Edible Santa Barbara Spring 2012

edible

Santa Barbara

Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

Diving for California Gold Fish on Friday Fisherman’s Market

“The

Original Essential Oil Towelette” Pure Fresh Fabulous

Locally Owned and Operated Since 1997

All natural towelette in lavender, lemon, orange, peppermint, eucalyptus. Cleanse hands and kill germs. Toss them in your purse, backpack, briefcase, car, wallet, or gym bag to enjoy their germkilling, mood-lifting, fabulousness everywhere you go!

Lemon oil is refreshing and uplifting.

Some of the many uses for our lemon towelettes: inhale aroma to stimulate creativity and concentration; place in a diffuser or wave through air to eliminate odors and purify surroundings (kills bacteria and many airborne viruses); smooth over face as an astringent or aftershave; wipe phones, computer keyboards, etc. in office or at home to prevent the spread of germs.

Choose Antioch

Making

Santa

SANTABARBA RA edible ®

KELSEY SKIVER

STEVEN BROWN

SANTABARBA RA edible ®

Leschin-Hoar

FOOD FOR THOUGHT D

It is hard for me to believe that we are entering our fourth year with Edible Santa Barbara. The past three years have been filled to the brim with the excitement, the challenges, the hard work and the rewards of telling the stories of our local food community. Every reader that I have met over the past few years who thanked me for producing this magazine has touched my heart… and kept me going.

In this issue we turn our full attention to a subject that is dear to my heart: seafood. I grew up in San Diego eating great local seafood. Sometimes it was fish caught by my own father, who is now fishing commercially for black cod in San Diego. When I moved to Santa Barbara to go to college I was introduced to the pleasures of eating fresh local lobster at the end of Stearns Wharf, and I thought it just doesn’t get much better than this.

We have a vibrant fishing culture in our community, and we wanted to showcase that in the pages of this issue. And it’s not just about appreciating the people who fish the waters of the Santa Barbara Channel; it’s about cooking and eating seafood. There is no better way to support our local artisan fishers than to buy and enjoy their catch. I hope after reading about Stephanie Mutz, urchin diver, that you are inspired to try fresh uni. And after learning more about black cod, it might become your first choice on a restaurant menu.

If eating local seafood is new to you, I can’t recommend highly enough that you take a trip to the Santa Barbara Fisherman’s Market, which is held at the harbor from 7:30 to 11am every Saturday. This is your opportunity to not only buy great seafood but to talk to a fisherman, ask about the catch and learn something new.

The history and lore of fishing is fascinating to me, so I am thrilled to have Brian Fagan share an excerpt from his book Fish on Friday, a book that encompasses ancient mythology, medieval religion and even some historical recipes. It’s hard to write about seafood without wanting to eat it.

So that is my hope with this issue: that we will all be inspired to take advantage of the bounty of the sea that surrounds us. This issue is dedicated to my father, Philip Harris, for inspiring my love of seafood. I am continually impressed by his passion and dedication to the artisan craft of fishing. There is no need in our lives for imported, industrial seafood when we have a local group of artisan fishers right here in Santa Barbara.

Krista Harris, Editor

Stay Connected

We love to hear from our readers. Please email us at info@ediblesantabarbara.com You can subscribe to our free email newsletter at ediblesantabarbara.com

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

Randy Arnowitz

Pascale Beale

Joan S. Bolton

Fran Collin

Shannon Essa

Brian Fagan

Gillian Harris

Helena Hill

Jill Johnson

Jennifer LeMay

Clare Leschin-Hoar

Nancy Oster

Kelsey Skiver

Naomi Starkman

Carole Topalian

Contact Us info@ediblesantabarbara.com

Advertising Inquiries ads@ediblesantabarbara.com

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. Publisher expressly disclaims all liability for any occurrence which may arise as a consequence of the use of any information or recipes. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.

© 2012 edible Santa Barbara

www.fsc.org MIX Paper from responsible sources FSC © C020739

KELSEY

edible

Notables

Operation Bubbly

Tessa Marie Sparkling Vermentino

Vermentino is a crisp white wine varietal from Italy and other parts of the Mediterranean. As a fan of Italian varietals, winemaker Tessa Marie Parker made her first vintage of Vermentino in 2009 and now has released her first sparkling Vermentino. The grapes come from the Camp 4 Vineyard in Santa Ynez and were harvested in 2010. The resulting wine is an easy-to-drink sparkler delicious on its own or paired with any number of seafood dishes, from raw oysters to sushi to fish accompanied by rich sauces.

Tessa Marie Sparkling Vermentino ($35) is only available at the tasting room, or it can be ordered on their website. The tasting room is open Thursday through Monday 11:30am–5pm and is located at 2901 Grand Ave. Suite C, Los Olivos; 805 688-6081; tessamariewines.com

The Farm Stand is Reopening

The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens Fairview Gardens is a treasured part of our community with its CSA, farm tours, classes, events and the staggering amount of great produce that they produce. This wonderful spot has been a farm since 1895, and in 1997 the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens was established as a nonprofit organization to preserve it. But in 2010 the farm stand all but shut down, disappointing many loyal customers. Now, we are excited to announce that the farm stand is opening back up. Along with their complete selection of fresh, organic produce, the space will be renovated. And they will have an expanded selection of nonperishable staple goods like honey, pasta, bread and organic drinks.

The farm is open to the public every day, from 10am until sunset, and is located at 598 N. Fairview Ave., Goleta; 805 967-7369; fairviewgardens.org

Honeydrop Beverages

Supporting Beekeepers

Honeydrop is a line of healthy and refreshing teas and juices that are sweetened only with pure, unrefined honey. What’s more, through their “Buy a Bottle—Save a Bee” initiative, they are now donating a portion of their proceeds to local beekeepers, including our very own Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association. Supporting local beekeepers goes a long way toward battling Colony Collapse Disorder. And with flavors like Blood Orange, Green Tea, Chamomile, Lemon and Ginger, this becomes a delicious way to help save our bees. Our extensive testing has shown that they taste as good by themselves as they do mixed with a little sparkling water or even in a cocktail!

Honeydrop Beverages can be found at local stores such as Whole Foods and Lazy Acres, as well on their website at honeydrop.com

STEVEN BROWN

Mac’s Fish & Chip Shop

Authentic, Sustainable and Famous

Mac’s Fish & Chip Shop has been a favorite since it opened for its positively authentic and sustainably sourced beer-battered crispy fried fish. Owners Grant and Kate MacNaughton did a wonderful job of bringing the best of British comfort food to Santa Barbara. Now with their recent appearance on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” the rest of the world is now in on our secret. Host Guy Fiori seemed delighted to snack his way through some highlights of their menu. But regulars know there are quite a few other treats lurking on their menu… pickled egg, Cornish pasty, anyone? And one of our favorite things about this place is their commitment to high-quality ingredients, sourcing locally and the fact that they are a member of the Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program.

Mac’s Fish & Chip Shop is open Sun through Thu 11:30am–8pm, Fri 11:30am–9pm, Sat 11:30am–10pm, and they are located at 503 State St., Santa Barbara; 805 897-1160; macssb.com

vertical TASTING

Fish Tacos

The classic Baja fish taco was introduced to San Diego by Ralph Rubio in 1983 and consisted of a corn tortilla, fried fish, cabbage, lime and a creamy sauce. Since then it has evolved over the years to something of a culinary institution throughout Southern California. We picked four local fish taco plates that exemplify the delicious creativity that can be taken with this humble dish.

Dos Carlitos Restaurant

Tacos Al Carbon/Mahi-Mahi

This beautiful plate is filled with tacos made with handmade corn tortillas, grilled mahi-mahi and garnished with guacamole, salsa fresca, black beans and grilled scallions. It’s as delectable to the palate as it is to the eye.

3544 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez; 805 688-6363; doscarlitosrestaurant.com

Los Agaves Restaurant

Tacos del Mar

Two soft homemade tortillas are filled to the brim with a tasty mix of fresh grilled halibut, mango, cabbage and spicy sauce. Served with a pyramid of rice and a gorgeous fresh salad of mixed greens and fruit.

600 N. Milpas St., Santa Barbara; 805 564-2626

Los Arroyos Restaurant

Tacos del Mar

Owner Tony Arroyo lends his name to the delicious sauce that tops these tacos, made up of grilled halibut, shredded cabbage and, of course, homemade tortillas. They are served with a choice of Caesar salad or rice and black beans.

Locations in Santa Barbara, Montecito and Camarillo; losarroyos.net

The Hungry Cat

Grilled Fish Tacos

The fish varies depending on what’s local and in season—local seabass pictured here. The house made tortillas are to die for— thick and nicely grilled. The tacos are exquisitely complemented with avocado, queso fresco, cabbage and peppers.

1134 Chapala St., Santa Barbara; 805 884-4701; thehungrycat.com

STEVEN BROWN

Notable edible

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

Chef/Restaurant

Brian Parks/Coast Restaurant

Chef Brian Parks of Coast Restaurant made a splash when he revamped the menu and defined a new approach called “From Farm and Coast to Table”—showcasing local and sustainable seafood and impressing diners with his delectable fare. canarysantabarbara.com

Beverage Artisan

Brian Thompson

Telegraph Brewing Company

A winner for three years in a row, readers really appreciate the handcrafted and delicious beers that Telegraph brews with integrity and flavors inspired by our local ingredients and history. telegraphbrewing.com

Food Artisan

Jessica Foster Confections

For two years in a row readers have honored Jessica Foster, a gifted chocolatier whose exquisite truffles are often infused with local ingredients from the farmers markets. jessicafosterconfections.com

Nonprofit

The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County/Backyard Bounty Program

A second-year winner, the Foodbank’s Backyard Bounty Program collects produce that otherwise would have gone to waste and distributes it to those in need throughout our community. foodbanksbc.org

Food Shop

Plow to Porch Organics

Another second-year winner, Plow to Porch Organics is a full-service local organic market as well as a produce delivery service. In addition to all their local fresh produce and meats, they feature the best of our local artisanproduced products. plowtoporch.com

Cheers to Our Sponsors at the Edible Institute Gala Event!

e’d like to thank the many food and beverage sponsors for our Edible Institute Gala Food & Wine event.

Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards

Au Bon Climat

Bacara Resort and Spa

Bell Street Farm Eatery

Buttonwood Farm Winery

Chocolate Maya/Le Crepe Shoppe

Foxen Winery

Full of Life Flatbread

Goodland Kitchen

Green Project Consultants

Here’s the Scoop

IxCacao Brownies

Los Olivos Café & Wine Merchant

Margerum Wine Company

New West Catering

Nimita’s Cuisine

Oreana Winery

Qupé

Rancho San Julian

Riverbench Vineyard

St-Germain Liqueur

Succulent Café

Telegraph Brewing Company

The Hitching Post II

VerTerra

Whole Foods

Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards

ROSMINAH BROWN

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 greens

Dates (harvested Sept/Oct)

Dill

Fennel

Garlic (harvested May/June)

Grapefruit

Honey

Kale

Lavender

Leeks

Lemons

Lettuce

Limes

Mint

Mustard greens

Nectarines

Onions, green bunching

Oranges, blood

Oranges, 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)

Fresh Flowers

Potted Plants/Herbs

Regional Dairy

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

Locally Produced Breads, Pies and Preserves

(bread produced from wheat grown locally; pies and preserves)

Local Meat

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

Local Seafood

Many types of local seafood are available year round, but here is a list of some that will be in season this spring:

Black cod

Ridgeback shrimp

Rock crab

Rockfishes

Spot prawns

Squid

Urchin

seasonal Recipes

Direct Relief Ceviche of Scallop and Shrimp by Bradley Ogden

Bradley Ogden provided this recipe to Direct Relief in conjunction with his participation in the Santa Barbara Vintners’ Association Wine Auction, benefitting Direct Relief International. The event was held in February and the money raised went to Direct Relief’s Childhood Pneumonia program.

Childhood pneumonia is currently the number one killer of children under the age of 5 worldwide and claims the lives of an estimated 1.6 million children each year. It is deadlier for children than AIDS, malaria and measles combined.

Within the next year, Direct Relief is committed to helping 50,000 kids with pneumonia receive care. For more information, you can read about childhood pneumonia and Direct Relief’s plan at directrelief.org.

Makes 6–8 servings

8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, 1 ⁄ 2 -inch diced

8 scallops, 1 ⁄ 2 -inch diced

3 lemons, peeled and sectioned, diced

6 limes, peeled and sectioned, diced

3 tangerines, peeled and sectioned, diced

3 blood oranges, peeled and sectioned, diced

1 Ruby Red grape fruit, peeled and sectioned, diced

1 orange, peeled and sectioned, diced

1 ⁄4 cup Pasilla and jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced

1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated

2 teaspoons garlic, peeled and grated

1 ⁄4 cup red onion, peeled and minced

1 ⁄4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons chives, minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Assemble all ingredients in a long casserole dish then place on top of an ice bath to keep very cold. Lay out the diced seafood in an even layer, then sprinkle with the rest of the ingredients evenly over the seafood. Finish with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Mix gently, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Stir to blend and leave over ice. Let marinate 3 hours or more. Serve with Spiced Melon Soup and Corn and Red Onion Crackers, recipes for which can be found at directrelief.org.

Sautéed Peas and Radishes

Makes 4–6 servings

1–2 pounds of English or shelling peas

1 bunch of small radishes

1 clove of garlic, finely minced

Butter

Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

A couple tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese

Shell the peas; you should have 1–2 cups of peas. Trim and thinly slice the radishes, cutting any larger radishes in half. Heat a generous-sized pat of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and as soon as it begins to sizzle add the peas. Lower the heat and cover, simmering until the peas are just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the radishes, salt and pepper and continue cooking for another 3–5 minutes. When the peas are tender and the radishes have softened slightly, they are ready to be served with a little crumbled feta cheese on top and a little extra pepper.

KELSEY

Blueberry Coconut Pancakes

Makes eight 6-inch pancakes

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 ⁄ 8 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups whole milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons of coconut oil* or butter, melted

Butter

2 cups blueberries

Shredded coconut (optional garnish)

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl. You can do this ahead of time and keep in a sealed container in your pantry for up to three months.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla extract and coconut oil. Add to the dry mixture and stir just until combined. Do not over mix.

Heat some butter in a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour or ladle a portion of the batter into the skillet and top with a sprinkling of blueberries. When bubbles appear and some have popped on the surface of the pancakes, flip them over and cook until nicely browned. Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200° oven until they are all done. Serve with butter and maple syrup. Or serve with a squeeze of lemon and powered sugar, garnishing with any extra blueberries and some shredded coconut.

* Look for virgin coconut oil, which uses no chemicals or high temperatures for extraction. It will be solid at room temperature; place jar in a bowl of warm water to liquefy.

KELSEY

Just Label It!

by Naomi Starkman

In October, the Just Label It (JLI) campaign filed a petition with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to require labeling of genetically engineered (GE) foods, to give consumers the right to know what is in our food. Since then, more than 470 consumer, health care, environmental and farming organizations, manufacturers and retailers have joined the campaign, generating more than 550,000 consumer comments to FDA.

GE food, also known as genetically modified organisms (or GMOs), are foods altered at the molecular level in ways that could not happen naturally. In 1992, the FDA ruled that GE foods do not need independent safety tests or labeling requirements before being introduced because it determined that they were “substantially equivalent” to conventionally produced foods.

Andrew Kimbrell, executive director of the Center for Food Safety and lead author of the JLI petition, said, “We are asking the FDA to change a decade-old and outof-touch policy.”

Polls show that 93% of Americans want the government to label GE foods. Labeling is required in other countries, including the European Union, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Brazil and China.

Gary Hirshberg, chairman of Stonyfield and a founder of JLI, said: “While the pros and cons of GE foods is debated, an entire generation is growing up consuming them. Until we have no doubt that GE crops are safe to eat, consumers should have a choice about whether we want to eat them.”

Hirshberg recently published “Label It Now,” the first consumer guide to GE foods, available now online.

JLI also recently launched a new video by Food, Inc. filmmaker Robert Kenner, Labels Matter, a collaboration between JLI and Kenner’s new project, FixFood, a social media platform aiming to empower Americans to take immediate action to create a more sustainable and democratic food system.

The drumbeat for mandatory GE labeling is getting louder, as informed consumers are demanding the right to know what’s in their food. In October, the GMO Right2Know March made a two-week, 300-mile trek from Manhattan to the White House. In California, a 2012 GMO labeling referendum is being sought. Federal legislation has been introduced that would require labeling of all GE foods.

While nearly 90% of corn and 94% of soy in the United States comes from GE seeds, the safety of GE crops for human consumption has not been adequately assured. Yet, unlike the strict safety evaluations for approval of new drugs, there are no mandatory human clinical trials of GE crops, no requirement for long-term testing on animals and limited testing for allergenicity, with studies raising concerns that they may pose an allergen risk.

It’s urgent that we make our voices heard now, as the FDA is deciding whether to approve GE salmon and the USDA advances a proposal to deregulate corn engineered to be resistant to the herbicide 2,4-D, a major component in Agent Orange. You can join in asking the FDA to defend consumers’ right to know what’s in our food. It’s your right.

Naomi Starkman is a founder and the editor-in-chief of Civil Eats, a website that promotes critical thought about sustainable agriculture and food systems. She is a food policy consultant to Consumers Union and others, and a founding board member and strategic advisor to both the Food & Environment Reporting Network and FixFood.

Abel Basch

Our Edible Eater for spring, Abel Basch, was suggested to Edible Santa Barbara by his sister Heidi. She wrote, “Abel would be an inspiration to other young people who work, learn and are involved in the community by growing food, cooking and nourishing the people conscientiously.”

I don’t think Abel could inspire just young people. I think Abel, age 24, could inspire ALL people— especially the folks who read this magazine. Traveler, student, cook, gatherer, inquirer, forager, reader, do-it-yourselfer, spearfisher, a line cook at Arch Rock Fish—and part of the future of the locavore movement, we present to you, Abel Basch.

Interviewed by Shannon Essa

Where are you from? What foods do you miss from where you grew up?

I grew up in Palos Verdes in southern Los Angeles. The foods I miss the most come from my grandmother’s house. She would make me run downstairs to pick herbs and veggies and then she would make the most amazing pasta out of what I brought back. I miss all the food cooked by my relatives in our large Sicilian family. You can’t find that kind of food anywhere else, and it takes a lifetime to learn how to make it.

What brought you to Santa Barbara?

I came to Santa Barbara first in 2006 to attend SBCC as a music major. After a year and a half, I decided to travel a bit. Through an organization called Birthright I was able to get a free flight to Israel, where my sister currently lives. Upon returning home I got a job in the seafood industry to get some money together and then moved back to Santa Barbara to attend SBCC’s culinary school. I could have gone anywhere

at that point but I knew I had to return to Santa Barbara.

Tell us a little bit about your hobbies.

Aside from fishing, spearfishing and mushroom picking, my roommates and I are learning how to become entirely self-sustaining. We keep a garden and are always trying to improve it, and we raise chickens for eggs and rabbits and quail for meat. We don’t live on a ranch—we live in an apartment with a backyard—but rabbits and quail really don’t need that much space. We constructed our own coops and cages and made sure they are larger than the standard sizes used for meat production. An added benefit is we never have to buy fertilizer for our garden.

What food-related writers have had an impact on you?

Besides my short stint working in a café in Israel, it was foodrelated authors that really made me realize how important food was and how badly I wanted to have a more intimate connection with the food I eat and share. Mark Kurlansky started it all for me with his book Cod. It was a revelation for me that something so simple and menial had such a profound impact on society. The same can be said for his book Salt. I’m also currently reading his book Food of a Younger Land, which is about what and how Americans ate prior to refrigeration, highways and industrial food production. Richard Manning wrote an amazing book called Against the Grain, which delves into human biology and evolution and how we should be eating compared to what we have available. It was after reading this book that I stopped being vocal about how screwed up our agricultural system is and started learning how to breed rabbits and incubate quail eggs.

What are some of your favorite things to eat in Santa Barbara County?

Wild mushrooms. Rockfish, black cod and ridgeback shrimp. Wood sorrel and other edible wild greens and bulbs picked while mushroom hunting. Pretty much anything I can eat that comes from the land or sea here in Santa Barbara. When it comes to actually paying for food, I’d have to say anything from Lazy Acres is amazing. I could spend a year in that place and you’d still probably have to drag me out.

“It doesn’t matter how you cook it or what spices or seasonings you use, just have respect for the item you are cooking and it will always be great.”

What is your favorite way to cook fish at home?

I cook fish at home pretty similar to how we do it at the restaurant—start with a fresh piece of fish and try not to mess with it too much. I’m lucky enough to have worked at the Santa Barbara Fish Market and some of my best friends still work there, so I pride myself in my ability to get the best possible product and usually only cook what came off the boat that day. So when I’m holding a fish or a bag of shrimp that came from the ocean right in front of me, I feel like I’m holding something that deserves respect. It doesn’t matter how you cook it or what spices or seasonings you use, just have respect for the item you are cooking, and it will always be great.

Describe the perfect “food day” in Santa Barbara County.

The perfect food day in Santa Barbara would be hiking to find some mushrooms and wild greens, catching some crabs off the pier, then spending the afternoon in the garden and butchering a rabbit and some quail. Then at the end of the day, fire up my barbecue and enjoy what I was able to find, grow, catch and raise in this amazing city.

Interested in being profiled as an Edible Eater or know someone who should be? Email Shannon Essa at Shannon@ediblesantabarbara.com.

Shannon Essa is a California native whose beverage of choice is Santa Barbara Pinot Noir. She is the author of restaurant guidebook Chow Venice! and splits her time between Santa Barbara and Europe, writing and leading wine-, beer- and food-based tours in Spain and Italy for Grapehops Tours.

Fishing for a Complementary Wine

by Jill Johnson

Social attitudes about many things are changing. Certain adages, long accepted, are falling by the wayside. “Don’t wear white after Labor Day” or “always pair white wine with fish, red wine with meat.” It is no longer about color dictating our collective tastes. It is now about finding that synergy between the flavor intensities of the foods and the flavor intensities of the wine while wearing whatever color we darn well please.

Like various varietals of wine, fish are not all alike. Some are thin and delicate. Some are full bodied and fatty. It’s not just the fish alone that we need to take into consideration; it’s also the preparation of the fish that can shape the flavor profile to pair with. A poached salmon does not taste the same as one that is grilled or lovingly rubbed with spices. Same fish, completely different flavors, requiring very different wines to enhance the meal. In the case of one favorite dish of Santa Barbarans, Ahi Tuna Poke, Dave Potter of Municipal Wines suggests pairing it with their 2010 Bright Red (Grenache, Cinsault, Syrah, Counoise). “Tuna is rich and hearty and I think sesame oil pairs well with Rhone grape varieties. The acidity and fresh fruit balance well.”

Science and chemistry both play an active role in the art of winemaking and they are just as essential to the art of wine pairing. Red wines high in acidity have proven to be a great partner for seafood and fish dishes. Although experts recommend that you avoid pairing wines high in tannins with seafood high in iodine, acidity appears to be an even more important factor. Higher levels of the natural acids in wine can act as chelating agents, reducing the amount of iron in a wine. So, why is the iron level important? A Japanese study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that wines with the highest levels of iron were rated by tasters as having a fishy aftertaste. After wine was treated with a chemical chelating agent, which bound up the dissolved iron, the fishy aftertaste was suppressed.

One such acidic wine that has paired with seafood in California since the Gold Rush days, and the advent of cioppino, is Zinfandel. Doug Timewell of Toucan Wines has Zinfandel vines grafted from the 1923 planting of the highly regarded Benito Dusi vineyard. He says, “Our Zin has a relatively high acid level given the marine influence and our microclimate (especially when compared to Paso Robles). That acid brings out the brighter fruit flavors. Our 2007 Toucan Wines Estate Zinfandel is the perfect red wine selection for fish, especially those grilled.”

Another wonderful red wine to pair with fish is Pinot Noir, and with so many terrific local Santa Barbara Pinots out there I just couldn’t make a decision. When in doubt about pairing, it can’t hurt to call upon an expert at your local wine purveyor. I called Bob Wesley from The Winehound, who immediately recommended two to pair with grilled salmon. He described the 2009 Hilliard Bruce Vineyards Pinot Noir Moon as “a nice fuller-bodied wine from a new producer with Paul Lato overseeing” and the 2009 Tyler Winery Pinot Noir Dierberg Vineyard as “coming from winemaker Justin Willett, who is attentive to details and strives for balance.”

So, you have decided upon your fish and how you will prepare it. You have your wine picked out. Now, the pièce de résistance of pairing red wine with fish: temperature. Try chilling your wine to approximately 50°. This helps highlight both the fruits and acidity that are so important with the pairing. With warmer weather just around the corner, lighter fare—especially fish—will soon be on the menu. And so should some great wine.

Live boldly. Hide the white. Chill out and pour the red.

Jill Johnson is an artistic soul with an inquisitive mind and a hearty appetite for life… and food. You can find her musings on spilled milk and cookie crumblings at her blog, cookiesinheaven.blogspot.com.

I’m all for technology. In fact, I just got a brand spankin’ new MacBook Pro, and I love it so much that it stayed in the box for the first two days because I didn’t want to use it and get a smudge on it. Every few minutes I would slink up to the box, open the lid, take a quick look and cover the box. It’s like the border collie puppy I got in third grade: I just couldn’t help myself from peeking at all her wonderfulness while she napped in her cardboard-box nest.

The e-Reader

I do not own a Kindle, Nook or other e-reading device at the present time, but I can see a day when I might purchase another one. I can agree that they’re handy and convenient, especially when flying or spending a lazy day at the beach. They’re truly a wonder of technology all wrapped up in a package even smaller than, say, a brownie pan.

However, when it comes to reading or merely looking through a gardening book or a cookbook, it just has to be a “book-book”— the kind that’s made out of paper and glue and ink.

My gardening books, especially my Sunset Western Garden Book, are often a combination horticultural resource, heirloom seed bank and petting zoo bound together into one weighty tome. They often absorb so much soil and mulch that when the weather warms up, so do the books. They’ve been known, on occasion, to emit the same earthy fragrance as a compost pile. I just don’t know where in a Kindle you’re supposed to stick the seeds you want to save, the leaves you want to press or the bugs you want to identify.

Recently while perusing my Sunset Western Garden Book it voluntarily flopped open to the chapter on diseases of roses. It seems that someone had bookmarked those pages with some now desiccated and parchment-like leaves that may have once belonged to a beloved but sadly afflicted Rosa ‘Perfume Delight.’ Aaahhhh, so intoxicatingly fragrant yet tragically disease prone.

Later, as I thumbed through my Pat Welsh’s Southern California Organic Gardening book, I regretfully discovered between pages 44 and 45 what appeared to be the delicate remains of some squashed lacewings marking the chapter on beneficial insects. Pat writes “In my garden, I’ve found that releasing ladybugs, trichogramma wasps and lacewings several times beginning in early spring

reduces pest problems to such an extent that spraying is unnecessary.” Whoops—sorry, guys!

A Kindle is not interactive. When using one as a cookbook there is no way to add essential comments, baking tips or other critical data to the pages—or rather to the screen. How am I to remember that my mom’s latke recipe came from one Gladys Krumb, who played on her Tuesday night mahjong team? Again, my recipe for Ranger Cookies has so many notes and memos scrawled in the margins of the oily pages that you almost can’t make out the actual recipe. “Hey Knucklehead, remember to mix the corn flakes in last or they’ll get mushy.” “Don’t forget the vanilla this time. Geesh!” “Leave them in longer for more crunch.” “Make extra to allow for all the dough you’re likely to consume.”

Similarly, the last time I made my favorite gooey Katharine Hepburn brownies I had the recipe on my Kindle leaning up against the mixing bowl. Before long, my sloppiness and buttery fingerprints had collected and concealed the Kindle with enough flour and sugar for a second batch. It wasn’t until after I put the pan in the oven and cleaned up that I realized that the peculiar smell coming from the oven was not just brownies baking.

For now I will not replace my hard-copy cookbooks with another Kindle or Nook. I will allow my books to remain in an irregular and messy lineup on my kitchen shelf where I can tell almost without looking which is which, by the smell, feel and quantity of schmutz on each of them.

Likewise, I can’t imagine throwing an E-reader in the back of my truck with the tools, the orphaned cymbidiums, the dog food and the other junk that accumulates in my truck bed during a workweek. However, a Sunset Western Garden Book is almost certainly somewhere back there wedged between the irrigation supplies and my lunch cooler and is guaranteed to have more organic worm castings between its pages than anywhere else in my truck.

Randy Arnowitz is a gardener, horticulturist and writer. He particularly enjoys working with roses, orchids and sharing the day with his golden retriever, Peaches, who faithfully accompanies him in the field. He has written for the Santa Barbara Independent, the Santa Barbara News-Press and is currently a garden columnist for Montecito Journal and Montecito Journal Magazine

KELSEY SKIVER

D’ Alfonso-Curran Samsara, Verdad, Paige 23

Tastings

EDIBLE GARDEN

OFish Tales

by Joan S. Bolton

ut of the sea and literally into the land might seem like an unlikely path for a fish.

But that’s exactly how some civilizations have fertilized their crops for hundreds of years: by burying fish—or their remains—beneath the seeds that they sow.

Marine plants have been used for centuries as well, to add fertility and improve soil texture. Even seabird poop has its followers.

Cultures around the world gather animals and plants from the ocean to improve their harvests on land. The Pacific Ocean, at our doorstep, offers these natural techniques that we can employ to grow edibles in our gardens.

Bury a Fish

Whether whole, in scraps, or simply the entrails gutted from last night’s dinner, fish are a natural fertilizer steeped in history.

In grade school, you may have learned that the American Indian Squanto taught the Pilgrims to plant fish with corn. Academics debate the truth of that tale: Some insist that Squanto was merely demonstrating a technique that he’d picked up while living in Europe, where farmers have buried fish as fertilizer since medieval times. Nonetheless, it’s a technique that was also practiced by ancient Egyptians along the Nile and preColumbian people in Peru.

Wherever the location, the chemistry is the same: Raw fish decay fast in the soil, delivering high doses of nitrogen as well as phosphorous and trace minerals to any plant roots lurking nearby.

If you try this at home, you don’t have to bury the whole fish. Partial carcasses, heads and bones—basically any of the messy stuff that you don’t eat—are effective. Just be sure to go down at least a foot to avoid attracting animals that might dig up the remains, and at least several inches below any seeds or roots of new seedlings that you plant.

Fish Byproducts

If the idea of burying guts and gills beneath your edibles is repulsive, consider processing scraps into an emulsion to use as a fertilizer above the ground by following this recipe from the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance:

Liquefy the fish by placing it in a blender with warm water and blending thoroughly. Pour the emulsion into a five-gallon bucket with a tight-fitting lid. Stir the contents daily or every other day to mix in air to aid decomposition and promote aerobic microbial growth. Add shredded newspapers, dried leaves, sawdust or brown grass clippings as the emulsion decays. Pour molasses or puréed fruit into the liquid to help control odor and contribute healthy microorganisms. Wait two weeks, until the entire mixture has turned brown, before using. To reduce the fishy odor, add brown sugar, molasses or puréed fruit and ferment a few days longer.

Or, if that process is still off-putting, buy a prepared fish fertilizer such as fish meal, fish emulsion or fish hydrolysate. Look for those that are all-natural and organic.

Seaweed

Seaweed is a quadruple threat—it can be used as a soil amendment, mulch, fertilizer or compost starter.

Kelp is our highest-profile seaweed, with the ocean tossing it onto our beaches year-round. The deep amber-colored, rubbery bubbles and ropes don’t deliver much nitrogen or phosphorous, but they’re a rich source of potassium and trace elements, including boron, copper, iron, manganese and zinc.

Wading into the ocean to collect kelp requires a sport fishing license and has a 10-pound per day limit. But any kelp that’s been washed up on shore is fair game. Just don’t gather it shortly after a storm, when upstream pollutants may have discharged into the water.

Collect the kelp and take it home. Slash it into pieces and work it into the soil, where it will release nutrients and growth hormones that will stimulate faster and more extensive rooting. Or apply it as mulch, two to four inches thick.

There are many recipes for making seaweed into liquid fertilizer. The quickest is to mix several handfuls of kelp with five gallons of water in a covered bucket. Stir the mixture for a few days, then strain it, dilute it in half, and apply the liquid as a soil drench or foliar spray. A more lengthy, no-stir method is to put a few bagfuls of kelp into a trash can. Fill with water to the top, put the lid on, then wait a couple of months until the water has turned brown and the seaweed has decomposed. Again, dilute before applying.

Guano

“Guano” often refers to poop produced by both bats and birds. But seabird poop is the original guano, with the name derived from the Incan word for “the droppings of seabirds.” Indeed, those droppings were so prized that anyone caught disturbing the deposits could be put to death.

Today, you don’t have to swim out to Bird Island off Goleta or scramble over any rocky outcroppings that attract colonies of seabirds to collect their business. Instead, a number of companies sell pellets of Peruvian seabird guano, which are high in nitrogen and phosphorous, and contain trace minerals.

In the garden, till the pellets into the soil, add them to individual planting holes or mix them with water, then spray.

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

Is a CSF Coming to Santa Barbara?

by Helena Hill

If subscribing to a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program is a great way to improve your diet and simplify your shopping while assisting your local farmers—and the nationwide popularity of CSAs in recent years suggests that it is—then why not extend that concept to seafood?

Kim Selkoe, research scientist at the Marine Science Institute at UCSB, and Stephanie Mutz, commercial fisherman and president of the nonprofit Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, along with a group of volunteers, would like to see a CSF (community-supported fishery) in our area. So would we. I recently interviewed Kim about it. Here’s what she had to say:

What is a community-supported fishery and how does it differ from a CSA?

A CSF is like a CSA in that people would pay a lump sum upfront for a subscription for 1–2 pounds of local seafood delivered to a pickup point every week or so for 10 to 12 weeks. The idea came from the desire to add to the choices for buying local, sustainably caught seafood in Santa Barbara. Most local seafood is taken straight out of town, bought by exporters from Los Angeles. For instance, most of our local lobster goes to Taiwan, for the live market.

However, a CSF differs from a CSA in that the fish would come from more than one producer. In our CSF we would include seafood from many local fishermen and some products from up and down the coast when our local seafood is not available due to storms or seasonal closure of fisheries.

How would it work?

We are bringing on a coordinator, Sarah Rathbone, to work with our local fishermen to help determine how much of their catch we would need for our subscribers and how we will have it processed and packaged.

When would the Santa Barbara CSF start?

Last summer we teamed up with Carolynn Culver, PhD, a research scientist and marine advisor with California Sea Grant, and Heather Lahr, MESM, and with funding from the UCSB Coastal Fund we completed an extensive feasibility study on the UCSB campus. The study found that interest in access to local seafood is quite high; fishermen are enthusiastic about participating and it’s clear the Santa Barbara community as a whole will embrace a CSF here. We plan to begin an initial pilot program in the spring to work out the kinks, with the larger-scale program launch in the summer or fall.

How can Edible Santa Barbara readers help in the process?

Anyone interested in learning more, or signing up to be on a mailing list can visit our website www.SBCommunitySeafood. com, or contact us at info@SBCommunitySeafood.com.

Helena Hill is a former teacher and administrator turned writer, watercolorist and organic gardener. She writes, paints, gardens and keeps a small flock of chickens in Santa Barbara.

STEVEN BROWN

SANTA BARBARA

Sustainable SEAFOOD Program

The Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program wants to shift our community’s seafood consumption to sustainable sources—consumer by consumer and restaurant by restaurant. By raising awareness and helping restaurants and markets replace unsustainable seafood items with sustainable ones, they hope to shift thousands of dollars spent supporting unsustainable fisheries to supporting the new sustainable seafood movement.

Participating restaurants and markets pledge to take steps to avoid offering unsustainable seafood. They display a certificate showing their support and may also provide educational materials to their patrons. In return, the Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program will help promote these restaurants by spreading the word that they provide consumers with an alternative to unsustainable seafood and help them make the switch.

Currently Participating Restaurants and Markets

Bouchon

Carlitos Café y Cantina

Cava Restaurant & Bar

Coast Restaurant & Bar

Dos Carlitos Restaurant & Tequila Bar

Julienne

Kanaloa Seafood

Mac’s Fish & Chip Shop

Santa Barbara Fish Market

Seagrass Restaurant

UCSB Residential Dining Services

Look for the Sustainable Seafood logo in the storefronts of participating restaurants and markets. And please patronize these businesses to show support for their dedication to sustainable seafood.

Restaurants and markets interested in joining the program or anyone who would like more information can contact Lee Anne Bastian at lbastian@sbnature2.org or visit sbnature.org/twsc/226.html.

Diving for California Gold

By Nancy Oster

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRAN COLLIN

Santa Barbara Red Urchin.

Just off our coast, 20 to 100 feet below the surface, Santa Barbara divers harvest some of the world’s best sea urchins.

Iwatch as urchin diver Stephanie Mutz rolls backwards off the side of her small boat into the deeper water near Leadbetter Beach to examine a reef she knows well. She is looking for premium sea urchins that contain “California Gold,” the highest-grade uni (bright golden urchin meat).

On this unseasonably warm day in early January, I’m helping onboard while she dives. My reward? The promise of the freshest uni I’ll ever taste. My early experience with sushi bar uni had put it on the list of things I’d never try again, but what I ate had been preserved with alum. Stephanie says fresh uni without the alum has a completely different flavor and texture.

She waves and disappears below the surface. The air hose attached to a small compressor feeds out from the bench next to me as she swims down 25 feet to the reef. A thick forest of giant macrocystis kelp indicates that the urchin on this reef will be well-fed and sweet-tasting.

Consider the Urchin

Urchins were once considered a pest because their voracious appetite for kelp severely affected the kelp harvest. Laminaria and macrocystis kelp grow well here and both have commercial value. There are stories of hammer-wielding urchin-killing parties and statewide programs to eradicate urchins. However, the Japanese market for sea urchin turned that around. With access to proper processing and overnight shipping to markets in Japan in the 1970s, the urchin “gold rush” began.

I sit on top, wondering what it’s like down there. Stephanie is worried about visibility. Recent swells have churned up debris. “Sometimes,” she says, “I hit the ocean floor before I can see it.” Hopefully today isn’t one of those days. It’s smooth on top. The sunlight forms a swath of diamonds that dance on the surface of the ocean. Although the distant water looks deep blue, where we have anchored it’s deep green—an indication of lower visibility. The best urchins are harvested out by the Channel Islands, but equipment problems in the morning have shortened our fishing day. We’re happy to find an accessible reef closer to shore today.

The rhythmic sound of the compressor is broken by the sudden release of the pressure valve regulating the air that allows Stephanie to stay down two or three hours at a stretch. She wears a wrist computer to let her know how deep she is and how much longer she can safely continue raking urchins into the large mesh bag she has taken with her. On a full diving day, she will come to the surface to off-gas nitrogen bubbles and eat her lunch, then go back down for a couple more hours.

Listening for the reassuring sound of the boat motor and hearing the waves lap the sides of the boat, I look for the circle of bubbles rising to the surface that tells me where Stephanie is working. I also see the small head of a sea lion in the distance, waiting and watching, hoping for a handout.

Suddenly Stephanie is at the surface. Eureka! She emerges with a bag of urchins. Back on the boat, she attaches the mesh bag to the winch and pulls it up onto the deck.

She pulls out a large red urchin. The mouth on its underside is the easiest place to crack it. She inserts a tool to break the shell and spreads it open into two halves. She pours out the liquid and cleans out the dark parts, then runs a spoon around the inside to extract five pieces of golden meat (referred to as roe, but actually male or female reproductive tissue which contains the spawn). It’s almost spawning season so the pieces are full and brightly colored. When males and females release their sperm and eggs into the water column, the quality of the meat will decline. But I’m tasting them near their peak.

Pictured on these pages, Stephanie Mutz.

Fresh from the shell, this one is buttery with a hint of nuttiness— no fishiness. This is not like any uni I have ever tasted, and I immediately scratch it off my “never try again” list. Stephanie notes that the meat softens as spawning time approaches. A creamy orange liquid forms around the pieces we’ve removed. That is the female spawn (male spawn is white). Alum stops this oozing, but so does a bit of orange juice. I don’t really mind the creaminess.

We put the remaining urchins into a cooler for the sea urchin pizza dinner we are planning. Fresh live urchin will keep refrigerated in the shell for a day or two.

The Local Market

While local fishermen supply about a third of the 10 to 12 million pounds of California red urchin harvested per year, most of it is shipped elsewhere. Ironically, much of the urchin eaten in Santa Barbara is imported from other ports or has been shipped to Los Angeles or San Diego for alum processing and shipped back here through distributors.

Stephanie is working with other local fishermen to change that by educating consumers about fresh local seafood. On Saturday mornings Stephanie shares a spot with two other fishermen at the Fisherman’s Market at the Harbor Breakwater—just down the walkway from the Santa Barbara Fish Market (a good source for local fish). Stephanie offers tastes of fresh uni during the peak season and other seafood when seasonally available.

At educational events, along with fisherman Steve Escobar, she teaches people how to crack a sea urchin, cook a crab or fillet a fish. She especially enjoys educating restaurant owners and caterers so that her product can be served at its best.

Recently she worked with Jeff Olsson of New West Catering to develop an uni appetizer for a Cambria Estate Winery event. She says, “When I dropped off the urchins to Jeff the day before, I spent an hour or more in his kitchen talking about all things urchin. What Jeff prepared with my urchin was phenomenal. The best way I’ve ever experienced uni—a fried wonton with avocado, a piece of urchin and sea salt. It was crunchy, savory, sweet and salty. A perfect bite.” And Jeff took the time to teach his servers about uni so they could explain the difference between the fresh and processed product. People who had never liked uni loved it—the best way to educate the consumer (recipe on page 34).

Ricci di Mare Pizza

At this point, I no longer needed convincing, but my husband, Dave, hadn’t shared the boat experience with me and sea urchin pizza does seem a bit strange—especially when it starts with a cooler full of spiny marine animals that look like hedgehogs.

When we arrived at Steve Escobar’s house, he was heating up his wood-fired pizza oven. Stephanie had an array of ingredients to

“Fresh from the shell, this one is buttery with a hint of nuttiness— no fishiness. This is not like any uni I have ever tasted.”

try and some fresh pizza dough ready to go. After searching for the rolling pin we opted to roll out the dough with a wine bottle (fishermen are really good at impromptu solutions).

Instead of marinara sauce, Stephanie had mixed crème fraiche with a little cream—just enough to make it easy to spread on the dough. Steve had julienned some roasted beets to resemble red urchin spines. Gruyere cheese complemented the uni flavor better than the mozzarella or ricotta versions we tried. We arranged beet “spines,” sliced shitake mushrooms and urchin pieces on top of the grated cheese. We added red pepper flakes to spice it up. That went into the pizza oven until the crust was crispy and the toppings had caramelized. The final touch was a handful of fresh arugula on top. Yes, it was delicious. The urchin was sweet, creamy and caramelized by the heat.

Community

For Stephanie, the key to protecting our fisheries is community. As president of the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, she works with other local fishermen to be actively involved in setting standards and regulations that address regional conditions and concerns. One project they are working on is the development of a Santa Barbara Seafood label to let consumers know right away that they are buying local seafood.

Community includes the awareness among local consumers that we have a valuable resource here that deserves protection.

Just Ask

So how do we get access to more of this locally caught fish and shellfish? We ask for it. We let our restaurants, sushi bars and grocery stores know that we want it. We ask our servers which fish on the menu has been caught locally. We buy from markets that sell local fish. We go to the Saturday Fisherman’s Market and farmers markets to get to know our local fishermen and support the work they do to keep our fisheries healthy and productive.

Nancy Oster grew up fishing Lake Cachuma with her grandfather and searching Santa Barbara tide pools with her mom. In those days sea urchin was not on the menu. It was just another interesting shell that washed up on the beach.

Recipe

Fresh Urchin Appetizer

Recipe courtesy of Jeff Olsson, New West Catering

15 round wonton wrappers

2 ripe avocados

1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce

1 large shallot, minced

2 tablespoons cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice

3 fresh sea urchins

Juice from 2 fresh oranges

Salt as needed

Maldon sea salt flakes

Fry and lightly salt the round wontons.

To make avocado relish, peel avocado and cut into a small dice. Clean sauce off the chipotle chili, remove stem and seeds, and mince. Add to avocado with shallot, cilantro and lime juice. Salt lightly.

Crack or cut open urchin shells at the opening on the bottom. Pour off liquid and remove dark material at center. Run a spoon around the inside to remove gold or orange colored pieces. Put onto paper towel to drain and pick off any remaining dark material.

Run each piece through a bowl of orange juice. This will firm the pieces and slow the release of spawn.

Assemble by putting one piece of urchin* onto each fried won ton wrapper. Top with avocado relish and a pinch of Maldon sea salt flakes.

*If you feel squeamish about the raw urchin, you can sauté the urchin pieces briefly in olive oil with a little minced garlic before assembling the appetizer.

Resources

Stephanie Mutz

To order directly from Stephanie, go to her website Sea Stephanie Fish at seastephaniefish.com

Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara cfsb.info

California Sea Urchin Commission calurchin.org

Bluewater Gold Rush: The Odyssey of a California Sea Urchin Diver by Tom Kendrick

The story of sea urchin diving in Santa Barbara, written by a local diver.

Harvester: The California Urchin Diver Experience

Video by Highliner Studios at highlinerstudios.com

SATURDAYS

Downtown Santa Barbara Corner of Santa Barbara & Cota St. 8:30am – 1:00pm

SUNDAYS

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

TUESDAYS

Old Town Santa Barbara

500 & 600 Blocks of State St. 4:00pm – 7:30pm

WEDNESDAYS

Solvang Village Copenhagen Drive & 1st St. 2:30pm – 6:30pm

THURSDAYS

Camino Real Marketplace In Goleta at Storke & Hollister

3:00pm – 6:00pm Carpinteria 800 Block of Linden Ave. 3:00pm – 6:30pm

FRIDAYS

Montecito

1100 & 1200 Block of Coast Village Rd. 8:00am – 11:15am

fish on friday

by Brian Fagan

From his book Fish on Friday: Feasting, Fasting and the Discovery of the New World (Basic Books, New York, 2006)

Brian Fagan is well known for his books on climate change and ancient societies. He has also written books on a wide variety of other subjects, among them the fascinating topic of how fish eating changed history. The following is an extract from his book Fish on Friday.

The moment Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, humanity’s debt to the Creator increased exponentially. Their transgression made it necessary for humans to satisfy God’s justice in order to avoid punishment, to atone for original and later sin. The Old Testament shows how adversity moved Jews to assume the burden of fasting and abstinence in a spirit of penance. With abstinence came ancient dietary guidelines. Leviticus contains detailed instructions on what animals, birds and other creatures were unclean for the Israelites to eat. The Lord approved of scaled fish: “These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters; whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.” Many of these rules washed over into Christianity.

The Christian tradition of fasting began with Christ’s epochal desert fast of 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness. The Savior did not define the days or weeks when his followers were to fast and abstain, but he made it clear that the faithful would be subjected to regulations for fasting after his death, or “after the bridegroom has been taken away,” as he put it.

From the dawn of Christianity, Friday was a day of abstinence, atonement for the Savior’s suffering and commemoration of his death on the cross on that day. Many early teachings, among them those of the early Christian theologians Clement of Alexandria (died A.D. 215) and Tertullian, make explicit mention of this practice.

At about the same time, a purifying fast of several days before Easter developed as mourning and penance. The earliest mention of a formal period of purification known as Lent (or Quadragesima) comes from the deliberations of the Council of Nicaea in 325, which included intense debate about doctrinal schism, appropriate Christian behavior and the date of Easter. At first, Lent lasted 36 days. By the seventh century, the Church had settled on a 40-day Lent over and above Sundays, a duration that coincided with Christ’s epochal fast.

For 2,000 years, Fridays have been obligatory days of abstinence from meat on pain of mortal sin, at first for all Christians and then for the Catholic faithful. A philosophical underpinning for fasting connected it to the health of the soul. The first-century Roman philosopher Musonius Rufus urged people to avoid meat because it was better suited to wild beasts, a heavy food that dulled the intellect and slowed logical reasoning. Another well-known classical author,

Medieval fisher.

Plutarch (A.D. 45–125), recommended eating less food and taking frequent baths. One should consume light foods, he wrote, not “heavy” meat but vegetables, fish and some birds.

Once eaten only on special occasions, by the eighth and ninth centuries fish was a preferred food for holy days that were days of abstinence throughout Christendom. Fishing had always been an important subsistence activity for people living by lakes, rivers and seashores. To supplement these resources, monks and nobles turned to fish farming, especially of bream and later carp, to provide the catch for holy days. Sometime around the 10th century, Baltic herring fishers and Norse fisherfolk learned to preserve herring by salting it in brine-filled barrels. Herring rapidly became a

“The craft of fishing unfolds far from the magnifying glass of history.”

staple, not only on aristocratic and monastic tables but in medieval poorhouses and cities. Herring nourished armies in an era of endemic warfare.

The Norse were the first to voyage deep into the Western Ocean. After the 10th century, the great Norse voyagers sailed to Greenland and beyond in search of new places to settle and out of a wanderlust that was an integral part of a restless, violent society. Their staple diet at sea was dried cod, which, unlike the oily and hard to preserve herring, was a white fish with low fat content. This was the Norse seafarer’s equivalent to beef jerky, which became not only a staple at sea, but also a preferred food for sailors. A huge cod trade developed as the Norse sailed the Atlantic, extending from Scandinavia to Spain, and up rivers deep in to Central Europe.

By the mid-15th century, the demand for fish of all kinds had brought massive growth to the fisheries of western England and southern Ireland. The merchants of Bristol assumed a leading role in the Lenten fish trade handling cod from Iceland and further afield. There is a strong possibility that Bristol cod fishers sailed to Newfoundland for cod before Sebastian Cabot sailed there in 1497.

Thus, it was fish, not spices, that led to the discovery of North America. The fishers may never have landed, or if they did, they built no permanent settlements until much later. Those who fished these distant waters before the Cabot voyage were there without royal sanction or official approval. Since their goal was not conquest or glory or empire but commercial advantage, they had no reason to trumpet their finds; they kept quiet, knowing that lucrative fishery in hand was as valuable as any dream of spices.

The mythmakers of American origins, obsessed with virtuous Pilgrims, have written the morally flawed cod fishers out of the story—but that is often the fate of the men and women who labor in history’s shadows.

The craft of fishing unfolds far from the magnifying glass of history. A traveler to Egypt once remarked that pharaohs, caliphs, pashas and prime ministers came and went over the millennia, but the farming villages by the banks of the Nile remained unaffected. The world of the fisher was also timeless, an unceasing confrontation with the harsh realities of the brutal ocean.

The cod industry thrived through the slow generational shifts of religious doctrine as Protestantism emerged alongside the Catholic faith and the faster ebb and flow of supply and demand. History accelerated and slowed, changed course and brought prosperity or suffering, but people still had to eat and conform to religious teachings.

So the fishing boats left port in fair weather or foul, summer and winter, sometimes in the face of gale-force winds. Each night the herring fishers hauled in their nets, fingers numb with cold, backs breaking from the weight, feet awash in a cascade of silvery fish. Spray broke over the bow, the boat surged in the waves, and everyone was wet through, snatching brief naps when the nets were set. Far offshore, cod fishers lined the sides of a deep sea boat, hooking their prey and hauling the heavy fish aboard, fish after fish, for 10, 12, 15 hours a day. It is said that many of them fell asleep while fishing, so monotonous was the routine of hauling in the cod. The routine never changed, the rhythm of the fisheries never altered from one papal reign to the next.

Like Egyptian farmers, the fishers who supplied the fish consumed by the devout were part of the anonymous backdrop of history. But their nameless, unending labors were the advance guard of European expansion.

It was not the sudden inspiration of famous names that brought Europeans to North America—not Columbus or Cabot or the settlers at Plymouth Rock—but the thousandyear journey in pursuit of fish.

Brian Fagan is emeritus professor of anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Brian is an internationally known writer as well as an expert cruising sailor. He is not, however, a fisherman, nor does he eat fish on Fridays. His many books include The Little Ice Age; Floods, Famines, and Emperors; and The Long Summer, also Elixir: A History of Humans and Water. For more information visit brianfagan.com.

Ken Jacobsen, Michelle Martinich, Jeff DeVine, and Laurie Leighty

A Sea Change At Seagrass Restaurant

by Jennifer LeMay

COLLIN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRAN

In a town known for seafood restaurants, Seagrass brings something unique to the table.

Like many locals, when I first heard over a year ago that Seagrass was changing ownership I wondered how different the new restaurant would be, and whether its focus on local, sustainable seafood would continue. As it turned out, the Perez family, which owns and operates the new Seagrass, has been a perfect fit for the enterprise.

Having run the successful Citronee Bistro in Nevada City for 13 years before coming to Santa Barbara, they are well versed in finding and preparing the freshest seasonal and sustainable fare. Chef Robért Perez, who serves as chef and general manager, has expanded the menu and added some unique dishes you probably won’t find at other local restaurants (Ahi Corn Dog, anyone?). Chef Robért epitomizes the dynamic, hardworking, gregarious chef and businessperson who loves what he does for a living. No matter how busy, he always seems at ease browsing the tables and sharing his stories, ideas and knowledge.

For Chef Robért, one challenging aspect of starting over has been building a new network of local relationships. He considers his interaction with the community to be a vital and rewarding part of his work, and has already built an impressive number of connections with local suppliers of meat, seafood and produce. And of course, he’s a regular at the farmers market. I first met him at the Santa Barbara Downtown Art & Wine Tour, where he was having fun chatting with participants and serving white fish with an amazing citrus sauce that I wanted to bottle and take home.

Celebrity Chef

Last October, Chef Robért was the invited “Celebrity Chef” for a day at Peabody Charter School in Santa Barbara, famous for its cafeteria program that provides children with healthy “home-cooked” meals from organic (and mostly local) food.

Laurel Lyle, executive chef at the school’s cafeteria, says she is continually amazed and heartened by the creativity, knowledge and generosity of the chefs like Chef Robért who donate their time and offer the students a unique and fun culinary experience.

“He came the day before to prep and then a full day to prepare and serve. He has an ease, an elegance, as he moves about the kitchen, chopping, tasting, sharing stories.” He prepared chicken vol au vent, a puff pastry shell filled with chicken and vegetables in a cream sauce. The students and kitchen staff learned that vol au vent means “windblown” in French, which describes the lightness of the pastry.

“We had fun practicing our French by saying ‘vol au vent, vol au vent’… feeling those windblown words moving around in our mouths,” Lyle said, reminiscing about the day. “I think the students felt very sophisticated. I know I did.” The main dish was accompanied by a salad of fresh local, organic greens and chocolate beignet for dessert, all served to a smiling crowd of more than 500 students, staff and parents.

A Penchant for Seafood

One day while he was getting to know the community, Chef Robért found himself down at the harbor, where he met some local fishermen and decided to add the highly prized red sea urchin to the Seagrass menu. Sometimes called the “foie gras of the sea,” uni—its Japanese name, familiar to sushi lovers— is a delicacy that is becoming more popular with chefs who are incorporating it into traditional and daring dishes outside of the Japanese milieu. Freshness is key, so it’s a wonder more chefs don’t take advantage of this local treasure. At Seagrass, uni is usually on the menu in summer and early fall and is paired with caramelized sea scallops accompanied by wilted spinach and ginger emulsion. It appears in other dishes as well, and Chef Robért feels that it has an affinity for acidic complements, such as sudachi or yuzu (zesty Japanese citrus fruits), lemon and lime. Trying new things comes naturally to Chef Robért. He counts among his influences the groundbreaking chef Pierre Gagnaire, who works closely with French scientist Hervé This. They are “pushing the envelope of what is possible with cooking,” he says, explaining that things are not as they were 20 years ago.

Chef Robért Perez.

Opposite page: Sea scallops with radish, peas and featuring fresh local uni.

For a long time, chefs adhered to certain practices set forth by the famous French chef Auguste Escoffier, which essentially became the written word. “Now, the new word is Ferran [Adrià] of El Bulli, and those who have taken the culinary world and turned it upside down, shaken it out, and asked what is worth holding onto and what we should let go.” In this same spirit, the Seagrass menu strikes a balance between the avant-garde and more traditional “comfort” food.

A Head for Business

Chef Robért consistently works to fuel his growth as a chef while keeping his customers’ enjoyment foremost in mind. He points out that hiring good people is key, as they not only bring in new ideas, but also form an integral part of a wellbalanced team. A restaurant is a business, he points out, and to run smoothly it needs a team comprised of members that excel in different areas, not unlike a football team. “You don’t want a team of all creatives, for instance,” he says. “Nothing would get done.”

As luck would have it, the Perez family is a diverse group, and each member has his or her own specialty. The Perez sons are proprietors of the restaurant—Richard is a talented wine director, and Ruben is the dining room manager, perfect at receiving guests and making them feel welcome. Marianna, Robért’s wife, plays a central role as the eyes of the business, responsible for its form and style, and ensuring that everything is kept to the highest standards both aesthetically and operationally.

Above left: Plating the sea scallops. Above right: Udon noodles featuring fresh uni. Left: Ahi corn dog. Opposite page: Mi-cuit salmon with fresh peas and olive tapanade.

“We keep things local and organic as much as possible, while delivering an exceptional product and experience,” says Chef Robért. Seagrass is a charter member of the Sustainable Seafood Program (through the Ty Warner Sea Center), and Chef Robért’s network of suppliers, including Paso Prime, Niman Ranch, Kanaloa Seafood and Santa Barbara Fish Market, offer meat and seafood from local and other sustainable sources.

He believes that chefs have a responsibility to serve healthy, delicious food, and his business decisions reflect his values as an individual. For instance, upon hearing about the City of Santa Barbara’s Food Scraps Collection and Composting Program, he signed up immediately and was surprised that more restaurants weren’t taking advantage of it.

It’s

in the Cuisine

“Our goal is to provide guests with a fun, pleasurable dining experience that is also a great value,” Chef Robért states. Most people—though perhaps not everyone—notice and appreciate when extra care goes into selecting and preparing the best ingredients. “We choose organic not only for the quality and flavor but because of the benefit to the earth.” Seagrass offers a “Three-Course Market Menu” on weeknights that has been a hit, and is basically a market-to-table feast for a reasonable price. Each course offers selections based on what is fresh and inspired the chef, followed by dessert—often profiteroles, a customer favorite.

Seagrass cuisine is also prepared and seasoned with wine in mind, and many of the best regional and other wines are on hand to complement each dish. I had the pleasure of experiencing a Seagrass signature dish, the mi-cuit salmon. A slow, lowtemperature olive-oil-poached fillet, the salmon has a sashimi-like quality with a buttery consistency, and the delicate flavors melt in your mouth. Chef Robért recommends pairing the dish with an Ampelos Viognier.

From spring till fall, Perez likes to serve a remarkable Local Sea Bass Barigoule dish, which features a bed of artichoke stew with carrots, lemon, onion, fennel and white wine. “It’s a simple comfort dish with an incredible combination of flavors.” Another springtime favorite is the Local Sautéed Red Snapper with Artichoke Barigoule and Tomato Fondue. And then there’s the aforementioned Ahi Corn Dog, an appealing menu item that is essentially a sushi roll “corn dog” made with battered and deepfried thinly sliced ahi tuna.

A Disciplined Career

Born into a family of great cooks and restaurateurs (his mother was chef), Chef Robért had thought of being a chef since he was a child. But it wasn’t until the end of his military service abroad that he decided to enroll in culinary school in the Netherlands. He considered other career paths, but had always been drawn to cooking and the restaurant environment, the sounds of glassware and people chatting. He figured that whatever happens, people will always need to eat.

As it turned out, his time in the service provided invaluable lessons in organization and discipline that are critical to restaurant operations. “A kitchen has to be clean as a laboratory,” he points out. And a restaurant, especially a smaller one that affords the kind of hands-on attention to detail that Chef Robért prefers, requires serious efficiency and organization to run smoothly and be successful.

While efficiency and organization may serve as the foundation for running a great restaurant, a combination of irresistible flavors, fun, adventure, warmth and hospitality is what keeps people, and especially this writer, coming back for more.

Jennifer LeMay is a designer and artist who appreciates great local food. Her business, J. LeMay Studios, provides communication and design services. Visit her website at jlemay.com.

Seagrass Restaurant

30 E. Ortega St Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805 963-1012

seagrassrestaurant.com

Seagrass has just started offering daytime cooking classes. Chef Robért demonstrates recipes and techniques to small groups. The cost is $85 per person and includes a three-course lunch after class. Call or visit the website for more information.

Ruben Perez, dinning room manager.

The Fisherman’s Market Getting hooked on super-fresh local seafood

by Pascale Beale

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KELSEY SKIVER

Standing above the harbor one recent chilly morning, watching the sunrise painting the local mountains in pastel hues, I spied two fishing boats heading out to sea. I could hear the throb of their engines reverberating across the tranquil water, their silhouettes crisply outlined against the rising sun.

That sound transported me halfway around the world to the Mediterranean Sea—decades ago—as I stood on another harbor wall watching the local fishermen bring in their overnight catch. They’d slowly coast past the harbormaster, throttle back their throaty engines and tie up alongside the quay.

In the winter months you could buy the fish right off the boats; in the summer the fish would be unloaded, hauled a few dozen yards to the fisherman’s market housed in a converted passageway between two 19th century buildings. Inside the arched passage, the walls were tiled with mosaics portraying fish, Poseidon and the sleepy fishing village. The marble tables were covered with six inches of crushed ice awaiting the day’s catch. Local dealers handling fish from other markets had the stands on the right; the local fishermen, the stands on the left. Passersby walked between them, assailed on both sides with good-humored cries to buy their particular fish. It was a very small market yet the fish of the Mediterranean were on dazzling display—all you would need to make a classic bouillabaisse, for example. There was no mistaking our locale.

I was enchanted, therefore, when I first came to Santa Barbara and found myself walking through the harbor, and coming across the local fishermen offering their fresh catch right off their boats: spot prawns, rock crabs, white sea bass and halibut. Once again the ocean’s bounty laid out before our eyes. I bought a sea bass and had it cleaned at the Santa Barbara Fish Market, then owned and run by the Fisherman’s Association. We roasted the fish with local lemons and fennel, added some small potatoes and served it with a green salad. I felt instantly at home. We moved here within three months.

Some 15 years later, I discovered in a conversation with longtime fisherman Gordon Cota and his wife, Margaret

Opposite page: Fisherman Sam Shrout is a weekly fixture at the Saturday Fisherman’s Market.

(my children’s pre-school teacher), that they had a hand in bringing this to fruition. On a visit to Steveston, British Columbia, they saw the local fishermen selling their catch on the docks. Gordon’s photos of the trip found their way to the harbormaster in Santa Barbara. After some negotiations with the City, the fishermen were allowed to sell their fish to the local populous. Some 30 years later they still do.

Santa Barbara has had a long history as a fishing port, located in the middle of some of the richest fishing grounds in California due, in part, to the meeting of the warmer southern water and cooler northern water in the Southern California Bight. Some 550 species of fish inhabit or migrate through these waters. The ocean around Point Conception is a unique and rich habitat as the waters offshore serve as a point of convergence for species that inhabit the colder northern waters and those that live in the warmer southern ones. Because of this, Point Conception and the Santa Barbara Channel serve as spawning and rearing grounds for approximately 64 species of commercial fish and shellfish throughout the year.

Despite the complex issues surrounding sustainable seafood, our waters offshore are productive and our wild-caught and farmed seafood are both fresh and highly regulated for sustainability.

Local rock crab.

The local fishermen catch urchin, rockfish, halibut, white sea bass, black cod, spot prawns, rock crab and salmon, to name just a few. And every Saturday morning from about 7:30 to 11am, you can shop for seafood right on the pier at the harbor.

There is something very satisfying about picking up a fish you know has traveled all of 30 yards off the boat. After meandering through the Saturday farmers market to pick up a basketful of fresh vegetables and herbs, I like to pop down to the harbor to see what the day’s catch has brought in. Perhaps they’ll have some local king salmon this spring as the season is just beginning. As Gordon Cota told me, “The ocean is very much alive.” We are fortunate to have a place to savor it.

Pascale Beale grew up in England and France surrounded by a family that has always been passionate about food, wine and the arts. She was taught to cook by her French mother and grandmother. She is the author of A Menu for All Seasons—Spring, A Menu for All Seasons—Summer, A Menu for All Seasons—Fall and A Menu for All Seasons—Winter

Visit her website at PascalesKitchen.com

Recipes

FOR THE FENNEL SALAD

2 whole fennel bulbs, cut in half lengthwise and very thinly sliced

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped

1 small green apple, cored and very thinly sliced

Salt

Place all the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Serve as soon as the salad is tossed.

Local Red Rock Crab with a Shaved Fennel Salad and Avocado Vinaigrette

Makes 8 servings

FOR THE CRAB

16 crab claws

1 tablespoon chopped chives

1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Place the crab claws in a steamer filled with boiling water. Steam for 15–18 minutes depending on the size.

Place some newspaper on a counter or table. Remove the claws from the steamer and place on the newspaper. Lay each claw flat on the paper.

Using a mallet and a dishcloth to hold the claw, firmly crack open the shell and extricate the meat. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with the remaining claws.

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

1 ⁄4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or champagne vinegar

1 avocado, peeled and the meat scooped out

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

Pour the olive oil into a small bowl and whisk in the vinegar. Add in the avocado meat and mash together with a fork. Add in the lemon juice, salt and pepper and whisk with the fork until well combined.

TO SERVE

Place a spoonful of the fennel salad and avocado vinaigrette in the center of each plate, and then place the crab meat on top. Add a little coarse sea salt and pepper, a sprinkling of freshly chopped chives, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and serve immediately.

Poached Salmon with Orange and Olive Oil Served with Coriander Pesto

Makes 8 servings

2 1 ⁄ 2 pounds local salmon, fillet, skin off

3–4 cups orange juice (this will depend on how deep your pan is)

1 ⁄ 3 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper

3 cardamom pods, slightly crushed

1 bunch cilantro, leaves removed

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Pour about half of the orange juice and olive oil into a deep roasting pan and stir together so that the oil is completely dispersed in the juice. Add a large pinch of coarse salt, the cardamom pods and some black pepper.

Place the salmon in the orange juice mixture. Add enough of the remaining orange juice to just cover the fish. Add the cilantro leaves over the fish and bake for 15–18 minutes. Serve on warm plates with the pan juices and the accompanying pesto.

FOR THE CORIANDER PESTO

1 bunch fresh coriander (cilantro), stems removed

1 ⁄ 2 bunch chives, chopped

1 tablespoon toasted almonds

1 medium clove of garlic, peeled and finely minced

1 ⁄4 –1 ⁄ 3 cup olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and purée until quite smooth. Check seasoning, adding more lemon juice if needed. You can prepare this up to 45 minutes ahead of time. Serve alongside the poached salmon.

The Story on Black Cod

The Succulent Sablefish

by Clare Leschin-Hoar

ILLUSTRATION BY GILLIAN HARRIS

Old habits are hard to break. As early as the 1840s, when fishermen from the East migrated to the California coast to take up their nets, plenty of what landed on deck was dubbed cod: red snapper (cod!), black rockfish (cod!) and blue rockfish (cod!).

Ling cod, which is neither a ling nor a cod, fell to the same fate. Naturally, the name “black cod” was also attached to the sleek and softly textured sablefish, or Anoplopoma fimbria, with its dark mottled green, gray or black coloring. The name is still used today, despite the fact that the fish isn’t in the cod family at all. (For this story, we’ll use the terms “sablefish” and “black cod” interchangeably.)

For a long time, California’s black cod fishery stayed relatively small. Although it is white-fleshed, black cod isn’t lean or steaky like swordfish, and it lacks the dense firm texture of more popular fish, like halibut. Fussy Americans scrunched up their noses at the moist, velvety sablefish. By the 1960s and ’70s it had become popular with the Japanese, and much of it was—and still is—exported to Asia, says California groundfish expert Milton Love, research biologist at the Marine Science Institute of UC Santa Barbara and author of Certainly More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast.

But of course, every fish has its day.

Today, black cod is increasingly coveted by chefs and eaters alike. There’s a lot to like here. It’s local, easy to prepare and tasty. It’s available year-round. Populations are healthy.

The black cod population stretches from Alaska to Baja, with most of the fish landed in Alaska. They tend to be found in deeper water, where they’re known to feast on lantern fish, squid, octopi and krill.

Despite stable populations and its inherent buttery goodness, sablefish does not get an unqualified green light from environmental groups like the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. Although overfishing is not occurring, there is some concern over slightly declining abundance trends. Because sablefish is a groundfish (meaning that it lives near the bottom of the ocean), about half of what’s caught on the West Coast is done so with trawls, which can include bycatch of rockfish, spiny dogfish and some skates—species vulnerable to fishing pressure. But it’s not the only catch method. For eaters who want to feel ultra good about the sustainability of their sablefish, seeking out artisanal fishermen who use traps or bottom lines is growing, particularly here in Santa Barbara.

“Whether it’s trap- or trawl-caught, at minimum, it’s a good alternative and you can buy it without concern,” says Ken Peterson, spokesman for the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

While the aquarium’s Seafood Watch rating on sablefish currently does not distinguish between catch methods, Peterson says it may be something they’ll consider the next time their scientific report is updated. Until then, California sablefish will remain on the yellow “good alternative” list.

On the Menu

Here in Santa Barbara, chef Brian Parks of Coast Restaurant & Bar says sablefish has regularly been on his menu for the past seven years, in part because of its versatility.

“You can steam it, pan roast it until it’s crispy, sous vide it…” says Parks. “It has a high fat content, and is almost dummy-proof, because even if you overcook it, it has such a high fat content it won’t dry out.”

“Today, black cod is increasingly coveted by chefs and eaters alike. There’s a lot to like here. It’s local, easy to prepare and tasty.”

Recipes

Black Cod with Succotash

Not only is it an easy sell to guests at the restaurant, Parks is able to source the fish hyper-locally from commercial fishermen from the Santa Barbara area who are using sustainable hook-and-line methods to catch black cod, operating under strict individual quotas.

“While sablefish is more well known than last year, I’d say it’s still an up-and-coming fish, especially with the chefs around town,” says Stephanie Mutz, president of the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara.

Sablefish pulled from local waters can be found at the Saturday Fisherman’s Market at the harbor or at markets that buy directly from local fishermen. She’s got some tips for you eaters too.

“Definitely try it smoked if you can,” says Mutz. “And if you buy it whole from the fishermen, the Santa Barbara Fish Market will fillet it for you.”

But perhaps Mutz’s most surprising tip was about the black cod’s heart, which is not a heart at all but is a muscle hidden within the ear (not the cheek), with the consistency of a scallop.

“The bigger the fish, the bigger the heart,” she says.

We think that extra “heart” just means there’s little more to love about this fish.

Clare Leschin-Hoar covers seafood, sustainability and food politics. Her work has appeared in Scientific American, The Wall Street Journal, TakePart, Grist, Eating Well and many more.

Courtesy of Brian Parks, executive chef, Coast Restaurant & Bar

Makes 2 servings

Two 6-ounce portions black cod

1 ear white corn

¼ cup fava beans

¼ cup spring onions or cipollini onions

¼ cup baby zucchini

¼ cup grape tomatoes

¼ cup baby spinach

2 ounces olive oil

In a cast-iron pan or good-quality stainless steel pan, heat up 1 ounce of the olive oil over medium to high heat. Season the black cod with salt and pepper, and place skin side down in the pan, cooking for 5 minutes. Flip the fish over and lower the heat to finish the cooking process. The meat will have a light, flaky feel and will separate slightly when done.

In a sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil. Have the fava beans cleaned and blanched, and the corn should be removed from the cob. Add the corn and fava beans to the sauté pan, and cook over medium heat. Try not to get any caramelization on the vegetables when cooking. Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and add to the pan. Halve the tomatoes and add with the spinach to the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the succotash on the plate and the perfectly cooked black cod on top. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Roasted Black Cod with Bok Choy and Soy Caramel Sauce

From

Good Fish by Becky Selengut (Sasquatch Books)

5 ounces red cabbage, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

2 large bulbs bok choy, halved

2 small tomatoes, halved

Salt

4 green onions, white and green parts, cut into 3-inch lengths

4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

4 teaspoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

4 slices lime

1 serrano chile, sliced (optional)

1 pound black cod fillet or steaks, cut into 4 equal portions

1 ⁄ 2 cup Soy Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)

4 cups cooked rice

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. You’re going to make 4 separate piles on the foil. Each pile will get 1 ⁄ 2 cup cabbage, a bok choy half, a tomato half sprinkled with a little salt, and a quarter of the green onions. Drizzle each pile with 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar. Top with a lime slice and sprinkle with some chile pieces. Roast the vegetables in the oven for 20 minutes, or until they are soft and lightly browned around the edges. Keep the oven on. Remove the pan from the oven, place one piece of black cod, skin side down, on each pile, and drizzle 1 tablespoon Soy Caramel Sauce on each piece of fish. Roast for another 8 to 10 minutes or until a press of the finger reveals a sliding away, ever so gently, of the fish into the beginning of individual flakes. Serve with the rice and remaining Soy Caramel Sauce.

Soy Caramel Sauce

Makes about 1 ⁄ 4 cup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 ⁄4 cup sake

3 tablespoons mirin

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 ⁄4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

In a small saucepan, add the soy sauce, sake, mirin, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook the sauce until it is reduced by half, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, adding each only after the previous one has melted. Taste and add more lemon juice if desired.

Black Cod at a Glance

Anoplopoma fimbria is one of only two species in the Anoplopomatidae family.

They are also known as sablefish, butterfish, sable; they are called gindara in Japanese.

Maximum size: about four feet. Maximum weight: 56 pounds was the largest recorded, but most are 10–20 pounds.

They are prized for their high amounts of healthy omega–3 fatty acids.

For more about black cod and other fishes of the Pacific coast, read Milton Love’s extremely informative and often entertaining book Certainly More Than You Want to Know About the Fishes of the Pacific Coast. Available at local bookstores and at ReallyBigPress.com.

CLARE BARBOZA

MARCH

MARCH

14–18

Taste of Solvang

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

APRIL

SATURDAY APRIL 21

Earth Day Food & Wine Festival

Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery, San Luis Obispo County

Over 200 purveyors of sustainably produced foods and wine will be on hand for a truly unique event: growers, vintners and chefs coming together to serve out-of-this-world pairings; earthdayfoodandwine.com

SPRING EDIBLE EVENTS

MARCH

10–11

Edible Institute

Mar Monte Hotel/Hyatt, Santa Barbara Edible Communities presents Edible Institute—a weekend of talks, presentations, workshops and local food & wine tastings by some of the local food movement’s most influential thinkers, writers and producers. ediblecommunities.com/institute

THURSDAY APRIL 5

First Thursday Lexicon of Sustainability Exhibit

5–8pm; Santa Barbara Museum of Art The SBCC Students for Sustainability Coalition student club are presenting an exhibit of Douglas Gayeton’s Lexicon of Sustainability Exhibit as part of the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization’s First Thursday event. For more info visit santabarbaradowntown.com

TUESDAY MARCH 20

Santa Ynez Valley Supper Club: Spanish Varietals

Los Olivos Cafe & Wine Merchant

A 3-course Spanish meal will be prepared and will be accompanied by wines brought by each diner—all Spanish varietals, but from anywhere in the world. Reservations are required. $40 per person. Call to reserve your spot 805 688-7265.

APRIL 21–22

Earth Day Festival

Saturday 11am–7pm; Sunday 11am–6pm; Alameda Park, Santa Barbara The Community Environmental Council Earth Day Festival is the signature, annual event for the region’s environmental organizations. Food, music and demos. Free. For more info visit sbearthday.org

SATURDAY APRIL 21

Longoria Winemaker’s Dinner

Ballard Inn Restaurant

Join Rick and Diana Longoria and Chef Budi Kazali at the Ballard Inn Restaurant for a five-course dinner paired with new releases—and some surprises from the cellar—from Longoria Wines. For reservations call the Ballard Inn Restaurant at 800 638-2466.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 14

Farmers Market

Winemaker Dinner

Valley Vino Wine Bar, Solvang Valley Vino Wine Bar and Succulent Café bring you a dinner prepared with foods of the farmers market. Paired with their wonderful culinary creations will be the wines of Brett Escalera of Consilience and Tre Anelli. Space is limited; for reservations, call 805 691-9548.

SATURDAY MARCH 31

Riverbench & Bell Street

Farm Pork & Pinot Pairing

Riverbench and Bell Street Farm team up to bring you “vine and swine”—petite pork bites paired with Pinot Noir. $35 per person. Make your reservation at 805 937-8340.

SATURDAY APRIL 21

Santa Barbara County Vintners’ Festival

1–4pm at The Carranza, Los Olivos More than 100 vintners pouring their latest releases of the 54-plus varietals of wine grown in the county. Wine country cuisine and music, in a new location this year. For more info and to buy tickets, visit sbcountywines.com

APRIL 22

Earth Day

TUESDAY MAY 15

Santa Barbara

Beer vs. Wine

Los Olivos Cafe & Wine Merchant

MAY JUNE

TUESDAY JUNE 12

Santa Ynez Valley Supper Club, Santa Maria BBQ

Los Olivos Cafe & Wine Merchant

A three-course Santa Maria BBQ-themed meal accompanied by diner-supplied Santa Maria wines. Bring a Pinot Noir from Sierra Madre, a Chardonnay from Alta Maria, a wine from Bien Nacido Vineyard, or any other Santa Maria wine. $40 per person. Seats are limited; call to reserve your spot 805 688-7265

In celebration of National Craft Beer Week, local Figueroa Mtn. Brewery will be pitted against local wines during a five-course meal. Each course will be paired with a beer and a wine, so diners will decide favorite pairings for a variety of foods. $79 per person. Call to reserve your spot, 805 688-7265.

SUNDAY MAY 20

Taste of the Nation

6pm; Montecito Country Club

Guests will enjoy tastings from an array of select wines and special dishes prepared by over 25 of Santa Barbara’s top restaurants. Supporting Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger. Proceeds benefit the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County. Tickets: $65 or $75 at the door. For more info visit strength.org/santabarbara

SATURDAY JUNE 30

25th Annual Santa Barbara Wine Festival

Santa Barbara Natural History Museum Swirl, sip and savor wines from premier Central Coast wineries complemented with sweet and savory delectable delights on the beautiful grounds of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. For details and to purchase tickets visit sbnature.org

SATURDAY MAY 26

Spring Picnic in the Vineyard with Chef Pascale

Zaca Mesa Winery Chef and Edible Santa Barbara contributor Pascale Beale will prepare a spring picnic to be enjoyed in the Zaca Mesa vineyard, accompanied by Zaca Mesa wines. $85 per person. Reservations required and space is limited; call 805 688-9339.

SATURDAY JUNE 2

Los Olivos Jazz & Olive Festival

SATURDAY MAY 19

Crawfish Boil

Noon; Buttonwood Winery

Buttonwood Winery’s semi-annual Louisiana-style Crawfish Boil. Come out to the vineyard and devour some little mud-bugs and other grub, dance to tunes from the Zydeco Zippers and drink some delicious Buttonwood wine. $95. Reservations are a must; to purchase tickets, go to buttonwoodwinery.com.

SUNDAY JUNE 10

ABCs of Syrah

Zaca Mesa Winery

Every year on the first Saturday in June, from 1–4pm, downtown Los Olivos comes alive with music, wine and food in the local park and adjoining street. Be sure to get your tickets early. Attendance is strictly limited to enhance the experience for all. For more info and tickets visit jazzandolivefestival.org

Dane Campbell, wine education specialist at Zaca Mesa, conducts a seminar including the history of the varietal, sensory evaluation and a blind wine tasting. Noon–1:30pm. Free, but space is limited. RSVP to kori@zacamesa.com or call 805 6889339 x314.

SATURDAY JUNE 30

The Chardonnay Symposium

Byron Vineyard and Winery Come to the Santa Maria Valley for an insightful weekend of education and exploration designed to enlighten wine consumers, industry professionals and media on Chardonnay wine producing regions and wine making styles, and their effects on America’s favorite wine; thechardonnaysymposium.com

Dining Guide edible

Santa Barbara County

has its own unique food traditions—from Santa Maria barbecue to Santa Barbara spot prawns and the world-class local wines that accompany them—so we’d like to help you find some of the area restaurants that create the distinctively Santa Barbara dining experience. Restaurants are invited to advertise in this guide because of their emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients and their commitment to real food.

Carpinteria

Giannfranco’s Trattoria

666 Linden Ave.

Carpinteria

805 684-0720

giannfrancos.com

Experience authentic Northern and Southern Italian regional cuisine at this family-owned and -operated trattoria in downtown Carpinteria. Chef Giovanni prepares each dish from the freshest local and imported foods to offer his creative take on Tuscan grill specialties. Weekday lunch served 11am–3pm. Weekend lunch served noon–3pm. Dinner served 5–9pm. Closed Tuesday.

Sly’s

686 Linden Ave.

Carpinteria

805 684-6666

slysonline.com

Sly’s is known for great food, with an emphasis on farmers market and local produce, great cocktails and great times in Carpinteria, the last great little beach town on the Central Coast. Open 7 days for lunch 11:30am–3pm, dinner Sun–Thur 5–9pm, Fri and Sat 5–10pm and weekend brunch 9am–3pm.

Goleta

Backyard Bowls

5668 Calle Real

Goleta

805 770-2730

backyardbowls.com

Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies and more. Mon–Fri 7am–6pm; Sat–Sun 8am–6pm.

Fresco Café North

5940 Calle Real

Goleta

805 692-8999 fresconorth.com

Each of the three Fresco Café locations is independently owned and operated and all offer freshly prepared food—emphasizing organic and natural ingredients and served in a warm atmosphere by friendly and welcoming staff.

Goodland Kitchen & Market

231 S. Magnolia Ave.

Old Town Goleta 805 845-4300

goodlandkitchen.com

The Goodland Market is a grab-and-go eatery in Old Town Goleta, specializing in delicious, locally sourced and affordable meals. They prepare food in small batches and utilize produce from local farmers to provide an exceptional culinary experience. Mon–Fri 7am–2:30pm; Sat 8am–2pm.

Miró

Bacara Resort & Spa

8301 Hollister Ave.

Goleta

805 968-0100

bacararesort.com

Miró offers extraordinary New American cuisine and an interior inspired by the Spanish artist Miró and breathtaking views of the Pacific. Chef de Cuisine David Garwacki's dishes are accented with unique international flavors. Miró Wine Cellar houses an extensive collection of wines spanning 13 countries and 75 international appellations.

The Bistro

Bacara Resort & Spa

8301 Hollister Ave.

Goleta

805 968-0100 bacararesort.com

The Bistro offers a casual and relaxed ocean side atmosphere with Mediterranean fusion cuisine that can be enjoyed indoors or al fresco. The Bistro provides exquisite cuisine while still catering to families.

Montecito

Cava Restaurant & Bar

1212 Coast Village Rd. Montecito 805 969-8500 cavarestaurant.com

Experience the bold flavors of superb Latin cuisine from Spain, Mexico and South America in a romantic setting in Montecito. Member Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program. Open daily 11am–11pm, weekend breakfast from 8am.

Santa Barbara Backyard Bowls

Santa Barbara Locations: 331 Motor Way 805 845-5379

3849 State St., La Cumbre (next to Vons) 805 569-0011 backyardbowls.com

Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies and more. Mon–Fri 7am–6pm; Sat–Sun 8am–6pm. La Cumbre open till 9pm.

Bouchon

9 W. Victoria St.

Santa Barbara 805 730-1160 bouchonsantabarbara.com

Bouchon sources all of its ingredients using an “as-fresh-and-as-local-as-possible” approach, and Chef Greg Murphy is a familiar sight at the local farmers markets. Experience fine dining, excellent regional wines and relaxed service in a warm, inviting ambience. Private dining in the Cork Room is available for groups of 10–20. Dinner nightly from 5:30pm.

Carlitos Café y Cantina

1324 State St.

Santa Barbara 805 962-7117 carlitos.com

Enjoy fresh Mexican cuisine across from the historic Arlington Theatre on State Street in a sun-filled patio while the beautiful dining room features lovely views and a Cantina stocked with 100% Blue Agave tequilas. Member Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program. Open daily 11am–10pm.

Coast Restaurant

31 W. Carrillo St.

Santa Barbara 805 879-9100

canarysantabarbara.com

Coast Restaurant and Bar offers savory, accessible comfort food in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara at the Canary Hotel. The food at Coast reflects Santa Barbara’s plentiful bounty of local seafood and farmers market produce. Restaurant serving 7am–10pm daily. Bar open Mon–Thurs 11am–11pm and Fri–Sat 11am–midnight.

Fresco Café

Five Points, 3987 B State St. Santa Barbara 805 967-6037 frescosb.com

Each of the three Fresco Café locations is independently owned and operated and all offer freshly prepared food—emphasizing organic and natural ingredients and served in a warm atmosphere by friendly and welcoming staff.

Pizza Guru

3534 State St.

Santa Barbara 805 563-3250

pizzaguru.com

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. Open Mon–Sat 11am–9:30pm, Sunday 11:30–8:30pm.

Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro

Loreto Plaza at 3315 State St.

Santa Barbara 805 569-2400

1324 State St.

Santa Barbara 805 892-2800

renaudsbakery.com

Renaud’s is a bakery specializing in French pastries and French-style cakes, as well as a bistro offering an extensive menu for lunch and dinner. Open daily 7am–3pm, and until 5pm Mon–Sat at Loreto Plaza.

Seagrass

30 E. Ortega St.

Santa Barbara 805 963-1012

seagrassrestaurant.com

Seagrass offers a fresh Santa Barbara Coastal Cuisine fine dining experience, procuring the highest quality ingredients available and superior local bounty. Open Mon–Thu 5:30–10pm; Fri–Sat 5:30–10:30pm; Sun 5:30–9:30pm.

Sojourner Café

134 E. Cañon Perdido St.

Santa Barbara 805 965-7922

sojournercafe.com

The Sojourner has been serving unique dishes created with wholesome natural ingredients for over 30 years. They purchase organic produce from local growers, carry local wines and beers and are known for their innovative desserts. Serving lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. Open daily 11am–11pm, Sunday 11am–10pm.

The Wine Cask

813 Anacapa St.

Santa Barbara 805 966-9463

winecask.com

The Wine Cask Restaurant offers fine dining in their exquisite Gold Room and the Wine Cask Bar Café offers casual dining in the courtyard, patio or by their cozy fireplace. Their food is sourced from area farms and local purveyors. They also have a tasting room where you can sample some of the finest wines of Santa Barbara County. Restaurant nightly from 5:30pm; bar and café Mon–Fri 11am–10pm, Sat–Sun 4–10pm; Tasting Room daily noon–6pm.

santa barbara

Buellton

Avant Tapas & Wine

35 Industrial Way

Buellton 805 686-9400

avantwines.com

Avant offers a selection of savory tapas, gourmet pizzas and desserts that are the perfect counterpoint to the over 30 wines available for tasting at their state-ofthe-art production facility. Open Monday, Thursday and Sunday 11am–8pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm.

The Hitching Post II

406 E. Highway 246

Buellton

805 688-0676

hitchingpost2.com

From Santa Maria–style barbecue to more contemporary cuisine such as smoked duck breast, ostrich, homemade soups and outstanding pastries, The Hitching Post II also offers their own world-class Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Wines. Open daily except major holidays. Cocktails/wine tasting Mon–Fri at 4pm, Sat–Sun at 3pm. Dinners only Mon–Fri 5–9:30pm, Sat–Sun 4–9:30pm.

Los Alamos

Bell Street Farm

Eatery & Market

406 Bell St. Los Alamos 805 344-4609

bellstreetfarm.com

With farm fresh cuisine and sophisticated yet comfortable design, Bell Street Farm offers a distinct environment to enjoy a meal, snack or a wine tasting. The market showcases picnic baskets and accessories for creating a portable meal, as well as gifts and merchandise from local artisans. Open Fri– Mon 10am–6pm.

Full of Life Flatbread

225 W. Bell St.

Los Alamos

805 344-4400

fulloflifefoods.com

On weekends Full of Life Flatbread converts their production flatbread bakery space into a restaurant and offers an extremely innovative menu based almost entirely on what is grown locally and in season. Open Fri–Sat 5–10pm, Sunday 4–8pm.

Los Olivos

Los Olivos Wine

Merchant & Café

2879 Grand Ave.

Los Olivos

805 688-7265

losolivoscafe.com

The Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café brings together the best flavors of the Central Coast. Their award-

winning wine list offers over 500 wines, primarily from Central Coast winemakers, to enjoy with their fresh, seasonal and local cuisine, or to enjoy at home. Open for lunch and dinner daily 11:30am–8:30pm.

Santa Ynez

Dos Carlitos Restaurant & Tequila Bar

3544 Sagunto St. Santa Ynez 805 688-0033

doscarlitosrestaurant.com

Dos Carlitos offers inspired Mexican and Latin cuisine handcrafted from the freshest ingredients to accompany its award-winning 100% Blue Agave margaritas. Dos Carlitos is a place to enjoy friends and family in a relaxed outdoor patio or casual indoor setting. Member Santa Barbara Sustainable Seafood Program. Open daily 11am–10pm.

Solvang

Fresco Valley Café

442 Atterdag Rd. Solvang 805 688-8857

frescovalleycafe.com

Each of the three Fresco Café locations is independently owned and operated and all offer freshly prepared food—emphasizing organic and natural ingredients and served in a warm atmosphere by friendly and welcoming staff.

Root 246

420 Alisal Rd. Solvang 805 686-8681 root-246.com

Root 246 in Solvang offers a full menu of farm-to-table creations and one of the most extensive selections of local wine. The contemporary yet comfortable setting includes a main dining room, a “chefs room” for private dining, two lounges and an outdoor patio. Wed–Sun: bar opens at 4pm with dinner at 5pm.

Succulent Café & Trading Company

1555 Mission Drive Solvang 805 691-9444

succulentcafe.com

Succulent Café is a family-owned business specializing in handcrafted and artisan culinary goods. Featuring buttermilk biscuit sandwiches at breakfast, gourmet sandwiches and salads at lunch and unique local centric plates at dinner. Lunch Wed–Sun 11am–3pm; breakfast Sat–Sun 9am–2pm; dinner Thu–Sat 6–9pm.

edible Source Guide

The Edible Source Guide is a compact listing of all of our advertisers with a description of what they do and the details of their businesses. Please visit these advertisers to pick up your free copy of Edible Santa Barbara and let them know how much you appreciate their support of Edible Santa Barbara.

BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES

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 4–6pm, Friday 4–8pm, Saturday 2–6pm. Telegraph beer is available at many restaurants and grocery stores in Santa Barbara County and throughout California. telegraphbrewing.com

St-Germain Liqueur

St-Germain is the first liqueur in the world created in the artisanal French manner from freshly handpicked elderflower blossoms. To find out more, visit their website at stgermain.fr

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

Nimita’s Cuisine

Nimita Dhirajlal delights in sharing the art of Indian vegetarian cooking using organic, local ingredients. She offers classes, catering, weekly deliveries, as well as prepared foods such as curry, daal, chutney and raita. nimitascuisine.com

COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SPACE

Goodland Kitchen

Goodland Kitchen, located in downtown Goleta, rents the use of its licensed and insured facility on an hourly basis to local food producers and re-packagers. It is also available as a teaching venue and for special event food processing. 805 845-4300; goodlandkitchen.com

FARMERS MARKETS

Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market

Eight markets, six days a week. See schedule on page 35. 805 962-5354; sbfarmersmarket.org

FARMS AND RANCHES

Drake Family Farms

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

Fat Uncle Farms

Fat Uncle Farms grows almonds in Wasco, just northwest of Bakersfield and they sell fresh whole raw almonds as well as roasted and flavored almonds and many other almond products at the Saturday, Tuesday, Friday and Thursday farmers markets. 866 290-0219; fatunclefarms.wordpress.com

Rancho San Julian Beef

Rancho San Julian Beef produces high quality beef from cattle raised humanely and healthfully on an agriculturally sustainable ranch in Santa Barbara County. Available at the following farmers markets: Saturday in Santa Barbara 8:30am–12:30pm, Tuesday in Santa Barbara 3–6:30pm and Friday in Montecito 8–11:30am as well as on their website rsjbeef.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 and Saturday 11am–3pm. 6701 Casitas Pass Rd., Carpinteria; shepherdfarmscsa.com

FISH MARKETS

Kanaloa Seafood

Kanaloa is the only International Organization of Standardization certified seafood company in North America. They offer a wide variety of fresh, local, sustainable seafood. Open Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm, Sat 9am–4pm; 618 East Gutierrez St., Santa Barbara; 805 966-5159; kanaloaseafood.com

FOOD PRODUCTS

Full of Life Flatbread All Natural Pizza

Each of their frozen line of artisan flatbread pizzas is handmade by their bakers in small batches. Almost all of their ingredients are sourced local from growers and artisans, which reduces food-miles, helps the environment and ensures high quality. Available at grocery and natural food stores throughout the country. fulloflifefoods.com

IxCacao

IxCacao makes intensely rich, premium chocolate brownies in a variety of flavors, including Chocolate, Mayan Cacao, Caribbean, Sweet Indian Chai, Salted Caramel and California Orange. They are available at area gourmet food markets and online at ixcacaobrownies.com

Joëlle Olive Oil

Joëlle Olive Oil offers a full line of fresh, cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil estate grown in California. Award winning in international competitions, all of their oils are unfiltered, extra-virgin and date-stamped for year of production. joelleoil.com

Simply Pies

Simply Pies specializes in delicious organic pies, potpies, quiches and cheesecakes that are handcrafted with fresh, local organic ingredients. Vegan, gluten free and sugar free options. Open Tuesday–Saturday 7am–5:30pm; Saturday 10am–5:30pm. 5392 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara. 805 845-2200; Email: orders@simplypiessb.com; simplypiessb.com

GARDEN SUPPLIES

RollingPlanter.com

RollingPlanter.com has a line of mobile and fixed position raised bed planters that are ideally suited for home and restaurant food production. The planters can be placed on almost any surface. Custom sizes also available. Order on line: rollingplanter.com or sanctuspheres.com.

GROCERY STORES & PRODUCE DELIVERY

Isla Vista Food Co-op

A community-owned food co-op open to the public and highly regarded for its sustainable business practices and high-quality foods. Highlighting tri-county local, organic, fair-trade, farmer-owned, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, raw, gluten-free and all-around sustainable ways of being. Open daily 8am–10pm. 6575 Seville Rd., Isla Vista. 805 968-1401; islavistafood.coop

Lassen’s Natural Foods & Vitamins

Lassen’s has been providing the finest natural foods and supplements for 40 years and now has nine stores in California. In Goleta at 5154 Hollister and in Santa Maria at 1790 S. Broadway. Mon–Sat 9am–8pm; lassens.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; lazyacres.com

Los Olivos Grocery

Los Olivos Grocery offers a wide selection of local products, wines, beers and produce. Their delicatessen is a valley favorite, with a wide lunch menu. Breakfast is served on their enclosed patio. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, BBQ is offered. Open daily 5am–10pm; 2621 W. Highway 154, Santa Ynez; 805 688-5115; losolivosgrocery@ymail.com

New Frontiers Natural Marketplace

New Frontiers Natural Marketplace is a full service natural foods grocery store and deli. Located in Solvang at 1984 Old Mission Dr. (corner of Alamo Pintado and Mission Dr.) Call 805 693-1746 for hours and additional information. They are also located in San Luis Obispo at 1531 Froom Ranch Way (on Los Osos Valley Rd. near Home Depot).

Pacific Health Foods

Offering organic groceries, vitamins, a helpful staff and the best smoothies in town. Open Mon–Fri 9am–6:30pm; Sat 10am–6:30pm. Located at 944 Linden Ave., Carpinteria; 805 684-2115. For more info, visit the Pacific Health Foods Facebook page.

Plow to Porch Organics

Local organic/pesticide free/chemical free and all natural produce delivery service and organic market. The market carries a wide array of seasonal and local produce, meat and food products and is located at 3204 State St., Santa Barbara. Open Monday–Friday 10am–7pm. 805 895-7171; plowtoporch.com

Whole Foods Market

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

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

American Riviera Bank

Offering a local and sustainable approach to banking. The founders of American Riviera Bank are a carefully selected group of successful, prominent, experienced and influential community and business leaders who understand the unique needs of the Santa Barbara community. Lobby hours Monday–Thursday 8am–5pm, Friday 8am–6pm. 1033 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara. 805 965-5942. americanrivierabank.com

Rabobank

Rabobank is a valued financial partner for thousands of individuals, businesses, farmers and ranchers, food and agribusiness companies and other select institutions in many California communities, meeting the financial needs of local families, businesses and organizations with great banking products and personalized service. rabobankamerica.com

Women’s Economic Ventures

Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) provides training, consulting, coaching and loans to small businesses in Santa Barbara County as well as Ventura and Kern Counties. WEV helps small businesses succeed by providing a nationally recognized training program, access to start-up and growth capital and ongoing assistance. wevonline.org

RESTAURANTS

See our Edible Dining Guide on page 58.

SCHOOLS

Antioch University Santa Barbara

Antioch University Santa Barbara is dedicated to academic excellence and provides students with an intimate campus environment, offering degrees in psychology, liberal studies and organizational management. 602 Anacapa St.; 805 962-8179; antiochsb.edu

SPECIALTY RETAILERS & PRODUCTS

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

Curious Cup Bookstore

Carpinteria’s independent bookstore carries books for children of all ages including: board books, picture books, graphic novels, series books and books for young adults, as well as a limited selection of adult fiction. Community room available for special events. 929 Linden Ave, Carpinteria; 805 220-6608; curiouscup.com

Grapeseed Company

The Grapeseed Company creates eco-friendly spa and skincare handcrafted from a byproduct of wine plus antioxidant rich local and organic botanicals. Tuesday-Saturday 10:30am–5:30pm; Sunday noon–5pm. 201 W. Carrillo St., Santa Barbara 805 456-3655; thegrapeseedcompany.com

Herban Essentials

Herban Essentials uses the highest-quality, 100% pure, therapeutic-grade, steam-distilled or cold-pressed essential oils to make their line of essential oil towelettes, available in Orange, Lemon, Lavender, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Pet and Yoga. herbanessentials.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

Whimsy Antiques

Reuse, recycle, repurpose. Buy vintage. Whimsy Antiques has two locations in downtown Carpinteria: Whimsy Home & Garden at 5042 7th St.; 805 684-7211 and Whimsy Town & Country at 962 Linden Ave.; 805 684-1222; open 11–5 daily; whimsyantiques.com

WINERIES AND WINE RETAILERS

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

Au Bon Climat Tasting Room and the Jim Clendenen Wine Library

Celebrating 30 years of winemaking in Santa Barbara County, Au Bon Climat is world renowned for beautifully balanced and elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The tasting room features a large selections of cellar aged library wines and Jim Clendenen’s eclectic smaller labels. Open daily 12 noon–6pm; 813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, next to the Wine Cask. 805 845-8435; www.aubonclimat.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 state-of-the-art production facility, in Santa Barbara County. Open for tasting Monday, Thursday and Sunday 11am–8pm, Friday–Saturday 11am–10pm. 35 Industrial Way, Buellton. 805 686-9400; avantwines.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 vineyard 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

Foxen Winery & Vineyard

Bill Wathen and Dick Doré have been making wine together since 1985, when they founded Foxen Winery & Vineyard at the historic Rancho Tinaquaic in northern Santa Barbara County. Visit the two tasting rooms at 7200 and 7600 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria. Open daily 11am–4pm. 805 937-4251; foxenvineyard.com

Longoria Wines

Longoria Wines is a small family owned winery producing acclaimed artisanal wines from some of the finest vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Visit their tasting room in Los Olivos at 2935 Grand Ave., daily 11am–4:30pm or in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto at 1700 Industrial Way, unit A, Saturday and Sunday 11am–4:30pm. longoriawine.com

Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe

The Wine Merchant specializes in premium California wines with a focus on highlighting the Central Coast. They feature Bernat Wines which are estate grown and made by owner Sam Marmorstein. In addition they carry a line of signature gourmet products. Open daily 11:30am–8:30pm. 2879 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. 805 688-7265; losolivoscafe.com

Qupé

For 30 years, Qupé has been dedicated to producing handcrafted Rhône varietals and Chardonnay from California’s Central Coast. Employing traditional winemaking techniques and biodynamic farming practices, Qupe’s wines are true to type and speak of their vineyard sources. Tasting room is open daily 11am–5pm. 2963 Grand Ave., Suite B, Los Olivos; 805 686-4200; qupe.com

Riverbench Vineyard & Winery

Since 1973 Riverbench has produced some of Santa Barbara County’s finest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. With their initial harvest in 2006, they have now begun producing their own wines with winemaker Chuck Ortman. Tasting room is open 10am–4pm daily. 6020 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria. 805 937-8340; riverbench.com

Tessa Marie Wines

Sangiovese is the cornerstone of winemaker Tessa Marie’s efforts, but she has recently expanded her portfolio to include several new varieties in her all Italian lineup. The tasting room is open Thursday–Monday 11:30am–5pm and is located at 2901 Grand Ave. Suite C, Los Olivos. 805 688-6081; www.tessamariewines.com

The Hitching Post II

The Hitching Post II offers their own world-class Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Wines. Open daily except major holidays. Cocktails/wine tasting Mon–Fri at 4pm, Sat–Sun at 3pm. Dinners only Mon–Fri 5–9:30pm, Sat–Sun 4–9:30pm. 406 E. Highway 246, Buellton. 805 688-0676; hitchingpost2.com

Valley Vino Wine Bar & Merchant

Newly opened in Solvang, this wine bar features outstanding wines by local winemakers and beer on tap. 1557 Mission Dr., Solvang; valleyvinowinebar.com

The Winehound

The award-winning Winehound features the world’s best wines—from the everyday to a luxury cuvée—all top dogs, no mutts. Open 11am–7pm Monday through Saturday, noon–6pm Sunday. 1221 Chapala St., Santa Barbara. 805 845-5247; thewinehound.com

Wine Cask Tasting Room

Wine Cask partner Doug Margerum has brought his wines to downtown Santa Barbara, including his Margerum Wine Company wines, Happy Canyon Vineyards wines and Cimarone/Three Creek Vineyards and CENT ’ANNI, as well as a selection of imported wines. Wine tasting is available from noon to 6pm every day. 813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara; 805 966-9463; MargerumWineCompany.com

Zaca Mesa Winery & 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

Carole Topalian & Tracey Ryder

Edible Communitites

10 TH ANNIVERSARY

n the spring of 2002, Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian launched a modest publication called Edible Ojai —a modest publication that has ended up changing the way people all across North America think about local food. Saveur magazine included Edible Ojai in its “Top 100” list in January 2004 with the words “a concept we wish would crop up everywhere,” which led Tracey and Carole on a journey to make that happen. Through an innovative model, their publishing company Edible Communities allows people in regions all over North America to start their own local Edible magazines. And the nearly 70 Edible magazines are now the voice of a food movement. Tracey and Carole followed their passion to celebrate local foods, the people who grow, create and cook with them; and most of all, the communities that are built around them. As very proud members of Edible Communities, we thank these two remarkable individuals for going on this journey and changing everything.