-24 TheRefillShoppe.com

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farmer cook and the

recipes and farm stories from ojai, california

COOKBOOK

now available at

www.farmer-and-the-cook.com or for purchase at 339 w. el roblar drive in ojai

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A Taste of Ojai Cookbook/Flavors of the Valley  Created by spectacular Ojai chef Robin Goldstein, each cookbook 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/

vomFASS  Sample the finest culinary oils, balsamic vinegars, spices, rare spirits and liqueurs before you buy. vomFASS specializes in exclusive small-batch and artisanal offerings and has something delicious for all palates. The store can even ship and personalize your purchases. Shopping has never tasted so good! Prices vary. VomFassVentura.com

 Folke Home FOLKE is a vintage mid-century Danish Modern furniture and home decor boutique located in Downtown Ventura. In addition to vintage furniture, they make custom sofas, sectionals and chairs, candles and organic apothecary items (made by the couple themselves) and also offer restoration services. Prices vary. For more info, visit FolkeHome.com.

 Bennett’s Honey Since Bennett’s Honey Farm harvested their first batch of Topanga Quality Honey, the priority has been the bees. Like a fine wine, natural honey gets its distinctive flavor from the flowers, Bennett’s honey is produced in Ventura County, home of the best sage, orange blossom and wildflower fields in California. Starting at $7 BennettHoney.com

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 Plum Gift Boutique Plum is an eclectic gift shop ​boasting an abundance of treasures. Located in historic Downtown Ventura, just steps from the beach and surrounded by amazing restaurants, coffee shops, salons and more, it is the perfect place to spend a day and find the perfect gifts for your loved ones. Prices vary. 466 East Main St., Ventura; 805-641-0113; @plumgifts

American Flags and Cutlery  Explore culinary perfection with a curated collection—precision kitchen cutlery, versatile pocket knives, patriotic flags and innovative kitchen gadgets. Discover unique, high-quality gifts that blend utility with style. Unwrap the joy of exceptional craftsmanship for the kitchen enthusiast in your life. Prices vary.

AmericanFlagsAndCutlery.com

Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters  The holidays are a time for gathering with the ones you love and enjoying delicious treats. This season SHARE GOOD COFFEE from your favorite local spot, Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters. Snuggle up in one of their new hoodies or bring coffee to a friend in one of their new tumblers. “Whatever you do this season, remember that SHARING GOOD is always in season and GOOD COFFEE is always a treat!”

Prices vary. RagamuffinRoasters.com

 Clos des Amis Wines Clos des Amis Wines, loosely translated as “circle of friends,” are family vintners that produce small batch artisanal wines at South Mountain Winery. Their Ventura County grapes are grown and made with sustainable and organic practices.

Available online, at Downtown Ventura Farmers Market, Thousand Oaks Farmers Market and at select retailers. Prices $12 - $55.

ClosDesAmis.com; Info@closdesamis.com

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Ojai Ice Cream  Ojai Ice Cream in the Arcade is local staple!

They make homemade ice cream, offer allday coffee and espresso, and stock a wide array of candies. It’s a perfect destination for sweet treats; and gift cards are the ultimate stocking stuffers for your loved ones. Prices vary. OjaiIceCream.com

Lori’s Lemonade  Pure and refreshing, smooth and perfectly balanced, these lemonades are created for your enjoyment. Now with four flavors, each lemonade is organic and uniquely infused with herbs, spices and natural ingredients, providing a superior beverage with a bold, fresh and pure taste perfect for stocking stuffers and gift baskets. Visit LorisOriginalLemonade.com to find in a store near you.

Studio Channel Islands Art Center  Discover a unique selection of original art gifts at Studio Channel Islands’ gift shop, located within SCIART’s vibrant gallery on campus with over 40 professional artist studios. From exquisite paintings and sculptures to handcrafted jewelry and ceramics, these one-of-a-kind creations make for perfect presents, embodying the essence of local creativity and craftsmanship. Shop in person or online at StudioChannelIslands.org.

Don Francisco’s Coffee 

 Paradise Pantry

Give the gift of Don Francisco’s Coffee Club to everyone on your list.

Their coffee subscription program is convenient, hassle and worryfree, and keeps family and friends well-stocked of their favorite single origin coffee all season and all year long! Receive 20% off first order and 10% for subsequent orders. Subscribe now and give the gift that keeps on giving! Price: Starting at $9. DonFranciscos.com

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!

Cost: Varies. ParadisePantry.com

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 Calioh Coffee Discover the allure of Calioh Coffee’s curated gift boxes and artisanal blends.

Elevate your events with their catering services, featuring fresh-brewed artisanal coffee and delectable pastries. Order online or visit their Moorpark café to infuse every gathering with West Coast warmth and Midwestern hospitality. Delight the senses of every coffee enthusiast in your life. Prices vary. CaliohCoffee.com

 Top this Chocolate Gift a mouthwatering chocolate bar with their name in chocolate letters! Up to nine letters. 50+ topping choices including nuts, fruits, sweets and savories. Order online for shipping nationwide or pickup in Ventura Harbor. Stop in to build a premium custom chocolate creation or browse the shelves. Unique to Ventura. Price: $18. TopThisChocolate.com

Boccali Vineyards & Winery  Boccali Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery, located the beautiful Upper Ojai Valley. They produce 100% estate wines, lovingly handcrafted from the grapes they harvest from their own 5-acre vineyard. Wine club also makes a great gift!

Shop online at BoccaliVineyards.com or visit for a wine tasting at 3277 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai.

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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

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EATING Globally

KAIN NA! Riding a Wave of Local Filipino Cuisine WORDS AND PHOTOS BY BAMBI HOSAKA

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ith our enviable position in both the fertile Central Coast and the culinary melting pot of metropolitan Southern California, Ventura County has long offered an expansive setting for diverse food cultures to blend and evolve flavor.

Although our region has been best known for seafood delicacies, recently Filipino chefs have quietly made their presence felt in our vibrant food landscape.

In recent years, neighboring Los Angeles County has witnessed an unprecedented surge in the popularity of restaurants serving the flavors of the Philippines, as the archipelago’s rich and diverse flavors captivate the palates of food enthusiasts and media critics. Now this same culinary wave is moving farther north.

From dishes deeply rooted in tradition to modern interpretations with a California twist, from family-run gems to bustling big-name spots, we delve into the growing Filipino food scene and discover the passionate chefs and food entrepreneurs spearheading this flavorful transformation.

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Redefining Food and Health In May 2009, following her graduation from Cal State, San Marcos, Phyllis Masaya found herself facing a challenging job market in the midst of a chaotic economic downturn. Ventura County’s economic strain made her job hunt a fruitless and frustrating experience; months went by without callbacks or responses to her applications.

In November that year, after a desperate prayer, Masaya experienced a transformative dream: In it, her mother, Edita, who had passed away December 3, 2008, conveyed a powerful message: “Do what comes naturally to you.” She woke up with newfound clarity and determination, announcing “I’m rolling lumpia, and I’m going to sell it.” She named her business Masarap Lumpia, which means “delicious lumpia.” (Lumpia is a savory fried spring roll traditionally filled with meat, cabbage and other vegetables.)

Inspiration came from her mother’s background and culinary expertise. A caterer in Oxnard for many years, Edita left behind cherished recipes, often accompanied by handwritten notes. Masaya had learned wrapping lumpia from her mother, a skill she’d now employ in her venture.

In 2017, Masaya noticed a drastic shift in her energy level.

Concerned, she sought advice and received a series of diagnoses, including diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and various allergies.

Shortly thereafter, she watched a documentary about the American food industry that discussed the dangers of consuming excessive preservatives and animal products and was inspired to try a plant-based lifestyle. For Masaya, this turning point wasn’t just about dietary choices; it was about embracing a sustainable and holistic way of life. Whole foods, devoid of additives and EdibleVenturaCounty.com

Phyllis Masaya (above), the innovative owner of Masarap Lumpia, has been able to keep her business going for 14 years by adapting and shifting as needed, especially during the pandemic. She is now creating opportunities for other business owners to participate in pop-up markets and other events.

In early November, Masarap Lumpia and event coordinators, Sama Ka Na, hosted a Filipino pop-up market at Portside Ventura Harbor that included over 20 Filipino-owned businesses with a variety of offerings, including street foods.

According to Phyllis Masaya, owner of Masarap Lumpia, there were guests from Santa Barbara, Lompoc, Santa Maria, Ventura, Oxnard and Camarillo. It was so successful that the team has been given permission by Portside Ventura Harbor to host more events that are similar in the same location.

To participate in or attend future events, follow @MasarapLumpia on Instagram.

Photo by Viktor Budnik

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preservatives, became the foundation of her new path, both in life and in business.

Over time, her menu expanded beyond traditional and vegan lumpia.

Social media became the canvas to display her culinary creations and reach a wider audience. Her offerings gained popularity, and veganism became a central theme, which she skillfully incorporated into her culinary repertoire, including vegan desserts made with ube, a purple yam beloved in the Philippines: crinkle cookies, salted brownies, frosted cake and mini donuts. These creations earned acclaim as the “original vegan ube dessert box,” a unique blend of tradition and innovation, sold locally and shipped across the country.

Masaya’s evolution isn’t just a culinary journey; it’s a testament to resilience, inspiration and the power of following one’s heart. Rising from grief and adversity a culinary entrepreneur emerged, rewriting the story of food, health and community connection in Ventura County and beyond.

Masaya believes that authenticity in her work extends beyond her choice of ingredients and traditional cooking methods. A dish’s roots in Filipino culinary heritage carry significant weight, but she feels that cooking with love is a vital part of every dish she makes.

For more on Masarap Lumpia and Phyllis Masaya follow @ MasarapLumpia on Instagram.

BATCHOYAN ILONGGO RESTAURANT Filipino Comfort Food in Camarillo Throughout the recent ramen infatuation, other equally delicious noodle soups—including batchoy—have flown under the radar.

In Camarillo, Batchoyan Ilonggo is not your typical Filipino restaurant. It’s a place where authenticity meets passion, and where the regional flavors of the Philippines come to life. Michael Dinulos, owner, is the driving force behind this culinary venture.

“The uniqueness of our food arises from its strong ties to my homeland,” says Dinulos.

Although the restaurant offers an array of Filipino dishes that might be unfamiliar to some, the restaurant’s namesake dish, batchoy, steals the spotlight. This hearty noodle soup—made with pork offal, crushed pork cracklings, chicken stock, beef loin and rice noodles—is a comfort food beloved by Filipinos. Its origins can be traced back to La Paz, Iloilo City in the Philippines. Another popular dish is kansi lawas, a sour soup featuring bone marrow, jackfruit and vegetables.

Dinulos says that owning a restaurant, especially one representing his own country and region, fills him with immense pride. His roots in Filipino cooking trace back to his childhood, spent in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother. Dinulos’ love for cooking ignited a passion that eventually inspired him to enroll at Oxnard College’s culinary program. Eventually, he helped found his family’s culinary legacy in East Hollywood in 1995 with Ilonggo Delicacies—a shop and restaurant that closed during the pandemic.

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Chef Mike Dinulos, owner of Batchoyan Ilonggo, takes pride in the Filipino comfort food he makes. Knowing how food brings people together, he sees his restaurant as a place to enjoy the authentic Filipino flavors and culture.

WHAT IS FILIPINO FOOD? •

A cuisine that’s a product of the nation of islands’ early trade with other Asian countries, followed by repeated colonization and the diversity of native populations.

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Food that—like its language—is a mixture of indigenous foodways and colonial influences

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Bold flavors, a similar emphasis on harmonious sweet/ salty/sour tastes (and rice as the primary starch), as in many other Asian foodways, but with unique elements like fermented foods and souring agents, to name a couple.

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The subsequent evolution of Filipino American food adapted to North American ingredients and changing tastes.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Since its opening in October 2020, Batchoyan Ilonggo has drawn customers from far and wide, but rising costs have proved challenging. Nonetheless, Dinulos remained committed to keeping prices reasonable for his customers.

Over time, Dinulos has evolved his original batchoy recipe. He cut back on oil and introduced beef as an alternative protein for customers concerned about the original recipe’s pork, while preserving the authenticity of the original dish. Notably, he also portioned the liver into thicker slices, making it easier for customers who may be hesitant about liver to exclude it from their meal.

“Every bite is a journey back home, a reminder of the comforting flavors that bring people together,” said Dinulos. “It’s more than just a place to eat; it’s a place to savor the essence of Filipino culture and cuisine.”

For more information on Chef Mike and his restaurant visit Batchoyan.com.

SEAFOOD CITY SUPERMARKET Unveiling Filipino Flavors in Oxnard To introduce Ventura to the rich and diverse flavors of the Philippines, Ventura’s newest Filipino supermarket, Seafood City, hosted a fall pop-up event featuring dishes from the Philippines and other parts of Asia. The response was overwhelmThe Seafood City Supermarket, a specialized place ingly positive and fostered a number of crowd favorites, including dishes like to shop for Filipino flavors, is very focused on sauced grilled balut (fertilized duck/chicken egg that is incubated for a period of participating with the local community. time before cooking). The event’s popularity revealed that curiosity about Filipino culture is steadily growing in Ventura. The younger generation, in particular, is displaying an adventurous spirit when it comes to exploring new horizons, taking pride in discovering unique culinary experiences.

Mildred Smith, director of brand strategy and creatives for the market, emphasized the significance of a strong local presence when opening a new store. “Being in Ventura, networking and connecting with the local community are crucial,” she says. “Our focus is on serving and actively participating in important collaborative community projects.”

The supermarket offers discounts for seniors, students and active or retired military personnel.

“We’re deeply appreciative of the warm welcome we’ve received from Ventura County, so we’re eager to give back,” says Smith.

When asked about what inspired the brand to bring a Filipino supermarket to Ventura, Smith says that the decision was influenced by both demographics and cultural trends. “We always target locations where there is a growing Filipino American population,” she explains. “We’ve noticed an interest in Filipino cuisine not only among the Filipino community but also among mainstream diners, including families and young individuals.”

Smith highlighted an active presence on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Facebook as part of the market’s efforts to connect with customers and share their journey. Beyond the digital realm, Seafood City’s store also houses its own bake shop along with independent Filipino food establishments Bakers Avenue and Grill City.

Anticipation is building for the arrival of renowned Filipino restaurant chains such as Jollibee, Chowking and Valerios—all within the Seafood City building—promising an even more diverse culinary landscape in Ventura. In the meantime, these three businesses offer plenty of options, Bambi Hosaka is a pastry chef who has whether you are brand new to Filipino cuisine or you’re a seasoned diner ready to explore the culworked for “Top Chef” celebrity alum Fabio Viviani and the Four Seasons Hotel, Westlake, ture’s rich and diverse array of dishes beyond lumpia and pancit. for the past two decades. She lives in When Filipinos tuck into a meal, we say “kain na” (kah-een nah)—“Let’s eat!” in Tagalog.

For more information on Seafood City visit SeafoodCity.com.

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Ventura County, where she and her husband raised their two (now adult) children.

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FOR the Planet

FARMING FOR FASHION

Restoring textile connections in Ventura County

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hen we think of farming, we don’t typically think of fashion. Yet since 3000 BC, humans have been farming cotton plants and wooly fleece from sheep to make textiles. Merely 85 years ago, the disconnect between clothing and farming began as we started using petroleum to make textiles. Today, half of fibers used by the textile industry, including nylon, spandex, polyester, acrylic and acetate, come from petroleum.

The environmental consequences of this shift are astounding: The fashion industry now contributes to more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, produces 20% of global wastewater, pollutes our oceans with half a million tons of plastic microfibers and fills our landfills at unprecedented rates as more than 85% of textiles are thrown away.

How do we change this dismal trajectory of the fashion industry? Local shepherds, farmers, scientists and industry leaders share what’s being done to reconnect textiles and farming in Ventura County, and how we can help mitigate the fashion industry’s impact globally.

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Photo by Liam Pickhardt

BY KIM MASTER

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

“We need to pull the wool away from our eyes. Much of our clothing is made of microplastics. I think people are starting to understand that the way we currently make clothes is destroying our planet and destroying our health.”

Diane Anastasio, Shepherdess Land and Livestock “We need to pull the wool away from our eyes,” laughs Diane. She continues, seriously, “Much of our clothing is made of micro-plastics. I think people are starting to understand that the way we currently make clothes is destroying our planet and destroying our health.” Still, Diane feels “extremely hopeful about the future of wool and other natural fibers in Ventura County” as people demand more responsibly sourced clothing. Diane strives to exemplify how shepherding is a truly climate-beneficial practice: Not only do the sheep produce durable, biodegradable wool for clothing, but they also help with invasive species management, native habitat restoration, fire fuel mitigation and soil enhancement.

There are significant obstacles to growing shepherding businesses—like finding wool processing mills for smaller-scale production, finding buyers and educating consumers —but she insists “grazing and wool production present exciting alternatives to land management and petroleum-based clothing production. We need to re-educate around how ancient practices can be used in our modern world, and re-imagine what constitutes progress and innovation.”

To this end, Diane is working on a collectively managed fiber flock to encourage more shepherds and share responsibilities with people who might not otherwise have access or time, while her colleagues at Ojai-based Shepherdess Land and Livestock offer hands-on wool processing workshops.

For more information visit ShepherdessLandL.co.

Photo by Kim Master

—Diane Anastasio

Cindy Harris, Alpacas at Windy Hill “It’s the superior fleece of the world,” says Cindy Harris matter-of-factly of her alpacas’ fleece. “It’s soft, warm, light, hypoallergenic, strong, water-repellant, durable and, most importantly, gorgeous.”

Cindy began to raise alpacas in Ventura County in 1999 when she purchased 13 acres in Somis; today, she maintains a herd of 200 alpacas and sells their fleece to small-scale clothing manufacturers nationwide.

Given the fleece’s optimal characteristics and the alpacas’ evident affinity for our mild climate, why has the local alpaca fleece market not grown exponentially?

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Photo by Kim Master

“Ventura County is expensive—property costs, veterinary costs, feed costs,” says Cindy. “It’s expensive to ship fleece all the way to the East Coast to be processed into fabric, but it’s currently even more expensive to develop an alpaca fleece milling facility nearby.”

Moreover, “supplying commercial buyers like Nordstrom with even a line of scarves is challenging because we don’t have enough alpaca yet, and in the interim, it’s difficult to find the market for small-scale alpaca fleece.”

Nonetheless, Cindy perseveres successfully. She remains confident that the national herd size will soon grow from the current cottage-industry level to a larger, more robust commercial scale.

“I just sent 900 pounds of fleece to a guy who is going to make it into soft, warm accessories, like socks.” She spoke recently with a luxury loungewear businessman who wants to use her alpaca fleece as he shifts his company away from petroleum-based products. Cindy has also expanded her business creatively by boarding alpacas for people who don’t have the time or space, and by hosting community-oriented “fiber art retreats” and an “alpaca club” to teach people weaving skills and animal husbandry, respectively. Cindy glows with enthusiasm for her alpacas, their fleece and the heart-warming (pun intended!) connections they enable for her: “This fiber truly spoils you!”

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Photo by Kim Master

For more information visit AlpacaLink.com.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

An Interview with Patagonia Farm-Fresh Fashion in Our Backyard

By Avery Lieb We happen to have the climate-beneficial fashion company right here in Ventura County: Patagonia. I spoke with their spokesperson, Gin Ando, to better understand what natural materials they use, how they select their materials, the viability of sourcing materials locally, their plans for the future, and advice for teenagers like me— and everyone—as we seek to make better choices for our planet.

What natural fibers does Patagonia use?

We use quite a few natural materials, including organic cotton, hemp, Yulex® natural rubber, wool and bio-based polyester.

Why do you choose to work with these particular materials?

Every material has an environmental impact, and some have far larger footprints than others. We are constantly referring to those environmental costs, analyzing how our materials are grown, what we can make with that material and how durable those products can be. Hemp, for instance, when blended with organic cotton canvas and recycled polyester is 25% more abrasion resistant than conventional duck canvas and made perfect sense to include in our workwear line. Using organic cotton came from discovering just how dirty and chemical-heavy [growing] conventional cotton is.

The more we learned, the more it became a moral imperative for us to make the switch.

Where do you source your materials?

We source materials from all over the world based on their quality and how they’re acquired. Bureo, [a small sportswear business in Oxnard], for instance, supplies us with NetPlus, a recycled nylon made from abandoned fishing nets in the ocean. We’re working in India to expand adoption and capacity of farmers to grow Regenerative Organic Cotton, an organic standard that prioritizes the health and welfare of people and animals EdibleVenturaCounty.com

while also rebuilding healthy topsoil. Now that industrial hemp is legal to grow in the United States, we’re partnering with groups around the country to grow the domestic market as well.

Have you considered sourcing natural fibers from Ventura County?

Since we can’t source enough raw material to handle the scale we need for our products, we don’t currently have any suppliers in Ventura County.

What are the barriers to working with natural fibers?

It’s a constant push and pull when we consider the environmental costs of growing methods and the highest quality yield of a crop. While we have been using and advocating for things like regenerative organic-certified cotton, there’s no question it’s more expensive and requires more oversight. In our opinion, though, it’s worth it for the safety of the workers and welfare of the planet.

Do you have any advice for consumers— and teenagers in particular—seeking more responsibly sourced clothing?

Everything we make and consume has an environmental impact, regardless of how “green” or “sustainable” it might seem. The most responsible thing we can do as citizens is to consume less, but if we do have to buy something, get something of high quality and use it for as long as possible. Since terms like green, sustainable and even regenerative don’t have rules for use, look for independent certifications to ensure what you’re purchasing isn’t awash in marketing terms.

Avery Lieb, a 11th grader at The Thacher School in Ojai, enjoys friends, family, good food and writing about good food. She feels strongly that affordable, climate-beneficial, healthful food systems will dramatically improve local communities and our connected broader world!

Do you feel hopeful that Patagonia is helping to transform the fashion industry away from petroleum-based products?

“Transform” is not a fully provable word from our standpoint. However, we will continue to work with and test materials like bio-based polyesters and fibers like cotton and hemp to get the most use out of them.

We also believe product quality is an environmental issue and are dedicated to using synthetic materials as responsibly as possible.

Do you have any exciting materialsourcing plans for the future?

We’ll always work toward getting our entire line to be made with preferred materials (recycled materials, organic and/or regenerative materials, etc.). We can’t say anything specific now, but we’re always searching for and developing new materials from sources that close the loop.

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Jenya Schneider, Cuyama Lamb

Photo by Kim Master

Jenya grew up “feeling as if nature was separate” from her. Perhaps to heal this detachment, she works as a shepherd.

“Connecting with sheep is a necessary, symbiotic relationship,” she says.

The sheep must be sheared to survive, and, in turn, Jenya experiences deeper ties to the animals, land and her community to thrive emotionally in an otherwise alienating world.

Whereas previously she “had no idea how anything was made, where anything—from the food on the table to clothes on [her] body—came from, or what the repercussions were,” shepherding gives her a profound sense of understanding and gratitude. Her appreciation of the animals is obvious when she touts the benefits of wool: warm (“like no other material!”), moisture-wicking (“Norwegian fisherman even dip their gloves in water because it makes their gloves warmer!”), fire resistant (“A campfire spark lands on your wool sweater—no big deal!”), durable (“There’s nothing better than Grandma’s wool coat!”) and not stinky (“which is good for us hippies!”).

She emphasizes that you don’t have to be a shepherd to feel bonded to what you wear: “If you are familiar with and appreciate your clothes, the hands that sheared and processed it, you are in a sense wearing the world and you feel a part of it. It’s very basic, but healing. It’s the same thing with food: When you know where it comes from, it’s an act of intimacy that’s incredible medicine in our world.”

Photo by Jack Anderson

For more information visit CuyamaLamb.com.

Lawrence Serbin, Hemp Traders Lawrence was one of the first people in the country to work with hemp in 1990, and “it’s taken all this time for the country to catch up!” He asserts that “fiber hemp can replace or complement almost any products made from petroleum, like plastics,” including apparel, home furnishings and building materials. Although most hemp in Ventura County has been grown for the flower variety (CBD), the market has become oversaturated, and Lawrence insists that “fiber will soon be the largest, per acreage, hemp crop.”

For the last three years, Lawrence has been working with a farmer in the Central Valley to grow fiber hemp to his specifications, and has been astounded by the crop’s success: It uses 20% less water than a neighboring pima cotton crop and grows 20 feet within six months.

“Fiber hemp grows faster and creates more biomass than any crop out there. It’s really good at sequestering carbon, putting it into products. It’s biodegradable, and renewable, since you can grow it every year. It can play one of the largest roles when you are thinking about alternatives to petroleum for physical things.”

Despite fiber hemp’s potential to replace plastic, there exist substantial obstacles to growing it locally. Fiber hemp requires a minimum of 50 acres, and ideally more, to reach an economy of scale that would make production cost effective—and this acreage is difficult to find in Ventura County. If farmers grew fiber hemp on a smaller scale, he says, they would only make $1,000 per acre profit, which is hard to justify if you can generate more than ten times that growing berries or citrus. And then there’s “the biggest obstacle: government,” says Lawrence. On a national scale, he continues, 36

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“If you are familiar with and appreciate your clothes, the hands that sheared and processed it, you are in a sense wearing the world and you feel a part of it. It’s very basic, but healing. It’s the same thing with food: When you know where it comes from, it’s an act of intimacy that’s incredible medicine in our world.”

—Jenya Schneider Edible Ojai & Ventura County

“Fiber hemp grows faster and creates more biomass than any crop out there.

It’s really good at sequestering carbon, putting it into products. It’s biodegradable, and renewable, since you can grow it every year. It can play one of the largest roles when you are thinking about alternatives to petroleum for physical things.”

—Lawrence Serbin

Kim Master has been researching and providing creative guidance on environmental and health issues to private and public organizations for two decades. She co-authored Green Remodeling: Changing the World One Room at a Time, co-founded an organic coffee company and secured her BA in human biology and MA in anthropology from Stanford University.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

“government regulation is why we don’t have a larger hemp industry today. They flat out made it illegal to grow… Now, the government still makes us register even industry hemp crops and test them for THC before harvest, then get a background check. It ends up costing a lot of money.”

Still, Lawrence believes fiber hemp is worth consideration in Ventura County: “If people are willing to buy hemp, then we can certainly grow a lot more. It will sell itself.”

For more information visit HempTraders.com.

Arianna Bozzolo, PhD, Rodale Institute California Organic Center Traditionally, the fashion industry functions in what is known as a “linear economy”: Finite resources are extracted to create textiles, the textiles are generally not used to their full potential and then the textiles are thrown away. To truly shift the fashion industry in a climate-beneficial direction, it must embody the concept of a “circular economy,” in which the clothing industry actually regenerates and improves the earth in a more holistic and cyclical framework. One of the few efforts to research this exciting framework happened to take place in Ventura County.

In 2021, the Rodale Institute California Organic Center, located on the McGrath Family Farm in Camarillo, partnered with Candiani Denim to investigate the effects of adding denim scraps, or recycled cotton, as a soil amendment. Ideally, the extra cotton would not only be reused instead of landfilled, but also would restore soil health, the epitome of a closed-loop system that fosters more regenerative agriculture.

The results were promising: Arianna Bozzolo, PhD, determined that the denim degraded within 11 weeks; soil moisture was similar or higher than soil without the denim cotton amendment; and, consequently, soil carbon levels increased due to a larger microbial population in the moister soil with the denim cover crop. Arianna concludes that “by implementing this circular and regenerative approach, the fashion industry can reduce its environmental impact, conserve resources and contribute to the regeneration of ecosystems. It’s a holistic solution that addresses both the textile waste problem and the sustainability of cotton farming.”

While Arianna admits that her Ventura County research site “may not be the place to grow cotton,” she offers that “it’s a wonderful idea.”

For more information visit RodaleInstitute.org.

Lesley Roberts, Southern California Fibershed There is no one who can tie the disparate Ventura County farming and fashion industries together better than Lesley Roberts. She is the director of Southern California Fibershed, a nonprofit that connects consumers, manufacturers, designers and ecologists to “rethink and reimagine the life cycle of garments.” So, if a clothing designer from Topanga wants alpaca wool, she’ll send them to Cindy Harris. If Diane needs to find a small-scale mill for her raw wool fibers, Lesley will help connect her with a new mill owner she met recently. If a local nonprofit needs a speaker on hemp fiber, she’ll invite a local expert like Lawrence. While Lesley’s day job is in marketing, she describes her volunteer work with Fibershed as “how I want to be in the world: connected to others, taking action and enchanted with the natural world.”

Lesley is not alone in her desire to find more connection and humanity in life—not to mention clothes that don’t damage the planet. She invited me (being the super-connector she is!) to a climate-beneficial fashion show in Ventura, to which dozens of curious locals showed up; one participant even burst into tears of joy because she had no idea so many people “felt as passionate” about fashion and climate change in the community. “Even though my work with Fibershed may not transform the fashion industry,” Lesley concedes humbly, “it matters.”

For more information visit SoCalFibershed.org.

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Photo courtesy of Food Share

HELPING Hands

Kids Can Help Fight Food Insecurity Food Share leader offers empowering tips

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BY NELL LIEB

o you know that one in four people in Ventura County suffers from food insecurity—defined as not having access to sufficient food, or food of adequate quality, to meet one’s basic needs?

How does this crisis really affect kids? Research shows that children who experience chronic hunger are significantly more likely to experience behavioral, academic and mental health problems. These issues then increase the chance that kids will drop out of school and earn less money as adults. I wanted to understand what’s being done locally to help kids from food insecure families, and how teens like me—or anyone—can take action to fight hunger in our community.

I spoke with Jennifer Caldwell, chief development officer of Food Share Ventura County, who shared her inspiring insights with me.

What are schools doing to assist food insecure students?

In California, we’re very fortunate that there’s a law called the Universal Meals Program, often referred to as School Meals for All. It’s the first food assistance program in the country to provide breakfast and lunch for every single student in [public] school. The previous law was just for low-income students who had to fill out a form to 38

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qualify, but that got overturned and now anybody who needs food can get two meals completely free. The program really helps parents who are already struggling to put food on the table.

What is your organization doing to assist school-age kids?

Children are welcome to visit any of our pantries throughout Ventura County, whether or not they receive school assistance. We have partnered with the Boys and Girls Club on an after-school Kids Farmers’ Market. For this program, we have a nutritionist who creates healthy recipes, does a cool little exercise activity with the kids and she then cooks the food in front of them. She teaches them the health benefits of that food, and then we actually send a food box home with each one of those kids, along with our recipe, for them to then go home and duplicate that recipe with their family. It’s just an alternative way to continue healthy eating habits while also providing fresh, healthy produce to families. It’s a grant-funded program, so we’d love to be able to expand it and do it more, but we really are only able to do it when the funding opportunities become available on our side.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Can you share any examples of local teenagers helping to address food insecurity?

Yes! In September 2023, we had a group from Oak Park High School come to Food Share and volunteer.

It started from this one kid who came to Food Share on his own for volunteer hours. He was so affected by the program, loved being able to volunteer his time and felt like he was making a difference, so he went back to school and he actually started a Food Share club at his school. They do food drives every once in a while.

A couple months ago, they volunteered at Food Share for three hours. Also, they are just spreading the word about food insecurity and how it could affect anybody, at any time. They are sharing the resources of different pantries and food assistance available throughout the county, and trying to take the stigma of shame away from it.

A very high percentage of the people that we serve are working families; they have jobs, they have two jobs, they have three jobs!

And it’s still hard in this beautiful Ventura County to make ends meet, so at the very end of the month they need food assistance.

We need to break down the stigma of “you have to be homeless or unemployed to need food assistance”—this is critical. What these teenagers did was a really, really unique way for a group of teenagers to be able to give back their time and spread the word.

What’s the most effective way for teenagers like me—or anyone—to take action? ​​ first step is to organize a group from your school and come in The for a tour so you can learn more about us. You can see the different volunteer opportunities that we have available and then take what you learn from the tour back to your school to focus on activities, like food drives, that will help.

Perhaps the biggest way I’ve seen teenagers help is through social media. It is a digital world out there! It is a necessary evil sometimes; it can be used for so much good. Even just posting a picture of yourself volunteering and sharing a little bit about Food Share can help. The ripple effect that social media has for good is so abundant and needs to be used more; it just has so much potential. And it is free! Social media, especially in the teenage hand, has the potential to effect change in a really positive way, if it is used the right way.

For related news and stories about the California program, visit SchoolMealsForAll.org and for more on Food Share and to volunteer, visit FoodShare.com.

Nell Lieb is an eighth grader at the Ojai Valley School. She loves swimming, bike riding, acting, hanging with friends, cooking, writing about food and photographing food on her Instagram @lilfoodiecallednell.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

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RECIPE Box

A Warm Cup of Comfort A brief history of hot chocolate and how it is consumed around the world

BY TAMI CHU

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

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aybe, like me, you grew up with the flavor pack of hot chocolate by some national brand, six to a box, ready to be stirred into hot water or (for a creamy variation) hot milk. Hot chocolate symbolized cold weather—in the Midwest of my youth snow days were a real thing—and toes toasted over the floor heater. After I moved to the valleys of California, where snow on the tops of distant mountains is the winter view for hardly more than a minute, hot chocolate became just a comfort food to sip on the occasional cool night.

I didn’t come close to knowing the history of hot chocolate, or even how to properly make it, until well into my adulthood. Now, the question becomes: Is hot chocolate another culturally appropriated food?

Bittersweet History Chocolate, in its earliest known processed form, appeared as an unsweetened drink, probably primarily used as medicine or in ceremony, in the Mayan and Aztec cultures. It was likely not served hot, was made with water and local spices, and was frothed by pouring back and forth between cups. According to some sources, the indigenous people used chocolate as a form of currency as well as offerings in religious rituals.

It was not a global phenomenon until after the Spanish conquest of South America, and would likely have been disregarded as too bitter by the Spaniards but for the importance chocolate played in the culture of the natives.

Eventually, in the late 1500s or early 1600s, the unsweetened chocolate drink was sent to Western Europe, where Spanish monks are credited as being the first to add sugar. From there, through trade, time and experimentation, it took on a variety of iterations, each a reflection of the culture that adopted it.

Latin American Hot Chocolates In Latin America chocolate consists of a wide variety of hot and iced chocolate drinks, with hundreds of recipes dependent on region or even family. According to the Smithsonian and Mission Chocolate, in Mexico, Central America, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru the drinks are usually made from unrefined cacao; cracking, hulling and using grinding and frothing tools are part of the process. Though the historic drink was just ground cacao beans with lukewarm water and achiote (ground annatto seed), ground corn or vanilla, the most common drink in those regions now—generally known in North America as Mexican Hot Chocolate—refers to a hot sugar-sweetened version with milk and spices like Ceylon cinnamon, anise, nuts and seeds ground with the cacao and frothed with a molinillo (a wooden whisk made specifically for frothing the chocolate drink).

The version more common in countries like Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Paraguay doesn’t use the unrefined cacao, but instead incorporates melted chocolate chips or chocolate bars, making it a smoother texture.

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Global Hot Chocolate There are as many variations of the chocolate drink in Europe as there are cultures, but these are some of the more popular or well known.

Spanish

Hungarian

Belgian

Indian

Often served as breakfast with churros on the side, in Spain hot chocolate—made with ground cacao, cocoa powder or solid chocolate—is more like the consistency of pudding, a thickened sauce better for dipping than sipping.

This hot chocolate carries a unique flavor with chopped chocolate, smoked paprika, pepper, ground cloves and sometimes a touch of salt and burnt sugar.

Made with both ultra-smooth chopped milk chocolate and dark chocolate, milk, cinnamon, sugar and whipped cream, this hot chocolate celebrates the high-quality chocolate for which Belgium is known.

Hot chocolate in India heavily incorporates the earthy spices—like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorn—that are so prevalent in the region, but uses white chocolate as a base.

Italian Another thicker sipper, the Italian dark chocolate cioccolata calda is often made with cornstarch or flour as a thickener and served very hot.

French Le chocolat chaud is the iconic rich sipping chocolate made with shaved dark chocolate, cream, whole milk and sugar.

A little goes a long way.

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The Netherlands Dutch cocoa typically has lower acid due to the addition of an alkaline agent in the chocolate-making process, giving it a slightly less bitter flavor.

Dutch hot chocolate is made with rich dark chocolate, a nice scoop of Dutch processed cocoa, milk and a large dollop of unsweetened whipped cream dusted with cocoa and cinnamon. For adults, a touch of rum is often added.

Viennese Truly indulgent, hot chocolate in Vienna is made with water instead of milk, bittersweet chocolate shavings, thickened with egg yolk and often served with a heaping serving of whipped cream.

National Hot Chocolate Day is Jan. 31. Feel free to celebrate with our recipe or with one of these global flavors.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

Ventura County Hot Chocolate This recipe creates a creamy dark chocolate drink that serves as the base for endless variation. Make it your own by adding more or less shaved chocolate; sugar substitutes like maple syrup, molasses or granulated sugar; and your favorite nondairy milk.

Serves 4 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons Dutch cocoa 3 cups whole milk (or non-dairy milk) 1 cup water 1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick ½ cup cream, plus 1 cup for whipping 3- or 4-ounce local chocolate bar (at least 60% dark), flavor of choice, chopped fine or grated Optional: 1 tablespoon maple syrup In a 3-quart saucepan over medium-low heat, stir sugar, cocoa, milk, water and cinnamon stick until it comes to a simmer. Add cream and chopped or shaved chocolate and stir continuously until the chocolate is completely melted.

Immediately remove from heat.

In a small mixing bowl, with a wire whisk or hand-held mixer, whip 1 cup cream with the maple syrup (if desired) until stiff peaks form.

To serve, remove cinnamon stick and pour hot chocolate into 4 mugs and add a generous dollop of whipped cream to the top.

Variations: •

Try changing up the sugar, chocolate bar flavor and milk for different consistencies or flavors.

•

At the simmer stage, add any combination of a teaspoon of vanilla extract, whole cloves, whole anise, a dash of ground nutmeg or a hearty pinch of ground cayenne. Pour hot chocolate through a sieve when serving.

•

For a peppermint or fruity hot chocolate, add a teaspoon of extract (peppermint or orange) when removed from heat. Stir to incorporate.

•

Sweeten the whipped cream with sugar or caramel.

•

Add orange zest to the whipped cream.

•

Use marshmallows or a small scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of whipped cream.

•

Add 1 ounce of rum, whiskey or brandy to each serving mug before pouring in chocolate.

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

Chocolate comes from the cacao tree, native to the tropics of the Americas, grown now around the world in tropical climate zones 11–13. The scientific name, Theobroma, means “food of the gods” and has been seen as such for centuries.

Cacao beans grow inside large pods covered by a white sticky sweet pulp that can be eaten fresh. The beans are harvested, fermented and then dried (in the sun for the best results) before being roasted and ground into chocolate.

Cacao can be grown in Ventura County but will only survive the winters if in a temperature-controlled greenhouse. Pods are produced from 4- to 7-year-old trees, so it is a long-term project. Chocolate can be made at home from unroasted bean to bar with minimal equipment, but if sourcing raw cacao, it is important to buy from reputable vendors like Meridian Cacao Co. (MeridianCacao.com) or The Chocolate Alchemist (ChocolateAlchemy.com), who buy direct and pay the farmers well.

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FIRST Person

RETURNING TO THE JOY OF FOOD

BY CHRISTINA BERKE ILLUSTRATION BY ADRIEL CHU

“What do you want for dinner tonight?” my partner asked me.

“I’m feeling like mushrooms and risotto!” I said, opening the fridge to see what ingredients we might have to make this happen.

This innocuous exchange might not be a big deal for some people.

But it used to be for me.

I’ve always been a good eater. A hearty appetite with no allergies paired with a try-anything-once attitude, I was easygoing at the table. (It was even rumored that I’d eaten a snail from the garden as a baby.) But when my parents divorced, my eating patterns diverged.

At Mom’s, I ate black beans and brown rice. At Dad’s, I ate spaghetti and Frosted Flakes. When he passed away, I felt I could only connect with him through the foods I had eaten at his house. I grieved with frozen dinners and ice cream and pretzels. But with my mom, where soda was banned and second helpings were discouraged, I was building rules and patterns in my head.

As I got older, food became less about life-giving energy and pleasure and more about punishment. My classmates teased and bullied me about my body. Lunchtime in the cafeteria was no longer about eating enough to have energy for the playground monkey bars or handball courts. I monitored myself, and started looking at what my peers ate. Was I eating too much? The wrong foods? Communal eating on those benches felt less like an everyday necessity and more like an exercise in control.

Soon, restrictive eating patterns emerged. I became obsessed with food: how many calories were in a medium-sized apple, which trendy diet to start, and so much restriction.

If someone asked me what I wanted to eat for any meal, my mind would starburst out into panic. Depending on the diet I was on, that could mean I wasn’t eating carbs, or had to check in to see how many calories I’d already consumed, or which fruits were allowed at that 44

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time of day. If I hadn’t worked out, that meant less access to food.

How I looked was what I thought mattered. I came of age in the era of supermodels like Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer—before airbrushing was called out, before there were words in everyday conversations like diet culture and fat phobia. The solution, I thought, lay in the next magic diet, the last few pounds. The problem was, it was never-ending. Diets ruled my life. They made me cranky; they overtook my brain with obsession; they took the joy out of family meals.

There were many times I canceled plans at the last minute because I was too anxious about eating in public. I needed to know exactly what oils the restaurant cooked their food in, and if their menu wasn’t available online, I didn’t want to risk temptation. I couldn’t trust myself to order what I was supposed to, or to eyeball the portion size I needed in order to stay on track. And a place that served complimentary freshly baked bread with sea salt butter pats? Forget it.

At my worst, I limited myself to a handful of safe foods. My world was small. I prepared my meals ahead of time, carefully measuring out precisely how much my plan allowed, and packed it wherever I went, adhering to my strict mealtimes.

One Christmas, my family was busy making their signature dishes in the kitchen. I was in the living room, eating out of my Tupperware, alone and, for a moment, satisfied I’d stayed on my diet. By the time their meal was ready, my dish was already washed and I sat to watch them enjoy the holiday meal we gathered for once a year. I allowed myself a cup of herbal tea, concentrating on this rather than the oohs and ahhs of how delicious every bite of theirs was.

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“Don’t you want a bite?”

“Just a little taste won’t do you any harm!”

For me, a taste, a lick, a bite meant pendulating to the other side, being completely out of control. There was no middle ground.

Soon, people started telling me how great I looked. It was motivating, but confusing to hear. Did that mean I’d signed away my life to measuring out a teaspoon of this and a half-cup of that forever, my brain invaded by these useless thoughts? What about traveling to new countries? Or trying new foods during date night?

Then I got hungry… really hungry. My body craved more nutrients, more calories, and I didn’t know how to balance it. I went from fear around food to no rules at all, eating past painful fullness, and hating myself for blowing my allotted calories, for throwing away all of my hard work. And it kept going like this—a cycle I didn’t know how to pull myself out of: the starvation, the hunger, the overeating, the binges, the guilt and shame.

It wasn’t until my life got unmanageable that I found a weight-neutral doctor who officially diagnosed me with an eating disorder and I started to understand the intricacies of the mental health issue.

Eventually, I began my recovery journey and started healing my relationship with food, and with my body. While my insurance didn’t

cover treatment, I created my own makeshift program via the wealth of knowledge online, in libraries and in sliding-scale therapy. From there I read more about diet culture, body positivity and fat bias through people like Aubrey Gordon and Sonya Renee Taylor.

I shifted from rigid thinking to expansive enjoyment, slowly reallowing all foods in, and started trusting myself more. I learned about intuitive eating, about why my body craved certain foods, and coping skills to help when I was stressed.

When I got quiet enough, I started paying attention to others again, including my mother and her gardening. The harvest of months-long sowing reminded me that we’re here to enjoy the abundant possibilities of creativity and enjoyment in the kitchen.

By returning to food and remembering the goal was nourishment, I became more grounded. By watching my mother tend her garden, and eventually harvest homegrown produce, I had a newfound appreciation of food. The very act of patience, love and care that goes into nurturing a living thing became overwhelmingly beautiful.

And I finally believed I deserved that. One bite at a time, I return to myself.

Christina Berke is a writer and educator from the Conejo Valley. She’s currently working on a novel. Visit ChristinaBerke.com to learn more.

Vedanta offers self-transformation journeys with expertly curated programs and master teachers, focusing on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Our rustic luxury retreat center spans 240 acres of Oak Woodlands in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, promoting a deep connection with nature.

As a non-profit organization, Vedanta aims to foster harmony in self, community, and nature, contributing to collective healing, and welcomes everyone to join this transformative process.

Retreats Offered Ayurvedic Cooking & Lifestyle • Art of Breathwork/Pranayam• Beyond Cancer Program • Full Moon Gazing: Recalibrate the Heart • Somatic Experiencing • Aging Gracefully • Silent Yoga and Meditation • Kundalini Tantra • Demystifying Chakras and Mudras and more.

www.vshr.org

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41208 Hot Springs Dr. California Hot Springs, CA 93207

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TRADITION BY THE TEACUP Many cultures toast special events with tea WORDS BY JENNIFER RICHARDSON

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

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round the world, tea is a significant part of many cultures, second only to water in its popularity as a beverage. Its importance extends far beyond quenching thirst; tea also supplies opportunities for reflection, hospitality and the expression of gratitude, to name just a few of its roles.

Most tea is produced in China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya, and it all originates from the Camellia sinensis plant. The level of oxidation is one key factor that decides the type of tea. For example, green tea is not oxidized; oolong tea is partially oxidized; and black tea, such as English breakfast tea, is oxidized for up to four hours. So the more the oxidation, the stronger the flavor.

Sip a cup of your favorite tea as we explore tea traditions from six countries, encompassing different varietals, as well as etiquette, philosophy and, occasionally, snacks.

CHINESE WEDDING CEREMONIES China was the original producer of tea, and its history and culture go back thousands of years. Tea “carried 5,000 years of civilization,” says Chinese tea maker Lin Zhou Chong. No pressure, then, to describe it here in a couple of paragraphs!

Tea culture spread across China starting in the Tang Dynasty (618– 906) and flourished during the Song Dynasty (960–1279). As Bret Hinch notes in his book The Rise of Tea Culture in China: The Invention of the Individual, the Song Dynasty equivalent of a Renaissance man was one who has mastered the game Go (weiqi), the zither, calligraphy, painting, shi and qu poetry, and tea. By the Ming Dynasty (1368– 1644), tea preparation resembled the same methods we use today.

One still-common example of a Chinese tea ceremony takes place during a traditional Chinese marriage ceremony. Its roots may go as far back as the Tang Dynasty, when an early record of tea ceremonies records Tang Princess Wencheng’s marriage to Tibetan Emperor Songtsen Gampo.

On their wedding day, the bride and groom serve tea to both their families, including parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. It is an opportunity for an intimate, reflective moment before the larger ceremony, and allows the people getting married to express their gratitude and respect to their families. It also symbolizes the union of the two families.

JAPANESE TEA RITUAL Chado, the way of tea, is a formalized ritual for drinking tea in Japan steeped in Zen Buddhism. Central to the ceremony is the 37-step preparation and serving of tea, as well as the environment, including gardens outside the tearoom—the intimate, tatami-mat-lined room where the tea is served amid such decorations as calligraphy and flower arrangements.

Guests kneel on the tatami mats while the host, who has likely trained for many years, conducts the ceremony, which lasts anywhere EdibleVenturaCounty.com

from 45 minutes to several hours. While some ceremonies may include a meal, at a minimum wagashi (a traditional Japanese sweet that often has an intricate design) and matcha (powdered green tea) are served. True to its Buddhist roots, the goal is to be present in all aspects of the experience.

Three Buddhist monks had an outsized influence on chado. Murata Shukō (1423–1502) advocated for the simple, spare aesthetic that still characterizes the ceremony. Takeno Jōō (1502–1555) brought wabi, the concept of “pure and rustic beauty” to tea drinking. His disciple, Sen no Rikyū (1522–1591) codified still-used guidelines for the ceremony, as well as for architecture and landscaping. Notably, he lowered the entrance to the tea hut so that all who entered had to bow, symbolizing equality among participants regardless of social class.

However, it would take until the late 19th century before women were included in the ceremony. Today women are central to preserving chado, making up the majority of tea ceremony teachers and students.

RUSSIAN TEA SAMOVARS The literature of the Russian greats is littered with references to samovars, decorative metal urns used to boil water for tea. The samovar was invented in the Siberian town of Tula during the mid-1700s and is the center of the tea culture that took hold in Russia in the late 19th century as tea drinking spread across all classes.

Taking tea is an informal, leisurely affair known as chainichat (passing time over tea), often taking place in private homes with friends and family. In Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, samovars supply refreshments at a society ball, merriment to soldiers during an otherwise miserably inclement night during the War of 1812 and anguish for a family that must leave their heirloom samovar behind during the evacuation of Moscow.

Tea, zavarka, is poured from a pot into glasses with decorative metal holders, and guests may dilute it to their tastes with water from the samovar. A jam of syrup and whole berries is used to sweeten the tea, either by adding it directly to the cup or taking sips of tea and syrup in succession.

Alternatively, it is entirely polite for guests to hold a cube of sugar between their teeth and sip their tea, an approach that sounds fun to execute even if the mechanics seemingly present a high risk of faux pas.

ENGLISH AFTERNOON TEA English afternoon tea of the American imagination—think tiered trays of dainty crustless sandwiches, scones, cakes, tea and maybe even a glass of champagne—dates back to the early 19th century. The Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Russell—friend to Queen Victoria—decided she needed something to tide her over between lunch (generally served at noon) and dinner, served no earlier than 7:30pm. The habit stuck, and the Duchess soon began inviting friends to join her.

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Afternoon tea is served around 3pm or 4pm and is an elegant affair. There is usually an elaborate menu of teas to choose from, akin to a wine list, followed by a succession of savory and sweet treats. Traditional fillings for those crustless sandwiches include egg and cress, smoked salmon, and cucumber, though more contemporary afternoon teas may include plant-based options.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find afternoon tea happening outside of the fancy hotels and restaurants of England, but the daily ritual of “elevens” is alive and well in workplaces and homes around Britain and in parts of Latin America. It is, as the name implies, a break at 11am for a cup of tea and a snack.

MOROCCAN MINT TEA In Morocco, mint tea, known as touareg, is part of daily hospitality as well as celebrations of births, weddings, deaths and religious holidays. The ceremony is deeply ingrained in Moroccan culture and refusing an invitation to tea is a cause for great offense.

While the origin of tea in Morocco is uncertain, the use of spearmint is sometimes attributed to the indigenous Berber people. Other key ingredients in touareg are strong green tea (known as gunpowder) and sugar.

The ritual includes three rounds of tea served from an ornate teapot known as a berrad. The tea is poured theatrically from a height of at least a foot into glass cups, a method that expresses respect to guests and aerates the tea. In return, guests slurp rather than sip as an expression of appreciation.

AMERICAN ICED TEA Tea in colonial America got off to a shaky start—think Boston Tea Party. Still, drinking hot tea was popular, and that only began to change with the commercial availability of ice in the 19th century.

Early incarnations of iced tea were often boozy punches diluted with tea. The first nonalcoholic iced tea recipes were published in the late 1800s, and the drink really took off after it was served at the sweltering 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

Prohibition, from 1920–1933, and the rising popularity of refrigerators and freezers in the home around the same time sealed iced tea’s place in America’s beverage canon. (This wasn’t the first time temperance influenced the popularity of drinking tea: Buddhist monks in China promoted tea for the same reasons.)

Today, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A., approximately 75–80% of tea drunk in America is iced, which differentiates American tea consumption from other countries around the world. While most of this is black tea, that wasn’t always the case. Until World War II, Americans drank both green and black tea.

Green tea was primarily supplied from China and Japan, and trade with those countries stopped during the war. Americans switched to drinking black teas from India supplied by Britain, and the habit stuck.

Despite its popularity, America doesn’t have tea ceremonies akin to those described in the above countries. However, an invitation for a glass of sweet tea on a front porch is arguably a time-honored tradition of Southern hospitality.

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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

WINE • BEER • FOOD Featuring artisan wine and craft beer by-the-glass or bottle.

Creative food menu and gourmet Panini.

Serving lunch and dinner.

WINE CLUB DISCOUNTS WINE TASTING THUR-SUN BOTTLE SHOP, WINE BAR & CHEESE MARKET Ignoring employee issues doesn’t make them go away.

Innovative | Experienced | Responsive EMPLOYMENT COUNSEL & LITIGATION

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

info@lightgablerlaw.com | LightGablerLaw.com | 805.248.7208

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HOURS M o n d a y C l o s e d | Tu e / We d 1 2 – 7 P M Th u r / F r i / S a t 1 2 – 9 P M | S u n d a y 1 2 – 5 P M

2 4 2 3 Ve n t u r a B lvd . , C a m a r i l l o , CA 9 3 0 1 0 (805) 383-9812 | wineclosetinc.com

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HOLIDAY

GATHERINGS

ROBIN’S Recipes

BY ROBIN GOLDSTEIN

Pear Gorgonzola Appetizer Bites

Baking these savory cheese bites in mini muffin tins makes them the perfect bite-sized amuse bouche for your holiday gathering. Crisp on the outside with a tender center, the subtle sweetness comes from the pears, which keep their flavor even after baking. These are delicious warm from the oven, but just as good served room temperature; a perfect appetizer to make ahead to serve with the mulled wine spritzer.

Chef Robin Goldstein’s cooking career has been centered in California, where she has been preparing foods for 30+ years. She brings to the table a deep-felt art of balancing flavors while interacting with her private clients in their homes. She shares her delicious recipes through her popular cookbooks, perfectly paired for those who seek savory Mediterranean-inspired flavors. PrivateChefRobin.com

Makes about 36 mini bites or a dozen larger bites 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup Gorgonzola cheese 1 tablespoon baking powder ½ cup toasted walnuts chopped 2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon salt 1 cup 2% milk or non-dairy almond milk ¼ cup butter melted 1 large egg beaten Juice of half a lemon 3 small pears peeled cored and chopped Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat your mini muffin tin with cooking spray or brush with olive oil.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cheese, baking powder, walnuts, rosemary, pepper and salt.

In another bowl combine milk, butter, egg, lemon juice and chopped pears.

Add the milk-egg mixture to the dry ingredients, combining quickly with a few swift strokes not to overmix.

Use a tablespoon or a melon baller to fill muffin cups with batter ½ full. Bake in center of oven 15–20 minutes, until golden.

Cool slightly on a rack and serve warm, or room temperature or allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge until serving.

These can easily be reheated in a preheated oven at 350°F for 6–8 minutes.

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Edible Ojai Ojai && Ventura Ventura County County Edible

Mulled Wine Spritzer

A fun twist on the classic holiday drink, these spritzers will make a welcome addition to your holiday gathering. Rather than serve it as a hot drink, I’ve put this mulled wine on ice.

Serves 4–6

2 teaspoons whole coriander seed 6 whole allspice berries 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed 1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick 2 star anise pods 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns 1 (750 ml) bottle favorite red wine ½ cup port wine 1 orange, juiced then sliced thin Sparkling lemonade Frozen raspberries or cranberries (optional)

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

In a dry skillet over high heat, toast the spices for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring the red wine, port and toasted spices to a simmer. Squeeze the juice of 1 orange through a strainer to catch any seeds, then slice up the orange and add to the pan. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, to infuse the spices for about 20 minutes or so. Strain out the spices and bits of orange and set aside to cool.

When you are ready to serve your guests, pour the mulled wine over ice in champagne flutes with a splash of sparkling lemonade and a few frozen raspberries or cranberries.

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VENTURA COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKETS WEDNESDAYS

FRIDAYS

SUNDAYS

WEEKENDS

Midtown Ventura

Santa Paula

Ojai

Ventura College Foundation

Moorpark

Note: All info was updated in November 2023.

As details do change, please contact the markets and CSAs for the latest info.

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

THURSDAYS Downtown Oxnard

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

Ojai Community

Farmers’ Market Chaparral Courtyard 414 E. Ojai Ave. Thursdays, 3–7pm OjaiCommunityFarmersMarket.com 661-491-0257

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

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Certified Farmers’ Market Santa Paula Train Depot, 200 N. 10th St. Fridays 3–7pm EnrichedFarms.com

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

SATURDAYS Agoura Hills

At Whizen Market Square 28914 Roadside Dr. Saturdays, 10am–3pm @ccfminc

Camarillo Hospice

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

Downtown Ventura

Certified Farmers’ Market 200 Block of Main St. From Palm to Mission Park Saturdays, 8:30am–noon (rain or shine) VCCFM.org 805-529-6266

Certified Farmers’ Market Behind the Arcade 300 E. Matilija St. Sundays, 9am–1pm (rain or shine) OjaiCertifiedFarmersMarket.com 805-698-5555 Certified Farmers’ Market 450 High St. Sundays, 9am–2pm EnrichedFarms.com 818-699-6204

Weekend Marketplace Ventura College East Parking Lot Corner of Telegraph Rd. & Day Rd. Saturdays & Sundays, 8am–2pm VenturaCollegeFoundation.org

Community Market

At Oxnard College Campus Parking Lot Sundays 8am–3pm Maria_olivares2@my.vcccd.edu

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

Edible Ojai & Ventura County

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

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edible

Ojai & Ventura County

Local Guide to Good Eats & Drinks 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 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

CATERING Private Chef Robin 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

CONEJO VALLEY Onyx at Four Seasons Westlake A seasonally inspired Japanese focused menu featuring Nigiri sushi and sashimi at a sit-down sushi bar.

Menu includes traditional hot items and an impressive sake selection.

2 Dole Dr. | Westlake Village | 818-575-3044 FourSeasons.com/westlakevillage/dining/restaurants/ onyx_restaurant 54

WINTER 2023/24

VENTURA

OJAI

The Cave Restaurant & Ventura Wine Co. Sip, Dine, Shop, Wine Taste.

Full Service Restaurant. 40 Wines by the Taste or Glass.

Retail Wine Shop. Wine Club 4435 McGrath St., Ste. 301 | Ventura | 805-642-9449 | TheCaveVentura.com

Boccali Vineyards & Winery Boccali Vineyards is a family owned and operated winery with a tasting room located right next to Boccali’s Pizza & Pasta.

3277 E. Ojai Ave. | Ojai | 805-669-8688 | BoccaliVineyards.com

Crave Gelato Kofi Bar Ventura Harbor’s coffee and dessert bar with premium organic coffee, lattes and curated cold-brews, handcrafted plant-based gelato and even pup-cups.

947 Schooler Dr. Suite 105, Ventura | 805-918-0553 | GelatoKofiBar.com

Ojai Ice Cream Located conveniently in the Ojai arcade, Ojai Ice Cream is a local staple serving homemade ice cream, coffee and espresso and a wide assortment of candy. Reopened in 2023 with a brand new look.

210 E. Ojai Ave. | Ojai | OjaiIceCream.com

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

NEWBURY PARK/OXNARD

Poseidon Brewing Company 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 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

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.

Ox & Ocean Tying into the unique makeup of California, Ox & Ocean serves locally sourced produce and seafood fresh from Oxnard’s plains and sea, celebrating a diverse influence and distinct flavors in an elegant, yet approachable fashion.

2101 Mandalay Beach Rd. | Oxnard | 805-984-2500 | OxandOcean.com.

Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters Family owned and operated coffee shop and bakery with ethically sourced coffee, gluten-free pastries and excellent service.

111 N. Reino Rd. | Newbury Park 805-375-9000 | 550 Collection Blvd., Ste. 130 | Oxnard | 805-278-5837 | RagamuffinRoasters.com

SIMI VALLEY Nectar of the Dogs Wine Brand new wine tasting room on the west end of Simi Valley. Wines sourced locally in California with a portion of sales donated to local nonprofit dog rescue organizations.

791 Chambers Ln., Ste. 110 | Simi Valley 702-275-0482 | NectaroftheDogsWine.com

Calioh Coffee Local sustainable coffee roaster since 2016, Calioh Coffee now has a café in Moorpark serving freshly roasted specialty coffee drinks and pastries.

Catering and whole beans are also available.

252 Los Angeles Ave. | Unit D, Moorpark | CaliohCoffee.com Edible Ojai & Ventura County

• European Tea Room • Over 130 Specialty Teas • Cream Tea, Afternoon Tea, High Tea • Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, Catering

BellaCopper

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

Made in Ventura, CA since 2002

Tue–Sat, 10am–5pm 300 N. Lantana St. #37, Camarillo Tea-Liteful.com 805-445-8327 Call for reservations

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

Since 1984

Aphid Control

Ant Control

Fly Control

800-248-BUGS • 805-643-5407 • Ventura, CA

JohnNicholsGallery.com

rinconvitova.com

Vintage, Vernacular and Contemporary Photographs Custom Archival Framing

“Seed/Signal” by John Nichols

117 N. 10th St., Santa Paula Hours: By Appointment or by Chance Phone: 805-501-7011 Located above the Santa Paula Art Museum

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

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BUTTERSCOTCH TOFFEE WHITE RUSSIAN What better way to indulge in the spirit of the holiday season than with a delightful twist on a classic cocktail?

Enter the Butterscotch Toffee White Russian, a luscious libation that marries the rich flavors of coffee, velvety cream and a touch of holiday warmth. In just five minutes, you can whisk yourself and a friend away to a winter wonderland of taste. Picture the clinking of ice cubes, the harmonious blend of coffee liqueur and vodka, and the crowning glory—a decadent layer of Don Francisco’s Butterscotch Toffee coffee. This holiday season, elevate your festivities with this indulgent creation, a symphony of flavors that will undoubtedly become a seasonal favorite. Cheers to the magic of the holidays in a glass!

Serves 2

This recipe is provided and sponsored by

Don Francisco’s is a local family owned coffee company with roots in the mountains of Cuba. They are proud to source certified coffees from Rainforest Alliance, Fair Trade USA and USDA certified Organic and are committed to both the farmers and the land, including at their zero-waste-to-landfill roastery in Los Angeles. Learn more at DonFranciscos.com.

Ice cubes 2 ounces coffee liqueur 2 ounces vodka 2 ounces Don Francisco’s Butterscotch Toffee K-Cup, brewed and chilled 2 ounces heavy cream Fill 2 glasses with ice cubes. Add coffee liqueur, vodka and cold brew. Finish with a layer of heavy cream.

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Edible Ojai & Ventura County

NEW VENTURA REMODEL

SHOWROOM OPEN MONDAY–FRIDAY 10AM–5PM, SATURDAY BY APPOINTMENT ESTABLISHED IN 1993 • LICENSE #764241

EdibleVenturaCounty.com

1500 Callens Road, Ventura • 805.658.0440 • kitchenplacesventura.com

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