Edible San Diego Micro Powered Issue 72 Winter 2023–2024 by Edible San Diego

NO. 72 WINTER 2023–2024 LIMITED EDITION

EAT • DRINK • SHARE • GROW

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MICRO POWERED MYCOLOGICAL WONDERS • WINTER GARDENING • FERMENTATION BASICS SERVING SAN DIEGO COUNTY | MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES | EDIBLESANDIEGO.COM

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Winter 2023–2024

CONTENTS

Issue 72

I N T H I S I SS U E 4 Publisher’s Note 5 Issue Contributors E AT 8 From Macro to Micro and Back 13 Winter Word Play 15 Must-Try Vegetarian Cuisine at Ambrogio by Acquerello 16 13 Recipes That Should Be on Your Holiday Table 18 Local Markets Guide DR INK 21 Rising to the Occasion 23 Letting Flavor Lead the Way SH AR E 26 Oh My! Mycology! 31 Edible for Kids™ created in partnership with Barefoot Books, Inc. G R OW 36 Winter Gardening TAK E AWAY 38 Fermentation Basics WHAT TO LOOK FOR ON EDIBLESANDIEGO.COM • Green Gift Giving • Winter Dining • Seasonal event roundups + MORE LIST E N • Living Local podcast • Edible Communities Radio podcast available on ediblecommunities.com WATC H @ ed i blesa n d i ego ON YOUT UB E • How to Braise Merguez-Inspired Lamb Shanks with Fennel and Onions • Winter Citrus & Radicchio Salad • Turmeric Sweet Potato Spread • How to Make Apple and Fennel Flatbread

EDIBLE SAN DIEGO EXP RESS

ON THE COVER Learn to make Apple-Ginger Sauerkraut from San Diego fermentation guru, Austin Durant. Story on page 38. THIS IMAGE Find this recipe for Creamy Anazape Beans with Winter Squash from chef Perla Rico on page 11. 2

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PUBLISH ER’ S N OT E |

ELEMENTS OF HEALTH “To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” — Mary Oliver

ere we are. It’s winter again, and the cool, moist air feels so good. I’m sure you’ve also said or heard someone marvel at how time seems to be moving faster these days. For a few minutes, let’s agree to slow down and savor. While taking a bite or sip of something, have you ever paused to think of the living soil, water, and hands that brought it to you? Doing so places us squarely in the midst of the most magnificent, intricate living world, which merits more awe and gratitude the closer we look. We usually forget what happens after we swallow, but what we call digestion is part of a dance where the outside world enters our bodies for a while, is partly repurposed to fuel our energy, and then rejoins the outside world. Over and over again. What does this thought exercise bring to mind for you? In our 15th anniversary year, we’ve continued to take a regenerative lens to our local land, water, and human changemakers here in San Diego County. In the process, everything can look different, and we ourselves can change too. This issue zooms in close on the tiny elements, creatures, and processes on, in, and all around us. We get acquainted with B EC K A VA N C E microbes—yeast, bacteria, and more— that make some of our favorite foods and drinks possible. Who knew that beans and mushrooms could teach us so much about heroic bacteria, micronutrients, and health at all earthly scales? To put all this good learning into action, we’ve gathered key tips for gardening in SoCal’s winter months and our favorite cool-weather recipes. We’d like to congratulate our 15 contributors who won first, second, and third place awards with the San Diego Press Club this fall (that’s 65 awards in the last five years). We’re honored when colleagues and readers like you appreciate the heart, soul, and rigor that people (no AI here) put into every page. If you can support this local food journalism, please join our free email community, buy a gift subscription for a loved one, or invite your favorite local business to advertise with us. With thanks and hopes that this winter season is filled to the brim with all that warms your heart,

EDITORIAL Katie Stokes Editor in Chief Maria Hesse Executive Editor Dawn Mobley Copy Editor Liz Murphy Digital Recipe Copy Editor

DESIGN Maria Hesse Designer COVER PHOTO BY BECKA VANCE

PUBLISHER Katie Stokes

ADVERTISING Toni Kraft Katie Stokes For information about advertising options, rates, and deadlines please contact katie@ediblesandiego.com. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. © 2023 All rights reserved. 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. This magazine is made possible thanks to Edible San Diego advertisers, members, and subscribers. Thank you for supporting San Diego’s local and independently women-owned food media company.

CONTACT Edible San Diego 1501 San Elijo Rd. South #104-210 San Marcos, CA 92078 601-526-1919 info@ediblesandiego.com ediblesandiego.com Instagram @ediblesdmag Facebook @ediblesandiego X @ediblesandiego

Katie Stokes Publisher and Editor in Chief Edible San Diego Continuing Conversations

Check out the Small Things issue from winter 2022–2023 for more micro-powered inspiration.

edible Communities 2011 Publication of the Year

edible SAN DIEGO ISSUE 72 CONTRIBUTORS Patrick Ballow is a San Diego native that has worked in the San Diego wine industry since 2005. He opened Vino Carta in 2016 and continues to manage both Little Italy and Solana Beach locations. He is one of the co-organizers of Nat Diego, San Diego’s yearly natural wine fair. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with his two sons, cooking for friends and family, snow skiing, and playing tennis. Barefoot Books is an award-winning, independent, women-owned and run children’s book publisher based in Concord, MA. Founded by two mothers in England in 1992, they are committed to creating visually captivating books that celebrate global awareness and diversity, spark curiosity, and capture imaginations. Lauren di Matteo is a San Diego-based storyteller capturing the beauty of heritage and hard work, celebrating the inherent dignity of her subjects. She is drawn to stories of craftsmanship, sustainability, regenerative agriculture, and ethical sourcing, and is passionate about bringing those topics to light. Whether photographing a Michelin-starred chef or farmer in foreign fields, it’s the commitment to craft and persistence through hardship that inspires Lauren’s work. Austin Durant has been fermenting food for over 12 years. In 2011, he founded Fermenters Club, whose mission is to teach people why and how to make fermented foods at home, and to create communities connected through our guts. Austin teaches hands-on classes throughout San Diego County on fermented food traditions such as sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, sourdough, kombucha, miso, and seasonal specialties. He is writing his first book, Fearless Fermenting, available in spring 2024! Maria Hesse is the executive editor and designer of Edible San Diego. Her interest in functional arts led to a degree in interior design, which inspires her passion to be an advocate for sustainable living through food. She enjoys balcony gardening and designing crochet patterns in her down time. Find her @mariafromediblesd and @waysidestudiowest on Instagram. Paul Hormick is a horticulturist and environmentalist with a master’s degree in environmental science and policy. As a freelance writer, his interests are in the environment, current events, music, and the arts. He is the author of As We Believe: Conversations of Religion and Faith. Paul lives in San Diego with his wife, Bryna. Bhadri Kubendran is a visual dreamer drawing inspiration from the smallest organisms to the largest cosmic objects. When unique art and meticulous science collide on a path-breaking culinary

creation anywhere in the world, you can expect to somehow find him there with his camera. He has a keen interest in the unknown and hopes to wander off into the final frontier for a journey of a lifetime. Martin S. Lindsay is the board chair for the Culinary Historians of San Diego, a nonprofit providing free public lectures on food and culture. Find events and info on chsandiego.org. He also curates the historical blog Classic San Diego at classicsandiego.com. Julie Pendray has experience working in the natural resources and environmental field as well as moonlighting in the food industry and traveling for stories. She is a certified master composter, an avid gardener, and loves to learn about nutrition. She has covered California as a journalist for over four decades. Lulu Yueming Qu is a professional artist and art teacher with the US Arts Education Center in San Diego. She moved from Beijing to New York in 2014, relocated to San Diego in 2018, and founded her LLC, LULU.LIVE ART, in 2019. She has a master’s degree in traditional Chinese painting from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and a second master’s in illustration from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, granting her a unique artistic style that combines traditional Chinese painting and story-telling illustration together. You can view Lulu’s portfolio on her personal website lululiveart.com or on Instagram @qululululu. Mike Reeske is a lifelong educator and grows certified organic heirloom beans and community at his farm in Valley Center. Visit riodelreyfarms.com. Perla Rico specializes in plant-inspired cuisine and believes foods are tools for wellness, social change, and global sustainability. Learn more about her chef services and cooking classes at elevationeating.com. Michelle Stansbury is an award-winning freelance writer based in San Diego. She covers travel, food, and parenting for Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, and more. Misuse of the word “literally” drives her figuratively insane. Find her on Instagram @discoverwithmichelle. Becka Vance is a North County San Diego-based photographer and artist. Drawn to organic expressions with a thirst to capture subjects as they reside, this passion has now fueled her for over 20 years. Her biodiverse upbringing and Amish roots lend her eyes of inspiration when in the field. She is thankful for the opportunities to play and create—after all, we’re all artists here! Follow her on Instagram @beckavancephotography.

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FROM MACRO TO MICRO AND BACK When it comes to splitting nitrogen atoms, plants and bacteria do it best BY MIKE REESKE RECIPE BY PERLA RICO PHOTOGRAPHY BY L AUREN DI MAT TEO

hat do Impossible Burgers, high-powered explosives, the Green Revolution, the air we breathe, and humble beans all have in common? All of these use nitrogen in unique combinations that change our lives. Let’s explore how these very small atoms and molecules affect our world.

Atmospherically speaking We live in a sea of air. Take a deep breath. Most of what you inhale is nitrogen gas. It makes up 78% of the atmosphere. Yet, unlike the oxygen in the air that is very reactive and loves to combine with all manner of things, nitrogen is fairly resistant to change. Why? Nitrogen atoms always occur as two partners, N2, bonded very tightly together. Pulling them apart takes substantial amounts of energy, making nitrogen a rather inert material. How do these partner atoms part ways in nature and form new partnerships that make life on Earth possible? Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for plants, but it is not readily available in the air or soil. However, there’s a microscopic hero performing atomic miracles: bacteria. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are able to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form that plants can use. This process is called nitrogen fixation. Legumes (think beans, peas, soybeans, lentils, etc.) have special nodules on their roots where nitrogen-fixing bacteria can live. These nodules provide the bacteria with a safe place to live and access to food from the legume plant. Bacteria that fix nitrogen often have symbiotic relationships with plants. In return, the bacteria provide the legume plant with nitrogen. This is done by a special enzyme called nitrogenase that is able to break the bond between two nitrogen atoms. These nodules also produce a bright red substance that has become a key ingredient in producing plantbased hamburgers with similar properties to meat.

Meaty plant-based burgers The Impossible Burger is a plant-based burger that is designed 8

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to taste, cook, and look like beef. One of the key ingredients in the Impossible Burger is heme, a protein that is responsible for the meaty flavor and color of beef. This is like hemoglobin in the human body that makes blood red and carries oxygen to all of our cells, but heme is also found in nitrogen-fixing nodules. The Impossible Foods team realized that they could use heme from nitrogen-fixing nodules to give their plant-based burger a meaty flavor. They developed a process to extract heme from soybean roots, a byproduct of the soybean industry. Extracting heme from soybean nodules is a complex and expensive process, and it would be difficult to produce enough heme to meet the demand for Impossible Burgers on a commercial scale. Instead, Impossible Foods found a new way to engineer plant-based burgers that’s more cost-effective and scalable by developing a process that replicates the heme found in meat from genetically modified yeast. In traditional farming practices, legumes are planted as cover crops because they fix nitrogen from the air, which can improve soil fertility and reduce the need for nitrogen fertilizer. This helps to suppress weeds, improve soil structure and tilth, and provide food and habitat for beneficial insects and pollinators. There are many different legumes that can be used as cover crops such as clover, alfalfa, vetch, peas, and beans. As a perennial legume, alfalfa produces the most soil nitrogen and can fix up to 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre annually.

Perla Rico of Elevation Eating slices delicata squash for a creamy Anazape bean traybake. Recipe on page 11.

Fixing nitrogen on the human scale Legumes, formed from the nitrogen-containing amino acids that are essential to life, are an important natural, unprocessed, and whole-food source of protein in diverse cuisines around the world. Some edible legumes with the highest protein content are soybeans (36%), lentils (26%), peanuts (26%), tepary beans (24%), chickpeas (19-22%), and black beans (21%). It requires a lot of energy to break the nitrogen bond and combine them with atoms of hydrogen in water to form ammonia—NH3. In this form, it can be taken up by plants to make chlorophyll, the essential molecule in photosynthesis. It’s what makes plants green and provides for their growth. Natural fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen have been sought out historically by civilizations to sustain their populations, but over time, they faced the prospect of finite natural resources and how to feed their increasing populations. At the turn of the 20th century, natural sources of ammonia, such as guano and nitrates, were becoming scarce and expensive. Ammonia (NH3) is a crucial component of fertilizers, and there was a pressing need to find a cost-effective method to produce ammonia for agriculture. As the population increased, there was also a demand for more food. A world war and global pandemic that would decrease the population provided the impetus to develop new sources

of nitrogen that helped create chemical weapons and synthetic fertilizers—a curse and a blessing! As noted, it takes a lot of energy for humans to break the bonds in a nitrogen molecule. When those freed nitrogen atoms found in nitrogen compounds recombine, a large amount of energy is released as heat, and a tremendous amount of gas is produced— an explosion. In particular, a compound of nitrogen and oxygen—a nitrate—provides the explosive punch in gunpowder. But natural deposits of nitrates were found in limited supplies, mainly in the deposits crystallizing from cave walls and the accumulations of bat guano in caves. With the beginning of World War I, Germany faced a critical shortage of nitrates to create explosive weapons until chemist Fritz Haber came along. Haber was a German national, and his sense of nationalism and patriotism strongly influenced his actions. When World War I broke out in 1914, he saw it as his duty to contribute to the war effort. His development of the Haber-Bosch process for ammonia synthesis was driven, in part, by the need to secure a domestic source of nitrates for explosives production, which was critical for Germany’s military operations during the war. The primary purpose of the Haber process is to produce ammonia (NH3) from nitrogen (N2) and hydrogen (H2) gases. The Haber process is typically carried out at pressures of 150–200 atmospheres and temperatures of 400–450° Celsius. The nitrogen WINTER 2023–2024 |

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and hydrogen gases are passed through a reactor containing the iron catalyst. The ammonia gas is then removed from the reactor and cooled. The Haber process, while crucial to producing synthetic fertilizers, requires substantial energy to convert nitrogen and hydrogen gases into ammonia. This process typically relies on natural gas as a hydrogen source. As a result, the Haber process is closely linked to energy considerations and environmental concerns related to resource utilization and greenhouse gas emissions. Think of the energy sources that are needed to produce such high temperatures and pressures—these are mainly petroleum-based. When their costs are low, fertilizer is inexpensive, but as we see today, their rapidly increasing costs have pushed the price of fertilizer to historically high levels. A good way to think of this is to imagine barrels of oil being dumped on crop fields: The oil is analogous to bags of fertilizer! This significant production of inexpensive fertilizer partially fueled the Green Revolution. It began in Mexico in the 1920s and spread worldwide, particularly during the 1960s and 1970s. It was characterized by the promotion of certain agricultural technologies, practices, and crop varieties, leading to a substantial increase in crop yields and food production. This agricultural transformation was brought about by: •

The development and introduction of high-yielding crop varieties, particularly for staple crops like wheat, rice, and maize. These new varieties were specifically bred to produce more grains per plant and exhibit greater resistance to pests and diseases.

•

Increased use of fertilizers and pesticides to enhance soil fertility and protect crops from pests and diseases. This

chemical-intensive approach contributed significantly to increased agricultural productivity. •

Modern farming techniques including mechanization, improved irrigation systems, and efficient crop management practices played a crucial role in boosting crop yields and reducing post-harvest losses.

•

Expansion of irrigation, which allowed for more controlled and reliable water distribution to agricultural fields.

The Green Revolution had a profound impact on global agriculture, particularly in countries such as India, Pakistan, and Mexico. These nations experienced significant increases in grain production, which helped alleviate food shortages and reduce hunger. While the Green Revolution led to increased food production and improved food security, it also raised concerns and controversies. Some of the challenges associated with the Green Revolution include environmental sustainability issues, such as soil degradation and water depletion due to intensive farming practices, as well as concerns about the unequal distribution of benefits among different segments of the population. Elements like nitrogen are essential down to the level of our DNA; it’s necessary for photosynthesis, which affects every plant on the planet. I hope this journey from the micro to the macro level and back invites you to learn more. Take the first step by making the nutritious and delicious recipe we prepared for you here. Then, explore the nearest green space or farm to observe the superpowers of nitrogen and the rest of the microscopic side of life at work. D » riodelreyfarms.com

F L EX I TA RI AN COOKING

Creamy Anazape Beans and Winter Squash Traybake Dunk your hunks of fresh sourdough bread into roasted and caramelized squash and tomatoes over a bed of Anazape beans. SERVES 4

5 cloves garlic, minced

For the Anazape beans

1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste

1 cup dried Anazape heirloom beans (soaked overnight in cool water or for at least 6 hours)

¾ cup white wine

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

15 sage leaves

½ medium white onion, diced

Fresh sourdough bread, for serving (optional)

1 pinch each sea salt and black pepper, plus more to taste 3 large cloves garlic, minced 1 avocado leaf (or bay leaf) 1 cube quality vegetable bouillon or 2 cups vegetable stock (optional) 1 dried guajillo chile or 1 teaspoon chili powder (optional for a bit of heat) 1 tablespoon ground cumin For the traybake 5 medium tomatoes, halved 2 delicata squash* halved, seeds scooped out, cut into ½-inch wedges, about 4 cups

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

*Or substitute winter squash of choice Prepare the beans: Add beans to a large pot and cover with cool water (at least a few inches above the beans, as they expand). Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight at room temperature. Once beans are soaked, drain and set aside. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add olive oil, onion, and a healthy pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Stir and sauté until onion is soft and translucent, 3–4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until aromatic. Next, add drained beans, avocado leaf, and optional bouillon cube (or veggie stock) and cover with water until there

is about 2 inches of liquid covering the beans. Add optional chile pepper, stir, and bring to a low boil; reduce heat to a simmer and cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Once the beans are tender and cooked through, add cumin and more salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook on low for 10 more minutes to let the flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste, cumin for smokiness, black pepper for depth of flavor, and chili powder for heat. Prepare the rest: Heat the oven to 400°. Pour the cooked beans and 1 cup of the liquid into a deep baking dish, add the tomatoes, squash, garlic, salt, wine, olive oil, and sage and mix gently with your hands, distributing the squash evenly throughout the mix and poking the beans under the liquid (otherwise they’re likely to explode while in the oven). Bake until the squash is almost falling apart and caramelized and any tomatoes on top of the mix have roasted nicely, about 1 hour. Remove and serve straight from the baking dish with fresh bread to tear and dunk in the cooking juices. WINTER 2023–2024 |

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WINTER WORD PL AY

Across 1 One who raises crops and produce 4 Dough raiser 8 Brings water to the ground 9 Turning over the soil 10 New Year’s ____ 11 Drink produced by fermenting sweet tea with a culture of yeast and bacteria 15 State where Nantucket Island is based, abbr. 16 Anger 17 Weight measure in EU, abbr. 19 Domesticated, like farm animals 21 Cold season 24 Peas and beans 27 ___ and dined 29 Pond surface in winter 30 Gets the temperature down 31 Prefix with dermis 32 Negative prefix 33 Full of foliage 34 Shiitake, for one Down 1 React to yeast 2 Grow 3 Double bend shape 4 Milk fermented by added bacteria

5 Simple folk 6 Pulls 7 Dutch cheese 11 Cirque du Soleil show 12 Container 13 Middling mark 14 Alaska, abbr. 15 Restaurant list 18 Do weeding, for example 20 Get better, like cheese or wine 22 “___ delicious!” 23 Encounter, 2 words 24 From the region close by 25 Causes vegetables to flourish 26 Soybean paste 27 Put on a scale 28 Concerned with living things in their environment, prefix 31 Australian bird Carlsbad resident Myles Mellor is one of the top crossword and puzzle writers in the world. He has published over 55 crossword and word search books, producing dozens of puzzles each month.

» mylesmellor.com » themecrosswords.com Answer key on page 40. WINTER 2023–2024 |

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LOCAL BITE S

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MUST-TRY VEGETARIAN CUISINE AT AMBROGIO BY ACQUERELLO BY MICHELLE STANSBURY

s I stare down at the thick slice of what looks like foie gras on top of a filet mignon with black truffle, I hesitate momentarily. Although my 20-year stint as a vegetarian ended nearly a decade ago, foie gras isn’t something I typically choose to eat. And while this foie gras is made from daikon radish, not liver, in the dim restaurant light it looks remarkably like the real thing. The dish, named Rossini Acquerello (pictured right), is a vegan take on the carnivorous French dish tournedos Rossini and is one of the most ambitious at La Jolla’s Ambrogio by Acquerello. Whatever your stance on foie gras, this exceptional faux gras is made from marinated daikon, roasted and caramelized to bring out the umami flavor and served on top of eggplant from Fresno Evergreen Farms with a miso broth and black truffle for a decadent vegan dish. It’s one of the highlights of the seven-course vegetarian tasting menu. With the goal of transforming how San Diego thinks of Italian food, Ambrogio by Acquerello is a culinary collaboration between local restaurant group Ambrogio15 (with locations in Pacific Beach, Del Mar, and Little Italy) and Milan’s Michelin-starred Acquerello. To showcase their modern Italian cuisine, they have opted for two signature tasting menus: Dancing with the Stars is the meat option, while the vegetarian tasting menu, A Walk in the Garden, can be prepared vegan by request. An abbreviated four-course tasting menu is also offered Tuesday through Thursday with vegetarian and omnivorous options. Available wine pairings come from small Italian vineyards, with a focus on natural and biodynamic wines. Chef Silvio Salmoiraghi and the Acquerello team (chef Choi, chef Davide, and gastronome Paolo Tucci) rotate between Acquerello in Milan and Fay Avenue’s Ambrogio by Acquerello, making this a true partnership. Chef Salmoiraghi began his career at Joia, Italy’s first Michelinstarred vegetarian restaurant. He opened his own restaurant Acquerello in Milan in 2008, which ranks among the best in the country. While neither Acquerello nor Ambrogio by Acquerello is exclusively vegetarian, chef Salmoiraghi has approached vegan and vegetarian dishes with the same passion as the rest of the menu. He shares that since he started working at Joia in 1993, vegetarian and vegan cuisine has undergone a remarkable evolution: “At Acquerello, we strive to create vegetarian dishes that are based

CO U RT E SY O F A M B RO G I O 1 5 R E STAU R A N T G RO U P

mainly on the concept of balance and taste. First, we study carefully the harmony and alchemy of contrasting flavors that are signature to most popular meat dishes. Afterwards, we channel the power of vegetables to make dishes that will guide the customer through an entirely new journey, based on our respect for nature and our quest for culinary pleasure.” The menu at Ambrogio by Acquerello focuses on the established dishes at Acquerello with alterations to highlight local ingredients and sourcing from local farms such as Fresh Origins in San Marcos. When Giacomo Pizzigoni and Andrea Burrone combined their love of San Diego with their Milanese heritage to create Ambrogio15, they sought to expand the perspective of pizza in the county. Now, they hope to redefine what modern Italian cuisine means in San Diego as well. D » ambrogiobyacquerello.com WINTER 2023–2024 |

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13 RECIPES THAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR HOLIDAY TABLE Sides and Appetizers • • • • •

Apple Cider-Braised Sweet Potatoes with Calvados Prunes and Hazelnuts Baked Brie with Spiced Persimmons and Pears (below) Blood Orange and Purple Brussels Sprout Salad with Date Vinaigrette Caramelized Bosc Pear, Prosciutto & Burrata Salad Fall Squash, Apple, Potato & Comte Cheese Gratin

Mains • • •

One-Pot Winter Pozole Fennel and Olive Roasted Chicken with Dates and Clementines Butternut Squash and Prosciutto Sourdough Galette (right)

Desserts • • •

Bourbon Rosemary Apple Crumble Hawayij-Poached Pears with Mint and Pomegranate Mulled Cranberry Apple Compote

Cocktails • •

Rosemary Negroni Spiced Pear Collins

Find these recipes on ediblesandiego.com.

O L I V I A H AYO

HALEY HAZELL

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WINTER 2023–2024 |

edible SAN DIEGO 17

444 S. Cedros Ave., #295 Sunday, noon–4pm

Solana Beach √†

1050 Camino Del Mar Saturday, noon–4pm

Del Mar √

Mira Mesa High School 10510 Reagan Rd. Tuesday, 3–6pm (Nov–Dec)

Mira Mesa √*

16079 San Dieguito Rd. Sunday, 9:30am–2pm

Rancho Santa Fe—Del Rayo Village √

9400 Fairgrove Ln. Saturday, 9am–1pm

Rancho Penasquitos

13330 Paseo del Verano Norte Friday, 9am–1pm

Rancho Bernardo √ SW corner Bernardo Winery

262 E. Grand Ave., btwn. Juniper & Kalmia Tuesday, 2:30–6pm (Oct–May)

Escondido √*

8860 Lawrence Welk Dr. Monday, 3–7pm

Escondido—Welk Resort √†

325 S. Melrose Dr. Saturday, 8am–noon

Vista √*†

Main Ave. btwn Hawthorne and Fig Saturday, 9:30am–1:30pm

Miracosta College San Elijo Campus 3333 Manchester Ave. Saturday, 10am–2pm

Cardiff √ NEW

185 Union St. Sunday, 10am–2pm

Leucadia √* Paul Ecke Elementary

251 North City Dr. Tuesday, 3–7pm

San Marcos √

Carlsbad √ State St. & Carlsbad Village Dr. Wednesday, 2:30–6pm (Nov-Feb)

401 Pier View Way & Hwy. 101 Thursday, 9am–1pm

Oceanside Morning √*

Fallbrook Main Street √

Regional farmers’ and fishermen’s market listings for San Diego County.

edible SAN DIEGO

Newtopia Cider 10045 Carroll Canyon Rd. Thursday, 3:30–7:30pm

Scripps Ranch √

14134 Midland Rd. Saturday, 8am–1pm

Poway √*

Hwy. 78 & Hwy. 79 21887 Washington St. Saturday & Sunday, 11am–4pm

Santa Ysabel √

Christmas Circle Community Park 700 Palm Canyon Dr. Friday, 7am–noon (Nov–Apr)

Borrego Springs √

ILLUSTRATED BY LULU YUEMING QU

NEW 6939 Linda Vista Rd. Thursday, 2–7pm

Linda Vista √*† Hillcrest √*

3434 Ocean View Blvd. Thursday, 9–11am

1075 8th St. Imperial Beach 3rd Saturday, 8am–2pm

SunCoast Market

Visit ediblesandiego.com for more complete information and links to market websites.

Otay Ranch Town Center 2015 Birch Rd. and Eastlake Blvd. Tuesday, 4–7pm

Otay Ranch—Chula Vista √

6145 Imperial Ave. 4th Saturday, 10am–1pm

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Second Chance Youth Garden NEW

Imperial Ave. & Euclid Ave. Friday, noon–2pm

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market—Four Corners of Life NEW

4269 Market St. Wednesday, 11am–1pm

LEGEND * Market vendors accept WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Farmers’ Market checks. † Market vendors accept EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer). ! Market vendors accept WIC Fruit and Vegetable checks. √M arkets 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.

Chula Vista Golf Course 4475 Bonita Rd. Wednesday, 3–7pm

South Bay √

300 Park Way & Third Ave. Sunday, 10am–2pm

Locations are not exact. All listings are subject to change. Please contact markets directly or check social media to confirm hours of operation and locations.

10 Evergreen Ave. Under Stonehenge sculpture Friday, 2–6pm (winter)

Wightman St. btwn Fairmount & 43rd St. Saturday, TEMPORARILY CLOSED

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market—Mt. Hope Market—ECC Campus NEW

Chula Vista √*

598 Harbor Ln. Saturday, 8am–2pm

3200 Main St. Thursday, 4–6pm

People’s Produce Mobile Farmers’ Market—Lemon Grove NEW

City Heights √*†!

3960 Normal St. Date St. from Kettner Blvd. to Front St. Sunday, 9am–2pm Wednesday, 9:30am–1:30pm Saturday, 8am–2pm

Tuna Harbor Dockside Market

La Mesa Blvd. btwn Palm & 4th St. Friday, 3–7pm

La Mesa Village √*

2900 North Park Way at 30th Thursday, 3–7:30pm

North Park √*†

Civita Park 7960 Civita Blvd. Saturday, 9am–1:30pm

Mission Valley √†

Little Italy Mercato √*†

Imperial Beach √*†

Ferry Landing 1st St. & B Ave., Tuesday, 2:30–6pm

Coronado √

Newport Ave. btwn Cable & Bacon Wednesday, 4–8pm

Ocean Beach √

Point Loma HS Parking Lot 2335 Chatsworth Blvd. Sunday, 9am–2pm

Point Loma √

901 Hornblend St. Tuesday, 2–7pm

Pacific Beach Tuesday √†

7335 Girard Ave. & Genter St. Sunday, 9am–1pm

La Jolla Open Aire √

Carlton Hills Blvd. & Mast Blvd. Saturday, 2:30–6:30pm

Santee *†

BEEF • PORK • LAMB CHICKEN • TURKEY DUCK • RABBIT PHEASENT • EGGS Pre-Order/Reserve Items for pickup at any of our locations, with 24 hour minimum advance notice. Information available at

www.DA-LE-RANCH.com or at our local Farmer Markets.

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FO O D FO R T H O U G H T

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RISING TO THE OCCASION THE SIGNATURE YEASTS OF WHITE LABS AND BEYOND B Y M A R T I N S . L I N D S A Y, A I G A

3 BILLION

San Diego has long been a center for innovation in many industries—aeronautics, aerospace, and biotechnology, to name a few. But what about agriculture, food, and drink? Take fermenting, for example. With the inception of microbrewing in the 1980s and its flourishing in the 1990s, San Diego eventually became the self-proclaimed “craft beer capital of America.” Decades later, over 150 breweries were operating here, a tradition that began with the San Diego Brewing Company in 1896. Yeast In Brewing As our population has grown, so has the necessity for innovation. While a student, Chris White interned at Genentech, the nation’s first biotechnology firm, and quickly became interested in home brewing. He earned a PhD in biochemistry from UCSD and founded White Labs to create and supply liquid yeasts in quantities for brewing and distilling. His firm debuted the Vault to cultivate and preserve yeasts used in ale, beer, champagne, kombucha, sake, bourbon, whiskey, and wine. Innovation is important, but preservation is essential. Some bacteria and yeast strains preserved in the Vault have lineages spanning hundreds of years. And some are archived for major breweries. Small amounts are thawed and fed a malt-based solution until a batch can be cultivated for commercial applications. These beneficial microflora have existed, mostly unnoticed, since time immemorial. Now, with a little ingenuity from friendly innovators in zymurgy (the science of fermentation) like White, they are deliciously front and center.

500 Number of flavor

compounds generally provided by brewer’s yeasts

Bakers cherish their yeast starters. Chef Chelsea Coleman and Rae Gurne run The Rose Wine Bar + Bottle Shop in South Park and its adjoining bakery, Secret Sister. I was told baker Neale Holaday’s proprietary sourdough starter is 30 years old! Jenny Chen and Jeffrey Brown of Izola Bakery in East Village use innovative methods to craft their coveted croissants. Each flaky pastry has 96 laminated layers and is precisely timed to emerge from the oven in intervals, steaming hot. Their wild sourdough loaves are made with a yeasty East Village starter in a process spanning three days. D

371

Batches of beer brewed by White Labs since its founding

Number of beer styles possible with yeast strains held in the White Labs Vault

Number of yeast strains preserved in the White Labs Vault

WHITE LABS BY THE NUMBERS 1995

White Labs founded

1999

Chris White lecturer at UCSD in chemistry

2012

White Labs Brewing founded

2012

Bacteria and Yeast Vault created

2014

PurePitch liquid yeast introduced

2023

Active Dry Yeast introduced

Beyond Brewing Some related yeast strains are even used in breadmaking. Yes, beer bread is a thing, a very good thing.

Number of live cells per gram of active yeast

W II N NT TE ER R 2 20 02 23 3– –2 20 02 24 4 || W

edible SAN SAN DIEGO DIEGO 21 21 edible

Did you know that Ramona, located in the foothills east of San Diego is a burgeoning wine region? Just 35 minutes to the east of the city, quality, award-winning wines are being produced by over 45 boutique wineries, ranging from tiny “labors of love” to larger operations that offer mostly red wines, some white wines, and even the occasional sparkling wine. The main difference between the Ramona Wine Region and some of the more well-known regions is “the vibe”. Visit a winery in Ramona and there’s a good chance you’ll be talking to the owners or the winemaker and they’ll be happy to see you. You might find yourself on the front porch of a start-up winery or out in the vineyard sampling grapes. And then there’s the wine itself. Sunset Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, and others have awarded some of their highest honors to our wines. With the cooler weather upon us, a bottle of Grenache would be a perfect pairing with turkey, a Sangiovese would go nicely with the family pasta recipe and some of the big red blends coming out of Ramona would pair nicely with your favorite cut of beef. Winter is a great time to drink local!

www.rvva.org Ramona Valley Vineyard Association

RVVA_edible 1-2 pg hor ad.indd 1

10/16/23 6:42 PM

rincon reservation road brewery

NATIVE AMERICAN CRAFT BEER Discover beer rich in tradition and pride. In the spirit of the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians who pioneered a historic path from the coast in search of flavorful rewards, Rincon Reservation Road brewmasters carry on that legacy of discovery. From light and refreshing, easy-drinking pours to full-bodied, complex flavor profiles, every Rincon Reservation Road beer has a unique essence for any taste to appreciate. A legacy of exploring and perfecting the craft with respect for our heritage in every can – This is Our Gift to You, Savor the Journey

3rbrewery.com VALLEY CENTER 777 Harrah’s Rincon Way, Valley Center, CA 92082

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LI QUID A SS ET S

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LETTING FLAVOR LEAD THE WAY FOOD AND WINE PAIRING FOR THE HOLIDAYS BY PATRICK BALLOW

M A L E R A PA S O/ I STO C K

t any time of year, wine pairing comes down to finding a cohesiveness between the dish and the glass. While there are many detailed pairing rules, the most important one is to have fun, and the holidays offer us many occasions to take our favorite celebratory meals to new levels. In San Diego County, we can enjoy wines from around the world, from well-known wine regions up and down the state, and from hundreds of wines grown, bottled, and served in our very own backcountry. Wine pairing might seem intimidating, but we’ll start simply with how flavors combine in what we eat and drink.

acidic, or herbal foods with wines that reflect, or parallel those notes, supports and augments the characteristics in both the glass and the plate. Truly, multiple different wines will fit well with any dish, and in the end, it’s up to you which one is the best fit for your palate.

Finding Your Wine Palate

Big holiday get-togethers neither begin nor end with the sitdown meal, and if your friends and family are like mine, casual grazing throughout the day is a vital part of the celebration. The sprawling snack spread with bowls of chips, dips, veggies, and the occasional cocktail weenie is like the warm-up lap to the gold medal race of dinner. Finding a single wine that acts as a common denominator to all of these varied flavors is quite the challenge, so I would recommend focusing on your favorite appetizer to feature as your pairing focus. In our house, my mother’s famous krab (yes, the fake kind) dip is one of the most anticipated dishes of the holidays. Carefully prepared in a classic ring-shaped mold, the little bits of crunchy celery and chives scattered throughout the creamy seafood flavors get us into holiday mode as much as candy canes and stocking stuffers. Here, you can try the yin-yang approach by combining a sparkling wine with a kiss of fruity richness with these salty, herbal, and spicy flavors. San Diego’s Los Pilares produces a frizzante called LaDona just right for this job. Slightly effervescent and highly aromatic, it deftly combines notes of honey and ginger with a hint of pleasant bitterness.

Tasting wine engages four senses: sight, smell, feel, and taste. When selecting the wine just right for you and your cuisine, consider aromas, weight, and structure of the wine. A quick swirl of the glass will lift the aromas up to your nose. This action will also reveal how the wine coats the glass, an indicator of the wine’s weight. Sip the wine to taste and aerate the wine by breathing in slightly through the liquid; this will allow the nuanced elements of the wine to become more pronounced. Consider the different types of flavors that become apparent. Is it herbal, savory, or mineral? What color fruit flavors do you taste? Is the fruit fresh or stewed? Observe the levels of acidity and tannin. Acidity promotes salivation and a feeling of vibrant freshness, while tannin is the element in wine that leaves behind a dry palate sensation. Both offer structure and link together different flavor profiles.

General Pairing Rules

You can think of wine pairing as falling under two general rules of thumb I call “yin-yang” and “parallel.”

Y I N -YA N G

Yin-yang is the complementary way of pairing. Serving a dish that is high in fat with a wine that has ample acidity and tannin is a yin-yang approach. When combined in our mouths, opposing elements harmonize with delicious results.

PA R A L L E L

Parallel pairing is all about aligning comparable flavors in glass and plate to amplify each other. For example, combining green,

What to pour and when

There are a few classic and creative choices to consider for the various eating and drinking experiences this holiday season.

GR A ZING PERIOD

BITTER SIDES

Side dishes play a big role in holiday meals helping us span traditions, dietary restrictions, budgets, and more. Some of the best-known ones feature flavors that can be challenging to pair up with wines. I’m talking about green beans, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potato casserole (especially if there are marshmallows on top.) Let’s start with the Brussels and green beans. These bitter yet delicious veggies call for a parallel pairing strategy. Wines with a touch of bitterness harmonize instead of fighting these flavors. Sauvignon blanc is the classic pairing, but a more intriguing WINTER 2023–2024 |

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spice, subtle and earthy tannins, and ripe red cherry flavors bring out all the TLC you, your mom, or host put into their main course. Thinking about global wines that pair outside of the box, something like the Pietro Clementi Valpolicella Superiore from Italy’s Veneto region is one of the best examples of a mediumbodied red wine in the world. For a locally sourced wine, try the Rancho Guejito Vineyard 2020 Mourvèdre. A medium-bodied red from San Pasqual Valley, it offers layers of tart red fruits, peppercorn, and iron ideally suited for your favorite roast.

C AT L A N E / I STO C K

option is a local San Diego wine—Oddish 2022 Random Forces Skin Contact Malvasia Bianca. Extended time on the skins turns this aromatic Mediterranean variety grown on Ramona’s west side into an orange wine, and its notes of honey, apricot, and citrus rind provide a nice balance with these tricky-to-pair-with vegetables. Sweet potatoes are perhaps the most challenging of all side dishes. The natural sweetness of the dish (often intensified with maple syrup or marshmallows) usually would require an off-dry white wine like Riesling or gewürztraminer (yin-yang strategy,) but a juicy red wine offers a surprisingly fun union. Sonoma’s Petrichor Vineyards produces a carbonic grenache called Carma that would fit the bill. Best served lightly chilled, it flashes high-toned jammy fruit flavors of strawberry and blueberry with a pleasantly herbal undercarriage. Like a tuning fork, the lighter-styled grenache finds a free and easy harmony when introduced to the sweet potatoes.

S H I N I N G S TA R S

Whether it’s roasted beef, turkey, ham, or your savory plant strong favorite, the holiday season’s main courses deserve your best wines of the day. A succulent side of beef is a dream to pair with, but leaner cuts don’t neccesarily need heavy, tannic red wines to find fusion. Go for a yin-yang experience with your main course and seek out a dry and fragrant wine, perhaps merlot, tempranillo, or cabernet sauvignon. A pleasant balance of 24

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Lighter flavored main courses like turkey and ham combine well with diverse wine options. Gamay is the most common red wine recommendation, and France’s Cru Beaujolais is one of the best on the planet. There are a wide range of great producers, but the Anne-Sophie Dubois Fleurie Les Cocottes wines come from the esteemed granite-based vineyards near the village of Fleurie and are among the most vibrant and joyful. With milder dishes, wines with brighter flavors like tart pomegranate, sweet cherry, or even a faint white pepper marry well with the lean meats of either ham or turkey. Serve it slightly chilled and think of it as cranberry sauce in a glass. Aromatic white wines are also the go-to style for ham and turkey, and while gewürztraminer is the most commonly recommended, equally great aromatic grapes like Viognier would score you some serious extra credit among your family and friends were you to pop a bottle for the table. Try the Made by Light 2022 White, a blend of Viognier and Marsanne from organic vineyards situated in the mountains west of Temecula. The slightly waxy palate presents stone fruit, honey, and almond skin notes—it’s fresh and palate cleansing but not overly acidic. For many of us in San Diego County, the holidays offer yet another reason to seek out our favorite Asian cuisine restaurants. This occasion presents an all-new flavor field to play with. Aromatic whites and juicy reds fit neatly with umami and spicy flavors found in Asian fare. This year, when you BYOB to your preferred spot, consider a bottle from San Diego winemaker J. Brix. Try their Cobolorum Riesling Pét Nat or the P.M. Daylight Pinot Meunier. Cobolorum, affectionately nicknamed Naughty Goblin Bubbles for the notoriously temperamental character of both its harvest and winemaking process, is a bottle-fermented Riesling that cleanses the palate and electrifies the soul with its vigorous bubbles and acidity. Dial up the spice, because Cobolorum will cool your palate and the P.M. Daylight Pinot Meunier is the perfect accompaniment to Peking duck. Pinot Meunier is the fruitier cousin of pinot noir, and J. Brix’s version exemplifies the deep blue and black fruit potential of this rare variety scarcely found outside of its home confines of France’s Champagne region.

Cheers

The many different winter foods and social occasions give us myriad wine-pairing options. Let flavors be your guide, whether you match or contrast them. Enjoy the classics, try something new—especially local wines—and fear not. You may find as much harmony with your friends, family, and neighbors as you discover with food and wine. D

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OH MY! MYCOLOGY! Mushroom sales increase and psychedelics gain ground—what’s next? BY JULIE PENDRAY

housands of years ago, people in Asia, the Americas, North Africa, Europe, and beyond were using mushrooms for health and mystical purposes. In recent years, the promotion of “functional” mushrooms is causing a surge in the market as scientists work to catch up with what our ancient ancestors knew, that some edible fungi appear to relieve pain, promote immunity, improve focus, reduce fatigue, and more. It’s common now to see exotic fungi both dainty and robust—some still growing on logs——at farmers’ markets and supermarkets, sometimes with helpful ready-to-go packaging marked “BBQ” or “Stir-fry.” The global market for functional fungi was valued at $31.8 billion in 2021, according to MarketWatch (November 2022), which noted that the figure may grow to over $51 billion by 2027. Sales of fresh mushrooms at grocery stores have increased 20% over 10 years, according to the Mushroom Council, a US industry group. So many Americans are doing culinary experimentation that mushrooms were pronounced the “ingredient of the year” by The New York Times in 2022, and that’s a trend expected to continue beyond 2023.

Standardizing the Industry

Want to support good gut health? Mushrooms like these blue oysters grown by Golden Mushroom Co. are a great source of dietary fiber. Find more dietary tips that support a healthy microbiome at the QR code below.

BHADRI KUBENDRAN

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Consumers should take note of a few caveats to spend their money wisely. “Research into medicinal mushrooms has progressed exponentially, but much remains to be done,” according to one report published by the National Institute of Health (NIH). “Many species remain unstudied or underestimated in terms of their pharmacological properties ... It is also necessary to standardize the production of mushroom supplements throughout the supply chain, from cultivation to the extraction and preparation of the commercial formulation, as well as precise monitoring and regulation to ensure high-quality levels.” Edible fungi is a routine subject students learn about at the San Diego campus of Bastyr University, a naturopathic school. Chair of clinical studies, Baljit Kaur Khamba, N.D. MPH and Ed.D, advises consumers to include a qualified naturopath in the discussion about how to incorporate mushrooms into a health routine. She’s concerned about the potential for nutrient loss if mushrooms are overfarmed, and she also worries that unscrupulous parties wanting to make easy money on a trend could promote inferior products. “Whenever something becomes popular, we also need to exercise caution ... I hope we continue to use mushrooms in the natural ways they’ve been used all these years,” she says.

Mushroom Benefits Some mushrooms are known to be “antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer, antioxidant,” and may prevent damage to the liver, work against allergies, aid our immune system, and include prebiotic properties, according to a report published by the National Library of Medicine. Khamba says mushrooms “have become a hot topic” for good reason and lists some positive properties and effects: Antioxidants – Vitamins A and E and selenium Cardiovascular – Reishi may reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol Cognitive – Lion’s mane may help with growth and maintenance of brain cells Digestion – Chaga is high in fiber, so it’s a prebiotic Immune support – Maitake and shiitake are typically used to fight infections and they can help with vitamin D2 absorption Mood – Reishi can improve mood and reduce fatigue; it contains B vitamins, which are often stripped during refining processes of other dietary sources, e.g., grains Neurological – Mushrooms are anti-inflammatory; whether it’s the brain or another body part, they can help calm flare-ups J U L I E P E N D R AY

Protein – Large fungi can be good meat substitutes for vegans

Khamba, who is an associate professor of naturopathic medicine, recommends people interested in cancer therapies can read about the uses of mushrooms on the National Cancer Institute’s website.

Ways to Consume Khamba suggests an easy way to get started with healing mushrooms is to buy a powder containing several varieties. Her parents were from India, so she enjoys spices. In fact, Khamba is so passionate about making her own spiced morning mushroom concoction that she brings her mug to class and shares instructions for her recipe: First she makes a chai latte, then adds mushroom powder and oat milk to create a “warm smoothie.” She says some people might enjoy adding cacao to mask the earthiness. Om Mushrooms is a company making powders from 11 species at their Carlsbad facility. Founders Sandra Carter and Steve Farrar have 30 years of combined experience. Consumers interested in eating fresh fungi can check out Mountain Meadow Mushrooms in North Escondido, which has been in business since 1952. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, they only produced more common mushrooms but delved into growing specialty varieties due to increased public interest. Owner Roberto Ramirez says many people have shown interest in the possible health benefits. Lion’s mane and shiitake are now two of Mountain Meadow’s most popular varieties. They also offer tinctures, tours, and delivery. Consumers can buy their

A variety of Mountain Meadow Mushrooms including lion’s mane, shiitake, pioppino, and king trumpets.

mushrooms at the farm or at farmers’ markets. Ramirez and his wife, Olga, are careful not to prescribe anything, but Olga says they read a lot of credible sources to stay up to speed on research. Another North County exotic mushroom producer is HoktoKinoko, a subsidiary of Hokto of Japan, which has owned a research institute in Japan since 1983. Hokto-Kinoko launched its San Marcos plant in 2008, with the goal of getting Americans to eat more mushrooms as the Japanese do. The company focuses on exotic varieties to carve a niche for themselves, and they mostly supply to restaurants. Robotics are used for planting and harvesting, so there’s almost no human handling of the products, and some of their Japanese technology is even patented. Because they are grown in a controlled environment, HoktoKinoko mushrooms don’t require washing, according to the company. However, in general, fresh raw mushrooms should always be cleaned, according to Ramirez, due to the possibility of toxins. Mountain Meadow uses a growing medium based on straw and horse manure from the stables at Del Mar Fairgrounds. Once it has been treated and used, it’s available as free compost for gardeners and agricultural enterprises. Regarding fresh mushrooms, Ramirez stresses that some fungi in the wild are deadly to humans. It takes a highly experienced mycologist to identify them in nature because one mushroom may mimic the appearance of another during a certain stage of growth but it will look completely different as it matures, he says. WINTER 2023–2024 |

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A safer way to identify fungi is with a group of experienced people like those involved with education and event offerings from the San Diego Mycological Society. Dried mushrooms, gummies, capsules, and extracts are easy to use, or consumers can find edible fungi infused in chocolate products or coffee drinks. Combining extracts of multiple varieties in one tincture may increase their synergistic effect and can also make some of the beneficial elements more bioavailable, according to Edible Alchemy, which has been making extracts since 2011.

To Eat Mycelia or Not? Some consumers wonder whether they might get extra benefits by eating the roots (mycelia) of their mushrooms as well. While the thread-like roots contain a lot of nutrients, Khamba says the “fruiting body” is so healthful that it’s not necessary to eat the mycelia too. Ramirez makes the point that mycelia intertwines so much with the growing substrate, whether that’s wood chips, straw, or grains, that it’s hard to know the nutrient level of products, compared weight for weight, when mycelia may still be included. Some companies state they remove mycelia and substrate down to a certain percentage during production. Consumers can sharpen their shopping skills by reading labels thoroughly.

Psychedelics The conversation isn’t just about our bodies and what’s on our plate; it’s about our minds. This year, so many people flocked to the Mushroom Summit in Denver, Colorado, that organizers are considering a bigger venue for 2024, according to cochair Jessica Davis, founder and owner of Edible Alchemy in El Cajon. The event was co-hosted with Psychedelic Science (PsyCon) and billed as the “premier conference and trade show for the booming psychedelic industry.” PsyCon drew 10,000 attendees and sold out, according to the website. Together, the two events were promoted as “the largest psychedelic gathering in history.” Oregon is currently the only state that has legalized the therapeutic use of psilocybin (the active compound in hallucinogenic “magic mushrooms” or “‘shrooms”). Similar laws are awaiting signature in California and Colorado. The California bill, if signed by the governor, would legalize the personal possession, cultivation, and use of natural psychedelics DMT, mescaline (except for peyote), psilocybin, and psilocin by people age 21 and over. Advocates are preparing for a booming industry, encouraged by studies and trials that show psychedelics may alter serotonin, creating a positive “mystical experience” that can lead to enhancing people’s sense of interconnectedness. Johns Hopkins University has been a leader in psychedelic research, which has been made possible by at least $17 million in funding. What we know so far is that psilocybin can sometimes be useful in treating anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and addiction when used in conjunction with therapy. 28

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Sustainability and Mycoremediation Mushrooms can be a sustainable crop, Eric Davis, a spokesman for the Mushroom Council, explains: “One study measured the water, energy, and carbon emissions required to grow and harvest fresh mushrooms in the United States. The study finds production of a pound of mushrooms requires only 1.8 gallons of water and 1.0 kilowatt hours of energy and generates only 0.7 pounds of CO2 equivalent emissions. In addition, the annual average yield of mushrooms is 7.1 pounds per square foot— meaning up to 1 million pounds of mushrooms can be produced on just one acre.” Since fungi are both decomposers and recomposers, they can be used to break down pollutants—from hazardous chemical waste, oil spills, or fire debris, for example—and create healthy soil. This is known as mycoremediation. While more research is needed, this practice has the potential “to help alleviate two of the world’s major problems” by cleaning up our planet while also providing mushrooms as an important protein source, according to a report published by the NIH. It notes that the safety aspects of using a fruiting body raised on pollutants still warrants further study. Experimentation suggests that mushroom mycelia can remove heavy metals and break down plastic, and they have been used in contaminated water as well as soil. Proponents say using mycelia is less expensive than the usual approach of digging up soil and incinerating it. One study notes, however, that spent mushroom compost (SMC) also appears to be useful in this practice. On the downside, mycoremediation takes longer than the industry standard and success depends on the type of mycelia used and the local soil, so the practice has to be customized. As of yet, funding for testing mycoremediation has been limited and more experimentation is still needed.

Past and Future The oldest mycelium still alive spans nearly four square miles in Oregon’s Blue Mountains, according to Scientific American, and it could be 2,500 to 8,700 years old. Not only does research show we may share similar DNA, but mycelia is thought to have a kind of intelligence and communication ability, according to research reported in Smithsonian Magazine. Studying this ancient “mind,” its conversations, and its benefits is mind-blowing. It’s a path to tread carefully—one step excitement, one step fascination, one step wisdom—like mycologists in ancient forests, assessing the beauty and the risk. D *This article is not intended to provide nutritional advice. Consult your health practitioner before making any changes, especially if you are on a special diet. Even natural products can have side effects if used incorrectly or in conjunction with pharmaceutical products. » bastyr.edu » ediblealchemysd.com » mmmushroom.com » ommushrooms.com » sdmyco.org

“The annual average yield of mushrooms is 7.1 pounds per square foot—meaning up to 1 million pounds of mushrooms can be produced on just one acre.” - Eric Davis, Mushroom Council

BHADRI KUBENDRAN WINTER 2023–2024 |

edible SAN DIEGO 29

Located at the Bahia Resort Hotel (858) 539-7635 | 998 West Mission Bay Drive | San Diego, California

Dinner on Domingos

Activities, recipes, stories (and more!) created for family sharing Illustration adapted from Dinner on Domingos (Barefoot Books), written by Alexandra Katona and illustrated by Claudia Navarro

Abuelita’s home holds so many family stories... but Alejandra wishes she knew more Spanish. Can she find a way to make her own memories with her grandmother?

CUT ME OUT!

barefootbooks.com/dinner-on-domingos

is created in partnership with indie, award-winning, Concord, MA-based W I N T E R 2 0 2 3 – 2 0 2 4 | edible SAN DIEGO 31 children’s publisher, Barefoot Books. Learn more by visiting www.barefootbooks.com.

Dinner on Domingos

LET’S EAT!

Spark Your Senses: Spice Tasting

Adult Helper Needed!

You’ll Need: • plain cooked rice, eggs, or popcorn • 5 different spices, in jars. Be careful handling anything really spicy!

oregano

cinnamon

thyme

rosemary bay leaves

1 Use your senses to explore the spices! First, give the jars a shake and test how they sound. Are there any really noisy spices?

2 Next, put your nose to work! Take the lid off the jars and smell each spice. Do you like the smell? 3 Shake a little of each spice out onto a plate for a closer look. Do you recognize any of them just by sight? 4 Rub a tiny bit of each spice between your fingers. What do they feel like when you touch them?

Play a Game: Guess That Spice!

5 Ask an adult to help you sprinkle a very small amount of each spice on rice, eggs, or popcorn. Make sure you have a glass of water handy and some plain unseasoned food to cleanse your palate! Now taste each spice. Which ones do you like?

Now it’s time to put your senses to the test! Players take turns closing their eyes. Can the player with closed eyes identify the spices by their sound alone? How about smell, touch, or taste?

FOR two or more PLAYERS

barefootbooks.com/ global-kids-deck

Learn about crafts, food, games, festivals, and ways of helping others around the world with 50+ hands-on activities.

CUT ME OUT!

Illustration and text adapted from Global Kids (Barefoot Books), written by Homa Sabet Tavangar and illustrated by Sophie Fatus

For centuries, people from different countries have used spices to change the tastes of the food they eat. Try using your senses to explore a variety of spices!

Are you passionate about children’s books that prioritize diversity, encourage critical thinking, and teach kids to protect the planet? Learn more about a Barefoot Books Community Bookseller! Visit barefootbooks.com/cb. f am i ly s h ar i n g | c r e a t e d f o r becoming

ediblesandiego.com

Traditional Ecuadorian Locro

Make warm family memories in the kitchen with this Ecuadorian potato and cheese soup, topped with avocado. Makes: 4 – 6 servings

Time: 1 ½ hours

Ingredients:

barefootbooks.com/dinner-on-domingos

1. Add the water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile,

4 cups water

1 ½ – 2 lbs potatoes, washed, peeled, diced, and soaked in cold water (starchy varieties such as Russet or King Edward work best) 1 medium onion, chopped 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

½ tsp salt 1 cup milk

2 tsp achiote (or annatto) powder or ¼ tsp turmeric and/or ½ tsp sweet paprika

Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup cheese, grated (white cheese such as Monterey Jack or Cheddar works best)

To serve: 2 avocados, chopped 2 cups lettuce, chopped (Romaine lettuce works well) 1 cup tomatoes, chopped

remove the potatoes from the cold water they're soaking in and rinse thoroughly. 2. Add the drained potatoes, onions, and garlic to the boiling water. 3. Reduce to medium-low heat, add ½ tsp of salt, then cook

for around 30 – 45 minutes or until the potatoes become very tender. While you’re waiting, have a dance party! (In between songs, check the potatoes.)

4. Once the potatoes are tender, use a wooden spoon to mash the potatoes slightly in the pot so that the soup becomes creamy. (Most of the potatoes will break down naturally.) Leave some chunks of potato as the different textures make it more interesting. 5. Reduce to a low heat, stir in the milk and the achiote powder, then cook for a few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, add a bit more milk. 6. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the cheese. 7. Immediately serve the soup into bowls. Add chopped avocado, lettuce, and tomato on top. 8. Gather friends and family around the table and enjoy your meal together!

Illustration and text from Dinner on Domingos (Barefoot Books), written by Alexandra Katona and illustrated by Claudia Navarro

is created in partnership with indie, award-winning, Concord, MA-based W I N T E R 2 0 2 3 – 2 0 2 4 | edible SAN DIEGO 33 children’s publisher, Barefoot Books. Learn more by visiting www.barefootbooks.com.

Dinner on Domingos

ACTIVITY Create a Family Crest

, You ll Need:

2. Divide it into four quarters and decorate the border.

• markers

3. In the quarters, draw:

• large piece of cardboard

• your family members • a food you all enjoy • an activity your family likes to do together • a place you enjoy going together

You can also decorate items with your Family Crest

4. Display your crest somewhere you can all see it.

(such as journals or placemats) and give them to family

• scissors

members as gifts.

barefootbooks.com/ kind-kids

Discover 50 unique games, crafts, and mindfulness activities to help kids develop empathy and respect for themselves, their loved ones, and the wider world.

is created in partnership with indie, award-winning, Concord, MA-based children’s publisher, Barefoot Books. Learn more by visiting www.barefootbooks.com.

ediblesandiego.com

Illustration and text adapted from Kind Kids (Barefoot Books), written byDr. Helen Maffini and Whitney Stewart and illustrated by Mariana Ruiz Johnson

1. Draw a crest shape on a piece of cardboard and cut it out.

CUT ME OUT!

Spark conversations after your shared meal about what connects your family together and makes it special.

WINTER 2023–2024 |

edible SAN DIEGO 35

GROW |

WINTER GARDENING It’s the most wonderful time of the year to grow cool-weather crops

BY PAUL HORMICK

hen August comes along, don’t pack up your gloves! As shorter days and a bit of nip in the air tell us winter has arrived in San Diego, Mia Vaughnes, founder of the community garden-sharing program Good Neighbor Gardens, says what many veteran gardeners already know—that San Diego offers great gardening not only in summer but in our cooler months as well. “San Diego has two growing seasons: warm and cool. And you can cultivate nutritious bounty in both,” Vaughnes says. “The cool season typically starts in October and ends around April, although things are changing with respect to climate change.” In summer, we grow squash, peppers, beans, and the tomatoes that everybody loves; winter offers a time to grow the vegetables that thrive in cooler weather. Vaughnes says, “A great way to remember what vegetables to grow during the cool season is to list all the varieties that have the /k/ sound, like cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, kale, broccoli, etc.” Kevin Espiritu, founder and CEO of Epic Gardening, adds that winter is the time to grow leafy greens, lettuce, and root crops. “And any type of radish, most beets, and carrots. Winter gardening is also great if you like turnips or parsnips.” Grown in winter, these vegetables may even taste better—and kale will be sweeter. “For me, I noticed that growing garlic is fantastic in the fall and winter. In San Diego, you’d probably plant it at the end of October, maybe mid-November. Garlic really wants cold temperatures for some period of its early life. California Early is a good variety to grow here in San Diego.” According to Espiritu, pests such as cabbage moths, cabbage loopers, and cabbage aphids are almost nonexistent in winter. Vaughnes adds that winter rain benefits our gardens. “Not surprisingly, rainwater has the perfect pH balance for soil microbes and plants,” she says. “When we water our garden with municipal water, we inadvertently are pouring chloramine into the soil, which is intended to keep the city pipes clean but unfortunately kills the microbes that feed the plants. Because of this, I highly recommend harvesting and using rainwater whenever possible to enhance and maintain soil and plant health.” With peppers and tomatoes still clinging to their vines in the fall, it can be tempting to delay getting the winter garden started.

MARIA HESSE

Monique Rousseau-Stewart, owner of Blendees smoothie and juice shop in El Cajon, grew herbs, kale, cabbage, and more during the winter 2020–2021 season. By February, her Lemon Grove Community Garden bed had several pounds of vegetables ready to harvest.

Espiritu says, “If you have a greenhouse, you can get your winter vegetables started—or you can start them indoors—while the tomatoes, peppers, and other straggling summer vegetables give up their last [produce]. Let the winter vegetables grow from one to three weeks before transplanting them outside.” He suggests finishing up winter gardening by mid-March when tomatoes normally go into the ground. Climate change may be jeopardizing winter gardening conditions. Because of the rain and humidity this fall, Espiritu’s garlic was plagued with garlic rust. “It’s unheard of in San Diego to get a fungal disease on your garlic because it was too wet,” he says. He has also noticed more flies and more mosquitoes, noting that the greater number of insects brings more rodents. Despite new climate challenges, Espiritu and Vaughnes maintain that winter gardening remains a worthwhile pastime. “I love winter gardening. Everything is green and lush because of the rain and cooler temperatures. It’s refreshing,” says Vaughnes. If you’ve never gardened in winter, she believes that a lack of experience should not hold you back: “So just get out there and see where it takes you. Try a few things. You might wind up making a few mistakes, but cool season gardening is very forgiving.” D » goodneighborgardens.com » epicgardening.com

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WINTER 2023–2024 |

edible SAN DIEGO 37

FERMENTATION BASICS The many benefits of fermented foods BY AUSTIN DURANT • PHOTOGRAPHY BY BECKA VANCE

ermentation is a tried-and-true way to preserve and transform food with the help of billions of microbes. These tiny life forms include bacteria, yeasts and other fungi, and even molds. Simply going about their lives, microbes consume the food’s energy source and along the way create many byproducts such as vitamins, enzymes, and short-chain fatty acids—which are nutrients to us! Fermented foods are also a rich source of probiotics, the living microbes themselves. When we consume fermented foods, we get the benefit of all these nutrients. Probiotics support our gut microbiome, the collection of trillions of microbes found throughout our digestive system. By consuming just a small amount of fermented foods or beverages (four to eight ounces of fermented veggies per day, or one to two fistfuls), we enjoy the many benefits fermented foods have to offer. 38

ediblesandiego.com

It’s Fine Under the Brine! Sometimes when fermenting vegetables such as sauerkraut, layers of yeasts, molds, or both can form on the top surface that’s exposed to air. Fear not! You can simply wipe, scrape, and scoop off that top layer. As long as the contents are submerged under the salty brine mixture, they are safe to consume. As always, trust your senses when deciding if anything, fermented or not, is going to be good for your body. Major Styles of Fermented Foods Wild ferments are so-called because the microbes responsible for the fermentation process are found in the natural environment. In the case of foods such as pickles, sauerkraut, or kimchi, they get their microbes right from the cucumbers, cabbages, or other vegetables used in the recipe—no additional microbes need to be added to begin the fermentation. The bacteria responsible for this style of fermentation are part of a healthy plant’s microbiome, the ecosystem of tiny organisms that completely cover its leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits. Cultured ferments such as yogurt, kefir, miso, and kombucha didn’t get their name because they went to finishing school. These ferments won’t spontaneously start without a little microbial kick-start; we add a culture of a specific set of microbes we know will do the job of fermentation. To make

| TAKEAWAY

A P P L E - G I N G E R S AU E R K R AU T My go-to recipe for sauerkraut uses a tart apple to add sweetness and fresh ginger root to add brightness. Mix red and green cabbage together to create a stunning pinkpurple accoutrement to sandwiches, salads, stir-fries, eggs, and more! Preparation time: 15 minutes Yield: 2 quarts Fermentation time: 7 to 84 days, depending on weather and taste 2 medium heads red or green cabbage (or one of each, about 5 pounds) 3 tablespoons fine sea salt 2 medium tart apples (around ½ a pound) 2 to 3 inches ginger root 1 teaspoon caraway seeds Clean cabbage to wash off the dirt and remove any tough or floppy outer leaves. Shred or thinly slice each cabbage into ¼- to ½-inch ribbons and add to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle salt over shredded cabbage. Brine will form as salt draws water from the cabbage. Squeeze or pound the mixture to break the cell walls and encourage water to seep out of vegetables. Clean and thinly slice the apple into 1-inch bite-size pieces and add to the bowl. Wash ginger to remove dirt; peel if desired. Grate and add to mixing bowl. Add caraway seeds to the mixing bowl. Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly. Pack and Ferment

yogurt, for example, we need to add a little bit of finished yogurt to fresh milk to start the process. It’s the same with kombucha: Sweetened tea needs the microbes present in the mother culture (a.k.a. the SCOBY) to begin the microbial dance of the bacteria and the yeasts. Transformed foods such as chocolate, wine, or sourdough bread use fermentation in order to process, create new flavors and compounds, or otherwise enhance the raw food. However, they are further processed (usually through roasting or baking, or the creation of alcohol), which destroys any probiotic or living microbial content. The legacy of additional flavors, improved textures, and enhanced nutrients remains intact, though. For example, native bacteria and yeasts present in jungles where the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) grows ferment the seeds into what we know as chocolate. Sourdough bread is given its sour flavor and airiness through fermentation by bacteria and yeasts from the starter culture, but when baked at high temperatures, those microbes do not survive the transition from dough to bread. D »fermentersclub.com

Add mixture to jars or a fermentation crock. Make sure to add every last drop of brine that has formed in the mixing bowl. Pack contents tightly so that there are no air bubbles and the top surface is even and flat. Place weights on top of the sauerkraut, leaving at least 1 inch of headspace from the contents and the top of the container with the weights applied. Cover the container with a dish towel or tea towel to keep out flies and dust. Secure with a rubber band, twist ties, or an elastic strap. Label your container with its contents and the date when you started fermenting it. I use blue painter’s tape and a permanent marker, and I always stick the label on the side of the container rather than the lid— those lids have a notorious habit of switching jars when you’re not looking, usually in the middle of the night! Stash sauerkraut containers in a cool place out of direct sunlight. I place my container in a conspicuous spot so that I don’t forget about it. Typically, I ferment sauerkraut for two weeks in warm weather or four weeks in cooler weather. When taste and texture are to your liking, transfer the contents to jars and store them in the refrigerator. Sauerkraut will last in the refrigerator for several months. WINTER 2023–2024 |

edible SAN DIEGO 39

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Edible San Diego is a locally owned magazine published in print and online four times a year. Our original, awardwinning coverage about the region’s food and beverage growers, makers, and eaters stewards a conversation worth having. Each keepsake issue provides conscientious food lovers with unique stories, recipes, and guides. The contents of these velvety pages offer trusted, enduring value in today’s local and global marketplaces and lifestyles. Thank you for reading. Let’s regenerate together. EAT • DRINK • SHARE • GROW | #longliveprint Advertisers and subscribers make our work possible. Be a part of the good food movement. Member of Edible Communities. Serving San Diego County since 2008. Thank you for supporting San Diego’s local, independently owned food media company.

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