Edible Monterey Bay - Spring 2023

4 GRIST FOR THE MILL

6 EDIBLE NOTABLES

Ever-Green Vietnamese: Santa Cruz author Andrea Nyuyen previews her seventh cookbook; Win Win: Too Good To Go app prevents food waste and produces bargains

16 WHAT’S IN SEASON RADISHES

These crunchy, spicy roots are more versatile than you might think

20 LOCAL FOODS IN SEASON

23 FOODSHED SPRING FARMERS M ARKETS

A complete guide for the Monterey Bay area

Contents

26 EDIBLE ENTREPRENEURS TASTE MAKERS

Meet a new wave of pop-up chefs, coming soon to a patio, tasting room or parking lot near you

37 ON THE FARM SCHOCH DAIRY: A PORTAL TO A BYGONE ER A

One of the Salinas Valley’s last remaining dairies faces the future

45 ON THE BAY FRESH DIRECTION

Former music mogul finds contentment fishing and foraging for Santa Cruz restaurants

53 IN THE KITCHEN IS AN INDUCTION STOVE FOR YOU?

Sierra Mar’s Reylon Agustin is sold on this alternative to gas and conventional electric

58 EDIBLE D.I.Y. VEGAN BUTTER

Cashews are the secret to this silky toast topper or baking ingredient

61 DINE LOCAL GUIDE

72 LA ST CALL BITTER BEST COAST

A cocktail to celebrate spring

RECIPES IN THIS ISSUE

8 Char Siu Roasted Cauliflower

19 Radish Kimchi

59 Vegan Butter

72 Bitter Best Coast Cocktail

COVER PHOTOGRAPH

Pop-up chefs by Geneva Rico

The worlds first Provence Rosé Golden State The world,s first Provence Rosé Golden State

A world-class wine portfolio

Our founder Bernardus Pon chose to cultivate his premier-class wine brand in Carmel Valley. With its west-facing orientation, hot days, chilly nights, and stunning beauty, it is the perfect location to produce wines that rival the greatest on the globe. Following the creation of its powerhouse wine portfolio, Bernardus welcomed a new member to its family in 2022, the world’s first Provence Rosé Golden State. This joint venture with Château La Coste in the world-famous Provence region resulted in a premium French Rosé with a twist of California. Today the brand is more than just wine, with a challenging championship golf course based in the Netherlands which will host the 2026 Solheim Cup. Bernardus creates memories that will last a lifetime. www.bernardus.com/rose

BERNARDUS ROSÉ | COTEAUX D’AIX-EN-PROVENCE AOP | ALC. 12,5%

GRIST FOR THE MILL

Restaurants sometimes debut fully formed, while others take time to emerge—especially the personal, chef-owned places we love.

I was thinking about this while diving into a dish of ahi tuna laab served with crunchy shrimp chips at Hanloh Thai—Lalita Kaewsawang’s buzzy new eatery located inside Bad Animal bookstore in Santa Cruz.

Edible Monterey Bay started covering Lalita and her vibrant Thai cooking in 2018 when she was doing weekly pop-ups at Sante Adairius brewery. During the pandemic, we reported on the meal kits and pad Thai instructional videos she put out.

So it almost felt like a graduation to finally be able to sit at a candlelit table and dine at her restaurant. Lalita is not the only chef who has emerged from the Santa Cruz pop-up circuit. Andy Huynh of Full Steam Dumpling now serves nightly at After Hours, Katherine Stern’s brick-and-mortar version of The Midway is set to open this spring and Jessica Yarr of Chicken Foot is launching her own café in Felton in just a few weeks.

With one cohort of pop-up chefs moving up, we wondered who was next? So, in our cover story, reporter Ashley Owen set out to discover the most exciting tastes and rising star pop-up chefs on the Santa Cruz scene right now. Fortunately for us eaters, there are plenty to choose from, and we didn’t even consider food trucks—which could be a story all its own.

Also in this issue, we meet two already firmly established stars: author Andrea Nguyen—a resident of Santa Cruz and one of the country’s foremost authorities on Vietnamese cuisine— who is about to release her seventh cookbook; and Aptos fisherman-forager Griffin Guess, who has a surprising Hollywood past.

We also wade into the culture wars with Sarah Wood’s story on induction stoves. I can assure you this piece was underway long before “banning gas stoves” became a talking point for cable news hosts, and she makes a compelling case for at least considering the switch to induction cooking.

We like to say Edible Monterey Bay is “appointment reading,” so sit back in a comfy chair with your favorite beverage, turn off those digital devices, take your time and enjoy our Spring issue!

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

Deborah Luhrman

deborah@ediblemontereybay.com

831.600.8281

FOUNDERS Sarah Wood and Rob Fisher

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Mark C. Anderson

COPY EDITOR Doresa Banning

LAYOUT & DESIGN Matthew Freeman and Tina Bossy-Freeman

AD DESIGNERS Bigfish Smallpond Design Coline LeConte • tracysmithstudio

Zephyr Pfotenhauer

CONTRIBUTORS

Jeff Bareilles • Jamie Collins • Dan Evans

Jamie Harson • Michael Keller • Michelle

Magdalena • Candy Matthews • Ashley Owen

Geneva Rico • Jessica Tunis • Amber Turpin

Sarah Wood

ADVERTISING SALES

ads@ediblemontereybay.com • 831.600.8281

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DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

Mick Freeman • 831.419.2975

CONTACT US:

Edible Monterey Bay P.O. Box 487 Santa Cruz, CA 95061 ediblemontereybay.com 831.600.8281

info@ediblemontereybay.com

Deborah Luhrman Publisher

Our Mission

At  Edible Monterey Bay , our mission is to celebrate the local food culture of Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties, season by season. We believe in sustainability, and we believe everyone has a right to healthful, clean and affordable food. We think knowing where our food comes from is powerful, and we hope our magazine, website and newsletters inspire readers to get to know and support our local growers, fishers, chefs, vintners and food artisans.

Edible Monterey Bay is published quarterly. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. Subscriptions are $28 per year at ediblemontereybay.com. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our apologies and notify us. We also welcome letters to the above address. Thank you.

EDIBLE NOTABLES

EVER-GREEN VIETNAMESE

Santa Cruz author Andrea Nguyen previews her seventh cookbook

BY JEFF BAREILLES

Andrea Nguyen wants her recipes to become your recipes.

On any given Wednesday afternoon, rain or shine, you’ll find longtime Santa Cruz resident Andrea Nguyen surveying fruits, vegetables, meat and fish at the Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers Market. Making frequent visits to markets isn’t new for Nguyen. Growing up in Vietnam, she often accompanied her family’s cook to the lively open-air market near her family home in Saigon. It was there that her “supermarket obsession” began.

“Those market visits seeded my interests in food, cooking and grocery shopping,” she says.

Today Nguyen is a renowned cookbook author, food writer and James Beard Award winner, and is regarded as a leading authority on Asian and Vietnamese cuisine in the United States. For most of her readers, her books are their only reference point for Vietnamese food, history, culture and current affairs—a responsibility that Nguyen takes very seriously.

“The word author is the root of authority, and authority comes with responsibility,” Nguyen says.

To date, she has published six cookbooks, including the James Beard award-winning The Pho Cookbook. Her newest book Ever-Green Vietnamese comes out on April 25. In this latest work, Nguyen focuses on the fundamental use of vegetables, herbs, fruits and plant-based proteins in Vietnamese cooking.

Along with cookbooks, Nguyen writes a weekly newsletter called Pass the Fish Sauce and articles for magazines and newspapers. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, Sunset, Bon Appetit, EatingWell, Cooking Light and Saveur.

Although Nguyen earned her bachelor and master’s degrees in business and communication management from the University of Southern California, remarkably she has no formal culinary training and never attended cooking school.

Rewind to 1975, when Nguyen and her family fled Vietnam as refugees and resettled in the coastal town of San Clemente in Southern California. The first American supermarket they visited, Albertsons, was within walking distance of their apartment. Nguyen was astounded and thrilled by it, but Albertsons did not carry Vietnamese ingredients. So shopping there meant her mother had to substitute non-Vietnamese ingredients when preparing family meals reminiscent of those she made with Vietnamese ingredients back home.

To Nguyen, those meals gave her a sense of heritage, identity and grounding.

"Working the phone lines and sharing tips with other refugees, my mother co-opted non-Viet ingredients for Viet dishes," Nguyen writes in her book Vietnamese Food Any Day.

She attributes her resourcefulness with ingredients to her mother and those meals that continue to motivate her to think on many different levels—knowing that, for whatever reason, people don’t always follow recipes.

To give her recipes context, Nguyen uses her exceptional storytelling skills that incorporate the narrative styles of memoir, historical writing, cultural narrative, DIY, travel and humor. She believes the recipes inherently taste better because they are conceptualized. Many readers report

her cookbooks are as satisfying as a juicy novel, even without making a single recipe.

“At the age of 10, I’d read and study cookbooks as if they were novels,” Nguyen recalls.

In her two latest books, Vietnamese Food Any Day and Ever-Green Vietnamese, Nguyen bases most of her recipes on ingredients sourced at local Santa Cruz supermarkets and farmers markets. And with that same determination that drove her mother to ensure her family didn’t forget their culture, Nguyen brings Vietnamese and Asian ingredients to the American table—making the point that Vietnamese food isn’t exotic and should be part of people’s daily repertoire.

Andrea Nguyen shopping at Staff of Life in Santa Cruz (photo Jeff Bareilles and Dan Evans). Opposite page, Cucumber, Kale and Spiced Cashew Salad. Find recipe at ediblemontereybay.com.

Char Siu Roasted Cauliflower (Bông Cải Trắng Nướng

Vị Xá Xíu)

Courtesy Andrea Nguyen

“In tropical Vietnam, cauliflower is a prized cool-weather crop that’s typically stir-fried, added to soup, or pickled,” writes Andrea Nguyen in her new cookbook.

“Home ovens are uncommon in Vietnam, so few people roast cauliflower. In my California kitchen, however, I coat cauliflower wedges in salty-sweet-spicy seasonings typically reserved for Cantonese-style char siu barbecue pork, and then high-heat roast them. The contours of the wedges caramelize here and there to develop a deep savoriness that evokes the prized edges and corners of char siu pork. Serve this cauliflower as a satisfying main dish or tuck it into bao and banh mi.”

2 pound head cauliflower

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon agave syrup or mild honey

Scant 1 tablespoon ketchup

1½ teaspoons soy sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed or put through a garlic press

¼ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

Cut the cauliflower. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pull off or cut away large leaves from the cauliflower, saving them for soup or broth, if you like. Trim a slice from the core end, where it’s likely discolored. While holding the cauliflower at a comfortable angle, curved side down, insert your knife tip into the core. As you push the knife in farther, gently rock the blade side to side and back and forth. In a few seconds, the cauliflower head should crack and naturally break into two halves (mine are always uneven).

Now, cut each half into four wedges, each no thicker than 3 inches on the uneven floret side. (Hold the cauliflower flat side or curved side down, whichever is more comfortable. Cut an additional wedge only if you must.) Using a dish towel, dry the wedges so they’ll absorb the seasonings well.

Season and roast. In a big bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, agave syrup, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and five-spice powder. Add the cauliflower wedges and, using a big spoon or spatula, stir to coat well. Most of the seasonings should adhere. Spread the wedges out onto the prepared baking sheet, cut side down. Drizzle or smear any remaining seasoning from the bowl onto the wedges.

Roast the cauliflower for 15 minutes, use tongs to turn over the wedges, and then roast for 10 minutes longer. Liquid will appear on the pan. Continue roasting for 10 to 15 minutes, during which the liquid will concentrate, bubble and thicken. As that happens, use the tongs or a spatula to flip the cauliflower pieces about 3 times so they pick up the seasonings. When done, the cauliflower should look richly browned and be tender yet slightly chewy. A knife tip pierced into the thickest core areas usually meets a little resistance. The total roasting time is about 40 minutes.

To get a slightly deeper color and flavor, keep the baking sheet in its place and switch on the broiler for about 60 seconds, monitoring carefully to avoid burning. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and let it rest a few minutes to develop flavor before serving. Serves 4.

Reprinted with permission from Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea by Andrea Nguyen, copyright © 2023. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Of all her books, Ever-Green Vietnamese is the most personal. Written during the COVID lockdown, it reflects how Nguyen eats now.

“When I reached mid-life, I realized I needed to change my diet, and plants have given me so much joy,” she says. “Vietnamese people celebrate vegetables from land and sea and how vegetables are the true roots of the cuisine.

When you start cooking with vegetables, not only do you get a sense of their possibilities and their power in the kitchen, but it also allows you to understand what true Vietnamese food is about.”

In her newsletter, she shares recipe development trials and errors from her kitchen in Santa Cruz and offers out-of-the-box tips for tackling tough orders. For example, in the issue “How to Blow up a Duck” she explains how to get crispy skin on a Peking duck, by using the plastic foot pump from her exercise balance ball to separate the skin and flesh, allowing the fat to melt away during roasting. Insights like this have earned Nguyen a robust social media following, in addition to worldwide recognition as an exceptional cookbook author.

If writing cookbooks, contributing to magazines and newspapers, plus self-publishing a weekly newsletter isn’t enough. Nguyen also runs her Viet World Kitchen website and co-hosts the weekly podcast Everything Cookbooks, where Nguyen, Kate Leahy, Molly Stevens and Kristin Donnelly discuss how to go from idea to publication. Nguyen has also taught cooking classes on dumplings and pho-making at New Leaf Community Markets.

When asked how she maintains a breakneck pace, Nguyen reveals, “My lifelong curiosity about food, cooking and culture fuels my work.”

Jeff Bareilles is a Santa Cruz-based hospitality consultant, artist, photographer and writer who has overseen the beverage programs at some of the finest restaurants in California, including Manresa, Atelier Crenn, Commis and Mourad.

Tasting Room @ The Old Sash Mill

Open 12-5 pm

Thursday-Sunday (831) 458-5030

Winery @ The Quarry in Corralitos

Open 12-5 pm • Friday-Sunday (831) 724-5030

storrswine.com

Nguyen shares stories and laughter with a friend (photo courtesy Karen Shinto).

Handcrafted Wines of excellence from the Santa Cruz Mountains since 1988. Reservations are recommended, walk-ins are welcome.

EDIBLE NOTABLES WIN WIN

Too Good To Go app prevents food waste and produces bargains

STORY AND

PHOTOGRAPHY

Why didn’t this exist already?

That’s a common reaction to one of the area’s newest smartphone apps, Too Good To Go.

It’s an understandable response. The bargains it brings are potent (note the huge bag of donuts for $5, or chicken teriyaki with sides also for $5) and the bigpicture implications are profound (less food waste and

BY MARK C. ANDERSON

more community connectivity). On top of that, a suspenseful element might be the tastiest part of the whole thing (more on that in a minute).Too Good To Go’s North American spokesperson Sarah Soteroff is familiar with the feedback.

“People think we’re trying to hoodwink them,” she says. “They ask, ‘What’s the catch?’”

A huge bag of donuts for $5 means less food waste.

Founded in Denmark in 2016, the idea behind the app is elegantly simple: You download it, check out which restaurants are offering their day’s surplus food in “surprise bags” and tap to reserve one before they sell out. TGTG makes its margin by charging participating restaurants a modest

While the idea is simple, TGTG’s ambitions are not. As “food waste warriors,” the app’s founders have developed a framework and curriculum for schools and government

A section on their website dedicated to educating consumers says more than onethird of food goes to waste, and quotes climate change expert Chad Frischmann, “Reducing food waste is one of the most important things we can do to reverse global warming.”

In practice, potential food waste is served up with fun: “Beyond knowing the gist of what your order contains (for instance, muffins and pastries, or sandwiches and salads),” TGTG’s profile reads, “The contents remain a delicious surprise until pickup time.”

According to Soteroff, that suspense grows on users. “People are skeptical of the surprise element at first, but the next thing you know, they can’t wait to open their bags,” she says. “A lot of our Instagram content is people posting how excited they get for the reveal.”

Participating restaurants are encouraged to provide around three times the value for what they charge (typically around $5–$6), and my experiences bore that out.

My first experience with TGTG’s app was in Berkeley, which offers a lot more choices than Santa Cruz or Monterey. The radius I set was for five miles, and I was particularly stoked to see my favorite pasta place on the roster.

I biked over to The Phoenix Pastificio when my designated pickup time arrived (those vary according to each place), and showed I had reserved a bag on my phone. A moment later a staffer was handing me a huge bag of pasta triangles—ravioli scraps, perhaps?—made that day.

I left with enough fresh spinach-, sweet pea- and roasted bell pepper-flavored noodles to make dinner for two, share an equal amount with neighbors and still have half of the bag left over to freeze, all for $5.

The late poet, novelist and composer Boris Pasternak once said, “Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.” He must have been smiling. I know I was. I was also hooked.

Around Monterey Bay, which is a newer market, the roster of participating restaurants is small but mighty—and includes Rock N Roll Donuts, Venus Pie Trap and Lafayette Bakery. Adding enough partners in new markets is a priority, because a diversity of options helps bring customers back.

My opening expedition here took me to East Village Cafe in Monterey. As owneroperator Ryan Lama filled a box with plunder—an almond croissant, berry scone, cinnamon roll, blueberry crumble muffin and a frosted flake pastry—he told me he’s proud to be an early adopter. He also added his Too Good users are mostly visitors from out of the area, but he expects that to change.

“The main thing is that the food doesn’t go to waste, but you also get to share what you do and the surprise aspect is fun,” he says. “People love it, and they get a good deal.”

Enthusiastic restaurant participation is absolutely key to TGTG’s model. Shop owners are so proactive in their promotion, in fact, that TGTG has yet to invest in advertising.

“People are skeptical of the surprise element at first, but the next thing you know, they can’t wait to open their bags.”

Poke House, Pono Hawaiian Grill and East Village Cafe are among the restaurants participating in the program.

Next up: Rock N Roll Donut Bar on Cannery Row. I got lucky with parking and was suddenly armed with pink sprinkled donuts, an Oreo donut, a maple bar and a strawberry cream dream (also $5). For the second time in as many nights, I arrived at a dinner gathering with treats for the whole household.

A night later I headed for Poke House, a locally owned micro chain which has participating outposts in Santa Cruz and Monterey. At its Del Monte Center location, a staffer handed me two bulbous bags brimming with salmon heads and bones thick with sushi-grade fish ($5 a bag).

The smiling attendant took my request for recipe coaching earnestly, rattling off suggestions ranging from ramen to onigiri. Back home came another discovery: Making a fish stock from scratch (my first) is doable and delightful.

I made a mental note to return and try Poke House’s custom craband-tuna bowl. That’s a benefit Soteroff observes: She says TGTG’s research finds around 75 percent of customers say they’ll return to a participating restaurant and pay full price.

That was the case on the Santa Cruz side of the bay too. At Pono Hawaiian Grill, general manager Brittny Beshore told me that TGTG has been a boon at all three Pono locations. “The program is awesome,” she says. “Everybody seems to be happy with the amount of food and the quality.”

As I accepted my bag of teriyaki chicken, macaroni salad, seasoned rice and kimchi—$5 in all—I couldn’t have agreed more.

Across town at Ferrell’s Donuts (which like Pono has multiple participating branches), I was allowed to take 16 pastries of my choosing because manager Cindy Starr hadn’t prepped the order yet.

“The app brings in people who wouldn’t normally come here,” she says. “Reducing waste is satisfying, but so is gaining a new audience.”

There are, of course, the inevitable growing pains when it comes to app features. Currently, there’s no way to communicate with restaurant staff who aren’t managing the app so they know who’s coming and don’t close early when a customer’s en route. It’s not always easy or convenient for people to peel away from work to pick up a bag. Bakeries, bagels and donuts tend to be over-represented. But those are all minor and manageable hiccups.

The key takeaway is this: TGTG’s simple formula is helping restaurants and bakeries resolve a complex issue. Like a giant surprise bag, the overall Too Good To Go experience comes loaded with revelations.

Mark C. Anderson is a roving writer, explorer and photographer based in Monterey County. Follow and/or reach him on Twitter and Instagram @montereymca.

The app is just starting to catch on in the Monterey Bay area.

WHAT'S IN SEASON

A RADISH BY ANY OTHER NAME

These crunchy, spicy roots are more versatile than you might think

BY JAMIE COLLINS ILLUSTRATION BY CANDY MATTHEWS

I was inspired to write about radishes while on a recent trip to visit my friend Jamie Harson at her diversified 18-acre farm in Duson, Louisiana. Jamie is also owner of a café, Scratch Farm Kitchen, in nearby Lafayette, where she serves delicious, locally sourced food with a Southern twist.

I was thinking about radishes as I devoured Jamie’s Delta Grind Grit Bowl. That day, the rotating dish was loaded with radishes, along with heirloom cherry tomatoes, cabbage and jalapeños. It was topped with egg, a spiced honey and smoked garlic oil drizzle, and a flurry of purple radish microgreens.

Harson clearly has a lot to say about radishes, which she uses in many of her dishes, often in the form of kimchi or pickles. Thus prepared, they provide texture and heat to rich, savory fare like her signature Boudini, a breakfast situation comprised of a housemade biscuit piled with boudin sausage, egg, cheese, chimichurri, mayonnaise and sassafras syrup.

Radishes (Raphanus sativus) are an edible root belonging to the brassica family and thus related to broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Like many brassicas, radishes contain a sulfurous compound known to reduce cancer risk as well as other antioxidants; radishes are also a good source of vitamin C. And, like its brassica relatives wasabi and horseradish, radishes get their spicy bite from an organic chemical compound called allyl isothiocyanate, which has shown promise as an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and chemopreventive.

GROWING AND STORING

Many farmers on the Central Coast grow radishes in the spring, but they’re suitable for year-round cultivation. Spade & Plow in San Martin grows purple daikon and green luobo radishes; the latter is a zestysweet lime-green variety with a white tip. Live Earth Farm, Blue Heron

Farms and Happy Boy Farms grow other varieties including Easter egg radishes—a pretty, rotund type notable for its various pastel colors, and cherry belle, the prototypical crimson radish.

As a farmer, radishes are one of my favorite things to grow because they germinate quickly and are fast and easy to cultivate, with most varieties maturing in just 30 days. Varieties like round black Spanish and watermelon radishes can take up to 60 days to reach full size and are generally used for cooking or pickling, due to their firm texture.

Radishes should be planted in well-tilled soil mixed with compost, and sowed about one inch apart for smaller varieties and up to six inches apart for larger types like daikon. Planting them closer together means you’ll need to thin them to make space for them to grow, but you can then eat the smaller roots while waiting for the others to reach maturity. You can tell the size of a radish by looking at the shoulders of the root (the portion below the stem).

Radishes come in an array of colors, shapes and sizes, with varying degrees of heat. I love the varieties found in the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. catalog, which provides information on their history. Baker also offers red rat’s tail radishes cultivated for their seed pods, which are nutritious and taste like piquant green beans.

I particularly enjoy growing French breakfast radishes. A mild, elongated, rosy variety with an ivory tip, they’re a good starter variety if you’re timid with heat. In France, these crisp little roots are popularly consumed slathered with unsweetened butter, dipped in sea salt and eaten out of hand, or thinly sliced and layered atop butter on a sliced baguette.

To store radishes, wash them to remove any soil and separate the greens from the roots. Add the roots to a small bowl of water and place in the refrigerator; they’ll last up to a week if you change the water every other day.

For the greens, shake the excess water from the stalks, blot with a dishtowel and store in a bag in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. Radish greens are delicate and should be eaten within a few days; they’re wonderful in pesto, wilted and folded into scrambled eggs or a stir fry, or used in place of cabbage for making sauerkraut.

FRESH AND COOKED

Radishes are surprisingly versatile in the kitchen, but note that served whole, they can be too pungent or even bitter, depending upon the variety and growing conditions or season. They can be sliced, grated, mandolined or chopped, and I suggest leaving a quarter inch of stem on radishes being used for crudité. Raw roots are at their best served with a rich, creamy foil like spinach or onion dip, to counter their assertive, peppery flavor.

Alternatively, you can grate fresh radish into a sour cream-based dip flavored simply with chopped herbs like chervil, Italian parsley or mint, minced shallots, a bit of lemon juice, and some kosher salt. Chilled, halved radishes are lovely dolloped with a chive or scallion compound butter.

To best enjoy eating raw radishes, be sure to slice as thinly as possible. Big chunks of raw radish are too pungent. This goes for more

than radishes, especially in a salad. A really good salad has a little bite of each component in the forkful.

I grow purple daikon radishes because I enjoy their gorgeous magenta color, mild flavor and light, refreshing texture. They work well when shredded into little bird nests and served underneath fatty cuts of fish like salmon belly or braised pork belly.

To cook radishes, try tossing them in olive oil, salt and pepper and sautéing or roasting until lightly caramelized, or braising them in herbinfused stock or butter. Because of their high water content, I recommend rough chopping smaller radishes or julienning larger varieties for use in stir-fries.

Raw, roasted or fried radish seeds are all tasty and add a satisfying pop to salads and rice and grain dishes.

Jamie Collins is the owner of Serendipity Farms. She hosts U-Picks and a Friday Farm Stand at 26500 Val Verde Drive in Carmel, and attends farmers markets in Carmel and Santa Cruz, where you can find her fresh organic fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers. Find out what is being harvested @fabulous_serendipity_farm.

Illustrator and watercolorist Candy Matthews is a contributor to Edible Shasta-Butte. Reach her at beeznjim@yahoo.com.

As a farmer, radishes are one of my favorite things to grow because they germinate quickly and are fast and easy to cultivate, with most varieties maturing in just 30 days.

Radish Kimchi

Courtesy Jamie Harson, Scratch Farm Kitchen

Harson says the key to this pungent pickle is vegetarian fish sauce made from pineapple or shiitake mushrooms. It adds a subtly sweet, umami characteristic.

1 pound radishes, washed, dried and thinly sliced

1½ cups vegetarian fish sauce, available at Asian markets

½ cup tamari

3 tablespoons garlic, minced

3 tablespoons ginger, minced

Green onions, sliced (optional)

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Fill a 1-quart, wide-mouthed jar with radishes, thinly sliced using a mandoline or knife.

Combine the remaining ingredients and add to the radishes. Cover with a lid and place in the refrigerator at least overnight to allow the flavors to develop. Kimchi will keep up to 2 weeks if radishes are kept submerged.

Try spooning onto congee or other grain-based porridges topped with wilted greens and chili oil, use as a garnish for braised meats, toss into stir-fries or salads, or snack straight from the jar.

LOCAL FOODSin Season

MARCH, APRIL AND MAY

FRUITS

Apricots* • Avocados • Blackberries* • Cactus Pears* • Grapefruit** • Kumquats**

Lemons • Limes** • Mandarins** • Oranges • Pomelos** • Rhubarb** • Strawberries

Vegetables

Artichokes • Arugula • Asparagus • Beets • Bok Choy • Broccoli • Broccoli Raab Brussels Sprouts • Burdock

Celeriac*** • Celery*** • Chard

Cabbage

Cardoons • Carrots • Cauliflower

Chicory • Collards • Cress • Dandelion • Endive

Fava Beans and Greens • Fennel • Garlic • Horseradish • Kale • Kohlrabi • Leeks

Mushrooms • Mustard Greens • Nettles • Onions • Orach • Parsnips • Peas**

Pea Shoots • Potatoes

Radishes

Rutabagas** • Shallots • Spinach • Sprouts

Squash • Sunchokes • Turnips

* May only ** March and April only

***April and May only

Seafood

Abalone • Crab, Dungeness • Grenadier, Pacific • Halibut, California* • Lingcod, Pacific Rock Cod, aka Snapper or Rockfish • Sablefish, aka Black Cod • Salmon, King Sanddabs, Pacific • Seabass, White • Sole (Dover and Petrale) • Spot Prawns • Squid

All fish listed are rated “Best Choice” or “Good Alternative” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program and are found in abundance in local waters. See seafoodwatch.org for more information.

Monterey Bay Farmers Markets

Santa Cruz County • Spring 2023

Love Your Local Farmers Markets!

How about all that rain? What a doozie this past winter was—it felt like we would all float away. Hopefully, reading this now, you have found some secure footing and moments of sunshine to revel in the new shoots, bright greens and tender leaves those downpours permitted. More and more, nature’s cycles are offering us the

Tuesday

Felton Farmers Market

1–6pm • May through October 120 Russell Ave. • 831.454.0566 santacruzfarmersmarket.org

El Mercado Farmers Market

2–6PM • April through October Ramsey Park, Watsonville 831.726.4257 • pvhealthtrust.org

Wednesday

Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers Market

1–6pm • Year-round Lincoln and Cedar • 831.454.0566 santacruzfarmersmarket.org

Friday

opportunity to think. These dramatic seasonal events are not easy to bear, yet provide learning and appreciation for what we have, what we need and what we continue to choose in our lives. Let’s include the people who grow, harvest and bring to market our local food sources in those appreciations, through rain or shine.

—Amber Turpin

Sunday

Watsonville Certified Farmers Market 2–7pm • Year-round

Watsonville City Plaza, Peck & Main streets 831.588.7366

facebook.com/watsonvillefarmersmarket

Saturday

Aptos Certified Farmers Market

8am–Noon • Year-round 6500 Soquel Drive • 831.728.5060 montereybayfarmers.org

Westside Santa Cruz Market

9am–1pm • Year-round 2801 Mission St. • 831.454.0566 santacruzfarmersmarket.org

Scotts Valley Farmers Market 9am–1pm • May to November 5060 Scotts Valley Drive, Boys & Girls Club Parking Lot • 831.454.0566 santacruzfarmersmarket.org

See opposite side for Monterey & San Benito Counties

Live Oak/Eastside Farmers Market 9am–1pm • Year-round 21511 E. Cliff Drive • 831.454.0566 santacruzfarmersmarket.org

Capitola Certified Farmers Market 11am–4pm • Year-round 1855 41st Ave. • 650.290.3549 wcfma.org

Corralitos Farm & Garden Market 11am–3pm • Year-round 127 Hames Road • 831.724.1332

wayne@catalyst2001.com

Watsonville

Monday

Pacific Grove Certified Farmers Market

3–7pm • Year-round Central and Grand avenues 831.384.6961 everyonesharvest.org

Tuesday

Carmel Barnyard

Certified Farmers Market

9am–1pm • May through September 3690 The Barnyard 831.728.5060 • montereybayfarmers.org

Alisal Certified Farmers Market 11am–4pm • June to October 632 E. Alisal St., Salinas 831.384.6961 • everyonesharvest.org

Old Monterey Marketplace & Farmers Market

4–7pm • Year-round Alvarado Street • 831.655.2607 oldmonterey.org

Wednesday

Natividad Certified Farmers Market 11am–3:30pm • May to October 1441 Constitution Blvd., Salinas 831.384.6961 everyonesharvest.org

Thursday

Carmel–by-the-Sea

Farmers Market

10am–2pm • Year-round 6th and Mission streets 831.402.3870 • goodrootsevents.com

Soledad Certified Farmers Market 4–8pm • April to October 137 Soledad St. • 831.678.3504

Friday

Monterey Certified Farmers Market 8am–noon • Year-round

1410 Del Monte Center 831.728.5060 montereybayfarmers.org

Salinas Valley Memorial Certified Farmers’Market

12:30-5:30pm • May to November 450 E. Romie Lane • 831.384.6961 everyonesharvest.org

Saturday

Old Town Salinas Farmers Market

9am–2pm • Year-round 300 block Main Street 650.815.8760 wcfma.org/salinas

Sunday

Carmel Valley Certified Farmers Market

10am–2pm • Year-round Mid-Valley Shopping Center 550 Carmel Valley Road 650.290.3549 • wcfma.org

Marina Certified Farmers Market

10am–2pm • Year-round 215 Reservation Road • 831.384.6961 everyonesharvest.org

Monterey Certified Farmers Market

8am–noon • May through September 1410 Del Monte Center 831.728.5060 • montereybayfarmers.org

TASTE

MAKERS

Meet a new wave of pop-up chefs, coming soon to a patio, tasting room or parking lot near you

BY ASHLEY OWEN PHOTOGRAPHY BY GENEVA RICO

Pop-ups, the global phenomenon of chefs and famous restaurants undertaking temporary stints at various venues, were a byproduct of The Great Recession. The concept remained popular after the economy improved because the business model frees food and drink professionals from the expense and rigors of brick-and-mortar establishments while allowing for creative control and flexible scheduling. Pop-ups aren’t however, without their challenges, like having to plan for bad weather,

prepping food for an unpredictable number of diners and cooking in portable kitchens capable of fitting into a car.

The pandemic provided yet another opportunity for entrepreneurial chefs, cooks and second careerists eager to bring sustenance and often, deeply personal flavors, to a populace craving connection. These six fresh Santa Cruz pop-ups are thriving thanks to their exciting food and encouragement from the owners of local breweries and wine bars like Soif and Apéro Club.

Rising star chefs find Santa Cruz is a good place to launch a business on the pop-up circuit.

MASARAP

A first-generation Filipino immigrant, Paul Suniga has given a lot of thought to his cultural identity. When the pandemic shuttered restaurants, Suniga found himself with time to refine his own style of cooking. By late 2021, he’d debuted two Filipino-inspired pop-ups, Masarap and Pare, at spots like Soif Wine Bar, Other Brother Beer and Ulterior.

“Because I immigrated to the United States as a child, I didn’t grow up around my family in the Philippines,” says Suniga. “Instead, I integrated into my new environment. Professionally, I learned how to cook in American- and French-dominated settings, and now I apply those techniques to dishes and flavors that are reminiscent of what my mom introduced me to when I was very young.”

Masarap, which means “delicious” in Tagalog, offers traditional Filipino street food like lumpia, pancit and Pinoy tamales (banana leaves filled with coconut rice, plantains, egg and chili oil). At Pare (“fried,” in Tagalog), Suniga ups the ante by serving more refined fare, such as his take on chicken adobo. He elevates the vinegar-and-soy-sauce-marinated, stewed chicken dish by cooking the bird confit-style, until the skin is burnished and crispy and serving it with a rich sauce accompanied by a rice cake and pickles. “It looks like what you’d find at a high-end restaurant, but it is, in essence, comfort food,” Suniga says.

Ultimately, his pop-ups are an homage to Filipino food and culture and “the generations who came before me,” says Suniga. Masarap is also a platform for collaboration with other local creatives like artists or DJs, or for community events like Filipino History Month. Says Suniga, “Being able to push Black and Brown artists and chefs especially, is something I feel a responsibility to do. I’m hoping to do a lot more of that type of work this year.”

Visit @masarapthehomie for updates.

YAKITORI TORIMAN

When Kaito Akimoto and Yuko Asaoke met while working at a Japanese restaurant in San Francisco in 2015, they could never have predicted they’d become business as well as romantic partners. The founders of Yakitori Toriman launched their side business, which specializes in charcoal-grilled skewered meat and seafood, in 2018.

“When Kaito moved to California from Japan, he went to many yakitori restaurants but none of them were making it correctly or offered great flavor. Yakitori originated as a street food following World War II, and he wanted to introduce the authentic dish and culture here,” says Asaoke.

During the pandemic, Yakitori Toriman switched to bento box delivery but by March 2021, Akimoto and Asaoke were ready to pursue another dream: relocating to Santa Cruz (Akimoto is an avid surfer) and bringing their yakitori with them. “We liked Humble Sea’s beer and af-

A veteran of high-end kitchens, Paul Suniga makes Filipino pop-up fare that looks like it came from a fine dining restaurant.

ter showing them our food on Instagram, they invited us to do a pop-up,” says Asaoke.

Today, Yakitori Toriman also pops up at Apéro Club and The Redroom, plying diners with yakitori, ramen specials and new items like onigiri, shumai (savory steamed dumplings) and tonjiru, a rich pork and miso soup. It’s all part of the couple’s goal to further the region’s culinary diversity, which also includes featuring unfamiliar ingredients like chicken hearts and gizzards and hamachi collar.

The couple is currently searching for a permanent location, which will also offer ramen. “Traditional yakitori restaurants, called yakitori-ya, also serve snacks, sake and beer. With a brick-and-mortar, we can replicate that atmosphere,” says Asaoke. “My family in Japan owned a yakitori-ya, and we’d like to continue that legacy.”

Visit @yakitori_toriman for updates.

Kaito Akimoto and Yuko Asaoke bring authentic Japanese food to the streets of Santa Cruz and are seeking a permanent location.

BRUTTA

For Amelia Telč, all it took to make a major life change was one conversation and a glass of wine. The chef was living in Hudson, New York in December 2021, but she was in Santa Cruz visiting family when she met Hannah Denitz, owner of Apéro Club.

“When she heard that I was a chef, she invited me to do a pop-up, but I had no intention of moving back here at the time,” says Telč.

A bad fall on the ice back in Hudson led Telč to reconsider California living, and by May of 2022, she was settled in Santa Cruz and had launched a southern Italian pop-up called Brutta.

Telč, who has also worked as a pastry chef, became infatuated with the rustic elegance of Southern Italian cuisine while visiting Italy in 2019. After years of working in fine dining restaurants and doing private cheffing in San Francisco, Boston and New York, she’s relishing cooking more homespun fare.

“I love the idea of having this food that’s deceptively simple and, while maybe not the most visually stunning, still tastes great,” she says. “I always joke that I love beige food.”

At Brutta, which means “ugly” in Italian, beige foods abound, from Telč’s lasagna with a 24-hour Bolognese and other handmade pastas to anchovy and sage fritters and vegetable-forward dishes like carciofi alla Romana, starring Rodoni Farms artichokes.

Though Brutta’s concept and food are straightforward, the combined effect is magical, says Telč. While she hopes to find a permanent location someday, you can experience Brutta this spring when it pops up at Apéro Club, Madson Wines and other locations.

Visit @bybrutta for updates.

Amelia Telč focusses on southern Italian cuisine with her Brutta pop-up, crafting homemade pastas, stuffed squash blossoms, arancini and anything with artichokes.

FOLLOW US: @visitsantacruz

OFF THE HOOK SUSHI

Aaron Robertson of Off the Hook Sushi started his culinary career at age 15, as a pizza maker and prep cook at Round Table Pizza. In 2014, seven years after earning a culinary arts degree at Santa Barbara City College, Robertson moved back to his native Santa Cruz and started working at Capitola’s Geisha Sushi. It was there he learned about sustainable fisheries management and became passionate about responsible seafood sourcing. “I’ve always searched for ways to help our planet, including the ocean,” he says. “It just made sense.”

Robertson, who also works part-time at Akira in Aptos, sources his fish from local waters as well as overseas fisheries, but his goal is to be “as local as possible,” he says. “Right now, my salmon is sustainably farmed from British Columbia or wild from California, and I use local albacore, sablefish, as well as pole-caught yellowfin tuna from Fiji. I want people to try fish they haven’t had before.” You’ll find these species, and others, in signature dishes like wonton poke nachos with tombo tuna, crudo and a Japanese poke bowl.

Off the Hook features mid-size species, which are generally more abundant and reproduce quickly, unlike slow-growing apex predators such as bluefin tuna or shark. “If we wipe out the biggest fish, it creates an imbalance within the food chain,” says Robertson. “It’s important to me to support fishermen and fisheries with sustainable practices.”

Off the Hook is helping Robertson to fulfill his longtime dream of owning a sustainable seafood trailer, which enables him to spend more time with his family (his eightyear-old son also helps with the business). The first pop-up was last July, after a mutual

acquaintance introduced him to Alexis Carr and Dede Eckhardt, owners of Soif Wine Bar. “Before the event even started, I had a call from a winery to do a pop-up, and by the end of the night, Alexis and Dede had invited me back,” he says.

With the recent purchase of a trailer, Robertson will have a permanent kitchen space for his business, and he anticipates rolling through Monterey and Santa Cruz counties this spring.

Visit @offthehooksushi_sc for updates.

JAYNE DOUGH

A lot of people got into making sourdough bread during the pandemic, but Jayne Droese was able to turn her starter into a successful business venture. In the fall of 2020, the former restaurateur stumbled upon a recipe for Detroit-style pan pizza—a rectangular, deep-dish version—and subsequently became “obsessed with achieving a super crispy, golden crust.” After finalizing her recipe and perfecting it in her woodfired oven, Droese set out to share it with the pizza-loving public.

Since starting Jayne Dough in August 2021, Droese has been slinging her exquisite, slow-fermented pies at pop-ups around town, including the Apéro Club and Venus Spirits. She sources her ingredients from local farmers markets and businesses, including Far West Fungi, Foustman’s Salami and Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.

As for sources of inspiration, “I love to deconstruct various dishes and render them in pizza form,” she says. There are

croque monsieur and French onion pizzas, a vibrant vegan puttanesca pizza and pies adorned with everything from heirloom potatoes to figs and Gorgonzola. Droese has also expanded her sourdough offerings to include items like focaccia, ciabatta sandwiches and bagels.

Learning on the fly has been part of the journey for Droese, who has no formal training as a cook. “That’s why the pop-up thing is really fun,” she says. “I can set my own hours, switch up my menu, and not have limitations.”

In addition to pop-ups at restaurants and tasting rooms, Droese is at the Westside Farmers Market twice a month, selling take-and-bake pies and, occasionally, hot slices. “I have regulars who buy pizza as a group so they can share multiple items,” she says. “It really fosters that sense of community, and it’s amazing.”

Visit @jaynedoughpizza for updates.

Aaron Robertson (opposite page) is putting together a mobile kitchen for his Off the Hook Sushi business, while Jayne Droese (left) has created a profession out of her pandemic sourdough obsession.

HÔ CHÍ MOMMÀ

Growing up, David Morgan wanted to open a pizzeria so he could eat as many pies as he wanted. Over the years, the specifics changed, but his desire to cook remained, leading him to work in high-end kitchens from Sonoma and New Orleans to Houston before landing at The Bywater in Los Gatos. Eight years later, Morgan is living a different kind of pizza dream, serving up Vietnamese-inspired pies and street food under the name Hô Chí Mommà.

“It happened quickly,” he says. “A friend had a spot at Sante Adairius Rustic Ales in Capitola, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do because I was doing Vietnamese food at The Bywater. I even had the name brewing.”

Morgan became intrigued by Vietnamese food, especially its influence on Cajun cuisine, while working in New Orleans. After traveling to Vietnam in 2017, the idea for Hô Chí Mommà was born.

“When I saw the crazy kitchen setups used for cooking and serving food, like old French armoires with burners in them, that ingenuity and creativity piqued my interest,” he says. “If they can do it on an ar-

moire or from the back of a scooter, I can do it out of the back of my Volkswagen Golf.”

Morgan pops up at places like Sante Adairius and Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing, serving his distinctive pizza, which is comprised of a grilled rice paper wrap filled with ground pork, scrambled egg, chiles and green onions. He also makes a chicken and cabbage salad that he says is deceptively simple but, like most Vietnamese cuisine, manifests in an explosion of flavor.

“There are so many fascinating aspects at play in Vietnamese cuisine,” he says. “The more I learn about the philosophy behind it, the more I realize how special the food and culture truly are.”

Get the latest updates @hochi_momma.

Ashley Owen is a writer and recent Massachusetts transplant. Her passion for learning about local food is only overshadowed by her passion for writing about it. Or maybe eating it. Safe to say, she is a lover of food and words, and also driving very fast in the left lane.

A fascination with the explosion of flavors in Vietnamese cuisine inspired David Morgan to start Hô Chí Mommà, which specializes in Viet “pizzas” and salads.

CALIFORNIA CULTURAL CUISINE

Jacks Monterey is poised to provide a refreshing experience with a philosophy centered on the globally-inspired traditions of California Cultural Cuisine, emphasizing local ingredients, high-quality seafood, and more.

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SCHOCH DAIRY: A PORTAL TO A BYGONE ERA

One of the Salinas Valley’s last remaining dairies faces the future

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY

The Salinas Valley is often called the Salad Bowl of the World because the region produces an astounding 70% of the world’s lettuce as well as other vegetables. At the peak of summer production, more than 2,000 refrigerated trucks leave the area each day and deliver a staggering array of lettuces, cabbage, spinach, carrots, sugar beets and onions to the rest of the country. Given the economic and agricultural importance we see today, it might be surprising that the area was once home to a significant part of California’s dairy industry.

“There’s an old story I heard growing up that you could literally walk from Salinas to King City on the backs of dairy cows without touching the ground,” says Ty Schoch, whose family has operated Schoch Dairy here for nearly 80 years. The Salinas Valley was home to 25,000 cows in the 1920s, ac-

BY MICHAEL KELLER

cording to farm bureau records. Spreckels, the low lying nextdoor neighbor to Salinas, grew sugar beets to make sugar. The tops of the beets were removed and used as cattle feed. By the end of World War II, new regulations on milk quality and increased competition for land from row crop farmers began to drive dairymen to the Central Valley. Cooperatives were forming in a sort of land rush, and overall herd sizes shrunk considerably.

At the northernmost point of the valley where farmland gives way to tree-covered hills is where Ernest Schoch and his brother Adolph purchased 100 acres in 1944. The site features the now iconic white barn emblazoned with the Schoch Dairy name. Many consider the barn to be the unofficial “Welcome to Salinas” sign.

Schoch Dairy sells its products at local farmers markets.

SWISS DAIRYMEN

“My family came from Bauma, Switzerland, a mountain village about 30 miles east of Zurich. My great uncle Adolph and grandfather Ernest were dairymen,” says Ty Schoch. “The Spanish Flu of 1918 pretty much decimated the economy, killing many people and ruining any chance of profitably continuing the business. So they emigrated to the Salinas Valley in the 1920s.” Both men were in their 20s when they left Switzerland, a testament to their courage or a sign of the profound desperation they must have faced. Probably both.

Skilled dairymen were in demand so finding work was easy. Ty recalls some family stories. “My great uncle and grandfather would drive cows from Reliz Canyon, west of Greenfield, to Salinas. They got work at the Patrick Ranch in Chualar, at about the same time John Steinbeck wrote The Red Pony , which was on the nearby Gould Ranch in Salinas. The area was no doubt wild and full of migrants from the Dust Bowl—Okies, Swiss, Italians and Mexicans living in makeshift camps, competing for menial jobs, doing whatever they could. In the middle of all that, Mr. Steinbeck himself was writing about what he saw and turning it into some of America’s greatest works of literature, including The Grapes of Wrath.”

Ernest and Adolph both ended up working at what was then the largest dairy in the U.S. in Chualar, as herd manager and farm manager, respectively. The dairy milked 400 cows, all without automation, twice daily. The operational challenges the two men faced were massive. I would soon appreciate how impressive this skill was.

Battle-hardened by the Chualar experience, Ernest and Adolph, now in their 40s, knew how to efficiently operate a dairy and partnered up to purchase the land and start Schoch Dairy.

The end of WWII marked the beginning of the Baby Boom, an era of boundless optimism, and with that came changes no one could have envisioned. Ernest and his bride Katherine started a family that included their son John, who grew up on the Schoch Dairy and lives there still. John married his high school sweetheart Mary and together they raised three sons who are guiding the dairy into its next phase: a creamery making cheese, yogurt and other milk-based products.

FROM MILK TO CHEESE

Since operating a small dairy didn’t make financial sense, the family needed to figure out other sources of income. “We needed to diversify, we all knew that,” says Ty. “Selling bottled milk directly to consumers was our first step. Then we moved into making farmstead cheeses.” The Schoch brothers purchased raw milk from their father and began selling it at farmers markets under the name Schoch Family Farmstead.

Ty’s brothers, Seth and Beau, enrolled in a cheesemaking course at Cal Poly, and Beau began making cheese in his home kitchen. “Early efforts were not very good,” Beau recalls with a laugh. “At first I was making it in a 1-gallon pot and then in a 2-gallon pot, and soon outgrew my kitchen. I was always cleaning up.”

The Schoch brothers knew they were on to a good thing, making a true farmstead cheese with milk from their own cows. “We are able to pump warm milk directly from the milk barn to the cheese or yogurt vat,” says Ty. “This milk has not been stored, hauled, cooled, heated or overly pumped and agitated. The fats in milk are fairly fragile and degrade with time and easily damaged by drastic changes in temperature, jostling and pumping.”

“Unlike commercially produced cheese, our milk does not experience these stresses, and that results in a more flavorful, pristine cheese,” he adds. Raw cheeses are also easier to digest for some people because certain enzymes, such as lactase, have not been denatured by pasteurization.

Seth Schoch (left) comes from a long line of dairymen and manages the herd, while his father does the milking and his brothers make and sell farmstead cheeses.

FAMILY BUSINESS

At Schoch Dairy, Seth manages the herd, John does the milking, Beau and Ty do the bottling, and then make and package the cheese. Mary handles the bookkeeping and administrative chores of the business. There are two part-time employees, but the family does everything else.

Mary Schoch is a soft-spoken lady with eyes that match her gentle voice. She supports her husband and “the boys” in many ways, preparing meals and managing the dairy’s back office. The lone woman in the family, Mary is strong, but a lady in every way. This is how she describes her husband’s work ethic: “He gets up at five o’clock every morning and comes back to the house for lunch and a nap around noon. Then he’s back out working until early evening, seven days a week. The cows don’t care if it’s Christmas Day or Tuesday. The cows require milking twice a day, no matter what.”

As impressive as that sounds, it really hits home when I join John in the milking parlor to watch him work. “We milk 110 cows twice a day. They all seem to line up the same way; it’s kinda funny how they do it,” he says.

John stands in a walled 10- by 5-foot concrete pit so that the cows’ udders are about at waist level. He deftly wipes the udders with a disin-

fectant before attaching the mechanical milking devices to them. A switch is thrown and the milking commences. The cows appear to enjoy it. They feed while they’re being milked and are sometimes reluctant to stop after the milking attachments are removed.

Each cow is numbered. “This one, number 51, will only come into this one stall to be milked,” says John with a laugh. “This other one, 139, won’t leave until you pet her on the head.” Sure enough, number 139 stops in front of the pit and just stands there. I’m ready to leave and 139 just won’t move. Finally she turns and looks at me. I put my city-slicker hand on her head between her eyes and rub it up and down. It feels hard and bony but with a coat that’s different than any other animal I’ve ever felt. A few seconds later 139 is apparently satisfied with my petting and walks on to rejoin the other girls outside.

I ask John how long it takes to milk 110 cows. He answers without any hesitation.

“Three hours and 40 minutes.” Twice a day? “Yep.”

Out at the cheese making facility, I put on a hairnet and oversized rubber Birkenstock-like coverings for my shoes. The large slip-ons feel strange, like I’m going to walk out of them with each step, so I shuffle like I’m cross-country skiing across the wet concrete floors. It’s chilly but not cold. Ty and Beau take turns explaining the process for making cheese and yogurt. Both men know their stuff and explain it clearly without hesitation.

I’ve been an enthusiastic buyer of their Swiss-style yogurt for many years, a pourable product that comes in a glass bottle with an illustration of the barn on the front. Their newest variety is a firmer product similar to Greek-style yogurt, which has the same ingredients but with-

The Schoch family plans to open a farm store to sell their products directly to the public.

Bring on the spring produce

‘Tis the season of lighter and brighter! We’re so excited to restock peak spring favorites like locally grown asparagus, organic artichokes, and tons more produce arriving daily from local farms along the Central Coast.

10% of profits go back to the community

Swing into spring

out the whey. To make it, Beau fills cheesecloth bags with yogurt and lets the whey drain out. Taste comparisons have me leaning towards the thicker yogurt, but frankly I don’t care. They’re both excellent.

Racks of aging wheels of cheese fill the refrigerated room and are turned over daily. The room itself is heavily insulated. A sensor detects when the outside air is cooler than the air inside and it pumps the cool foggy night air in, reducing cooling costs. A pool of brine stands at one end of the room. Freshly formed wheels are given a bath in the salty amber liquid.

“How do you get them out?” I ask innocently. In my mind they’re sticking both arms in the brine up to the shoulder and making a mess of their shirts, the floor, everything. “They float,” says Beau politely.

He quickly pivots to the room next door, a new cheese “cave” that is nearly ready for their planned soft cheeses, as well as harder cheeses for grating, similar to Parmesan. It’s cooler and has higher humidity with stainless steel walls and wooden racks ready to store the new products.

The tour is nearly complete. I am relieved to ditch the rubber Birkies and fashionable hair net before Beau takes me into what will eventually become the new retail store. A single hand-washing sink is all that’s in the room so far. The floor is stamped concrete, the walls are wooden panels taken from the original family cabin. There’s a walkup counter for shoppers and an area that will eventually become outdoor seating for enjoying cheese, and other food items.

“We’re right off the 101,” says Beau, outlining their vision for the new shop. Signage, customer parking and picnic tables under a network of stringed lights are still in the planning phase. An enthusiastic invitation to return to see the new addition to the dairy is extended.

With my arms full of artisan cheese and containers of yogurt, the family gathers around me to say goodbye. I see John in a new light now, Mary too. This is a working dairy that’s their world, one not shown to many outsiders. It’s obvious the family’s workday has been interrupted to accommodate me, and I suddenly feel humbled and honored by their gracious hospitality.

The Schoch family is quietly proud of their heritage and rightfully so. They gathered for a family photo, and if thought bal-

loons were visible I’m certain all five of them would be thinking of what they had to do next, and just how long this way of life would last.

Salinas and urban growth are getting closer by the day. The low roar of Highway 101 can be heard in the distance, drowning out the moos of cows and the sound of refrigerator compressors. John and Mary have worked hard for many years, but give no hint of retirement or even slowing down. For them it must be something to be able to look at your life’s work at every turn. Now they’re handing the baton to their three sons.

I’ve met and dealt with dozens of farmers in my life and they all seem to wear their hard work like a badge of honor. Dairymen are the toughest because they never get a break. The harvest never pauses for them and they persist without complaint. They have milk in their blood.

Michael Keller has an insatiable appetite for food, and not just eating it. He has worked in commercial agriculture for three decades, and spent more than 20 years as a vendor at the weekend Monterey Bay Certified Farmers Markets selling chai, looseleaf tea and his pastry chef wife’s popular scones and preserves.

The Schoch family crafts semi-hard aged cheeses with natural rinds, which are available in full wheels or partial wheels by special order, or in individually wrapped wedges at farmers markets and select stores.

Schoch Monterey Jack is the only Monterey Jack cheese still made in Monterey County. The lineup includes:

East of Edam is a play on Steinbeck’s novel, East of Eden, written about the Salinas Valley. “This is a Dutch-style mild cheese aged four to six months with a subtle nutty, but complex taste,” says Ty.

Gabilan is an Alpine-style cheese, reminiscent of Gruyère. It’s firm with a nutty flavor and aged 4 to 6 months.

Junipero is a smooth textured Swissstyle cheese, sweet and nutty, aged 3 to 6 months.

Monterey Jack has a buttery, robust flavor and is aged 2 to 4 months.

Mt. Toro Tomme is aged for 2 to 4 months, and is buttery with a tangy, lactic finish.

Santa Rita is what Beau describes as a Belgian Trappist-style cheese. The rind is washed with beer until it’s covered in mold. Over the next 2 to 4 months, it evolves into an orange colored rind with a pungent aroma but creamy texture. “The Trappist monks brewed their own beer,” he explains. “This style of cheese was very hearty, and they discovered that it served as a kind of replacement for meat on Fridays, when they were not permitted to eat meat.”

Schoch Farmstead Cheese

ON THE BAY FRESH DIRECTION

Former music mogul finds contentment fishing and foraging for Santa Cruz restaurants

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK C. ANDERSON

This tale starts with a taco.

A perpetual search for the area’s top fish tacos led me to Mijo’s Taqueria in Capitola for its best-selling Baja-style take with light and crispy tempura batter and lemon-cilantro aioli.

It’s a bangin’ dish done whenever possible with hyper-fresh halibut. Chef-owner-operator Anthony Guajardo reports he gets it directly from Gracie Fish, a one-man upstart operation run by a neophyte Aptos fisherman named Griffin Guess.

Guajardo digs how Guess seeks out chefs personally, and delivers directly from the dock.

Guess loves Guarjardo’s priorities: “Anthony cares about where it comes from, when it comes—as fresh as possible—and with standards in place around how it was caught.”

Within a few weeks of some A-plus Mijo’s tacos, I headed down to Santa Cruz Harbor to learn more.

I soon discovered Guess nearly bled out at sea before he started Gracie, and before that dance with death spent a musical chapter of his life in Hollywood, collaborating with the likes of Metallica and 50 Cent.

Griffin Guess fishes out of the Santa Cruz Harbor.

LEARNING THE ROPES

There’s no great place to have a razor-sharp hook go deep into your finger.

Still, floating on a stand-up paddleboard a mile from the Capitola shore—holding a reel and cradling a crate of freshly caught fish—wouldn’t be near the top of the list.

But there Guess was, on the painful end of a sudden accident while removing the hook from the mouth of a halibut that slipped out of his grasp, flounder-whipped a moonwalk across the board and nose-dove deep, cranking barb into bone.

Bleeding and lightheaded, thinking about sharks’ sense for blood, realizing that hook isn’t going anywhere—no matter if he clips it or works it endlessly back and forth with the pliers in his free hand—Guess started the slow one-armed paddle through wind and chop toward land.

The craziest thing about that moment might not be the amount of bloodletting or how far he was from the beach, but how distant he was from his past life.

Spoiler alert: Guess survived the bloody SUP incident, even if the first wave of nurses at Dominican Hospital’s emergency room couldn’t get the hook out either. (A more muscular nurse eventually loosened it, and Guess finished the yank, now joking he spent $780 to remove the hook himself.)

Reverence for the product, whether it’s a beautiful halibut or ruffled chanterelle, is a hallmark of his work.

In the following months he steadily evolved his craft and equipment.

He started tracking currents and water clarity and the way drifts dangle squid on his lines with maximum attraction. He traded stories with veteran fishermen. He studied how they rigged their rods.

“You realize that you could have a day where you catch a lot of fish, then go back to the same place, with the same system, and not catch nearly as many,” he says. “It made me curious about the places where nature provides mystery.”

(Photo right courtesy Mike Melenudo)

Ed Burrell, who’s run Capitola Boat and Bait for decades, observes something special in the newbie.

“A lot of it is intuition,” he says. “And he gets along with everybody, so there’s a lot of shared knowledge. And he puts the time in.”

When Guess and I trundle out on our fishing mission, he talks trial and error around weight and bait, leads and lures and—yes—the benefits of trading a paddleboard for a small but well-equipped center-console Boston Whaler.

“Life is easier when you don’t have to worry about a shark coming to get you,” he says.

The weather goddesses grant us mellow conditions and mesmerizing skies. Poseidon is stingier.

After hours pass, we are almost out of time, and have pulled in only rockfish and a slippery young octopus, which were thrown back to sea, and a gorgeous vermilion lingcod, which was thrown in the ice chest.

Guess adjusts course, throttling toward backup spots he has geo-marked on his sonar GPS. He drops in multiple lines and suddenly hooks two hulking halibut in succession. With the rods, he’s patient and fluid, pulling and spooling, tugging then wheeling in the reel again.

“More ballet than turn and burn,” he says.

Additional fluidity follows: He scoops the huge fish out of the water with his gaff, lays it on the deck and in an instant removes the gills so the creature dies quickly, no clubbing required.

SELLING WITH SOUL

When I ask him who might be serving his halibut on that day, he runs down a curated list including Bittersweet Bistro in Aptos and East End Gastropub in Capitola.

“We don’t want to get in the way of what he brings us,” Sherman says. “The fish is so good and so fresh, you don’t want to hide that.”

Guess keeps a photo of his wife and sons on the dashboard of his boat.

(Right) Marisa Miller receiving the Paul Walker Ocean Leadership Award on World Oceans Day in 2014.

(Photo courtesy Monterey Bay Aquarium)

One among them catches my appetite: Jack O’Neill Restaurant, where executive chef Gus Trejo has long made a habit of sourcing from the very best small farms and local foragers he can find, and lists them on each seasonal menu.

A while back Guess approached Trejo with descriptions of how (with pole and mindful handling) and where (on waters visible from the restaurant) he fishes.

Trejo immediately agreed to buy whatever Guess brought in.

Today Guess helps train staff on the backstory of what’s on the plate, and Trejo describes an “old-school bond between fisherman and cook.”

“He gets the fish, brings it in—done,” Trejo says. “No brokers, no transferring fish in trucks.”

Reverence for the product is built into the bond.

“He treats the fish with the utmost respect,” Trejo says. “You can see it: no bruising or even scales out of place.”

What Trejo does with it demands drool, which happened by way of what I tried that same day: 1) a golden heirloom watermelon, ogo seaweed “leche de tigre” halibut ceviche, and 2) a seasonal “Gracie Pacific catch,” on this day, a tender and golden-crusted halibut fillet, brightened by a braised fennel and turmeric treatment sealed with a garlic chimichurri crunch.

“For Guess it’s not a business or a job; it’s a craft. I don’t know how to describe it— it’s a beautiful thing, and I transfer that to my kitchen,” Trejo says. ”We’re not a cult, but we are putting something into [guests’] bodies. Everybody that normally does that is a doctor. I tell my team, ‘We need to take care of this and use every ounce of this and make sure it’s used properly.’”

That includes keeping the freshness out front.

As with Trejo, that’s the priority for celebrated Trestles exec chef Nick Sherman, who was also approached by Guess. Sherman likes to incorporate the day’s catch into things like ponzu-splashed sashimi halibut tostadas with avocado mousse.

“We don’t want to get in the way of what he brings us,” Sherman says. “The fish is so good and so fresh, you don’t want to hide that.”

MISSION IMPASSIONED

Deep in a secret gorge of bristling blackberry bushes, legacy oaks, Douglas fir, coastal pines and fanning ferns, Guess crouches to the duff. He brushes away the soft soil from a chanterelle so golden it almost glows. He lifts it softly with his middle and index fingers, then rotates it counterclockwise until it’s loose enough to lift without a tear.

He’s in another wild and local place, again treating his harvest gently, again several dimensions distant from his former existence.

And like the sea—hooked finger or not—the forest has its dangers: Inattention to a slippery log, blackberry tripwires, a patch of poison oak branches, unsteady embankment or rain-loosened tree means it’s back to Dominican, or worse.

“It can be totally vicious,” he says. “And after these rains you have to watch out for landslide log rides.”

He started foraging after hiking his home acreage with his boys and coming across two picture-perfect porcini. Now he drives rural roads looking for specific sorts of water drainage and heads off into the scrub brush in search of mushrooms he can hand sell to chefs.

As with fishing, Guess is learning as he goes, and getting more comfortable with a quickness.

“I’d like to think I have an intuition for it that I’m trying to cultivate,” he says. “I used to mark maps. Now I can read tree species and know where I am, and really start seeing everything and targeting edibles.”

Chefs like Trejo make those edibles incredible—think chanterelle-burrata flatbreads, Indigenous corn-chanterelle polentas, chanterelle-duck confit—though Guess puts it a different way.

“It’s insane,” he says. “I’ve never had anything like it.”

CONSCIOUS SHIFT

Something was nagging at me, and it had nothing to do with seafood or mushrooms.

Early into our fishing voyage, Guess shows me how his radar reports movement, depth and density of what’s moving below, adding, “Halibut move around in packs, like wolves.”

That’s when I recognize the woman in the photo affixed to the dashboard above his radar read-out. Only I can’t place her.

As we motor back to dock, talk turns to his wife’s work with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and it clicks: Years ago I interviewed her for her recognition as an aquarium Ocean Advocate. Millions know Marisa Miller better as a supermodel and actress; she’s also an avid horseback rider, surfer and Santa Cruz native.

Guess met her on a plane flying to Miami to meet Kanye West, who had him in a “right-hand man” role helping produce records, concerts and marketing campaigns. Later West would give a speech at their wedding, though they’ve since gone different directions, personally, professionally and, well, philosophically.

In that same past life, Guess also won a boatload of shiny awards. He directed tours for Eminem and led promotions for Harley-Davidson. He consulted Steve Jobs on then-infant iTunes. He was also a label owner, producer and marketing chief for the likes of Weezer, Metallica and Jay-Z.

“A lot happened in 20 years,” he says. “I earned my freedom. When we had kids, we did not focus on our careers, and now it’s every waking moment with the boys. I’m grateful for that. Homeschool is tribal, and has its challenges, but I’m never turning back.”

His background presents a twist I didn’t see coming, and one Guess doesn’t advertise. The main point is he’s more content navigating fish lines than velvet ropes, coaching his boys’ baseball team than seeing their births surface on E! News, spending time on the water and in the woods rather than on the stage and in the studio.

Most of his Grammy Awards sit on the floor of his garage. When we meet this winter to talk mushroom foraging, he shakes his head at the shift.

“Did I ever envision this? Do I feel more alive?” he thinks out loud. “Maybe the joke was on me, thinking those other things were more important.

“Now, standing in the middle of the woods, I don’t feel any more important than a bird in a tree. It takes a minute to let your guard down and just exist in the simplest form—to just exist. Possessions don’t matter, money is a tool to support your kids. Teslas are cool, but so is the planet.”

FARMS SUSTAIN US

Mark C. Anderson is a roving writer, explorer and photographer based in Monterey County. Follow and/or reach him on Twitter and Instagram @ montereymca.

Golden-crusted halibut at Jack O’Neill Restaurant was caught in the Monterey Bay just hours earlier.

The best grocery customers love food, yearn for freshness, recognize quality, appreciate atmosphere & ambience. Elroy's is designed for and around them. So it's no wonder we have been recognized as Monterey County's very best grocery store!

And isn’t that a pretty good reason for you to make your first visit?

agriculture

all Americans. farmland.org

Discrimination against marginalized groups in agriculture negatively affects all Americans by limiting the opportunities for farmers, workers, and consumers.

AFT is raising up diverse voices in agriculture, because we believe diversity contributes to a more resilient agricultural system, a stronger economy, and a more equitable society.

At American Farmland Trust, we believe agriculture is strengthened through diversity.

THE KITCHEN IS AN INDUCTION STOVE FOR YOU?

Sierra Mar’s Reylon Agustin is sold on this alternative to gas and conventional electric

BY SARAH WOOD

Perched on the edge of a cliff high above the Pacific Ocean, the dining room of the iconic, eco-friendly Post Ranch Inn’s Sierra Mar restaurant is on summer days as pleasantly comfortable as you’d imagine it to be. But its kitchen is different. Heat waves sometimes send the kitchen’s cooking and cooling equipment into expensive, unhealthy and environmentharming battles for control of the temperature. On particularly hot days, when the sun spikes temperatures outside, the air conditioning system becomes overwhelmed by waste heat radiating from Sierra Mar’s three continuously burning 36,000BTU French top gas ranges, and the kitchen temperature can breach 100° F. “This kitchen is too hot,” says Sierra Mar’s culinary director Reylon Agustin.

But Agustin plans for all that to change by next year. He is unhooking his gas line and switching to an all-electric kitchen, anchored by ranges that heat with induction—an extremely efficient alternative to gas or conventional electric stove technology that channels almost all of the energy it uses into cooking food, leaving both cooks and the climate cooler and healthier. The plan is part of Post Ranch Inn’s commitment to become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2025. It is estimated just getting rid of the gas stoves will cut 4.2 metric tons of direct carbon emissions and 1.2 tons for the cooling they require.

Agustin expects that savings in energy, labor and cleaning costs will recoup the purchase price of the new Garland stoves within four to five months and save more than $9,000 in operating costs annually. He also believes that their greater speed and higher performance will make cooking with them more rewarding than cooking with gas—and will even allow the restaurant to turn more tables, enhance staff retention and waste less food.

“It’s up to us to be the agents of change. We have to think of a better way,” Agustin says, noting that gas stoves can be viewed as just another toxic aspect of restaurant culture whose time is up.

THE CASE FOR INDUCTION

In the city of Santa Cruz, as in a growing number of municipalities around the country, gas hookups are not even allowed in newly built homes. The regulation is a response to the climate crisis and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by getting residents to use less fossil fuels and more electricity—which is available from 100% renewable sources on the Central Coast. Natural gas got its clean reputation for being more efficient and clean burning than coal, but its main component, methane, is both a fossil fuel and a powerful greenhouse gas. When burned, it emits carbon dioxide and harmful pollutants, and when released unburned, its 20-year climate-warming impact is more

than 80 times as damaging as carbon dioxide’s. According to scientists at Stanford University, the 40 million residential gas stoves in use in the U.S. leak enough methane—mostly when turned off—to cause as much climate warming as a half-million gas-powered cars.

Meanwhile, federal regulators—long after mandating that gas furnaces and hot water heaters vent directly outdoors and that gas-powered cars use catalytic converters to cut their carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions into the atmosphere—are considering regulating gas stoves due to hazards posed by these same pollutants, and others like benzene, formaldehyde and fine particulate matter, which the stoves release right into homes.

Scientists have tied pollutants expelled by gas stoves to asthma and other respiratory illnesses, heart disease, cancer, reproductive effects, diabetes, adverse brain development and impaired cognitive function. Children, due to their immature immune and respiratory systems, higher breathing rates and higher lung surface to body weight ratios, are particularly vulnerable. A study published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), The University of Sydney and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in December, 2022, attributes 20.1% of childhood asthma in California, and 12.7% childhood asthma in the U.S. overall, to gas stove use. Ventilation—turning on a range hood that vents to the outdoors or opening a window, for example—reduces but doesn’t eliminate gas stove pollution. Burning propane also emits harmful pollutants. The cleaner method of cooking, the RMI report concludes, is electric.

Indeed, if you’re in the market for a new stove, the reasons to consider induction are rapidly multiplying, and the old drawbacks are diminishing.

What’s more, it’s never been easier to try induction out. In the Monterey Bay area, PG&E loans its customers portable single-burner induction cooktops, and offers induction consulting through Frontier Energy’s Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) in San Ramon. Fron-

Gas stoves can be viewed as just another toxic aspect of restaurant culture whose time is up.

Reylon Agustin, culinary director at Post Ranch Inn, is switching to induction stoves as part of the resort’s commitment to become carbon neutral.

(Photo: Michelle Magdalena)

tier provides online instructional videos for the public and onsite help for professional chefs, including explanations of price incentives and the economics of going electric, training in induction technique and opportunities to try varied induction brands and models, all free of charge. If you want to buy your own single-burner induction cooktop and try it out, they can be purchased for $100 or less.

For those ready to purchase a full-size induction range or cooktop, but hesitating due to the roughly $1,000 minimum cost, the Inflation Reduction Act’s electrification incentive program will provide $840 rebates to families that earn up to 150% of the median household income in their area. Likewise, the IRA will offer up to $600 in tax credits and $6,500 towards new electrical panels and wiring upgrades. (See rewiringamerica.com for more.)

WHAT IS INDUCTION?

Induction generates heat by using an electrically charged coil of copper wire to create an electromagnetic field from beneath a cooktop’s smooth ceramic-glass surface. When a stainless steel, cast iron or other magnetic pan is placed on top, the field wirelessly induces an electric current in the pan, directly and instantly generating heat in the pan’s metal base. With induction, in other words, the pan is the heat source, and the stove controls directly and immediately adjust the pan’s temperature, wasting only 8 to 15% of the energy used in the process.

Conventional electric stoves’ metal wire heating elements are less efficient than induction, but gas stoves’ open methane or propane flames are by far the least efficient: Just 32% of the energy they use goes into cooking and the remaining 68% is released in waste heat, making kitchens like Sierra Mar’s—and your own, if you use gas—so uncomfortable on hot days.

“Induction as a cooking medium is far superior to gas,” Agustin says he learned over several research trips to Frontier last year. He was most astonished by the power and speed

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that allowed him to boil two quarts of water in 42 seconds, and he finds induction allows a chef to cook anything with extraordinary control and efficiency.

To illustrate, Agustin says that if he wants to sear a pan of fish with induction, the stove and pan both heat up immediately, and induction’s even distribution of heat in the pan almost guarantees an even sear in all parts of the pan. Sierra Mar’s old French top gas ranges, by contrast, take at least 45 minutes to heat up, and attempting an even sear means then taking another 7 to 10 minutes to heat a sauté pan to full blast, and risking burning some of the fish.

Induction’s steady and precise power gradations also make it easier to hold consistent low temperatures, says Frontier’s consulting chef Mark Duesler, which can free cooks from using double boilers when tempering eggs or chocolate, or needing to watch low-simmering stocks closely.

Because induction just heats the pot, the rest of a range surface stays cool, reducing the risk of burns and eliminating the need to scrape off cooked-on spills. At Sierra Mar, induction will also mean no more carbon-caked pans, sooty range hoods and greasy drip pans, so Augustin is projecting a total 53% savings in energy and cleaning costs.

COOKING WITH INDUCTION AT HOME

There’s a learning curve to all of this, but the good news for home cooks is that if you prep your ingredients in advance—what chefs refer to as mise en place—and start low and slow with the temperature, you’ll likely find that induction makes you a better cook by both reducing cooking errors and making them easier to correct.

Your old Dutch ovens and cast iron, stainless steel and multiply pans should pass the refrigerator magnet test and work with induction; copper and other types of pots can be used if placed over a magnetic metal disk called a diffuser plate, but with much less efficiency.

On the negative side, some induction stoves offer less refined control than others, and some people find that some induction stoves emit annoying noises. Others fear they’ll miss the flame or the way that gas chars and smokes food. Pacemakers and insulin pumps are deal breakers, as induction can interfere with them.

But the cost savings with induction could be especially beneficial to small and struggling restaurants, Agustin believes. And without the gas and combustion fumes or the need to crank the heat up as much, professional and home cooks alike may find that induction makes food smell fresher and more vibrant.

“I feel like gas is like the old black dial-up phones we all had in our homes. They were simple, they were indestructible and they worked every time,” says Richard Young, director of Frontier’s FSTC, adding that while they weren’t replaced by smartphones overnight, nobody wants to go back. “I feel like once people get their hands on induction, they’re going to want to hang on to it.”

Sarah Wood was the founding editor and publisher of this magazine and now works as a freelance writer and editor in Washington, DC. She has been cooking on a portable countertop induction burner since last November and is surprised to not miss her gas stove at all.

VEGAN BUTTER

Cashews are the secret to this silky toast topper or baking ingredient

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHELLE MAGDALENA

I used to have boyfriend who had a cow. It was unsurprising, then, that my inner farm girl was excited to make butter and cheese, as well as enjoy all of the other wonderful perks that come with knowing and loving a cow (RIP Clelia).

Despite the joys of having ready access to fresh milk, making farmstead dairy products is a process—one that requires patience, a stable environment and often, specialized equipment and components like starter cultures and rennet.

Fortunately, you don’t need to own a cow to make delicious and healthy vegan butter. With just a handful of raw cashews, an acidophilus probiotic, salt, coconut and grapeseed oils and a dash of sunflower lecithin (an easy-to-find emulsifier), you can whip up this easy non-dairy spread, although you’ll need to allow two days for the prep.

The first step is making a nut milk from the cashews, which necessitates soaking them overnight; you’ll need half of the total quantity of the milk to make the butter. I use the leftover nut milk in teas or smoothies. For the latter, I toss in a date while blending to add a bit of sweetness, and drink the smoothie straight from the Nutribullet canister while it still has a creamy, cappuccino-like froth.

Michelle Magdalena is a fine art and commercial photographer based in Pacific Grove. She is also the editor of a beautiful limited edition fine arts activism magazine called Magdalena that focuses on women’s empowerment, Native American movements and environmental protection. Learn more at michellemagdalena.com.

Cashew Milk

½ cup raw cashews

Pinch of salt

22/3 cups water, divided

Soak raw cashews overnight in 2 cups of water. Drain and rinse cashews. Add to a blender with 2/3 cup water. Process until smooth. Makes 1 cup.

Vegan Butter

This butter is a real treat, and like cow’s milk butter, I still enjoy it spread thickly on bread. It is also a great substitute for baking and is much cheaper than real butter. Better for your wallet and your planet!

½ cup cashew milk

1 acidophilus capsule

1 teaspoon liquid or 2 teaspoons powdered sunflower lecithin

1¼ cups coconut oil

1/3 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola

Pinch of salt

Add the acidophilus to the cashew milk, cover and let sit for 24 hours at room temperature. Allowing the milk to ferment slightly overnight gives the butter a more dairy-like quality.

Warm the coconut oil and blend it with the cultured cashew milk, neutral oil, salt and sunflower lecithin. You can also add 2 tablespoons carrot juice for color, but we never do.

Transfer the butter to an airtight container with a lid and place in the freezer to solidify for a few hours before refrigerating. The butter will keep up to 2 weeks. Makes 2 cups.

FROM FIELD, TO MARKET, TO TABLE… OUR PRODUCE IS ALWAYS FRESH, ALWAYS LOCAL

FOR OVER 80 YEARS, SHOPPER’S CORNER HAS BEEN PROUDLY SERVING THE SANTA CRUZ COMMUNITY.

We delight ourselves in bringing you the highest quality meats, produce, wines and specialty items, many of which come from local vendors right in our own backyard. Over the years we have found that by using the best available ingredients, you get the best possible meals! So when looking to prepare that perfect feast, know that we are here and happy to help. From our family to yours....Thank you for making Shopper’s Corner a cherished part of the Santa Cruz community.

Dine Local GUIDE

APTOS

Persephone

7945 Soquel Drive

831.612.6511 • persephonerestaurant.com

With a namesake like the mythic Persephone, this restaurant in Aptos proclaims its deep reverence for seasonal cooking. Themes central to harvest, winter and spring are core to Persephone’s story, and are reflected in the changing menu at this fine dining destination, where chef Cori Goudge-Ayer presents inventive, ingredient-driven creations. The restaurant is a family-run passion project, bringing together parents, siblings and a long history of culinary arts in a beautifully redesigned space overlooking Aptos Creek. Open for lunch F–Sa noon–3pm, for dinner Th–Sa 5pm–close. Second Sundays, themed wine tastings with small bites. Fourth Sundays, Winemaker Dinner with fivecourse pairing menu.

New Leaf Community Markets

161 Aptos Village Way

831.685.8500 • newleaf.com

This latest branch of the beloved local market group occupies the remodeled Hihn Apple Barn, built in 1891. In addition to local groceries and organic produce, New Leaf Aptos has made-to-order sandwiches, pizza, freshly rolled sushi, soup and hand-prepped salads, as well as a coffee bar, juice and smoothie bar and organic Straus soft serve ice cream.

Open daily 8am–9pm.

Venus Pie Trap

113 Esplanade

831.661.5763 • venuspietrap.com

Next door to Venus Spirits Beachside and across from the beach, the Pie Trap is a daytime venture from distiller Sean Venus, serving 11th Hour coffee in the mornings, with pastries from Manresa Bread, Laundromat bagels and quiche and pies from Edith’s Pie. At 11am the ovens are fired up to offer a menu of New Haven-style pizza pies, including tomato, clam-garlic and sausage-leek. Open Tu–Su 7am–3pm.

Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen - Beachside

131 Esplanade

831.688.8917 • venusspirits.com

Closed this winter for renovations, reopening spring 2023. The Penny Ice Creamery

141 Aptos Village Way, Suite 2

831.204.2523 • thepennyicecreamery.com

Open Su–Th noon–9pm, F–Sa noon–10pm. See The Penny description under Santa Cruz for more.

CAPITOLA

East End Gastropub

1501 41st Avenue

831.475.8010 • eastendpub.com

East End Gastropub is a sister eatery to the popular West End Tap & Kitchen, but aside from sharing owners and chefs, East End’s beautiful, modern interior is entirely different and offers its own robust, sophisticated menu. Chef Geoffrey Hargrave has created dishes that are familiar yet innovative, such as house-made focaccia bread, fried chicken bao buns and fire roasted shrimp. Shared plates, pizzas and salads come in generous portions for a family-style meal. The restaurant also offers a rotating selection of local beer, a strong wine list and seasonal craft cocktails. Open M–Th 4–9pm, F noon–9pm, Sa-Su 11am–3pm for brunch, and 4–9pm.

New Leaf Community Markets

1210 41st Avenue

831.479.7987 • newleaf.com

The café at the entrance offers great alternatives to fast food, serving economical daily specials, wraps, pizza and homemade soup and espresso drinks—with free wi-fi in the outdoor dining area. Inside the market, a full deli has made-toorder sandwiches, healthy takeout salads and entrée items. Open daily 8am–9pm.

All of these restaurants emphasize local ingredients and they also advertise in Edible Monterey Bay! Opening information is subject to change, so please check online before you go and tell them we sent you.

Pan-seared halibut with local wild mushrooms is one of chef Ivan Guadarrama’s daily creations at Tarpy’s in Monterey.

The Penny Ice Creamery

820 41st Avenue

831.204.2523 • thepennyicecreamery.com

Open Su–Th noon–10pm, F–Sa noon–11pm. See The Penny description under Santa Cruz for more.

Trestles

316 Capitola Avenue

831.854.2728 • trestlesrestaurant.com

Just steps away from the iconic Capitola train trestle, chefowner Nick Sherman’s passion for great food is evident in every dish at his popular neighborhood bistro. Local seasonal ingredients star in appetizers like chicory salad, roasted fairytale pumpkin with goat cheese and mole negro, Brentwood street corn and crispy pork belly with watermelon radish. Entrées include smoked eggplant gnocchi, Niman Ranch pork chop and fresh fish—all served with local wines and craft beers on tap. Open W–F 5–9:30pm, Sa–Su 4:30–9:30pm.

CARMEL

Alvarado Street Brewery & Bistro

Carmel Plaza, Suite 112

831.293.8621 • asb.beer

From the team behind award-winning Alvarado Street Brewery, the Carmel bistro offers a full menu of ASB brews, along with hard cider, local wines and inventive craft cocktails. The menu goes beyond pub food to include oysters with mignonette or chili oil, Moroccan spiced fried chicken, crispy tempura-battered cauliflower and its popular burgers with truffle or garlic fries. Open Su–Th 11:30am–9pm, F–Sa 11:30am–10pm.

Covey Grill

8205 Valley Greens Drive

831.620.8860 • quaillodge.com/dining/coveygrill

Covey Grill at Quail Lodge features USDA steaks and sustainably sourced seafood complimented by unique plantbased offerings in addition to seasonal American cuisine. Covey Grill offers casually elegant indoor and outdoor dining options against the stunning backdrop of Quail’s sparkling lake and lush garden landscapes. Open for full dinner service Mon–Sun 5–9pm, with bar opening at 4pm.

Earthbound Farm’s Farm Stand

7250 Carmel Valley Road 831.625.6219 • earthboundfarm.com

Earthbound Farm’s 100% certified organic kitchen delights with specialty coffee and tea, soft serve ice cream and a made to order breakfast and lunch menu—including soups, sandwiches, salads, baked goods, fresh juices and smoothies. Food is available to be enjoyed on the beautiful grounds or for takeaway. In addition to certified organic produce, the Farm Stand offers a selection of natural, organic, local beer and wine, groceries, gifts and flowers. Stroll through the gardens and learn about Earthbound’s commitment to organic integrity. Open daily, but check hours online as they change seasonally.

Grasing’s

6th Avenue and Mission

831.624.6562 • grasings.com

Chef-proprietor Kurt Grasing’s namesake restaurant has expanded since opening in 1998 to include two large dining rooms, multiple outdoor dining areas and the ever-popular bar/lounge. A Carmel classic located in the heart of the village, Grasing’s serves California cuisine, with an awardwinning wine list and a vintage spirits program featuring classic cocktails made with rare Mad Men-era gins, whiskeys, Camparis and amaros. Open daily M–F 11am–9pm, Sa–Su 10:30am–9pm.

Pangaea Grill

Ocean Avenue between Dolores and Lincoln

831.624.2569 • pangaeagrillcarmel.com

The flavors of East and West unite at Pangaea Grill—voted Carmel’s Best Restaurant in Monterey County Weekly’s annual poll. The combination of Western dishes such as rack

of lamb and Eastern elements like Korean short ribs and kimchi fried rice lends an unusual diversity to the menu. Did we mention brunch cocktails? Your eyes won’t believe it when the Pangaea Bloody Mary arrives at the table stacked with off-the-wall fixings like coconut prawns, meatballs, bacon and gyoza. Open daily for brunch, lunch and dinner 8am–9:30pm.

Rio Grill

101 Crossroads Boulevard

831.625.5436 • riogrill.com

Deeply flavorful Southwestern cuisine is the specialty that executive chef Luis Osorio brings to the table for lunch and dinner. Go exotic with a corn truffle and wild mushroom tamale, go local with the fire-roasted Castroville artichoke or go wild west with an order of almond wood smoked BBQ pork back ribs. Open Su–Th 11:30am–8pm, F–Sa

11:30am–9pm.

Sea Harvest Fish Market & Restaurant

100 Crossroads Boulevard, Suite A

831.626.3626 • seaharvestfishmarketandrestaurant.com

The Deyerle family that owns this local gem has its own fishing boats for the freshest catch on the Monterey Peninsula. Sea Harvest doubles as a fish market and casual restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. The oysters and clam chowder are customer favorites, but don’t miss the fried combo platter, grilled fillets and fish tacos. Open daily 8am–8pm.

Stationaery

San Carlos Square, Between 5th and 6th avenues

831.250.7183 • thestationaery.com

A neighborhood restaurant offering daily brunch and lunch, Stationaery is owned by your hospitable hosts Anthony and Alissa Carnazzo. The kitchen team, led by chef Amalia Scatena, specializes in comforting flavors and local ingredients, with elegant presentations. A new bottle shop next door offers a good selection of European and California wines to enjoy with your meal or take home. Open W–M 8am–4pm. Closed Tu.

Sur at the Barnyard

3601 The Barnyard, Suite A-21

831.250.7188 • surcarmel.com

Local plunder meets island vibes in an open space at the heart of the flowering Barnyard shopping complex. Tropical drinks are customer favorites—swooping from the Mango Tango to the Blue Crush to the pitch-perfect Johnny Cash—along with rib-stickers like grilled salmon or steak tacos, the Sur bacon cheeseburger, and fried chicken and waffles. Leafy items include the tempura sea bass Asian salad, while panko-crusted sand dabs and shiitake-pineapple-broccoli-baby boy choy rice bowls add inspiration for the appetite and the imagination. Friendly staff and outdoor options contribute to a social vibe. Open Tu–F 4–9pm, Sa–Su 1–9pm.

CARMEL VALLEY

Jerome’s Carmel Valley Market

2 Chambers Lane

831.659.2472 • jeromescarmelvalleymarket.com

A chef-owned, friendly neighborhood market, Jerome’s offers local and organic produce, natural meats and seafood, and a great selection of domestic and imported wine, beer and microbrews. French-trained chef and owner Jerome Viel prepares delicious hot foods, sandwiches and salads for eating at outdoor seating or take-away. The offerings start with breakfast burritos, croissants and other French pastries in the morning, followed by favorites such as coq au vin, spaghetti carbonara and chicken enchiladas for lunch and dinner. Open M–Sa 7am–7pm, Su 7am–6pm.

Lucia Restaurant & Bar

Bernardus Lodge & Spa • 415 W. Carmel Valley Road

831.658.3400 • bernarduslodge.com

Indulge in artisanal California country cuisine, award-winning wines and an expansive heated outdoor terrace with the finest restaurant view in Carmel Valley. At this Forbes 4-Star charmer, named for the Santa Lucia mountain range

and wine appellation that beckons to the south, executive chef Christian Ojeda offers both a signature tasting menu and dishes à la carte. Wine list is equally notable. A chef’s table and wine cellar are also available for private dining and special occasions. Open daily 7am–9pm. Live music

Tu–W 5–8pm. Saturday and Sunday brunch with live music 11am–2:30pm.

Sunny Bakery Cafe

18 E. Carmel Valley Road

831.659.5052 • instagram.com/sunnybakerycafe

Friendly local café offering homemade pastries, espresso drinks and light fare. Warm, welcoming service and a great array of treats made daily on site with wholesome ingredients that honor the seasons. Owner Analuisa Bejar heads the locally-minded kitchen with favorites like egg sandwiches, quiches, panini, frittatas, and irresistible BLTs. Buttery pastries, cookies, cinnamon rolls, muffins and cakes round out the list. Open W–M 7am–1pm.

FELTON

Wild Roots Market

6240 Highway 9 • 831.335.7322 (Felton)

13159 Highway 9 • 831.338.7211 (Boulder Creek) wildrootsmarket.com

Wild Roots’ 100% organic produce, natural groceries, organic meats and FishWise-certified seafood all go into the prepared foods offered by the store’s full-service deli, salad and soup bar and juice bar. Enjoy on the patio out in front or take home. Open daily 9am–9pm.

MONTEREY

Alvarado Street Brewery

426 Alvarado Street

831.655.2337 • asb.beer/pages/montereybrewpub

Occupying a former movie house, the original Alvarado Street Brewery brings appropriate theater by way of several key fundamentals. Those include an airy main hall with a long bar and windows into the working brewery; smart bar food ranging from the signature deluxe burger to popular pizzas like the mushroom truffle, with vegan and vegetarian options to boot. There is a welcoming beer garden with its own auxiliary bar and to-go 6-packs and crowlers; and, yes, standout craft beers, whether brave IPAs, ambitious sours or clever collaborations. Open Su–Th 11am–10pm, F–Sa 11:30am–11pm.

Coastal Kitchen

400 Cannery Row

831.645.4064 • coastalkitchenmonterey.com

Executive chef Michael Rotondo’s tasting menu at Monterey Plaza Hotel’s flagship restaurant represents one of the most habit-forming in the region, but there’s a lot more to recommend this spot. Sweeping views of the Pacific await from each seat, all on top of the water. Local delicacies receive elevated treatments: tempura artichoke with black button sage honey, wood-roasted black cod with shishito, squash blossom and charred coconut jus, and king salmon with raspberry, aromatic herbs and seasonal tomatoes— paired with hand-picked top-shelf wines. It’s a place well worth the splurge. Open Tu–Sa 5:30–8:30pm.

Elroy’s Fine Foods

15 Soledad Drive

831.373.3737 • elroysfinefoods.com

The dream market of owners Jay and Chloe Dolata, Elroy’s has an extensive range of gourmet groceries, local seafood, natural meats and fresh organic produce. It also boasts a kitchen with a wood-fired grill and prepared foods to go or to eat in. The Bar @ Elroy’s serves coffee, smoothies and a savvy selection of natural wines. Open M–Sa 8am–8pm, Su 9am–7pm.

Estéban Restaurant

700 Munras Avenue

831.375.0176 • estebanrestaurant.com

At the heart of the downtown Monterey dining scene, Estéban Restaurant serves Spanish influenced cuisine made from fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients. The menu features a selection of long-time Estéban favorites, as well as fresh, new dishes created by executive chef Mario Garcia, who spins out wonderful dishes like Crispy Pulpo, served with remoulade, Yukon potato, chorizo, rosemary chili oil and grilled radicchio. Open for dinner nightly 4–8pm. Tapas hour from 4–6pm nightly.

Jacks Monterey

2 Portola Plaza

831.649.7830 • jacksatportola.com

Jacks Monterey provides a refreshing culinary experience in downtown Monterey, inside the Portola Hotel & Spa. Emphasizing local ingredients, high-quality seafood, and an award-winning wine and cocktail program, Jacks philosophy derives from globally-inspired traditions of California Cultural Cuisine. The atmosphere at Jacks is sophisticated—never pretentious. Open for breakfast W-Su 6:30–10:30am, dinner W-Su 4–10pm, and bar only F-Sa 10–11pm.

Montrio

414 Calle Principal

831.648.8880 • montrio.com

Located in a 100-year-old former firehouse, Montrio has long been a favorite dining spot in Old Monterey. Now with a reimagined “cutting edge Californian” menu and Green Restaurant certification, executive chef Eddie Moran serves oysters, wood-fired Spanish octopus and onion soup gratinée, along with sustainable seafood dishes, local organic produce, prime meats and housemade desserts. Open W–Th 5–9pm, F–Sa 5–10pm, Su 5–9pm.

The Perfect Crumb Bakery

310 Lighthouse Avenue, Suite B

831.241.6269 • theperfectcrumbbakery.net

A charming spot for breakfast or a light lunch, The Perfect Crumb specialty bakery and café gets rave reviews for its croissants, blueberry scones and cinnamon buns (served on weekends only). Heartier appetites will enjoy the breakfast sandwich with eggs and hash browns served on a homemade biscuit, and for lunch the grilled cheese or Mediterranean turkey sandwich with roasted peppers and sundried tomatoes. Open W–Su 7:30am–3pm.

Peter B’s Brewpub

2 Portola Plaza

831.649.2699 • peterbsbrewpub.com

Peter B’s Brewpub combines award-winning craft beer and sports on 18 high-definition televisions in a relaxed brewpub environment. Monterey’s original craft brewery is distinguished for its variety of beer on tap, innovative pub menu, happy hour, sports bar atmosphere, and outdoor dining on the pet-friendly heated patio with fire pits. Peter B’s is open Wednesday-Sunday with nightly happy hour from 4–6pm, as well as late night happy hour 9–10pm. Open W-Su 4–10pm. Sunday breakfast and football 9:30–11am from September to January.

Revival Ice Cream

463 Alvarado Street

831.747.2113 • revivalicecream.com

Revival serves up lovingly handcrafted, small batch organic ice cream, made using only the freshest, in-season, locally sourced ingredients. Favorite flavors include Bee’s Knees®, Banana Caramel, Eucalyptus Mint Chip and Dark Chocolate. Plenty of vegan and dairy-free options like Passionfruit Mango Coconut, Peanut Butter Chip and Pistachio available. They also have amazing vegan and gluten-free waffle cones, made daily in-house and the popular Revival Ice Cream Sandwiches. Open Su–Th noon– 9pm. F–Sa noon–10pm.

Parker Presents

Schooners Monterey

400 Cannery Row

831.372.2628 • schoonersmonterey.com

Residents regularly vote Schooners Best Drink With a View, and they’re not wrong. The eye candy rolls from the waves crashing on the tidal zone below to Seaside and Santa Cruz beyond, and the sippers are memorable. But that’s only part of the program. The seafood-centric menu ups the atmospheric effect with contemporary takes on a Monterey cioppino pot, seared sea scallops, Dungeness crab dip and Thai-style steamed mussels. Specialty cocktails, organic fresh-pressed juices and curated small batch beers and wine complete the affair. Open 7am–9pm daily.

Sea Harvest Restaurant & Fish Market

598 Foam Street

831.626.0547 • seaharvestmonterey.com

This fresh and casual seafood spot near Cannery Row is perfect after a day exploring the Monterey Bay Aquarium. There are grilled entrées and lots of fried options with chips, including calamari, clams, prawns, scallops and oysters. Try Sea Harvest’s popular clam chowder or a basket of crispy artichoke hearts. Open daily 9am–7pm.

Stokes Adobe

500 Hartnell Street

831.264.8775 • stokesadobe.com

Weddings • House Parties • Corporate Events

Located in one of Old Monterey’s historic adobe homes, now beautifully restored, Stokes Adobe offers fresh pastas made in house, truffle chicken and shareable appetizer plates. The bar and cozy outdoor fire pits feature seasonally inspired classic cocktails, and a selection of quality wines by the glass and local beer. Friendly, welcoming staff make sure your visit feels like coming home. Open Th–Tu for happy hour 4–5:30pm and dinner 5–9pm.

Tarpy’s Roadhouse

2999 Monterey-Salinas Highway

831.647.1444 • tarpys.com

An award-winning steakhouse serving generous portions of California comfort food, Tarpy’s occupies a sprawling 3½acre property and stone building that used to be part of the Ryan Ranch homestead. In addition to expertly prepared steak, enjoy wood-fired salmon, chile-crusted chicken, braised lamb shank, classic meatloaf and smoked baby back ribs. Open Su–Th 11:30am–8pm, F–Sa 11:30am–9pm.

Tidal Coffee

400 Cannery Row

831.645.4030 • tidalcoffeemonterey.com

Thoughtful coffee blends with organic beans headline here, but picnic-lunch goodies and house-made sandwiches also come recommended. Monkey bread, maple scones and almond croissants feature in early, followed by soups, salads and panini like the roast beef with horseradish aioli, grilled onion, slices tomatoes, smoked mozzarella and pickled peppers. The coffee shop aesthetic is cute, but the adjacent decks overlooking Monterey Bay present a superior spot to spoon a fig-mascarpone or vegan chocolate-hazelnut gelato with a fresh cortado. Open Tu–Th 6am–noon, F–M 6am–4pm.

Wild Plum Café & Bakery

731 Munras Avenue

831.646.3109 • thewildplumcafe.com

Located in Old Monterey in a vibrant and diverse neighborhood, Wild Plum draws people from all walks of life with sustainable bistro fare that uses organic, locally sourced produce, hormone-free Diestel turkeys roasted on site, grass-fed beef and house-baked bread and pastries. Breakfasts include scrambles, omelets, and breakfast tacos and burritos, and for lunch, choose among soups, salads, sandwiches and paninis, burgers and house specialties. Food to go and catering available. Open W–M 7:30am–3:30pm, Tu closed

MOSS LANDING

Sea Harvest 2420 Highway 1

831.728.7081 • @seaharvestmosslanding

Bill Oysterman

Outdoor tables on a wooden deck overlooking Elkhorn Slough are the perfect place to enjoy fresh seafood hauled in by a fisherman who is part of the Deyerle family that runs the restaurant. Choose from grilled catch of the day, shrimp Louie, fish and chips or some of the best Baja-style battered fish tacos around. Open daily 11am–7pm.

Woodward Marine Market

10932 Clam Way

831.632.0857 • woodwardmarinemarket.com

Moss Landing, population a few dozen, enjoys an outsized amount of beaches, marine research institutes and, thankfully, eateries. Its newest ranks among the most inviting. WMM occupies a historic location at the Moss Landing Harbor fuel dock that delivers place-appropriate fuel for the eager eater. Clam chowder, crispy artichokes and Monterey Bay calamari lead the way on the appetizer front. A pair of salads offers roughage with style. Plates and bowls round out the menu—think bouillabaisse, fish and chips, Woodward burger, artichoke-prosciutto sandwiches and seared fish tacos. Kid options and sweets too. Open Tu–Sa 11:30am–6pm, Su 11:30am–4pm.

PACIFIC GROVE

Mezzaluna

1188 Forest Avenue

831.372.5325 • mezzalunapasteria.com

Owners Chef Soerke Peters and Amy Stouffer keep their restaurant simple and amazing—and chef Peters is a leader in sustainability on the Monterey Peninsula.Pasta, mozzarella and gelato are made fresh daily. Starters include clam chowder with torched bone marrow and duck liver pâté and grilled octopus, and there are five dishes starring locally crafted mozzarella. Pasta choices are imaginative and include options such as wild foraged mushroom agnolotti with brown butter sage sauce, pappardelle with winebraised rabbit and potato gnocchi with gorgonzola and black truffle oil. Open W–Su 5–9pm. Closed M–Tu.

Wild Fish

545 Lighthouse Avenue

831.373.8523 • wild-fish.com

Owners Liz and Kelvin Jacobs welcome you to feast on the bounty of nearby waters and farms at their 100% local and organic seafood restaurant, enjoying exquisite dishes like crispy sablefish, halibut and petrale sole, accompanied by local vegetables. Chef Melissa Kacos also prepares fresh oysters, innovative salads, house-baked bread and sides like fingerling potatoes with poppyseed crème fraîche or baby carrots with wild nettle pesto, that make this a dining destination. Did we mention English sticky toffee pudding for dessert? Open Su–Th 11:30am–3pm and 5–9pm, F–Sa 11:30am–3pm and 5–9:30pm.

SALINAS

Alvarado on Main

301 Main Street

831.356.0219 • asb.beer/pages/alvaradoonmain

The setting is cinematic (soaring ceilings and vintage bank vaults), the food transcends pub grub (superb flatbreads and lobster rolls) and the beer remains some of the best in the country (check the Great American Beer Fest medals). This Valhalla stays packed for happy hour and beyond, while representing a pillar of Oldtown’s ongoing renaissance, planted in a central location to make it all that much more accessible. Kitchen open Su–Th 11:30am–9pm, F–Sa 11:30am–10pm; bar stays open Su–Th until 10pm, F–Sa until 11pm.

SAN JUAN BAUTISTA

Bliss Blendz 300 Third Street, Suite A 831.593.1108 • blissblendzsmoothies.com

More than just a smoothie store, Bliss Blendz offers healthful açai bowls and a variety of refreshing, energizing drinks

to get your day underway. There is a full menu of pourover coffee options, including bullet coffee and green monster mocha. Or stop by for lunch and try a salad loaded with superfoods like berries and nuts or indulge in the chia seed pudding. Open M–Su 10am–5pm.

Lolla

201 Third Street

831.593.5064 • lollasjb.com

Owner Sarah Griss has created a soup, salad and sandwich luncheonette in an adobe building right across the street from San Juan Bautista Historic Park. Lolla sources healthy food from local farms and food producers, giving customers a quick and convenient way to eat locally, seasonally and deliciously. Daily special soups are not to be missed. Open W–Su 11am–3pm.

Margot’s Ice Cream Parlor

211 Third Street

831.623.9262 • margotsicecreamparlor.com

Bringing smiles to the people of San Juan Bautista for 25 years, Margot’s was originally opened as a retail outlet for wonderful handmade candies, including chocolate-dipped apricots, almond butter crunch, marshmallows, oreos, grahams and pretzels, as well as 10 flavors of chocolate truffles. In addition, it offers 28 flavors of Lappert’s ice cream, espresso drinks and Dole pineapple whip. Open M–Th 11am–7pm, F–Su 11am–8pm.

Vertigo Coffee Roasters

81 Fourth Street

831.623.9533 • vertigocoffee.com

Artisanal coffee roasted on site as well as fresh pastries baked in-house, brunch items, local craft beers and wines, plus wood-fired pizzas with naturally leavened, twice fermented sourdough crust have made Vertigo a locals’ favorite as well as a great find for visitors en route to the San Juan Mission, Pinnacles or other area attractions. Check website for current hours.

SANTA CRUZ

Barceloneta

1541 Pacific Avenue, Suite B

831.900.5222 • eatbarceloneta.com

With its cheerful beach stripes, wicker light fixtures and whimsical details, dinner at Barceloneta can feel like a holiday. Owned by chef Brett Emerson and his wife Elan, who ensures service is superb, Barceloneta offers Spanish tapas made with seasonal, farmers’ market produce and several types of authentic paella, along with Spanish wines, beers and cocktails. Open Tu–Sa 5–8:30pm. Closed Su–M. Bookie’s Pizza

1315 Water Street bookiespizza.com

Located inside the Santa Cruz outpost of Sante Adairius Rustic Ales, Bookie’s Pizza is owned by fine dining veteran chef Todd Parker and offers “inauthentic” Detroit-style square pies. Each pizza is made using the best seasonal ingredients from local farms, fishermen and foragers. Dough is made with organic flour, naturally leavened for 48 hours, and each pizza comes with its own unique sauce. Open Su–Th noon–9pm. F–Sa noon–10pm.

Charlie Hong Kong

1141 Soquel Avenue

831.426.5664 • charliehongkong.com

Charlie Hong Kong has been providing the Santa Cruz community with healthy, sustainable, affordable and highquality food since 1998. The colorful, casual eatery’s delicious fusion of Southeast Asian influences and the Central Coast’s local organic produce have made it an inclusive, family-friendly, neighborhood favorite. Its slogan is “love your body, eat organic,” and its cuisine is proof that fast food can be good for you. All signature dishes are vegan with the option to add meat or fish. Gluten-free options are available. Dog friendly. Open daily 11am–10pm.

Crow’s Nest

2218 E. Cliff Drive

831.476.4560 • crowsnest-santacruz.com

A perfect spot to enjoy breakfast and lunch or catch a dinnertime sunset over the harbor, the nautical-themed Crow’s Nest is a Santa Cruz institution that never goes out of style. There’s always something happening, from live music to comedy nights and happy hours. Famous for its salads, house-smoked salmon and seafood entrées, the Crow’s Nest is a member of Seafood Watch and is a certified green business. Open M–F 9am–8:30pm, Sa–Su 8am–8:30pm.

The Grille at DeLaveaga

401 Upper Park Road

831.423.1600 • delaveagagolf.com/dining

DeLaveaga earns obsessive attention for its trails, golf and disc golf, and it also enjoys a worthy epicurean program. The grill’s backdrop enhances the experience, with absorbing views, an outdoor patio and deck, welcoming fireplace and well-appointed bar. Food goes continental-Californian, local and organic, starring breakfast and lunch dishes like the croissant Benedict, the “Moss Landing-style” breakfast sandwich, the DeLa Black Angus burger and the “wedge shot” Louie salad with crab, bay shrimp or both. Open W–Su 8am–3pm.

Laílí

101B Cooper Street

831.423.4545 • lailirestaurant.com

Exotic flavors of The Silk Road are served in a stylish dining room decorated in eggplant and pistachio colors and on a hidden candlelit patio. Locals rave about Laílí’s homemade naan served warm from the oven with a selection of Mediterranean dips. There is a wide variety of deliciously spiced vegetable dishes, and all meats are hormone free and free range. Open Tu–Sa 4–8pm.

La Posta

538 Seabright Avenue

831.457.2782 • lapostarestaurant.com

A cozy neighborhood bistro not far from the Santa Cruz yacht harbor, La Posta chef Rodrigo Serna prepares traditional rustic Italian cuisine using local ingredients. The emphasis is on simple, seasonal selections, with the balance of the menu reflecting whatever produce is freshest right now. La Posta also offers a great selection of Italian wines and a heated outdoor patio. Open W–Th 5–8:30pm, F–Sa 5–9:30pm, Su 5–8:30pm. Closed M–Tu.

New Leaf Community Markets

1134 Pacific Avenue

831.425.1793 • newleaf.com

New Leaf’s headquarters in a former bank building on Pacific Avenue is a worthwhile stop for all foodies. Crowded with gourmet natural foods, it also has a deli with sandwiches, salads and hot entrées. A dining area out front is great for people watching and listening to street musicians. Open daily 8am–9pm.

New Leaf Community Markets

1101 Fair Avenue

831.426.1306 • newleaf.com

The Westside New Leaf has a large deli counter and coffee bar, with a big selection of sandwiches, salads, bakery items, soups and other hot foods. You can eat at an in-store counter or at tables outside. Open daily 7am–9pm.

The Penny Ice Creamery

913 Cedar Street

831.204.2523 • thepennyicecreamery.com

Lines out the front door of its converted Spanish bungalow are evidence of Penny’s popularity. All ice cream, including bases, is made from scratch on the premises using local organic ingredients when possible. Dozens of exotic flavors rotate seasonally, but two favorites are chocolate caramel sea salt and strawberry pink peppercorn. Open daily noon–11pm.

SATE YOUR THIRST AT SOIF!

Wines from around the world by-the-glass, retail purchase or through our monthly wine club.

TUESDAY SATURDAY 1-8pm

831-423-2020 | soifwine.com | 105 Walnut Ave | Santa Cruz

Eating Healthy Just Got

The Picnic Basket

125 Beach Street

831.427.9946 • thepicnicbasketsc.com

Across the street from the main beach, owners of The Penny Ice Creamery have opened an alternative to boardwalk fast food. Sandwiches, organic salads, coffee and beer, all from local food artisans, and of course Penny’s popular ice cream, are all on offer to eat in or outside with your feet in the sand. Open daily 7am–4pm.

Soif Wine Bar

105 Walnut Avenue 831.423.2020 • soifwine.com

Soif lives on as a bottle shop offering more than 400 hard-tofind European and local wines, along with a wine bar serving wines by the glass. Pull up a barstool and let Soif’s experts introduce you to something new and amazing, while you nibble on wine-friendly small bites. Soif also offers educational wine tastings and its popular Terroiriste Wine Club. Open Tu–Sa 1–8pm.

Staff of Life

1266 Soquel Avenue

831.423.8632 • staffoflifemarket.com

A Santa Cruz landmark, Staff of Life started in 1969 as a small natural foods bakery and has grown over the years into a full service natural foods supermarket known for its local organic produce, seafood and natural meats as well as an extensive bulk department. Deli items and foods from the hot bar can be enjoyed at the Café del Sol. Open daily 8am–9pm.

Venus Spirits Cocktails & Kitchen

200 High Road

831.600.7376 • venusspirits.com

Craft distiller Sean Venus has created an experience around his local distillery, Venus Spirits. It includes a lively restaurant bar, the distillery itself and a tasting room. If you want to sample his award-winning gin and other spirits, try the tasting room. For cocktails and hearty plates from chef Gabrielle Molina, head for the kitchen part of the building and enjoy dishes like crispy Brussels sprouts, mole baby back ribs, and rotating “from the land” and “from the sea” specials. Open M–Su 4–9pm, happy hour M–Th 4–5pm, brunch Sa–Su 10am–2pm.

West End Tap & Kitchen

334D Ingalls Street

831.471.8115 • westendtap.com

Perfect for any parent looking for a happy hour to satisfy the whole family, adults and kids alike can’t get enough of the duck fat popcorn, fried calamari and flatbread pizzas. A diverse, season-driven menu with offerings like seasonal fish with garden fresh veggies, house smoked pork belly with cheddar grits and their famous house ground burger. Also featuring a long list of craft beers, ciders and wine options make West End a Westside staple. The outdoor patio is perfect for people watching amidst the bustling Swift Street Courtyard. Open daily noon–9pm, happy hour M–F 3–5pm.

WATSONVILLE

Beer Mule Bottle Shop + Pour House

45 Aviation Way

831.254.9789 • kickassbeer.com

The Beer Mule has 40 brews on tap and hundreds more in the fridge, with an emphasis on local and NorCal beer. Food— courtesy of Butchers & The Mule—includes dishes like fourcheese mac and cheese, barbacoa short rib tacos, grilled tri-tip cheesesteak, hot or not fried chicken sando and Butchers’ jambalaya. Open daily 11am–10pm.

Staff of Life

906 E. Lake Avenue

831.726.0240 • staffoflifemarket.com

Opened in 2021, Staff of Life’s second store in Watsonville is its first and only branch. The store is sustainable down to its bones and includes all the natural groceries, organic produce and includes all the natural groceries, organic produce and baked goods you would find at the Santa Cruz store, along with a juice and smoothie bar, freshly made sushi, a gelato bar, a full deli and a hot bar. Open daily 8am–8pm.

BITTER BEST COAST

A cocktail to celebrate spring

RECIPES

AND PHOTO BY JESSICA TUNIS AND AMBER TURPIN

Ginger Syrup

1 1-inch knob of ginger root, peeled and sliced

1 cup sugar

2 cups water

In a small saucepan, heat the water, then add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the ginger slices. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes,

Remove from heat and allow to steep as the syrup cools, about 15 minutes. Strain the ginger slices from the cooled syrup and discard or use as garnish for your drinks. Place syrup in the refrigerator to chill (can be stored up to 1 week). Makes 2 cups

It’s been a wild few years here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Between wildfires and recovery, winter storms, floods and mudslides, we’re all ready for a spring of regeneration, wildflowers... and perhaps a glass of something that embodies the complexity of why we live here.

We crave something that tastes of the land, something with powerful roots and volatile oils— edible, medicinal, familiar, but at the same time, strikingly unique. This drink gathers that essence for refreshment and healing of all sorts.

In the burn scar left by the CZU fires, a sticky regrowth of yerba santa scents the air with medicinal perfume. In the coastal farmlands near aging levees, the gray-green leaves of artichokes wave in the salt air; their bitterness and their beauty both are necessary now. Yarrow that staunches wounds and aids immunity, angelica for breath and belly, coriander to aid digestion all add their tonic wisdom to this brimming cup, along with burdock and dandelion, their long, gnarled taproots drawing minerals and medicine from deep in the soil.

If this sounds like a spell or an impossible ingredient list...well, it might just be. But luckily, Blossom’s Farm in Aromas has bottled these flavors, so that your attention can be freed for other springtime pursuits.

We have covered Blossom’s Farm before in these pages, but never in quite this way. This is an off-label use of its digestive West Coast Bitters, and we ask their blessing as we raise our glasses with a toast that might make Rudolph Steiner proud: May we drink to this land, to living in right relation upon it. May we sustain and nourish the earth as we are sustained and nourished by the earth. Cheers, friends!

For this recipe we wanted something spicy, something with a little heat, to represent not only the fires and the regrowth that has followed, but also the warmth of the sun and the passions that drive us. So we start by making a simple ginger syrup. The combination of ginger syrup and Meyer lemon juice give this cocktail the taste of bracing spring—cold sunshine, a warming spirit, a taste of home, sweet and bitter and tart and alive, stimulating to all the senses.

Bitter Best Coast

1½ ounces gin (we use St. George Botanivore or Venus No. 1)

¾ ounce fresh Meyer lemon juice

½ ounce ginger syrup

¼ ounce Blossom’s West Coast Bitters

Ice

Slice of lemon

Sprig of garden herb or edible flower

In a shaker, pour gin, lemon juice, ginger syrup and bitter. Add ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain the cocktail into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a sprig of garden herb or edible flower of choice. Makes 1 cocktail.

A non-alcoholic version of this cocktail can be found on the EMB website.