Edible Santa Barbara Winter 2015

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ISSUE 28 • WINTER 2015

Santa Barbara Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

The

COOKS Issue

Interwoven: Santa Maria In Search of Masa Chef Justin West E AT • D R I N K • R E A D • T H I N K

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 1

2 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Building Peace of Mind.

Award Winni n g Bu i ld e rs S i n c e 1 9 86

> GiffinAndCrane.com |

(805) 966-6401 | License 611341

edible

SANTA BAR BAR A

®

STE VEN BROWN

D E C E M B E R , J A N U A R Y, F E B R U A R Y

NELL C AMPBELL

winter

page 30

page 24

Departments 8 Food for Thought

24 Drinkable Landscape

by Krista Harris

A Cocktail to Pine For

by George Yatchisin

10 Small Bites Potek Winery

Organic Greek Mountain Tea Tom’s Organic Chile Sauce Conway’s Confections The Ultimate Leather Knife Roll Vertical Tasting: Bree’Osh

by Rachel Hommel

14 Seasonal Recipes

80 The Last Bite

Recipe and Meal Kit Delivery

Services

by Krista Harris ERIN FEINBL AT T

30 Chef Profile Leslie Thomas 68 Event Calendar

20 How to Cook More Without Really Trying

4 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Amending Your Garden Soil

by Joan S. Bolton

13 In Season Cabbage Then and Now Candied Orange Peels Orange Amaretti

page 16

26 Edible Garden

Winter’s Don’t-Miss Dish

by Liz Dodder

raised with care

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No artificial ingredients. **Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in pork.

edible

SANTA BAR BAR A

®

page 66

Recipes in This Issue Features 34 Interwoven: Santa Maria’s Culture

and Cuisine

by Laura Sanchez

40 Butchering Buster

by Rosminah Brown

46 Chef Justin West

by Nancy Oster

52 You Say Bone Broth, I Say Stock

by Janice Cook Knight

58 The Search for Fresh Corn Masa

by Jennifer Blaise Kramer

62 Sweet & Savory

by Pascale Beale

ABOUT THE COVER

Photo of tamales by Brent Hofacker.

6 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Appetizers, Salads and Side Dishes 66 Citrus Salad with Lemon Lavender Syrup 64 Grilled Pear and Roasted Kale Salad 66 Herbed Lemon Rice with Romanesco Broccoli 15 Silky Sautéed Cabbage 44 Sly’s Pâté de Campagne (Country Pâté)

Stocks 55 Bone Marrow Broth 56 Classic Beef Stock 56 Fish Stock (Fish Fumet)

Main Dishes 64 Duck à l’Orange with Watercress 33 Raw Walnut Taco 45 Rolled Pig’s Spleen 50 Spaghetti Squash with Almond Salsa Verde

Desserts & Beverages 16 Candied Orange Peels 18 Orange Amaretti 25 The Deck Your Halls Cocktail

MEDIA 27

D E C E M B E R , J A N U A R Y, F E B R U A R Y

ERIN FEINBL AT T

winter

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805.489.1758 EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 7

FOOD FOR THOUGHT The Cooks Issue

ERIN FEINBL AT T

Following on the heels of our Fall issue centered on local food and our month-long Eat Local Challenge, we present our Cooks issue. There’s a nice synergy between the two themes. I’ve often said that even if we have all the gorgeous local produce in the world, it doesn’t do us any good if we can’t cook with it.

This point was really driven home to me this October when I talked with one of the Eat Local Challenge participants. He said the challenge for him was a cooking challenge. He would bring home produce, meat, seafood and all kinds of local ingredients and then he had to figure out what to do with them. Over the course of the month, he learned how to make all sorts of dishes, including a bĂŠchamel sauce and short ribs. And it was very gratifying for him.

When I wrote the article in this issue on meal kit delivery services, I found myself thinking a lot about why people cook and why they don’t cook. The barriers seem to be time and skills. Taking a cooking class can help with the skill part, but everyone seems to struggle with finding the time to cook from scratch.

There are days when I’m happy to spend hours in the kitchen baking, braising and simmering. The trick is to find a system that works for getting a meal to the table on days when I’m tired, hungry and rushed. I’m still working on that solution, but the meal kit delivery service has opened my eyes to a new way of cooking and helping people in the kitchen.

I hope this issue inspires you to try a new recipe or seek out a new restaurant.

But more importantly I hope this issue makes you think about cooking in a new way. When you read about what some of the home cooks and professionals are doing in our area right now, there seems to be a common theme: cooking with a sense of place and community. We are fortunate to be in Santa Barbara County, where the local ingredients and the local talent have come together in a great way.

This issue completes our seventh year of publishing, and I want to give thanks to all the contributors, advertising partners and our loyal readers who make this magazine possible. I can’t wait to start our eighth year as we continue to explore all of what Santa Barbara County has to offer.

edible

SANTA BAR BAR A Member of Edible Communities

Edible Communities James Beard Foundation Publication of the Year (2011)

PUBLISHERS

Steven Brown & Krista Harris EDITOR

Krista Harris RECIPE EDITOR

Nancy Oster COPY EDITOR & PROOFING

Doug Adrianson Julie Simpson DESIGNER

Steven Brown SOCIAL MEDIA

Jill Johnson

Contributors Pascale Beale Jennifer Blaise Kramer Joan S. Bolton Rosminah Brown Nell Campbell Janice Cook Knight Liz Dodder Bambi Edlund Erin Feinblatt Rachel Hommel Nancy Oster Laura Sanchez Carole Topalian George Yatchisin

Contact Us info@ediblesantabarbara.com

Advertising Inquiries ads@ediblesantabarbara.com Edible Santa BarbaraÂŽ is published quarterly and distributed throughout Santa Barbara County.

Subscription rate is $28 annually. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Publisher expressly disclaims all liability for any occurrence that may arise as a consequence of the use of any information or recipes. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.

edible Santa Barbara Š 2015

Krista Harris, Editor and Co-Publisher

Visit our new website EdibleSantaBarbara.com Follow us on Facebook and Pinterest at Edible Santa Barbara and Twitter and Instagram at EdibleSB.

8 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

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SAVORING THE PAST, CULTIVATING THE FUTURE Join the celebration of Santa Barbara County’s best chefs, artisans, winemakers and farmers.

Now in its third year, the Santa Barbara Food & Wine Weekend showcases the distinct tastes, sights and sounds of the region while also bringing cutting-edge culinary talent from across the country to Santa Barbara.

Learn more at www.BacaraCulinaryWeekend.com April 15 –17, 2016 Bacara Resort & Spa, Santa Barbara, CA

Small Bites Local Tastes

Treats for you and the cooks in your life this winter.

Organic Greek Mountain Tea Klio Greek Herbal Tea

Mediterranean herbs have long been a part of the healthy Mediterranean diet, and now a local company is offering a collection of Greek herbal teas with tasty as well as healthy benefits. Their Greek Mountain Tea is made from the Sideritis herb. Like all their teas, this one is caffeine free and sold bulkpacked to be made into an infusion. Add a little lemon and honey or sip full strength—it has an earthy, fresh taste. It also has a number of beneficial properties, including antioxidants and is said to be helpful in warding off colds and building up the immune system. Something you’ll want to sip all winter long.

They also offer Greek Lemon Verbena and Greek Sea Buckthorn; and all the teas are organic.

Greek Mountain Tea and their other varieties of teas are available at KlioTea.com.

Potek Winery The Mill

Tom’s Organic Chile Sauce Shepherd Farms

Dave Potter of Municipal Winemakers has another label and a new tasting space in addition to his well-known tasting rooms in the Funk Zone and Los Alamos. Potek Winery is named after Dave’s great-grandfather’s original surname (Potek was changed to Potter when he emigrated from Romania via Ellis Island in 1917).

The wines are created from some of our area’s best-loved vineyards: Rancho La Vina, Sanford & Benedict, Kick On Ranch, to name a few. The production winery and tasting room is one of the first spaces that opened in The Mill, an artisan marketplace located on the corner of Laguna and Haley in Santa Barbara. The new space combines the authenticity of a working winery with elegance and style—and quite a unique tasting experience. And check out the website for their “First Friday” pop-up wine dinners.

Bring on the heat. When the weather turns chilly, this chile sauce will spice things up. One of Santa Barbara County’s most-loved farms has found a way to extend the harvest by making preserved items and they are available right from Tom Shepherd’s farmers market booth. Tom’s Organic Chile Sauce is perfect on eggs or as a condiment whenever you need a little spice.

Pile it on if you dare, or tame it a little with some sour cream.

The flavor of the peppers shines through and makes it a great addition to your pantry.

Potek Winery is located at 406 E. Haley St., Santa Barbara. 805 770-5105; Potek.com

Tom’s Organic Chile Sauce is available at the Shepherd Farms booth at the Santa Barbara Farmers Market on Saturdays and Tuesdays.

10 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Conway’s Confections Chocolate Dipped Candied Oranges

Take locally grown fruits and nuts, combine with dark chocolate and you have a winning combination. Conway’s Confections are handcrafted, small-batch chocolates made by Sue Gilbreth and her family in Ojai. In fact, they are even named after her son, Conway.

The candied orange marries perfectly to the thick coating of chocolate.

Although we have a recipe for candied orange peel in this issue, this is a great alternative to making them—and certainly a time saver. Sample a few for yourself and, if you can bear to part with them, give out the attractively packaged treats as gifts.

Conway’s Confections are available at Isabella’s Gourmet Foods and other markets in Santa Barbara and Ventura. Conways-Confections.com

The Ultimate Leather Knife Roll Make Smith Leather Co. 103

vertical TASTING

Bree’Osh There is nothing like biting into a buttery, soft brioche—a classic French delicacy that has never been quite as popular as the croissant…until now perhaps.

Bree’Osh in Montecito shines the light on this treat, offering many variations as well as sandwiches in their petite bakery café. We love their commitment to using quality organic ingredients and a lengthy sourdough fermentation process. And the flavor varieties are particularly creative—it was difficult to limit ourselves to just these four.

Classic A traditional brioche has a fluted shape with a button-like top piece, but Bree’Osh makes theirs in a simple round shape which makes it easy to use them for sandwiches. If you ever get tired of eating this classic by itself, you can pair it with all sorts of sweet or savory fillings. Try it with a little soft goat cheese and honey or go savory with some pâté and a small cornichon.

We believe in treating our good knives with care and respect, and we can’t think of a better way to show it than by storing them in this handcrafted leather knife roll. Steven Soria of Make Smith Leather Co. is a third-generation leather craftsman with a shop located in downtown Santa Barbara. While you are eyeing his beautifully crafted wine tote bags, wallets and backpacks, you might decide that this knife roll is calling out your name.

The knife roll has five pockets for knives plus an extra pocket; it comes in black, tan and brown and can even be embossed with your initials —or a lucky gift recipient’s.

Almond

Make Smith Leather Co. is open Mon–Sat noon–6pm at 117 W. De La Guerra St., Unit C, Santa Barbara. You can also order online at MakeSmith.com.

This savory brioche takes us beyond breakfast and tea time squarely into lunch material. Use it to make a chicken salad sandwich, a ham and butter sandwich or a cucumber and avocado sandwich. Pair with Perrier or your favorite sparkling wine.

If you love a good almond croissant, you will find this divine. It is split in half and spread with a sweet almond filling, making it extra moist and delicious.

This is one to pair with a hot cup of herbal tea or strong coffee. You could even serve these as individual desserts, garnished with a few extra toasted almonds.

Basil Olive

Cranberry Orange This is the ideal brioche for the holidays and the entire winter season.

It’s perfect on its own, or with some hot cider, but don’t stop there. Cut it in half and add a slice of cheese or some smoked turkey and it becomes an appetizer or a brunch dish.

Bree’Osh is open 7am–3pm (closed Wed) at 1150 Coast Village Rd., Ste. E, Montecito; 805 705-7415.

Visit their Facebook page or Instagram for more information.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 11

in Season this winter Winter Produce

Year-Round Produce

Winter Seafood

Artichokes Avocados Basil Blood oranges Broccoli rabe (rapini) Brussels sprouts Cabbage Celery Celery root Chanterelle mushrooms Cherimoya Cilantro Citron Collards Dill Escarole Fava beans Fennel Grapefruit Green garlic Kiwi Kohlrabi Kumquats Limes Mustard greens Onions, green bunching Papayas Parsnips Pea greens Peas, snap Persimmon Pineapple guava Pomelos Radicchio Romanesco Rutabagas Sapote Strawberries Sunchokes Sweet potatoes Tangerines/Mandarins Tomatoes, hothouse Turnips

Almonds, almond butter

Halibut Mussels Ridgeback shrimp Rock fish Sardines Spiny lobster Spot prawns White seabass

(harvested Aug/Sept)

Apples Arugula Beans, dried Beets Bok choy Broccoli Carrots Cauliflower Chard Dandelion Dates

(harvested Sept/Oct)

Edible flowers Garlic

(harvested May/June)

Herbs

(Bay leaf, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme)

Kale Leeks Lemons Lettuce Mushrooms Onions, bulb

(harvested May/June)

Oranges Pistachios, pistachio oil (harvested Sept/Oct)

Potatoes Radishes Raisins

(harvested Sept/Oct)

Shallots Spinach Sprouts Squash, winter

Year-Round Seafood Abalone (farmed) Black cod Clams Oysters Rock crab Sanddabs Urchin

Other Year-Round Coffee (limited availability) Dairy

(Regional raw milk, artisanal goat- and cow-milk cheeses, butters, curds, yogurts and spreads)

Eggs Fresh flowers Honey Olives, olive oil Meat

(Beef, chicken, duck, goat, rabbit, pork)

Potted plants/herbs Preserves Wheat

(Wheat berries, wheat flour, bread, pasta and baked goods produced from wheat grown locally)

(harvested July/Oct)

Walnuts, walnut oil (harvested Sept/Oct)

Yams

(harvested Aug/Sept)

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 13

R

ecipes and our tastes have certainly changed over the years. I collect old cookbooks, but I don’t often cook from them. Sometimes the recipes are more of an interesting glimpse at what times were like than something I’d want to serve at my next dinner party.

cabbage Then and Now

For this issue’s In Season recipe, I thought I’d look at a recipe for cabbage from one of my oldest cookbooks and then present a version of cabbage that I created for our more modern lifestyle and palate.

CABBAGE THEN From Compendium of Cookery and Reliable Recipes, The Merchants’ Specialty Co., Publishers, 1890.

Delicate Cabbage

by Krista Harris

Remove all defective leaves, quarter and cut as for coarse slaw, cover well with cold water, and let remain several hours before cooking, then drain and put into pot with enough boiling water to cover; boil until thoroughly cooked (which will generally require about 45 minutes), add salt 10 or 15 minutes before removing from fire, and when done, take up into a colander, press out the water well, and season with butter and pepper.

ERIN FEINBL AT T

The text goes on to say that this is good to serve with corned meats and suggests serving it in a dish with drawn butter or a cream dressing poured over it. “Drawn butter” usually means melted butter, although I found a mention that in the late 1800s flour and water was often added to keep it from separating. In the same cookbook I also found a recipe for Cream Dressing, which simply states “two tablespoons whipped sweet cream, two of sugar and four of vinegar; beat well.”

14 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

You don’t often find recipes for boiled cabbage in modern cookbooks, especially not boiled for 45 minutes or served with cream dressing. Our recipe tester said the Delicate Cabbage recipe needed more salt and that although the color was nice, the texture was so soft that her husband said it would be perfect for eating if you have no teeth. So, I don’t recommend that you actually try the above recipe. These days instead of boiled cabbage, you’ll find recipes for braised cabbage, raw cabbage, roasted cabbage and—one of my favorite ways of cooking it—sautéed cabbage.

Silky Sautéed Cabbage 1 small head of cabbage or 1 ⁄ 2 large cabbage 1 medium to large onion, diced 3 ounces pancetta (or 3 slices of bacon), diced Olive oil, if needed Salt and freshly ground black pepper White wine vinegar, if needed

CABBAGE NOW I first had sautéed cabbage when my grandfather’s girlfriend made it for a dinner. I was probably in high school at the time, but it really made an impression on me. And I listened carefully when she described how she made it. She used lots of bacon (no wonder it was so good!), and I made it a few times after that. More recently I resurrected the recipe using more onion and a little pancetta and I think it is even better, although a vegetarian version with just olive oil would also work beautifully.

Hollandia_EdibleSB_2015.indd 1

Cut the cabbage into quarters, cut the core out and then slice into nice thin ribbons. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the pancetta until it is beginning to brown. It should render enough fat for sautéing the cabbage, but if it is very lean, add a little olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes and then add the cabbage. Add salt and pepper.

Sauté the cabbage mixture for about 8–10 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time to coat all the cabbage and onion with the pancetta. When it is tender and a bit caramelized, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Sometimes I add a dash of white wine vinegar, if it needs a little boost in flavor. Serve immediately in a dish with nothing else poured over it.

8/4/15 8:45 PM

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 15

seasonal

Recipes

by Krista Harris

Candied Orange Peels Making your own candied orange peels provides you with an ingredient to dip in chocolate or chop up and add to baked goods or ice cream. It also feels frugal because you use peels that would otherwise be put in the compost. The fruit can be used in other dishes, such as Pascale’s Duck à l’Orange recipe in this issue. The syrup can be used for sodas and cocktails. And any leftover sugar that you use in coating the peels can be used whenever you want a slight hint of orange in your sugar.

Makes about 4 –5 cups 6 thick-skinned oranges (organic or unsprayed) 2 cups granulated sugar, plus additional sugar for coating Water for blanching, plus 2 cups of water

Cut the top and bottom ends off the oranges and then score through Egg Salad Sandwich just the skin into quarters vertically from top to bottom. You should then be able to remove the peel easily.

What to do with your beautiful onion-skin-dyed Easter

Puteggs? the peels in on a saucepan to holdegg them and sandwich. cover First the listlarge mustenough be a classic salad with water. Bring to a full boil. Drain and rinse in cold water. Then You have many variations to choose from so you won’t get repeat. You will do a total of 4 blanchings. You can do a fifth if your tired of them, even if you’ve made dozens of eggs. peels are very thick. When you have finished the blanchings and sandwiches the Makes peels are2 cool enough to handle, scrape off the mushy part of the white pith. You can leave a little of the white pith to give them 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped substance, but the more you leave on, the more bitter they will be.

2 tablespoons Then cut them into mayonnaise vertical strips.or 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon crème fraiche

Place the cut peels into a saucepan with 2 cups of water and 2 cups Salt and taste of sugar.

Bringpepper, to a boiltoand then simmer for 1 hour. The peels should be tender and look translucent. You can also check with a Additions: candy thermometer—it should register around 220°.

•

A of something such as capers,touching chopped Removetablespoon the peels from the syrupcrunchy, and set them without celery, chopped pickled vegetables, chopped radishes or chopped each other on a rack above a baking sheet to dry several hours or onion overnight. They will be quite sticky even when dry. Then dredge the • Ainsprinkling chopped herbs, suchasasis parsley, basil, peels granulatedofsugar.

You fresh can serve them or dip the ends cilantro, chervil or tarragon in some melted chocolate and let them dry on a parchment-lined baking until firm. Store in an airtight container.

• A sheet dash of something tangy, such as lemon or lime juice, or the pickled juice or caper brine if you used either of those or a dash of white wine vinegar Bread (sliced bread, baguette, bagel, roll, croissant or slider bun) Additional mayonnaise and/or mustard (optional) Additional pickled vegetables (optional) Lettuce

ERIN FEINBL AT T

Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, seasoning and additions and mix until incorporated but with a still chunky texture. Taste and add more seasoning or additions if needed.

Create an open-faced or closed sandwich using additional mayonnaise on each slice if you love mayonnaise—or just mustard, or neither. Pickled vegetables make a great topping as well, such as a couple stalks of Pacific Pickle Works Asparagusto.

— Krista Harris

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seasonal

Orange Amaretti

Recipes

These cookies are inspired by Alice Medrich’s recipe for Amaretti in her book Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts.

In addition to classic amaretti, she gives variations for hazelnut, peanut, walnut or pecan amaretti. I’ve long had an obsession for the imported Italian amaretti—eating them out of hand or crumbling them over ice cream or adding them to pumpkin ravioli. It was inevitable that I would want to make them from scratch and put my own citrus spin on them. Wrapping them in paper is optional, but it makes a pretty presentation for a New Year’s Eve party or Valentine’s Day.

by Krista Harris

Makes about 4 or more dozen cookies 4 large eggs 2 cups powdered sugar

Egg Salad Sandwich

8 ounces almond meal or blanched almonds 1

⁄ 8 teaspoon salt

1

⁄ 2 cup sugar eggs?granulated First on the list must be a classic egg salad sandwich.

What to do with your beautiful onion-skin-dyed Easter

You many variations to choose from so you won’t get Zest of 1have orange tired of them, even if you’ve made dozens of eggs.

1 pinch cream of tartar

Makes 2 sandwiches 1 teaspoon almond extract 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon orange extract 1

2 tablespoons mayonnaise or 1 tablespoon mayonnaise ⁄ 2 cup turbinado sugar, optional and 1 tablespoon crème fraiche

Preheat ovenpepper, to 300°. to taste Salt and Separate the eggs and set the egg whites aside. Reserve the yolks for Additions: another use (such as lemon curd).

A tablespoon something crunchy, as capers, Sift•the powdered of sugar into a bowl andsuch combine withchopped the celery, chopped pickled vegetables, chopped radishes or chopped almond meal and the salt. If you are using blanched almonds, onionthem with the powdered sugar and salt in a food combine processor and pulse until theyfresh are herbs, finely such ground.

• A sprinkling of chopped as parsley, basil, cilantro, chervil or tarragon Add the orange zest to the granulated sugar and mix until

ERIN FEINBL AT T

A dash of something tangy, such as lemon or lime juice, or the well• dispersed. pickled juice or caper brine if you used either of those or a dash In a very clean metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites with a of white wine vinegar pinch of cream of tartar at medium to high speed until they form softBread peaks.(sliced bread, baguette, bagel, roll, croissant or slider bun) Additional mayonnaise and/or mustard (optional) Add the orange-infused granulated sugar a tablespoon or so at Additional pickledand vegetables (optional) a time while beating continue beating until they are very stiff.Lettuce Beat in the almond and orange extract. Gently fold in the almond mixture until mayonnaise, evenly incorporated.

Combine the eggs, seasoning and additions and mix

18 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

until incorporated but with aofstill texture.

Taste and add Place tablespoon-sized scoops thechunky batter on parchmentmore seasoning if needed. lined baking sheetsoratadditions least 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with a little turbinado sugar.

Bake foror30–35 minutes until peaks are Create an open-faced closed sandwich usingthe additional golden.

Cool completely onifracks and mayonnaise—or then, if you like,just mustard, mayonnaise on each slice you love wrap in squares of parchment or food-safe paper.

Put such 2 as or neither. Pickled vegetables make a greattissue topping as well, to aapackage, bottom to bottom, then twist the ends or tie couple stalks of Pacific Pickle Works Asparagusto. with string.

— Krista Harris

Monday–Friday 10am–6pm, Saturday 10am–5pm Sunday 10am– 4pm

ChocolateMaya.com 15 West Gutierrez Street Santa Barbara, California 93101 Phone: (805) 965-5956 Fax: (805) 563-1263 WFM_EdibleSB_Winter16.pdf

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5:17 PM

E DREAM L I V E T HOF

ORGANIC GREENS Since 1980 we’ve been bringing organic produce to market to help keep pesticides off your plate.

Whole Foods Market® Santa Barbara State Street & Hitchcock Way 805.837.6959 7 AM – 10 PM daily @wfmSantaBarbara

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 19

the fun part. There is also less food waste because you get just the amount you need for each recipe (and it helps you eliminate the 50 or more partially used condiments in your refrigerator).

The downside is that you still have to clean up the kitchen!

And you have less control over the menu and ingredients. Also, it’s geared for people who don’t mind following a schedule.

Once it’s delivered each week, the food must be prepared within a few days. And most services require that you start a subscription and go online to your account ahead of time if you wish to change or cancel a delivery.

How to Cook More Without Really Trying Recipe and Meal Kit Delivery Services b y K rista Harris

I

t is often said that one of the most important things you can do for your health and your family is cook more from scratch. But the two biggest reasons that people don’t cook from scratch are that they don’t have time or the skills.

The first thing to do to get the skills is to enroll in some cooking classes (see the calendar section for some local classes).

But the sad truth is that even after you’ve learned to cook, you still might find it difficult to get a home-cooked, made-fromscratch meal on the dinner table on a regular basis. At the cooking class all the ingredients were right there, some were even already prepped. It was easy and fun. After a 10-hour work day coming home to an empty pantry is not fun.

Here’s the dirty little secret that cookbooks rarely mention: Cooking takes more time in the planning than in the executing.

People who cook regularly and people who cook on a budget are people who create a meal plan—writing down or saving to their phone the recipes they want to make each week and the ingredients they will need to shop for. They plan ahead.

Or perhaps some of them have discovered a relatively new phenomenon called the recipe or meal kit delivery service.

It’s not a delivered, ready-to-eat meal; instead, it’s something you will cook. Each week the service provides you with a box containing recipe cards and all the ingredients you need to cook a set number of meals (often three).

The upside is that it saves time and effort when cooking dinner, since you don’t have to plan and shop for food, and yet it’s still a home-cooked meal. Some subscribers say it’s great for involving children or spouses in the cooking process because it takes some of the work out of meal preparation and focuses on

20 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

What will it cost you?

It can actually save you money. It costs generally less than what you would spend on takeout or eating out. So if you replaced three nights of takeout meals with one of these subscriptions, you’d be well ahead.

It will also cost less than going to various markets and buying all the same ingredients for these types of meals. But if budget is your number one priority, you’ll be better off creating your own more frugal meal plan and shopping carefully.

Also, it doesn’t eliminate food shopping—you still need to stock your kitchen with food for other nights of the week as well as breakfasts and lunches. Given that, it can make a good supplement to a subscription for weekly produce deliveries or CSA pickups. Since you are already used to a schedule, this type of service will be easy for you.

How could it be better?

I’d love to see more local ingredients and more transparency about where each ingredient comes from. Some probably source much of their produce from California, but it’s hard to tell how much, if any, is local to our area. The exception is Pantry SB, which does use local produce and often local protein sources— they even mention the farms in their email notices.

Pros and Cons A good idea for those who: • Want a variety of home-cooked meals, but don’t

always have the time or energy to make a meal plan and shop for ingredients.

• Want to avoid food waste and half-used ingredients

that go bad.

• Enjoy cooking or who want to learn to cook.

Probably not for those who: • Enjoy or prefer to do their own meal planning and shopping.

• Cannot cook or who have no interest in cooking.

• Have severe food allergies, dietary restrictions or

strong likes and dislikes when it comes to food and cooking.

• Travel a lot or have a variable meal schedule.

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EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 21

Packaging is also an area where there could be improvement. Even with much of the packaging being recyclable, there really seems to be an abundant amount of small plastic bags and containers.

I’d like to see more compostable and returnable packaging.

What does the future hold for these meal kit delivery services? More offerings, more choices? And will local grocery stores and markets get in on the phenomenon by offering similar types of boxes ready to pick up? It will be interesting to see what happens in this industry within the next couple of years.

In the meantime, here are summaries of four meal kit delivery services that are available in Santa Barbara County (two of which are nationwide). There are more out there (and new ones starting up every day), but these all have something to offer. If you’ve decided to give this type of service a try, hopefully this rundown will help you pick which one is right for you.

Din

Terra’s Kitchen

Based in San Francisco.

Delivers throughout California.

Based in Baltimore, MD. Delivers nationwide beginning January 2016.

S

Best for: Interesting dishes and variety • $15 per meal • $60/week for 2 people/2 meals $90/week for 2 people/3 meals Omnivore, vegetarian (and sometimes pescatarian) options can be selected each week. If you forget to make a choice by the cutoff, they’ll select for you.

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday delivery days.

Only require 48 hours advance notice for changing an order or skipping a week.

Recipes are inspired by restaurant dishes and can all be prepared in 20 minutes, since some of the prep work is done for you.

Bonus: You can send back the packaging after you’ve received five boxes.

What we love: The produce is mostly organic, California local and the meat/ seafood from sustainable sources.

What we’d love to see them do: More flexible pricing and plans.

Pantry SB

Blue Apron

Based in Santa Barbara.

Delivers to Santa Barbara County and most of California.

Based in New York, NY. Delivers nationwide.

S

Best for: Locavores and anyone who lives in Santa Barbara County.

• $12–$15 per meal • $72/week for 2 people/3 meals Omnivore and vegetarian options.

S

Best for: Creative menus

• $8.74–$9.99 per meal • $60/week for 2 people/3 meals Omnivore, vegetarian and pescetarian and other protein options can be specified in advance.

Tuesday deliveries only. Cutoff for making changes or canceling is Wednesday at midnight for the following week.

Multiple delivery days and times, depending on location. Six days advance notice for skipping a week or canceling.

Recipes are simple, easy and omnivore options tend to be low-carb—usually a protein, vegetable and salad. Vegetarian options have just been added.

Recipes tend to be creative with interesting ingredients. You are most likely to learn new techniques or cook with an unfamiliar ingredient. The recipes are well thought out and easy to follow, but you’ll be doing almost all the prep.

Bonus: The instructional videos for each recipe are great for beginner/intermediate cooks.

What we love: The fact that they’re a local business. Also, they source local as much as they can and even mention some of the farms and purveyors that they source from each week.

What we’d like to see them do: Additional delivery day options would be great.

22 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Bonus: Instructional technique videos.

Family plan is affordable option for 4 people (either 2 or 4 meals per week).

What we love: The variety and quality of the meals (at a great price) and wellproduced instruction cards.

What we’d love to see them do: Locally sourced ingredients and the ability to pick different menus each week.

S

Best for: Flexible options, most reusable packaging.

• $11.99–$16.99 per meal (plus shipping of $10–$15 for orders under $125) • $70–$75/week for 2 people/3 meals Omnivore, vegetarian, pescatarian and paleo options can be selected each week.

Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday deliveries, depending on location. Order each week—as many or as few meals as you would like.

Recipes tend to be simple, quick and with many items already prepped or a prepared salad dressing. They also tend not to use too many pans and utensils—leaving you with a cleaner kitchen.

Bonus: “Grab and Go” snacks such as fresh fruit and salads can be added to your order.

The reusable box can be sent back each week.

What we love: The flexible menu options and add-ons.

What we’d love to see them do: Locally sourced ingredients and more challenging meals.

Tips The instructions might say the food is meant to be consumed within the week, but I’ve found that it’s best to make the meals within the first 3–4 days. And if you opt for seafood, use it the day it’s delivered. So, keep that in mind when picking a delivery day.

You always have the option to deviate from the recipe. So if you don’t like a certain ingredient, you can leave it out or substitute something else.

They tend to offer meals that are 500–700 calories for each serving, and we found them all to have adequate portion sizes.

If you are a light eater, set aside some for leftovers. If you want a heartier meal, add your own bread, appetizer or a dessert.

None of the services provide meals for just one serving. So if you are single, you can use the leftovers for lunch the next day or share dinner with a friend.

Krista Harris is the editor and publisher of Edible Santa Barbara.

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DRINKABLE LANDSCAPE

A Cocktail to Pine For

STE VEN BROWN

b y G e o r g e Ya t c hisin

A

s many reasons as there are to make one desirous of drink around Christmas—family visits, kids getting greedy-cranky, the perils and delays of travel, family visits—that doesn’t make one stop from wanting to drink Christmas. And by that I mean the most pleasant scent of the season, that remarkably redolent tree we drag inside the house.

This issue helps you do just that, in one of the easiest-tomake cocktails I have written about during my Edible tenure, because it’s the holidays and you want to spend time chatting and noshing, not muddling and straining, or worse yet, planning ahead (Uncle Ned always shows up unannounced and thirsty).

You do need a few special ingredients, but they are truly special, and it’s the time of year people might give you such things. So get to work on your wish list early, and be sure to be nice, not naughty. Then, after you make this cocktail, everyone will think you nice forever more.

The Deck Your Halls Cocktail has at its heart a very special drinkable landscape product from Oregon—Clear Creek Distillery’s Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir (ClearCreekDistillery.com).

24 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Yep, this drink has Christmas tree in it. It wasn’t easy for Clear Creek’s distiller Stephen McCarthy to make this spirit, inspired by similar ones from Alsace, France.

And this is where your holiday gift list gets to expand, as you get to ask for Amy Stewart’s fascinating book The Drunken Botanist: The Plants that Create the World’s Greatest Drinks (Algonquin, 2013). The title should tell you all you need to know, but it’s very engagingly written, full of good recipes, and will make you look at everything that grows as eventually drinkable. Stewart offers an informative two-page chapter on what McCarthy went through to make this lovely pale green brandy. Turns out he actually distills right there in the woods, as the buds oxidize too quickly if you take them to a distillery.

That’s commitment.

Of course, the reason people love gin, and the reason other (misguided) people hate gin, is that it tastes strongly of pine trees. That’s the juniper, the only ingredient gin must have in its botanicals that can grow an arm’s length long in today’s exploratory distilling culture (from citrus to rose to peach to

The Deck Your Halls Cocktail Makes 2 cocktails 4 ounces gin 1 ounce cranberry shrub 1 ounce Eau de Vie of Douglas Fir 4 dashes cranberry bitters 1 rosemary sprig per drink, garnish

Put the first 4 ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously to mix and chill. Pour into coupe glasses. Add a rosemary sprig per glass.

Orris root, a type of iris). As the major ingredient in this drink, you want it to be a Christmas tree in a glass, so picking a gin that’s as juniper-y as you can get is the goal. I’m partial to Wisconsin’s organic Death’s Door, but even the gin-genre-bending floral Nolet’s Silver works, too. So make many of these cocktails and experiment—that’s what the holidays are for! (You’ve got days off.)

Needless to say the garnish, a fresh rosemary sprig—and who doesn’t have rosemary growing somewhere nearby?— also adds a sharp nose tickle of pine. But here’s your chance to give the kids something to do (they can “harvest” sprigs for you), give your drink a charming visual fillip and make people sing “O Tannenbaum” while sipping your drink.

Two of the other ingredients bring a different, delicious Christmas register— cranberries. A garland of popcorn and cranberries might have gone out with The Waltons, but it’s still very much a seasonal fruit, plus its blush color makes the drink an enticing pale Christmas red. Cranberry shrub can be had from Shrub & Co. (you can find their products locally at Still and they’re on the web, ShrubAndCo.com), and the vinegar charge—the heart of all shrub recipes, which go back to colonial days, and that somehow seems even more holiday appropriate—adds a depth not every drink can reach. Even better, the Shrub & Co. cranberry shrub has more Douglas fir in it, so you get another register of pine, too.

Given there’s quadruple pine in the gin, eau de vie, shrub and rosemary, it’s worth going twice with the cranberry (although you can leave the bitters out if you want to save a few dollars). Bitters give the drink one more angle of flavor, and Fee Brothers (FeeBrothers.com) makes a relatively inexpensive cranberry, especially given how little you use per cocktail. Plus, Fee Brothers were one of the first companies to revive artisanal bitters beyond Angostura’s back in the early 1990s, so they’re a fine company to support given the holidays are all about traditions.

George Yatchisin happily eats, drinks and writes in Santa Barbara.

He blogs at GeorgeEats.com.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 25

EDIBLE GARDEN

Amending Your

Garden Soil

by Joan S. Bolton

T

o some people, dirt is a four-letter word, conjuring up images of useless mess best swept from porches and patios or banged off the bottoms of boots.

Soil is a four-letter word, too, and for whatever reason, evokes a more positive response. It’s also the word of choice for most of us garden writers, especially when we wax poetic over the quest to create that rich, loamy stuff that’s so perfect for growing our edibles. How proud we feel, standing tall in our gardens, scooping up handfuls of dark brown soil, pausing to take a deep sniff of its deliciousness, caressing the raggedy pieces between our fingers, then letting them drop gently back to the earth.

Of course, that’s once we've achieved that state of grace where the soil is filled with just the right blend of nutrients and imparts perfect drainage. Amending with organic and inorganic materials is a time-proven method to achieve those goals.

26 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Getting Started First, determine your soil type. Most South Coast gardens have clay soil that’s heavy and sticky during the rainy season, then crusts over and cracks by summer’s end. If you can shape it into a slippery mud ball or it cakes on the bottoms of your shoes, you have clay soil. Drainage is difficult: When clay soil gets wet, water becomes trapped in the tiny pores between the particles, which inhibits needed oxygen from reaching roots. On the plus side, clay soil is generally fertile, as nutrients stay put.

Sandy soil is not as prevalent. But it’s still problematic. It’s loose, gritty and essentially what we walk on at the beach. Water drains fast, not lingering enough to keep roots hydrated for long. Nutrients leach out fast, too.

Loam is a magical mix of sand, clay and silt particles that drains well and retains fertility. Regrettably, few of us have it.

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Around fruit trees, berries and perennial vegetables, look for rougher, partially composted materials that may take several years to break down, such as ground bark, wood fibers or straw.

Leaf mold is a close cousin to compost. It’s the fine, nearly pulverized stuff at the bottom of old leaf piles that decays rapidly.

It’s an excellent amendment for acid-loving blueberries. Don’t substitute shredded leaves. Their flat surfaces tend to mat together when wet and can cause a stink. Instead, add them to your compost pile first, mixed with coarser trimmings.

Grass clippings are best added—in layers—to the compost pile, too. Thin layers to the vegetable garden won’t do much, and layers too thick can become a slimy, smelly mess.

Manure can be odiferous as well. Be sure yours is well aged.

Otherwise, it will attract flies and its high salt content may burn or kill your plants. Sniff it: If it reeks or smells of ammonia, turn the pile with a pitchfork, then wait another few weeks. When you do amend, work the manure fully into the soil. Leave it on top and you’re likely to revive the scent every time you water.

Inorganic Amendments

Organic Amendments Compost is a basic building block for improving soil. It’s rich, earthy, full of nutrients, sustains beneficial soil microorganisms and improves the flow of water.

In clay, compost separates the small, smooth clay particles, which speeds drainage, allows oxygen to reach roots and helps prevent plants from rotting. In sandy gardens, compost improves drainage by acting like a sponge to retain moisture.

There are many types of compost. Indeed, “compost” refers to any organic material in the throes of decomposition.

At home, source materials may be leaves, lawn clippings, yard trimmings and kitchen scraps of fruits, vegetables, bread products or coffee grounds.

Commercial products may contain a single material, such as redwood, mushrooms or earthworm castings. More often, they’re a mix of broadly labeled materials, such as yard waste, forest products, manure and even sewage sludge. They may be supplemented with interesting combinations of beneficial bacteria, fungus, humic acid and micronutrients, such as mycorrhizae, bat guano, kelp meal, seaweed extract, stinging nettle or valerian.

In vegetable beds, where you’re likely to turn over the soil a few times a year, look for well-aged compost with a finer, more crumbly texture that will break down quickly. That way you can rejuvenate the soil each time you plant a new crop.

28 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Inorganic materials pair nicely with organic amendments and largely affect the physical structure of the soil, enhancing texture and drainage.

Gypsum (calcium sulfate) is a classic conditioner for clay, dating back to the Greeks and Romans. The soft mineral aggregates small clay particles into larger, rough-edged pieces, which helps water and nutrients flow more freely, and releases traces of calcium.

Perlite, made from lightweight volcanic glass, helps aerate clay soil as well.

Loose, sandy soils benefit from inorganic materials that improve their capacity to hold moisture. Vermiculite is a lightweight mineral that can absorb up to three to four times its volume in water.

Peat moss and coir, or coconut fiber, are technically organic.

But they deliver minimal nutrients and instead, act like inorganic amendments. In clay, their coarseness pushes apart soil particles so air and water can pass. In sand, they retain water. Peat moss is acidic and good for blueberries, while coir is neutral.

Give It a Rest Whatever you use to amend, consider letting the mix rest for a few weeks— or even over winter— before planting. There’s something to be said for allowing the new materials to settle into their new home, jump-starting soil microbes, establishing minute passageways for water to drain and welcoming winter rains and attendant earthworms and other soil-living organisms. Next spring, you, too, can stand tall, inhale that delicious aroma and wax eloquent about what you’ve created.

Joan S. Bolton is a freelance writer, garden coach and garden designer who confesses to a lifelong love affair with plants. She and her husband, Tom, have filled their four-acre property in western Goleta with natives and other colorful, water-conserving plants. They also maintain avocado, citrus and fruit trees and grow vegetables and herbs year-round.

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CHEF PROFILE

Leslie Thomas

Foraging Local Food and Wine

by Rachel Hommel PHOTOGRAPHY BY NELL CAMPBELL

Sandy Newman picking the leaf tips of Camellia sinesus which will be dried for green tea.

Leslie Thomas grows 37 grape vines in her micro-vineyard.

I

met Leslie Thomas one chilly winter afternoon, side by side bellied up to the bar at the Santa Barbara Wine Collective. Giving each other a familiar look, our conversation turned into excited foodie bantering, wine sharing and my first introduction to our city’s “accidental chef.”

Why accidental, you ask? Well, that is how all the best things happen in life… and usually over wine.

Having attended several of Leslie’s cooking classes at Whole Foods, I became fascinated with her unique background, 30 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

coming from computer software to working at Jaffurs Wine, to conducting winemaker dinners at SpiritLand Bistro and Max’s Cucina. Currently she is a marketing consultant for Nectar, a wine consumption specialist, assisting with the Central Coast Wine Classic, and she leads il Fustino cooking classes at the Santa Barbara Public Market.

Blessed with the gift of gab and an infectious curiosity, her repertoire of friends and industry knowledge has grown extensively over the last 30-plus years. And so has her love of

cooking, which as a child, did not come naturally or easily.

“I was not always into cooking, I had a traumatic experience as a child cooking,” said Leslie with a smile. “My mom spit out the blueberry muffins—my sister and I still laugh about that.”

With no formal culinary background, Leslie admits she was intimidated by cooking but always loved food (and, of course, wine). She frequently attended the cooking classes at Whole Foods. Always curious, Leslie quickly went from student to teacher at Whole Foods. She remembers her first class vividly, leading a pesto-making class while there were two Italian chefs in the audience.

Cutting sugar, gluten and many times dairy from her own diet, she hopes to educate and inspire others to find novel ways of using tried and true ingredients, ramping up taste as well as nutritional value. Her meals are often just as delectable as they are detoxifying.

During last year’s sold out “Nuts for Nutella, Mad about Mousse” class, she made a hazelnut chocolate spread and raw chocolate orange mousse. Both recipes were gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free. The mousse had no sugar added and used orange juice instead. Each class embraced health and hands-on learning.

“I hope to demystify cooking: If I can do it, you can do it,” said Leslie. “I’m an accidental chef, I make mistakes. I am Everyman’s cook, hoping to propagate the appreciation for local.”

Creating an edible backyard garden, Leslie’s inspiration stemmed from a desire and need to heal through food. Hoping to cure her hyperthyroid problem, she planted goitrogenic vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, collards, Brussels sprouts) to coincide with her new eating lifestyle, prescribed by her nutritionist and guided by an edible landscaper. She told me that in nine months, her thyroid issues vanished and have not returned in the nine years since. Eating primarily a vegetarian diet, her food is hyper local, picked at optimum ripeness to maximize flavor.

Leslie’s 1,000-square-foot edible garden and micro-vineyard consists of 37 vines, from household favorites like Syrah and Pinot Noir to lesser-known varietals such as Tannat, Picpoul and Grüner Veltliner.

“This was never really planned; I just started collecting grape vines, and well, it got completely out of control!” said Leslie. “I hope to empower others to grow their own food, to discover the flavor and nutritional value of food that does not need to travel long distances.”

Having been invited to experience her edible backyard and DIY winemaking, I was eager to harvest ingredients as her sous-chef. Like a farmers market, her backyard is a cornucopia of color, texture and smells. We walked along the cobbled pathway, basket in tow, foraging ingredients for our raw walnut taco recipe. Our healthy taco shell was a beauty: a cabbage pulled right out of the ground and onto our plate.

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Leslie Thomas pictured with her salsa (also above right) and below right are her grape popsicles.

“I love growing things; it’s very therapeutic and cathartic,” said Leslie. “There is something very special about being able to walk outside and harvest your next meal.”

Feeling like Jack and the Beanstalk, next up were green beans, pulled right off the stem and into my mouth. It was very hard not to eat the surplus of fresh veggies. Celery was next in our basket, followed by some ruby red bell peppers and sharp green onions for a nice bite. Vine-ripened tomatoes joined the party, bursting with sweetness and tang. We assembled the ingredients in her kitchen, the colors as vibrant and cheery as a rainbow. Marinating chopped walnuts in Bragg’s Amino Acids and cumin, our savory main ingredient was ready to serve. After assembling our taco, we dug into the delicious backyard treat, and indulged in watching “Dancing With the Stars.”

For dessert, we picked a handful of chamomile flowers and made a fragrant, grassy tea to accompany our vegan chocolate almond date balls. Eating, talking and more eating… her love of fresh local food, as well as wine, became apparent. Working for Jaffurs Wine Cellars the last 12 years, Leslie was inspired to grow her own grapes, split unevenly across 12 different varietals.

Harvesting her first batch of wine in 2014, she destemmed her Albariño grapes, ending up with 80 pounds, as well as a smaller harvest for making jelly, fruit roll-ups, cocktails and grape popsicles. Yes, grape popsicles—Cabernet, Syrah, Tannat and Grenache Blanc.

Using her acquired wine knowledge and extensive business connections, she continues to conduct winemaker dinners, regularly hosting blind tasting parties and varietal-specific industry events, as well as great wine pairing suggestions in her classes. Hoping to expand the local “wine economy,” Leslie has invited winemakers, press, restaurateurs and industry heavyweights into her home, to share in the breadth of Santa Barbara County wine.

32 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

“My dad coined the phrase ‘wine economy’ after I relayed several stories of using wine instead of money,” Leslie chuckled.

“I remember one time trading a couple bottles of Viognier for some minor legal services. My lawyer was unfamiliar with the varietal but very happy with the wine. Yay for the underground economy!”

Several weeks later, I am invited to experience this new economy, eager to reacquaint with fellow winos and learn more about Leslie’s DIY winemaking (and most importantly, try her wine pops).

“One of the things I love about people in the wine trade is the passion and optimism they express,” said Leslie. “I love organizing events that bring like-minded people together for both fun and a bit of education.”

Some of the attendees had been friends for years, going back to dinners Leslie conducted at SpiritLand Bistro, while many new connections were made. We were encouraged to swirl, sip and walk around amongst the backyard bounty.

Ending the night with a Syrah wine pop, I walked away eager to grow a green thumb. Accidental or not, Leslie is a pioneer in the local food movement, dedicated to eating fresh and drinking local.

“There is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes from growing your own food,” said Leslie. “It’s been a very organic process. I’m not here to promote myself, I’m here to promote the food.”

When not rallying for fair food, Rachel Hommel can be spotted at the farmers market, practicing yoga and dancing to the beet of life. She has written for the Santa Barbara Independent, establishing a “Meet Your Farmer” column to celebrate local agrarians.

RECIPE Raw Walnut Taco Modified by Leslie Thomas from a recipe originally created by local raw food chef Dianne Bess.

Allow 60 minutes from start (cleaning veggies) to completion (filling taco shells).

Makes 8–10 tacos (depending on size of cabbage leaf and amount of filling) FOR WALNUT MIXTURE 2 cups raw walnut halves, packed down and slightly rounded (not rounded if using walnut pieces) 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Bragg’s Amino Acids 2 teaspoons water 1 teaspoon cumin

FOR TACO SHELL 10 whole leaves from light green cabbage such as Savoy, or cup-shaped lettuce like Iceberg (cabbage leaves must be pliable enough to be separated without tearing)

FOR TACO FILLING 1 large leaf red cabbage, shredded or sliced thin

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Pulse walnuts in food processor just until slightly larger than grain of cooked brown rice. Mix together Bragg’s, water and cumin, then add to processor. Pulse mixture a few times to combine. It should have a crumbly texture.

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34 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Interwoven: Santa Maria’s Culture and Cuisine

by Laura Sanchez P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y C A R O L E T O PA L I A N

A

s a child I imagined a red thread that wound around County, the growth of the Oaxacan population over the past me and each person that I cared for. It looped around 10 years has correlated directly with the increase in farming acquaintances. It zigged from friend to neighbor and acreage — especially in strawberries, broccoli, wine grapes and knotted firmly around family members. This red thread traced lettuce crops. Sustainable employment and affordable housing are the web of our interconnectedness. It knitted us together. And attractive. But, as I discovered, the woven fabric of community is for my child mind it delineated a sense of community. what anchors many Oaxacans within the Santa Maria Valley.

I was reminded of this image recently while talking with Zefe’s Story members of Santa Maria’s Oaxacan community. The Santa Maria Zeferino Gutierrez came across the border in a suitcase. “It Valley is home to an estimated 35,000 Oaxacan-Americans and wasn’t that bad,” he explains. “As soon as the car made it to one of California’s most established trans-national populations San Clemente, the coyote stopped and let us out.” He and his and cultural networks. Why, I wondered, of all the cities compadres emerged from the suitcases wet with sweat. in California, had they chosen the Santa Maria Valley as “I was lucky,” he says. “Today their home? people have to walk for eight days.

I anticipated economic “Ultimately we decided that being close And many die along the way.” His discussions about unemployment voice trembles as he recalls the names to the family that we had in the U.S. in Mexico and the modest of four people from his village who cost of living in Santa Maria, was the most important thing.” perished while running through traffic agricultural jobs and financial to freedom. decisions. But throughout our Zeferino —or Zefe, as most of his friends call him— is conversations, it became clear that while each of the immigrant from Santa María de Tindú, a village of about 1,100 people families that I spoke with came to the United States primarily to the northwest of Oaxaca’s capital city. He worked there for for economic reasons, they ultimately made their way to the six years as a veterinary assistant and in 1986, after a period of Santa Maria Valley for a sense of community — they followed unemployment, decided to head north to Madera, California, the red thread to be close to those that they love. where his cousins were already working in the vineyards. With Oaxacans are corn farmers. Their Zapotec and Mixtec their help, he found work and began planting, pruning and ancestors have farmed various types of maize for over 8,000 harvesting grapes. years in the stretch of land that lies in Mexico’s mountainous Each year during Madera’s off-season, his cousins traveled southern region. Corn is a cultural keystone. Each meal includes some form of corn in tortillas, hominy, masa or fresh kernels, to Santa Maria as migrant laborers, returning when the work in and nearly every family grows it in backyard patches that Santa Maria was complete. So when his seasonal job in Madera support their existence. finished, Zefe made the journey with his cousins to the Santa Maria Valley.

In 1994 the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) disrupted that. As heavily subsidized American-grown corn The three of them worked at Bien Nacido Vineyards tending poured into Mexico, producer prices dropped. Small farmers vines. Zefe liked the work and excelled at it. He was promoted were no longer able to make a living. In fact, it’s estimated that to work with other crops besides the grapes and was gradually since then, 2 million small farmers have been forced to leave their offered more responsibility for the avocados and lemon groves. farms. And each year many of them migrate to the United States.

When the others eventually left Bien Nacido for other careers, Zefe decided to stay on.

They come seeking jobs and easier lives. In Santa Barbara Opposite: Sommelier Cameron Porter with a selection of Santa Maria Valley wines.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 35

Clockwise: Jacinto Lopez enjoys a glass of his granddaughter and grandson-in-law’s Amplify Viognier. Amalia Lopez and her great-grandchild. A photo of Amalia being crowned “La Reina Mas Linda del Ejido,” (the prettiest girl of the village). A photo of one of Amalia and Jacinto’s first dates (accompanied by her cousin Elia).

One day while shopping at Albertsons in Santa Maria he saw a woman that he recognized from his childhood. Reyna Giron had not only grown up in Santa María de Tindú, she had lived on the same street as he and his family. They reconnected and she encouraged him to come to her family’s home in Santa Maria for dinner.

They fell in love, married and had two daughters—now 10 and 23 years old.

“My eldest daughter just graduated from San Francisco State with a degree in business,” he says with pride. “And the little one just finished third grade.” He marvels at the fact that his children have spent time in Mexico but prefer the American lifestyle—with cartoons and Internet.

“Really, they are two different lives,” Zefe explains. “In Mexico, it’s a very honest, simple lifestyle. People talk to 36 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

you on the street. If you build a house, everyone comes to help. You work together and then make a dinner and have a party.

Everyone helps one another. There’s a sense of community.”

It is precisely this sense of community that first drew him to the Santa Maria Valley and has kept him here. “There is a network of families,” he says. He explains that he and his family keep their cultural traditions alive with the help of other Oaxacan families residing in the area.

“When somebody dies, we pray with them every evening for nine days. We bring a little money and food and we say the Rosary together. It’s the same as we do in Mexico.”

They also travel to Madera, where hundreds of people from his village currently live. “We celebrate the same fiestas, weddings, saint’s days as we did in

Santa María de Tindú. We like to all be together. And we talk about the fact that the streets of our village are now empty.

Our community is here now.”

Amalia and Jacinto Lopez Amalia and Jacinto Lopez met in 1956 when she, the village beauty, was elected to present the champion basketball players with an award.

“My hands shook when I pinned the medal on his shirt because I was so nervous,” she remembers. “He was the Michael Jordan of Teotitlán del Valle,” “I knew instantly that I was in love with her,” he says and squeezes her hand.

They are from neighboring villages in Oaxaca: El Tule and Teotitlán del Valle.

They have been married for 58 years and have 21 grandchildren.

Clockwise: Marlen Porter stirs mole beside her grandmother. Cameron shares some of his favorite wines from the Santa Maria Valley. Jacinto’s homemade tortillas warm over a flame. Delicately spiced mole, rice and chicken.

The challenge of making a living in the small village presented itself early on in their marriage. Jacinto made woven rugs and serapes from hand-dyed wool. He also worked as a baker and helped his father raise corn, beans and pumpkins. But they quickly realized that the only way to get ahead and feed their growing family was for Jacinto to go north.

He made his first journey to the U.S. as a participant in the Bracero program, a war-time labor relief agreement that allowed temporary contract laborers to cross the border and work. He picked tomatoes in Woodland and grapes near Fresno for nearly 10 years, returning home to his family when money and time would allow.

In 1973 an American named Herbert Madsen visited Teotitlán and offered to help a few families emigrate to the United States legally. He arranged the paperwork and ushered the group of 20 across the border at San Ysidro. He was a foreman at Valentine, a large table grape producer. So for a few years, the families worked with him near Fresno.

They hired on as laborers in the strawberry fields and also harvested onions and asparagus. Amalia began working in the fields during the day and cooking the next day’s meals and hand washing all of the children’s clothing at nighttime. They had seven mouths to feed beside their own.

“Ultimately we decided that being close to the family that we had here in the U.S. was the most important thing,” says Jacinto. So when his brother found steady employment at Riverview Farm in the Sacramento Delta the family decided to follow him. They moved to Bacon Island, Camp 12, and lived in homes that were once part of the Japanese internment camps.

“The Japanese community was like family to us,” Jacinto reminisces. “They would invite us over and feed our kids dinner. They would pick us up for work in the morning and give our kids hand-me-downs.

They were our bosses, coworkers and closest friends.”

After several years there, one of Jacinto and Amalia’s sons moved to Oxnard. There were opportunities there, he said, for jobs, affordable housing and education. The family followed. Jacinto studied to become a machinist and began rebuilding engines.

They worked hard and saved money, at one point by all living together in a cramped two-bedroom house.

“I think it’s a cultural thing,” their daughter Isabel Martinez says. “Wherever our family goes, we follow. We have to be all together.”

Three of Jacinto and Amalia’s sons and one son-in-law played music in a band called Grupo Anhelo. One by one, they moved to Santa Maria to be closer to their EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 37

bandmates. While visiting them, Jacinto and Amalia found a beautiful little piece of property with a home and space to grow figs, and corn, chiles, and grapes—a dream fulfilled. Soon their family followed and made the Santa Maria Valley their home.

Today six of their children and 10 of their grandchildren live nearby. Their daughters Mari and Isabel live within a mile of one another. Jacinto and Amalia live only a few miles away. And the proximity delights them.

“Our life has been really beautiful. Yes, very beautiful,” Jacinto says. They look at each other and smile. “As long as we’re together, we’re happy.”

Marlen and Cameron Porter “I think that family structure and food are really important in maintaining our culture,” says Marlen Porter. “My mom and grandma and I cook the traditional dishes and it’s love. It helps me connect to my family and keep our cultural identity alive.”

Marlen is Amalia and Jacinto’s granddaughter. She and her husband, Cameron, work in the wine industry, she as general manager of Andrew Murray Wines and he as sommelier and estate manager for Presqu’ile. Both were raised in the Santa Maria Valley and enjoy the area’s array of Mexican foods.

Marlen feels that the interaction between elder family members and younger ones helps preserve the traditions of their heritage. “I grew up with my grandparents.

I went to their house every day after school.

I watched them cook. And I got to know the traditions that way.” And she hopes that her own newborn son will be able to absorb some of the cultural richness in his greatgrandmother’s kitchen.

It’s likely that her wish will be granted.

Every Tuesday Jacinto makes flour tortillas and delivers the fluffy, aromatic stacks to each of the family members. Amalia prepares Oaxacan dishes like mole to share with her family during frequent celebration dinners.

“At each family dinner we kept thinking, ‘These are the foods that we enjoy and that are unique to our area. Let’s pair them with wine,’” says Cameron. He and Marlen began experimenting with flavor combinations. Along the way they 38 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

discovered some exquisite pairings. They also decided to begin making their own wine. Their label, Amplify, aims to capture the essence of each vineyard site and amplify it.

When pairing wines with Oaxacan cuisine, Cameron recommends wines with high acid and low alcohol. He favors wines with minimal oak treatment and little to no tannins. But he also encourages wine drinkers to experiment with flavor combinations in order to discover what works best with the dishes that they enjoy most.

“Santa Maria Valley wines have the perfect levels of acidity, delicacy and the trademark spice component that makes them pair well with complex, delicate, spicy

“Santa Maria Valley wines have the perfect levels of acidity, delicacy and the trademark spice component that makes them pair well with complex, delicate, spicy foods.” foods. They tend to complement rather than overwhelm,” explains Cameron. “Santa Maria’s cool climate and fog helps grapes retain vibrant natural acidity while extended time on the vine allows them to develop complex flavors.” As a result, they offer a refreshing counterpoint to piquant foods.

We sat down to an elaborate feast of Oaxacan black mole with chicken and pork and traditional rice prepared by Amalia.

The mole was seasoned with chiles, exotic spices and chocolate and it was exquisitely balanced. We tasted an array of wines from the Santa Maria Valley to explore the flavor interactions. The exotic interplay was an epiphany.

Delicacy: The delicacy of the 2013 Foxen Chenin Blanc was one of our favorite sensations throughout the meal. Its transparent layers perfectly complemented the mole without overpowering the flavors.

It was refreshing and highlighted precise equipoise of spices as well as the rose petal delicacy of the dish.

Rosé: “Rosé wines with bright acidity offer a refreshing counterpoint to spicy

foods,” Cameron explained. Both the 2014 Presqu’ile Rosé of Pinot Noir and 2014 Foxen Rosé of Mourvedre demonstrated beautiful natural vibrancy, while also offering juicy fruit flavors.

Complexity: Marlen and Cameron’s own 2014 Amplify Carignan is lightbodied with beautiful acidity and an array of exotic spices. Its complexity made an ideal bridge with the mole and allowed us to fully appreciate the kaleidoscopic flavors in both the wine and the food.

The Unexpected: Harmonious surprises are the excitement of food and wine pairing. The 2013 Cotiere Murmur Vineyard Chardonnay offered tropical fruit flavors that gracefully accented the fruitiness and rich chocolate of the mole.

“Beyond that, the subtle oak treatment and creamy character acted like a foil,” explains Cameron, “almost like a tortilla with butter would.”

Santa Maria Spice: Wines from the Santa Maria Valley tend to have an intriguing spicy nuance—a pleasant regional trademark. In Pinot Noir it’s often perceptible as sandalwood or Chinese Five Spice powder. In other varietals, it appears as subtle smokiness, clove, or baking spices.

And it just so happens that this inherent Santa Maria seasoning accompanies Oaxacan cuisine beautifully.

“The hints of spice and smokiness of Santa Maria Valley wines remind me a little bit of the earth and smoke of mescal,” says Cameron. “So they’re a natural complement to one another.”

Over the course of our meal we determined that Santa Maria Valley wines and Oaxacan cuisine share a delectable synergy. By enjoying them together, we not only tasted the essence of the Santa Maria Valley, we experienced the intersection of terroir and community, and we honored our area’s vibrant cultural tapestry. In fact, each illuminating pairing seemed proof that through food, wine and community, the red thread connects us all.

Laura Sanchez is a Santa Barbara–based writer who hopes that heaven smells like homemade tortillas and mole. Laura_Sanchez10@hotmail.com

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Enlisted army men often received

chicharones / pork rinds

the preferable top loin cuts, thus the phrase

Skin, usually from the back, is rendered, dried and fried.

on the hog.” “living high

coppa / capicola A dry-cured salume made from the shoulder or neck.

sausage

country ham

Ground meat, salt, herbs and spices in a casing.

Salt-cured for up to 3 months, smoked, then aged for up to 3 years.

head cheese

A terrine (a coarser version of pâté) made with flesh from the head of a pig and set in aspic.

prosciutto

Italian dry-cured ham that is served raw, sliced thin.

A popular contest at fairs of old involved blindfolded contestants and greased pigs. If you managed to catch one, it was yours to take with you, hence the saying

guanciale

“ bring home the bacon.”

country pâté A coarsely textured terrine of pork,

ham hocks and trotters For soups and stocks.

Butchering buster Words and Photos by Rosminah Brown

I

’m not a chef. The only cooking classes I’ve taken were from Adult Ed, perhaps 15–20 years ago, and all I recall is chopping a lot of onions (too many, actually, and it ruined the dish) and somewhere I might still have the printed recipes.

I consider myself a regular person with a particular interest in food. I’m an enthusiast. So there are people out there with far more knowledge, training and experience in food preparation and cookery who can run circles around me.

But that doesn’t make me any less interested in the things that interest me. And I’m interested in knowing more about my food sources. I’m interested in working more with the raw 40 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

materials and finding fulfillment in putting meals from scratch on my table.

Researching the local pig farm article last spring (Edible Santa Barbara Spring 2015) was hugely inspirational and spanned nearly a year of visiting the farms and restaurants for material. I had the opportunity to observe and photograph Jake Francis’ butchery workshop and to watch Chef Pink break down her first hog in the Bacon & Brine space before the business opened. Part of my drive in doing the article came from wanting to do all this hands-on work myself. Deep down, I wanted my own pig.

BAMBI EDLUND

pork belly

Fresh or cured for pancetta or cured and smoked for bacon.

Similar to pancetta but made from the jowl.

ERIN YOUNG

In the course of talking to Bruce and Diane Steele at trying to get the carcass out of my car. Thankfully, my side came Winfield Farms in Buellton, I learned they had one special in three main pieces: the head and offal, the shoulder primal, Mangalitsa pig that was a genetic dwarf. Her name was Buster, and everything else. It was the “everything else” portion that was and she was a personal favorite of Bruce’s. The wheels started the problem—it was a single piece weighing over 50 pounds. I spinning in my head, and I knew this was a perfect opportunity decided it was late, and moderately cold, and it could live a night to make a bid for my own heritage pig that would be a in my car under ice and be dealt with in the morning. manageable size. They agreed to sell it to me, and last fall Diane Watching Chef Pink and Jake Francis butcher a pig was announced the time had come. immensely useful, but it had happened months earlier. I When Diane contacted needed butchery resources me to tell me that Buster at immediate hand. would soon be slaughtered, Thankfully, I found a my heart immediately leapt series of Internet videos and a wave of guilt came over produced by Food Farmer me about the pig’s death. I Earth. These instructional wrote Diane, saying I was videos were led by a petite excited at the news, but also woman from the Portland felt sadness. She wrote back Meat Collective who broke this touching note: down a side into primals, and then produced a full “I understand the twinge range of cuts that would of sadness—we have the same result in a variety of fresh feelings, but we always ensure meat for grilling and roasts, that our pigs have a good life cuts for brined and smoked with lots of food and space to ham, cured bacon, sausage, root, and we thank them for and dry-cured charcuterie. their service. These pigs live I didn’t want to take the a far happier existence than easy route on this pig—this commercial hogs that live on a was an opportunity to grated floor in a big warehouse get experience in a wide and never see the light of day. array of meat processing We passed a few of those on and I was going to make a our jaunt to Kansas to pick spreadsheet of it all. up Charlie and Petunia … We have a hard time eating pork The Food Farmer Earth’s now, unless it’s ours.” series takes nearly an hour to watch, but is thorough, Ultimately, feeling this educational and since the discomfort should be a good woman had a similar stature thing. It means I acknowledge Rosminah Brown holds Buster’s midsection of the loin and belly, which eventually to me, her description of that a creature’s life was taken. become fresh chops, bacon, pancetta, leaf lard, fat back for sausage and stock. measurements matched I hope I never lose that feeling mine. “…I have skinny and become disconnected from “I understand the twinge of sadness— fingers, so I go about three the process. fingers off the aitch bone… we have the same feelings, but we By early November, Buster if you have larger fingers, go came to me as two sides of USDA always ensure that our pigs have a about two fingers…” stamped and approved pork, good life with lots of food and space In the morning I returned about 150 pounds in total. Her to the car and faced the meat. dwarfism meant that she was to root, and we thank them for their It was in a large plastic tub about 100 pounds less than other service.” —Diane Steele that was too heavy to pull Mangalitsas her age, yet with all from the vehicle, and the the anatomy of a regular pig and pig too heavy to lift with my arms over the top of the tub. I a full-sized head. Immediately half went to a friend I’d split the tugged at the leg in frustration until I was slowly heaving the cost with, and I drove away from Buellton with a car trunk full carcass across my back and eventually I was carrying the full of pig. Even 75 pounds of pork is a formidable amount for one piece, hunched over. There, I did it. I crawled through my front person, much less a five-foot-two woman, and I’d decided that door with a piece of pork half my weight on my back, wailing this Buster project would be mine alone from start to finish. I something about what have I gotten myself into. questioned that decision before Buster even got in my house— EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 41

Top row, left to right: Buster was a genetic dwarf with a full-sized head; the ham primal cut is the back leg, which can be smoked for a traditional ham or dry cured into prosciutto; Buster’s coppa, a bundle of muscle at the top of her shoulder in the Boston butt, is prepared for a dry cure for Italian capicola. Middle row, left and right: Single-origin sausage, made from Buster’s shoulder meat and small intestines. Center: Buster’s belly, cured for pancetta and smoked into sweet bacon. Bottom row, left to right: Fresh chops cut from the bone-in loin; Buster’s ham leg, covered in salt and hung for a year to cure into prosciutto; a fresh roast with a generous fat layer for crackling comes from the picnic ham in Buster’s shoulder.

The next obstacle was storage space. No household fridge can hold a 50-pound solid side of pork as well as the supplies necessary to run that household. And my other major limitation was the working space and chopping board in a small cottage.

All I had was a little kitchen island approximately two square feet. The first steps, for logistical reasons and for food safety, was to get these large pieces cut down to workable, and storable, size.

For the next few days I rose at the crack of dawn, sometimes 42 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

earlier, and would watch the videos of this woman butchering a pig, then put on my apron and get to work. Like Chef Pink once talked me through—the first thing to do with your pig before cutting is examine it. Feel out the muscles and fat, run your fingers over its contours and find its seams.

I watched each video at least three times. Once in the morning to go over what parts I’d be working on, a second time just before I’d set to work on a specific part and the third

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viewing would be while I was butchering, with constant pausing while I matched the cutting to the video.

This was my life, from sunrise until late at night. A professional butcher can break down and process a pig in just a couple hours. It took me over a week. But I was precise and made no effort to work in a hurry. If I felt I had worked on one piece too long, I’d stick it in the fridge and work on another cut.

One thing about my pig, my Buster, that was remarkably different from all the pork I’d ever bought from the store was how it smelled. It smelled beautiful. Does that even make sense?

Raw meat from the store always smelled like … meat. Kind of bloody and metallic and harsh. Like something you know you had to cook before you could eat it. This local Mangalitsa smelled soft, clean and fresh, almost floral. It was a true pleasure to stick my face right up to it and inhale deeply. This was how good meat should smell. Just like fresh fish shouldn’t smell fishy.

In the whole week I worked on the raw Buster, the meat always smelled wonderfully fresh.

My knife work was so slow and precise that there was very little waste. I occasionally had to intentionally slice off little pieces in order to have an excuse to taste test. The first slice of shoulder, quick-cooked on a hot grill with a pinch of salt and pepper, was all that was needed to convince me that good fresh pork was a thing of wonder. It was juicy, sweet and tender.

A few friends came over during this process. Not to help me with the work, as I had set a strict goal to do this solo, but for company, chatter and some mental support. And I got to feed them pieces of whatever I was working on. It was a pleasure to feed them. It was a pleasure to take breaks, too. When I really needed to move away from the meat, I would wash up and sit down at the laptop to write up my notes and research the next steps. Or I’d go for a two or three mile run to clear my head and stretch my legs.

The cutting turned out to be just a fraction of the work involved with Buster. Next was making good things with all the cuts of pork. I did not make this easy for myself. Remember, I had a spreadsheet. I was going to do Buster proud.

I cut pork chops and porterhouse chops from the loin, separated the belly and cured half for sweet smoked bacon, I rolled roasts from the picnic hams and started dry cures for the coppa in the shoulder and set the whole leg into several pounds of salt to become a year-long dry cured leg much like prosciutto. Bones simmered into stock and the trotter added gelatin to the stock.

The shank was brined in a friend’s homemade ale and smoked alongside the bacon, and would be used in a fantastic smoky and meaty pot of Shackamaxon beans that I’d bought from Roots Farm at the Saturday farmers market. The intestines alone became a day-long project to clean and prepare as sausage casings and I used these to stuff with Buster’s shoulder meat into two kinds of sausage. Imagine that, a fully single-origin sausage!

The rest of the casings were set to store in salt for future sausages.

Buster’s head, while just a fraction of the overall hang weight, turned out to have so many individual projects, it took up the most amount of time to process. The jowls became smoked bacon and guanciale, the cheeks removed and proved

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ideal for rich braises. The ears and tongue could have become their own dishes, but I ended up putting all of them into a melty and meaty amalgamation aptly called head cheese.

Most of the fresh cuts of meat and sausages went straight into vacuum-sealed bags and into the freezer. Also packaged up were portions of fat and skin, to be used for future chicharrones, Chinese soup dumplings (xiao long bao), sausages and lardo.

Over five pounds of kosher salt disappeared into all the brines and cures for the longer-term projects. The cured coppa was ready to eat just a couple months later and sliced into fine, buttery and savory capicola that I wrapped around figs, ate with melon or drizzled with olive oil and draped over warm crusty bread. And to think that I used to lump the coppa into a random pile of shoulder meat that would be ground into sausage. I will never do that again now that I’ve made capicola that’s fed so many friends over several dozen meals.

Honestly, the hardest part of the whole project was the daily shuffle and dancing between multiple home-size refrigerators and a friend’s chest freezer: always having to think a few steps ahead on what I’d be working on next, moving things between fridges and homes, getting cuts bagged and sealed and moved offsite to the chest freezer without inconveniencing others.

I tried a lot of new things that year, which included free diving for abalone, running my first half marathon and even an ultra-marathon, all significant events. But Buster was truly the highlight of the year. To be able to get my hands on a local heritage pig, challenge myself to produce a range of edible products from it, and get one step closer to walking the walk of truly knowing and respecting my food sources, it means a lot.

I’m just a regular person who doesn’t want to be disconnected.

But I really could use a bigger fridge.

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

RECIPES

Season the pork and liver with the Pâté pairs well with delicate cornichons. garlic, cognac, flour and egg. In a small bowl, mix together the kosher salt, pink salt, quatre epices, sugar and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle 3/4 of the mixture over the pork, reserving the remaining 1/4. Add the cooled onion mixture to the pork.

The benefit of having a whole pig to work with is the wide range of dishes that can be made, from fresh chops to head cheese, charcuterie and lard. Buster the Mangalitsa provided so many preparations, it had to be managed on a spreadsheet— starting at the primals, and accounting for parts down to the intestines (that made sausage casings) and tail (braised, then roasted). If only there was room in this issue to provide all of the recipes. Here are a couple and more can be found online at EdibleSantaBarbara.com.

Sly’s Pâté de Campagne (Country Pâté) This recipe graciously comes from James Sly, who prepares it at Sly’s Restaurant in Carpinteria. It is his small recipe, suited for a family-size quantity. Buster’s liver was approximately 2 pounds— half the liver can easily be cut away and frozen for future use.

2 pounds pork shoulder or belly 1 pound pork liver 7 ounces onions 1 teaspoon dried thyme

44 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

2 teaspoons garlic, chopped 2 teaspoons cognac 1 tablespoon flour 1 egg 1 ounce kosher salt 1 teaspoon pink salt #1 (a curing salt containing sodium nitrite, available online) 1 teaspoon quatre epices (a four-spice mix containing white pepper, cloves, nutmeg and ginger) 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper 3 bay leaves

Cut the pork belly or pork shoulder and the pork liver into small pieces and chill. Also chill the grinder or food processor jar you will use to chop the meat.

Dice the onion and slowly cook over medium-low heat, removing from the heat when soft and translucent.

Add the thyme and parsley to the onions and let the mixture cool.

Using a coarse setting, grind or process the pork mixture, passing it through 2 times. If you are processing, use an on-off motion, and do not over process. Take a small sample, form it into a patty and fry it in a pan to taste for seasoning, and add part or all of the reserved spice blend as needed.

Form the mixture into a loaf pan or terrine, taking care to pack tightly and eliminate any air. Top it with the three whole bay leaves and cover with foil.

Bake in a water bath in a low oven (300°) until the pâté reaches an internal temperature of 140°.

Remove from the heat, set several cans over the foil-covered pâté to weight it down and let the pâté cool gradually, then store it in the refrigerator. To serve, slice thick pieces from the terrine. It is best eaten with crusty bread, crackers and cornichon pickles.

F R I E N D S • F L O W E R S • F A M I LY • F O O D • F U N

Enjoy Winter at the Rolled spleen is a simple preparation of spleen, bacon and sage.

Rolled Pig’s Spleen I first encountered this dish at St. John in London, where chef and owner Fergus Henderson popularized the phrase “snout-totail philosophy” for utilizing all parts of the whole pig. As foreign as the spleen may look, it is often used in liver pâtés and has a similar liver taste. But the spleen deserves attention in its own right. Admittedly, when I ordered the spleen at St. John, I did not like it. But when researching recipes ideas for Buster’s spleen, Henderson’s rolled spleen was the simplest and easiest to do, with ingredients I already had on hand. And I was surprised to find Buster’s rolled spleen was delightfully delicious. I encourage you to keep an open mind about the often ignored spleen—the result may surprise you as it did me.

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Makes 2 servings 1 spleen Bacon or pancetta Sage leaves Salt and pepper to taste Chicken stock (or pork stock)

Lay the spleen out on your work surface and season with salt and pepper.

Place 1 layer of bacon on top of the spleen, then top the bacon with several fresh sage leaves. Carefully roll up the spleen, with the bacon and sage on the inside, making the roll tight. Hold it in place with long toothpicks.

Set the rolled spleen in an ovenproof dish and cover with the stock (Note: I used pork stock made from Buster’s bones).

Braise in a 350° oven for 60 minutes, then remove from the stock and let cool. To serve, slice the rolled spleen crosswise, each piece being a coil of spleen, bacon and sage. It is best eaten cool or at room temperate, like pâté, alongside thin slices of onion and cornichons.

Rosminah Brown is a Santa Barbara native who types fast and eats slow.

She once jumped in the Neptune Pool at Hearst’s Castle. She is still upset that JR’s BBQ closed. You can read her blog at GutFud.com.

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Chef Justin West

Keeping It Fresh, Local and Friendly

by Nancy Oster P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y E R I N F E I N B L AT T

J

ustin West and his wife, Emma, opened Restaurant Julienne in downtown Santa Barbara seven years ago. Their second restaurant, Wildwood Kitchen is opening in The Mill, a new downtown artisan marketplace at Haley and Laguna streets. The Wildwood menu will feature West Coast barbecue—Justin’s own version of oak-smoked meat, seafood and locally sourced side dishes.

Anticipating his new restaurant Justin says, “The restaurants that succeed are the ones that know who they are. People respect that.”

For Justin that means a restaurant menu built on fresh, hand-selected ingredients from local farms, a highly skilled team in the kitchen and a warm, friendly atmosphere in the dining room, with owners who work alongside other chefs, farmers, fishermen and staff to nourish the community. This is not a job, it’s a way of life.

Shopping for Ingredients Justin spends almost 60% of his food budget at three weekly farmers markets. His menu changes with the market offerings, always seasonally and sometimes daily. I asked him if I could join him at the Saturday market to see how his menu takes shape.

On Saturday morning I spot Justin pulling a cart carrying eight empty black milk crates down the street toward the market entrance. Emma is pushing their 1-year-old daughter Lola in a stroller and 3-year-old Mike is half in and half out of the stroller, excited to be part of the market action.

Justin picks out spaghetti squash.

Opposite: Chef Justin West making his rounds at the Tuesday farmers market.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 47

Our first stop at Two Peas in a Pod yields four pounds of Justin explains that you have to start with ingredients dried cranberry beans. Justin tastes a Sugar Snap pea, then fills a that have been handled with love. “You can’t buy a shoddy huge bag and crosses the long beans off his list, remarking that limp carrot and expect to make a great carrot soup.” He adds he hadn’t expected to find snap peas that sweet.

“I have an amazing staff and chef de cuisine. Every single person in our kitchen loves every piece of food they touch.

He pauses before we move on, then explains, “I’m just It’s difficult to find people like the ones I have working with visualizing how the cranberry beans will look on the plate.” me; I’m super fortunate.”

Justin exchanges greetings and updates with fellow chefs, Justin learned his meat processing skills from his father, customers and family friends he meets along the way to his next who had a barbecue restaurant for 15 years. To round out the stop: Earthtrine Farm. At Earthtrine, he quickly fills three crates menu, Justin and his kitchen team break down, portion and with leafy greens, herbs and root vegetables. “No collard greens prepare meat from humanely raised animals, incorporating today,” he notes. Maybe, he will substitute kale. a nose-to-tail philosophy (as little waste as possible). They At Lane Farms, Justin stacks 40 ears of white corn onto his also prepare fish and shellfish brought in from local waters. cart. News from the farmer is that this is the end of the harvest.

Preparation often includes in-house smoking and curing of Justin’s attention moves to his son, “Hey, buddy, can you both meat and fish. take me to Roots Farm?” Mike leads us to the Roots, then helps Doing this out of a tiny Justin choose the best carrots. kitchen can be challenging. Justin “Want to grab some purple ones “I don’t need these,” he says, says, “Some of my customers have from over there?” Justin asks. Mike bigger kitchens than the one we putting them into his bag. adds them to the bag. Next Justin serve their meals from every night fills a crate with kabocha and “But sometimes you’ve just got at Julienne,” but Justin’s staff is up spaghetti squash. No dandelion to buy what looks good and to the challenge and diners can greens today. It’s probably just as well because he is already over figure it out when you get back observe the kitchen choreography firsthand because Julienne’s budget and worried he won’t have to the restaurant.” kitchen is open to the diner’s view, enough cash for all the other items no doors or walls. on his list.

“I’m a people person,” Justin explains. “I like to be But then he sees the heirloom tomatoes. “I don’t need able see the look on somebody’s face after they take their these,” he says, putting them into his bag. “But sometimes first bite.” His staff also benefit from the open kitchen you’ve just got to buy what looks good and figure it out when configuration. Justin says, “We constantly have people you get back to the restaurant.” coming back to thank us for their meals and my staff get to In the end, Justin gets through the market with $2 to spare. be part of that.”

“How am I going to get this all into the walk-in?” he says with Justin’s and Emma’s focus on family and community a satisfied smile. We say goodbye, then he pulls his cart laden is reflected in their restaurant atmosphere. “It’s like we’re with produce back up the street toward the restaurant. inviting you into our home—actually, we probably spend Dining at Julienne more time at Julienne than at home,” Justin admits. “We I have to admit that when Justin told me that the missing didn’t have much money to spend on décor when we opened ingredient in most recipes is love, I wasn’t exactly sure what he Julienne, but it doesn’t take a lot of money to make you feel meant. Then, a few days later at a Foodbank of Santa Barbara like you’re being taken care of,” he says. That comes from County fundraising dinner hosted at Julienne I ordered the treating your guests as friends. Emma and the wait staff white corn bisque appetizer made with the corn I had watched handle that especially well.

Justin select at the farmers market.

Building Community Around Food Emma brought me a white bowl of cream-colored soup, Justin says, “As chefs, we feed people for a living,” but he garnished at the center with a finely diced Pico de Gallo salsa, points out that one in four people in Santa Barbara need help and placed it onto the white plate in front of me. I waited for from the Foodbank. To that end Justin brings his friendships my tablemates to be served. As I picked up my spoon to taste with other chefs, farmers, fishermen, ranchers, his staff and the silky smooth soup, I noticed that all conversation at our his dedicated customers to the table to raise money to help table had stopped abruptly. One taste and I understood. those in our community who need access to nutritious food.

Each of our chosen appetizers combined fresh seasonal Feeding people is what Justin does. You can’t look into ingredients to highlight a featured flavor: in my case, white his intense blue eyes and not believe him when he says, “the corn. We were soon passing our plates around the table, sharing essential ingredient is love.” In Justin’s kitchen that ingredient the love embedded in the attention to the textures, flavor and is never missing. the beauty of each dish.

48 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

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RECIPE Spaghetti Squash with Almond Salsa Verde Makes 8 servings 2 large spaghetti squash 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1

⁄ 8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

11 ⁄ 2 pounds Duck Sausage (see recipe that follows) 2 large shallots, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 large tomatoes (Early Girl recommended) Almond Salsa Verde (see recipe that follows)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Prepare the Duck Sausage and Almond Salsa Verde.

Cut spaghetti squash into 1-inch rounds; leave skin on. Oil the rounds with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put onto an oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet and bake about 30 minutes, until the rounds begin to soften and the threads separate when you press on the edge. Remove from oven and set aside to cool briefly, Above: Chef Justin West at Restaurant Julienne.

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then separate the squash “meat” from the skin. Discard the skin.

Set meat aside.

Sauté the duck sausage in a large frying pan, chopping it up slightly with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the shallots and garlic. When the sausage is almost cooked, mix in the par-baked squash and heat until squash is warm.

Grill tomato slices. Then put a serving of spaghetti squash on each plate, top with a grilled tomato slice and garnish with Almond Salsa Verde.

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Combine the garlic, jalapeño and pasilla pepper in the work bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the almonds, cilantro and tarragon and continue to pulse until the almonds are finely chopped (but not puréed; you want it to have texture). Put this mixture into a bowl and work in the oil, lime juice and sherry vinegar.

Season with the salt and pepper.

Nancy Oster wants to thank Justin West for adding those amazing heirloom tomatoes to the white corn bisque garnish, Jacob Grant who grew them, the staff member who diced them so expertly that each tiny cube retained a burst of flavor and Emma West for serving the bisque with elegance. And Nancy sends a special thank you to her tablemates for returning the bowl to her after just one taste.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 51

Y o u s a y B o n e B r o t h, I s a y S t oc k PART II

by Janice Cook Knight P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y E R I N F E I N B L AT T

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A

fter an unusually warm summer and fall, finally it is the season for soup.

Soups and stews often begin with a delectable broth made from bones and/or vegetables, great to have on hand.

In Part I of our story (Edible Santa Barbara, Fall 2015), we covered the making of two different chicken stocks, and also included a recipe for mushroom stock, one of my favorite vegetarian broths. For the winter, we’ll move into the heartier arena of making beef broth: a classic beef broth made with meaty soup bones, vegetables and herbs, and also a very simple bone broth—made with only beef marrow bones, sans the vegetables and most flavorings.

Winter is also a great time to have fish stock on hand— especially for seafood chowders, or perhaps a warming pot of cioppino or bouillabaisse made with some of our fresh local rock shrimp or spiny lobster, or to make a seafood risotto.

There is a secret to making both the beef and fish stocks: use good bones. By that I mean both good quality, and also the appropriate bones for your recipe.

Let’s begin with fish. Fish stock should be delicate. It should taste of the sea but not be overly fishy. You need to use mild white fish for stock, not dark or oily fish—no salmon or mackerel here. I like to use halibut, snapper, rockfish or white sea bass. For this recipe I used the heads and skeleton of three halibut, totaling about five pounds. I included the tail and fin as well. I cleaned them first by rinsing them to remove blood, and also pulled out some of the entrails and bits of liver clinging to the skeleton, so as not to give the stock any off-flavors, and to

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 53

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keep the color light. I was able to pick up my fish bones for free, but your fishmonger may charge a little. Best to call ahead and arrange for the fish store to save you some, since both Kanaloa Seafood and the Santa Barbara Fish Market, my go-to markets for excellent fish, are doing a lot of their filleting offsite these days and you will probably need to special order.

Some fish stock recipes call for more added vegetables, but I wanted just enough to enhance the broth, keeping fish as the dominant flavor.

This stock cooks for an hour, which is rather a long time for fish stock. Most recipes require only 20–30 minutes of cooking, because long cooking can make a fishy stock. The secret here is to keep the temperature very low—the gentlest simmer. That way you’ll extract plenty of collagen from the bones without getting a “too fishy” flavor.

Whereas beef bones need to be long cooked to extract collagen, fish bones, being so delicate, give up their collagen and other nutrients easily. After this fish stock cooled, it jelled beautifully, a sign that the gelatin/collagen had been released into the broth.

In making beef broth, you want to choose meats that are grass-fed and organically raised. Grass-fed meat contains less fat than commercially raised beef, and the fats you do eat are higher in the omega-3s. In making broth we are extracting the essence from the bone and meat and transferring it into the broth— both flavor and nutrients — so you want to use the best-quality meat you can find, such as Rancho San Julian Beef at our farmers markets or other organic, grass-fed beef.

These two different beef broth recipes offer an opportunity to compare very different flavors. The classic beef broth has a rich, meaty flavor, with the addition of herb and vegetable components. The beef marrow bone broth, however, has a much lighter, mineral-y taste. The cider vinegar is included here because it’s believed to draw more minerals from the bone. The vinegar flavor, over the long cooking time, is very background at the end, almost unnoticeable. Salt and bay leaves are the only other flavors. The stock is rather cloudy when finished. It tastes of bone, but curiously, not much of beef, because there’s not much, if any, beef muscle on these bones. For both beef recipes, I roasted the bones first, to bring out the flavors.

Neither of the beef broths gelled as much as the fish stock, or as much as chicken stock does, even after a long cooking time, because it’s hard to pull gelatin/collagen out of the bones of older animals. This is why cooks prize veal stock: Veal bones produce gelatin much more easily when made into stock, and this is beneficial in making sauces. But obtaining veal bones here in Santa Barbara isn’t easy. Veal is generally milk-fed and expensive. One store quoted me $22 per pound for veal shank bones, another told me they simply couldn’t get them. If I find a more economical source maybe we’ll do Bone Broth, Part III. I’m also curious about using pork bones for broth, which I haven’t tried. Marcie Jimenez of Jimenez Family Farm does

sell pork bones suitable for stock making, and there are recipes for pork broth in Nourishing Broth (see sidebar). Pork bones, such as pig’s foot or knuckle bones, aren’t always considered as flavorful as some other animals’, but are useful for extracting gelatin, so pork bones are often combined with other bones, such as chicken, to make broth.

While all bones contain some marrow in their center, leg bones, being long and large, contain quite a lot of marrow, so they are usually what’s sold. The bones are cut into much smaller pieces and the marrow— a healthy, nutritious fat, with its omega-3s and minerals— is easily extracted during cooking.

After making the stock, some of the marrow may still be left in the bones. Dig in with a small spoon and taste this delicious stuff. When my mom made beef stew, she often saved us the “Goody Bones,” licking her lips and rubbing her tummy for emphasis. You may do the same.

RECIPES Bone Marrow Broth Adapted from a recipe by Ariane Resnick for LeitesCulinaria.com.

Makes 3 quarts 5 pounds beef marrow bones, rinsed and patted dry 5 quarts filtered water 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon sea salt 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried

Preheat oven to 400°. Place bones in a shallow roasting pan and roast until they are browned, about 30 minutes.

Place bones, water, vinegar, salt and bay leaves in a large stockpot.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a very gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for 24 to 36 hours, skimming any scum that floats to the surface. You may need to add more water; but I sometimes cover the pot if I am away from the kitchen, which keeps the moisture in the pot. I want it to reduce somewhat, and usually let it go for the longer time.

Let cool slightly, then strain the bone broth.

If any of the marrow is left in the bones, scoop it out and eat it, or spread it on toast—it’s a delicacy. Discard the bones after removing the marrow. When cool enough, move broth into the refrigerator, for the purpose of getting the fat to rise.

When cold, scoop off fat. I save this fat for cooking—it’s full of the nutritious bone marrow. It’s great for frying potatoes or other veggies. Ladle broth into freezer containers and leave an inch of headspace for expansion. Can be kept frozen for several months.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 55

Classic Beef Stock Adapted from Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry by Cathy Barrow A hearty beef stock, this recipe combines meaty bones with vegetables, which are first brushed with a tomato paste mixture and roasted. The tomato paste caramelizes and gives the finished broth extra flavor. Be sure to use a combination of bones, most of them meaty. The marrow bones will not have much meat attached, if any.

10 pounds beef bones: I use a combination of about 4 pounds knuckle bones, 4 pounds neck bones—which contain a lot of meat and cartilage—and 2 pounds marrow bones

B . EMMANUELLE

Makes about 5 quarts

5 large shallots, halved, unpeeled 4 garlic cloves, halved, unpeeled 2 pounds carrots, roughly chopped (4 cups) 1 (12-ounce) celery root, scrubbed and chopped into large pieces (reserve green top) 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon olive oil

Fish Stock (Fish Fumet) Adapted from a recipe in Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry by Cathy Barrow Makes about 4 quarts 1 tablespoon olive oil

5 quarts cool, filtered water

11 ⁄ 4 pounds leeks, about 8 small, white and pale green parts, sliced

12 whole black peppercorns

1 pound carrots, chopped

2 fresh or dried bay leaves

3 stalks celery, including leaves, chopped

12 parsley stems

5 pounds bones and heads (including tail) from white fish, such as halibut, sea bass, cod, snapper, rockfish, etc.

Stem and leaves of celery root, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment.

Distribute the bones, shallots, garlic, carrots and celery root on the baking sheets evenly, leaving some space between items. Combine the tomato paste and oil in a small bowl, then rub all over the bones and vegetables. Roast until well browned, about 40 minutes; rotate the pans halfway through.

Transfer the roasted bones, vegetables and any juices to a large stockpot. Add ¼ cup of the water to each of the baking sheets to loosen any tasty bits, and scrape this good stuff off the parchment and into the stockpot. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley and celery root tops and the remaining water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, skim any foam, cover and simmer gently for 12–16 hours. You can crack the lid slightly during cooking to concentrate the stock, but be careful you don’t walk away or let this go overnight with not enough water.

Remember: a gentle simmer. Near the end of cooking, when you taste the meat, you want it to taste bland and used up—all that flavor is in the stock (although our dog still gobbled it up).

Let cool slightly, then strain the stock through a colander into a smaller container. Refrigerate overnight.

Scrape the solid fat from the stock, and discard it or save for cooking.

Ladle the stock into freezer containers or quart Mason jars, leaving a generous 1 inch headspace to allow for expansion. Can keep frozen for several months.

56 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

1 cup dry white wine 4 quarts cool filtered water 12 whole black peppercorns 12 parsley stems 4 sprigs of fresh fennel leaves (optional) 2 fresh or dried bay leaves 8 small sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

Heat the oil in an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrots and celery, and cook until soft, but not browned, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the fish bones and sauté for 5 minutes, turning the bones frequently.

Add the wine, cover the pot, and cook until the wine simmers steadily. Add the water, peppercorns, parsley, fennel, bay leaves and thyme, and increase the heat; bring just to the edge of a boil, then turn down the heat; cover and simmer gently for 1 hour.

Do not let the mixture boil, or the stock will become cloudy and will taste bitter.

Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer and allow to cool slightly; ladle the stock into freezer containers or clean Mason jars, leaving an inch at the top. Cool, then cover and freeze. Can be frozen for several months.

Reading List Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Recipe for the Modern World

by Sally Fallon Morell and Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN (Grand Central Life and Style, 2014) Sally Fallon Morell and Kaayla Daniel tell the story of bone broth — why it’s good for us, and the science of extracting collagen and other ingredients from bones. They include recipes for many types of stock, plus more recipes that stock can be used in. Sally is also the author of the classic health and diet book Nourishing Traditions.

Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry

by Cathy Barrow (Norton, 2014)

Culinary School Food Truck Full Service Caterer Teambuilding HEATculinary.com 805-242-1151

Clear recipes for making basic stocks, plus how to pressure-can your own homemade stocks if you are so inclined (I find freezing a lot easier).

CookWise: The Secrets of Cooking Revealed

by Shirley Corriher (William Morrow, 1997)

All the classic stock recipes, with great explanations of the science behind the steps. A useful book for explaining all kinds of cooking mysteries.

Janice Cook Knight is the author of Follow Your Heart’s Vegetarian Soup Cookbook and The Follow Your Heart Cookbook: Recipes from the Vegetarian Restaurant. She has taught cooking for over 25 years and currently teaches a cookbook-writing workshop. Her article in the fall 2014 issue of Edible Santa Barbara, "Hurray for the Orange, Red and Gold: The Season for Persimmons,” won the 2015 M.F.K. Fisher Award in the Print Category.

JaniceCookKnight.com

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The Search for Fresh Corn Masa What is It and Where to Find It

by Jennifer Blaise Kramer

58 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

based author of The Story of Corn, predicted would be the case when she heard I was researching “homemade masa” in Santa Barbara.

“Santa Barbara has no real masa,” she says. “You have to ask yourself, where is the corn coming from?”

Traditional Techniques

Masa, which simply means dough, is an ancient Latin American staple that Betty describes as one of the “oldest processed foods.” The traditional preparation involves soaking dried corn in an alkaline

STE VEN BROWN

I

t’s just before the lunch rush inside the kitchen at Los Agaves Restaurant and the line cooks are busy preparing their stations. Some are searing chicken over a hot grill, some are stirring sauces and another is working a station devoted entirely to masa. On hand are three types of masa: white corn masa and blue corn masa for tortillas and a thicker, grainier masa for tamales and sopes.

When customers come in, warm tortillas are pressed and griddled until hot and puffy. Tamales are also made by hand when they are featured as specials. First a layer of masa is spread on a cornhusk, then a spoonful of pork and chile, then it’s folded up like a neatly wrapped present to be steamed and served hot.

The masa cook works constantly—at Christmastime, the crew here made 700 tamales, starting at 2am and selling out before noon— continually prepping, cooking and inventing.

“The secret to Mexican food is to work with the masa to change the flavor,” says Manuel Sanchez, head chef at Los Agaves on De La Vina. Manuel and his cooks mix beans, salsa and other ingredients into the wet masa base to

make their signature dishes. For the tortilla base, the crew mixes masa harina and water; however for the tamale base, they buy fresh premade masa from La Bella Rosa Bakery on San Andres Street.

“They have a good process. If you know the process you can find a place that does it right. I’m from Mexico and I know the process. But to make it I’d need extra people and time. You either have to own a grinder or take it to the mills and grind it,” says Sanchez, adding that mills are mainstream in Mexico and often the corn is grown organically and close to the restaurants. “This is a problem in the U.S.” What Manuel Sanchez addresses is exactly what Betty Fussell, the Montecito-

Many cooks buy the freshly made masa at La Bella Rosa Bakery.

ERIN FEINBL AT T

Richard Lambert’s tamales.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 59

solution, such as limewater, to chemically soften and dissolve the hull, loosening the skin to make the corn easier to grind while wet (versus using a dried cornmeal process).

If it is ground with a smooth consistency and mixed with only water, the dough is for making tortillas. When ground with a coarser consistency and mixed with lard and sometimes other flavorings, it is called masa preparada and is for making tamales.

When fresh masa is dried and powdered it becomes masa harina, and you can add water to make it a dough for tortillas as well as add lard for making tamales. Masa harina is easily found in grocery stores, but Betty Fussell explains that it is often unclear where the corn has come from and what the process has involved, not to mention how long it’s been on the shelves. “If you want flavor, there are no shortcuts,” Fussell says.

Without an abundance of mills around to grind fresh wet corn as it is done in Mexico, Manuel, like many local chefs, sources locally what he considers to be the best. La Bella Rosa Bakery looks to Delgado’s in Carpinteria to grind and deliver the raw milled corn that is “fresh and pliable.” La Bella Rosa uses it to make several types of fresh masa preparada on site, suitable for tamales (plain, salted, sweet and even pineapple tamales during the holidays). They bag and refrigerate it daily for home cooks and selective chefs like Sanchez.

“What they all need is a good foundation, then they can doctor it up,” says Nina Cordero, who assists in the office at La Bella Rosa.

Nina once did an experiment with her sister. They both set out to make masa for tamales at home, comparing Delgado’s milled corn to another dried corn version from a grocery store—mixing each with lime, salt and lard. The fresh milled corn version was pale in color and produced a light and fluffy masa, while the grocery store version was darker in color and flat— both in texture and flavor. In the end “you could taste the difference,” Nina says.

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Tamal, Tamale, Tamales Masa at Home “Making tortillas is super simple and it makes you look like a total bad-ass in the kitchen,” says Valerie Rice, the Montecitobased cook and blogger, who keeps a tortilla press in her pantry. “Simply mix some masa harina with water and a little sea salt to make the tortilla.”

While Valerie may keep masa harina in the pantry for homemade tortillas on the fly, tamales are a different beast. Each Christmas, Rice and her family churn out 100-plus tamales in her kitchen for their annual holiday party.

“Living in Santa Barbara we are gifted with incredible Mexican provisions and resources that I love to utilize. My favorite spot for buying masa is La Bella Rosa. I haven’t had any better,” Valerie says. “Masa should be light and lovely. Mastering the art of making masa is something I often leave to specialty bakers in town. Then, I assemble with tasty fillings at home with my family.”

Valerie has inspired many home cooks to take on her holiday tradition through her blog and the tamale workshops she’s taught around town. As has Richard Lambert of Santa Barbara Tamales To Go, who was profiled in the Winter 2014 issue of Edible Santa Barbara. With all of these resources at our fingertips in Santa Barbara, working with masa is something even a novice can learn if willing to continue the longtime Mexican tradition.

As Betty Fussell noted, “Corn is the sacred symbol and rooted metaphor for the entire Mexican culture and in many ways, directly related to Santa Barbara— the living culture is here on the streets, the people, the descendants and Fiesta Days.”

Although we may wish that we had local corn mills using locally grown organic corn, at least freshly prepared masa is out there if you look. We have local experts making it every single day.

In Spanish, tamal is singular and tamale is plural, but in English the accepted usage is tamale for singular and tamales for plural. Anyway you say it, here are some resources to help you find them and make them.

S

Los Agaves has four locations in the area including the one at 2911 De La Vina St., Santa Barbara.

Los-Agaves.com; 805 682-2600

S S S S

Delgado’s is located at 4401 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria; 805 684-4822

La Bella Rosa Bakery is located at 1411 San Andres St., Santa Barbara (and opening in Goleta soon); 805 966-9660

Valerie Rice’s Blog can be found at Eat-Drink-Garden.com

Santa Barbara Tamales To Go has recently opened a “tamale window” on the east side of Nectar Restaurant (20 E. Cota St., Santa Barbara). SBTamalesToGo.com; 805 965-2321

S

“You want to know the secret to good masa?” smiles Manuel Sanchez back in the kitchen at Los Agaves. “The secret to good masa is in the hands of the people who are using it.”

Jennifer Blaise Kramer is a writer and editor in Santa Barbara. Her work has appeared in publications including Santa Barbara Magazine, Coastal Living, the Boston Globe and Mpls.

St.Paul Magazine. JenniferBlaiseKramer.com

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ISSUE 27 • FALL 2015

Santa Barbara Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

EAT DRINK

LOCAL ISSUE

The Shrimping Life Unleashing the Yeast Savoring Wildlands

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EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 61

MEDIA 27

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Sweet & Savory

Cooking with Fruit

by Pascale Beale

I

grew up in a rather eclectic household in England, cooking as the showpiece of many a dinner party. My family was no exception. and eating a kaleidoscope of foods from around the world.

The combination of fruit with savory foods was not all that That dish—canard à l’orange —featured prominently unusual: prosciutto and melon from Italy, roasted pork with throughout my childhood. My brother and I loved it. On apples and prunes from Denmark, game with berries, and all one memorable occasion my mother and a visiting friend (a manner of sweet condiments and wine accompanying cheese passionate foodie) from Massachusetts toiled for 72 hours to from England and France. create a duck à l’orange to end all duck à l’orange.

Eating savory dishes with fruit was not restricted to our Little did we know that it would be the last roasted duck kitchen, as the vibrant ethnic food scene in London provided with oranges that my mother would ever make! Perhaps it was a multitude of opportunities to delve into the foods of North the three types of liqueurs the recipe called for, or the liters of Africa and the Mediterranean basin, such as Moroccan lamb Sauce Espagnole made from reduced brown poultry stock, the required duck trimmings, the special liaisons, the caramel or tagines strewn with the sweet tang of apricots; Indian curries the zested-juiced-sectioned-julienned-blanched oranges that put scented with mangoes and spices; myriad Thai dishes of meat, the kybosh on her ever wanting to make it again. The elaborate poultry and fish in coconut milk; and countless Turkish, dish was served with much pomp, Armenian, Greek, Lebanese and Syrian dishes that were festooned Here’s the thing, though: I like canard ceremony and applause the night of the dinner party. People talked with pomegranates, dates and à l’orange. For my brother and me, about it for months. preserved lemons.

The memory of that dish It was a riot of flavors, and this dish holds the sweet kind of food lingered. Unfortunately (or I thought I had discovered memory that people have for a fortunately, for my mother), something new. Of course I did dishes that become culinary fads nothing of the sort, as this type of favorite pie at Thanksgiving. fall out of favor—this one was sweet and savory cooking has been no exception, tumbling so far down the cooks need-to-know cultivated for millennia in all parts of the globe. repertoire as to be considered old fashioned or, as Gordon Centuries ago, cooking fruit in savory dishes was also Ramsey put it on “Kitchen Nightmares,” “It’s the culinary common practice in Northern Europe. Elizabethan cookery equivalent of flared trousers.” Ouch. books are full of recipes that pair heavily spiced poultry, game Here’s the thing, though: I like canard à l’orange. For my and even fish dishes with fresh and dried fruit. Some of those brother and me, this dish holds the sweet kind of food memory dishes and pairings have survived the passage of time to become that people have for a favorite pie at Thanksgiving. part of a country’s culinary lexicon, such as English mince pies, Italian mostarda di frutta and French canard à l’orange.

When I started working on my new book, which delves into The latter, the crisp roasted duck with a silky buttery sauce, cooking with fruit in both sweet and savory recipes, it occurred became an iconic dish epitomizing the essence of gastronomic to me that I could resurrect this old family favorite. Oddly, as French cooking.

I started tinkering with the dish, I realized just how much my cooking and tastes had changed over the intervening years living The famed chef Marie-Antoine Carème prepared it for in California. illustrious heads of state such as the Czar in Russia and the It’s much leaner, lighter fare, reflective of our Mediterranean Prince Regent in England. It was a fixture on most traditional climate, and draws from the bounty of the farmers market, with French restaurant menus and home cooks slaved over this dish

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 63

RECIPES Duck à l’Orange with Watercress This is a more rustic version of the classic duck à l’orange.

Makes 8 servings 8 duck legs, trimmed of any excess fat 16 sprigs thyme Coarse sea salt and black pepper 4 oranges, peeled and sliced into disks 4 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into disks Olive oil 2 bunches baby watercress

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place the orange slices on a baking pan, overlapping them slightly.

Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Set aside.

Place the duck legs on a sheet pan and carefully score the skin, cutting slightly into the meat. Insert a sprig of thyme into each incision. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and some black pepper.

Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Place the pan with the oranges in the oven on a rack below the duck. Continue roasting the duck and oranges for 30 minutes.

To serve, place the orange slices on a serving platter. Place the roasted duck on top of the oranges. Tuck the watercress between the duck legs.

Grilled Pear and Roasted Kale Salad This dish combines one of my favorite dark green leafy vegetables with scrumptious pears. The kale cooks in just a few minutes and whilst it’s in the oven you can grill the pears. It’s easy, hearty and filled with all those vitamins, nutrients and fiber that everyone says you should eat. But the best reason to eat this salad is because it’s good and the grilled pears are a treat!

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Makes 8 servings

simple preparations and no heavy sauces —so would it work?

The result is an homage to the past with freshly roasted citrus and crispy duck. Same flavors, different technique — and you won’t need to spend three days in the kitchen!

My mother came over for dinner and tasted the new dish and smiled. We reminisced about cooking in the old kitchen in London and that whenever she sees our friend from Massachusetts somebody will say, “Remember the day we made that incredible duck!”

64 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

2 large bunches curly leaf kale, rinsed and sliced into ½-inch-wide strips, very thick stems removed 1 bunch green onions, ends trimmed and then thinly sliced Olive oil Salt and black pepper 3 firm ripe pears (Anjou work well), peeled, cored and sliced vertically into eighths Zest and juice of 1 lemon Crumbled blue cheese or feta (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

MEDIA 27

Place the kale and green onions onto a large sheet pan or into a large shallow baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle a little salt and 5–6 grinds of pepper on top. Place in the center of the oven and roast for 8 minutes.

While the kale is cooking, toss the pear slices with just enough olive oil to coat them. Add a large pinch of salt and 3–4 grinds of pepper. Toss gently.

Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, grill the pear slices for 2 minutes on each side, taking care to keep them intact.

As soon as the kale is cooked, place it in a large salad bowl and pour the lemon juice on top. Add the pear slices and sprinkle the entire dish with the lemon zest. Serve while still warm.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 65

1 preserved lemon, finely chopped 1 small head Romanesco broccoli, broken into very small florets Salt and black pepper 2 cups basmati rice, cooked 3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped 2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped 1

⁄ 2 cup pistachios

Combine the lemon zest and juice with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and green onions and cook until the shallots are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir frequently. Add the preserved lemon and cook for 1 more minute.

Add the broccoli florets and the lemon-olive oil mixture. Cook for 5–6 minutes. Stir frequently. The florets should be just slightly golden.

Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the cooked rice, chives, cilantro and dill in a medium-sized serving bowl. Add the cooked broccoli mixture and stir. Top with pistachios just before serving.

Citrus Salad with Lemon-Lavender Syrup

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This is a delightfully refreshing salad to serve at the end of a warm winter meal.

Herbed Lemon Rice with Romanesco Broccoli This dish came about because of a photographic assignment given by my son’s sixth grade teacher, Cyd, my passion for mathematics, and our mutual interest in Leonardo Fibonacci, whose mathematical number sequence is reflected in nature, particularly in plants, flowers and vegetables. My son set about looking for patterns in nature and found all sorts—from pine cones to tree rings and in Romanesco broccoli. I was thrilled with the broccoli, as it is stunning to look at. My son was less thrilled. He photographed the tree rings. I got the broccoli and was delighted to make a salad that kept its shape and the integrity of Fibonacci’s sequence intact.

Makes 8 servings as an accompaniment Olive oil Zest and juice of 1 lemon 2 shallots, peeled and chopped 6 green onions, sliced

66 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Makes 8 servings 6 oranges, different varieties if possible, peeled and sliced into disks 6 blood oranges, peeled and sliced into disks (if blood oranges are not available, you can substitute other varieties) Juice of 1 Meyer lemon Juice of 1 lemon 1

⁄ 2 cup water

1 teaspoon fresh lavender flowers 1 tablespoon sugar

Arrange the orange slices on a large platter, alternating the different varieties.

Combine the lemon juices, water, lavender flowers and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until syrupy, about 3–4 minutes.

Pour the syrup through a strainer over the fruit.

Pascale Beale grew up in England and France surrounded by a family that has always been passionate about food, wine and the arts. She was taught to cook by her French mother and grandmother. She is the author of The Menu for All Seasons and Salade. Visit her website and blog: The Market Table at PascalesKitchen.com.

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WINTER EDIBLE EVENTS F R I D AY – S U N D AY

S AT U R D AY

DECEMBER

DECEMBER

18–20

DE C E M BER

Jingle SB: Treasures for Under the Tree 5– 8pm Friday, 11am–8pm Saturday & 11am–7pm Sunday, Impact Hub, 1117 State St., Santa Barbara Peruse offerings from 20+ local artisan food and gift vendors at this unique popup. Curated by Isabella Gourmet Foods and Cultivate Events, you’re sure to find something for every gourmand on your list. Proceeds benefit Impact Hub. Visit JingleSB on Facebook for more info.

S AT U R D AY

JANUARY

7

JANUARY

15 & 16

JANUARY

Open That Bottle Night

Pig Butchery Workshop

Supper for Third Saturday

5–9pm at SY Kitchen, Santa Ynez

Fri 5–8pm & Sat noon–3pm at 181 Industrial Way, Buellton

5:30 & 7:30pm at Bell Street Farm, Los Alamos

Go from whole hog to pork chops, spare ribs and sausages, with pancetta, prosciutto and porchetta di testa detours along the way. As always, clichéd jokes will be served up during the stuffing of the sausage. $150 per class; 10% discount for both; ValleyPiggery.com

Bell Street Farm’s monthly four-course, family-style supper includes a charcuterie plate, antipasto, rotisserie chicken with accompanying vegetables and butterscotch budino for dessert. $35 per person, not including beverages, tax or gratuity.

Two seatings, 5:30 and 7:30. Ongoing.

805 344-4609; BellStreetFarm.com

S AT U R D AY

JANUARY

JANUARY

JANUARY

26

Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Week

Edible Santa Barbara Supper Club

Restaurants throughout the Santa Ynez Valley will offer three-course tasting menus for $20.15 (excluding tax, tip and beverages). Several tasting rooms and wineries will also be offering special wine and small bite pairings. DineSYV.com

F R I D AY S

JANUARY 29 FEBRUARY 5

AND

A Few Good Noses: Wine Tasting and Selection for the Novice 6:30–9pm at Schott Campus, Room 27 Explore the different tastes and aromas, the most popular regions and varietals and how to combine wine and food, using not only your mind, but also your palate. $122. Register at SBCC.edu/CLL.

68 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

16

T U E S D AY

25–31

16

Menu includes Veggie Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Rice Noodle Salad with Coconut Aminos, Oyster Mushrooms & Pickled Radishes and Yellow Curry Grilled Chicken Lettuce Cups. $75; TheFoodLiaison.com

5–8pm, downtown Los Alamos The Los Alamos merchants on Bell Street invite everyone to join the fun and experience Los Alamos community charm firsthand with its Third Saturdays program. Ongoing. For more information call 805 344-1900.

F R I D AY & S AT U R D AY

J A NU A RY

6–9pm at The Food Liaison 1033 Casitas Pass Rd., Carpinteria

Los Alamos Third Saturday Evening Stroll

25 Christmas Day

T H U R S D AY

Every Thursday, corkage is waived for any wine that guests bring from Santa Barbara County to enjoy with the three-course, family-style menu designed

by Executive Chef Luca Crestanelli.

Ongoing. $35; SYKitchen.com. For reservations call 805 691-9794.

Healthy Asian Kitchen Cooking Class

19

DECEMBER

6pm at MESAVERDE Join us for our next Supper Club at MESAVERDE for a local winter roots–themed vegetarian feast featuring preserved and fermented specialties, plus wine pairings. For tickets and more info, visit EdibleSantaBarbara.com.

S U N D AY

JANUARY

31

Zaca University: Pruning Seminar 11am–2pm at Zaca Mesa Winery, Los Olivos A hands-on educational experience centered around the care and pruning of the vines in the Zaca Mesa vineyard. $65 includes the seminar, catered lunch and wine tasting. Space extremely limited; to reserve call 805 688-9339. ZacaMesa.com

For updates and more details on these and other events, visit EdibleSantaBarbara.com

FEBRUARY 3–13

S AT U R D AY

FEBRUARY

6

Santa Barbara International Film Festival

F E B R U ARY

FEBRUARY

14 Valentine’s Day

Edible Santa Barbara Event in Los Alamos

Visit SBIFF.org for a complete listing of screenings and special events.

FEBRUARY 14 THROUGH

MARCH 5 International Wine Film Festival The International Wine Film Festival is the first event of its kind—presenting video content entirely focused on wine and paired with tastings of fine wines from around the world along with screenings in idyllic vineyard settings.Visit WineFilmFestival.com for a complete listing of screenings and special events.

Edible Santa Barbara presents an event celebrating the food and wine of Los Alamos and Santa Barbara County. For detailed information and tickets, visit EdibleSantaBarbara.com.

W E D N E S D AY

F R I D AY

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

Edible Santa Barbara Supper Club

Meet the Winemaker

26

24

6pm at Nectar Restaurant Join us for our next Supper Club at Nectar for a delectable three-course farmto-chef dinner with sophisticated ethnic notes, plus wine pairings. For tickets and more info, visit EdibleSantaBarbara.com.

F R I D AY – S AT U R D AY

MARCH

4–5

World of Pinot Noir Bacara Resort & Spa, Santa Barbara Two days of in-depth tasting seminars and excursions, Grand Tastings, a Burgundy seminar and tasting and gourmet, locally influenced lunches and dinners. More than 200 Pinot Noir producers from around the world convene here on California’s coast to pour, share, discuss and pair their wines.

WorldOfPinotNoir.com

On the last Friday of every month, during regular dinner service, a local winemaker will be in the dining room to pour tastes of their wines that pair with guest’s selections and to chat. Dinner reservations not required but strongly suggested. Ongoing. 805 688-7265; LosOlivosCafe.com.

T U E S D AY S

S AT U R D AY

MARCH

MARCH

Cooking with Herbs and Spices

Kids’ Fiesta Cooking Class (Ages 12+)

6–9pm at Schott Campus, Room 27

6–9pm at The Food Liaison, 1033 Casitas Pass Rd., Carpinteria

5

1&8

M A R CH

6–8pm at the Los Olivos Café, Los Olivos

Students create delicious and spicy entrees, soups, salads and veggie dishes.

How to substitute fresh herbs for dried, how to store herbs and spices, flavor families of spices for different cuisines and stocking a pantry with a basic spice list. $70. Register at SBCC.edu/CLL.

Menu includes Black Bean & Corn Salad, Local Avocado Guacamole, Pico de Gallo and Zesty Fajitas with Rainbow Peppers. $55; TheFoodLiaison.com

MARCH

16–20 Taste of Solvang Since 1993 Solvang has celebrated its rich culinary and cultural heritage with the Taste of Solvang Food & Wine Festival featuring local desserts, delicacies, wines and live entertainment. Advance ticket purchases are highly recommended and can be made online at SolvangUSA. com or call 800 719-9106 to purchase by phone.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 69

edible

SA NTA BARBA R A COUNT Y

E AT DRINK LOC AL GUIDE & MAPS

Santa Barbara County has its own unique food tradition and lifestyle. This winter we’d like to help you find some of the area restaurants, bakeries, food producers and specialty retail shops that contribute to the distinctively Santa Barbara experience. From Ballard to Carpinteria, and from catering to wine tasting, our Guide will help you find what you are looking for and more.

Ballard Ballard Inn & Restaurant 2436 Baseline Ave. 805 688-7770 BallardInn.com Elegant accommodations, attentive staff and award winning cuisine make the Ballard Inn & Restaurant one of the most sought after small luxury inns in the Santa Barbara Wine Country.

Buellton Alma Rosa 250-G Industrial Way 805 688-9090 AlmaRosaWinery.com With certified organic vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, Alma Rosa focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as other food friendly wines with the high acid and extraordinary balance for which Richard Sanford’s wines have been known since 1976.

The Hitching Post II 406 E. Hwy. 246 805 688-0676 HitchingPost2.com

Giannfranco’s Trattoria

5668 Calle Real 805 770-2730 BackyardBowls.com

Experience authentic Italian regional cuisine at this family-owned and family-operated trattoria in downtown Carpinteria. Chef Giovanni prepares each dish from the freshest local and imported foods to offer his creative take on Tuscan grill specialties.

Weekday lunch served 11am–3pm. Weekend lunch served noon–3pm. Dinner served 5–9pm; closed Tue.

Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt and more.

HEAT Culinary 4642 Carpinteria Ave. 805 242-1151 HeatCulinary.com Santa Barbara County’s culinary school, food truck and full service caterer. HEAT events are known for personalized service, organic ingredients, large portions and attention to detail. Offering originality and undivided attention to create a memorable event.

Sly’s 686 Linden Ave. 805 684-6666 SlysOnline.com

A favorite of locals and visitors since 1986. Serving wood-grilled fare, prepared in the regional barbecue tradition, along with their highly regarded Hitching Post Wines. Casual and relaxed setting.

Sly’s is known for great food, with an emphasis on farmers market and local produce, great cocktails and great times in Carpinteria. Open Mon–Fri for lunch 11:30am–3pm; lounge menu weekdays 3–5pm; dinner Sun–Thu 5–9pm, Fri and Sat 5–10pm; and weekend brunch & lunch Sat–Sun 9am–3pm.

Carpinteria

Goleta

The Food Liaison 1033 Casitas Pass Rd. 805 200-3030 TheFoodLiaison.com Catering. Counter. Classes. Utilizing many locally grown organic ingredients, enjoy daily rotating entrées and soups, seasonal menu, and gourmet salad bar.

Corporate and event catering since 2013. Sign up for cooking classes online. Lunch Counter Mon-Fri 11am–3pm.

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Backyard Bowls

666 Linden Ave. 805 684-0720 Giannfrancos.com

Bacara Resort & Spa 8301 Hollister Ave 844 276-0955 BacaraResort.com Nestled on the bluff and beaches of the Gaviota coast, Bacara offers relaxed luxury and incomparable natural beauty. Additional features include a four-story spa, wellness center, zero-edge saline swimming pools, restaurants, lounges and tasting room.

Goodland Kitchen & Market 231 S. Magnolia Ave. 805 845-4300 GoodlandKitchen.com A quick service café specializing in delicious, wellprepared, affordable breakfasts and lunches, served outside under the magnolia tree. Food prepared fresh daily, in small batches with ingredients from local farmers, to provide an exceptional and unexpected culinary experience in the heart of Old Town Goleta.

Breakfast and lunch, indoors or outside on the patio, Mon–Fri 8am–2:30pm.

Lompoc Central Coast Specialty Foods 115 E. College Ave., Ste. 10 805 717-7675 CentralCoastSpecialtyFoods.com High quality local & imported specialty foods, including charcuterie, gourmet cheeses, a fullservice deli, exotic meats (alligator, wild boar, bison and more), specialty foods from around the world, and local beers and wines. Catering available; small intimate affairs to large special events. Open MonWed 10am–6pm, Thu-Fri 10am–7pm, Sat 10am–6pm and Sun 10am–4pm.

Los Alamos Babi's Beer Emporium 380 Bell St. 805 344-1911 BabisBeerEmporium.com Great beer. Impeccable selection. Great fun.

Adventurous beer drinkers can discover unique, hardto-find craft beers, ciders, and special projects - on tap or in bottle. Stay to have a bite from Craft Kitchen's weekly small plate specials. Thu 4–8pm, Fri–Sat Noon–8pm, Sun Noon-6pm.

Bell Street Farm Eatery & Market 406 Bell St. 805 344-4609 BellStreetFarm.com This cozy and delicious eatery is surrounded by gorgeous vineyards and farmland. Award winning cuisine and sophisticated yet comfortable design, a distinct environment to enjoy a meal, snack or wine tasting for residents and visitors alike. Assemble your own picnic baskets and accessories for creating a portable meal, as well as gifts and merchandise from local artisans and some of the best of California.

Thu and Mon 11am–4pm, Fri–Sun 11am–5pm.

Bob’s Well Bread 550 Bell St. 805 344-3000 BobsWellBread.com Bob’s Well Bread is about great bread, made the oldfashioned way—handcrafted in small batches and baked to perfection in a custom-built, stone-deck oven. Stop by their bakery for baguettes, croissants, bagels and more. Closed Tue and Wed.

Casa Dumetz 388 Bell St. 805 344-1900 CasaDumetzWines.com A boutique winery specializing in Rhone varietals crafted with premier Santa Barbara County fruit. Their wines are sold almost exclusively at their tasting room in historic Los Alamos and through their wine club. Open Thu noon–7pm; Fri–Sat 11am–7pm; Sun 11–6pm. Vineyard tours and barrel sampling available by appointment.

Full of Life Flatbread 225 W. Bell St. 805 344-4400 FullofLifeFoods.com On weekends Full of Life Flatbread converts their production flatbread bakery space into a restaurant and offers an extremely innovative menu based almost entirely on what is grown locally and in season.

Open Thu–Sat 5–10pm; Sun 4–8pm.

Martian Ranch & Vineyard 9110 Alisos Canyon Rd. 805 344-1804 MartianVineyard.com The Martian Ranch tasting room is open Wed–Sun 11am–5pm. Taste their estate grown biodynamically farmed wines for an out-of-this-world experience!

Winery tours daily; vineyard tours on the weekends.

Plenty on Bell 508 Bell St. 805 344-2111 PlentyOnBell.com Long-time Los Alamos chef and local favorite, Jesper Johansson, is back in the kitchen at Plenty on Bell, serving local, seasonal food for breakfast and lunch, six days a week. Closed Mon.

Los Olivos The Brander Vineyard 2401 N Refugio Rd. 805 688-2455 Brander.com Established in 1975, The Brander Vineyard is one of the oldest and most distinguished wineries in the Santa Barbara County. Founder Fred Brander has dedicated himself to making exceptional block designates of estate Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon that push the quality envelope for Bordeaux style wines.

Open daily 11am–4pm.

Alta Maria Vineyards 2933 Grand Ave., Ste. A 805 686-1144 AltaMaria.com

methods that leave no indelible mark on the people, places and products around them. Tasting room open daily 11am–5pm. Native9 is offered for sale daily and can be tasted during Heritage Tastings.

Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café 2879 Grand Ave. 805 688-7265 LosOlivosCafe.com Bringing together the best flavors of the Central Coast.

Their award-winning wine list offers over 500 wines to enjoy with their fresh, seasonal and local cuisine, or to enjoy at home. Open for lunch and dinner daily 11:30am–8:30pm (8pm Sun) and breakfast Sat–Sun 8–10:30am.

Olive Hill Farm 2901 Grand Ave. 805 693-0700 OliveHillFarm.com Specializing in local olive oils, flavored oils and balsamic vinegars as well as many locally produced food products. Olive oil and vinegar tastings with fresh local bread available. Open daily 11am–5pm.

Qupé 2963 Grand Ave. 805 686-4200 Qupe.com One of California’s original Rhône Rangers, Bob Lindquist has been a visionary pioneer of cool-climate Syrah for over 30 years. Qupé is a benchmark producer of Chardonnay and Rhône varietals from the cool growing areas of California’s Central Coast. Cool climate wines of character since 1982. Tasting room open 11am–5pm daily.

Zaca Mesa Winery 6905 Foxen Canyon Rd. 805 688-9339 ZacaMesa.com Since 1973, the family-owned winery has been dedicated to crafting some of Santa Barbara County’s most distinctive wines. Tasting room and picnic area open daily 10am–4pm.

Striving to make the best wine possible in a conscious manner, Alta Maria Vineyards utilizes organic and sustainable techniques along with conventional

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 71

Montecito American Riviera Bank 525 San Ysidro Rd. 805-335-8110 AmericanRivieraBank.com Offering a local and sustainable approach to banking.

The founders of American Riviera Bank are a carefully selected group of successful, prominent, experienced and influential community and business leaders who understand the unique needs of the Santa Barbara community. Open Mon–Thu 9am–5pm; Fri 9am–5:30pm.

Bree'Osh 1150 Coast Village Rd. 805 969-2500 Bree'Osh is a French artisan bakery café specializing in sweet and savory brioche bread made with traditional sourdough. Featuring local, organic, high quality ingredients. Offering breakfast and lunch 7am–3pm; closed Wed.

Here’s The Scoop 1187 Coast Village Rd. 805 969-7020 ScoopSB.com Here’s The Scoop is a local, family-owned business that makes traditional Italian gelato flavors like Stracciatella and Pistachio. Their seasonal farmers market sorbets use local, organic farm fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs. Sorbets are non-dairy, organic and vegan. Mon–Thu 1-9pm, Fri-Sat noon–10pm, Sun noon–9pm.

Tecolote Bookstore 1470 E. Valley Rd. 805 969-4977 Tecolote Bookstore is an independent bookstore located in the upper village of Montecito. Open Mon– Fri 10am–5:30pm; Sat 10am–5pm; closed Sun.

Santa Barbara Backyard Bowls 3849 State St. 805 569-0011 BackyardBowls.com Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt and more.

Il Fustino 3401 State St. 805 845-3521 ilFustino.com Il Fustino is Santa Barbara’s first and finest olive oil and vinegar tasting room. Il Fustino purveys only the finest and freshest olive oils, all grown and milled in California. They also provide an unparalleled selection of artisan vinegars.

Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro 3315 State St. 805 569-2400 RenaudsBakery.com Renaud’s is a bakery specializing in French pastries and French-style cakes, as well as a bistro offering an extensive menu for lunch and dinner. Open Mon–Sat 7am–5pm; Sun 7am–3pm.

72 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Telegraph Brewing Co.

Barbareño

418 N. Salsipuedes St. 805 963-5018 TelegraphBrewing.com

205 W. Canon Perdido 805 963-9591 Barbareno.com

Handcrafting unique American ales that embrace the heritage of California’s early brewing pioneers and use as many locally grown ingredients as possible.

Visit the tasting room, open Tue–Thu 3–9pm; Fri–Sat 2–10pm; Sun 1–7pm. Telegraph beer is available at many restaurants and grocery stores in Santa Barbara County and throughout California.

Offering a casual approach to the classic California tavern, highlighting the traditions and specialties of the Central Coast and its many outstanding purveyors.

Sit inside and enjoy the enticing atmosphere of an open kitchen, or outside on the patio alongside the Santa Maria grill. Bar menu available Mon-Fri 5–6:30pm, dinner nightly 5:30–9:30pm.

Whole Foods Market

The Blue Owl

3761 State St. 805 837-6959 WholeFoodsMarket.com

5 W. Canon Perdido 805 705-0991 TheBlueOwlSantaBarbara.com

Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market, a leader in the natural and organic foods industry and America’s first national certified organic grocer, was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” in 2008 by Health magazine.

Nestled in the heart of Santa Barbara's downtown district, the Owl serves farmers market driven and asian-inspired dishes, sandwiches on house made breads and seasonal salads. Tue–Fri 11am–3pm, Sat 10am–3pm, and open late Fri–Sat 8pm–2:30am.

Santa Barbara– Downtown

602 Anacapa St. 805 963-3222 BookEndsCafe.net

Alchemy Arts Cafe 35 W. Haley St. 805 899-8811 AlchemyWellnessSpa.com Offering a dynamic menu that evolves with the seasons, Alchemy Arts Cafe strives to provide more nourishment, value, grace, and excitement to your dining experience. The chefs and wellness team work in tandem to design recipes, elixirs, food and juice cleansing programs to support your health goals.

Available evenings for private parties and special events. Open 9am–5pm, Thu 9am–8pm.

American Riviera Bank 1033 Anacapa St. 805 965-5942 AmericanRivieraBank.com Offering a local and sustainable approach to banking.

The founders of American Riviera Bank are a carefully selected group of successful, prominent, experienced and influential community and business leaders who understand the unique needs of the Santa Barbara community. Open Mon–Thu 8am–5pm, Fri 8am–6pm.

Au Bon Climat 813 Anacapa St. 805 963-7999 AuBonClimat.com The tasting room and the Jim Clendenen Wine Library is known for world class Chardonnays and Pinots, Jim Clendenen has been making wines of vision and character for over 30 years, along with other varietals.

Amazing lineup of current releases and library wines available. Open noon–6pm daily.

Backyard Bowls 331 Motor Way 805 845-5379 BackyardBowls.com Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt and more.

Book Ends Café

Offering unique handcrafted sandwiches and seasonal selections of farm-fresh salads, quiches and treats, prepared with ingredients sourced from local farmers.

Enjoy organic, fair-trade coffee while sitting on the secret and tranquil rooftop patio. Open Fri, Sat, Mon 8:30am–2pm; Tue–Thu 8:30am–4pm; closed Sun.

Bouchon 9 W. Victoria St. 805 730-1160 BouchonSantaBarbara.com Bouchon sources all of its ingredients using an “asfresh-and-as-local-as-possible” approach. Experience fine dining, excellent regional wines and relaxed service in a warm, inviting ambience. Private dining in the Cork Room is available for groups of 10–20.

Dinner nightly 5–10pm.

C’est Cheese 825 Santa Barbara St. 805 965-0318 CestCheese.com In addition to being a local source for the finest cheeses and artisanal foods, C’est Cheese serves breakfast and lunch—fresh salads, soups, sandwiches and incredible pastries. Open Mon-Sat 7am–6pm; Sun 8am–3pm.

Ca’ Dario Pizzeria 29 E. Victoria St. 805 957-2020 CaDarioPizza.net Located just steps away from Chef Dario Furlati’s flagship eatery, Ca’ Dario Pizzeria offers a casual, urban atmosphere to enjoy authentic pizzas, salads and appetizers. The 30-seat restaurant boasts a welcoming bar, perfect for enjoying local or Italian beers on tap.

Open for lunch Mon–Sat 11:30am–2:30pm; dinner Mon–Sun 5–9:30pm.

Cebada Vineyard & Winery 5 E. Figueroa St. 805 735-4648 CebadaWine.com Cebada vinifies estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This boutique winery produces sophisticated Burgundian style wines. Enjoy their hand-crafted vertical wine tasting in La Arcada Plaza.

Destination Maps Los Alamos

Santa Maria 2.2 Miles From Hwy 101

SA

PERKINS ST. SHAW ST.

1. Hitching Post II 2. Buellton Visitors Bureau 3. New West Catering 4. Industrial Eats 5. Alma Rosa Tasting Room 6. Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co.

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EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 73

Destination Maps 2

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74 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

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20. The Wine Cask 20. Grassini Family Vineyards 20. Au Bon Climat 20. Margerum Wines 21. Nectar Eatery & Lounge 22. McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams 23. Book Ends Café 24. Telegraph Brewing Co. 25. Renaud’s, Loreto Plaza 26. Il Fustino 27. Whole Foods 28. The Winehound 29. Backyard Bowls, La Cumbre 30. MesaVerde Restaurant 31. Lazy Acres

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1. Santa Ynez Cheese Co 2. SY Kitchen 3. Carr Winery 4. Dos Carlitos

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Chocolate Maya 15 W. Gutierrez St. 805 965-5956 ChocolateMaya.com Chocolate Maya scours the world for pure, luscious chocolates and offers incredible savory bars, truffles, bonbons and gift baskets as well as a wide choice of organic and fair-trade chocolate products. Mon–Fri 10am–6pm; Sat 10am–5pm; Sun 10am–4pm.

Cielito Restaurant 1114 State St. 805 965-4770 CielitoRestaurant.com A Santa Barbara take on the flavors of Latin America and Mexico, featuring the freshest and most sustainable of Central Coast ingredients, over 90 tequilas, with enticing libations and innovative cocktails, in addition to an impressive selection of mezcal and exciting local spirits. Latin American inspired, Santa Barbara realized. Weekend Brunch.

Happy Hour. Dinner.

Grapeseed Company 21 W. Ortega St. 805 456-3655 TheGrapeseedCompany.com The Grapeseed Company creates botanical spa and skin care products handcrafted from the byproduct of wine plus antioxidant-rich local and organic ingredients. Open Mon–Fri 10:30am–6pm; Sat 10–5pm; closed Sun.

Il Fustino 308 W. Victoria 805 845-4995 ilFustino.com Il Fustino is Santa Barbara’s first and finest olive oil and vinegar tasting room. Il Fustino purveys only the finest and freshest olive oils, all grown and milled in California. They also provide an unparalleled selection of artisan vinegars.

Isabella Gourmet Foods 5 E. Figueroa St. 805 585-5257 IsabellaGourmetFoods.com A boutique artisan grocery combining the downhome charm of an East Coast general store with an upscale West Coast setting and featuring locally made small-batch foods. Open Mon–Fri 9am–6pm; Sat 10am–6pm; Sun 11am–5pm.

Margerum Wine Company 813 Anacapa St. 805 845-8435 MargerumWineCompany.com Committed to creating handcrafted wines using only the highest-quality grapes to make wines that are indicative of the place where they are grown. Two tasting rooms located in the historic El Paseo complex: Margerum Tasting Room and MWC32, which features reserve and limited production wines. Open daily noon–6pm with the last tasting at 5:30pm.

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams 728 State St. 805 324-4402 McConnells.com McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, founded in Santa Barbara in 1949, is now in its third generation of family ownership. They make their ice creams as they always have: From scratch, using Central Coast, grass-grazed milk, cream and the finest local, sustainable and

organic ingredients from partner farms, artisans and purveyors they’ve worked with for decades.

No preservatives. No stabilizers. No additives. Ever.

A 70-year, sweet legacy of keeping it real.

Nectar Eatery & Lounge 20 E. Cota St. 805 899-4694 NectarSB.com

edible Santa Barbara

Offering great small plates with ethnic notes that pair beautifully with local wines and fine cocktails. Enjoy special items on Meatless Mondays, Tequila Tuesdays and Wine Wednesdays along with their regular menu. Host your private party in the romantic lounge upstairs. Open 5-10pm for dinner; drinks until 2am.

Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro 1324 State St. 805 892-2800 RenaudsBakery.com Renaud’s is a bakery specializing in French pastries and French-style cakes, as well as a bistro offering an extensive menu for breakfast and lunch.

Open Mon–Sat 7am–5pm, Sun 7am–3pm.

Riverbench Vineyard & Winery 137 Anacapa St., Suite C 805 324-4100 Riverbench.com Established in 1973, when the first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were planted on the property. For years since then, some of the most renowned wineries have purchased Riverbench fruit for their wines. In 2004, Riverbench began producing their own wines in limited quantities, with many available exclusively through their tasting rooms in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara. Open 11am–6pm daily.

Sama Sama Kitchen 1208 State St. 805 965-4566 SamaSamaKitchen.com Sama Sama creates meals inspired by Indonesian food and local farms and markets. Their food and cocktail menu is constantly changing depending on the availability from local sources. They are locally owned and operated and part of the Shelter Social Club family. Dinner Sun-Thu 5–10pm; Fri-Sat 5–11pm.

Happy Hour Mon–Fri 5–7pm.

Scarlett Begonia 11 W. Victoria St., #10 805 770-2143 ScarlettBegonia.net Scarlett Begonia will always strive to have interesting, thoughtful food. Menus change weekly with an innovative, fresh approach to breakfast, lunch and dinner. Showcasing progressive modern cuisine, Scarlett Begonia features sustainable, organic, high quality ingredients coupled with innovative cooking to provide one of the most food-centric experiences in Santa Barbara. Open for dinner and cocktail hour Tue– Sat 4–9pm, breakfast and lunch Tue–Sun 9am–2pm.

The Wine Cask 813 Anacapa St. 805 966-9463 WineCask.com The Wine Cask Restaurant features the freshest local ingredients, the best wine list in town and seasonal signature cocktails. They offer fine dining in their exquisite Gold Room and casual dining in the courtyard and at their Intermezzo bar. Lunch: Tue–Fri 11:30am–3pm. Dinner: Tue–Sun from 5:30pm. Last seating at 9pm Sun–Thu and at 10pm Fri–Sat.

Los Alamos IN

CALIFORNIA

FEBRUARY 6, 2016

Edible Santa Barbara presents an event CELEBRATING the food and wine of Los Alamos and Santa Barbara County.

S C O M M U N ITY F O O D

AN D

WINE

TER R I OR S U S TAI N AB LITY

S FOR: Food and wine industry professionals, writers, bloggers and photographers, food activists, and anyone with an interest in food and sustainability.

For the latest information, event details and how to purchase tickets, go to EdibleSB.com/Institute

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 75

Santa Barbara – Mesa Lazy Acres

“Where Every Goat Has a Name” Farmstead Artisan Goat Cheese Locally produced on the farm with milk exclusively from the farm’s own animals.

Available at local farmers markets and online.

DrakeFamilyFarms.com

(909) 947-8688

Recipe Please Preserve family recipes for future generations

(805) 234-3069 Ann-Tere se Barket, Ph.D. - The Food Archivist -

www.facebook.com/thefoodarchivist

Vote Online Now for the 10th Annual

Local Hero Awards Chef/Restaurant Farmer/Rancher/Fisherman Food Artisan (jam, bread, chocolate, etc.)

Beverage Artisan (beer, wine, etc.)

Vote Online at EdibleSantaBarbara.com Voting Deadline is 1/31/2016

76 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

Rancho Olivos

302 Meigs Rd. 805 564-4410 LazyAcres.com

2390 Refugio Rd. 805 686-9653 RanchoOlivos.com

Santa Barbara’s best source for wholesome, natural and organic foods and products with real people dedicated to providing unmatched personal service. Mon–Sat 7am–11pm; Sun 7am–10pm.

Located in beautiful Santa Ynez, Rancho Olivos creates distinctively fresh artisan extra-virgin olive oils from their sustainably grown Italian and Spanish varietals of olives. Open for olive oil tasting daily noon–4pm.

MESAVERDE

Santa Ynez Valley Cheese Company

1919 Cliff Dr. 805 963-4474 MesaverdeRestaurant.com

1095 Meadowvale Road 805 691-9448 SantaYnezValleyCheeseCompany.com

MESAVERDE, a plant-based restaurant in Santa Barbara, fuses Mediterranean flavors and fresh ingredients to establish a taste reaching beyond simple expectations.

They offer locally sourced produce and raw vegan desserts. House-made kombucha, cold-pressed juices and almond milk are made daily.

Your valley source for cut-to-order imported and domestic cheese and charcuterie as well as gourmet products and fresh bread. We prepare boards, platters and take-away picnic trays for caterers, wineries and consumers. Open Mon, Wed–Sat, 10am–5pm and Sun noon–4 pm (closed Tue).

Santa Maria Cambria Estate Winery

Pass The

Santa Ynez

5475 Chardonnay Ln. 805 938-7318 CambriaWines.com Family-owned, sustainably-farmed, estate winery. Visit and experience the flavors of the Santa Maria Bench.

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Viognier and Syrah.

Open daily 10am–5pm.

Foxen Vineyard & Winery 7200 and 7600 Foxen Canyon Rd. 805 937-4251 FoxenVineyard.com The Foxen Boys’ winery and tasting room features Burgundian and Rhône-style wines. Visit the historic shack “Foxen 7200” for Italian and Bordeaux-style wines.

Picnic tables and scenic views at both locations. Open 11am–4pm daily.

Presqu’ile Winery 5391 Presquile Dr. 805 937-8110 PresquileWine.com Presqu’ile is a small, family-run winery dedicated to making exceptional cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Situated on a hilltop, with ocean and vineyard views, Presqu'ile offers one of the most sunning and memorable Central Coast wine tasting experiences. Open Sat–Tue 11am–5pm, Fri 11am–6pm.

Riverbench Vineyard & Winery 6020 Foxen Canyon Rd. 805 937-8340 Riverbench.com Established in 1973, when the first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were planted on the property. For years since then, some of the most renowned wineries have purchased Riverbench fruit for their wines. In 2004, Riverbench began producing their own wines in limited quantities, with many available exclusively through their tasting rooms in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara. Open 10am–4pm daily.

SY Kitchen 1110 Faraday St. 805 691-9794 SYKitchen.com Modern Northern Italian dishes showcasing local ingredients in an inviting farmhouse in the heart of Santa Ynez. Chef Luca Crestanelli's specialties include home-made pastas; wood-fired pizzas, and oak-grilled chicken, lamb chops and steak. Dazzling cocktails are crafted by Alberto Battaglini. Dinner nightly from 5pm; lunch Wed-Sat 11:30am–2:30pm; Italian Breakfast Sun 10am–2pm.

Solvang Buttonwood Farm Winery 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd. 805 688-3032 ButtonwoodWinery.com In 1968 Betty Williams came to Buttonwood, creating a life that found expression through a connection with the land. The vineyard now has 33,000 vines with a mix of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Marsanne, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Tasting room open daily 11am–5pm.

Succulent Café Wine Charcuterie 1555 Mission Dr. 805 691-9444 SucculentCafe.com Serving comfort and artisan food prepared with seasonal, local, farm fresh ingredients, focusing on flavor, elegance and balance. Great local wines and beer on tap. Breakfast: Sat–Sun 8:30am–noon; Lunch: Mon & Wed–Fri 11am–3pm, Sat–Sun noon–3pm; Dinner: Wed–Mon 5pm–9pm; Charcuterie Bar: Mon & Wed–Fri 11am–9pm, Sat & Sun 8:30am–9pm.

Summerland Summerland Winery 2330 Lillie Ave. 805 565-9463 SummerlandWine.com Founded in 2002, a boutique winery dedicated to the production of fine wines from the Central Coast of California. Focused on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varietals, the winemaker also dabbles in expressive Rhône and Bordeaux iterations. An inviting, relaxed atmosphere in the seaside village of Summerland, California. Open 11am–6pm, Fri until 9pm.

Source Guide Bragg Live Food Products Bragg.com Founded in 1912 by Dr. Paul C. Bragg and now run by his daughter Dr. Patricia Bragg in Goleta, Bragg Live Food Products offers organic and natural health products and publishes self-health books. Available locally at Fairview Gardens’ Farm Stand, Lassen’s, Gladden and Sons, Tri-County Produce, Whole Foods Market, Lazy Acres and in the health section of your neighborhood grocery store.

Dave’s Garage 650 Easy St. Simi Valley 805 306-1174 DavesGarage-HotRodShop.com Mentored by one of the finest car builders and designers in the business, Dave specializes in classic restorations, complete custom builds, fabrication, modifications and collision repairs of pre-1975 vehicles. Dave’s Garage recently moved into a new 8,000 square foot shop and showroom with products for do-it-yourselfers.

Drake Family Farms DrakeFamilyFarms.com

Making locally produced farmstead artisan goat cheese in Ontario, California. At Drake Family Farms every goat has a name and their goat cheeses are made on the farm with milk exclusively from the farm’s own animals.

Available at local farmers markets and online.

The Food Archivist

805 234-3069 Facebook.com/TheFoodArchivist The Food Archivist is a multimedia recipe document that celebrates the family foodie experience by preserving family recipes through interviews, photography and video. Preserve the recipes you have come to love and celebrate and honor the loved ones who have touched your life and cooked your favorite recipes all these years. Pass the recipe, please!

Giffin & Crane General Contractors

Jimenez Family Farm 805 688-0597 JimenezFamilyFarm.com Small family-run local farm specializes in sustainably grown food and their famous handmade pies, quiches and small batch preserves. Visit them at the farmers market to purchase produce, pies, jams and naturally fed and farm-raised rabbit, lamb, pork, goat and poultry.

Morris Grassfed 831 623-2933 MorrisGrassfed.com Providing 100% grassfed and finished beef to customers throughout California. Processed in USDA inspected facilities, cut and wrapped by small-scale artisan butchers and delivered directly at pre-arranged delivery locations throughout the year. Family owned, they practice holistic management on the rangelands they manage.

Niman Ranch

11990 Grant St. Northglenn, CO 80233 NimanRanch.com

805 684-4146 LiveGourmet.com GrowerPetes.com

Hollandia Produce is a family owned and operated agricultural business specializing in hydroponically greenhouse grown vegetables. Located in Carpinteria, California, the company grows, ships and distributes its certified organic label Grower Pete’s, and its Live Gourmet line of products, which are harvested with their roots intact to preserve freshness.

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Making sustainable seafood easy to cook in your home kitchen. Salty Girl Seafood's retail line is traceable back to the fisherman or fishing comunity and promoted stewardship of our oceans and marine resources. Pick up a package at your local retailer today!

Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market 805 962-5354 SBFarmersMarket.org

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Hollandia Produce

805 969-4977

805 699-5025 SaltyGirlSeafood.com

At Giffin & Crane General Contractors, Inc., each project is unique, whether it’s a simple remodel or an extraordinary architectural estate. Working closely with their clients to fulfill their clients’ dreams, they are committed to providing the best workmanship, on time and in budget.

Delivering freshly harvested wholesale produce— sourced directly from local family farms to schools, restaurants, hospitals and retail businesses. Their mission is to be the catalyst for a healthier, more sustainable food system by strengthening the ties between farmers and the community.

1470 eaSt Valley rOad upper VillaGe Of MOntecitO

Salty Girl Seafood

Seven markets, six days a week. See schedule on page 45.

805 696-6930 HarvestSantaBarbara.com

Since 1925

Niman Ranch is committed to providing the finest tasting humanely and sustainably raised pork, beef and lamb raised by independent family farmers and ranchers. No antibiotics—ever, no added hormones— ever, all vegetarian feeds and raised outdoors or in deeply bedded pens.

805 966-6401 GiffinAndCrane.com

Harvest Santa Barbara

Tecolote Book Shop

Indonesian food inspired by our local farms & markets.

1208 State St. Santa Barbara samasamakitchen.com LO C A LLY OWNED , O P ERAT ED & PART o f th e SH ELT ER SO C IA L C LU B fam ily

805 865-2282 ValleFresh.com Specializing in hand-crafted, genuine food sourced from local farms, ranches and artisans, Valle Fresh is a family owned catering company that has a zeal for the food and services we provide. Chef Conrad Gonzales offers personalized menus for all occasions including weddings, pop-up events, food and wine pairings, themed dinners, gourmet taco bars and more.

Winfield Farm Mangalitsa 805 686-9312 WinfieldFarm.us Taste the magic of Winfield Mangalitsa pork. Order online or enjoy at Full of Life Flatbread, Industrial Eats, Ballard Inn, Hitching Post II, Mattei's Tavern. Follow us on Facebook (WinfieldFarmBuellton), Twitter (@ WinfieldFarmUS) and Instagram (Winfield_Farm).

Yogi Tea YogiProducts.com Founded in 1969 by Yogi Bhajan, Yogi Tea has over 60 tea blends featuring traditional Ayurvedic spices.

Serving grassfed beef directly to customers since 1991

RESERVE YOUR Portion Today at:

MorrisGrassfed.com EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 77

78 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

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EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2015 | 79

the last Bite Winter’s Don’t-Miss Dish

by Liz Dodder

Maili’s Fried Chicken at Scratch Kitchen Chef Augusto Caudillo cooks food the way his grandmother did: from scratch, over several days if needed, with local ingredients and a nod of respect to people in his family.

And like his grandmother, Caudillo’s notion of family extends to customers, local growers and mentors as well as actual relations.

Caudillo runs Scratch Kitchen in Lompoc alongside his brother-in-law/partner Gonzalo Pacheco, with lots of help from his wife, sister and the greater community.

Caudillo knows it takes a community to successfully run an affordable farm-to-table restaurant. So food producers like Santa Rita Farms become family, dropping by on Wednesday evenings to let Caudillo shop their truck, plan future plantings and have a beer. His cooking mentor Chef Maili Halme also became family, as the pair worked together over years perfecting their crispy fried chicken recipe. That dish is now on Caudillo’s menu at the popular eatery.

LIZ DODDER

Caudillo sources chicken from Jimenez Family Farm in Santa Ynez for the quality of the meat and the sustainability of the farming, but also because it is a family-run farm.

He wants his small family to help support other small families, creating a sense of community

80 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2015

among them. This larger family also helps keep him connected to where our food comes from.

To make Caudillo and Halme’s perfect fried chicken, Caudillo starts a day ahead. He brines the chicken in buttermilk, salt and spices (add any spices or flavorings you like) for 24 hours. He then mixes equal parts flour and Panko breadcrumbs (use more Panko for more crunch) and covers each piece with the crumb mixture. Caudillo heats vegetable oil (he uses canola/soy) in a fryer to 375° and cooks each piece for 7–8 minutes—this temperature is important so as not to over-brown the chicken. He then cooks it in a 350° oven for 13–15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165°.

Caudillo’s sauce is his own, a “no-waste” traditional French veal sauce. He sautés carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, in-house smoked bacon and any recent meat trimmings, then adds stock and red wine, reducing it until thick.

Liz Dodder is a drinker, eater and traveler who has eaten five kinds of foie gras in one day. She’s also a blogger, writer, photographer, recipe developer, web designer, social media maven and Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). CaliCoastWineCountry.com

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