Edible San Fernando Valley Fall 2022-Holiday

What started 20 years ago as a 16-page, one-color, threehole-punched newsletter celebrating farms and food in the tiny town of Ojai in Ventura County has blossomed into nearly 90 independently owned, hyper-locally-focused food publications all across the United States and Canada. You hold in your hands the debut issue of one of the newest: Edible San Fernando Valley.

Whether this is your first experience with an Edible magazine or you’ve been a supporter for years, welcome! Our mission today is much as it was 20 years ago: to celebrate and champion the local food and drink bounty of each Edible’s particular area and the people who produce it. Look for copies each season at your local farmers’ market or other places where food lovers gather. Better yet, buy a subscription and a copy will magically arrive in your mailbox every season.

What brought me to this milestone moment? Long long ago, in a world that feels far far away, I moved from the Central Coast to Northridge to attend Cal State, Northridge (CSUN). While there, I worked as a server in a chain restaurant on Devonshire and a barista at a local coffee roaster, both of which have long since closed. After graduation, I taught at Dearborn Elementary for LAUSD while I studied for my master’s degree. During that season, I met my future husband in Sherman Oaks and we lived in a little apartment near the university until we moved to Simi Valley for work. Though my stint of residency in the Valley was relatively short, being just over the hill has allowed me to continue to experience so much of what the region has to offer, including hikes, farmers’ markets, local food and community.

Almost four years ago, when I took over publishing the original title, Edible Ojai & Ventura County, it was always in my “five-year plan” to start a Valley edition to highlight and celebrate this local food community. Now, despite challenges during COVID lockdowns, we are serendipitously here, even ahead of (my self-imposed) schedule!

In this inaugural issue, which happens to coincide with the upcoming holiday season (October through December), we thought we’d share a little of what we are about with a nod toward modified gatherings (“The Great Cookie Exchange,” page 12), twists on traditions, (“Ten Ways to Turkey,” page 26) and environmentally friendly gifting tips (“Plastic-Free Holidays,” page 36). Even more noteworthy are the stories of local artisans, establishments and advocates who are changing the world with their work (even if just for a few people at a time).

I hope that you will also take special notice of those who choose to advertise with us, as we are careful to curate businesses that care about the environment and the people within it and whose owners align with our vision of a compassionate community. Readers who support those businesses help us tell the stories of this region.

Dear reader, I can’t tell you how excited I am to eat, drink and think my way through the Valley and surrounding areas. I hope you can (virtually) join me!

® San Fernando Valley

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Tami Chu

COPY EDITOR

Doug Adrianson

DESIGN

Cheryl Angelina Koehler

CONTRIBUTORS

Julia San Bartolome

Anne Kallas

Jesus Medina

Jennifer Richardson

Gisa Seeholzer Jess Starwood

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Viktor Budnik • Tami Chu Carolina Korman • Mariah Green Jess Starwood

ILLUSTRATORS

Ramiah Chu • Adriel Chu

SALES

Mary DiCesare mary@edibleventuracounty.com Eric Hargrove eric@ediblesfvalley.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

EdibleSanFernandoValley.com info@ediblesfvalley.com

CONTACT US

Edible San Fernando Valley 2470 Stearns St. #142 Simi Valley, CA 93063 805-622-9355 info@ediblesfvalley.com

Edible San Fernando Valley is published seasonally, four times a year. We are an advertising- and subscriber-supported publication, locally and independently owned and operated and a member of Edible Communities, Inc. Distribution is throughout Ventura County and by subscription for $28 per year. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and let us know.

OUR MISSION: Currently in its first year, Edible San Fernando Valley has been founded to document and bring to life the interest in farmto-table, organic and natural foods, and to celebrate the people and communities who feed and sustain us. We want to inspire readers to support and celebrate the growers, producers, chefs, food and beverage artisans and other food professionals in our community.

STEP BACK IN TIME FOR COFFEE & WINE

BY ANNE KALLAS | PHOTOS BY CAROLINA KORMAN

It isn’t fancy. It isn’t formal. Bodevi Wine and Espresso Bar in downtown San Fernando is like stepping into a 1970s living room, with period furniture beckoning customers to come in, relax and enjoy a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and a little nibble in a corner of the world time has passed by, according to co-owner Joeleen Medina.

Joeleen Medina and husband, Miguel Medina, have opened a new food establishment to complement their restaurant next door, Truman House Tavern.

“Miguel and I are huge fans of the ’70s. We were born in the ’70s. The Truman House Tavern is industrial-themed, with wood and metal. In Bodevi, it’s a ’70s living room. It took a year finding the vintage furniture for the place,” says Joeleen, of the mishmash of old-styled furniture with period posters and art on the wall, including a decorative rotary-dial wall telephone to show the kids.

Miguel and Joeleen Medina have found the perfect balance of wine and espresso in their ‘70s-inspired eatery in the heart of San Fernando.

The Medinas are both chefs. They met in 2006 at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Reseda. “The second I laid eyes on him, I was hooked,” Joeleen says. “He has a spectacular smile. His eyes always capture me.”

To become chefs, Joeleen studied at the now-defunct Cordon Bleu in Pasadena, and Miguel followed the time-honored tradition of apprenticing in kitchens, working from prep line up to chef. Eventually they bought and ran a bakery, A Sweet Design, in Granada Hills for about 12 years. But after a while with the bakery, the Medinas wanted to return to their culinary roots, so they sold the business in 2017.

“Now we feel we’re serial entrepreneurs,” Joeleen says. In 2018 they opened the Truman House Tavern in the historic downtown San Fernando district, with the idea of creating a fun whiskey bar with beers, burgers and other gastropub fare.

“Almost two years ago, Miguel and I decided to expand and open a wine and espresso bar next door. He and I looooove good espresso. And the bar is a whiskey bar. We were starting to get wine drinkers who were asking for more wine than we would want to carry in our inventory. So it makes sense to spill that over to this space,” says Joeleen, who notes that the space next door was already empty, which made the decision to expand easier.

To make sure they offered the best wine selection possible, the Medinas hired Chrissy Foster to be the general manager of Bodevi, which is a mixture of bodega and vino. “She was an absolute perfect choice as she totally loves wine and has an excellent eye for our design vibe,” says Joeleen.

Foster had a career in merchandizing, but when the pandemic lockdowns hit, she—like so many others—reevaluated her life and work. She decided to follow her passion for wine and winemaking as a long-term career to see where that would take her. She has completed the Wines and Spirit Education Trust program, through level 2, and soon plans to continue on to the next Sommelier level.

Foster says she is having a blast in her new career. “Now that I have a team, it’s been a joy to educate others,” she says. “I taste to try and keep learning as much as I can from wine vendors. Joeleen, Miguel and I get to try select wines. I love to be part of the wine industry. I want to continue my own journey with wine while teaching customers and our team as much as I can about it.”

The coffee bar is a carefully curated menu of drinks with housemade syrups and beans from House Roots Coffee in Granada Hills, and a menu of baked goods from Rockenwagner, Los Angeles. The wine bar menu includes nibbles such as cheese plates, cured meats and seasonal fruits, with numerous vegan options. Bodevi also offers a menu of sandwiches.

“Our tuna is delicious. People who don’t usually enjoy tuna sandwiches find they like this one,” Joeleen says. “The turkey sandwich with chimichurri mayo is the most popular. “I also had

to have deviled eggs as a nibble because they are such a ’70s food.” Local food suppliers also include Avo Salc for avocados and Flor de Lima for fruit and orange juice for mimosas.

Bodevi recently changed hours to be open seven days a week at 7:30am in response to customer requests and offers monthly wine pairings in their private special-event space, The Dorado room, that includes a five-wine flight paired with a custom assortment of appetizers.

Bodevi Wine and Espresso Bar 909 San Fernando Rd. San Fernando | BodeviBar.com

Anne Kallas is a prolific freelance writer focusing on Ventura County. A fan of local, seasonal produce, she lives in Ventura and is a former columnist, writer and copy editor for the Ventura County Star

BRINGING THE FIRE

BY ANNE KALLAS | PHOTOS BY CAROLINA KORMAN

Hot sauce and pottery might not seem like two things that naturally pair together, but for Joanne Horton and Rich Mudge it’s as perfect a fit as pea nut butter and jelly, bread and butter or chips and dip.

The COVID pandemic-forced lockdowns afforded the married couple the opportunity to bring their two creative passions together as they combined their love of ceramics with a passion for gardening—especially peppers.

“This all started when we expanded our own peppers that we grow in our garden,” says Horton. “During the pandemic, we were experimenting with hot sauces.” She explains that their business, Creative Fire Studios, which is a full ceramics studio based in Granada Hills that spe cializes in after-school enrichment classes, was mostly on hiatus as COVID threw everything into turmoil.

“One thing led to another,” Mudge says. “We’ve been jarring foods for years. Right around this time we were making quarts and quarts of chili pepper sauces and pro cessing all the things we grew. These are things we con sume and we share. When we went on lockdown, we ex panded all the raised beds in our yard. I started buying a bunch of pepper plants, like Black Cobra, Scotch Bonnet and Trinidad Scorpion pepper—which was red. I figured, ‘I’m a redhead and Scorpio.’ So it was a natural.”

As the couple hunkered down, they made a deep dive into the world of fermentation and canning. The first fermented hot sauces were Red Thai, Serrano and Haba nero mixtures, which Mudge mixed with agave vinegar. “I started playing around with different things. I had no idea how this would turn out,” he says.

Eventually Mudge, who is also a ceramics teacher at Crossroads School for Arts and Sci ences in Santa Monica, had to take his weekly PCR antigen test. As was his custom, he gift ed the school nurses with bottles of homemade chili and hot sauce.

“I had just printed up labels and bought some bottles from a local bottle supplier. Two weeks later, the school nurses emailed me and requested more. But they insisted on paying for it. They insisted. They made me sign up to Ven mo,” Mudge says. Mudge took some photos of the bottles he had just sold to the nurses and posted it online. Within 24 hours the remainder of the 24 bottles he had on hand were sold.

The idea of ceramics married with hot sauces was born. “We have this ceramics studio and we’re sitting on a lot of inventory,” Mudge says. “At the end of May, we started selling those ceramic items alongside the hot sauces at farmers markets.”

The couple set about developing a unique line of ceramics to complement their food items. “We make mortars and pestles and herb strippers. Things we like to use in our cooking.” Horton says. The ceramic food items also in clude butter crocks, mise en place (small prep) dishes, fermentation crocks, chili bowls, trivets, little salsa bowls and more.

Before they started producing the sauces commercially, Mudge says, he enrolled in classes so he could be certified by the FDA in food safe ty. Those were a real eye-opener.

“We felt we dodged a bullet producing hot sauces in our kitchen based on our long expe rience of home jarring food via hot water bath and pressure canning. I learned jarring and canning foods from my mother,” says Mudge, who found the information about the toxicity of botulism chilling. “Wow, we got really lucky we already did it the right way. You see a lot of am ateurs blending things and putting them in bot tles. These people have no idea. There are people who think [that bypassing safety certifications] is a protest against regulations. But those regula tions are in place to keep us safe.”

Currently Mudge and Horton sell their ce ramics and sauces from 5 to 9pm on Wednesdays

at the Northridge Farmers’ Market and Family Festival and from 9am to 1pm on Sundays at the Westchester farmers’ market in Los Angeles.

The Creative Fire Kiln and Kitchen products are set to be featured in the upcoming Season 2 of “At Home with Jonathan Scinto,” a food show to be distributed by Discov ered TV 7 available to stream on Roku, Samsung and Android services, reaching over 200 million worldwide.

For information about Creative Fire Kiln and Kitchen, visit CreativeFireKilnAndKitchen.com.

SOWing New Seeds in Arleta

BY ANNE KALLAS

According to headlines: The world is ablaze. Sea levels are rising. Storms and droughts are becoming more severe. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world.

In Arleta, a small group of people at Shift Our Ways (SOW) Collective are standing up to these monumental problems—one household at a time, one garden at a time and one compost heap at a time.

The idea for SOW Collective came about when four women sat down in March 2020 to discuss what they could do together to make the world a better place.

“Our intention was that Shift Our Ways Collective would serve as an en vironmental nonprofit serving a community plagued by pollution and offer an educational platform making sustainability accessible to all backgrounds,” says Stephanie Gomez, one of SOW’s four founders. “We talked about climate change around us. We discussed the importance of green spaces, regenerative

agriculture and environmental education and stew ardship amongst the next generation.”

Gomez, with co-founders Madison Jaschke, Haley Feng and Christina Jimenez, came up with the idea of creating a micro farm/garden in the middle of Arleta, where Gomez lives, that would be the center of an effort to reduce food produc tion waste by encouraging neighbors to grow their own gardens, and to share the food.

“We ensured our micro farm would be as lowwaste as possible, starting with cutting out plastic packaged soil,” says Gomez. “It serves as a space that diverts food waste and provides a circular ap proach to our food system, as we grow, harvest and compost food all in one location.”

“We feel there should be more of an empha sis on how food is produced, and how backyard sharing pilot programs lead to more sustainable communities,” Gomez says. “Carbon sequestration is only one huge reason why we should focus on more micro farming in our backyards, as it also correlates to less water runoff, as we are able to build healthier soil through urban farming. That’s why we’re doing this.”

The 5,500-square-foot garden at 13625 Sunburst St., Arleta, not only provides up to two pounds of free produce for community members (upon registration to the Community Harvest list), it’s a gathering place.

“At the garden, we have focused on bringing the community together through cultural and educa tional workshops. We have an emphasis on inter generational programming, including Get Out & Garden [program], which promotes edible garden ing amongst youth and their grandparents, along with our For Neighbors program that provides free plant starts and resources to encourage neighbors to grow their own gardens. We have hosted nu merous donation-based events such as open mics, community cleanups, yoga at the farm, clothing swaps, fruit shares and field trips for surrounding schools,” says Gomez. “Our backyard farm is also our Eco-Hub, as we facilitate dialogue around sus tainability and how we may already be integrating more low-waste practices into our daily lives.”

SOW Collective serves as one of three Valley co-ops for LA Compost. The garden manages the three-bin composting system with the support of LA Compost and SOW volunteers.

The founders of Shift Our Ways (SOW) Collective manage the garden in addition to their full-time jobs: From top left clockwise, Haley Feng, Madison Jaschke, Christina Jimenez and Stephanie Gomez.

They started the program during the height—or depths—of the pandemic. Gomez said people had decidedly mixed reactions to masked and gloved people knocking on their door. She said many people wouldn’t even answer the door to them. Over time, neighbors have come to know the volunteers, and the SOW volunteers are able to give people plants and information, as well as invite them to SOW events at the garden.

Neighbor Jacky Lomeli found SOW when she needed help properly disposing of her Halloween pumpkins, and she decided to become a volunteer. Lomeli said she was part of the team that distributed the plants in the Arleta area.

“I did volunteer to do that during the pandemic. And there was another person with a mask pulling the wagon with plants,” says Lomeli, adding that the timing was a perfect way to start a neighborhood conversation about growing and sharing your own food.

“It’s a way to engage when you’re at home [during lockdown]. You’re outside relax ing and thinking about things like your garden space, or lack of. To have people come by and say, ‘Here’s a basil or a flower. Plant it.’ It’s kind of genius in that sense to reach so many,” Lomeli says.

Currently, SOW is largely funded by Patreon sponsors. Patreon allows clients to create a subscription service to raise money.

For more information about SOW, visit Instagram, @sow.collective; Facebook, @shiftourways; and YouTube, SOW Collective.

The Great Cookie Exchange

A Holiday TRADE-ition

Cookie exchanges: Perhaps you have heard of them; perhaps you grew up in a family that participated in them; perhaps this is an intriguing new term to spark your cookie cravings.

Cookie exchanges are thought to have been a part of holiday traditions since the Middle Ages, though not in their modern form. Though sources disagree on dates, it is believed that as cookies became more intricate, including relatively exotic ingredients like spices and dried fruits, they also became too expensive for everyday consumption and were relegated to holiday/special occasion baking. In simpler times, those baked treats were then gifted to family, friends and neighbors.

As society advanced, so did the ideas (and rules) behind the exchanges. It can be argued that the practice of the holiday cookie swap—where guests exchange different types of cookies to widen the variety of their subsequent giftings—really excelled in the early 20th century and gained traction with the advent of the butter cookie tins and the classic chocolate chip cookie.

While popularity of cookie swaps has waned recently, perhaps in part due to pandemic precautions, it might be time for a resurgence—but with a twist. Here we have gathered some tips for hosting a low- (or zero-) waste cookie exchange in the hopes that this could be the year of the cookie. December 22 is National Cookie Exchange Day, but don’t let that limit your party dates.

PICK YOUR GUESTS. While many cookie party prescriptions suggest up to 12 guests, in the time of COVID six to eight participants is a bit more realistic.

PICK A HOST. Is it you? Or is there some one who has a better space for gathering? A great way to handle gatherings these days is to have one person offer a location, while another offers to do the detail work. Work to each person’s strengths.

PICK A DATE! Plan ahead, as holiday sched ules fill up fast. Try to pick a weekday evening, (Monday or Tuesday will give guests time to bake on the weekend before gathering), and keep it short. One to two hours is plenty of

time to gather, exchange goodies, and share a drink, an appetizer and a good time. Give about a month’s notice in your invitation. And to make it zero-waste, use evites.

RSVPs. Confirm guests two weeks in ad vance to give baking numbers to attend ees. When confirming guests, find out the types of cookies they plan to bring, any fam ily history or stories and the recipes. This way, you can head off duplicates before they occur and also prepare for a sweet gift for your guests.

GUEST RESPONSIBILITY. Guests should bring one dozen cookies to sample plus anoth er dozen per guest. Each guest should bring

tins or jars to collect their received cookies. Cloth napkins also work.

ZERO-WASTE GIFT. Using the infor mation you gathered, make a digital flip book with all the recipes and stories of the cookies, making a special note of allergy information in each treat. Share this at the party or just before. (There are many free flipbook options online.)

TO SERVE. There will be lots of cookies to sample during the party, so it is good to offer some healthy options to balance the sweets. Vegetable crudité or charcuterie platters are a win. For drinks: coffee, mulled cider, herbal teas and, of course, wine are all great options.

The following cookie recipes are shared with us by Chef Julia San Bartolome, owner of Sweet Arleen’s in Westlake Village and three-time winner of “Cupcake Wars,” who we figured might know a thing or three about sweet treats.

Snowball

They may be rolled twice in powdered sugar, but these classic nut cookies are not overly sweet. Just be careful not to breathe in while taking a bite.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 cup butter, softened

½ cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

¾ cup finely chopped walnuts (we used locally owned Corky’s Nuts)

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together butter, ½ cup sugar and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and nuts until dough holds together and all flour is incorporated.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place onto an ungreased baking sheet. They will not spread so they can be very close together. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until set but not brown. Remove from oven.

Place remaining cup of powdered sugar in a bowl or plate. While cookies are still warm, roll in additional powdered sugar, coating them. Allow them to cool on a wire rack. This process will make the sugar melt and they will be somewhat sticky.

When they are fully cooled, roll in powdered sugar again so they are fully coated.

Store in an airtight container.

Editor’s note: These can be made gluten free by using a 1:1 gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour.

Peanut Butter Lumps of Coal

These are no-bake and impossible to stop eating. One of my childhood favorites, the combination of sweet, salty and crunchy makes such a great balance on the palate. If you use a crispy rice cereal that is gluten free, these cookies are completely gluten free.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

1 cup salted butter, softened

1½ cups unsweetened peanut butter (can be crunchy or creamy)

1 pound powdered sugar, sifted

6 cups crispy rice cereal

1 large chocolate bar (8 ounces)

2½ cups chocolate chips*

1 ounce butter or organic shortening

In a large mixer, cream together butter, peanut butter and powdered sugar until a smooth paste is formed. Gently fold in rice cereal while the mixer is at its lowest speed.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and set them aside on parchment or wax paper.

Melt chocolate bar, chocolate chips and butter or shortening together in a double boiler.

Dip cookie balls into chocolate mixture while it is warm and melted. Cover completely with chocolate for coal effect. Use a fork to scoop the cookies from the chocolate mixture to allow the excess to drizzle off. Place each ball onto wax paper about an inch apart to set.

(Other options for coating: 1. Dip cookies into chocolate and only coat half the cookie. 2. Drizzle chocolate over cookie to get a lighter coat of chocolate. Allow to set.)

*Chef’s Note: To prevent discoloring of the chocolate, the chocolate bar, chocolate chips and shortening can be replaced with about 3 cups coating chocolate (such as Candy Melts). If using recipe as is, store cookies in an airtight container in a cool, dry location until serving.

Editor’s note: These crunchy, peanutbuttery cookies are a real delight! However, if you are trying to reduce your sugar intake, the amount of sugar can be cut by about ¾ cup without sacrificing texture.

ENGLISH TOFFEE

This classic butter cookie is baked in a large format and cut after baking, yielding a tender, buttery cookie with rich, nutty flavors.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg (separated)

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup chopped pecans (or any nut that you choose)

Preheat oven to 275°F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until a fluffy smooth emulsion is formed, then add egg yolk. Once incorporated, add vanilla and flour while the mixer is going at the lowest possible speed. Dough will be very stiff.

Remove from bowl and place onto a jellyroll pan prepared with parchment paper. Use your clean hands to spread dough flat and evenly on a baking sheet, about ¼–½ inch thick.

Lightly beat the egg white with a hand whisk for about 30 seconds and brush over cookie dough. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the top and gently press in.

Bake for 1 hour. Cool until just warm. Using a serrated knife or an ulu blade, cut long 1-inchwide slices in one direction at an angle, then again in the opposite direction, creating 1-inch diamond pieces.

Store in airtight container.

Julia San Bartolome owns Sweet Arleen’s bakery in Westlake Village and is a three-time winner of the Food Network’s “Cupcake Wars.” She has a passion for all things food related and holds a degree in pastry arts from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. She is now head chef at Oak Grove School in Ojai.

Wow 'em at your holiday shindig withfancy-pantsiced sugar cookies. Making these beauties is easier than it looks—here's afew tips to get you started

Royal icing is made from icing sugar, egg whites and water. Fresh egg whites can be used, but egg white powder can be found at specialty baking shops. Start with 2–3 Tbsp and 4 cups of icing sugar. Sift together, then add water until the desired consistency is reached. (Set some sugar aside in case you need to thicken the icing later.)

Adding a bit of pure vanilla extract enhances the flavor. If you'll be using a lot of white, skip the vanilla, as it can discolor the icing.

Be sure to separate the icing into bowls if you plan to make several colors!

This guy is first outlined with a #2 round tip. Icing for outlining should be thick but still smooth and glossy. It should fall very slowly from a spoon, and sit on the surface of the icing before gradually blending in.

This snowflake is piped with thick icing, then dropped onto a flat plate of sanding sugar while wet.

To fill your icing bag, insert a coupler inside the bag, then place the tip on the outside. This way you can swap tips without having to empty the entire bag.

Use a wide, flat tip (a ribbon or leaf tip) for quicker flooding.

Once the outlines have set (2 hours or more), you can flood the inside of the cookie. Icing should be thin enough that it spreads out on its own, but thick enough that it doesn't run over the outlines. Use a small offset spatula to coax it into the corners.

Set the bag inside a large water glass and flip the edges over the rim to hold it upright while you pour in the icing.

If squeezing the icing bag is difficult, the icing is too thick; if it falls out of the tip without being squeezed, it's too thin.

Patience is a virtue! Allow the flooded cookies enough time to harden before adding details, to ensure the colors don't run. Leaving them overnight is ideal.

A squeeze bottle (like the kind used for mustard and ketchup) also works well for flooding.

FULL-CIRCLE

FARMING

Food entrepreneur Mollie

Engelhart’s quest for healthy food from healthy soil

BY JENNIFER RICHARDSON | PHOTOS BY MARIAH GREEN

Mollie Engelhart is on a mission to feed more families healthy food from healthy soil.

It all started with a vegan ice cream shop, Kind Kreme, co-founded by Engelhart in 2010 in Los Angeles. The ice cream shops were incorporated into the four Sage Plant Based Bistros that Engelhart now coowns with her husband, Elias Sosa, the first of which was opened in Echo Park in 2011. A second location in Culver City was backed by Woody Har relson, then came a third outlet in Pasadena and, most recently, in 2020, a fourth in Agoura Hills.

But the real game changer for Engelhart was a 2013 TED Talk by soil educator Graeme Sait.

GOLF COURSE TO FARM

“I realized there was something we could do. Prior to that I drove my hybrid, I brought my bags to the grocery store, I drank my oat milk latte, and I felt apathetic.... When I realized there was a path forward, and it was about part nering with the soil, partnering with nature, partnering with plants, I was moved to make a complete shift in my life.”

And eventually she did, moving from a golf-club estate in Granada Hills to a farm in the Ventura County city of Fillmore in 2018 to “grow healthy soil.” That 20-acre farm, called Sow a Heart, is where Engelhart and Sosa started experimenting with regenerative agriculture, an integrated approach to farming that aims to sequester both carbon and water in the soil. Ac cording to the Sow a Heart website, regenerative agriculture includes both “farming and grazing practices that ... reverse climate change by rebuilding soil organic matter and restoring degraded soil biodiversity.”

Engelhart and her husband have since bought two more properties in Fillmore, bringing their total acreage to somewhere between 60 and 70.

Given that Sage Bistro is a plant-based restaurant group, it might be

Bistro photos by Talia Manrique

Engelhart’s eldest child, Osmar, brings a full range of talents as he helps harvest avocados grown on Sow a Heart Farm in Fillmore.

surprising to learn that animals play a key role on the Fillmore farms. Engelhart explains, they are “compost makers, lawn mowers, manure make and fertilizer makers.”

Short sheep—a cross between Dorpers and Babydolls—are bred on the farm for orchard grazing as an alternative for people who don’t want to use chemical weed killers. Dairy cows and goats supply manure and, for the non-vegans living on the farm, milk. They do not slaughter their animals, but Engelhart also volunteers that her husband, Sosa, eats meat and she’s “not someone who believes that there’s only one diet for everybody.”

“Before I was farming and I was just a vegan chef, I had very didactic views about what veganism should be,” she says. “That’s an inquiry that I’m still in. Farming changes the way you look at life and death, because even though we don’t harvest animals, animals die. Nature is cruel.”

Engelhart is forthright in discussing potentially controversial topics beyond the crossroads of veganism and animals in agriculture. Early on in our conversation she acknowledges that Sow a Heart is not her first foray into agriculture. She previously spent many years growing marijuana. “I’m good at farming so I was good at that too.”

FARM TO TABLE ... TO FARM

The relationship between Sow a Heart farm and the Sage Bistro and Brewery enterprise is symbiotic. Engelhart estimates the farm supplies 10–15% of the produce for the restaurants, and scraps from the restaurant and adjacent enterprises are returned to the farm for compost, preventing them from producing harmful methane in landfills. According to the EPA, “methane is more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.” This closed-loop process is one example of how regenerative practices help fight climate change.

(Many California residents became more aware of the problem of food waste in landfill when a law went into effect in January 2022 requiring household food waste recycling. As a result, many of us now separate kitchen scraps into a bag that goes into our garden waste each week.)

Regenerative farming is also more water efficient, a key consideration in drought-ridden California. Engelhart tells me that on one of their Fillmore parcels they used half as much water as a neighbor with a similar-sized property but yielded 20 times as much

Mollie Engelhart and husband Elias Sosa—pictured here with their children Osmar, Rio, Luna and Sol (oldest to youngest)—use food from their regenerative Fillmore farm in their cafés and food waste from their cafés on the farm.

value in produce. She acknowledges it took more labor but uses the example to push back on the idea of needing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to feed the world. “I’m saying, ‘No, we just need more people to care about the earth and more custodians of the earth, and we can use land so much more efficiently.’”

In addition to dining at a Sage Bistro, Angelenos can sample the fruit of Engelhardt’s labor by buying community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm boxes on the Sow a Heart website. About twothirds of the CSA box comes from their farms, with the rest coming from other Ventura County farms that engage in regenerative agriculture, including Ayala Farms. They are also at the Calabasas Farmers’ Market every Saturday.

For a more immersive experience, join a volunteer Sunday at Sow a Heart in Fillmore for land work and a vegan/vegetarian lunch. If you prefer to drink your produce, hops from Sow a Heart are used by Telco Brewery in Santa Clarita and Frogtown Brewery in Los Angeles.

And if you happen to be in Texas, there will soon be another chance to try Engelhart’s food. She and

Sosa recently bought 200 acres in Bandera, Texas—about an hour northwest of San Antonio—where they will undertake holistic planned grazing on a larger scale. “I want to see what’s possible,” Engelhart says.

They also plan to open a Sage Bistro and a Oaxacan restaurant (Sosa is from the Mexican state of Oaxaca) with a shared kitchen and the same farm-to-table concept in San Antonio around the end of the year.

THE PROOF IS ON THE PLATE

Shortly after I interviewed Engelhart, I went to the Sage Bistro in Agoura Hills for dinner. As a mostly vegan eater who loves dining out, I’m used to asking servers in my nicest voice to substitute olive oil for butter or leave the cheese out of a dish. Usually there are a few items on the menu that will work, which is to say I eat a lot of pizza marinara and plant-based burgers.

I am largely resigned to my lot in life being meager menu selections, but Sage, whose plant-based offerings rival the legendary proportions of The Cheesecake Factory’s spiral-bound beast, is a welcome respite. And we’re not just talking run-of-the-mill vegan fare. Yes, there are the requisite salads and smoothies and bowls, but there are also share plates, pizzas, entrées, tacos and sides— enough to cover both sides of the placemat-size menu.

Then there are the supplemental menus—one for booze, including kombuchas, beers, and seltzers from Sage Brews (the brewery is at the Echo Park location), and another for nonalcoholic drinks and desserts. On the latter are juices, smoothies, wellness shots and shakes; coffees, including eight different lattes (sweet potato, anyone?); and 12 flavors of ice cream to eat solo or with one of the 10 house-made desserts, like the bread pudding my husband and I clashed spoons over as we staked our claims to the final bite. In short: If you take an omnivore to Sage and they complain there’s nothing they want to eat, they’re just not trying.

In the Agoura Hills restaurant, Engelhart’s ambition manifests beyond the sprawl of the menu. A TV mounted on a wall runs a loop of videos from her farming-themed YouTube channel. Near the host stand, a corner of the restaurant is dedicated to Sage swag, including apparel and farm-sourced pantry items, from popcorn kernels to orange-based cleaning products. As she spreads her soilbased empire east to Texas this year, I can’t help thinking: This is Engelhart’s world, we all just get to eat in it.

Jennifer Richardson is the author of Americashire: A Field Guide to a Marriage, an Indie Reader Discovery Award winner for travel writing. She and her British husband consider themselves lucky to call both Ventura and a village in the English Cotswolds home. To learn more, visit JenniferRichardson.net.

Photo by Talia Manrique

Even Engelhart’s youngest child, Sol, helps harvest avocados at Sow a Heart Farm in Fillmore.

10 Ways to Turkey

IL�USTRATIONS BY RAMIAH CHU

oliday gatherings are often all about tradition. Sometimes our nostalgia is built around memories of food and family. Even if something in us wants things to be the same, mixing it up can create new and exciting memories and also challenge the way things have always been.

Hbuilt around memories of food and the as

Turkeys are not just for Thanksgiving dinner. In fact, many people are becoming more aware of the potential issues with the American narrative of the Thanksgiving story in relation to the Native people, and are considering how to celebrate, if at all. But there is no reason to do away with the delicious turkey feast altogether. With the plethora of ideas for leftovers shared in these pages, you don’t need a holiday as a reason to roast a turkey on any Sunday and then feed the family for the entire week.

Editor’s Note: Nixing the turkey altogether, in favor of fish or vegan fare, is another great way to switch things up.

Traditiona y Roasted

Universal turkey tip #1: In each of the different cooking methods below, the turkey can be seasoned with your favorite rub, doused in your favorite basting fat or brined with your favorite salts and acids.

Seasoned with your favorite rub (see page 27 for ours) and fat of choice (salted butter, local olive oil, coconut oil, bacon fat). Lay the turkey in a roasting pan on roasting rack, breast side down. If your bird is small enough, you can flip it (hopefully not at anyone) at the end of the cooking process to crisp up the skin.

Temperature: 325°F

Time: 15 minutes per pound unstuffed; about 18 minutes per pound stuffed

Universal turkey tip #2: When seasoning a turkey, consider putting a large percentage of the seasonings, with fat, underneath the skin. This holds it in place to infuse the meat with more flavor during the cooking process.

Tips: Roasting your bird breast side down helps the meat to stay juicy. After removing from oven, cover with foil for 10 to 20 minutes before slicing. Remove stuffing before slicing.

Deep Fried

Stories of deep-fried turkey fires litter the internet. But if done right and carefully, deep-frying a turkey can be a safe and satisfying accomplishment. While we offer the basics here, it is a good idea to research safety and best practices before attempting this for the first time.

Temperature: Start with low temps (275°F) and increase heat to about 350°F after you add the turkey to the oil. This will prevent some of the splattering that can sometimes occur.

Time: This method cooks a turkey very quickly. Expect about 3–4 minutes per pound or 30–45 minutes for the whole bird.

Tips: For safety, never use a deep-fryer inside or near the house. It is best to set up the fryer on a flat surface at least 10 feet away from structures, trees or anything combustible.

Work slowly when lowering the turkey into the oil. Consider wearing heavy-duty protective gear.

To determine how much oil you will need, place your uncooked turkey in the frying pot. Add water until it covers the bird byhalf an inch. Remove the turkey, draining any excess water backinto the pot. Mark a line in the pot or measure the water left.This will be the amount of oil you will use. Be sure to completely dry the pot before adding the oil.

While the oil is heating up, take the turkey out of the fridge and completely dry it.

“Scarborough Fair” Poultry Herb Rub

This rub is so simple and can be made with either fresh or dried herbs. Use immediately with fresh herbs. If using dried herbs, the mix can be kept in a sealed container for 3 to 6 months.

1 small bunch parsley

1 small bunch sage

2–3 sprigs rosemary

4–5 sprigs thyme

4–5 sprigs marjoram

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Remove rosemary and thyme leaves from woody stems. Finely chop all herbs. Mix together with salt and pepper. Rub on poultry with choice of fat.

Sourcing Turkeys

Find out which of your local farms are growing heritage turkeys this year and support local with your purchases. Remember to get your orders in early as many of these farms and markets sell out.

Where to Start:

Buy Ranch Direct

Huntington Beach

BuyRanchDirect.com

Harmony Farms

HarmonyFarmsCA.com 818-248-3068

Harvest Gathering Farm

Ventura | Ventura County HarvestGatheringFarm.com

Casitas Valley Pastures

Ojai

CasitasValleyPastures.com

Spatchcocked on the Gri

Spatchcocking or butterflying is a method of cooking poultry that removes the backbone and lays out the meat flat for faster cooking. Best if your bird is on the smaller side; 10–14 pounds is perfect for this method, depending on the size of your grill.

Temperature: Prepare your grill using indirect heat to about 350°F.

Time: Plan for about 7–8 minutes per pound.

Tips: Use sharp kitchen shears to cut out the backbone, starting at the tail, and save it to use in the gravy or for broth later. (See recipe on page 30.)

Season as usual but be sure to season all sides.

If you do not have a grill or don’t want to use one, spatchcocking can also be used to roast a turkey more quickly in the oven.

Smoked

Smokers have been all the rage over the past couple of years. According to the market research company NPD Group, Inc., American consumers spent more than $4.9 billion on grills, smokers and related products during the first year of the pandemic. If you are one of those buyers, this option might be a fun one to try!

Temperature: 250–300°F

Time: Plan for about 45 minutes per pound of turkey, but budget in an extra 30 minutes just to be on the safe side. If you want to crisp up the skin, plan for about 45 minutes in the oven at 350°F.

Tips: Stick to smaller turkeys to fit in the smoker. 8–12 pounds unstuffed is usually perfect.  Cook your stuffing in the oven instead of in the bird.

Put a drip pan under your turkey to collect drippings for the gravy.

SpitRoasted

Spit-roasting is basically rotisserie. If you are fortunate enough to have a rotisserie roaster, follow the instructions to roast your bird, 12 pounds or smaller, with your choice of herbs and fats. If not, you can still spit-roast with a grill kit that will cost between $50 and $200. Do not spit-roast if stuffed.

Temperature: 325–350°F

Time: Figure on about 15–20 minutes per pound.

Tips: Collect the drippings in a drip pan and/or roast potatoes under the bird to catch the drippings.

SAFETY NOTE #1: Stuffing that is roasted inside a turkey will be done when it reaches 165°F. When eating it as leftovers, it should be reheated to the same temperature.

SAfety note #2: No matter which way you cook turkey, to be safe for consumption it should reach an internal temperature of 165°F as read by a meat thermometer inserted 2–3 inches into the thickest part of the meat near a bone.

Brined

Brining is a method of soaking with a salt water solution prior to cooking. For some, brining is a little bit of insurance in case of overcooking. Typically, a brined bird will retain more of its moisture when cooked.

Preparations: This can be done with any sized bird. Remove any giblets. Prepare salt water by heating 1 quart of water and dissolving 1 cup of kosher salt into it. In a container large enough to hold the entire bird covered in water, add flavors like cloves, lemon peels and herbs to the turkey. Pour in salt water, then additional cold water until the turkey is covered completely. Soak for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Tips: Weigh the turkey down with a plate or bowl before covering the container.

If your fridge’s crisper drawer is leak proof and big enough, it can be used as your brining container to save space.

Only brine turkeys that have not been pre-processed. Do not use if labeled “kosher,” “pre-brined,” “enhanced” or “self-basting.” For that matter, see page 27 for where to find fresh pasture-raised turkeys locally.

Skip the salt in your seasoning.

Brined birds can sometimes cook a little faster than unbrined. Best to keep an eye on internal temperatures about an hour before estimated finished time.

Bourbon Brined: For something really special, add ½ to ¾ cup bourbon plus ¾ cup maple syrup (or ¾ cup brown sugar dissolved in 2 cups water) to your brine solution.

Braised

Braising is a process of cooking meat in liquid about halfway covered, generally on the stovetop with vegetables, but it can also be finished in the oven. In this method, the turkey will be pre-cut into breast, thigh and leg sections.

Temperature: In a large pot with olive oil or butter, start with medium-high heat to sear the skin and cook the vegetables until just tender. Then lower heat to medium-low to simmer (covered) after adding liquid. At this point, if the oven is preferred, cook covered at 350°F.

Time: The turkey will need to cook for about an hour, checking for doneness of the different sections. The breast will cook faster than the thighs and legs.

Tips: Liquids for braising can include water, broth or stock, wine, spirits, beer or any combination that works.

If using the stove and oven, the pot used should be oven-safe.

The turkey should be removed from the pan after searing to cook vegetables, then returned to the pan just before liquid is added.

When the turkey is done, the pan can be deglazed and the drippings used to make a gravy.

Recipes

Sausage and Wild Rice Stu ing

Stepping out of the traditional box can feel a little safer when some of the traditional flavors are retained. This stuffing is a tried-and-true option for those with gluten sensitivities, with a nod to a bread-based stuffing seasoning. Using fresh seasonal ingredients keeps this side dish as a main focus and maybe even the star of the show. Pairs extremely well with the Giblet Turkey Gravy. We typically double the recipe to make sure we have extra for leftovers.

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2–3 stalks celery, diced

2–3 carrots, diced

¼ cup mushrooms, diced (optional)

1–2 zucchini, diced

2–5 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon Chinese salted black beans, minced (can be found at most Asian markets)

3 tablespoons “Scarborough Fair” Poultry Herb Rub (see page 27)

½ cup cooked wild rice

2½ cups cooked basmati rice (California eco-grown)

1 pound bulk Italian sausage (use your favorite—chicken, turkey or pork), cooked and crumbled

Sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, sauté onions in olive oil or butter for about 3–5 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, zucchini and garlic and cook for another 2–3 minutes.

Gluten-Free Turkey Giblet Gravy

Whether you struggle with making roux or need to stay away from gluten for other reasons, this is a great solution to the gravy problem. This gravy uses a homemade turkey stock that can easily be swapped out for chicken or beef.

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

Giblets from 1 turkey (neck, liver, heart and gizzards)

Turkey backbone (if spatchcocking)

6 cups water

Optional herbs

Drippings from cooked turkey, plus 2–4 tablespoons of rice stuffing Cornstarch (or cassava flour)

Salt and pepper to taste

The day before or morning of:

In a 4-quart stockpot, melt butter over medium-high heat. When melted, add giblets and backbone. Brown on all sides.

Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. If desired, add herbs of choice (bay, thyme, sage, rosemary, etc.)

Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for at least 6–8 hours, adding water as needed to keep giblets covered completely. Remove giblets from stock and remove bones. Finely chop all offal and meat from neck and back.

If made ahead, stock and chopped giblet meat can be refrigerated in tightly sealed containers in the refrigerator.

On the Feast Day:

After turkey is cooked, remove turkey from roasting pan and place pan over 2 burners at medium-low heat on the stove.

Add 1 cup of premade turkey stock and whisk well. In ½ cup of water or cooled stock, add 3 tablespoons of cornstarch or cassava flour. Whisk until smooth and add this slurry slowly into pan, whisking continuously.

Put cooked vegetables in a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix until all is incorporated together.

Use a spoon or a gloved hand to stuff the turkey. Put remaining stuffing into a casserole dish and roast alongside the turkey for the last hour of cooking. All stuffing should be 165°F when done.

Save leftovers for other recipes.

Add 1–2 cups of warm stock and stir until gravy begins to thicken. If it is too thick, add more stock. If it is too runny, make another slurry with water/ stock and 2 tablespoons cassava/cornstarch and add in small increments until gravy is desired thickness.  Stir in giblets and reserved rice stuffing to make a slightly chunky gravy.

Ideas for Leftovers

Leftovers are most people’s favorite part of the turkey feast. Turkey sandwiches with a garlic aioli, cranberry relish and a touch of gravy on toasted or grilled sourdough is a leftover staple that can’t be beat. But why stop there? Here are some easy ideas to use up the leftovers without having the same meal every day for

Turkey En ad

Turkey P Pie

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Turkey and Rice S p

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CHEF JESUS MEDINA

We love getting a look at what chefs keep in their own kitchens. What we find can sometimes surprise and inspire us.

What is your kitchen’s style?

It is an open-plan kitchen with an island for prep.

What is your favorite kitchen gadget?

A Japanese mandoline

What is your absolute must-have pantry item?  Tajin and Salsa Valentina

What is your favorite trendy tool?  Sous vide machine

Most used spice other than salt and pepper?  Mediterranean herbs de Provence

Tell us something about your kitchen that would surprise most people.

My eclectic knife collection, which began when I started cooking

What ingredients live on your counter?

Fresh basil

Favorite local ingredient?

Olive oil from Ojai

Most used/favorite pan?

A large cast-iron pan

What is your favorite blade?

7-inch Japanese chef knife

Executive Chef, Coin & Candor, Four Seasons Hotel, Westlake Village

Photo by Viktor Budnik

PINTO BEANS ENFRIJOLADAS

BY CHEF JESUS MEDINA | PHOTO BY VIKTOR BUDNIK

Editor’s note: This recipe was first shared in our Edible for Kids, Ventura County, celebrating pinto beans from Kandarian Organic Farms in Los Osos. It was so delicious that it has become a staple in our household, made almost exclusively by the 16-year-old.

Jesus Medina is the executive chef at Coin & Candor, the restaurant inside the Four Seasons, Westlake Village. He grew up in Acuna, Mexico and learned to be curious about food by watching his mother create delicious traditional cuisine. He loves creating original dishes for the restaurant using locally sourced ingredients.

Serves 2

2 cups pinto beans

4 cups water

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

4 corn tortillas

¾ cup pulled rotisserie chicken

Salt and pepper to taste

1 bunch fresh cilantro

¼ cup queso fresco

1 avocado

¼ cup pickled red onions

Wash the pinto beans and strain them.

Repeat. In a bowl, cover beans in water and let soak overnight. Drain.

In a pot, put water, beans, half the onion, a garlic clove, bay leaf and salt and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes, or until beans are just tender.

Transfer beans to a blender, with their liquid, and blend until smooth. Set aside.

In a frying pan, sauté the chicken with the rest of the onion and sliced garlic clove and season with a bit of salt and pepper, just until hot.

Heat tortillas using preferred method, (nonstick pan, directly over heat, castiron pan, etc.), then fill each one with a spoonful of chicken mixture and fold like a taco.

Pour the bean sauce over the top of the filled tortillas and garnish with cilantro, queso fresco, avocado and pickled red onions and serve.

Abundance in the City

The Rising Urban Foraging Movement

PHOTOS AND WORDS BY JESS STARWOOD

The word foraging often conjures either pastoral imagery of country folk gathering wild fruits and berries in the forest with woven baskets or, possibly, a less idyllic scenes of rum maging through refuse. While those are adequate definitions on each end of the spectrum, modern-day foraging lies somewhere in between. Imagine walking through your neighborhood during any season in Southern California and picking fresh fruit to bring home for yourself and your family. From perfectly ripe figs, grapes, olives, apples, ber ries, passionfruit, feijoas, loquats, sapotes, citrus of every variety, to unusual fruits like natal plums, lilly pillys and strawberry tree fruit are abundant on city streets. These fruit trees often go unnoticed, unhar vested and leave a mess every year. Urban foraging makes use of what normally would go to waste, increasing food security while reducing the carbon footprint of relying on commercially packaged foods.

Get to Know Your Neighbors

Not everyone has the space or capacity to grow their own food, so joining forces with others who do can be beneficial for both parties. Check in with elderly or busy neighbors who might not be able to make use of their excess fruits, or folks who have had their fill early in the season are often eager to pass along the excess. Express your gratitude by gifting the owners with a jam, preserves or a treat made with the bounty.

Is It Legal?

Collecting fruit that hangs over sidewalks and alleys is perfectly legal but it is illegal to trespass and harvest from private property without permission. Be sure to check local laws in your area. Often a simple

knock at the door and asking the owner to collect any excess fruit usually ends successfully. Property owners who have mature trees, es pecially citrus, often will have more fruit than they can use and are usually happy to share. Foraging is generally off limits in public parks and open spaces in California. Other regions in the country are begin ning to become more forager-friendly, allowing certain harvests in city parks. Harvest only what you need and will use, leaving the rest for hungry birds and other foragers who may be in need of sustenance.

Is It Safe?

It is important to know exactly what you’re picking. There are plenty of urban ornamental plants that have toxic fruits. Check out a region al field guide such as Foraging California by Christopher Nyerges, or take a class to learn first-hand what to look for and what to avoid.

As people learn to find and forage for food in their neighbor hoods, questions arise about where and in what conditions the plant is growing. Is it in a high-traffic area among trash and where street runoff accumulates? Is there lead in the soil?

Foraging creates a connection that makes us acutely aware of what contaminates our foods. When we begin to appreciate the value in our environment, we are more apt to protect it. As we build a re lationship with the trees and plants that offer their fruits year after year, we directly feel the impact if they are sprayed with poisonous herbicides, if the soil becomes contaminated with toxic waste, or if they are cut down and roots covered by concrete.

Urban foraging can be a great way to get outside and connect with your family and community while deepening your relationship with your food. Just be sure to check local laws in your area and get to know your neighbors.

Get to Know Your Area

Endless Orchard, a project of Fallen Fruit (fallenfruit.org) offers neighborhood maps that show where fruit trees grow in the city. Users can add their observations about the maps to the database. Other groups, classes and opportunities are on the rise. An increasingly popular local foraging group for women, Women Forage SoCal, started by forager Bat Vardeh, brings the foraging (and foragingcurious) community together with free group events and by sharing locations of overabundant and neglected fruit.

Jess Starwood, a SoCal herbalist, forager and chef, educates about wild food, herbal medicine and our natural connections to the land through what we eat. She holds a master of science degree in herbal medicine and is the author of Mushroom Wanderland: A Forager’s Guide to Finding, Identifying and Using 25 Wild Fungi, available on her website. JStarwood.com @jess.starwood

PLASTICFREE HOLIDAYS

Reducing waste, one celebration at a time

BY GISA SEEHOLZER | PHOTO BY TAMI CHU ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADRIEL CHU

Anew type of “stone” has made its way into the geological record, formed when plastic fuses together beach sediment and other natural materials through heat like campfires or lava flow. The name it has been given, plastiglomerate, suggests the impact of the evolution of plastic waste.

According to a 2017 study by Roland Geyer of UC Santa Barbara and colleagues, “We estimate that 8,300 million metric tons (Mt) of virgin plastics have been produced to date. As of 2015, approximately 6,300 Mt of plastic waste had been generated, around 9% of which had been recycled, 12% was incinerated and 79% was accumulated in landfills or the natural environment. If current production and waste management trends continue, roughly 12,000 Mt of plastic waste will be in landfills or in the natural environment by 2050.”

In fact, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tells us that there are at least three giant garbage patches in the world’s oceans, each made up of about 79,000 metric tons of marine debris—bits of varying sized plastics, both from land and fishing gear—that swirl throughout the water column. These plastics have been found in the stomachs of up to 114 different species of marine animals, about half of which could end up on your plate.

It is no wonder several countries and many California counties are introducing legislation to limit or ban single-use plastic, from grocery bags to straws in restaurants. But individually, we can also make a difference. Plastic pollution is a human-made problem with human solutions.

While a zero-waste lifestyle might feel out of reach for many, we have put together several ideas to help you transform your winter celebrations to plastic-free and reduced-waste events. Even committing to just two or three new habits can have a ripple effect locally and perhaps globally.

GIFT WRAPPING

Most conventional wrapping paper is not recyclable. It is estimated that about half of the paper produced per year ends up in landfills.

• Instead, try wrapping with newspaper, cloth, kitchen tea or dish towels, shopping totes or veggie bags.

• To tie, try twine, hemp, metal wire or strips of scrap fabric.

• For decoration, create your own tags from old pieces of cardboard, wooden scraps or homemade paper. Use real plants, herbs, cinnamon sticks or vintage jewelry for embellishment.

• If you are considering a holiday card or holiday invite, look into sending an e-card or e-vite.

Cookies pictured made by Popsweets Bakery in Simi Valley.

PARTY TIME TIPS

Food brings people together. While many winter celebrations have their own culinary traditons, they can all share these practices.

SOURCING FOOD

Instead of a cut tree: 1) Use a live tree and plant it or donate it after the holidays. 2) Trim a potted rosemary bush to the shape of a Christmas tree, then leave it potted or plant it for fresh herbs year round. 3) Collect driftwood and design a wall tree or 3-D tree sculpture.

Thin-slice citrus to dry and hang or to make

Buy local ingredients at the farmers’ market.

Bring your own produce bags and bulk-buy containers on shopping trips.

Stop by the checkout counter to get tare weight of your containers.

Leave several cloth grocery bags in your car or with your bicycle gear so you always have one.

SETTING THE TABLE

Try to avoid all throwaway products. If you don’t have enough settings, ask guests to bring their own or buy extra sets at thrift stores.

Use dishes made from organic compostable materials: unbleached paper, bamboo, leaves, or cardboard with no inks or glues.

If you don’t have enough napkins, use colorful scraps of fabric cut into squares. (Source fabric from thrift stores.)

MEAL PREP

Compost your scraps and parchment paper.

If you don’t compost or have pickup, check with your guests or find local programs.

Send guests home with leftovers and a recipe that uses them creatively.

Make wreaths and garlands out of thyme and rosemary. After the holidays use the dried herbs for cooking.

Your local honey vendor also sells wax for candle-making and maybe ready-made candles as well.

After the holidays, plant-based items used as decorations can easily be tossed into the garden or compost, which helps to reduce waste and improves your garden’s soil.

Eco-Friendly DECORATING TIPS and GIFT IDEAS

Handmade pottery from a local artist

Homemade beeswax candles or crayons

Homemade or locally purchased soaps, lotions and salves

Consumables: baked breads, pies, cookies, cupcakes, jams, cheese and honey

Native plants or herbs in plantable/ compostable containers

Donations to local nonprofits

Membership to a local

E-Gift cards to experiences in local area: movies, workshops, classes, local theater, etc

in local area: movies, workshops, classes, local

How to keep your holiday party plastic free

FARMERS’ MARKET GUIDE

TUESDAY

1 Glendale Gateway Certi ed Farmers’ Market

Tuesday 10am-2pm

801 N. Brand Blvd.

Glendale SupportingArms.org/events.html

2 Hidden Hills Farmers’ Market (Exclusive Community Market) Tuesday 3-7pm

@ccfminc

3 Sherman Oaks Farmers’ Market

Tuesday 3-7pm

14006 Riverside Dr. Sherman Oaks RawInspiration.org

4 CSUN Farmers’ Market

Tuesday 10am-2pm

18111 Nordho Northridge RawInspiration.org

WEDNESDAY

5 Altadena Farmers’ Market

Wednesday 3-8pm

600 W. Palm St. Altadena AltadenaFarmersMarket.com

6 Canyon Country Farmers’ Market

Wednesdays 4-8pm

18410 Sierra Hwy.

Santa Clarita CanyonCountryFarmersMarket.com

7 The Oaks Farmers’ Market (Exclusive Community Market)

Wednesday 2-7pm

25464 Prado De Las Flores Calabasas @ccfminc

8 Northridge Farmers’ Market and Family Festival

Wednesday 5-9pm

9301 Tampa Ave.

Northridge Fashion Center Mall Northridge Northridge-Farmers-Market-and-Family-Festival.business.site

THURSDAY

9 South Pasadena Farmers’ Market

Thursdays 4pm-8pm

920 Meridian Ave. South Pasadena

SouthPasadenaFarmersMarket.org

FRIDAY

10 Monrovia Farmers’ Market

Fridays 5-9pm

South Myrtle Ave. Monrovia

MonroviaStreetFairMarket.com

11 Olive View Medical Center

Certi ed Farmers’ Market

Fridays 9am- 2pm

14445 Olive View Dr. Sylmar SupportingArms.org/events.html

12 Reseda Farmers’ Market Friday 4-8pm

8500 Reseda Blvd. Reseda @ccfminc

*Opening October 14

13 Warner Center Farmers’ Market Friday 10am-2pm

21255 Burbank Blvd. Woodland Hills RawInspiration.org

*Opening October 19

SATURDAY

14 Agoura Hills Farmers’ Market

at Whizen Market Square

Saturdays 11am-4pm

28914 Roadside Dr. Agoura Hills RawInspiration.org

15 Burbank Farmers’ Market

Saturday 8am-12pm

101 N. Glenoaks Blvd. Burbank

BurbankFarmersMarket.org

FOR SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, SANTA CLARITA AND PASADENA

16 Main Street Canoga Park

Farmers’ Market

Saturday 9am-1:30pm

7248 Owensmouth Ave.

Canoga Park CoastalPaci cMarkets.com

17 La Cañada Flintridge

Farmers Market

Saturdays 9am- 1pm

1346 Foothill Blvd. La Cañada Flintridge RawInspiration.org

18 NoHo Farmers’ Market

Saturday 9:30am- 2:30pm

5331 Bakman Ave.

North Hollywood FarmersMarketNorthHollywood.com

19 Old Town Calabasas

Farmers’ Market

Saturday 8am-1pm

23504 Calabasas Rd. Calabasas CCFM.com

20 Old Town Newhall Farmers’ Market

Saturday 8:30am-1pm

24500 Main St.

Santa Clarita NewhallFarmersMarket.com

21 Pasadena Victory Park Farmers’ Market

Saturdays 8am-12:30pm

2925 E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Pasadena PasadenaFarmersMarket.org

22 Woodland Hills Farmers’ Market Saturdays 8am-1pm 5650 Shoup Ave. 818-300-3023

SUNDAY

23 Atwater Village Farmers’ Market

Saturdays 9am-2pm

3528 Larga Ave. Atwater Village SeeLA.org/markets-atwater-village

24 Encino Farmers’ Market Sunday 8am-1pm

17400 Victory Blvd.

Van Nuys

Sepulveda Basin

OneGeneration.org/farmers-market

25 Montrose Farmers’ Market Sundays 8am-1pm

2300-2314 Honolulu Ave.

Glendale ShopMontrose.com/harvest-market-and-marketplace

26 Santa Clarita Certi ed Farmers’ Market Sundays 8am-noon

College of the Canyons Parking lot 5 Valencia Blvd. & Rockwell Canyon Rd. Santa Clarita Vccfm.org

27 Studio City Farmers’ Market Sunday 8am-1pm Ventura Pl.

Studio City StudioCityFarmersMarket.com

28 Toluca Lake Farmers’ Market Sunday 9:30am-2:30pm

Wells Fargo Lot 10225 Riverside Dr. North Hollywood TolucaLakeFarmersMarket.org

29 Westlake Farmers’ Market Sundays 10am-2pm

2797 Agoura Rd. Rawinspiration.org

This list was updated September 2022 but as details do change, please contact the markets for the latest information.

If you know of another farmers’ market that is not listed, please let us know at info@ediblesfvalley.com.

CSAs

Coldwater

ColdwaterFarmHub.com

South Central

CHOCOLATE CHIP BRIOCHE BREAD PUDDING WITH PUMPKIN

BY CHEF ERIC KOPELOW

Fall is time for pumpkin everything! In this chefdeveloped recipe, enjoy a new twist on both pumpkin and bread pudding, using a fluffy brioche bread either made at home or purchased from a local bakery.

Serves 8

eggs

ounces heavy cream

cup unsalted butter, melted

cup pumpkin purée

cup granulated sugar

cup brown sugar

teaspoon vanilla extract

teaspoon salt

teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon cayenne pepper

teaspoon allspice

ounces brioche bread, cubed

cup chocolate chips

Whipped cream and cut strawberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a half sheet pan with nonstick spray or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, heavy cream, butter, pumpkin purée, sugars, vanilla, salt, cinnamon powder, cayenne pepper and allspice until well combined.

In another large bowl, place the brioche cubes and chocolate chips, then add in the egg mixture. Fold ingredients together well, making sure the liquid is absorbed into the bread.

Pour bread mixture onto the half sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until set.

Remove from oven, let cool slightly, then flip onto a large serving tray.

Chill and serve with fresh whipped cream and strawberries.

Executive vice president of Cedarlane Natural Foods, Chef Eric Kopelow, CEC, is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. Career highlights include: chief operating officer of Gourmet Foods; vice president and corporate executive chef at Universal Studios; 2010 Chef Magazine’s “Chef of the Year” and induction into CIA’s Great Chef Series in 2000.

At American

we believe agriculture is strengthened through diversity, just like the soil.