Edible Santa Barbara Spring 2010

SANTA BARBARA edible

Celebrating the Food Culture of Santa Barbara County

Eggs Backyard Chickens Beekeeping Salt: The Essential Ingredient

Artichokes Community-Supported Agriculture

GETTING LOCAL

– Lisa Oglesby Goleta, California

edible SANTA BARBARA spring

FOOD FOR THOUGHT D

In this issue I am happy to announce and honor the 2010 Local Heroes selected by the readers of Edible Santa Barbara. These are people in our community who really are making a difference, whether it’s by providing the best farm-fresh organic produce or turning that produce into artisanal pizzas, serving it for dinner, creating fine microbrewed beer or collecting surplus produce and getting it into the hands of people who need it. Here’s to all that these individuals and organizations have accomplished. Cheers! Check out our Last Bite for more about our Local Heroes.

Farm/Farmer

Shepherd Farms/Tom Shepherd

Chef/Restaurant

Full of Life Flatbread

Food Artisan

Clark Staub/Full of Life Flatbread

Beverage Artisan

Brian Thompson/Telegraph Brewing Company

Nonprofit

Backyard Bounty

I have affectionately been calling this spring edition “the issue of the birds and the bees,” since we have an article by Helena Hill about backyard chickens and Nancy Oster continues the theme of local honeybees that she started in our fall issue. It’s a sign of the times that those of us who love food are also fascinated by the quest of raising it ourselves. Whether it’s planting a vegetable garden or an orchard, whether it’s raising chickens or goats or putting in a few beehives, there has been a shift in the way we think about what kind of food we can provide for ourselves. Spring is a great time to explore those options, and I hope you can use this magazine as a guide book for growing and cooking all season long.

This spring issue also marks our one-year anniversary, and I find it particularly gratifying to look back at the year and realize what a huge number of talented, dedicated and interesting people we’ve met and who have participated in this magazine. Every one of our advertisers, subscribers, contributors and readers has made this magazine possible, and I thank each of you for your support.

Krista Harris, Editor

SANTABARBA RA edible

PUBLISHERS

Steven Brown & Krista Harris

EDITOR

Krista Harris

RECIPE EDITOR

Nancy Oster

COPY EDITOR

Doug Adrianson

DESIGNER

Steven Brown

WEB DESIGN

Mary Ogle

Contributors

Becky Green Aaronson

Pascale Beale-Groom

Helena Hill

Joan S. Bolton

Jill Johnson

Janice Cook Knight

Laura Lindsey

Diane Murphy

Nancy Oster

About the Cover

Photographer Fran Collin worked his magic on eggs from writer Helena Hill’s chickens, including naturally blue eggs from the Ameraucana breed. Fran worked in New York for 20 years before moving back to Carpinteria (Brooks grad ‘82). His work has been published in Food+Wine, Eating Light and New York Magazine. In addition, he has worked with City Meals on Wheels and some of the most gifted and generous chefs in the world, with an ongoing portrait series at work-for-food.com.

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Contact Us

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Edible Santa Barbara 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. 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.

© 2010 edible Santa Barbara

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Working Side by Side for 34 Vintages, Thekla and Richard Sanford Have Produced Celebrated Wines From the Santa Rita Hills. Their Newest Venture, Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, Constitutes the Culmination of a Lifetime’s Experience Crafting Food Friendly Wines.

Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards is Committed to Organic Farming, Sustainable Agricultural Methods, And Environmentally Friendly Commerce. All of our estate vineyards are

Tasting Room Open Daily 11:00am – 4:30pm www.almarosawinery.com

Quail Springs Learning Oasis Presents

edible Notables

An Honorable System

Classic

Organic Farm & Market

Just four miles south of Buellton on Highway 101, look for the small brown freeway sign that reads Nojoqui Park. When you take this turnoff, you’ll be on Old Coast Highway, the historic country road that runs right through Classic Organic Farm, owned and operated by Helmut Klauer. Look for the old barn with a huge peace sign and then pull over to the Classic Organic Market. Inside the picturesque barn is a wonderful array of farm-fresh produce: lettuce, carrots, strawberries, fennel, spinach, asparagus and whatever else is in season. Herbs and eggs are also often available. Make your selections and then leave the money in the barrel. All the produce is sold on the honor system, and the visitors and regulars alike feel honored that Classic Organic Farm has chosen to provide organically grown produce of the highest quality and integrity.

Classic Organic Farm & Market: 2323 Old Coast Highway, Gaviota; 805 714-4420; classicorganic.org

Olive Oil Tasting

Olive Hill Farm Opens Tasting Room in Los Olivos

Gus Sousoures of Olive Hill Farm has opened an olive oil tasting room in Los Olivos. Gus is a familiar sight at several area farmers markets with his estate-grown and award-winning olive oils. He is known for his single-varietal Lucca olive oil and his Happy Canyon blend. But that won’t be all that you can taste at the new tasting room. He is also featuring oils from Rancho Olivos, Figueroa Farms and Balzana. In addition, his shop will stock a number of local olives and other local treats. Even the bread served with the olive oil tasting is from local Solvang Pie Company, made from their locally grown wheat.

Santa Barbara County is becoming known for its quality olive oils and Olive Hill Farm represents some of the best of the region. Established in 2002 in the hills of the Santa Ynez Valley, Olive Hill Farm is located in a close-to-perfect location for olive oil production. The family-owned and -operated company maintains over 1,400 Lucca olive trees spread over 7.5 acres. They are one of the few that grow the Lucca variety and their commitment to quality shows in the way they pick by hand and harvest for quality over yield.

Adjoining the Olive Hill Farm Tasting room is a tasting room for Evan’s Ranch, one of Gainey’s properties in the Santa Rita Hills. Evan’s Ranch produces a small quantity of high-quality wines, making it a perfect complement to Olive Hill Farm.

The tasting room is located at 2901 Grand Avenue; 805 688-3700; olivehilloil.com

Backyard Merger

Backyard Bounty and Backyard Harvest Become One

Since 2008, Doug Hagensen of Backyard Harvest and Jim Roehrig of Backyard Bounty have independently created grassroots volunteerbased organizations that harvest produce from local residential and commercial properties and overproduction from area farms. This typically wasted produce is distributed to those in need through the Unity Shoppe and Food Bank of Santa Barbara County. The two groups, which combined have collected almost 225,000 pounds of fresh produce, will now be operating as one unified organization: Backyard Harvest, affiliated with a network based in Idaho.

Along with having both pickup and harvesting services, Backyard Harvest offers a Service Learning Program. In an effort to educate the community about the importance of our local food system, this program invites classrooms and families to participate in educationbased activities, all while harvesting food for in-need residents.

Backyard Harvest can be reached at 805 884-8448; backyardharvest.org/santa_barbara

vertical TASTING

Some people love it. Some people try to avoid it. But most experienced cooks feel that salt is what makes things taste bad when it isn’t in them. Since Pascale Beale-Groom writes about salt in this issue, we asked her to recommend a quartet of savory salts that would enhance anyone’s cooking.

Sel de Guerande

Origin: Brittany, France

Texture: Coarse, slightly moist

Uses: All-purpose, perfect with salads, grilled meats and vegetables

If you only had one cooking salt in your kitchen, this could be it. Along with its exceptional taste, it has a natural gray color that comes from its high level of minerals. Try this on roasted asparagus.

Alaea Hawaiian Sea Salt

Origin: Hawaii

Texture: Coarse

Uses: Great with red meat, pork, fish and baked or roasted potatoes

This beautiful red salt comes from the volcanic red clay that is added to enrich the salt with iron-oxide. Despite its rich color, it has a slightly mellow flavor.

Murray River Salt

Origin: Australia

Texture: Flaky

Liberty Granola

There’s a new local granola in town, and it just might change the way you think about clusters of rolled oats, nuts and honey. Maria August creates small batches of this delicious organic granola using a number of local ingredients, such as honey from San Marcos Farms and raisins from Peacock Farms. The flavor is toasty, nutty and not too sweet but completely addictive. Maria chose the name Liberty because her granola is free of additives, chemicals, preservatives, sugar and fillers. The unique packaging in glass jars with an organic hemp tie and a recycled paper tag came about because she wanted an environmentally friendly and easy-to-reuse container.

Available at Olive Hill Farm tasting room in Los Olivos, Pierre Lafond in Montecito and Isla Vista Food Co-op in Goleta. 805 698-4712; libertygranola.com

Uses: Garnishing and adding a delicate flavor to a variety of dishes

These exquisite flakes get their peachy color from a naturally occurring algae in the underground brines of the river basin. This salt melts in your mouth. Try sprinkling this over sweet butter on a slice of a freshly baked baguette, and add fresh trimmed radishes for a classic pairing.

Salish Smoked Salt

Origin: Puget Sound

Texture: Fine

Uses: Whenever you want a unique smoky flavor

This sea salt from the Pacific Northwest is slow smoked over alderwood. It will add a natural smoky flavor to your food. Try it with vegetarian dishes that would otherwise be flavored with ham or bacon, and it especially works well with eggplant and bean dishes.

These salts are all available from Montecito Country Kitchen on the website mckcuisine.com.

Urban Wine Trail: Municipal Winemakers

by Jill Johnson

Don’t let the laid-back, convivial demeanor fool you. Dave Potter means business. Wine business. Behind the soft, curly-blond-haired “surfer dude” exterior, lies a passion for the grape that started early on by happenstance. Dave’s feeding of this passion has taken a globe trotting, circuitous route canvassing two hemispheres and three countries, eventually landing him in Santa Barbara in 2007. It was then that Dave planted the roots for his own label, Municipal Wines.

Dave is no stranger to Santa Barbara. The Rancho Cucamonga native came to UCSB to study business/econ (and surfing) like so many undergrads. He originally planned a future of interpreting legalese as a lawyer. However, a job at Sunstone Winery took him away from that career path and started him upon the bacchanalian adventure of the wine industry. Dave knew he had found his calling. “Wine making is the perfect combination of brains and physical labor. You have a tangible product at the end of the day. It’s a very special feeling.”

From UCSB, he ventured to Australia to partake of the surf and study oenology/viticulture at Curtin University in Margaret River, Western Australia. “It is Santa Barbara with tropical white, sandy beaches…and the surf is better than Davis or Fresno.” He didn’t get much surf time, though. While attending university, he worked at Palandri Wines from 7pm to 7am, then snuck in a couple hours of sleep before heading off to classes. “The only thing that saved me was the push-button espresso machine at the winery.”

Dave’s curriculum vitae boasts some world-class notches in his winery work belt. In Australia, both Henschke Cellars, home of the legendary Shiraz “Hill of Grace”, and Foster’s, “Australian for beer” (and a whole lot of wine.) In France, Château de Montfaucon on the Rhône River and in Santa Barbara, Fess Parker’s.

With Municipal, he merges techniques and experience garnered through his global exploits, bringing accessible food-friendly wines to the table. “I make wines I like to drink,” he says. The wines are sourced locally and are bright and fruity, without being cloyingly so. Bright White, Bright Red and Dark Red would all be equally welcome at any summer party to share with friends. He won’t name his favorite offering, but he gets a glint in his eye when pouring Fizz, a fizzy Shiraz produced “méthode champenoise.” Aussies take their sparkling reds seriously, and so does Dave. He proudly states “Fizz is da shizz.” I concur… wholeheartedly.

Dave’s vision of being part of a locavorist ideal of “local butchers, local bakers…local winemakers” is coming to fruition with the opening of Municipal Wines’ tasting room at 28 Anacapa in re-purposed army barracks on the Urban Wine Trail. Hop on your bike. Stop on by. Sip, savor and have a g’day.

Jill Johnson is an admitted cookieholic who enjoys the company of avid cooks, Pinot Noir and laughter, not necessarily in that order.

What is the Urban Wine Trail?

The Santa Barbara Urban Wine Trail was created by a group of like-minded wineries to shine a spotlight on the wineries and tasting rooms of the downtown and beach areas. Many are within easy walking distance of each other, and all of them have a distinctively different city vibe that make them quite worth exploring.

Jaffurs Wine Cellars

819 E. Montecito St. 805 962-7003; jaffurswine.com

Carr Vineyards and Winery

414 N. Salsipuedes St. 805 965-7985; carrwinery.com

Wine Cask Alliance

813 Anacapa St. 805 966-9463; winecask.com

Kalyra Winery

212 State St. 805 965-8606; kalyrawinery.com

Oreana Winery

205 Anacapa St. 805 962-5857; oreanawinery.com

Santa Barbara Winery

202 Anacapa St. 805 963-3633; sbwinery.com

Kunin Wines

28 Anacapa St. 805 963-9696; kuninwines.com

Westerly Vineyards

28 Anacapa St. 805 963-9696; westerlyvineyards.com

Municipal Winemakers

28 Anacapa St. (in back). 805 598-1896; municipalwinemakers.com

Whitcraft Winery

36 A South Calle Cesar Chavez. 805 730-1680; whitcraftwinery.com

Summerland Winery

2330 Lillie Ave. 805 565-WINE (9463); summerlandwine.com

For detailed maps and more information visit urbanwinetrailsb.com

Season in

Almonds (harvested Aug/Sept)

Apricots

Artichokes

Arugula

Asparagus

Avocados

Basil Bay leaf

Beans

Beets

Blackberries

Blueberries

Bok choy

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chard

Cherimoya

Cherries

Chives

Cilantro

Collards

Dandelion

Dates (harvested Sept/Oct)

Dill

Fennel

Garlic (harvested May/June)

Grapefruit

Honey

Kale

Lavender

Leeks

Lemons

Lettuce

Limes

Mint

Mustard greens

Nectarine

Onions, green bunching

Oranges, blood, navel

Oregano

Parsley

Peas, English

Pistachios (harvested Sept/Oct)

Potatoes (harvested May/June)

Radishes

Raisins (harvested Sept/Oct)

Raspberries

Rosemary

Sage

Snow peas

Spinach

Sprouts and legumes

Strawberries

Sugar snap peas

Tangerines/Mandarins

Thyme

Tomatoes

Turnips

Walnuts (harvested Sept/Oct)

Also available year-round

Fresh Flowers

Potted Plants/Herbs

Local Cheese

(full selection of certified organic goatand cow-milk cheeses, butters, curds, yogurts and spreads)

Local Meat

(antibiotic-free chicken, duck, Cornish game hens, grass-fed/hormone-free beef and pork)

Local Seafood

(Santa Barbara seasonal catch includes shrimp, lobster, crab, mussels, oysters, sea bass, halibut, sole, etc.)

Locally Produced Breads, Pies and Preserves (bread produced from wheat grown in Santa Ynez; pies and preserves)

Recipes seasonal

Eggs

Duck eggs are larger than chicken eggs and have a larger yolk-to-white ratio. They have more protein and taste richer, making them perfect for a hearty frittata. You can find duck eggs from Lily’s Eggs at the farmers market and at some grocery stores. This vegetable frittata works equally well as a brunch dish or a supper entrée. Feel free to improvise with other fresh vegetables that you find at the market or from your CSA. Use the egg equivalent chart to substitute different types of eggs.

Spring Vegetable Frittata

Makes 6 servings

4–5 small red or yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into 1⁄ 4 -inch slices

Olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 bunch of spring greens such as chard, mustard, collards, spinach or, for the adventurous, stinging nettles

1–2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

3 small leeks, trimmed, cut in half and washed thoroughly, then thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

4 duck eggs (or 8 chicken eggs)

1⁄ 4 cup milk

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Some grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Put a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 450°. In a large bowl, toss the potato slices with olive oil, salt and pepper. When the oven is up to temperature, carefully put the potatoes onto the hot pan, spreading into one layer. Roast until the potatoes are tender and golden brown, approximately 10–20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Preheat oven to broil.

Prepare the greens by filling a large bowl or clean sink with cold water. Submerge the greens in the water and swish slightly. Let sit for a minute and remove and dry on clean kitchen towels or in a salad spinner. Remove any tough stems and cut into thin strips. Note: If you are using stinging nettles, be sure to wear surgical gloves while handling raw nettles. Once they are cooked they will not sting.

In a large ovenproof frying pan, heat the butter or oil and add the leeks and garlic. Sauté until tender. Add the greens and sauté until wilted.

In a large bowl, whisk the duck eggs with the milk. Add the goat cheese along with the roasted potatoes and sautéed greens and stir gently to combine.

Wipe out the pan that you used to sauté the greens and add a little more butter or olive oil. Add the combined egg and vegetable mixture, stir gently to distribute all the ingredients, and then cook for 5–10 minutes or until the bottom is set. Place the pan in the oven and broil for 4–5 minutes or until the top is set and it is lightly browned and fluffy. Remove from pan, cut into wedges and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Egg Equivalents:

1 ostrich egg equals 18–24 chicken eggs

1 emu egg equals 10–12 chicken eggs

1 goose egg equals 4 chicken eggs

1 turkey egg equals 2 chicken eggs

1 duck egg equals 2 chicken eggs

3 quail eggs equal 1 chicken egg

Santa Barbara

Farmers Market

8 Markets, 6 Days a Week

Sundays

Camino Real Marketplace

In Goleta at Storke & Hollister 10:00am – 2:00pm

Tuesdays

Old Town Santa Barbara

500 & 600 Blocks of State Street

4:00pm – 7:30pm

Wednesdays

Solvang Village

Copenhagen Drive & 1st Street

2:30pm – 6:30pm

Harding Elementary School

1625 Robbins Street

3:00pm – 6:30pm

Sugar Snap Peas

Thursdays Goleta

Calle Real Center – 5700 Calle Real

3:00pm – 6:00pm Carpinteria

800 Block of Linden Avenue 3:00pm – 6:30pm

Fridays Montecito

1100 & 1200 Block of Coast Village Road

8:00am – 11:15am

Saturdays

Downtown Santa Barbara Corner of Santa Barbara & Cota Streets

8:30am – 12:30pm

Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas

Makes 4 servings as a side dish or 2 as a main course

1 shallot, minced

1⁄ 2 tablespoon butter

A drizzle of olive oil

1 pound of sugar snap peas, topped and tailed and with the little strings pulled off, cut into bite-sized pieces

Salt Pepper Water

A little more olive oil (preferably orange- or tangerineinfused or add a little orange or tangerine zest to some regular olive oil)

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil and sauté the shallot until just soft. Add the sugar snap peas and salt and pepper to taste. Then add just enough water to coat the bottom of the pan.

Cover the pan and let it steam for about 3 minutes. Taste one to make sure it is tender but still crisp and add a little more salt and/or pepper if it needs it. Then drizzle with a little bit of the orange or tangerine oil.

Serve by itself as a side dish or turn it into a main course by adding the sautéed protein of your choice and serving over rice.

Seasonal Minestrone

Spring Minestrone and Ribollita

Here is a spring version of the popular Italian vegetable soup. Feel free to make substitutions based on what you find at the market or from your CSA. Try leeks instead of onions, parsnips instead of carrots, spinach instead of chard, or turnips instead of potatoes.

Makes 4–6 servings

Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

3 medium-sized carrots, sliced into half-inch-thick rounds

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 bunch chard, stems removed, chopped, leaves thinly sliced

2–4 small to medium red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup fresh, shelled peas (from 1 pound of peas in pods)

1 bunch of asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

6 cups of homemade or organic free-range chicken or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Some grated Parmesan cheese, optional Crusty French or Italian bread, for serving

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot and sauté the onion, carrots, celery and garlic over medium heat for 5–8 minutes or until it is tender and translucent.

Add the potatoes and chard stems along with the broth, Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper. Stir to mix everything evenly. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and cook for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the chard leaves, peas and asparagus and cook for another 10–15 minutes. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve topped with the Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil along with some good, crusty French or Italian bread.

Save the leftover soup and bread to make the thick stew Ribollita, which means reboiled in Italian.

Ribollita

The next night add several slices of diced day-old bread to the soup and bring the soup to a boil in a large soup pot. It will be very thick. Serve with a generous drizzle of olive oil on top of each serving and some additional grated Parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper.

‘Cause we know how to make one mean grilled cheese. Made to order daily.

Atascadero, CA 93422 Revolutionary Crème Fraîche

We don't make 3-star meals, we make 3-star meals better.

kendallfarmscremefraiche.com

Berries

Triple Berry Pie

This is a beautiful and delicious pie that is perfect for Mother’s Day or any special dinner party. It takes a lot of berries, but it is definitely worth it.

Makes 8 servings

1 single pie crust for a 9-inch pan

3 baskets of blueberries, 2 baskets of raspberries and 1 basket of blackberries (approximately 5–6 cups of berries total)

1⁄ 2 cup raspberry eau de vie (a clear fruit brandy) or water

2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

1⁄ 2 cup sugar or honey

Juice of 1⁄ 2 lemon

Pinch of salt

1⁄ 4 cup of chopped white chocolate

2 tablespoons cream cheese or mascarpone cheese, softened

Zest of 1 lemon

Place the pie crust into the pie pan, crimp the border and chill while you make the filling. Preheat the oven to 400°.

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of the blueberries and the eau de vie or water to boil. As soon as it boils, lower the heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes. The blueberries should be bursting and thickening slightly. Add the cornstarch in water mixture while stirring constantly to make sure you do not have lumps. Then add the sugar, lemon juice and salt and stir to combine. Continue to simmer over low heat for another 2–3 minutes. Then remove it from the heat and stir in the remaining berries. Let sit while you bake the pie crust. (continued on next page)

Line your pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment and its contents and prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from the oven and let cool for few minutes before adding the chocolate mixture.

In a double boiler or in a small bowl in the microwave, heat the white chocolate gently until it is just barely melted. Remove from heat and add it to the cream cheese and lemon zest. Stir to combine thoroughly.

Spread the cream cheese mixture on the bottom of the pie crust. Then spread the berries over the filling. Let the pie sit for at least an hour before serving to allow it to firm up.

Chuy Berry Farm

Year-round, delicious, local blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries: a fantasy in many areas, but not here. Chuy Mendez grows these berries hydroponically in environmentally friendly coconut coir. And by using hoop houses the growing season is not just extended, but continues year round. With eight acres in Nipomo, Chuy Berry Farm produces enough berries to serve all the Santa Barbara farmers markets, as well as some markets in San Luis Obispo and Ventura. He also supplies berries to Simply Pies, Mesa Produce and restaurants such as Bouchon, Seagrass and Tupelo Junction Café. While these berries are delicious to snack on and on top of cereal, for a real treat try them in our Triple Berry Pie, which showcases their delectable nature.

EDIBLE GARDEN HEIRLOOM VEGETABLES PROVIDE PRECIOUS LINKS TO THE PAST

by Joan S. Bolton

Warmth, moisture and soil. And a touch of sunlight.

On the surface, those are the simple requirements for almost any seed to sprout. Nature has performed the miracle for millennia, so how hard can it be?

Indeed, growing your vegetables from seed is not difficult. It does require patience, and there are a few immutable steps that you must follow. But the beauty is that you won’t be limited to the seedlings that your nursery stocks. Plus, you’ll have a wide-open door to the vast world of heirloom vegetables.

What’s an Heirloom?

Heirloom vegetables are part of a grand tradition, a link to earlier, agrarian times, when seeds were passed from neighbor to neighbor. They are open-pollinated plants, meaning they either self-pollinate by bearing both male and female flowers, or cross-pollinate when wind, insects or water carries pollen from one plant to another. Heirlooms pre-date the early 1950s, when scientists began hybridizing plants, pollinating them in laboratories to achieve specific goals.

Those might be to create vegetables with thick skins to withstand mechanical harvesting, hold color on their multi-day journey from field to market to table, bear larger yields or resist disease.

Unfortunately, those efforts may come at the expense of what’s my bottom line: flavor. In addition, seeds borne by hybrids rarely produce plants that resemble the parents.

That’s where heirlooms come in. The offspring of open-pollinated vegetables are consistent. As for quality and taste, gardeners most likely have saved seeds of their favorites. So if the plant has been passed down for more than a century, odds are it’s still a good bet today. Look no further than Brandywine, Green Zebra and Yellow Pear tomatoes; Scarlet Runner beans; and Moon and Stars watermelons. Heirlooms all, they thrive here and produce amazingly perfect, tasty crops.

Getting Started

Summer vegetables, including tomatoes, beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplants, melons, peppers, pumpkins, squash and tomatillos, need at least 6 to 8 hours a day of direct sunlight. They also insist on loose, loamy soil that’s brimming with fully composted organic material that drains fast. Given the heavy clay that predominates on the South Coast, it’s best to plant your veggies in raised beds, where you can enrich the soil. If that’s not possible, heavily amend and mound up your vegetable area to enhance its fertility, tilth and drainage.

You can sow your seeds directly in the garden. Vegetables from larger seeds, such as beans, corn, melons, pumpkins and squash, sprout easily and send down roots quickly.

But containers provide better control over the initial planting medium, moisture, warmth and light. They also make it easier to protect delicate seedlings from opportunistic birds.

Use flats, pony packs, 4-inch pots or anything else that holds at least 3 inches of planting mix and has drain holes. Fill your

containers with light, fast-draining material. Garden dirt is an absolute no-no, as it’s too heavy and won’t allow enough oxygen to reach newly emerging roots. Don’t use straight potting soil, either. Instead, mix it with generous amounts of perlite, vermiculite or other “soil-less” ingredients, such as peat moss.

Water the mix before sowing your seeds. Use a pencil or screwdriver to poke appropriately deep holes. Drop in the seeds. Sprinkle planting mix on top. Mist with water. Then enclose with clear plastic to hold in humidity. Use straws or bamboo skewers to keep the plastic from collapsing on the mix. Place the setup in a warm spot with bright, indirect light.

Remove the plastic when your seedlings sprout. In the meantime, let the surface go dry between waterings. If kept wet, damping off may raise its ugly head. This fungal disease causes precious seedlings to topple and die.

Transplant your seedlings to the garden once they’ve developed several sets of leaves.

When To Plant

In much of the country, sowing is linked to frost dates. But our frost season is so brief—in Santa Barbara and the coast from early December to late February, and inland and in the Santa Ynez Valley from mid-November to mid-March—that it has little impact on summer vegetables.

Our timing is such that the first veggies can go in the ground in April or May. Backing up the calendar a month to account for sowing and sprouting puts us in March or April. So we’re clear of any frost issues.

But do wait until May to start eggplant or pepper seeds in containers. Those two, along with melons, prefer warmer nighttime temperatures. All three are better off if they aren’t set out in the garden until June.

An additional consideration when deciding when to plant heirlooms has to do with open pollination. Different varieties of vegetables that cross-pollinate, such as beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, squash and pumpkins, must be isolated to ensure that the offspring remain true to the parents. Or you can plant different varieties at 3- to 4-week intervals, so that their flowering doesn’t overlap. Self-pollinators, such as beans, eggplant, lettuce, peas, peppers and tomatoes, are easier. You can grow different varieties side by side and reasonably expect that their offspring will remain true.

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. SantaBarbaraGardens.com

BACKYARD CHICKENS

IN A SANTA BARBARA GARDEN

by Helena Hill

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRAN COLLIN

Chickens came into our lives over 20 years ago after we did a home exchange in the Cotswolds, England, with a couple who kept chickens in a backyard coop, surrounded by open fields and ancient dry-stacked rock walls. Our children, who were in elementary school at the time, were put in charge of collecting eggs in the morning and making sure the back door to the coop was closed at dusk, so Mr. Fox wouldn’t sneak in and cause a ruckus as the chickens slept.

When we returned to Santa Barbara after two weeks of chicken heaven, I vowed that someday, somehow, I would find a way to keep a few chickens in our backyard. A few years later we moved to an unfinished house, and were lucky enough to be able to install an organic garden and a chicken coop where the plans had called for a tennis court and a pool.

We hired a local landscape architect to design the garden space, which included plans for the coop and compost bins, and we

were on our way. We learned that chickens are an integral part of an organic garden, an element of a cycle beginning with kitchen scraps, which are fed to the chickens and composted with their droppings, and later they are returned to the garden in the form of rich soil for the garden beds. In turn, the garden gives back to the kitchen the herbs and vegetables we have grown over the years.

Chickens are easy to keep and, as long as a few rules are followed, they are legal within Santa Barbara city limits. The main rule is NO ROOSTERS—although, until the devastating Tea Fire last November, I used to hear a rogue rooster in the early mornings somewhere in Sycamore Canyon. I must say I miss him. According to the Santa Barbara City Municipal Codes you can keep up to two chickens as pets and beyond that all building codes, zoning codes and animal control codes must be followed. Each city can have slightly different ordinances, so check your city’s municipal code before getting chickens.

We bought our first tiny and fuzzy baby chicks in the spring from Island Seed and Feed. We kept them in a large box in the garage, with a weighted screen over the top to keep out our curious cats and a light bulb for warmth, until they grew enough feathers to be put outside. We found that four chickens were plenty to keep our family supplied with a dozen, or more, delicious fresh eggs a week. Since then, we’ve happily kept up to four chickens at a time, with only a few roosters temporarily sneaking in. The males and females are indistinguishable when tiny, although in some breeds the hens and roosters are of different colors. The chicks are usually “sexed” when sold, meaning the breeders separate the males from the females before sending them to the stores, to try to guarantee only hens grow up, but occasionally “roosters happen.” When two of our favorite chicks, named Queen Elizabeth and Princess Di, started to crow at dawn at about 6 months old, La Cumbre Feed was helpful in putting us in contact with a farm where they were welcome. Over the years our chickens have been healthy and productive, and we’ve only lost a few, mostly to old age. When healthy, chickens can keep on laying and may live over 10 years. Our favorite breeds have been the Ameraucana, which lay the most beautiful blue green eggs, and the Buff Orpington, which are sweet, docile and lay brown eggs.

We house our chickens in a coop with a large, enclosed outside area attached to an interior roosting and egg-laying hutch, all built of redwood. There are as many styles for coops as there are for houses in Santa Barbara, although I have yet to see one with a red tiled roof.

Most coop designs can fit beautifully into almost any backyard, but an important element in building our coop was sheltering the chickens from predators. Mr. Fox may not be a problem in

Santa Barbara, but Wile E. Coyote is, and I have even seen the occasional bobcat on the hillside outside our kitchen window. Raccoons have also been known to prey on chickens and will burrow under the coop or climb over most fences. The outside area of our coop is completely enclosed in heavy-duty chicken wire, buried about two feet into the ground to keep burrowing predators out. Chickens also need to be protected from red-tailed hawks overhead and guarded from predators that climb.

I don’t let them wander outside the safety of the coop. I know they would love to roam in the garden during the day and would keep it free of snails and other insects, but my garden is too open and accessible to the occasional stray dog and other animals that would love nothing more than an easy chicken dinner. Coyotes may be nocturnal, but I have seen them hunt in broad daylight.

Chickens are simple to take care of, with few needs beyond fresh water, a steady supply of chicken feed, an outdoor area to scratch around in and a protected indoor area to sleep and lay their eggs. Unlike our dogs, who seem to need constant attention, chickens never ask to be taken for a walk or have a tennis ball thrown, and they can be left for a few days with an automatic watering system and a food dispenser. Our chickens’ water bowl is attached to a hose and has an automatic shut-off valve when it is full, and their food (organic lay pellets from Island Seed and Feed) is dispensed from a chicken feeder. We also feed our chickens any kitchen vegetable scraps that would be thrown into the compost. They particularly love the seeds of any fruit or vegetable, and can’t seem to distinguish the seeds of a sweet pepper from a jalapeño. It’s satisfying to know that nothing is wasted, and that we are part of the cycle of life.

About once a month, especially when the rains come and it gets muddy, I toss a couple of bags of straw from La Cumbre Feed into the outside area. Nothing seems to make the chickens happier than scratching around in the straw looking for seeds and bugs and spreading it evenly throughout the coop.

Over the years our chickens have never failed to bring us the same pleasure as the ones we cared for in our home exchange in the Cotswolds so long ago. Our daughters have grown, married and had children of their own. Some chickens have died of old age, and a few have grown into roosters and been replaced by new fuzzy baby chicks. Now I wander down to the garden with our 18-monthold granddaughter holding my hand, and I help her throw the compost into the coop and watch her squeal in delight at the chickens’ antics. And sometimes, when the stress of our crowded and mechanized world gets to me, I head out to the coop and just watch for a while, amazed at the peace and simplicity four backyard chickens can bring.

Helena Hill is a writer, watercolorist and organic gardener who keeps a small flock of chickens in Santa Barbara. Her greatest joy is feeding her chickens and collecting their eggs with her two grandchildren in tow.

Getting Started with Your Baby Chicks

WHERE TO KEEP YOUR CHICKS

You start your chicks off indoors in a brooder, which can be any type of container that will keep them clean, warm and safe. You can use a cardboard box, a rabbit cage or another type of container that will be easy to keep clean. Make sure it’s big enough that the chicks have plenty of room to move around in it. You might also put a stick or a piece of ½-inch dowel about 4 inches off the floor for a roost, which they will begin to use when they are a few weeks old.

Place several layers of paper towels in the bottom. You can switch to pine shavings or other types of litter after a couple weeks; before that they might mistake the litter for food. You’ll need to change the lining or litter every couple days or as soon as it gets dirty and damp.

KEEP THEM WARM

You can use a heat lamp or light bulb with a reflector above it to keep your chicks warm. The temperature should be approximately 95 degrees for the first week and then can be reduced by 5 degrees each week until the chickens get their feathers at about 5–8 weeks. To reduce the temperature, hang the light above the brooder and raise it to lower the temperature—or reduce the wattage of the bulb.

FOOD AND WATER

Place a feeder and a waterer in your brooder but not directly under the heat source. Replace the water once or twice a day. You might want to show them the water source when you put them into the brooder by dunking their beak into the water so they know exactly what and where it is. Give them a complete food such as chick crumbles or chick starter feed, and be sure to clean and refill their feeders often.

CARING FOR YOUR CHICKS

Spend time with your chicks if you want them to bond with you. You can give them occasional treats by providing them with bugs or worms from your garden to play with and eat. Some chickens can even be trained to come when you call them. There is much to learn about raising and caring for chickens, so check out the books and online resources for lots of great information.

Resources

Local Sources for Feed, Supplies and Baby Chicks

Island Seed & Feed islandseed.com

29 S. Fairview Ave., Goleta 805 967-5262

9am–6pm Mon–Fri.

9am–5pm Sat. Closed Sun.

They will have baby chicks in early March.

La Cumbre Feed

3652 Calle Real, Santa Barbara 805 687-1880

9am–5pm Mon–Fri.

9am–2pm Sat. Closed Sun.

They will have baby chicks in early April.

Santa Ynez Feed & Mill santaynezfeed.com

3532 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez 805 688-6404

8am–5pm Mon–Sat. Closed Sun.

They will have baby chicks in March/April.

Farm Supply Co. farmsupplycompany.com

1920 N. Broadway, Santa Maria 805 922-2737

7:30am–6pm Mon–Fri.

8am–5pm Sat. Closed Sun. They will have baby chicks throughout the spring.

Online Information

mypetchicken.com backyardchickens.com poultrybookstore.com

Santa Barbara Chicken Lovers Google Group: groups.google.com/group/ Sbchickenlove

Books

Storey’s Guide To Raising Chickens By Gail Damerow How To Raise Poultry By Christine Heinrichs

Above: Helena Hill next to her backyard chicken coop.

BEEKEEPERS

KEEPING HONEY BEES IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

by Nancy Oster

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRAN COLLIN

If you’ve ever thought about keeping bees this would be the year to start, says Paul Cronshaw, a local beekeeper, swarm catcher and educator. “I keep track of the bees in the backcountry when I go backpacking,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of bees back there post-fire. After the January rains, the hillsides will be covered with wildflowers.”

Flowers keep our local bees active and strong. The bee population grows or shrinks depending on the available nectar and pollen. Nectar and pollen feed the colony in the brood boxes. If there are lots of blooms the honey flow is good, and the bees bring in far more nectar than they need. Excess nectar is stored in the upper boxes of the hive beekeepers call supers. Beekeepers prefer to harvest the honey from the supers and leave the honey in the brood boxes for the bee population.

Kim Crane has a hive that needs to be divided. She has seen drones flying around in her bee yard. On sunny days she sits on the step near the bee yard to drink her morning coffee and watch the bees. She listens to the increase in hive activity as the sun begins to warm the air. She sees forager bees fly out to gather nectar from newly opened flowers, returning with golden balls of pollen attached to their legs.

“Male drone bees are bigger, fuzzier, louder and a bit clumsier than female worker bees,” Kim says. Seeing drones at this time of year means the hive may be getting too crowded. The nurse bees are probably raising new queens and more drones in anticipation of a swarm. A strong, healthy hive contains 40,000 to 45,000 bees. About half the bees in the hive will leave with the old queen in search of a new location when the hive gets too full.

Paul Cronshaw is Kim Crane’s mentor. Kim took a class in beekeeping from Paul about 7 years ago. She was the only woman in a class of eight students.

Kim first became interested in bees as a child, working in the garden with her grandfather. He showed her the bees pollinating his flowers and peaches. That stimulated her lifelong interest in bees. Kim told Paul she was ready to get started, she just needed the bees.

Paul keeps his own bees, but he removes more swarms from chimneys, trees, walls, fences and compost bins than he can keep, so he’s always looking for places to relocate them. It wasn’t long before he called Kim to report that he’d captured a swarm at Crane School.

It’s no coincidence that Kim’s last name is Crane. Her husband’s grandfather founded Crane School. Did she want them? You bet! She put the Crane bees in her hive and divided the colony as it grew. She has never needed another swarm to keep her hives filled.

But on the day I met her she was down to the one hive, the one that needed dividing. Her hives survived the last two fires, but she lost a hive to a wax moth infestation last August. Most urban beekeepers keep at least two hives so they have a backup if one fails.

Meanwhile bees were streaming in and out of the entrance at the bottom. I stayed clear of their flight path, but close enough to look inside the top super. The box was full to overflowing with honey. Kim had guessed right.

Nine or 10 frames hang in each box like hanging files. The bees build brood cells and honey storage cells on a pre-made beeswax foundation. Paul pried a frame loose and pulled it up with the hook at the end of his hive tool. Both sides of the frame were filled with honey. The bees had even begun to add cells to the tops of the frames and the underside of the lid.

The queen lays eggs for the nurse bees to tend and feed in the two brood boxes located at the bottom of the hive. A queen excluder is placed on top of the second brood box so that she will not venture up into the supers to lay eggs in the cells where the surplus honey is stored. Worker bees fit through the grid so they can store honey in the upper boxes when the bottom boxes are full. All the frames in the top box were full of honey.

Paul pried off the two supers and set them aside. The queen excluder was sealed to the top brood box and bees had built honeycomb (known as burr comb) on top of the grid. Paul used his hive tool to scrape off the extra honeycomb. Kim gave me her hive tool to help. I barely noticed the bees landing on my sleeves. A few bees bumped into my veil. I was happy they were outside the veil, not inside. Paul scraped away a stinger from the back of his hand as he removed the excluder. He lifted out a frame to check for queen cells at the bottom. There they were, the elongated cups! We peeked inside to see if the queen had laid eggs in them.

Dividing the Hive

Kim invited me to observe the hive splitting. Paul stopped by on his way home from work. The three of us suited up in white beekeeper suits, complete with hats and veils. I made sure my pant legs were securely sealed and put on the pair of gloves that went up to my elbows. Paul chose not to wear gloves.

Kim filled the bellows-type smoker with shredded paper and began to puff smoke around the hive to make the bees more docile. Paul quickly began prying the hive open with his hive tool. Kim worked on the other side of the hive helping to break the lid free. The workers bees seal the hive with propolis, a resinous substance they gather from tree sap.

Then we put a screened division board between the two brood boxes. The queen will be in one of the two boxes. In the box without the queen, the nurse bees will raise a new queen. If more than one queen emerges, the strongest queen will kill the other candidates.

That’s it. We put the supers back on top of the hive. Our job for today was done. In a couple of weeks they will open up the hives to see if the bees are adapting. The brood boxes will be separated to create two hives and an empty brood box added to each so the colony can expand without swarming to another location.

We moved out of the bee yard and waited for the bees on our suits to find their way back to the hive. Kim asked Paul how many stings he got. The answer was about five—two on his hand and three on his head. His hat and veil don’t seal that well anymore. I thought back to the three stings I’ve had in a lifetime and wondered how long it would take to become that comfortable with being stung. Kim and I were both sting-free this day.

Choosing To Keep Bees

Kim and Paul are not the only urban beekeepers in our area. When Paul gave a talk on beekeeping at the public library last year, about a hundred potential beekeepers showed up.

There are several reasons people become interested in keeping bees. The most universal is a passion for watching and learning about these industrious garden dwellers. For some, honey is the bonus, while others want bees to pollinate their gardens or fruit trees.

A lot of people today are worried about the potential loss of our honeybee population through colony collapse disorder (CCD).

Paul points out that when you think about how many items on your plate rely on bee pollination for growth (fruits, vegetables, grains), you realize what a devastating loss we will face if we don’t keep our bees healthy.

Agriculture depends heavily on bees. In fact, in February when the almond trees blossom in California, beehives are trucked in from all over the country to ensure that the trees are successfully pollinated.

In Santa Barbara County, avocado and citrus growers rent bees for pollination. Mary Louise Sanchez and her husband, Richard, rent about 160 hives a year to pollinate their 75 acres of avocado and citrus trees.

Inspired by her grandmother in Kansas who managed her own hives, Mary Louise also keeps a few of her own hives near the house.

Things To Know

Paul says it’s important to find a mentor. Mary Louise and Kim agree. They suggest attending a class and talking with beekeepers to find an experienced local mentor. Kim notes that books are helpful, but are usually written by people who live and raise bees in other parts of the country.

Mary Louise found out the hard way that it’s important to have a good mentor. She bought her first hive from a beekeeper who had stuffed a rag into the entrance to the hive and forgot to warn her to arrive early. When she arrived with her husband to pick up the hive the sun was out and the bees were quite upset not to be out gathering nectar. Her husband dislodged the rag as he put the beehive onto the truck—a memorable learning experience.

Both Kim and Mary Louise point out that hives filled with honey are very heavy. A super can yield 25 to 100 pounds of honey. Brood boxes are deeper than supers and weigh more. When not working with a mentor, it’s wise to ask another person to help you tend the hive.

Bee allergies are a big concern. Paul says some people become more immune to bee stings over time while others become more sensitive. Mary Louise often gets stung when working without a suit. She adds, “The bees are more grumpy on a cold day or when the hive isn’t doing well.” Kim says she gets stung occasionally when she grabs something without her gloves or stands in a pile of bees. Both women say that they feel a Zen-like calmness when working with the bees in spite of the risk of stings.

Hive Location

Three sets of regulations—city, county and state—govern beekeeping. All are enforced by the county Agriculture Commissioner’s Office. Each city has its own regulations. The County of Santa Barbara does not allow hives within 300 feet of the property line or closer than 600 feet to a dwelling without permission from the occupant. The City of Santa Barbara does not allow hives within 20 feet of a sidewalk, public street or public thoroughfare.

Finding Bees

You can buy bees by mail order, but local bees are better adapted to our area (and your mailman will be happier too). The best time of year to find someone relocating a swarm is March through October. You can also look for someone selling a beehive. Our local beekeepers share information with each other, so contacting any of them will help you find someone who might have bees available. If you want hives but don’t want to maintain them, you might also find someone to tend bees on your property for a portion of the honey.

Harvesting the Honey

You will need an uncapping knife to cut the tops off the sealed honeycomb cells. The caps drop into a tub where the residual honey drains out of the beeswax caps for easy retrieval. A honey extractor is used to spin the honey out of the frames. Many beekeepers loan their extractors out to beginning beekeepers.

The flavor of fresh honey is astonishing. Each batch tastes different, based on the flowers that bloom near a particular hive.

Backyard Bee Farm

While I don’t have room in my backyard for hives, my yard buzzes with bees on sunny days. My groundcover, fruit trees and vegetables are favorite stops on the flight path for bees living nearby, perhaps in that dying tree off in the distance. Knowing more about bees and what they do for my vegetable garden has convinced me to let my lettuce plants flower and to make sure that I have plants that bloom during the winter. I even leave a gravel-filled bowl of water in my garden for bees to drink during the dry season.

Paul says that it’s our job to protect the pollinators. I agree. Maybe someday I’ll have the chance to keep my own bees. In the meantime, I’m learning more about bees and buying honey from our local beekeepers to help guarantee the ongoing health of our honeybee population.

Nancy Oster lives in a Santa Barbara bee corridor and loves to eat honey. She now has a cautious new appreciation for the bees in her yard and supports the beekeepers who tend and protect those bees.

Some beekeepers filter their honey more than others and some honeys crystallize faster. Tasting the finished product is a lovely bonus to interviewing beekeepers.

Beekeeping Equipment

To get started, you’ll need two brood boxes filled with frames, a queen excluder, two or three supers, a bottom board, a lid and a hive tool. You will also want a smoker and a bee suit with hat, veil and gloves.

Betterbee D adant and Sons, Inc.

8 Meader Road 51 S. Second Greenwich, NY 12834 Hamilton, IL 62341 800 632-3379 888 922-1293 betterbee.com dadant.com

Beekind Los Angeles Honey Co. 921 Gravenstein Hwy. So. 559 Fishburn Ave. Sebastopol, CA 95472 Los Angeles, CA 90063 707 824-2905 323 264-2383 (Larry) beekind.com

Brushy Mountain Bee Mann Lake Ltd. 610 Bethany Church Road 1250 Harter Ave. Moravian Falls, NC 28654 Woodland, CA 95776-6106 800 BEESWAX 866 880-7678 (800 233-7929) mannlakeltd.com brushymountainbeefarm.com

Santa Barbara Beekeepers

Here is a list of people to contact if you are looking for bees or for a mentor.

Don Cole, San Marcos Farms: 681-0312

Paul Cronshaw: 453-7863 (Montecito to San Marcos area)

Debbie Daily: 245-0568 (North County)

Jim Dale: 679-3274

Antonio Diloreto, Hope Bee: 896-4804

J.P. Bee Rescue: 708-2995

Brenton Kelly: 722-2523 (Goleta)

Elisa Robles, the Worm Girl: 815-7233

Jacob Rodrique: 570-4749

Charlie Vines: 967-6442

Regulations and Registration

Each city in our county has different regulations on beekeeping. All regulations are enforced by the county Agriculture Commissioner. Beekeepers are required to register their hives yearly with the commissioner.

Santa Barbara County Agriculture Commissioner’s Office

Guy Tingos, Deputy Commissioner gtingos@co.santa-barbara.ca.us

Check ediblesantabarbara.com for other articles about bees, upcoming classes and additional resources.

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WANT FARM-FRESH PRODUCE? JOIN A CSA

by Janice Cook Knight

Suddenly CSA venues are sprouting up all over. Those initials stand for community-supported agriculture, a mouthful for what is really a simple thing: membership or a share in a local farm. There are now more than 800 CSAs in the United States. In Santa Barbara County, we found 11 CSAs and produce delivery services.

Here’s how it works. You pre-pay for your “share” of a farm’s produce for the season, or for a period of several weeks. In return, the farm reserves a weekly box of produce, which you pick up at the farm or another location. In some instances the farmer will deliver to your home or office. Average cost is $25–$40 per box, depending on the farm’s costs and the amount of produce.

Each box is filled with a variety of seasonal produce, usually about 10–15 different items. For example, in summer that may include zucchini, tomatoes, basil, peaches and more; in the fall it might be broccoli, turnips, kale, persimmons, acorn squash, etc.

It’s a convenient way to shop for groceries. Most farmers provide a newsletter with some recipes. I’ve heard CSA members exclaim that they never used to eat a lot of greens, such as kale, but being a CSA member has taught them how to use those vegetables and others that they had been unfamiliar with.

What are the advantages? Really fresh produce. Shopping is easy: All that is required is a quick pickup (or delivery) once a week.

Supporting a farm this way insures a certain amount of income for them. All of our CSAs farm organically, so not only are you supporting agriculture in our community, you also support organic farming. Some farms may offer community involvement, such as cooking classes or events where members can meet, or help out on the farm.

Some minuses: Most, but not all, farms will let you skip a week when you’re out of town. With others, you’ll need to send someone to pick up your share while you’re away, or you lose out. With most farms, there’s little choice of selection, so if you hate spinach, and spinach is in your box, you’ll have to deal with that. Some CSAs will let you swap it out for something else. Occasionally CSA members complain that they get too many vegetables! However, most farms offer half or smaller shares and for a lower price.

Find the farm that is a good fit for you. Maybe it’s the one in your neighborhood; maybe it’s the one that looks most beautiful. Maybe you just love their produce, or you like the farmer’s philosophy. And for those who enjoy the produce but don’t want to sign up for a CSA, try the delivery services occasionally. Good news for the rest of us: Most of these growers offer their goods for sale at one or several of our area markets.

Above: An example of one week’s share of assorted produce from a local CSA.

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Avalon Farms

Laurie and Mark Constable grow produce at Avalon Farms in Santa Barbara, tucked in a beautiful Hidden Valley hollow off of Veronica Springs Road. The land has been farmed for three generations. They’ve been operating their CSA for one year. CSA pickups are Mondays and Thursdays at the farm. A box of fruits and veggies runs $25 per week; a smaller “salad box,” with mostly salad and a few other items, is available for $15. Subscriptions are offered in flexible 6-week blocks year-round. In addition, their farm stand is open for drop-in purchases May–November.

805 680-1218 sbveggies.com

Blosser Urban Garden

Blosser Urban Garden is a sustainable small-scale organic farm in Santa Maria. Members have access to their urban garden and to all of their special farm events including Farm Camp. Cost: $22 per week. The season runs from April through December. Pickup at the farm or at drop-off sites in Santa Ynez, Lompoc, Santa Maria, Nipomo, Arroyo Grande and San Luis Obispo.

805 878-1744 or 805 878-1456 alejandramahoney@aol.com or jerrymahoneyjm@yahoo.com blosserurbangarden.blogspot.com

Carpinteria Community Agriculture

Carpinteria Community Agriculture is the name for the delivery service run by Ryane and Paco Alexander. This CSA includes produce from their own Butterfly Farm and the produce of several other Carpinteria farms, giving you a little bit of the best of each and greater diversity. Their first season was this past summer, and they intend to run year-round. Cost for a box is $26 per week, and you sign up for four weeks at a time. A typical box might include three fruits, root vegetables, salad and avocados.

805 452-4823 carporganics@gmail.com

Fairview Gardens

Fairview Gardens is the oldest CSA in our area, since 1988. The 100+ year-old farm is open to the public, and members and others are welcome to take self-guided tours. Fairview provides some activities to CSA members, such as movie night at the farm, a members’ potluck and harvest or other workdays. They offer three seasons of shares, called season of winter greens, season of strawberries and season of tomatoes. You may join for just one of the seasons if you wish. The season of strawberries begins April 13. Pickup is at the farm in Goleta on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. Family shares cost $36 per week; smaller standard shares $20. CSA members also receive 10 percent discounts on other purchases from the farm’s stand or at the farmers market. Corporate discounts are available. 805 967-7369

csa @ fairviewgardens.org Blog: fairviewgardenscsa.wordpress.com fairviewgardens.org

Farmer’s Garden

Farmer’s Garden in association with other local farmers in the Santa Maria Valley offers a diverse CSA box of organic produce. Cost: $18 per week, $23 for a family-size box. Discounts are available when prepaying the whole season. The season runs from April through November. Weekly pickup at Testa’s Bistro on Wednesday 3–6pm or arrange for delivery to another drop-off site. Delivery is available to your doorstep for an additional fee of $4.

805 347-4480 farmersgarden.org

Finley Farms

Finley Farms in Santa Ynez offers a large variety of seasonal row crops such as lettuce, beets, tomatoes, turnips, rutabagas, fennel, and peas, as well as melons, strawberries and raspberries, to name a few. Johanna and Christopher Finley’s CSA is open from April to November. Members sign up for 6 weeks at a time; boxes containing 10–12 different items are available for $30.

805 686-0209 johanna_farm@hotmail.com finleyfarmsorganic.blogspot.com

John Givens Farm

John Givens has been farming in Santa Barbara for 30 years, and has 12 different farm properties in cultivation throughout the area. This farm adds trace minerals from rock dust to their soil as well as compost, promoting what John believes is better soil nutrition. Because the farm is so large, there is a lot of crop diversity. His CSA has been going for about a year. Pickup is at the farm in Goleta; he will also deliver to your door, adding a fee of just $5. A 12-week subscription is $360 for the regular size ($30 per week), and $480 for the large size ($40 per week). They offer a trial period of 2 weeks for the regular size box at $65.

805 964-4477 johngivensfarm.com

Local Harvest Delivery

Local Harvest Delivery hand-selects produce from the farmers who participate in the Saturday farmers market and delivers to your door. They deliver to Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito and Summerland—from the beach to foothill vicinity. They post the contents of each week’s box on their website. Cost is $30 for the Little Harvest Box, $40 for the Middle Harvest Box, $50 for the Big Harvest Box. Add-ons include bread, honey, coffee, oil, pies, cheese and eggs.

805 845-8605 localharvestdelivery.com

Pacifica Organic Market Garden

The Pacifica Organic Market Garden is located on the campus of Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, and it is also a demonstration urban farm. Farmer Marshall Chrostowski offers seasonal produce on a weekly basis: citrus, herbs, row crops, stone fruits in season. A list of available produce is posted on Friday or Saturday; order ahead for a pickup or delivery (free to Carpinteria or Summerland; $5 to Santa Barbara or Montecito). There is a $10 minimum order.

805 687-7109 wildflorals.com/POMGorder.asp

Plow to Porch

Plow to Porch is an organic produce delivery service in the Santa Barbara area. Subscribers can sign up for one of four sized boxes of mixed seasonal produce, and can add extras such as beef, eggs, honey, pies and quiches, fair-trade coffee, olive oil and seafood. Cost: $25–$60 depending on size of box, plus add-ons. Delivery to Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito and Carpinteria is included in the cost. For delivery to Ventura, Solvang, Santa Ynez and Buellton there is an additional $3/week fee. They plan to open a retail store in San Roque at the end of March.

805 705-4786 plowtoporch.com

Shepherd Farms

Tom Shepherd has been farming organically in our area for 35 years. He currently farms at two locations in Carpinteria and Santa Ynez. The CSA is located at his pastoral Carpinteria farm. If you pick up at the farm, you can select your CSA share at the farm stand, choosing which items go in the box. The farm stand is also open to the public at the same time: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1–5pm. Alternatively you may pick up a pre-packed box at Backyard Bowls in downtown Santa Barbara, Thursday 1–5pm; another pickup spot is at Village Wine & Cheese in Montecito, Thursday 1–5pm. Cost: $300 per quarter, or save money by paying $1,000 yearly.

805 729-4402 shepherdfarmscsa.com

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. She lives in Santa Barbara with her family.

Getting the Most from Your CSA

Whether you pick up your produce or have it delivered, here are a few tips to help you maximize the benefit of your CSA box:

• Go through your box and identify which fruits or vegetables need to be consumed right way and which will last. Produce directly from farms is often ripe and ready to eat. So, make a note of things like strawberries that you’ll probably want to eat immediately and know that you can save the heartier root vegetables for later in the week.

• Wash and prep some of your vegetables right away. You’ll find that you are more likely to use them when they are ready to go. Lettuce that is washed, dried and kept wrapped in a towel in a reusable plastic bag in your refrigerator will last all week. This method works for just about any of the greens—kale, chard, collards, etc.

• Look for recipes that use the ingredients you get each week. Some CSAs include recipes or a newsletter in each box. And don’t be afraid to substitute ingredients with what you have on hand. Use cauliflower in a broccoli recipe or try chard stems instead of celery in a soup recipe. Try the frittata and minestrone recipes in this issue, which have flexible lists of ingredients. Making a pot of soup at the end of the week is a great way to use up the stray vegetables that you have left over.

• If you are going to be out of town, give your share to a friend or neighbor that week. Also try freezing or preserving some of your produce when you have more than you can use.

• If you find that you are not using all the produce each week, try taking a cooking class. There are many classes that focus on seasonal produce, and they can help you learn new techniques and strategies for making cooking from scratch a regular and enjoyable part of your life.

Cooking Classes

Chef Michele Moleny and Karen Smith Warner

ARTICHOKES LOVE AT FIRST BITE

by Becky Green Aaronson

It was love at first bite. Slow. Sensual. Seductive. Heat rising from its gorgeous, shimmering body. Fingers caressing its succulent, tender leaves. Teeth gently scraping each of its delicate tips. Layer after steamy layer being peeled away until finally reaching its luscious meaty heart.

It’s no wonder the artichoke has been lauded as an aphrodisiac for centuries. This irresistible green vegetable is bursting with va-va-voom. You see, the artichoke packs a passionate food punch. Filled with heart-healthy nutrients, as well as a whole host of disease-fighting antioxidants, the artichoke is one of the healthiest vegetables around. Never mind its libido-elevating properties!

But like all good relationships, artichokes take a little work and a lot of patience. In this age of fast food and packaged convenience, it makes no concessions to those who want a quick meal. Though simple to prepare, artichokes take time to cook.

It’s always worth the wait, though, as nothing compares to the artichoke’s sumptuous nutty flavor, especially when shared with a special person while lingering over a long meal. Throw in some candles and a bottle of wine, and life doesn’t get much better.

My obsession with artichokes started a few years ago when I moved from the Rocky Mountains to the California coast.

I knew I’d hit the culinary jackpot when my husband started coming home from Santa Barbara’s farmers market every Saturday morning with the most stunning Green Globe artichokes I’d ever seen. Always huge. Always firm. And always freshly cut.

That’s when artichokes began taking center stage at nearly every Saturday evening meal we prepared. They added the perfect panache to our al-fresco dinners in the backyard, giving even the simplest meal a special-occasion quality.

Fortunately for my husband and me, and all our artichoke-loving friends, we chose the right place to live, as nearly 100 percent of all artichokes grown commercially in the United States come from California. And with its Mediterranean-like climate and deep, fertile soils, the Central Coast makes the ideal place for artichoke farms to flourish.

In fact, the artichoke has been designated the official vegetable of Monterey County. And Castroville, a small town just north of Monterey, has proclaimed itself the Artichoke Capital of the World because three-quarters of all California artichokes are grown in this fog-shrouded area. For more than a half century Castroville has celebrated this crop with its annual Artichoke Festival, which is usually held in May.

When I visited Castroville recently and strolled into a local produce shop located next to a giant artichoke statue, an enthusiastic clerk asked me in his thick Mexican accent, “You know Marilyn Monroe? She was our first Artichoke Queen!” Then he proudly showed me a hand-painted rendering from the late 1940s with the young starlet sporting the sash and crown. She was credited with igniting America’s passion for artichokes. So how did the artichoke come to California? The globe artichoke is one of the oldest known cultivated vegetables in the world, but food historians puzzle over its origins. Some believe it came from the Middle East because the word artichoke is derived from the Arabic word al-qarshu. Others believe it came from a Mediterranean country, possibly Sicily or nearby Tunisia. Whichever the case, it’s well known that the artichoke was highly valued in ancient Greece and Rome as a digestive aid, and over the centuries Italians went on to become the world’s largest producers. It is those folks, along with the French and Spanish, we have to thank for bringing the artichoke to the shores of the United States. The French brought them to Louisiana and Spanish and Italians brought them to California. Bless their adventurous hearts!

You might think it would be difficult to fall in love with a prickly, maraca-shaped vegetable belonging to the thistle family, but I happen to think it’s one of the most gorgeous food items around. Ask anyone who has ever enjoyed a meal beneath the large, framed artichoke print hanging in our dining room, and you’ll know just how much I treasure its art-like qualities.

Perhaps what I appreciate most about the artichoke, though, besides its unique flavor and elegant appearance, is what’s inside one of these nutrient-rich beauties. Research shows that cooked artichokes are the best source of antioxidants among all fresh vegetables. Since antioxidants can help prevent the onset of such chronic diseases as cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s and rheumatoid arthritis, it’s just one more reason to indulge in one of these delectable thistle plants.

Recipes

Steamed Artichokes

Wash the artichokes and shake out excess water. Cut the stems off at the base and trim the tops. If the leaves have thorns, you might want to cut the tips off the outer leaves. Place in a steamer basket over boiling water. You can add a clove of garlic and a bay leaf to the water for extra flavor. Cover and steam over simmering water for 30–45 minutes or until a leaf pulls out easily. Serve with your choice of melted garlic butter, olive oil, mayonnaise and lemon or balsamic vinaigrette.

Grilled Artichokes

Steam the artichokes as above. Cool slightly and then cut each in half lengthwise. Scrape out the fuzzy choke in the center. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the artichokes on a medium hot-grill, cut side down, for about 5 minutes. Turn and continue to grill until lightly browned for another 3–4 minutes. Serve with your choice of dipping sauces.

And at only 60 calories, the artichoke is a dieter’s dream. It also has no fat or cholesterol, is low in sodium and contains more bone-building magnesium and potassium than any other vegetable, along with folate, magnesium and vitamin C, which helps maintain the immune system. It’s also rich in fiber and a healthy source of protein.

So how does all of this lend the artichoke a reputation of being an aphrodisiac? It all comes down to the milk thistle extract found in artichokes, called silymarin. This herb has been used for over 2,000 years to promote liver detoxification, and some studies show that milk thistle helps protect the liver from toxins found in the environment.

The theory is that when the body is toxic and the heart is weak, it’s pretty difficult to have an active, healthy libido. So if you are feeling the need for some extra va-va-voom in your life, forget the Viagra and Intrinsa—eat your artichokes!

Preparing an artichoke is a breeze, but first be sure to pick the freshest and ripest one you can find. Ask any artichoke farmer and they’ll tell you that ripe ones feel heavy for their size and squeak when they’re squeezed.

During my recent Saturday morning trip to the farmers market, a sturdy young woman from Life’s a Choke Farms in Lompoc suggested looking for one with a thick stem, because that means it also has a big heart. “You also want to avoid any that are brown, dry looking or have leaves that appear to be too ‘open,’” she counseled, “as that indicates the ’choke is past its prime.”

As I stood ogling the neatly stacked artichoke display, I overheard an older man swooning over his recent finds. “Feel how heavy these are?” His eyes sparkled as he handed them to his college-age grandson. “These were just picked. Eat these tonight and you’ll be in heaven!” It was obvious that I wasn’t the only one obsessed with these beauties.

Artichokes can be prepared multiple ways; boiled, steamed, grilled, roasted, microwaved or sautèed. They can be eaten whole or added to other dishes. For a purist like myself, I simply steam them for about 30–45 minutes. That’s after I wash them, cut the stems off at the base and trim the tops so they sit flat when I place them upside down in a steamer basket. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

The hardest part is deciding which dipping sauce to try with your artichoke. Some people like melted garlic butter, others like olive oil, while others can’t live without mayonnaise and lemon. I’m fond of balsamic vinaigrette. Recipes abound, and there are no rules. Try several different oils or sauces until you discover what lights up your taste buds. Just keep in mind that those 60 little calories the artichoke totes is without a load of butter or mayo, so proceed with caution if you’re trying to keep it healthy. When the artichoke is cooked and cooled enough to touch, simply start peeling off the leaves. Then, while holding the pointed end, dip each leaf into your chosen sauce and scrape its tender insides between your teeth.

Once you get to the middle of the artichoke, pull off the fuzzy center, appropriately called the “choke,” then take a knife, carve out the scrumptious heart, cut it into pieces and delight in veggie nirvana.

Some say that wine and artichokes don’t mix because of the artichoke’s unique acidic aftertaste and its reputation for making wines taste sweeter, but I think the two are natural partners. Both indulge the palate and add sensual elements to a lovely meal. And since California is home to both superb wine and artichokes, why not try? I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Pairing food and wine is truly just a matter of personal taste anyway. I’ve found that everything from a Merlot to a Sauvignon Blanc to a dry Chardonnay works well with artichokes. And depending on how the artichoke is prepared and which sauce is served, a variety of other wines can work as well.

Paradise Café owner Randy Rowse often suggests a crisp local Pinot Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc when pairing wine with the popular oak-grilled artichoke served at his restaurant. Executive Chef Tony Baker of Montrio Bistro in Monterey suggests a fruity Italian red wine or dry rose for artichokes served with tomato sauce, and Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay when serving artichokes with cream-based sauce. Again, it’s purely a matter of taste. Sip what you enjoy and don’t worry about what you “should” be pairing with artichokes.

Eating an artichoke is a sublime heart-healthy and heart-happy experience. Ever since moving to California, I’ve learned there’s no better culinary delight than sharing a home-cooked meal with friends and family … except for sharing a home-cooked meal with friends and family centered around an artichoke. Every time, it’s love at first bite—all over again.

Becky Green Aaronson is an award-winning writer who lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Barbara. When she’s not eating artichokes and writing magazine articles, she’s working on two books.

Photo: Mattia Balsamini

SALT: THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT

by Pascale Beale-Groom

W“here would we be without salt?” So wrote James Beard. Where, indeed? What is it about this small piece of sodium chloride, no bigger than a grain of sand, that so affects what and how we eat?

It is a basic seasoning in food and is elemental in food preservation as it inhibits bacterial growth. It is also one of the basic electrolytes in the human body. We cannot live without it. Like all living beings, we need salt (actually the sodium and chloride ions) in our system to regulate the water content in our bodies. Too much salt, for example, can lead to high blood pressure.

It has been harvested for millennia. Some of the earliest salt works ever found date back to 6000 BC in Xiechi Lake in China and in Lunca, Romania.

From the Roman Empire to Native Americans, from the nomadic traders of the Sahara to the ancient Egyptians, all cultures around the world have depended on the salt trade at some point in their economic development. There are a number of cities whose names stem from their links to the salt trade—Salzburg (literally salt city), which sits upon the Salzach (salt water ) River; Salisbury in England; Tuzla in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Tuz is salt in Turkish), are but a few.

Long before the advent of refrigeration—a technique that has only existed for 200 years—salt was one of the primary tools used in preserving food. Once preserved, could then be traded as a commodity. The Egyptians, for example, began exporting salt fish in 2800 BC. Salt has also been used as forms of currency (and still is by the Tuareg nomads who ply their trade in salt caravans in the northern Sahara) and it allowed those who controlled the manufacturing of salt a great deal of economic and political power. The Republic of Venice rose to economic dominance in the 11th–13th centuries in large part because of its salt monopoly.

Pascale Beale-Groom.

Salt has also led to bloody upheavals and contributed to revolutions in India and France. Mahatma Gandhi led more than 100,000 people on the salt Satyagraha as a protest against the salt tax laws during British rule in India. He inspired people to make their own salt, which was illegal at the time, to avoid paying salt taxes to the British. This action inspired millions of his countrymen in their struggle for independence.

In France, during the 17th and 18th centuries a number of excise taxes were imposed on the population, covering commodities such as tobacco and wine. One of the most oppressive tax burdens was the salt tax, or gabelle as it was known, that was levied by the French monarchy. The effect of this tax was one of the contributing causes of the French Revolution. Amazingly, the tax was reintroduced by Napoleon to pay for his invasion of Italy. It remained a part of French law until it was abolished in 1949. Ironically, Napoleon lost thousands of soldiers on their retreat from Russia partly because their wounds failed to heal due to the lack of salt.

Salt has also featured heavily in U.S. history:

• One of the first patents issued by the British crown was to an American settler, Samuel Winslow of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, which gave him the exclusive right for 10 years to make salt. By 1778, a treaty written between the State of New York and the Iroquois Onondaga tribe contained a proviso for salt reservations, intended to prevent monopolies, as did the Land Act of 1795.

• Salt played a vital role during the American Revolution, where an element of the British strategy was to deny the American rebels access to salt.

• During the American Civil War the South’s armies fought a 36-hour battle with Union forces as they tried to capture Saltville, Virginia, the site of a strategic salt processing mine.

• The United States is now the world’s largest producer of sodium chloride. However, only about 3 percent of that production is for table salt. There are about 14,000 uses for salt, ranging from uses in textiles to set dies, in pharmaceuticals to make soaps, to salting roads in winter to melt ice and for use in refrigeration units.

Salt affects our food supply to this day, particularly in Southern California as a significant percentage of our water supply comes from the Colorado River. About 9 million tons of salt seeps into the Colorado River annually. Roughly half of that can be attributed to natural sources such as erosion of lands and saline springs. The balance is human-induced, stemming from irrigation practices and municipal and industrial sources. The river is now so salty in its lower reaches that large desalination projects are now required to

render the water useable for human consumption and for further agricultural use.

Beyond its practical uses, our language is replete with references to this tiny grain. The expression, “A man is worth his salt,” stems from the time when Greek slave traders bartered slaves for salt. Roman soldiers received part of their pay as an allowance—their salarium argentums —to pay for salt. Hence the word salary, which stems from the Latin sal —meaning salt.

Religious texts also have their fair share of salty comments, most notably Lot’s wife who turned into a pillar of salt when she took a forbidden look at the city of Sodom as she escaped. Salt is auspicious in Hindu mythology and used in religious ceremonies around the world: as part of the Tridentine Mass; as ritual purification of people and places in Shinto ceremonies—Sumo wrestlers throw salt in the ring to chase away evil spirits; in Jewish temples, where offerings include salt and, on the Sabbath, Jews dip their bread in salt water in remembrance of sacrifices made by their ancestors.

Salt permeates all aspects of our lives. Traditions and superstitions that we adhere to today have their roots in our saline history. Some of us throw salt over our left shoulder if we spill it, for example, as this is supposed to ward off the devil who may be hiding there. This comes from the story of Judas at the last supper, where he is purported to have spilled salt—an augury of evil and bad luck. This image is immortally captured in Leonardo Da Vinci’s vast canvas, The Last Supper.

Buddhists similarly believe that salt wards off evil spirits. It is customary to throw salt over your shoulder before returning home after a funeral, to repel any devils that may be clinging behind you.

All these traditions and sayings are not even linked to the preparation of food, but this is where salt is at its most noticeable. In cooking, salt enhances the natural flavor of food and suppresses bitterness. A salad made with bitter greens will be tempered with the addition of salt. Vegetables, when cooked in salty water, will cook faster in salty water than in plain water or when steamed. Potatoes, on the other hand, cook more evenly if salt is not added at the beginning. In bread baking, salt strengthens the gluten in the dough by allowing it to contain more water and carbon dioxide, allowing the dough to expand and not tear. It also enhances the golden color in bread crusts. Pasta cooked in salted water will taste better. Salt also enhances the sweet tastes in food.

Margaret Visser, the award-winning author of The Rituals of Dinner, wrote, “Salt is the policeman of taste: it keeps the various flavors of a dish in order and restrains the stronger from tyrannizing over the weaker.” The key in cooking with salt is to achieve the right balance. Too much salt and food is inedible; too little and it is bland.

Spring Greens Salad with Arugula, Spinach and Dandelions and a Warm Zesty Vinaigrette

Makes 8 servings

Olive oil

3 shallots

A good aged red wine or sherry vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Zest of 1 orange or other sweet citrus fruit such as tangerine or Mandarin

1 pound fresh arugula, dandelion and spinach, cleaned and de-stemmed

2 apples, sweet crunchy ones, cored and thinly sliced

4 ounces pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

4 ounces dried cranberries or cherries

6 ounces goat’s milk feta

Fresh parsley, finely chopped

Fresh chives, finely chopped

Pour a little olive oil (about 1 tablespoon) into a small saucepan or skillet placed over medium heat. Add in the shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. They should be a light golden brown. Remove from the heat and add in 1⁄ 4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, orange zest and some coarse salt and pepper and whisk vigorously. Return to the stove and warm through.

Pour the warm vinaigrette into a large salad bowl. Place the serving utensils in the bowl over the vinaigrette, then place on top of the utensils all the chopped herbs, apples, nuts, cranberries, feta and cover this with the arugula, dandelion and spinach. When you are ready to serve the salad, remove the serving utensils and toss the salad.

Whole Baked Fish in a Salt Crust

Pythagoras wrote in 550 BC: “Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea.” This dish is the perfect complement to that thought.

Makes 6–8 servings (depending on the size of the fish)

1 whole fish (scaled and gutted). You can use pretty much any fish: whole stripped bass, salmon, snapper, mullet, trout, etc.

Approximately 3–4 pounds coarse sea salt or kosher salt, the amount depends on how big your fish is

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

1 bunch parsley

1 bunch dill

1 bunch fennel tops (the tops cut off 2 or 3 fennel bulbs)

2 lemons, cut into thin slices

Preheat oven to 475°.

Combine the lemon zest, lemon juice and all the salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Rinse the fish and pat dry. Stuff the belly of the fish with all the herbs and lemon slices. The herbs should be bulging out of the cavity to stop the salt getting in.

Mound 3⁄ 4 inch of sea salt on a large baking pan or baking tray. Place the fish on top of the salt. Cover the fish entirely with a layer of salt about 3 4 inch thick.

Drizzle a little water over the top of the salt. This will help form the crust. Bake in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes per pound of fish.

After baking, allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes (the fish will cook a little more) then gently break and remove the salt. Be careful not to pierce the skin of the fish as you do this as this will make the fish too salty. You can serve the fish in its baking dish on the table as the presentation is pretty and unusual.

Warm Spring Vegetable Salsa with a Basil Sauce

FOR THE VEGETABLES

Olive oil

8 spring onions, quartered

½ pound baby yellow chard leaves, roughly chopped

1 pound asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 round zucchini, sliced and chopped

Salt

Place a little olive oil into a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the onions, asparagus and zucchini and cook for 3–4 minutes. Add in the chard and cook until wilted through, about 3 more minutes. Season to taste. Serve with the fish.

FOR THE BASIL SAUCE

Large bunch basil, leaves removed from stems

1 small bunch parsley

1 bunch chives, roughly chopped

1⁄ 2 cup water

1⁄ 4 cup olive oil

Coarse salt

Black pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

1⁄ 2 pound organic cherry tomatoes

Place the basil leaves, parsley and chives into a food processor and run until you have a dry paste. Add in the water, olive oil, a large pinch of salt, the pepper and the lemon juice and run the machine again until the paste is smooth. You may have to stop it once in a while to scrape down the sides. Add in the cherry tomatoes and purée until smooth. Set aside until ready to serve.

TO ASSEMBLE THE DISH

Place a large spoonful of the vegetable salsa in the center of a warmed plate. Place a piece of the baked fish on top of the vegetables and the spoon some of the sauce around the vegetables. Serve with a slice of lemon as it adds an extra zing to the fish when squeezed over it last the last minute.

Espresso Salt Meringues

I came across this incredible espresso salt and immediately wondered what I could make with it. Its paring with chocolate is a natural one, but I wanted to try other things. I love salty/sweet combinations, a small caramel perhaps with a piece of fleur de sel. I also love meringues. This was too good an opportunity to miss and so I tried meringues with this salt. It’s heavenly.

Makes 8–10 servings

3 egg whites

7½ ounces sugar (1 cup less 2 level tablespoons)

1 teaspoon espresso salt (available at mckcuisine.com)

Preheat oven to 225°.

Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat until they hold soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, and whisk until the whites are stiff and very glossy. Add in the espresso salt and beat a few seconds more so that it is evenly distributed in the meringue mixture.

Drop a very large tablespoonful of the mixture onto a parchmentlined baking sheet. Bake for 11⁄ 4 hours or until they are dry and crisp. They should not turn golden, but rather should be a pale cream color when finished. You can also pipe the meringue mixture using a normal round nozzle attachment to create evenly shaped meringues. If they are smaller in size, they will need less time to cook. Check the oven frequently to ensure that they are not overcooked.

Pascale Beale-Groom 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. In 1999 she opened Montecito Country Kitchen, a Mediterranean cooking school in Santa Barbara. Her first cookbook A Menu for All Seasons—Spring was published in 2004, her second cookbook Summer was released in 2008 and her third cookbook Autumn came out in 2009. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and lives in Santa Barbara with her family.

WHAT THE KIDS ARE EATING

by Nancy Oster

Laurel Lyle grows herbs outside her cafeteria at Peabody Charter School for days exactly like this. During this particular afterschool cooking class, we were making individual pizzas topped with fresh herbs, edible flowers, pineapple, ham or sausage.

In the garden, bees buzzed between purple rosemary and borage flowers, and red pineapple sage flowers. The choice of herbs overwhelmed the kids at first, but soon they were tasting leaves and sharing ideas about what should go onto a pizza.

At tables in the sunshine, the kids rolled their dough into thin rounds, laughing and talking with excitement. The sauce and cheese went on quickly. The real art was in the toppings. Eighteen pizzas went into the oven—each one a masterwork design of color, texture and flavor.

Anticipation mounted as the pizzas baked. An impromptu game of dodgeball helped while away the minutes until the pizzas began to come out of the oven. Then, a rush to the table to claim the pizzas and take the first taste… delicious! Pieces were shared and traded and wrapped up to take home. As I wrapped his leftovers, one boy told me, “This is the best pizza I’ve ever eaten!” How cool is that?

Pizza

Makes 1 small pizza

1 teaspoon yeast

1⁄ 2 cup slightly warm water

1⁄ 2 teaspoon sugar

1⁄ 2 tablespoon canola oil

2⁄ 3 teaspoon salt

1⁄ 2 tablespoon wheat germ

1⁄ 2 tablespoon bran flakes

1⁄ 2 cup whole-wheat flour

1⁄ 2 cup white flour

Additional flour for kneading

2 to 3 tablespoons marinara sauce

1 tablespoon grated mozzarella cheese

1 tablespoon grated provolone cheese

1 tablespoon grated jack cheese

1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese

Toppings of your choice

Stir together yeast, water and sugar. Let sit 5 minutes. Add oil, salt, wheat germ and bran flakes. Gradually add a mixture of whole-wheat flour and white flour just until it forms a ball.

Sprinkle a little flour on the table. Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Spray surface of dough with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Put into a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes. Then, roll, stretch and press the dough to form a pizza shape. Spoon marinara sauce onto the pizza. Combine cheeses and sprinkle onto pizza. Arrange toppings of your choice on top. Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 350°. Be sure to let the cheese cool before you take a bite.

Nancy Oster assists in afterschool cooking classes at Peabody Charter School with Executive Chef Laurel Lyle. Cooking with kids reminds her that preparing food is fun and eating together is joyful.

STEVEN BROWN

Students at Peabody Charter School pick herbs and make their own pizzas.

WHAT THE GROWNUPS ARE DRINKING

by Diane Murphy & Laura Lindsey

Springtime, and our thoughts turn to … daffodils … romance … baseball … BEER! Spring brings rebirth and change, so in honor of the season, we turn our palates and this column away from its usual focus on the fruit of the vine and to the fruit of the grain. As the El Niño storms rage on, we delight in what our locals brewers hath wrought.

Telegraph Brewing Company White Ale

We started off with a really mild, delicate, light and refreshing ale. With aromas of orange blossom and apricot, it had a silky mouthfeel with a hint of banana, lemongrass and coriander and a touch of residual sweetness. It went well with Humboldt Fog cheese and persimmon gelato (from Here’s the Scoop in Montecito—delicious).

An easy-to-drink beer, it would also pair well with sushi, salad or fruit.

Santa Barbara Brewing Company Pacific Pale Ale

An herbaceous aroma of caramel gave way to a nice balance of malt and hops. A fairly dry ale with mineral qualities and a clean finish, it coupled with a nutty gouda but also stood up to a hearty black bean chili. Depth without bitterness tagged this as a comfort beer—good with food or for sitting by a romantic fire.

Santa Maria Brewing Company Amber Ale

A nice dark color with herbal and earthy mid-palate flavors and a finish that doesn’t fall off. Simplicity and complexity in a clean, balanced ale. Its nuttiness with a hint of licorice paired well with an awesome washed curd cheese (Midnight Moon from C’est Cheese) and a hot pretzel.

Hollister Brewing Company The Pope IPA (India Pale Ale)

Foresty aromas of ruby red grapefruit gave way to flavors of peach and bitter citrus. This is an assertively hopped beer, aromatic as all get out, which was mellowed by Shropshire blue cheese. It also had the coolest growler (a half-gallon glass jug you can get refilled at breweries to take home beer on tap).

Island Brewing Company Jubilee Ale

A lovely honey and molasses scent in a satiny smooth ale with a creamy mouthfeel. It had a taste reminiscent of sarsaparilla with a play of spice from mace and nutmeg, which made it a hit with both wine and soda drinkers. It went great with pistachios and would be a hit with brats and sauerkraut.

The Brewhouse Smoked Porter Black Ale

Smoky leather and coffee/toffee aromas brought deep sniffs of appreciation, and the coffee drinkers loved this one. This is a classic working man’s ale, an alternative to Guinness, with its characteristic flavor of burnt roasted grains and a tobacco finish. This was a great dessert beer, which went well with cheese, chocolate biscotti and chocolate espresso beans. A few brave tasters even poured it over chocolate gelato to make a scrumptious Irish sundae!

Our local brewers are clearly a talented bunch, and it’s wonderful to live in a place where we can partake of a frosty local brew. All of these beers are available at the brewery, and Island and Telegraph are also available in bottles at area grocery stores and on tap in local restaurants. Yes, change is in the air, and we enjoyed our sojourn to the local breweries, but come summer we’ll be back to the vineyards. Until next time, cheers!

Diane Murphy and Laura Lindsey are the co-owners of Classic Vines, specializing in distribution and online sales of small-production wines. Visit classicvines.com.

edible Source Guide

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BEEKEEPING

Hope Bee

Hope Bee humanely removes unwanted bee hives and swarms. They also install and maintain healthy and local permanent bee hives for your yard, farm or garden. Serving Goleta to Ventura. 805 896-4804 or 805 570-0109.

BREWERIES

Telegraph Brewing Company

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 Thursday from 4–6pm, Friday from 4–8pm, Saturday from 1–4pm. Telegraph beer is available at many restaurants and grocery stores in Santa Barbara County and throughout California. telegraphbrewing.com

CATERERS AND CHEFS

New West Catering

Uniting the artistry of fine restaurant cuisine with the versatility of full-service catering, New West Catering is your unparalleled choice for special events in the Santa Barbara County wine country and beyond. 805 688-0991; newwestcatering.com

Savoir Faire

Savoir Faire Catering offers high quality, beautifully presented, deliciously fresh cuisine for personal or corporate events as well as cooking classes. 805 963-9397; savoirfairesb.com

FARMERS MARKETS

Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market

Eight markets, six days a week. See schedule on page 12. 805 962-5354; sbfarmersmarket.org

FARMS AND CSA PROGRAMS

Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever

Local grassfed beef. Never any hormones, antibiotics or corn. Available at the following farmers markets: Sunday in Goleta (10am–2pm), Wednesday in Solvang (2:30–6:30pm), Thursday in Carpinteria (3–6pm) or directly from Dey Dey (also known as Farmer John). He can be reached at 805 570-9000 or by email at bldegl@live.com

John Givens Farm

John Givens started John Givens Farm in the Goleta Valley under the “Something Good” label in 1980. Their produce is USDA Certified Organic and is raised in Santa Barbara County on 180 acres in 12 locations. Contact them by phone to join their CSA program. 805 964-4477.

SB Veggies/Avalon Farms

Weekly basket of fresh produce (free of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers). Produce baskets are available for pickup at the farm in Santa Barbara: 999 Veronica Springs Rd., Mondays 4–5:30pm. 805 680-1218; sbveggies.com

Shepherd Farms

Organic since 1973, Shepherd Farms brings produce from the farm directly to your plate. Join the CSA program, or visit them at the farmers market or at the farm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday 1–5pm. 6701 Casitas Pass Rd., Carpinteria; shepherdfarmscsa.com

FISH MARKETS AND DISTRIBUTORS

Central Coast Seafood

Family owned and operated since 1973, Central Coast Seafood is a fresh and frozen seafood distributor based on the Central Coast. They are committed to producing the highest quality sustainable seafood available. 805 462-3474; ccseafood.com

Santa Barbara Fish Market

Focusing on providing the community with the local fishermen’s fresh, daily harvest. Member of the Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program. Located right at the harbor at 117 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara. 805 965-9564; sbfish.com

FOOD PRODUCTS

Kendall Farms Crème Fraîche

Kendall Farms Crème Fraîche is pasteurized cultured cream produced locally in Atascadero. It can be found at upscale and natural grocers, cheese shops and other retail stores that stock gourmet items. 805 466-7252; kendallfarmscremefraiche.com

GROCERY STORES

Gelson’s

Gelson’s is known for its superior produce, highest quality meat, seafood and deli, an unmatched selection of wine and liquor and exceptional service. Open daily 7am–10pm. 3305 State St., Santa Barbara. 805 687-5810; gelsons.com

Isla Vista Food Co-op

A community-owned food co-op highly regarded for its sustainable business practices and high-quality foods. Highlighting local, organic, fair-trade, shade-grown, farmer-owned, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, raw, gluten-free all-around sustainable ways of being.

Open daily 8am–10pm. 6575 Seville Rd., Isla Vista. 805 968-1401; islavistafoodcoop.blogspot.com

Lazy Acres

Santa Barbara’s best source for wholesome, natural and organic foods and products with real people dedicated to providing unmatched personal service. Monday–Saturday, 7am–11pm, Sunday 7am–10pm. 302 Meigs Rd., Santa Barbara, 805 564-4410

Los Olivos Grocery

A small country store that offers the best gourmet and specialty foods as well as the basics of everyday life. Stop in for European-style hearth breads, artisan cheeses from around the world, charcuterie, local and rare wines and the freshest locally grown and organic produce. 2621 W. Highway 154, Santa Ynez. 805 688-5115; losolivosgrocery.com

Whole Foods

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. 3761 State St., Santa Barbara, 805 837-6959; wholefoodsmarket.com

HOTELS AND SPAS

Ballard Inn & Restaurant

Comfortably 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. Restaurant open Wednesday–Sunday 5:30–9pm. 2436 Baseline Ave., Ballard, 800 638-2466, 805 688-7770; ballardinn.com

Crimson Day Spa Boutique

Experience the personalized attention you deserve in the warm intimate setting of Crimson Day Spa Boutique. Offering the finest selection of plant-based products to care for your skin, body and home. Monday 12–4pm, Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm. 31 Parker Way. 805 563-7546; crimsondayspa.com

LANDSCAPING AND GARDEN SERVICES

Edible Gardens

As a pioneer in the realm of heirloom seeds, seed saving and preservation, sustainable agricultural practices and organic gardening, Edible Gardens is passionate about helping people grow healthy and delicious food, with original heirloom seeds and organic growing methods. ediblegardens.com

Homegrown Pantry Kitchen Gardens

Homegrown Pantry Kitchen Gardens specializes in the design, installation and maintenance of organic vegetable and herb gardens. 805 305-7509; homegrownkitchengardens.com

LOCAL ORGANIC PRODUCE DELIVERY

Plow to Porch Organics

Delivering a weekly box of delicious organic produce picked fresh from local farms. Local organic extras include honey, eggs, olive oils, pies and quiches, meals, as well as local sustainable seafood, organic fair trade coffees…and more. Delivered to your doorstep, school, business or designated drop-off spot. Joyfully serving Ventura, Carpinteria, Montecito, Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Ynez, Solvang and Buellton. mail@plowtoporch.com; plowtoporch.com

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS

Backyard Harvest

By harvesting produce from local residents and businesses, Backyard Harvest aims to share the edible abundance of the Santa Barbara community with those who need it the most. 805 884-8448; backyardharvest.org/santa_barbara

NUTRITION

Sunshine Wellness

Offering healthy meals delivered fresh in Santa Barbara, nutrition packages and supplements. Organic meals prepared by gourmet chefs delivered fresh to your doorstep. 805 683-4422; sunshinewellnessinstitute.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Wells Fargo Investments, LLC

Ward Rafferty Jr. is a financial consultant with Wells Fargo Investments, LLC. You can contact him at 805 564-2872 or ward.rafferty@wellsfargo.com.

RESTAURANTS

Backyard Bowls

Santa Barbara’s newest breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls—bowls of a thick smoothie made from acai, an antioxidant berry, topped with fresh fruit, granola and other toppings. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies and more. 331 Motor Way (next to the city lot on State and Gutierrez streets), Monday–Friday 7am–6pm, Saturday–Sunday 8am–6pm. 805 845-5379; backyardbowls.com

Ballard Inn & Restaurant

Comfortably 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. Restaurant open Wednesday–Sunday 5:30–9pm. 2436 Baseline Ave., Ballard, 800 638-2466, 805 688-7770; ballardinn.com

Pizza Guru

Locally owned and operated, Pizza Guru serves traditional and eccentric gourmet pizzas, salads, panini and pastas made fresh daily from locally sourced, organic ingredients. They also specialize in vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free pizzas. Monday–Saturday 11am–9:30pm, Sunday 11:30–8:30pm. 805 563-3250; pizzaguru.com

Sojourner Cafe

Serving unique dishes created with wholesome natural ingredients for over 30 years. They purchase organic produce from local growers and carry local wines and beers. Open daily 11am–11pm., Sunday 11am–10pm. Lunch, dinner, weekend brunch. 134 E. Cañon Perdido St., Santa Barbara. 805 965-7922; sojournercafe.com

The Hitching Post II

From Santa Maria-style barbecue to contemporary cuisine such as smoked duck breast, ostrich, homemade soups and outstanding pastries and the “best” french fries in Southern California. They also offer their own world class Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Wines. Open daily except major holidays. Cocktails/wine tasting at 4pm Monday–Friday, 3pm Saturday–Sunday, dinners only, from 5–9:30pm Monday–Friday, 4–9:30pm Saturday–Sunday. 406 E. Highway 246, Buellton. 805 688-0676; hitchingpost2.com

SPECIALTY RETAILERS

Chocolate Maya

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. Monday–Friday 11am–6pm, Saturday 10am–4pm. 15 W. Gutierrez St., Santa Barbara 805 965-5956; chocolatemaya.com

C’est Cheese

C’est Cheese is your local source for the finest cheeses and artisanal foods. In addition to cheese, they offer a host of gourmet foods such as salamis, fine cured hams, olive oils and vinegars, wines, handmade chocolates, catering services, gift baskets and picnic coolers. Monday–Friday 10am–6pm. Saturday 8am–6pm. Closed Sundays. 825 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara. 805 965-0318; cestcheese.com

Here’s the Scoop

Here’s the Scoop offers the finest gelato and sorbet made fresh daily from local farms and farmers market fruit. They specialize in seasonal flavors as well as traditional Italian flavors. 1187 Coast Village Rd., Montecito. 805 969-7020. heresthescoop@cox.net.

OstrichLand

USA

A unique ostrich and emu gift shop with fresh ostrich and emu eggs and frozen ostrich meat. You can also visit and feed the ostriches and emus. 610 East Highway 246, Buellton. Daily 10am–5pm. 805 686-9696; ostrichlandusa.com

This Little Piggy Wears Cotton Piggy is organic! The very best in high-quality merchandise for newborns to age 14, including specialty children’s clothing, accessories, toys and books. Located in Santa Barbara at Paseo Nuevo, in Montecito at 1470 East Valley Rd. Also located in Berkeley, Phoenix, Newport Beach and Santa Monica. littlepiggy.com

TOURS AND TRAVEL

GrapeHops

Wine, beer and food adventures in Italy, Spain and beyond. Explore the microbrew scene in Piedmont and Lombardy in Italy; experience the wonderful wine and extraordinary beauty of Galicia in northwest Spain; eat and drink your way through Venice, Italy. Visit grapehops.com or call 866 335-3397 for tour dates in 2010.

WINERIES AND WINE RETAILERS

Autry Cellars

Years of fine wine making, previously shared only with friends and family, led to what is Autry Cellars today. Proud to be one of the tiniest wineries on the Central Coast of California, they produce only 800 cases total per year of high quality handcrafted wines, which can be ordered from their website. 805 546-8669; autrycellars.com

Avant Tapas and Wine

Avant Tapas and Wine is the tasting room for over 30 vintners producing their wine at the Terravant Wine Company’s stateof-the-art production facility, in Santa Barbara County. Open for tasting and a menu of tapas and pizza Thursday–Sunday 11am–8pm. 35 Industrial Way, Buellton. 805 686-9400; avantwines.com

Alma Rosa

With certified organic vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, Alma Rosa focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir-Vin Gris. All wines are food friendly with the high acid and extraordinary balance for which Richard Sanford’s wines have been known since 1976. Open 11am–4:30pm daily. 7250 Santa Rosa Rd., Buellton. 805 688-9090; almarosawinery.com

BiN 2860 International Wine Shop

With both local and international wines available, BiN 2860 at Fess Parker Wine Country Inn & Spa has one of the best wine selections in the Santa Ynez Valley. 2860 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. 800 446-2455, 805 688-7788; bin2860.com

Buttonwood Farm Winery

In 1968 Betty Williams came to Buttonwood, creating a life that found expression through a connection with the land. The 39-acre vineyard, started in 1983, now has 33,000 vines with a mix of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Marsanne, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Visit the tasting room at 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang. Open 11am–5pm daily. 805 688-3032; buttonwoodwinery.com

Kenneth Volk Vineyards

Proprietor Ken Volk has been making Santa Barbara and Central Coast wines for more than a quarter century. He is known for crafting world-class wines, particularly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Their tasting room is open daily 10:30am–4:30pm. 5230 Tepusquet Road, Santa Maria. 805 938-7896; volkwines.com

Oreana Winery & Marketplace

Oreana Winery & Marketplace is a tasting room, wine shop, gourmet gift market and fully-functional winery housed in a historic tire shop. From their small batches of Pinot Noir to their sizable red table wine, Oreana has a wine for everyone. Open daily 11am–5pm. 205 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara. 805 962-5857; oreanawinery.com

Qupé

Qupé is dedicated to producing handcrafted Rhône varietals and Chardonnay from California’s Central Coast. They employ traditional winemaking techniques to make wines that are true to type and speak of their vineyard sources. Their tasting room is open daily 11am–5pm. 2963 Grand Ave., Suite B, Los Olivos. 805 686-4200; qupe.com

Roblar Winery & Cooking School

At Roblar, they understand that food and wine are inseparable. Come by their beautiful tasting room for a sampling of current releases, a delicious lunch on the shaded patio or join them for a lavish Sunday brunch, and don’t forget to ask about their calendar of cooking classes. Open for tasting Saturday–Sunday 10am–5pm, Monday–Friday 11am–5pm. 3010 Roblar Ave., Santa Ynez. 805 686-2603; roblarwinery.com

Wandering Dog

Wandering Dog Wine Bar offers the most interesting and delicious wines from artisan producers along the Central Coast, as well as from around the world. Sample one of their tasting flights or create your own from the nearly 50 wines available by the glass every day. Monday–Thursday 1–8pm, Friday–Sunday 11–8pm. 1539 C Mission Dr., Solvang. 805 686-9126; wanderingdogwinebar.com

Zaca Mesa Winery and Vineyards

Zaca Mesa is a Santa Ynez Valley estate winery dedicated to Rhone varieties. Since 1972, they have handcrafted wines from grapes grown in their vineyards to express their distinct character and genuine quality. Open daily 10am–4pm. 6905 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos. 805 688-9339 ext. 308; zacamesa.com

THE LAST BITE

Congratulations to the Santa Barbara 2010 Local Heroes

Farm/Farmer

Shepherd Farms/Tom Shepherd

Tom Shepherd is famous throughout the area for his salad greens, but Shepherd Farms produces far more than lettuce. His popular CSA and crowded stand at the farmers markets are signs of just how much people love his produce. shepherdfarmscsa.com

Finalists: Fairview Gardens and Rutiz Family Farms

Chef/Restaurant

Full of Life Flatbread

From local soil to local hands, the food at Full of Life Flatbread is something to be experienced. Owner Clark Staub, Chef Brian Collins and Sous Chef Evan Klein create magic on weekends with their innovative farm-fresh cuisine. fulloflifefoods.com

Finalists: John Downey, Downey’s; and Justin West, Julienne

Food Artisan

Clark Staub/Full of Life Flatbread

And since we can’t eat at Full of Life Flatbread every night, isn’t it lucky for us that Clark has created the best frozen pizza in existence? fulloflifefoods.com

Finalists: C’est Cheese and Jessica Foster Confections

Beverage Artisan

Brian Thompson/Telegraph Brewing Company

Using as many locally grown ingredients as possible, these handcrafted and delicious beers have been brewed with integrity and are the perfect complement to local food. telegraphbrewing.com

Finalists: Palmina Wines and Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards

Nonprofit

Backyard Bounty

Since its inception, the Foodbank’s Backyard Bounty program has harvested over 115,000 pounds of produce from private properties in the Santa Barbara area. This produce has been distributed to those in need throughout our community. Now Backyard Bounty has merged with Backyard Harvest to further expand their efforts in the community. backyardharvest.org

Finalists: Backyard Harvest and s’Cool Food

THE Sevilla BUILDING

Located in Santa Barbara right off State Street and Gutierrez Street near the

Backyard Bowls Chocolate Maya

Crimson Day Spa Boutique