NO. 61 SPRING 2021 LIMITED EDITION
edible
EAT • DRINK • READ • GROW
SAN DIEGO
TIME TO BLOOM BLACK FOOD MATTERS • A TASTE OF HOME • SOLVING THE TAKEOUT CONUNDRUM SERVING SAN DIEGO COUNTY | MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES | EDIBLESANDIEGO.COM
Nature Designs Landscaping has been designing, building and maintaining beautiful residentail landscapes in San Diego County for over 36 years.
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Spring 2021
CONTENTS
Issue 61
IN T HIS ISSUE DE PARTMENTS
4
Publisher’s Note
LI VING LOCAL
6
Liquid Assets Hot Dish
LOC AL ATTRACTIONS
22 Local Markets Guide P R E P ( FOR REAL L IFE )
24 Solving the Takeout Conundrum F E AT URES
8 Black Food Matters 14 A Taste of Home WHAT TO LOOK FOR O N E DIBLESANDIEGO. CO M R E AD
• • • • •
Local Urban Sustainable Farmers The Inequities of Farming Cooking Tips from a Florentine Farmers’ Market Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl Five Kinds of Salt and How to Use Them
LI ST E N
Living Local Podcast WAT C H
• • • • •
Peach Caprese Salad Spring Salad with Kumquats and Green Garlic Eating Kamayan Style in San Diego Vegan Coconut Pudding with Passionfruit Weekend Escape to Visalia and Sequoia National Park
ON T HE COVER
T H I S IMAGE
Red butter lettuce basking in the sun at the IRC MAKE Projects farm might be prettier than any flower we’ve ever laid eyes on.
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MARIA HESSE
The farm at IRC MAKE Projects is located on a busy corner of 30th Street in North Park. As part of the social enterprise’s Youth FarmWorks & Café program, the small plot supplies fresh produce to fulfill CSA and weekly meal prep orders, as well as menu dishes for the MAKE Garden Café. Story on page 14.
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Publisher’s Note |
Beloved Community…
orrowing a phrase from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., welcome to this issue of Edible San Diego, a precious respite from screen time and the stresses of the continuing pandemic. “Beloved community” is a beautiful and challenging vision that resonates with our vision as a business and with this issue of the magazine. Last summer, in response to the Black Lives Matter protests, our small team committed to commissioning more stories about Black-owned businesses in our region and to dedicating this issue of the magazine to food justice. This topic is deeply rooted in our mission, but we recognized it deserved new and sustained emphasis. Our features “Black Food Matters” and “A Taste of Home” share perspectives of local Black entrepreneurs and recent immigrants. Let us listen and learn about how food can bring us together and show how much more we have to do as a community. We take a look at an unintended consequence of takeout food, a survival strategy for restaurants and home cooks alike. We are sure you have noticed that the same packaging designed to protect our health also presents huge issues. Let’s explore some options. All this time at home has also led to a new or renewed interest in gardening, so Nan Sterman’s piece on growing from seeds comes at the perfect time for spring in Southern California. It’s always a proud moment to greet you in this space each
issue. I feel a mixture of pride in how much we sacrificed and innovated to be here today and concern that the pandemic’s decimation of health, incomes, and business might make revenues from advertising, memberships, and subscriptions unequal to the task of running this lean little business. Old rules for how each of us participates in the fastchanging world of media keep morphing; dare we envision a new relationship of community-supported media? We aim to meet you where you are with a refreshed website and ever more opportunities to connect digitally. If you love the stories we present or have ideas about what else we should write about, please join, subscribe, and reach out. If you think your business aligns with our awesome readers, let’s work together. And if you already do—thank you! We’re motivated to keep working hard because local food is essential to creating a more just world. Preparing for this note, I was so appreciative to hear Dr. King’s vision mentioned on the radio. His “beloved community” offers solace and faith that we’re up to the challenge. Katie Stokes Publisher, Edible San Diego
This magazine is made possible thanks to Edible San Diego members, subscribers, and advertisers.
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I S A B E L M AT TOX
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edible Communities 2011 James Beard Foundation Publication of the Year
Come visit our family farm hidden in the heart of Vista. We use organic and regenerative agriculture practices to grow delicious healthy produce for our community to enjoy. Fresh Produce • Farm Animals 629 Mar Vista Drive * Vista, CA 92081 www.sandnstraw.com Our farm animals would love to meet you!
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EDITORIAL
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Katie Stokes Editor in Chief
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Maria Hesse Executive Editor
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Dawn Mobley Copy Editor
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Operations Assistant
Katie Stokes
ADVERTISING SALES Sandy Rodriguez Katie Stokes
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Woof ‘n Rose Winery RAMONA VALLEY
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Living Local |
Liquid Assets BY MICHELLE STANSBURY
T
he Inclusion Committee of the San Diego Brewers Guild helps to implement diverse, inclusive, and equitable practices into local breweries to spearhead outreach in communities currently underrepresented in craft beer, and to educate craft beer consumers on how to be agents of change in the community. Be an agent of change while sipping on one of these local beers.
Border X Brewing’s flagship beer, Blood Saison, is inspired by a Mexican agua fresca with jamaica (hibiscus) and agave nectar for a sweet and tart flavor with light hints of biscuit malt. Owner David Favela, a first-generation immigrant from Mexico, draws inspiration from traditional Latin flavors rather than trying to duplicate the flavor profiles of European beers.
Humble IIPA Founded by Timothy Parker, Chula Vista Brewery is Black- and Brown-owned and embraces the culture and diversity of southern San Diego. Humble IIPA is a strong but smooth imperial IPA made with Centennial and Simcoe hops.
Glorious Golden Ale Second Chance Beer Co.’s beertender Brandon Montgomery recommends the in-house special Glorious Golden Ale. This one is a Belgian-style golden ale that presents a medium-light body with notes of pear, apricot, white pepper, and sweet grain. 6
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Hot Dish BY MICHELLE STANSBURY
S
parked by a Facebook post from Wanda Rogers in the summer of 2020, the Black Food Experience is a burgeoning initiative growing with support from Slow Food Urban San Diego. The movement seeks to tell stories of Black food today and throughout history, celebrating Black food culture around San Diego. With growers, cottage food producers, food trucks, pop-up shops, and more, the Black Food Experience is creating a comprehensive network to highlight and support Black-led food initiatives in the region. Learn more about these local, Black-owned businesses and others at theblackfoodexperience.com.
Popcorn Shrimp & Grits Buttery cream cheese grits and smoked turkey gravy complement popcorn shrimp for a decadent dish from chef and co-owner Sarajevo Petty at Surf & Soul Spot. Influenced by her Southern roots, Petty adds tomato relish for originality, while crispy fried shrimp adds crunch to the creamy grits.
Fish Sausage Burger David Muhammad, the owner of I Am Green Cafe, shares that his vision is to evolve his community’s diet from the legacy of plantation living by offering alternatives to foods that negatively impact health and quality of life. His fish sausage recipe uses no pork casings or fillers, just fresh whiting and seasonings marinated together for hours. The flavorful sausage is then served on a toasted brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and special sauce.
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Black Food Matters
Starting a conversation about nutritional equity BY DEBRA BASS
Khea Pollard CEO and founder, Café X: By Any Beans Necessary What role has food advocacy played in your work? Oh boy! Well, breaking into an industry with such a high (cost) threshold for participation has been challenging. Most people can’t afford an espresso machine that costs a couple thousand dollars, or a commercial grinder for a few hundred, plus all the other accoutrements for a coffee start-up. We broke into the industry making cold brews and popping up around town 8
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until I applied for a grant that got us a complement of “stuff” and a coffee cart. Everything we do is about advocacy—making it simpler for people of color to participate, understand, and develop skills in this industry. From introducing people to micro-roasting to simply introducing them to different beans, we deserve exposure just as well as anyone else. Money shouldn’t be an obstacle to running this type of operation, especially when the really good beans come from the motherland anyway. What do you think is the role of nutritional equity in the social justice movement? I’ve never heard of nutritional equity, but I imagine that means equitable access to nutritious food. The food you consume is foundational to your overall health and well-being. The food you grow is potentially your livelihood. Controlling the means of production as well as access on the back end keeps us all in chains to the extent that much of the time, people don’t even recognize it. And when we do, we don’t go as hard for food as we do law enforcement and criminal justice, or some other important topic. We do need to be fighting for autonomy, in every sense of the word, as a foundational aspect of any movement for Black lives. How have the effects of Covid-19 on the Black community changed the conversation about food and nutrition? I think Covid-19 highlighted much of what is already present: dramatic health disparities in some regions, zip codes, and communities. In much of the advocacy I see, everything is about testing this “underserved” community, or that “disenfranchised” community—make sure we test our new vaccine in the communities hit the hardest. These drug trafficking pharmaceutical companies will push that rather than a healthy diet as one critical aspect of prevention from Covid-19. Why is Operation Warp Speed about a vaccine rather than radically altering the way we diet, the way we exercise and take care of our whole bodies? That is the ultimate prevention for these chronic underlying conditions that make people especially vulnerable to this virus in the first place. Nutritious food is still not being pushed as part of the solution! Therein lies the priorities of the powers that be. Do you think the renewed interest and support of Blackowned businesses, especially wellness-focused outlets, will have long-term effects on health in Black communities? The moment is what we make it. We saw a spike in our numbers at Café X from people of all different cultures, socioeconomic backgrounds, and races. And I’ve also seen Black businesses pop up, totally riding the wave of the moment. But, these moments are a flash in the pan for a lot of frustrated people and those looking for an opportunity to self-affirm. None of it is wrong, but
RICH SOUBLET
W
e posed five questions to a few local leaders dedicated to the improvement of food, nutrition, and wellness in the Black community of San Diego to reflect on the events of 2020. They shared stories of how they have been affected and what they think this means for the future. Everyone noted that the Covid-19 pandemic, like other public health crises in the past, has shed a spotlight on the socioeconomic disparities of the Black community affecting the overall health of Black people in America. Local leaders in the realm of food see this as an opportunity for widespread change in the diet paradigm of traditionally underserved populations. Most said the goal is not just to increase awareness of nutrition disparities, but also to instigate more health food experimentation in Black communities. Advocates said that they hoped these conversations could ultimately lead to a greater diversity of people discussing health, wellness, and the immune system as it relates to food. If nearly all of the underlying conditions for increased risk of complications and mortality associated with Covid-19 are foodrelated, overhauling diet and nutrition must become a priority. Fending off future health crises that will also have severe global economic and environmental consequences will require new food, health, and nutrition policies. As many families and communities battle quarantine weight gain, food-based businesses and health activists say that it’s an ideal time to make health, longevity, and nutrition more than a fad.
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How has the effect of the pandemic on you, your business, or your family changed or altered your perspective? We were doing amazingly well off the heels of Black History Month in February 2020. Covid-19 hit the scene and the government started mandating people shelter in place. Because there were no patrons, all the tenants in the building we were located in had trouble making rent. None of us could sustain, and the property owner decided to sell the building. We have put locating a new storefront on the back burner while developing thoughtful projects and initiatives. The right space, with the right partners, will come—no more of us bouncing from collaboration to collaboration at tables where we don’t fit. We’ll be selecting on our terms and that’s damn good.
Michael Gabriel Cox Owner, Black SD Magazine What role has food advocacy played in your work? In my work, food advocacy has played a huge part because our publication makes sure that we provide our African-American community and community at large healthy alternatives of businesses to support. Because support for food-based businesses is based on consumption, it is imperative that we showcase a balance of options including healthy juices, smoothies, vegan, and vegetarian food. Our community is plagued with always being at risk for things such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, so we have to work on changing that by providing healthy options, tips, and education. What do you think is the role of nutritional equity in the social justice movement? The role of it is access. To be truly equitable for nutrition within a social justice movement there has to be more access to this. This access needs to be across the spectrum, from in school to nearby stores with fresh produce and healthy alternatives. Many communities who don’t have access to nutritional options also don’t have access to proper transportation, be it personal vehicles or public transportation. Nutritional equity has to be solved on both the macro and micro level when strategizing and planning. 10
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How have the effects of Covid-19 on the Black community changed the conversation about food and nutrition? I believe that it has helped highlight those businesses that offer healthy alternatives as I mentioned. Many people, organizations, and media outlets have sought to help the Black community in areas such as small business and entrepreneur highlights. Through this and the need for change, it has helped fuel the conversation forward in a progressive manner. Do you think the renewed interest and support of Blackowned businesses, especially wellness-focused outlets, will have long-term effects on health in Black communities? I believe that the focus hasn’t been placed on health as much as it should, so that is unclear. I know that people within the community have wanted to get healthy due to the coined term “quarantine weight” many have stated they gained. I think it will have an effect on the community in some way, but long term isn’t something I would say right now. How has the effect of the pandemic on you, your business, or your family changed or altered your perspective? It has made me think about alternative ways to incorporate healthy lifestyles such as vegan, vegetarian, and raw. My perspective changed as I learned more about different Blackowned businesses who offer these food alternatives and learned about why they chose these different lifestyles.
Alberto Cortés CEO, Mama’s Kitchen What role has food advocacy played in your work? Food advocacy has been a cornerstone of the work that we do at Mama’s Kitchen. With a particular focus on people with critical illnesses, our efforts aim to create awareness of the unique nutritional needs of historically underserved people living with HIV, cancer, diabetes, and/or heart disease and how medically appropriate nutrition can improve both health outcomes and quality of life. What do you think is the role of nutritional equity in the social justice movement? When you consider that food insecurity is directly associated with adverse health outcomes, and when you consider that food apartheid and food insecurity are common experiences in historically disenfranchised communities in our country, the connection to the social justice movement is very clear. The need for public health policies and legislative initiatives that reduce food insecurity and food deserts in vulnerable communities is
C O U RT E S Y O F B L AC K S D M AG A Z I N E A N D M A M A’ S K I TC H E N
flashy moments don’t sustain movements. Laying real groundwork and strategic planning does. So, I say maybe it will. But it’s more likely that this support disappears or becomes real silent until the next tragedy where the same kind of supporters and businesses pop up again. Wash, repeat. We as an organization have been on this journey since our inception in 2016 and have seen a lot of things, and people, come and go. Black support inside and outside our community can be very fair weather. Ultimately, whether or not this renewed interest is harnessed successfully is up to us.
C O U RT E S Y O F M A M A’ S K I TC H E N
Mama’s Kitchen volunteers prepare meal bags for the nonprofit’s clients in need.
urgent. The elimination of food disparities requires innovative strategies if we are to effectively erase racial and ethnic inequities in food systems in the United States.
very concrete way to witness prosperity that has, otherwise, evaded many in these communities due to systemic injustice. Concurrently, the need for policy changes is absolutely critical.
How have the effects of Covid-19 on the Black community changed the conversation about food and nutrition?
How has the effect of the pandemic on you, your business, or your family changed or altered your perspective?
The Covid-19 pandemic, like other public health challenges, sheds a glaring light on the socioeconomic disparities and systemic racism in our country. The lack of access to healthy foods, a preponderance of low-quality nutrition, and higher rates of food insecurity result in a higher prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases. These, in turn, are responsible for the increased morbidity and mortality from Covid-19 in disadvantaged communities.
We are living in extraordinary times with the convergence of the pandemic, the increased demand for social justice, and a federal government that is tone-deaf to the disparities and injustices that so glaringly exist in our country. I am called to examine my own contributions to these injustices, and take a stand as an anti-racist. I am called to take action in my sphere of influence, to both mitigate bias and microaggressions while simultaneously working to dismantle and replace the systems and policies that support these disparities experienced in our historically underserved communities. We have an extraordinary opportunity to make a difference. Lilla Watson, an Indigenous Australian visual artist, activist, and academic working in the field of women’s issues and Aboriginal epistemology, says, “If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”
Do you think the renewed interest and support of Blackowned businesses, especially wellness-focused outlets, will have long-term effects on health in Black communities? Sustaining this interest and support can, over time, have a positive impact. But the complexities of historic and systemic racism require efforts that go way beyond the support of Black-owned businesses. To be clear, intentional support of Black-owned businesses is a
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Kelston Lamar Moore Personal chef and CEO, Chef Kelston’s Culinary Experience What role has food advocacy played in your work? Everything I do is from the heart. I cook with love. I have an extreme love for people and I just let that flow through my unique dishes. What do you think is the role of nutritional equity in the social justice movement?
How have the effects of Covid-19 on the Black community changed the conversation about food and nutrition? Covid-19 has given the Black community time and self-reflection. Before the pandemic, nutrition was harder to maintain because of time constraints. Now people have time to learn new recipes, plant gardens, and practice alternative eating habits. Do you think the renewed interest and support of Black-owned businesses, especially wellness-focused outlets, will have long-term effects on health in Black communities? I firmly believe the effects will be lasting, and although the pandemic is a terrible thing, it is the key factor in the shift. Sometimes the movement just needs a push! How has the effect of the pandemic on you, your business, or your family changed or altered your perspective? The pandemic gave my business the boost it needed. The demand for a private chef skyrocketed due to limited access to dine-in restaurants. It also gave me inspiration and hope for the future. Through these trying times is where I learned my resilience and the depth of my creativity. It is because of that, I know I can accomplish the impossible. I will continue to be innovative and think outside the box. I will, in essence, be prepared for any other obstacles that come my way. 12
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VA L E R I E D U R H A M , S E A RC Y S H OT I T, K E L STO N L A M A R M O O R E C O U RT E SY O F K E L STO N ’ S C U L I N A RY E X P E R I E N C E
I believe a certain demographic of people are finally being educated on healthy cuisine and how important it is to eat a balanced diet. The vegan craze is paramount in the social justice movement. It is implied that if you love yourself, you’ll take care of yourself by feeding your body the nutrients it needs.
Quin Butler Owner and chef, The Vegan Lion What role has food advocacy played in your work? Food advocacy has played a huge part of owning my business, The Vegan Lion. I am trying to be the bridge between those wanting a healthier lifestyle and them actually having it. You truly are what you eat no matter how cliché that might sound. My life has improved dramatically since I started my journey to a healthier lifestyle in 2017. People have been manipulated into being OK with eating foods that provide no nutrition and our bodies and health suffer greatly. This is something that I am dedicated to changing for my family and my community. What do you think is the role of nutritional equity in the social justice movement? It’s hard to believe our country values equality for all when it doesn’t even believe we all deserve to eat healthy or at all. People of color are purposely misled and kept away from foods that actually bring value to our bodies or life and that is not fair or just. If you are not well within, it’s easier for you to be controlled and kept down. It also can keep you from reaching your highest potential and stepping into your true power. How can you fight for your basic human civil rights if you are too sick? It’s harder to eat organic, healthy food if your neighborhood grocery store doesn’t have those options for you or you can’t afford them. Food deserts are blatantly intentional because who does it benefit to flood communities of color with more fast food restaurants than healthy food stores? How do you build generational wealth and power if you are spending most of your money on medicines and treatments from doctors for conditions that can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle?
L I N D S AY K R E I G H B AU M C O U RT E S Y O F Q U I N B U T L E R
How have the effects of Covid-19 on the Black community changed the conversation about food and nutrition? I believe that when Covid reduced the already limited resources and access that most Black communities have to healthy, quality food, it brought to light even more how Black people are constantly left to fend for themselves in this country. We need more Black-owned health food stores, healthy food vendors, gardens, farmers, and healthy food allies to eliminate food deserts and increase access to healthy food options in Black communities. Seeing how empty shelves were in stores at the beginning of the pandemic was something I’ll never forget. Do you think the renewed interest and support of Blackowned businesses, especially wellness-focused outlets, will have long-term effects on health in Black communities? I think any consistent efforts of individuals, organizations, or businesses on educating others on a healthier lifestyle will have long-term effects on health in Black communities. Change takes time, and sometimes the process can be really slow—but it’s been getting better, and will continue to improve. Ten years ago, I would have never considered going vegan, but the more I learned about what health really is and let go of the mindset I had, I was
able to make a long-term change. I will continue to help as many people as I can focus on their health and hopefully they will do the same for others. “Buy Black” and “Support Black-Owned Businesses” are not new concepts. These sentiments come and go in cycles to the forefront of focus depending on what’s going on in the country. Last summer my business increased rapidly during the height of the Buy Black 2020 movement, but when people moved on to the next thing, it slowed back down a little. Whether people are seeking me out intentionally to support me as a Black business owner or not, The Vegan Lion will be here doing what I can to help. How has the effect of the pandemic on you, your business, or your family changed or altered your perspective? This pandemic is causing a deep human-to-human disconnect that I hope we can heal from and get past once it’s over. People need one another. Physical interaction and closeness is a necessity for human survival. People are afraid to be around their own family and friends. I miss seeing everyone’s faces and smiles when I go out. The last time I saw my grandad I couldn’t even hug him or be in the same room with him because he was quarantined. I haven’t done any big events for my business because things are so complicated now due to Covid restrictions. Covid has been hard to deal with, but I am hopeful I will be able to persevere through this and come out stronger on the other side. Interviews have been edited for clarity. SPRING 2021 |
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A Taste of Home
Cooking creates a bridge between past and future for refugees in San Diego BY F E L I C I A C A M P B E L L | P H O T O G R A P H Y BY O L I V I A H AYO
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ack home, there are no companies, no restaurants. Besides, restaurant food is different; it is all cooked by men,” Roda Suleiman says with a smirk. “It is the women cooking tagalia with aseeda, injera, gorassa.” She describes the traditional meat and okra stew, tagalia, which is traditionally served alongside fermented, jelly-like aseeda or rounds of sour flatbreads like injera, gorassa, or kisra. “Oh, and even medeeda,” she says. “You know medeeda?” I shake my head, and she continues describing the toasted fenugreek custard that is considered a Sudanese comfort food. “We take milk straight from the cow, then we put it over the fire. We also make fresh butter for the medeeda,” she says almost wistfully. The look in Suleiman’s eyes shifts when she speaks about food, softening as happy memories of a childhood spent on her grandparents’ farm replace more recent memories of the burning of that home and slaughter of both livestock and humans during the genocide in Darfur. Suleiman fled her village during the war, walking nearly 1,000 kilometers (over 620 miles) to the Nuba Mountains where she lived as a refugee for two years before being sent to another refugee camp in Kenya. “There I learned to write A, B, C with my finger in the dirt,” she says, describing her life in the camp where she waited for an asylum interview. “We were there seven years. When my visa was approved, they said I just need to wait for my flight,” she laughs. “My flight came three years later.” The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a nonprofit organization that is committed to helping refugees, like Suleiman, not only with critical support in the midst of a crisis like war, conflict, or natural disaster, but also to empower new immigrants to build a future as they resettle in a new country. In San Diego, the IRC is doing just that through the Merging Agriculture, Kitchens, and Employment (MAKE) Projects, a job training social enterprise program. MAKE Projects allows participants to gain paid work experience, practice their English, and begin to forge a new community. Food is an especially powerful way to achieve these goals. “Many of these ladies don’t speak any English at all, but in the kitchen, it doesn’t matter. We communicate through food,” says chef Andrew Gerdes, who runs the IRC’s commercial kitchen and café training programs in North Park. Chef Gerdes first became interested in international cuisine when he moved from Nebraska to New York to attend the French Culinary Institute. “There were all these flavors right outside my door,” he says. “After working in restaurants for a few years, I went to work as a sous chef at a private school where we were cooking different cuisines from all over the world each day. We saw lunchtime as another opportunity for the kids to learn—learning through eating.” This background has served him well in his current role as he takes inspiration from program participants to develop menus for the weekend café and for the new family meal takeaway program. “It’s a two-way street,” he explains. “We learn from each other. I teach them some classic French techniques, and they teach me about the foods they cook at home.” Some menus are easier to put together than others. Suleiman came to the program as an experienced cook and was able to translate her recipes almost directly into menu-ready dishes. Other participants have come to Gerdes with little more than memories of their mother’s cooking. That’s when he begins researching recipes and working with participants to recreate familiar flavors. 14
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Opposite, top row from left: Mercedes Sotolongo, from Cuba, holds tostones al ajo and Cuban rice and beans. Roda Suleiman, from Darfur, Sudan, holds a plate of kisra bread and okra stew. Sahra Gamadid, from Somalia, holds anjero bread and a traditional Somali preserved beef dish called oodkac. Opposite, middle row: MAKE is an acronym for Merging Agriculture, Kitchens, and Employment. The MAKE Projects café and family meals are cooked using produce grown in the on-site garden. Opposite, bottom row from left: Abshiro Abdi, from Somalia, is a few weeks into her kitchen training. Sangabo Noor, from Somalia, is a few weeks into her kitchen training. Chef Andrew Gerdes draws inspiration and recipes for weekly family meal menus from the traditional dishes of current and past program participants.
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telling the story of how the City eats anD DrinKs • no. 52 sPring 2018
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Bottling liQuiD Courage maKing sPiCeBush fiZZ BiointensiVe orCharDs Boom irish Bars’ fluiD iDentity a Brewery-fermentary-juiCery in one Member of Edible Communities
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Member of Edible Communities No. 39 | Winter 2019
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Issue 45
Spring 2020 MARIN & WINE COUNTRY
Celebrating the harvest of Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties, season by season
m a n h at ta n
N O. 45
FLINTER 2019
MEMPHIS
telling the story of how gotham eats • no. 30 july�august ����
FOODFM anD COMMUNITIN TE MIDOUT
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Family meals have featured dishes from Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, and dozens of other countries represented by past and current program participants. This week’s menu is Burmese and includes lahpet thoke (tea leaf salad), khow suey (vegetable coconut curry noodle soup), gin thoke (melon salad), and Burmese semolina cake.
“I had a couple of young Tanzanian participants whose parents cooked, and they remembered the foods from home, but had no idea how to make them. I did some research and we worked together to develop recipes,” Gerdes says. With participants from countries like Afghanistan, Congo, Haiti, Iraq, and dozens more, the flavors in the MAKE Projects kitchen are diverse and constantly changing. “We cooked a different food every day,” says Mercedes Sotolongo, a Cuban participant from the fall 2019 cohort. “I like to cook, and here I learned a lot, food from 10 or 12 countries. Back home I like to make desserts like flan or arroz con leche, but here I wanted to learn about hojaldre. I didn’t know the English name, so I asked Andrew, and he said he would look it up. It means ‘puff pastry’ in English, and he taught me how to use it. We made empanadas with fresh jam using fruit from the garden. Delicious. My time here was awesome.” Sotolongo was a doctor back in Cuba, but with different licensing requirements in the United States, she soon realized that she needed to think about other options. “It’s tostones al ajo,” she explains as she presents a plate of perfectly crisp fried plantains topped with shreds of pungent fresh garlic. “And this is very simple rice and beans—just cumin, salt, garlic, onion, bay leaf, oregano. In my country, we eat these things. And fried sweet bananas, sometimes chicken, arroz con pollo.” During her time in the MAKE Projects kitchen, Sotolongo
learned new words, asking Gerdes how to spell various names of ingredients and tools, and though she now works in a medical lab doing Covid testing, she credits the program with boosting her confidence during the transition. “Also, I still make this delicious chicken curry that I learned here,” she says, smiling. The other participants echo Sotolongo’s passion for learning about new foods and cultures. “I never got to travel anywhere,” says Sahra Gamadid, a Somali participant who graduated from the summer 2020 program. “But, it is nice; I got to experience these other places with the food.” Every participant has the opportunity to be both student and teacher. “I loved learning food of different countries,” says Gamadid. “For me, I teach them how to make malawah, a kind of sweet injera bread. It became very popular.” Her fermented crepes are now featured permanently on the MAKE Café brunch menu, along with Somali-spiced potatoes, onions, and eggs. The MAKE Projects kitchen is steps away from the garden, where ingredients for the café brunch and weekly family meals are harvested fresh as needed. The produce is also available to CSA members along with specialty pantry items made by the team, including the likes of pickles, hummus, and jams. The garden reminds many of home. “I love to pick fresh things here,” says Gamadid, as she looks out over the garden. “Like we did back home. Everything in my country is organic. Here it is different.” SPRING 2021 |
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“We grew everything back there,” Suleiman says as she walks through the garden, pointing at the herbs. “Thai basil, corn, oranges—everything except the berries, we grow in Sudan. I miss the food of my country.” Suleiman was hired to work part-time with the MAKE Projects, and now shares the foods of her homeland at IRC events and with new cohorts of participants. She has deftly adapted her recipes to make use of what’s available locally. Kisra bread, which is similar to Ethiopian injera, is traditionally made with a fermented sorghum dough (rather than the darker, teff-based dough used in Ethiopia). This yields a lighter-colored, subtly tangy round of similarly bubble-dotted bread. “Here in America, I use normal [AP] flour and corn flour [masa harina] with hot water. When it’s cold outside, I leave it two days to ferment. If it’s hot, maybe only a few hours. Gives a nice sour taste.” “She is so good, we didn’t want to let her go,” Gerdes grins. “I love my work here,” Suleiman says, adding that the extra money she makes with this second job all goes to support her mother in Sudan and her two sons, who are still awaiting immigration interviews in Kenya. After graduating from the program, Gamadid found a job as a care worker, but she still finds time to cook and enjoys sharing the new recipes she learned in the MAKE Projects kitchen with her five children. On her return visit to the IRC in North Park, she brought a stack of fermented anjero bread and a traditional Somali dish called oodkac, for which finely cubed beef is spiced with garlic and cardamom and quick-preserved through deepfrying. Though participants might make traditional meat-based dishes like oodkac for one another or for the café menu, the MAKE family meals are all vegetarian. “We began family meals in response to Covid after the café was shut down,” Gerdes explains. “I wanted to cater to the families in the area who might have different dietary needs. Everyone can eat everything on the menu, and if they want more protein, we offer chicken and fish as add-ons.”
IRC MAKE Projects in North Park offers weekly family meals, a weekend café and pop-up dinners when dining services are permitted, and a CSA program. Learn more at ircmake.org. 18
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The MAKE Projects kitchen is a safe space where participants have an unspoken understanding of the difficult circumstances that brought them together. The food they cook is a borderless, yet tangible expression of home that they share with one another. The family meals have become reflections of these edible memories. “I wanted to stay true to home cooking and invite people into the kitchen to hear these amazing conversations about food that I get to be a part of every day,” Gerdes says. “I don’t include a dish you’d find at, say, an Afghani restaurant; instead, we focus on home cooking.” Somali participants Abshiro Abdi and Sangabo Noor are three weeks into the program and they work skillfully alongside Gerdes and Suleiman on this week’s Burmese menu. Together they chop herbs and fry split yellow lentils for lahpet thoke, a crunchy tea leaf salad. They bundle dry noodles to send out alongside flavorful coconut curry broth for khow suey. They look serious, but happy as they cube melon for gin thoke fruit salad. “The semolina cake shows the Indian influence on Burmese cuisine,” says Gerdes as he places a few slices in a takeaway container. For the North Park community, these family meals are about more than healthy, delicious international foods, and for the participants, it is about more than learning new job skills. “I ask myself, why do people order from us?” says Gerdes. “It’s not just the food, it’s the stories. So, I include handouts with the meals that explain where the food comes from and a bit about those who inspired them. People tell us they read the handouts to their kids over dinner.” Stories are the way we make sense of the world and our place in it, and food provides a physical connection to our own heritage and to that of other cultures. Tapping into the power of taste and memory, the IRC MAKE Projects create a gentle bridge between past and future, for both refugees and the communities they now call home.
| Partner Content
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Partner Content |
Spring Is for Seed Starting BY NAN STERMAN
M
to see in some cases. But set them on soil, add water, keep them at the right temperature, and in just a few months, they grow into enormous plants that, in turn, feed us. Start from seed to witness the entire process from beginning to end. Starting from seed also offers many more options for trying new varieties or finding old favorites that you won’t find as seedlings in the nursery. You can swap seeds with friends, pass them down through generations, and save your favorites to be sure to enjoy them one year to the next. While I’ve been starting seeds for decades, the pandemic has brought many new gardeners into the world of seed starting. Some are curious to see the process. Some are looking for a connection to nature and the outdoors. Some want an activity to do with children. Many new gardeners are looking to feed themselves and their families, and to have a safe, reliable source of fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables. This sudden surge in starting seeds has made for big challenges in the seed industry. Last year, companies that sell seeds to home gardeners struggled to keep up with the unexpected demand. According to my friend Renee Shepherd, owner of Renee’s Garden Seeds near Santa Cruz, seed companies project the number of
C O U RT E S Y O F WAT E R W I S E G A R D E N E R
arch is one of my favorite—and busiest—months of the year. As the air begins to warm with spring, I start dreaming about growing tomatoes, eggplants, squash, basil, and all the other yummy summer vegetables. March is the best time to start summer vegetable seeds in our region. Get them going now and those seedlings will be ready to transplant in six weeks. I know many anxious gardeners want to start seeds sooner, but that’s not a good idea. The soil is too cold and the days too short until mid-April at the earliest. If you plant before then, the seedlings will sit and sulk, waiting for warmer times. And while they wait, they are susceptible to critters, mildew, fungus, and other maladies. So I’ve learned to take a deep breath and wait until March, which gives me plenty of time to plan and marvel at the whole process of growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers from seed. And it gives me time to teach in-person, hands-on seed-starting workshops across San Diego County. This year, of course, that won’t happen, so I’ve put the workshop online so it is available on demand. Visit waterwisegardener.com to register. Whether in person or online, you’ll see how miraculous seeds are. They look like little pieces of dead wood, hardly big enough
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packets they expect to sell each year based on the previous year’s sales. But in 2020, the packets they produced to last through June sold out in April, which put a huge stress on the supply chain. Most companies had enough seeds, but they ran out of printed envelopes and other critical supplies for fulfilling orders. This year, those companies planned to meet the larger demand, but even so, some wholesale suppliers (not the retailers that you and I buy from) were running low by January. Fortunately, I have plenty of seeds on hand, including my three top favorite tomatoes: Nova, a golden grape tomato; Valentine, a brilliant red oversized grape tomato; and a new one called Apple Yellow. Every year, I test new varieties for the National Garden Bureau. They send seeds scheduled to come to market in a few years, and last year, Apple Yellow was among them. I was really impressed. The plants grew huge but not out of control. The fruits formed early and kept going longer than any other of the 16 varieties of tomatoes I grew. The fruits themselves were bright yellow and the same size as a grape tomato, but with square “shoulders” much like an apple. And they were delicious! Fortunately, I have enough Apple Yellow tomato seeds for this year. By next year, I’m hoping the seeds will be readily available so I can include them in my seed-starting workshops. Let me show you how to start vegetables from seed. Sign up at waterwisegardener.com for my online seed-starting workshop, and you’ll learn all my tips and tricks for growing the summer yummies you and your family love to eat.
If you’d like to see how vegetable seeds are bred, tested, selected, produced, and brought to market, check out the Season 5 episode of A Growing Passion called “The Story of Seeds: From Breeding to Eating.” And stay tuned for the Season 8 episode, “Pandemic Pivot,” premiering on KPBS (San Diego) in April 2021. We explore how the pandemic has affected our farming and horticulture communities, and feature San Diego’s only local seed producer, San Diego Seed Company. All episodes of A Growing Passion can be viewed online anytime after their television debut at agrowingpassion.com.
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edible san diego Local Monday
Escondido—Welk Resort √† 8860 Lawrence Welk Dr. 3–7pm 760-651-3630
Tuesday Coronado √
1st St. & B Ave., Ferry Landing 2:30–6pm 760-741-3763
Escondido √*
262 East Grand Ave. 2:30–7pm (2:30–6pm Oct to May) 760-480-4101
The Farmstand NEW
(formerly People’s Produce Night Market) 4261 Market St. 5–8pm 619-813-9148
Mira Mesa √*
10510 Reagan Rd. 2:30–7pm (3–6pm fall-winter) 858-272-7054
Otay Ranch—Chula Vista √
2015 Birch Rd. and Eastlake Blvd. 4–8pm 619-279-0032
Enjoy the Open Air Wednesday
Thursday
501 W. Date St. 9am–1pm 619-233-3901
2885 Lemon Grove Ave. 3–7pm 619-813-9148
Little Italy Wednesday √*†
Ocean Beach √
Linda Vista √*†
Santee *†
North Park Thursday √*†
South Bay √
Oceanside Morning √*
State Street in Carlsbad Village √
Rancho Bernardo √
4900 block of Newport Ave. 4–8pm (4–7pm winter) 619-279-0032 Carlton Hills Blvd. & Mast Blvd. 3–7pm (2:30–6:30pm winter) 619-449-8427 4475 Bonita Rd. 3–7pm 619-550-7180 State St. & Carlsbad Village Dr. 3–7pm (3–6pm fall-winter) 858-272-7054
40820 Winchester Rd. by Macy’s 9am–1pm 760-728-7343
Bayard & Garnet 2–6pm 619-233-3901
UCSD Campus, Town Square 10am–2pm, Sept to June 858-534-4248
Vail Headquarters √* 32115 Temecula Pkwy. 9am–1pm 760-728-7343
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2900 North Park Way 3–6pm 619-550-7180
Pier View Way & Coast Hwy. 101 9am–1pm 760-791-3241 16535 Via Esprillo 11am–1:30pm 619-279-0032
Friday
Borrego Springs √ 700 Palm Canyon Dr. 7am–noon, Oct to Apr 760-767-5555
San Marcos √
UCSD Town Square √
6939 Linda Vista Rd. 3–7pm (2–6pm winter) 760-504-4363
Temecula—Promenade √*
Pacific Beach Tuesday à
251 North City Dr. 3–7pm (3–6pm fall-winter) 760-744-1270
Lemon Grove √*
Horton Plaza Lunch Market
EAT the most delicious californiagrown fruits and vegGIES 7 days a week
225 Broadway Circle 11am–2pm 619-795-3363
Imperial Beach √*†
10 Evergreen Ave. 2–7pm (2–6pm winter) info@imperialbeachfarmersmarket.org
La Mesa Village √*
La Mesa Blvd. btwn Palm & 4th St. 3–6pm, year-round 619-795-3363
Rancho Bernardo √
13330 Paseo del Verano Norte 9am–1pm 760-500-1709
Markets Guide Cook All Weekend
Saturday
find the freshest local catch
City Heights √*†!
Pacific Beach √
Temecula—Old Town √*
Del Mar √
Poway √*
Tuna Harbor Dockside Market
Little Italy Mercato à
Rancho Penasquitos
Vista √*†
Wightman St. btwn Fairmount & 43rd St. 9am–1pm 760-504-4363
4150 Mission Blvd. 8am–noon 760-741-3763
1050 Camino Del Mar 1–4pm 858-465-0013
Sixth & Front St. 8am–12:30pm 760-728-7343
14134 Midland Rd. 8am–1pm 619-249-9395
600 W. Date St. 8am–2pm 619-233-3901
598 Harbor Ln. Port of San Diego 8am–3pm 325 Melrose Dr. 8am–noon 760-945-7425
9400 Fairgrove Ln. 9am–1pm 858-484-8788
Support local growers and businesses
Sunday
Murrieta √*
Hillcrest √*
3960 Normal St. 9am–2pm 619-237-1632
Village Walk Plaza I-15, exit west on Calif. Oaks & Kalmia 9am–1pm 760-728-7343
La Jolla Open Aire √
North San Diego / Sikes Adobe à
Girard Ave. & Genter 9am–1pm 858-454-1699
12655 Sunset Dr. 10:30am–3:30pm 858-735-5311
Leucadia √*
21887 Washington St. Noon–4pm 760-782-9202
Solana Beach √
Rancho Santa Fe Del Rayo Village √
185 Union St. 10am–2pm 858-272-7054
Santa Ysabel √
410 South Cedros Ave. Noon–4pm 858-755-0444
16077 San Dieguito Rd. 9:30am–2pm 619-743-4263
cultivate community Due to Covid-19: Markets shown in gray are temporarily closed and all listings are subject to change. Please contact markets directly to confirm hours of operation and locations.
Visit ediblesandiego.com for more complete information and links to market websites.
* M arket vendors accept WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Farmers’ Market checks. † M arket vendors accept EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer). ! Market vendors accept WIC Fruit and Vegetable checks. √ Indicates markets certified by the San Diego County Agricultural Commissioner, ensuring that the produce is grown by the seller or another certified farmer in California, and meets all state quality standards. Temecula markets and the Murrieta market are certified by the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner.
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Prep (For Real Life) |
Solving the Takeout Conundrum BY MARIA HESSE
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ith the need to support our local restaurants through takeout and delivery purchases comes a tidal wave of to-go containers. From one-ounce sauce cups to heavy-duty clamshells and utensils, a single order can leave the waste-conscious consumer feeling overwhelmed. We asked Jessica Bombar at the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, a local nonprofit focused on zero-waste living, to give us some guidance on the topic.
Takeout recycling is tricky. There are usually mixed materials involved: paper with plastic liners, utensils that are too small to recycle, compostables, etc. Bombar says, “Learning the difference between materials and proper sorting is important because adding nonrecyclables into the curbside bin can have negative effects at the facility.” The key might be to look for businesses that are using recyclable aluminum, paper without liners, plastic (polypropylene PP #5 and PET #1), or compostable takeout packaging.
2. Reduce/Refuse Whether you’re bringing food home or having it safely delivered, Bombar suggests taking the time to specify no utensils in your takeout bag—and you might be able to skip the bag altogether. “Not only are you preventing the use of single-use plastics, but you are also helping promote a by-request thought process that sets a new standard because these options only exist if enough people ask for it.” An added tip for when dining out is feasible: Keep a reusable container in your car (jar, Tupperware, etc.) to take leftovers home. More food businesses are adopting reusable programs like The Plot’s new takeout container exchange with reVessel and In Good Company’s gourmet meal kits. Bombar adds, “M’Porte also has a takeout exchange program similar to reVessel, and Surfrider SD just launched their ocean-friendly to-go program.”
3. Empty, Dry, and Loose As a reminder, items for recycling need to be emptied of their contents. Give them a quick rinse, dry, and toss them straight in the recycling bin loose, not in a plastic bag. Items with heavy food residue are not recyclable, so take care to remove as much debris as possible. “These are important standards not only for general recycling and takeout. For example, small sauce containers are recyclable, but most people send them to the landfill instead of emptying and recycling,” Bombar says.
4. Compost Leftovers Hand in hand with recyclable packaging comes the recycling of unwanted food. Bombar says, “Solana Center offers Food Cycle, a community compost program for residents and businesses to help divert unwanted leftovers or scraps.” Plus, there are resources to help residents start composting right at home. 24
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5. Reuse Think beyond single-use and wash and stash takeout containers for sprouting trays or seed starters, future food sharing or donations (so you don’t lose food storage containers to family or friends), or try finding purpose for these items in creative family projects, like making paint palettes and storing beads, puzzle pieces, and crayons. Do you have more ideas? Tag us on social media or send your suggestions to info@ediblesandiego.com. As a parting thought on recycling in general, Bombar stresses the importance of diverting electronic products: “When sent to the landfill, e-waste such as batteries, lightbulbs, and electronics can eventually leach out into groundwater and negatively impact our waterways. Solana Center offers curbside e-waste donation at our site.” Find more facts and tips on recycling at solanacenter.org/recycling.
For a list of local restaurants offering takeout and delivery options in your neighborhood, check out the Ultimate Takeout and Delivery Guide on ediblesandiego.com.
C O U RT E S Y O F LU C K Y B O LT
1. Recycle
LuckyBolt packs chicken macro bowls with ingredients from four local farms in compostable containers for Frontline Foods to feed VA healthcare workers.
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Your Time
To Dine
April 11-18, 2021
A blossom of foodie adventures awaits! Join us at San Diego Restaurant Week this spring for an 8-day edible extravaganza.
sandiegorestaurantweek.com
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