Edible San Diego Beverages Issue 23 Winter 2013 by Edible San Diego

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Good food. Good drink. Good read. • No. 23 • Winter 2013

The Beverage Issue

EDI B

O EG

SAN D I LE

Wine Enthusiast RATINGS

SCORE OUT OF 100 POINTS

PTS

REE GLUTEN-F

WANTED Gifts that deliver real reward

This season, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just give the usual suspects. Put a vegetable garden on your most-wanted list and help a family living in poverty put food on the table.

See the full lineup at OXFAMGIFTS.COM

SAN D E I L

O EG

So you can imagine how much cause for whooping it up our fifth anniversary gives us. We have so much to be grateful for and so much to celebrate.

Photo: David Pattison

This anniversary is a personal marker since Edible San Diego had a life before us. Six issues were printed before we jumped in in 2009 and we are forever grateful to Jeff and Mary Willis who had the hope and courage to give Edible San Diego its start. When it was time for them to take a different path, we got the chance to embrace a new opportunity, a new community, a new life. I guess you could say this is the fifth anniversary of our new life. And we love it!

We’ve come a long way since we picked up the Edible San Diego baton. We started printing 10,000 34-page magazines and are now printing 37,000 60-page magazines. We went from working our fingers to the bone just trying to break even to becoming a sustainable business (with slightly less bony fingers). Back then we just laughed if someone suggested we should produce an e-newsletter or an event. We had our hands more than full with the business of publishing. Now we have a monthly e-newsletter, a twice monthly blog and quarterly release parties. We couldn’t figure out social media in 2009 and now we have over 16,000 Facebook and Twitter followers. We certainly didn’t have the bandwidth to produce events to benefit causes and organizations whose missions we support. Today we are promoting school gardens with our School Garden of the Year contest and are working with Slow Food Urban San Diego and Sempra Energy to produce an Edible San Diego for Kids that will bring information about local agriculture and healthy food to thousands of local elementary school kids.

Riley Davenport and John Vawter

So raise a glass and make merry with us at Blind Lady Ale House on December 5, 2013! We’ll be congratulating ourselves and being thrilled about all the last five years has brought to us.

Subscribe!

Subscribe and recieve a FREE bottle of local Bella Vado Face & Body Wash. What a nice gift! Get four issues a year of Edible San Diego delivered right to your door, each one filled with delicious recipes, thought provoking subjects and the stories of our farmers, ranchers, fishermen, chefs, winemakers and brewers.

1 year $32, 2 years $56, 3 years $66 Subscribe online at ediblesandiego.com or send your information (name, street address, city, state and zip code) and check made payable to Edible San Diego to Edible San Diego, P.O. Box 83549,

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edible San Diego

winter 2013

I wasn’t putting two and two together when we decided to make the winter issue the Beverage Issue. It just seemed like an appropriate theme for what my sister calls the Sparkly Season. Then I realized that this issue marks our five-year anniversary and that we have even more to celebrate than usual.

We’re big on celebration in my family. It’s Friday? Great! Where’s the champagne? You got a new dog? Awesome! Let’s get together and celebrate! No cavities at the dentist? Let’s raise a glass to how wonderful life is. You get the picture. And all those celebrations, big and small, were toasted with some festive libation. Not a bad way to go, always looking for the next thing to be happy about.

EDI B

{Two Cents}

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MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

CONTRIBUTORS

CONTACT

John Alongé Edible San Diego Chelsea Batten P.O. Box 83549 Chris Rov Costa San Diego, CA 92138 Aaron Epstein 619-222-8267 Kristen Fogel info@ediblesandiego.com Enrique Gili ediblesandiego.com Caron Golden ADVERTISING Anastacia Grenda For information about Brandon Hernández rates and deadlines, Kay Ledger call 619-222-8267 Vincent Rossi or email us at Susan Russo info@ediblesandiego.com Leah Singer Matt Steiger No part of this John Thurston publication may be used without written Lyudmilla Zotova permission of the publisher. © 2013 PUBLISHERS All rights reserved. Riley Davenport John Vawter

EDITOR Riley Davenport, Executive Editor Britta Turner, Managing Editor

COPY EDITORS Doug Adrianson John Vawter Michelle Honig

DESIGNER Riley Davenport

COVER PHOTO Chris Rov Costa

Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If an error comes to your attention, please let us know and accept our sincere apologies. Thank you.

winter 2013

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Winter 2013

CONTENTS

Departments

FEATURES

TWO CENTS

2 6

LAST MAN STANDING? LOCAL DAIRY INDUSTRY IS DOWN BUT NOT OUT

JUST SPROUTING

LOCAL TALENT: JASON KNIBB OF NINE-TEN

FARM BILL IN LIMBO

LOCAL TALENT: COSIMO SORRENTINO OF MONKEY PAW

SOLAR RAIN WATERY

LIQUID ASSETS: COMING AROUND TO KOMBUCHA

LIQUID ASSETS: VERMOUTH REVISITED

24 27

KITCHEN KNOW HOW: 34 A TOAST TO THE HARVEST

RESOURCES & ADVERTISERS

FARMERS’ MARKETS

FRINGE FERMENTATION: 44 CIDER, MEAD AND COUNTRY WINE CONCOCTIONS

LOCAL BREWER UPS ANTE WITH LINE OF SPIRITS

PINOT BY THE PINT WINE ON TAP? WE’LL DRINK TO THAT

Photo: Lyudmilla Zotova Photo: Chris Rov Costa Photo: Lyudmila Zotova

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edible San Diego

{Just Sprouting}

Forty Ways to Love a Fig This last September the California Fig Advisory Board paired with the San Diego chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier to bring the annual Fig Fest to town. It was a very successful event that featured over 40 chefs working their magic and imaginations to come up with creative, delectable recipes starring figs. The two chefs featured here —Karrie Hills and Jeff Rossman—won two of the top three awards for their offerings.

Karrie Hills: The Artist in the Kitchen Both a gardener and insatiable reader of cookbooks and recipes, Hills graduated from the California Culinary Academy and has spent years cooking in restaurants up and down the California coast. She’s trained with culinary notables including Tyler Florence, Bobby Flay, Cherie Sovia and Fabio Viviani. Most recently, she’s brought her locavore aesthetic to The Red Door and The Wellington in Mission Hills, where she’s executive chef.

Karrie Hills has always had a receptive crowd for her cooking. As one of 16 children growing up in Northern California, she’s been working the stove since she can remember, having been taught and inspired by her mother and grandmother. “Mom could always make something out of nothing,” she recalls.

“I really want to do more to showcase the garden for The Red Door while also establishing relationships with local farmers to showcase their products,” she says. For the more intimate sister restaurant, The Wellington, she has set her eye on refining classic dishes with an American twist. While Hills has a passion for painting and drawing, being a chef has excited her in ways that the visual arts couldn’t quite match. “There’s instant gratification in

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

creating food,” she says. “It’s exciting for a chef to inspire people through food. And to be in a career where you can never know everything is exhilarating.” Caron Golden

Jeff Rossman: On Terra Firma Terra Catering and Shalom Kosher Catering, was among the first local proponents of the movement, and it’s reflected in both his 2010 cookbook, From Terra’s Table: New American Food, Fresh From Southern California’s Organic Farms—and his earning the San Diego Farm Bureau’s inaugural San Diego Grown 365 Award in 2011.

The notion of farm-to-table restaurants in San Diego has become so ubiquitous it’s hard to remember that not that long ago a locavore menu was a rare sighting. Jeff Rossman, executive chef and owner of Terra American Bistro in the College area, Bunz, 6

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Rossman began his career as a 12-yearold washing dishes in his dad’s Hotel Circle eatery, Pam Pam (where Bunz is today). He attended UCSD in the ‘80s, studying economics, but his extracurricular exploration of ethnic restaurants led him back to Pam Pam’s kitchen and, eventually, his opening Terra in Hillcrest in 1998. There, his farm-to-table evolution began, as did his focus on teaching kids about nutrition and the environment through organizations like the From the Ground Up Garden Project.

“I’m passionate about talking about food and working with kids,” he says. “As a chef I’m an educator about food. I want to give people a wow factor, not just by what they taste on the plate but by teaching where their food comes from.” Caron Golden

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

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{Just Sprouting} Beer Guide on Tap: Local Brew Authority Writes the Book on It

In San Diego’s chummy beer scene, ratings might strike a controversial note. But Brandon says he doesn’t intend to discourage visits to any of San Diego’s beer venues. “This is designed so people can decide what they want based on their personal preferences, and find it,” says the author, who is also a regular contributor to Edible San Diego. Each entry describes the venue’s hours, location, beer offerings, seating options and more, including one or two “best beer bets,” described as reliable core beers visitors can count on seeing at each venue. To ensure accuracy and fairness in the ratings, Brandon enlisted a team of industry experts, quality-control personnel and local bar owners. For himself, Brandon says, objectivity has never been a challenge; he wryly admits to having made a few enemies with his penchant for honest critique. The joy and strong community inherent in San Diego’s beer scene have created an atmosphere where

it’s difficult to discern higher quality operations from the average and subpar because everyone supports one another. “Most writers are so happy the community exists that they only find good things to say. It’s all rah-rah and the history of the brewery. That’s all well and good, of course, but few go into any shortcomings. I feel I owe it to the reader to be extremely honest. As a journalist, if you’re going Brandon Hernández to talk about something as rich and positive as the San Diego brewing scene, especially as saturation starts to occur, what else can you really do?”

But make no mistake: Brandon’s criticism is built on the foundation of deep affection. “In the late ’90s when I discovered craft beer, it was that aha! moment.” His voice gets a little softer. “‘I didn’t know this existed and I immediately thought: ‘I want to know more; I can’t believe these companies are in my backyard.’ San Diego craft beer is exceptional and very dear to my heart. It produces a joy for me that’s hard to explain, but palpable, and something I strive to share with the world.” Chelsea Batten

Green Smoothies If the phrase green smoothie conjures up a vision of unappetizing dark sludge, think again. They’re cropping up in farmers’ markets, retail stores and even home delivery services. Local purveyors compare the smoothies to blended salads—and, like salads, they can be enhanced with a variety of ingredients to create appealing tastes (and colors). An ideal green smoothie “should balance carbs, protein and fats,” says Jennifer Copyak, who uses them in her Encinitas-based Luminosity Cleanse program. Her recipe includes various greens, ripe avocados, lentils and mung beans for protein, and apple for sweetening. La Jolla’s Bee Green has a menu of around nine smoothies with ingredients such as cucumber, beet or pineapple. At Vitality Tap, a downtown juice bar, blend-ins include hemp and chia seeds, spirulina and chaga mushrooms to boost your juice. LOCAL RESOURCES: Like salads, green smoothies are an easy way to consume more veggies—yet unlike juicing, the blending process LuminosityCleanse.com preserves beneficial fiber. July Fuentez, a former smoothie BeeGreenWorld.com expert with San Diego’s GreenFix Smoothie, says their GreenFixSmoothie.com 16-ounce drinks provide a full day’s worth of vegetables. Facebook.com/vitalitytap

Anastacia Grenda 8

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Photo:Tyler Graham

On the strength of six years reviewing the “quaffable” in San Diego, Brandon Hernández has just released a guide to beer-tasting experiences in San Diego. The San Diego Beer News Complete Guide to San Diego Breweries is similar to the famous Zagat Review for restaurants: points are awarded for beer quality, setting and service. Extra features such as tours, on-site food and live entertainment allow smaller breweries to surpass past bigger-budget operators.

Celebrating Sustainable Food Building Healthy Communities Promoting Food Justice GOOD, CLEAN & FAIR! Slow Food is committed to preserving food traditions and reviving the table as a center of family and community.

Join Slow Food and make a real difference. Slow Food San Diego • slowfoodsandiego.net Slow Food Temecula Valley • temeculavalleyslowfood.org Slow Food Urban San Diego • slowfoodurbansandiego.org

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edible San Diego

{Just Sprouting}

Cupcakes + Beer = PubCakes Cupcakes and beer sounds like an odd coupling, but if beer and flour are baked with the proper spices and generously frosted with, for example, a delectable cocoa malt frosting— well, here’s to a long and happy marriage! PubCakes is the brainchild of Misty Birchall.

Her tawny, tender and delicious beer-based cupcakes are a hit at local farmers’ markets and craft beer bars throughout San Diego. And due to her recent, very successful Kickstarter campaign, now you can whip up your own beer-infused cupcakes at home with her new Craft Beer Cake Mix. Craft Beer Cake Mix flavors include Chocolate Stout, Vanilla Ale, Cocoa Porter and Belgian Spice. They are formulated and spiced to complement specific San Diego beers. For example, Birchall recommends preparing the Belgian Spice cake mix with Wahoo Wheat Beer from Ballast Point Brewery, or with Green Flash Brewery Le Freak Ale. Notably, the mixes can be prepared with all vegan ingredients.

Photo: Lyudmila Zotova

Birchall gets a big kick watching people sample her cupcakes. “They are shocked and amazed at how good beer makes them,” she says. Her next project will be a PubCakes AleSmith

Misty Birchall

Photo: Lyudmila Zotova

Speedway Stout chocolate sauce, from which just the ingredients alone have the potential to knock your socks off. For recipes and the latest information on where to find Craft Beer Cake Mix and to learn more about upcoming offerings, visit PubCakes.com. Kay Ledger

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{Local Talent} Craftsmanship and Tradition Combine in the Making of Modern American Classic Furniture Bourbon whiskey and wine barrels converted into Adirondack chairs is upcycling done right. Balazs Moldovan takes found materials to create something new; evoking a style of furniture introduced in the 1900s that embodies comfort and relaxation. One can imagine leaning back in his ample wooden chairs, while sipping from a tumbler of sour mash.

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Launched in 2012, what began as a whim has turned into a promising career for Moldovan, the CEO and sole employee of the Hungarian Workshop. When the real estate collapse in Las Vegas caused his burgeoning construction business to suddenly halt, the Hungarian native lit out for the West Coast seeking new opportunities. Moldovan’s new surroundings led to an epiphany. Californians’ fondness for bohemian surf culture could benefit from tasteful handmade furniture.

Photo: John Thurston

Initially, Moldovan posted early versions of his Adirondack chairs on Etsy.com, a site designed for small-business owners to sell and market their crafts. The slow and steady interest from curious buyers intrigued by the design has supported his business, which continues to expand. Among the curious buyers was his first major client, Stone Brewing Co., which needs a great many tables, chairs and outdoor furniture for their San Diego restaurants and breweries. Moldovan now has a constant demand from private customers for his custom patio furniture and has little time for relaxing in his own creations—with or without the tumbler.

Photo: John Thurston

Balazs Moldovan

Enrique Gili

www.solarrainwatery.com

Made from aged and discarded wine and whiskey barrels, Moldovan creates comfortable, modern chairs to complement both interior and exterior design. “No two chairs are alike,” he explains. Tannins add flavor to both wine and whiskey but also stain the wood, giving the barrels a distinct patina. Moldovan acquires and sorts spent barrels based on wood color and width, which he then begins to assemble and shape into beautiful seated fixtures. “My first 20 chairs or so were practice,” he confides.

Ocean Sourced Made Locally for Freshness Find us at Harney Sushi, Brooklyn Girl Eatery, Market in Del Mar, Island Palms, Blazin Grille, Rubicon Deli, Toma Sol, Tuscany, Ki’s, Greenspot, Lodge at Torrey Pines, Humphreys at the Bay, and Jsix to name a few, and of course Whole Foods, Jimbos, and Cardiff Seaside Market

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edible San Diego

{Just Sprouting} Polite Provisions Stirs Up Home Bartending

Proprietor Erick Castro made the decision to sell bartending equipment because he saw a need among San Diego’s bartending community and cocktail connoisseurs for a place to buy quality products. “People started asking us where we bought our bartending tools because they wanted those same tools,” said Castro. “We don’t sell anything that we don’t use ourselves.” Bitters are a critical component of Polite Provisions’ signature cocktails. Originally used for medicinal purposes, each bitters variety has a unique flavor extracted from herbs, fruits, spices and roots. The mixture is added to a cocktail’s base liquor to give the drink a distinctive taste. From the bitters to the tools, quality is of the utmost importance to Castro. Their cocktail juices are squeezed daily and only raw cane sugar is used for sweetening drinks. Castro is always willing to share his favorite recipes with customers who express interest in trying their hand at replicating them.

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

In the heart of Normal Heights lies Polite Provisions, a classic cocktail lounge offering tonics, elixirs and cures. The bustling bar is quickly making its mark in the community, and what started as a place to enjoy great cocktails has become one of the leading retailers selling high-quality bar tools, equipment and bitters.

“I want to tear down the wall from spectator to participant,” said Castro. “If people love our drinks, we will make it easy for them to buy the tools and ingredients necessary to make them at home.” Leah Singer

Take Me Out for Some Coffee Bird Rock Coffee Roasters has modernized the ballpark experience with their pourover coffee bar at Petco Park. The Padres partnered with Bird Rock Coffee as part of a plan to feature local artisans within ballpark concessions. This is the first time that pour-over coffee service has been offered at a major league ballpark or sports venue, according to Owner Chuck Patton. The popular La Jolla coffee shop has served coffee drinks in a café-style area under the stands by the Western Metal building since midway through the season. Owner Chuck Patton was pleasantly surprised at the success of this new venture, which became the store’s second retail location.

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“People who knew about us were excited because they now have a great coffee option at the ballpark,” said Patton.

Giants fans into the original Bird Rock Coffee store after they sampled the coffee at the ballpark.

In addition to his first customers at Petco Park, Patton also welcomed San Francisco

The best part of this endeavor, for Patton, has been “reaching out to new customers and introducing them to a high-quality coffee experience,” he said. “We’ve exposed a lot of people to true specialty coffee.” For San Diego coffee fans, that’s been a big hitter for this season. Leah Singer

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

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winter 2013

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{Just Sprouting} How Does Your Garden Grow? Edible San Diego is very interested in encouraging school gardens and all they have to offer to our children and communities. We are excited to encourage those schools and community members that support school gardens by holding a School Garden of the Year contest! Nutrition is an essential building block for student success. Research shows that healthy, active and well-nourished children are more likely to attend school and are more prepared and motivated to learn. While the primary responsibility of schools is to foster academic achievement, schools have a vested interest in guiding children toward healthier lifestyles by creating a healthy nutrition environment. School gardens are great for getting children out into nature, helping them learn important lessons about their food and exposing them to healthy food choices.

Cafe Merlot invites you on a culinary adventure! We’re nestled on 11 acres of historic ranch and vineyard. Dine from our very own micro farm. We plant, grow and cook to order every meal.

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If you have a school garden going or would like to revive yours or start one, now is the time to show San Diego what you can do and all the benefits our children receive from your efforts. Cash prizes will be awarded to winning gardens. We are actively seeking sponsors to help fund prizes. Urban Plantations and Slow Food Urban San Diego have

already generously contributed as sponsors. If you are interested in entering your shool garden or in helping sponsor the contest, contact us at info@ediblesandiego.com or go to our web site: ediblesandiego.com/ school-garden-of-the-year/ Riley Davenport

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{Local Talent}

Simple Man: Complex Dish By Brandon Hernรกndez

Photos by Chris Rov Costa 16

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t’s all who you know. It’s a timeless adage because it’s true. Case in point is Jason Knibb, the executive chef of upscale contemporary eatery NINE-TEN at La Jolla’s Grande Colonial Hotel. His natural abilities in the kitchen are apparent in every beautifully composed dish he presents, but were it not for the influence of family and friends, he may never have taken to the culinary arts. It all started at home with Knibb’s father, who he describes as “a foodie before there were foodies.” Hungry and adventurous dad delighted in taking his children to off-the-radar eateries with best-kept-secret status throughout their Los Angeles stomping grounds. This was Knibb’s introduction to amazing cuisine crossing many cultural borders. Knibb however, was never pulled to the culinary arts until his first job at a restaurant called White Feathers. “My friend was one of the chefs there and his job always looked fun and exciting to me,” recalls Knibb. That initial spark was enough to keep him in the restaurant industry. Soon, he was working for none other than Wolfgang Puck at one of the chef ’s restaurants in Eureka, California. And that, he says, is where it all started to make sense.

talked it out and I came up with a pizza special. It all felt really natural and that was when I knew that this was something I both could and wanted to do.” Knibb has come a long way over the many years since that fateful date with an accommodating pizza oven. He has worked his way through numerous acclaimed gourmet kitchens from Maui to Poland. Along the way, he worked under Trey Foshee at Utah’s Sundance Resort. After moving from the Beehive State to La Jolla

Instead, Knibb starts with flavor combinations—just like with that watershed pizza—built on extraordinary edibles. For those, he looks no further than his backyard. “We get a lot of our produce from Chino Farms, Crow’s Pass, Cunningham Organic and farmers’ markets around town. We also have our own hydroponic vegetable garden right here at the restaurant, which is very convenient.”

In winter, Knibb gets excited about kabocha pumpkin, apples, pears, celery root and faro. Rather than shoot for signature dishes where those ingredients are made the same way every time, he prefers to treat Knibb approaches each of his offerings with them differently each time they come painstaking precision: stacking, offsetting, into season. “I create as I go and every dashing, dotting, dolloping, brush-stroking and day is different.”

garnishing them with the skill of a true artist. Cove, Foshee stayed in touch with his former right-hand man, and when Knibb became a father and he and his wife voiced their desire to move back to Southern California to be closer to family, Foshee alerted him to a job opening at the then two-years-young NINE-TEN.

“One day, I came to work and the sous chef told me I had to come up with and prepare the nightly special. I started to freak out and asked the sauté girl what the heck I was going to do,” he says. “I was all worked up and she told me to just think about the things I liked and put them together. We

The rest is history, one that may have never come to be were it not for some very important people and countless chefs who influenced Knibb’s cooking style. “I’m all about simple, elegant food using the best products available and letting them shine,” he says. “There are all sorts of new culinary techniques these days that are cool and fun to have in the arsenal, but techniques are things that help us put food on the plate. I don’t start with technique.”

Knibb approaches each of his offerings with painstaking precision: stacking, offsetting, dashing, dotting, dolloping, brush-stroking and garnishing them with the skill of a true artist. Knibb’s food seems too beautiful to devour, but his edible masterpieces reward diners with bright, poignant, on-point flavors that never disappoint.

Brandon Hernández is a native San Diegan with a passion for the culinary arts and the local dining scene. He is a local editor for Zagat; has been featured numerous times on the Food Network; contributes to over a dozen national and local magazines, newspapers and online outlets; has contributed to several cookbooks and is responsible for communications at local craft beer producer Stone Brewing Co. Follow him on Twitter at @offdutyfoodie or drop him a line at brandon@ thebrandonhernandez.com.

See pages 18 and 19 for Chef Knibb’s recipes.

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edible San Diego

Kabocha Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Maitake Mushrooms, Candied Pumpkin Seeds & Pickled Onions Serves 4 Ingredients 10 cups kabocha pumpkin, peeled & chopped 2 ounces olive oil 1 whole yellow onion, medium diced 1 leek, white part only, medium diced 1 rib celery, medium diced 2 carrots, peeled, medium diced 2 cloves garlic, sliced 1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt

DO AHEAD. Place onion slices in medium bowl. Bring next five ingredients to a boil in heavy medium saucepan; pour over onions in bowl. Cover and cool to room temperature. Chill overnight. Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Keep chilled. Drain before serving. Preheat a large pot on medium heat. Add olive oil, onion, leek, celery, carrots and garlic. Reduce the heat to low and sweat the vegetable mixture until tender, about 4-6 minutes stirring often. Once tender, add kabocha pumpkin, salt, water or chicken stock. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer, cook for about 20 minutes, or until kabocha pumpkin is tender. Add cream and remove from heat. Purée soup in batches in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). As each batch is puréed, pour through a coarse sieve, pressing on solids, into a saucepan. Ladle soup into four soup bowls and garnish with mushrooms, pickled onions and candied pumpkin seeds and serve.

8 cups water or chicken stock ½ cup heavy cream, optional 1 pack maitake mushrooms, pan roasted Candied pumpkin seeds, see recipe below Pickled red onions, see recipe below Candied Pumpkin Seeds ½ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted ¼ cup sugar 1 teaspoon water Salt In a small sauté pan, add sugar and water. Place on medium high heat. Once sugar has melted, add pumpkin seeds. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture to coat seeds. The sugar will crystallize and become dry. Place the seed mixture onto a plate and season with a little salt. Keep in a cool dry space. Pickled Red Onions 1 medium red onion, halved through core and thinly sliced from top to bottom ½ cup sugar ½ cup white wine vinegar 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt 1 ½ teaspoons whole black pepper ½ cinnamon stick

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

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Caramelized Bosc Pear & Burrata Salad Serves 4

Method:

Cut the Burrata into six pieces.

Ingredients:

Cut the pear in half and remove the seeds. Slice each half in to sixths. Sprinkle pears with sugar. Place a large sauté pan on medium high heat. Once the pan is hot add pears and sauté until golden brown and caramelized. Next add allspice and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Toss and remove from heat. Let cool to room temperature.

To serve, place three pieces of pear on a large salad plate, creating a triangle. Place one slice of prosciutto on top and around the pears. Place three pieces of Burrata on and around the prosciutto and pears. In the same bowl used for the pears, dress the arugula and remainder of the pears with dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Place some salad in the center of the plate and serve.

2 whole bosc pears 8 slices prosciutto 2 4-ounce balls Burrata cheese 6 ounces arugula ¼ teaspoon whole allspice, cracked

To prepare the dressing, add 1 tablespoon vinegar in a bowl. If there is some residual juice from the roasted pears, add to the bowl. Slowly whisk with olive oil and reserve.

1 tablespoon sugar 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Recommended wine pairing: California buttery Chardonnay

Salt and pepper

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

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winter 2013

{Local Talent}

No Monkeying Around

Homebrewing elbow grease eases San Diegan’s transition to pro brewer By Brandon Hernández Photo: Chris Rov Costa

osimo Sorrentino was so obsessed with home brewing that he selected his residence based solely on the amount of interior and exterior space it provided for him to stock his homebrew operations. At the height of his recreational production, he had 28 or 30 buckets of fermenting wort bubbling away all over the different, temperature-controlled sections of his humble abode. Feeling his beer needed the cranked air conditioning in his bedroom more than he did, Sorrentino slept on the couch beside a collection of brews huddled around his living room wall heater. He

It was never a matter of if he would become a professional brewer— only when. even built several makeshift cold boxes using Styrofoam vaccination coolers that, apparently, work great for lagering. It was never a matter of if he would become a professional brewer—only when. “My brewing partner, Chris West, and I knew from the start we wanted to grow to be professionals,” says Sorrentino, sporting a black T-shirt with a grinning chimp on it. “So, we chose four or five beers plus some

seasonal stuff to experiment with in between, and worked to dial in the base recipes before playing around with new hops and other ingredients to see what the result would be with the bittering, aroma and flavor.” The duo went to the nth degree in their efforts to refine their beers into something commercially viable. An important step was inquiring into the methods of local standout brewers, including those on the professional level. Doing so allowed Sorrentino to grow as a brewer. He was on a slow but steady path to accomplishing his goal when, out of the blue, everything changed. winter 2013

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Last February, while managing Hillcrest beer-centric eatery Local Habit, Sorrentino got the opportunity to collaborate with East Village brewpub Monkey Paw Pub and Brewing, on an India pale ale using Sorachi Ace hops to mirror the flavors of Southern sweet tea. The beer was designed to pair with food served at a Monkey Paw beer dinner held on Mardi Gras at Local Habit. A lot transpired over the course of the two businesses’ teaming stint. Scot and Kathy Blair, Monkey Paw’s owners, had the chance to witness Sorrentino’s passion for brewing and his work ethic in action. Also, Monkey Paw’s head brewer gave notice two days after the Mardi Gras dinner.

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“I like that I’m out of my comfort zone with some of the beers, but it’s not just learning how to make beer. It’s all the things that exist around beer: the business of beer— why certain breweries have the setups that they do and why some are successful while others aren’t.”

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“I remember, I was having lunch with my sister at Tiger! Tiger! Tavern that weekend and I got a call from Scot,” recalls Sorrentino, who in an effort to be polite to his sibling, let the call go to voice mail. That was followed by another call, and another, then a text, and another call. He took it and, 45 minutes later, was sitting with Blair at his University Heights watering hole, Small Bar, accepting a job offer to be Monkey Paw’s new head brewer. In the nine months that have passed, Sorrentino has brewed well over 30 beers, all very different in style and makeup. It’s the perfect gig for a guy who says the one thing he most wants to do in his new position is to learn. “I like that I’m out of my comfort zone with some of the beers, but it’s not just learning how to make beer,” he says. “It’s all the things that exist around beer: the business of beer—why certain breweries have the setups that they do and why some are successful while others aren’t.”

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Part of the reason that Sorrentino has been successful out of the gate is the assistance he continues to receive from the rest of San Diego’s brewing community. Brewers Chuck Silva, Pat Korn and Eric Jenssen from Green Flash; Colby Chandler from Ballast Point; Nate Sampson from Hess; Bill Batten from AleSmith; and Jason Stockberger from Rock Bottom have all lent a hand and are deserving of shout-outs. So, too, are San Diego beer fans, for they afford Sorrentino his greatest pleasure. “I get to watch people drinking my beer and enjoying it. Since I’m also the bar manager at Monkey Paw, I get to provide a special experience for the customer, provide them the experience they want—or maybe didn’t even know they wanted. As a manager and bartender, I used to do that with others’ products, but now it’s mine. I live for that.”

Brandon Hernández, a native San Diegan, has a passion for the culinary arts and the local dining scene. He is a local editor for Zagat; has been featured many times on the Food Network; contributes to over a dozen national and local magazines, newspapers and online outlets; has contributed to several cookbooks and is responsible for communications at Stone Brewing Co. Follow him on Twitter at @ offdutyfoodie or drop him a line at brandon@thebrandonhernandez.com.

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Coming Around to Kombucha Photo: Chris Rov Costa

’ve never eaten wet grass clippings, but I’m positive I know the flavor based on my first experience five years ago with kombucha, a fermented tea drink.

Fermented Tea Drink Is a Taste Worth Acquiring

“Let’s get another bottle,” I said.

I’m not alone in my initial dislike of kombucha. Despite having been around for hundreds of By Susan Russo years, it’s a relative newcomer on the libation A friend in Portland convinced me to try her block. As Anne Smith, owner of Anne’s home brew, a disturbingly grayish-green and pungent-smelling Kombucha based in La Jolla, explains, “Kombucha is a foreign liquid. I swallowed a mouthful and stifled a gag. flavor for most people. It’s both sweet and sour at the same time. It’s a flavor most people aren’t familiar with at all.” “It takes some getting used to,” she assured me. Smith admits that when she first started doing kombucha tasting After that, I swore off kombucha. That is, until a few months ago demos at local markets years ago, many people would initially when at a Whole Foods my husband walked over to me proudly bristle at its sourness. Then they’d come back a while later, saying, holding a bottle of it. “The more I have it the more I get used to it, and I like it.” “Here, I bought this for you. It’s supposed to be really healthy.” Today, she has a robust business selling her organic kombucha in numerous markets and health food stores such as Jimbo’s… I braced myself in expectant horror and took a swig. I didn’t gag. It Naturally and Whole Foods. didn’t taste like vinegary wet grass. It was carbonated, gently spicy and had a pleasing ginger aroma. It wasn’t just not bad; it was good.

edible San Diego

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Kombucha flavors vary widely. Smith explained that all kombuchas possess a sour flavor that evolves naturally from the fermentation process—a shorter fermentation yields a less acidic, slightly sweeter flavor, while a longer fermentation yields a more assertive, sour flavor. If you like Granny Smith apples and Sour Gummies, then you’ll probably like kombucha.

Adam Hiner shows the “mother” that produces the kombucha.

Alan Conrad, the founder of Edible Alchemy, a local purveyor of kombucha and fermented foods, explains that many factors influence kombucha’s flavor including the type of tea that’s used, the use of fresh fruits and vegetables versus nectars or juices, the length of fermentation and the amount of love that goes into it. Yes, love. Conrad, who has been brewing kombucha for a decade, says, “There’s been a big change in my own kombucha making. I thank the kombucha now.” He begins to laugh self-consciously. “I don’t mean to sound too out there, but it feels real to me. When I’m making kombucha, I’m physically putting love and thanks into it. That’s part of the alchemy I put into my food.” I don’t know if it’s the love or the organic local produce Conrad uses, but I’m partial to his mildly sour, fruit-forward kombuchas that come in various seasonal brews such as blueberry-cilantro, spicy watermelon-jalapeño and apple cinnamon. He evens sells a “kombeercha,” his homage to the San Diego craft beer scene. With its light carbonation and bitterness, it’s akin to pale ale, with fewer calories. In fact, he explained that all kombucha contains some alcohol due to fermentation, but the amounts are negligible.

Other venues are following suit. Kamikaze 7 Sushi Joint (also known as K7) and Vitality Tap, both located downtown, offer Anne’s Kombucha on tap. As for its health benefits—kombucha has been touted as a cureall—the jury is still out. Despite countless anecdotal accounts of its medicinal powers, the scientific evidence isn’t there. Smith swears kombucha, particularly her blue-green algae variety, gives her more energy during her gym workouts.

KOMBUCHA RESOURCES ALAN CONRAD Visit Edible Alchemy on Facebook for updates. Weekly farmers markets: Tuesday: Alpine; Wednesday: Encinitas; Thursday: Oceanside; Friday: La Mesa; Saturday: Golden Hill and Poway; Sunday: Point Loma and Rancho Santa Fe. ANNE’S KOMBUCHA 5652 La Jolla Blvd. La Jolla, CA 92037 (858) 412-6412 http://www.anneskombucha.com

Here’s the thing with kombucha. You don’t have to drink it for medicinal purposes. Drink it because it’s a tasty, refreshing, low-calorie libation. And if, like me, you are holding a grudge against kombucha, then take Conrad’s advice: “If you think you don’t like kombucha, try a smaller batch because it might actually be good.”

LOCAL HABIT 3827 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92103 (619) 795-4770 http://www.mylocalhabit.com They sell single servings and to-go growlers for $12 with $7 refills.

Susan Russo is a freelance food and travel writer, author of The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches and monthly columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune. She loves Montana, hiking, craft beer, purple colored produce and spoiling her nieces. Connect with her on Twitter @Susan_Russo or drop her a line at susancrusso@gmail.com

MARK STOGSDILL Visit Happy Pantry on Facebook for updates. Weekly farmers markets information: happypantrysd.com

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edible San Diego

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

While kombucha is clearly not beer, it’s already on tap at local eateries. When Adam Hiner, former owner of Local Habit in Hillcrest, was looking for a healthy alternative to soda and beer, he decided to offer diners organic draft kombucha in appealing flavors such as white grapefruit and orange-carrot.

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Local Vermouth Aims to Mix Up Libation’s Image by Susan Russo

Vermouth Revisited

f you have a home bar, chances are your bottle of vermouth is collecting dust at the back of a cabinet. Unless I’m making a Martini or a Manhattan, I don’t touch the stuff. At best it’s tolerably bitter; at worst it’s intolerably medicinal. Turns out I’m not alone. There are some American bartenders who use eyedroppers to add it to mixed drinks. Yet, in many European countries, including Italy and Spain, vermouth is enjoyed by the glass, on its own. Curious about this discrepancy, I asked Jen Queen, San Diego mixologist and head of the San Diego Bartender’s Guild, why so many people dislike its flavor.

“Most people use vermouth that’s been sitting in the back of their cupboard for years,” she says. “[It’s] a wine-based product. It should be stored as wine. That’s why it tastes terrible after a month.” Vermouth is a fortified wine, not a spirit, so its flavor changes dramatically once it is exposed to air. Start treating vermouth as you do wine, and you’ll probably enjoy it much more. Queen is the creator of a sweet Italian house vermouth at Monello in Little Italy, which has been garnering national as well as local attention. The beautiful amber-colored libation has a heady aroma and complex flavor with notes of citrus,

Photos by Chris Rov Costa

licorice and herbs, and lacks the medicinal harshness that many people dislike. Queen’s a relatively new advocate of vermouth. It wasn’t until a recent backpacking expedition across Spain that she began to fully appreciate its complexity. At a sherry bar in Madrid, the owner offered her some of his family’s vermouth. She recalls, “He poured some vermouth straight from the barrel. I wasn’t sure about it.” After one sip, she declared, “This is amazing! The flavor just blew my mind.” That’s exactly how I felt when I first tasted her vermouth at Monello, which took her a quarter of a year to perfect. winter 2013

edible San Diego

Queen’s vermouth is exceptional—a concoction of 27 ingredients, including citrus, herbs, dried and fresh flowers, wormwood (a bitter, aromatic plant used in absinthe) and a few different kinds of bark.

it’s bolted in a safe in an office in Bencotto.” I ask Queen if she and Guido plan to retail the vermouth, and though she offers no details, she admits that they’ve talked about it and are hopeful.

Clearly a perfectionist, Queen was an obvious choice for Guido DiPietro, one of Monello’s co-owners, to hire as his mixologist. DiPietro was persistent in hiring Queen, though she initially declined the offer. He wanted someone who could “translate the experience of vermouth to Americans,” she says, and recalls, “I remember saying, ‘Why me? I’m a white kid from Ohio. I’ve never even been to Italy.’”

Queen says her vermouth recipe is so precious that “it’s written in three parts and

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Valentina DiPietro adds, “There is no other [handcrafted] vermouth in San Diego or in California, that we know of. Except for a place in New York City, we are really the only ones who make these quantities in the whole USA.” Regardless of what happens in the future, San Diegans can be proud to be the home of Monello’s sweet Italian vermouth. If you haven’t tasted it before, Queen recommends ordering the Rock & Twist, their sweet vermouth on the rocks with a lemon twist. As for the many signature vermouth-based cocktails they offer, Queen says the Negroni is her favorite. You’ll find it on draft, “not to be trendy,” she says, “but so it would be consistent no matter which bartender you get it from.” Earthy and mildly bitter, it’s a tonguetingling, assertive cocktail.

Intrigued and flattered by his request, Queen accepted the challenge, and began the three-month-long trial of making and testing.“ The Negroni was my constant. I’d change the vermouth then try it in a Negroni. Guido and I would taste it, make adjustments, and do it over and over and over again,” says Queen. She knew she had a winner when Guido’s mother-in-law, who was visiting from Italy, tasted the vermouth and declared, “It tastes like home.” Queen says, “That was my most flattering moment in my whole career—to have an Italian old-school grandmother say that.”

than other liquor in the house,” she says. “Vermouth is king there.”

Based on its popularity at Monello, it seems the timing is right to introduce vermouth as a drink worthy of its own. “[The vermouth] has gotten a huge cult following [at Monello]. I sell nine times more vermouth

Susan Russo is a freelance food and travel writer, author of The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches and monthly columnist for the San Diego UnionTribune. She loves Montana, hiking, craft beer, purple colored produce and spoiling her nieces. Connect with her on Twitter @Susan_Russo or drop her a line at susancrusso@gmail.com

Monello is located at 750 W. Fir St., Suite 102-B in Little Italy. Visit them online at LoveMonello.com or call 619-501-0030.

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Last Man Standing? Local Dairy Industry Is Down But Not Out By Caron Golden Photos by Chris Rov Costa

f you live in San Diego and travel to different cities around the country, it’s tempting to visit local farmers’ markets and compare ours to theirs. In my experience—going to markets in Los Angeles, New York, the Bay Area and North Carolina, for instance—we’re more than holding our own, thanks to fourseason growing and exceptional farmers and artisan producers. Except in one area: dairy. Yes, we have cheese booths and even a booth at the Hillcrest farmers’ market that sells milk, butter and ice cream, but it’s not local. That ship has sailed. San Diego County has gone from a peak of more than 200 dairies, back when there was cheap imported feed to be had, down to just three. The only one remaining within the City of San Diego is Frank Konyn Dairy. None of these three sell their milk locally. The Konyns’ herd of 700 Holsteins produces 6,500 gallons per day, which they sell to a co-op that makes Challenge Butter.

edible San Diego

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But Frank and Stacy Konyn are working on a plan to bring local and organic milk, butter and ice cream to San Diegans via farmers’ markets, perhaps Whole Foods, and their own facility near their property in the pastoral San Pasqual Valley.

“ There’s no joy in being the last man standing. As the dairy industry shrinks, the supporting infrastructure leaves.” Frank Konyn The idea seems quixotic, but the Konyns are rooted in pragmatism. Dairy life is all they’ve known. The lanky six-foot-six-inch Frank is the son of Dutch immigrant dairy farmers, Frank and Marie D. Konyn, who started their first dairy in Rancho Santa Fe, where Fairbanks Ranch is today. In 1962, they built their current facility with land leased from the City and filled it with cows from various dairies then in Lakeside and Mission Valley. “The cows would cross from the milk barn

to the pastures under Highway 8,” the younger Konyn recalls. Frank’s father has passed away, but Marie Konyn still lives in the family house on a hill overlooking their sprawling acreage. Frank and Stacy live just over the hill with their 10-year-old daughter Kylie and young twins Kieara and Teo. Drive up to the dairy and you’ll see Kylie’s small herd of grass-fed Angus cattle at the entrance that she’s raising with the help of Jack Ford of TAJ Farms. She’s also raising turkeys and chickens, and helps with the family’s in vitro fertilization program for their cattle. The Konyns’ survival skills have been tested over the years. “There’s no joy in being the last man standing,” sighs Konyn. “As the dairy industry shrinks, the supporting infrastructure leaves.” As monthly feed prices have soared to $300,000 and the collapse of the local dairy industry in turn led to the collapse of infrastructure that assisted in everything from machine repairs to culture-testing sick cows for infection,

to the community. Be Wise Ranch is one of our largest customers. If we’re not going to move, we have to adapt to survive.”

they’ve learned how to adjust, becoming self-sustaining in everything involved in the business.

Part of the adaptation And that includes finding new “We focus on high included addressing one of ways of doing business. The the major costs of farming dairy farm itself is on 97 acres production levels of leased land. This year they in San Diego: water. The through solid entire dairy, compost facility acquired an additional 140 and farmland is supported acres that allows them to grow nutrition and solid entirely by well water since about 14% of their monthly genetics, and we’re city water or purple-pipe feed—alfalfa, sorghum-sudan, recycled water isn’t available Bermuda grass and, in winter, always striving for them. The well water cools rye. The grass harvest is bundled cow comfort,” Frank to the refrigeration equipment by machine on the pastures emphasizes. for the milk, then it’s recycled into what look like giant white to shower the cows prior mozzarella balls. They buy to milking, then recycled a third time to the balance—leftover fruit from Walmart, irrigate the pastures. Across from the barn is brewery mash grains from Alesmith and Lightning, canola plant pulp, cottonseed, a large pond. The Konyns constructed it with grant money from the Natural Resources almond hulls, hay from high mountains in Conservation Service. It catches all the runoff Nevada and wheat straw. Two nutritionists and collects rain water, which is then come by twice a month to consult on the pushed through sprinklers located in varied diets needed by the cows, which are the pastures. grouped by age, level of production and whether they’re pregnant or not. All this still wasn’t enough for the Konyns. Three years ago they “We focus on high production levels concluded that they needed to start through solid nutrition and solid genetics, direct-marketing their product. and we’re always striving for cow comfort,” After talking with a dairyman Frank emphasizes. in Tulare about how he started Six years ago the Konyns launched a marketing glass-bottled milk, the successful 13-acre composting facility they Konyns felt that they could be named San Pasqual Valley Soils that takes in successful in San Diego’s larger, manure and greens from large landscapers and the nearby San Diego Zoo Safari Park and converts it into compost.

locavore-enthralled market. But it would take time and a lot of planning. Stacy, a former high school ag teacher who leads the area’s 4-H club, began research and became aware of the USDA’s Value-Added Producer Grant. It has two stages. The first is a $50,000 matching grant for a feasibility study and business plan. The second is a $300,000 matching grant that provides working capital. In 2012, the dairy received the initial matching grant. “We’re now in the stage of creating a business plan,” says Stacy. “We did a survey of consumers in farmers’ markets and CSAs to learn their preferences and found they want milk and

Opposite: Frank Konyn with Teo and Kieara. Below, clockwise from top: cattle being showered with recycled well water, Frank in organic pasture with harvested grass balls to the left, Kieara with Angus calf.

“We take what was a liability and market it,” Frank says. “Fifty percent of the manure goes

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edible San Diego

butter. Cheese is down on the list.” The couple is scouting around for a processing building where they can make and sell the milk, butter and ice cream. And, they’re in the process of obtaining more farmland and getting organic pasture certification, which, Frank says, “will be completed well in advance of product hitting the shelves.

Kylie feeds an Angus calf.

“We plan to purchase some organic certified Jersey cows to put on our pasture,” he adds. “They are beautiful animals that have a higher butterfat content to their milk for better-tasting butter and ice cream.” At least one local expert is applauding their plan. “I think it’s a brilliant idea,” says Eric Larson, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau. “It’s a missing link in this basket of local foods, which is another reason why there’s an opportunity for success. Redirect production and keep it local. People here are willing to pay for local. It has cachet.” While the Konyns are eager to push forward, each milestone ahead of them needs to be addressed. Ideally, they’ll be putting product on shelves in the spring of 2015. “We feel that is a fairly reasonable goal we can accomplish,” says Frank. “We want it to be right, so it takes time. We have our name on it.”

Caron Golden is an award-winning freelance writer and the author of the blog San Diego Foodstuff. She writes the blog for Edible San Diego and has contributed to Saveur, Culinatee, Sunset, the Los Angeles Times and many others.

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{Kitchen Know How}

f you tend a garden of edibles, chances are you love those moments when bits of your harvest show up on your plate. Well, put down that plate (just for a moment) and pick up a glass: Use some of that bounty to create locavore cocktails.

A Toast to the Harvest

Yes, the hippest food-obsessed among us are adding “garden-to-glass” to their repertoire and examining their gardens in a whole new light. And don’t stop with bartender favorites like citrus and mojito mint. Start thinking rosemary and celery. Lemongrass and red bell peppers. Violet flowers and pears. Jalapeños and beets. If you can grow and eat it, chances are it’ll pair with at least one type of spirit. Terra chef/owner Jeff Rossman has long been an advocate of farm-to-table cooking. Over the years, he discovered ideas for what he calls “farm to bar” that included intriguing infusions of herbs into spirits like vodka and rum. He says he’s also been inspired by the work of local Snake Oil Cocktail Co.

Practice Pairing Frankie Thaheld is Snake Oil’s mixologist and also works as a mixologist at George’s California Modern. His experience at George’s, with its emphasis on local, seasonal produce, has focused his perspective. “It’s more culinary based. I think from the food side and go backwards from food flavors,” he explains. “What spirit would go with strawberries or lemon verbena, for instance?” At Polite Provisions, bartender Erick Castro likens produce-spirits pairings to food pairings— “but it’s more complex.” He’ll taste aged rum and seek out flavor notes like molasses, caramel and brown sugar. With gin, he finds floral and herbaceous flavors and aromas. In fact, he says, “Taste everything—gum, iced tea, chocolate. Analyze everything you put in your mouth to train your taste buds. Even Coke. Think about it. You get notes of caramel, baking spice and coffee. “You want to break down spirits to their flavor essence, then match them with herbs, spices, fruit or vegetables,” he advises.

Enjoy Your Garden Bounty by the Glassful By Caron Golden Photos by Chris Rov Costa 34

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With that in mind, he creates pre-Prohibition-style cocktails with garden bounty that complement or challenge the essential flavors of the spirits. While he finds mint, basil and summer fruit a natural with gin, he might shake up conventions by pairing it with acidic lime juice. The bar’s Ocean Side cocktail shakes up London Dry Gin with fresh lime juice, organic mint, sea salt and celery bitters.

“It hits every part of your taste buds,” Castro asserts.

infusions can be an easy way to develop new flavor profiles for the selected spirit.

Thaheld, too, likes to challenge taste buds. He adds grapefruit juice to a margarita to give it a bitter backbone, for instance. But, he reminds us, it’s all about balance.

Castro hopes to develop a garden for Polite Provisions, which would include basil, mint, rosemary, lemon verbena, lavender and chiles.

“You want to balance the mixture before adding the liquor.” Castro encourages home mixologists to think broadly to create unusual but satisfying drinks. Would you automatically pair Scotch with pineapple? Probably not. But, says Castro, “While it seems weird, it makes sense. We don’t think of Scotch as tropical or summery, but caramelize pineapple and it takes on the same smoky notes Scotch has.” As winter closes in, Castro likes the idea of a winter punch made with cognac, pineapple, nutmeg and ginger. “I love a good punch. It’s a big hit here,” he says. “It’s perfect for communal drinking. I like it because it forces everybody to agree on something and creates a shared experience.”

Growing Choices There are at least two approaches you can take with your garden-to-glass cocktails. One is straightforward, combining various fresh ingredients to create a drink. The other is to infuse spirits with different garden flavors. Since alcohol is a natural flavor extractor,

Thaheld would add sage to the list. “It’s great for winter,” he says. And in would go bell peppers, onion, corn (muddling brings out the starch for an intriguing mouthfeel), tomatoes, asparagus, celery, rhubarb and nopal verde. “The vegetables can be pureéd to add unique flavors,” he says. Thaheld suggests some of these candidates for infusing specific spirits: Gin: cinnamon, prune, lemongrass, rosemary, saffron, sage, cilantro Vodka: vanilla, wheatgrass, star anise, rosemary, jasmine, fennel Bourbon: oregano, clove, red bell pepper, chicory Rum: cayenne, violet flower, coffee “You have to experiment with proportions and time,” he adds. “Mint gives off its essence more quickly while rosemary takes more time.” continued on page 36

Snake Oil Goes to Colombia Snake Oil Cocktail Co. is known locally for creating locavore cocktail programs for restaurants like Americana Del Mar and The Wellington, and for special events. Rushing off to Bogota, Colombia, to consult on a menu for a Tron-themed speakeasy bar called Wingz that also reflected Colombian produce and culture? It was a nine-day gig for co-founder Michael Esposito and mixologist Frankie Thaheld that turned into part archeology, part anthropology adventure. “We had to dig into what people there are drinking and what’s available. We went to farmers’ markets and found fruits we’d never experienced before,” recalls Thaheld, who is Colombian. “One of the most amazing was lulo fruit. It’s very acidic and popular for juice. Think lemon and orange meet pineapple.” “I felt we were doing a National Geographic expedition,” says Esposito. “It was crazy. We did cocktails using ingredients that people in the States have never even heard of. And we did a garden-to-glass program for the client using their own produce. Herbs and produce had never been brought into bars there. We may have been the first mixologists there to do that.”

Top to bottom: The Bad Lieutenant, Erick Castro, Frankie Thaheld.

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edible San Diego

At Terra, infusions are part of the cocktail program. And the emphasis, says Rossman, is always on fresh and seasonal ingredients. So, depending on the time of year, you’ll find lemon basil vodka, honey walnut vodka, cranberry orange tequila, persimmon cinnamon rum and sage bourbon. For persimmons, Rossman will cook the fruit in the alcohol, bringing it to a simmer, then turning off the heat and letting it steep for about three days before straining. He does this with quince as well and adds vodka to roasted beets. Rossman also makes his own bitters. Terra’s citrus ginger bitters, he notes, takes about two weeks to sit. Rossman is now experimenting with herbs like tarragon and

rosemary for bitters, trying to identify the right amount to include. Thaheld likes to add fruit to complement spirits in cocktails. “Don’t add too many herbs. They can dominate both the flavor and scent. Add fruit like cucumbers or blackberries to complement the spirits.” “The American palate is changing,” he notes. “We’re shifting from crazy sweet cocktails to cocktails that have a wider, more mature flavor range.

Rosemary Negroni

The Bad Lieutenant

Terra Beetnik

From Frankie Thaheld of Snake Oil Cocktail Co.

From Polite Provisions

From Terra American Bistro

Makes 1 cocktail

Serves 6

2 ounces gin

1 ½ ounces hibiscus-infused tequila

¾ ounce fresh lime juice

½ ounce fresh lime juice

½ ounce Velvet Falernum*

Top with beet-meyer lemon shrub

½ ounce simple syrup 12 mint leaves

Garnish with roasted beet cubes, shaved ginger and aloe spike

Pinch of fresh grated cinnamon

For the tequila:

Makes 1 cocktail 1¼ ounces rosemary-infused Tanqueray 10 Gin* ¾ ounce Campari 1 ounce Carpano Antica Vermouth ¼ segment Moro blood orange Squeeze orange into mixing glass. Spear and set in chilled cocktail glass. Add liquors and shake with ice. Strain into glass.

Combine ingredients. Muddle, shake and strain on the rocks.

*Rosemary-Infused Tanqueray 10 Gin

Garnish with a sprig of mint

3 (10- to 12-inch) fresh stalks rosemary

*Note Velvet Falernum is a Barbadian liqueur typically used to flavor Caribbean cocktails. It’s made from an infusion of spices and lime juice into sugar cane syrup and rum and can be purchased at most specialty liquor stores.

1 (750 ml) bottle Tanqueray 10 Gin Knead rosemary with hands and place into the bottle of gin. Recap bottle and spin a few times. Infuse for 4 days at room temperature. Strain out rosemary.

12 ounces silver tequila ¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers 1 tablespoon granulated sugar In a medium saucepot, heat tequila, sugar and hibiscus flowers to 100 degrees. Remove from heat and store in an airtight container for three days. Strain and reserve tequila for use. For the beet-meyer lemon shrub: 2 ounces fresh roasted beet juice 4 ounces granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon ground allspice 2 meyer lemons (zest and juice) 1 cinnamon stick Combine everything in a small saucepot and simmer until sugar dissolves. Strain into a glass jar and keep refrigerated for up to two weeks.

edible San Diego

winter 2013

DINNER COCKTAILS LATE NIGHT EATS

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edible San Diego

Illustration: Danae Wilson

Farm Bill in Limbo

Congress Lets Food System Reform Wither on the Vine By Vincent Rossi

ack in the winter of 2011, an Edible San Diego article concluded that if the 2012 Farm Bill wasn’t passed by September 30, 2012, Congress could “temporarily extend the last farm bill to buy some time. Thus, the 2012 Farm Bill might actually become the 2013 Farm Bill.” That’s exactly what happened. Unwilling to pass a new bill, Congress extended the previous bill, and the impassioned debate about the 2012 Farm Bill indeed became the debate about the 2013 Farm Bill. It matters because the Farm Bill impacts every aspect of the food we eat—from subsidizing GMO corn and soybeans at the expense of local organic operations, to controlling junk food in school cafeterias, to influencing the nutritional health of food stamp recipients. Readers of Edible San Diego, as advocates for

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a more local, transparent and healthy food system, are exactly the kind of voters with the biggest stake in this debate. And our elected officials are letting us down by stalling around. This past September 28, the House of Representatives voted “to approve a rule that combines the agriculture-only Farm Bill that passed in July with the nutrition measure approved earlier this month,” according to Dianna Zamora-Marroquin, press secretary for Rep. Juan Vargas. Vargas, who represents the San Diego’s 51st Congressional District, sits on the House Agriculture Committee.

Readers of Edible San Diego, as advocates for a more local, transparent and healthy food system, are exactly the kind of voters with the biggest stake in this debate.

“That action sets the stage for House leaders to appoint conferees and begin negotiations with the Senate on a comprehensive new Farm Bill,” wrote Zamora-Marroquin. “There is not a specific date set for the conference, but it should be soon.”

As of September 30, the deadline for this year’s legislation, no new bill had passed.

organic farmers without further funding. This applied to over 36 organic programs in the legislation, Tencer said.

As this issue went to press, further action on the Farm Bill was swallowed up by the federal government shutdown after the Senate rejected the House’s attempt to tie continued government funding to the repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

One of the “stranded” programs was the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program. It partially offsets the costs of meeting organic certification requirements, which can be a barrier to entry into the field as well as an added burden during tough crop years, according to a CCOF fact sheet.

Few members of the San Diego agricultural community had expected a new Farm Bill by September 30. Back in August, when Eric Larsen, executive director of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, was asked about the stalemated Farm Bill, he replied, “Guaranteed that when you’re done writing, the status will have changed.”

One program that did survive in the extension and, so far, in the proposed new farm bill is the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Tom Page can vouch for EQIP. He owns Page’s Organics, a four-acre In just six months, the House sliced out nutrition programs, organic farm in Ramona selling certified organic produce to retail historically a part of the Farm Bill for decades. By the end of customers and wholesale to stores like Jimbo’s...Naturally. EQIP helped September, they were working on putting them back. him to build hoop houses—small, easily assembled greenhouses made of plastic and flexible piping. These structures retain solar radiation San Diego County has often been on the short end of farm support longer, in effect extending programs because it produces growing seasons. EQIP also mostly specialty crops. The U.S. helped him convert to solar San Diego County has often been on the short end Department of Agriculture power in his farming operations. defines specialty crops as “fruits of farm support programs because it produces and vegetables, tree nuts, “It’s not like a grant,” Page said. mostly specialty crops. The U.S. Department of dried fruits and horticulture “We pay most of it and they pitch in to help us out.” and nursery crops, including Agriculture defines specialty crops as “fruits and floriculture.” These are Page, who is also vice president vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture distinguished from commodity of CCOF’s Pacific Southwest crops like wheat and soybeans, and nursery crops, including floriculture.” Chapter, was among delegations which past farm bills have of farmers who visited Rep. strongly supported. Vargas and other members of the San Diego congressional “You can find titles for specialty delegation both at their local offices and in Washington, DC, to crops in farm legislation,” Larsen said, “but it’s not a headline educate them on the need to preserve and expand organic support grabber.” So as farm bills are being worked on, “we [San Diego programs. growers] end up being spectators.” Still, “Farm Bureaus in general say [whether or not to] pass the Farm Bill,” said Larsen. Besides support for specialty crops and pest exclusion issues, Larsen said another reason for supporting the farm bill was to promote programs supporting organic farmers. “We hope those [programs] stay strong and well-funded because that’s a growing segment of our economy.” Brise Tencer is director of policy and programs at California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). She is also on the Organizational Council of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). These organizations have been part of an intense education campaign to secure support for organic farmers in farm legislation. Tencer pointed out that the organic community’s efforts involve not only trying to get adequate funding in any new farm bill, but to maintain funding in any extensions of previous farm bills. She said that the extension of last year’s farm bill had been a “simple extension,” that in fact “stranded” many programs of importance to

As far as lobbying efforts go, Tencer said smaller growers hadn’t been well represented in past legislation, but things were improving. “A significant number of California representatives [six] are now sitting on the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, which she considers a “recognition of the need to include specialty crops and level the playing field with conventional growers.” What legislation will result? Stay tuned. For updates, check the CCOF and NSAC websites, CCOF.org and SustainableAgriculture.net.

Freelance writer Vincent Rossi is the author of three books on San Diego County history: From Field to Town, Valleys of Dreams and The Lost Town of Bernardo. He has also written for newspapers, magazines and online venues. With his wife Peggy, a professional genealogist, Vincent co-owns StorySeekers, a research and publishing company for family history, memoir and historical books. His special interests are history, politics and culture.

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{Edible Reads}

Tackling the Hunt for Food: A Guide, a Cookbook and a Memoir

By Kristen Fogel

The Joy of Foraging: Gary Lincoff ’s Illustrated Guide to Finding, Harvesting and Enjoying a World of Food is dedicated to readers who hunger to harvest local, wild edible plants. Fully illustrated and just shy of 200 pages, Foraging is divided into four useful sections: the who and the what (mostly what not to eat); the where and when (best locations and times to forage); wild plant identification; and recipes. With a conversational tone and fully illustrated, Linkoff ’s how-to makes the exploration for food easy to swallow.

Ani’s Raw Food Essentials: Recipes and Techniques for Mastering the Art of Live Food by nutritionist, health coach and TV host Ani Phyo, is a go-to manual for raw food aficionados who aren’t willing to sacrifice taste. Phyo renders the basics of raw food tools and techniques and then focuses on drinks, salads, soups, sandwiches and more. Her desserts are best, however—the Coconut Cake with Nutella Hazelnut Sauce and the Lavender Ice Kream alone are worth the price of the book. Want to get your animals in on the act? There’s even a section on “raw for dogs.”

Essayist Dayna Macy’s Ravenous: A Food Lover’s Journey from Obsession to Freedom is vaguely reminiscent of Eat, Pray, Love. But instead of divorce being a catalyst for a yearlong journey, out-of-control eating incites Macy’s. From New York to California, she seeks selfacceptance by hunting down those who might unravel the reasons behind her cravings—an olive farmer, a sausage maker, a chocolatier and a cheese maker. In this sometimes funny but overall formulaic memoir, Macy also explores her own history to understand and explain her battle with food. Want to cut to the chase? Readers might stave off the soul search and head for Weight Watchers, as Macy ultimately does. 40

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Discover San Diego Local Wineries

Handcrafted red, rosé and white wines, showcasing the Ramona Valley AVA,shared with you by the winemakers on our tasting terrace. Bring a picnic and come enjoy the views at our sustainable ranch. Dog friendly 760-789-1622 ramonaranch.net

Family owned and operated for three generations, making artisan wines from local grapes since 1928. Wine tasting daily. Village shops and café. Farmer’s Market Fridays 9-1. 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte San Diego • 858.487.1866 bernardowinery.com

Roadrunner Ridge Winery Taste our award-winning wines! Open daily but call ahead. Hours vary. 4233 Rosa Rancho Lane Rainbow, CA 92028 760-731-7349 RoadrunnerRidgeWinery.com

Stehleon Vineyards Producing and Serving Local San Diego County Wines

We specialize in award-winning red wines made only from Ramona Valley grapes. Located in the Ramona Valley AVA. Open by appointment.

298 Enterprise St. Suite D Escondido • 760-741-1246 StehleonVineyards.com

17073 Garjan Lane • Ramona steve@woofnrose.com 760-788-4818 • Woofnrose.com

Eat me! I’m local. Dine at the docks on the freshest fish in San Diego and support local fishermen. Fresh Local Fish from Local Fishermen Sustainably Caught For daily specials, follow us on facebook

1403 Scott Street, San Diego www.mitchsseafood.com winter 2013

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first became interested in water as an environmental issue in 1993. I was 13 and I read William Ashworth’s Nor Any Drop to Drink. At that time water was virtually unknown as an issue, and it was an El Niño year to boot. My efforts to educate family and friends fell mostly on deaf ears. Since then I think we have all come to understand water as a fundamental socio-environmental challenge. In the intervening years, amidst multiple droughts, I learned of the solar still; an ingenious technology that purifies water through evaporation. Solar stills mimic the water cycle we all learned about in second grade. Since first learning of their existence, I have often wondered if they couldn’t be put to use to solve some of our problems right here. Fast-forward to several years ago, when Edible San Diego became aware of a local innovator putting this principle to work. Solar Rain Watery had just opened up a solar desalination plant in Valley Center. It appeared to be the first in San Diego, if not the U.S., or possibly the world. As Chief Physicist at ESD, I had to check it out.

Solar Rain Watery The sea, the sun, and some serious brains By Matt Steiger

Solar Desalination Solar Rain was founded by a group of scientists, investors and company president BJ Kjaer. With a background in farming, Kjaer was motivated by the perennial water shortages of our region. He and his partners set out to solve this problem with the resources they had at hand: the sea, the sun, and some serious brains. Traditional desalination plants use either reverse osmosis (RO) or distillation to convert seawater to freshwater. Plants that use photovoltaic cells to power these processes call themselves “solar desalination.” But compared to Solar Rain, this claim is mere gimmick. Solar Rain employs direct solar desalination. Using the principle behind both the water cycle and solar stills, water is heated and evaporated directly by sunlight. The solar still dates back to ancient Greece and Persia, and matured steadily with our understanding of science and the invention of plastic. In the mid 20th century, the design was tweaked with the realization that water evaporates more easily (i.e., at lower temperature), in a low-pressure environment. The final product coming from the solar rain tower.

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

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The Dirty Side of Desalination Desalination is plagued by two major problems; high-energy consumption and high salinity waste streams. The first arises from the massive amounts of energy required to pressurize and/or evaporate large quantities of water. The second stems from the concentrated brine left behind in the process. Normally desalination plants pump the concentrated brine out to sea, creating a localized zone of high salinity and a potential environmental nightmare. Solar Rain has worked diligently to address both. The desalination process at Solar Rain uses the copious energy provided by the sun. No gas or electricity is needed to evaporate

the water and the incoming water is used to cool the water vapor inside the condenser. In this way waste heat is converted into usable energy. Not much electricity is used at all, except a little to pump water around and light the offices; and Solar Rain is in the process of upgrading to photovoltaics to power these as well. As for waste stream, Solar Rain’s first line of defense is high efficiency. Their process is 83% efficient; for every 1000 gallons pumped in, 830 gallons of fresh water come out. The remaining brine is highly concentrated (having roughly six times the salinity of seawater). This goes to a secondary pool where it is evaporated with a solar powered fan. The salt is then collected, cleaned and sold to local restaurants in bulk. Solar Rain claims no waste stream! Seawater comes in and fresh water and sea salt come out.

Protecting the Environment Every aspect of Solar Rain’s business is guided by keeping the company environmentally friendly and local. The bottles, caps and labels are a relatively new kind of biodegradable plastic that is not corn based and non-GMO, and the packaging is recycled cardboard. The bottles are square instead of round, which increases packing (and thus, shipping) efficiency by 20%. The plant was built, as much as possible, with local parts and labor. When I visited Solar Rain I was thoroughly impressed by their innovation. The efficiency they have achieved is only through dogged determination to get all the details right. Their effort to eliminate their waste stream is commendable, and I hope they can continue to achieve

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

Photo: Matt Steiger

Though these ideas had been around and evolving for a long time, they were never implemented on a large scale until recently. In 2005 the Indian Government opened the world’s first large scale low-temperature thermal desalination (LTTD) plant. At that same time Solar Rain was building prototype systems right here in San Diego. Just a few years later they had opened what appears to be the first commercial LTTD plant in the world, certainly the first and only in San Diego.

Bottles are biodegradable and square to reduce packaging by increasing packing efficiency.

zero-waste as they scale up their operations. Their commitment to the environment is admirable, showing a top-to-bottom consideration of every step of the process. In general, I am hard pressed to recommend people consume more bottled water. However, Solar Rain appears to be a good choice for those who do; the water is pure and the bottles are among the most recyclable out there. And there’s no reason Solar Rain needs to confine itself, long term, to the bottle. Kjaer hopes that large-scale systems could be built to supply small, dry municipalities. It’s my own opinion that if regulatory issues could be sorted out, he might even be able to connect right into the city supply line, much the same way wind and solar add on to the existing power grid. Kjaer is hopeful that Solar Rain has the answer to San Diego’s water problems. “This technology could eventually turn Southern California into a water exporter”, he says. “All the water we need is right here.” For more info, or to find a distributor, visit solarrainwatery.com.

Matt Steiger is a physicist, fisherman, home brewer, urban farmer, forager, and wannabe chef. He is always on the lookout for the best produce, fresh fish, great brews, and the perfect cup of coffee. Follow him at thefoodlunatic.com, on twitter @foodlunatic, or contact him directly at steigey “at” gmail.

BJ Kajer with salt byproduct. The solar rain tower is behind him and the solar cells are to the right.

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edible San Diego

Fringe Fermentation: Cider, Mead and Country Wine Concoctions

By Matt Steiger

ife feels better when you have something fermenting.

At least it seems so to me, since I started homebrewing a few years ago. But while making beer is fun and rewarding, it has made me wonder about the greater world of fermentation. I began playing around with ciders, meads and even weird fruit wines. Anyone can buy grape juice, but I wanted to ferment fruits I had just lying around.

the yeast leaves behind. Complex sugars, acids and trace elements are not fermented, but remain to lend body, sweetness, tartness, bitterness and flavor. The right balance is particularly key to a great beverage.

Here’s how to get started on your own.

Secondly, you’ll need to gear up. You will need at least one (but preferably three) fermentation vessels. I recommend a six-gallon wine bucket and a five and six-gallon carboy. You will need a syphoning kit to transfer (rack) the fluid, a refractometer and hydrometer for measuring alcohol content, some bottles and some way of stopping them up (beer bottles for carbonated drinks and wine bottles for still).

Firstly, understand the basic principle of fermentation: Yeast converts sugar to ethanol. Wine is primarily defined by what

Lastly, you will need Star San or some other sanitizer to sanitize anything that touches your brew, at any stage. All this can be

I started brewing ciders (from apple juice) and meads (from honey). I even began foraging wild fruits to ferment. I found that with some simple gear and a bit of pluck, it’s easy to brew these “country wines,” and the results are unique and often fantastic.

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Photo: Chris Rov Costa

obtained for as little as $150, if you shop around. Curds and Wine in Kearny Mesa is a great resource for gear and general fermentation knowledge. Then you will have to design your recipe, specifically your fermentables, unfermentables and fermentors (yeast). Your unfermented wine is called “must” and you need five gallons of it. If you just want to ferment honey, it’s easy: one pound of honey in five gallons of must yields about 1% alcohol by volume (ABV). If you’re using fruit and you can get five gallons of juice, you’re golden. More likely though, you’ll have 10–20 pounds of fruit. In that case, you can juice the fruit or leave it whole. Either way you’ll have to add water and sugar to round out the must. Determining how much sugar to add can get a bit technical; what follows is my best attempt to simplify the calculation. Start by deciding on your desired percentage of ABV. For wine it’s usually 12%–15%, for beer 4%–8%. Weigh your fruit and call that number “W.” Next, measure the sugar content (Brix) of your fruit with the refractometer. To do so, juice a few fruits, mix, and put two or three drops in your refractometer; call that number “B.” Now, we will assume that 12 pounds of fruit gives about one gallon of juice and one pound of sugar will yield 1% ABV. Then the pounds of sugar you need to add are calculated according to the Steiger equation. You will find that fruit gives you frustratingly little fermentable sugar, unless you have massive quantities. Rather than get frustrated, however, think of it more as the fruit flavoring your wine, which is actually made of sugar or honey. Table sugar is cheap and leaves no flavor. Honey is expensive but leaves a marvelous floral sweetness. Choose which to use based on how you want your wine to taste. For subtle, light wines, use sugar; for more complex or heavier wines, go with honey. When it comes to yeast, start with either White Labs Champagne Yeast for dry wines, or Lavlin K1-V1116 for sweeter wines. If heating your must during the process, wait until it’s about room

temperature to pitch (add) your yeast. A few final notes: I add yeast nutrient (one teaspoon) to all wines, and I always use pectic enzyme (10 drops) when fruit is involved. Both help the yeast achieve optimal performance. When fermenting whole fruit, I use the bucket and a mesh bag, removing the bag of pulp after five to seven days.

Photo: Matt Steiger

Elderberries are simmered to set desirable taste and color.

With a wine-strength brew, I age it in the carboy for six to eight months, racking it into a clean container every couple months, and finally cork it into wine bottles. With a beer-strength brew I leave it in the carboy until clear, typically four to five weeks, then carbonate and cap it into beer bottles. Below are few easy recipes that have yielded great results for me.

Photo: Matt Steiger

Fresh apple juice flows from the press.

Matt Steiger is a physicist, fisherman, home brewer, urban farmer, forager, and wannabe chef. He is always on the lookout for the best produce, fresh fish, great brews, and the perfect cup of coffee. Follow him at thefoodlunatic.com, on twitter @ foodlunatic, or contact him directly at steigey@gmail.com

Stone Fruit Melomel (Fruit Mead) 6 pounds apricots 6 pounds nectarines

Cider

5 pounds honey

5 gallons apple juice

K1-V1116 yeast

White Labs English Cider Yeast

Dissolve honey in 1 gallon of 150° water and pour over mesh bag of fruit. Top with up to 5 gallons water. Carbonate and enjoy young.

Flash-pasteurize at 150° for 1 minute or use raw juice. Carbonate and enjoy young.

Wild Elderberry Wine

Pomegranate Mead

15 pounds wild elderberries

15 pounds honey

5 pounds blackberries

¾ gallon of pomegranate juice (omit for pure mead)

10 pounds honey

White Labs Champagne Yeast

K1-V1116 yeast

Dissolve honey in 1–2 gallons of warm (150°) water, then add cool water to 5 gallons. Add ½ teaspoon yeast nutrient each week for the first 3 weeks. Bottle still and age anywhere from 1–50 years.

Boil berries in 2 gallons water, dissolve honey in warm water, then top up to 5 gallons. Ferment fruit in mesh bag. Bottle still and age 1–5 years.

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edible San Diego

winter 2013

hen Ballast Point started brewing beer commercially in San Diego in 1996, they helped launch what was to become a veritable tsunami of craft brewing here. When they released their first bottle of gin in 2008, becoming Southern California’s first postProhibition distillery, they became the vanguard of yet another movement: craft distilling in San Diego County. Now, with a number of small distilleries opening, the local spirits scene is poised to make waves.

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

Local Brewer Ups Ante with Line of Spirits

“I definitely enjoy the creative aspects of distilling,” Cherney says. “I got into this first and foremost because it was a passion of mine. Coming to grips with the business aspects came later. It’s difficult for small distillers in California to make a living in the early stages. You need other income for the first five or six years.”

Being in the business of brewing beer certainly doesn’t hurt, since some of the By John Alongé equipment and raw materials are common to both enterprises. With the quick-to-market “It’s exciting to be at the forefront of a trend, like we were with craft nature of most brewed beverages, the longer lag time of spirits can be brewing many years ago,” says Ballast Point co-founder and head supported with the enhanced cash flow. Several other breweries in San brewer/distiller Yuseff Cherney. What started as a small hobby project Diego County have seized upon a similar business model. using a homemade still in a disaffected corner of the brewery has Cherney is a strong supporter of the sense of community inherent blossomed into a full-scale self-sustaining business. in craft production. The Ballast Point spirits product line has expanded well beyond the “We all borrow stuff from each other and we all try to share knowledge initial offerings of Old Grove Gin, Fugu Vodka and Three Sheets and opportunity. Trying to get local craft spirits into the bars is like the White Rum. Over time, aged distillates have been released, beginning Wild West. To be successful, we’re all going to need to work together with the barrel-aged version of Three Sheets Rum, followed by Devil’s to get the San Diego cocktail culture to embrace our products.” Share Single Malt Whiskey and, most recently, Devil’s Share Bourbon. This strategy certainly has been successful for the local craft beer Other offerings are on the way, including spiced rum and a whimsical movement. By working together to increase public awareness, local line of flavored vodkas dubbed the “Taco Shop Series” (flavors of brewers have moved far and fast. Let’s hope that local distillers choose Jamaica, Piña, Horchata and Habanero). There is also a newly released to follow the same path to commercial success. moonshine made from corn, malted barley and wheat. A variety of Ballast Point spirits are available at local bars and Distillation owes as much to art as to science. The process was known liquor stores throughout San Diego County, including Polite to both Greeks and Chinese in the first and second centuries AD. Provisions, Blind Burro, Whole Foods Markets, Sessions Public, During the Middle Ages, Arab scientists continued to experiment with Prepkitchen, Raglan Public House, Oggi’s Pizza and Brewing, the process, eventually contributing to the dissemination of knowledge Leroy’s Kitchen and Lounge, Beaumont’s, Cowboy Star, Union about distillation techniques throughout Europe. Over the centuries, Kitchen & Tap, Jsix, Searsucker, Kamikaze 7 Sushi, Mona Lisa an aura of mystery grew up around the process. Distinctions regarding Restaurant, and the Lodge at Torrey Pines. still materials and design, mash production, specific distillation techniques and aging practices evolved in various cultures and were jealously guarded, similar to the practices of alchemy centuries earlier. John Alongé is a popular writer and corporate speaker on the subjects of wine, craft beer and spirits. His latest book, The Wine Heretic’s Bible, offers “plain Distillers were seen as part artist, part scientist and part occultist.

English advice for the casual wino.” For more information, visit WineHeretic.com

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edible San Diego

Pinot by the Pint

magine a world where everybody drinks a glass of wine with dinner every night. This world is free from cork taint and pretentious wine servers; here, your favorite wines are accessible and fairly priced. Please, allow yourself to dream with me of a world where wine is as easy to enjoy as beer. This alternate reality exists all around us, contrary to what your wine experiences thus far might indicate. Visit any of the world’s historic wine regions—heck, go out to Triple B Ranches in Valley Center—and you’ll see that the closer you are to the source, the less pretense there is around the fruit of the vine.

Wine on Tap? We’ll Drink to That By Aaron Epstein

I will never forget the moment when, as a student in Italy, I watched an old man fill a used two-liter Coca-Cola bottle from a wine barrel. Wine wasn’t about prestige for him; it was an essential part of each meal, an integral part of his life. He had no intention of watching it age for years or of hosting a wine tasting at his home. And when the bottle is once again empty? He goes back to his winemaker buddy up the street to top it right off again. While this seems strange to many wine drinkers, it sure won’t surprise the beer crowd; growlers and kegs are status quo for those folks (including me, despite my affinity for the grape—they’re hardly mutually exclusive). Most prefer draught when they’re out at a bar or restaurant and refilling those take-home growlers is easy, with the growing number of breweries per capita in San Diego County. Until recently American consumers have proven to be surprisingly change-averse when it comes to wine. We demand glass bottles and we expect natural corks—even though cork taint spoils an average of one bottle out of every case. When screw caps were introduced a decade or so ago the market fought back fiercely; it took drinkers a couple of years to realize that the new closures were there for their own

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Photo: Chris Rov Costa

protection and ease—not to mention the environmental impact of the now-outsized cork industry, which could occupy another article entirely. So, now that we’re finally taking a step back from corks, why are we bothering to use traditional glass bottles at all? In San Diego you no longer have to. Even here, the shift away from traditional packaging has been bubbling below the surface for years. Thanks to the risks taken by a handful of local entrepreneurs, it’s finally beginning to pour through the cracks. At their new facility in Escondido, husband and wife winemaking duo Chris Broomell and Alysha Stehly (of Vesper Vineyards and Stehleon Vineyards, respectively) offer local restaurants the opportunity to purchase wine in reusable kegs. Just as with beer, the producer owns the container and the restaurant pays only for the actual product. At the moment, there are no kegs for purchase in the market due to the high demand of their delicious wines; however, when their tasting room opens this autumn and their new releases are ready, several will be served on draught. The biggest restaurant to open in Southern California in 2013—in more senses than one—Stone World Bistro & Gardens at Liberty Station in Point Loma has no less than 36 tap lines dedicated to wine. In order to serve high-quality wine at reasonable prices—as well as to stay consistent with its predominant beer theme—Stone has seriously invested in their keg system. They’ve even gone so far as to have their wines blended to their own specifications up in Napa—which is still pretty “local” by most standards. For a delectable piece of the Old World, there’s also Kaiserhof Restaurant and Biergarten on Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in Ocean Beach. They’ve been there for more than 20 years—the whole time serving glasses of wine from taps that emerge from a barrelhead on the wall behind the bar.

Photo: Chris Rov Costa

You can do this in Italy and France! Maybe we’ll be able to put our old soda bottles to good use one day too!

(Their giant pretzel will change your life.) There’s no reason wine on tap shouldn’t be available just as widely as beer. Locally minded winemakers like Chris and Alysha are pioneers, and the wine program at Stone brings home a national trend that began quietly but has only one direction to go. So let’s help push it along. Next time you’re at a beer garden, ask for a glass of wine with that pretzel.

Aaron Epstein is the Founder and Curator of the groundbreaking wine subscription service Le Metro - Wine. Underground (lemetrowine.com). He has been studying wine since before he could legally drink it and has traveled the world to work in almost every aspect of the wine industry. Aaron now lives in Ocean Beach with his wife Julia and their newborn son, Micah, and also writes “The Winedad,” (Winedad.com) a blog about his adventures in fatherhood (and wine).

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{Resources & Advertisers} EVENTS COLLABORATION KITCHEN Bring your own beer or wine and get ready for fun, great food and to learn about seafood from top San Diego chefs. These monthly events held on the warehouse floor always sell out and benefit San Diego children in need. Produced by Catalina Offshore Products and Specialty Produce. • facebook.com/collaborationkitchen SUZIE’S FARM EVENTS Winter Solstice Breakfast, Sat, December 21, 5:30am to 9am. Suzie’s Winter Camp for kids grade K-5, Jan 6-10. A week of farm animals, field exploration and fun! Wellness Fair, Saturday, January 18, 10am-2pm. Meet and interact with local wellness professionals and practitioners. Year of the Green Horse Celebration, Sat, February 1. Rain Catchment Workshop with San Diego Sustainable Living Institute, Sat, February 15, 10am-1pm. Bread Making Workshop with Prager Bros, Artisan Breads, Sun, March 9, 9am-2pm. More information: suziesfarm.com SAN DIEGO BOTANIC GARDEN Garden of Lights, December 7-23, 26-30, 100,000 lights illuminate the Garden for a magical holiday experience. Wagon rides, music, hot mulled wine & more! PAW Walk, February 22. (Check website event page for details.) sdbgarden.org

FARMS, FARMERS’ MARKETS & PRODUCE DISTRIBUTION SERVICES ALPINE FARMERS’ MARKET NOW on Saturday, 9-2 in CVS prkg lot at Alpine Blvd & Tavern Rd. Locally grown produce, meat, fresh fish, bread, eggs, nuts, cheese, artisan foods, gifts, arts & crafts, flowers, plants, succulents and hot prepared food items, picnic tables, shade and live music. A fun family outing! Create the Habit—Alpine Farmers’ Market! 1347 Tavern Rd. • 619-743-4263 • alpinefarmersmarket.co

www.leucadiafarmersmarket.com

BLUE TURTLE PRODUCTIONS FARMERS’ MARKETS Mira Mesa (Tue, 2:30-7; 2:30-6 winter-spring); State Street Farmers’ Market in Carlsbad Village (Wed, 3-6 winter); Kearny Mesa (Fri, 10:30-1:30), and Leucadia (Paul Ecke Central School) (Sun, 10-2). Local, farm-fresh produce, seafood, meat, bread, flowers, specialty & artisan foods, hot prepared foods, arts & crafts and entertainment! 858-272-7054 • leucadia101.com BRIAN’S FARMERS’ MARKETS Weekly markets: UTC at new location La Jolla Village Dr. and Genesee Ave. (Thur, 3-7); Golden Hill (Sat, 9:30-1:30) and Point Loma (Sun, 9:30-2:30). Unique farmers’ market CSA. EBT Market Bucks accepted. • 619-795-3363 • briansfarmersmarkets.com DEL MAR FARMERS’ MARKET In the Del Mar City Hall parking lot. Vendors offer fresh, local produce from the communities of Vista, Carlsbad, Riverside, Valley Center, Bonsall, Fallbrook and stonefruit from the San Joaquin Valley. Open 1-4 pm on Saturdays year round. 1050 Camino Del Mar • 858-342-5865 • delmarfarmersmarket.org ENCINITAS STATION FARMERS’ MARKET At the corner of E Street & Vulcan every Wednesdays, 5-8 May-Sept, 4-7 Oct-April. 40+ vendors sell local farm fresh produce, specialty meats and cheeses, flowers and artisan foods. Remember to bring your own reusable bags: no single-use plastic bags provided. • 760-688-8275 • encinitas101.com/ FARM FRESH TO YOU Delivers organic fruits and veggies to your door from their family farms in Capay and the Imperial Valley, Calif. (growing organic produce since 1976). Weekly, biweekly, every third or every fourth week deliveries. Unlike most CSAs, no commitment is required–cancel or suspend deliveries at any time. Customize your delivery by website, telephone or email. • 1-800-796-6009 • farmfreshtoyou.com

Advertise in

GO GREEN AGRICULTURE Beautiful, tasty and tender produce (lettuce, spinach and kale currently) hydroponically farmed in San Diego County with love and care. Harvested and packaged with the roots attached, which continue to provide the plants nutrients and keep them fresh longer. Delivered within hours of harvest. • colin@GoGreenAgriculture.com • (760) 634-2506 • gogreenagriculture.com

and watch

your business

grow!

For more information, please contact Riley Davenport, publisher. 619-222-8257 • riley@ediblesandiego.com

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MARKETPLACE AT ALPINE More than a nursery – a destination! Nestled among mature oaks in Alpine, this community marketplace has something for every shopper and is a great place to relax. Friday Night Farmers’ Market, 3-7pm, features local produce, food, live music, plants, soil amendments & unique items from local artists & crafters. 2442 Alpine Blvd. (next to Janet’s) • 619-301-5442 MOROCCO GOLD DATES Raw, organically and sustainably farmed Medjool dates are grown in the Imperial Valley and sold at San Diego farmers’ markets. Find them at these farmers’ markets: Santee (Wed); Little

{Local Marketplace}

Thank these advertisers for their local and sustainable ethic by supporting them with your business. Italy Mercato (Sat); Hillcrest (Sun). • 619-449-8427

RESTAURANTS, FOODIE DESTINATIONS & CATERING

NATURALLY TO YOUR DOOR Delivers farm fresh organic or naturally grown fruits, vegetables, herbs and natural products direct from San Diego farms to your door. No commitments or start up fees. Order whenever you want and choose what goes in your box, or subscribe to weekly or biweekly deliveries. Ask about the Office Box for your business, gifting a box and gift certificates. • 858-9466882 • naturallytoyourdoor.com

A.R. VALENTIEN Experience the art of fine dining in an elegant timbered room overlooking the 18th hole of the Torrey Pines Golf Course. Chef Jeff Jackson’s cooking is market driven and sesaonal with emphasis on the quality and freshness of foodstuffs. 11480 N. Torrey Pines Rd. • 858-453-4420 • lodgetorreypines.com

Local, Seasonal, Organic Fare Serving you at the following farmers’ markets: Leucadia, Oceanside Sunset and State Street (State St. & Grand Ave. in Carlsbad Village) Catering • Cooking Classes • HolistiC HealtH CoaCHing

ALCHEMY Light, healthy, sophisticated cultural fare, craft beer and cocktails. High-quality ingredients and local produce. 1503 30th Street, San Diego • 619-255-0616 • alchemysandiego.com

SAN DIEGO PUBLIC MARKET Permanent spaces open soon. Great venue for weddings, parties and other gatherings large and small. Call for rental info or to apply for space, 619233-3901, or email info@sdpublicmarket.com. 1735 National Ave. near Petco Park • sdpublicmarket.com

BELLAMY’S RESTAURANT Bellamy’s offers California Modern Cuisine with French influences. Owner Gianina Pickens brings a unique menu designed to cater to her guest’s desires. Corporate Chef Patrick Ponsaty brings revolutionized French cuisine with his own distinct flourish in every dish. 417 West Grand Avenue, Escondido, CA 92025 • 760-747-5000 • bellamysdining.com

SANTEE FARMERS’ MARKET Wednesdays from 3-6:30 pm at the Pathway Center, corner of Carlton Hills Blvd and Mast Blvd. Fresh fruits and veggies from local growers, prepared foods ready to eat or take home, honey, olives, bread, dates, herbs & spices, crafts, gifts and more! WIC, EBT & CCs • 619449-8427 • santeefarmersmarket.com

BIER GARDEN OF ENCINITAS Casual open air environment. 32 Southern California microbrews. The best Bloody Marys in North County! From scratch, local and sustainable California coastal cuisine. Gluten-free and vegan menu options. Happy hour Mon-Fri, 4-6pm & all day Wed. Brunch Sat & Sun, 10-2. In the heart of historic, old Encinitas. 641 S Coast Hwy 101, Encinitas, 92024 • 760-632-2437

SD WEEKLY MARKETS Pacific Beach (Tue, 2-7), Fishermen’s Farmers’ Market, (Wed, 3-7), North Park (Thu, 3-7), and Little Italy (Sat, 9-2). Cheese, pastured meats, local seafood, honey, fruit, vegetables, flowers, prepared foods and crafts. 619-233-3901 • sdweeklymarkets.com

Food So Healthy It’s Sexy! Home Delivery

BEE GREEN VEGAN CATERING AND MEAL DELIVERY Fresh, organic, nutrient dense meals and smoothies prepared with local ingredients by expert chefs and a Nutrition Coordinator for maximum benefits, flavor and variety. Events Catering, Individual Home Delivery, Office Lunch Delivery and Family Plans available. BeeGreenMeals@gmail.com • 858-243-1409 • beegreenworld.com

858-210-5094 • anneldrewskitchen.com

Vegan Meals Delivered by Bee Green 858-243-1409 Weight Loss

SAN DIEGO COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARMERS’ MARKETS San Diego County Farm Bureau sponsored weekly farmers’ markets: Linda Vista, 6900 Linda Vista Rd. (Thur, 2-7, and 2-6 in winter); City Heights, Wightman St. btw Fairmount & 43rd (Sat, 9-1) and San Marcos on Restaurant Row, San Marcos Blvd. & Via Vera Cruz (Sun, 10-2). WIC and EBT Market Bucks accepted. • 925-301-6081 • sdfarmbureau.org

Cleanses

ANNEL & DREW’S KITCHEN Mobile catering service featuring locally grown, organic produce. Specializing in events, farmers markets and private parties. At Oceanside Sunset (Thur, 5-9) and Leucadia Farmers’ Market (Sun, 10-2) • 858-210-5094 • anneldrewskitchen.com

Catering

NORTH SAN DIEGO FARMERS’ MARKETS Sundays 10:30-3:30 at the Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead. Fresh, locally grown fruits, veggies and herbs, eggs, honey, artisan foods, hot food and entertainment. Always a traditional farmers’ market experience. I-15 at Via Rancho Pkwy, Escondido • northsdfarmersmarket.com

BeeGreenWorld.com

BISTRO WEST Contemporary comfort food using the highest quality and freshest ingredients, much from their own 3-acre organic farm. Ask about the West Room for a party or meeting. 4960 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad • 760-930-8008 • bistrowest.com

SPECIALTY PRODUCE Freshly picked, organic and sustainably sourced produce, much of it local, from over a dozen farms each week. Great app for iPhone and Android with easy-to-use database of over 1200 produce items. Wholesale and retail. Farmers’ Market Bag & Box options. 1929 Hancock Street #150, San Diego • 619295-3172 • specialtyproduce.co

BLIND LADY ALE HOUSE A certified purveyor of honest pints. Local & craft brews, Neapolitan style pizza topped with fresh made mozzarella, local veggies and charcuterie housemade from sustainably produced meat. 3416 Adams Avenue, San Diego • 619-255-2491 • blindladyalehouse.com

SUZIE’S FARM Organic farm and CSA grows, sells and delivers USDA certified organic produce and micro greens to chefs 5 days a week, and to the public at many local farmers’ markets and through their CSA. Seasonal Tours with Lucila, and Second Saturday farm tours. Farm Stand open Tues, 3-7 & Sat, 10-2. 619-662-1780 • suziesfarm. com • 800-995-7776 • sungrownorganics.com

BURGER LOUNGE Great tasting hamburgers made from healthy ingredients and sustainably raised, grassfed beef. The menu appeals to health and environmentally conscious diners, vegetarians and salad lovers. Seven locations in San Diego County: Kensington, Coronado,

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{Local Marketplace}

Little Italy, Hillcrest, Gaslamp, La Jolla, Del Mar and soon to open in Carlsbad! • burgerlounge.com CAFÉ MERLOT Dine from the bounty of their micro farm at the Rancho Bernardo Winery. They plant, grow and cook every meal to order. Cooking classes, specialty events, culinary medicine! 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte, Rancho Bernardo • 858-592-7785 • cafemerlot.com CARNITAS SNACK SHACK Slow food inspired, pork-centric American cuisine and snacks. Poultry, produce, beer and bread are locally sourced. Niman Ranch beef and Vande Rose pork are sustainably raised. 2632 University Avenue, San Diego • 619-294-7675 • carnitassnackshack.com GLASS DOOR Casually sophisticated atmosphere atop Porto Vista Hotel with panoramic view of San Diego Bay. Seafood based menu (much locally sourced) prepared using techniques from Eastern Europe, Spain, Italy, France, Asia and Middle East. Craft cocktails & local microbrews. 1835 Columbia St. San Diego 92101 • glassdoorsd.com • 619-564-3755 HARNEY SUSHI The most aggressive sustainability program of all Southern California restaurants. San Diegans’ perennial “best sushi” pick. Sushi made with sustainably harvested fish. 3964 Harney Street, San Diego • 619-295-3272, and 301 Mission Avenue, Oceanside • 760-967-1820 • harneysushi.com JSIX Chef Christian Graves consistently delights and surprises with his farm-to-table and boat-to-pan cooking using locally sourced ingredients and madefrom-scratch methods. Great cocktails too! 616 J Street, San Diego • 619-531-8744 • jsixrestaurant.com

Saturday 9am—2pm alpinefarmersmarket.com 619-743-4263 1347 Tavern Road, Alpine

Gelato, Coffee & Panini

LA VILLA Experience wholesome, beautiful food and an enchanting dining experience in the heart of Little Italy featuring rustic Italian flavors made with ingredients from local farmers and fishermen. Chef Chris O’Donnell caters to those craving a truly intimate, local relationship with their food. 1646 India Street, San Diego • 619-255-5221 • lavillasd.com MITCH’S SEAFOOD Casual waterfront dining in the historic fishing neighborhood of Point Loma, serving up locally caught seafood with a view of the bay and the San Diego Sportfishing Fleet. 1403 Scott Street, San Diego • 619-222-8787 • mitchsseafood.com RITUAL TAVERN Humanely raised natural Niman meat, Jidori chicken, sustainable seafood, and locally grown organic vegetables in simple, delicious dishes. Great wine and craft beer menu. Many vegetables and herbs grown in the patio seating area. 4095 30th Street, San Diego • 619-283-1720 • ritualtavern.com

Downtown Escondido escogelato.com - 760.745.6500 52

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SOLARE RISTORANTE & LOUNGE Authentic Italian cuisine with focus on fresh and locally sourced ingredients: fresh made pasta, organic produce, wild-caught fish and hormone free meat. Large selection of wines, beers and craft cocktails. Happy hour Tuesday-Sunday, Tuesday wine specials, live jazz Thursdays. 2820 Roosevelt Rd., Liberty Station, Point Loma. • 619-270-9670 • solarelounge.com

STARLITE Dinner. Cocktails. Late night dining. Cuisine that uses year-round local produce. Menu changes frequently to offer San Diego’s seasonal bounty. Wonderful Sunday Brunch! Great cocktails! 21 and up. 3175 India Street, San Diego • 619-358-9766 • starlitesandiego.com TENDER GREENS Organic classics and daily specials using the best of seasonal ingredients, local farms and artisan foods. Easy on the wallet. San Diego locations: 2400 Historic Decatur Road • 619-226-6254; 4545 La Jolla Village Dr. at UTC • 858-455-9395; and 120 West Broadway, Downtown San Diego • tendergreensfood.com THE FISHERY Seafood market at the center of the restaurant. Chef Paul Arias’ menu is market driven and changes seasonally. Sustainably raised and wild caught fish and fresh, local produce. Try the 3-course Tuesday Tastings menu. 5040 Cass Street, San Diego • 858272-9985 • thefishery.com THE FLAVOR CHEF Organic catering, meal delivery (weekly menu), public & private cooking classes and bone broth. Specializing in locally grown, organic foods, humanely raised meats and poultry, organic provisions and eco-friendly products. lance@theflavorchef.com • 760-685-2433 • theflavorchef.com THE RED DOOR RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR A casually elegant neighborhood hangout serving classic American comfort food. Organic produce sourced from their own ½-acre garden. If they can’t grow it themselves or buy it locally, humanely treated and sustainably raised, they don’t serve it. 741 W. Washington Street, San Diego • 619-295-6000 • thereddoorsd.com THE WELLINGTON STEAK AND MARTINI LOUNGE Sultry, special and seductive, The Wellington is an intimate supper club in San Diego’s historic Mission Hills where the heritage of food is celebrated through fresh, responsibly grown and raised ingredients. Organic produce is sourced from their own ½-acre garden. Local seafood, humanely raised meat. 729 W. Washington Street, San Diego • 619-295-6001• thewellingtonsd.com TIGER! TIGER! Casual and comfortable. House baked breads, lots of excellent draught beer, salads, sandwiches, sausages and other hearty fare. Lunch served Fri– Sun. Back and front patios. Mondays are movie nights all summer long. 3025 El Cajon Blvd. • 619-987-0401 • tigertigertavern.com TRUE FOOD KITCHEN Globally inspired cuisine with a healthy body of great flavors created by pairing popular trends with healthy living. Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert & Kids Menus. Fashion Valley Mall, 7007 Friars Road, Suite 394, San Diego • 619-810-2929 • foxrc.com/ restaurants/true-food-kitchen/ WEST STEAK AND SEAFOOD Intimate and distinctive fine dining restaurant fused with creative culinary team and a “farm to table” approach based on the 3+ acre farm in Carlsbad they share with Bistro West. Prime steaks, chops and seafood. Ask about the West Room for a party or meeting. 4980 Avenida Encinas, Carlsbad • 760-9309100 • weststeakandseafood.com

RESTORATION HEALTH & WELLNESS To give the body the tools, support and nutrition needed for restoration using advanced alternative remedies. 12865 Pointe Del Mar Way, #170, Del Mar (inside The Natural Path). Open Mon-Thur, 9-5 (closed 1-2:30 for lunch), Fri, 9-1. • 760-473-7766 • restorationhealthandwellness.com

GARDEN RESOURCES GREEN THUMB SUPER GARDEN CENTER Excellent selection of organic and natural solutions for your edible garden, as well as trees and shrubs, flowers, succulents and everything you need to take care of them. Knowledgeable staff. Complete selection of home canning supplies. 1019 San Marcos Blvd • (760) 744-3822 • supergarden.com

{Local Marketplace}

THRIVE WELLNESS Education, fitness training and lifestyle programs. Acupuncturists, massage therapists and other specialty doctors. 4080 Centre Street, Suite 202, San Diego • 619- 795-4422 • thrivewellness.com

PLANT WORLD NURSERY ESCONDIDO Five acres of retail area offering a vast selection of shade and fruit trees, succulents and cactus, bedding, native and drought-tolerant plant materials, most grown on site. Knowledgeable, reliable staff. Easy access from Interstate 15 at Deer Springs Rd. exit. 26344 Mesa Rock Rd. Escondido, CA 92026 • 760-741-2144 • plantworldescondido.com

HOME & GARDEN LIVING

Share the warmth of the season.

MAKE GOOD Art, clothing, jewelry and accessories handcrafted locally by San Diego and Tijuana artisans from found objects, precious metals, bicycle parts, vintage treasures and more. Open Tue-Fri, 12-7; Sat, 10-8; Sun, 10-5; closed Mondays. 2207 Fern St., San Diego • 619-563-4600 • themakegood.com

REVOLUTION LANDSCAPE Specializing in the design, installation and maintenance of edible gardens and eco-friendly, water wise landscapes for businesses and private residences. • 858-337-6944 • revolutionlandscape.com

PROGRESS Conscientious products for the home and garden, sourced from small design studios. Highest quality and accessible pricing. Open Mon-Thur, 10-7; FriSat, 10-8; Sun, 12-5. 2225 30th Street, San Diego • 619-280-5501 • progresssouthpark.com

SAN DIEGO BOTANIC GARDEN Four miles of garden trails on 37 acres, flowering trees, majestic palms, and the nation’s largest bamboo collection. Plants from all over the world thrive in a variety of microclimates. 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas • 760-436-3036 • sdbgarden.org

The gift of health begins with a gift of loose-leaf teas. 7283 Engineer Rd. Ste G • 800-409-3109 • teagallerie.com

MEAT

URBAN PLANTATIONS Design, installation and care of edible landscaping for your home and for corporate and assisted living gardens and Restaurant Supported Agriculture. Over 25 years experience providing home orchard care, garden coaching and permaculture solutions. karen@UrbanPlantations.com • (619) 563-5771 • urbanplantations.com

DA-LE RANCH Sustainably raised beef, lamb, pork, rabbit, chicken, turkey and other fowl at farmers’ markets. Custom order beef, pork and lamb by the side, half or quarter. Find Da-Le at Escondido (Tue), Palm Desert (Wed), North Park (Thur), Anza-Borrego (Fri), Little Italy, (Sat), Rancho Santa Fe, Solana Beach, (Sun) farmers’ markets • da-le-ranch.com/ • dave@da-le-ranch.com

GROCERY

PETALUMA POULTRY With hatchery, feed mill, farming and packaging operations throughout Sonoma County, Petaluma Poultry supplies free range, organic fed poultry products to the West Coast while reducing waste, perserving the environment, supporting employees’ comfort and efficiency, and contributing to the local economy. • petalumapoultry.com

JIMBO’S… NATURALLY A local, family owned grocery that provides the highest quality organic and natural foods at reasonable prices. Jimbo’s is committed to supporting organic growing practices, and they are staunch supporters of the drive to label GMOs. Horton Plaza, Downtown SD. • 4S Ranch • Escondido • Carlsbad • Carmel Valley • jimbos.com

Cultural Fare & Cocktails served nightly Brunch on Weekends

1503 30th Street in South Park 619.255.0616 www.alchemysandiego.com

TAJ FARMS A CSA/subscription farm in Valley Center selling pastured turkey, chicken, goat, pork, rabbit and beef. Dedicated to sustainable and responsible agriculture practices and creating safe and healthy food. • 760-670-7012 • tajfarms.net

HEALTH & BEAUTY HOME & SOUL Home & Soul is a mystical gift shop and wellness center. Enjoy incense, candles, essential oils, crystals and sterling jewelry. They offer Reiki, massage, skin care and chiropractic as well as Tarot, astrology and numerology readings. Workshops, meditation and other self-help subjects are offered. 229 E. Main St. El Cajon, CA 92020 • 619-440-4504 • homeandsoulonline.com

THE MEATMEN Artisan dry sausages made using an old world, cold fermentation process. Find MeatMen at Ocean Beach (Wed), La Mesa (Fri), Poway (Sat), Leucadia (Sun) and both Oceanside farmers’ markets (Thur) • 619-708-9849 • meatmenstore.com

RADIANCE YOGA & THERAPEUTIC CENTER Experienced, caring teachers guide you through postures gradually at a comfortable yet challenging pace. Yoga, therapeutic yoga, personal fitness and massage therapy. Private and group classes daily. • 619-299-1443 • radyoga.com

TRUE PASTURE BEEF Grass fed beef CSA bred, born and raised by one family on two ranches in Southern and Central California. Treated humanely, never given grain or hormones, fed strict grass diet. 3 and 6 month contracts with auto-renew option. Go to truepasturebeef.com/how-it-works/ • truepasturebeef.com

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{Local Marketplace}

ORGANIZATIONS FEEDING AMERICA SAN DIEGO Serving 73,000 children, families, and seniors a week, Feeding America San Diego is leading our community in the fight against hunger. 460,000 San Diegans don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Feeding America San Diego distributes fresh, nutritious food throughout our community. Help build a hunger-free and healthy community by making a gift. 97% of you donation directly funds hunger-relief programs in San Diego County. • 858452-3663 • feedingamericasd.org OXFAM A global organization working to right the wrongs of poverty, hunger and injustice. Oxfam saves lives, develops long-term solutions to poverty, and campaigns for social change. A BBB Accredited charity, meeting all 20 Standards for Charity Accountability. Donations are used to support of Oxfam America’s efforts around the world. oxfamamerica.org SAN DIEGO COUNTY FARM BUREAU Leading advocate for the farm community. Promotes economic viability of agriculture balanced with good stewardship of natural resources. Membership open to all, helps your local farmers and has many benefits. SDCFB sponsors three farmers’ markets: Linda Vista, Thur , 2-7; City Heights, Sat, 9-1; and San Marcos, Sun, 10-2. • 760-745-3023 • sdfarmsbureau.org

Throw an exciting themed dinner party! Our DIY (do-it-yourself) adventure dinner party kits make it easy to take your guests on a culinary journey to Morocco, Spain, India and more … Our kits provide all the information, organic spices and organic dry ingredients you need to throw an adventure dinner party. PassportDinners.com | Passportdinnersblog.com

SLOW FOOD Supporting good food in San Diego and Riverside counties since 2001. Be a part of the growing national movement to reclaim and preserve good food and food traditions. Three chapters: Slow Food San Diego, Slow Food Urban San Diego and Temecula Valley Slow Food. • slowfoodsandiego.net • slowfoodurbansandiego.org • temeculavalleyslowfood.org

PET CARE and LIVESTOCK SUPPLIES DEXTER’S DELI Suppliers of all natural diet and supplements for dogs and cats, including fresh raw foods and selected natural dry and canned foods. All are human-grade and chemical free. Two locations, 2508 El Camino Real, Carlsbad, 760-720-7507; and 1229 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, 858-792-3707 • dextersdeli.com JENNIFER’S FEED & SUPPLY Everything for goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, horses, cows, pigs, sheep, dogs, cats, birds and small animals. Private label wild bird mixes. Free animal nutrition seminars. Animal Ambassador Program. Organic chicken feed, Deliveries available. Check Facebook & website for live animal availability. 2101 Alpine Blvd, #B. 619-445-6044 • jennifersfeed.com

RESTAURANT SUPPLIES SPECIALTY PRODUCE Freshly picked, organic and sustainably sourced produce, much of it local, from over a dozen farms each week. Great app for iPhone and Android with easy-to-use database of over 1200 produce items. Wholesale and retail. Farmers’ Market Bag & Box options. 1929 Hancock Street #150, San Diego • 619295-3172 • specialtyproduce.co

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winter 2013

SUN GROWN Sungrown cultivates six categories of quality produce: micro-greens, micro-herbs, sprouts, micro-mixes, edible blossoms and specialty greens and shoots. Also available through Suzie’s Farm. Call to order : 800-9957776 • fax 619-662-1779 • sungrownorganics.com

SCHOOLS A CHILD’S GARDEN OF THYME Provides ideal early childhood experience for children from newborn to five years. Unique, garden-based programs founded on Waldorf Education principles and curriculum taught by highly experienced, Waldorf/LifeWays trained teachers. Programs feature a natural, home-based environment. 710 Eucalyptus St. Oceanside, CA 92054 • 760-820-2248, and 4771 Maple St. San Diego, CA 92105 • 858-356-2248 • achildsgardenofthyme.com

SEAFOOD CATALINA OFFSHORE PRODUCTS Recently remodeled wholesale and retail seafood market in a working warehouse open to public, with fresh sushi grade and other local fish and shellfish. Friday and Saturday cooking demos. Open M-F, 8-3; Sat, 8-2. 5202 Lovelock Street, San Diego • 619-297-9797 • catalinaop.com PACIFIC SHELLFISH Locally owned and operated for over 30 years. Fish, shrimp and lobster are wild caught unless specified otherwise. Seasonal and subject to availability. Inside The Fishery restaurant at 5040 Cass St. Pacific Beach • 858-272-9940 • fax 858- 272-9615 • thefishery.com

SPECIALTY RETAILERS CAFÉ VIRTUOSO Café Virtuoso strives to procure, roast and deliver the best quality 100% Organic, Fair Trade and otherwise sustainably produced and purchased coffee and tea to their wholesale and retail customers. 1616 National Avenue, San Diego 92113 • 619-550-1830 • cafevirtuoso.com CURDS AND WINE Home winemaking and cheese-making supplies. Large selection of wine kits. Make wine at the shop! Cheese-making cultures and equipment available and cheese-making demonstrations. 7194 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego •858-384-6566 • curdsandwine.com ESCOGELATO Just off Grand Ave. in Escondido, EscoGelato’s luscious, super creamy gelato is full of intense flavor and made fresh daily with the highest quality ingredients including fruit sourced from local farmers at the Escondido Farmers Market. 122 South Kalmia, Escondido, 92025 • 760-745-6500 • escogelato.com ONE FRESH MEAL Soups made from the freshest local organic produce available and without preservatives, made by hand daily and sold at Leucadia Farmers’ Market (FM) (Sun, 10-2); Pacific Beach Tuesday FM (Tues, 2-6:30); State Street Carlsbad FM (Wed, 3-7); Carmel Valley FM (Thur, 3:30-7); La Costa Canyon FM (Sat, 10-2). julie@ onefreshmeal.com • onefreshmeal.com ORGANIC VALLEY Once organic pioneers, now an industry leader. Organic Valley dairy products are made by family

farmers in harmony with nature without antibiotics, synthetic hormones or pesticides. All Organic Valley dairy farms are pature-based, meaning a major protion of the cows’ diet comes from certified organic pasture. Find a store locator on the website: organicvalley.coop PASSPORT DINNERS Unique adventure dinner party kits make it easy for you to taste the world, one country at a time. Starting at under $12, these DIY kits provide all the information, organic spices and organic dry ingredients you need to take you and your guests on a culinary journey to Morocco, Spain, India and more! • PassportDinners.com • Passportdinnersblog.com SOLAR RAIN A pure, great-tasting premium drinking water sourced from the ocean off San Diego, purified locally using a clean, renewable energy resource, and packaged in a biodegradable bottle. The only local bottled water packaged in biodegradable bottles. 760-751-8867 • solarrainwatery.com TEA GALLERIE Tea retailer and wholesaler sourcing the world’s finest organic teas and botanicals from the classic to the rare and exotic. Over 75 teas to choose from to spice up your life and stimulate your senses. NEW location at 7283 Engineer Rd. on Kearny Mesa. 619-550-7423 • teagallerie.com

WINE & SPIRITS BERNARDO WINERY Oldest family owned and operated winery in So Cal (since 1927). Tasting Room open Mon-Fri, 9-5, Sat & Sun, 9-6. Village shops & studios open Tues-Sun, 10-5. Café Merlot open Tues-Thur, 10-3, Fri-Sun, 8:30-3. Farmers’ mkt Fridays, 9-12. Live music on the patio, Sundays 2-5. 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte, San Diego 92128 • 858-487-1866 • bernardowinery.com CHUPAROSA VINEYARDS 100% estate grown zinfandel, sangiovese, cabernet franc and malbec wines. Picnics on the patio overlooking the vines are welcome. Warm up by the fireplace this winter—inside the new tasting room! Open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 to 5pm. 910 Gem Lane, Ramona, CA 92065 • 760-788-0059 • chuparosavineyards.com EDWARDS VINEYARD & CELLARS Full bodied red wines served from a small, family-run outdoor tasting patio overlooking the vineyard. Their estate grown syrah, petite sirah, cabernet sauvignon and blends showcase the quality of the Ramona Valley American Vitacultural Area. Look for ‘Ramona Valley’ on their labels. 26502 Hwy 78, Ramona (toward Julian) • 760-788-6800• edwardswinery.com

{Local Marketplace}

ROADRUNNER RIDGE WINERY A small winery in North San Diego County where all wine is made from their estate grown grapes. Featuring fruit forward Rhone style wines. No wimpy wines here, they aim to make San Diego County the next great grape growing region in California! Proud of their 35 years of award winning wine making experience. • 760-731-7349 • roadrunnerridgewinery.com STEHLEON VINEYARDS From the grapes to the winemaker, Stehleon Vineyards is San Diego grown. Stehleon wines blend four generations of agricultural heritage with local product and talent. • 760-741-1246 • StehleonVineyards.com TITO’S HANDMADE VODKA Produced in Austin at the first and oldest legal distillery in Texas in small batches in an old fashioned pot still. Distilled six times to be savored by spirit connoisseurs and everyday drinkers alike. • titosvodka.com TRIPLE B RANCHES A family business dedicated to producing San Diego’s finest wine grapes and premier estate wines. The wines embody the unique qualities of our region. • 760-749-1200 • triplebranches.com

Visit…Explore…Experience

VESPER VINEYARDS Brand new tasting room & winery NOW OPEN! Vesper Vineyards aims to expose wine drinkers to the diverse microclimates San Diego has to offer. They support local grapes and wine as well as all local agriculture and cuisine. 298 Enterprise St., Suite D, Escondido • 760-749-1300 • vespervineyards.com

We’re more than a nursery – we’re a destination! Nestled among mature oaks in the heart of Alpine, this community marketplace offers: • Handmade jewelry • Stone sculptures and carved wood statues • Handmade crafts and quilts • Antiques and primatives • Birdhouses and willow furniture

VINAVANTI URBAN WINERY & TASTING ROOM A certified organic, urban winery focused on minimal-intervention winemaking using locally sourced grapes. No added sulfites. Unfiltered. Unoaked. Native fermentation. Naturally beautiful. 9550 Waples St. #115A, San Diego, CA 92121 • 877484-6282 • Vinavanti.com WOOF’N ROSE WINERY Featuring award winning red wines made from 100% Ramona Valley American Vitacultural Area (AVA) grapes, mostly estate grown. Their flagship wine is the Estate Cabernet Franc. Open by appointment most days. Call to allow them to give you good directions and to confirm availability. • 760-788-4818 • woofnrose.com

• Friday Farmers’ Market

3:00 - 7:00 pm

2442 Alpine Boulevard, Alpine • 619.722.6169 Wed-Sat, 8:30 am–5:30 pm | Sun, 8:30 am–3:30 pm

MEDIA KSDS JAZZ 88.3 FM JazzWeek Magazine’s Large Market Station of the Year in 2011. Full-time mainstream/traditional jazz radio station licensed to the San Diego Community College District. Non-commercial and non-profit, community supported real jazz radio! • jazz88.org

MILAGRO FARM VINEYARDS & WINERY Milagro Farm Vineyards & Winery’s award winning, estate grown wines are complex, aromatic and world class. Recent winner of Best of Show Rose, Best of Class Sauvignon Blanc, and Gold and Silver medals at 2013 Winemaker Challenge. 18750 Littlepage Road, Ramona • 760-787-0738 • milagrofarmvineyards.com RAMONA RANCH WINERY A boutique winery in the heart of the Ramona Valley with fine, handcrafted wines made from their own grapes and grapes from the Ramona AVA in small lots and sold exclusively at the winery. Open from noon to sunset on Saturdays and most Sundays, but please call to confirm. Picnics welcome. 23578 Hwy 78, Ramona, CA 92065 • 760-789-1622 • ramonaranch.net

Assisting back-of-the-house staff with emergency medical needs Like us on

winter 2013

to find out more! edible San Diego

FARMERS’ MARKETS MONDAY Barona Open Air Market 1054 Barona Road Lakeside, CA 92040 11 – 4 pm, winter 619-347-3465

Escondido—Welk Resort # 8860 Lawrence Welk Dr. off Old Hwy 395 3 – 7 pm, year round 760-651-3630

State Street in Carlsbad Village

State St. & Carlsbad Village Dr. 3 – 6 pm (3 – 7 summer) 858-272-7054

Temecula*

40820 Winchester Rd. by Macy’s 9 am – 1 pm 760-728-7343

Vista Main Street

TUESDAY

271 Main St. & Indiana Ave. 4 pm – 8 pm 760-224-9616

Coronado

THURSDAY

1st St. & B Ave., Ferry Landing 2:30 – 6 pm 760-741-3763

Escondido *

Grand Ave. btw Juniper & Kalmia 2:30 – 6 pm year round 760-740-0602

Mira Mesa *

Mira Mesa High School 10510 Reagan Rd. 2:30 – 6 pm (3 – 7 pm summer) 858-272-7054

Otay Ranch—Chula Vista

2015 Birch Rd. and Eastlake Blvd. 4 – 8 pm (4 – 7 pm winter) 619-279-0032

Pacific Beach Tuesday Bayard & Garnet 2 – 7 pm 619-233-3901

UCSD/La Jolla

UCSD Campus, Town Square at Gilman/Meyers 10 am –2 pm (Sept to June) 858-534-4248

WEDNESDAY Encinitas Station

Corner of E St. & Vulcan 5 – 8 pm, May-Sept 4 – 7 pm, Oct-Apr 760-651-3630

Fishermen’s Farmers’ Mkt. 4900 North Harbor Dr. 3 – 7 pm 619-233-3901

Ocean Beach

4900 block of Newport Ave. 4–7 pm (summer 4–8 pm) 619-279-0032

Santee *#

Carlton Hills Blvd. & Mast Blvd. Pathway Center 3 – 6:30 pm winter 619-449-8427

edible San Diego

Carmel Valley

University Town Center #

Little Italy Mercato

FRIDAY

Pacific Beach

La Jolla Village Dr. & Genesee Ave. 3 – 7 pm 619-795-3363

Borrego Springs

Christmas Circle Comm. Park 7 am – noon (October–May) 760-767-5555

Fallbrook

102 S. Main, at Alvarado 10 am – 2 pm 760-390-9726

Imperial Beach *#

Canyon Crest Academy 5951 Village Center Loop Rd. 2:30 – sunset 858-945-5560

Seacoast Dr. at Pier Plaza Oct-Mar, 2 – 6 pm, Apr-Sep, 2 – 7:30 pm info@ imperialbeachfarmersmarket.org

Chula Vista

Kearny Mesa

Center St. off Third Ave. 3 – 7 pm (3 – 6 pm fall/winter) 619-422-1982

El Cajon #

North Island Credit Union pkg lot 5898 Copley 10:30 am – 1:30 pm 858-272-7054

Prescott Promenade on East Main Btw Magnolia & Claydelle Aves. 3 – 7 pm, year round 619-641-7510, x-277

La Mesa Village *

Horton Square San Diego

Marketplace at Alpine

225 Broadway & Broadway Circle Closed until March. 760-741-3763

Linda Vista *#

6900 Linda Vista Rd. btw Comstock & Ulric 2 – 7 pm (2–6 winter hours) 925-301-6081

North Park

CVS Pharmacy 3151 University & 32nd St. 3 – 7 pm year round 619-233-3901

Oceanside Market & Faire * Pier View Way & Coast Hwy. 101 9 am –1 pm 619-440-5027

Oceanside Sunset

Tremont & Pier View Way 5 – 9 pm 760-754-4512 619-279-0032

SDSU

Corner of Spring St. & University 2 – 6 pm 619-440-5027

Date St. (Kettner to Union) 8 am – 2 pm 619-233-3769 4150 Mission Blvd. 8 am – noon 760-741-3763

Poway *

Old Poway Park 14134 Midland Rd. at Temple 8 – 1 pm 619-440-5027

Ramona *

1855 Main St. (K-Mart pkg lot) 9 am–1 pm 760-788-1924

Rancho San Diego

900 Rancho San Diego Pkwy. Cuyamaca College 9 am – 2 pm 619-977-2011

Rincon’s Outdoor Market

FIRST Saturday of each month 34323 Valley Center Rd. 9 am – 1 pm facebook.com/ RinconsOutdoorMarket

Scripps Ranch

2442 Alpine Rd. next to Janet’s 3 – 7 pm 619-301-5442

10380 Spring Canyon Rd. & Scripps Poway Parkway 9 am – 1 pm 858-586-7933

Rancho Bernardo

Seaside

Bernardo Winery parking lot 13330 Paseo del Verano Norte 9 am – noon 760-500-1709

SATURDAY Alpine NEW DAY!

1347 Tavern Rd. in CVS pkg lot 9 – 2 pm 619-743-4263

City Heights *!#

On Wightman St. btw Fairmount & 43rd St. 9 am – 1 pm 925-301-6081

Del Mar

1050 Camino Del Mar 1 – 4 pm 858-342-5865

2475 Grand Ave. Mission Bay High School 10 am – 2 pm 619-890-5666

Southeast San Diego # NEW DAY! 4981 Market St. 3 – 6 pm 619-262-2022

Temecula *

Old Town Temecula Sixth & Front St. 8 am – 12:30 pm 760-728-7343

University Heights NEW! 4100 Normal Street 9 am – 1 pm 760-500-7583

Vista *

Campanile Walkway btw Hepner Hall & Love Library 10 am – 3 pm (Sept to June) www.clube3.org

Golden Hill #

B St. btw 27th & 28th Sts. 9:30 am – 1:30 pm 619-795-3363

County Courthouse 325 Melrose Dr. South of Hwy 78 8 am – 1 pm 760-945-7425

Seeds @ City Urban Farm

La Costa Canyon

SUNDAY

14th & C Sts. San Diego City College 9:30 – 11:30 am (Sept to June) erempala@sdccd.edu

winter 2013

La Costa Canyon High School One Maverick Way, Carlsbad 10 am – 2 pm 760-580-0116

Gaslamp San Diego 400 block of Third Ave. 9 am – 1 pm 619-279-0032

Hillcrest

DMV parking lot 3960 Normal & Lincoln Sts. 9 am – 2 pm 619-237-1632

La Jolla Open Aire La Jolla Elem. School Girard Ave. & Genter 9 am – 1 pm 858-454-1699

Leucadia *

Paul Ecke Central Elem. School 185 Union St. & Vulcan St. 10 am – 2 pm 858-272-7054

Murrieta *

Village Walk Plaza I-15, exit west on Calif. Oaks/ Kalmia 9 am – 1 pm 760-728-7343

North San Diego #

Sikes Adobe Farmstead 12655 Sunset Dr. Escondido 10:30 am – 3:30 pm year round 858-735-5311

Point Loma #

Corner of Cañon & Rosecrans 9:30 am – 2:30 pm 619-795-3363

Rancho Santa Fe Del Rayo Village

16079 San Dieguito Rd. 9 am – 1:30 pm 10 am – 2 pm fall/winter 858-922-5135

San Marcos *#

Restaurant Row, San Marcos Blvd. & Via Vera Cruz 10 am – 2 pm 925-301-6081

Solana Beach

410 to 444 South Cedros Ave. 1 – 5 pm 858-755-0444 *M arket vendors accept WIC (Women, Infants, Children Farmers’ Market checks) # Market vendors accept EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) ! Currently only City Heights accepts WIC Farmers’ Market Checks and the WIC Fruit and Vegetable Checks. All San Diego County markets listed except Barona, Rincon, SDSU and Seeds @ City are certified by the County Agricultural Commissioner. Visit ediblesandiego.com and click on “Resources” for more complete information and links to farmers’ market websites.

winter 2013

edible San Diego

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