Edible Santa Barbara Summer 2010

edible

SANTA BARBARA

Celebrating the Food Culture of Santa Barbara County

Wine Caves: Down to Earth Stone Fruit Recycling Edible Flowers

edible SANTA BARBARA summer

FOOD FOR THOUGHT D

This summer, for me, it’s all about the young farmers. Whenever I think about the problems with our food system, our battered environment and our health care crisis, I remind myself that there are young people today right here in this community who are starting to farm.

They have started this year or perhaps in the last couple years, during times that seemed economically challenging. But they took that leap of faith with what is quite possibly a lifelong commitment. And they are choosing to farm organically, with an eye toward building our local food system with healthy food and acting as stewards of the environment. Can there be any news more encouraging?

You can read about five of these young farmers in Nancy Oster’s article in this issue. I had the pleasure of accompanying our photographer Fran Collin on some of the photo shoots, and the experience touched me. At one farm we were invited to stay for lunch, and over a plate of delicious freshly picked produce and one of the best salads I’ve ever had, I realized that connecting with the people who grow the food we eat is a powerful thing. These young farmers understand that and are building new pathways for local food in our community.

I also happen to think there is a movement afoot. It wasn’t just these five talented and passionate new farmers who convinced me, but I have been meeting and reading about many others. There is a national organization called The Greenhorns whose mission is to promote, recruit and support young farmers. I would love to see our community do that as well.

This summer take the time to visit a farm, talk to a farmer at one of our farmers markets or ask your favorite restaurant or grocery store which farms they get their produce from. There are many ways you can support our local farmers—both new and old. And ultimately there are many ways that they support all of us.

Krista Harris, Editor

SANTABARBA RA edible

PUBLISHERS

Steven Brown & Krista Harris

EDITOR

Krista Harris

RECIPE

EDITOR

Nancy Oster

COPY EDITOR

Doug Adrianson

EDITORIAL INTERN

Meghan McDonald

DESIGNER

Steven Brown

WEB DESIGN

Mary Ogle

Contributors

Pascale Beale-Groom

Joan S. Bolton

Fran Collin

Jill Johnson

Janice Cook Knight

Laura Lindsey

Peter Malinowski

Michele Molony

Diane Murphy

Nancy Oster

Laura Sanchez

Jenifer Schramm

Carole Topalian

About the Cover

Photographer

Fran Collin captures an image of Noey Turk of Yes Yes Nursery. Fran worked in New York for 20 years before moving back to Carpinteria (Brooks grad ‘82). His work has been published in Food+Wine, Eating Light and New York Magazine. In addition, he has worked with City Meals on Wheels and some of the most gifted chefs in the world, with an ongoing portrait series at work-for-food.com.

Advertising Inquiries

ads@ediblesantabarbara.com

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Edible Santa Barbara is published quarterly and distributed throughout Santa Barbara County. Subscription rate is $28 annually. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.

Working Side by Side for 34 Vintages, Thekla and Richard Sanford Have Produced Celebrated Wines From the Santa Rita Hills.

Their Newest Venture, Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards, Constitutes the Culmination of a Lifetime’s Experience Crafting Food Friendly Wines.

Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards is Committed to Organic Farming, Sustainable Agricultural Methods, And Environmentally Friendly Commerce.

All of our estate vineyards are certified organic by CCOF. Nature & Agriculture in Sustainable Harmony 7250 Santa Rosa Rd. Buellton, CA 805 688-9090 Tasting Room Open Daily 11:00am – 4:30pm www.almarosawinery.com

edible Notables

New Local Organic Market

Plow to Porch

In addition to Plow to Porch’s produce delivery service, they now have a retail store where everything is local. You can stop by and pick up what you need for a delicious, organic, local meal. They carry a wide array of seasonal produce, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork and lamb, sustainable seafood, gluten-free baked goods, eggs, nuts, jams, olive oil, walnut oil and many other local products. Owner Pam Plessons started the produce delivery system service because she wanted to simplify the purchase of local, organic produce. With her retail store she has made it even easier.

Plow to Porch is located at 3204 State St., Santa Barbara. Open Tue–Fri 10am–7pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–5pm. In addition to parking on the street, there is parking in the back at Jade restaurant available from 10am–5pm. 805 705-4786; plowtoporch.com

Bento Box Lunches

Spiritland Bistro

Spiritland Bistro, known for their delicious, organic cuisine and their popular BYOB Wine & Dine events, has now entered the lunch scene. Knowing that people love choices, they came up with a modular bentobox-styled lunch where you mix and match a starch, a protein, vegetables and a sauce to come up with your own perfect combination. For instance try roasted yams with organic chicken, mixed seasonal vegetables and Thai curry sauce pictured at the top. Or try wild and brown rice with tofu, kale and tahini sauce pictured on the bottom. There are also extras such as miso soup, red cabbage slaw, cucumber salad and many other side dishes. Box lunches start at $8.95. You can dine in or take out. Their to-go utensils are compostable and their boxes are biodegradable and microwave safe.

Spiritland Bistro is located at 230 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara. Open for lunch Mon–Sun 11:30am–2pm. Phone orders taken starting at 11am. Dinner Sun–Thu 5:30–9pm, Fri–Sat 5:30–10pm. 805 966-7759; spiritlandbistro.com

A Movable Fiesta Crooked Road

Introducing an innovative take on wine tasting, local winery Crooked Road offers guests escapism beyond sips with “rogue tastings,” held at various Santa Barbara locations this summer. “We’re permanently temporary... at least for now,” jokes winery partner Chris Fossek. The gypsy-like troupe offers winemaker Ryan Ralston’s Starr Ranch estate wines at selected sites (think: cultural centers, hotel rooftops and restaurant patios). They broadcast an invite via social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook, and let guests enjoy the adventure.

For more information visit crookedroadwine.com

Celebrating Art and Local Winemakers

Sunlight and Water is an art exhibition designed to transform eight tasting rooms, a restaurant and a hotel in downtown Los Olivos into a meandering gallery for six months. The

exhibit features Mark Robert Halper’s portraits of Santa Barbara County winemakers. The exhibition will be preceded by a winemaker dinner on August 13 at 7pm, with a menu prepared by award-winning chef Bradley Ogden. The opening gala reception and silent auction for the Sunlight and Water book release and art exhibition, hosted by Avant Tapas and Wine, will be on August 14 at 7:30pm. The exhibition in downtown Los Olivos will run until February 15, 2011.

vertical TASTING

A bowl of fruit is all it takes to make some people happy. But there is something about the creations at Backyard Bowls that puts people into a state of bliss. Beyond just a bowl of fruit, Backyard Bowls serves wholesome, nutritious, real food with many local and organic ingredients. Here are just four of the many incredible combinations they offer.

Hot Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients: Quinoa, homemade cashew milk, cinnamon and raisins

Topping: Walnuts, strawberries, blueberries and agave nectar

Best for: Those cool, foggy summer mornings or whenever you want something hearty and satisfying.

For more information and tickets for the winemaker dinner, opening gala and silent auction, call 888 273-2838 or visit sunlightandwater.com

Wine Cork Recycling

Whole Foods

Ever wonder what to do with the cork after finishing a bottle of wine? Recycle it, but not with the bottle. Similar to batteries, corks need to be recycled in a manner different from other recyclable materials. In conjunction with Cork ReHarvest, Whole Foods Market has made cork recycling easy. Just drop off your corks at any Whole Foods Market including the one in Santa Barbara. The collected corks will be made into recyclable wine shippers, cork floor tiles or other products at various centers across the nation. Because the corks are transported by trucks that are already en route to these destinations, there is virtually zero increase in carbon emissions. By taking the time to recycle your corks, you can help sustain Mediterranean cork forests and our planet.

Whole Foods Market is located at 3761 State St. 805 837-6959. wholefoodsmarket.com

Spartan Muesli Bowl

Ingredients: Rolled oats, freshground flax seeds, almonds, walnuts, dried fruits, raisins and home-made cashew milk

Topping: Bananas, fresh berries, hemp seeds and honey

Best for: Equally delicious for breakfast or lunch, this bowl is a cereal lover’s nirvana.

Yogurt Bowl

Ingredients: Fresh yogurt from Straus Family Creamery

Topping: Liberty Granola, bananas, fresh berries and honey

Best for: The quintessential breakfast. It has quite possibly the best yogurt and granola on the planet.

Island Bowl

Ingredients: A frozen blend of acai, banana, mango, pineapple juice and coconut milk

Topping: Bananas, fresh berries, coconut shavings, granola and honey

Best for: Any warm summer day when you want something healthy that tastes like dessert.

Backyard Bowls is located at 331 Motor Way (next to the city lot on State and Gutierrez streets) in Santa Barbara. They are open Mon–Fri 7am–6pm and Sat–Sun 8am–6pm. 805 845-5379; backyardbowls.com

Edible Profile

The Fisherman Tale of Kenny Schmidt

by Jill Johnson

In these days of well-manicured paper-pushing people who produce little of intrinsic value, it is a breath of fresh air, albeit salt-tinged sea air, to meet local fisherman Kenny Schmidt.

His hands are large, tanned and gnarled from years of being in a long-term relationship with the natural world of sun, ocean and various creatures therein. His bronzed countenance is deeply etched, the signs of a life lived fully on the water and the laughter and smiles that come easily to him. He’s not quite the “old man” of Hemingway’s Nobel-winning novella, but, like Santiago, Kenny possesses eyes that are “cheerful and undefeated.” One has to have such strong depth of optimism and faith in the future to be a fisherman.

Opportunities are said to come knocking, and for Kenny that is exactly how his fishing career began in 1972: literally with a knock on his boat’s hatch. Kenny had been studying physical education and math in San Diego but found inspiration in the book The Dove, about a young man’s solo circumnavigation of the globe in a boat. Despite never having stepped upon the deck of a boat before, Kenny bought the Twist, which was docked in Santa Barbara, figuring if he couldn’t make it around the world he could at least make it out to the islands. He had moved up the coast and was living onboard his boat in the harbor when the knock of fate came. A fisherman was short a few deckhands and was trying to hunt up some willing bodies. Kenny went and was, essentially, hooked from then on.

STEVEN BROWN

Kenny Schmidt next to his boat, the Sonrisa

Kenny spent years diving for urchin and for abalone when the abalone fishery was thriving along the California coast. However, in the ’90s commercial abalone fishing was shut down when the population dwindled to dangerous levels, teetering on extinction. This was due to several things, including withering foot syndrome and the effects of El Niño.

“These days, black cod, a sustainable fishery, is filling Kenny’s current boat, the Sonrisa.”

“During El Niño, it was like a forest fire underwater. It devastated everything,” Kenny reminisced wistfully. Although he misses working that fishery, he doesn’t miss the diving. “It’s hard work. It’s hard on the body.” That hard work also entailed detangling himself from the jaws of numerous elephant seals and daintily weaving his way to the ocean’s surface through the middle of a pod of orcas, hoping they wouldn’t mistake him for an aquatic appetizer.

These days, black cod, a sustainable fishery, is filling Kenny’s current boat, the Sonrisa. He also fills the boat up with marine scientists, taking them out to the islands to do various research projects. “The joint ventures with the scientific community are amazing,” Kenny enthuses. But come summertime, he packs up his gear and heads north to Alaska to spend 40 days fishing for sockeye salmon. He often unloads his catch onto the Cornelia Maria, of “Dangerous Catch” fame, for transport to the processing facilities.

Kenny feels he has been blessed on so many levels. He’s had a successful career on the sea. His house on the Mesa, festooned with sea memorabilia as is de rigueur of any seafarer, overlooks the entire harbor. He shares the love of an amazing woman, Tracey, and is so deeply proud of their five children. His kids are not following in his fishing-boot footsteps, although one of his sons does accompany him on the yearly trek to Alaska.

And that’s fine with Kenny. “I’ve chosen to do it and take the risks so they wouldn’t have to.”

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

Season in

Almonds (harvested Aug /Sept)

Apples

Apricots

Artichokes

Arugula

Asparagus

Avocados

Basil

Bay leaf

Beans

Beets

Blackberries

Blueberries

Bok choy

Broccoli

Cabbage

Cantaloupe

Carrots

Cauliflower

Celery

Chard

Cherries

Chiles

Chives

Cilantro

Collards

Corn

Cucumber

Dandelion

Dates (harvested Sept/Oct)

Dill

Eggplant

Figs

Garlic (harvested May/June)

Grapefruit

Grapes

Honey

Kale

Lavender

Lemons

Lettuce

Limes

Melons

Mint

Mustard greens

Nectarines

Onions, green bunching

Onions, bulb (harvested May/June)

Oranges

Oregano

Parsley

Peaches

Peppers

Plums

Pistachios (harvested Sept/Oct)

Potatoes (harvested May/June)

Radish

Raisins (harvested Sept/Oct)

Raspberries

Rosemary

Sage

Spinach

Sprouts and legumes

Squash, winter (harvested July/Oct)

Squash, summer

Strawberries

Thyme

Tomatillo

Tomatoes

Turnips

Walnuts (harvested Sept/Oct)

Watermelon

Yams (harvested Aug/Sept)

Also available year-round

Fresh Flowers

Potted Plants/Herbs

Local Cheese

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

Local Meat

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

Local Seafood

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

Locally Produced Breads, Pies and Preserves

(bread produced from wheat grown in Santa Ynez; pies and preserves)

From picnics to Puccini

THE OUTDOORS TASTES BETTER WITH GELSON’S

These days, you hear about celebrities with their personal shoppers and trainers…Now you can have a personal picnic packer: whether your summer plans call for beachcombing, park play or soaking up the stars at an outdoor concert, Gelson’s chefs prove that

life in Santa Barbara really is a picnic. Just give us 48 hours notice, and our Service Deli will have your choice of ten delicious Gourmet Picnic Meals – ready to go.

IBook edible

t has been eight years since the first magazine named Edible was launched, telling the stories of the foods and culinaria of a distinct locality. That magazine was Edible Ojai, and its creators were Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian. When approached by others who loved the concept and wanted to replicate its style in their own locale, Tracey and Carole found a way to share the idea, and Edible Communities Inc. was born.

Today, Edible Communities is a network of more than 60 independent publications throughout North America. In its mission to connect consumers to the farmers, chefs and food artisans within a community, nothing hits home better than each locally published Edible magazine. But Edible Communities has grown to be more than just the sum of these parts. In the year and a half since we started Edible Santa Barbara here, other Edible projects have blossomed, offering fresh ways to spread the word.

The most recent of these is Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods, the new book released at the end of April. The book is a collection of local food hero stories and recipes from Edible communities across North America. Like the Edible magazines it draws from, this book shares inspiring profiles of farms and food artisans, with gorgeous photography and delicious regional recipes from Edibles all over—a sampling of the best, and all between just two covers.

We are thrilled to showcase two summer recipes from the new book Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods (Wiley Hardcover; $29.95).

You can find Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods at all of our local bookstores or order it online. And you can visit our website at ediblesantabarbara.com for additional news and events related to the book.

Sweet Corn Fritters

Courtesy of Edible Ojai (California)

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Much lighter than hush puppies, these corn pancakes are perfectly seasoned and bring out the sweetness of corn kernels freshly cut from their cobs. You might want to consider doubling the recipe; these fritters disappear very quickly!

2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 3 ears of corn)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 eggs, separated

1⁄ 4 cup finely chopped spring onions or scallions

1⁄ 2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

1⁄ 4 teaspoon paprika

1⁄ 8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1⁄ 8 teaspoon ground cayenne

1⁄ 4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

In a large bowl, stir together the corn, flour, egg yolks, onions, salt, paprika, pepper and cayenne. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir one-quarter of the beaten egg whites into the corn mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the remaining egg whites into the corn mixture in three additions.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat until the butter has melted. Carefully drop some of the corn mixture by tablespoons in to the hot oil, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook each fritter until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn each fritter over and brown the other side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the fritters to a platter lined with paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt, if desired. Repeat until all of the corn mixture has been used. Serve hot with some broiled tomatoes, a salsa made with chopped avocado, mango, lime and cilantro, and sour cream, if desired.

Poblanos Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Shrimp

Courtesy of Edible Phoenix (Arizona)

Makes 8 appetizer servings or 4 main dish servings

Roasted Poblanos and Red Peppers

8 poblano chiles

2 large red bell peppers

Stuffed Poblanos

4 ounces mild goat cheese, room temperature

1⁄ 2 cup grated Panela cheese or Monterey Jack

1⁄ 2 pound cooked, peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped

1 shallot, very finely chopped

1⁄ 4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil leaves

1⁄ 2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed

1⁄ 4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed

Red Bell Pepper Sauce

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 shallots, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped

2⁄ 3 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth, plus more if needed

1⁄ 2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more if needed

1⁄ 4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Roast and peel the poblano chiles and red peppers: Over an open gas flame (on the stovetop or outdoor grill), roast the chiles and peppers, turning with tongs for even roasting, about 5 minutes each (you can roast two or three at a time on each gas burner). The chiles and peppers are done when they are soft, blackened and blistered over most of their surfaces (it is not necessary to get every nook and cranny, and for the chiles which must remain intact for stuffing, it’s important not to overroast them).

Place the hot chiles and peppers into two separate large bowls. Cover the bowls with plates or with plastic wrap; set aside for about 15 minutes. Using a paring knife, gently rub the skin off of the flesh of each chile and pepper. Wipe the surface of the flesh with paper towels to remove most of the excess skin and charred bits; discard the skin and set the chiles and peppers aside. (Never run roasted chiles or peppers under water to remove the skins; doing so removes flavorful natural oils.)

Make the stuffed poblanos: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully slit each chile down one side and remove the seeds, leaving the stems attached. In a medium bowl, combine the goat cheese, Panela cheese, shrimp, shallot, chopped red pepper, cilantro, basil, salt and pepper; stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Divide the cheese mixture into eight equal portions. Place one portion into each chile, being careful not to overfill. Close each chile, overlapping the edges slightly. (These can be made a day ahead, covered and refrigerated). Transfer the stuffed poblanos to the baking sheet. Bake until just warmed through, about 10 minutes.

Make the sauce: Cut open the roasted red bell peppers; remove and discard the stems and seeds. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic and Serrano chile and cook, stirring occasionally until the shallots are tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the roasted red peppers, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Add more broth as needed to reach the desired consistency (it should not be too runny). Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. (The sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated). Return the sauce to the skillet to warm slightly.

To assemble: Place one or two stuffed poblanos onto each plate. Spoon sauce on and around the poblanos.

Note: In California you’ll often find poblano chiles sold as pasilla chiles.

Santa Barbara

Farmers Market

8 Markets, 6 Days a Week

Sundays

Camino Real Marketplace In Goleta at Storke & Hollister

10:00am – 2:00pm

Tuesdays

Old Town Santa Barbara

500 & 600 Blocks of State Street

4:00pm – 7:30pm

Wednesdays

Solvang Village Copenhagen Drive & 1st Street

2:30pm – 6:30pm Harding Elementary School 1625 Robbins Street 3:00pm – 6:30pm

Thursdays Camino Real Marketplace In Goleta at Storke & Hollister

3:00pm – 6:00pm Carpinteria 800 Block of Linden Avenue 3:00pm – 6:30pm Fridays Montecito 1100 & 1200 Block of Coast Village Road 8:00am – 11:15am

www.littlepiggy.com

Recipes seasonal Squash Blossoms

If you have zucchini or summer squash growing in your garden, then you will have a ready supply of squash blossoms. And picking them can help cut down on an over production of squash. If you find them at the market, cook them the same day you buy them—they don’t hold up well. They are delicious sliced and added to pastas and soups, and they are superb when stuffed and fried.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

Makes 2 servings

4–6 squash blossoms

4 ounces fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese

4–6 basil leaves

1 egg, lightly beaten

1⁄ 2 cup flour or fine semolina flour

Olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

If your blossoms have a small squash attached, remove and use for another purpose. Check the inside of each flower for insects and carefully remove the center of each flower. Add a small piece of cheese and a basil leaf to the inside of each blossom and then close it up by slightly twisting the petals together. Dip each blossom in the egg then roll in the flour or semolina.

Add olive oil to about an inch depth in a heavy skillet, and heat over a medium flame. Add the squash blossoms, and fry in the hot oil, turning once, until golden brown. Remove and drain briefly on paper towels, then sprinkle with the coarse salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Padrón Peppers

Some Are Hot, and Some Are Not

In Spain you find them in tapas bars as pimientos de Padrón. But until this summer you would be hard pressed to find them locally. Now Fairview Gardens will be growing and selling these delicious little peppers. Picked when they are small, most are sweet and mild, but every so often you’ll encounter one with fiery heat. Eating them is a bit like a pepper roulette!

Try them the way they are served in Spain, where they are quickly fried in olive oil and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. Serve them whole—pick them up by the stem, and eat the pepper leaving the stem. If you can’t find Padrón peppers, you can substitute small shishito peppers.

Pimientos de Padrón Tapas

Makes 4 servings

Olive oil

30–40 Padrón peppers

Coarse sea salt

Add enough olive oil to a medium skillet to generously cover the bottom, and heat over a medium flame. Add the peppers, and fry in the hot oil. Stir or turn the peppers, and cook just until they are slightly browned and blistered. Sprinkle with a good coarse sea salt and serve immediately.

Where to Find:

Fairview Gardens

Farmers markets: Wednesday, Santa Monica; Saturday, Santa Barbara

Farm stand location: On the corner of North Fairview Avenue and Stow Canyon Road. Open every day 10am–6pm. fairviewgardens.org

Handcrafted and sustainably grown wines full of character and integrity, since 1973.

Santa Ynez Valle Y F www.zacame S a.com

EDIBLE GARDEN EDIBLE FLOWERS

by Joan S. Bolton

Pretty enough to eat.

When it comes to flowers, the good news is that there are a number of pretty posies that you can enjoy on your plate, from ornamentals like violas and nasturtiums to herbs like borage and chives. There’s even a vegetable flower—summertime squash— that’s quite tasty.

Come to think of it, broccoli, cauliflower and artichoke are flower buds as well. But when most people talk about edible flowers, they’re referring to those that are plucked from the ornamental side of the garden, or at least from herbs that are ordinarily harvested for their leaves or stems.

A Step Back in Time

Edible flowers are a slice of cuisine that has never completely gone out of style—although their favor has waxed and waned. They were especially sought after during the Victorian era, when it’s said that

Queen Victoria insisted on fresh violets in her tea. As for those “sweet curds” in Shakespeare’s writings? Apparently they were the petals of marigolds or primroses (also known as cowslips), mixed with some semblance of cottage cheese.

But edible flowers date back even further and have been integral to Roman, Greek, Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine for some 2,000 years. Look no further than what’s easily the world’s most expensive edible flower: saffron. Each saffron crocus flower bears three tiny stigmas, which are handpicked and dried. More than 4,500 flowers are required to produce just one ounce of saffron, which can cost $300 or more.

Ornamentals

But there’s no need to get so exotic. Instead, plenty of gardenvariety flowers are tasty and pretty on the plate. You can start by sprinkling a few petals in a salad or stir fry, tucking a pungent sprig into a glass of iced tea or bowl of ice cream or using a larger, flatter flower, such as nasturtium, as an edible wrap.

Pot marigolds (Calendula officinalis) are sometimes called poor man’s saffron. The yellow or orange petals bear a spicy, peppery, slightly bitter taste.

Nasturtiums are peppery, but sweeter. Carnations are peppery, too, with hints of clove. Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) and pinks (Dianthus) taste of cloves as well.

In the sweet range, look for bee balm (Monarda), gardenia, jasmine, pansy, pineapple sage (Salvia elegans), rose, sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) and violet.

For a spicy to bitter flavor, head for chrysanthemum, English daisy (Bellis perennis) or marigold.

Dandelion buds fried in butter are said to taste like mushrooms, while their flowers offer a sweet, honey-like accent. The lavender flowers of society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) taste, not surprisingly, like garlic. And daylily flowers (Hemerocallis) are crunchy and offer a subtle sweetness. They can be served as an appetizer, stacked with cucumber, sour cream and pesto; or stuffed, fried or added to hot and sour soup.

Herbs

The flowers of most herbs take on the same flavors as their leaves and stems. Anise hyssop and fennel flowers taste of licorice.

Arugula, like its leaves, is nutty, spicy and peppery. Chive flowers taste of mild onion, lemon verbena (Aloysia triphylla) tastes of lemon and mint flowers are just plain minty.

Yet for a taste of contrary, angelica tends toward celery, chamomile speaks of sweet apple and the pale blue flowers of borage are a crisp, light cucumber.

Fruits and Vegetables

Apple blossoms bear a delicate, floral taste, while pineapple guava flowers (Feijoa sellowiana) taste much like their sweet, tropical fruit. Radish flowers are a milder, sweeter version of themselves.

Zucchini flowers, along with other summer squash and okra, bear a mild, sweet flavor, and can be stuffed with rice, ground meat, or olives and ricotta, then baked or fried.

Sunflower petals (Helianthus) taste slightly bitter; you can steam the unopened buds like artichokes.

How to Harvest

It’s best to grow your own edible flowers. That way you can be confident that no pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals have come within reach of what you’ll be putting in your mouth.

Gather your flowers in the morning, just after any dew has vanished. Choose buds that are fresh or flowers that have just opened.

Place long-stemmed flowers in a glass of water. Sandwich smaller flowers between layers of moist paper towel. Either way, store the flowers in your refrigerator until you’re ready to use them, which should be later that day.

A Few Precautions

Be absolutely sure that whatever flowers you pick are not poisonous. The California Poison Control Center (calpoison.org) offers a 121-page online guide to toxic and nontoxic plants.

Wash your flowers before you prepare them, if only to remove dust or bug droppings.

Remove the pistils, stamens and sepals at the base, all of which may be bitter and detract from the flavor. Also remove any pollen, which can trigger allergies.

When serving edible flowers, start with only a few. After all, the blossoms are not the main course. And in large quantities, they may even cause stomach upset. Instead, break apart the pretty heads and scatter the petals throughout the dish as a fun and flavorful accent.

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

THE PARTY’S OVER EVERYTHING YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT RECYCLING

by Janice Cook Knight

Have you ever had a party and afterwards had to sort the trash from the recycling, even when the containers were clearly marked? It seems everyone is confused about what goes into the recycling bin. Call me obsessive, but I hate throwing out things that could be recycled.

I’ve read the labels on the recycling cans, explored the city’s website on the subject and still wondered about some items. For example, why can’t plastic bags go in the general recycling? Several of my family and friends have the notion that if they just throw enough plastic bags into the bins, the city will be persuaded to recycle them, so they put them in hopefully, even though the posters on the can are clearly marked “No plastic bags.”

People feel the same way about polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) containers, even though the sign on the lids says “No Styrofoam.” What about pizza boxes? And ice cream containers?

My (young adult) children throw pizza boxes into the recycling, with bits of sauce and cheese clinging to the box, thinking, “This is cardboard, it must be recyclable.” Is a little food OK? What about paper plates and slightly used paper napkins? And lids? Do they just end up in the trash anyway? Who sorts through these things? And what about the urban myth that everything we think is being recycled is simply placed on a barge that is shipped out to another country to end up in a third world landfill?

Plastic, Styrofoam and More Plastic!

When did our food become so ensconced in packaging? And how are we going to deal with it? The simple days of throwing everything in the trash are gone. Recycling is good for the environment, no question, but that doesn’t motivate everyone to do it. But recycling, as it turns out, is actually big business, if the product that one is recycling has value.

Recently I met with Eric Lohela (aka “compost guy”), an environmental specialist in the City of Santa Barbara Finance Department. Eric explained that refuse such as aluminum and steel cans have weight and the metal is valuable, hence there are companies that want to recycle it. The same goes for some of the heavier plastics, like the number ones and twos.

Styrofoam is a problem, because it is so lightweight—literally it is a kind of plastic full of air. Theoretically it could be recycled (everything can be recycled, for a price), but it seldom is, because no one in the business wants something that weighs so little. And when Styrofoam has had food in it, it can’t be recycled; it is no longer a clean product. Styrofoam also leaches into some foods it comes in contact with: foods that are fatty, acidic or hot. That means that I might be getting a little vitamin styrene along with my smoothie.

So why are we packing food into this form of plastic anyway? It’s both non-compostable and non-recyclable, and also emits toxic chemicals during its production.

The Santa Barbara City Council voted recently to keep Styrofoam containers in use in Santa Barbara for the time being, even though they are not recyclable. They found that Styrofoam was the lesser of two evils: The alternative, packaging foods in clean cardboard containers—which, by law, must be made from new paper (not already recycled paper)—looked like a worse alternative. Styrofoam is also cheap; cardboard is more expensive for restaurants and consumers.

Manufacturers are working on better alternatives, and Santa Barbara is looking into these, too. To work, an alternative product will need to have the strength and waterproof qualities that Styrofoam has. There are some new corn-based plastics, but many of these are not easily compostable. Growing the corn is energy-intensive too—not really offering an energy reduction. Compostable trays made of renewable bulrush by local company Be Green Packaging may be one answer.

What About Those Plastic Bags?

Our municipal district doesn’t recycle plastic bags, but California law has mandated that grocery stores offering plastic bags must also offer to take them back. So any of the major grocery stores have plastic bag recycling, and they are monitored by an outside agency to make sure they are complying with the law. The bags are mostly made into decking material, made of a combination of the recycled bags and sawdust.

Bags are a big problem in the environment. Even with the grocery stores recycling, here are the facts: 19 billion bags will be manufactured this year in California, which adds up to 40 bags per family per week. Yikes. And only an estimated 5% of those are getting recycled. They end up in our rivers and oceans in huge numbers; a gigantic mass of them the size of Texas floats

Sustainable Banking.

Sustainable Banking.

in the Pacific somewhere between the West Coast and Hawaii, and there are others worldwide as well. The plastics are brought together by ocean currents.

There is some good news, however: In communities that require customers to purchase bags, the demand for new bags has gone down by as much as 75% to 90%. Even a small surcharge for the bags serves as motivation for shoppers to BYOB (bring your own bag).

Eric set me straight on what could be recycled and what should go in the trash. It was a relief to clarify this. When our recycling gets to the waste companies, it gets sorted by machine, and it also gets sorted by people, who have to do a lot of the work we’re not doing at home. Things like plastic bags, mixed with bottles and cans, must be removed, because they can clog the machines and cause even more problems. They then end up in the trash when they could have been recycled. If a large batch of recycling is contaminated (contains non-recyclable items), recyclers may refuse to accept it.

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1033 Anacapa Street | Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (805) 965-5942 | AmericanRivieraBank.com

And yes, they really do recycle all this stuff—it doesn’t end up on a barge. That urban myth refers to an infamous barge (true story, 20 years ago) containing garbage from New York City that no one wanted to deal with. (Eventually, the barge was allowed to dock in Brooklyn and the garbage was incinerated.)

The Lowdown on Other Recyclables

I always wondered about lids. Yes, we can recycle those—both plastic and metal. Throw them in. Leave the caps on their rinsed bottles, if possible.

Here’s the news on paper food goods, like paper plates, cups and napkins. That’s a no, for two reasons: Food contaminates the paper but also the kind of paper those items are composed of becomes gummy when wet and can mess up the other paper and cardboard recycling, so leave those out. They are compostable, however, at home. So, unless you have a compost bin, you’ll have to send those used pizza boxes to the garbage.

Currently Santa Barbara doesn’t offer residential compost bins but is looking into the feasibility of offering this. Other cities are doing this—Seattle and San Francisco among them. Santa Barbara offers composting bins to restaurants now on a volunteer basis, and someone from the city’s Environmental Services Division will come to your restaurant and train your employees on how to use the bins.

Meanwhile, I already compost at home, so paper plates, napkins and paper towels will now be going in there. Pizza boxes too. I wonder how long they will take to break down?

Which plastics can be recycled? The city is currently asking us to put in all plastics except plastic bags and Styrofoam.

What about milk cartons? They are coated with either wax or a thin coating of plastic and are not recyclable in our county, though there are recycling centers in Los Angeles that do accept them. I wish Santa Barbara offered this service, given the amount of milk cartons in use. Also not recyclable are the aseptic boxes that soymilk and some soups come in—in that case they are a blend of paper, foil and plastic. So you’ll have to put those, and the milk cartons, in the trash.

Eric Lohela would like to see citizens reducing first, recycling second. That means, it’s great to recycle bags at the grocery store, but much better would be to bring our own reusable bags to the grocery store and use them until they are plumb worn out, literally hundreds of times. Also, when using paper goods in the kitchen, buy the towels, napkins and plates that are made of recycled paper, so that new trees don’t have to be used. And if you don’t have a compost bin, start one.

Constantly producing single-use food containers, whether it’s plastic made from non-renewable oil products or paper from trees, even if they are sustainably planted trees, uses lots of energy. Why buy or use new when we don’t have to?

Clearly we love convenience, but it’s time to give the environment a big break. While all the plastic wrap and Styrofoam trays and paper goods are convenient, we have gotten used to their easy availability when there are better alternatives, like glass and reusable containers. All of these products going into landfills take up a tremendous amount of space and use huge amounts of energy. We could lead a revolution simply by cooking at home!

Now there’s an idea. That’s also the answer to my earlier question: When did our food become so ensconced in packaging? When we stopped cooking at home.

What would it be like to go a month without using nonrecyclable plastics? A month without Styrofoam to-go containers? We could easily go a month without using plastic bags, by simply bringing our own to the store or be inspired by one of my friends: When she forgets her bags, she simply puts her groceries back in the cart after they’re rung up and wheels them out to the trunk of her car. Why not? That would train me to remember my bags pretty quickly. I’m sure it would be challenging … but I think I’m up for it.

Will you join me in the pleasure of reusing, reducing and recycling?

Janice Cook Knight is the author of Follow Your Heart’s Vegetarian Soup Cookbook and The Follow Your Heart Cookbook: Recipes from the Vegetarian Restaurant. She has taught cooking for over 25 years, and currently teaches a cookbook-writing workshop. She lives in Santa Barbara with her family.

Recycling Lowdown

Paper

Yes: Junk mail, magazines and catalogs, office paper and envelopes, books, receipts, paper bags, newspaper, cardboard boxes, paper egg cartons.

No: Paper plates, cups, towels, napkins, ammoniaprocessed blueprints, carbon paper, diapers, facial tissue, pads, photographs, stickers, waxed paper or waxed containers, milk, ice cream, frozen juice containers or beverage boxes.

Tips: Break down boxes, remove Styrofoam packaging materials.

Metal

Yes: Steel or stainless steel, aluminum and aluminum foil, copper, brass, lead, pots and pans, utensils, small car and bike parts, pipes, tools. Empty cans of paint, aluminum, tin, steel, aerosol.

No: Full or partially full containers, oil filters, fuel or gas tanks, heavy items or vehicle parts

Tips: Metal can be dirty; paint, rust and nonmetal parts are OK.

Plastic

Yes: All plastic (except for bags and Styrofoam), clean food containers, plastic cups, lids, utensils, household items, nursery flats and pots, irrigation hose, pipes, buckets, toys.

No: Styrofoam, Styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, bags, tarps, shower curtains, VHS tapes, CDs, partly plastic items, anything that is battery-operated or has an electrical cord.

Tips: Empty and rinse food containers.

Glass

Yes: Bottles and jars only, all colors acceptable.

No: Window glass, mirrors, drinking glasses, dishes, Pyrex, light bulbs or fluorescent bulbs.

Tips: Rinsing is preferable; labels and lids are OK.

Recycling Resources

For recycling in Santa Barbara County: lessismore.org

City of Santa Barbara food scraps collection program: santabarbaraca.gov/Recycling-Trash

For a great video about plastic in our oceans, watch: savesfbay.org/bayvsbag

Story and photos of the great Pacific garbage patch: news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/09/ photogalleries/pacific-garbage-patch-pictures

In the News

As we go to press California’s Assembly Bill 1998, banning single use plastic bags, awaits Senate approval. If signed into law, California would be the first state to impose a statewide ban on plastic bags.

Saturday, Oct 2, 2010

Plaza Vera Cruz, across the street from the Saturday Farmers Market

YOUNG FARMERS CHANGING THE WORLD FROM THE GROUND UP

by Nancy Oster

PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRAN COLLIN

“When you buy local organic food, you are making a decision about the kind of world you want to live in,” says Noey Turk, owner of Yes Yes Nursery in Los Olivos. If you want food grown in healthy, pesticide-free soil by farmers who care passionately about the health of their family, friends and neighbors, buy your food from local organic farms.

A growing number of young farmers are planting seeds, tending the soil and selling their organic produce locally. To learn more about what has inspired younger farmers to join this movement and how we can support them, I contacted the owners of five small farms and asked to spend some time working and talking with them.

Opposite: Jack Motter

Jack Motter, AGE 26 Ellwood Canyon Farms, Goleta

When I arrived at Jack’s two-acre farm, he pointed to a row of carrot seedlings and suggested we hand-weed the row as we talked. It was a cool morning with the threat of rain.

Jack grew up in the Imperial Valley, a fourth-generation farmer. But he did not stay in the Imperial Valley to grow lettuce and onions with his dad and uncles. He wanted to be near the ocean and good surf, so he came to UCSB to get a degree in business economics. Then he took a job with the financial management firm Smith Barney.

Realizing he had no passion for what he was doing, he left Smith Barney after two years. “Mark and Laurie Constable of Avalon Flowers were in the process of converting from growing

cut flowers to growing organic vegetables and starting a CSA,” Jack says. “I offered to help write a business plan and ended up working for them full time during the transition.”

After that he worked for a landscape gardener, until a friend told him about a plot of land available in Goleta. Jack talked with his dad, put together a plan and rented the land.

We finished our weeding and moved into the greenhouse to plant seeds. I poked holes into potting mix–filled cells, dropped a seed into each cell and then topped them with potting mix. Noting the soft filtered light and the sound of the rain on the greenhouse roof, Jack told me, “It’s important to enjoy each part of the process.” He talked about the contrast between his father’s conventional farm—1,000 acres of lettuce and 800 acres of onions—and his two-acre organic farm of mixed vegetables and flowers. His family is very supportive. In fact, on Jack’s parents’ first visit, his mom brought a jar to take some of his soil home to his grandfather. The farming roots run deep in his family.

Jack’s greatest challenge is figuring out how to market his produce. It’s not easy for a new farmer to get into our farmers markets. A unique product helps, but so does product demand, so he chooses his crops with that in mind.

Jack has started a CSA, encouraging members to come out to visit his fields and to recycle their green waste in his compost piles—to feel connected to the land that grows their food. He is also setting up a farm stand where you can stop by for freshly picked produce.

Noey Turk, AGE 37

Yes Yes Nursery, Los Olivos

Noey shares a booth at the Saturday Farmers Market in Santa Barbara with her mother and stepfather, Debby and Shu Takikawa (The Garden of…..). Noey sells vegetable, herb and flower seedlings. Her parents sell flowers, lettuce and other seasonal vegetables.

When I arrived at their farm, Noey was outside the entrance to a plastic-covered greenhouse, floating seedling trays one at a time in a tub of fertilized water. She spoke softly as she bathed her baby plants.

This 24-acre property where Noey works and lives was purchased in the 1950s by her grandmother, who planted some of the first wine grapes in the Santa Ynez Valley. Now the vineyard is leased and maintained by Qupé Wine Cellars. Her family farms three acres and rents another three acres nearby. Noey grows the seedlings they plant on the farm.

As we bathed the seedlings, Noey explained her family has kept the farm small enough that they haven’t had to increase their costs by hiring employees. This has given them the economic flexibility to experiment with seeds, soils and growing methods.

Her stepfather, Shu, taught her how to grow healthy vegetable seedlings. But when they added cut flowers, she spent a lot of time experimenting and recording the results. Noey’s first season was a disaster, but she learned a lot about which nutrients each plant needed to thrive. Her parents and brother Kai helped her discard her failed plants and encouraged her to keep on experimenting.

After feeding her seedlings, Noey put trays of marigolds and violas onto a wagon. I followed her up the path to a shade-cloth covered greenhouse. We brought along tubs of her homemade potting mix.

At the upper greenhouse, Noey filled straw pots with potting mix, and I gently slid the seedlings from each cell into a filled pot while Noey explained how she ended up back on the farm where she had played as a child.

She traveled after high school, “trying to find my place in the world,” she says. She came back to Santa Barbara to get a degree in physics. But as her graduate studies became more abstract, she felt a need to connect more with the real world. She spent most of her free time at the farm helping Shu figure out how to grow healthier plants. She left graduate school to move back to the farm full

time. When she took over the plant nursery and started her own business, she realized this was exactly where she wanted to be. I understood this as I worked next to her, the morning sun warming my hands, stopping to watch the cat stalk a gopher or to study a spider with a load of babies on its back.

At lunchtime, we drove out to the field to pick lettuce and baby yellow beets. Each row was bursting with healthy, bug free plants. Noey says the secret is finding the right nutrient balance to keep the plants hardy.

After lunch I helped Noey mix a new batch of potting mix in a large bathtub near the lower greenhouse. We used an oar to stir buckets of worm castings and micronutrients into the coconut husk base. It would take two more full tubs to handle the afternoon transplants. “Farming is hard work,” Noey says as we stir the mix.

She points out that responsible small-scale organic farmers are challenged to find ways to increase the productivity of their land in a way that nourishes rather than depletes the ecosystem. Noey is grateful that she has the opportunity to work with Shu on new ways to address these challenges. “If farming isn’t creative, what fun is it?” she asks.

Shawn McMahon, AGE 26

Out of Step Farms, Goleta

I arrived at Shawn’s farm at 7am. He had been picking baby greens since 5am. Shawn usually works alone on his one-acre farm in Goleta. His girlfriend, Melissa Cohen (store manager for the Isla Vista Food Co-op), usually helps him wash and package his greens.

Shawn came to UCSB from northern California to get a high school teaching credential in world history. But when he walked into the office to register for the program, he realized it wasn’t what he really wanted to do. Instead, he went to work at the Isla Vista Food Co-op.

Shawn had previously worked for an organic farmer in Half Moon Bay and had sold produce at farmers markets.

“I just got more and more into food, agriculture, politics and social justice,” he says. As produce manager for the Co-op, he met many local farmers and realized he wanted to have his own farm.

Shu Takikawa is Shawn’s mentor. Shu shares his expertise and skills freely with other farmers. Shu told me that he, in turn, is inspired by the work of these younger farmers. With Shu’s encouragement Shawn planted strawberries without plastic sheeting (which ends up in our landfills at the end of each season). Encouraged by Shawn’s success, Shu has some additional growing methods he wants to try.

As the day warms, we move into the shade to triple wash our harvested greens and combine them into the sweet, spicy and braising mixes he sells at the farmers market.

While we spin, weigh and pack the baby greens into bags, Shawn tells me his plans for the future.

He has recently subleased an additional acre from Jack Motter. He currently sells his produce to the Co-op and at two farmers markets. He hopes to get into more markets. He also offers his produce for direct sale and delivery. On the new acre, he will share the farm stand with Jack Motter.

On a larger scale, Shawn believes that food autonomy is critical to the health and strength of a community. Shawn and Melissa have both spent the past 3½ years encouraging shoppers to protect our local food sources by buying their produce from local farmers. Now he is one of them.

Christopher and Johanna Finley

AGE 32 AND 31 Finley Farms, Santa Ynez

I arrived in Santa Ynez on a foggy morning to find Johanna driving from the 10-acre farm where their house is located to their 26-acre field to pick up her husband, Christopher, who had driven the tractor there and needed a ride back to the home farm.

Johanna put her daughter Ashlin in the stroller and Christopher carried their son Quinton as we walked along the perimeter of the field. Lettuce and kale for the next day’s farmers market were packed into boxes at the end of the each row.

The Finleys currently employ six field workers. Christopher says that having workers allows him to focus on coordinating the planting cycle, but he must use their time cost effectively. He says good communication is the key, but so is investment in equipment that keeps his labor costs down.

Christopher showed me an adjacent 20 acres he hopes to add next year when it becomes certified organic. Johanna says, “I’m already feeling that we’re almost too big right now,” but then explains, “We always feel that way this time of year because we’ve spent all the money we made during summer, and we’re not making any money yet.” They have doubled their acreage almost every year since they began farming six years ago. Johanna used to share more of the workload, but now she has the children.

Before leaving, we peeked into the greenhouse at rows of healthy tomato plants. The Finleys are known for their heirloom tomatoes. They started out growing tomatoes for salsa. Johanna says, “We would harvest on Friday, take our produce to a certified kitchen and work until 1 or 2 in the morning making batches of salsa for the Saturday Santa Barbara market.”

As we walked down a row, Christopher pointed out the rannuculas, sweet peas and bachelor buttons they sell as cut flowers to local groceries and at the farmers market. When we reached the ripening strawberries, Johanna picked a few for the kids to snack on.

The Finleys have learned farming and marketing by trial and error. Johanna says, “We are self-taught and still learning.” Christopher graduated from UCSB with a degree in environmental studies and Johanna with a degree in art. During college Johanna worked for a peach grower in Dinuba, California, managing their Santa Barbara markets. Christopher sold produce for John Givens at the Los Angeles farmers markets. They moved to the Santa Ynez Valley when they decided to pursue farming as a career. Johanna says, “It was too hard to find adequate irrigated acreage on the coast.”

In addition to selling their produce at farmers markets, Johanna has developed a CSA program and set up a farm stand at their home farm—things she can do with the kids. While the Finleys struggle to manage their growth and establish new markets, Johanna says, “I have a huge appreciation for the customers who rely on us for their weekly groceries.” She has no desire to move back into the city. The farm is where she wants to raise her children and work alongside her husband.

Toby McPartland, AGE 30

Fairview

Gardens, Goleta

I met Toby at 7am at the farmhouse. The other farm workers met us at the shed across from the yurt houses where they live with their families. We walked with Chava Gomez-Ochoa, Javier Gomez-Ochoa and Manuel Gomez-Ochoa down the hill to the fields. These three brothers have worked these fields for 20 years. “They are the guardians of this soil,” Toby says. “I joke with them that I’m their boss, but actually I’m also their apprentice.”

We started out picking kale leaves, which we bunched together for the CSA subscribers and for sale at the farm stand. Working on the row across from me, Toby explained how a degree in cultural anthropology led him to this job as farm manager. He joined the Peace Corps after college and worked with peanut farmers in Senegal. Toby says, “I was touched by their hard work. They brought back enough peanuts and millet to feed their families for an entire year. That’s when I decided I wanted to farm.” When he came back to the U.S., he worked on the organic farm at Cal Poly. He has been at Fairview Gardens for the past 21 2 years.

A hen cackled in the distance as we began to pick collard greens. Toby told me that in addition to field work, he spends at least 50% of his time away from the farm working on permitting issues and meeting with neighbors. This farm is 121⁄ 2 acres. Fairview also farms another 10 acres nearby.

a little further from a bedroom or moving the brush pile away from a neighbor’s fence.

But what drew him to this job was the education program. Fairview Gardens offers internships and a summer camp for kids and encourages visits from school groups.

As we began picking tender young fava bean leaves, Toby told me that he has been evaluating the cost effectiveness of each crop. He says, “Most farmers focus on production, but it’s important to farm for profit. One kale plant can produce leaves for a whole season, while another crop may take up more space and be less profitable.”

Toby invited me to come back during a visit from David Cleveland’s UCSB class on Small-Scale Food Production. A week later, 27 students gathered at the farm to ask Toby questions. In response to a student’s question about the problems small farmers have selling to local grocery stores. Toby said, “I don’t feel like the infrastructure is really here for small-scale farming. A lot of small-scale farmers are part-time drivers, distributing their food and trying to hustle their products—spending less and less time on the land they love.”

Urban farming can be challenging, Toby says, but he enjoys sitting in neighborhood living rooms, solving problems and building relationships. He solves most problems easily by listening to neighbors’ concerns and then moving the chickens

As a member of the Southern California chapter of the National Good Food Network, Toby is helping develop regional distribution hubs for small farmers. He says, “By combining forces, smaller farmers can share marketing and distribution resources.” This will help them get their produce into local grocery stores and institutions like schools and hospitals.

The Tepusquet Road Bridge linking Kenneth Volk Vineyards to the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail is finally open. Begin your Santa Barbara County wine tour at KVV and work your way down the trail. Offering one of the most extensive portfolios of wines produced on the Central Coast.

{ Tasting Daily 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM }

5230 Tepusquet Rd. • Santa Maria, CA 93454 805.938.7896 • www.VolkWines.com

Wednesdays: 3:00–6:30pm Harding Elementary School 1625 Robbins Street, Santa Barbara

Fairview currently markets their produce through their CSA, the farm stand and at two farmers markets.

Farming and the Future

The Greenhorns, a nationwide organization of young or new U.S. farmers, says, “The last 30 years have seen a protracted crisis in American agriculture. We have fewer farmers, less land, a degraded soil base and intensifying corporate control over production, processing and technology.” Today the average age of the American farmer is 57 and America loses two acres of farmland per minute.

But it’s not too late. The young farmers I met work long hours healing the soil and nurturing the plants we eat. They reach out to each other with advice and share resources. They honor their customers, their workers and their neighbors. They are our hope for the future, and they deserve our support when we make food purchasing choices.

Nancy Oster enjoys meeting and writing about people who share her passion for food and cooking. She feels fortunate to live in Santa Barbara where she has a year-round garden and can also find juicy oranges, crisp fresh greens, tangy sweet apricots and vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes grown organically by farmers who live right here in Santa Barbara County.

For More Information

Jack Motter—Ellwood Canyon Farms

Farmers market: Wednesday, Harding School Website: freshmanfarmer.com/ellwoodcanyonfarms

Noey Turk—Yes Yes Nursery

Farmers markets: Saturday, Santa Barbara; Tuesday, Santa Barbara; Wednesday, Solvang

Shawn McMahon—Out of Step Farms

Farmers markets: Friday, Montecito; Sunday, Goleta Website: outofstepfarms.com

Christopher and Johanna Finley—Finley Farms

Farmers markets: Tuesday, Culver City; Wednesday, Solvang; Thursday, Goleta (in summer); Friday, Montecito; Saturday, San Luis Obispo, Santa Monica and Los Olivos; Sunday, Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Studio City

Toby McPartland—Fairview Gardens

Farmers markets: Wednesday, Santa Monica; Saturday, Santa Barbara Website: fairviewgardens.org

UCSB Environmental Studies Department Website: es.ucsb.edu

The Greenhorns

Website: thegreenhorns.net Blog: thegreenhorns.wordpress.com Wiki: foryoungfarmers.wikispaces.com

Cooking Classes

In Santa Barbara every season offers an abundance of beautful foods. Learn to cook with the products of our region in our professional kitchen.

Chef Michele Molony www.chefmichelemolony.com

Chef Karen Smith Warner www.savoirfairesb.com [805] 963 9397

JIM AND MARY DIERBERG’S STAR LANE WINE CAVES

by Laura Sanchez

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PETER MALINOWSKI

Inside the central room in the Dierberg’s Star Lane caves.

“Wine belongs in a cave,” says Jim Dierberg as he and his wife, Mary—owners of Dierberg Estate Vineyards, Star Lane Vineyards and Three Saints Wines— walk the cool, subterranean passageways of their Star Lane wine caves. The silent 13-foot-wide tunnels, lined with barrels of maturing wine, feel sacred and still, like a lost city. “There’s just something about the earth that ages it to perfection.”

On a deeply primitive level caves symbolize shelter—shade from hot summer sun and insulation from biting winter weather. And for modern-day vintners like the Dierbergs, reverting to this natural, seemingly stone-age simplicity has progressive results. In fact, by returning to the cave, they have advanced their winemaking efforts—limiting their use of natural resources and taking advantage of an ancient alchemistic effect. For, hidden from light, sound, heat and movement, simple grape juice evolves slowly and optimally to reach its glorious potential.

History tells us that this discovery can be attributed to the Etruscans, whose dedicated use of caves to store wine around 800 B.C. represents some of the first accounts of subterranean wine cellaring. The Romans continued this tradition throughout the fourth century A.D., using catacombs and tunnels they excavated throughout Europe to house clay vessels of wine. Today vintners throughout La Rioja, Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux—some of Europe’s great wine regions—still use these ancient caverns to store their wines.

The wisdom of wine caves is also celebrated throughout Napa Valley, where a tangle of tunnels, excavated in the 1870s after the completion of the transcontinental railroad, house countless vintages beneath some of California’s most distinguished vineyards. However until recently, Santa Barbara County boasted only two ostensible wine caves, those at Sunstone Winery and

The spacious caves allow for pyramid barrel stacking.

Cottonwood Canyon Winery. Jim and Mary Dierberg set out to change that in 2001 with the construction of their Happy Canyon winemaking facility.

Throughout their extensive world travels as owners of FirstBank, the Dierbergs discovered a consistent thread: The finest wines they sampled—from Bordeauxs to Brunellos—had all been aged in caves. So when it came time to construct the winery facility, they made sure to include 26,000 square feet of subterranean wine storage.

Working with architect Barry Berkus, the Dierbergs designed a conservation-minded facility that balanced functionality and beauty. Rather than develop acres of their pristine property to accommodate industrial warehouses for wine storage, they decided to nestle the Bordelaise-style facility into the side of the mountain, making smart use of the space below it.

“We farm sustainably and do our best to work with nature. We thought that our winery should reflect that,” Jim explains. And by going underground, they dramatically reduced their environmental footprint. Today the hillside surrounding the winery is alive with wildlife, native grasses and tall digger pines while a silent community of maturing wines rests beneath.

Since the earth is such a remarkable insulator from heat, cold, drying air and light, the Dierbergs knew that constructing wine caves would increase the energy efficiency of their facility. Many wineries find maintaining a constant temperature of 55° to 60° F (ideal for wine storage) both energy consuming and expensive.

The Dierbergs’ Star Lane caves offer an alternative to refrigeration and heating units since the soil surrounding the concrete walls helps maintain an optimal temperature of 55° F. In order to maximize this natural refrigeration, they also employ an ecofriendly night cooling system that allows cool air in when the nighttime temperatures are low.

However, pioneering the cave permitting process in Santa Barbara County proved challenging. With no precedents, the Dierbergs researched regulations in Napa and Sonoma Counties for answers to engineering issues and safety regulations. Details like automatic light switches and fire sprinklers raised thoughtful debate along the way. As a result, the caves are fully equipped for fire suppression though they contain nothing flammable within their pale concrete walls. Over the course of the seven-year process, County engineers and local agencies worked with the Dierbergs to establish Santa Barbara County’s first wine cave building codes.

The excavation was equally demanding. The Dierbergs hired Montana-based mining contractor and cave specialist, Mark “the Caveman” Auge to carve out numerous tons of rock and soil. Equipped with laser surveying equipment and backhoe, Auge averaged 20 feet of progress each day, pausing to support each section of the cave with a sturdy metal framework. Once excavated, the walls were sprayed with concrete, applied two inches at a time, to create a solid, 14-inch-thick coating. The structure, likened to an inverted swimming pool, required four trucks of cement each day for two years.

From the outside it’s hard to imagine that the facility includes 26,000 square feet of subterranean wine storage.

Winemaker Andy Alba stirs a barrel of Chardonnay.

Both the scale of the project and its sense of permanence can be considered forward-thinking. “It’s clear that the Dierbergs built this winery with future generations in mind,” says Kurt Ammann, director of consumer marketing for Star Lane and Dierberg Vineyards. “The facility is an Old World masterpiece, constructed with New World resourcefulness,” he adds. The cave’s three main corridors, transected by two smaller hallways, create a city-like grid with a grand, high-ceilinged central room for entertaining. A beautiful wine library, designed to store 120 bottles from each vintage through 2100, ensures that the unique flavors captured in every harvest can be savored in the decades to come.

The winery is also progressive in its efficient use of nature’s simplest energy source. With its tri-layer construction, the winery employs gravity rather than energy-consuming pumps to convey wine. The crush pad is strategically positioned on top of the winery so at harvest time fruit can be unloaded above the winemaking facility. Grapes are pressed and tipped into open-top wood fermenters in the Pantheon-like central room on the second level. Wines follow gravity’s natural flow down to the labyrinth of steel tanks and tubing before they are laid to rest in the quiet corridors of the cave. While conserving energy, this gentle handling also promotes optimum flavor extraction.

The humidity of the caves has a definitive quality-enhancing effect on the wines. The constant subterranean humidity mitigates much of the evaporation loss that above-ground winemakers incur each year. Since a typical 60-gallon barrel, stored in a warehouse, can lose three to four gallons each year, winemakers have to periodically top off wine barrels by pumping in additional wine to reduce the surface contact with air. However because the Dierbergs’ caves maintain an

ideal 78% relative humidity, that loss is reduced to about one gallon per year, making topping off unnecessary. “We see less oxidation in the wines and the result is higher overall quality,” explains Nick de Luca, winemaker for Star Lane and Dierberg Vineyards. While the slow evolution granted by the cave enhances all the Dierberg Estate, Star Lane Vineyards and Three Saints wines, the superior fruit concentration and complexity is especially notable in the 2005 Astral Cabernet Sauvignon’s poetic richness.

According to de Luca, the undisturbed peace of the cave’s tunnels also has a profound influence on the wines. Whereas most wineries store barrels on tall vertical racks that must be shuffled by forklift from time to time, the spaciousness of Dierberg’s Star Lane caves allows for pyramid barrel stacking. Once a barrel is put to rest within the caves, it’s rarely disturbed. This more permanent placement allows for clean and complete settling of the lees (yeast) and sediment (grape particles), resulting in impeccable wine clarity without filtration or fining.

“The stillness allows our wines to develop remarkably vibrant, youthful flavors with the body and weight of an unfiltered wine,” says de Luca. Though this vibrancy is unmistakable in both the lithe freshness of the 2007 Star Lane Sauvignon Blanc and the Dierberg Estate Chardonnay, it is also deliciously apparent in the dynamic fruit at the center of the 2006 Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon’s deep cherry, cocoa-dusted core.

With enhanced wine quality and significant environmental benefits, it’s apparent that by returning to something primitive, Jim and Mary Dierberg have tapped into one of Mother Earth’s fundamental truths: Harmonizing with nature produces superior results. And as they taste the fruits of their labors amid the cave’s cool tunnels, the benefits of their grounded mindfulness are vivid in wine that resonates with the purity, depth and wisdom of the earth.

Laura Sanchez is a Santa Barbara–based wine and food writer. Raised on her family’s Carpinteria avocado ranch, she has a deep appreciation for both growing and enjoying fresh local fare.

Wine Caves

For more information on Dierberg Estate Vineyards, Star Lane Vineyards and Three Saints Wines, visit dierbergvineyard.com.

Though the Dierberg’s Star Lane wine caves are not open to the public, here are two that welcome visitors:

Cottonwood Canyon

3940 Dominion Road

Santa Maria, CA 93454

805 937-8463

cottonwoodcanyon.com

Sunstone Vineyards and Winery

125 North Refugio Road

Santa Ynez, CA 93460

805 688-9463

sunstonewinery.com

SANTA BARBA RA

edible Dining Guide

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 chosen for this dining guide because of their emphasis on using local, seasonal ingredients in their menus and their commitment to real food.

Santa Barbara

Backyard Bowls

331 Motor Way

Santa Barbara

805 845-5379

backyardbowls.com

Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls—bowls of a thick smoothie made from acai, an antioxidant-rich berry, topped with fresh fruit, granola and other toppings. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies and more. Mon–Fri 7am–6pm; Sat–Sun 8am–6pm.

Bouchon

9 W. Victoria St.

Santa Barbara

805 730-1160; bouchonsantabarbara.com

Bouchon sources all of its ingredients using an “asfresh-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.

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.

Seagrass

30 E. Ortega St.

Santa Barbara 805 963-1012; seagrassrestaurant.com

bouchon santa barbara

Seagrass offers a fresh Santa Barbara coastal cuisine fine dining experience. They are a charter member of the Sustainable Seafood Program and procure the highest quality ingredients available, including local fish from the Santa Barbara Fish Market and produce from the farmers market. Dinner nightly Fri–Sat 5:30–10pm; Sun–Thur 5:30–9pm.

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, Sun 11am–10pm.

Spiritland Bistro

230 E. Victoria St. Santa Barbara 805 966-7759 spiritlandbistro.com

Spiritland Bistro serves organic world cuisine with a local flair, healthfully prepared and artfully presented. They are dedicated to locally sourced organic produce, sustainable seafood and meat, and they provide a wide range of options for vegan, vegetarian and raw diets as well as for those with food sensitivities. Open daily for lunch 11:30am–2pm and dinner Sun–Thur 5:30–9pm and Fri–Sat 5:30–10pm.

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.

bouchon santa barbara

Santa Ynez Valley

Avant Tapas and 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-of-the-art production facility. Open Thur–Sun 11am–8pm.

Ballard Inn & Restaurant

2436 Baseline Ave., Ballard 805 688-7770; 800 638-2466 ballardinn.com

Chef Budi Kazali’s award-winning cuisine, extensive wine list, exceptional service and romantic atmosphere create one of the most memorable dining experiences in the Santa Barbara wine country. Open Wed–Sun 5:30–9pm.

ANNOUNCING

New Supper Club

The Edible Santa Barbara Supper Club brings together a small group of people for prix fixe dinners at one of the restaurants in this guide each quarter.

See ediblesantabarbara.com for details.

Full of Life Flatbread

225 West 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, Sun 4–8pm.

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 awardwinning 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.

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.

Ventura County

Tierra Sur Restaurant at Herzog Wine Cellars

3201 Camino Del Sol Oxnard 805 983-1560 herzogwinecellars.com

Tierra Sur Restaurant, located inside Herzog Wine Cellars state-of-the-art winery, is Chef Todd Aarons’ masterful expression of Mediterranean-influenced seasonal cuisine. The restaurant uses produce and ingredients from local farms, and they participate in the Growers Collaborative Program to help support family-scale sustainable agriculture. Lunch Sun–Thur 11:30am–3pm, Fri 11:30am–2:30pm. Dinner Sun–Thur 5–8pm. Closed Saturday.

END YOUR DEPENDENCE ON CHEAP FOREIGN OIL

by Michele Molony and Jenifer Schramm

You buy local produce. You support local farmers. You seek out quality ingredients when you cook. But have you thought about where one of the ingredients that you use most frequently comes from?

It is an expensive process to make quality extravirgin olive oil, so why is some of it so cheap? Small producers in Europe and America who craft authentic extra-virgin olive oil can’t meet the worldwide demand.

Unfortunately, some serious compromises by large producers and distributors have artificially distorted the price and quality of olive oil.

The olive oil industry has been plagued by deception for a very long time. A comprehensive article by Tom Mueller in the August 13, 2007, issue of the The New Yorker explored the practice since antiquity of adulterating olive oil with cheaper nut and seed oils. The author found that much of the oil labeled “imported from Italy” was shipped to Italy from other countries, treated chemically at large distilleries and then bottled.

one of the most frequently counterfeited food products. Even back in 1893, William Gould was searching for an alternative to adulterated oil when he started the mill on what is now Olive Mill Road in Montecito.

In California oil, variation in price and quality can be explained by the method of production. Large producers in other parts of the state use mechanical harvesting and high-density planting on irrigated farmland to reduce costs. Hand-harvesting can account for 65% of production costs for a small producer, yet it is considered necessary for the creation of truly great extra-virgin olive oils.

Buying from a known producer or trusted retailer is the best way to be sure of the quality and integrity of what you are getting. Olives love the climate on the Central Coast as much as grapes do. And with many California microclimates hospitable to a number of olive varietals, perhaps it is time to turn our attention to local producers.

More recently, in January 2009, Martin Stutsman, a consumer safety officer with the FDA, told USA Today that olive oil is

Allure Estates near Paso Robles is a tiny olive grove and vineyard of four acres in a microclimate with extremely low rainfall of about eight inches a year and extreme temperature differences between day and night. Alex Alexiev makes the oil the Tuscans

call pizzicante: a smooth and luscious oil with a strong peppery aftertaste. This pungency is caused by compounds rich in healthy properties that deteriorate with time and exposure to heat and light.

Fresh, high-quality olive oil has a balance of fruity, bitter and pungent flavors, in varying intensity depending on the specific oil. Two of the biggest factors in the taste of olive oil are the olive variety and ripeness at the time of harvest. The microclimate and soil of a particular orchard—the terroir—also has an impact on taste. Heat, light and oxygen are the enemies of olive oil, diminishing the flavor and creating rancidity.

Antoinette Addison of Figueroa Farms in Santa Ynez says that it is very frustrating when people consider any bitterness in oil as a defect. In fact, the bitterness and pungency in robust oils indicate high levels of antioxidants. Figueroa Farms not only grows and produces their own award-winning olive oil, but in 2003 they purchased an olive mill and now offer milling services to other olive producers in the region.

Finding your favorite olive oil can be as easy as finding your favorite wines. Go olive oil tasting—just like some wineries, some olive producers have tasting rooms.

The Asquith Ranch, home of Ojai Olive Oil, could be mistaken for heaven. After driving down a road bathed in the scent of orange blossoms and crossing a streambed, one arrives at an olive grove with an avenue of 130-year-old trees, 2,500 trees planted over the last 12 years and a backdrop of Los Padres National Forest. Owner Ron Asquith mills his own olives and offers a tour as well as a tasting room where you can try his three oils: mild/fruity, medium and robust. He finds that people may prefer one oil for salads, another for sautés and a third to garnish a delicate fish. He also believes that the freshness of the oil is important, and since there is a tremendous variety in the olive oils produced in California, there is no reason to look to Europe for oil.

Another ranch to visit for olive oil tasting is Rancho Olivos in Santa Ynez. They produce a Spanish varietal oil known for its buttery flavor, and they also make a blend of Italian varietals that has a fresh, grassy, somewhat pungent taste with a peppery finish.

Gus Sousoures of Olive Hill Farm recently opened a tasting room in Los Olivos that offers the opportunity to taste a number of local olive oils and to learn about different varietals. You can taste oils from Rancho Olivos, Figueroa Farms, Balzana and, of course, Olive Hill Farm’s own olive oils. Another tasting room in Los Olivos is Global Gardens, where they offer tastings

6575 Seville Road in Isla Vista Stop by any day, 8am–10pm Everyone can shop anyone can join.

Become a fan on Facebook: isla vista food coop islavistafoodcoop.blogspot.com Where local

of their award winning private-labeled olive oils, as well as special tasting presentations for large groups.

In Santa Barbara try a tasting at Il Fustino, where they have a nice selection of private-labeled local olive oils. Upscale grocery stores, specialty retailers and cooking instructors often feature tastings or classes. You can also find Olive Hill Farm, Fusano and Joëlle Olive Oil at the farmers markets, where they provide samples of their oils.

Once you have educated your palate, experiment when pairing olive oil with food to see what you like the best, just as with wine. For example creamy white beans can be kept in the delicate category by finishing with a buttery oil, or they can be given structure and taken in a whole different direction by adding rosemary and black kale and finishing with a peppery oil.

Don’t be afraid to cook with good olive oil, just keep it below its smoke point (approximately 365°–400°) for maximum flavor and health benefits. And even though it costs more, do use good olive oil in your everyday cooking. To put price in context, a bottle of wine may last one evening while a bottle of olive oil enhances many meals. If you use a lot of olive oil, find out if your favorite producer sells it in bulk. But use your olive oil quickly—within 1 to 2 years of its harvest date and within a couple of months once the container is opened.

California’s Mediterranean climate and cuisine make it a perfect fit for olive oil production. But consumers need to value and support the quality of the oil that the small producers are creating in order

to ensure a steady supply. With greater demand, more land will be planted with these drought-tolerant, beautiful trees. It takes 5–7 years to get a crop of most varietals, with higher yield as the tree matures at about 12 years. But olive trees may live for 2,000 years— and still produce fruit, so that is a great long-term investment.

Chef Michele Molony is an honors graduate of the Paris Cordon Bleu, where she trained in both pastry and cuisine. She teaches at Savoir Faire Cooking School and other venues. She is the chef at Williams-Sonoma in Santa Barbara and cooks professionally. chefmichelemolony.com

Jenifer Schramm has been writing, editing and cooking while a lawyer, law school instructor and director of an art school. She is now focused on writing about food. When she first made her own lunch in second grade, her mother says her lunch box came home with no crumbs, but 27 olive pits. schramm. jenifer@gmail.com

CAROLE TOPALIAN

Resources

There are too many wonderful olive oils being produced on the Central Coast for us to list them all, but here are the ones mentioned in this article:

Allure Estates 805 237-8063 allureestates.com; oliveoilsource.com

Figueroa Farms figueroafarms.com; balzana.com

Fusano California Valley Olive Company fusanoolives.com

Global Gardens 2477 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos 805 693-1600 oliverevolution.com

Il Fustino

3401 State St., Santa Barbara 888 798-4740 ilfustino.com

Joëlle Olive Oil joelleoil.com

Ojai Olive Oil 1811 Ladera Road, Ojai 805 701-3825 ojaioliveoil.com

Olive Hill Farm Tasting Room 2901 Grand Ave., Los Olivos 805 688-3700 olivehilloil.com

Rancho Olivos 2390 N. Refugio Road, Santa Ynez 805 686-9653 ranchoolivos.com

For more information about California Olive Oil

California Olive Oil Council cooc.com

UC Davis Olive Center olivecenter.ucdavis.edu

Recommended Reading

The Flavors of Olive Oil: A Tasting Guide and Cookbook by Deborah Kasner (Simon & Schuster, 2002)

The New American Olive Oil: Profiles of Artisan Producers and 75 Recipes by Fran Gage

STONE FRUIT

by Pascale

Beale-Groom

“Talking of pleasure, this moment I was writing with one hand, and with the other holding to my Mouth a Nectarine—how good how fine. It went down all pulpy, slushy, oozy, all its delicious embonpoint melted down my throat like a large, beatified Strawberry.”— John Keats

The great poet could well have been standing in my garden when he wrote those words. Two years ago I moved across town into a charming cottage of a house, complete with white picket fence and a smattering of fruit trees. I had been most reluctant to part with my previous garden, where 10 years worth of planting, seeding, pruning and care had produced an orchard filled with plums, apricots, citrus and myriad other delicious offerings. The new house—with a microclimate that all my potted plants had to adapt to—had exactly one plum and one nectarine tree.

We moved in May. The nectarine tree was already dripping buds of golf-ball-sized fruit. They looked amazing. I eagerly anticipated the day when they could be harvested, thereby unleashing a great treasure of nectarine filled delicacies.

A few weeks passed, the fruit plumped, they tempted you: “eat me”—Alice (in Wonderland) would have readily complied.

Pascale Beale-Groom.

So did I. I spat out that first bite. It was quite frankly revolting. It was mealy, sour and dry. I decided that I had succumbed to temptation too early and waited another week. Now they looked luscious and moist. I took another bite. It is quite hard to express my utter disappointment. They were, if that is possible, worse than before. I looked up at the tree filled with beautiful fruit and thought of the waste. Everyday I would hear a few of them splat on the ground below and pondered what, if anything, I could do.

The answer, of course, was nothing. Nature, in its own marvelous rhythm, has a way of dealing with such things. Despite the fact that less than six miles separate the two houses, the cooler climate at the new one—being so much closer to the sea—greatly affected the manner in which the fruit matured.

A week of much warmer weather arrived. I was getting a little frustrated with the tree, raining down fruit onto the grass below. One morning I stepped into the garden. The sky was an incredible deep blue, the air was warm at 10 o’clock and I decided that I would try again. I reached up and plucked a large nectarine off the tree. It had a sweet juicy aroma. I took a bite and was instantly transported back to my childhood, eating freshly picked fruit with abandon, juice running down in between my fingers and onto my chin, the sweetness of the flesh melting in my mouth. I polished off the entire thing, standing under the tree with a contented smile. It was perfection. Keats was right.

At that point it dawned on me that I now had about 500 nectarines to deal with that were nearly all ripe at the same time. The anticipated flurry of dishes ensued. Crumbles, salsas, grilled, in tarts, in salads, with duck (succulent, by the way) and in great cauldrons of jam. The scent was intoxicating.

The plum tree duly followed suit, and the summer was filled with scrumptious treats directly from the garden. I was inspired and hunted down a variety of apricot that will hopefully deal with the temperate climes by the sea. It will be another year or two, I think, before it produces any fruit. But my stone fruit collection is growing.

Then I tasted one. A local farmer from whom I often purchased peaches suggested I try one. I resisted, citing my pure fruit ideal, and he looked at me with bewilderment. “Just try it.” He coaxed a piece into my hand, and I have been a convert ever since. Each variety has a multitude of flavors. They are sweet and juicy, with the definitive traits of their parental rootstocks. They make sensational preserves.

The farmer’s peaches were equally excellent but this is one tree I have not planted here. When I lived in Los Angeles I had an old peach tree, tucked into a warm corner of the garden. It was gnarled and contorted as though the successive summers had weighed it down with the effort of producing grapefruit-sized peaches. They were sumptuous, down-covered orbs, the color of the setting sun. Little wonder that so much has been written about peaches over the centuries.

They came to America with Spanish explorers but their origins lie further east in China, where they have been cultivated for more than 3,000 years. They, as with their other stone fruit brethren—plums, apricots, cherries and nectarines—are all species of the genus Prunus and members of the large rose family. Its name Persicum malum, meaning Persian Apple, reflects its physical journey across Europe as Persians introduced peaches to the Romans.

Their blossoms feature in Chinese art history and are part of folklore in much of the Far East. A Chinese legend speaks of the divinity Yu Huang, also known as the Jade Emperor, who had a garden of “immortal peaches.” Everlasting life was said to be conferred on those who ate them. Xi Wangmu, the Emperor’s mother is said to have guaranteed the gods’ eternal presence in her palace by feeding them the peaches of immortality. Fortunately for us, we do not have to wait the legendary 3,000 years for the fruit to ripen, as was the case with the “immortal” variety.

When choosing the apricot tree I came across some pluots. I have to admit that until last year I had avoided all hybrid fruit. To my mind there was something very bizarre about a cross between a plum and an apricot. Different versions of what I viewed (incorrectly) as genetically modified fruit seemed to be spreading through the summer markets. Plumcots, pluots, apriums—what ever their names, I avoided them. A plum should be a plum. An apricot should be an apricot.

Today’s peaches ripen during summer months and are generally available from early June to September, although there are some late summer varieties that make it through October. They ripen from the stem end and along the seam. If peaches are mealy, that is usually because they have been stored below 45°, as is sometimes the case in supermarkets—another reason to buy them from the farmers at local markets.

From their heady almond-laced scent and marvelous texture, peaches have inspired poets and philosophers who have dwelled on their sensuous characteristics. In ancient Chinese vernacular, the word peach—meaning delicious and soft—was used to represent a young bride; in the time of Louis XIV a variety was

know as Teton de Venus, or Venus’s breast; in England today, an attractive woman is described as a peach.

Emile Zola, often given to writing lyrical passages, described them thus in The Belly of Paris: “In front was an array of choice fruits, carefully arranged in baskets, and showing like smooth round cheeks seeking to hide themselves, or glimpses of sweet childish faces, half veiled by leaves. Especially was this the case with the peaches, the blushing peaches of Montreuil, with skin as delicate and clear as that of northern maidens, and the yellow, sun burnt peaches from the south, brown like the damsels of Provence.”

Whichever variety you choose, savor them over the course of the summer. Try them grilled with a sprinkling of brown sugar and a dollop of fresh vanilla ice cream or just pure and simple, complete with juices running down your fingers.

Pascale Beale-Groom grew up in England and France surrounded by a family that has always been passionate about food, wine and the arts. She was taught to cook by her French mother and grandmother. In 1999 she opened Montecito Country Kitchen, a Mediterranean cooking school in Santa Barbara. Her first cookbook, A Menu for All Seasons—Spring, was published in 2004; her second cookbook, Summer, was released in 2008 and her third cookbook, Autumn, came out in 2009. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals and lives in Santa Barbara with her family.

Mache and Pluot Salad with Lemon and Mint Vinaigrette

Makes 8 servings

FOR THE SALAD

8 ounces mache (lamb’s lettuce)

8–10 pluots (you can use different varieties), sliced

2 ounces Marcona almonds

1 small bunch chives, finely chopped

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped or crushed

Juice of 2 large lemons (or 3 small ones)

Coarse sea salt

1⁄ 2 tablespoon honey

1⁄ 3 cup olive oil

4–5 stems fresh mint, leaves removed and finely chopped

1⁄ 2 tablespoon fennel seeds, dry roasted for 1 minute

Freshly ground pepper

Combine the garlic, lemon juice, a large pinch sea salt, honey and olive oil in a large salad bowl and whisk together vigorously. Add the chopped mint, fennel seeds and 4 or 5 twists of pepper and whisk together again.

Place salad servers over the vinaigrette. Place the mache greens, pluots, Marcona almonds and chopped chives on top of the servers, ensuring that the greens stay out of the vinaigrette until you are ready to serve the salad.

Toss the salad well just before serving. Distribute evenly among eight salad plates. Put a little of the crumbled goat cheese on top of each. This is delicious served with warm olive bread.

Peach Salsa

This pairs well with grilled or roasted fish and most barbecued or roasted meats and grilled vegetables.

Makes 8 side-dish servings

Coarse sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

Olive oil

Juice of 1⁄ 2 lemon

6 peaches, unpeeled and cut into slices (try mixing varieties)

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 small bunch chives, finely chopped

1⁄ 2 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

10 mint leaves, finely chopped

1⁄ 2 English cucumber, peeled and diced

Pour 1⁄ 4 cup olive oil into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice, a little coarse sea salt and some freshly ground pepper. Whisk vigorously. Place salad servers over the olive oil mixture.

Add all the remaining ingredients on top of the salad servers. Just before serving, toss everything together to coat well.

Roasted Cornish Hens with Plums and a Plum Glaze

Makes 8 servings

16 firm ripe plums, pitted and cut in half

1⁄ 2 cup cognac or brandy

1⁄ 2 cup shallots, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

4 ounces pistachios, chopped (1 cup)

Salt and pepper to taste

4 Cornish hens

2 cups plum jam

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Place the plums and cognac in a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain the plums, reserving the liquid.

In a sauté pan, sauté the shallots in the butter until translucent. Stir in the salt, pepper, pistachios and plums and combine well. Cook for a further 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Place the Cornish hens in a roasting pan and spoon the plum/ shallot mixture around them and then coat each hen with the plum jam. Place in the center of the oven and bake for 1 hour.

Remove the game hens from the oven and place them on a carving board. Let them rest for 10 minutes before carving. Warm 8 dinner plates in the oven.

Spoon some of the plum pieces onto each of the warmed dinner plates. Stir the reserved plum liquid into the roasting pan and reduce the pan juices over a medium-hot stove, until lightly thickened. Cut the game hens in half, place one half on each plate alongside the plums and pour a little of the pan juices over the top. Serve with the peach salsa.

Nectarine Crumble with Lemon Double Devon Cream

Makes 8 servings

FOR THE NECTARINES

10–12 medium-sized nectarines (if they are huge, 8–10 fruit should do)

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons sugar

FOR THE CRUMBLE

10 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (approximately 2 1⁄ 4 cups)

2 1⁄ 2 sticks butter, cut into little pieces

1⁄ 3 cup sugar

Cinnamon

FOR THE DEVON CREAM

6 ounces Devon cream

Zest of 1 lemon Pinch allspice

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Combine the nectarines, lemon zest, sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl and toss lightly to combine the ingredients. Place all the fruit in an ovenproof dish, at least 12-inch round or a 10- by 14-inch rectangular dish.

To make the crumble, place all the flour in a large bowl. Add three-quarters of the butter and mix it with the flour, using the tips of your fingers, until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Don’t worry if you have little lumps of butter left—it should look like that! Add the sugar and mix to combine. Cover the nectarines with the crumble mixture. Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon and sugar over the crumble. Dot the surface with the remaining butter. Bake in the center of the oven for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown.

Combine all the ingredients for the Devon cream until smooth and well incorporated. Serve the lemon double Devon cream with the hot crumble.

WHAT THE KIDS ARE EATING

by Nancy Oster

When the lavender blooms at Peabody Charter School, it’s time to make lavender shortbread cookies. First the kids identify the lavender in our garden by its fragrance, and then they pick stalks to bring into the kitchen. Together we carefully handpick the little purple flowers from each stalk. We also grate a little fresh lemon or orange rind to add to our dry ingredients.

Then the fun begins. We pinch the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture feels like cornmeal. Then we stir in a little vanilla, gather the dough together and divide it into eight balls.

There are lots of ways to press the shortbread cookies. In this after-school cooking class, we pressed the dough into Asian cookie molds then tapped them out onto our parchment paper–lined trays. But you can also press them with a fork, ceramic cookie stamp, or the decorative bottom of a fancy drinking glass. Use a little sugar on your pressing tool to keep the dough from sticking.

We used salted butter but you can use unsalted if you prefer— just increase the salt a little. It’s fun to experiment with different edible flowers such as nasturtiums or orange blossoms and add spices like cinnamon or ginger.

Of course, tasting the freshly baked cookies is the best part. Smiles light up the faces of our successful young bakers as they taste their own cookies and pack up a few to take home to their families and friends.

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Makes 8 cookies

1⁄ 2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon lavender flowers

Pinch of grated orange or lemon rind

Pinch of salt

4 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pieces

1⁄ 4 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together flour, sugar, lavender flowers, orange or lemon rind and salt.

Put your butter pieces into the flour mixture, coating them with flour. Pinch the butter between your thumb and first and second fingers to break the butter into smaller pieces. Keep flouring and pinching until the mixture feels like cornmeal.

Stir in the vanilla and gather the dough into a ball. Divide into eight smaller balls.

Put onto a parchment lined baking sheet and press each ball with a fork or a fancy bottomed drinking glass dipped in sugar. Each shortbread cookie should be a little less than 1⁄ 2 inch thick.

Bake at 325° for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges begin to show a little color. Let the cookies cool briefly on the pan to firm up before you remove them from the pan.

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

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

STEVEN BROWN

WHAT THE GROWNUPS ARE DRINKING

by Diane Murphy & Laura Lindsey

Growing up we believed that summer started when school let out for vacation, but for those of us in Santa Barbara, it seems that summer doesn’t truly begin until we’ve watched the revelers dance down State Street in the annual Solstice parade. Summer in Santa Barbara also means new releases of local wines, perfect for lazy afternoons at the beach, picnics at the park and backyard barbecues. To select the right wine for these summer activities, we put our tasters to work…

2009 Carr Pinot Gris

Turner Vineyard ($20)

Aromas of honey, citrus and stone fruits gave way to a refreshing wine with acidity on the back end and no hint of residual sugar. This is a wine that won’t interfere with food, so it would be great for picnics or to enjoy with a salad or sushi. Available at Stella Mare’s, Louie’s and Winehound.

2009 Storm Sauvignon Blanc

Santa Ynez Valley ($20)

This sauvignon blanc reflects the New Zealand origins of its winemaker, with a huge tropical nose of papaya, pineapple and grapefruit rind. The sweetness of seafood goes delightfully with it, making it the perfect pairing with fish tacos on the beach. Available at the Wine Grotto, the Cheese Shop, El Rancho Market and Los Olivos Grocery.

2008 Jaffurs Grenache Blanc

Thompson Vineyard ($30)

We liked the gold color of this wine and found that food really brought out its complexity along with a rich fullness and texture. It paired well with paella, chorizo and spicy peppers, which makes this our choice for Fiesta parties. Available at Elements, Canary Hotel, Los Olivos Café and Vin Hus.

2008 Melville Estate Chardonnay

Verna’s Vineyard ($22)

This wine was truly something special, an exceptional and sophisticated French-style chardonnay that could even win over someone who doesn’t like chardonnay. It was not at all oaky, and, like a white burgundy, delicious with cheese but could also stand alone or be savored with a candlelight dinner. Available at East Beach Wine Company, Renegade Wines, Lazy Acres, Vino Divino, the Wine Grotto and El Rancho Market.

2009 Verdad Rosé

Sawyer Lindquist Vineyard ($16)

Made from 100% Grenache grapes, this rosé had a bouquet of strawberry, watermelon and ruby red grapefruit. Clean and refreshing with a subtle flavor, it’s the epitome of a summer wine to cool you off on a hot day or as a sidekick to Sunday brunch. Available at Whole Foods.

2007 Pali Pinot Noir Turner Vineyard ($50)

“Kick ass great” pretty much says it all. It tasted of plum and cherry with a hint of pepper on the nose and had a velvet mouthfeel exuding notes of thyme with a lovely elegance to the finish. This is a wine we could drink all summer long (and fall, winter and spring too!). Rich and smooth, it would be great with grilled lamb or other barbecue offerings and also perfect for that special-occasion romantic dinner. Available at Vino Divino and Renegade Wines.

And there you have it, perfect wine pairings for all your summer activities. So as you pack up the car for each day’s adventure, don’t forget to include a special bottle of wine. Until next time, cheers!

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

edible Source Guide

The Edible Source Guide is a compact listing of all of our advertisers with the details of their businesses. Please visit these advertisers to pick up your free copy of Edible Santa Barbara.

BREWERIES

Telegraph Brewing Company

Handcrafting unique American ales that embrace the heritage of California’s early brewing pioneers and use as many locally grown ingredients as possible. Visit the tasting room Thursday from 4–6pm, Friday from 4–8pm, Saturday from 1–4pm. Telegraph beer is available at many restaurants and grocery stores in Santa Barbara County and throughout California. telegraphbrewing.com

CATERERS AND CHEFS

New West Catering

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

Savoir Faire

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

FARMERS MARKETS

Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market

Eight markets, six days a week. See schedule on page 13. 805 962-5354; sbfarmersmarket.org

FARMS AND CSA PROGRAMS

Dey Dey’s Best Beef Ever

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

John Givens Farm

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

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 AND DISTRIBUTORS

Santa Barbara Fish Market

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

FOOD PRODUCTS

Duchess of Wellington

Organic, sugar-free handcrafted gourmet marmalades and jams from tree-ripened fruit that they grow on their farm in Santa Barbara. They also offer jam workshops. 805 455-9919; duchessofwellington.com

Simply Pies

Simply Pies specializes in delicious organic pies, pot pies, quiches and cheesecakes that are handcrafted with fresh, local organic ingredients. Vegan, gluten free and sugar free options. Open Tuesday–Saturday 11am–3pm. 5392 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara. 805 845-2200; simplypiessb.blogspot.com

GROCERY STORES

Gelson’s

In the market for magnificent? Shop Gelson’s! Other stores say they have the best service, freshest produce, highest quality meat and seafood, but the “Super Market” really delivers. Gelson’s also boasts the finest, restaurant-quality prepared foods from fabulous picnic fare to full gourmet meals. Open daily 7am–10pm. 3305 State St., Santa Barbara in Loreto Plaza. 805 687-5810; gelsons.com

Isla Vista Food Co-op

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

Lazy Acres

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

Whole Foods

Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas, Whole Foods Market, a leader in the natural and organic foods industry and America’s first national certified organic grocer, was named “America’s Healthiest Grocery Store” in 2008 by Health magazine. 3761 State St., Santa Barbara, 805 837-6959; wholefoodsmarket.com

HOTELS AND SPAS

Ballard Inn & Restaurant

Comfortably elegant accommodations, attentive staff and award-winning cuisine make The Ballard Inn & Restaurant one of the most sought-after small luxury inns in the Santa Barbara Wine Country. Restaurant open Wednesday–Sunday 5:30–9pm. 2436 Baseline Ave., Ballard. 800 638-2466, 805 688-7770; ballardinn.com

Crimson Day Spa Boutique

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

LANDSCAPING AND GARDEN SERVICES

Edible Gardens

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

Homegrown Pantry Kitchen Gardens

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

LOCAL PRODUCE DELIVERY AND MARKET

Plow to Porch Organics

Local organic market and produce delivery service. 3204 State St., Santa Barbara. Open Tuesday–Friday 10am–5pm, Saturday–Sunday 12noon–5pm; plowtoporch.com

NUTRITION

Sunshine Wellness

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

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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

Daphne Romani

Licensed architect Daphne Romani integrates permaculture principles with architecture, working with nature to create designs that embody time-tested wisdom, spatial and functional relationships. 805 259-7462; daphneromani.com

Modern Organic Design

Modern Organic Design is a boutique architectural firm specializing in residential, small commercial and tenant improvement projects. Contact Travis B. Colburn, A.I.A. at 805 259-4067 for a free consultation or visit modernorganicdesign.net for more information

RESTAURANTS

See our Edible Dining Guide on page 40.

edible Events

SPECIALTY RETAILERS

Chocolate Maya

Chocolate Maya scours the world for pure, luscious chocolates and offers incredible savory bars, truffles, bonbons and gift baskets as well as a wide choice of organic and fair trade chocolate products. Monday–Friday 11am–6pm, Saturday 10am–4pm. 15 W. Gutierrez St., Santa Barbara 805 965-5956; chocolatemaya.com

C’est Cheese

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

Global Gardens

Global Gardens uses only the freshest of organic or natural, pesticide-free ingredients to make their exclusive line of extra virgin olive oils, fruit vinegars, appetizer spreads, glazes, savory snacks and confections. Open daily 11am–5pm. 2477 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos. 805 693-1600; oliverevolution.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.

Montecito Country Kitchen

Montecito Country Kitchen is Santa Barbara’s unique Mediterranean-flavored cooking school and online culinary boutique. From delicious classes showcasing the seasonal produce of local farmers markets to an enticing line of cookbooks, herbs, spices, exotic salts, olive oils and more, Montecito Country Kitchen brings you the essence of cooking in California. mckcuisine.com

OstrichLand USA

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

This Little Piggy Wears Cotton

Piggy is organic! The very best in high-quality merchandise for newborns to age 14, including specialty children’s clothing, accessories, toys and books. Located in Santa Barbara at 18 E. De La Guerra, in Montecito at 1470 East Valley Rd. Also located in Phoenix, Newport Beach and Santa Monica. littlepiggy.com

WINERIES AND WINE RETAILERS

Avant Tapas and Wine

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

Alma Rosa

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

BiN 2860 International Wine Shop

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

Buttonwood Farm Winery

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

Kenneth Volk Vineyards

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

Oreana Winery & Marketplace

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

Qupé

THURSDAY–SATURDAY, JULY 15–17

Santa Barbara’s California Wine Festival

Santa Barbara’s Annual California Wine Festival is a midsummer tradition where thousands of wine and food lovers gather to sip and savor unlimited premium wines and sample gourmet food. californiawinefestival.com

SATURDAY–SUNDAY, JULY 17–18

23rd Annual French Festival

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

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 from 10am– 4pm daily. 6020 Foxen Canyon Road, Santa Maria. 805 937-8340; riverbench.com

Roblar Winery & Cooking School

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

Wandering Dog

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

Zaca Mesa Winery and Vineyards

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

Join the fun at the French Festival on July 17 and 18 from 11am–7pm in Santa Barbara’s Oak Park. It is the largest French celebration in the Western United States and features a wide variety of entertainment, from cancan to the poodle parade, as well as lots of great food, from crepes to quiche. Admission is free. For more information call 805 564-7274 or visit frenchfestival.com.

SATURDAY, JULY 24

Abalone Farm Tour, Cooking Demonstration and Luncheon

The American Institute of Wine and Food holds its annual Tour and Tasting at The Cultured Abalone farm in Goleta. aiwf.org

WEDNESDAY–SUNDAY, AUGUST 5–9

Old Spanish Days Fiesta

A celebration of Santa Barbara’s heritage, through music, dancing and family events. Serious foodies frequent the mercado at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. oldspanishdays-fiesta.org

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14

All Buttonwood Farm Dinner

Join the Buttonwood “family” for a convivial experience celebrating the bounty of Buttonwood Farm. buttonwoodwinery.com

SAVE THE DATE: OCTOBER 1–31

epicure.sb: A Month to Savor Santa Barbara

Coming this October, Santa Barbara will feature a monthlong foodie festival with diverse epicurean offerings sure to sate your appetite! This epicurean adventure will showcase regional cuisine, libations and culture. Festivals include the Sol Food Festival, Harbor & Seafood Festival, California Lemon Festival, California Avocado Festival and Celebration of Harvest. For more information: info@sbdo.org

THE LAST BITE

Shu Takikawa

In an issue where we feature young farmers, it seems fitting that we close with a look at one of their mentors, Shu Takikawa. When he was 26, Shu came from Japan and started farming in Camarillo. In 1988 he moved to Santa Barbara County where he worked for the Nature Farm on Santa Rosa Road. And since 1991 he has been farming with his family on their own land called The Garden of….. Yes, there are supposed to be five dots in the name, and that is not the only thing whimsical and unusual about the farm. Shu is an experienced farmer. But at age 53, he is still a young farmer, with an infectious smile, a passion for growing organic produce, saving seeds and always experimenting. His strategy is to grow common varieties with uncommon taste. He encourages new farmers to get their organic certification with CCOF, a nonprofit organic certifier and trade association. He also inspires new farmers on another level—with his dedication and deep commitment to making the world a better place.

FRAN COLLIN

Located in Santa Barbara right off State Street and Gutierrez Street near the 101 at Parker Way and Motor Way with plenty of

Backyard Bowls Chocolate Maya

Crimson Day Spa Boutique