Edible San Diego Perspectives Winter 2020–2021 Issue 60

San Diego County's food media company NO. 60 • WINTER 2020-2021

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SAN DIEGO

Perspectives

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Winter 2020-2021

CONTENTS

Issue 60

IN T HIS ISSUE DE PARTMENTS

4 Editor’s Note E AT ING WELL

6 Gather: Restoring Native American Foodways LOC AL ATTRACTION S

22 Local Markets Guide P R E P (F OR REAL LI FE)

24 Manifesting 101 F E ATURES

12 How to Sustainably Farm in the City 17 Building a Better Meat System WHAT TO LOOK FO R O N ED I BLESA N D I EG O. CO M R E AD

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Ultimate Instant Pot Guide The New Vegan Guard at Grossmont Center Food Court How to Start a Raised Bed Garden in Seven Steps 10-Minute Vegan Soba Salad Cooking to Promote Plant-Based Food Options

LI STEN

Living Local Podcast WATCH

• • • • •

Thai Cooking School: How to Make Tom Yum Nam Khon at Home How to Make a Savory Superfood Turmeric Sweet Potato Spread How to Make Lemon Pepper Tuna and White Bean Tartine How to Make a Super-Soothing Golden Chai How to Make Winter Citrus and Radicchio Salad

ON THE COVER

Food is as diverse as we all are.

T H I S IMAGE

We are what we eat. What are you made of?

HALEY HAZELL

Thank you to Haley Hazell for interpreting our need for whimsy this issue.

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Safe Outdoor Dining, Stunning Coastal Views, Uniquely California Cuisine

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Editor’s Note |

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what’s best for people, the planet we live on, and the many types of life shared here.

Even Sir David Attenborough has published a book and documentary on the topic, A Life on Our Planet, and an Instagram story campaign to promote awareness and engagement.

Our collective voices chanting the sentiments for food equity and improved production practices are loud enough to hear because we echo these vital messages together. And the good news is that it’s making a difference, even to scale. For example, because of the people committed to buying pastureraised eggs, Vital Farms went public this summer with a $235 million IPO. Because of the people who choose to eat less meat and more vegetables, we have more modern plant-based options than ever.

And because of restaurants like Burger Lounge, local founder of the grass-fed burger concept, even conglomerates like McDonald’s are making a commitment to regenerative agriculture.

This is because of the choices people like us—the food people who have a profound understanding that we are what we eat—make.

While we can’t put the burden of creating a sustainable food system solely on consumers, there is no doubt that a food revolution has been provoked. To the joys that food offers us and the community we’ve featured in the past, present, and future, at the beginning of a new decade on the precipice for change, this 60th issue is a collection of recipes and stories that suggest we can return to the land and embrace food traditions like our Indigenous communities. We can help families farm in the inner city and create futures for their children, the New Americans, by buying their produce at the farmers’ market. We can advocate for better meat production across the country. And we can work together to create a vision for what this dream of a just and equitable, resilient and renewable, low-waste, regenerative, and sustainable food system looks like.

—Maria Hesse Executive Editor Edible San Diego

HALEY HAZELL

C

onsidering all we’ve been through in 2020, we want to outline what it means to us for you to be part of this community. After more than a decade in print and hundreds of thousands of online impressions, let’s see the goals we’ve set out to achieve, the people we are inspired by, and the momentum we are building.

So, what does it mean to be part of the Edible San Diego community? It means you’re part of a team that invites anyone who eats food in our county to have a seat at this table. We strive to connect you to the people and things that feed all of us, offer us health, and bring indulgence and joy. These are the signifiers of a good life: moments and sensations that make life worth living as defined by you and your circle.

It also means we are connected to over 80 awardwinning publications and media licenses across North America. Each license is independently owned, and each publisher uniquely focuses on local people, producers, and businesses, showcasing the food and varied cultures that exist in our respective home bases. All publishers tell their local stories, allowing any of us to travel vicariously, maintain connections with loved ones and beloved places far from home in Covid times, and feel like part of a much larger community of people who care about what’s local.

There’s value in knowing we are all connected. In a climate where newsrooms were closing at a national average of 100 per year before the pandemic, and now bearing witness to the harsh impacts Covid-19 has had on our compatriots in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries—not to mention the current norm of socializing through masks and screens—let’s not take that connectedness lightly.

Your eyes reading this right now means the world to us. While the value of these words and images in print and floating around on the internet is exponentially subjective, the need for an editorial voice that is trustworthy, consistent, insightful, and accessible is stronger than ever. Edible San Diego has reorganized to step up to this challenge. We seek to grow good food and connections that inspire action and empower healthier choices to make access to better nutrition inherent. Good food is not pretentious, and access to it, like good healthcare, should be universal.

(And if we had more access to better nutrition and less to government-subsidized commodities like corn syrup soft drinks and hydrogenated soy deep-fat frying oil, we might need less sick care, but maybe that’s the point.)

These qualities have been part of the mission all along because it’s

First Place Magazines: Multicultural Asian-ish Michelle Stansbury, James Tran Websites: General Interest Site ediblesandiego.com Katie Stokes

edible Communities 2011 James Beard Foundation Publication of the Year

Second Place Magazines: Environment The Path to Climate Neutrality Is Paved with Food System Solutions Elly Brown, executive director of the San Diego Food System Alliance

edible san diego

The Season to Celebrate Storytelling

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

EDITORIAL

DESIGN

Katie Stokes Editor in Chief

Cheryl Angelina Koehler Designer

Maria Hesse Executive Editor

PUBLISHER

Dawn Mobley Copy Editor

Trisha Weinberg

Operations Assistant

Katie Stokes

ADVERTISING SALES Sandy Rodriguez Katie Stokes

ADVERTISING

Edible San Diego is thrilled to announce that eight of our submissions were recognized by the San Diego Press Club’s 47th Annual Excellence in Journalism Awards on October 27.

Radio/Podcast Living Local with Edible San Diego Katie Stokes, Allyn Silliman of Neat Underground

Third Place

We congratulate the talented writers, editors, and photographers who work to produce content of high quality and integrity for our readers. Their dedication, experience, and diverse perspectives distinguish the content that we curate for you.

Magazines: Feature Layout Beyond the Boule Joni Hargrave, Min Kim, Olivia Hayo, Maria Hesse Magazines: Food Firehouse Rules Theo Niekras, James Tran

It warms our hearts when judges from across the country elevate this content because we make it our business to connect people through journalism about local food.

Magazine: Front Page Issue 58, Spring 2020 Olivia Hayo, Maria Hesse

For more information about rates and deadlines, contact info@ediblesandiego.com or 619-756-7292

Photography - Video: Feature - Light Subject Tide to Table Russel Spencer, James Tran, Vivi Husted, Felicia Campbell, Olivia Hayo

No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. © 2020 All rights reserved.

Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and omissions. If an error comes to your attention, please let us know and accept our sincere apologies.

O L I V I A H AYO, J A M E S T R A N

Thank you for supporting your local food media company.

COVER PHOTO AND STYLING BY HALEY HAZELL

CONTACT Media Icons Edible San Diego P.O. Box 83549Media • San Diego, Icons CA 92138 Social ted 619-756-7292 • info@ediblesandiego.com Social Media ediblesandiego.com 2017 Updated Icons 2017 Updated @ediblesd

@ediblesandiego @ediblesandiego

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Eating Well |

Gather Restoring Native American Foodways

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irected by Sanjay Rawal, Gather (lllumine Running, 2020) is an intimate portrait of the growing movement among the Indigenous community to reclaim their spiritual, political, and cultural identities through food sovereignty while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.

The movie is available on iTunes and Amazon. gather.film The following selection of wholesome, healthy recipes created by Craig, and Donna LaChapelle and Patricia Chandler from the First Nations Development Institute, highlight Indigenous ingredients, preparation techniques, and dishes from the film.

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R E N A N OZ T U R K / G AT H E R

The documentary film features the stories of Nephi Craig, executive chef and founder of the Native American Culinary Association, through the opening of an Indigenous café as a nutritional recovery clinic in the White Mountain Apache Nation (Arizona); Elsie DuBray, a young scientist from the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation (South Dakota), conducting landmark studies on bison and the Ancestral Guard; and a group of environmental activists from the Yurok Nation (Northern California), trying to save the Klamath River.

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W E S T E R N A PAC H E SEED MIX Recipe by Nephi Craig This recipe is a critical piece of our identity and speaks to our history and resiliency as we develop culinary pathways toward solutions in health and wellness in Western Apacheria.

There are many variations of this seed mix across the Americas, but this one is distinctly Western Apache because of the acorns. This recipe is basic and easy to replicate with seeds readily available in markets. An independent study will allow the eater to discover more combinations of this protein-packed combination of seeds that revitalize ancestral taste and health.

As you snack on this seed mix, think about pre-reservation Indigenous health and regional dominant flavors. Although this mix can be made year-round, historically, spring, summer, and autumn were spent gathering and cultivating these seeds to be consumed in the wintertime while telling stories and playing string games with the family at home.

1 cup dried white corn 1 cup acorns 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup pine nuts or pinons 1 cup pumpkin seeds 1 cup dried wild currants Kosher salt to taste Each ingredient must be prepared separately and combined.

Parch the corn in a heavy skillet over high heat, stirring constantly until the corn cracks and is golden brown. Do not burn.

Acorns should be shelled and very lightly toasted.

Toast the sunflower seeds for 10 minutes at 350° or until golden brown.

Toast the pine nuts in a 350° oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Do not burn.

Toast pumpkin seeds in a 350° oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove and allow the seeds to cool. Combine all seeds and currants and season with salt to taste, if desired. Place the cooled mixture in a tall Mason jar and put in a high place of honor to display.

THREE SISTERS SOUP Recipe by Donna LaChapelle and Patricia Chandler

1 cup diced onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1 teaspoon curry powder ½ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock ½ cup yellow corn kernels ½ cup cooked hominy 1 cup cooked white beans 1 butternut or acorn squash, prebaked and puréed ¼ teaspoon ground coriander Chives and plain yogurt, to serve 8

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Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in spices and cook for 1 minute.

Add stock, corn, hominy, and beans and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes to develop flavors.

Stir in squash and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Serve warm with chives and plain yogurt as a garnish.

FO R E ST W O O D WA R D / G AT H E R

3 tablespoons butter

I N D I G E N O U S C U LT I VA R S : ROA S T E D B U T T E R N U T S Q UA S H A N D Q U I N OA Recipe by Nephi Craig 2 whole butternut squash Olive oil Pinch smoked paprika Kosher salt and pepper Honey 4 ounces cooked white quinoa 2 ounces cooked red quinoa ¼ cup diced Roma tomatoes ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves ¼ cup scallions, bias cut 2 lemons Fresh herbs and pumpkin seeds for garnish Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut butternut squash horizontally at the point where the cavity of the squash begins, separating the neck of the squash from the tip of the cavity. Peel and set necks aside.

Split and deseed butternut squash

cavity. Cut into roughly 6 pieces to produce a sort of bowl shape. In a large mixing bowl, drizzle squash with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Place skin side down on a sheet pan and roast in oven for 15 to 20 minutes to get a good roasted color. When roasted and soft, remove from oven, lightly drizzle with honey, and set aside.

scallions. Season with olive oil and lemon juice to taste; it should be clean, cool, and bright.

To serve, heat butternut squash briefly, then spoon 3 to 4 ounces cool quinoa salad over warm butternut squash. Garnish with fresh herbs, smoked paprika, and pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.

In a bowl, mix together both colors of quinoa, tomatoes, parsley, and

C O R N , B L U E B E R RY, A N D W I L D R I C E S A L A D Recipe by Donna LaChapelle and Patricia Chandler 6 ears sweet corn, husked (or 1½ cups frozen corn) 1 cup fresh blueberries 1 small cucumber, diced ¼ cup diced red onion ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 1 cup cooked wild rice

S AG E L AC A PA / G AT H E R

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced 4 tablespoons lime juice 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon salt

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add corn and cook, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs.

In a serving bowl, combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, wild rice, and jalapeño.

Prepare the dressing in a screw-top jar by combining lime juice, olive oil, honey, cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt.

Cover and shake well to combine.

Add dressing to salad and toss. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

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NEW

Fa r m e r s ’ Ma rket SHOPPING ADVICE

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KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM OTHERS IN LINE.

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DON’T EAT OR DRINK AT THE MARKET. TAKE YOUR PURCHASES HOME TO ENJOY.

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PREORDER FROM YOUR FAVORITE VENDORS IF POSSIBLE SO YOUR GOODS ARE READY TO GO. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE.

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LEAVE YOUR DOGS/ PETS AT HOME.

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YOU TOUCH IT, YOU BUY IT.

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SANITIZE YOUR HANDS BEFORE ENTERING AND ON LEAVING. USE A CARD, EXACT CHANGE, OR PAYMENT APP.

BE PATIENT & THANKFUL THAT WE CAN SUPPORT

#LO CALT OG E T H E R

C A RO L E TO PA L I A N

GET IN & OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

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How to Sustainably Farm in the City

Idzai Mubaiwa turns community garden plots and a neighbor’s backyard into an urban farm

BY NICOLE BRAVO | PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREN DI MATTEO

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dzai Mubaiwa is a mother first and a farmer second. In 2002, she relocated from Zimbabwe to the US with her four daughters seeking a better life. Her priorities early on were to find a good school for the girls and a bit of earth to grow her own food. Eighteen years later, she is now a proud US citizen and has put her daughters through college—in part from the income earned by selling produce at farmers’ markets from her urban garden plots located throughout San Diego County.

In her native Zimbabwe, everyone had a small farm, where they would grow enough food to sustain a family while selling the surplus in order to cover the cost of planting again. “If we didn’t grow something,” Mubaiwa explains, “we would have to put money into buying what someone else grows, and that just doesn’t make any sense.” She shakes her head at the absurdity of it, leaving me a bit bewildered because I’ve never given a second thought to going to the grocery store and purchasing vegetables someone else grows.

In addition to Mubaiwa’s plots in community gardens, she’s transformed a regular neighborhood backyard into a small-scale farm. Since she sells her pesticide-free produce at local farmers’ markets, she needed more land to keep up with the demand of patrons, which is what led to the eventual conversion of a friend’s

backyard. What would normally be just a bit of dirt or grass and a few bushes has been transformed into an edible oasis.

At New Roots Community Farm in City Heights, I watch Mubaiwa carefully harvest and rinse the vegetables for tomorrow’s market, throwing aside any leaf of kale or chard that does not meet her stringent expectations. After spending hours with her as she labored in the bright sun, I attempt to curb her over-selectiveness, defending some of the castoffs as good enough to sell. Her patient reply is that she only provides her customers with the very best because that is what she would want to buy.

I ask what she wishes patrons understood about her work. She replies, “When they go to the store, they don’t ask for a bargain, but when they come to me, they just want a bargain—after all the time and effort I put into raising the plants. It takes a lot of time, we put in a lot of hours here. At times I wish they could just, you know, help us too because it is hard work.” She goes on to detail the refreshing exceptions: those customers that encourage her to raise her prices because they understand the work that goes into organic practices and recognize the quality of her healthy, vibrant produce. There are even those who overpay her, offering the amount they believe she deserves rather than the advertised price.

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While shopping at farmers’ markets, we often fail to truly see the farmers, even when they are standing before us.

We aren’t there for the early mornings, laborious days, and late evenings. We never hear about the unexpected heat that scorches a crop, or the caterpillars that show up overnight eating their way through much of that week’s income. Or all of the trial and error involved in getting the watering just right to avoid watery strawberries or not-too-tiny beets—most of us are ignorant of it all.

There are countless advantages to buying from farmers’ markets. We are directly supporting hardworking farmers and purveyors who labor to sustain our families and offer us the opportunity for reciprocity in supporting theirs. They are passionate people who do the work not because it will make them rich, but because it will make them happy and strengthen their communities.

We are investing in fresh, wholesome products with a higher nutrient density, which contributes to healthier, more productive lives now and lower medical bills in the future. What is more, we are fostering the expansion of a local food system that is more sustainable for everyone involved and far less harmful to the environment. Considering these shortand long-term benefits, I’d venture to say we should actually be paying more for these products, not less.

In her garden, I notice Mubaiwa’s eyes squinting from pain every now and then. As her body forces her to move a little slower than she’d like, she reiterates that the garden is her therapy.

“I have arthritis,” she says. “When I’m home, I hurt. When I come here, I don’t feel any pain. I love this. I’m always the last to leave the garden.”

Wrapping up for the day she bends down near her plants to do just one more thing. I overhear her say, “Okay babies, I’ll see you very soon.”

Mubaiwa currently sells at the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market with her sister. You can find them under the banner African Sisters Produce.

Originally published September 21, 2020, on ediblesandiego.com.

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Building a Better Meat System

BY M A R I LY N N O B L E

C O U RT E S Y O F W H I T E OA K PA ST U R E S ; C O U RT E S Y O F M I K E C A L L I C R AT E

A

ll it’s taken to expose the precarious state of our modern industrial meat supply is a tiny bit of infectious genetic material wrapped in a protein coat.

The coronavirus pandemic has shone a not-so-friendly light on the inhumane ways both animals and people are treated in a system dominated by four major companies: Tyson, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef. Over the past 40 years, as the meatpacking industry has consolidated in the name of scale, efficiency, and profits—and while consumers have been the beneficiaries of cheap meat— producers, rural communities, slaughterhouse workers, and the environment have all paid a steep price.

As the virus rampaged through enormous packing plants in the Midwest, sickening thousands of mostly immigrant workers and, as of June, killing more than 100, the packers slowed production and claimed a meat shortage was imminent. This sent meat prices soaring, and panicked consumers cleaned out grocery store meat cases. In the meantime, decreased packing house capacity meant farmers had nowhere to sell their animals and were forced to exterminate millions, mostly hogs and chickens, the disposal of which (by burying or incineration) has created serious groundwater and air pollution.

In the modern industrial system, once animals reach their slaughter weight, there’s no alternative to mass euthanasia and disposal if the facilities aren’t available.

“What do you do with a million cattle and no slaughter capacity?

You cannot keep feeding them,” says Mike Callicrate, a rancher in St. Francis, Kansas, who owns a small slaughter plant, along with a processing plant and retail store in Colorado Springs. He’s also a fiercely outspoken advocate for small family farms.

“These companies are so unbelievably fragile. One little thing happens and they fall apart. It’s just a house of cards,” he adds.

In the late 1960s, the US was home to around 9,000 mediumand small-scale slaughter plants scattered throughout the country.

By 2018, that number had shrunk to about 800, with the vast majority of beef and pork processed in only about a dozen extremely large plants concentrated in the Midwest. Not only does this leave the meat supply vulnerable to disruption, but as small plants have disappeared, it’s become harder for livestock growers to opt out of

Mike Callicrate, the founder of Ranch Foods Direct, is a rancher, business entrepreneur, and family farm advocate.

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Will Harris, a fourth-generation cattleman and owner of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, GA, is a recognized as a leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability.

from the label in 2015, the doors opened wide for consumer confusion, especially with grass-fed beef.

“The USDA rule that allows multinational corporations to shop for grass-fed beef in the cheapest markets in the world and then sell it to the most lucrative market in the world (the US) and call it a product of the USA is a major issue,” says Will Harris. He’s the fourth-generation owner of White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia. In the mid-90s, he began transitioning his commodity cattle operation to a pasture-based, multispecies model, and now is vertically integrated, with two slaughter plants and a robust sales and marketing department that moves product through several different sales channels, including retail, food service, and direct-to-consumer.

In the years since COOL ended, Harris says he’s seen his business revenues drop almost 25%. “We’re selling the same amount of beef,” he says, “but our margins are dropping because we’re competing with cheaper meat from other countries.”

But there’s one pandemic-related glimmer of hope: When the Big Four slowed and shut down plants, small producers who had

C O U RT E S Y O F W H I T E OA K PA ST U R E S

the industrial system, and small rural economies have collapsed as competition has disappeared and dollars have been siphoned off by massive corporations.

Callicrate places many of the problems inherent in the commodity meat system at the foot of the USDA for several reasons—especially when it comes to truth in labeling, another issue depressing prospects for small producers. “We’ve got USDA out there acting like they’re the food police and making sure our food is safe and wholesome, and yet they are complicit in one of the biggest labeling frauds in our history: ‘Product of USA,’” he says. “We’ve got to realize that USDA does not represent the people’s interest anymore.”

Consumers may think they’re buying American beef when they read “Product of USA” on the label, but meat can legally carry that terminology even if it’s imported from countries like Australia or Brazil, as long as it’s processed in a US packing plant.

The misleading Product of USA label goes hand in hand with the end of Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef. When Congress allowed the industry to drop the country of origin

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C O U RT E S Y O F M I K E C A L L I C R AT E

direct-to-consumer sales channels in place saw dramatic growth in business. For both Callicrate and Harris, it was unexpected and somewhat overwhelming. “We’re just trying to figure out how we’re going to adapt,” says Callicrate.

Harris says his farm was inundated with orders from new customers, and that left some of their regulars in the lurch. “I was embarrassed that I allowed our regular customers to go without,” he says. His team is building a loyalty program to potentially alleviate that situation in the future, and he’s considering increasing capacity in the farm’s fulfillment center if business keeps up.

But will the sudden interest in local meat from small family farms last and create meaningful change in the industry?

Callicrate says it’s up to both the government and consumers. “Part of it depends on what the government does,” he says. “If we continue to allow these big meatpackers to run chains at 400 head an hour and have workers standing shoulder to shoulder, paying them below living wage, and allow the continuation of these animal factories that are inhumane and polluting, and if we don’t protect the better local or regional model, nothing will change. It’ll go back to hiding behind the curtain again, as it has been for 30 years.

Right now, consumers are learning about what’s actually happening. They’re seriously concerned.”

But he adds, “One of the worst, most deadly diseases in our country is aggressive price shopping consumerism because it wipes out your economy. Eventually, it’s all gone. Your money is being siphoned off into the Walton family bank account, along with a handful of other multinational corporations. So that’s the really big dread, that people will not start considering more than the price in their purchasing.”

Harris believes that if consumers shop their values, meaningful change can happen. “Right now, there aren’t very many people doing what we’re doing, maybe about 20 of us in the whole country. I don’t think any of us care about becoming

hundred-million dollar companies, but if there were a hundred companies doing what we’re doing, then we could build those regional food systems.”

So how does an aware and enlightened consumer help grow a sustainable and healthy food system? Harris offers some tips: Decide what values you want to support, whether it’s animal welfare, regenerative agriculture, healthy food, local farms, or a combination.

Find a farm or ranch that fits your values and don’t rely on package labels or certifications. In these days of social media, it’s increasingly easy to learn about how businesses run. Most family farms have websites and engage with interested potential customers on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and others. Ask questions; get to know the people producing your food.

Once you find a farm or two, buy their products and support them. “Consumers buying from us is the air we breathe,” says Harris.

Callicrate sums it up: “The consumer is the only way we get out of the ditch. They’ve got to support something better.”

Marilyn Noble is an independent food and agriculture journalist based in Arizona. In the past three years, she’s written regularly for Edible Phoenix and is a contributing writer for The Counter, a nonprofit, independent newsroom that investigates the forces shaping how and what America eats. One of her articles was selected by Samin Nosrat for inclusion in The Best American Food Writing 2019 anthology. In addition, she’s written several Southwesternthemed cookbooks, the latest of which was published in May 2020. Follow her on Twitter @mariwrites or visit her website marilynnoble.com.

Look for this story on ediblesandiego.com with perspectives on the topic from local stakeholders like Paul Grieve of Pasture Bird, and Brad Wise, owner and chef of the Wise Ox Butchery & Eatery and Trust Restaurant Group.

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Partner Content |

The Beautiful Dragon Fruit

BY NAN STERMAN

T

hese are the most amazing-looking fruits. Large, deep pink orbs covered in green scales—no wonder their nickname is “dragon fruit,” a term that comes from Vietnam, where the fruits were introduced in the late 1800s. In their native tropical Central and South America, however, these fruits are called pitaya, which is the term for all cactus fruits, or pitajaya, the name for this particular cactus fruit.

The fruits of this climbing, epiphytic cactus start out as gigantic, fragrant white flowers that open for just one night, and close as the sun climbs in the sky. In their native habitats, moths and bats pollinate the flowers. Here in San Diego, bees can do that job, but many growers prefer to do it themselves. They use a makeup brush to move the white powdery pollen from the male parts of the flowers to the female parts.

Pitajaya is very easy to grow. The bright green succulent stems do best in full sun and well-draining soil, with minimal irrigation, something sturdy for support—a post, a wall, even a tree—and the long vines pruned short so fruits develop within easy reach. Plants flower in cycles from May to November, depending on the variety. Six weeks after pollination, the fruits are ready for harvest.

Ripe dragon fruits weigh between half a pound to more than three pounds. Their skin gives slightly to the touch, and

the fruits feel very heavy in your hand. Slice a pitajaya open to reveal the color of its flesh, from white to hot magenta and studded with tiny black seeds.

The tastiest varieties are the brightest pink to deepest magenta colored. They are sweet, juicy, fragrant, crunchy (from the seeds), and absolutely delicious. They also pack a nutritional punch as a high-fiber and antioxidant-rich food.

Most often, we eat the fruits fresh, sliced in fruit salad, as a garnish, in smoothies, and even combined with lime juice and ice for aguas frescas. Dragon fruit makes surprisingly good sorbets and ice creams. In Florida, daring chefs chop dragon fruit into ceviche. One of my favorite breakfasts is sliced dragon fruit with cottage cheese—yum!

Increasingly, San Diego home gardeners grow pitajaya in frost-free backyards. Today, just three or four farms in north San Diego County grow commercial crops. Expect that number to increase as farmers look to move from thirsty crops like avocados and citrus to crops that need less water.

While the high-touch nature of growing dragon fruit makes the fruits expensive at local farmers’ markets and specialty retailers, just one taste tells you they are worth every penny.

Get started growing your own pitajaya by selecting a named variety so you don’t end up with a bland-flavored white fruit.

(White-flesh fruits are still beautiful, but they aren’t very tasty.) My favorite varieties are Delight, which has a pale pink flesh, and the deep magenta-fleshed Physical Graffiti and American Beauty.

Follow A Growing Passion on Facebook and Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at our Season 8 episode featuring this delicious and surprisingly sustainable fruit, and watch older episodes of A Growing Passion at agrowingpassion.com.

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edible san diego Local Monday

Escondido—Welk Resort √† 8860 Lawrence Welk Dr. 3–7pm 760-651-3630

Tuesday Coronado √

1st St. & B Ave., Ferry Landing 2:30–6pm 760-741-3763

Escondido √*

262 East Grand Ave. 2:30–7pm (2:30–6pm Oct to May) 760-480-4101

The Farmstand NEW

(formerly People’s Produce Night Market) 4261 Market St. 5–8pm 619-813-9148

Mira Mesa √*

10510 Reagan Rd. 2:30–7pm (3–6pm fall-winter) 858-272-7054

Otay Ranch—Chula Vista √

2015 Birch Rd. and Eastlake Blvd.

4–8pm 619-279-0032

Pacific Beach Tuesday √† Bayard & Garnet 2–7pm 619-233-3901

Enjoy the Open Air Wednesday

Thursday

501 W. Date St. 9am–1pm 619-233-3901

2885 Lemon Grove Ave. 3–7pm 619-813-9148

Little Italy Wednesday √*†

Ocean Beach √

Linda Vista √*†

Santee *†

North Park Thursday √*†

4900 block of Newport Ave. 4–8pm 619-279-0032 Carlton Hills Blvd. & Mast Blvd.

3–7pm (2:30–6:30pm winter) 619-449-8427

South Bay √

4475 Bonita Rd. 3–7pm Place orders at onthegofarmersmarket.com

by Tuesday at 3pm 619-550-7180

State Street in Carlsbad Village √ State St. & Carlsbad Village Dr. 3–7pm (3–6pm fall-winter) 858-272-7054

Temecula—Promenade √*

40820 Winchester Rd. by Macy’s 9am–1pm 760-728-7343

San Marcos √

1035 La Bonita Dr. 3–7pm 858-272-7054

UCSD Town Square √

UCSD Campus, Town Square 10am–2pm, Sept to June 858-534-4248

Vail Headquarters √* 32115 Temecula Pkwy.

9am–1pm 760-728-7343

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Lemon Grove √*

6939 Linda Vista Rd. 3–7pm (2–6pm winter) 760-504-4363 2900 North Park Way 3–6pm 619-550-7180

Oceanside Morning √*

Pier View Way & Coast Hwy. 101 9am–1pm 760-791-3241

Rancho Bernardo √ 16535 Via Esprillo 11am–1:30pm 619-279-0032

Friday

Borrego Springs √ 700 Palm Canyon Dr. 7am–noon, Oct to Apr 760-767-5555

Horton Plaza Lunch Market

EAT the most delicious californiagrown fruits and vegGIES 7 days a week

225 Broadway Circle 11am–2pm 619-795-3363

Imperial Beach √*†

10 Evergreen Ave. 2–7pm (2–6pm winter) info@imperialbeachfarmersmarket.org

La Mesa Village √*

La Mesa Blvd. btwn Palm & 4th St. 3–7pm, year-round 619-795-3363

Rancho Bernardo √

13330 Paseo del Verano Norte 9am–1pm 760-500-1709

Markets Guide Cook All Weekend

Saturday

find the freshest local catch

City Heights √*†!

Pacific Beach √

Temecula—Old Town √*

Del Mar √

Poway √*

Tuna Harbor Dockside Market

Little Italy Mercato à

Rancho Penasquitos

Vista √*†

Wightman St. btwn Fairmount & 43rd St. 9am–1pm 760-504-4363

4150 Mission Blvd.

8am–noon 760-741-3763

1050 Camino Del Mar 1–4pm 858-465-0013

Sixth & Front St. 8am–12:30pm 760-728-7343

14134 Midland Rd. 8am–1pm 619-249-9395

600 W. Date St. 8am–2pm 619-233-3901

598 Harbor Ln. Port of San Diego 8am–1pm 325 Melrose Dr. 8am–noon 760-945-7425

9400 Fairgrove Ln. 9am–1pm 858-484-8788

Support local growers and businesses

Sunday

Murrieta √*

Hillcrest √*

3960 Normal & Lincoln Sts. 9am–2pm 619-237-1632

Village Walk Plaza I-15, exit west on Calif. Oaks & Kalmia 9am–1pm 760-728-7343

La Jolla Open Aire √

North San Diego / Sikes Adobe à

Girard Ave. & Genter 9am–1pm 858-454-1699

12655 Sunset Dr. 10:30am–3:30pm 858-735-5311

Leucadia √*

21887 Washington St. Noon–4pm 760-782-9202

Solana Beach √

Rancho Santa Fe Del Rayo Village √

185 Union St. & Vulcan St. 10am–2pm 858-272-7054

Santa Ysabel √

410 South Cedros Ave. Noon–4pm 858-755-0444

16077 San Dieguito Rd. 9:30am–2pm 619-743-4263

cultivate community DUE TO COVID-19: Markets shown in gray are temporarily closed and all listings are subject to change. Please contact markets directly to confirm hours of operation and locations.

Visit ediblesandiego.com and click on “Resources” for more complete information and links to market websites.

* M arket vendors accept WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Farmers’ Market checks. † Market vendors accept EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer). ! Market vendors accept WIC Fruit and Vegetable checks. √ Indicates markets certified by the San Diego County Agriculture Commissioner, ensuring that the produce is grown by the seller or another certified farmer in California, and meets all state quality standards. Temecula markets and the Murrieta market are certified by the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner.

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Prep (For Real Life) |

Manifesting 101

Be a part of Food Vision 2030 and find more information at sdfsa.org.

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C O U RT E S Y O F S A N D I EG O FO O D S YST E M A L L I A N C E

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ccording to the laws of attraction, creating a vision board is one of the primary practices of manifesting. You tell the universe what you want, and the universe delivers. If only it were that easy—but surely there is something to it if you are willing to put in the work.

Food Vision 2030 is an 18-month project led by the San Diego Food System Alliance (SDFSA) and a steering committee with input from local stakeholders designed around three goals: to cultivate justice, fight climate change, and build resilience. Earlier this year SDFSA invited San Diego County residents to share their needs and aspirations related to food in their communities; over 2,200 individuals participated, with 55% of the respondents being food workers or residents of marginalized communities.

“This year’s pandemic, climate disasters, and events highlighting deeply entrenched racial injustices reinforce that transforming many of our systems is more important than ever,” says Elly Brown, executive director of SDFSA. “The food system, in particular, can be a powerful lever for elevating social, environmental, and economic equity for all. Changing the way we grow food, move food, share food, and think about food ultimately changes the way we treat the planet and each other.”

Early previews find participants are most concerned about reducing hunger and food insecurity, minimizing food waste, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities, while many expressed interest in seeing more community gardens, composting programs, coops, and urban farms. Finding healthy, affordable, and culturally appropriate food was the most important issue to participants in City Heights, Logan Heights, and National City.

Vital feedback and comments from participants are helping to shape the framework for a vision, with the final report due in 2021.

What can you do to be a part of this vision with us? Continue to share in these hopes and dreams as part of a 10-year strategy, and let’s make it happen in 2030.

A Great Gift Idea!

Holiday Sale Want more of the stories, recipes, and connections to the San Diego County food community that only Edible San Diego can give you?

Check out the details and sign up at ediblesandiego.com.

Annual Premium Membership for $50 (regularly $150) The best value combines the best of what we offer in print and online: a year of ESD Weekly member benefits, four keepsake issues of our print magazine, and a market tote bag.

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ediblesandiego.com Your membership or subscription directly helps this small, locally owned and operated media company to continue serving up great content.

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