edible
ISSUE 27 • FALL 2015
Santa Barbara Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County
EAT DRINK
LOCAL ISSUE
The Shrimping Life Unleashing the Yeast Savoring Wildlands E AT • D R I N K • R E A D • T H I N K
edible institute
Los Alamos
CALIFORNIA
FEBRUARY 5–7, 2016
Kickin’ Up Some Real Dirt C O M M U N I T Y S F O O D S W I N E S T E R R I O R S S U S T A I N A B L I T Y FOR:
Edible Santa Barbara presents Edible Institute: A weekend of talks, presentations, workshops, and local food and wine tastings — by some of the local food movement’s most influential thinkers, writers and producers.
Food and wine industry professionals, writers, bloggers and photographers, food activists, and anyone with an interest in food and sustainability. TOPICS: Building Food Communities Builds Communities Rural and Urban Area Revival and Food’s Role as a Catalyst Preserving Local Food Traditions Across Borders Nose to Tail: Small Scale Pork Production Let Us Talk Dirt: The Essence of Terroir Salty Tales: Exploring New Seafood Opportunities SPEAKERS & PRESENTERS: Barry Estabrook, Dianne Jacob, Tracey Ryder, Steve Sando, Clark Staub, Carole Topalian and many more.
For the latest information about the speakers, topics, conference details and how to purchase tickets, go to EdibleSB.com/Institute
FOOD & DRINK GALA Please join us on Saturday night for a celebration of local food and drink, featuring many well known Santa Barbara County restaurants, wineries and breweries. FRIDAY–SUNDAY FOOD WRITING, PHOTOGRAPHY AND CULINARY WORKSHOPS AND TOURS
SPONSORED BY NIMAN RANCH
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2 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 3
edible
SANTA BAR BAR A
STE VEN BROWN
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER
STE VEN BROWN
fall
®
page 22
page 28
Departments 8 Food for Thought
22 Drinkable Landscape
by Krista Harris
Poetry in a Glass by George Yatchisin
10 Small Bites Margerum Wine Company
24 Edible Garden
Danish Red and Hoppy Poppy Hot Sauces Cabin 11 Restoration Agriculture Red Hen Cannery Vertical Tasting: Cultured & Saucy
The Secretive Lives of Wild Bees by Joan S. Bolton
28 Locally Grown Tea Time for Local Farmer
13 In Season
80 The Last Bite
14 Seasonal Recipes
Fall’s Don’t-Miss Dish by Liz Dodder
Make Your Own Butter Applesauce Apple Cake
20 Santa Barbara’s Sparkling Wine Guide
page 16 4 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
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by Liz Dodder
by Nancy Oster
70 Event Calendar
est. 1923
Be re-inspired by an all new Ojai. For nearly 100 years, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa has drawn people together for the best of California — world-class valley-to-table cuisine, the spa and wellness lifestyle, active outdoor adventure, and once-in-a-lifetime events. And this season, discover an authentic re-imagination of the resort. Step into the ultra-luxury Indigo pool with private cabanas and views. Enjoy an expanded cocktail program at the re-opened Neff Heritage Bar, and now, we are thrilled to open, Olivella, a signature restaurant sure to impress the most seasoned epicurean with an adventurous California take on Italian gourmet. Call 844-262-2897 to reserve your moment away.
OjaiResort.com Š 2015 Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
edible
SANTA BAR BAR A
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER
page 18
Recipes in This Issue
Features
Salads and Side Dishes
34 The Shrimping Life by Nell Campbell
40 Unleashing the Yeast
by Wil Fernandez
44 Savoring Wildlands by Melissa Fontaine
50 Invasive Plants and Pests
16 Applesauce 56 Cactus Fries 49 Empanadas with Wild Greens 14 Make Your Own Butter 69 Pomegranate and Persimmon Forbidden Rice 68 Warm Dandelion and Watercress Salad
Stocks
58 You Say Bone Broth, I Say Stock
61 Ginger-Infused Chicken Stock 62 Jim’s Chicken (or Turkey) Stock 62 Mushroom Stock
by Janice Cook Knight
Main Dishes
66 Think Local Starting with Your Pantry
39 Boiled Ridgeback Shrimp 52 Classic French Escargots 69 Saffron Risotto with a Sauté of Wild Mushrooms 38 Shrimp Étouffée 53 Snails and Mushrooms in Wine Sauce
by Rosminah Brown and Nancy Oster
by Pascale Beale
Desserts & Beverages 18 Apple Cake 56 Prickly Pear Syrup 23 The Transfiguration Cocktail ABOUT THE COVER
Santa Barbara Harbor. Photo by Steven Brown.
6 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
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fall
®
There are 125 reasons why chefs choose Niman Ranch Raised With Care® is more than a tag line—it is engrained in everything we do. From the way our family farmers treat the land and the animals to how we support our farmers, ranchers and their local communities—we have 125 ways that we back this up. We care and so do the chefs, grocers and consumers that support Niman Ranch. · All Vegetarian Feeds · Raised Outdoors or in Deeply Bedded Pens (No Confinement) · No Antibiotics or Added Hormones**–Ever · No Preservatives · No Nitrites · No Gluten
We appreciate the opportunity that Niman Ranch affords us to make a living as a family farm. Paul Brown, Iowa Paul Brown
Young farmers, we just ask for a chance. We don’t ask for a ton of money or whatever. We just want to have a chance. A chance to get started and work hard. Scott Sibbel, Iowa
Scott Sibbel and children
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The finest all- natural* meats raised by family farmers and ranchers committed to sustainable and humane practices
Learn more at nimanranch.com *Minimally processed. No artificial ingredients. **Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in pork.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Seventh Heaven
STE VEN BROWN
This could be our lucky year. It’s the seventh year of our Eat Local Challenge, in which we promote the idea of eating and drinking local for the whole month of October. I believe there is no better way to appreciate the local foods and beverages of our region than to make them your exclusive focus for 31 days. Each year, during October I think more carefully about where my food is coming from. As I head off to all the wonderful events that happen around this time for harvest and during Epicure.sb (a monthlong culinary celebration), I find myself seeking out the most local options. It could be as simple as choosing a local wine or beer. It could be asking a restaurant what local seafood is on the menu. And of course it often means shopping for local food at farmers markets and grocery stores. Each year I’m pleasantly surprised to see just how many options there are. In this issue, we explore some of those really fascinating options—gathering wild plants, a local source for green tea, the delectable local ridgeback shrimp and, for the more adventurous, foraging for snails and cactus. It’s also about cooking—making your own broth and cooking from your pantry. You don’t have to be adventurous to enjoy the local sparkling wines of the region, but if you haven’t tried them all, an adventure awaits. Another adventure that we are embarking on is to hold an Edible Institute conference weekend here in Santa Barbara County February 5–7, 2016. The same things that make this area such a great place for the Eat Local Challenge will also make it a great site for bringing people together to talk about community, food, wine, terroir and sustainability. It will be held in Los Alamos, which may be a small town but it’s in the center of everything. And I think it will be a great place to get together with all of you to celebrate the community we’ve been nourishing these past seven years. Whether luck has anything to do with it or not, I feel fortunate that my idea of an Eat Local Challenge has continued year after year and the ideas that spring up in this magazine seem to proliferate. I know it has a lot to do with our incredibly talented contributors, our dedicated readers and our supportive advertisers. Our luck is in finding all of you and then working diligently and passionately to support and highlight all that Santa Barbara County has to offer.
edible
SANTA BAR BAR A Member of Edible Communities
Edible Communities James Beard Foundation Publication of the Year (2011)
PUBLISHERS
Steven Brown & Krista Harris EDITOR
Krista Harris RECIPE EDITOR
Nancy Oster COPY EDITOR & PROOFING
Doug Adrianson Julie Simpson DESIGNER
Steven Brown SOCIAL MEDIA
Jill Johnson
Contributors Pascale Beale Joan S. Bolton Rosminah Brown Nell Campbell Janice Cook Knight Liz Dodder Erin Feinblatt Melissa Fontaine Wil Fernandez Nancy Oster Carole Topalian George Yatchisin
Contact Us info@ediblesantabarbara.com
Advertising Inquiries ads@ediblesantabarbara.com Edible Santa BarbaraÂŽ is published quarterly and distributed throughout Santa Barbara County. Subscription rate is $28 annually. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Publisher expressly disclaims all liability for any occurrence that may arise as a consequence of the use of any information or recipes. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.
edible Santa Barbara Š 2015
Krista Harris, Editor and Co-Publisher
Visit our new website EdibleSantaBarbara.com Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest at Edible Santa Barbara and Twitter and Instagram at EdibleSB.
8 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
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Small Bites Local Tastes
Filling your pantry, wine cellar and bookshelf this fall.
Danish Red and Hoppy Poppy Hot Sauces Spicing It Up
Eating spicy food during the October Eat Local Challenge just got easier. Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. has come up with a couple of hot sauces using two of their signature beers—Danish Red and Hoppy Poppy. The Danish Red is made with fresh, whole chili peppers and can replace any other small bottle of red hot sauce in your pantry. It has enough heat to liven up any tacos, burritos or quesadillas you can throw at it. The Hoppy Poppy is made with fresh, whole green chili peppers and it has a slight kick of garlic. Both are made with all-natural, almost entirely organic ingredients and are raw and vegan as well. You can find the hot sauces at the Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. tasting rooms, local markets and at FigMtnBrew.com.
Cabin 11 Locally Made Crackers
Margerum Wine Company’s New Blends For Cats and Dogs
Winemaker Doug Margerum and Whole Foods’ Gina Cook have collaborated to help raise money for two local animal rescue groups. A Pinot Noir blend called Rapporte (French for fetch) will provide $1 from every bottle sold to Cold Noses, Warm Hearts; and 50 cents from every bottle of Chaton Heureux Cuvée (French for kitten, happy blend ), a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, will be donated to ASAP Cats. Both are volunteerrun rescue groups that work to save cats and dogs destined for euthanasia at the Santa Barbara County shelter. The wines will be available at Whole Foods Market (from San Diego to San Luis Obispo) and at Margerum Wine Company’s tasting rooms. WholeFoodsMarket.com; MargerumWineCompany.com.
10 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
You don’t have to give up crackers during the Eat Local Challenge. These gluten-free, locally produced crackers made by Anneli Clavering are a delicious accompaniment to cheese or spreads. They are a thin, crisp Swedishstyle cracker made up of 50% seeds. And while they seem to pair with just about anything, we don’t mind just eating them straight out of the package. They come in two flavors: caraway and fennel. Each flavor is subtly different and it’s hard to pick a favorite. The crackers are available at Isabella’s Gourmet Foods, Fairview Gardens, C’est Cheese and other locations. Cabin11.com.
Restoration Agriculture Real-World Permaculture for Farmers
As we think about what it takes to have thriving local agriculture during this October’s Eat Local Challenge, Mark Shepard’s book, Restoration Agriculture, presents new alternatives and hope in this time of climate change, droughts and floods. Most of the crops we rely on for food are annual plants—they grow fast for one season and then die. But Restoration Agriculture provides an in-depth look into the ways sustainably grown perennial food crops can provide more edible calories per acre than their annual counterparts and improve the quality of the environment. The book is a worthwhile read for anyone, and it is required reading for anyone who farms—on a backyard basis or larger commercial scale. Mark Shepard is also coming to Orella Ranch this fall (October 30 – November 1) to give a workshop based on the principles in his book. Visit RestorationAgricultureWorkshop.weebly.com for details.
Red Hen Cannery Spicy Orange Marmalade
It doesn’t hurt to have some really fantastic jams or preserves in your Eat Local pantry. They are great for morning toast, sandwiches and even cooking. One that is very versatile is this Spicy Orange Marmalade by Red Hen Cannery, an artisanal small-batch jam company based in Carpinteria that uses local fruit and family recipes. Their award-winning marmalade is made with Valencia oranges, spicy red pepper flakes, sea salt and other spices. Pair it with a mild, spreadable goat cheese or use it as a glaze on roasted chicken. It will not let you down. Find Red Hen Cannery jams at local farmers markets and locations such as Isabella’s Gourmet Market and Bookends Café. You can find out more about their products and order online at RedHenCannery.com.
vertical TASTING
Cultured & Saucy Condiments A great way to kick off the October Eat Local Challenge is to stock your pantry with locally produced condiments. You can find an entire lineup made by Cultured & Saucy, owned and operated by sisters Lauren Temkin and Simone Temkin-Wilcox. These delicious relishes and sauces also happen to be fermented, providing a full range of flavors and probiotic goodness. They are also gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, raw and unpasteurized.
Lemon Garlic Dill Probiotic Mustard Made with onion, garlic, lemon, lemon juice, purified water, Himalayan salt, mustard, dill.
This is more of a relish than what you would traditionally think of as mustard, but it can easily be used in place of the imported mustard you might have in your refrigerator. Slather it on a sandwich, and it will give a little more crunch than ordinary Dijon. Use it when making egg salad, serve with bratwurst or add it to your favorite mac and cheese recipe. You can even whisk a little into your homemade vinaigrette.
Herbs de Provence Probiotic Topper Made with onion, garlic, lemon, lemon juice, purified water, chiles, Himalayan salt, mustard, basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley, marjoram, lavender, tarragon.
What do you call something that is not a relish, and not a sauce, salsa or chutney? Simply a topper. Roast chicken calls out to be topped by it. You can use it as a base for dips and spreads by mixing it with crème fraiche, sour cream or mayonnaise.
Lime Chili Cilantro Probiotic Salsa Made with onion, garlic, chiles, lime, lemon, lemon juice, purified water, Himalayan salt, cilantro, coriander, cumin.
This is not your ordinary salsa, but you can use it like one. Mash up an avocado, add this salsa and you have instant guacamole. It also happily pairs with beans, and you can use it as a marinade with seafood and meat.
Citrus Ginger Curry Probiotic Chutney Made with onion, garlic, chiles, lime, lemon, lemon juice, purified water, Himalayan salt, coriander, turmeric, fenugreek, ginger, mustard, black pepper, cayenne.
You don’t have to give up the exotic flavors of chutney during the Eat Local Challenge. This chutney will satisfy your cravings for Indian flavors. When you’re not serving it with curry dishes, you might find yourself spreading it on crackers, bread and serving it with cheese. Cultured & Saucy condiments are available at many area markets and grocery stores in the Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles areas. Visit CulturedAndSaucy.com for more information.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 11
Dip Right in
in
Season this fall Fall Produce Artichokes Asparagus Avocados Basil Beans, green Blackberries Blueberries Brussels sprouts Cabbage Cantaloupe Celery Cherimoya Chiles Chives Cilantro Collards Corn Cucumber Dill Eggplant Fennel Figs Grapefruit Grapes Kiwi Lavender Limes Melons Mint Mustard greens Nectarines Onions, green bunching Peaches Peppers Persimmon Plums/Pluots Pomegranate Raspberries Squash, summer Strawberries Tangerines/Mandarins Tomatillo Tomatoes Turnips Watermelon
Year-Round Produce
Almonds, almond butter (harvested Aug/Sept)
Fall Seafood Mussels Ridgeback shrimp Rock fish Sardines Spiny lobster Swordfish White sea bass Yellowtail
Apples Arugula Beans, dried Beets Bok choy Broccoli Carrots Cauliflower Chard Dandelion Dates
Year-Round Seafood
Garlic
Eggs Coffee Dairy
(harvested Sept/Oct) (harvested May/June)
Herbs
(Bay leaf, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme)
Edible flowers Kale Leeks Lemons Lettuce Mushrooms Onions, bulb
(harvested May/June)
Oranges Pistachios, pistachio oil (harvested Sept/Oct)
Potatoes Radish Raisins
Abalone (farmed) Black cod Clams Oysters Rock crab Sand dabs Urchin
Other Year-Round
(Regional raw milk, artisanal goat- and cow-milk cheeses, butters, curds, yogurts and spreads)
Fresh flowers Honey Olives, olive oil Meat
(Beef, chicken, duck, goat, rabbit, pork)
Potted plants/herbs Preserves Wheat
(Wheat berries, wheat flour, bread, pasta, pies produced from wheat grown locally)
(harvested Sept/Oct)
Spinach Sprouts Squash, winter
(harvested Sept/Oct)
Walnuts, walnut oil (harvested Sept/Oct)
Yams
(harvested Aug/Sept)
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 13
seasonal
Recipes by Krista Harris
Make Your Own Butter This is an easy and low-tech way to make a small quantity of butter. It makes a fun activity at Thanksgiving for the kids and adults. The butter can go right onto the table and the buttermilk makes a great addition to mashed potatoes. Makes approximately 3 tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup of buttermilk 4 ounces fresh heavy cream (preferably raw cream) 8-ounce glass jar with lid Salt (optional)
Place cream into jar and screw lid on tightly. Begin shaking vigorously. After about 3–6 minutes, it will start to feel solid—at this point you have whipped cream. Keep shaking. After another few minutes, you will see that it has separated into liquid (buttermilk) and a blob of butter. Shake for a little longer to make sure it’s fully separated. Then open the lid, and you have butter! Next pour out or strain the liquid buttermilk from the solid butter. Press the butter with a spoon or knead it for a little bit to press out any remaining liquid. The liquid that is left over is buttermilk and you can drink it fresh or use it in recipes.
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Add salt to the butter to taste if you like and put into a crock or covered container. Use right away or refrigerate and use within a few days.
14 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 15
seasonal
Recipes by Krista Harris
Applesauce When freshly harvested apples are in the market, it’s time to make applesauce. Try using sweeter and softer varieties or, if you use a tart variety, add a little more honey to balance the flavor. Applesauce will keep in your refrigerator for about a week or store for months in your freezer. It makes a delicious addition to baked goods, like the Apple Honey Cake on the next page. Makes approximately 2 cups 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored and sliced Zest and juice of 1 orange 1–2 tablespoons honey
In a large pot bring the apples, orange juice, orange zest and 1 cup of water to boil. Lower heat and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until the apples are very tender. Mash with a potato masher if you Egg Salad Sandwich like a chunkier consistency or use an immersion blender if you like a smoother purée.
What to do with your beautiful onion-skin-dyed Easter
Taste and First add 1–2 of honey, depending thesandwich. eggs? on tablespoons the list must be a classic egg on salad sweetness of the apples and how sweet you like it. Let cool thenget You have many variations to choose from so youand won’t refrigerate or freeze.
tired of them, even if you’ve made dozens of eggs. Makes 2 sandwiches 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise or 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon crème fraiche Salt and pepper, to taste
Additions: • A tablespoon of something crunchy, such as capers, chopped celery, chopped pickled vegetables, chopped radishes or chopped onion • A sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, cilantro, chervil or tarragon • A dash of something tangy, such as lemon or lime juice, or the pickled juice or caper brine if you used either of those or a dash of white wine vinegar Bread (sliced bread, baguette, bagel, roll, croissant or slider bun) Additional mayonnaise and/or mustard (optional) Additional pickled vegetables (optional) Lettuce
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Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, seasoning and additions and mix until incorporated but with a still chunky texture. Taste and add more seasoning or additions if needed.
16 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Create an open-faced or closed sandwich using additional mayonnaise on each slice if you love mayonnaise—or just mustard, or neither. Pickled vegetables make a great topping as well, such as a couple stalks of Pacific Pickle Works Asparagusto. — Krista Harris
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March 4th & 5th, 2016 The allure of Pinot Noir on the American Riviera. Friday & Saturday tastings featuring more than 225 winery participants pouring Pinot Noir complemented by wine country appetizers from Executive Chef Vincent Lesage and the Bacara culinary team. Two full days of tastings, seminars, culinary excellence and wine country camaraderie.
Tickets available at worldofpinotnoir.com
805.489.1758 EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 17
seasonal
Recipes by Krista Harris
Apple Cake This recipe was inspired by several recipes from 1940s cookbooks, which had recipes for wartime sugar rationing. It’s a lightly sweetened cake that uses no white sugar, just honey— perfect for those doing the Eat Local Challenge. To add a little extra sweetness, make the Honey Marshmallow Topping and garnish with the slices of apple that have stewed in the honey. You can make your own almond meal by grinding up raw, shelled almonds in a blender or coffee grinder until fine. You can also use a food processor, but keep an eye on it: If you run it too long the almond meal will become a paste. Makes 9 servings 1 cup flour, local if possible 1 cup almond meal flour 3
⁄ 4 teaspoon baking powder Egg Salad Sandwich
1
⁄ 2 teaspoon salt
What to do with your beautiful onion-skin-dyed Easter eggs? First on the list must be a classic egg salad sandwich. 1 ⁄ cup walnut oil or grapeseed oil 4 You have many variations to choose from so you won’t get 1 ⁄ cup honeyeven if you’ve made dozens of eggs. of them, 2 tiredlocal 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick), room temperature
3 large eggs (preferably local, free-range) Makes 2 sandwiches 1 teaspoon vanillaeggs, extract, preferably local Jilli Vanilli extract 3 hard-boiled peeled and coarsely chopped 1
⁄ 2 cup applesaucemayonnaise (see recipe or on1previous page) 2 tablespoons tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon crème fraiche
Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with Salt and pepper, to taste parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk the flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt together Additions: and set aside. Using an electric stand mixer, cream the butter, oil A tablespoon of something as capers, and• honey until light and fluffy.crunchy, Add thesuch whole eggs 1 chopped at a time, celery, chopped pickled vegetables, chopped radishes or chopped followed by the vanilla extract and beat until well incorporated. onion Add the flour mixture, alternating with the applesauce, until A sprinkling of chopped herbs,pan such as bake parsley, just•combined. Pour into the fresh prepared and forbasil, 35–40 cilantro, chervil or tarragon minutes or until golden and a tester comes out clean. • A dash of something tangy, such as lemon or lime juice, or the HONEY MARSHMALLOW TOPPING pickled juice or caper brine if you used either of those or a dash (Contains Raw Eggs)* of white wine vinegar 1 cup local honey
Bread (sliced bread, baguette, bagel, roll, croissant or slider bun)
1–2Additional small apples, peeledand/or and sliced, optional mayonnaise mustard (optional) 2 egg whites pickled (preferably local,(optional) free-range) Additional vegetables
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Pinch of sea salt flakes Lettuce
18 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Combine thein eggs, mayonnaise, mix Heat the honey a small saucepanseasoning and boil and for 5additions minutes.and Add until incorporated but with a still chunky texture. Taste and add the apple slices and continue to boil for another 3–5 minutes. more apple seasoning additions if needed. Remove slicesorand set aside to let both cool. Beat the egg whites until Add theorcooled to the eggadditional whites while Create anstiff. open-faced closed honey sandwich using beating until thick. Chill and spread on cake or pour immediately mayonnaise on each slice if you love mayonnaise—or just mustard, on each piece of cake and top with a few sliced apples. or neither. Pickled vegetables make a great topping as well, such as a couple stalks Pacific Works * Consuming rawof eggs mayPickle increase yourAsparagusto. risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have a medical condition. — Krista Harris
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 19
by Liz Dodder DESIGN BY BOTTLE BRANDING
It’s known by many names: Champagne, Sparkling Wine, Bubbly, Champers. California sparkling wine can’t be called Champagne – it’s not from the Champagne region of France – but sometimes it’s made in the same methode traditionelle or methode champenoise used in Champagne. It’s delicious… and it’s local! Here’s a guide to local wineries that make sparkling wine, and where you can taste.
20 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Bubbly is Liz Dodder’s favorite wine, so she took her notes from years of tasting SB Bubbles and made a map. She’s also a blogger, writer, photographer, web designer, social media maven and Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). CaliCoastWineCountry.com
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 21
DRINKABLE LANDSCAPE
Poetry in a Glass b y George Yatchisin
W
hile the tightrope between inspiration and intoxication can be difficult to toe without falling off at times, many a writer has turned to the liquid muse for a spur or a spark. To explore this complicated subject, Edible decided to turn to The Good Lion (1212 State St., GoodLionCocktails.com)—which fittingly took its name from a Hemingway short story about a well-mannered lion who ate pasta and scampi and drank Negronis or Americanos. The Good Lion has helped develop a fall cocktail that not only honors the season but also celebrates Santa Barbara’s first poet laureate, the late Barry Spacks. This isn’t merely an accidental connection, as Spacks Street, an alley just the other side of the Granada Theatre from The Good Lion, also honors the fine poet and long-time teacher at UC Santa Barbara. When asked to think of fall, Brandon Ristaino, co-owner of The Good Lion with his wife, Misty, turned to the fig as the 22 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
flavor place to start. “While they begin in mid-summer, they run into deep fall,” he says, “but they taste more like a fall fruit.” It’s hard to argue with that, as figs seem the essence of harvest, so ripe, fleshy and juicy. Ristaino gets his locally, as he strives to do with most of his fruit and produce ingredients, in this case from Mud Creek Ranch (regulars at the Santa Barbara Saturday Farmers Market). For this drink he uses Mission figs, although he suggests whatever you can get locally— and that could even be from your yard’s tree—should work well. Thanks to its fruit base, the drink is named the Transfiguration Cocktail. That also refers to a line in Spacks’s poem “Whitewater Vision,” which appears in his last book just published by Santa Barbara’s own Gunpowder Press, which held a release party at, of course, The Good Lion. The drink achieves the kind of Zen balance Spacks strived for in his life and art; the world flashing its brief beauty in a well-crafted line, an elegantly composed cocktail. “I love blended Scotch, Jamaican rum and nutmeg together,” Ristaino explains, “and our flavor bible said all those flavors play well together. And then the fig syrup, while a bit of a pain in the butt component, takes only 30 minutes to make. You can even put that on your pancakes. Or I might whip some of it with cream and put it in my coffee if I’m in a decadent mood.” While the drink seems to have a bunch of moving parts, they work in a series of shadings and warmth—just what one wants on a fall evening as the hint of winter cold settles in. And while Ristaino calls out brands, he’s willing to admit one can sub in other types of Scotch or rum, if the home bartender pays attention to some rules. One of the plusses of the drink is that blended Scotch tends to be cheaper; just avoid brands like Johnny Walker Black that might be too peaty for the drink’s balance. Ristaino says, “Blended Scotch is a beautiful base, but you want one more malt forward.” He’s a big fan of the Smith and Cross rum—and notice how little you will use, so get ready to make more rum drinks — but stresses “the higher the proof the better.” Think of it as the lick of fire in the otherwise milder Scotch. He also encourages playtime when it comes to the bitters, suggesting people try orange or a barrel-aged variety to see how that gives the drink different angles. Again, having port in the house (as opposed to a home in every port?) never hurt anyone. “There’s very little really bad port out there,” he suggests and then offers, “You can also sub port in for sugar in an Old Fashioned as a fun variation.” Finally, The Good Lion often offers its guests a gratis punch to enjoy while they make their own cocktail decisions. Turns out, the Transfiguration can do double duty as punch, too, and you can do it at home. “Multiply it out at x number of people coming to your house and then add 25% dilution with a black or green tea or water,” Ristaino says. “That’s a pretty bitchin’ party punch for the house… you will be rocking it!” George Yatchisin happily eats, drinks and writes in Santa Barbara. He blogs at GeorgeEats.com.
Whitewater Vision by Barry Spacks From Shaping Water (Gunpowder Press, 2015) Like everyone else I’ve served my days lying under the weight of a mountain breathing stones… yet always my blood, like leveling water, knows where it’s wanted. Once I had a whitewater vision: beneath the rage of the rapids I sensed the undersound of the river’s sound… indistinguishable from silence. Who am I? Not a solving… a seeing, I’d view the storm through eyes of calm. I’d speak to say where the silence is. On days when it seems the food for the journey is clay, not bread, and the spirit famished, as dusk transfigures everything I pause, near silence: listening.
The Transfiguration Cocktail Makes 2 cocktails
NEW BEER COCKTAIL RECIPE
CINNECANE 2oz APPLE JUICE .75oz MAPLE SYRUP .25oz LEMON JUICE 1 PINCH OF CINNAMON
3 ounces Famous Grouse blended Scotch 1 ounce ruby port 1
⁄ 4 ounce (2 bar spoons) of Smith and Cross Jamaican rum
11⁄ 2 ounces fresh lemon juice (strained for pulp) 1 ounce fig syrup (recipe follows)
Blend ingredients and mix with 10oz of Hurricane Deck Double IPA
4 dashes Angostura bitters
AN
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A S T, S U I T
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A R BA RA TA B T
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Fig Syrup
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Add all ingredients except the nutmeg to a shaker with ice and shake violently for 8–12 seconds. Strain over fresh ice (the larger the cube, the better to keep the drink from diluting) into a double Old Fashioned glass, and garnish with fresh nutmeg by grating 3 or 4 passes of nutmeg on a microplane per drink.
5TH ANNIVERSARY PA NOV. 28 , 2 RTY! 015 S
Fresh nutmeg
EF
(adapted from Imbibe magazine)
1 dozen figs, stems removed and quartered 1 cup Demerara sugar 1
⁄ 2 cup water
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Stir until sugar starts to dissolve and figs begin to soften. Mash figs to incorporate. Once all of the sugar has dissolved and figs are breaking apart, remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain into a clean jar, cover and keep refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 23
EDIBLE GARDEN
The Secretive Lives of
Wild Bees
STE VEN BROWN
by Joan S. Bolton
Places for wild bees to nest include groups of narrow, hollow sticks and crevices.
T
he nurturing hum of bees in the garden most often signals the presence of European honey bees, well-known for their pollination skills, hives and sweet, sweet honey. In recent years, Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has decimated honey bees across the country, and plenty has been written about their plight. Far less frequently recognized are our native bees, which are not in danger of collapsing because, unlike their European cousins, the natives don’t congregate in hives. Nor do they produce honey. Instead, they are solitary sorts that didn’t receive much scientific attention until CCD began wiping out honey bees, which prompted biologists to look for alternative bees. In a fortuitous turn of events, they discovered that wild bees pollinate up to 40% of California’s pollinator-dependent crops and contribute $2.4 billion a year to our state agriculture’s bottom line. As for the home garden, we all know that more is better when it comes to bees and pollination. Setting up such enticements as 24 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
pollen, nectar and places to nest to attract wild bees is an excellent way to keep our gardens healthy and our crops productive. Doing so also helps sustain honey bees, which settlers first brought to America in the early 1600s to make beeswax and honey.
A Few Facts There are approximately 20,000 species of bees in the world. Some 4,000 species are native to the United States. A whopping 1,600 of those species are native to California and include about 25 species of bumblebees. Have you ever noticed them? Step into a wildflower meadow on a sunny spring day and really start looking. On just one species of annual wildflower—Phacelia tanacetifolia —researchers from UC Berkeley have collected more than 60 different species of wild bees, according to Dr. Gordon W. Frankie, a UC Berkeley professor and co-author of California Bees & Blooms: A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists.
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• Spring/Summer-blooming flowers: California poppies and coyote mint (Monardella villosa). • Summer/Fall edibles: basil, cilantro, cucumbers, globe artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes or sunchokes, melons including watermelons, tomatoes and zucchini. • Summer/Fall-blooming flowers: blanketflower (Gaillardia x grandiflora) and sulfur cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus). To that list, I would add planting arugula, broccoli and dinosaur kale (aka Tuscan or lacinato kale), then letting some of the plants set flowers. Also intersperse annual calendulas and zinnias with your vegetables. Then plant native shrubs around the perimeter, including the many beautiful sages and buckwheats (Eriogonum), along with manzanita (Arctostaphylos), which blooms while many flowering plants are resting in late winter and early spring. Focus on sun-loving plants: Bees favor sun-lit flowers and typically emerge when temperatures reach 65°.
STE VEN BROWN
A Place to Nest
The Bug Barn at the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens.
Thankfully, our native bees don’t limit their appetites to native plants. For example, Frankie’s group also collected an astonishing 57 species of wild bees foraging on Provence lavender in a test garden at the university’s Urban Bee Lab. Yet while California’s wild bees will feast on flowering plants from northern Mexico and the Mediterranean, Frankie told a recent audience at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden that they’re not particularly interested in plants from Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Providing Sustenance In the garden, a number of flowering herbs and edibles are bee magnets. Annual herbs such as borage and cilantro serve sugary nectar and protein-filled pollen, as do perennial herbs such as catmint, germander, lavender, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, teucrium and thyme. But to sustain wild bees year-round, it’s important to know that most live only a few weeks, that there are seasons for the different species and that, altogether, they’re out and about for some 10½ months of the year, from mid-December through the end of October. The trick, then, is to plant a year-round flower buffet. In the edible garden, Frankie suggests the following: • Spring-blooming edibles: blackberries or raspberries, blueberries, fava beans and rosemary. • Spring-blooming flowers: phacelia. • Spring/Summer-blooming edibles: borage, oregano, strawberries, sunflowers and thyme. 26 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Honey bees swarm and gather in hives of up to 50,000 bees. A few native bees—bumble bees and some sweat bees—live in small colonies of at most several hundred bees. But they don’t travel in tight packs or produce honey. The majority of our wild bees nest alone in the ground, crevices, hollow-stemmed grasses and tree cavities. Females spend much of their time out of sight, building a successive line of about a dozen cells and depositing pollen and an egg in each. Males—which don’t sting—may stay out at night, sleeping within flowers or foliage. While the prevailing advice during the drought has been to mulch, mulch, mulch, it’s necessary to leave some bare earth for native bees to drill their nests. Don’t worry—the nests are smaller than the diameter of a pencil, in most cases there’s only one bee per nest, wild bees don’t swarm and they’re not likely to sting unless threatened. Even if you’re actively looking, nests are incredibly difficult to find. You may see a multitude of wild bees in your garden, yet never find a nest. Some vendors offer “bee condos.” Or you can simply drill small holes several inches deep into blocks of wood, or bundle together narrow, hollow sticks, and place them in an undisturbed spot in your garden. But earwigs or wasps may set up shop in the cavities. It should go without saying to avoid using herbicides or pesticides in the garden, which can harm both the bees and the flowers they depend on. Instead, planting a diverse group of nectar and pollen-rich plants should help you bypass any need to apply such controls. Bee-friendly plants support not only wild bees and honey bees, but many other beneficial insects, butterflies and birds. Bringing in all of these creatures will create a more robust ecosystem and improve your backyard bounty. Joan S. Bolton is a freelance writer, garden coach and garden designer who confesses to a lifelong love affair with plants. She and her husband, Tom, have filled their four-acre property in western Goleta with natives and other colorful, water-conserving plants. They also maintain avocado, citrus and fruit trees and grow vegetables and herbs year-round. SantaBarbaraGardens.com
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L O C A L LY G R O W N
Tea Time for Local Farmer
STEVEN BROWN
by Nancy Oster
Sandy Newman picking the leaf tips of Camellia sinesus which will be dried for green tea.
“I
f it’s hard to grow, I want to grow it,” says local farmer Sandra Newman of Forbidden Fruit Orchards in Lompoc. Her tea plants are no exception. Working with UC Cooperative Extension farm agent Mark Gaskell, Sandy is helping the UC Small Farm Program evaluate green tea as a small-farm crop for our area. Mark is well-known among local farmers for his role in identifying the blueberry and coffee varieties most likely to grow well in our region. In 2005, Sandy planted 200 tea seedlings, propagated at UC Davis from a donation of seeds from the Rize region of Turkey. Rize lies in a coastal area, along the Black Sea. While the temperature range is similar to Lompoc, Rize is very humid and gets a year-round rainfall of about 85 inches per year. 28 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Does Lompoc’s coastal fog environment provide enough moisture for these plants to thrive as a crop? Sandy invited me to visit Forbidden Fruit Orchards to see the 10-year result. Entering her property, I pass a purple field of lavender. A little farther on my left, a vineyard of Pinot and Chardonnay grapes with flowering rose bushes at the end of each row to attract pollinating bees. I pass what’s left of the original Fuji and Gala apple (forbidden fruit) orchard, then a field of organic blueberries, past dwarf magnolia trees and brilliant blooms of yellow flowers, up the driveway to the house. Sandy is waiting, her golden-red hair backlit by the sun as she welcomes me. Flora, Sandy’s large white collie, and Katrina, a Chihuahua mix, run in circles, barking enthusiastically in
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(CONTINUED)
STE VEN BROWN
L O C A L LY G R O W N
STE VEN BROWN
Sandy Newman is in her RTV heading for the field of tea at Forbidden Fruit Orchards.
The blooms of the tea plant attract bees. It’s just the tips that are hand picked to dry for green tea.
30 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
anticipation of our meeting. Reaching for Sandy’s outstretched hand, I see the glowing face of a woman who is living her dream and excited to share it. She offers to show me the building where she processes the sun-ripened grapes into her estate-grown Cebada wines. Flora leads the way. It’s easy to see why Flora likes this room. It’s cool and filled with the heady fragrances of deliciously aging wine. “My 2012 Pinot was recently chosen by the Piedmont Press as one of the top 10 Pinots at the 2015 Pinot Days tasting in San Francisco,” Sandy says. This is a big achievement for a small Santa Barbara winemaker. After a brief stop at the kitchen she uses for private tastings, we hop into her RTV and head for the field of tea. Most of the bushes are about four to five feet tall. All are varieties of Camellia sinesus. Some of the original plants have not survived but there is diversity among those that have. Many have small delicate leaves, while others have large strong leaves. Sandy points to a few remaining sweetly fragrant small white flowers. Most of the blooms have already turned to seed. Fallen seedpods crunch underfoot in the sandy soil as we walk between the rows. Drip lines feed water to the plants, but Sandy thinks an overhead mister would help increase the humidity, especially in the afternoons when the hot dry wind blows. She points to a bush partially shaded by a tree. The shaded side is deep green and vigorous; the sunny side is yellow and dry. Shading the rest of these plants is on her to-do list. The bushes are ready for harvest. Only the bud and the first two leaves will be plucked from each stem of new growth. Sandy hand-picks each bush four or five times during the harvest season. She dries the buds and leaves, then hand-fills each teabag. One teabag makes a whole pot of tea. Sandy recommends a three-minute steep, no more. “The caffeine is powerful,” she warns.
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L O C A L LY G R O W N
(CONTINUED)
She points out two new plants. These are the Bohea variety favored by Japanese tea drinkers. Only one of the five Bohea varieties she planted has survived. She will propagate more of those using cuttings from the two survivors. Will this become a profitable crop? Perhaps. Blueberries and wine are her primary income crops. However, she is experimenting with Persian mulberries, red currants, gooseberries and two varieties of Hardy kiwis—an oval orange hairless kiwi that has a strawberry-like flavor and a small round hairless green kiwi. She also grows Hass avocadoes and olives. In addition to selling fresh fruit, Sandy makes applesauce, jams, syrups and blueberry sorbet. You can buy these products on her website and at the Cebada Wine Tasting Room in downtown Santa Barbara.
32 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
You can also make an appointment for a private farm tour and tasting. And if you’re the designated driver for a wine tasting, bring a thermos of hot water and buy a package of green tea. Taste it, share it and support the continued hard work of dedicated small farmers like Sandy. Nancy Oster wrote this article while drinking a pot of Forbidden Fruit green tea. She also has a homemade batch of green tea kombucha in the fridge. “This,” she says, “is what food writing is all about.”
Resources Forbidden Fruit Orchards 805 735-4648; ForbiddenFruitOrchards.com Cebada Wine Tasting Room 5 E. Figueroa St., Santa Barbara; 805 451-2570 UC Small Farm Program SFP.UCDavis.edu
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 33
Ridgeback shrimp being unloaded from Morgan Castagnola’s boat, the Cecelia. Shrimp are hoisted to the dock in shrimp baskets and weighed and loaded into a waiting buyer’s truck.
The Shrimping Life Eating Local Ridgeback Shrimp Words and Photos by Nell Campbell
W
hen I moved to Santa Barbara in 1969 from Louisiana, I missed the inexpensive neighborhood seafood restaurants of New Orleans, which were always crowded with Catholic families on Fridays. Sometime in the 1970s, while having lunch at the Texas Lunch next to the Mission Theater on lower State Street, a man sitting at the counter told me, “Food is the main journey through life.” In our family, shrimp was and still is the main journey through life. Biloximamma, my maternal grandmother, went to work in a shrimp cannery in 1909 at the age of 12. Canneries were located in Biloxi, Mississippi, on Back Bay and along the beach with their docks on the Gulf of Mexico. Biloximamma spent 60 years, the majority of her working life, employed in shrimp and oyster canneries. As a child in the ’50s, I spent part of the summer in Biloxi with my grandparents. Biloxidaddy was the manager of the 34 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Barq’s soft drink bottling plant, where he had begun working at age 11 driving the mule-powered delivery wagon. Biloximamma was working at Marva Packing Company, where she and the other women of their Opossum Neck neighborhood peeled shrimp by hand for canning. The factory whistle would blow as early as 4am to let the workers know that the shrimp boats were coming in with their catch. Inside the factory, the women would stand at long, elevated metal troughs to peel the shrimp. Each woman kept her peeled shrimp in a galvanized bucket. When the bucket was full, the women took it to a scale to be weighed. Peeling shrimp was piece work, and the women were paid by the pound. The factory wasn’t air-conditioned. So, when Biloximamma came home at the end of the work day, the smell of shrimp would fill the house and would linger until after her bath. One of my photographic regrets is that I never photographed the shrimp factory and the women working there.
Left to right: Ridgeback shrimp; Morgan Castagnola with a basket of shrimp (a basket of shrimp weighs about 50 pounds); Morgan Castagnola piloting his boat.
Even though we weren’t Catholic, my mother was raised lure and did not resemble a real fish. We sat on a wall across from Mike’s 1926 Monterey boat, the Theresa Ann. His knowledge of Catholic and we ate seafood on Fridays. Often we had shrimp, the history of the fishing industry, fishing regulations and fishing which was fried with Crisco. My mother, Edna, used a table fork, techniques is encyclopedic. instead of a wooden spoon, to stir the roux for her gumbo and shrimp stew. The tines of this fork were worn down on one side At age 76, Mike is still fishing for salmon from the Theresa from years of stirring flour and shortening in a cast-iron skillet. Ann and fishing for sea cucumbers from his 36-foot boat, Pieface, On Fridays, Edna would often boil five or six pounds of shrimp from which he used to shrimp. Every commercial fisherman who using Zatarain’s Crab Boil as walked by during the two hours we sat seasoning to snack on over the “There is no more intimate on the wall stopped to greet him and weekend with homemade cockrelationship we can have with our often to seek fishing advice. One man tail or remoulade sauce. wanted advice on a boat purchase. environment than to eat from it.” I discovered Santa Barbara’s Jeff Hepp, a ridgeback fisherman local ridgeback shrimp in the late whose mom is a Castagnola from the — Paul Greenberg 1970s or early 1980s. But while I Santa Barbara fishing dynasty, told me have been enjoying ridgeback shrimp for over 30 years and know he has great respect for Mike because he has been an advocate for one retired shrimper, Murphy Kuhn, I never knew much about all the fishermen, fighting to protect commercial fishing grounds the local fishermen who trawl for ridgeback shrimp. and trying to restore the 50-pound by-catch allowance. Murphy, who fished for ridgeback from 1993 until 2003, Although Mike is not currently fishing for ridgebacks, he gave me an introduction to the shrimping life. He started was instrumental in establishing a market for them in the 1970s. fishing in 1973 and had three boats over his 30-year career. California does not have a commercial peeling machine that Different species of fish or shellfish require different types of can peel the hard shell of ridgebacks, which is why they aren’t boats. Murphy’s shrimp boat was named the Alamo. Over the sold widely and must be sold whole. Mike McCorkle graciously years, he fished for salmon, halibut and thresher shark. He began shared his ridgeback knowledge with me. shrimping after the gill net was outlawed. Murphy recommended Ridgebacks have a sweet taste due to their high sugar content. that I talk with Mike McCorkle, who came to Santa Barbara in They are orange in color and the larger ones are about three 1964 from Hermosa Beach. inches long. Females are larger than males. Their lifespan is from five to six years. The ridgeback season runs from October When I met Mike McCorkle, he was wearing a navy blue 1 through May 31. The season is closed while the shrimp are Hawaiian-style shirt with a white fish design and a green baseball carrying their eggs to insure sustainability. Ridgebacks carry their cap from the Napa Valley Marina embroidered with a flying eggs in their veins and they spawn in early October. mallard. He said that the fish on his shirt resembled a hoochie EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 35
Top left and clockwise: Mike McCorkle aboard his boat, the Theresa Ann; Ridgeback shrimp being unloaded from Morgan Castagnola’s boat, the Cecelia; Junior Gorgita waiting while ridgebacks are unloaded from his boat the Mary-K; Mary-K docked in the Santa Barbara harbor; Ridgeback shrimp; Jeff Hepp on his boat, the New Hazard, which was built in 1926 by Ralph Hazard. Ralph was a mentor to many Santa Barbara fishermen.
36 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
The zone for ridgebacks runs from Point Conception down to Mexico. Mick Kronman, Santa Barbara harbor master, writes in his book From Hooks to Harpoons: The Story of Santa Barbara Channel Fisheries, “Ridgeback shrimp are found primarily in the Santa Barbara Channel, with only modest populations located in other areas.” During the El Niño years of 1999 to 2002, seven to eight Santa Barbara boats were shrimping. During the last ridgeback season, there were only three Santa Barbara shrimpers, all descended from local fishing families: Morgan Castagnola, Jeff Hepp and Junior Gorgita. Morgan Castagnola fished with his grandfather, Lawrence, and his uncle, Timmy Castagnola. Morgan’s boat, the Cecelia, was his grandfather’s boat. His cousin and Timmy’s son, Daniel Castagnola, is his crewman. Morgan has been shrimping for 16 years. Most of his ridgeback catch is wholesaled to a buyer who trucks it to San Francisco to be sold in Chinatown, and a smaller portion goes to Los Angeles. Timmy Castagnola is considering buying a boat and returning to shrimping. Jeff Hepp was born in 1967. As a toddler, his parents kept him on the boat in a lobster trap with an orange while they were harpooning swordfish. His mom, Gloria Marie, was a Castagnola before marrying his dad, Fred Hepp. Jeff ’s boat is the New Hazard, which was built by commercial fisherman Ralph Hazard in 1926. Jeff was the last person to fish with Ralph Hazard, who was a mentor to many fishermen. Junior Gorgita and his wife, Dee, and their son, Manny, are part of a long-time Santa Barbara fishing family. Junior told me that his grandfather’s grandfather was a fisherman. Junior’s boat is the Mary-K and Manny’s boat is the Kay-D. Dee manages the family seafood stand at the Saturday farmers market in Santa Barbara, as she has for 30 years. She sells ridgebacks when in season and sells halibut, sea bass and rockfish depending on the day’s catch. Buying directly from the Gorgitas at the farmers market is a great way to get your hands on fresh, local ridgebacks. Paul Greenberg, in his 2014 book American Catch: The Fight for Our Local Seafood, noted: “A full 91 percent of the seafood Americans eat comes from abroad… fish and shellfish we send abroad are wild while we import seafood that is often farmed.” Shrimp farmed in China and Vietnam and other countries are given shrimp feed, which may contain antibiotics to prevent vibriosis caused by the stagnant and crowded conditions in the growing ponds. Taste in farmed shrimp is also an issue, Greenberg writes: “You get a certain flavor from the wild. It can’t be replicated. It’s far superior.” Ridgebacks have a delicate sweet flavor which I find does not need much seasoning. In Santa Barbara, we are fortunate to have access to the local wild-caught ridgeback for eight months of the year. Our local fishermen work hard to fish sustainably. Let us help sustain our fishermen by buying their fish and shellfish. As Paul Greenberg writes in American Catch, “There is no more intimate relationship we can have with our environment than to eat from it.”
Ridgeback shrimp.
Freezing Ridgeback Shrimp My mother taught me to freeze shrimp by covering the shrimp with water in a plastic container. Be sure to use a plastic container that is suitable for freezer use. Freezing the shrimp in water prevents freezer burn. I find that shrimp frozen in water have the taste and consistency of fresh shrimp. Wash shrimp with cold water. Place shrimp in a colander. Dehead the shrimp by pinching the heads off. Leave the rest of the shell on the shrimp. If possible, pull out the vein after deheading. Place the deheaded shrimp in plastic containers. Cover the shrimp completely with water, leaving enough room in the container, approximately 1 to 2 inches from the top, for the water to expand when it freezes. The quantity of shrimp that I place in a container for freezing depends on how I plan to cook the shrimp. For boiled shrimp, I will freeze them in larger quantities. For a gumbo or an étouffée, I will freeze the quantity needed for the recipe.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 37
Shrimp Étouffée This is from a recipe for Crawfish Étouffée in The New Orleans Cookbook by Rima and Richard Collin, first published in 1975 by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. I substitute shrimp for the crawfish. I use ridgeback shrimp but any type of shrimp may be used. For best results, use local, wild-caught shrimp. Makes 4 servings 6 tablespoons salted butter 1
⁄ 4 cup flour
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup) 1
⁄ 2 green pepper, finely chopped (about 1 ⁄ 2 cup)
3 stalks of celery, finely chopped (about ½ cup) 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic 2 cups peeled, raw shrimp 1 teaspoon salt 1
⁄ 4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1
⁄ 4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 bunch of scallions/green onions, just the green tops, thinly sliced (about 1 ⁄ 3 cup) 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley 1 cup cold water Boiled long-grain white rice 1–2 cups hot water, if needed
In a heavy 5- to 6-quart pot (I prefer a cast-iron pot) melt the butter over low heat. Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly. Continue stirring constantly over medium heat until a golden brown roux is formed (about 15–20 minutes). I take longer than most cooks to stir my roux. I might spend 30–45 minutes stirring my roux, being careful not to burn it. If it smells burned or has black flecks, you will need to start over. Quickly add the onion, green pepper, celery and garlic and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are glazed and tender (about 15–20 minutes). Add the shrimp, salt, black pepper, cayenne, lemon juice, scallion tops and parsley and mix well. Add the 1 cup of cold water and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 12 minutes, or until the shrimp are just tender and pink, stirring frequently. Serve immediately over boiled white rice. To serve the next day, let cool and refrigerate. Shortly before serving, heat the étouffée slowly over a low flame and gradually add 1 to 2 cups hot water if needed to provide the gravy. Étouffée is not a soup; the gravy should have a thicker consistency than a soup.
38 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Boiled Ridgeback Shrimp Ridgeback shrimp have a sweet taste due to their high sugar content. I prefer to use only lemon juice in the water that I use to boil ridgebacks to maintain their delicate flavor. 5 quarts cold water
A Trip to Italy , without the Jet Lag…
1 teaspoon salt (optional) Juice of 2 large lemons 2–3 pounds whole fresh shrimp
COCKTAIL SAUCE INGREDIENTS Ketchup Lemon juice Creamed horseradish Tabasco sauce
Put the water in an 8- to 10-quart stockpot. Add the lemon juice and salt if using, bring the water to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes before adding the shrimp. Add the shrimp and stir with a wooden spoon. The variation in the size of the shrimp means that the small ones will cook faster than the larger ones. Rather than giving an exact cooking time, I start checking the doneness after 3 minutes. I start timing as soon as I put the shrimp in the water. I do not wait for the water to come back to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, I take out 1 larger shrimp, run cold water over it and then peel and eat it. The goal is for the shrimp to be firm but not overcooked. I may have to repeat this procedure 2 or 3 times. The cooking time for ridgebacks seems to be between 3 and 6 minutes. When I determine that the shrimp are done or almost done, I pour the shrimp into a colander in the sink. A Louisiana friend pours a tray of ice on the shrimp in the colander to stop the shrimp from cooking further. After letting the shrimp drain and cool at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes, I put the shrimp in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to cool. I usually serve ridgebacks with the ingredients for cocktail sauce. Then diners can concoct a sauce to their own taste.
Sources for Ridgeback Shrimp The ridgeback season starts October 1 and ends May 31. Availability depends on the catch and the weather. During the season ridgeback shrimp may be purchased from the Gorgita family at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market on Tuesday and Saturday and at the Santa Barbara Fish Market located at the harbor at 117 Harbor Way.
Nell Campbell is a documentary photographer and writer of profiles on photographers. The scope of Nell’s documentary projects range from burlesque dancers in the desert to Louisiana duck blinds. Nell’s most fervent wish is that Mousse Odile would reopen.
Delighting Customers Since 2007 2014 Certificate of Excellence Winner from Trip Advisor Weekdays: Lunch 11am – 3pm; Dinner 5–9pm Weekends: Lunch 12– 3pm; Dinner 5– 9:30pm Closed Tuesday 666 Linden Ave., Downtown Carpinteria 805 684-0720 • Giannfrancos.com Follow us on Facebook at Giannfranco’s Trattoria
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 39
40 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Unleashing the Yeast Three local sparkling wine producers take different approaches to bring out the bubbles Words and Photos by Wil Fernandez
I
f you enjoy sparkling wine, raise your glass to yeast for Using the traditional method, or Méthode Champenoise providing those tiny bubbles that make it so delightful. (pronounced sham-pon-WAHZ), Riverbench sparkling wines undergo an intensive process that takes several years to complete. Yeast is all around us. It’s a fascinating organism used in the production of all still wines. The grapes are picked at lower Yeast feeds on natural sugar in “It’s a huge investment of time and sugar levels than they are for still the grapes, creating alcohol and resources, but the result is sparkling wine, but go through the same carbon dioxide as byproducts. fermentation to produce alcohol wines with elegance and finesse, Simply put, winemakers can using yeast. The wine is then effectively control how much character and depth.”—Laura Booras bottled with a second addition of alcohol will be in their end sugar and yeast, a process called product by using calculations based on the sugar content in tirage. As the yeast consumes the sugar, a second fermentation the harvested fruit. Interestingly, sugar content is one of the happens inside the bottles, which are stored at an angle to allow primary variables in making harvesting decisions, which can dead yeast to build up near the neck. vary significantly from year to year based on the weather. Through a task called riddling, each bottle is turned slightly In sparkling wine, yeast plays a significant role. Although it every day, resulting in the dead yeast building up right at the is possible to carbonate wine simply by injecting carbon opening. Once the cells are collected, the bottle necks dioxide gas (as in soda production), almost all local are flash frozen and that yeast is popped out through wine producers use yeast to create integrated flavors a process called disgorging. The addition of base and effervescence in their sparkling wine. wine replaces the lost volume, and a cork closure makes this bottle ready for bottle aging or for sale Laura Booras, general manager at Riverbench sooner—just two to three years after the grapes Vineyard and Winery in the Santa Maria Valley, were harvested. was inspired by her love of French Champagne. In France, where wine production is highly “It’s a huge investment of time and resources,” regulated, the government dictates the production Laura says. “But the result is sparkling wines methods and grape varietals used for sparkling with elegance and finesse, character and depth. wine. Riverbench has chosen to abide by these same We want to make the best sparkling wines standards, although theirs is referred to as sparkling possible, and we believe this is the way to do so.” wine since the word “Champagne” is reserved for Riverbench sparkling wines are made sparkling wines produced in the Champagne with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, region of France. two of the three varietals authorized to
Opposite: Tessa Marie shows off the encapsulated yeast beads that fall to the bottom of the bottle. Right: Example of a metal crown cap.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 41
Laura Booras measures sugar levels in still wine before it is added to bottles for secondary fermentation.
make Champagne. The third, Pinot Meunier (moon-YAY), usually used in blends to add subtle fruit characters, is a recent addition to the 250-acre Riverbench Vineyard and will make its way into the 2017 vintage. The traditional method isn’t the only method. Husband and wife team Jody and Emily Towe of J. Brix Wines use Riesling grapes from Kick On Ranch Vineyard in Los Alamos to produce their trendy sparkling wine using a simpler method that is based on the same principle. Pétillant Naturel, or ‘Pét Nat,’ involves bottling the still-fermenting wine early, so the naturally produced carbon dioxide gas gets trapped in the bottle while the rest of the sugar in the fruit is consumed. Because some yeast is still in the bottle, the resulting sparkling wine is
42 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
cloudy and the bubbles are more subtle than a bottle produced using Méthode Champenoise. “We love bubbles,” Emily proudly asserts. “Since so much of winemaking is about patience, it was appealing to us that a Pét Nat ideally would be ready to drink in the spring, rather than in two to three years as the traditional method requires.” She feels that if they were to try using Méthode Champenoise with their Riesling, the result would be a noble and sophisticated sparkler—complex rather than primary; clear rather than cloudy; mature and developed rather than young and new. “Perhaps we’ll try making the Riesling in a traditional method one day,” she tells me. “In the meantime, however, it’s a delight for us to be able to share, and enjoy, each vintage in bubbles this way.” The metal crown cap originally placed on their bottle is the same one that you’ll remove before drinking. Because there is some variability that is embraced with this method, J. Brix gleefully recommends that you open their 2014 sparkling Riesling “over the sink, or a lawn, or patio—anywhere you won’t grumble about having to wipe up extra effusiveness.” J. Brix isn’t the only sparkler you’ll find with a crown cap instead of a cork. Tessa Marie Parker, whose tasting room is in Los Olivos, has a sparkling wine made with Vermentino grapes from Camp Four Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley. She is using the most modern method for producing sparkling wine: encapsulated yeast beads. Similar to the other producers, her still wine is fermented with yeast feeding on natural sugars, then the still wine is bottled. Enter modern technology: Tessa Marie adds sugar and small, 2mm beads that contain yeast in a semi-permeable shell. Like Méthode Champenoise, the second fermentation happens in bottle, producing carbon dioxide bubbles, but the dead yeast stays in the beads so there is no need for the labor intensive riddling or disgorgement. “Doing it this way, I can release my sparkling wine within a year, and people are fascinated by the beads in the bottom of the bottle,” Tessa says. As a solo winemaker, this method lets her do everything herself without any specialized equipment. Whether local sparkling wine producers choose to stick to tradition, or experiment with new technology, we can all agree that the end result is worth celebrating. So which method is best? There is only one way to find out: Follow your palate! For the past four years, Wil Fernandez has been working with international sparkling wine brands from Spanish cava to top California producers. Through multi-city pop-up sampling tours he aims to elevate wine drinkers’ appreciation for artisan sparkling wine. Wil lives in Santa Ynez and enjoys exploring the food, wine and natural beauty of Santa Barbara County.
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 43
Harvesting a beautiful yucca for a pit roast.
Savoring Wildlands Eating Local from the Landscape by Melissa Fontaine P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y R YA N S PA U L D I N G
W
hat does it mean to live closely to the earth, or to have a relationship with the food we eat? Most of us don’t live off the land, but we still want to feel close to it, and we find ways through different roles: rock climber, hiker, gardener, fisherman. When I travel in Santa Barbara County and want to connect to that unbridled terrain I call wildlands, I am drawn to the wild foods. 44 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Food is how I communicate with people, so naturally food is how I can communicate with the landscape. I know this language; I venture out. And I sign up to take a weekend class on wild edibles at Quail Springs in the Cuyama Valley. The class begins on Saturday morning with a slow walk up the creek bed to gather noshables for dinner. The air smells like sage and pine, and I wonder if we will cook with these desert spices. In fact, I wonder what will we eat all weekend and how will we prepare it? Will we gnaw on root stalks or search for grubs in the sand? There is a chance, and I’m game to find out. Our instructor is the earnest, ambitious and whimsical JT Beggs, affectionately known by his Yucatan mentors as Juanito. He grew up in Santa Cruz, and his Mexican ancestors endowed him with sandy skin, coffee-colored hair and a wide, infectious
smile. But JT’s most distinguishing characteristic is his genuine curiosity. He recently traveled to Guanajuato, Mexico, to visit his ancestors’ tierra, and to Quintana Roo, Mexico, to study traditional recipes with Maya elders. He returned wholeheartedly inspired and ready to forage. As we wander through the pinyon juniper woodland, JT and the other instructors point out edible plants. At the moment, students are looking at wild Brassicas—desert plume specifically. We’re learning to identify plants by family, much like Deborah Madison taught in her cookbook Vegetable Literacy. By learning botanical families, home cooks can recognize a plant, associate it with herbs or vegetables from the same family and feel confident about how to prepare it or pair it with other ingredients. The Brassica family, also known as crucifers, grows wild across North America so this is a handy one to know. Four petals. Alternate leaves. Often yellow. Edible. JT gives advice on how to harvest and eat wild foods. For raw greens, we should “harvest all plants at a young, sweet and tender stage” to avoid bitter flavors or woody textures. Still, our palates may not be accustomed to such bitterness, so JT recommends salting or blanching to improve the taste. He also instructs us to only harvest one-third of the bounty to ensure an abundant crop next season, and to be cautious of toxins— human or natural. Our group is safely guided by the collective expertise of our young instructors, watchful elders, field guides and cookbooks. As we walk, stories flow. JT tells of his wanders, time with plants and elders who continue to rely on wild foods for sustenance. He brings his characters to life as he describes their foodways and generosity. We listen as we forage for manzanita berries to make an agua fresca for lunch. We also gather desert plume flowers that we will steam and mix with cotija cheese to stuff inside empanadas. Before we head back to camp we make one more stop to harvest a yucca whipplei (Hesperoyucca whipplei). This desert asparagus (formerly in the yucca family) can grow over nine feet tall and has long, sharp leaves that will draw the blood of a less-thancautious harvester. We can see the white, edible yucca flowers across the hillsides, signaling it is ready for harvest since it dies after blooming. Today we want to harvest a small, entire yucca so we can roast its heart and stalk. JT finds a yucca with a three-foot-tall
Maya Artemisia with the author making wild green dolmas. Below: The class is gathered together at Quail Springs in Cuyama Valley.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 45
flower stalk and asks for volunteers. Three men wield pickaxes and shovels to carefully dislodge the massive yucca while JT teaches us a harvesting song to honor the plant and accompany the work. We return to camp hungry and ready for lunch. The chef, Edith Maurno, announces the menu prepared by the crew: handmade gorditas flecked with young avocado leaves. Orange and nopal juice. Lamb’s quarters stuffed with goat cheese, dipped in egg batter and painted red with Edith’s chili sauce. Oh, this sauce. I love this sauce. I ask Edith for the recipe. Edith runs the kitchen at Quail Springs and she holds the role like an archetypal kitchen maven. She stirs aromatic stews in giant cauldrons, bestows knowledge to the apprentices and from memory prepares recipes that carry a lineage. Her tranquil demeanor is due in part to her eight years in the desert, during which time she perfected dozens of salsa recipes—and I want to learn all of them. Edith pushes her dark hair behind her tan cheeks, smiles and sings me the recipe. During lunch people sit in the shade and tell stories or ask questions about cooking and natural history. It seems that everyone in this class has dedicated hours or years to honing a specific skill, whether it’s seed-saving, bow hunting, baking sourdough or building pit fires. Through these interests, people develop relationships with the natural world, create bonds between generations and learn to be self-reliant. Although these skills are no longer needed in our modern world, they enrich us deeply. After lunch JT brings everyone together to preview the afternoon. Tonight’s dinner will be a labor of old-fashioned love as the 30 students prepare a spread of wild menu items. He invites us to participate wherever we wish and float between stations as our curiosity beckons. He offers no sign-up lists and trusts that everything will get done. We get to work. Someone starts a fire in a wood-burning oven to bake flatbreads. In the kitchen, a group cuts butter into flour to make the dough for the desert plume empanadas. Women of all ages roll dough across forks to form acorn gnocci. A student begins to grind coriander and garlic in the molcajete — the Mexican mortar and pestle—to make a paste for the Mediterranean chicken stew. Another group builds a fire to pit-roast the yucca overnight, which we will eat the next day. Some people drift towards the most exotic menu items but I want to practice a skill that I am likely to use in my home kitchen so I help make dolmas. Instead of grape leaves we use mallow and stinging nettle (the kitchen crew blanched them earlier to removed their sting). While we prepare the wrappers, I hear an unsyncopated drum beat in the background—the sound of people crushing pine cones against the hard ground to extract the prized pine nuts that will go into the dolmas. We will also want tartness, so someone heads up the canyon to pick berries from an oak-leaf gooseberry Top to Bottom: Chef and teacher JT Beggs (right) with Daniel Lee Spach and John Michael Musselman; wild greens dolmas with a bed of local pine nuts; making ice cream from local desert gooseberry; dinner is ready.
46 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
plant. Someone else gets fresh mint from the garden. Once everyone returns and we have our mise en place, we begin to roll tight little nuggets of brown rice, sauteed onions, chicken stock, pine nuts and gooseberries. Will anyone notice if I eat just one? I take a minute to revel in the afternoon and think about the weekend. We’re all working on different projects, but the afternoon is largely unstructured. This relaxed environment nurtures our curiosity and creativity, and we’re able to make discoveries that lead to deep understanding. How big do I build the pit fire? How thin do I roll the pastry dough? My life in the city is just as overscheduled and rewarding as the next person’s, but I reap deep joy from slowing down. In a recent speech, well-known chef and Slow Food advocate Alice Waters said that “Slow-food culture is not as flashy as fastfood culture, but it’s richer and deeper and truly fulfilling and life-affirming.” I look around on this breezy afternoon, and I think everyone here would agree. Dinner preparations continue. The sun moves across the sky. Every kitchen depends on chaotic choreography as the dancers prepare for show time and our kitchen is no exception. Men continue to tend fires as the flatbread and empanadas come out of the wood-fired oven. Acorn gnocci arrive on the buffet line. So do the malva and nettle dolmas with pine nuts and gooseberries. Then the Mediterranean stew with the flatbread. The long table is set, candles are lit, grace is said; it’s time to eat. As we taste our effort, the landscape becomes a part of us. Once the plates are empty, and the dessert is brought out (California bay nut ice cream with lavender-blueberry cake), so are the jars of botanically-infused vodka—and the toasts. We raise glass after glass of Pacific Wax Myrtle cordial to praise abundance, friends, sacrifice and ancestors. The toasts remind me of the final lines from Gary Paul Nabhan’s “A Terroir-ist’s Manifesto”:
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“We, as humans, have not been given roots as obvious as those of plants. The surest way we have to lodge ourselves within this blessed earth is by knowing where our food comes from.” I am feeling deeply lodged. And ready for bed. The next morning I drift into the kitchen to see how I can help and what else I can learn. I join the assembly line and flatten masa into disks so they can puff and brown on the comal. This morning we’ll eat tortillas slathered with goat cheese and honey, and eggs with mint and mallow—most of which is cultivated at Quail Springs. Once again, the nourishment is tied to the land. Our last activity for the weekend is to tend a mature oak tree on the property as an optional service project. Our group gathers to spread ash on the roots and clear dead branches to minimize fire damage. We suspect that this individual oak tree has produced protein-rich acorns for many generations, and our effort may encourage it to continue. By no coincidence, our departing lunch that afternoon is acorn bisque with winter squash and roasted yucca on the side.
Boutique Winery, Vineyard, and Retreats Los Olivos, CA
www.BernatWines.com EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 47
F R I E N D S • F L O W E R S • F A M I LY • F O O D • F U N
Enjoy Autumn at the
7 Markets • 6 Days a Week Rain or Shine
What’s in your basket this week? S AT U R D AY S
S U N D AY S
Downtown Santa Barbara
Camino Real Marketplace
Corner of Santa Barbara & Cota Street 8:30am – 1:00pm
In Goleta at Storke & Hollister 10:00am – 2:00pm
T U E S D AY S
Solvang Village
Old Town Santa Barbara 500 & 600 Blocks of State Street 4:00pm – 7:30pm 3:00pm – 6:30pm (Beginning Nov 1)
W E D N E S D AY S
Copenhagen Drive & 1st Street 2:30pm – 6:30pm 2:30pm – 6:00pm (Beginning Nov 1)
The sun starts to dip and we know it’s time to go. As we get in the van, I think about the wild food projects I want to do at home, and I plan to harvest wild greens to make empanadas. We turn onto Highway 33 and cross the threshold back to civilization, carrying bay nut–cacao truffles to remind us of the sweet weekend and wilderness. Back in Santa Barbara I’ve started to see wild foods pop up on local menus, such as the acorn tagliatelle at Barbareño or the local sage bitters at The Good Lion, and I hope our modern, convenient world continues to make room for wild, slow food and the culture it invites. Melissa Fontaine lives in Goleta and works for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County. On weekends, you can find her in her garden or on the Ellwood Bluffs.
F R I D AY S
T H U R S D AY S
Montecito
Camino Real Marketplace
100 & 1200 Block of Coast Village Road 8:00am – 11:15am
In Goleta at Storke & Hollister 3:00pm – 6:00pm
Resources Word to the wise: Only eat wild foods that you are sure will not harm you. Use a field guide and, if you can, hike with an expert. Then, have a ball.
Carpinteria 800 Block of Linden Avenue 3:00pm – 6:30pm 3:00pm – 6:00pm (Beginning Nov 1)
JT Beggs shows off the empanadas.
facebook.com/SBFarmersMarket
www.sbfarmersmarket.org (805) 962-5354
48 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Here are JT’s picks to guide you: • The Forager’s Harvest by Samuel Thayer • Hunt, Gather, Cook: Finding the Forgotten Feast by Hank Shaw
RECIPE Empanadas with Wild Greens When picking wild greens do your research. Only eat wild foods that you are sure will not harm you. Makes 12 large empanadas EMPANADA DOUGH 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 3
⁄ 4 cup butter (11 ⁄ 2 sticks), chilled and cut into pieces
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1 egg
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FILLING 2 tablespoons olive oil
Featured Fall Flavors Clementine Tangerine, Fig, Baked Apple Crisp, Pear with Ginger, Pumpkin, and Pomegranate
3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon chile powder 1 large bunch of mixed wild greens (such as lamb’s quarters, malva, dandelion, plantain or sorrel), stems removed, washed and roughly chopped. 1 cup ricotta cheese 8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded
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2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated Salt and pepper to taste
PREPARE THE DOUGH Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter, egg and water and pulse until the dough starts to come together. Form a ball, flatten slightly and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Roll out the dough into a thin sheet, and use a round mold or small plate to cut out 12 disc shapes.
PREPARE THE FILLING Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for a minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the chile powder, greens and sauté until wilted. Remove from heat and drain for 10 minutes. Then put the greens in a medium bowl and add the ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
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ASSEMBLE THE EMPANADAS Preheat oven to 375°. Place 2–3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each dough circle. Fold over and press edges firmly to seal. Tightly pinch the edges to make a seal. Place empanadas on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 20–25 minutes.
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 49
Invasive Plants and Pests Eat Local Challenge
by Rosminah Brown and Nancy Oster
The deep purple color of ripe prickly pears.
E
ach year Edible Santa Barbara challenges readers to pledge that during the month of October they will eat and drink only locally produced food products. While some participants choose to restrict their food sources to a specified radius from their homes, others define a specific region. During October, I choose to pay careful attention to where my food was produced and give local foods priority. In the process, I have learned a lot about what grows here and what
50 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
doesn’t. I have picked and dried pepper from local pepper trees, extracted salt from ocean water and learned about locally grown coffee, green tea and locally raised beef. So, when Rosminah suggested we each look at food resources in our own neighborhood and do a little foraging, I was on board. Rosminah took the lead, gathering garden snails from a field near her house. She describes this field-to-plate experience that produced the most delicious snails I’ve ever encountered.
ROSMINAH BROWN
The common snail (Helix aspersa) is known in France as petit gris and is a delicacy.
ROSMINAH BROWN
Rosminah’s Garden Snails Snails are the bane of many gardens, lurking in damp dark corners, munching your favorite tender herbaceous plants, leaving slime trails and lumpy curls of droppings everywhere. Smashing them leaves a sticky crunchy mess and throwing them over the fence just moves the problem to someone else’s yard. M. F. K. Fisher’s essay “50 Million Snails” from her Serve It Forth collection first piqued my interest in snails as food. She recounts a time in France when her host family spent days collecting and preparing them, the young children giddy with excitement of the coming feasts of snails. When they scrubbed each little shell meticulously and packed each snail with fragrant garlic and parsley in the butter sauce, I wanted to do the same. Then somewhere at a roadside restaurant that I will never find again near the Belgian and French border, I ate an exquisite plate of garlic butter snails. My memory of that hole-in-the-wall restaurant experience has lingered far longer than the taste of the garlic sauce. Later, when traveling alone to Leuven in Belgium, I poked my head into a small Italian restaurant. The delightful four-hour meal included snails and mushrooms in a red wine sauce. When I moved back to the U.S., one
shipping box contained a very large tin of escargots from my French friend Raphael to remind me of the meals we shared, local style. Here at home, I discovered that our common snail is actually a culinary species introduced from Europe, called Helix aspersa, closely related to the commercially produced larger Helix pomatia. Referred to as “petit gris” (little grey) and “gros blanc” (large white) in France, both are plated up in French cuisine. There is strong speculation that a French immigrant who craved the homeland delicacy imported the first ones, or maybe they were stowaways on the grapevine cuttings that created our modern wine industry. Either way, they escaped sometime in the mid-1800s and have ravaged California gardens ever since. We can, however, turn the tables on these pests. We can eat them. Snails are a low-carb (even after adding the butter) paleo-friendly meal—a serving yields protein comparable to a serving of catfish. They contain essential vitamins and minerals and ouncefor-ounce more iron, potassium and magnesium than beef. A way to rid yourself of a garden pest that also yields a nutritious meal? What’s stopping you? Grab a bucket and start collecting.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 51
Cooking Snails Be aware that wild snails should never be eaten raw or partially cooked. Like shellfish, they must be thoroughly cooked to kill any potentially harmful bacteria. While you are bringing a large pot of liberally salted water to boil, put the snails into a colander and rinse them thoroughly. Then drop them into the boiling water and simmer for three to five minutes. Skim off any froth that collects on the surface. Rinse with cold water and pull each snail from its shell with a toothpick, small fork or pointed tweezers. Rinse again. They will still be pretty slimy at this point. Fill a pan with three parts fresh water to one part vinegar and bring to a boil. Simmer the de-shelled snails for about three minutes to remove any remaining mucus. Rinse and drain. Your snails can be used immediately (see recipes below) or refrigerated for use later in the day.
RECIPES Rosminah recounts, “When I left Europe my friend Raphael shrugged as he handed me the tin of snails to ship home and said, ‘That’s how most French do it these days.’”
ROSMINAH BROWN
Classic French Escargots
Classic French Escargots.
Collecting and Storing Snails Collect only in areas you know are pesticide and herbicide free. The drought has made it more difficult to find snails, but they are still out there. Look in damp zones, check under wooden boards and dense shrubs. Foggy mornings are best, but with a little rain snails will be out and about nearly all day. Choose the largest ones to tuck away in your snail nursery. I used a large clay flowerpot with fine mesh set over the top to allow air circulation. Feed them vegetable trimmings, like lettuce, celery or fennel. Snails generate a lot of droppings, so clean out their nursery daily and give them fresh food. Mist the nursery down every day and keep it in a cool place out of direct sun. Wild collected snails should be purged twice: first to clear out previously foraged food, which might contain things we don’t want to eat, and then to clean out the intestinal tract. After at least five days of feeding them garden greens, I switched to dried oatmeal and milk. Over the next two days their droppings turned from green to white, indicating that the greens had passed through them. On the last day I withheld the oatmeal and milk to clean them out completely. It’s OK to apologize to them for this. 52 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
This is based on a recipe in Molly Watson’s article “A Snail’s Tale: Stalking the Original Slow Food in a San Francisco Garden,” Edible San Francisco, Spring 2013. TO CLEAN THE SHELLS If you have an escargot plate with depressions for each snail, you don’t need to use the shells. 4 cups water 2 tablespoons baking soda 2 dozen snail shells (more if they look fragile)
Bring water to a boil and add baking soda. Add snail shells and simmer about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse the shells. Pat them dry, set them on a baking sheet or piece of foil and dry them in a hot oven.
FILLING 2 dozen prepared snails (as described above) 1 small garlic clove 1 small shallot 1
⁄ 2 cup flat parsley leaves
1
⁄ 4 cup butter, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
Pulse garlic, shallot and parsley in a food processor until it’s almost paste-like. Stir into softened butter. Add plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Put a small amount of the butter into each shell. Stuff in a snail, and top it with as much additional butter as you can stuff into the shell.
When the shells are filled, set them in a small baking dish—you want the melted butter to stay with the snails—or into an escargot dish with individual wells for each snail. Bake at 375° until the butter is melted and the snails are tender, about 15 minutes. Use small forks or toothpicks to pick the snails from their shells and serve with plenty of bread to mop up the real star: the lightly snail-infused garlic-shallot-herb butter.
Snails and Mushrooms in Wine Sauce This is based on a recipe by Thierry Burkle on the Food Network website. Use a combination of whatever mushrooms are seasonally available. If you’re lucky, you can add your own foraged mushrooms. I used a wine from the Santa Ynez Valley, which was fruity yet smooth and made for a slightly sweeter sauce, which we loved. The suggested wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon, but go with something you find delicious, and grown locally. Makes 4 servings 2 shallots, chopped 2 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons butter 3 cups sliced mushrooms (any combination such as oysters, morels, shiitake or crimini) 20–30 large snails, as prepared in the earlier recipe
1
⁄ 2 cup sherry or Cognac
2 cups local red wine 1 bay leaf
ROSMINAH BROWN
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
2 sprigs thyme 1 cup stock 1 drop truffle oil 1 cup chopped chives Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Put it back on the heat to ignite the sherry (you can do this on a gas stove by tilting the pan to the burner flame or use a lighter). Let the flame burn until it reduces to about a tablespoon. Then add the wine, bay leaf and thyme and cook until reduced by 2 ⁄ 3. Add the stock and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Then add the mushrooms that were set aside and remove from the heat. Whisk in 2 teaspoons of butter and the truffle oil. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with the chopped chives and eat with crusty bread.
ROSMINAH BROWN
In a skillet, sauté one of the shallots in a tablespoon of butter until translucent, then add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates. Set aside but keep it warm. Heat another tablespoon of butter in a separate pan and sauté the remaining shallots briefly and then add the garlic and the cooked and cleaned snails. Stir to combine and then remove from the heat and add the sherry.
Snails and Mushrooms in Wine Sauce.
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Reuben pointed to the young tender pads growing from the edges of larger pads. He sliced them from the parent pads. We layered these between paper towels in a plastic storage container until it was full. Seated at a table, Reuben put the first nopale onto a clean dish towel. Using the edge of sharp thin knife, he ran the blade under small mounds that support each spine, then scraped the spines into a trash container. When both sides were spine free, he trimmed off the edges and the bottom. After rinsing the nopale, he sliced it into strips, salted it, and we ate it raw. Nopales have a lemony tart flavor that I enjoy with tomatoes, green chilies, thin slices of red onion and salt. Their mucilaginous texture, while not visually appealing, combines well with rice and sautéed vegetables. They can also be added to soups and stews.
Prickly Pears
ROSMINAH BROWN
While we were out foraging, we picked a few green prickly pears in the hope they might ripen on the countertop. They didn’t. Collect ripened red pears in the fall. Whether green or red, however, they have plenty of barbed glochids. Handle them carefully with gloves and put them into a closed container if you are driving. The bristles blow off easily and seem magnetically attracted to the most sensitive parts of your body. Some foragers take along a propane torch to burn off the glochids before they pick the fruit. I wore kitchen gloves at home, stuck a prickly pear on a fork and burned away the bristles using the flame on the stove.
Watch out for both spines and glochids when harvesting prickly pears.
Nancy’s Cactus Harvest After a walk around my neighborhood, I decided to focus my contribution to Rosminah’s extremely local challenge on how to use all parts of the prickly pear cactus, including the white webbed cochineal beetles that infest aging cactus pads. As a spinner who uses local plants to dye alpaca fiber, my first thought when I saw a cluster of dark purple-red prickly pears was “I wonder if those would make a good dye.” That’s how I learned about glochids, the bristle-like hairs on the surface of the fruit that you can’t see until they are firmly lodged in your fingers and palms. While the longer spines are easy to avoid, only gloves and tongs will protect you from the glochids. And never try to suck a glochid out of the tip of your finger; it’s even more difficult to get one out of your lip or tongue. So even though I often use cactus pads (nopales) from the market in stir-fries, and I love the taste of fresh prickly pear juice, I prefer to maintain my distance from the actual plant. It was only when Ruben, a friend who grew up harvesting nopales with his dad, agreed to show me how to harvest and clean them that I regained my sense of adventure.
Nopales The tall cactus with branching flat beavertail pads that grows near my house is the Indian Fig variety (Opuntia ficus-indica). Introduced from Mexico during the mission era, it has naturalized and become a popular culinary variety. 54 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
ROSMINAH BROWN
Spines and Glochids
Hold the fruit over the flame to burn off any remaining thorns.
Should you get a stray glochid in your finger that you can’t remove with tweezers, apply a puddle of white glue to the site and pull out the microscopic irritant when the glue dries. Rinse and peel the fruit or cut them in half and scoop out and eat the fresh juicy flesh. Unpeeled cubed fruit can be blended with enough water to get the cubes spinning, then strained, or you can extract the juice using an electric juicer.
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Fluffy white webs protect cochineal scale insects that can be used to make food dyes.
Prickly pears contain seeds that can be dried and ground into flour. The blossoms are also eaten and are said to taste like artichoke hearts when cooked in butter and garlic. The cactus typically blossoms in the late spring and early summer and fruits into the fall.
Cochineal I found the fluffy white webs that protect cochineal scale insects on some of the older pads. Many years ago Botanic Garden docent Jill Mackay had demonstrated the magenta-colored fluid released by harvested cochineal. If you rub them between your fingers you get a scarlet red stain on your fingers. In the past few years I’ve used cochineal to dye spinning fiber and I knew that the extracted carmine dye is used for red coloring in many food products and cosmetics. But in a recent discussion, Jill told me that back in England the pink frosting on her childhood birthday cake was usually tinted with cochineal food coloring. A quick search on the web verified that cochineal is indeed sold as liquid food coloring. Using a couple of business cards as scrapers, I collected the white fluff surrounding the cactus spines and took it home to dry in the microwave. After setting my first batch on fire, I limited the bursts of power to 10 to 20 seconds. The fluff turned purple and crunchy. I ground it in a coffee grinder and poured boiling water on it to steep. The water turned magenta. Cochineal dye changes color based on pH. So I divided it into three containers and added enough vinegar to turn one an orange-red, and enough baking soda to turn another purple. Then I made each into a simple syrup (equal parts sugar and liquid). I mixed a teaspoon of each with powdered sugar to create three colors of frosting. (Continued on page 56)
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Prickly Pear Syrup 1 cup prickly pear juice 11 ⁄ 2 cups granulated sugar
Try 6 prickly pears to start. The amount of juice will vary according to variety and size of the pear. Red prickly pears are usually sweet but some yellow and green varieties are also sweet when ripe. Wear long heavy gloves, do not wear sandals, and use tongs to pick the fruit. Use a torch or hold the fruit over the flame on a gas stove to burn off any remaining thorns. Peel away skin and cut the fruit into quarters. Spin the fruit in a blender. Add water if needed to get it spinning. Pour into a strainer. Do not press the pulp. Pour juice through coffee filter to eliminate any remaining debris. If you end up with more or less than a cup, adjust the sugar to 1½ times the volume of the juice. Stir juice and sugar together. Heat on stove until the sugar dissolves and mixture is clear. The syrup will have a somewhat stringy texture. That’s normal. Chill. Stir syrup into lemonade, soda water, kombucha or sparkling wine for a refreshing beverage. The color is stunning and the delicate flavor is similar to melon.
56 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
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Cactus Fries 4 nopales, cleaned 1
⁄ 2 teaspoon salt
1
⁄ 4 teaspoon pepper
1
⁄ 4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 cup flour 2 eggs 1
⁄ 2 cup milk
Oil for frying
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Slice nopales into ¼-inch-wide strips. Combine salt, pepper, chili powder and flour. Dust nopale strips with flour mixture and set aside. Mix together eggs and milk and slowly add to flour, stirring until smooth. Heat oil until it sizzles. Dip nopale strips into batter, then fry until golden. Salt and serve with salsa.
In Reflection Admittedly, it’s a fair bit of work to forage and prepare local snails, especially if it’s just a meal for two people, and it takes a lot of snails to feed a group. Cactus harvesting is not an easy task either. Meal prep would certainly take a lot longer if we had to forage for our food. But this exercise did make us look a little differently at what we consider wild and pesky in our yards. Purslane, lamb’s quarters, mallow and dandelions all grow unwanted in our gardens. Instead of weeds, maybe we should think of them as seasonal salad greens. And it’s nice to know that they are always there —persistently growing out of cracks in the sidewalk, crowding into the flowerbeds or living on the underside of a leaf… even during a drought.
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Nancy Oster and Rosminah Brown met at Starr King Parent Child Workshop in the 1970s, a place where creative experimentation and appreciation for fresh food was encouraged long before it became fashionable. Forty years later, they apparently both still share an appetite for exploration and adventure.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 57
Y o u s a y B o n e B r o t h, I s a y S t oc k PART I by Janice Cook Knight P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y E R I N F E I N B L AT T
58 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Everyone’s talking about bone broth. “I just read a recipe for bone broth on the Internet,” my daughter said, a few months back. “It’s supposed to be so good for you.” “You mean stock?” I asked. “I guess so,” she said. “Stock is just broth made from meat bones, usually with vegetables and herbs added,” I said. Eventually we determined that we were talking about the same thing. The only thing new about “bone broth” is, apparently, the name, since humans have been making the stuff for literally thousands of years. But I can’t fault the younger generation for thinking they reinvented the wheel. Unfortunately many of us living in modern Western civilization only know broth that comes from a can or a box. Not everyone has continued the age-old tradition of making broth from bones and vegetables, because we’ve gotten out of the habit, and even thought it was too much work. Of course, at finedining establishments, Jim’s Chicken (or Turkey) Stock. good chefs are making their soup broth from scratch, because the resulting broth is very flavorful. The broth is also being used as the base of many a delicious sauce. Open a can or box of prepared chicken broth. Taste it. Some taste alright, though remarkably weak, as though a chicken had been swished through water for about a minute, with a lot of salt added.
Some canned broths, especially the vegetable and mushroom variety, taste insipid. Yuck. Why add that to a soup or pot of beans that I’m taking the time to make from scratch? Why use prepared broth when I could make the real thing? I was once a recipe tester for a food magazine. All of the testers complained about the quality of canned chicken stock, which many of the recipes we were testing called for. It just didn’t have much flavor, which prompted our boss, several years later, to go into the frozen broth business. The product she created, Perfect Addition, did taste great, is simple and healthy and is still available, but it’s expensive and you’d have to buy many containers of the stuff if you are going to make a big pot of soup. Several years ago I started making my own stock. Making broth from scratch, besides being delicious, really is good for you. When you boil the bones, minerals are released, and also collagen, which transforms after cooking in water to become gelatin. That’s why a rich broth, when chilled, turns to a gel. That collagen/gelatin helps strengthen our bones and cartilage. The younger the animal the bones come from, the more collagen there is—in older animals the bones become more mineralized—one reason why veal stock is especially prized. When we buy premade chicken broth that does not have that rich flavor, and does not gel when cooled, we know that we are missing out on some of the best reasons to eat broth: flavor and collagen.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 59
I love all-vegetable stocks, too. One of my favorite vegan stocks is mushroom broth. It’s easy—simply boil mushrooms and onions in water for a little over an hour, with a little salt and lemon juice. The resulting broth has a full, mushroomy taste, perfect to add to soups and stews, or a flavorful base for a risotto or paella. It is so flavorful that you will not miss the meat. Years ago I worked at the vegetarian restaurant Follow Your Heart in Canoga Park. We rarely made separate vegetable stocks for our soups (for which the restaurant was justifiably famous). However, the vegetable soups we made incorporated classic stockmaking techniques. We started our soups at 6 or 7 in the morning, to have ready to serve by 10am when the restaurant opened. The soups had three or four hours to simmer and build flavor. Paul Lewin, one of the owners of the restaurant, had very specific things he liked to use to start a soup. His Cream of Green Things soup began with a handful of split peas in the base, and he felt that the cabbage, spinach, watercress and summer squash were essential to add first—because of the way they deeply flavored the soup. He was not extracting collagen, obviously, but he was extracting vitamins and minerals, and giving these ingredients a longer cooking time to deepen their flavor. You can make a vegetable broth with carrots or cabbage or onions for sweetness, celery for its saltiness and aromatic greenness; you can add celery root for a more pronounced celery flavor, burdock root for a woody earthiness, parsnips for sweetness with a woody background note. Each vegetable or herb adds something— you determine what flavor you’d like to create in your stock, and then what kind of soup or other recipe you’ll use it for. Having stock on hand has become an essential in my kitchen— chicken stock always, and vegetarian stocks often. Turkey stock is one of my favorites, but since we only have turkey bones around in the winter, it’s more seasonal. Beef stock is more useful to me in fall and winter, when we feel like heavier, richer cooking. More delicate seafood stock is prized any time of the year, for lovely cioppinos or seafood risottos. Having stock on hand saves me a lot of time in the long run, and the prep it takes to make it, once you get the hang of it, is surprisingly minimal. You can make stock out of anything: duck, goose, pork, shrimp shells; an endless array of vegetables; or even seaweed and dried bonito flakes, which results in the Japanese stock called dashi, essential to making miso soup. At our house we are always saving bones for chicken stock. When we clear the table after dinner, vegetable scraps go in the compost, but chicken bones go into the freezer. Even the bones someone has gnawed on; they’re going to be frozen, then simmered for many hours, so any germs will not survive. Remember that any spices left on the chicken will make their way into the broth, but since we are using quite a lot of bones the flavors tend to blend. Do think about flavor compatibility. I’d probably think twice if I had a lot of leftover hot and spicy wings. Also, if we don’t have enough saved bones we buy chicken necks and backs from our local butcher. We always buy organic meats and bones. Since I’m taking the time to prepare this lovely stock, I want it to come from healthy animals. Let bone broth remind us: We are what we eat. 60 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
I keep stock in the freezer in plastic snap-top boxes that hold 4 or 5 cups. You can also freeze stock in sturdy glass Mason jars (wide mouth) if you leave enough head space—you don’t want to crack the glass, as the freezing stock will expand. It’s such a joy to have stock on hand. When our freezer starts to get low—down to the last one or two boxes of stock—it’s time to make more. My husband, Jim, likes this job, so he is usually the one making the chicken or turkey stock. We have a 12-quart stockpot because we like to make a large batch, and it can hold a big turkey carcass—but you can cut this recipe in half successfully. He adds the vegetables, wine, seasonings and water, brings it to a boil, then lets it simmer all day. He keeps it mostly covered with just a little bit of steam escaping. I like to crack the lid a little more to evaporate the liquid and concentrate the flavors. Whichever broth you choose to make, you will find your way, and there are a lot of good books out there to guide you (see sidebar). You don’t even need to buy a new cookbook, drat, since making stock, er, bone broth, or vegetable broth, is as old as old can be. Included here are some of my favorites: mushroom stock, Jim’s classic chicken stock and a simple Asian-inspired chicken stock with ginger. So many broths, so little time: This is only part I. In part II, in the winter issue, I’ll include more tips on making stock, and recipes for beef and seafood stocks, too. May the simmering begin!
RECIPES Ginger-Infused Chicken Stock This makes a lovely light stock. Try it in Chinese or Thai soups. Makes 3 quarts 1 (2 1 ⁄ 2 -pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed 2 or 3 ounces fresh ginger, sliced lengthwise 1 bunch scallions, trimmed, halved crosswise and lightly crushed Salt and freshly ground pepper
Place chicken, ginger, scallions and 5 quarts of water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil, skim off and discard any foam, then reduce heat to low. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, occasionally skimming off foam. After 1½ hours, transfer chicken pieces from stock to a cutting board. Remove meat from bones, returning bones to the stock. (After meat cools, save for another use.) Continue simmering until stock is reduced by about 2 quarts, about 3 hours. (Note: Take care to keep stock from boiling. Disturbing the ingredients will cause the stock to be cloudy and keep it from developing a clear, clean, rich flavor.) Strain stock through a coffee-filter-lined sieve, removing fat in the process. Discard solids. Allow the stock to cool, then refrigerate or freeze until needed.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 61
Mushroom stock.
Mushroom Stock Excerpted from the Follow Your Heart Soup Cookbook by Janice Cook Knight.
3 celery stalks with leaves, cut into 2-inch pieces 1
⁄ 2 bottle white wine
Juice from 1 lemon
Makes 2 quarts stock
2 bay leaves
8 cups water
Bouquet garni of thyme and rosemary (tie a 4-inch piece of fresh rosemary with several sprigs of thyme)
2 medium yellow onions, chopped (21 ⁄ 2 cups) 2 pounds mushrooms, minced (use food processor) 2 teaspoons sea salt 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
In a large stockpot combine the water, onions, mushrooms, salt and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 1¼ hours, partially covered. Allow to cool. Strain through a fine sieve, or through a double thickness of cheesecloth that has been rinsed then squeezed dry. Stock may be frozen for several months.
Jim’s Chicken (or Turkey) Stock Makes about 6 quarts Approximately 8 pounds chicken bones (saved from meals, or use backs, necks, feet, etc., or the carcass of 1 large turkey) 1 large onion, sliced 4 large carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks 1 bunch parsley, chopped
62 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
15 whole peppercorns, lightly crushed in a mortar Salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients except salt and pepper in a 12-quart stockpot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a low simmer, cracking the lid just a tiny bit, and let it simmer for 10–12 hours. Turn off heat. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. We often omit salt, since bones we’ve saved from cooking usually have already been seasoned enough. Let the stock cool down. Take the lid off and let it cool—it’s important that steam can escape or your stock will stay warm too long, which will cause it to go bad. After it’s cooled a bit, strain liquid off into another smaller pot, and let it continue to cool. You can set the pot in ice water in the sink to cool it down. When cool, place stock in the refrigerator to chill for several hours. If it’s still a little warm leave off the lid. The stock will start to gel and the fat will rise to the top. After a few hours, skim off the fat and discard, or save for cooking—you could freeze it and use it for frying potatoes, etc. Ladle the stock into freezer containers or Mason jars, leaving ample head space, then label with date, and freeze. Keeps for several months, frozen.
Reading List Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Recipe for the Modern World by Sally Fallon Morell and Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN (Grand Central Life and Style, 2014) Sally Fallon Morell and Kaayla Daniel tell the story of bone broth— why it’s good for us, and the science of extracting collagen and other ingredients from bones. They include recipes for many types of stock, plus more recipes that stock can be used in. Sally is also the author of the classic health and diet book Nourishing Traditions.
Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry by Cathy Barrow (Norton, 2014) Clear recipes for making basic stocks, plus how to pressure-can your own homemade stocks if you are so inclined (I find freezing a lot easier).
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CookWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking with over 230 Great-Tasting Recipes, by Shirley Corriher (William Morrow, 1997) All the classic stock recipes, with great explanations of the science behind the steps. A useful book for explaining all kinds of cooking mysteries.
Janice Cook Knight is the author of Follow Your Heart’s Vegetarian Soup Cookbook and The Follow Your Heart Cookbook: Recipes from the Vegetarian Restaurant. She has taught cooking for over 25 years and currently teaches a cookbook-writing workshop. Her article in the fall 2014 issue of Edible Santa Barbara, "Hurray for the Orange, Red and Gold: The Season for Persimmons,” won the 2015 M.F.K. Fisher Award in the Print Category. JaniceCookKnight.com
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Starting with Your
Pantry by Pascale Beale
A few years ago I had a conversation with the editor of this and make a rather spectacular pasta with a cheese sauce made magazine, Krista Harris, on the eve of the very first Eat Local up of all the bits of cheese that were left. The sauce changed Challenge. We were discussing how and where we were going to every month depending on what she had there, but it was get certain foods. always a rather glorious concoction poured over the pasta at hand. I decided that this would be a perfect dish to start off “My kids drink a lot of milk,” said I. “Where am I going to the challenge, using up some of the pasta in the cupboard and find a local dairy? What about coffee and butter?” I exclaimed, clearing out the last of the cheese. suddenly envisioning breakfast without either one—a grim prospect if you ask me. We decided to quickly research solutions. So it was with some enthusiasm and some lingering questions (about coffee in particular) that I (and by default The first thing I did when I returned home (apart from my entire family) embarked on the challenge. We finished all Googling local dairy farms) was to examine the contents of my the existing pasta within the first six days, much to my son’s pantry. Like many people I had accumulated an assortment consternation as this is one his main food groups. of dried goods over the past year: different pastas (penne, spaghetti, orzo, fusilli); rice from different parts of the world “Now what?” he said rather glumly. “We make our own!” (Arborio from Italy, Basmati from India, for example); and I replied. We did so, twice. He enjoyed the experience, legumes, beans, quinoa and particularly rolling the pasta couscous from various parts of through the hand-cranked machine. Halfway through the month my California, France, North Africa However, I realized that we were not once-filled jars were starting to and South America. going to be doing this every day and more to the point, our flour supplies There were also some really look decidedly empty, but in were getting low. I had not thought yummy Lentils de Puy from an odd way this made the about a local flour source but did Avergne sitting on the shelf. Was I not going to eat these items during challenge all the more appealing. find some local almond flour for some of our baked goods. the month of the challenge? They were already in my kitchen! I called Krista back, “I think I’m The dwindling flour supply produced some interesting going to use up all the staples I have left in my kitchen during eat conversations around the dinner table, particularly about early local,” I said, “and add only the local fish, poultry, eggs, fruit and settlers and wartime cooks, who made do with what was at vegetables I get from the farmers market.” I decided that if I ran hand, and why commodities such as flour, sugar and salt were out of something I would either have to find a local alternative so precious. British cookery books from the early 1940s describe or make something else entirely. all sorts of apple dishes including apple crumble, made popular during WWII due to rationing of butter, instead of baking Next I turned my attention to the contents of my fridge, more traditional pies. People made do with what was at hand where an assortment of mustards, nut oils, fish sauce and jams and in season. It seems so logical. congregated in its chilled recesses. I thought this would be an excellent occasion to do some fridge housekeeping. I opened Halfway through the month my once-filled jars were the cheese drawer and found lots of little bits of cheese, a small starting to look decidedly empty, but in an odd way this made piece of parmesan, a little blue cheese, a piece of goat cheese the challenge all the more appealing. As these taken-for-granted and some cheddar. Looking at the pieces made me think of my staples ran out, our food resembled more and more the seasonal aunt, who, once a month, would go through her cheese drawer bounty on show across the farmers market tables. We ate more Opposite: Pomegranate and Persimmon Forbidden Rice.
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RECIPES Warm Dandelion and Watercress Salad with Roasted Root Vegetables, Bacon and Herbs This salad came about as a result of TDF or Tour de Frigidaire, as my friend Michele would say. It’s a great expression that means making something out of all the bits that are left in your fridge. The first time I made this, there were three of us having an impromptu lunch. Here’s the recipe for eight. Feel free to add other bits and pieces (local goat cheese or feta would be great, for example) from your own fridge. Makes 8 servings Olive oil 1 tablespoon fig balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper 1 pound multi-colored carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 1 large parsnip, peeled and chopped into long strips 2 pounds beets, golden, ruby or red, peeled and cut into quarters or bite-sized pieces 4 slices of bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves removed 8 ounces dandelion greens, cleaned and roughly chopped 8 ounces watercress, cleaned and roughly chopped
omelets, soufflés, roasted fish and vegetable risottos. I made a rice-less risotto by cutting all the vegetables in small pieces and serving it with a kale and arugula pesto. The appeal of preserving fruit, tomatoes and autumn vegetables grew every day. If we knew that we would not see fresh tomatoes until next summer, would we use them in a different way? My grandmother’s mammoth fruit harvest and jam making sessions made all the more sense to me now. Over the years I have come to view the monthlong challenge as an annual “spring cleaning” of sorts. It’s time to make space for the new harvest. For if March and April mark the beginning of the sowing season, the nurturing and awakening of sometime dormant fields, then September and October showcase the fruits of the farmers’ labor (and our own, for those avid gardeners amongst us). For me, it’s a time to savor the short seasons of Barhi dates and Fuyu persimmons, delve into jewel-like pomegranates and hopefully partake in some much-longed-for, rain-nourished, wild mushrooms; it’s also time to bring in newly dried fruit, fresh nuts from the precious almond and pistachio growers and preserve some late-season stone fruit, which can then be savored throughout the year. Most of all, it’s a time to be grateful that we do have access to so many locally produced, incredible, tasty foods. 68 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
1
⁄ 2 bunch dill, finely chopped
1
⁄ 2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1
⁄ 2 bunch basil leaves, rolled up and thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 350°. Pour a little olive oil onto a baking sheet and add all the chopped root vegetables, the bacon strips, fresh rosemary and some salt and pepper. Toss to coat well. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes or more, until tender. Stir the vegetables once or twice while they are cooking. Pour ¼ cup olive oil in a salad bowl. Whisk in the fig balsamic vinegar, add a pinch of salt and some pepper. Place salad utensils over the vinaigrette. Place the dandelion and watercress on top of the utensils. Set aside. When you are ready to serve the salad, add all the roasted vegetables to the salad bowl and all of the chopped herbs. Toss until well combined.
spoon on top of the risotto. Sprinkle a little parsley over the top and serve with some Parmesan shavings.
FOR THE SAUTÉ OF MUSHROOMS 2 tablespoons butter 1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed and thinly sliced Coarse sea salt Freshly ground black pepper
Place the butter in a large frying pan or heavy-bottomed skillet, placed over medium high heat. Melt the butter and then add in the sliced mushrooms. Cook until just browed. Add the salt and pepper, stir once more and serve immediately.
Pomegranate and Persimmon Forbidden Rice Saffron Risotto with a Sauté of Wild Mushrooms Risotto is a wonderfully versatile dish as almost all vegetables can be added to the base recipe. If wild mushrooms are not available you can use a sauté of assorted seasonable vegetables. If you do not have Arborio rice you can make a rice-less version by chopping lots of vegetables and a cauliflower into small pieces and cooking them in a similar fashion.
This is one of the dishes that came about using up some of the black rice I had left in my pantry and a plentiful gift basket of persimmons and pomegranates that arrived on my doorstep last autumn. It became one of my favorite seasonal dishes, so much so that I made it at Thanksgiving to serve alongside the roasted turkey. Makes 8 servings 3
⁄ 4 cup uncooked black rice (sometimes called Forbidden rice), rinsed
11 ⁄ 2 cups of water Pinch of salt
Makes 8 servings
Seeds from 1 large pomegranate
6 cups vegetable stock, use Mushroom Stock recipe on page 62
1–2 Fuyu persimmons, diced (about the size of the pomegranate seeds)
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter
1
2 ounces pancetta, sliced
6 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
1
⁄ 2 cup minced shallots
11 1
⁄ 2 cup (10 ounces) Arborio rice
⁄ 2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads Really good coarse salt and freshly ground pepper A little finely minced fresh parsley Parmesan cheese, shaved
Heat the stock in a covered saucepan. Leave it on low heat to simmer. In a heavy-bottomed pan, melt the butter and sauté the pancetta and shallots on medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add in the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 2 full ladles of stock to the rice plus the saffron, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Stir and simmer until the stock is absorbed, 5 to 10 minutes. Continue to add the stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes. Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, and then add more stock. Continue until the rice is cooked through but still al dente, about 30 minutes. To serve, spoon some of the risotto into the center of warmed dinner plates. Divide the sauté of mushrooms equally between the plates and
⁄ 3 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE 11 ⁄ 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or pear Champagne vinegar 1
⁄ 4 cup olive oil
Salt and black pepper
Place the well-rinsed rice in a small saucepan with 1½ cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 20–25 minutes or until the rice is tender and the water has been absorbed. Transfer the cooked rice to a medium-sized serving bowl. Add the pomegranate seeds, chopped persimmons, pistachios and chives. Stir to combine. Add the lemon juice and zest and stir once more. Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl. Stir into the rice mixture. Let rest at least 15 minutes before serving. Pascale Beale grew up in England and France surrounded by a family that has always been passionate about food, wine and the arts. She was taught to cook by her French mother and grandmother. She is the author of The Menu for All Seasons and Salade. Visit her website and blog: The Market Table at PascalesKitchen.com.
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WFI N AL T LE RE D ED I BI LBEL EE VE EV N EN T ST S
S E PT E M BER
FR ID AY– SUN D AY
T U E S D AY
SEPTEMBER 25–27
SEPTEMBER 29
Los Alamos Old Days
Edible Santa Barbara New Issue Release Party
The 69th annual Los Alamos Old Days Celebration will honor, preserve and celebrate the town’s authentic Western heritage. Highlights of the weekend celebration include free entertainment, two-day Peddlers Mart, Saturday’s Classic Car Show and Sunday morning’s Greatest Little Small Town Parade. LosAlamosValleyOldDays.com
5–7pm at Telegraph Brewing Co. Join us to celebrate the release of the fall issue of Edible Santa Barbara and the upcoming Eat Local Challenge. Pick up a copy of the new issue and mingle with the Edible team. Free admission. Local beer and food available for purchase. Visit EdibleSantaBarbara.com for more information.
T H U RS D AY
F R I D AY – S U N DAY
OC T O B ER
OCTOBER 1–31
OCTOBER 1
OCTOBER 2–4
e Santa Barba ibl ra Ed
Eat Local Challenge
First Thursday
Edible Santa Barbara, presents the seventh annual Eat Drink Local Challenge for the month of October. We encourage you to take a pledge to eat and drink local foods for 31 days. For more info visit EdibleSantaBarbara.com and join the Facebook Group and RSVP for the event at Eat Local Challenge.
5–8pm; downtown Santa Barbara The tastings, art and performance of this First Thursday are part of epicure. sb, the monthlong celebration of cuisine, libations and culture in Santa Barbara County. Find out more about exclusive prix-fixe menus, secret menu items and specialty tastings at EpicureSB.com.
29th Annual California Avocado Festival
FRIDAY
FR ID AY
S AT U R D AY
OCTOBER 9
OCTOBER 9
OCTOBER 10
FrancFest
Knife Skills Cooking Class
Celebration of Harvest
5:30–9pm at Buttonwood Winery Santa Barbara wineries who craft Cabernet Franc will be bringing their wines to Buttonwood Winery’s vineyard pond for an early evening tasting. Over a dozen wineries will pour. There will also be a few snacks (franc-furters) and a local chef offering food for purchase. ButtonwoodWinery.com
6:30–9:30pm held at HEAT Culinary Kitchen, Carpinteria Class will cover knife selection, sharpening, honing, safety, cleaning and storage. Foundational cuts: mince, dice, brunoise, batonnet, julienne, chiffonade, segment and coring. Meal served: Garlic Roasted Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Crisp Salad, Apple & Pear Cobbler. $65, tickets and more info at HeatCulinary.com.
1–4pm; Old Mission Santa Ines Solvang Celebrate the 2014 Harvest as all 100+ winery members gather to present their wines, often poured by the winemakers themselves. The Festival also presents some of the best local food from restaurants, caterers and gourmet food creators. Listen to live music from various bands and musicians. CelebrationOfHarvest.com.
S ATU RDAY
SUN D AY
T H U R S D AY
S AT U R D AY
OCTOBER 10
OCTOBER 11
OCTOBER 15
OCTOBER 17
Appetite for Appetizers Cooking Class
Harvest Vineyard Walk & Lunch
Autumn Vegetarian Cooking Class
Santa Barbara Harbor & Seafood Festival
6–9pm, held at The Food Liaison, Carpinteria A finger food foraging class. Learn to create easy, impressive appetizers: Stuffed Belgian Endive, Tuna Tartare with Yuzu Vinaigrette and Macademia Nuts, Seared Baby Peppers with Smoked Almond Dust & Sriracha Aioli, Prosciutto & Basil Wrapped Grilled Peaches and Gougeres. $75, tickets and more info at TheFoodLiaison.com.
10am–1pm at Buttonwood Winery Join winemaker Karen Steinwachs for a walk around Buttonwood’s sustainably farmed vineyard, followed by a seasonal lunch by the Buttonwood pond. For more info, call 805 688-3032 or visit ButtonwoodWinery.com.
6:30–9:30pm, held at HEAT Culinary Kitchen, Carpinteria Fill your home with autumn spices with these delicious vegetarian recipes: Harvest Succotash (Beans, Corn, Squash); Broccoli & Aged Cheddar Soup; Ravioli with Butternut Squash & Thyme, Pumpkin Spice Mousse. $65, tickets and more info at HeatCulinary.com.
10am–5pm at 132-A Harbor Way Santa Barbara Seafood lovers of all ages can go to the Harbor for delectable regional seafood specialties, cooking demonstrations, interactive maritime education, boat rides, live music and more. Free admission. 805 897-1962; HarborFestival.org
CHALLENGE OCTOBER 2015
70 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Linden Ave. in Carpinteria Eat your way through the delicious food galleria, enjoy fantastic music and entertainment, visit the kids’ block party, browse the arts and crafts and Avocado Expo Tent and watch or take part in the famous guacamole contest. Free admission; 805 684-0038; AvoFest.com
For updates and more details on these and other events, visit EdibleSantaBarbara.com
S ATU RDAY
SATUR DAY
S AT U RD AY
OCTOBER 17
OCTOBER 17
Riverbench Has Talent!
Supper for Third Saturday
Noon–2pm at Riverbench Winery, Santa Maria Leave it to Riverbench Winery to come up with a unique new activity—a talent show! Compete to win fabulous prizes, or simply come to sip wine and watch the local talent perform. $15 includes wine tasting; Riverbench.com
5:30 & 7:30 pm at Bell Street Farm, Los Alamos Bell Street Farm’s monthly four-course, family style supper includes a charcuterie plate, antipasto, rotisserie chicken with accompanying vegetables, and butterscotch budino for dessert. $35 per person, not including beverages, tax or gratuity. Two seatings, 5:30 and 7:30. Ongoing. 805 344-4609; BellStreetFarm.com
SATUR D AY
S U N D AY & M ONDAY
OCTOBER 17
OCTOBER 17
OCTOBER 18 & 19
Santa Barbara Beer Festival
Oktoberfest German Sausage Making Class
Noon–4pm at Elings Park, 1298 Las Positas Rd., Santa Barbara Enjoy local and regional breweries, food and music at Santa Barbara’s oldest beer festival. Proceeds go toward Elings Park and the Santa Barbara Rugby Association. $50 advance purchase and $60 after October 11. 21 and up only. SBBeerFestival.com
6–9pm, held at HEAT Culinary Kitchen, Carpinteria Learn how to make German style sausages and sides in your home kitchen, including: Homemade Bratwurst, Polska Kielbasa with Garlic & Apples, Sauerkraut, Caramelized Onion Pretzel Rolls with Sea Salt & Mustard. $65, tickets and more info at HeatCulinary.com.
SUN D AY
F R I D AY
S AT U R DAY
NOVEMBER 8
NOVEMBER 27
NOVEMBER 28
Sip Lompoc
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.’s 5th Anniversary Release Party
Cheese and Dessert Wine Class
NO VE MBER
D E C E MBER
Salumi + Beer Class Three classes: Sunday at 4pm, Sunday at 5:30pm and Monday at 6:30pm held at C’est Cheese, Santa Barbara It’s time for the C’est Cheese annual Salumi + Beer Class hosted by Mr. Michael himself. Join him as you taste through nine different delicious cured meats, paired with Bell’s Amber Ale and Michael will share all his great knowledge on the art of curing pork! $20–$25 advance tickets required. CestCheese.com
Two classes: 4pm and 5:30pm held at C’est Cheese, Santa Barbara With the holidays right around the corner and the weather getting cooler, it’s the perfect time to explore the wonder that is cheese + dessert wine. You’ll be tasting through 3 different wines—each paired with 2 cheeses. It’s a class not to be missed! $30 advance tickets required. CestCheese.com
Enjoy the fun small-town vibe of Lompoc while wine tasting at over a dozen Lompoc wineries. Your ticket includes your tastings, logo glass, wine tote and more. A great way to spend the day after Thanksgiving with friends and family. Tickets are $35; SipLompoc.org
1–9 pm at Fig Mt. Buellton Taproom & Brewery, 45 Industrial Way, Buellton Celebrate Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company’s fifth anniversary with a bottle release of their Doppelbock aged in rum barrels along with live music, food, games and more. Bottles will be for sale at all Fig taprooms starting November 28, 2015. FigMtnBrew.com
SATUR DAY
S AT U R DAY
DECEMBER 5
DECEMBER 12
Olde Fashioned Christmas
20th Anniversary Celebration at Los Olivos Café
2–8pm in downtown Los Olivos Family-friendly fun begins at the church of St. Mark’s In-the-Valley, and continues into the evening as local merchants and wine tasting rooms welcome guests during this romantic return to small town holiday celebration. LosOlivosCa.com/ events/
5:30pm at the Los Olivos Café Toast with owners and staff of Los Olivos Café as they celebrate their 20th anniversary. Enjoy four fabulously fantastic courses paired with trips down memory lane (and of course, some really great wine too)! $75 not including tax and gratuity; reservations highly recommended. 805 688-7265; LosOlivosCafe.com
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edible
SA NTA BARBA R A COUNT Y
E AT DRINK LOC AL GUIDE & MAPS
Santa Barbara County has its own unique food tradition and lifestyle. This fall we’d like to help you find some of the area restaurants, bakeries, food producers and specialty retail shops that contribute to the distinctively Santa Barbara experience. From Ballard to Carpinteria, and from catering to wine tasting, our Guide will help you find what you are looking for and more.
Ballard Ballard Inn & Restaurant 2436 Baseline Ave. 805 688-7770 BallardInn.com Elegant accommodations, attentive staff and award winning cuisine make the Ballard Inn & Restaurant one of the most sought after small luxury inns in the Santa Barbara Wine Country.
Buellton Alma Rosa 250-G Industrial Way 805 688-9090 AlmaRosaWinery.com With certified organic vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, Alma Rosa focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as other food friendly wines with the high acid and extraordinary balance for which Richard Sanford’s wines have been known since 1976. Open daily 11am–4:30pm.
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. 45 Industrial Way 805 694-2252 FitMtnBrew.com Dedicated to creating high quality balanced beer, FigMtnBrew has six taprooms along the Central Coast. Featuring pints and beer tasting, gastropub fare, events, live music, beer “to go” and more.
The Hitching Post II 406 E. Hwy. 246 805 688-0676 HitchingPost2.com A favorite of locals and visitors since 1986. Serving wood-grilled fare, prepared in the regional barbecue tradition, along with their highly regarded Hitching Post Wines. Casual and relaxed setting.
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Winfield Farm Mangalitsa
HEAT Culinary
PO Box 336 805 686-9312 WinfieldFarm.us
4642 Carpinteria Ave. 805 242-1151 HeatCulinary.com
Taste the magic of Winfield Mangalitsa pork. Order online or savor the flavor at Full of Life Flatbread, Los Alamos, and Industrial Eats, Buellton. Also try their new Mangalitsa salami barolo at Palmina Winery, Lompoc. Follow on Facebook at WinfieldFarmBuellton and Twitter @WinfieldFarmUS.
Santa Barbara County’s culinary school, food truck and full service caterer. HEAT events are known for personalized service, organic ingredients, large portions and attention to detail. We offer our clients originality and undivided attention to create a memorable event.
Carpinteria
Sly’s
The Food Liaison 1033 Casitas Pass Rd. 805 200-3030 TheFoodLiaison.com Catering. Counter. Classes. Utilizing many locally grown organic ingredients, enjoy daily rotating entrées and soups, seasonally rotating menu, and gourmet salad bar. Corporate and event catering since 2013. Sign up for cooking classes online. Lunch Counter Mon-Fri 11am–3pm.
686 Linden Ave. 805 684-6666 SlysOnline.com Sly’s is known for great food, with an emphasis on farmers market and local produce, great cocktails and great times in Carpinteria. Open Mon–Fri for lunch 11:30am–3pm; lounge menu weekdays 3–5pm; dinner Sun–Thu 5–9pm, Fri and Sat 5–10pm; and weekend brunch & lunch Sat–Sun 9am–3pm.
Goleta
Giannfranco’s Trattoria
Bacara Resort & Spa
666 Linden Ave. 805 684-0720 Giannfrancos.com
8301 Hollister Ave 844 276-0955 BacaraResort.com
Experience authentic Italian regional cuisine at this family-owned and family-operated trattoria in downtown Carpinteria. Chef Giovanni prepares each dish from the freshest local and imported foods to offer his creative take on Tuscan grill specialties. Weekday lunch served 11am–3pm. Weekend lunch served noon–3pm. Dinner served 5–9pm. Closed Tuesday.
Nestled on the bluff and beaches of the Gaviota coast, Bacara offers relaxed luxury and incomparable natural beauty. Additional features include a four-story spa, wellness center, zero-edge saline swimming pools, restaurants, lounges and tasting room.
Backyard Bowls 5668 Calle Real 805 770-2730 BackyardBowls.com Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt and more.
Goodland Kitchen & Market 231 S. Magnolia Ave. 805 845-4300 GoodlandKitchen.com The Goodland Kitchen is a quick service café specializing in delicious, well-prepared, affordable breakfasts and lunches, served outside under the magnolia tree. Food prepared fresh daily, in small batches with ingredients from local farmers, to provide an exceptional and unexpected culinary experience in the heart of Old Town Goleta. Enjoy breakfast and lunch, indoors or outside on the patio, Mon–Fri 8am–2:30pm.
Los Alamos Bell Street Farm Eatery & Market 406 Bell St. 805 344-4609 BellStreetFarm.com
Lompoc
This cozy and delicious eatery is surrounded by gorgeous vineyards and farmland. Award winning cuisine and sophisticated yet comfortable design, a distinct environment to enjoy a meal, snack or wine tasting for residents and visitors alike. Assemble your own picnic baskets and accessories for creating a portable meal, as well as gifts and merchandise from local artisans and some of the best of California. Fri-Sat 11am–6pm, Sun–Mon 11am–5pm.
Central Coast Specialty Foods
Bob’s Well Bread
115 E. College Ave., Ste. 10 805 717-7675 CentralCoastSpecialtyFoods.com High quality local & imported specialty foods, including charcuterie, gourmet cheeses, a full-service deli, exotic meats (alligator, wild boar, bison and more), specialty foods from around the world, and local beers and wines. Catering available; small intimate affairs to large special events. Open Mon-Wed 10am–6pm, Thu-Fri 10am–7pm, Sat 10am–6pm and Sun 10am–4pm.
Lompoc Wine Trail LompocTrail.com Easily accessible from anywhere in Santa Barbara County, the city of Lompoc offers the famous Wine Ghetto with over 20 wineries within one location, along with other urban wineries making world-class wines in many different styles.
Longoria Wines 415 E. Chestnut Ave. 866 759-4637 LongoriaWine.com Longoria is a pioneer artisanal winery producing acclaimed wines from the finest local vineyards for over 30 years. Visit the winery tasting room in Lompoc, open Fri–Sun 11am–4:30pm.
550 Bell St. 805 344-3000 BobsWellBread.com Bob’s Well Bread is about great bread, made the oldfashioned way—handcrafted in small batches and baked to perfection in a custom-built, stone-deck oven. Stop by their bakery for baguettes, croissants, bagels and more. Closed Tue and Wed.
Casa Dumetz 388 Bell St. 805 344-1900 CasaDumetzWines.com A boutique winery specializing in Rhone varietals crafted with premier Santa Barbara County fruit. Their wines are sold almost exclusively at their tasting room in historic Los Alamos and through their wine club. Open Thu noon–7pm; Fri–Sat 11am–7pm; Sun 11–6pm. Vineyard tours and barrel sampling available by appointment.
Full of Life Flatbread 225 W. Bell St. 805 344-4400 FullofLifeFoods.com On weekends Full of Life Flatbread converts their production flatbread bakery space into a restaurant and offers an extremely innovative menu based almost entirely on what is grown locally and in season. Open Thu–Sat 5–10pm; Sun 4–8pm.
Martian Ranch & Vineyard 9110 Alisos Canyon Rd. 805 344-1804 MartianVineyard.com The Martian Ranch tasting room is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11am–5pm. Taste their estate grown biodynamically farmed wines for an out-of-thisworld experience! Winery tours daily; vineyard tours on the weekends.
Municipal Winemakers 425 Bell St. (Alamo Hotel) 805 931-6864 MunicipalWinemakers.com After spending their formative years traveling and studying terroir and techniques, Municipal Wine is now working hard to make honest, interesting and delicious wines for the people of this world. They do this with love—carefully and slowly. Open Fri–Sun noon–7pm.
Los Olivos The Brander Vineyard 2401 N Refugio Rd. 805 688-2455 Brander.com Established in 1975, The Brander Vineyard is one of the oldest and most distinguished wineries in the Santa Barbara County. Founder Fred Brander has dedicated himself to making exceptional block designates of estate Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon that push the quality envelope for Bordeaux style wines. Open daily 11am–5pm.
Alta Maria Vineyards 2933 Grand Ave., Ste. A 805 686-1144 AltaMaria.com Striving to make the best wine possible in a conscious manner, Alta Maria Vineyards utilizes organic and sustainable techniques along with conventional methods that leave no indelible mark on the people, places and products around them. Tasting room open daily 11am–5pm. Native9 is offered for sale daily and can be tasted during Heritage Tastings.
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Los Olivos (continued) Global Gardens 2450 Alamo Pintado Rd. 800 307-0447 GlobalGardensOnline.com Global Gardens is Santa Barbara County’s premier Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil producer. Visit their demonstration farm and tasting bar for their signature tasting palette of over 12 tastings, education, worldly recipes and more. Fri–Sun 10am–4pm or by appointment.
Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. 2446 Alamo Pintado, Suite C 805 694-2252 FitMtnBrew.com Dedicated to creating high quality balanced beer, FigMtnBrew has six taprooms along the Central Coast. Featuring pints and beer tasting, gastropub fare, events, live music, beer “to go” and more.
Longoria Wines 2935 Grand Ave. 866 759-4637 LongoriaWine.com Longoria is a pioneer artisanal winery producing acclaimed wines from the finest local vineyards for over 30 years. Visit their tasting room in downtown Los Olivos, open daily from 11am–4:30pm.
Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café 2879 Grand Ave. 805 688-7265 LosOlivosCafe.com The Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café brings together the best flavors of the Central Coast. Their awardwinning wine list offers over 500 wines to enjoy with their fresh, seasonal and local cuisine, or to enjoy at home. Open for lunch and dinner daily 11:30am– 8:30pm (8pm Sun.) and breakfast Sat–Sun 8–10:30am.
Olive Hill Farm 2901 Grand Ave. 805 693-0700 OliveHillFarm.com Specializing in local olive oils, flavored oils and balsamic vinegars as well as many locally produced food products. Olive oil and vinegar tastings with fresh local bread available. Open daily 11am–5pm.
Qupé 2963 Grand Ave. 805 686-4200 Qupe.com One of California’s original Rhône Rangers, Bob Lindquist has been a visionary pioneer of cool-climate Syrah for over 30 years. Qupé is a benchmark producer of Chardonnay and Rhône varietals from the cool growing areas of California’s Central Coast. Cool climate wines of character since 1982. Tasting room open 11am–5pm daily.
Sanger Family of Wines 2923 Grand Ave. 805 691-1020 SangerWines.com Sanger Family’s three-brand portfolio, which includes Consilience, Marianello and Tre Anelli, offers wines made from nearly 20 locally-grown grape varieties. An Old World wine experience, crafted using a modern Central Coast approach.
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Zaca Mesa Winery
Telegraph Brewing Co.
6905 Foxen Canyon Rd. 805 688-9339 ZacaMesa.com
418 N. Salsipuedes St. 805 963-5018 TelegraphBrewing.com
Since 1973, our family-owned winery has been dedicated to crafting some of Santa Barbara County’s most distinctive wines. Tasting room and picnic area open daily 10am–4pm.
Montecito
Handcrafting unique American ales that embrace the heritage of California’s early brewing pioneers and use as many locally grown ingredients as possible. Visit the tasting room, open Tue–Thu 3–9pm; Fri–Sat 2–10pm; Sun 1–7pm. Telegraph beer is available at many restaurants and grocery stores in Santa Barbara County and throughout California.
American Riviera Bank
Whole Foods Market
525 San Ysidro Rd. 805-335-8110 AmericanRivieraBank.com Offering a local and sustainable approach to banking. The founders of American Riviera Bank are a carefully selected group of successful, prominent, experienced and influential community and business leaders who understand the unique needs of the Santa Barbara community. Open Mon–Thu 9am–5pm; Fri 9am–5:30pm.
Here’s The Scoop 1187 Coast Village Rd. 805 969-7020 ScoopSB.com Here’s The Scoop is a local, family-owned business that makes traditional Italian gelato flavors like Stracciatella and Pistachio. Their seasonal farmers market sorbets use local, organic farm fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Sorbets are non-dairy, organic and vegan. Mon– Thu 1-9pm, Fri-Sat noon–10pm, Sun noon–9pm.
Tecolote Bookstore 1470 E. Valley Rd. 805 969-4977 Tecolote Bookstore is an independent bookstore located in the upper village of Montecito. Open Mon– Fri 10am–5:30pm; Sat 10am–5pm; closed Sun.
Santa Barbara Backyard Bowls 3849 State St. 805 569-0011 BackyardBowls.com Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt and more.
Il Fustino 3401 State St. 805 845-3521 ilFustino.com Il Fustino is Santa Barbara’s first and finest olive oil and vinegar tasting room. Il Fustino purveys only the finest and freshest olive oils, all grown and milled in California. They also provide an unparalleled selection of artisan vinegars.
Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro 3315 State St. 805 569-2400 RenaudsBakery.com Renaud’s is a bakery specializing in French pastries and French-style cakes, as well as a bistro offering an extensive menu for lunch and dinner. Open Mon–Sat 7am–5pm; Sun 7am–3pm.
3761 State St. 805 837-6959 WholeFoodsMarket.com Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market, a leader in the natural and organic foods industry and America’s first national certified organic grocer, was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” in 2008 by Health magazine.
The Winehound 3849 State St. 805 845-5247 TheWinehound.com The award-winning Winehound features the world’s best wines—from the everyday to a luxury cuvée—all top dogs, no mutts. Open Mon–Sat 11am–7pm; Sun noon–6pm.
Santa Barbara– Downtown American Riviera Bank 1033 Anacapa St. 805 965-5942 AmericanRivieraBank.com Offering a local and sustainable approach to banking. The founders of American Riviera Bank are a carefully selected group of successful, prominent, experienced and influential community and business leaders who understand the unique needs of the Santa Barbara community. Open Mon–Thu 8am–5pm, Fri 8am–6pm.
Au Bon Climat Wine Tasting Room and the Jim Clendenen Wine Library 813 Anacapa St. 805 963-7999 AuBonClimat.com Known for world class Chardonnays and Pinots, Jim Clendenen has been making wines of vision and character for over 30 years, along with other varietals. Amazing lineup of current releases and library wines available. Open noon–6pm daily.
Backyard Bowls 331 Motor Way 805 845-5379 BackyardBowls.com Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt and more.
The Black Sheep 26 E Ortega St. 805 965-1113 TheBlackSheepSB.com The Black Sheep offers a casual gastro pub setting with local farm-to-table cuisine. Open Tue–Sat 5–10pm; Sun 5–9pm.
Destination Maps Los Alamos
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 75
Santa Barbara– Downtown (continued) Book Ends Café 602 Anacapa St. 805 963-3222 BookEndsCafe.net Book Ends Café offers unique handcrafted sandwiches and seasonal selections of farm-fresh salads, quiches and treats, all prepared with ingredients sourced from local farmers. Enjoy organic, fair-trade coffee while sitting on the secret and tranquil rooftop patio. Open Mon–Thu 8am–6:15pm. Fri–Sat 8am–2pm.
Bouchon
to an impressive selection of mezcal and exciting local spirits. Providing both Santa Barbara locals and visitors with an unparalleled and memorable dining experience. Latin American inspired, Santa Barbara realized. Weekend Brunch. Happy Hour. Dinner.
Grapeseed Company 21 W. Ortega St. 805 456-3655 TheGrapeseedCompany.com The Grapeseed Company creates botanical spa and skin care products handcrafted from the byproduct of wine plus antioxidant-rich local and organic ingredients. Open Mon–Fri 10:30am–6pm; Sat 10–5pm; closed Sun.
Grassini Family Vineyards
9 W. Victoria St. 805 730-1160 BouchonSantaBarbara.com
813 Anacapa St., #6 805 897-3366 GrassiniFamilyVineyards.com
Bouchon sources all of its ingredients using an “asfresh-and-as-local-as-possible” approach. Experience fine dining, excellent regional wines and relaxed service in a warm, inviting ambience. Private dining in the Cork Room is available for groups of 10–20. Dinner nightly 5–10pm.
Grassini Family Vineyards is a family-owned and operated estate winery specializing in handcrafted limited production Bordeaux wines, including Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Open from noon–6pm daily, and the final tasting of the day is at 5:30pm.
C’est Cheese
Il Fustino
Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro 1324 State St. 805 892-2800 RenaudsBakery.com Renaud’s is a bakery specializing in French pastries and French-style cakes, as well as a bistro offering an extensive menu for breakfast and lunch. Open Mon–Sat 7am–5pm, Sun 7am–3pm.
Sama Sama Kitchen 1208 State St. 805 965-4566 SamaSamaKitchen.com Sama Sama creates meals inspired by Indonesian food and local farms and markets. Their food and cocktail menu is constantly changing depending on the availability from local sources. They are locally owned and operated and part of the Shelter Social Club family. Lunch Mon–Wed 11am–2pm. Dinner Mon–Sat 5–10pm; Sun 5–9pm. Happy Hour Thu–Fri 4–5pm.
Scarlett Begonia 11 W. Victoria St., #10 805 770-2143 ScarlettBegonia.net
825 Santa Barbara St. 805 965-0318 CestCheese.com
308 W. Victoria 805 845-4995 ilFustino.com
In addition to being a local source for the finest cheeses and artisanal foods, C’est Cheese serves breakfast and lunch—fresh salads, soups, sandwiches and incredible pastries. Open Mon-Sat 7am–6pm; Sun 8am–3pm.
Il Fustino is Santa Barbara’s first and finest olive oil and vinegar tasting room. Il Fustino purveys only the finest and freshest olive oils, all grown and milled in California. They also provide an unparalleled selection of artisan vinegars.
Scarlett Begonia will always strive to have interesting, thoughtful food. Menus change weekly with an innovative, fresh approach to breakfast, lunch and dinner. Showcasing progressive modern cuisine, Scarlett Begonia features sustainable, organic, high quality ingredients coupled with innovative cooking to provide one of the most food-centric experiences in Santa Barbara. Open for dinner and cocktail hour Tue–Sat 4–9pm, breakfast and lunch Tue–Sun 9am–2pm.
Isabella Gourmet Foods
Seagrass
Ca’ Dario Pizzeria 29 E. Victoria St. 805 957-2020 CaDarioPizza.net Located just steps away from Chef Dario Furlati’s flagship eatery, Ca’ Dario Pizzeria offers a casual, urban atmosphere to enjoy authentic pizzas, salads and appetizers. The 30-seat restaurant boasts a welcoming bar, perfect for enjoying local or Italian beers on tap. Open for lunch Mon–Sat 11:30am–2:30pm; dinner Mon–Sun 5–9:30pm.
Cebada Vineyard & Winery 5 E. Figueroa St. 805 735-4648 CebadaWine.com Cebada vinifies estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This boutique winery produces sophisticated Burgundian style wines. Enjoy their handcrafted vertical wine tasting in La Arcada Plaza.
Chocolate Maya 15 W. Gutierrez St. 805 965-5956 ChocolateMaya.com Chocolate Maya scours the world for pure, luscious chocolates and offers incredible savory bars, truffles, bonbons and gift baskets as well as a wide choice of organic and fair-trade chocolate products. Mon–Fri 10am–6pm; Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 10am–4pm.
Cielito Restaurant 1114 State St. 805 965-4770 CielitoRestaurant.com A Santa Barbara take on the flavors of Latin America and Mexico, featuring the freshest and most sustainable of Central Coast ingredients, over 90 tequilas, with enticing libations and innovative cocktails, in addition 76 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
5 E. Figueroa St. 805 585-5257 IsabellaGourmetFoods.com A boutique artisan grocery combining the downhome charm of an East Coast general store with an upscale West Coast setting and featuring locally made small-batch foods. Open Mon–Fri 9am–6pm; Sat 10am–6pm; Sun 11am–5pm.
Margerum Wine Company 813 Anacapa St. 805 845-8435 MargerumWineCompany.com Margerum Wine Company is committed to creating handcrafted wines using only the highest-quality grapes so they can make wines that are indicative of the place where they are grown. They have two tasting rooms located in the historic El Paseo complex: Margerum Tasting Room and MWC32, which features their reserve and limited production wines. Open daily noon–6pm with the last tasting at 5:30pm.
McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams 728 State St. 805 324-4402 McConnells.com McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, founded in Santa Barbara in 1949, is now in its third generation of family ownership. They make their ice creams as they always have: From scratch, using Central Coast, grass-grazed milk, cream and the finest local, sustainable and organic ingredients from partner farms, artisans and purveyors they’ve worked with for decades. No preservatives. No stabilizers. No additives. Ever. A 70-year, sweet legacy of keeping it real.
30 E. Ortega St. 805 963-1012 SeagrassRestaurant.com Seagrass offers a fresh Santa Barbara Coastal Cuisine fine dining experience, procuring the highest quality ingredients available and superior local bounty. Open Tue–Thu 5:30–9pm; Fri–Sat 5:30–10pm, Sun 5:30–9pm. (desserts and drinks until 10:30); Thu–Sat 11am–11pm; closed Mon.
The Wine Cask 813 Anacapa St. 805 966-9463 WineCask.com The Wine Cask Restaurant features the freshest local ingredients, the best wine list in town and seasonal signature cocktails. They offer fine dining in their exquisite Gold Room and casual dining in the courtyard and at their Intermezzo bar. Lunch: Tue–Fri 11:30am–3pm. Dinner: Tue–Sun from 5:30pm. Last seating at 9pm Sun–Thu and at 10pm Fri–Sat.
Santa Barbara – Funk Zone Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. 137 Anacapa St., Suite F 805 694-2252 FitMtnBrew.com Dedicated to creating high quality balanced beer, FigMtnBrew has six taprooms along the Central Coast. Featuring pints and beer tasting, gastropub fare, events, live music, beer “to go” and more.
Destination Maps 2
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EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 77
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Santa Barbara – Funk Zone (continued) Riverbench Vineyard & Winery
“Where Every Goat Has a Name” Farmstead Artisan Goat Cheese Locally produced on the farm with milk exclusively from the farm’s own animals. Available at local farmers markets and online.
DrakeFamilyFarms.com
(909) 947-8688
137 Anacapa St., Suite C 805 324-4100 Riverbench.com Riverbench Vineyard was established in 1973, when the first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were planted on the property. For years since then, some of the most renowned wineries have purchased Riverbench fruit for their wines. In 2004, Riverbench began producing their own wines in limited quantities, with many available exclusively through their tasting rooms in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara. Open 11am–6pm daily.
Santa Barbara – Mesa Lazy Acres 302 Meigs Rd. 805 564-4410 LazyAcres.com Santa Barbara’s best source for wholesome, natural and organic foods and products with real people dedicated to providing unmatched personal service. Mon–Sat 7am–11pm; Sun 7am–10pm.
MESAVERDE 1919 Cliff Dr. 805 963-4474 MesaverdeRestaurant.com MESAVERDE, a plant-based restaurant in Santa Barbara, fuses Mediterranean flavors and fresh ingredients to establish a taste reaching beyond simple expectations. They offer locally sourced produce and raw vegan desserts. House-made kombucha, cold-pressed juices and almond milk are made daily.
Santa Maria Cambria Estate Winery 5475 Chardonnay Ln. 805 938-7318 CambriaWines.com Family-owned, sustainably-farmed, estate winery. Visit and experience the flavors of the Santa Maria Bench. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Viognier and Syrah. Open daily 10am–5pm. Tasting room open daily 10am–5pm.
Vote Online Now for the 10th Annual
Local Hero Awards Chef/Restaurant Farmer/Rancher/Fisherman Food Artisan (jam, bread, chocolate, etc.)
Beverage Artisan (beer, wine, etc.)
Vote Online at EdibleSantaBarbara.com Voting Deadline is 12/31/2015
78 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
Foxen Vineyard & Winery 7200 and 7600 Foxen Canyon Rd. 805 937-4251 FoxenVineyard.com The Foxen Boys’ winery and tasting room features Burgundian and Rhône-style wines. Visit the historic shack “Foxen 7200” for Italian and Bordeaux-style wines. Picnic tables and scenic views at both locations. Open 11am–4pm daily.
Riverbench Vineyard & Winery 6020 Foxen Canyon Rd. 805 937-8340 Riverbench.com Riverbench Vineyard was established in 1973, when the first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were planted on the property. For years since then, some of the most renowned wineries have purchased Riverbench fruit for their wines. In 2004, Riverbench began producing their own wines in limited quantities, with many available exclusively through their tasting rooms in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara. Open 10am–4pm daily.
Santa Ynez Rancho Olivos 2390 Refugio Rd. 805 686-9653 RanchoOlivos.com Located in beautiful Santa Ynez, Rancho Olivos creates distinctively fresh artisan extra-virgin olive oils from their sustainably grown Italian and Spanish varietals of olives. Open for olive oil tasting daily noon–4pm.
Santa Ynez Valley Cheese Company 1095 Meadowvale Road 805 691-9448 SantaYnezValleyCheeseCompany.com Your valley source for cut-to-order imported and domestic cheese and charcuterie as well as gourmet products and fresh bread. We prepare boards, platters and take-away picnic trays for caterers, wineries and consumers. Open Mon, Wed–Sat, 10am–5pm and Sun noon–4 pm (closed Tue).
SY Kitchen 1110 Faraday St. 805 691-9794 SYKitchen.com Modern Northern Italian dishes showcasing local ingredients in an inviting farmhouse in the heart of Santa Ynez. Chef Luca Crestanelli's specialties include home-made pastas; wood-fired pizzas, and oak-grilled chicken, lamb chops and steak. Dazzling cocktails are crafted by Alberto Battaglini. Dinner nightly from 5pm; lunch Wed-Sat 11:30am–2:30pm
Solvang Buttonwood Farm Winery 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd. 805 688-3032 ButtonwoodWinery.com In 1968 Betty Williams came to Buttonwood, creating a life that found expression through a connection with the land. The vineyard now has 33,000 vines with a mix of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Marsanne, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Tasting room open daily 11am–5pm.
New Frontiers Natural Marketplace 1984 Old Mission Dr. 805 693-1746 NewFrontiersMarket.com New Frontiers Natural Marketplace is a full service natural foods grocery store and deli. They are located in Solvang at the corner of Alamo Pintado and Mission Dr.
Succulent Café Wine Charcuterie 1555 Mission Dr. 805 691-9444 SucculentCafe.com Succulent Café in the heart of Solvang serves comfort and artisan food prepared with seasonal, local, farm fresh ingredients, focusing on flavor, elegance and balance. Great local wines and beer on tap. Breakfast: Sat–Sun 8:30am–noon; Lunch: Mon & Wed–Fri 11am–3pm, Sat–Sun noon–3pm; Dinner: Wed– Mon 5pm–9pm; Charcuterie Bar: Mon & Wed–Fri 11am–9pm, Sat & Sun 8:30am–9pm.
Source Guide Bragg Live Food Products Bragg.com Founded in 1912 by Dr. Paul C. Bragg and now run by his daughter Dr. Patricia Bragg in Goleta, Bragg Live Food Products offers organic and natural health products and publishes self-health books. Available locally at Fairview Gardens’ Farm Stand, Lassen’s, Gladden and Sons, Tri-County Produce, Whole Foods Market, Lazy Acres and in the health section of your neighborhood grocery store.
Dave’s Garage 650 Easy St. Simi Valley 805 306-1174 DavesGarage-HotRodShop.com Mentored by one of the finest car builders and designers in the business, Dave specializes in classic restorations, complete custom builds, fabrication, modifications and collision repairs of pre-1975 vehicles. Dave’s Garage recently moved into a new 8,000 square foot shop and showroom with products for do-ityourselfers.
Drake Family Farms DrakeFamilyFarms.com
Making locally produced farmstead artisan goat cheese in Ontario, California. At Drake Family Farms every goat has a name and their goat cheeses are made on the farm with milk exclusively from the farm’s own animals. Available at local farmers markets and online.
Giffin & Crane General Contractors 805 966-6401 GiffinAndCrane.com At Giffin & Crane General Contractors, Inc., each project is unique, whether it’s a simple remodel or an extraordinary architectural estate. Working closely with their clients to fulfill their clients’ dreams, they are committed to providing the best workmanship, on time and in budget.
Harvest Santa Barbara 805 696-6930 HarvestSantaBarbara.com Delivering freshly harvested wholesale produce— sourced directly from local family farms to schools, restaurants, hospitals and retail businesses. Their mission is to be the catalyst for a healthier, more sustainable food system by strengthening the ties between farmers and the community.
Hollandia Produce 805 684-4146 LiveGourmet.com GrowerPetes.com
Hollandia Produce is a family owned and operated agricultural business specializing in hydroponically greenhouse grown vegetables. Located in Carpinteria, California, the company grows, ships and distributes its certified organic label Grower Pete’s, and its Live Gourmet line of products, which are harvested with their roots intact to preserve freshness.
Jimenez Family Farm 805 688-0597 JimenezFamilyFarm.com Small family-run local farm specializes in sustainably grown food and their famous handmade pies, quiches and small batch preserves. Visit them at the farmers market to purchase produce, pies, jams and naturally fed and farm-raised rabbit, lamb, pork, goat and poultry.
Morris Grassfed 831 623-2933 MorrisGrassfed.com Providing 100% grassfed and finished beef to customers throughout California. Processed in USDA inspected facilities, cut and wrapped by small-scale artisan butchers and delivered directly at pre-arranged delivery locations throughout the year. Family owned, they practice holistic management on the rangelands they manage.
Niman Ranch
11990 Grant St. Northglenn, CO 80233 NimanRanch.com Niman Ranch is committed to providing the finest tasting humanely and sustainably raised pork, beef and lamb raised by independent family farmers and ranchers. No antibiotics—ever, no added hormones—ever, all vegetarian feeds and raised outdoors or in deeply bedded pens.
Olivella & Vine + Wallace Neff Heritage Bar at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
Tecolote Book Shop Since 1925
1470 eaSt Valley rOad upper VillaGe Of MOntecitO
805 969-4977 Gift WrappinG • ShippinG • Special OrderS BOOk SearcheS • authOr appearanceS
905 Country Club Rd. 844 828-3530 OjaiResort.com Welcome to the best of California with world class valley-to-table cuisine. Be among the first to enjoy Olivella — the resort's authentically re-imagined signature restaurant — an adventurous California take on Italian gourmet. Or, drop in to vintage Ojai at the Wallace Neff Heritage Bar for a signature classic cocktail.
Organic Pastures 7221 S. Jameson Ave. Fresno, CA 1-877-RAW-MILK OrganicPastures.com Specializing in truly raw, organic, kosher, artisan milk and dairy products. We believe in keeping our products TRULY raw, which is why we never warm our raw milk above 102°F. Find our raw milk, cream, butter, cheese and kefir at the Isla Vista Food Coop, Lassen’s Natural Foods, Lazy Acres Market, and the Saturday Santa Barbara Farmers Market.
Indonesian food inspired by our local farms & markets. 1208 State St. Santa Barbara samasamakitchen.com LO C A LLY OWNED , O P ERAT ED & PART o f th e SH ELT ER SO C IA L C LU B fam ily
Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market 805 962-5354 SBFarmersMarket.org Seven markets, six days a week. See schedule on page 48.
Valle Fresh 805 865-2282 ValleFresh.com Specializing in hand-crafted, genuine food sourced from local farms, ranches and artisans, Valle Fresh is a family owned catering company that has a zeal for the food and services we provide. Chef Conrad Gonzales offers personalized menus for all occasions including weddings, pop-up events, food and wine pairings, themed dinners, gourmet taco bars and more.
Serving grassfed beef directly to customers since 1991
RESERVE YOUR Portion Today at:
MorrisGrassfed.com EdibleSantaBarbara.com FALL 2015 | 79
the last Bite Fall’s Don’t-Miss Dish by Liz Dodder
Breakfast Pizza/Carbonara Pizza at Industrial Eats Industrial Eats and New West Catering owner/Chef Jeff Olsson has been cooking from locally sourced, organic ingredients since long before farm-to-table was born. At his Buellton restaurant, most everything is sourced locally, including pork. He sources heritage breeds like Kunekune, Mangalitsa and Berkshire crosses exclusively in Santa Barbara County, where the pigs are raised humanely. Butchering and curing is done in-house, with Valley Piggery even helping to teach a butchering class in Olsson’s kitchen one weekend every two months. Restaurant cuts from the class are used in the dishes.
LIZ DODDER
The Carbonara Pizza (or Breakfast Pizza, if it’s before noon) features pancetta from those local pigs, Parmesan cheese, a seasonal vegetable and a farm egg on top. To make the dough, Olsson uses only 4 ingredients: Italian 00 pizza flour, yeast, water and salt — anything more only brings the quality down. After kneading, he lets it rise in the fridge for 24 hours. He then stretches the dough by hand, spreads olive oil across the top, then adds salt and pepper, Parmesan cheese, pancetta and vegetables.
80 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA FALL 2015
He cracks an egg in the middle and slides it into an 800° wood-burning oven for 4–7 minutes. To cook at home, place a cast-iron skillet upside down in your oven and turn the heat all the way up. When the skillet is hot, cook the pizza on the skillet for 10 –12 minutes or until dough is done. Liz Dodder is a drinker, eater and traveler who has eaten five kinds of foie gras in one day. She’s also a blogger, writer, photographer, recipe developer, web designer, social media maven and Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). CaliCoastWineCountry.com
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