Dip into California’s only allsuite, beachfront resort recently awarded the No. 1 Best New Hotel in the USA (2024) on California’s No 1 Best Beach (2024) and ranked among Southern California’s Top 10 best resorts.
Drawing from Ventura County’s 95,000 acres of fertile farmland and the bounty of the Pacific, our chefs craft vibrant dishes that celebrate the flavors of the region
WINTER 2024–2025
FEATURES
8 EDIBLE NOTABLES Boom Family Farms | Moofish Café BY ANNE KALLAS
16 EDIBLE ENDEAVOR Forging an Ancient Loaf BY JENNIFER RICHARDSON
20 EDIBLE EXPLORATION
Let’s Take the Train BY TAMI CHU
30 FIRST PERSON Around the World in 30 Recipes BY CHRISTINA BERKE
34 GROW WITH IT A Cut Above or Below BY JON ELLIS
42 EDIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD Sharing and Caring BY REBECCA TAYLOR
REGULARS
6 PUBLISHER’S POST 12 ROBIN’S RECIPES 26 SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDE 46 DINING GUIDE 47 FARMERS’ MARKETS 48 EDIBLE FOR KIDS RECIPES
Green Shakshuka
Wilted Kale and Mustard Greens Salad
Sautéed Greens with Toasted Walnuts, Lemon and Golden Raisins
Cheddar and Sage Biscuits
Brown Butter Radish Toasts
Endive and Radicchio Salad with Pecorino and Roasted Pears
Lemon Thyme Pots de Creme
COVER: Nothing says decadence quite like a sweet custard made with local lemons and winter thyme. Enjoy this recipe on page 40.
RECENT VENTURA KITCHEN REMODEL
Publishing a quarterly magazine means that stories must be planned and executed months before we go to print, though details can be fixed and updated all the way up to two weeks before. Writing this letter to you is always the last thing I do, just so I can see how the issue has come together and be able to speak to it. I knew there would be some tension after the election, no matter who won, but I had no idea that the results would be overshadowed nearly immediately by yet another awful fire in our county. I happened to be out of town during the worst of the Mountain Fire, so could only watch helplessly from afar as the flames threatened and overtook locations we have been to or covered in the magazine.
Eduardo “Eddie” Flores of Ventura Bee Rescue lost upwards of 80 million bees in Somis and has devastating video that documents the loss. Mulberry Lane Farm lost outbuildings and suffered damage to their unique orchards, though their house was spared. Apricot Lane Farms neighbor and orchard manager John Schoustra, co-owner of Greenwood Daylily Gardens, lost outbuildings and huge swaths of his orchards. As of this writing, the combined acreage of destroyed avocados, citrus, raspberries and rangeland numbers in the thousands. Additionally, more than 300 structures have been confirmed lost with so many more suffering smoke or partial damage.
As life-altering as this has been for thousands of Ventura County residents, it is unlikely to qualify for FEMA support. Which brings us back, once again, to our community. Before there was even any containment of the fire, our community had mobilized and begun collecting donations. Go Fund Me campaigns were started and nearly or fully funded within days. (To donate, search “Mountain Fire” on GoFundMe.com.)
In short, our community, no matter how divided politically, showed its true colors once again. We are people who care about other people. In crisis, we come together at no small sacrifice. And we are all better for it.
The stories in this issue all offer a little glimpse of that same spirit—community, connection, openness and support—because that is who we are, no matter where we go. I encourage you to keep that top of mind as we navigate the next months and years. And remember: Food connects us all. May this season be one of shared meals and profound compassion.
Until spring, my friends,
For more information on Mountain Fire recovery visit VCEmergency.com. To support victims of the Mountain Fire, please visit TotallyLocalVC.com
Congratulations to photographer Mariah Green whose series of fish taco photos taken for our Spring 2023 issue was named as finalist in the Best of Edible Awards for BEST RECIPE PHOTOGRAPHY!
Congratulations to photographer Viktor Budnik whose photos for our Ojai Ice Cream story in the Summer 2023 issue was named as finalist in the Best of Edible Awards for BEST FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY!
WE DELIVER!
Subscribe at EdibleVenturaCounty.com to have copies delivered right to your door. Check out our website, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media @EdibleVenturaCounty for up-to-date events, recipes and news from the food and drink community of Ventura County.
THE EXCELLENCE OF EUROPEAN D.O. CAVA AND JAMÓN CONSORCIOSERRANO
Crafted in Spain, perfected by time
In a world that often prioritizes speed over substance, there remains proof that good things, and excellent taste, take time. D.O. Cava and Jamón ConsorcioSerrano are two such treasures, each representing a unique blend of Spanish tradition and taste created with time and perfected over centuries.
Cava has earned its place among the world’s finest sparkling wines, yet it remains wonderfully versatile. Whether paired with a simple salad, a casual meal or a celebratory toast, Cava brings a touch of elegance to every occasion. What makes Cava de Guarda Superior unique is that it is produced using the traditional method where secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle.
This meticulous process, lasting a minimum of 18 months, is carefully overseen by the D.O. Cava regulatory body, ensuring that each bottle upholds the highest standards of quality and authenticity. Made from organic vineyards that are over 10 years old, Cava de Guarda Superior reveals its craftsmanship with every pour. As the delicate, harmonious bubbles rise to the surface, you can truly appreciate the time and care it took to perfect them!
Similarly, Jamón ConsorcioSerrano is more than just a drycured ham. This exquisite product is made using traditional curing
methods which takes a minimum of 12 months to deliver a delicate and rich flavor. Each production is upheld to the rigorous standards of the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español, which ensures that every piece of Jamón ConsorcioSerrano bearing the seal is of exceptional quality. Like Cava, Jamón ConsorcioSerrano is not merely an accompaniment to festive tables; it is a versatile delight that can elevate everyday meals with its complex flavors and delicate texture.
Both Cava and Jamón ConsorcioSerrano are perfect examples of how time-honored craftsmanship, underpinned by the European Union’s commitment to quality and tradition, creates products that are unmatched in their category. They are not just crafted in Spain; they are perfected by time, offering a taste of excellence that is both accessible and extraordinary. Whether enjoyed on a special occasion or as part of your daily life, Cava and Jamón ConsorcioSerrano bring the best of Europe to your table.
Learn more on our website
HIS BUSINESS IS MUSHROOMING
Fillmore flight instructor lands on a down-to-earth career option
BY ANNE KALLAS
Charlie Steiger has lived his whole life in Fillmore, but still his path has been a winding one. Currently, Steiger is a mushroom farmer at his growing operation Boom Family Farms. But he’s also a flight instructor, personal fitness trainer and indoor grow room expert.
“I’ve been an assistant chief flight instructor at Bakersfield [California Aeronautical University] and chief flight instructor at Camarillo Channel Islands Aviation,” says Steiger, 35, who specializes in emergency maneuvering and aerobatics, according to the mushroom farm’s web page. “Now I’m fully embracing the mushroom path.” It all fits together, he says. “Aviation induced a thorough understanding of weather theory knowledge, which helped with grow room environmental design.”
While teaching at the Bakersfield California Aeronautical University in 2020, Steiger was approached about designing a grow room for mushrooms. “I had grown plants indoors, but never mushrooms,” says Steiger. “Later, the grower backed out and asked me if I wanted to pick up [the project] and learn [mushroom growing]. I was like, ‘If it grows, I’m interested.’”
As life sometimes has a tendency to create confluences in events, at around the same time Steiger had some blood tests that showed his white blood cell count below normal range. He had always been interested in fitness and wellness, so he started to delve deeper into the world of mushrooms, studying the fungi’s various health benefits.
“The mushrooms industry is just emerging in western culture. But the quality was initially all over the place. Still, to a degree, one must be very knowledgeable of the products they are buying to ascertain the quality,” says Steiger. So in 2021 he started growing his own and in 2022 starting making his own supplements.
“They’ve improved my health markers,” says Steiger. “I attribute (not objectively) this to me incorporating mushroom supplements.” This led to an even larger opportunity. “I saw an opening in the local scene for mushrooms and decided I could take my knowledge, experience and mushrooms into a business,” he says.
Charlie Steiger sells his mushrooms and mushroom products at the Friday Simi Valley Farmers’ Market.
“I’m farming on land that’s been in our family, where I have lived for half my life. It’s a 20-acre orange ranch,” says Steiger. “Having the land is a huge asset. I’ve built a custom automated/climate controlled, semi-isolated greenhouse—only one of its kind. And in the house, I’ve converted my childhood bedroom for my lab work. It still has the glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling.”
As the mushroom business expands at Boom Family Farms, Steiger decided he needs extra help to promote his mushrooms at area restaurants.
Joaquin Garcia, a fellow mushroom enthusiast is stepping up. Garcia makes his own mushroom-based products nearby.
“It’s good to partner with someone like Charlie, who is mass-producing mushroom products that I can use making my own seasoning salt, lotions and a coffee substitute mushroom drink,” says Garcia. “It’s very healthy. Myself, I love coffee. But if I add this to my coffee, the brain elevates. It doesn’t give you a crash like coffee,” he says, adding that he will also be selling the Boom Farms products to area farmers and restaurants.
The Boom Family Farms products include dried mushrooms, dried mushroom powders and capsules, mushroom extracts and—soon— mushroom artwork displays. Steiger grows shiitake, oyster, turkey tail,
reishi, cordyceps, black poplar (aka pioppino) and lion’s mane, with many more varieties on the way.
He’s experimenting with growing the mushrooms in different soil matter—including coffee grounds from local businesses and spent grains from Red Engine Brewery, also in Fillmore—to create natural ways to reuse and recycle various materials. Using his flying background, which helped him acquire analytical and scientific analysis skills, Steiger wants to keep track of his results and publish a scientific paper showing “how using recycled/repurposed waste products from other local industries can be commercially viable and offer benefits to the business as well as the community.”
For information about Boom Family Farms, visit BoomFamilyFarms.com or Instagram.com/bffmushrooms.
Anne Kallas is a prolific freelance writer focusing on Ventura County. A fan of local, seasonal produce, she is the farmers’ market segment contributor for the LIVE 805 show on KVTA 1590AM. She lives in Ventura and is a former columnist, writer and copy editor for the Ventura County Star
HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
Ventura’s Moofish Café offers local fare with ocean views
BY ANNE KALLAS
For a gem, the Moofish Café & Aqua Beachfront Bar isn’t exactly hidden.
In fact, most local visitors to the Ventura Promenade pass right by the restaurant—tucked on the ground floor at the Crowne Plaza —without realizing that it’s not just for hotel guests, says Executive Chef William Traynor.
“People think we’re closed to the public. But we’re not, and there’s free parking for up to two hours while dining,” says Traynor. “People always forget about the prettiest restaurant in town. They don’t know if they can come in.”
“The breakfast burrito is the best,” says Andy Kirkwood, co-owner of the Freedom Coffee kiosk parked near Moofish’s entrance. “ I love to order and then eat out on the [ocean facing] patio. Most people don’t know you can do that!”
For a restaurant that tends to attract out-of-towners, Moofish Café is deeply rooted in community sourcing for almost everything offered. Seafood comes from Coastal Provisions (owned by Lure Fish House restaurant) and Kanaloa Seafood in Santa Barbara and Oxnard, meat from Watkins Ranch and produce from Apricot Lane Farm in Moorpark, which is also a regular at area farmers markets.
“[Apricot Lane] is the [farm featured in the documentary film] Biggest Little Farm,” says Traynor, adding that he has visited the farm, where the cows, pigs and chickens seem to frolic. “It’s biodynamic, which is beyond just being organic. They use a compost tea brewing method for fertilizers to feed their soil. There are no chemicals at all.”
Bakery items, including bread, come from the Café Ficelle bakery. “They make pretzel bites special for me,” Traynor says.
The menu at Moofish Café is carefully curated America casual, featuring select dishes that reflect the season. The fall menu included pumpkin chili with Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Muffins, Crispy Skin Campbell River Salmon with Okinawa Sweet Potatoes, Baby Bok Choy and Miso Brown Butter Sauce. Check their website for the winter updates.
Traynor says he changes the menus with the season to reflect the best seasonal offerings. He has been working in kitchens for 35 years, after graduating from Santa Barbara City College. He became a cook’s apprentice through the American Culinary Association. From there he moved through all the kitchens with Santa Barbara’s Fess Parker hotels, did a stint in some San Francisco kitchens and then sous chef at Cold Springs Tavern. His culinary route took him through Los Angeles and Virginia Beach until he landed at Crowne Plaza and opened up Moofish Café in 2022.
With great views of the Pacific Ocean, the restaurant is on the Promenade across from the Aloha Steakhouse. General Manager of Food and Beverage Nick Stangle says that the proximity to the ocean is part of its allure.
“I love the restaurant’s concept. It’s a great property and a great location,” says Stangle, who likes to hit the waves right outside the door when he’s not working setting up and managing events.
“Chef William and I are collaborating on specialized menus and cocktails for the holiday season as well as a Grateful Dead NYE celebration,” he adds.
“He’s my eyes and ears out front,” says Traynor, who stays in the kitchen attending to the endless demands of a successful restaurant and hotel.
Traynor tries to keep regular business hours, which is hard at restaurants. But even if he has to stay late from time to time, his wife, Laurie Traynor, is understanding. “We make the best of the time that we have together,” he says.
To keep things lively, Traynor, a self-professed Deadhead, is adding music, such as dueling pianos or Grateful Dead weekend jams.
Chef William Traynor (left) is committed to creating seasonal dishes for Moofish Café and the Crowne Plaza that tastes of local. His collaboration with food and beverage GM Nick Stragle (right) allows both front and back of the house to shine.
To check out the menu and entertainment lineup at Moofish Café & Aqua Beachfront Bar, visit MoofishCafeVB.com. good friends. good coffee. good life.
VISIT US IN NEWBURY PARK & OXNARD
Photo courtesy of Crowne Plaza
Celebration of Winter Greens
BY ROBIN GOLDSTEIN | PHOTOS BY TAMI CHU
While the rest of the state is golden brown, early winter gardens and fields in Ventura County are full of green and more green. Some of our best growing cool season crops include kale, lettuces, radicchio, mustard greens, spinach and beets (save those greens!). Interestingly, these particular vegetables are especially rich in fiber, folate, magnesium, iron, potassium and vitamins C
GREEN SHAKSHUKA
and K—all nutrients that are very beneficial in higher amounts during the colder months. Another fun fact, most of the minerals and vitamins in these greens become more bioavailable (able to enter body circulation and have active effect) when cooked lightly, or massaged, so a heartily tossed salad or lightly sautéed greens with garlic might just be the perfect winter snack.
This savory green shakshuka is a slightly different take on a classic Middle Eastern dish. It’s breakfast food, a one-skillet recipe of baked eggs to start the day, a perfect way to celebrate your garden greens.
Serves 4
1 large leek or up to 3 small (about 2 cups), sliced thin and washed well
Strain the water off the leeks. Sauté leeks over medium heat in a 10inch cast-iron skillet in olive oil until translucent, about 10 minutes.
Add the sliced garlic and cook an additional minute.
Stir in the chopped greens and cook until the leaves are wilted, 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add in the fresh chopped herbs and red chili flakes, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Stir in the yogurt to combine.
In the contents of the skillet, create eight “nests” and break an egg into each, stirring the egg whites with a fork slightly into the green mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for an additional 2–5 minutes. (Or bake uncovered in a preheated 400°F oven on the top rack for 7–10 minutes, until eggs are done to your liking.) Top with crumbled feta cheese and a drizzle of olive oil and serve immediately.
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
WILTED KALE AND MUSTARD GREENS SALAD
This is the ultimate winter salad. The kale and mustard greens can be massaged with a touch of lemon juice and olive oil and wilted ever so slightly to maintain the deep green color then tossed together with the other ingredients at the moment before serving.
Serves 4
FOR THE SALAD
6 ounces kale (about 1 large bunch), washed, stripped from stem and shredded
6 ounces mustard greens, or other winter greens like Swiss chard or turnip greens, shredded
Juice of ½ small lemon
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 medium apples, cored and diced
1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
½ cup pomegranate seeds (arils) (optional) FOR THE DRESSING
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
To make the salad: Place shredded kale and other greens in a very large salad bowl. Add lemon juice and oil. Use your hands to massage into the greens for about a minute or so. The greens will wilt slightly and the color will deepen to dark green. Add chopped apple and toss into greens; this will prevent apples from turning brown.
To make the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a pint-size mason jar. Shake vigorously for 1 minute
To serve: Pour dressing over the salad. Toss well to combine. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds, goat cheese and pomegranate seeds (arils).
Edible Ojai & Ventura County
SAUTÉED BEET GREENS WITH TOASTED WALNUTS, LEMON
AND GOLDEN
RAISINS
Don’t throw away your beet greens! The leafy tops of beets are so tasty—they have a sweet, mildly earthy flavor and are packed with nutrients. This super simple side dish has minimal ingredients and is pretty quick to prepare. You might be surprised by the flavor; they are less bitter than most greens, making them more palatable for most.
Pour boiling water over raisins and soak for about 10 minutes to soften. Reserve soaking water. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over low heat. Add whole cloves of garlic and cook, turning garlic as it colors, until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove garlic and mash it with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Set aside.
Into the skillet, add beet greens, lemon zest and salt. Stir frequently until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes.
Stir raisins, their soaking liquid and mashed garlic into the greens in the pan and cook until greens are tender, another 2 minutes more.
Add toasted walnuts to serve.
Chef note: This makes a great side dish, but it can serve as a delicious pasta sauce. Cook 8 ounces penne or fettuccine and add the greens and walnuts on top.
FORGING AN ANCIENT LOAF
Better bread at Ventura’s Clemente Baking Co.
BY JENNIFER RICHARDSON | PHOTOS BY TAMI CHU
Craig Hurlbut opened Clemente Baking Company on the premises of the former Sticky Fingers Baking Company in midtown Ventura in spring of 2024. The name of the business comes from nearby San Clemente Street, where he once lived, and, more specifically, the definition of clement as something merciful. Saint Clement is also the patron saint of blacksmiths, and Hurlbut fittingly found mercy in making something with fire—in his case bread instead of metal.
Hurlbut had a history of baking prior to opening Clemente Baking Company, starting with running a local pizza chain near his hometown of East Haddam, Connecticut. After moving to Ventura County with his now-wife, Carly, Hurlburt continued his pizza experience working at Ventura pizza stalwarts Tony’s, the late Jimmy’s Slice, and Fluid State. He also spent time in fine dining at Water’s Edge in Ventura Harbor before moving full time into baked goods for the local chain from the same owners, Honeycup Coffee House and Creamery.
When Carly first asked Hurlbut to help her make sourdough bread, he was burnt out from his run in hospitality and the onset of the COVID pandemic. Initially avoidant, once he got going, Hurlbut found comfort in his new hobby. While he was certainly not alone in this—cue the sourdough-starter memes of the COVID-quarantine era, when everyone and their brother started baking bread—Hurlbut is likely one of the few who made it into a full-time business once COVID lockdowns dissipated.
“I jokingly say, ‘That’s why I now have a sourdough bakery, because she [Carly] wanted to do sourdough,” Hurlbut says.
Hurlbut began selling his bread at local farmers’ markets, each loaf painstakingly made one at a time in a lone Dutch oven the night before. He eventually bought a bigger European deck oven for home use that allowed him to bake a dozen loaves at a time, then started thinking about a permanent storefront of his own. That’s when he happened upon the Sticky Fingers Baking Company premises. Its owner, baker Katherine Glassman, was ready for a change after a 12-year run in retail, and it was kismet.
“So, we met with Katherine. It seems within the first few minutes we were both kind of convinced, like, ‘OK, this was [a] meant-to-be kind of thing.’ She was excited about what I was doing.”
In the fall of 2023, Hurlbut bought the Sticky Fingers Baking Company assets from Glassman, and,
Craig Hurlbut (left) owes his grand sourdough experiment to his wife Carly (right). Together with local sign painter and early customer Nathaniel Buckner, they designed the art that now graces the store window in Midtown.
with the support of Stephanie Caldwell and Meredith Hart from the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Ventura respectively, was up and running in April 2024.
Now, Wednesday through Sunday afternoons, you can find three varieties of bread on offer at Clemente Baking Company: country sourdough is a constant, and there are two rotating options. Recent examples include rustic rye, a Scandinavian-style multigrain and a freeform seeded table loaf, which Hurlbut describes as somewhere between focaccia and a loaf of bread.
All Hurlbut’s breads are made with flour from Central Milling in Utah, which he says is one of the oldest mills in the country, and are enlivened with ancient grains. His country sourdough is about 30% einkorn flour, made from wheat with a lineage that goes back over 9,000 years. Hurlbut takes the connection with something much older than us to heart.
He reflects that “we kind of take for granted this bread culture [that] has been with us for thousands of years. But when you go to the grocery store, and there’s just a wall of bread, it kind of disconnects us from that.”
Despite his reverence for the past, Hurlbut is a consummate experimenter. The previously mentioned rustic rye uses nigella seeds, often found in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine, instead of classic caraway seeds, adding a toasty onion flavor to the bread. He also explains that he’s “always trying to change up the grain bills, so that each bread has a different flavor profile, and all of them do stuff different texturally.”
To go with his bread, Hurlbut sells a choice of house-made compound butters. He uses Plugra butter mixed with combinations like chive and edible flower; lemon zest, cracked pepper and sumac; and aji amarillo, manzano and cascabella peppers with black-lime powder.
In addition, he offers a selection of baked goods, with which he is “always trying to dance that line of sweet and savory.” For example, his chocolate chip cookie gets an umami boost from tahini, and his spin on the classic oatmeal-raisin cookie includes pistachios and blueberries. He also makes a buttermilk scone with golden raisins and currants tossed in sugar flavored with pulverized black-lime powder.
Hurlbut gets visibly animated as he speaks about his discovery of black limes. He finishes by acknowledging, with a laugh, “Sometimes I have to rein it in because I start drawing way outside of lines.”
Since I was speaking with a professional baker, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to ask about something that had made it into my Internet feed of late—a purported method for rehydrating a stale baguette that involves running it under the tap then heating it in the oven for a few minutes. Hurlbut vouched for the approach with any kind of stale loaf, but explained the best method is to simply store his bread cut side down in the paper bag it comes in, which should get you about four days out of the loaf. He doesn’t offer to pre-slice bread at his bakery because it decreases longevity, and he recommends against the temptation to store bread in zip-top bags for the same reason.
Should you want a taste of Hurlbut’s take on ancient grains without thinking about the nuances of storage, you can also find it on the menu at downtown Ventura restaurant Model Citizen. Regardless of where you get it, Hurlbut’s aspiration for his bread is the same: “I want people to walk away with something that that is not only sustenance but satisfying.”
Clemente Baking Company is located at 2016 E. Main St., Ventura, CA.; clementebaking.com
Where Wellness Meets Wisdom
Community Focused humanminded.co
hmnminded
Human Minded
Jennifer Richardson is the author of Americashire: A Field Guide to a Marriage, an Indie Reader Discovery Award winner for travel writing. She and her British husband consider themselves lucky to call both Ventura and a village in the English Cotswolds home. To learn more, visit JenniferRichardson.net.
LET’S TAKE THE TRAIN
Exploring Canada’s Rocky Mountain Wilderness
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY TAMI CHU
Planning a vacation is sometimes just throwing a dart at a map and seeing where it lands. But planning an international trip for my best friend’s birthday—after I insisted she finally get her passport—included some challenging caveats.
First, it had to be somewhere I had never been. Second, since we only had a short window to be away, it needed to be within a couple time zones of our SoCal home to insure shorter travel times. Third, she insisted that there be no camp without glamp: “I’m too old to be sleeping on the ground and drinking my wine out of paper cups.” (To be fair, I think she also might have said something similar when we
were 22 and 24 years old after spending a day trip together at Lake Isabella.) Finally, if we were going to be traveling in tourism luxury, I needed there to be a local and/or sustainable component as a balance. Good luck Googling the perfect vacation with all those parameters!
After countless discussions, and ruling out anywhere particularly warm, I came across a print ad for Canada and remembered that I had seen one of the traveling YouTubers I follow take a train ride through the Canadian Rockies. “Let’s take the train!” Sold.
After working around event schedules, summer pricing, magazine deadlines and a wedding, we settled on early October as the perfect
Nothing beats the view from our window seat at the Sky Bistro in Banff, nearly 8,000 feet above sea level. Not even the locally focused cocktails.
TIP: A bonus while traveling in Canada was that we didn’t need electric plug converters or international cell phone plans. However, they do have different cash, so be sure to do a currency trade at your bank ahead of time so you have some for tips and trinkets.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL TIP: According to Climate Action Accelerator, if a flight is necessary, choosing direct over connecting flights greatly reduces emissions.
timetable and made reservations with the Rocky Mountaineer train. After a long hot summer, we delighted in the idea of sweater weather. And maybe we’d get to see some fall colors.
FIRST STOP: VANCOUVER
The first step to keeping our carbon footprint lower was to find direct flights to Vancouver—the starting point on our transcontinental train trip. With travel times and traffic to LAX in mind, we chose very early flights on Air Canada that were so inexpensive, we were able to upgrade to Business Class for the cost of a regular flight. Luxury, check. More sustainable, check.
The short three-hour flight also afforded us an entire day to explore Vancouver, though that was not nearly enough time. (In hindsight, I recommend planning for a couple days on either end of the train ride to fully enjoy the regions.) The city is only about 45 square miles (relatively compact but too big to walk everywhere), is densely populated, has excellent transportation options and is packed with things to see. Our hotel on the Vancouver Harbour allowed us an early check-in and offered views of the seaplanes regularly taking off and landing, as well as easy access to the walking path along Coal Harbour. After enjoying locally roasted coffee and lunch in a waterfront shop, we found no fewer than three art installations along that path.
Later, though there were highly rated restaurants on nearly every corner, we took a taxi to HYDE on Main, a little hole-in-the-wall bar three miles from our hotel (enthusiastically recommended by the doorman at the hotel)—owned by my cousin, who is a chef (and who I hadn’t seen in nearly 20 years). The drinks, food and conversation were all lovely and definitely gave us a non-tourist local vibe. (You won’t get a discount for mentioning this article, but if you ask for Rick and tell him his cousin sent you, you might get to feel like family!)
THE TRAIN: DAY 1 TO KAMLOOPS
Our two-day train trip on the Rocky Mountaineer Gold Leaf included breakfast, lunch, snacks, drinks and a mediocre hotel room in Kamloops—the midway point with a population the size of Ventura—with an option to allow them to book hotels the nights before and after the ride as well.
We were seated in a glass-domed double-decker coach equipped with cozy warmed seats, USB and electric plugs and our very own attendants (four per car), who doubled as docents, sharing history and fun facts about the landmarks we passed. The lower level was the dining car and a small platform for open-air viewing. Our meals, served at communal tables, were chef-made dishes sourced directly from the regions we traveled through, including maple syrups
Chef-made locally focused breakfast (top) and lunch on the train were served in a communal dining style where we made friends and shared pictures.
SUSTAINABILITY TIP: When traveling, try to use public transportation or walk as much as possible. This can help offset the carbon footprint of travel, and the physical effects of lengthy sitting.
TRAVEL COMMUNITY TIP: Be ready to chat with those you meet and don’t be scared to ask questions. We met so many people with interesting stories, as well as a couple who felt like family by Day 2 on the train. A main point of travel is to see the beauty in people outside of your circle, to expand your understanding of and compassion for the world.
from Quebec, wild salmon from British Columbia, wine from Thompson Okanagan (a wine region near Kamloops) and beef, chicken and pork that were labeled by province and farm.
The journey to get out of the city is fairly flat but skirts and crosses the Fraser River, and even in the cloudy, drizzly weather we experienced, is beautiful. I spent nearly as much time outside on the platform as upstairs in my seat and the views from both were serene.
Kamloops was underwhelming, but mainly because we arrived late and didn’t have time to explore the farm-to-table local food scene. We did meet a very nice bartender at the hotel restaurant who had an amazing immigration story. Adding to the list for a possible road trip in the future!
THE TRAIN: DAY 2 TO BANFF
But can we talk about the views? Rivers changing color, waterfalls, bridges, tunnels, narrow canyons, bald eagles, black bears, osprey, bighorn sheep, pristine lakes, snow-capped mountains, bright yellow aspen and larch trees, bright blue glacial water and even a glacier: We saw it all.
A good portion of the trip was without phone service and, by necessity, harkens back to a time when travel was slower. Coupled with the stunning landscapes, the train allowed a different sort of relaxation, a time of releasing daily worries and striving. I could feel my shoulders relaxing, my breath deepening and my laugh becoming more hearty. By the time we arrived in Banff National Park, I was ready to do all the crazy touristy things I would never normally do.
NEXT STOP: BANFF
As a bonus—or an upsell, if you will—the Rocky Mountaineer has partnered with multiple excursion companies in scenic Banff, Whistler, Lake Louise and Jasper. Since there is no time limit on add-ons, we were able to decide at the last minute what we wanted to do with our full day in Banff.
After figuring out the bus schedule ($2 for the whole day if you show a local hotel key), we rode up to Sulphur Mountain to take the Banff Gondola to the summit. We timed it so that we could stroll the self-guided interpretive boardwalk to the true peak, take in the interpretive exhibits in the summit building and eat lunch with breathtaking views at the Sky Bistro, an upscale noshery located 7,486 feet (2,281 meters) above sea level, with a noted commitment to local producers in both their cuisine and cocktails. (On vacation, we decided, cocktails can start at lunchtime.)
Top: The glass-domed train car allowed full views of the stunning landscapes (left) and gave plenty of light for comparing photos of wildlife. Opposite: The 8-minute Banff Gondola ride was a quick way up Sulphur Mountain, but allowed us to take in the epic views of the valley.
After lunch, we went straight back down the mountain for our Open Top car adventure, which was a nice icing on the local lore tour. Had we more time, I would have liked to adventure out to Lake Louise, do some additional hikes surrounded by the surreal vistas and eat at more of the incredible eateries. I wanted to try Farm & Fire, Farm Table, The Bison Restaurant & Patio and Chuck’s Steakhouse & Patio. Next time.
An early flight the next morning left us both satisfied and wanting more, but also ready to be home. We are now working on my birthday trip. Any suggestions?
The photos of this trip barely scratch the surface of the beauty of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Consider travel at the end of September to early October to see the brief fall colors below the snow-capped peaks. Check out this story on our website for more images.
FARM-TO-TABLE FOOD: When visiting a new area, my go-to Google tip is to look for “farm to table food in [location].” It will generally give you several interesting choices and a quick look at the menus will tell you where you want to eat.
SOMETHING TO NOTE: Both on the train and in Banff, we noticed that many of the mountains, passes and towns were named for the men who “discovered” them. Canada, much like the States, has had some shameful history of mistreating both the Indigenous people of the land and the Chinese workers who built the railroads. In 2006, the Canadian government formally apologized to the Chinese Canadians and now seems to be working hard to recognize and honor the 203 different First Nations and 30 Indigenous languages of British Columbia and Alberta. In fact, at least near Banff, some of the mountain names are being changed back to the original Indigenous names. It is a start. It is also worth looking into Indigenous Tourism, particularly in these ancient lands. Visit IndigenousTourism.ca for more.
Shop Local Gift Guide
Ventura County contains an extraordinary collection of artisans and creators who bring vibrancy to the region. This holiday season, we encourage you to support local businesses as much as possible. Scan the code for the clickable online version of this guide.
WINE COUNTRY WOODCRAFT
Enjoy wine-on-the-go with this handcrafted folding travel wine table which holds four glasses and a bottle. Take to the park, beach, camping or anywhere you enjoy your favorite beverage. When folded, the bottle hole serves as a convenient handle. Available in four different center accent wood types. WineCountryWoodcraft.com
PARADISE PANTRY
Known for pairing foods and experiences, Paradise Pantry offers unique gifts for everyone on your list. Choose from more than 400 cheeses, an expansive wine selection, specialty vendors of jams, nut butters and chocolates. Not sure? Pair a Gift Certificate and let them choose their own! ParadisePantry.com
REFILL SHOPPE
The perfect bubble bath set is refillable, of course! Get to soaking and relaxing with these classic bath favorites. This three-piece custom-scentable bath kit includes aloe-based bubble bath, re-mineralizing bath salts and moisturizing bath oil. Pair it with our reusable jute bag for the perfect, ready-to-go gift! Visit the shop located in Downtown Ventura or shop online. TheRefillShoppe.com
NECTAR OF THE DOGS WINE
Locally produced award-winning wines make a fantastic gift for anyone with a passion for dogs and great wine. Choose from over a dozen delightful varietals or keep the love going with a wine club membership. A percentage of all bottle wine sales is donated to support dog rescue. NectarOfTheDogsWine.com
BLUE RIDGE HONEY
Discover the taste of authenticity with pure, real, local honey. Unlike most store-bought honey, which often contains additives and fillers, Blue Ridge’s honey is harvested directly from local hives, ensuring its purity and unparalleled quality. Embrace the essence of nature with each spoonful, knowing that you’re indulging in 100% real honey, untouched by modern tampering. Not only does this honey delight your taste buds, but its local origins can also help alleviate seasonal allergies, providing you with nature’s very own remedy. Shop online or in store. BlueRidgeHoneyca.net
FRIEND’S RANCH
Friend’s fresh fruit for finicky folks, shipped by mail. In addition to selling Ojai citrus locally at farmers’ markets and direct from their packinghouse, they ship fruit via mail order mid-January thru May. Visit their website to order fruit for your favorite folks to ship in the New Year. FriendsRanches.com
BOGUE MILK SOAP
Beautiful soaps made with meticulously researched botanicals, pure essential oils, organic and sustainable ingredients responsibly sourced or locally grown in Ojai. Each of the all-natural, handmade, artisanal bath, wellness and hair and body products is created and wildcrafted to be mindful and effective. Order online at BogueMilkSoap.com.
THE WINE CLOSET
The Wine Closet is the place in Camarillo for all your wine, cheese and culinary gift-giving needs. They’re fully stocked with small-production wines, bubbly, cookies, crackers, olive oils, chocolate, honey, jams, custom gift boxes and gift cards. Shop in store. TheWineCloset.co
BENNETT’S HONEY
Since Bennett’s Honey Farm harvested their first batch of Topanga Quality Honey, the priority has been the bees. Like a fine wine, natural honey gets its distinctive flavor from the flowers, Bennett’s honey is produced in Ventura County, home of the best sage, orange blossom and wildflower fields in California. BennettHoney.com
FLYING H WINE
Flying H Wine is crafted from single-estate, family-owned vineyards in Monterey County, where ideal coastal conditions bring out rich, layered flavors. Each bottle reflects a commitment to quality and heritage, offering a vibrant and expressive taste of the land. Enjoy a true California wine experience with every sip. FlyingHWine.com
and this is just the wine to pair with it! Wild Delight is a ruby-style dessert wine made from Grenache grapes. This balanced wine is the perfect gift or stocking stuffer! Buy in the winery at 4517 Market St. Suite 7, Ventura, or online at WildflowerWineryVentura.com
EDIBLE SUBSCRIPTION
And of course, we think that a subscription to Edible Ojai & Ventura County magazine makes an excellent gift at any time of the year. We produce four print issues per year, full of seasonal recipes, helpful how-to tips, inspiring local stories and useful farm, food and drink resources. Each subscription helps us to continue to support and celebrate the local chefs, artisans and growers who make Ventura County an extraordinary place to live and eat. Send us an email and we’ll even make sure you have the latest issue to accompany your gift. EdibleVenturaCounty.com/Subscribe-our-Magazine
AMERICAN CUTLERY
Explore culinary perfection with a curated collection—precision kitchen cutlery, versatile pocket knives, patriotic flags and innovative kitchen gadgets. Discover unique, high-quality gifts that blend utility with style. Unwrap the joy of exceptional craftsmanship for the kitchen enthusiast in your life AmericanFlagsAndCutlery.com
OJAI ICE CREAM
Ojai Ice Cream in the Arcade is local staple! We make homemade ice cream; offer all-day coffee and espresso; and stock a wide array of candies. It’s a perfect destination for sweet treats and the ultimate stocking stuffers for your loved ones. OjaiIceCream.com
AROUND THE WORLD IN 30 RECIPES
BY CHRISTINA BERKE | ILLUSTRATIONS BY ADRIEL CHU
As much as I’d like to claim otherwise, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I love mac-n-cheese. I could probably eat it every day—or at least some version of pasta. But I know many people who look down their noses when a person admits they love the classic kid’s dish. In fact, many think of it as just that: a quick dish for children, not a refined meal. For me, though, there’s something about it that just hits the spot.
In college, when life gets busy, especially if you’re in school and living in a dorm room, the fallback is quick-n-easy meals. I fell into the familiar rut of microwaving lots of pasta-based dishes. After graduation, I was a middle-school teacher and my long days clustered around lesson plans and grading papers. If I cooked, it was a side dish for a holiday.
Years later I moved to Seoul, Korea, where I worked as a private educator and I ate things like tteokbokki (spicy rice cake), bulgogi (marinated beef) and of course my daily dose of homemade kim chi. On vacation, I was able to travel throughout Southeast Asia. In Bali, I ate nasi goreng (fried rice) and satay (meat skewers). Hong Kong offered street foods like milk tea with pineapple bread, Singa pore had fish head curry and in Xiamen I ate spicy hotpot (two kinds of broth that you dip meats and veggies into).
BRINGING THE WORLD HOME
When I came back home to Southern California, I wanted to re-create those experiences for my family. While the local Trader Joe’s has a pretty good variety of foods from around the world (like a surprisingly good kimbap), I thought, “What’s stopping me from cooking this way at home, recalling the places I’ve traveled?” To keep myself from sliding back into the familiar groove of spaghetti (and to better nourish my body) I’d been cultivating a broader range of recipes. It started with a Chilean cookbook in honor of my mother’s lineage, then a Turkish one for my paternal heritage; soon
enough I was just like my mother and grandmother, collecting recipes from magazines, earmarked to try soon, and printing off ones I found online and sending photos to friends to brag about a new one I tried. It helped to have an eager, hungry family to feed too.
FLAVOR NOTES
Adding to the sensory experience, I put on themed music when we ate. Why not have it go with the dish I was serving? A taco Tuesday paired well with classical Mexican guitar while an Indian curry dinner went with the relaxing sitar playlist—a beautiful benefit of streaming services that technology allows. Japan’s artistically styled plates of sushi and onigiri were challenging to replicate but tasted as good as I remembered, enlivened by the sounds of bamboo flutes playing. And for Korean night—though perhaps not the most relaxing dinner music—I could only think of one strong pairing: K-pop, Korean pop music that makes almost anyone want to get up and shake it.
One day I woke up craving Thailand’s tom kha gai soup, with its coconut milk and lemongrass base. I went to the store just for fresh lemongrass only to find they just carried a paste. If I wanted the real deal, the cashier said, I’d have to drive down to a specialty market in Los Angeles. I settled for the pre-made concoction. Luckily, it tasted pretty much the same and my family lined up for seconds.
Closer to home were regional foods of the States. I made shrimp and grits in honor of the South, playing old-school blues like BB King. In homage to my time in New York, there were hot dogs with sauerkraut and a side of Sinatra. Montreal’s known for poutine (fries topped with cheese curds and gravy) so I honored Canadian songstress Celine Dion. I even looked up a copycat recipe from a bakery in Australia (though I’m sure that’s not what they’re known for; I just haven’t been to the land down under yet) and played some indigenous didgeridoo (after a hearty AC/DC session).
FEELING POTLUCKY
When I lived in Las Vegas, I continued to meet people from all over. About once a month, we had dinner parties where we brought a dish to share. Kerri from South Africa brought biltong (beef jerky) with her braai classic aartappelgebak (potato bake), Astrid from Italy made her classic pesto (and swears that real Italians salt their boiling water after the pasta is in), Nico from Greece made moussaka, Ana from Portugal brought pastel de nata (egg custard tart), Dani from Guatemala made chicken pepián, Mouaad from Morocco carried tagine, Jess from New Zealand baked pavlova
(a meringue-like crunchy yet chewy dessert), and Diane from Key West brought the key lime pie.
During one dinner party, it was getting quiet, the night almost over. Soon it would be the next person’s turn. Mine.
“What’s California known for?” my friend asked me.
“Oh… hmmm.” I thought for a minute about this. It seemed like we had such a wealth of restaurants and cultures. Luckiest of all, so much fresh produce year-round, much of it grown by hardworking farmers on the Oxnard Plain. “Salads?”
Everyone laughed and started to debate what else it might be—burritos or lobster or a pricey juice cleanse that a celeb was promoting.
Out of all the recipes and flavors, I decided to make a salad like the ones my mom is known for: full of organic freckled lettuce, bell peppers, toasted pine nuts, goat cheese, beets, sprouts, avocado and pretty much any vegetable in season.
WORLD TOUR COMPILATION
That sparked the idea to compile these recipes from around the world into a family cookbook. It includes places my mother traveled to back in her youth as well as the places I’ve visited. In it, we have recipes from all over the world: the rice pudding of Costa Rica, the dal baht of Nepal, the ugali bread of Kenya, beet-based borscht soup from Russia, saffron-rice-based paella from Spain, corn and cheese arepas from Venezuela, Cuban ropa vieja (stewed beef), misir wat (red lentils) from Ethiopia, Cambodian amok (coconut fish curry), hot phở from Vietnam and—from more recent time in Alaska—anything freshly caught from the sea.
The culmination of all of these cultures, textures and tastes helps me feel grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and to be able to bring back pieces of these experiences to my family and friends who aren’t able to travel far. Through photos, music and food, I can replicate some of that, bringing them a bit of my travels with every forkful. I didn’t want to wait until my international friends eventually passed away to honor their memories, cultures and stories; I want to celebrate them today, to find joy in each day.
There are still countries I want to visit and I hope I’ll get to try one of everything and bring back a recipe from my favorite, attempting to replicate it with the people I love. Maybe I’ll even find some hybrid experimental version of mac-n-cheese… for sophis ticated grownups. Now if only I could figure out what kind of music goes best with that.
Christina Berke is a writer and educator from the Conejo Valley. She’s currently working on a novel. Visit ChristinaBerke.com to learn more.
Adding to the sensory experience, I put on themed music when we ate. I made shrimp and grits in honor of the South, playing oldschool blues like BB King. In homage to my time in New York, there were hot dogs with sauerkraut and a side of Sinatra.
by John Nichols
A CUT ABOVE or BELOW
Tips for picking and pruning home-grown fruit trees
WORDS AND PHOTO BY JON ELLIS ILLUSTRATIONS BY RAMIAH CHU
Here in Ventura County we can successfully grow fruit trees from all over the world, creating home orchards that we can harvest from year-round. Properly cared-for trees will generally be healthier, live longer and, most importantly, be more productive.
WHICH TREE TO BUY
To start, when I purchase a tree, I take into consideration a couple different factors. The healthiest trees are not always the prettiest and most well established. I try to purchase the youngest trees possible to fit the planting needs of the situation. The younger the tree, the less likely that it will have lived in a nursery around other plants that might have, and share, diseases or pests.
HOW TO PLANT
With new fruit trees we should be able to see a relatively noticeable graft point where the root stock and the fruit stock have their union. We consider this sensitive spot the tree’s “belly button.” When we plant, we want this spot to face north. This will ensure that the belly button doesn’t get sunburned, which will help the tree have less stress and healthier life.
BARE-ROOT
PLANTING FOR WINTER
Bare root trees are best planted in late winter or very early spring, but not during extreme weather events.
The graft point or “belly button” of the young tree should face north when planted.
Bare-root trees are a great choice because they are less expensive, much smaller and easier to plant than already-rooted trees. Bare-root fruit trees are available in the late winter and are often the healthiest specimens. For deciduous trees, I like to plant while they are dormant, allowing them to bloom and leaf out in their new space. Evergreen trees such as avocado, citrus or guava can be planted throughout the year.
Even if we can’t plant at the perfect time, there is no cause for worry. The trees can be very tolerant. Just be sure to not plant a tree during an extreme weather event as it could cause additional stress.
PRUNING TIPS
Pruning fruit trees can be challenging and confusing if they have branches growing in all directions. The most important step of pruning is to first sanitize the cutting tools with alcohol.
There are few general rules for properly pruning fruit trees. When removing any branch or stem, make sure that there is a nice clean cut, with no stub left behind. Thinning out center-growing branches helps with air flow, light penetration into the canopy and easier harvest. If there are crossing branches, the smaller or less productive branch should be eliminated, to prevent them from rubbing together and to create a less crowded environment. While most pruning is best done during the dormant season, removing dead material can be done at any time of year. It is important to control the height of trees; a shorter tree is easier to prune, safer to harvest and easier to protect from critters.
Jon Ellis is a native of Alabama and a former chef who has a contagious love for fruit trees. His passion for food growing has evolved from his stints as enthusiastic school volunteer; 10 years as an elementary garden teacher; and now a career in Ojai as a fruit tree specialist.
Proper pruning includes clean cuts with no stubs left, during the dormant season. incorrectcut correctcut
EDIBLE Holidays
EVERYTHING BUT THE ROAST
BY LISA ROBINSON | PHOTOS BY TAMI CHU
Gatherings at the holidays can be a time of great joy, or a season of tolerance and selfcontrol. Whatever the makeup of your party, delicious food can be a worthy addition, or meaningful distraction. In these recipes—which include an option for appetizer, side dish, salad and dessert—the focus is local, seasonal and a unique spin on some classic flavors.
CHEDDAR & SAGE BISCUITS
Hearty herbs like fresh sage, rosemary and thyme thrive in cold weather and have thick leaves and a deeply intense fragrance, making any one of them a perfect choice for these biscuits. Use these as a side for your next holiday meal.
Makes 12 biscuits
4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for work surface
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons coarse salt
2½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1½ sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1½ cups buttermilk
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water for egg wash
Preheat oven to 450°F.
In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add cheese and sage, pulsing to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture is the texture of coarse meal, with a few peasize pieces of butter remaining. Add buttermilk and pulse until just combined, about 2 to 3 times.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead just until it comes together. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough to a ¾-inch thickness. With a floured 2¾-inch round biscuit cutter, cut out 12 biscuits (re-roll and cut scraps).
Place biscuits on a baking sheet, 1½ inches apart. Brush tops with egg wash and bake until puffed and golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
BROWN BUTTER RADISH TOASTS
The nutty brown butter balances well with the peppery radish in this appetizer, which makes a great addition to any seasonal gathering.
Serves 6–8
Ice water
10–12 small red radishes, sliced thinly
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 artisan sourdough baguette, sliced on bias into ½-inch pieces
Olive oil, for toasting
Freshly ground black pepper
Garnish
Fresh thyme leaves, or microgreens
½ lemon, cut in wedges, for juice
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Preheat oven to 400°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Half-fill a medium bowl with ice water and slice radishes into the cold water. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until butter smells nutty and the bits of milk solids turn golden, about 5 minutes.
Transfer butter to a medium bowl, add salt and allow to cool slightly. Then, with a wire whisk or handheld electric mixer, whisk constantly until butter has a thick whipped texture and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
Place sliced baguette slices in a single layer on baking sheets and brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes, until golden and fully toasted. Allow to cool. Spread a generous amount of brown butter onto each piece of toasted baguette and season with fresh black pepper. Blot radishes with a paper towel to dry, then top toasts with a layer of sliced radishes, thyme leaves or microgreens; top with flaky sea salt and a squeeze of lemon.
Lisa Robinson, a California native and graduate of Le
College of
Arts Pasadena and University of California, Berkeley, is a full-time private chef in Montecito, a food stylist for various productions in Los Angeles, and she owns/operates LuLu Belle, a small-batch locally sourced fruit jam, jelly and marmalade company in Ventura. You can find her on Instagram @lulubelleca. For private chef or jam inquiries, call 310-614-1230 or email lulubelleorders@gmail.com.
Cordon Bleu
Culinary
ENDIVE AND RADICCHIO SALAD WITH PECORINO AND ROASTED ASIAN PEAR
This salad is perfect to offset heavier dishes this holiday season. The combination of various textures adds interest and pomegranate seeds add a pop of sweet and tart.
If you can’t find Asian pears, D’Anjou or Bartlett pears are good substitutes. The pears should be ripe but not too soft.
Serves 4
For the Pears
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 Asian pears, cored, halved, and cut into ¼-inch slices
Apple Cider Maple Vinaigrette
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1 garlic clove, grated
¼ teaspoon Dijon or whole-grain mustard
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
For the Salad
1 head radicchio (leaves separated, large leaves torn into 3-inch pieces, small ones left whole), rinsed and dried
2 Belgian endive (leaves separated and cut into 1-inch pieces), rinsed and dried
4 ounces toasted pine nuts
4 ounces fresh pomegranate seeds (arils)
2 ounces pecorino, shaved
Flaky salt and freshly ground pepper, for garnish
To roast the pears: Melt butter over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add sugar and stir until melted and starting to brown. Add pears and toss to coat. Cook, tossing occasionally, until pears are softened but still retain some texture and begin to caramelize, about 4–5 minutes. Transfer to a large plate and allow to cool completely.
To make the dressing: Combine all ingredients in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well until thoroughly combined.
To assemble the salad: Place leaves in a bowl, and toss with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and pecorino. Dress salad with Apple Cider Maple Vinaigrette. Garnish with cooled roasted pears, a pinch of flaky salt such as Maldon and freshly cracked black pepper.
Chef note: Recipe is easily doubled.
LEMON THYME POTS DE CR È ME
This classic French dessert is traditionally made with chocolate, but here California lemons shine and create a silky citrusy baked custard. This dish should be made ahead of time as it needs several hours to cool and set.
Serves 4
For the Lemon Thyme Sugar
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon minced thyme leaves from 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
Combine the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Spread sugar mixture on a parchment-lined baking tray and let sit at room temperature to dry out for at least 1 hour. Once dry, store in a glass jar until ready to use.
To make the Pots de Crème: Set 4 (4-ounce) ramekins into a deep baking pan.
Heat oven to 325°F.
Combine the egg yolks, lemon zest and ¼ cup of the sugar in a medium bowl; whisk and set aside.
Then combine the milk, heavy cream, vanilla, salt and remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to just a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat immediately. Very slowly, while whisking, pour the warm
cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture until fully incorporated. Too much at once will cook the yolk before its time. Divide mixture among the ramekins. Set the baking pan in the oven. Pour boiling water into the baking pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins, and cover the pan tightly with foil. Bake the custards until they are set around the edges but still jiggle a bit in the center, about 25–30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and let cool to room temperature, then transfer the ramekins to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.
Just before serving, sprinkle the lemon thyme sugar evenly over each pot de crème and garnish as desired. Serve chilled.
SHARING and CARING
In Casitas Springs, the art of connection thrives amid community and nature
BY REBECCA TAYLOR
My good friend who shoots documentary-style photography came over to capture part of my creative food process: gathering ingredients. While we were foraging, we bumped into a neighbor who’s an urchin diver and talked about the possibility of photographing him and preparing a meal with his catch.
In today’s fast-paced world, where screens often dominate our attention and personal interactions seem increasingly rare, I have found solace and inspiration in a surprising place: my own neighborhood. Nestled along the Ventura River, our community in Casitas Springs
feels like a time warp, a sanctuary where human connection and creativity thrive. Here, most residents are artists or craftsmen, and the spirit of sharing and looking out for one another is woven into the very fabric of daily life.
Rick, our urchin diving neighbor, is such a legend. We had him and his wife Leanne over for dinner on a recent weekend. She has a bountiful garden and I often come home to find produce on our doorstep. When I’m out of town, she waters my garden and I, in turn, share all of my ice cream testing with her. My partner and I
Photo by Kylie
Long
In today’s fast-paced world, where screens often dominate our attention and personal interactions seem increasingly rare, I have found solace and inspiration in a surprising place: my own neighborhood.
have organically gotten to know them over casual conversation in the street, and realized we have a lot of similar interests, despite our relative youth. Rick has been diving for urchin for over 20 years and when he found out I cook, he showed up one day with a bucket of urchin, and is teaching me the art of perfecting the alum-to-saltwater ratio. This experience is one I would have sought out and paid for and yet here I am in my own neighborhood. What began as solitary walks to gather herbs and wild plants evolved into encounters with neighbors who shared not just their gardens, but their stories and lives.
FORAGED TREASURES
I get out and forage any time I can. I’ve spent a lot of years in the food-styling world, which is notorious for food waste. There’s something in me that loves the challenge of using what I have to create beauty; I cook that way too. I’d rather look at what I have and create from that place. For me, it’s all about the treasure hunt and trusting in my creativity.
Along the magical and ever-changing Ventura River, my favorite time to forage is April when the blooming wild fennel sends wafts of fragrant anise through the air. I gather the fennel fronds and make fennel glass—a beautiful candy I use on desserts. I use the fennel blossoms as garnish in all sorts of dishes.
We have generous neighbors with olive trees, and they’ve let me harvest and cure the olives. Along the Ventura River Trail we have an abundance of black walnut trees, which we’ve harvested to make nocino each season. I forage miner’s lettuce along Sulphur Mountain trail, which is a beautiful hike—and where I am usually met with roaming cows in the early evening.
From my own garden I have beautiful radishes, Brussels sprouts and broccoli. When my partner bought his house there was a fruit tree he thought was a lemon tree. We later found out it was a yuzu tree and we feel like the luckiest people! We made a batch of yuzu-cello last winter and it was beautifully floral and drank like a digestif. We plan to make more this winter, as well as yuzu kosho (a fermented Japanese condiment typically made from a paste of chili peppers, yuzu citrus peel, salt and sometimes kelp) to hand out to the neighbors.
If not foraged, gifted or grown, I’m always using what’s in my fridge to inspire a dish. I cook for a living, so between shoots and client dinners, there are a lot of odds and ends. That’s the fun part! I was trained classically as a musician, and I found it more fun to break those classic rules when I was writing and composing music. It makes things more interesting and intriguing. I cook the same way: It’s all an experiment, and whatever I’m handed, I will find a way to use.
One of the most beautiful aspects of our neighborhood is the way food brings us together. We share produce from our gardens, swap recipes and often find ourselves gathered around a table, enjoying a meal made from ingredients grown with love. This exchange of food is more than just a transaction; it’s a way of building and maintaining relationships, fostering a sense of belonging that is increasingly rare in our modern world.
Living here has shown me that the essence of human connection lies in these simple acts of sharing and caring. It reminds me of a long-lost charm—a time when communities were close-knit, and people looked out for one another. This sense of community is not just nostalgic; it is essential for our well-being, providing a support system that nurtures both our physical and emotional health.
SAMPLING THE WORLD
My experiences as a solo traveler have played a significant role in shaping my understanding of community. I was healing my relationship to food, and in doing so, started giving myself permission to do what I desired. After a breakup, and living alone for the first time, I realized it was time to travel and experience. I booked my first solo trip to Spain and Morocco for my 25th birthday, inspired by
by Shelby
Photo
Moore
the cuisine and textiles. It was riveting and challenging at times, but worldly and exciting, and it changed my life.
Immersing myself in the blue Medina of Morocco’s Chefchaouen was unlike anything I thought it would be. I was hardly alone—I met people who I deeply connected with. This happens when you find other travelers who are also so far outside of their comfort zone. Suddenly it’s like you’ve known each other for years. I was more than safe; I was taken care of and invited into locals’ homes because of my willingness to experience traditional cooking.
I took another solo trip to Lombok Indonesia, and since it was a remote village, the whole community gathers to celebrate weddings in town. I was staying with the family whose wedding it was, so they dressed me up and I was part of the whole experience. They were so excited to have an American there to celebrate the day. This serendipitous event taught me the importance of openness and the unexpected joys it can bring.
Something similar happened again later in Japan. This time, I was with my partner in a less-traveled area, and we were invited into a sweet woman’s home. She was beside herself that we showed interest in every facet of her daily life and cooking. You just can’t plan for these life-changing experiences.
So many of my travel stories play into the idea of putting yourself out there, trusting in the power of community and being open to what you can experience. I don’t operate from a place of fear; I stay
very curious. Of course I trust myself deeply in solo situations, when I’m foraging too.
LANDSCAPE OF SUPPORT
Bringing that same openness back to my neighborhood has been transformative. I began to see the people around me not just as neighbors, but as potential friends and collaborators. This shift in perspective has enriched my life in countless ways, opening doors to new opportunities and experiences right in my backyard.
My hope is to inspire others to seek out and nurture their own communities, to reconnect with the natural world and to rediscover the joy of human connection. Whether it’s through foraging for ingredients, sharing an experimental meal or simply taking a walk and striking up a conversation with a neighbor, these small acts can have a profound impact.
With a bit of openness and a willingness to engage, we can create a landscape of support, inspiration and abundance right where we are. You might be surprised by the richness it brings to your life.
With her background as a trained musician, food stylist and private chef Rebecca Taylor uses the food space as another medium of creative expression, often inspired by who and what surrounds her. Her work is deeply influenced by the beauty and experience she’s gained along her solo travels.
the
Independent makers and local businesses are the heart of this creative Blue Ridge Mountain community, home to growers who are artists and artists whose work grows.
Lend a helping hand. Shop their online stores and donate to recovery funds.
Your support means the world. We are everyone for every single one.
In
wake of Hurricane Helene, many beloved Asheville area businesses have been deeply affected.
Local Guide to Good Eats & Drinks
CAMARILLO
All Things Tea
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.
In Paseo Camarillo Center | 300 N. Lantana St., #37 | Camarillo | 805-445-8327 | Tea-Liteful.com
The Wine Closet
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.
Family-owned and -operated coffee shop and bakery with ethically sourced coffee, gluten-free pastries and excellent service.
111 N. Reino Rd. | Newbury Park | 805-375-9000 and 550 Collection Blvd., Ste. 130 | Oxnard | 805-278-5837 | RagamuffinRoasters.com
Ox and Ocean
Tying into the unique makeup of California, Ox & Ocean serves locally sourced produce and seafood fresh from Oxnard’s plains and sea, celebrating a diverse influence and distinct flavors in an elegant, yet approachable fashion. 2101 Mandalay Beach Rd. | Oxnard | 805-984-2500 | OxandOcean.com
SIMI VALLEY
Nectar of the Dogs
Wine
Woman-owned local wine tasting room on the west end of Simi Valley. Wines sourced locally in California with a portion of sales donated to local nonprofit dog rescue organizations.
791 Chambers Ln. Ste. 110 | Simi Valley | 702-275-0482 | NectaroftheDogsWine.com
FILLMORE
Roan Mills Bakery
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 difference.
411 Central Ave. | Fillmore | RoanMills.com
Find the ultimate comfort food for the cool weather season, like this grilled cheese with hot honey, at Paradise Pantry in Ventura.
by Viktor
Limón Y Sal
Authentic Mexican dishes made from scratch with fresh local ingredients. A Downtown Ventura favorite for over 20 years, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, including vegan options and award-winning margaritas.
598 E. Main St., Ventura | 805-628-3868 | LimonySalVentura.com
Paradise Pantry
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.
222 E. Main St. | Ventura | 805-641-9440 | ParadisePantry.com
Poseidon Brewing Company
A small, local, veteran-owned craft brewery making a variety of beer styles. Visit the tasting room or take a growler to go.
Since 2011, using the natural and agricultural bounty of California’s Central Coast to hand craft novel and delicious spirits.
3891 N. Ventura Ave. | Ventura | 805-232-4313 | Order online at VenturaSpirits.com
Wildflower Winery
Woman-owned, tastefully decorated urban wine tasting room on Market Street with flights of small batch low intervention wines made in Ventura County from Central Coast grapes.
4517 Market St., Unit 7 | Ventura. | WildflowerWineryVentura.com
OJAI
Ojai Ice Cream
Located conveniently in the arcade in Ojai, Ojai Ice Cream is a local staple serving homemade ice cream, coffee and espresso and a wide assortment of candy. Reopened in 2023 with a brand new look.
210 E. Ojai Ave. | Ojai | OjaiIceCream.com
CATERERS
Private Chef
Catering
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
VENTURA
Photo
Budnik
VENTURA COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKETS
TUESDAYS
Simi Valley
Adventist Health Farmers Market NEW! 3000 Sycamore Dr. Tuesdays, 10am–3pm @svfarmersmarket
WEDNESDAYS
Midtown Ventura
Certified Farmers’ Market
Pacific View Mall (West End Parking Lot)
3301 N. Main St.
Wednesdays, 9am–1pm (rain or shine)
VCCFM.org
805-529-6266
THURSDAYS
Downtown Oxnard
Certified Farmers’ Market
Plaza Park, 5th St. & B St.
Thursdays, 9am–1:30pm (rain or shine)
OxnardFarmersMarket.com
805-247-0197
Ojai Community Farmers’ Market
Chaparral Courtyard 414 E. Ojai Ave. Thursdays, 2–6pm
OjaiCommunityFarmersMarket.com
661-491-0257
Thousand Oaks
Certified Farmers’ Market
The Oaks Shopping Center (East End Parking Lot)
Wilbur Rd. & Oaks Mall Dr. Thursdays, 11am–4pm (rain or shine)
VCCFM.org
805-529-6266
FRIDAYS
Simi Valley
Certified Farmers’ Market
Civic Center Plaza
2757 Tapo Canyon Rd. Fridays, 11am–3:30pm (rain or shine)
Facebook.com/SimiValleyMarket
805-643-6458
SATURDAYS
Agoura Hills
At Whizen Market Square 28914 Roadside Dr. Saturdays, 10am–3pm @ccfminc
Camarillo Hospice
Certified Farmers’ Market 2220 Ventura Blvd., Old Town
Saturdays, 8am–noon (rain or shine)
CamarilloFarmersMarket.com 805-987-3347
Downtown Ventura
Certified Farmers’ Market
200 Block of Main St. From Palm to Mission Park
Saturdays, 8:30am–noon (rain or shine)
VCCFM.org 805-529-6266
Santa Paula Certified Farmers Market
At Anna’s Cider 801 E. Main St. Saturdays 10am–2pm anadaluyt@gmail.com
SUNDAYS
Ojai
Certified Farmers’ Market Behind the Arcade
300 E. Matilija St. Sundays, 9am–1pm (rain or shine)
OjaiCertifiedFarmersMarket.com 805-698-5555
Moorpark
Certified Farmers’ Market 450 High St. Sundays, 9am–2pm EnrichedFarms.com 818-699-6204
Community Market At Oxnard College Campus Parking Lot
Sundays 8am–3pm Maria_olivares2@my.vcccd.edu
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 Farmers’ Market
Saticoy Park 11321 Violeta St.
FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH 10am–2pm @saticoyfarmersmarket
Westlake Village Farmers’ Market 2797 Agoura Rd. Sundays, 10am–2pm (rain or shine)
RawInspiration.org 818-591-8161
WEEKENDS
Ventura College Foundation
Weekend Marketplace
Ventura College East Parking Lot Corner of Telegraph Rd. & Day Rd. Saturdays & Sundays, 8am–2pm VenturaCollegeFoundation.org
See EdibleVenturaCounty.com for CSA information.
Note: All info was updated in November 2024. As details do change, please contact the markets for the latest info.
