Edible San Diego - Fall 2010 issue

Celebrating San Diego’s local foods, season by season • No. 10 • Fall 2010

Kitchen Gardens Made Easy Backyard Chickens On the Road to Julian Olivewood Gardens

WHAT WE’RE DOING? Local Planting and Heirloom Project

Local Growers and Local Schools

Growers often face supply and demand issues and

Whole Foods Market helped connect our local growers

challenges in the marketplace. To combat common

with San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) Food

road blocks, Whole Foods Market is working with local

Services to explore ways to increase the usage of local

growers to pre-plan crops based on retail schedules

produce in the SDUSD school system. Whole Foods

and experience. With sales of their crops guaranteed,

Market has joined with school representatives, commu-

growers have been able produce rare and exciting

nity members and parents to clarify FDA and school

heirloom varieties.

district guidelines to support local growers and procure healthier choices in schools.

visit our san diego locations la jolla 858.642.6700 and hillcrest 619.294.2800 wholefoodsmarket.com • 888.shop.wfm

fall 2010

CONTENTS

Publishers’ Note

2

Notable Edibles

3

In Season Interview: In Season: Sustainable Style

5

Liquid Assets: As American as Hard Cider?

24

The Magic of Olivewood Gardens

28

Why Bother?

33

El Take it Easy Redefines Regional Cuisine

9

Meals on Wheels

34

Growing Tomorrow’s Dinner

10

The Birds Out Back

15

School Gardens: Our Past & Our Future

37

Road Tripping to Julian

21

Advertisers Directory

40

Farmers’ Markets

41

Cover pie graciously created by Chef Derek Feldman and contributed by Café Chloe.

Go to ediblesandiego.com for the recipe.

Photo by Chris Costa.

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Publishers’ note Back to the future It seems that we need to readjust our vision for the future. As I was growing up here in San Diego, progress looked like trading Mission Valley farms for malls, hotels and corporate high rises. And prepared foods looked like progress to a new generation of working moms who were quite ready to abandon their aprons. Along the way we got disconnected from our food in every way. Even my dad, who grew up on a farm in Georgia, saw leaving the farm as progress.

However, a new kind of progress and vision for the future is emerging and it is one that is being passionately pursued by some very dedicated and talented people. Educators, parents, chefs and master gardeners are working hard to get our children — the real future of our world — back into the garden and kitchen. Farmers, ranchers and farmers’ market managers are finding new ways to bring fresh local food to a neighborhood and restaurant near you. You just have to go get it. And food artisans are bringing the real thing back ­— everything from hard cider from local apples to sausages made from local chicken and pork.

It hasn’t turned out that well, this leaving the gritty, messy business of growing and preparing our food to others, many of them large corporations. As a population Perhaps the future should Publishers Riley Davenport and John Vawter we’ve gotten fat and sick. Our look a little more like the past children often don’t know where food comes from in some ways. Science tells us our bodies need or what fresh food tastes like. Their future isn’t fresh, unadulterated, unprocessed food and that looking that bright as we allow them to eat all organically grown food contains more nutrients. manner of bankrupt faux food while sitting “safely” We’ve learned that running roughshod over in front of the TV and computer. The environment Mother Earth isn’t in our best interest. There is a isn’t weathering all this progress all that well either. growing movement of folks who are starting to Not to mention our topsoil which is disappearing look backwards, but with the future and our hardat an alarming rate (but that’s another story). won lessons of progress run amok firmly in mind.

And now for our subscription campaign winners! Enjoy your delicious meals at Mistral!

Grand prize (1): Dominick Fiume Second prizes (2): Jo Pastore and Brian Bourguignon Third prizes (4): M aureen Rafael, Desiree Sullivan, Gail Ganino and Carrie Cottriall

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CONTRIBUTORS Paul Body Chris Costa Erika Doria Lauren Duffy Derek Feldman Enrique Gili Caron Golden Brandon Hernández Emily W. Hung Stacy Klaman Brook Larios Jerry Lewis Maria Desiderata Montana Evan Ross Susan Russo Matt Steiger Carole Topalian John Vawter Candice Woo

PUBLISHERS Riley Davenport John Vawter

EDITOR Lauren Duffy

COPY EDITORS Doug Adrianson Cheryl Koehler

DESIGNER Riley Davenport

COVER PHOTO Chris Costa Edible San Diego P.O. Box 83549 San Diego, CA 92138 619-222-8267 info@ediblesandiego.com www.ediblesandiego.com

ADVERTISING For information about rates and deadlines, call 619-222-8267 or email us at info@ediblesandiego.com No part of this publication my be used without written permission of the publisher. © 2010. All rights reserved. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please let us know and accept our sincere apologies.

Thank you.

Notable edibles Food 4 Kids Backpack Program Did you know there are elementary school students in San Diego County who suffer from hunger over the weekend when free school meals are unavailable?

In 2007, the San Diego Food Bank launched the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program to provide food for these chronically hungry children. Teachers and nurses identify children who show signs of chronic hunger. Every Friday, participating kids are discretely given a bag of food to tuck into their backpacks. Each food pack provides enough food for an entire weekend.

During the 2008–09 school year, the program

served 200 kids in eight San Diego County elementary schools. Now the program helps over 525 children in 19 schools. Those numbers should go up significantly now that the month-long Dollar-a-Dish fundraising event just ended. During the month of August, over 40 area restaurants donated $1 for every order of a selected entree on their menus.

You can support this worthy program by making a donation at the FirstGiving page, firstgiving.com/food4kids. NBC San Diego is a partner and will donate the equivalent of the 7% cut that FirstGiving takes for administrative costs. Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter, and learn more about how you can help by contacting Trisha Gooch, development manager of the San Diego Food Bank, at 858-527-1419, ext. 29, or tgooch@sandiegofoodbank.org or at sandiegofoodbank.org/programs/food4kids/ —John Vawter

New Farmers’ Markets in San Diego There’s good news on the diet front: A newly released USDA report indicates that farmers’ markets are on the rise. Despite the economic doldrums, the number of markets in the United States is up 16% from last year, totaling 6,132. In fact, farmers’ markets have grown fourfold in 16 years, from 1,770 when the USDA first began keeping count in 1994.

In San Diego in 2010, several new and notable farmers’ markets have joined the already extensive city-wide roster. These markets are as unique as the neighborhoods they serve.

Adams Avenue The Kensington district attracts professional families in droves, lured by the historic homes in a walkable neighborhood. The addition of a farmers’ market on the Normal Heights border means there’s one less reason to leave the ’hood. Open Wednesdays 3–7pm.

Imperial Beach To many, Imperial Beach is the wild West, but for the few and the brave, IB represents paradise: affordable beachfront property in Southern California. After 10 years of wrangling with the IB City Council, community activists finally got what they were working for: a farmers’ market located at the foot of the IB pier. The venue is a welcome addition for a community with no large supermarket within walking distance. Open Fridays 2–7:30pm.

Rancho Santa Fe Del Rayo Village Before the “ranches,” North County was ranchland, home to ranchers and farmers.

Amid the multimillion-dollar homes, the area continues to be Mecca for thousands of small-scale farming families growing some of the finest produce in the world. So it seems only fitting that Rancho Santa Fe has a new market at Del Rayo Village. Open Sundays 9am–1pm.

Bonita Bonita now has a farmers’ market every Wednesday 3–7pm at the Bonita Valley Community Church, 4744 Bonita Rd.

Del Sur

Rancho Santa Fe Cielo Village

Though not as new as the Adams Avenue or Bonita markets, you might have missed the recently opened Del Sur Certified Farmers’ Market and Family Festival, Thursdays 3–7pm at the corner of Camino del Norte and Lone Quail Rd., Del Sur.

Rancho Santa Fe Cielo Village was open for only a month back in April before problems with location, parking, vendors, etc. forced them to redraft the blueprint.

They are scheduled to reopen in September in the Cielo Village at the corner of Del Dios Highway and Calle Ambiente in RSF.

San Marcos San Marcos Meadowlark Market opened June 18, and sets up every Friday 2–6pm April– November and 1–4pm December–March.

Find them at the Meadowlark Community Church at 1918 Redwing St., San Marcos.

The bad news? Access to farmers’ markets continues to be unevenly distributed, with plenty of pickings in affluent communities and a dearth of choices in low-income neighborhoods. While San Diego follows the national trend, it is still good to see so many farmers’ markets emerging in the area.

— Enrique Gili

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New Crop of Local-minded Restaurants Sprouting All Over the County Spring and summer brought a welcome new crop of local-minded eateries to San Diego. Bankers Hill Bar and Restaurant by Market’s Carl Schroeder debuted in May and its accessible menu features heirloom tomatoes from Carlsbad’s Valdivia Farms, strawberries from Suzie’s Farm and bread from Bread & Cie. Resident dessert maven Rachel Going herself shops at the Hillcrest and Adams Avenue farmers’ markets for the peak of season fruit that fills her memorable pastries. (2202 Fourth Ave.) In June, Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria opened in Encinitas. The wood-fired pizzas are topped with handmade mozzarella and fennel sausage from chef-proprietor Wade Hageman, formerly of Blanca Restaurant, who shops for produce at local farmers’ markets. The menu also features local seafood and a cured meat board from Knight Salumi Co. (897 South Coast Hwy 101) And Prepkitchen opened a second, larger location in Del Mar. This eat-in or take-out concept from the owner and executive chef behind Whisknladle serves the same made-from-scratch menu as their original La Jolla Prepkitchen, including salads of fresh produce from local growers Chino Farms, La Milpa Organica and Crows Pass Farm, house cured meat plates and handmade pasta. (1201 Camino Del Mar)

July brought Sessions Public, a Point Loma gastropub whose craft beer list is as locally sourced as its menu. The 16 beer taps feature San Diego’s finest, from AleSmith to Ballast Point and Lost Abbey and the creative comfort food lineup incorporates bread from Point Loma’s Con Pane Rustic Breads & Café, gouda cheese from artisan Winchester Cheese Co. and brownies from Azucar in Ocean Beach.

Moceri Produce supplies the local veggies and fruits from farms that include Connelly Gardens and Tierra Miguel. (4204 Voltaire St.) Roseville’s talented former head chef, Amy DiBiase, landed at The Cosmopolitan Hotel & Restaurant in Old Town, a new boutique hotel whose restaurant’s menu honors the ingredients indigenous to the area and its 19th century roots while being inventive and current. Featured local ingredients include olives and olive oil from Temecula Olive Oil Company, oysters from Carlsbad Aquafarm.

(2660 Calhoun St.) And Searsucker opened with a splash in August; this new project from former Top Chef contestant Brian Malarkey highlights local seafood — ­ his last stint was at the Gaslamp’s Oceanaire Seafood Room — and features the behind-the-bar talents of the artisan mixologists of Snake Oil Cocktail Co. (611 Fifth Ave).

—Candice Woo

Roots @ Suzie’s Farm This summer marked an enormous milestone for San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project. After nearly 10 years of searching for a site for an educational farm, the local nonprofit not only found a location but broke ground and started planting. This momentous step forward was made possible

by Suzie’s Farm, which is donating a portion of its land to host the farm.

The San Diego Roots Farm & Education Center at Suzie’s, the official name of the new farm, is located on five acres just north of the Tijuana River and the Tijuana Estuary. As part of the property that comprises Suzie’s Farm, the land is home to fertile soil, fruit trees, well water

and greenhouses. Just 20 miles south of Downtown San Diego, the location is an important reminder that sustainable food production can and does happen so close to home.

The farm will serve as an educational tool to help demonstrate the benefits and viability of sustainable food production, both to the public and to future farmers. One of the goals of the farm is to develop a college-level, accredited farmer apprentice program, which will help train a new generation of farmers. There are also plans to offer an

array of classes for the public, on topics such as organic home gardening, water-saving irrigation, composting and organic soil amendments. Although the farm is less than a few months old, it is already clear that it will serve as a dynamic educational center and important resource to the community.

The farm’s first planting was held on June 26, when over 100 volunteers helped to plant seeds of corn, squash and beans. Since then, the farm has been hosting volunteer days on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and welcomes volunteers of all ages. It currently is in need of donations in many forms, including equipment and funding. To get involved, volunteer or make a donation, visit sandiegoroots.org.

—Lauren Duffy

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In Season Interview

In Season:

Sustainable Style B

By Maria Desiderata Montana

y tracing his entire local produce from within 25 miles of San Diego County, Chef/Owner Jeff Rossman of Terra restaurant in Hillcrest amplifies each dish with sustainable style and harmonious flavors.

he says. “I love to use fresh, local produce, keeping our local food system sustainable, while maintaining the freshness and longevity of the products.”

Fortunately, San Diego is blessed with many great farms and farmers that are in the process of working toward a centralized “food hub” and information system that will get locally grown products into schools and other institutions more frequently. “I buy from over seven local family farms, and I’m even working with the farmers, educators, groups and organizations to bring farm fresh produce and scratch cooking back into our school systems,” continues Rossman. “I think I can now honestly call myself a ‘food activist’ with an emphasis on school food.”

Rossman has long been dedicated to the idea that chefs not only have a responsibility to support local farmers, but that the relationship also benefits his restaurant and customers. “Terra was born 12 years ago because we were trying to bridge the gap between fine dining and casual dining in Hillcrest with a Contemporary American restaurant,” he says. “My cuisine is New American featuring South, Central and Northern American influences highlighting some of the regional favorites, ingredients and preparations styles so prevalent in their respective areas.”

is a popular fall soup that guests enjoy at Terra, and a fairly simple dish to prepare.

“I love all squashes and root vegetables, and with San Diego’s climate we can almost get root vegetables all year round,” says Rossman. “I like to braise and roast items in the fall and enjoy incorporating roasted vegetables on my plates.”

For Rossman, good ingredients are the cornerstones of good cooking. “But, to be a good cook, you must trust your senses and your taste buds and let the cooking come from within,” he says. “Using all of your senses is key to putting out a good dish. Watch, listen, smell and taste!”

In his new cookbook From Terra’s Table, Rossman features New American food fresh from Southern California’s organic farms with more than 60 delicious and creative dishes, including some special favorites for the fall. From the Vines chapter of Rossman’s cookbook, the Pumpkin Bisque with Cinnamon Crema

Keeping it simple, Rossman’s philosophy is to let the ingredients shine singlehandedly with little enhancement. “I use only sustainable seafood and all of my meats and chicken are hormone, antibiotic free, and all natural,”

Presently, Rossman is working with Jonathan Reinbold from the Tierra Miguel Foundation who is heading up the Farm To Institution part of a $16 million grant that was given to the County of San Diego by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Rossman also meets regularly with the Childhood Obesity Initiative, educating families about nutrition and healthier alternatives, which in turn gives children the knowledge to make better decisions about the food they eat; including the food they receive at school.

Currently, this is where Rossman’s greatest passion lies.

Maria Desiderata Montana is an award-winning food and wine journalist, editor, and published author based in San Diego. She gained an appreciation of European cuisine from her parents, who were born and raised in Calabria, Italy. Visit her website at www.sandiegofoodfinds.com.

All photos copyright Paul Body, Paul Body Photography, www.paulbodyphoto.com.

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Recipes courtesy of From Terra’s Table

Farmer’s Salad Serves 8 • Total time: 20 minutes / Active: 20 minutes We originally called this the Market Salad, because we would feature whatever we found fresh and interesting at the local market that day. These days, I like to highlight the amazing produce I get from Suzie’s, Crow’s Pass, Be Wise and a bunch of the other terrific organic farms that supply us on a regular basis—so now I call it the Farmer’s Salad. — Jeff Rossman Champagne Herb Vinaigrette

Salad

1 shallot, minced

1 pound mixed greens of choice (escarole, tatsoi, arugula)

¼ cup fresh mixed herbs, chopped

½ pound baby radishes, peeled, blanched and chopped

1 cup champagne vinegar

½ pound baby beets, roasted, peeled and quartered

¾ tablespoon tomato paste

½ pound broccoli rabe

½ cup fresh orange juice

½ pound romanesco cauliflower

¾ tablespoon granulated sugar

½ pound English peas

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ pound peeled tangerine slices or Meiwa kumquats, sliced

½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups olive oil 1. Make the vinaigrette. In a large bowl, combine everything except the oil.

Pouring in a slow stream, gradually whisk in the oil until incorporated.

Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

2. In a large bowl, lightly dress the lettuces and vegetables with the vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Remember: The amount of vinaigrette needed will vary depending on your choice of lettuce, so make sure to go little by little. You can always add more!

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Pumpkin Bisque with Cinnamon Crema Yields 4 quarts • Total time: 2½ hours / Active: 1½ hours About 10 years ago, I started doing more soups in the kitchen. Some of the easiest and most satisfying recipes were centered around squash and pumpkin. These soups not only became a seasonal thing, they also became a tradition in my cooking classes. It’s always preferable to use fresh pumpkin, but this recipe works with purée from a can as well.

— Jeff Rossman Cinnamon Crema

Pumpkin Bisque

¾ cup heavy whipping cream ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3- to 4-pound pumpkin (1 to 1½ pounds pumpkin flesh or 16-ounce can pumpkin purée)

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Vegetable oil for coating

¼ teaspoon orange zest

Salt and pepper to taste

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 carrot, large dice

½ to ¾ cup pumpkin seeds (approximate yield from 3- to 4-pound pumpkin)

1 stalk celery, large dice

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

6 cups water

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ cup heavy whipping cream (optional)

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cube chicken bouillon

½ medium yellow onion

1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped Salt and pepper to taste 1. Make the cinnamon crema. In a heavy saucepan on medium heat, combine cream, cinnamon, vanilla and orange zest. Heat to boiling, then simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Chill and reserve for service.

2. Make the roasted pumpkin seeds. Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the top off the pumpkin, and remove the pulp and seeds.

Clean the pumpkin seeds from the pulp, discard pulp and save pumpkin for making the bisque. Spread the seeds out on a baking sheet and roast for about five minutes. Stir the seeds and roast again until light golden brown, about another five minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool.

3. In a small pot over medium-low heat, combine water, sugar, chili powder,

cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg, and stir until blended. Bring the liquid to a boil and let simmer about three to four minutes.

Remove from the heat, add seeds and stir until the seeds are coated thoroughly.

Spread the seeds over a baking sheet and let cool. After the seeds have cooled and are dry, place them in a food processor and chop to a small, but rough, texture. Use this to sprinkle as a garnish.

4. Make the bisque. Raise oven heat to 450°.

Slice the reserved pumpkin into several sections, lightly oil all sides of the pumpkin flesh and season with salt and pepper. Place the sections on a baking sheet and roast for about one hour, until the flesh is tender. Let cool and set aside.

5. Spread the carrot, celery and onion on a lightly oiled baking sheet and roast until lightly browned, about 35 minutes.

6. Combine the roasted pumpkin (or use the canned purée), roasted vegetables and dried spices in a stockpot, add water (and heavy whipping cream if desired) and bouillon.

Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the fresh herbs.

7. Ladle the mixture into a blender and purée until smooth and silky. Strain the purée for any impurities, and adjust the seasonings to taste.

8. Garnish each serving with cinnamon crema and a pinch of spiced seeds.

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Suzie’s Farm CSA Program & Local, Organic Food

Y

ou already eat organic. Get with the program and eat organic and local. Suzie’s Farm CSA weekly and bi-weekly programs have 14 convenient pick-up locations, and we’re always adding more.

When it comes to planting, we’re not afraid to get our hands dirty. We’ve planted over 100 varieties at our farm in San Diego’s Border Field State Park. You can experience this bounty in every Suzie’s Farm CSA box or visit us at one of the local San Diego farmers’ markets. At the markets, you can hand select our veggies and greens, as well as our fine and fancy sprouts, microgreens, edible flowers, and wheatgrass all unique to our farm. That takes some real ingenuity if we do say so ourselves. When it comes to green thumbs, we have all our digits on the earth‘s pulse.

If you are a San Diego chef, what are you waiting for? We have ample land to custom grow (in fact, we already do) and we deliver in San Diego five days a week. Plus, we have the distinction of growing your everyday go-to crops as well as speciality produce. You can find us the way that ever everyone does these days on our website suziesfarm.com, but if you want to talk to the person that drives the tractor, call us at 619-662-1780.

Farmers’ Markets MIRA MESA Mira Mesa High School 10510 Regan Rd. Tuesday 3–7 p.m.

MISSION HILLS Falcon St. at W Washington St. Friday 3–7 p.m.

LEUCADIA Paul Ecke Central School 185 Union St. & Vulcan St. Sunday 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

858-272-7054

Classes for all levels offered in: • Drawing • Printmaking • Jewelry • Painting • Sculpture • Stained Glass FEED YOUR SOUL. REGISTER NOW! artacademyofsandiego.com 3784 30th St., San Diego • 619-231-3900

619.662.1780 | suziesfarm.com | sungrownorganics.com 8

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Both Sides of the Line:

El Take It Easy Redefines Regional Cuisine

By Evan Ross

place, and while the food is consciously prepared and sourced, we are not asking the guests to care. We are trying to create a new way to enjoy handmade food.”

L

a Linea, as it is known in the border region, has been symbolically re-routed through the heart of North Park by the heart and mind of local restaurateur Jay Porter. El Take It Easy, the only station on this culinary frontier, serves not to divide but rather to define the chaotic multi-cultural milieu we share as denizens of Tijuego, Porter’s euphemism for “this city with a wall through the middle of it.”

At its core El Take It Easy serves as an intentional foil to Porter’s original North Park outpost, The Linkery, and its open and educationally intense farm-to-table concept.

“At The Linkery we ask a lot of our guests,” says Porter. “Being forced to think about what you’re eating isn’t for everybody. So, we’re creating a second environment in which we don’t ask much of our guests.”

To realize El Take It Easy, Porter enlisted the inspiration of chefs, artists and artisans on both sides of the US-Mexico border. The combination of cross-cultural perspective and an appreciation of locally grown and hand-crafted food and beverage resulted is this burgeoning “gastro-cantina” with a oneof-a-kind menu and decor to match. When paired with house-made cerveza preparada, chevela or mixed wine drink, somehow egg and squash cazuelas, octopus tostadas, pork belly tacos, Kentucky fried buches or rabbit taquitos make perfect, whimsical sense.

Porter envisions El Take It Easy as the next step in the evolution of the San Diego restaurant—one in which farm-to-table is taken as a given and the concept stands apart from the restaurant’s operation. “What we’re doing is using farm-to-table, but that is not the experience,” he says. “It’s delicious food, it’s the best ingredients, it’s a simple

By all accounts, Porter and crew have succeeded in bringing their vision to fruition.

The El Take It Easy menu is as eclectic as its moniker. The sleek, modern design and open layout focus the experience on communal celebration and artistically realized cuisine.

Unencumbered by the burden of definition, this is a dining experience that, in sum, perfectly defines Tijuego.

El Take It Easy is open Wednesday through Monday, from 6pm until late, at 3926 30th St., San Diego. For information, current menu and upcoming events, visit eltakeiteasy.com.

Evan Ross is a frustrated chef, brewer, sommelier and organic farmer trapped in the body of a foodie, craft beer and wine lover, and great appreciator of those inherently connected to the land. Writing is his expressive connection to these passions.

Porter envisions El Take It Easy as the next step in the evolution of the San Diego restaurant— one in which farm-to-table is taken as a given...

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Growing Tomorrow’s Dinner

By Susan Russo I’m surrounded by kumquats, corn, squash, tomatoes, tomatillos, figs, fennel and persimmons. Where am I? At a farmers’ market? The produce section of the supermarket? No. I’m standing in an 18-by-20-foot urban kitchen garden at a home in San Diego’s North Park.

Despite their name, kitchen gardens are not in the kitchen. A kitchen garden is any small garden that contains vegetables, fruits and herbs, and is usually located near the kitchen for easy access.

Unlike a traditional large, grid-shaped garden that is designed for functionality, a kitchen garden serves a dual purpose: It’s functional and beautiful. It produces edibles while giving your yard a facelift.

A Growing Trend According the National Gardening Association, urban and suburban kitchen gardens are on the rise. From 2008 to 2009, 7 million more American households planned to grow their own fruits, vegetables and herbs, a nearly 20% increase.

You could come home from a long day at work and find a basket of your own fresh organic fruits and veggies waiting on your doorstep.

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“ There is no better gift you could give your child than teaching them how to grow food,” says Shawn Studer.

Organic Gardener in Carlsbad, who plants organic, raised-bed vegetable gardens.

Perhaps the biggest draw of all is taste.

“There’s nothing like being able to run out to the garden at dinnertime and harvest fresh lettuce and tomatoes for your salad.

[The food] is fresher, it’s organic and it just tastes better,” says Robbins.

Today’s gardens also look better. “We don’t do old-fashioned gardens with straight rows anymore,” says Contreras. “We really try to make them beautiful by combining crops with colorful ornamentals and plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds.”

Urban Plantations edible landscape

What’s spurring this growth of home gardens? “People want to eat healthier,” says Karen Contreras of Urban Plantations in North Park. “They want to know where their food comes from and know that it’s healthy and organic.”

“Kitchen gardens are starting to take off in San Diego,” says master gardener Ari Tenenbaum of Revolution Landscape in La Jolla. His partner, Jeff Robbins, adds, “People are starting to understand that [a kitchen garden] can reduce water usage, improve your health and impact the environment in a positive way.”

Kitchen gardens also reconnect people with the food they’re consuming and provide hands-on teaching opportunities for children. “There is no better gift you could give your child than teaching them how to grow food,” says Shawn Studer of Instant Photography by Chris Costa except where noted.

Re-Thinking the Yard Contemporary kitchen gardens are so attractive that many homeowners showcase them in the front yard. According to Studer, “It’s like a big welcome sign and invites others to come talk to you.”

and many are choosing heirloom varieties.

Although most people are initially drawn to heirlooms because of their whimsical names like Tongues of Fire beans and Moon and Stars watermelon, they stay with heirlooms because of their taste and environmental benefits.

It wasn’t always that way. “Years ago people showed their wealth by not growing things,” says Contreras. “That’s why there would never be a garden in the front yard. It was like, ‘I’m so rich, I don’t have to grow a garden.’ Nowadays, we’re proud to show our gardens.”

“They’re really surprised by the flavor,” says Tenenbaum. “It’s not like anything they have had before.” As an environmentally conscious gardener, he adds, “I personally love heirlooms because they promote bio-diversity [living ecosystems], which is good for the planet.”

Take San Diego resident Edward Rubenstein. He was originally skeptical about planting a garden at his La Jolla home, but Revolution Landscape’s design allayed his concerns. He says, “My side yard [was] landscaped not so much like a ‘farm’ but looking like it was landscaped to fit in with the neighborhood.”

Thanks to San Diego’s temperate climate, we have the luxury of enjoying these healthier kitchen gardens year ’round.

Most gardens have two plantings per year: a spring planting for warm-weather crops such as strawberries, corn and watermelon, and a fall planting for cold-weather crops such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale.

A Successful Site Plan

Although kitchen gardens are small, they can be prolific, but that depends on the quality of the soil and some gardening know-how. These gardeners understand companion-planting (growing crops that like to be near each other), soil amendments (adding things to the soil such as compost) and integrated pest management (environmentally safe ways to ward off pests), which help kitchen gardens thrive while remaining organic.

Beauty (and good produce) come from careful plans. All of the companies interviewed for this piece offer in-home consultations to help you choose an optimal site—one that gets at least six hours of sunlight, has good drainage, is easily accessible and is close to your kitchen.

Before any dirt gets shoveled you should decide how much time, money and effort you’d like to spend on your garden.

In addition to design concerns, these gardeners will advise you on practical matters including soil, seed selection, fertilizers, organic pest control, seasonal plantings and watering.

According to Contreras, a successful garden is a balancing act: “We grow crops that like to be near one another and that lure beneficial insects in, like pollinators.

If you’ve got a natural balance, then you’ve got a healthy garden.”

Most companies offer weekly or bimonthly maintenance plans. Contreras says, “We make it as easy as we can for our clients. We take out the grass, we treat the soil, we plant the crops and we maintain it. For those clients who want it, we’ll do absolutely everything right up to the harvest.” Which means you could come home from a long day at work and find a basket of your own fresh organic fruits and veggies waiting on your doorstep.

“ There’s nothing like being able to run out to the garden at dinnertime and harvest fresh lettuce and tomatoes for your salad,” says Robbins.

With today’s abundant seed selection, people have countless delicious options,

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And a healthy garden has numerous benefits: It produces more nutritious food; it reduces our impact on the environment; and it promotes bio-diversity.

Large Harvest, Small Space What if you desire all these benefits but don’t have enough space in your yard or don’t have a yard at all? No need to worry.

Jim Mummford of Greenscaped Buildings in Kearny Mesa has your solution: green roofs and living walls.

A green roof is a thin layer of living plants that is installed on top of a conventional roof. According to Mummford, “If green roofs are properly designed, installed and maintained, they can actually create living ecosystems that replicate many of the processes found in nature. Plus they actually prolong the life of your roof.”

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“ Times are difficult right now, and a garden can make you feel good about yourself­— that you’re contributing to your own wellbeing and to the community’s,” says Contreras.

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They also have numerous environmental benefits: They help control storm water runoff, improve water quality, conserve energy, reduce noise pollution and promote bio-diversity.

For truly small spaces, Mummford offers living walls, also known as “vertical gardens.” A living wall, either attached to an existing building or free-standing, can be installed indoors as well as outdoors.

“Most people choose living walls for their aesthetic value, but they have many of the same environmental benefits as green roofs,” says Mummford.

Whether you want to be greener, spend more time at home with your family or just get your hands a little dirtier, San Diego’s certified gardeners will help you design a kitchen garden that fits your lifestyle.

And while you’re enjoying your tangy Green Zebra heirloom tomatoes, you may wind up reaping benefits that you never imagined. “Times are difficult right now, and a garden can make you feel good about yourself­­—that you’re contributing to your own well-being and to the community’s,” says Contreras.

“A garden has a way of connecting us all,” says Studer. “A garden’s purpose is to give.

But we also have to ask ourselves, ‘What are we giving to our gardens?’”

Susan Russo is a San Diego–based food writer, cookbook author and recipe developer. She has a nationally recognized food blog, FoodBlogga (foodblogga.blogspot.com). Susan is a regular contributor to NPR’s Kitchen Window. She has been selected “Best of the Web” by Saveur. Susan can be reached at susancrusso@gmail.com.

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The Birds Out Back

When I was growing up in El Cajon, it was a different place. Our house was nestled in the far end of the valley. We had an acre of land, a horse and lots of room to ride. Our neighbors had chickens that laid green eggs.

Story and photos by Matt Steiger

Going back even further, my grandfather remembers the El Cajon Valley comprising four large ranches. The main crops were raisin grapes left over from the missionaries. He grew up on a 2-acre plot where Howard’s Bakery now stands. The family kept several hundred chickens and grew corn and tomatoes.

Saturday mornings they sold chicken and homegrown vegetables at the open-air market downtown. Farming wasn’t the family business (they had an auto shop that’s still in the family), it was just part of the post-war mentality.

there they played a central role in the Roman Empire and much of western culture that followed. At the same time, early Polynesians spread domesticated chickens throughout the Pacific, including Easter Island and Australia. A parallel branch of chickens from Chile called Araucana, layers of blue-green eggs, has sparked debate over possible preColombian transpacific contact between Polynesia and the New World.

Today keeping chickens is something of an oddity. Certainly there are rural folks who have always kept chickens, but in the city it had become almost unheard of. So much has changed since my grandfather’s time. As the city grew larger and denser,

Going way-way back, the earliest records of domesticated chickens come from Corinthian pottery, circa 700 BC. From

the space and inclination to keep birds shrank. The farmer’s market, once an essential economic device, is now the luxury of the localvore. Where green eggs were once a normal part of life, today most people don’t believe they exist.

The backyard chicken movement has taken hold Chickens have made something of a resurgence, at least when it comes to urbanites. People have begun keeping small flocks of these birds, even on very small lots (as in North Park or Kensington). In just the past month I have seen several magazines with articles about backyard chickens, as well as ads fall 2010

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In our county, as well as throughout the country, people are petitioning city councils to allow small flocks of chickens as pets.

My own feed store said they have sold more chicks this year than ever, by approximately 50%.

for chicken feed. In our county, as well as throughout the country, people are petitioning city councils to allow small flocks of chickens as pets. My own feed store said they have sold more chicks this year than ever, by approximately 50%.

I myself have dreamt of keeping chickens for 10 years. By coincidence, I find myself at an appropriate station in life to do so, just as the movement has reached an apparent tipping point. Three months ago I visited my local feed store and I now have three half-grown chicks roaming my backyard.

Enquiring minds want to know When I tell people I have chickens they are surprised, amused, and curious as to why. Although there exists a wealth of knowledge about these birds, most people have little concept of what it is like to keep them. I have fielded a lot of questions, usually some variation of the following.

Do you need a rooster to get eggs?

No, hens will lay eggs whether fertilized or not. Even hens that have never seen a male will average two eggs every three days.

They pass their unfertilized eggs just like other females you may have heard of.

RESOURCES For more information about keeping backyard chickens, check out: www.mypetchicken.com www.backyardchickens.com For chicks, feed, and supplies there are feed stores spread all over San Diego County.

I bought my chicks from the friendly and helpful folks at: Double S Ranch 14335 Olde Highway 80 El Cajon For detailed reference-type knowledge, pick up a copy of Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens,

by Gail Damerow, available at finer booksellers.

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Why do chickens lay eggs every day, even when unfertilized?

It’s probably the cause or result of human domestication. There are other birds, such as the ostrich, that will lay an egg (sometimes unfertilized) every day during a two- to three-week breeding season.

Perhaps that season is much longer for chickens.

Chickens can lay green eggs?

Youbetcha. The shell color comes from pigment in the chicken’s skin. You can tell the shell color from the color of a chicken’s “ear lobes ” The yolk can even be green if you feed the chicken acorns.

How long do chickens live?

How long is a piece of string? It depends.

Some chickens have been reported to live up to 20 years; 10 is more likely. Factoring in predators and disease, the average is more like two to five years.

Is it legal?

It depends on what part of town you live in and usually how big your lot is. It’s different sometimes from neighborhood to neighborhood, depending on zoning.

Check the Municipal Code for your area.

Do you have any eggs yet?

No, my chickens are 3 months old. They won’t start laying until 6 months.

Do they stink?

during the day, the coop can be a bit smaller.

My coop is four feet by six feet by six feet tall.

What kind of an emotional bond can you form with a chicken?

Will they eat all the bugs and weeds out of your garden?

They do learn to recognize you, especially if you handle them as chicks and feed them treats. After you’ve bribed them with mealworms for a few days they will run right up to you.

Chickens are born knowing to eat grain and scratch for bugs. At first my birds would eat from my hand, but mostly ignored everything else. Recently they have begun eating the weedy clovers and grasses, but also raiding my garden for treats like strawberries and young squash vines. I believe eventually they’ll devour everything in their path; I suppose that includes bugs and weeds.

We clean up after them fairly regularly.

Once a week we scoop the poop and put fresh pine shavings in. It actually smells piney and nice for the first few days.

Are they noisy?

They make lots of noises, but none that are really loud. When they are unhappy they sort of whine. When you hold them they make a curious kind of whirly noise.

When they are roaming and scratching they make a contented clucking sound that’s as satisfying as a kitten’s purr.

Do they fertilize your yard?

They almost exclusively eat and poop. I use pine shavings in the coop to absorb the droppings, and then put the combination in the compost. It has rounded out my compost nicely, which was previously almost entirely kitchen scraps. When I let them free roam they leave little fertilizer packets all over the yard.

How much space do they need?

The recommendation for fully confined birds is 10 square feet per bird. With less space there’s increased chance of disease and pecking. If you’re going to let them roam

Why would you do something like this?

I like the idea of producing my own eggs in an environmentally friendly and humane manner. But I also like the challenge, sense of adventure, oddity, and feeling like I’m connecting with some deep human drive for self-reliance.

Are you going to die of cholesterol poisoning?

Maybe. But considering eggs are one of the most versatile foods, which can be used in every course of every meal, it wouldn’t be a bad way to go.

Minnie Rose Lovgreen’s Recipe for Raising Chickens This book is an interesting collector’s piece, written by an intriguing British woman. Minnie Rose was born in 1888, the eighth of 19 children. She left home at the age of 11 and worked her way around the world, including a near miss on the Titanic.

She eventually settled near Seattle, where she built a dairy farm with her husband. At age 86, while undergoing treatment for cancer, she dictated this book to her neighbor and friend Nancy Rekow, who later crafted and published it.

This book is probably not an adequate guide for those just setting out on the adventure of keeping backyard chickens; much of the content is a bit antiquated. A major focus is breeding and hatching chicks, as well as managing the chick-hen interaction. Today, most backyard chicken keepers are likely to buy

chicks from a hatchery and raise them sans mother hen.

The book also addresses topics such as how to supplement chickens diets with oyster shells, grain and various proteins.

Today feedstores carry a variety of feeds, highly tailored for each stage of a chicken’s life.

That said, this book is worth a look and probably a second one. It is neatly hand lettered, amusingly illustrated and a pleasure to read through. It is full of interesting anecdotes about chickens warding off cows from their chicks and Minnie Rose’s (sometimes failed) attempts to try new methods. It contains gems of Old World knowledge, such as how to “measure” if your hen is laying with your two fore-knuckles (nothing too weird, I promise), or how to ward off mites by painting crankcase oil in the coop. It also succeeds in amusingly describing the many sounds that chickens make. This short book is a delightful piece of folk history and a welcome addition to my library.

Available from NW Trillium Press online at nwtrilliumpress.com, or by phone at 202-842-6908.

—Matt Steiger fall 2010

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Backyard Egg Treats These two recipes are an awesome use of a few hours and half a dozen eggs. With just a few simple ingredients you can create two delicious and very different desserts. You can make both recipes in one session or reserve either the whites or yolks for future use. Start by separating the eggs into yolks and whites.

Macaringues Neither macaroon, nor meringues, these cookies are crispy, light, and not completely unhealthy. The key to these cookies is using unsweetened coconut that still has lots of flavor; I buy mine from the bulk bins at People’s Food Co-op.

Makes 15-20 cookies 6 egg whites ⅓ cup of granulated white sugar ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract 3½ cups of dry, unsweetened, shredded coconut Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat until stiff peaks form; it should look like a silky cloud. Slowly fold in the coconut 1 cup at a time; you will collapse the meringue slightly in doing so. Once the coconut is integrated, form into golf-ball sized pieces with hands or an ice-cream scoop and place them on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven, set aside 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

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Simple Crème Brulee There are thousands of crème brulee recipes; this is one I’ve settled on after trying many.

If you’re nifty enough to use real vanilla beans you won’t regret it.

Serves 6 6 egg yolks ⅓ cup of sugar + 1 teaspoon per dessert 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups heavy cream Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Whisk egg yolks until smooth. Put a kettle of water on the heat to boil. Put sugar in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean down the side and scrape the seeds out with the edge of your knife. Whisk the vanilla seeds into the sugar to integrate them a bit and then throw the seedpods in too. Add the cream to the saucepan, slowly bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer.

The magic of the crème happens in the cream. You have to cook it

the perfect amount. While simmering, stir with a wooden spoon. Occasionally lift the spoon and run your finger along the back, when the trace stays clean the cream is ready. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 5-10 minutes.

Remove the seedpods from the cream. Slowly add the hot cream to the egg yolks, using a tablespoon and whisking the yolks continuously. This is essential so you don’t cook the eggs.

When the yolk/cream mixture is warmed up, slowly pour it into the rest of the cream, now whisking the cream continuously. Divide evenly among six 2- to 3-inch ramekins, place ramekins on a cookies sheet, then gently fill the pan with the hot water from the kettle. Bake for 3540 minutes or until the edges of the crème are set but the center still jiggles. If the crème starts to boil and set large bubbles you have gone a bit too far, take them out.

Set aside to cool for 1 to 2 hours, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the fridge 30 to 60 minutes before serving and gently dab the moisture off the top with a paper towel. When the pots are at room temp, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar over the top in a thin even layer and torch until bubbly and brown.

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Road tripping to

Julian

An adventure in eastern San Diego

By Brook Larios Photos by Erika Doria except where noted

I

n 1869, visions of gold and good fortune drew Confederate veterans to unsettled land in the West. Less than a decade later, the gold rush ceased and settlers, recognizing that the enduring value of the land was its rich soil and ideal elevation for growing fruit—especially apples—stayed on.

San Pasqual Road, towards the San Diego Wild Animal Park, and we are on our way. Traveling on that road, we traverse the hilly San Pasqual Valley—the northernmost community of the city of San Diego—passing several potential stops for our next trip: San Pasqual Battlefield Museum and Historic State Park, San Diego Archaeological Center, Orfila Vineyard, expansive trails and many farms. In 1964, the area was designated as an agricultural zone. Today, it is comprised of orchards, avocado and citrus trees and other crops.

I was drawn to Julian on a rather humid Friday afternoon not because visions of gold saturated my psyche, but because I was itching for a road trip. I had been to apple country only a few times—typically during the winter, when the appeal of hot cider was high and a glimpse of snow only an hour away—but never during summer, Julian’s low season.

Driving along, we look for a side street called Old Milky Way Road, distinguished by a large sign that reads “Ostrich Eggs and Jerky.” This is the most scenic route to Julian, unless perhaps you have the good fortunate of owning a helicopter. You’ll soon end up on Highway 78 and on your way to the quaint town, population 300ish.

My friend and photographer, Erika, and I head out on the I-15 and take Via Rancho Parkway east, which becomes Bear Valley Parkway. A right turn on

Before arriving in Julian, you’ll spy Oasis Camel Dairy in Ramona, recently featured on Discovery Television’s Dirty Jobs.

Camel milk contains massive amounts of insulin and other nutrients, but cannot legally be sold for human consumption in the United States. The owners of Oasis Camel Dairy pitched a tent at the San Diego County Fairgrounds over the summer and subsisted on only camel milk, dates and water for two weeks.

Photo by E.W. Hung

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First Things First: Lunch

At Jeremy’s on the Hill, the specialty of the house is sourced less than a 10-minute drive from the restaurant.

Our first stop is lunch at Jeremy’s on the Hill, 4354 Hwy. 78, in Wynola. At 23 years old, executive chef Jeremy Manley, a graduate of the esteemed Cordon Bleu culinary school, sources only organic, seasonal produce, a significant portion coming from local growers and meat purveyors such as Knight Salumi Co. Manley is also a Julian native.

“I was raised here; I was arrested here,” he laughs. “I’m educating people on food.”

Manley took an interest in cooking at age 10 and by 13 he was catering weddings. At 19, Manley cooked under award-winning chef Martin Woesle at Rancho Santa Fe’s Mille Fleurs. Now manning his own post, the culinary prodigy’s specialty of the house is a half-pound grass-fed bison burger, with meat sourced from Star B Ranch, less than a 10-minute drive from the restaurant. Fun fact: Bison meat contains 75% less cholesterol than conventionally raised beef or pork and 2/3 the cholesterol of conventionally raised chicken. Even spicy food cowards, myself included, will be awestruck over the California white cheddar, avocado and jalapeño burger.

“This is [one] thing I never thought I was going to do: flipping burgers,” he jokes.

Shopping with Albert Lewis Chef Jeremy Manley

A quick dab of the napkin on the crease of the lips and on to the next stop: Wynola Farms Marketplace, 4470 Hwy. 78.

Formerly owned by Orfila Vineyard, but now manned by locals Albert Lewis and Lydia Frausto, the marketplace is home to

Jeremy’s on the Hill local bison burger

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Lewis grew the marketplace into the local hub it is today, housed in a building erected in 1942 from mostly salvaged materials.

10 shops featuring art, soap and jewelry from local artisans, locally produced wine and cider, antiques, educational activities and, on Sundays, the Julian Certified Farmers’ Market.

According to Lewis, who also operates hempys.com, manufacturer and distributor of clothing and accessories made from only sustainable materials, the focus is on local, high-quality products made with materials and ingredients sourced in America. It should be noted that, when Erika catches wind of Albert’s affiliation with hempys.com, her jaw drops. She runs an Etsy store that specializes in vintage clothing and has known about hempys.com for years.

Lewis grew the marketplace into the local hub it is today, housed in a building erected in 1942 from mostly salvaged materials. The allure of the marketplace soon becomes apparent as a local flower grower approaches Lewis, asking if he will buy her flowers for resale.

“I’ll take ’em,” he says with a smile.

Eight months ago, Lewis started a community garden on the land behind the marketplace, where locals have free access to grow what they wish.

“There’s no formal structure,” he says.

“People just coordinate, and it works out.”

My compadre and I purchase a bottle of apple cider and head with excitement for our next destination: O’Dell’s Organic Orchard, 1095 Julian Orchards Dr. Wynola Farms Marketplace

Camille and Carl O’Dell didn’t know one pear from another when they purchased the property, which now consists of 450 pear trees, a herd of Nubian goats and cage-free Araucana chickens that lay beautiful colored eggs.

An Idyllic Orchard As the name suggests, O’Dell’s sells organic fruit but, more specifically, six different varieties of pears. Owners Camille and Carl O’Dell are Long Beach transplants who didn’t know one pear from another when they purchased the property, which now consists of 450 pear trees, a herd of Nubian goats and cage-free Araucana chickens that lay beautiful colored eggs and reside in a Tuff Shed with outdoor access—except for Shorty who, picked on by the others, has free range of the property.

After perusing Carl’s incredible antique collection, we leave O’Dell’s, grateful for the load of eggs, goat’s milk and cheese now in the car.

A Rare Glimpse of Wildlife

“[When we purchased the property], we knew nothing about pears except that you ate them,” Camille admits.

“[Prior to the international captive breeding program], there were only seven unrelated individuals around the world,” Hunt says, adding that the program is “the only reason the Mexican [Gray] wolves are alive today.”

We’re on to the final leg of our trip: A drive out to the California Wolf Center (CWC), a nonprofit facility that hosts educational and conservation programs and funds critical research on captive and free-ranging wolves. CWC is home to several packs of Alaskan Gray and highly endangered Mexican Gray wolves, the latter of which are 2/3 the size of the former.

The goats are milked twice daily, at dawn and dusk. Carl retrieves them, one by one, from their large pen, brushing each before guiding her into the milking barn. When it’s her turn, the goat eagerly jumps onto a platform where a bucket of grain awaits.

Her udders are sanitized and, as she aggressively consumes the tasty morsels, Carl milks her. The rich white liquid is immediately poured into a contraption immersed in ice. I try my hand at milking and find that I’m better suited for writing.

The trek to CWC is mildly tricky. It’s not on the main drag in Julian, so drivers don’t just happen upon it; in fact, I’m told that entering the address into a GPS will leave me thoroughly lost. Access to CWC requires a reservation which, thankfully, we have. Once at the gate, which shares an entrance with a KQ campground, we wait for a truck to guide us in.

Because the FDA has not approved raw goat’s milk for human consumption, the milk is marked for animal purposes. O’Dell’s sells eggs and goat’s milk year-round, but pears are only available during Julian’s U-pick season from September to October.

One of the rarest land mammals in the world, only 42 Mexican gray wolves exist in the wild today, according to Erin Hunt, general manager of CWC.

Carl O’Dell and his goats

O’Dell’s pears

Photo by Tony Norton

Erin guides us to the animals, which live in vast enclosures across the property laden with brush so that they can remain as anonymous as they wish. Some serve as ambassadors, while others will eventually be released into the wild. The guidelines for release are extremely rigorous.

We are fortunate enough to glimpse both breeds during our time at CWC and we are floored by the work the organization is doing to ensure the salvation and propagation of the species.

Heading home, we already begin planning our next trip, hopeful that it will include a bison burger, a gallon of goat’s milk, a bottle of cider, a visit to the majestic ones and time to reminisce with our new friends of Julian.

Brook Larios covers the sustainable food community for Examiner.com. She is principal/CEO of PlainClarity Communications. A former newspaper reporter, Brook has contributed to La Jolla Village News, San Diego Daily Transcript, San Diego Magazine and Exquisite Weddings. She supports local restaurants committed to sustainability as well as area farms and food purveyors that treat Earth and animals humanely. She recently launched foodhuddle.com, a blog dedicated to everything delicious.

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Liquid Assets

As American as …

hard cider?

Julian Hard Cider hopes to take local apples from the farm to the bottle.

By Candice Woo

A

t first sip, the hard cider is refreshingly crisp, with none of the tongue-coating, sugary aftertaste that I’ve experienced with ciders past. It’s pale yellow in color, and crystal clear, with a light apple nose and tart fruit flavor. The cider’s semi-dry finish and gentle carbonation makes it eminently thirst-quenching, exactly what I want to be drinking on this blisteringly hot July afternoon in Julian.

Fifth generation San Diegan Paul Thomas, founder of Julian Hard Cider, is pouring tastes from a tapped barrel of cider as he stands behind a hand-hewn wooden bar, its glossy lacquered surface embedded with silver dollars. The company’s tasting room, a small replica of a miner’s saloon, is part of a larger structure that Paul helped to build out of reclaimed wood from in and around Julian.

It’s housed in Wynola Farms Marketplace, located just a few miles from downtown Julian, and shares the space with 13 other tenants including a local wine-tasting shop and a weekly certified farmers’ market. The property was once an apple and pear farm, more than 50 years ago, and the warehouse where Julian Hard Cider is now located once functioned as a fruit-packing and cider-making facility.

Established as a mining town during San Diego County’s brief gold rush period in the late 1800s, Julian held promise for many of the early frontiersmen and -women, who stayed on even after the rush for fortune had passed, as they discovered that the area’s high elevation, more than 4,000 feet, and mountain climate were favorable for agriculture, particularly apples. By 1915 Julian-grown apples had won blue ribbons at three world’s fairs, and for decades to follow the town revolved and thrived around the cultivation of food.

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Julian is now a destination, famous for its apple pies, though apple production has declined in recent years. Global produce production has priced out the local market and much farmland has made way for development. Two devastating fires—2003’s Cedar fire and the Witch Creek blaze of 2007— damaged or destroyed acres of orchards; I witnessed the area’s vulnerability first hand on my drive up to the tasting room, as I passed a roadside brushfire being battled on a hot and dry summer day.

but with the growing proliferation of esteemed craft breweries, the demand for beer in America has superseded the want for hard cider and there is no longer the same taste for it here as there still is in England and other parts of Europe.

Paul Thomas in his apple orchard

Paul Thomas and his small but dedicated crew at Julian Hard Cider are hoping to help revive the American cider industry, and along with it, the local apple trade.

Today, approximately 18,000 apple trees remain in Julian, a mix of commercial apples like Granny Smith, Golden Delicious and sweet-tart Empires to heirloom and antique varieties such as Bellflower and Winesap. Apple pies and apple products are sold throughout the year, though usually only made with local apples during Julian’s apple harvest season, which runs from September through November.

Some farms’ apples go to local markets and other farms open their doors to the public for picking.

Reviving a Delicious Tradition Hard cider was introduced to America by early English settlers during colonial times, and in apple-growing communities, including many in New England and newer townships like Julian, it was once a popular and plentiful drink. This continued up into Prohibition, Picnic in a Julian orchard

Paul Thomas and his small but dedicated crew at Julian Hard Cider are hoping to help revive the American cider industry, and along with it, the local apple trade. Four years ago, during a trip to a Julian pizza restaurant, Paul noticed the selection of artisan sodas and asked if they had any similarly produced cider. They didn’t, so, propelled by an innate entrepreneurial spirit, he began testing small batches of hard cider in his Julian garage, buying fresh, local nonalcoholic apple cider or making his own, by scratting, or grinding, different combinations of apple varieties into a pulp, using a hand-built mill, and then squeezing out the juice through a homemade press.

He settled on a traditional cider recipe from 1670, using a proprietary blend of five apples chosen for the quality each brings to the final drink: acidic or tannic or distinctly apple-y. There are no unnatural additives or extra sweeteners added, he just adds yeast to ferment the natural sugar in the juice. It takes about three to five weeks for juice to finish fermenting and developing flavor, and his recipe produces a hard cider that contains 7% alcohol by volume (ABV). If you’ve only had some of big name, mass-produced American ciders that are essentially a sweet mix of alcohol and apple juice concentrate, this is an entirely different-tasting product.

The hard cider is already a regular handle at many of San Diego’s best craft beer bars and restaurants, including Blind Lady Ale House, Pizza Port, The Linkery and Sea Rocket Bistro and is sold in 22-ounce bottles at local Whole Foods Markets, Henry’s and Jimbo’s. This summer they were picked up by Stone Brewing Co.’s distribution arm, which will deliver the cider across Southern California.

Hoping to Benefit Agriculture in Julian With his obvious affection for the community, and for artisan handmade food, Paul would like to make his cider solely using local apples, but the volume he needs to satisfy all his clients, roughly 3,000 gallons a month, cannot be fulfilled by Julian’s current apple output; it takes around 30 apples to make one gallon of hard cider.

For now, he ferments and bottles the cider in Oregon, where the apples are handpicked at a huge, 50-year-old apple farm that

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belongs to a friend. There, he has all the equipment he needs for pressing, fermenting and bottling, plus a modern lab for working on the chemistry of cider and quality control. One day, he hopes to have the same kind of setup here, provided that he can collaborate with local farmers.

Paul takes me to visit a nearby farm, Raven Hill Orchard, to meet his friend Patrick Brady, who has been Albert Lewis’s Wynola Farms Marketplace the steward of the orchard, a lush 10 acres planted with 8,000 dwarf apple trees, including Gravensteins, a delicate heritage variety that is part of Slow Food USA’s effort to preserve biodiversity in agriculture. Dotting the landscape are Patrick’s hand-forged metal sculptures, a wood sauna turned falcon house, a camper that replaces his previous abode—a teepee—and a gleaming motorcycle similar to the Captain America chopper that Peter Fonda rode in Easy Rider. He is charismatic and thoughtful, and clearly a purist when it comes to his apples, preferring to sell directly to markets or customers rather than see them get baked into pies, musing in his soft Irish brogue that every apple on the branch has already been cooked to perfection by the sun and the soil.

From there, we travel a short distance into Julian’s historic district for a beer at the local American Legion, Post 468. Paul, a veteran of Desert Storm, has made friends within this tight-knit community, many of whom are proud to see their town’s name on Julian Hard Cider’s labels, which proclaim the cider “American to the Core.” The group is convivial and welcoming; we run into Brad and Denise, who manage the cider company’s store and tasting room, and members of Paul’s extended family, including his girlfriend and infant son. By my second beer, people are urging me to move up to Julian and it’s sounding appealing.

Paul’s friend and landlord Albert Lewis owns and operates Wynola Farms Marketplace and the surrounding farmland with his wife, Lydia, where the couple raises pastured goats and is cultivating grapes for a future boutique winery. Albert shares Paul’s vision of what they hope will be Julian’s next chapter; increased economic strength through tourism and businesses committed to strengthening the local food system and revitalizing local farmland. As Albert puts it, Julian needs to “grow more than houses.”

They hope to work towards reviving the cidery on the Wynola property and forming partnerships with local farmers who can grow the apples they need. To that end, Paul currently makes special local harvest blends of the hard cider during the apple season, holiday batches flavored with fresh cranberries and other fruit, and has plans to make scrumpy, a very traditional, more potent variety of true farmhouse hard cider. This fall he will begin to offer cider-making classes at neighboring orchards to celebrate the local bounty, hoping that his own handcrafted hard cider will someday be the apple of Julian’s eye.

Candice Woo is an award-winning freelance writer and regular contributor to Edible San Diego. She is the current restaurant reviewer and food and drink writer for San Diego Magazine and the former food columnist for San Diego CityBeat. Candice also she serves as education co-chair on the board of Slow Food Urban San Diego, where she helps to create food enrichment classes and events, advises student Slow Food chapters and works towards bringing better food into local schools. Candice enjoys writing about the stories behind the food on our plates, and is particularly passionate about artisan food and craft beer. To talk food, write to Candice at candicew@gmail.com.

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The Magic of Olivewood Gardens

By Caron Golden

Photo by E.W. Hung

Kids learn where good food comes from and how to grow and cook it

S

trawberry pancakes! Watermelon pancakes! Oh, oh, oh, carrot pancakes!

These were some of the ideas shouted out by the Olivewood Elementary School fourth and fifth graders I was with last March when I asked for suggestions for possible alternatives to the zucchini pancakes we were making that morning at Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center. They literally ate up the zucchini pancakes but what if they didn’t happen to have zucchinis? What else could they make with my recipe?

We, of course, had plenty of zucchinis.

They were growing in the half-acre garden down the hill. The eggs we used? From the hens that hang out by the compost heaps.

Our onions were also from the garden, as was the oregano. I brought the panko breadcrumbs, which they had never seen or tasted before. And I hauled with me all sorts of other ingredients and equipment from my kitchen, since no one was sure what was there. Not yet. See, I was the first “volunteer

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chef” for a novel program being launched that day: having a group of National City school kids come to the property and learn about gardening, nutrition and cooking— all in 25-minute increments.

Rich in history, opportunity Well, of course it was a success. Not because of me but because, really, who wouldn’t want to be at this magical place? Perched on a hill that is swept by cool sea breezes with an ocean view long in the distance, Olivewood Gardens is rich in history and even though it’s part of the neighborhood of Olivewood Terrace, it’s a peaceful respite from urban life.

There are two gardens. One is a mature inground organic garden, which was growing all those zucchinis. It’s lush and colorful with a variety of other vegetables, herbs and flowers and those roaming chickens.

The other is just getting started as a demonstration garden to show families how

they can plant edibles and succulents even if all they have is an urban balcony. The half acre is broken into different themed mini-gardens. A half-dozen colorful tires are piled together for planting succulents donated by a business called the Garden Path. There is a pizza garden, a trellis draped in passionfruit vines, a butterfly garden and adjustable raised beds designed to be easily worked by the elderly or people with disabilities. Shaner Farms, Seeds in the City, Urban Plantations and others have donated seeds and seedlings to get it started.

In between these gardens is a gorgeous 4,000-square-foot Princess Anne Victorian house, whose sunny kitchen houses the cooking classes. Below the house is a pool and pool house. And alongside the demonstration garden is another little house, which the staff converted into offices. It’s a slice of heaven in National City.

The property has a rich history. In the late 19th century and well into the 20th, the

“ We began looking for ways to give back to the community. We had been supporting community gardens and diabetes gardens in Tijuana but realized we were in a largely Latino community that has a huge diabetes rate.

We had the power to do something transformative.”

neighborhood, long abundant in farms and orchards, was subdivided for Navy housing, the Noyes family resisted selling and kept the property intact. It changed hands between the Noyes’s ownership and 1986 when Wal-Mart heirs John and Christy Walton bought it, creating an organic garden so their then young son Lucas could eat nutritiously to help him overcome leukemia (which he did).

The property was an inspired setting for meetings but getting buy in from the neighbors was challenging because they wanted to know how it was going to benefit them. “We began looking for ways to give back to the community,” explains Kiy. “We talked to Luz Vicario, the principal of Olivewood Elementary School, to see how we could be helpful and she asked about a school garden program. We had been supporting community gardens and diabetes gardens in Tijuana but realized we were in a largely Latino community that has a huge diabetes rate. We had the power to do something transformative.”

seven-acre property was owned by Oliver Noyes, a wealthy New Hampshire businessman who moved west and settled in National City, becoming its postmaster.

In 1896, he built the house and over time also grew citrus and olive trees and was an avid canner. When the surrounding

Photo by Caron Golden

In 2006, they donated the property to the nonprofit International Community Foundation. The original intent, explains Richard Kiy, president and CEO of ICF, was “to create a place that could better connect Southern California–area donors to Baja and other parts of Mexico.”

Creating the perfect burger from garden ingredients

With the ICF focused on its core mission— cross-border grantmaking—they created another organization to take ownership of the project, the ICF Center. Amy Carstensen, director of donor relations and operations, took on the ramping up of the new Center.

After a false start designing a garden, and holding a lot of focus groups with teachers, community members and people involved in gardening programs, they came up with a design. “We also visited other programs, like Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley and Life Lab at UC Santa Cruz to get input and ideas,” Carstensen says.

Partners step up to complete the program Olivewood Gardens was becoming a garden without a teaching component. But in February 2009, Carstensen attended a Victory Garden meeting with a one-page description of the property and a wish for know-how. There she met Diana Bergman of the Resource Conservation District, which supports local educators who use gardens to teach. Bergman also had onepager in hand. She had the know-how and was looking for a teaching garden and land.

Kismet. A partnership was formed.

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“It was a match made in heaven,” says Michelle Cox, who is Olivewood Gardens’ program coordinator. “RCD and the ICF Center could go after funding together, and in fact, initial seed money came from the California Endowment and Sempra Energy.”

That funding enabled Cox’s position to be funded for 18 months. She began in November 2009 and launched the education component in February 2010.

Chef Ann Cooper strikes again and Chef Julie Darling steps up But there was still no nutrition component.

Everything aligned that February, though, when Chef Ann Cooper, known as the

says Darling. “It’s fabulous. And they come in different capacities—as chefs, sous-chefs and working in the garden.”

Photo by Caron Golden

The whole notion of a garden-totable experience is eye-opening for the students.…They’re learning there’s so much more we can grow and can eat apart from pizzas and hot dogs.

“Renegade Lunch Lady,” came to San Diego for a series of events, including one at the Natural History Museum. During a Q&A session after her talk, as Cox recalls, in the very back of the audience a voice shouted out, “Hey, we’re chefs. How do we get involved?” Cox, Bergman and Carstensen were also in the audience and shouted, “Talk to us! Talk to us!” The chef was Julie Darling, owner of Just Call Us Catering, who had also just started Just Call Us Volunteers.

“She said she could make it happen,” says Cox. “Sometimes people say they can do things but don’t follow through. But damn if Julie didn’t bring it.”

Darling recalls that “they wanted a food thing with kids in the kitchen, but didn’t know what.” She put out a call via Facebook for volunteer instructors or “guest chefs” and immediately recruited 10 volunteers.

These included prominent local chefs like Amy DiBiase, Chad White, Andrew Spurgin and Susan Sbicca. “They keep coming back,”

Chad White, now executive chef at Roseville, was introduced to Darling by DiBiase, who knew how involved he was in the community feeding the homeless through a nonprofit he co-founded called Hunger at Home and teaching nutrition and the dangers of obesity to low-income elementary school students and their parents. It’s been a perfect fit.

“I love working with these children. They are really special and so interactive. I hardly got the ‘deer in the headlights’ look or children who didn’t want to participate,” he says.

White’s first foray into the Olivewood Gardens kitchen was making organic “fresca,” a grapefruit, lime and rosemary soda. He found it revealing that most of the kids thought it was too sour. “That’s when the truth came out,” he says. “Children’s taste buds are now masked by the high levels of sugar they consume.”

My experience was different. Despite being warned by friends that there was no way the kids would eat zucchini pancakes, they were enthusiastic and most wanted seconds. We even had a group of boys come in while their group was eating lunch to ask if any pancakes were left and if they could take them home to their moms.

What was a revelation for me was the lack of kitchen experience the children had. I found that many had never even cracked open and beat an egg. They weren’t sure how to use a grater or even mix ingredients. So, along with sharing a modicum of nutritional information—provided by large illustrated cards in the kitchen—we focused on some basic kitchen skills. The kids plunged in and had a blast.

Garden to table It doesn’t all happen in the kitchen, of course. Longtime head gardener Martha Prusinskas patiently teaches kids how to make seed balls and how to create compost. They pick crops to take to the kitchen. She sits with them and together they put together bundles of chives, which Olivewood sells to restaurants, along 30

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with other produce. Volunteers in the demonstration garden, like science teacher Natasha Bullock-Oder and nutritionist Diana Vandenbusch, helped a recent group of summer school students plant “the three sisters”: corn, pumpkins and lima beans.

The pumpkins will be harvested for pies for Mama’s Kitchen, says Darling.

Former National School District superintendent and ICF Center board member Dennis Doyle is blown away by what’s happening at Olivewood Gardens.

“The kids can walk to the Center, which provides exercise. And to watch the kids in the gardens and then tasting the foods is wonderful. It’s demystifying food. We’re showing them where food comes from.

They get involved in growing food and preparing food, plus it matches the science standards. After all, how do you really learn?

Through memorization or engagement and first-hand experience? The garden is a kind of science lab.”

Principal Vicario is delighted with the partnership and its results. “It’s opening up the students’ ability to see where food

Come fall, the curriculum will encompass more than just the sciences, with the addition of language arts, math and social studies.

is grown and that it’s not something that appears on a styrofoam tray,” she says. “The food a lot of kids eat is processed food.

And it’s what they love. The whole notion of a garden-to-table experience is eyeopening for the students. Also, there have been sessions with different exotic fruits like blood oranges that have opened their horizons and their palates. They’re learning there’s so much more we can grow and can eat apart from pizzas and hot dogs. It’s really opening up their culinary world.”

On a visit in June, for the Wings Summer Camp, students from Las Palmas Elementary were learning how to make “Olivewood Garden Burgers” from Zach Negin and James Magnatta, owners of SoNo Trading Company. They make pickles, mustards and these burgers, filled with veggies. The pair not only showed up with a recipe and many of the ingredients, but they also donated graters, microplanes and a cutting board. In fact, Olivewood Gardens is becoming a volunteer darling—with individuals and groups like the Junior League, the San Diego chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier (to which Julie Darling and I belong) and Cox Communications making it one of their pet projects. In fact, the Cox relationship is becoming a big deal.

“Cox Communications has adopted us for their ‘Good Food Gardens,’” says Carstensen.

“It’s a $10,000 pre-built garden that is being donated to Olivewood Elementary. It’ll be part of a show on the Food Network.“ More than 1,100 visits were made between February and June 2010 by students to Olivewood, including repeat visits by classes.

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Photo by E.W. Hung

D.C., in June for First Lady Michelle Obama’s Childhood Obesity Initiative event, returned with a number of ideas she wants to incorporate in the cooking portion, like teaching fractions through measuring.

“ One of our students said that when she goes to the market with her mom, she now focuses on vegetables and makes her mom pay attention to what’s there and what they’re buying.“ Before the visits, Michelle Cox goes to the school to do presentations on the food chain, plant adaptation and plant anatomy.

Everything is tied into established school standards that Cox coordinates with the teachers. Come fall, the curriculum will encompass more than just the sciences, with the addition of language arts, math and social studies. Also new in the fall will be high school students coming from Elementary Institute of Science, a City Heights nonprofit that exposes urban youth to science. The 15 or so kids will work in the garden and also develop a nutrition curriculum and produce a cookbook tailored toward the elementary school students.

“Our foundation has funded them,” explains Carstensen. “We mutually decided to get them involved volunteering with the younger kids on a weekly basis with maintenance and upkeep of garden and we’ll teach them about gardening.”

And Darling, who went to Washington, 32

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Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center really is just getting started.

According to Doyle, a small committee is working on developing a business plan to take the concept to a larger scale and sustain it over time by finding donors and benefactors.

“This is a special laboratory cooking up exciting real-life lessons,” he says. “I think we may want to consider the possibility of taking this out through social networking and digital video. We can have kids engaging with each other. There’s lots of potential to connect with other folks doing this kind of work to help young people to broaden their perspective.”

It is creating palpable change among the children who experience it as well as their families. “Our mission is to promote healthy eating and living not just at school but at home through gardening, environmental stewardship, and nutrition education,” says Carstensen. She describes Olivewood as a place of inspiration, motivation and

empowerment. “I can’t tell you how many people come and say, ‘I was so inspired,’ including people related to our foundation.

We had a focus group the other day with some neighborhood moms. One of the moms said, ‘My daughter will eat anything that has zucchini in it!’

“Moms are telling us that even if they’re promoting healthy eating at home it doesn’t resonate the way it does when they’re at the program and find it’s fun. It’s that third party that sometimes has the most credence.”

For Vicario, the benefit of a place like Olivewood Gardens is that kind of fundamental shift from a desire to eat junk food to wanting to grow and cook nutritious food. It has the potential of launching a healthy future for her students.

“What’s really important to me is to make it known to the students and parents that the choices they make now will give them a better quality of life in terms of their health and lifestyle. One of our students said that when she goes to the market with her mom, she now focuses on vegetables and makes her mom pay attention to what’s there and what they’re buying.“ Caron Golden is an award-winning freelance writer whose work appears in Saveur, Culinate and her blog, San Diego Foodstuff. She is a food columnist for SDNN.com and a regular guest on KPBS radio’s These Days.

Why feed your kids organic food?

The following research was reported on in Organic, Inc. by Samuel Fromartz.

In 1998, a researcher at the Department of Health at the University of Washington tested children in the Seattle area for pesticide residues in their urine. He thought that children living near farms would have the highest levels. The opposite was true. The 110 children who lived in the Seattle metro area had the highest levels, except for one child who had no signs of any pesticide metabolites. When he interviewed the parents of the child, he discovered that the family ate almost all organic food.

Another scientist from UW followed up on the 1998 study and showed that children who ate primarily organic food had 83% fewer pesticide metabolites than those who ate nonorganic food.

The original researcher then found that children who ate organic foods for just five days had no sign of pesticides in their urine. But the metabolites returned after feeding the children a conventional diet once again. The researchers concluded that eating an organic diet provided “a protective mechanism” against pesticides that “is dramatic and immediate.”

Why Bother?

T

he school garden movement is spreading fast in all parts of the United States. Schoolyard gardens are popping up on rooftops, in formerly vacant lots and in city parks, as well as in schoolyards.

Fortunately, the lessons to be learned from a school garden come at a critical time. Educators and parents now realize that teaching children about where their food comes from is as valuable as teaching them to read and write. Flowers, fruits and vegetables are not the only things that grow in school gardens.

Gardens are living laboratories, as well as places of beauty and sources of food.

In the process of learning to cultivate a garden, students also learn to cultivate their minds by applying reading, math, science and social science skills (through handson experience). Schools with gardens also plant seeds for a healthier lifestyle and environmental stewardship, as well as community and social development.

Research shows a connection between school garden initiatives and a variety of outcomes. According to one study, “The garden curriculum was more effective as a teaching method in raising science achievement scores for boys in third and fifth grades, and for girls in the fifth grade compared to traditional classroombased methods alone.” Students who participated in school gardening activities scored significantly higher on science achievement tests than students who had no garden-based learning.

Cultivating

Gardens, Cultivating

Students

By Stacey L. Klaman

Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that student health is connected to academic achievement. One report stated that Photo by David White “academic success is an excellent indicator for the overall well-being of youth and a primary predictor and determinant of adult health outcomes. Leading national education organizations recognize the close relationship between health and education, as well as the need to embed health into the educational environment for all students.”

School garden programs foster placed-based learning opportunities. Some benefits of place-based learning include higher scores on standardized tests, improved behavior in class, increased selfconfidence, improved conflict resolution, problem solving and higher-level thinking. Learning to nurture a garden can, in turn, nurture children’s social and emotional development.

Students develop a personal connection to the plants they are raising through a sense of ownership, wonder and meaning. They are much more invested in seeing change happen. There are many ways in which a garden can speak to children: academically, aesthetically, nutritionally and personally.

Cultivate a garden that can flourish and you will have cultivated students who can flourish, too.

Stacey Klaman is the Director of Publishing for Sally Ride Science. In her spare time, she loves hiking and hanging out with friends.

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a benefit for:

reconnecting students and families to the natural environment through food, education and community engagement

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Ranch pork that’s wrapped in banana leaves and slow-roasted to fall-apart tenderness; and poutine, a decadent Canadian dish of thick-cut Belgian-style fries smothered in wild mushroom gravy and cheddar cheese.

“Our menu is seasonal and we are introducing new dishes on a weekly basis,” says Ho. We really want there to have something new to try for our HOMIs that come on a weekly basis.”

MEALS ON WHEELS Driven duo brings high form of mobile gastronomy to San Diegans

By Brandon Hernández Photos by Chris Costa

M

any a professional gastronome describe their mission as bringing good food to the masses, but perhaps none take this duty as literally as Juan Miron and Kevin Ho. They are the tandem behind MIHO Gastrotruck, a mobile kitchen (or old, breakdown-prone truck, if you prefer) delivering inspired iterations of classic street food made from scratch with equal parts love and top quality ingredients.

The mobile food truck is an idea that’s taken off and taken hold in notable culinary metropolises including New York, San Francisco and Portland. If diners’ overwhelmingly positive response to MIHO is any indicator, San Diego may soon join that list.

“Street food is a huge aspect of international cuisine that is astoundingly

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absent in America,” says Ho, who says that, in developing countries, roughly 40% of all meals are prepared and eaten on the street.

“When you’re traveling abroad, eating the local street food is the best way to immerse yourself in the essence and soul of a city and its culture.”

Thanks to Miron and Ho (put ’em together and you get MIHO … clever, no?), San Diegans can enjoy some of the world’s most beloved on-thego edibles in the comfort of their own ’hoods. The menu changes regularly to provide maximum variety and is made up of gems like a grass-fed Estancia beef burger with harissa oil and caramelized onions; cochinita pibil tacos stuffed with succulent, achiote-marinated Niman

And come they have. With only two months’ worth of mileage on their odometer, the MIHO Gastrotruck has amassed a legion of HOMIs that is already quite respectable and growing by leaps and bounds. It’s the latest progression in what has been, quite fittingly, a very organic evolution for Miron and Ho. The idea for MIHO came about when the two worked together at The Linkery in North Park and discovered their mutual appreciation for fine food and drink and the joy brought on by both. This shared passion blossomed into a friendship and it wasn’t long before the two were cooking up extravagant homemade craft beer pairing dinners for family and friends. Lots of family and friends … sometimes 40 at a time!

It was clear they had the chops to not only serve but satisfy on a grand scale and that realization, along with their deep-seated belief in the importance of responsibly raised

Juan Miron serves with a smile. He never forgets a customer’s name!

Kevin Ho creates another delectable meal.

A vegetarian special.

“The truck is old, and it broke down almost 10 times [in the first month]. We had to install a new transmission last week and there is a huge wish list of things we want to fix or replace,” says Ho. “The Gastrotruck is definitely a work in progress, but so are we and we hope that our community embraces our triumphs and forgives our missteps. In the end, we are putting our hearts and souls into making something that our city can be proud of.”

and thoughtfully sourced ingredients, led to the idea to go into business together.

“We knew we both wanted to find a way to make sustainable, farm-raised food more affordable and accessible to our community,” says Ho. “Juan read an article about gourmet hot food trucks popping up in cities across the US and we instantly realized this could be a really fun and unique way to make eating really high-quality and well-sourced food an everyday option, rather than just an everynow-and-then kind of thing.”

Another challenge is keeping people informed of where they’ll be. One day the truck may roll into a parking lot in Kearny Mesa, the next a shopping center in the UTC area, and the day after that, meander down 30th Street in North Park and South Park for the monthly “30th On 30th” event.

The biggest advantage of being mobile is that Miron and Ho can share their food and ideologies with a larger number of diners, but there are certainly a number of challenges and obstacles to overcome. Chief among them is simply staying on the road.

Fortunately, this is an easy one to solve. To track and roll right along with the MIHO Gastrotruck, check out the weekly-updated schedule and menu at MIHOgastrotruck.com, email info@MIHOgastrotruck.com, or follow their Twitter feed (MIHOGastrotruck).

Brandon Hernández is a native San Diegan with a passion for the culinary arts and the local dining scene. He has been featured numerous times on the Food Network hit program Emeril Live, regularly contributes to over a dozen national and local magazines, newspapers and online outlets and has authored and co-authored several cookbooks. Follow him at twitter.com/offdutyfoodie or drop him a line at deepcrimson2008@gmail.com.

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Photo: Jerry Lewis

School Gardens ❦

G

arden-based learning has become an enriching extension of the classroom. At a time when children’s natural curiosity about the outdoors is eclipsed by the demands of busy schedules and the ever-present glow of video screens, schools may be the only place where they are encouraged to interact with nature. Even now, with the increased demands on educational dollars and on too few teachers, we are observing a spirit of exploration and discovery in the gardens of our schools. In fact, the number of school gardens is growing. There are approximately 700 school gardens in San Diego County, thousands in California and many tens of thousands across the country.

Our Past & Our Future

By Jerry Louis developing for a long time. How many of us remember planting radish and carrot seeds as first-graders? How many of us were excited beyond our expectations when we were able to harvest and eat radishes and carrots from those same holes where the seeds were planted?

Sowing the Seeds School garden programs are led and supported by those who are devoted to linking school gardens to academic achievement, personal growth, healthy nutrition, environmental stewardship, community and social development. Our nation’s First Lady has done much to focus attention on the need for better nutrition as well as a place and a method for growing those foods, although this has been

More than 15 years ago, Alice Waters and a group of visionaries made up of community teachers and neighbors turned the soil at an urban public middle school in Berkeley. In doing so, they planted the seeds of what was to become the Edible

School Foundation and what have become the marching directives of a movement that integrates academic subjects with growing, cooking and sharing healthy food. Today, all across California, we are observing an integration of academic exploration and discovery, growing food, learning the value of becoming stewards of our earth, sustaining our personal growth, healthy nutrition and creating community through our actions and social development.

I first became interested in school gardens when I served as an apprentice Master Gardener in Marin County in 1992. I was part of a team that formed a group to look at the various ways that community schools could encourage children to form appreciation of becoming stewards of our environment. We investigated the possibilities and potential of developing curriculum programs to take place in school gardens that would have real-world experiential correlations beyond what was generally only taught out of textbooks.

Quickly, we began to see the results of this work and that further encouraged our dedication to the mission of curriculumbased school garden education. fall 2010

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Finding What Works It is quite difficult to describe a “typical” school garden. What is grown in one garden may be very different than another.

However, there are a number of common elements in many of the school gardens I have observed. Most utilize a raised bed planting system that enables the garden to meet the challenges of poor existing soil.

Many are sited on very poor, compacted ground, even directly on blacktop. Many gardens risk being disturbed or even moved because of school facility needs. A raised bed system helps keep these gardens somewhat mobile and provides healthy, deep soil, which encourages multi-seasonal growth.

A common challenge is proper maintenance and irrigation. Most schools have had professional landscapers design their gardens and have school staff maintain them. Many school districts in California have very specific regulations regarding landscape maintenance and control on school properties. Although these regulations usually pose little conflict, there are occasions where it appears there are cross-purposes at play. These challenges are not insurmountable and are part of the process of community building and conflict resolution that are a healthy part of any growth.

volunteers to transform three existing raised garden beds from weed-ridden to butterfly habitat. Planting host plants and nectar plants in the open, Bialik believed “If you build it, they will come!” When butterflies and caterpillars filled the halls the following summer and fall, the school enthusiastically embraced butterfly mania.

Under her direction the school received certification as a Monarch Waystation from monarchwatch.org.

Three years later, under the direction of his first-grade teacher, Janet Germain, Eagle Scout Greg Wilson, a former student

Photo: Karen Kenyon

Although vegetable gardens have been the most popular style of gardens, we’ve been noticing the increase of native-plant and natural habitat gardens. Gardens that encourage visitation by beneficial insects, a wide variety of native and migrating birds and other wildlife eliminate the need for a high use of synthetic chemical-based solutions, which can have negative repercussions for the health of the students, the food they are producing and the environment the students have been adopting.

When butterflies and caterpillars filled the halls the following summer and fall, the school enthusiastically embraced butterfly mania.

Examples in Action In 2005 Ms. Bialik, a second-grade teacher at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Oceanside, received grants and organized 38

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Students in the Octopus Garden at McKinley School

at McAuliffe, built six redwood planters on the asphalt in front of the first grade classrooms for an organic vegetable garden.

The garden at Oak Knoll Elementary School in Encinitas flourishes under the leadership of parent volunteer Chrissy Gerber, who has been joined by an enthusiastic and devoted cadre of teachers, parents, neighbors and community supporters in developing a garden that

enriches both the learning experience for the children and the teaching experience for the faculty and staff. This school garden includes vegetable and flower beds, a composting and vermicomposting area, and a greenhouse and seating for a small outdoor classroom.

Measuring Growth A successful school gardening program can be partially measured by the long-term sustainability of the program itself and the involvement and dedication of the school’s gardening community. A successful program will grow and develop from one year to the next. It’s almost like the Tom Sawyer syndrome of encouraging others to take part. Initially, there may be just one or two teachers or staff members developing the garden. Later, other teachers, volunteers and parents observe the learning experience and the possibilities of the garden. School gardens channel education to an outdoor setting where more than just academics are learned, and many parents and teachers want to join in this experience. Soon everyone wants to play a part in furthering its success.

What seems to happen is far beyond the measurable success of what might be expected. In the process of working together there is the building of community—a community without the typical hierarchy. This is a community based on the betterment of the garden, the lives that are being nurtured and the joy that comes from a cooperative environment where the excitement of observation and discovery occur every day.

Heading off Resistance Gardens offer dynamic, beautiful settings in which to integrate every discipline.

Yet many teachers are initially reticent to adopt the garden as a setting in which to teach. They may see that it would be more enjoyable for students and have value. They may also see that it could help teach many lessons that seem abstract in the classroom yet come alive in a garden setting. But don’t teachers already have too much to do in the classroom? How is it possible to add even more curriculum to

Photo: Karen Kenyon

Plus, it appealed to students who had a strong need to be out in the California sunshine where the minds could focus better on the world around them. Today, California has made great progress in not only linking educational standards to garden education for elementary schools but also for middle and high schools as well. In 2002, the California Department of Education declared that school gardening enables schools to “provide dynamic environments that support student mastery of educational standards.”

Mining for Resources

Left to right: Anjeli Fitzgerald, Corrina Kinsinger, and Julia Nunamaker in the garden at McKinley School

One might assume that the wealthier the school or district is, the better the school garden would be. It’s certainly true that funds are helpful; however, many of the most successful and productive school gardens have been developed in many of California’s more economically challenged neighborhoods. There are many resources available to those who seek them out.

teachers’ responsibilities and to an already demanding school day?

The answer is pretty simple: Don’t add; substitute. Swap out classroom learning garden–based education. Once teachers saw garden-based education as a workable solution, many eventually found it was a preferred method of education across many academic lines—math, science, history, economics, natural history and the arts.

Many Master Gardener programs offer resources and expertise. In fact, trained Master Gardener consultants spend

thousands of hours in our state’s schools each year supporting the work of both teachers and parents. Service clubs, home improvement centers, gardening and landscape businesses and local businesses continue to offer generous financial support, as well as goods and services.

Many local businesses have programs where employees will contribute their time and labor to build or rebuild school gardens in the community. The School Garden Group of the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County, as well as others, have links to funding sources on their websites.

Many wonderful and innovative school gardens have been built on imagination and ingenuity. Many of these schools have taught the fundamentals of recycling and reuse in that very creative method of building their gardens.

My advice? Talk to others who are involved in school gardens in your community.

The Master Gardener Association and the California School Garden Network are good places to start. Contact local botanical and university gardens, nurseries and

Water, Weed, and Wait

By Edith Hope Fine and Angela Demos Halpin Tricycle Press I’ve always found that the best motivation to grow your own food is to immerse yourself in a successful garden. Whether it’s sowing new seeds into fresh soil, watching young sprouts respond to water and time, or witnessing a harvest, there’s something about seeing food grow firsthand that fills me with an immense desire to grow some myself.

Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to drop what you’re doing and head to the nearest garden or farm. For those without the resources or time—or who need a little extra motivation before heading outdoors—Water, Weed, and Wait is a perfect starting point. The children’s book is a delightfully illustrated tale of how a school garden formed and flourished, with each page filled with colorful images of plants, insects and smiling characters learning the ins and outs of a garden build. The final two pages include practical information for “sprouting your own school garden,” complete with a checklist and online resources. The book is not only inspired by a true story, but one that is set in San Diego—the authors, Edith Hope Fine and Angela Demos Halpin, are San Diego-based teachers.

Whether you are sharing the book with a child or friend, Water, Weed, and Wait is a wonderful introduction to the concept of a school garden, and one that might just inspire you to head out and try to build one of your own. —Lauren Duffy

fall 2010

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garden centers, departments of education, garden clubs and agriculture programs.

The Life Lab Science Program in Northern California is a developer of garden-based curriculum and is a great resource.

Reaping the Benefits There will always be a period of adjustment, but it doesn’t take children very long to embrace this meaningful education. They are attracted to the real world around them and see the relevance of their learning much more quickly. They are also attracted to the encouragement to observe, discover and document these learning activities.

California youth are experiencing a major health crisis as the number of overweight and obese youth is growing at an epidemic rate. School garden programs work to combat this epidemic by teaching youth about healthy lifestyles including proper nutrition and physical activity. Through a gardening program, students gain firsthand experience with fresh fruit and vegetables, many of which they have never tasted.

It’s found that if kids grow the vegetables and fruit, and possibly cook it themselves,

Once teachers saw gardenbased education as a workable solution, many found it was a preferred method of education across many academic lines—math, science, history, economics, natural history and the arts. they will be more willing to sample them.

Kids are quickly attracted to opportunities to work cooperatively and to take on responsibilities. School children find that gardening builds confidence, self-esteem and pride as they watch their efforts turn into beautiful and productive gardens.

A school garden is a powerful environmental education tool. Through gardening, students become responsible caretakers. For many children, a garden offers the only chance to get close to nature. Establishing a connection

with nature at an early age is extremely important. Researchers have discovered childhood experiences with nature are strongly linked to adult attitudes toward the natural world. Gardens create early opportunities to work cooperatively and to take on responsibilities. On a personal level, gardening builds confidence, self-esteem and pride as students watch their efforts turn into beautiful and productive results. It also teaches them patience as they wait for a seedling to sprout or a tomato to ripen.

Gardens provide unique opportunities for cross-generational connections. While gardening, children interact socially with teachers, parents and community volunteers.

These gardening experiences are never forgotten and help develop the rich fabric that becomes our lives and that we pass on to future generations.

Jerry Lewis is School Garden Group Chair, Master Gardener Association of San Diego County Excerpted from an article in the September-October issue California Garden, the magazine of the San Diego Floral Association (www.sdfloral.org).

Advertiser Directory Our heartfelt gratitude to all our advertisers for their support in sustaining Edible San Diego.

Please support them and thank them for helping make us a part of this community.

You can find a complimentary copy of Edible San Diego at any of our advertisers and at local farmers’ markets. Other distribution spots are listed on ediblesandiego.com.

Ampolos Kitchen & Bath Design Center 858-576-9009 ampolosdesigncenter.com Anthony Imbimbo, CPA 619-497-1040 anthony@awicpa.com Art Academy of San Diego 619-231-3900 artacademyofsandiego.com Blind Lady Ale House 619-255-2491 blindladyalehouse.com California Center for Sustainable Energy energycenter.org Catalina Offshore Products 619-297-9797 catalinaop.com 40

edible San Diego

Caxao Chocolates 619-379-2447 caxao.com

Mistral 619-424-4000 loewshotels.com

San Diego Botanic Gardens 760-436-3036 sdbgarden.org

Sun Grown 619-921-8135 sungrownorganics.com

City Farmer Nursery 619-284-6358 cityfarmersnursery.com

Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center icfdn.org

SD Weekly Markets 619-233-3901 sdweeklymarkets.com

Suzie’s Farm 619-921-8135 Suziesfarm.com

Coastal Sage Gardening 619-223-5229 coastalsage.com

Palomar Mountain Spring Water 800-227-0140 palomarwater.com

Sea Rocket Bistro 619-255-7049 Searocketbistro.com

Tender Greens 619-602-4721 sandiegoroots.org

Slow Food San Diego, Urban San Diego and Temecula Valley slowfoodsandiego.org slowfoodurbansandiego.org temeculavalleyslowfood.org

Urban Plantations 619-563-5771 urbanplantations.com

Specialty Produce 619 -295-3172 specialtyproduce.com

Whole Foods Market 619-294-2800 Hillcrest 858-642-6700 La Jolla wholefoodsmarket.com

Delyte’s 951-694-3663 delytes.com JSix 619-531-8744 jsixrestaurant.com Lazy T Ranch Organics 760-705-7419 El Take it Easy eltakeiteasy.com fall 2010

Ritual Tavern 619-283-1720 ritualtavern.com Ron La Chance Farmers’ Markets 858-272-7054 Sage Mountain Farm 951-767-1016 sagemountainfarm.com

Starlite 619-358-9766 starlitesandiego.com

UC San Diego|Extension extension.ucsd.edu/writing

Farmers’ Markets MONDAY Escondido—Welk 8860 Lawrence Welk Dr. off Old Hwy 395 1–5 p.m. winter 3–7 p.m. summer 760-751-4193

Carlsbad Roosevelt St. btw Grand Ave. & Carlsbad Village Dr. 1–5 p.m.

760-687-6453

TUESDAY

Ocean Beach 4900 block of Newport Ave. 4–7 p.m. (summer 4–8 p.m.)

619-279-0032

Alpine Viejas Outlet Center 5005 Willows Rd. 2:30 – 6:30 p.m.

619-743-4263

San Marcos* 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd. 1–6 p.m.

760-751-4193

Coronado Old Ferry Landing, First St. & B Ave. 2:30–6 p.m.

760-741-3763

Santee 10445 Mission Gorge Rd. 3–7 p.m.

619-933-8427

Escondido Grand Ave. btw Juniper & Kalmia 3:30 – 7 p.m. May to Sept 2:30 – 6 p.m. Oct to Apr 760-745-8877

Temecula 40820 Winchester Rd. btw Macy’s & JC Penney 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

760-728-7343

Mira Mesa Mira Mesa High School 10510 Reagan Rd. 3–7 p.m.

858-272-7054

Tu Mercado University of San Diego Campus 5998 Alcalá Park, btw Marian Way & Morris Dr. 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Otay Ranch—Chula Vista 2015 Birch Rd. and Eastlake Blvd.

4–8 p.m. (winter 4–7 p.m.)

619-279-0032

THURSDAY

Rancho Bernardo—Webb Park 16816 Bernardo Center Drive 3–7 p.m.

760-500-1709 UCSD/La Jolla UCSD Campus, Town Square at Gilman/Meyers 10 a.m.–2 p.m. (Sept. to June) 858-534-4248

WEDNESDAY Adams Avenue 4674 35th St. at John Adams Elementary 3–7 p.m.

619-233-3901 Bonita Valley Bonita Valley Comm. Church 4744 Bonita Rd. 3–7 p.m.

619-954-4810

Chula Vista Center St. off Third Ave. 3–7 p.m. (3–6 p.m. fall/winter) 619-422-1982 Del Sur Camino Del Norte & Lone Quail Rd. 3–7 p.m.

858-586-7933 Horton Square San Diego 225 Broadway & Broadway Circle 11 a.m.–3 p.m., March–Oct. only 760-741-3763 Lakeside* 9841 Vine St. Lindo Lake County Park 2–6 p.m.

760-745-3023 North Park CVS Pharmacy 3151 University & 32nd St. 3 p.m.–sunset (winter 2 p.m.–sunset) 619-233-3769 Oceanside Market & Faire Pier View Way & Coast Hwy. 101 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

619-440-5027

Oceanside Sunset Tremont & Pier View Way 5–9 p.m. (winter 4–8 p.m.)

760-754-4512 Rancho Santa Fe Cielo Village Starting in September – call for info 18021 Calle Ambiente at Del Dios Hwy 3:30–7:30 p.m.

858- 205-0675 UTC Genesee Ave. at UTC Westfield Shopping Plaza 3–7 p.m.

619-795-3363 Valley Center * 28246 Lilac Rd. 1–6 p.m.

760-751-4193

FRIDAY Borrego Springs Christmas Circle Comm. Park 7 a.m.–noon, November–June 760-767-5555 Fallbrook 102 S. Main, at Alvarado 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

760-390-9726 Imperial Beach Imperial Beach Pier Plaza 10 Evergreen Av. 2–7 p.m. (winter 2–6 p.m.)

619-981-4412 La Mesa Village 8300 block of Allison Ave. 3–6 p.m.

619-440-5027 Mission Valley Mission Cntr. Rd. at Camino Del Rio N. In front of Target 3–7 p.m.

619-795-3363 Rancho Bernardo Bernardo Winery parking lot 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte 9 a.m.–noon 760-500-1709 San Marcos - Meadowlark 1918 Redwing St. 2–6 p.m Apr - Nov 1–4 p.m. Dec - Mar 760-500-7583

SATURDAY Carlsbad Roosevelt St. btw Grand Ave. & Carlsbad Village Dr. 1–5 p.m.

760-687-6453 City Heights* On Wightman St. btw Fairmount & 43rd St. 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

760-751-4193 Del Mar 1050 Camino Del Mar 1–4 p.m.

760-521-0643 Little Italy Mercato Date St. (India to Columbia) 9 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

619-233-3769 Pacific Beach 4150 Mission Blvd.

8 a.m.–noon 760-741-3763 Poway Old Poway Park 14134 Midland Rd. at Temple 8–11:30 a.m.

619-440-5027 Ramona** Collier County Park, 626 E St. 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

760-788-1924 Scripps Ranch 10380 Spring Canyon Rd. & Scripps Poway Parkway 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

858-586-7933 Temecula Old Town Temecula Sixth & Front St. 8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

760-728-7343

Fallbrook 139 S. Main 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

760-390-9726 Gaslamp San Diego 400 block of Third Ave. 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

619-279-0032 Hillcrest DMV parking lot 3960 Normal & Lincoln Sts. 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

619-237-1632 Julian Wynola Farms Marketplace 4470 Hwy 78, 3 miles west of Julian 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

760-885-8364 La Jolla Open Aire Girard Ave. & Genter, La Jolla Elem. School 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

858-454-1699 Leucadia/Encinitas 185 Union St. & Vulcan St. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

858-272-7054 Point Loma Liberty Station, 2728 Decatur Rd. 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

619-795-3363 Rancho Santa Fe Del Rayo Village 16079 San Dieguito Rd. 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

858-922-5135 Solana Beach 410 to 444 South Cedros Ave. 1–5 p.m.

858-755-0444 * Denotes markets accepting EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer). ** Denotes markets accepting WIC (Women, Infants, Children) and FMNP (Farmers Market Nutrition Program) checks

Vista County Courthouse 325 Melrose Dr. 7:45–11 a.m.

760-945-7425

SUNDAY Bonsall River Village Shopping Center 5256 S. Mission Rd. at Hwy 76 9:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.

208-553-4700

fall 2010

All San Diego County markets listed except Alpine and RSF Cielo Village are certified by the County Agricultural Commissioner. Please visit ediblesandiego.com and click on “Resources” for more complete information and links to farmers’ market websites.

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