edible ® Ojai & Ventura County CELEBRATING LOCAL FOOD & DRINK, SEASON BY SEASON MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES ISSUE 82 • FALL 2022
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FALL 2022 3EdibleVenturaCounty.com Success Starts With Great Soil G&B Organics Soils & Fertilizers are made from quality ingredients that build life in the soil for gardening success. GB-Organics.com Available ONLY at Independent Garden Centers For Organic Use OMRI.org B & B Do-It Center 698 Mobil Avenue Camarillo, CA 93010 (805) 388-1067 Flora Gardens 245 Old Baldwin Road Ojai, CA 93023 (805) 640-0055 Green Thumb NurseryVentura 1899 Victoria Avenue Ventura, CA 93003 (805) 642-8517 Meiners Oaks Hardware 121 E El Roblar Drive Ojai, CA 93023 (805) 646-7234 Watcher Hay & Grain 114 S Montgomery Street Ojai, CA 93023 (805) 646-4581
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FEATURES 18
BY TRACY VALERI FOOD FOR THOUGHT Slow Food
60 FARMERS’ MARKETS 62 DINING
BY TINA THAYER EDIBLE BYMail-OrderENDEAVORAbundanceSUZANNELUCE GROW WITH IT Kitchen Scraps Gardening
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21 Green
Mulled Red Wine Ice Cream
Warm and savory, this tart created by Caroline Gustafson (the marmalade lady) is perfect paired with any weather and any wine and at any time of day, quintessentially representing fall in Ventura County. Photo by Mariah Green. Recipe on page 16.
LA Playa Soul Kitchen Juice Swell TABLE FINDS GUIDE FIRST BYNourishPERSONtoLearnJULIASANBARTOLOME EDIBLE CHEFS Clean Sweep
20 Gluten
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44 FORAGING
BY GWENDOLYN ALLEY VENTURA COUNTY WINE GUIDE MUST BE 21 Breaking the Rules
CONTENTS FALL 2022 4 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County
Saticoy Food Hub
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14 Pain
19 Vegan
BY EMILY PAYNE AND DANIELLE NIERENBERG
14 SEASONAL
A classic pairing. Photo by Viktor Budnik at Paradise Pantry in Ventura. Story on page 36. FROM THE PUBLISHER EDIBLE NOTABLES
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ON THIS PAGE
RECIPES Perdu with Onion Wine Marmalade Goat Cheese and Leek Tart and Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies Free Cornbread Lemonade Salad Dressing Wine GrilledSausageRecipes:andGrapesLambMedallions
BY SUZANNE LUCE EDIBLE COMMUNITIES WITH FOODTANK Is Plastic Waste the Cost of Eating?
54 Robin’s
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45 Elderberry
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COVER
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with Grape Glaze
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Gwendolyn Alley
Doug Adrianson design
I find this a fascinating look into the human condition. It opens up worlds of possibilities for tasting discoveries and also gives new context to our article “Breaking the Rules for Perfect Pairings” by Paradise Pantry co-owner Tina Thayer (page 34).
Ojai & Ventura County publisher & editor
contact us
Wine.
LETTER
Anne Kallas • Suzanne Luce
from the Editor 6 FALL 2022 BudnikViktorbyPhoto
Tracy Valeri photographers
Gwendolyn Alley • Julia San Bartolome
Edible Ojai & Ventura County 2470 Stearns St. #142 Simi Valley, CA info@edibleventuracounty.com805-622-935593063
A recent scientific review of the psychology of wine (Charles Spence, 2020) found that the tasting experience can be affected by a multitude of sensory contexts. For example, the perception of flavor in a certain wine can be influenced by consuming it while listening to different genres of music. So, pairing a wine with a particular food (which admittedly highlights flavor notes) and a specific music can give the taster a completely different experience than the same wine paired with different food and music.
In the meantime, as the nights cool into fall and the light of day grows shorter, and as water rationing challenges even the most skilled gardener (check out some tips on page 64), I hope that this issue inspires you to make some unconventional choices to create new and delightful food and wine experiences.
Happy eating!
Viktor Budnik • Tami Chu
Edible Ojai & Ventura County
Tami Chu copy editor
Mary mary@edibleventuracounty.comDiCesare subscriptions
Centuries of culture, lore, symbolism and technique (in growing, harvest and fermentation) surround this popular drink. Wine has crossed nearly every national border and despite a teetotaling tradition in some religions, it is the most discussed alcoholic beverage in the JudeoChristian Bible. It is also arguably the most studied drink, second perhaps only to water.
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Robin Goldstein • Caroline Gustafson
Cheryl Angelina Koehler contributors
Ramiah Chu • Claudia Pardo sales
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The same can be (and has been) said about our perception of food. A dish eaten in a busy restaurant might be delicious, but try experiencing the same dish, by the same chef, sitting at a table set up in a field at sunset, next to the farmer who grew the ingredients. I suspect there might be some different flavors that pop.
I honestly wish I could have dedicated this entire issue to the exploration of wine and culture, but with limited time and space, instead we focused on bringing you an updated Wine Guide (page 30) and several recipes made or paired with local wines. I suspect that talking to the dedicated winemakers and wine connoisseurs at the listed wineries and shops would bring many interesting stories to life.
Mariah Green • Jess Starwood illustrators
info@edibleventuracounty.comEdibleVenturaCounty.com
Founded 2002 by Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian, Edible Ojai & Ventura County 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.
Jess Starwood • Tina Thayer
“That’s the reason we wanted to create a food hub,” Doehr says. “Our mission has been to create equitable opportunities. Saticoy is a food desert with no grocery store within the com munity. A lot of folks are elderly or otherwise can’t make it to the grocery store.”
8 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County EDIBLE Notables
The first order of business for the Saticoy Food Hub was to earn nonprofit status. Chavez is the food bank coordinator, and one of a three-member board of directors that oversees the project.
Saticoy Food hub is working hard to bring fresh food to an underserved community. Follow @saticoyfarmersmarket to learn about events like this one.
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The other two members are Katee Gustavson (recycling and compost coordinator at University of California, Santa Barba ra) and Leann Guzik of Ventura, who is a landscape designer by trade. Guzik says she lived in the Saticoy area on Jazmin Avenue, explaining that much of the traditional Saticoy area has been swal lowed up by the city of Ventura.
SATICOYHOMEBACKFOODBRINGINGTO
t’s hard to spot from the highways 126 and 118 that almost encircle it, but back behind the fields and new housing lies the small unincorporated community of Old Town Saticoy, where people struggle to find good, fresh food within walking distance. Calling Saticoy a “USDA-designated food desert,” Sierra Doehr created the nonprofit Saticoy Food Hub to try to alleviate some of the food insecurity in the community where there is no nearby access to fresh produce.
BY ANNE KALLAS
HubFoodSaticoyofcourtesyPhotos
Having grown up in the eastern part of Ventura, Doehr feels a strong connection with the Saticoy community, which she ad opted over a decade ago. “I was raised in East Ventura. I went to elementary school at Sacred Heart school. I’ve always been familiar with Saticoy,” she says. “My partner is Daniel Chavez. We met in college. He and his family took me in and I moved to Old Town Saticoy in 2011. I felt so accepted by his fami ly. I felt connected to the community. That house was finally condemned and we took the place where the house stood and turned it into a micro farm.”
In the meantime, she is reaching out to residents virtually, walk ing them through the various licensing requirements to be food providers.
Board member Guzik says she is exploring ways to tap into the backyard produce available in many of the area properties. “I’ve reached out to the ag commissioner. We’re looking into the process to be a certified producer,” she says. “In alignment with our mission, we are working with individuals to create economic opportunities via their vegetable and fruit gardens. There are so many who have avocado trees or something on the properties around here with excess produce, and food and economics go hand in hand.”
It has been a nightmare to open the Saticoy farmers’ market that the Saticoy Food Hub hopes to establish, Doehr says. “Finding a lo cation has been the most difficult,” she says. Initially they were hop ing to block off Violeta Street, visible from the 118 highway. But the zoning regulations were too onerous, and there was also a stipulation that the California Highway Patrol would need to be involved.
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
For information about the Saticoy farmers’ market, to make a virtual appointment or to learn ways you can help, visit SaticoyFoodHub.org.
According to Doehr, the Saticoy farmers market will provide more than local farmers bringing fresh produce to the community. “It will be a community event!”
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Plans for the Saticoy farmers’ market include offering information to residents in Spanish and English about becoming cottage food providers, making food at home kitchens that have been approved by Ventura County. Doehr says she also wants to provide a mobile hot food facility and kids’ activities, including a program where the youngsters can complete activities to earn tokens and then use those to make their own food choices at the market. She is looking into grants to both enable the hub to offer electronic benefits transfers (EBT) to residents who receive assistance and to be able to add match ing donations to EBT users to stretch their monthly food allocations.
Doehr asked for help from the Social Justice Fund for Ventura County, which is a nonprofit that offers fellowships to community members to support them as they become leaders. The Social Justice Fund has provided some funding for the project, and currently pays Doehr a small stipend for her to work, “one-quarter time, which I never do. I do much, much more.”
“They also provide mentors. They set up connection with [Ventu ra County Supervisor] Matt LaVere, and they identified Saticoy Park as a likely site. We obtained a special use permit through Ventura County Parks and Recreation, and thought we were good to go. But then, Ventura County Planning [Division] said Saticoy Park is not zoned for a farmers’ market so we need a conditional use permit, which is still processing,” says Doehr, who hopes to open the farmers’ market once a month starting in August.
radition is important to Liz Garcia Bynum and Akeem Bynum. So im portant that it’s the soul of their cook ing. That’s what LA Playa Soul Kitchen brings to Port Hueneme: a marriage of the couple’s backgrounds presented in a menu of unique treats.
Akeem spent his early years moving around with his family because his stepfa ther was a U.S. Marine. He spent time on the East Coast in Portsmouth, Virginia, right off of the Chesapeake Bay; also in Hawaii, in San Diego and finally in Port Hueneme.
“We’re high school sweethearts from Hueneme High School,” Liz says. “We met while in student government together. We’ve been together for 19 years.”
LA PLAYA SOUL KITCHEN BRINGS NEW SOUL TO PORT HUENEME
Liz’s family comes from the Guanajuato state in central Mexico. She says her mother, Elia Cabrera, is a natural cook, who insists on overseeing most of the special spice mix tures used at LA Playa Soul Kitchen. “Mom does the Mexican spices; Akeem makes his own ocho spice for the Southern-spiced dishes. It’s a wonderful tag team,” she says.
Notables LA Playa Soul Kitchen 419 E. Port Hueneme Rd. Port Hueneme | LaPlayaSoul.com805-874-1177 10 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County
that fortunately cooking was something her mother embraced. “[At the restaurant] we use a lot of spices. We use a lot of dried chiles as well. One of the recipes uses many different dried pepper chiles—chiles pasilla, ancho chiles and more. Arbol is our mostused dried spicy chile as it gives great smokey heat to dishes. We make lots of slow-braised meats like pulled pork and beef.”
“I wanted to do a Southern staple,” says Akeem of his homemade biscuits. “They are a little bit difficult to perfect. It’s a labor of love that’s easy to do, and it’s something easy to mess up. If biscuits are done well, they can be a great starting point for a Therestaurant.”menunot only offers a description of each dish, but also the source for local ingredients. Liz explained that she and Akeem have a forappreciationdeepfarmers
Akeem brings his experience in restau rants and hospitality to the restaurant, and Liz works for the ACLU. She is able to work from home and can take meetings at the restaurant.
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and want to make sure their menu gives them credit for their work.
“My parents, when they came from Mex ico, worked the strawberry and cabbage farms,” Liz says. “I saw how valuable an im pact agriculture has. To work in the fields year-round is a labor of love. I remember I helped Dad take off his boots when they got muddy in the rain. But they made sure their kids went to college. My sister going to med ical school means a lot to our family. It means that it can happen here.”
“She was always making things from scratch every day growing up. She was the second-oldest daughter in a family of 11. They all had to do something and her job was cooking for the whole family. She has a strong passion for it,” says Liz, adding
BY ANNE KALLAS EDIBLE
The meats are among the specials offered at LA Playa Soul Kitchen, as the Bynums expand the current menu, which also offers veganAkeemoptions.worked hard to perfect the biscuits they sell as-is or in breakfast sandwiches.
FALL 2022 11EdibleVenturaCounty.com WEDNESDAYS MIDTOWN VENTURA Pacific View Mall 9:00am - 1:00pmFront West Parking Lot On Main Street THURSDAYS THOUSAND OAKS The Oaks Mall 12 noon - 5:00pmEast End Parking LotWilbur Road SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN VENTURA NEW LOCATION!!! 8:30am - 12 noon 200 Block of Main Street “On the Street” SUNDAYS SANTA CLARITA College of the Canyons 8:30am - 12 noon Parking Lot 5Rockwell Canyon Road Juicing Made Easy… www.vccfm.org WIC, CAL-FRESH/EBT & MARKET MATCH ACCEPTED HERE Follow our markets on Social Media by visiting our website at www.vccfm.org CONNECT WITH US: 805.529.6266 @vccfm @vccfm
For the chef, “I had met James Quandt on a boat trip. With that, all the pieces came together. But I still wasn’t sure. I had rented the other half of the building to the lady who owns the Rowan Boutique. She told me, ‘I don’t want to rent here if [you] don’t open a juice store.’ It was all a perfect match.”
BY ANNE KALLAS | PHOTO BY VIKTOR BUDNIK
“We strive to shop local and organic as much as possible as well as provide the freshest ingredients available,” he says.
Repult says he enjoys starting new small businesses that not only enrich him, but also the community. In addition to Surf N Yogurt, a must-visit stop on every visitor’s list, he has opened a small cabinet store, Native Oak, which provided the cabinetry for the renovations at Juice Swell.
“Keith and I met on a fishing boat,” says Chef Quandt. “After he saw some Facebook posts of mine about making juice and ex perimenting with recipes, he asked me if I wanted to be a part of Juice Swell, and six short months later we opened. I have a culinary background and have been cooking professionally as a private chef for five years, while only recently diving headfirst into a healthy ‘food is medicine’ style of cooking.”
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Juice 1052SwellS.Seaward Ave. Ventura | JuiceSwell.inc805-628-3032
EDIBLE Notables
“We do acai bowls, avocado toast with eggs, watermelon pizza or longboard sweet potatoes topped with hummus, cilantro, roast ed red pepper, feta cheese and an egg. We have grab-and-go salads, grab-and-go wraps and different soups each week. I eat there every morning because of it,” says Repult, who has lost 15 pounds since the shop opened last fall. “It seems the neighborhood really appreciated it. We get a lot of ‘we needed this.’”
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“Ventura is an evolving community that is coming to realize that food truly is medicine. We hope to relay some knowledge of what certain ingredients can do for the body,” says Quandt, adding that Juice Swell is committed not only to healthy food, but to treating employees well. “We believe a happy employee is a happy customer. We are taking care of our staff as much as we do our clients.”
omething was missing in the Pierpont business area of Seaward Avenue, but Keith Repult couldn’t quite figure out what. He didn’t want to compete with the existing restaurants. Repult, who already owns Surf N Yogurt, had bought the building next door with the idea of turning the old, decrepit property into a place that would enrich the neighborhood. After renovating the property, there was a great spot for something new. But what?
Making healthy dishes requires healthy ingredients, and minimiz ing time from harvest to table (and bottle) is a very important part of that equation. Chef Quandt says Juice Swell is focused on making sure food comes from local farmers and businesses.
As with all important decisions, the answer came from his daugh ter—Sahvon Repult, 29.
“[My daughter’s] an Ojai hippie. She likes growing her own food and eating organic,” Repult says. “I always liked juices. We were look ing for a demand that wasn’t met. We thought [a juice bar] would be perfect.” Repult’s architect thought of the name—Juice Swell, to reflect the seaside location of the new shop. “Like ocean swells or the 1930s-style use ‘swell,’” he says.
Could Juice Swell be more than just another juice bar? Repult want ed to have the shop feature healthy, organic, locally sourced foods.
JUICE SWELL POPS UP SEAWARDON
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H A R VEST FOOD U N GER BUILD COMMU N I T Y SHARE THE ABUNDANCE
FALL 2022 13EdibleVenturaCounty.com LIV Sotheby’s International Realty is honored to sponsor Food Forward to help fight hunger and prevent food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people experiencing food insecurity, and inspiring others to do the same. livsothebysrealtyca.com 727 West Ojai Avenue, Ojai, California 93023 554 East Main Street, Ventura, California 93001 © 2022 LIV Sotheby’s International Realty. All rights reserved. Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.
1 IN 5 CALIFORNIANS LACKS ADEQUATE ACCESS TO FOOD.
foodforward.org @foodforwardla @foodforward
At the same time, 35% of food in the United States, or 80 billion pounds, is wasted every year. Food Forward creates a sustainable solution to both these problems. Our dedicated team members and volunteers—people just like you—recover fruits and vegetables that would have been wasted from backyard fruit trees, orchards, farms, farmers markets, and wholesale produce distributors. We connect this abundance of nutritious food to people experiencing food insecurity, donating the produce we recover to hunger relief agencies, free of charge, across Southern California and surrounding areas.
⅔ cup honey
7 ounces crème fraîche
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 medium red onions, peeled and sliced (approximately 3 cups sliced)
Jam can be refrigerated and kept for 2 weeks, or canned and kept for several months.
comEdibleVenturaCounty.(Seeforcanningtips.)
Onion–Red Wine Marmalade
2 apples, sliced
Comté cheese or Gruyère cheese
2 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper
French Brunch
2 tablespoons butter
Pain Perdu with Onion–Red Wine Marmalade
Onion–Red Wine Marmalade (recipe below)
RECIPES BY CAROLINE GUSTAFSON | PHOTOS BY MARIAH GREEN
My onion marmalade is radically different from my fruit jams and is magnifique served with pâté, grilled steak and burgers, grilled cheese or on a charcuterie board. It’s called a marmalade because the knife-cut I use is long and thin strips of onion. My favorite way to use this marmalade is on pain perdu paired with Comté cheese, sautéed red cabbage and apples. —CG
4–6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 slices thick-sliced day-old bread
absorbed, about 45 minutes, stirring
2 cups water
The literal translation of pain perdu is “lost bread” but contextually, it means bread that is no longer “useable,” as in days-old bread that has become hard and crusty. This is the ideal bread to use for what is known locally as French toast. This recipe is full of rich savory flavors that make an ideal breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Mix eggs with crème fraîche, then soak the bread in the egg mixture for at least 20 minutes before frying in melted butter until browned and crispy. Keep warm.
Stir occasionally and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in sliced apples and balsamic vinegar towards the end, about 5 minutes before stirring in 3–4 tablespoons Onion–Red Wine Marmalade. Stir until all liquid is evaporated and apples are tender. Serve warm French toast, topping with warm cabbage, Comté cheese and extra onion marmalade on the side.
4 cups red (or green) cabbage, sliced thin Salt and pepper
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add butter, white wine and cabbage and sauté for about 15 minutes, or until tender.
⅔ cup red wine
½ cup red vinegar
Place sliced onions in a medium saucepan with red wine, vinegar and water. Heat on medium-low heat and simmer until all the liquid is
TASTES LIKE Fall 14 Fall 2022
Onceoccasionally.theliquid has been absorbed, stir in honey and seasonings and continue combining and stirring to create a jammy consistency. Serve warm with pain perdu.
⅓ cup white wine
3 large eggs
Serves 4
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Caroline Gustafson has been making jams and tarts in Ojai for over seven years. Hailing from France, she brings her tradition of sourcing locally and creatively pairing herbs, fruits and vegetables for the freshest explosion of flavor combinations to her jams and Here,marmalades.shesharesone of her annual marmalades (only offered near the holidays), and some traditionally inspired French recipes that include, or pair well with, your favorite local wine.
1 tart crust (Use your favorite storebought or make your own buttery tart dough.)*
1 log goat cheese, cut into 1-inchthick slices
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are very tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside and cool.
Mix the crème fraîche and 4 eggs together. Stir in the cooled leeks. Season with black pepper.
Savory with just a hint of sweetness, this rich and creamy tart is reminiscent of a Sunday morning quiche with the added earthy tartness of goat cheese. Caroline’s Rosemary–Bell Pepper Jam (found at the Sunday Ojai Farmers’ Market and the Saturday Ventura Farmers’ Market) transforms this humble recipe into even more than the sum of its parts. Serve as an elegant lunch, or starter paired with a simple salad.
3–4 medium leeks
7 ounces crème fraîche
4 eggs
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1–2 tablespoons honey
Clean the leeks, remove the root end and dark green leaves, using only the white part; halve them lengthwise and cut into thin slices. Rinse any grit off the sliced Meltleeks.butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, season with the salt.
Goat Cheese and Leek Tart
Add the leek mixture and spread it in an even layer. Top with medallions of goat cheese and drizzle with honey. Set the tart pan on a baking sheet, bake the tart until it’s bubbly and golden, about 35 minutes.
Let the tart sit at least 10 minutes before cutting. Serve it hot, warm or at room temperature. Optional: Serve with a generous spoonful of Caroline’s Rosemary–Bell Pepper Jam on each portion.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Makes 1 (9-inch) tart
*Note: Tart crust is typically slightly firmer than pie crust—crumbly rather than flakey—and made with flour, sugar, salt and egg mixed in a food processor and chilled before using. However, in a pinch, a pie crust can easily be substituted in this recipe.
TASTES LIKE Fall
Lay the tart dough in a 9-inch-round tart pan (or similar). Let the crust fall into place, gently moving it into the edges without stretching the dough (stretching now will cause it to shrink as it bakes).
Preheat oven to 375°F.
FALL 2022 17EdibleVenturaCounty.com relationship the art of WITH SELF, OTHERS, & THE ENVIRONMENT Ojai, California OAKGROVESCHOOL.ORG
After some interviews and declining a few offers, I applied for the position of head chef at Oak Grove School in Ojai. I knew nothing of the school, but figured I would give it a shot. As the interview process began, I started to get a sense of the connection and care in this little school community. I was so hopeful to get the job and become part of it.
FIRST Person
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For the last 23 years, I have spent every day of my career working with cake layers, buttercreams, cupcakes, fillings, piping bags, sugar, flour, butter and eggs. And for the last dozen years, I have been working to build and sustain my business, Sweet Arleen’s, in Westlake Village. While I cherish seeing the look on a bride’s face when she first sees her wedding cake or knowing that my cakes have been a part of every celebration for some of my long-time customers, in my heart I knew an ingredient was missing from the recipe of my own life. I wanted more—I wanted to serve with a purpose beyond the cupcakes and sweets. It was time to make a change.
had never considered how handing a banana to a hungry seventh-grader before their math test would have such a huge impact on me, connecting my job and my passion through a simple act of care. For the student, this was just another moment in their day; for me it was an affirmation that I’d landed in the right place.
But how would I, a business owner and single mother, find a job that would both fit into my life and satisfy this overwhelm ing need to serve? To start, I made a list of the things that were most important to me: to work in savory foods, not sweet; to still have a role at Sweet Arleen’s; to be creative and continue to grow as a chef; and to have my work be meaningful. So, with the support of my bakery team, I started my search.
Oak Grove School is a progressive preschool-through-12th-grade day and boarding school, set on an idyllic 150-acre campus in the Ojai Valley. It was founded in 1975 by Jiddu Krishnamurti, an Indian man with a mission “to assist students in developing those qualities of mind, heart, and body that will enable them to function with excellence, care, and responsibility in the modern world.”
TONOURISHLEARN
BY JULIA SAN BARTOLOME PHOTOS BY WARREN PETERSON
2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
2 cups mix-in (vegan choc chips, dried fruit, etc.)
2 teaspoons baking soda
Because the school asks students to explore their relationship with and responsibility for the natural world, including how their food choices impact the planet, it is a completely vegetarian campus. It has an elevated culinary operation, serving a daily made-from-scratch lunch, using organic, locally sourced ingredients when possible.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
VEGAN AND GLUTENFREE OATMEAL COOKIES
I view each student as an extension of my own daughters. I think of the days they spent in school and my own memories of school lunchtime.
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2 teaspoons cinnamon
5 cups oats
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By Julia San Bartolome
I am still proud to sell and serve cakes and cupcakes. That will be part of my journey for as long as I own the bakery. However, with my transition from sweet to savory, serving the food I prepare has taken on a whole new meaning. The Oak Grove School community has provided a new sense of purpose to this 23-year pastry chef veteran. I view each student as an extension of my own daughters. I think of the days they spent in school and my own memories of school lunchtime. It fills me with satisfaction and pride to put a smile on their faces with a nice plate of food. The future truly is theirs, and “back to school” has never been more exciting.
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
The vibe of the campus is beautifully woven within a close family-like community. Paths to classrooms are paved with gravel and wood chips, painted rocks peeking out that remind you to breathe. I was in love with the uniqueness of this opportunity and was absolutely thrilled when I was offered the job.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
Optional: Add ¼ cup flax or chia seeds for extra fiber
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup oat milk
Portion into balls, about 2 tablespoons each, and gently flatten them down, as they will not spread as they bake.
8 ounces vegan butter
As the sun sets on the long warm days of summer, after a few weeks of no school, I reflect on the journey that has brought me to this amazing place. While it was a familiar change of pace to come back to Sweet Arleen’s and run the kitchen over the summer, I find myself looking forward to sharpening my knives for the school year, when I can once again look out the window at a beautiful oak grove and prepare lunch for my cowork ers-turned-friends, as well as the students of this school.
In the school kitchen, we get frequent requests for cookies. In an effort to meet all dietary needs, we always prepare vegan and gluten-free options. This recipe allows for both of those needs to be met with only one batch of cookies!
While I started out just enjoying the labor of the work, like breaking down a case of veggies first thing in the morning and whipping up huge batches of vegan fajitas, it was the growing relationships with staff and students that I looked forward to each day. It was more than just the wave hello and smile as we passed each other; it became about serving them for something bigger. I grew fond of getting to know each person, what their needs were, and what they liked and disliked, but I also felt trust growing between me and everyone who walked through our servery doors. They counted on our culinary team to nourish them to learn and teach, and in this school setting, at lunchtime, that is what mattered. And I get to be part of that.
2 cups brown sugar (or sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses)
Using an electric mixer with paddle attachment, blend together the vegan butter and brown sugar. Once a smooth and fluffy consistency is formed, add a third of the dry ingredients and mix on low. Then slowly add half of the wet ingredients. Add the next third of dry ingredients. Slowly pour in the rest of the wet ingredients and finish by adding the last of the dry. Finally, add in any mix-in that you’d like. (We usually use raisins or dried cherries.)
Of course I want to talk about our menu. We focus on serving high-quality, balanced meals, from hot dishes that always include vegan and gluten-free options to a daily wellstocked, self-serve salad bar. There are no requirements or limits on how much or little stu dents consume. Students are trusted to choose what their bodies need. Our menus include classics, like chili and cornbread; favorites, like grilled cheese and tomato soup; and fun items, like smoothies and pizza built on pita bread. We make curry from time to time, and my personal favorites are potato tacos and pesto caprese sandwich on ciabatta.
Bake for about 17 minutes, rotating halfway through baking.
In a large measuring cup, mix the oat milk and vanilla extract. Set aside
Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
3½ cups cornmeal
4 ounces honey (for vegan, use maple syrup or agave)
Preheat oven to 350°F.
4 tablespoons baking powder
2 ounces apple cider vinegar
In a separate bowl, whisk together oat milk, vinegar, melted butter and honey. (The butter may seize up, but that is OK.)
½ teaspoon baking soda
Slowly add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, folding with a spatula until a smooth batter is formed. Add in the fresh corn kernels and gently stir.
3 ears fresh corn, kernels sliced off
This recipe truly creates one of those “I can’t believe this is gluten-free” moments. From the texture to the flavor and durability of this final product, it’s a great option to serve at a family meal or gathering and goes great with chili or just slathered in honey and butter (vegan or otherwise). This recipe is for a crowd but can be cut in half for an average-sized family.
GLUTEN-FREE CORNBREAD
3 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Serves 8–10
5 cups oat milk
1 cup vegan butter, melted (or olive oil)
by Julia San Bartolome
Brush a glass or metal 9- by 13-inch baking dish with olive oil or vegan butter. Pour in batter and bake for about 30–35 minutes, or until center of the cornbread springs back to the touch with no jiggle.
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
By Julia San Bartolome
1 large shallot
½ cup Meyer lemon juice
GREEN LEMONADE SALAD DRESSING
In a blender, mix together the juice, sugar, parsley and shallot. Once a smooth texture is formed, stream in the olive oil while the blender is on low speed. Continue to blend until a smooth vinaigrette is created.
This salad dressing is simple to make, and leaves a refreshing clean flavor on the palate. Serve it over any salad or fresh-cut veggies. For our annual tea party fundraiser, we prepared small-diced golden beets, red daikon and cucumbers, then tossed those with this dressing, then filled Baby Gems lettuce cups with the mixture and garnished with additional parsley.
1 bunch parsley
C
BY TRACY VALERI | PHOTOS BY VIKTOR BUDNIK
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CleanSweep
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asa Pacifica hosted its annual Angels Wine, Food and Brew Festival on Sunday, June 5, with dozens of food and beverage exhibitors offering up delicious samples of food and drinks. As every year, the cornerstone of the festivities was the Yummie Culinary Competition, featuring judges from all walks of the food industry.
Chef Alex Montoya, executive chef at Honey Cup Coffeehouse and Creamery in Oxnard and Newbury Park, Water’s Edge Restaurant & Bar in Ventura and Waterside Restaurant & Wine Bar in Channel Islands Harbor, won firstplace honors in both the Savory and Sweet categories. His combined passion for cooking delicious food and perfectionist tendencies landed him on the map and now solidly in the winner’s circle. Working 90 hours a week allows him ample practice and offers real-time feedback from his customers.
at Casa Pacifica Festival 2022
Grilled stone fruit: house-made ricotta, blackberry gastrique, pickled kumquats, puffed amaranth.
Alex, who finds inspiration in cocktail menus, says he likes to turn adult drinks into nonalcoholic ice cream dishes. “It’s a good way to look at someone else’s beautiful creation and spin it.”
3rd Place –Julia San Bartolome, Sweet Arleen’s Hawaiian coconut-lacedDream:chiffon cake, served with perfectly ripe pineapple and topped with a creamy coconut dollop. Drizzled with guava tiki sauce.
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3rd Place –Joshua TheGonzalez(Biggjay)&SkySunner,HappyPlace
2nd Place –Chef Amanda Pritchett & Kristi Carr, Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters
Alex conceived of all three of the dishes in this year’s competition, including Waterside’s Jalapeño Cream Cheese Wonton with El Pastor Sweet and Sour Sauce. Though that dish didn’t place this year, he says it seemed to be a real crowd pleaser that people kept coming back for. He credits his sous chef, Richaro Carreto, for helping come up with and execute the dish. Alex hopes to get a win for Waterside next year because he wants all of his locations to be represented.“Iwantedto place in everything this year so people can see that all of my locations are on the same level.,” he says. “That was what I wanted to achieve.”
Alex’s winning savory dish from Water’s Edge was an Ahi Poke Ceviche with mango, cucumber, red onion, bell pepper and fresh ahi, brought together with an avocado mousse and blue corn tosta da. “I tend to overthink these things, so this year I settled on ‘fresh, summer, simple.’ I knew what the people want and I asked myself how I could give it to them in a way that I would want it. I really went with something very Water’s Edge: very light, very bright.” It is Alex’s opinion that his Szechuan Citrus Ponzu and signature soy sauce pearls are what really made the dish stand out with the judges.
The refreshing winning sweet dish was Peaches and Cream Oolong Ice Cream with Lime Caviar from Honey Cup. “I really wanted to get back to a summer flavor. Something really bright and light and refreshing. I just utilized Mother Nature,” he says. “It’s everything inside of a mojito.”
Tracy Valeri lives in Simi Valley with her family and her two dogs, Jet and Henry. When she is not busy working as a project manager with Bank of America, she enjoys walking her dogs, cooking for her family and drinking good wine.
SWEET
When Alex won first place in the 2021’s Yummie Culinary Competition, it was in the Sweet category. While still enjoying that victory, he was already planning how he could also win in the Savory category this June. He succeeded, he believes, because he stopped overthinking and getting stressed out ahead of the competition. On the morning of the competition, he says, “I came the same way I did last year, but more confident and just in competition with myself.”
Other 2022 Winners
Alex’s father, Mike Montoya, was beaming when asked about his son. “As a parent, I couldn’t be more proud of my son. He started as a dishwasher and then moved on to restaurants in Ventura. If he doesn’t place first, he is already thinking about next year.”
SAVORY
2nd Place –Chef Damien Giliberti, Ox & Ocean
Double Happy Smash Burger: two delicious fresh, never frozen, certified Angus beef patties with two slices of cheese, caramelized grilled onions, pickle chip bread & butter pickles with signature Happy Smash sauce served with fries and mini pretzel bites with Hatch cheese.
Oh Henry! Cake: peanut butter cake with butterscotch and chocolate ganache and peanut buttercream with a piece of Oh Henry! Bar. Gluten free.
Slow Food advocates “a comprehensive approach to food that recognizes the strong connections between plate, planet, people, poli tics, and culture” and envisions a world where people access and enjoy food that’s good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet. Slow Food like its partner
Slow Wine—is defined by whether the product is good, clean and fair.
“Carlo Petrini’s mission has trickled down,” says Slow Food enthu siast Charles Barth. “Every meal you eat is visceral and temporary in nature. Every day is a chance to create a Slow Food event in your own home.”
GOOD, CLEAN AND FAIR
Fifth-generation Ventura County farmer Phil McGrath has taken the lead in growing produce that is “good, clean and fair.” In 2006, the Los Angeles Slow Food Chapter sponsored him to attend Terra Madre Salone del Gusto, Slow Food’s flagship international festival held every other year in Turin, Italy, combining a marketplace with workshops, networking and music, and happening next Sept. 22–26, 2022.
"I
SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT Puts Pleasure at the Center of the Plate
STORY AND PHOTOS BY GWENDOLYN ALLEY
Slow Food is a mentality,” says McGrath. “I couldn’t ask for a better life.”
FOOD for Thought
n the name of productivity, the ‘fast life’ has changed our lifestyle and now threatens our environment,” wrote Carlo Petrini in the Slow Food Manifesto. To those “who confuse efficiency with frenzy, we propose the vaccine of an adequate portion of sensual gourmandize pleasures, to be taken with slow and pro longedWhenenjoyment.”planswere announced to locate a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant adjacent to the Spanish Steps in Rome in the 1980s, a protest demonstration led Petrini to write his Slow Food Manifesto and to the formation of Slow Food, an international movement in defense of pleasure—and leisure—at the dining table.
Slow Food starts in the kitchen: “To escape the tediousness of ‘fastfood,’” wrote Petrini, “let us rediscover the rich varieties and aromas of local cuisines.” Local cuisine begins with local produce.
Adam Tolmach of The Ojai Vineyard stands in his Ojai vineyard with Barley the dog.
“
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“Phil McGrath is my farming mentor,” says Mike Roberts of Baby Root Farm in Camarillo. Dissatisfied with his career and lifestyle, including the food he was consuming, in 2010 Roberts landed at McGrath Farms. With McGrath’s retirement imminent and with potential downsizing of the farm, Roberts, “with Phil’s permission,” soon worked with longtime McGrath farmworkers to form a collective of five farms, each with its own team. He later partnered with Farmivore, an online ordering system for locally and sustainably grown produce, to provide the groceries needed to make Slow Food. “We aspire to be a transformative food source,” says“FromRoberts.our perspective, Phil gave us the gift of organic farming,” he says. “Organic is a springboard to environmentally regenerative farming—systems of agriculture that can improve the environment.”
´THE GIFT OF ORGANIC´
Another Ventura County leader in regenerative farming is Patagonia outdoor gear company founder Yvon Chouinard, who argues that one of the most important solutions to climate change is regenerative agriculture because it’s healthier for the planet and for people too. Patagonia started its Provisions division to enact greater change throughAccordingagriculture.toChouinard, we’re not getting the nutrients we need, even if the food is organic. With regenerative organic agriculture, foods have more nutrients and topsoil rebuilds. Research suggests large-scale farming this way helps fight climate change by restoring to the soil the carbon we’re releasing by burning fossil fuels. Regenerative farming also uses less water, says Chouinard; the
For McGrath, regenerative is a better word than organic or sustainable, because it indicates good stewardship. “Regenerative— that word can accomplish so much,” he says. He pointed out that growing conventionally on the Oxnard Plain for the last 70 years has been a contributor to depleting the aquifer.
McGrath started out in “conventional” chemical-dependent agri culture, earning a bachelor of science degree in the subject from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. After college, he traveled the world, and “that shaped how I look and think about the world” including learning the importance of keeping both sides in view.
“How we thought about water before has significantly changed. A regenerative farmer has to think of everything they’re doing. They have to be diversified. Bring in legumes, cover crops. You can’t just grow one thing. The more we keep this planet green, the better the soil, the better the planet.” That includes trading in his old polluting diesel tractor for a new electric one, the first one in the region.
CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH FARMERS
Left: Phil McGrath harvests strawberries from one of the micro-farms from the McGrath Family Farm Collective.
Right: A glimpse of the hybrid grapes Adam Tolmach planted in Ojai to save his vines from Pierce’s Disease.
When McGrath first went organic on his farm, “the soil came alive and I mean it in every sense of the word. I saw a praying mantis in my field and he was eating other bugs; he was happy. I had never seen a praying mantis in any fields on the Oxnard Plain. It was a sign that we were in balance with nature.” Today McGrath is a statewide leader in regenerative farming—or, as he likes to think of it, succes sional farming, meaning farming in a way that considers successive generations. “It is what all my forefathers believed,” he says.
ground is alive and retains water better. “We’re going to run out of water before we run out of anything [else] on this planet.”
“Slow Food has changed my life and everything I do,” says Charles Barth. Slow Food principles have become a driving force in his business.
“I will never look back, never go back to conventional farming,” he says, “I believe if we feed the soil, the soil will feed the plants.” He credits Slow Food for influencing him and teaching him about biodynamic practices and permaculture.
“I came to Slow Food because I was working for the State for the certified farmers’ market,” says Barth. “Slow Food events drew from what I learned.” Sources for meals came from local artisan producers.
When his customers wanted certified organic produce, “I got tired of saying ‘no sprays, no pesticides,’” McGrath says, so in 1995, he obtained organic certification for his farm.
“Now that the pandemic is receding and the opportunity is opening up, we’re planning to reseed local events and bring this vibrant farming and artisan food community back together under the Slow Food banner,” says Barth.
Slow Food includes Slow Fish, and fishermen’s markets allow consumers to buy direct.
“I started out fishing,” says Kat Jones. “I saw a real disconnect between the com munity and the active fishing community. There was a missing connection of us as harvesters and my neighbors. People were intrigued that I was a fisherman. It was organic to change from fishing to selling to our community.” When she had chil dren, “It was a natural and organic transition off the boat.” Jones loves seafood and learning from her customers how they prepare and enjoy what she sells to them.
And what pairs with Slow Food and Slow Fish? Slow Wine! At Slow Food events, Barth finds that “Slow Wine actively stimulates conversation.”
Finding Slow Wine is easy using the Slow Wine Guide USA 2022 published by Goff Books, which annually assists wine enthusiasts by identifying and critiquing wineries through the perspective of the Slow Food philosophy. It showcases wine makers using traditional low-intervention techniques, working with respect for the environment and growing grapes without synthetic herbicides, pesticides and fun gicides. Slow Wine Guide began in Italy and expanded to include an edition for the United States that’s available in print and includes nearly 300 wineries in California, Oregon, Washington and New York.
AND, OF COURSE, SLOW WINE
SLOW FISH, TOO
The Ojai Vineyard founder Adam Tolmach, a pioneer in Central Coast wine making, attended Oxnard High School then UC Davis, where he graduated in enology and viticulture in 1976. Growing up, Tolmach enjoyed visiting his grand father’s large property in Oak View, which stretched over the ridge from Creek Road to Highway 33. After college, Tolmach returned there to farm melons and corn and in 1981 planted five acres of Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc vines. The Ojai Vineyard was born.
Unfortunately, COVID shut down events, and although people keep asking, none are scheduled. “The mission has been to connect people with their farmers,” so during COVID, Barth encouraged people to purchase produce at their local farmers’ market.
Two Ventura County wineries are in the 2022 Slow Wine Guide: Casa Barranca and The Ojai Vineyard.
Instead of harvesting for high volume, Jones harvests low volume with high qual ity, and she only sells very fresh fish. As a fisherman herself, she knows the cost of running a boat, and she is committed to charging a fair price. “There’s not a lot of women that do what we do,” says Jones. Another regular at the Ventura Harbor Fisherman’s Market is Linda Tran, “and she’s awesome. She’s always out there selling.”
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Bill Moses established Casa Barranca in 1994 (then moved on to KeVita and Flying Embers Hard Kombucha). Certified organic purchased fruit comes from all over California, with the bulk of it from nearby Santa Barbara County. It is made into certified organic wines, which means no sulfur or other additives.
Fisherperson Kat Jones shows off some of her fresh catch.
wineryWildflowerforGreenMariahbyPhoto
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Slow Food, Slow Fish and Slow Wine offer a worthy alternative.
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Gwendolyn Alley completed the Pacific Crest Trail, parented peregrines, pruned Pinot Noir, climbed Kilimanjaro, and competed for the U.S. Wine Team. With degrees in English, education, environmental studies, and ecopsychology, Gwendolyn teaches at Ventura College, writes for Slow Wine Guide, and blogs at Wine Predator (winepredator.com).
The difference between the two lies in the bark: The outer bark of cork oak, known commercially as “corkwood,” is much thicker, more deeply furrowed and more gray than the brown oaks of California.
with a real cork closure preserves a traditional way of life—and an entire ecosystem that helps combat climate change by sequestering carbon.
Corkwood protects the oak from fires which keep down the understory that would other wise crowd them out. Harvesting corkwood doesn’t hurt the trees during warm, dry weather; rain and cold in fall harms the “naked” trees.
When corkwood is stripped, cork farmers like Ricardo Cecilio in Portugal’s Alentejo take care not to damage the cambium layer that hugs the tree and delivers nutrients. With the bark removed, the pink cambium layer dries and tans, and the tree rapidly replaces the pro tective layers of cork, about one and a half inches of bark every six years, with wounds to the cambium quickly healing. Harvest can continue sustainably about every nine years for 100 years or Corkwoodmore.
Climate change is having a huge impact, reported Cecilio, especially on young trees. After harvest, “they’re dying. … In winter it doesn’t rain enough and in summer the heat waves are more and more frequent. We had three heat waves during spring this year. It’s getting more and more Purchasingserious.”wine
Much like the coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) in Ventu ra County, the cork oak tree (Quercus sitbe) dominates the rolling hillsides around the Mediterranean Sea. The two trees could be twins: Both feature large, sturdy trunks; heavy, spreading branches; and a crown of dense foliage with prickly holly-like leaves. In both ecosystems, oak forests serve an important role of provid ing food and shelter for an imals like foxes and for resi dent and migrating birds.
“As with all changes in farming methods, it is a multi-year process where the big gest change occurs between your ears,” wrote Australian wine grape grower and winemaker Dudley Brown. “The social and economic benefits of doing so are a safer, healthier and less expensive ap proach to farming that is more sustain able to “Speedboot.”became our shackles,” wrote Carlo Petrini in the Slow Food Manifes to. “We fell prey to the same virus: the fast life.”
By Gwendolyn Alley
Unfortunately, the grapes soon fell vic tim to Pierce’s Disease, a malady spread by an insect called the glassy winged sharp shooter, which thrived in a neighboring creek. Tolmach removed his vines and started producing wine from Roll Ranch in Upper Ojai the same year. With new disease-resistant grape varieties developed at UC Davis, he planted over 1,800 hy bridized cuttings on 1.2 acres in 2017; wines from these vines will be released thisTofall.offer shade and protection from the Ojai sun as the climate grows hotter, Tolmach trains vines to climb high with rows close together He embraces organic principles, and grows organically; most of the fruit he purchases is farmed or ganically. Helen Tolmach, his wife, has been an integral part of the vineyard and winery since its inception, and General Manager Fabien Castel joined the win ery 20 years ago as an intern.
To see cork oak trees, visit Rancho Camulos on highway 126 near the Ventura County line. One is located near a large barn at the front of the property while a second stands be tween the grape arbor and schoolhouse. Approximately 100 years old, the cork oaks were likely planted as specimen trees, not for commercial harvest. Three cork oak trees were recent ly planted at Fillmore’s City Hall in honor of former City Council Member Ari Larsen. For the observant, more cork oak trees can be found throughout the Southland.
becomes many products including the classic closures for wine bottles. The highest-grade corks come from the third to sixth harvest from trees 50 to 80 years old, when the corkwood is least porous and most uniform in quality. Portugal produces almost 50% of the world’s corks.
´SPEED BECAME OUR SHACKLES´
ABOUTCURIOUSCORK?
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HEESE COUNTER + WINE SHOPN T VCHEENT U R A C A L F O RN A Wineries AGOURA HILLS 1 Cornell Winery & Tasting Room 29975 Mulholland Hwy. CornellWinery.com@Cornellwinery;818-735-3542 CAMARILLO 2 Back Patio Cellars 930 Flynn Rd. BackPatioCellars.com@backpatiocellars;805-388-3457#F 3 Camarillo Custom Crush Winery 300 S. Lewis CamarilloCustomCrush.com805-484-0597Rd. 4 Cantara Cellars 126 Wood CantaraCellars.com@cantaracellars;805-484-9600Rd. 5 Millesime Cellars byPrivateMillesimeCellars.com@millesimecellars;WineLabelsappointmentonly 6 Pantess Cellars 537 Constitution Ave. @PantessCellars805-388-3279 FILLMORE 7 Giessinger Cellars & Tasting Room 365 Santa Clara St. GiessingerWinery.com@giessinger_winery;805-524-5000 MOORPARK 8 Cavaletti Vineyards 165 Poindexter Ave., Suite D CavalettiVineyards.com@cavalettivineyards;805-405-5272 9 Lucas Sellers Wine 330 Zachary St. #108 @Lucas_Sellers_Wine805-813-6428 30 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County 19 18 2 362129 17 10 WineryWildflower 330 Zachary No@wildflowerwinerySt.tastingroom OJAI 11 Boccali Vineyards & Winery 3277 E. Ojai BocalliVineyards.com@boccallivineyards;805-669-8688Ave. 12 Casa Barranca Organic Winery 208 E. Ojai CasaBarrancaWines.com@casabarrancawines;805-640-1255Ave. 13 Majestic Oak Vineyard 321 E. Ojai MajesticOakVineyard.com@majesticoakvineyard;805-794-0272Ave. 14 Noble Oaks Vineyard & Winery 76 Oak NoNobleOaks.com805-640-9990Dr.tastingroom 15 The Ojai Vineyard 109 S. Montgomery St. TheOjaiVineyard.com@theojaivineyard;805-649-1674 16 Topa Mountain Winery 821 W. Ojai TopaMountainWinery.com@topamountainwinery;805-640-1190Ave. OXNARD 17 Herzog Wine Cellars 3201 Camino Del Sol HerzogWine.com@herzogwine;805-983-1560 18 Magnavino Cellars 961 N. Rice MagnavinoCellars.com@Magnavino;805-276-1353Ave. 19 VentavoRanchoCellars 741 S. A 805-483-8084St. 20 Strey Cellars 951 N. Rice StreyCellars.comIGFB805-988-1087Ave.@deviateresponsibly,@streycellars; SANTA PAULA 21 Clos des Amis Wines / South Mountain Winery 20262 South Mountain Rd. farmers’Tastings@closdesamis;805-795-7743ClosDesAmis.comatparticipatingmarkets 22 Doctor’s Orders Natural Wine Company at Anna’s Cider 801 E. Main AnnasCider.com@annascider;805-229-7338St. SIMI VALLEY 23 Nectar of The Dogs Wine 791 Chambers Lane, Suite 110 Tasting@nectarofthedogswine702-275-0482roomcomingsoon THOUSAND OAKS 24 Alma Sol Winery (Tasting room in Sunland Vintage AlmaSolWinery.com@almasolwinery;818-231-2749Winery) 25 Sunland Vintage Winery 1321 Thousand Oaks Blvd. #108-A SunlandVintageWinery.com@sunlandvintage;805-379-2250 VENTURA 26 Four Brix Winery 2290 Eastman Ave. #109 FourBrixWine.com@fourbrixwine;805-256-6006 27 Lester Family Cellars 6650 Crescent St. #8 LesterFC.com@lesterfamilycellars;310-498-8346 28 Old Creek Ranch Winery 10024 Old Creek Rd. OldCreekRanch.com@oldcreekranchwinery;805-649-4132 29 Plan B Wine Cellars 3520 Arundell Cir. #107, PlanBWineCellars.com@planbwinecellars;805-233-1453 30 Trois le Fou 4522 Market St., Unit B TroisLeFou.com@Trois_le_fou_winery;805-701-7973 VILLAGEWESTLAKE 31 Giessinger Cellars & Tasting Room 3059 Willow GiessingerWinery.com@giessinger_winery;805-405-5557Ln. 32 NABU Wines 2649 Townsgate Rd., Suite 200 NabuWines.com@nabuwines;805-778-1100 COMING SOON Santa Paula Cellars Find at Old Ranch House and The Hanger Bar & @santapaulacellarsGrille 41 42 3026 27 4 11 20 « 33 22 1614 28 edible® Ojai & Ventura County Ventura County Wine Guide
Wine Stores or Cafés with Tastings CAMARILLO 33 The Wine Closet 2423 Ventura FB805-383-9812Blvd.@thewinecloset; IG @thewineclosetca; TheWineCloset.com OJAI 34 Point de Chene Wine & Beer 108B N. Signal St. @pointdechene;805-272-8685 PointDeChene.com 35 Tipple & Ramble 315 N. Montgomery St. @tippleandramble;805-220-3373 TippleandRamble.com THOUSAND OAKS 36 Cork Dork Wine Bar 1125 Lindero Canyon Rd. @corkdorkwestlake;818-532-7284 CorkDorkWineBar.com 37 West Tasting Room 1867 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. @westtastingroom;805-371-4660 WestTastingRoom.com WESTLAKE VILLAGE 38 Club 14 Wine Bar 31125 Via Colinas #907 @clubwinebar;818-699-6165 ClubWineBar14.com 39 Malibu Sundowner in Wades Wines 30961 Agoura Rd. @malibusundowner;818-706-1807 WadesWines.com 40 The Stonehaus 32039 Agoura Rd. @thestonehaus;818-483-1152 The-Stonehaus.com VENTURA 41 Paradise Pantry 222 E. Main @paradisepantrymarket;805-641-9440St. ParadisePantry.com 42 Ventura Wine Company/The Cave 4435 McGrath St. Unit 301 @thecaveventura;805-642-9449 TheCaveVentura.com Turn the page for our Featured Sip Stops 108 1 312425 36 37 383932 40 7 9 23 Illustrations by Claudia Pardo Wineries that do not sell direct-to-consumers have not been included. Days and hours of operation vary by winery. Please check before visiting. Information on this map was updated August 2022 and as info can change, please contact the wineries for the latest info. 35 3412 1315 Downtown Ojai E OJAI AVE NSIGNALST STMONTGOMERYN STMONTGOMERYS «
42 Paradise Pantry Market & Restaurant loves tasters. Their wine store, curated by co-owner Tina Thayer, has a vibrant, diverse inventory that changes frequently, while the restaurant, with exquisite recipes from co-owner Chef Kelly Briglio, invites tasters to try a glass, a flight or a bottle. Taste inside the cozy bar or on the outdoor patio. Endless varietals sourced locally and around the world.
SIMI VALLEY
Featured Sip Stops
CAMARILLO
4 Cantara Cellars is a family-run winery, brewery, distillery and restaurant. Open since 2007, Co-owners Mike and Chris Brown have been increasing their offerings a bit each year. With grapes sourced from Lodi, wines include Chardonnay, rosé, red blends, Merlot, and Zinfandel. Pizza, barbecue, charcuterie, wings and salads are among the foods available onsite.
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33 The Wine Closet is located in Old Town Camarillo and focuses on hand-crafted wine and craft beer. Wines are from small-production wineries and hand selected for your enjoyment. Tastings available every Thursday evening, all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Delicious food menu and wine and beer served by-the-glass daily.
OXNARD
VENTURA
29 Since opening their tasting room in 2012, Plan B Wine Cellars has established a reputation for producing red wines of quality and distinction. Grapes are sourced from notable vineyards on the Central Coast, wine is then aged and given enough time for just the right nuances to emerge before releasing. With a covered outdoor venue surrounded by stone, the location is as unique as the wines. Tasting room is open weekends.
HEESE COUNTER + WINE SHOPR E S TAU R A N T C H E VEN T U R A C A L F O R N A
30 Trois le Fou is a boutique winery located in the city of Ventura with a focus on producing premium Rhone and Bordeaux-style wines from Paso Robles. Offering Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the tasting room is open Saturday and Sunday.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE
11 Boccali Vineyards & Winery is family owned and operated by father and son winemaking team DeWayne and Joe Boccali since 2006 and produces and bottles estate wines grown at the Boccali Ranch in the Ojai Valley. Wines at the outdoor tasting room include Grenache Blanc, Rosé Syrah, red blend, Cabernet, Syrah and Zinfandel. Pizza and pasta are available onsite at Boccali’s Restaurant.
OJAI
17 Herzog Wine Cellars is a stylish and modern Ventura County winery that is nothing less than au courant. Enjoy artisan wines including Albariño, Black Muscat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gewürztraminer, Malbec, Moscoto, Orange Muscat, Pinot Grigio, Zinfandel and more and local farm-to-table dining at the acclaimed Tierra Sur, also onsite. The grounds feature a lavish granite tasting bar, private tasting rooms, boutique and outdoor terrace.
23 Nectar of The Dogs Wine. Raise a glass to your four-legged friends with this boutique wine company, collaborating with California wineries to bottle premium wines, all in support of dog rescue. Every dog deserves to live a happy, love-filled life and this winery is committed to giving back to organizations that share this mission. Tasting room coming in 2023!
26 Four Brix Winery & Pier City Cider offer tastings, food, music and fun. Though set in an industrial park, their insides are quite vibrant and lively! Food onsite includes pizza (gluten free available), charcuterie, empanadas and chocolates. Wines from the Central coast include many varietals and blends and live music is often available. Tasting room is open Friday through Sunday.
33 NABU Wines produces wine from Napa Valley to the Malibu Coast and showcases weekly some of the best music from Los Angeles and Ventura County. Voted best winery two years running by LA Times readers and Best Wine Tasting in Los Angeles by the Daily News three years in a row, NABU offers Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and more. Pop up kitchens at the tasting room Thursday through Sunday.
22 Anna’s Cider tasting room offers tastings of Doctor’s Orders, a natural wine brand focused on sustainable farming and winemaking practices with minimal intervention in the winery, without sacrificing taste. Grapes sourced from Ojai, Ventura County and Santa Barbara areas. Wines include Malvasia Blanc, Rosé of Grenache, Chardonnay, Grenache, Syrah, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and red blends. Food trucks are often available near the generous indoor and outdoor seating.
SANTA PAULA
12 For over 25 years, family run Casa Barranca Winery has been making natural, lab-tested pure, USDA certified organic wines using all wild yeast and sustainable farming. Using grapes sourced in Ojai and Santa Barbara County, wines include Bordeaux and Rhone varietals. Tasting room located in the historic arcade in Ojai near plenty of local restaurants.
27 Lester Family Cellars is a boutique family-owned winery and tasting room that makes small-batch, hand-crafted wines. Wines include Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, rosé, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec sourced from the Paso Robles area. Tasting room is open weekends.
FALL 2022 33EdibleVenturaCounty.com This Spot’s for You!
o you ever feel out of your depth when it comes to picking the best beverage to pair with your dinner? Do you struggle to choose just the right wine to serve dinner guests? Do you secretly worry that you will select the wrong drink and mess up a beer,toitems.thansomethingseethingsWeofexperience?diningPairingisparthumannature:lovetoputtogethertoifwecancreategreatertheindividualWhenitcomesfoodandwine(orcider,coffee,tea, etc.)
MUST Be 21
Breaking the Rules for Perfect Pairings
BY TINA THAYER | PHOTOS BY VIKTOR BUDNIK
D
we are always searching for a combination that takes things to a level beyond. With that as a goal, it can be intimidating trying to decide what to drink with what we are eating.
One key to remember is there are many options for pairings. At the most basic level, the goal should be that the two can be enjoyed together without degrading the experience of either on its own.
SPICY: Acidity in wine increases spicy-ness in food. This is where all of the “I only want dry wines” goes out the window. Slightly sweet or “demi-sec” wines help balance out the heat so they can be enjoyed and even refreshing while your tongue battles the Bubbleschiles.arenot helpful with spice either, similar reasoning as above. Reds, fruity reds, not necessarily super high in alcohol, would work here as well.
LOCALITY: In Europe, wine varietals and recipes have been entwined together in culture for centuries. Wines were meant to be consumed with the local cuisine and winemaking styles developed over time to create complementary pairings. It never hurts to talk to local chefs who focus on sourcing food from the region and create meals to complement the wines produced locally. (See Gabe Garcia at Tierra Sur and Dominic O’Reilly of Anna’s Cider, for example.)
WHAT FLAVOR OR COMPONENT ARE WE PAIRING TO?
Is it the bubbles? Is it the lightness, minerality, fruity-ness, type of fruity? This could lead you to trying cider or a fruity beer with dishes that are usually enjoyed with wine. Also, the trend of carbonic, chill able reds has opened a wider door for red wine drinkers to enjoy reds with dishes that are traditionally paired with white wines.
WHY IS THIS WINE BEING SUGGESTED?
Too often, we look only at the main component of the dish—for example, a ribeye steak or a salmon dish.
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CREAMY: Pairings are usually either a match to something or the opposite. Creamy, bold wines can match creamy, bold dishes. Crisp, bright wines can cut through those same dishes and create a different but equally enjoyable experience.
On the opposite end of the spectrum there is the ribeye: If you’re going for big, bold char grill notes, then yes, the traditional oaky Cabernet blend would be great. However, for those who don’t drink big reds, a round richer Chardonnay or Roussanne would be able to hold up next to those big meaty flavors. Flavors of toast and butter don’t hate steak.
For a fish dish, typically we look for a light, usually bright, white wine. But a lighter-bodied red or the above-mentioned chillable reds would work, especially with sweeter seasonings like a shrimp and arti choke citrus salad, or a teriyaki salmon that might lend to some fresh plum, strawberry or cherry flavors. Pinot Noir with more of a savory herb profile would also work. And there is always rosé, which can pair with so many flavors.
Picking a Pairing: What questions to ask.
There is no sense in focusing on what might be the “best” or “tradition al” pairing if no one participating likes the beverage in the first place.
WHAT DO MY GUESTS (OR I) LIKE TO DRINK?
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Yes, there are wines that will work with those proteins, but that is just a base. What else is being served? What types of seasoning are being used? This is where many variables can come into play. Does the dish need something light and bright? Can this dish hold up to big, bold flavors? Is the food spicy? Is it rich?
Remember that if you are choosing to pair, the beverage is now part of your dish. Think of it the same way you might about the season ings you add to the food.
Champagne and oysters only work together if the consumers like bubbles (and oysters). Same with a crisp white wine pairing: The oysters and Albariño might be amazing together for some but not if the taster doesn’t like white wine.
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Solving Pairing Problems
Editor’s note: This list is far from exhaustive. See our wine guide to find your own favorite local wine.
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Cavaletti Nebbiolo: Great with some hefty barbecue ribs— bring on the sauce! The great lightweight yet structured tan nins will complement some of your heavier foods but not weigh down the warm evenings of early fall.
an opportunity to spend a little more time thinking about what we eat and drink.
Wine consultant Tina Thayer, half of the outstanding pair who own Paradise Pantry, is a natural at disarming the nervous and arming the information seekers all about pairing wines and foods! Her approach is smart and gentle, leaving all who ask excited to try it themselves.
We are lucky in California that many of the wines can hold their own with an experience pairing even without food. A tropical Sauvignon Blanc and a day reading at the beach make a great pairing. Refreshing, interesting and complete on its own.
Local Wines with Which to Break the Rules
Ojai Vineyard Rosé: A blend with amazing acidity from the addition of white varietals to keep it lifted and bright. This is easy with fall salmon dishes where it can cut though the rich ness of the fish or a light creamy sauce over pasta and keep up with a fresh fruit in a salad like Paradise Pantry Purple Haze.
Cavaletti Tempranillo: Campfire wine. Certainly it is great with steaks and burgers but equally enjoyable as the sunsets and the temp drops to cozy up to the campfire with yummy fruit and subtle oak.
Think for Pairingyourself!isfunand
It can be engaging in a group setting to try and figure out which wine on a flight goes best with which cheese on the plat ter. Often, the ripeness of the cheese or the age on the wine can send a previously perfect pairing into just a memory. There should be many different opinions, maybe even some disagree ment, but it allows us to notice more subtleties in the wine that draw us to match the fruit with berries or the richness with a triple cream. Does adding a walnut to the mix change which wine goes better?
We talk of perfect pairings, but these are moments in time that come together by trying and sampling and revisiting.
What Rules?
FALL 2022 37EdibleVenturaCounty.com Visit ParadisePantry.com for our always fresh daily specials. 805 641 9440 • 222 East Main Street • Ventura California 93001 pairing is our specialty Eat with Us. Drink with Us. Shop with Us. Locally Sourced . Chef Inspired Seasonal Creations Vibrant Ambiance . Winemaker Events . Dinner Specials Wine Tasting . Artisan Market . Cheese + Charcuterie ntura • p airing ine, cheese,geatfoo d15• years El Jardin Courtyard 451 E. Main Street, #4 Ventura, CA 93001 805-775-7280 Book Your Private Event! weddings · receptions · catering WWW.THEDUTCHESSOJAI.COM 457 E. OJAI AVE. OJAI, CA 93023
EDIBLE Endeavor
“My magical garden moments as a kid were enjoying the gardens and fresh food from them each season, then selling the extra produce at the farm stand at the end of our driveway,” says Robert.
“Our subscriptions break up the gardening process into seasons that overlap harvests with new plantings,” says Robert Campana,
Robert is also a customer, and since starting the company and subscribing himself, has been able to turn the empty planter boxes he built, filled and then ignored for over two years, into a garden that produces year-round vegetables for his young family. He grew up in Ojai, where his father worked full time at Seminis, Inc. (a seed com pany), while caring for 100 orange trees and two vegetable gardens in their one-and-a-half-acre yard.
Now he is a successful gardener at his home in Ventura. He also grows many plant varieties in the test garden in Santa Paula for Leaf’d and PanDia, the seed company he started with his dad in 2010. His kids, ages 6 and 3, are having the same kind of experiences that he remembers as a kid, enjoying fresh foods that they helped
Mail-Order Abundance
Local biz offers gardening support by the boxful
BY SUZANNE LUCE | PHOTOS BY MARIAH GREEN
M
who started Leaf’d Box with his wife, Kayanna, in 2020. “We also email our customers reminders when it’s time to harvest, scannable codes to learning lessons, and recipes so they can enjoy eating their homegrown vegetables and herbs.”
any of us want to grow a garden, one that will provide many fruitful harvests, but do not know where to start or how to keep it going. The inevitable setbacks are too much to endure for some and others cannot get past the task of germinating seeds. Gardening stores often sell varieties that are not ready to plant when you find them there, and costs can be high, especially if your garden fails to grow.
Leaf’d Box, a new home-gardening education and subscription service, offers plant starts as low as $3 each, along with information and support that can help home gardeners produce up to $700 a year worth of Leaf’dproduce.Boxwas designed to take the guesswork out of gardening at home. With a subscription and less than an hour per week of mainte nance, gardeners from beginner to expert can have fresh, homegrown food all year. The family-owned company provides online lessons that walk you through preparing your garden area, and deliver plants to your doorstep at the moment they should be planted.
The Leaf’d Box team groups vegetables or herb varieties that they have tested for predictable harvests. A spreadsheet they developed based on customers’ hardiness zones tells them when to send the plants out to growing areas across the U.S. to make the most out of each season. Depending on the plants, they may be ready to harvest from five weeks to three months after they are planted, timed per fectly with the shipment of a new box of plants. “As you are harvest ing one area of the garden, you are planting another area for future harvest,” says Robert. There are a few exceptions such as artichoke, which takes six months from plant to harvest, but special instructions are provided to plant it in the corner so the next shipment of plants can go in around it.
Throughavailable.apartnership
The Herb Garden Boxes include plants such as basil, dill, lem ongrass, chamomile and nasturtium, and the Veggie Garden Boxes include plants such as cherry tomato, round tomato, green lettuce, red lettuce, kale, cucumber, scallop squash and sweet bell pepper. The subscriptions come in small, medium and large sizes, in a vegetable or herb option, with 10 plants in the small, 30 in the medium and 60 in the large. The small subscription is billed quarterly at $44.99 per shipment plus shipping or annually for $199 for four seasonal shipments. There are also one-time seasonal vegetable or herb garden boxes
It seems simple to grow a garden, but even being surrounded by seeds and growing plants, Robert realized that life commitments can get in the way, and he needed to have something mapped out and easy to follow to keep his garden going. He thought maybe others were having the same trouble and wanted to offer a solution.
Plants arrive at your door in an easy-to-plant form.
Opposite: Robert Campana started Leaf’d Box in the height of the pandemic. Here, at one of the test gardens with his kids, they all get to taste the fruits of their labors.
with World Vision International, every subscription to Leaf’d Box provides clean water to someone in need. PanDia, Robert’s other company, researches and develops seeds for growers around the world, and he has personally visited places such as Haiti and Honduras, where many struggle for access to clean water and healthy food. For more information visit LeafdBox.com.
With the fortuitous timing of the pandemic-induced gardening revolution, a month after launching Leaf’d Box, mostly advertising on social media, the company already had 400 subscribers. Two years later, the company continues to grow and has expanded to gardening education seed kits for home and charter schools that are sold on the website and through Walmart and Target.
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Robert says with Leaf’d Box he aims to re-create these magical garden memories for other aspir ing gardeners and their families. The plugs are grown in peat moss with an organic binder and shipped at the ideal size for planting, either in a garden, raised beds, pots or even hydroponic systems. “We aim to make gardening easy, by giving aspiring gardeners the right plants at the right times to help them start and maintain their #EasiestGardenEver,” says Robert. “We are setting them up for progress, not perfection.”
grow and selling the surplus from both gardens at a corner near their home. Additional excess produce is donated to nonprofits like Food Forward and Food Share.
“One of our customers in California bought a subscription for herself and for her father on the East Coast, and they are now able to grow the same things at the same times, allowing them to deepen their connections through a shared experience even though they are far apart,” says Robert. “Another in Maine receives his plants on a different schedule than Southern California, but still enjoys harvests much of the year as well.” Leaf’d Box customizations allow customers in colder climates to choose to receive the boxes earlier if they will be starting them in a greenhouse or after the weather warms up to plant directly in the garden.
40 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County Fresh Nuts, Dried Fruits & Candies Huge Selection of Gift Packs 4475 E. Los Angeles Ave., Somis 805-386-1211 • 800-266-NUTS Open 7 Days Tue–Sat, 10am–5pm 300 N. Lantana St. #37, CallTea-Liteful.comCamarillo805-445-8327forreservations • European Tea Room • Over 130 Specialty Teas • Cream Tea, Afternoon Tea, High Tea • Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, Catering BellaCopper The Original Solid Copper Heat Diffuser, Defroster Plate & Oven Plate Copper conducts heat better! Made in Ventura, CA since 2002 www.BellaCopper.com 97 E Daily Drive, Camarillo CA www.epicureanoliveoils.com93010 Fresh is best! We are proud to serve delicious and quality products to support healthy living! Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Traditionally Aged Balsamic 805-383-6489@epicureanoliveoilsVinegar edible Ojai & CountyVentura Marketplace Our trees.provenstandardspruningaretopromotehealthygrowth,strongstructureandpleasantaestheticsforallWithourhelpyourfruittreescanhavebettertastingfruitandmoreofit!Edwin Slowik Board Certified Master Arborist TreeTreeConsultationRemovalPlantingFertilizingPruningandRiskAssessmentMaintenance (805)652-0404 TreecoVentura@att.net TreecoVentura.com To join the Marketplace contact us at info@edibleventuracounty.com
It was March and still a bit cool. I placed the shriveled little tomatoes I had saved, one in the center of each pot, just under the soil—and waited, with minimal watering.
Welcome to another level of recycling! Grow what your farmer just grew and you enjoyed at your table, or what sprouted in your pantry or fridge before you could get to it.
Note: Locally grown vegetables are best, especially if you will be planting them out side, since our local farmers grow varieties that thrive in this area.
To get them going, check the white bulb ends for roots and make sure there are at least a few growing from the bottoms already. Trim most of the green parts from the bundle and place in a glass jar or vase with the white bulbs submerged in water to just below the green part of the onions.
GREEN ONIONS: ONGOING GREENS FROM GREEN ONIONS
It was February and the plants were dry and brown ing, but still had a few tomatoes ripening. I took one from each of the three varieties I was growing—a San Marzano, a French heirloom and a pear-shaped cher ry—and saved and dried them on the kitchen counter. I then pulled out the expired plants and replenished and amended the pots.
You can regrow some tender new leaves from a scrap of your favorite lettuce. Romaine works great and most other types of head lettuce work with this method, as well as cabbage and bok choy.
KITCHEN SCRAP GARDENING: NEXT LEVEL RECYCLING
By April, to my amazement, two of the three toma toes sprouted into many new plants. As they grew, I thinned them out, leaving just one seedling in each pot and transferring one of the extras into the pot that had no Bygermination.mid-summer, I was enjoying an unprecedented harvest of tomatoes from just three “regenerated” plants, without a trip to the gardening store. Try it and discover your own surprises, particularly if you want to regrow a beloved variety without having to hunt for a specific seed or plant.
Many of us are now separating our kitchen scraps for collection in organic waste bins. Some of us have compost and worm bins or backyard chickens for our scraps. But can we also generate more fresh food for ourselves from our kitchen discards?
A simultaneous experiment was to add to the remain ing soil in the pots a combo of pine shavings and manure from an overdue cleaning of my backyard chicken coop. I mixed everything right in the pots and watered for a few weeks until the weather warmed up and the soil in the pots composted a bit and lost most of its “chicken scent.”
Cut off and use the leaves and save the bottom one to two inches of the root end. Place in a wide-mouthed jar or shal low dish in about a half inch of water. You can remove some of the outer layers if necessary to fit your container. Choose a sunny location inside the house for your let tuce. New leaves will begin to emerge from the center quickly because the stem still contains leaf buds that develop into leafy shoots.
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G
GROW with It
KITCHEN SCRAPS GARDENING
LETTUCE: BONUS LEAVES FROM A HEAD OF LETTUCE
Green or spring onions won’t multiply or produce additional bulbs, but you can regrow the green shoots. Grow them in water, near a sunny window in the kitchen, and cut off the new growth again and again for your recipes.
As the tomato season was coming to a close, I em barked on an experiment to preserve the fruits of my labor by growing new plants (rather than purchasing them as I had done in previous years). I decided to use the final tomatoes that my plants had produced to create new plants for the next season.
But the rewards can be so much greater than that. For example, I had an incredibly rewarding experience this year as an amateur gardener.
BY SUZANNE LUCE | ILLUSTRATIONS BY RAMIAH CHU
New shoots will emerge after a few days. Change the water every other day to keep the green shoots coming.
rowing produce at home is as much about the experience as it is about production. There is the convenience of fresh herbs without having to go out for those little plastic clamshells from the grocery store to complete a meal. And there is the unmatched flavor of a homegrown tomato and the intoxicating scent of basil as you gather fresh leaves for pesto or pizza.
Keep your lettuce producing new leaves for up to two weeks (until it goes to seed) by freshening up the water every other day. Then, feel free to save the seeds for growing in your spring garden.
herb clippings in water works well for soft-stemmed, well-loved herbs such as basil, mint, oregano, cilantro and parsley, but with patience can also be successful for woodier herbs like rosemary and thyme. You can also try planting the clippings directly into well-draining soil in spring and skip rooting them in water.
Place the stems into small glasses or vases of water with the leaves above the surface. The submerged stem should have at least two leaf nodes (where leaves were removed). Change the water ev ery three to four days and place the container in a bright location that gets six to eight hours of sunlight.
Cloves that have sprouted on the counter or in the fridge are great to use rather than toss, but they don’t need to be sprouting for planting. There is also no need to peel them—just remove the individual cloves from the bulb.
Plant each clove two inches deep in a pot or directly in the gar den, with the pointed or sprouted end up. Leave at least four inches of space between the garlic cloves, to give them room to grow a largeYoubulb. should stop watering when the leaves begin to turn brown, to keep the garlic from rotting during its last weeks before harvest ing. Garlic is ready to dig up (avoid pulling it out from the stems) after about half of the leaves become dry and yellow, and the stems fall over.
42 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County
In just a matter of days, you’ll see greens emerge from the cut ting and, after a few weeks, roots that are ready to plant in soil. You can transplant them to a deep pot or directly into your outside garden to grow an entirely
TAPPING NEW GROWTH FROM TAPROOTS
Celery and fennel are both cooltemperature crops and can be started in the fall in partial sun. But if it’s still warm outside, you can try skipping the step of soaking and plant the cuttings directly in your garden, in full shade.
Rootingroots.
Both celery and fennel can be regrown by saving just an inch or two from the root end of the vegetable. Place a cutting in a dish of water so the bottom half is submerged and change the water often to keep it fresh and clean.
HERBS: CULINARY FLAVOR ROOTED IN PLAIN WATER
An easy way to start an herb garden is to grow roots on herb clippings purchased from the store or farmers’ market. You can use most of the leaves for cooking, then just save one stem for each herb you want to grow. Make sure at least two sets of leaves remain on the top end and strip the rest.
CELERY AND FENNEL: NEW PLANTS STARTED IN A SUNNY WINDOW
Garlic takes about eight months to grow, but it’s easy to get start ed. And, for every garlic clove you plant, you’ll produce an entire newIt’sbulb.best to plant garlic in late fall, around November here in Ventura County, for a summer harvest in June or July. Garlic needs full sun and soil that drains well. The garlic will produce greens in the spring that are edible. You can remove and use them, but wait until summer for the bulbs.
CARROTS, TURNIPS & BEETS:
GARLIC: A BULB OF GARLIC FOR EVERY CLOVE
Depending on the type of herb, it can take several weeks for a stem to send out new roots. Wait until the new roots are at least one inch long and are branching off into smaller rootlets before planting the herbs in soil to just above the level of the
In the case of taproots like carrots, turnips and beets, you regrow greens from the tops of the vegetables rather than the root end. Place the cut top (a half to one inch piece) in shallow water in a sunny spot and change the water every other day or as needed to keep it fresh andYouclean.won’t get a new plant, but in a few days, you’ll see the beginnings of more greens that you can either eat or let grow to collect seeds for new plants. Carrot greens are delicious as a pesto or a gar nish for carrot soup. Beet and turnip greens are the most nutritious part of the plant, and are sweet and mild when sautéed.
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For the simplest method, use an 8–10-gallon bucket, bag or pot, 12–16 inches deep, filled with compost. Thoroughly mix some organic fertilizer into the soil when planting to boost the size and number of potatoes. If the potatoes you are planting have lots of sprouts, you can also remove all but a couple per potato to encourage larger potatoes.
POTATOES:
Yukon Gold is a great variety to try for first-timers, because it adapts to various soil types and produces quickly and reliably. Different varieties produce a range of yields, so it’s best to plant just two or three sprouted potatoes in your container. Plant six to 10 inches deep and leave an inch or two of space to add straw or mulch on top as a way to insulate the plants from warmer tem peratures and slow soil evaporation.
Suzanne Luce, a writer and mother of three, has long been a real-food enthusiast, making much of the food her family eats from scratch. She is also actively involved with Slow Food Ventura County as baker and publicist. She has worked professionally in marketing and PR and earned a bachelor’s degree in literature/writing from the University of California, San Diego.
Try planting your potatoes in buckets or bags. It takes far less space and effort than planting in the ground, and makes harvest ing a cinch—just empty your container and separate out the po tatoes—no digging!
Potatoes grow year-round in Ventura County’s mild climate. Like garlic cloves, potatoes are the seeds themselves for new plants, so regrowing potatoes past their prime or sprouting on the kitchen counter makes perfect sense. You can buy seed potatoes, but the success rate of using organic, locally grown potatoes as seeds for a new potato crop is high and certainly worth trying.
A BUCKETFUL FROM SPROUTED POTATOES
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are ready when about half of the foliage turns yellow. Remove the tops and wait two more weeks for the pota toes to finish growing before emptying your container.
Yourwatered.potatoes
For more planting and scrap growing resources, see our story on EdibleVenturaCounty.com.
Typically, if you start your potatoes in late summer/ear ly fall they should be ready to harvest in about three to four months, or just before our first frost. You can also plant in ear ly spring for a summer harvest. Planting in containers will give you a lot of flexibility on these schedules, so if you have sprouted potatoes on hand and want to give it a try, go for it!
Place the container in a location with full sun. The soil needs to stay moist but if you overwater, the potatoes could rot. Try watering every few days when it’s warm and hopefully, as the weather cools down, you’ll have some help from the rain to keep them
FORAGING Finds
W
While California does have its own native species of wild grapes, they are not as abundant and widespread as elderberry. Always keep moderation in mind when wild harvesting as fruits, berries, nuts and seeds are important food for local wildlife.
Not a fan of elderberry? Just about any other juicy fruit will do as well. Other suitable local wild fruits to experiment with include currant, prickly pear, gooseberries, blackberries and wild cherries. You can also experiment with adding herbs and spices as well.
It is worth noting that fruits or berries that start with less sugar and water content will need a little extra of those added in.
Jess Starwood, an herbalist, forager and chef based in Thousand Oaks, educates about wild food, herbal medicine and our natural connection to the land through what we eat. She has a master’s 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
Chef Notes: Some country winemakers cook their fruit juice first to pasteurize it and then add a commercial yeast afterwards. This helps to control the fermentation process, but it kills any wild yeast on the fruit. (You’ll notice that elderberries have a white bloom on them—that’s wild yeast.) Other folks like to utilize the natural and unique flavors of wild yeast in their wine so only raw juice is used. Wild fruits just aren’t as sweet as the grapes used for commercial wine so it’s im portant to add some sugar to help feed the yeast and increase the alcohol content. What kind of sugar? White sugar is neutral in terms of flavor, convenient, affordable and is used most often in fruit winemaking, but you can also use honey, raisins or syrups (do not use artificial or no-calorie sweeteners). When using honey instead of sugar, you’re technically making a “melomel,” which is closer to a mead than a wine. But aside from the technical terms, both are quite tasty whatever you decide to call it.
ine doesn’t have to come from grapes. In fact, our local elderberries, which are abundant, juicy and full of wild yeast, make an excellent and interesting country wine. Making your own wine is a fairly simple process: Combine a fruit with a little water and sugar and eventually you’ll end up with a beverage something like a wine. However, with a little technique, you can alter the ratio of ingredients, yeast and fermentation time to create your own unique product.
44 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County
Truly Local WineCountryElderberry
PHOTOS AND WORDS BY JESS STARWOOD
USING FRESH BERRIES: First, remove as many stems from the berries as possible. This can be done with your hands or with a fork using a quick raking motion. Crush the berries and press through a sieve to remove skins and seed. Alternatively, the berries can be passed through a juicer, or blended and strained.
Thoroughly clean all utensils and containers that will come in contact with the wine. This helps to prevent any contamination during processing. Hot soapy water will be sufficient.
2 pounds white sugar
ELDERBERRY WINE
Juice of 3 Commerciallemonsyeast
Makes about a gallon
USING DRIED BERRIES: Add the berries to the 1 gallon of water and bring to a boil. Allow the berries to simmer for 10 minutes. Smash the berries to help release their juices and flavors into the water; strain, reserving the water and returning to the Combinepot.elderberry
Within 24–48 hours there will be signs of fermentation occurring (air bubbles escaping the airlock). Allow to ferment for 6 months.
1 gallon distilled water
Rack into another clean bottle and continue to age another 6 months.
4 pounds fresh elderberries (or 12 ounces dried elderberries)
juice, sugar and water in the pot and simmer to dissolve the sugar.
Allow the liquid to cool to room Addtemperature.lemonjuice and yeast; stir to Pourcombine.theelderberry and sugar liquid into a clean gallon-sized carboy or bottle with an airlock.
edible Communities | SIGNATURE SECTION
REALLY RECYCLED?
recycling bins or items that are not clean—the most common culprit is food residue.
For example, Stamford, Connecticut made $95,000 selling recyclables in 2017; after 2018, it paid $700,000 for removal. And Bakersfield, California, earned $65 per ton from recyclables; it now pays $25 a ton to get rid of them.
One-quarter of packaging reaching recycling facilities is contaminated and, thus, sent to landfills, the EPA estimates. Contamination can occur from contact with non-recyclables in
Further, recycling facilities are often underfunded and over whelmed. In 2018, China stopped importing most plastic waste from both the U.S. and Canada. That ban upended recycling systems that relied on exports, and neither country has been successful in building a domestic recycling market.
About a year ago, a comedian—not a scientist or environmentalist—enlightened consumers about a product they use every day that is harmful to the planet.
And while many plastics are recyclable, they still end up in landfills, oceans and, ultimately, in our bodies.
Amid pressure to transform the recycling system, experts are advocating for circularity in food packaging. Circular systems pre vent waste from reaching recycling facilities by implementing strat egies to reuse and repurpose plastics already created. A shift in this direction requires the food industry to rethink packaging materials and to consider what the reuse and disposal of plastics (eventually) would look like, especially for packaging that is compostable.
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“A lot less plastic winds up getting recycled than you might think,” John Oliver said on that particular episode of Last Week Tonight, which has now been viewed more than 4 million times. In the United States and Canada, less than 9 percent of plastics is recycled. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), packaging comprises the largest percent of U.S. plastic waste. Since the pandemic disrupted curbside pickup and put more emphasis on single-use products, especially in food service, these numbers have only worsened.
Consumers often see plastic food packaging as the cost of eating: tubs of salad greens; clear clamshells for berries; and even, pre-wrapped cucumbers and other produce.
The recycling system is also wrought with environmental injustice. “Recycling facilities are predominantly built in mar ginalized communities, in part due to the traditional invisibility of and bias against low-income communities of color and In digenous peoples,” says Nilda Mesa, director of urban sustain ability and equity planning at Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Urban Development.
Now, however, in an exciting wave of innovation, businesses and entrepreneurs are rethinking how to package food.
ediblecommunities.com
IS PLASTIC WASTE THE COST OF EATING?
STORY BY EMILY PAYNE AND DANIELLE NIERENBERG
“Much food packaging is made from plastic, and most plastics are never recycled—though the plastics industry has long worked to convince us otherwise,” says Dianna Cohen, co-founder and CEO of the Plastic Pollution Coalition.
“Compostable is often referring to packaging that must be transported to an industrial composting facility—which it often isn’t, and just ends up in a landfill versus recycled,” says Emily Stucker, vice president of menu innovation and product integrity at Farmer’s Fridge.
“Along with the innovation in more sustainable packaging, pric ing has come down dramatically, and it’s only a small premium to conventional or fossil fuel-based packaging now,” Gailmor says.
THE POWER OF PROCUREMENT
San Francisco, California, was one of the first cities to make a zero-waste commitment in 2003—it diverts 80 percent of its waste from landfills. Vendors use either compostable or recyclable contain ers, and every event must offer recycling and composting. The city also requires individuals and businesses to separate waste into recy clable, compostable and trash bins.
“The real game changer will be when people buy less plastic, reuse what they have and minimize what goes in the trash and into recycling,”
“Moving away from single-serve meals and snacks is probably the most impactful way to reduce packaging waste in an institutional setting,” says the Center for Good Food Purchasing, a nonprofit that aims to use procurement to build a more equitable food system.
For example, many elementary school districts are required to serve milk which is distributed in single-serve cartons. Students take a carton, drink some or none of it and throw it in the trash. But when the Austin Independent School District in Texas transitioned
“We would have loved to be in all compostable packaging from the beginning, but for a small company starting out, pricing for small runs and guaranteed shelf life for new products with un known velocity can be prohibitive,” says Logan Farley, chief operat ing officer at Brass Roots, a plant-based snack company based in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Unilever and PepsiCo include compostable packaging as part of their strategies to reduce waste. Chipotle and Sweetgreen use compostable material for take-out meals.
When proper infrastructure and education are in place, pro cessing compost can be sustainable, especially given that munici palities pay for waste processing by weight.
“We can do this on an individual level and also need to support systems shifts, from our schools to our workplaces to policy and legislation,” says Cohen.
Food businesses consider pricing, shelf life and quality of pre sentation for packaging, and it’s been cheaper to choose plastic packaging. Brass Roots Founder Aaron Gailmor believes the tide is turning, however.
According to the Center, buying bulk items can help institu tions reduce both packaging waste and food waste—a win for tight budgets, too.
Ecovative’s technology upcycles farming and forestry byproducts through mycelium to create plastic-free and home-compostable prod ucts for the food, leather, beauty, foam and packaging industries.
“If you’d asked me two years ago, I wouldn’t have been as enthu siastic,” says Gailmor, “but I am very confident now.” Consumer demand drives innovation, lower prices and more sustainable op tions for small businesses like Brass Roots, but the onus can’t be only on eaters.
This is, in part, because composting facilities are not available nationally. Mixing compostables into curbside bins can contami nate recycling streams. Throwing compostables in the trash gets them sent to landfills, where they emit methane.
IF THE PRICE IS RIGHT
“A municipality that can figure out how to minimize its organic waste stream will be saving funds over the long run, as well as cutting greenhouse gas emissions and producing material that will enrich soils… It’s a win all over,” says Mesa. But only if they can afford it.
Compostables are made of plant-based materials—corn, starch or sugarcane—unlike plastics derived from petroleum.
One powerful solution is for government and institutional pro curement practices to help reduce or eliminate plastic packaging.
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Compostable packaging isn’t always sustainable, though. With out the right infrastructure, pricing and awareness, compostables can contribute to the food packaging waste problem.
Gailmor is hopeful that more options can be available at large scale as consumer demand rises.
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COMPOSTABLE IS COMPLICATED
Other institutions are increasing demand for sustainable food services—within the Center’s partner institutions, there has been a more than 30 percent increase in environmentally sustainable pur chasing over the last few years.
There’s no silver bullet to solving the food packaging crisis. It’s complex and requires both top-down solutions and bottom-up changes by consumers and businesses.
In 2021, Driscoll’s diverted more than 10 million pounds of packaging from landfills. The company’s circular clamshell initiative requires packaging suppliers to incorporate recycled clamshells back into new Cloverclamshells.Sonoma released the first fully plant-based milk carton in 2022. Meanwhile, Danone aims to make every piece of packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.
More than 70 brands have committed to the One Step Closer to Zero Waste Packaging campaign, which launched in January 2022. It aims to improve infrastructure, labeling and the responsi bility of producers.
Kroger partnered with TerraCycle to test a reusable packaging program in 25 Fred Meyer stores. Customers will be able to pur chase products from brands like Arbor Teas, Nature’s Heart and Na ture’s Path in reusable containers that they can return to be cleaned and Ifreused.unpackaged foods or reusable containers aren’t available, Co hen says to choose easily recyclable materials like paper, glass and metal. Consumers can also look for products with instructions on how to dispose of their packaging.
to bulk milk, they reduced so much waste that it was able to transi tion to all organic milk for the same cost of single-serve cartons.
Meanwhile, Notpla aims to eliminate the need for single-use plastic bottles. Its condiments and water sachets are made from seaweed, which can be composted or actually eaten. And Sway’s seaweed packaging integrates seamlessly with existing machinery, eliminating the costs for manufacturers.
Meanwhile, some of the largest industry players are tackling packaging and plastic waste internally.
Companies that fundamentally change the way they think about packaging, rather than simply swapping plastics for another singleuse material, can build true circularity.
This focus on waste reduction can drive investment in better sorting infrastructure, reducing widespread contamination and making recycling easier for all.
The campaign also supports the Break Free from Plastic Pollu tion Act. It mandates reduced production of a variety of materials, including plastic, and requires producers of packaging, containers and food service products to boost recycling and composting efforts.
ZERO PACKAGING
Cohen recommends prioritizing unpackaged food. Whole Foods, Sprouts and co-ops allow customers to purchase bulk food in reusable containers, while zero-waste shops are becoming more common across the country. And farmers’ markets offer a way to avoid plastics in grocery.
“If you want true systemic change, it means taking a stand against things that derail the broader conversation, just like you take a stand for the organizations that are actually solving the problem,” says Gup ta-Fonner.Therealso is the need for a cultural shift. “When you acknowl edge that there are resources, natural elements and actually pieces of real life and habitats that went into making this packaging,” says Gupta-Fonner, “then reuse is compassion.”
LEADING THE WAY
“To make any kind of single-use packaging including composta bles, you’re using precise raw materials, energy and water,” says Anukampa Freedom Gupta-Fonner, co-founder and CEO of Spr ingEats.com, an online grocery store achieving zero-waste delivery from farm to table.
NatureSeal coating combines vitamins, salts and minerals to extend the shelf life of sliced fruits for up to 28 days.
The best way to reduce packaging waste, though, is by using no packaging at all.
Designing the infrastructure for circularity—a system that in herently limits waste—can create an easy and affordable choice for all eaters.
PACKAGELESS EATING
“The real game changer will be when people buy less plastic, reuse what they have and minimize what goes in the trash and into recy cling,” says Mesa.
Emily Payne is Food Tank’s copy editor, and Danielle Nierenberg is the president and co-founder of Food Tank.
“Private industry has the opportunity to create the demand to kickstart or revive strong and stable recycling end markets for the circular economy, and we hope more brands and manufacturers will step up to the design and sourcing challenge,” says Camille Herrera, packaging development and sustainability manager at Driscoll’s.
Gupta-Fonner’s waste-free delivery service aims to do the fun damental work of building a circular supply chain from the ground up. For her, waste is an issue of design. “Linear supply chains are not designed for this,” says Gupta-Fonner.
FALL 2022 53EdibleVenturaCounty.com For more on this story, visit ediblecommunities.comedible Communities | SIGNATURE SECTION
Apeel makes plant-derived coatings that growers, suppliers and retailers use to keep produce fresh two to three times longer. And
Edible Ojai & Ventura County
ROBIN’S Recipes
INSPIRED
PHOTOS STYLED AND RECIPES BY ROBIN GOLDSTEIN
WINE
1 small red onion, chopped fine
•
Camarillo,
1 pound seedless green grapes
• FOOD 2423 Ventura
A truly hearty celebration dish for autumn, when harvested grapes are at their peak. Prepared with a good Italian fennel sausage and plated with stone-ground cornmeal polenta or creamy, cheesy grits that can capture the syrupy grape pan juices, this dish is quite easy to concoct, making it a perfect weeknight dinner.
Featuring food menu Panini. lunch and dinner.
and gourmet
artisan wine and craft beer by-the-glass or bottle. Creative
|
WINE CLUB DISCOUNTS WINE TASTING THUR-SUN BOTTLE SHOP, WINE BAR & CHEESE MARKET
6 large Italian pork or chicken sausages
Chef Robin Goldstein’s cooking career has been centered in California, where she has been preparing foods for 30+ years. She brings to the table a deep-felt art of balancing flavors while interacting with her private clients in their homes. She shares her delicious recipes through her popular cookbooks, perfectly paired for those who seek savory Mediterranean-inspired flavors.
PrivateChefRobin.com
WINE BEER FOOD
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
SAUSAGE AND GRAPES
Serving
Closed |
Monday Tue/Wed 12–7PM 12–9PM Sunday 12–5PM
Add the broth, chopped onion, grapes and rosemary sprigs to the pan and put in the oven for 20 minutes, turning the sausage and grapes halfway through, until the sausages are cooked and the grapes begin to burst and caramelize. Remove only the sausages onto a serving dish.
HOURS
(805)
WINE • BEER Blvd., CA 93010 383-9812
Preheat oven to 450°F.
½ cup dry white wine
Serves 4
In the same roasting pan, over mediumhigh heat on the stovetop, carefully pour in the wine, and stir until the wine is reduced, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan into the roasted grapes. Pour the thickened pan juices, along with the grapes, over the sausages.
| wineclosetinc.com
Thur/Fri/Sat
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Heat a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil and sausages; brown the sausages on both sides for about 5 minutes.
•
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The black grape glaze complements the flavor of turkey and is amazing on duck as well.
To make the grape glaze: Add the olive oil, sliced shallots and garlic to a medium saucepan and sauté over medium heat, about 3 minutes, until soft and very fragrant.
Boneless leg of lamb, trimmed, cut into ¾-inch-thick medallions for grilling
4 garlic cloves, sliced
¼ cup toasted almonds, chopped rough
Add the grapes, vinegar, honey, red wine, chicken broth, bay leaf, a pinch of salt and chile flakes. (Experiment with different spices to shift the flavor.) Reduce the heat and cook the mixture until the grapes burst open and the sauce has reduced down to a glaze.
¼ cup green onion, green and white parts, cut in long strips
Serve the grilled lamb with slivers of sliced green onion and chopped almonds for garnish and additional glaze on the side.
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups Concord or black grapes
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 pinch of chile flakes, optional
Serves 4 | Makes 3 cups glaze
GRILLED LAMB MEDALLIONS WITH GRAPE GLAZE
Rack of lamb is also a great option. Brush the meats with the glaze 3 or 4 minutes before it is finished grilling or roasting. You can make the glaze up to 2 days stored in the fridge; use within 1 week.
½ cup red wine
In this recipe, outdoor grilling significantly cuts down on the cooking time—and the aroma of the charred meat curling up from the grill is so pleasing. The perfectly grilled lamb brushed with the honey-chile-infused grape glaze is a mouthwatering combination!
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup chicken broth
Remove from the heat. Since Concord grapes have thick skins and seeds, pass the glaze through a mesh strainer. If using seedless grapes, the sauce may not need to be strained. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper as needed.
2 shallots, peeled, sliced
2 bay leaves
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To grill the lamb: Preheat outdoor grill to medium-high heat and lightly brush grate with olive oil. Cook medallions until browned but still slightly pink in the center, about 4–5 minutes per side.
Brush the glaze onto the lamb medallions towards the end of the grilling time, so it caramelizes a bit but doesn’t burn.
Chef’s note: Experiment with different flavors and optional spices—curry powder or toasted cumin seeds for an Indian taste, spicy harissa for a Moroccan flavor, or simply add fresh chopped rosemary for a Tuscan spin.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 orange, sliced thin 6 egg yolks
In a dry skillet over high heat, toast the spices for about 1 minute, stirring frequently, until they are fragrant.
Makes 1 quart
2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons whole coriander seed
½ cup port wine
1 (4-inch) cinnamon stick
Whisk in the heavy cream and milk until fully incorporated, add the mulled wine syrup and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until a custard forms. You will know it’s thick enough when a finger swiped across the back of the spoon leaves a clean line.
During the fall and holiday season, ring in the cooler months with a pot of mulled wine infused with floral and fruity flavors from exotic whole spices, orange and brandy. Making a batch of mulled wine is very warming and comforting, stir in some love adding a mulled wine syrup into this ice cream base is even better! This flavorful treat will spice up any family celebration or holiday gathering.
MULLED RED WINE ICE CREAM
4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 bottle (750 ml) Cabernet Sauvignon
6 whole allspice berries
2 star anise pods
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pink peppercorns
3 tablespoons brandy
Remove from heat, stir in the brandy and salt, then pour the custard through a fine strainer into a container. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Once the custard is chilled, churn it in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer the ice cream to the freezer and let harden for at least 4 hours before serving.
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¾ cup sugar
Edible Ojai & Ventura County
In another clean medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until well combined and slightly thickened.
ChuTamibyPhoto
In a medium saucepan over medium heat bring the Cabernet, port and toasted spices to a simmer. Squeeze in the juice of 1 orange through a strainer to catch any seeds, then slice up the orange and add to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, reducing the wine to ⅓ cup of thick syrup. Strain out the spices and bits of orange and set aside to cool.
“I owe it all to chocolate, art books and young men.”
ANTI-ESTABLISHED IN OJAI, CA
Located inside the Porch Gallery Ojai
-Beatrice “Beato” Wood
Beatrice Wood, known as the “Mama of Dada”, lived until 105 and created art every day. One of the few women to pioneer an avant-garde movement, Wood made her mark in the art world with gravitas and whimsy. Beato Chocolates was anti-established in Ojai to honor this trailblazing woman. Woman-owned and artist focused, our handcrafted, Fair Trade Certified bars, use the finest, locally sourced ingredients. Ojai, Wood said, was like finding “the gold at the end of a long obstacle-strewn rainbow.” Beato Chocolates offers a sweet taste of her special valley.
Beato Chocolates E. Matilija Ave., Ojai, CA 93023
| www.beatochocolates.com
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| 310
If you know of another farmers’ market that is not listed, please let us know at info@edibleventuracounty.com. See EdibleVenturaCounty.com for CSA information.
This list was updated August 2022, but as details do change, please contact the markets for the latest info.
Plaza Park, 5th St. & B St. Thursdays, 9am–1:30pm (rain or shine) 805-247-0197OxnardFarmersMarket.com
MidtownWEDNESDAYSVentura
Santa Paula Train Depot, 200 N. 10th St. Fridays EnrichedFarms.com3–7pm
Simi Valley
The Oaks Shopping Center (East End Parking Lot) Wilbur Rd. & Oaks Mall Dr. Thursdays, noon–5pm (rain or shine) 805-529-6266VCCFM.org
Certified Farmers’ Market
Certified Farmers’ Market
Pacific View Mall (West End Parking Lot) 3301 N. Main St. Wednesdays, 9am–1pm (rain or shine) 805-529-6266VCCFM.org
2757 Tapo Canyon Rd. Fridays, 11am–3:30pm (rain or 805-643-6458Facebook.com/SimiValleyMarketshine) Simi Valley Night Market Simi Valley Town Center, Center Court Fridays, EnrichedFarms.com4–8pm AgouraSATURDAYSHills At Whizin Market Square 28914 Roadside Dr. Saturdays, 9am–2pm @ccfminc Camarillo Hospice Certified Farmers’ Market 2220 Ventura Blvd., Old Town Saturdays, 8am–noon (rain or shine) 805-987-3347CamarilloFarmersMarket.com Downtown Ventura Certified Farmers’ Market «NEW LOCATION! « 200 Block of Main Street From Palm to Mission Park Saturdays, 8:30am–noon (rain or shine) VCCFM.org | 805-529-6266 OjaiSUNDAYS Certified Farmers’ Market Behind the Arcade at 300 E. Matilija St. Sundays, 9am–1pm (rain or 805-698-5555OjaiCertifiedFarmersMarket.comshine) Moorpark Certified Farmers’ Market 450 E. High St. Sundays, EnrichedFarms.com9am–2pm| 818-699-6204 Community Market At Oxnard College Campus Parking Lot Sundays Maria_olivares2@my.vcccd.edu8am–3pm Channel Islands Harbor Farmers’ Market Marine Emporium Landing 3350 S. Harbor Blvd., Oxnard Sundays, 10am–2pm (rain or shine) RawInspiration.org | 818-591-8161 Saticoy Certified Farmers’ Market Saticoy Park 11321 Violeta St. First Sundays only, saticoyfarmersmarket.org10am–2pm Westlake Village Farmers’ Market 2797 Agoura Rd. Sundays, 10am–2pm (rain or shine) 818-591-8161RawInspiration.org VenturaWEEKENDSCollege Foundation Weekend Marketplace Ventura College East Parking Lot Corner of Telegraph Rd. & Day Rd. Saturdays & Sundays, VenturaCollegeFoundation.org8am–2pm VENTURA COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKETS 60 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County
Thousand Oaks Certified Farmers’ Market
SantaFRIDAYSPaula
Certified Farmers’ Market
Certified Farmers’ Market Civic Center Plaza,
Ojai Community Farmers’ ChaparralMarketCourtyard, 414 E. Ojai Ave. Thursdays, 661-491-0257OjaiCommunityFarmersMarket.com3–7pm
DowntownTHURSDAYSOxnard
FALL 2022 61EdibleVenturaCounty.com Innovative | Experienced | Responsive Welcome employmenttolaw. Do navigatenotalone. info@lightgablerlaw.com | LightGablerLaw.com | 805.248.7208 EMPLOYMENT COUNSEL & LITIGATION | INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY We Make Business Work® Since 1984 JohnNicholsGallery.com Vintage, Vernacular and Contemporary Photographs Custom Archival Framing “Seed/Signal” by John Nichols 117 N. 10th St., Santa Paula Hours: By Appointment or by Chance Phone: 805-501-7011 Located above the Santa Paula Art Museum
In Paseo Camarillo Center | 300 N. Lantana St., #37 | Camarillo | 805-445-8327 | Tea-Liteful.com
All Things Tea
Robin Goldstein is a California chef who works her culinary magic combining unique flavors and seasonal ingredients with classic techniques inspired by her extensive travel around the Mediterranean. PrivateChefRobin.com
ojai ventura& county Local Guide to Good Eats & Drinks
Roan Mills Bakery
Private Chef Robin
Find locally roasted single-source coffee and housemade gluten-free goodies at Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters in Oxnard and Newbury Park.
To join the guide, contact us at ads@edibleventuracounty.com
CONEJO VALLEYedible
The Wine Closet
CAMARILLO
630 Ventura Blvd. | Camarillo | 805-388-2395 | LorusCafe.com
Delicious NY-style and brick oven pizzas, sandwiches and salads. Dining, catering, pickup/ delivery—and with two mobile wood-fired ovens, we can bring the party to you!
Woman owned and operated, serving a casual but refined seasonal menu made with locally sourced ingredients and paired with local craft beer and wine. Indoor and outdoor seating, live music on weekends, and brunch offered Sundays.
62 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County
Onyx Bistro
2423 Ventura Blvd. | Camarillo | 805-746-5708 | WineClosetInc.com
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Great selection of breakfast combos, sandwiches, burgers and dinner entrees.
European teahouse with certified Tea Specialist. Specialty loose-leaf teas from the finest plantations and gardens around the world. Cream Tea, Afternoon Tea and High Tea.
California’s first land-to-loaf bakery, Roan Mills grows the wheat, mills the flour, bakes the bread and makes the pasta. Stop in at their bakery in historic downtown Fillmore and taste the 411difference.Central Ave. | Fillmore | RoanMills.com
CATERING
Family owned and operated, offering freshly prepared cuisine including vegan and vegetarian.
2024 Ventura Blvd., #114 | Camarillo | 805-586-4055 | FredasPizza.com
2390 Las Posas Rd. Suite H | Camarillo 805-991-7356 | onyxbistrocamarillo.com
Freda’s Wood-Fired Pizza
FILLMORE
Wine lounge in Old Town Camarillo, featuring unique wines, craft beers, small plates, lunch and dinner. Weekly happy hours and featured wine tastings. Indoor and outdoor seating. The specialty market offers retail sales of fine wines, craft brews, artisan cheeses and charcuterie.
Chocolatine French Café
Loru’s Café
An authentic French café established in 2004 in the heart of Thousand Oaks, the family-owned spot pleases daily with breakfast, lunch and afternoon snacks of homemade quiches, sandwiches, crepes, macarons, coffee drinks and more! 2955 Thousand Oaks Blvd. | Thousand Oaks | 805-557-0561 | ChocolatineFrenchCafe.com
NABU Wines
Family-owned restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a full menu of favorite hand-prepared dishes. Open 7am–3pm weekdays; 7am–9pm weekends.
Paradise Pantry
Café Bōku
5777 Olivas Park Dr., Ste. Q | Ventura | 805-477-0239 PoseidonBrewingCo.com|
Food with a local emphasis, including great sandwiches, salads, mac ‘n’ cheese, gourmet goodies, a cheese counter and an extensive wine shop. Diners can also enjoy craft beers, wines by the glass or wine flights.
2649 Townsgate Rd. | Westlake Village | 818-835-3704 | NabuWines.com
3891 N. Ventura Ave. | Ventura | 805-232-4313 | VenturaSpirits.com
457 E. Ojai Ave. | Ojai | 805-640-7987 | TheDutchessOjai.com
Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters
5046 Cornell Rd. | Agoura Hills | 818-707-0300 | SageVeganBistro.com
VENTURA
Since 2011, using the natural and agricultural bounty of California’s Central Coast to hand craft novel and delicious spirits.
NEWBURY PARK/OXNARD
Tierra Sur at Herzog Wine Cellars
Ventura Spirits
Ventura County’s highest rated restaurant, offering 5-star dining at a stylish and modern winery. Discover nationally awarded local wines, exquisite cuisine, private tasting rooms and a gift boutique. Sunday brunch.
The Dutchess
A small, local, veteran-owned craft brewery making a variety of beer styles. Visit the tasting room or take a growler to go.
Bonito RoasterCoffee
550 Collection Blvd., Ste. 130 | Oxnard | 805-278-5837 | RagamuffinRoasters.com
Downtown Café by JL
221 W. 5th St., Oxnard | 805-385-6300 |
Family owned and operated coffee shop and bakery with ethically sourced coffee, gluten-free pastries and excellent service.
Family owned and operated bistro offering dishes made from scratch with local organic ingredients and a full bar including craft brews made at their brewery in Echo Park.
Coin & Candor at Four Seasons Westlake Village
DowntownCafebyJL.com
A seasonally inspired California brasserie featuring sophisticated casual indoor and outdoor space with stunning views of the Santa Monica Mountains. The menu presents locally sourced dishes that incorporate wood-fired cooking techniques.
2 Dole Dr. | Westlake Village | 818-575-3044 | CoinAndCandor.com
Small-batch coffee roaster bringing generations of Nicaraguan craftsmanship to the Ojai Valley. Coffee roasted weekly. Visit by appointment.
Poseidon Brewing Company
Sage Plant Based Bistro & Brewery
406 Bryant Cir., Unit K | Ojai | 805-256-7873 | BonitoCoffee.com
222 E. Main St. | Ventura | 805-641-9440 | ParadisePantry.com
This welcoming, all-day bakery, café, BurmeseCalifornian restaurant and event space is nestled in the heart of downtown Ojai. Nearly everything is made in house and showcases ingredients from local farmers.
Bōku is an Ojai Superfood Café offering sustainable, plant-based nourishment, smoothies and artisan coffee. Our menu and space changes as we go, evolving with the seasons and the needs of our thriving community.
OJAI
A member of the Malibu Coast wine trail, NABU makes wine from Napa Valley to the Malibu Coast. Live music and wine tasting every Saturday & Sunday noon–6pm.
111 N. Reino Rd. | Newbury Park 805-375-9000 |
987 W. Ojai Ave. | Ojai | 805-650-2658 | BokuSuperfood.com
3201 Camino del Sol | Oxnard | 805-983-1560 | TierraSurAtHerzog.com
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UNTIL Next Season 64 FALL 2022 Edible Ojai & Ventura County
