Tasting daily at the Margerum Tasting Rooms Hotel Californian, 19 East Mason, Santa Barbara and 2446 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos
Ramon Velazquez Brings
Yoichi’s
Delicata Squash and Pistachio Dukkah Tartine by Jane Chapman
Q&A with Billi Jo Starr of Freedom 4 Youth by Krista Harris
Local
with
Dodder
LEANDRA HARRIS
ROSMINAH BROWN
FEATURES
26 You Belong Here Let Me Count the Ways by Rosminah Brown
32 Budi’s Back!
Chef Budi Kazali Returns with The Gathering Table, Part Deux by Liz Dodder
36 Rooted in Santa Barbara Jesse and Avery Cloutier’s Sea Creatures Wine by Hana-Lee Sedgwick
42 Longing and Belonging
Every Journey Begins Near to You by Krista Harris
46 Belonging...and a Bag of Lentils by Pascale Beale
RECIPES IN THIS ISSUE
Salads and Side Dishes
18 Purple Skin-On Mashed Potatoes with Scallions
19 Apple Crostini
20 Delicata Squash and Pistachio Dukkah Tartine
48 Grape Harvesters Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
51 Lentils with Glazed Onions and Green Tomatoes
Main Dishes
50 Pissaladière with a Twist
Desserts 52 Pear Mousse
Beverages
25 This Little Figgy
The SBCC Promise
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
This issue is the culmination of the 57 issues of Edible Santa Barbara that have preceded it. My husband, Steve Brown, and I have poured our hearts into this magazine. So, I could not be more pleased to be ushering in a new team of owners—Rosminah Brown and Rob Bilson—and letting all of you know that I am staying on as an associate publisher. Passing the torch and yet keeping my hands warm.
As I have said many times, I am proud of the work that we have all done over the past 15 years. And the fact that Rosminah has been both a writer and a photographer for the magazine for over a decade makes this transition all the more seamless. When Rosminah first told me that she wanted to kick things off with an issue centered around the theme of Belonging, I knew we were on to something. It’s just the type of concept that works when each person interprets it in their own way. And I was happy to contribute my own take on longing and belonging to this issue.
As we head into the holidays, I start thinking about gatherings and gratitude. This year, I will be giving thanks to all of you Edible Santa Barbara readers and to all of our writers, photographers, advertisers and everyone who has a hand in bringing this magazine to the community.
Krista Harris, Co-founder and Associate Publisher
Iwould like to introduce myself. I’m Rosminah Brown, and it’s a pleasure to meet you! A decade ago I left the 9-to-5 of a corporate job to pursue one of my passions professionally: to cheerlead the food community of my hometown of Santa Barbara. It was a perfect fit to join the Edible Santa Barbara team. Krista and Steve encouraged me to pitch stories and helped guide me through the new world of magazine writing. There are always stories of hidden gems, tasty bites and championing the hard work of everyone in Santa Barbara County’s food communities.
True fact: On Summer Solstice of this year, my longtime partner Rob Bilson and I married. Less than two weeks later, Krista and Steve passed the baton to us as owners and publishers. Edible Santa Barbara is now both a woman- and veteranowned business. I’m happy to also say that Krista is still by my side as associate publisher.
I still hope to contribute words and photos to future Small Bites, since taking small bites is one of my favorite pleasures. In this issue, join me in taking an adventure walk, paying attention to the details and efforts made by a trio of businesses. We all proudly hold an inviting platter out to you and beckon you inside. All these places truly belong in Santa Barbara, as do you and I. Thank you for reading.
Rosminah Brown, Owner/Publisher
Email us at info@EdibleSantaBarbara.com and visit our website at www.EdibleSantaBarbara.com
Member of Edible Communities
OWNER/PUBLISHERS
Rosminah Brown
Rob Bilson
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Krista Harris
RECIPE EDITOR
Nancy Oster
COPY EDITING & PROOFING
Doug Adrianson
DESIGNER
Freeman Design Group
SOCIAL MEDIA
Liz Dodder
Jill Johnson
CONTRIBUTORS
Pascale Beale
Rob Bilson
Rosminah Brown
Steven Brown
Jane Chapman
Liz Dodder
Krista Harris
Hana-Lee Sedgwick
Carole Topalian
George Yatchisin
ADVERTISING
ads@ediblesantabarbara.com
Edible Santa Barbara® is published quarterly by Brown Ink Media, LLC and distributed throughout Santa Barbara County. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Publisher expressly disclaims all liability for any occurrence that may arise as a consequence of the use of any information or recipes. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us. Thank you.
Rosminah Brown and Krista Harris.
Edible Communities James Beard Foundation Publication of the Year (2011)
small Bites
Ramon Velazquez Brings Bold Bowls to the Table
by Rosminah Brown
Sitting down to dine at Corazon Comedor you might have noticed the beautiful blue bowls their salads, ceviches and posole are served in. If you haven’t yet noticed, I invite you to look. They are sturdy, sitting heavy in the hand and so smooth to the touch. Each bowl is different, with variations to the hues of the blue and gray streaks. Some have festive blue speckles like scattered confetti. Each one is a pleasure to hold, whether it’s chilled and dewy or hot from holding a generous portion of posole that will soon share its warmth with you.
All these were specially commissioned by Ramon Velazquez from a ceramics studio in Guadalajara, just 10 minutes from where he grew up with his family, called Avalos Ceramics. Ramon’s style embraces local and seasonal, yet comforting and familiar.
Both Corazon Comedor in downtown Santa Barbara and his new restaurant in Montecito, Alma Fonda Fina, provide a sit-down dining experience with different chefs and different specialties, and both are tied together by the earthy colors and robust heft of Avalos tableware. Corazon Comedor has its bluegray color scheme while Alma Fonda Fina has a palette all its own of rich browns from pale pink taupes to dark chocolate.
The Velazquez family of restaurants invites you to come in, relax and have a seat at the table, whichever space you choose.
I hope you spend a moment taking in the details of these individually handcrafted bowls and enjoy sharing a childhood memory of Ramon.
Resources
Corazon Comedor 29 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara www.corazoncomedor.com
Alma Fonda Fina in the Montecito Country Mart 1016 Coast Village Rd., Montecito www.montecitocountrymart.com/alma-fonda-fina
Corazon Comedor’s chilled ceviche in their signature blue and gray bowls.
ROSMINAH BROWN
Alma Fonda Fina’s palette of rich brown ceramics.
ROSMINAH BROWN
Avocado Enamorado with prawns at Alma Fonda Fina.
ROSMINAH BROWN
small Bites
Yoichi’s Kaiseki is a Sensory Experience
by Rosminah Brown
Set off the dominant State Street of downtown Santa Barbara, Yoichi’s appears quiet and unassuming in a one-story building adjacent to a mostly residential block and a few offices. The team behind the restaurant is small but dedicated. They offer a prix fixe dinner of Japanese food in the traditional form of kaiseki.
The idea behind kaiseki is more than the goal of being fed; it is the entire sensory experience, being fully aware of the details of the moment. The moment takes into consideration the offerings of the seasons, and autumn evokes koyo, the color of autumn leaves, the harvest and cooling temperatures. As you progress through the stages of your meal, each dish is artfully prepared—delicately plated in beautiful bowls and platters that have been intentionally selected to balance every taste and texture presented to you. You take a journey through the season
over the multi-course meal, following an established progression of the preparations—starting with zensai or appetizers through to kanmi or dessert— but each step is inspired by the creative mind of Chef Yoichi Kawabata, resulting in a pleasant meander through a garden of exquisite bites.
This autumn offers not only the rich bounty of our local produce like squash, seafood and persimmons, but also an array of ceramic tableware along the koyo theme. For this, Kawabata commissioned ceramic artist Nakanishi Yoshi, a Santa Barbara resident at the time, to create dozens of unique bowls, platters, sake and teacups varying in size, texture and glaze, enough to fill a table many times over. If you sip mindfully while cupping your sake, you may form an attachment to a particular piece. How does it feel in your hands? Is it pebbled with texture or smooth? Does the light make it shimmer or glow? Take it all in: You’ve just made a memory of a moment that you can enjoy long after the meal.
You can depend on there being four distinct seasonal dining experiences, but there will always be something different and special at Yoichi’s.
Resources
Yoichi’s
230 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara Dinner service Thu–Sun 5:30–9:30pm. www.Yoichis.com
Rosminah Brown is a Santa Barbara native who types fast and eats slow. She once jumped in the Neptune Pool at Hearst Castle. She’s always in search of the singular exquisite bite.
ROSMINAH BROWN
Seasonal yakimono (grilled dish) with fish, mushrooms, leeks, fish roe and shiso flowers.
Assorted cups and bowls represent koyo, or autumn colors.
small Bites Ethiopian Injera, a Versatile Flatbread
by Rosminah Brown
One of Santa Barbara’s restaurant gems offers Ethiopian food, and it’s been hidden in plain sight. Petit Valentien, located in La Arcada downtown, has been known for its French-inspired menu ever since it opened in 2007. In 2011 it added Ethiopian food to its menu, as weekend brunch. This is the result of owners Serkaddis Alemu and Robert Dixon deciding to offer Serkaddis’s family recipes shortly after the closing of Karim’s Moroccan food restaurant.
As one of few places in Santa Barbara to find food originating from the African continent, Petit Valentien deserves a special place at the table. Ethiopian food is known for its rich stews and braises, heady with spices and is served on a flatbread called injera. Although the cuisine of an entire country cannot be distilled into a singular weekend menu, Serkaddis’s dishes are unique to this city, and her injera—the flatbread most associated with Ethiopian food—is a delight to the senses. Injera is a sourdough made from a grain called teff, which Laura Booras wrote about in Issue 38 of Edible Santa Barbara back in 2018 (see Global Local Cuisine,
page 26). This tiny grain, once ground, is fermented with water to make a tangy batter and cooked into a spongy flatbread that’s soft, bouncy and full of bubbles—ideal for picking up bites of stews and sauces and soaking up the juices. Injera serves as both the edible plate and the utensils. Eating with your hands makes for a sensory experience: You can see, smell, touch and taste the food and connect with it. Even better, you can share this meal with friends, breaking bread together.
Injera is made from just two ingredients—teff and water— but requires fermentation over days to attain its signature sour flavor and spongy texture. For this, Serkaddis now offers her injera to make at home in a mail-order kit.
The kit contains a glass container of irsho—the living mother dough that is also considered the starter, plus two bags of teff flour and a booklet with step-by-step instructions for making injera. Once purchased, she provides videos of the whole process. Be prepared: Time and patience are requirements for any true sourdough, so ordering the kit takes time for Serkaddis to make the irsho, and it is a three-day process to turn the irsho and teff into the batter to make injera. But it is worth it. I am confident that Petit Valentien’s injera is among the best available in the county and further down into Los Angeles. We are lucky to have both the option to make injera her way at home, and to sit in Santa Barbara’s beautiful La Arcada for a weekend meal of freshly prepared Ethiopian food.
Resources
Petit Valentien in La Arcada Plaza 1114 State St. #14, Santa Barbara www.petitvalentien.com
Ethiopian brunch is offered Sat and Sun, 11:30am–2:30pm
To order the injera kit scan the QR code or, visit www.petitvalentien.com/injera
(Regional raw milk, artisanal goat- and cow-milk cheeses, butters, curds, yogurts and spreads)
Fresh flowers
Honey
Olives, olive oil
Meat (Beef, chicken, duck, goat, rabbit, pork)
Potted plants/herbs
Preserves
Wheat
(Wheat berries, wheat flour, bread, pasta and baked goods produced from wheat grown locally)
BOK CHOY
SPINACH
POTATOES
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
PASTA
SQUASH
GRAPES
TOMATILLOS
When Abuela cooks a dish called ropa vieja, Magaly scrambles to hide her old clothes before they end up on her dinner plate!
barefootbooks.com/old-clothes-for-dinner
Illustration adapted from Old Clothes for Dinner?! (Barefoot Books), written by Nathalie Alonso and illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro
LET’S EAT!
Recipes by Edible South Florida, adapted from Cocina Criolla and Cocina al Minuto by Nitza Villapol
Ropa vieja
Ropa vieja is Cuba’s national dish. It is traditionally made with flank steak and gets its name from the texture of the beef, which shreds when it is cooked. Ropa vieja is usually served with white rice.
1. Place the beef in a pot (or a pressure cooker). Add half of the onion, garlic, and aji pepper. Cover with water.
Ingredients:
• 2 pounds (1 kg) flank steak, skirt steak, or brisket
• 1 onion, sliced in half-rounds, divided in two equal piles
• 3 cloves garlic, finely minced, divided in two equal piles
• 1 large aji pepper (or other sweet pepper), cut into strips, divided in two equal piles
• 1/3 cup (80 mL) vegetable oil
• 8-oz can (220 g) tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup (120 mL) golden cooking wine (vino seco)
• 7-oz can (200 g) red pimientos
• cooked white rice to serve 8
• optional: olives or capers
2. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat for 2–3 hours (or cook in pressure cooker) until the beef is tender enough to easily shred with a fork.
3. Scoop the cooked beef into a large bowl, setting aside the pot with the leftover cooking broth for later use. In the bowl, use two forks to separate the meat into fine strips.
4. In another large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the remaining onion, garlic, and pepper, and sauté for a few minutes.
5. Lower the heat and add the beef, tomato sauce, salt, bay leaf, and cooking wine. Cook, covered, for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking. If necessary, add a spoonful or two of the leftover cooking broth to keep the mixture moist.
6. Remove the bay leaf. Drain and add the pimientos, and add optional olives or capers.
7. Serve over white rice.
Vegetarian/vegan option: Use a meat alternative such as soy curls, which come in pieces that look like ropa vieja. Soak an 8-oz package in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain the soy curls and start with step 4. Sauté all of the onion, garlic, and aji pepper at once rather than dividing them up into two equal piles Use hot water instead of broth if needed to keep the mixture moist. Tofu or green jackfruit could also be substituted but would not look as similar to the shredded beef.
Illustration adapted from Old Clothes for Dinner?! (Barefoot Books), written by Nathalie Alonso and illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro
Arroz con leche
Adult helper needed | Serves 8
Arroz con leche (“rice with milk”) is a rice pudding. It’s a popular dessert in many parts of Latin America, including Cuba. Many different cultures around the
globe have their own versions of rice pudding.
Ingredients:
• ½ cup (90 g) uncooked short-grain rice
• 1 ½ cups (350 mL) water
• zest from 1 lemon
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 4 ¼ cups (1 L) whole milk*
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 g) sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ground cinnamon to taste
*Instead of the whole milk, you can also use a 12-oz can (410 g) of evaporated milk plus 2 ¼ cups (540 g) of water.
2.
1. Place the rice in a sieve and rinse under running water for a minute or two, then drain. Put the rice in a large saucepan with the water, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer until the rice is tender, about 15–20 minutes.
4. Add the milk, salt, and sugar. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 45–90 minutes, depending on how thick you’d like your arroz con leche. As the mixture thickens, stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick and stir in the vanilla.
6. Pour into serving dishes and sprinkle with ground cinnamon. Arroz con leche can be served warm, or you can refrigerate and serve it cold.
Are you passionate about children’s books that prioritize diversity, encourage critical thinking, and teach kids to protect the planet? Learn more about becoming a Barefoot Books Community Bookseller! Visit barefootbooks.com/cb.
Illustration adapted from Old Clothes for Dinner?! (Barefoot Books), written by Nathalie Alonso and illustrated by Natalia Rojas Castro
Wait, What’s for Dinner?!
Cultures all over the world have recipes with imaginative names that, like “ropa vieja,” describe what the food looks like on the plate rather than what it’s really made of.
Pigs in a blanket — a beloved breakfast treat and appetizer in the US made of a small sausage (the "pig") wrapped in pastry dough (the "blanket").
Ma yi shang shu (mah yee shahng shooh) — a classic dish from the Sichuan region of China. The name means “ants climbing a tree” in Mandarin, because the small bits of pork that cling to the noodles look like ants on branches.
Orecchiette (oh-rek-KYE-teh) — Italian for “little ears.” This pasta, which does indeed look like ears, is traditionally served with small meatballs and a vegetable-based sauce.
Buss up shut — a Caribbean dish, common in Trinidad, that means “busted-up shirt.” It’s made from a flatbread called roti (roh-tee) that has been beaten to pieces, making it look like a ripped-up shirt.
Lady fingers — spongy biscuits from the mountains of France and Italy. They are long and narrow, like fingers. There is a similar biscuit in Indonesian cuisine called kue lidah kucing (kooh-eh lee-dah ku-cheeng), which means “cat’s tongue biscuits.”
Spätzle (SHPET-sleh) — small dumpling noodles common throughout central Europe. Before machines, these little noodles were made by pinching a round dough ball with your fingertips. They were named “little sparrows” in German because their pointy ends and round “bellies” make them look like small birds.
Pico de gallo (pee-koh deh GAI-yoh) — a Mexican salsa that translates to “beak of the rooster” in Spanish. It is made with chopped tomatoes, onions, and spicy chili peppers. How it got its name is not clear. Some say it’s because it was originally eaten by picking the vegetables up with the index finger and thumb making the hand look like a rooster’s beak.
Buddhiya ke baal (BOO-dee-yah kay BAHL) — in India, the Hindi name for cotton candy translates to “old woman’s hair.” This sweet treat, which is made by spinning sugar in different shades (like pink or blue), is known as “fairy floss” in Australia.
Can you think of any other dishes that have interesting names?
seasonal Recipes
Purple Skin-On Mas hed Pot atoes wit h
Scallions
If you are looking to change things up a little at your holiday meal without disappointing the traditionalists who must have mashed potatoes, why not just change the color? These are every bit as satisfying as traditional mashed potatoes but have a rich color and the healthy benefits of antioxidants. They don’t need to be peeled, so they are easy enough for a weeknight dinner, and the recipe can be doubled for a big holiday meal.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
11/2 pounds purple potatoes
1–2 tablespoons butter
1–2 tablespoons crème fraîche
Salt and pepper
2 scallions/green onions, root end removed, thinly sliced white portion and some green
Wash the purple potatoes and cut into large dice. Add to a medium pot of boiling water and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Drain and return to the pot. Add the smaller amounts of the butter and crème fraîche, as well as salt and pepper to taste and the white portion of the sliced scallions. Mash thoroughly with a potato masher, adding additional butter and/or crème fraîche until you get your desired consistency. Serve sprinkled with the remaining green portion of sliced scallions sprinkled on top.
—Krista Harris
KRISTA HARRIS
seasonal Recipes
KRISTA HARRIS
Apple Crostini
This recipe came about when I was looking for a light and easy fruit dessert. It straddles the line between appetizer and dessert. Technically, crostini are served before a meal, but this sweet variation also works as a light dessert. It’s especially good for people who say they don’t want dessert. Who can resist trying at least one when a platter is passed around?
MAKES ABOUT 16 PIECES
1 baguette, sliced
Olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large or 2 small apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
Honey, to taste
Cinnamon
Salt, to taste
Splash of apple brandy, liqueur or lemon juice
Thin slices of cheddar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the baguette into thin slices, brush with olive oil and place on a large baking sheet. Toast until lightly golden, about 7 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the diced apples. Sauté until just beginning to soften, a few minutes. Add a drizzle of honey, cinnamon and salt to taste. Add a splash of your favorite apple brandy, liqueur or lemon juice and stir to combine, sautéing for a few more minutes, until the flavors are combined and the apples are tender. Remove from heat.
Top the toasted baguette slices with the cooked apple and a small thin slice of cheddar and pop it back into the oven for 1–2 minutes to melt slightly before serving.
—Krista Harris
seasonal Recipes
Delicata Squash and Pistachio Dukkah
Tartine by Jane
Chapman
This recipe combines the complementary flavors of dukkah with caramelized roast delicata squash, creamy goat cheese and golden local honey. Tartines are a go-to of mine for entertaining as they can be prepped ahead and paired with a green salad, creating a beautiful, nourishing and no-fuss meal.
I use delicata squash here because the thin skin is edible, and the half-moon shape of the slices allows for a rich browning when roasted. A few words on dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend of primarily nuts and seeds, which is another versatile staple in my home. This recipe will yield enough for you to top your tartine and enjoy all week long, generously garnishing your morning eggs, piled high on a plate of labneh drizzled with olive oil, spooned onto homemade soups or tossed into fresh salads. Traditionally, dukkah is made with hazelnuts, but I have opted to use pistachios to keep all ingredients in this recipe local through and through.
For the tartine, I used a few slices of coastal sourdough sourced from Riviera Bread, focusing on naturally leavened sourdough made from four simple ingredients: flour, water, salt and wild yeast. Pro tip: You can make the dukkah while you roast the squash and grill the bread to save time. Then, assemble it when you are ready to eat. This simple recipe will yield lunch for two, or slice and grill the entire loaf and roast more squash to accommodate lunch for 8–10. Serve with a salad of fresh gem lettuces from The Garden of ..... at our Saturday farmers market. MAKES 2–10 SERVINGS
FOR THE TARTINE
2 Delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed and each half cut into half-moon slices
1 loaf of sourdough bread (Riviera Bread Coastal Sourdough recommended)
Goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 teaspoon of honey (San Marcos Farms Wildflower Honey recommended)
High-quality olive oil (my local favorite is grown and pressed here in Goleta from Amici Del Padre)
FOR THE DUKKAH
1 cup toasted pistachios
2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon flaked sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425°. Place the sliced squash on a Silpat or parchment-lined sheet pan and roast for 30–45 minutes, flipping halfway. I prefer the squash slightly browned and crispy, which tends to cook for close to 45 minutes.
Place the toasted pistachios in a food processor and lightly pulse to a coarse grind. Pour the ground pistachios into a bowl, add all the remaining ingredients for the dukkah and gently stir to combine. Keep the dukkah in an airtight container at room temperature and enjoy it immediately or for up to a week. Meanwhile, as the squash is baking, slice and grill or toast the bread.
Assemble the tartine once the bread is grilled and the squash is cooked to your liking. Spread the goat cheese evenly to the edges of the toast. Next, arrange the Delicata squash, sprinkle some of the dukkah on top, then layer the chopped parsley. To serve, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and San Marcos Farms honey.
Jane Chapman is a Santa Barbara native, has a lifetime of experience in the kitchen and recipe development and has worked in the restaurant business for over 20 years. Her newest venture, The Communal Table Santa Barbara, curates intimate events for women combining food and conversation. Her goal is to create authentic community and connection one meal at a time. To learn more or attend one of her events, visit www. CommunalTableSB.com.
Q&A with Billi Jo Starr of Freedom 4 Youth
Interviewed by Krista Harris
Freedom 4 Youth was co-founded in 2008 by Billi Jo Starr, PhD, and the youth at Los Prietos Boys Camp, a now-closed youth detention facility in Santa Barbara. Originally, the organization was a Toastmaster Charter, the first of its kind for youth in the juvenile justice system. In 2011 it evolved into a nonprofit organization and went on to create Freedom 4 Youth Advocates, a UCSB mentorship organization that supports youth in the justice system. It opened a physical location in 2019 and has since grown exponentially, serving over 700 individuals in 2023, nearly all of whom have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system. Freedom 4 Youth Advocates alumni have gone on to receive master’s degrees in social work, enter teacher education programs and law schools, or join the workforce as counselors, case managers and law enforcement officers.
After hearing that they had a culinary program, I reached out to Executive Director Billi Jo Starr to hear more about the work they are doing.
How has Freedom 4 Youth evolved over the years?
Freedom 4 Youth started with a focus on mentorship and support for youth in local detention facilities, offering traumaresponsive care and guidance. Over the years, we’ve evolved into a comprehensive network of services. Some of the original boys, who started with me when they were around
13 and 14 and are now 29 and 30, are still involved as part of our strategic advisory group, the Lived Experience Executive Division. They guide the organization, and they are the ones who decided we needed to do a culinary arts program. They said we should have a catering company, which could then provide career pathways for youth. Also, our arts and advocacy initiatives have led to the creation of a magazine highlighting the positive impact of legislation on our youth. So, our growth has been driven by the needs of the youth we serve, expanding our programs to include mental health services, after-school support and community partnerships.
Freedom 4 Youth Executive Director Billi Jo Starr.
Freedom 4 Youth Culinary Program participants share a moment of laughter with their mentors at the SBCC Schott Center kitchen.
LEANDRA HARRIS PHOTO COURTESY
SAMMY CHAVOYA
Culinary program students and their mentors create delicious, nutritious and gorgeous cuisine for any catering event, large or small.
What partnerships have been particularly helpful to your work?
Our partnership with Santa Barbara City College allows us to utilize their commercial kitchen to run our culinary program. This program not only offers valuable job training but also helps our youth develop essential life skills. Our partnership with Good Samaritan and DignityMoves is another cornerstone of our work, where we provide around 200 meals and support services to residents in their housing shelters. These collaborations provide the resources needed to expand our catering and meal delivery services, and we are planning to launch a mobile kitchen food truck in spring 2025.
We’ll definitely check back in with you next year to hear more about that! In the meantime, what are some ways that our local community can support Freedom 4 Youth?
The most significant way our local community can support Freedom 4 Youth is by changing the way we view children who have been incarcerated. These young people are not lost causes; they are bright, resilient individuals who have
faced real struggles and systemic barriers. They are not “bad.” They are deserving of opportunities, connections and resources that allow them—and our community—to flourish. Investing in our children is one of the most powerful investments a community
can make because they are our future. By investing in Freedom 4 Youth, you are investing in the youth in our community who have limited access to resources and opportunities. We are shaping the future of our entire community to be one filled with hope and love. So, we ask: What do you want the future of our community to look like? And will you join us in centering youth’s experiences to build that community?
So, supporting young people in our community can make a difference for all of us?
Yes, Freedom 4 Youth was created to provide a sense of family because we all want something to belong to. When we’re in true support of one another, it changes the way we see each other, fostering genuine connection and paving the way for real systemic change. That’s why we’ve continued this work together for so long—because it’s working. Lives are transforming, communities are evolving, and through our relationships we’re creating a better, more connected, loving world.
Resources
If you’d like your next event catered, reach out to Freedom 4 Youth’s culinary director, Executive Chef Jean Paul Lu Van Vi at 805 708-1292 or catering@freedom4youth. org. Visit www.freedom4youth.org to see sample menus.
Krista Harris is the associate publisher of Edible Santa Barbara. @KristaHarris_SB
Magazine cover hand illustration by David Flores. In photo right to left: Frank Silva, Sammy Chavoya and Jarad Nava in front of the state capitol. Scan the QR code to view the digital magazine.
LEANDRA HARRIS
Culinary program student catering an event at the Lobero Theatre, smiling over his delicious tray of hors d’oeuvres.
Holiday Season Sour Power
by George Yatchisin
This issue’s theme of Belonging led me to think I should give you, dear reader, a punch… recipe. Nothing like standing alongside a fancy bowl of potent potable and sharing it—spiced with chummy and witty conversation—to feel interpersonal connection and acceptance. What’s more, as cocktail master Simon Difford puts it, “Punch is widely considered the earliest cocktail… a great punch is a fine balance between spirit, citrus, sweet, spice and dilution.”
But then it hit me (like a punch?): Very few of us, including your author, possess a punchbowl, posh or plain. And although there are inviting punch recipes in cocktail books of the moment like the highly recommend Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs & Juice by Toni Tipton-Martin, to serve those up at home you need to provide bottles of liquor and enough participants willing to imbibe. All those math problems seriously muck with finding peace among Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
So meet This Little Figgy, sort of a punch for two. Let’s start our belonging with the dyad and see what happens. This cocktail is festive and fruity, a sweet/sour concoction with the depth to get you through the 12 courses of a Thanksgiving feast or the 12 days of Christmas. Fig and rum echo their similar vanilla, caramel and strawberry flavors, and rye dries it all out a bit while packing some more vigor. The hit of sage in the garnish and the simple syrup adds to the seasonality, suggesting stuffing without getting you in the least stuffed.
Figs, on the other hand, are stuffed. While we commonly refer to the teardrop bulb as a fruit, it’s really a syconium, a fleshy receptacle that develops fruit inside its space. Needless to say, the Mission Fig’s name makes clear how it made its way through California, getting planted by padres up the coast from San Diego starting in 1768. Despite seeming to be a typical California product, like most of the plants and people of our state they are non-native. At this point they have achieved a state of belonging, too.
But figs have nothing on the orange when it comes to a Californian claim. (Of course, the missionaries also brought the orange here at the end of the 18th century.) It’s never easy working OJ into a cocktail, as it tends to read flat in flavor since its balance of sweet and sour edges into nothingness, partially because it has around one-tenth the acidity of lemon or lime juice. Plus, no one want to remind folks of those sloppy fern bar terrors, the 1980s’ Fuzzy Navel or the 1990s’ Sex on the Beach. The rescue is simple: Pair it with another citrus—in this case lemon—to heighten and brighten its range. Then the hit of Angostura bitters also aids the cause, binding all the drink’s flavors together in a cinnamon, clove bow.
As with most cocktail recipes, consider this one a guideline and not a rigid prescription. Maybe you have a different variety of fig tree. Just consider that while a Brown Turkey fig is closer to a Mission, a Sierra or Tiger will yield a drink that’s more
STEVEN BROWN
subtle, less hearty. Maybe your trees and every vendor at the farmers market are figless—then you can shift to dried figs. If that’s the case, it’s best to work them into the simple-syrup stage to let their flavor steep. Go with a cup of chopped dried figs in with the water and sugar, simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, add the sage. Let sit for another 15 minutes. Then drain out all the solids. In the cocktail itself, up the amount of syrup you use to 1 ounce, and you no longer need to muddle, so here’s hoping that wasn’t your exercise plan for the day.
Now go find a fireplace, or even a video facsimile of one, and toast.
RECIPES
This Little Figgy
MAKES 2 SERVINGS
4 figs (Mission recommended), 2 larger, sliced; 2 smaller, cut to add to glass rims
1/2 ounce sage simple syrup
1 ounce fresh orange juice
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
21/2 ounces rum (a gold Jamaican rum like Appleton Estate works well)
2 ounces rye
4 dashes Angostura bitters
2 sage leaves
Muddle the 2 sliced figs in a shaker with the simple syrup, orange juice and lemon juice. Add the rum, rye and bitters to the shaker along with ice. Shake well. Double strain (to keep tiny bits of fig out of the drinks) into two cocktail coupes. To garnish, take each smaller fig and make a tiny cut off center on its top so that you can jab a sage leaf into the incision. Slip a fig-sage “sculpture” onto the rim of each glass.
SAGE SIMPLE SYRUP
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
15 sage leaves
Bring the water and sugar to a vigorous boil in a small saucepan, stirring to help dissolve the sugar. Add the sage leaves. Turn off heat and let steep 15 minutes. Remove the leaves. Pour simple syrup into a clean jar with lid. After cooling, store in refrigerator. Stays good for 2–3 weeks.
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George Yatchisin happily eats, drinks and writes in Santa Barbara. He blogs at GeorgeEats.com.
You Belong Here
Let Me Count the Ways
WWORDS AND
PHOTOS
BY Rosminah Brown and Rob Bilson
hat is belonging? Let me think it through. It is a universal feeling; we all experience it. And here in Santa Barbara County we are abundant in people and places that offer up that sense of belonging. It could be a full weekend getaway to Wine Country or a visit to your favorite tasting room to pick up your club shipment, mingling with fellow wine lovers from near and far. It could be sitting on a porch, feeling peace at the sight of the ocean or mountains, or gathering with friends for a picnic and
movie at the Sunken Gardens of the courthouse in summertime. It could be that moment you first came here, for school, work or family, and realized this is the place where you wanted to spend the rest of your life. It could be a place you’ve known for your whole life. There’s something about the mild weather, the open spaces, how fertile this area is for fresh seafood and vibrant produce—it all makes the area so amazing to live in. Let me tell you some of the ways that help me feel a sense of belonging.
B-E-L-O-N-G-I-N-G
Are you ready? I’m ready. OK, let’s do this.
B is for bar. A place where people meet up and unwind at the end of the day. It’s a spot to socialize and engage with friends and strangers alike. It can be boisterous and busy. B is also the bartender, who serves up the tipple. The bar isn’t limited to cocktails. It can be the wine bar, the raw bar, the pizza bar. No matter the bar, it allows one to join into a communal space. As the jingle goes, it’s the place where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.
B is also for bowls. It is a pleasure to see your food contained in a bowl, and it’s no small joy to see large, generous bowls offered in place of a plate. Holding a bowl offers a sense of plenty and sharing. A gift of a bowl is a gesture of optimism. Take this, fill it, share it. I enjoy taking a bowl somewhere and leaving it there; maybe it’ll come back to me, maybe it won’t. It frames its contents with gentle curves. It embodies its prize inside. B is for balance. When you feel like you belong somewhere, you feel at home.
E is for everyone. We are a communal species, and we grow when we collaborate and exist together. E is for eating, and every creature wants something good to eat, says my friend Roy. We seek good food; our taste buds help us to sip and savor.
E is for extrovert and events, and these often seem to go hand in hand. E is for experience, and that’s what these events create.
L is for the long table, where we dine together. Just look at all the gatherings where tables are strung together for a big, shared meal and lively conversation. The annual Goleta Dam Dinner, supper clubs, or even your own holiday meals. L is also for the lazy susan on a big round table. Both embrace the idea of sharing and negotiating shared dishes amongst each other. Pass the bowl: You stay seated at the table and ever yone else joins in the motion of getting that dish down to you. Or set your teacup on the lazy Susan and it will circle ’round the table and return to you full. That’s the way a big group meets for yum cha and enjoys small bites of dim sum for Chinese brunch.
O is for organic. We know by now that food grown the organic way tastes better, makes you feel better, and is better for the environment around you and for the people involved in bringing it to your table.
Nostalgia for the author’s favorite bar in the 805. We miss you, James Sly.
Every creature wants something good to eat.
N is for native and naturalized. What does that have to do with belonging? Bear with me here: I get to call myself a “native Santa Barbaran” because I was born here (Cottage Hospital baby!), while so much of the local population is naturalized. People came here for any number of reasons and decided to stay. Is one group more entitled to be here than the other? I left for vacation, school, and work, then chose to return—and I will say upfront it’s an incredible privilege to call Santa Barbara home. I hope you think the same thing. Stay for the day, or for many years. We all can belong here.
Christmas in Santa Barbara is al fresco sips of local wine and stunning sunsets.
Our farmers markets embody all elements of gathering, generosity and growing. When was the last time you visited one?
Autumn harvest at the farmers market.
The bar at Full of Life Flatbread in Los Alamos, home to good food, good wine and good people.
Santa Barbara has a 12-month growing season! Let’s eat to that. Julia Child knew a thing or two.
Cuyama Lamb sheep take up residence in the San Marcos Foothills, grazing on invasive weeds to help bring back native grasses and reduce fire risks.
G is for gathering. Also generosity and growing. Do you tend a garden? Santa Barbara County has a prolific 12-month growing season, and most plants thrive here, whether it’s a small vegetable plot, a handful of grapevines, or miles upon miles of agricultural fields that produce our strawberries, avocados or wine. Our farmers markets embody all elements of gathering, generosity and growing. When was the last time you visited one? There’s a certified farmers market going on nearly every day in our county. Go there with friends, go there on a mission to feed your family or for your business. Or, if you’re the farmer—thank you! We couldn’t do this without you.
I is for feeling included. Do you remember that time you walked into a busy room, lost in the sea of faces and noise? Then you saw your friends and they waved you over. That sense of relief and joy at the recognition, it’s powerful. That’s belonging. I is also for invitation, and initiate. Take your bag off the spare chair next to you, and now you’re the one extending the offer to be included.
N is for nostalgia. The smell of your grandmother’s cookies. The campfire smell from the family trip to the lake. The taste of pumpkin pie and the first warming butternut squash soup of autumn. Nostalgia tickles a little pocket of memory in your brain and fires off both an appreciation for The Thing, and the memory of The Thing. It’s a value-add!
The final G is for genuine, which is being authentic and sincere. We are drawn to genuine people because they are their authentic selves, and it feels good to be around them. Your crew of family or friends—the friends you grew up with or the friends you make along the way. They are the people who you felt you belonged with.
Every time I left Santa Barbara when I was younger it was to visit family or school far away, including such destinations as Hong Kong, China, Bali, England, Borneo, South Africa … my list is long. Making friends for life, or friends in the moment. It’s funny, in a way, that often on those travels I meet other Santa Barbarans, and we are always surprised to find each other, yet often are drawn to each other. That’s another thing about traveling. The sense of excitement at heading out for something new and different, and as the vacation time comes to end we start missing all the things we love about home, like family pets, our own bed, the smells and sounds that are most familiar to us. It’s time to go home. Then: Welcome home! Hello, you belong here. I’ve missed you. That’s the feeling I get in Santa Barbara now.
Rosminah Brown is a Santa Barbara native who types fast and eats slow. She never thought she’d be owner/publisher of Edible Santa Barbara, but here we are. She wants everyone to belong.
The fisherman’s market, a Santa Barbara specialty.
A signpost up ahead, spotted in the wild.
Do your best.
Budi’s Back!
Chef Budi Kazali Returns with The Gathering Table, Part Deux
WORDS AND PHOTOS by
Liz Dodder
We’re standing on Solvang’s main thoroughfare, Chef Budi Kazali and I, discussing his newly opened Gathering Table restaurant amid the Parisian-bistro-style tables and chairs on its shaded patio. Two locals on their lunch break happen by, and the women call out to Kazali by name, hoping the restaurant is currently open during this noon hour. Kazali responds that unfortunately, it is not yet. Weekend brunch is in the works, but for now, the ladies will have to settle for the delectable Kazali-influenced broth and noodles at Ramen Kotori down the street.
We head back inside, where the fresh interior reflects his laid-back style, communal attitude and French cooking techniques. Designed by Los Olivos local Heather Saarloos, the space delights Kazali, and he is happy to sing her praises. It’s a warm, inviting spot where one can nestle in for the evening at a bistro table, leather booth, bar seat or large communal table to once again enjoy Kazali’s Asian-inspired cuisine and a new fullbar cocktail (and mocktail) program.
This is The Gathering Table, Part Deux, on Mission Drive in Solvang.
When Kazali’s Ballard Inn & Gathering Table restaurant closed in 2021, it left a culinary void in the Santa Ynez Valley. We all moved on to the new restaurants of that time (and they were all exciting and delicious), but there was something missing. Ramen Kotori, where Kazali partnered with one of
his long-time cohorts from the kitchen in the Ballard Inn, satisfied a sprinkle of the craving, a soupçon of his flavors. We all collectively wondered, “Where is Budi cooking?”
After graduating from the California Culinary Academy, Chef Kazali honed his skills at some of the nation’s premier restaurants in San Francisco. He played a key role in opening Blue Ginger in Boston, where he gained experience blending Eastern and Western cuisines. (Blue Ginger later earned a James Beard Award.)
In 2004, Kazali purchased the Ballard Inn and transformed its namesake restaurant into a Santa Barbara County hot spot before revamping the restaurant and unveiling a new name, The Gathering Table, in 2017. In 2021, after Kazali sold the Ballard Inn and co-founded Ramen Kotori, he also did some local area catering, private wine dinners, time with family and personal travel. He defines this period as a nice break from restaurant life. But 2024 found him ready to tackle cooking regularly once again, this time with partner Doug Cavanaugh.
Now, he has divested all other projects to focus on this new rebirth, reaching out to old acquaintances and building community and farmer relationships again. Sourcing local produce has always been an integral part of Kazali’s cooking. He grew up in Indonesia and still craves some of the foods he had when he was young. He loves to source produce from Shu Takikawa, a kind of master gardener right here in Los Olivos at The Garden of..… along with Noey Turk of Yes Yes Nursery.
Longtime valley resident Chef Budi Kazali on the patio of The Gathering Table in Solvang.
Partnering with Cavanaugh, who owns the Ruby’s Diner chain in the Los Angeles area, as well as restaurants in Newport Beach, allows Kazali to do more in a bigger kitchen and a bigger dining room, complete with a full bar. It’s a real hangout, with locals coming in several times a week. The pastry chef, Alicia Valencia, formerly of Lucky Hen Larder, is from the original Succulent restaurant (what this building was best known for) and whips up outstanding desserts, including a cocoa sesame cookie that’s worth a third visit this week.
Cavanaugh got to know Kazali through his food at the Ballard Inn, as we all did. But when they started to get together in the community, Cavanaugh began to fully understand Kazali’s friendly nature and just how appreciated he was. “Everyone missed his hamachi,” Cavanaugh says. “We wanted to help him get cooking again, and this was the perfect space.” (Check The Last Bite on page 56 for Cavanaugh’s favorite Budi dish.)
You may have sat at one of the big tables at the first version of The Gathering Table at the Ballard Inn, where you could gather with neighbors and visitors. That feeling is still there now, with a Paris bistro vibe added. A taste of France, if
Picturesque setting of The Gathering Table in Solvang.
You may have sat at one of the big tables at the first version of The Gathering Table at the Ballard Inn, where you could gather with neighbors and visitors. That feeling is still there now, with a Paris bistro vibe added.
you will, where you can watch the passersby on Mission Drive while you tuck into Kazali’s famous Hamachi (his signature crudo yellowfish appetizer), duck confit, perfect garlic noodles, poached cod, classic meats like lamb, as well as this fall’s Local Quail appetizer with braised leeks and ginger soy pomegranate sauce. (See the Last Bite on page 56 for more.)
The cocktail program, led by Julio Peñuela, also adds an Asian twist using yuzu. Yuzu is an East Asian citrus fruit that is extremely sour, with a flavor combining the tanginess of lemon, the bitterness of grapefruit and the sweetness of orange. The tartness is complemented by subtle floral and herbal undertones and makes for a superb “gimzu” Gimlet and an Old Fashioned you won’t soon forget. The GinGin is the most popular drink, with ginger, lemon, pomegranate syrup, sparkling wine and a mint blossom. They pour local spirits from Santa Barbara and Ventura counties and unique spirits from far-flung places like
Iceland that you won’t find anywhere else. Cocktails change seasonally, and all garnishes are from the farmers market.
The restaurant is also a great gathering place for celebrations and events with its private dining room, perfect for upcoming holidays. Watch for specialty dinners and foodie events from the team, plus weekend brunch and daily lunch in the future.
Seeing Kazali smile in this big kitchen with windows facing the outdoor dining courtyard is a real treat. Just as he called back to the women on the street day, things are in the works for Kazali, and he is pleased to be in such demand. And we’re pleased to have him back where he belongs.
Liz Dodder is a drinker, eater and traveler who has eaten five kinds of foie gras in one day. She’s also a blogger, writer, photographer, recipe developer, web designer, social media maven and Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). www.CaliCoastWineCountry.com
Interior designed by Los Olivos local Heather Saarloos.
Local Quail with Leeks and Ginger Soy Pomegranate Sauce.
Rooted inSanta Barbara
Jesse and Avery Cloutier’s Sea Creatures Wine embodies their coastal upbringing
WORDS BY Hana-Lee Sedgwick
PHOTOS BY Steven Brown
They say one belongs to the land that raised them, and for Jesse and Avery Cloutier, owners of the boutique label Sea Creatures Wine, this sentiment rings especially true. Natives of Santa Barbara County, the husband-and-wife team returned to their roots in 2020 and have since dedicated themselves to crafting limited-production wines that capture the marine-influenced character of their home region.
Jesse, born and raised in Orcutt, and Avery, a native of Los Olivos, didn’t initially envision careers in wine. Avery pursued mathematics at the University of Arizona, while Jesse studied business economics at UCSB. The turning point for Jesse came during his junior year of college, after some encouragement from his older sister to explore the wine industry.
“I had a full-time, unpaid internship with the County, but knew I needed to make some money,” Jesse recalls. “My sister, who makes wine overseas, had been urging me to consider getting into wine, believing the industry would be a perfect fit for me. I finally listened and applied for a job at Foxen in 2008.”
Working in the tasting room and cellar at Foxen, just a short distance from where he was raised, Jesse discovered his true calling. This newfound passion led him to transfer to Sonoma State to study wine business, and after graduating, he spent three years in the Russian River Valley, gaining invaluable experience in wine marketing
Pinot Noir vines before harvest at Portico Hills Vineyard.
Jesse and Avery Cloutier with their dog Aussie.
and production. A stint in Australia further broadened his skills, and in 2013 Jesse returned to his hometown, rejoining the Foxen team in a full-time production role. It wasn’t long before he met Avery, who had moved back to the Santa Ynez Valley from Arizona and found her niche in the wine industry, working as the business systems analyst at Zaca Mesa Winery.
As their relationship blossomed, the duo relocated to San Luis Obispo, where Jesse took on a role at Pacific Vineyard Management and later became the assistant winemaker at Stolo Family Vineyards. Despite several years on the SLO coast, the dream of launching their own wine brand continued to pull them back to their roots. The onset of Covid ultimately solidified their decision.
“Covid was a bit of an eye opener for us,” says Jesse. “We took a step back and thought about our future, our goals and dreams of owning our own label. We’re both proud to be from Santa Barbara County, so it was a light-bulb moment and we decided to come back home. We wanted to make wine from the land we each enjoyed and explored as kids.”
In 2020, the Cloutiers launched Sea Creatures Wine, their small label focused on premium, coastal-influenced Pinot Noir sourced exclusively from sustainable, organic and biodynamically farmed vineyards along the Pacific Coast. From the start, they approached every aspect of the business with intention, prioritizing authenticity and mindfulness to ensure quality always took precedence over quantity.
“Avery and I are the only employees, and it’s our name behind these wines,” he says. “We knew early on that taking a thoughtful approach and staying true to our beliefs would be the best way for people to feel the intentions behind these wines.”
The name Sea Creatures and the label artwork are also deeply meaningful, reflecting Jesse and Avery’s connection to the ocean and its influence on their lives. “We came up with the name during a trip to New Zealand,” says Jesse. “I come from a family of ocean enthusiasts. My mom grew up by the Indian Ocean, and my dad lived all over the Pacific. Avery’s family comes from islands and coastal areas in southern Italy. Growing up, the ocean greatly determined not only what we ate but also what we did for fun.”
But beyond their heritage, the couple also recognize the ocean’s significant role in shaping this region. “The Pacific Ocean has a massive influence on the land, lifestyle, climate and agriculture here,” adds Jesse. “For us, our lives, our livelihood, our home, everything is tied to the ocean.”
Inspired by this connection, the Cloutiers enlisted local artist Clint Darby to design a label that celebrates the sea, with artwork showcasing an abstract view of the local coastline, as viewed from south of the Santa Barbara Channel.
Their decision to focus exclusively on Pinot Noir was equally intentional. “Santa Barbara is unique in that you can grow virtually any grape variety here,” Jesse explains. “But to us, Pinot Noir is the queen. It’s a challenging grape to grow,
Their label Sea Creatures focus solely on Pinot Noir.
Jesse checks the grapes while his dog Aussie looks on.
The Sea Creatures label was designed by artist Clint Darby.
The name Sea Creatures and the label artwork are also deeply meaningful, reflecting Jesse and Avery’s connection to the ocean and its influence on their lives.
yet it is incredibly versatile and can be made in a wide range of styles, which really appealed to us. In many wine regions around the world, villages focus on one grape variety, taking pride in producing a wine that represents their distinct area. We embraced this tradition, seeking to represent our region through one variety done exceptionally well.”
Although Sea Creatures produces only a few hundred cases, their portfolio offers a diverse exploration of Pinot Noir, including a rosé, a Pinot Noir blanc, a blend from two vineyards and a single-clone, single-vineyard Pinot. And while Jesse and Avery don’t own their own vineyard, they actively manage the farming of select sites, carefully choosing vineyards that align with their low-impact, sustainability-minded philosophy. A distinctive feature of Sea Creatures Wine, however, is that the vineyard names are deliberately left off the bottles.
“We adhere to the idea that ‘a rising tide lifts all boats,’” says Jesse. “It’s more important to us that consumers are intrigued by the variety and the region as a whole, rather than fixating on a specific vineyard. Once you taste and discover the wine you like, then you can dive deeper and decode the individual elements that appeal to you.”
More recently, Jesse’s extensive experience working with a range of grape varieties beyond Pinot Noir, paired with a desire for greater creative freedom, inspired the launch of the duo’s second ultra-boutique label, Là-Bas. This new venture allows them to explore and experiment with other varieties and styles that fuel their passion, including Gamay and an upcoming Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon blend. Says Jesse, “Sea Creatures will always be exclusively focused on Pinot Noir, and Là-Bas is our creative space for other wines we appreciate, either grown by us or sourced from vineyards we love.”
Between both brands, the Cloutiers are content making a limited amount of wine, with a desire to never exceed 500 cases per label. This approach ensures that both the region’s inherent qualities and the meticulous care they invest in their craft are evident in every sip. Explains Jesse, “We are fulfilled by the small amount we do, committed to being locally focused, and we’re proud to prioritize quality over quantity to make wines that represent our home area.”
It’s clear that the Cloutiers are not just making wine to make wine; they are honoring the land that shaped their lives, and that continues to inspire their work. Concludes Jesse, “Santa Barbara County truly spoils us. Given its location along the coast, it’s a Goldilocks zone for growing remarkable grapes. But beyond its ideal location, this region holds special significance because it’s where Avery and I grew up. We’re rooted here, quite literally, and it’s incredibly rewarding to build our lives and livelihood in the place that gave us our foundation. We truly belong to this county.”
Hana-Lee Sedgwick is fifth-generation Californian born and raised in Santa Barbara. When she’s not exploring the West Coast with her husband and two children, she indulges her love for entertaining, staying active and sharing food and wine with friends. @wanderandwine
While Sea Creatures is focused on Pinot Noir, their second label Lá-Bas explores other varietals such as Gamay.
A multi-lingual sign on the island of San Giulio in Lake Orta, Italy, leads the way on a path of meditation.
KRISTA HARRIS
Longing and Belonging
Every Journey Begins Near to You
WORDS BY Krista Harris
About 20 years ago I had an irrepressible longing to move to Italy. I looked online at Tuscan farmhouses for sale, read books by American expats living in Italy and delved into the requirements for getting Italian citizenship. The food, the culture, the history, art, design—it all appealed to me. I dreamt of living the life of Frances Mayes in Under the Tuscan Sun (the book, not the movie). I imagined days spent exploring hill towns, going on truffle hunts with neighbors, and evenings spent walking to a nearby trattoria where everyone knew my name. Despite decades of living in and loving Santa Barbara, I felt like something was missing in my life here.
But it turns out that it wasn’t missing at all. Just as Glinda the Good Witch told Dorothy, I had the power all along to click my heels and realize that I was right where I belonged. However, this occurred to me gradually and not in one magical moment. Sometimes, I’d catch myself at the farmers market thinking about how lucky I was to be able to fill my basket with such amazing produce. I found myself at dinner parties with my neighbors, and I realized that community I imagined finding in Italy was here, right next door. One night, I attended a farm dinner cooked by Laurence Hauben at Fairview Gardens; another time, I attended a cooking class held by Pascale Beale in a Montecito adobe.
FRAN COLLIN
Krista Harris at a lunch during a photo shoot in 2010 at The Garden of.....
party.
Something was telling me that there were kindred spirits here at home, and the food here was getting an awful lot better.
Perhaps the definitive experience happened not long after I started Edible Santa Barbara. We were on a photo shoot with Noey Turk at The Garden of….. After we got all the photos we needed, we were invited to stay for lunch. As we sat down to eat a meal with the people who lived and worked on the farm, made with vegetables harvested mere minutes before, I realized that I was exactly where I had always wanted to be. I was breaking bread with people who valued food as much as I did. From that point on, I started noticing more of those moments. And thankfully, there were many.
Instead of hill towns, I explored Ballard Canyon, Cuyama and the Guadalupe Dunes. I bought chanterelles from the farmers market, and I went to dinners at long tables loaded with exquisite food and wine set in vineyards at sunset. “What grows together goes together” became my mantra. But it wasn’t the activities that were the most fulfilling; it was the people I met and connected with who brought everything full circle.
Don’t get me wrong: I still love Italy and always have plans to go there for a vacation. But the dreams I once had about living in Italy are being fulfilled here. I have turned longing into belonging.
Lately, I’ve been reading poetry, and it’s inspired me to look through some poems that I have written over the years. I found this one and realized that gathering around the table and belonging to that moment with our friends and loved ones is the secret to a happy life.
QFood on the Table
Color-soaked ceramic plates, olive oil and bread the table dappled in shadows and sunlight tinted green glasses to the brim with red.
We linger the talk the still life salad bread on the board our hands on the table our voices around a table laden a tableau of lives.
Krista Harris is a fifth-generation Californian, raised in San Diego and relocated to Santa Barbara in 1983. She started Edible Santa Barbara with her husband, Steve Brown, in 2008. She is currently assisting the new owners of the magazine and serving as associate publisher.
Autumnal dinner
STEVEN BROWN
SANTA BARBARA
Lentils with Glazed Onions and Green Tomatoes.
Belonging... and a Bag of Lentils
“The dynamism of any diverse community depends not only on the diversity itself but on promoting a sense of belonging among those who formerly would have been considered and felt themselves outsiders.”
—Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice, U.S. Supreme Court
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY Pascale Beale
Istood in the farmers market early one morning, running my hand through a container of lentils, discussing their merits with Jacob Grant, owner of Roots Organic Farm. These weren’t just any lentils; these were tiny, dark green French lentils that I had coveted since I was a small child. I was transfixed and transported. Is it possible, I thought, that just finding these beautiful lentils in my local market could make me feel at home? More on these lentils in a moment.
I pondered the question of what feels like home. What makes one feel as though one belongs somewhere? Is it proximity to one’s family? Is it because we feel free to be ourselves? Because we feel safe? Can food make us feel as though we belong somewhere? Or is it because we feel comfortable wherever we are by cooking the food that we are familiar with?
I realize now that I have never really felt as though I belonged 100% to any one place. I grew up in London in a family that straddled the English Channel, one foot firmly planted on either side, adopting each culture’s food, language and idiosyncrasies as situations dictated. As a result, I sometimes felt very English in France and vice-versa.
Our family patois reflected the hybrid nature of my upbringing, dipping in and out of whichever language provided the mot juste. We made Tarte a l’onion in London and apple crumble in Provence, a mashup of tastes, recipes and traditions that represented everything we were (and are) as a family.
Like many people in California, I am an immigrant—part of the diaspora of myriad nationalities who have migrated to this
sunny climate—and like most transplants, I brought my food culture with me when I arrived here nearly four decades ago.
When I moved from one sprawling metropolis, London, to another, Los Angeles, in the mid-’80s, it was something of a culture shock. This was the time of frothy daiquiris, wedge salads with green goddess dressing, and smoked salmon on pizza a la Spago, in a city where people ran around all day in workout clothes with big bleached froofy hair, when people wore sneakers with their big shoulder-padded suits, the bank manager called me by my first name the first time I met him, and guests always asked me to put vinaigrette on the side whenever they came over for dinner.
I didn’t quite know what to make of it. I had laughed at the English American dictionary a good friend gave to me before I left London. “What do I need that for?” I said. “We speak the same language.” Well, yes and no. George Bernard Shaw once said, “We are two countries separated by a common language.” Initially, I was trying to figure out how I would fit in, as I often felt I didn’t speak the same language at all.
I worked for nearly 14 years in the concrete vastness of Los Angeles, hanging out with groups of fellow expats, a motley crew of transplanted Brits and French men and women. As immigrants do in new countries, we found each other, creating recognizable communities in foreign lands. All immigrants seek familiarity abroad, even when they speak the same language as their hosts. I searched for French bakeries, restaurants and farmers markets to feel more at home.
I found integration a challenge. We had different customs and traditions. I missed France and England, but I simultaneously appreciated the incredible opportunities I had on the work front that would not have been available to me had I stayed in England. We worked and interacted with thousands of people, but did we really fit in?
This disjuncture was all the more evident at Thanksgiving, the quintessential American holiday. Everyone we knew went home or celebrated with their families. In the early years, our motley crew looked at each other and said, “We’ll create our own traditions. What could be better than a holiday centered on gathering people around the table?” Every year we cooked up a storm and ended up with our slightly quirky, transatlantic version, complete with Tarte aux Pommes instead of apple pie.
The menu, I soon realized, was not the most crucial thing (some may disagree with that), but rather, it was the gathering together of friends and family. We felt a sense of community as we set the table, prepared the food and ate together, but was this genuinely belonging?
One weekend, a chance visit took my family 90 miles up the coast, giving me a sense of déjà vu. The Mediterraneanstyled, red-tile-roofed city of Santa Barbara sits nestled between the ocean and the mountains. I was immediately struck by the similarity with coastal towns that dot the Cote d’Azur, the hills to their backs, with houses running down to lap the water’s edge. I had spent much of my childhood and adolescence in such towns.
This place felt, well, familiar. The friend in whose cottage we were staying mentioned a farmers market. We went. As I strolled through the aisles of exquisite produce, I could see the chaparral-covered mountains in the distance. The similarities were uncanny and comforting. Both places have similar climates and architecture, with vineyards in the backcountry. My life in Provence often revolved around our local village’s Tuesday and Saturday markets. Even the market schedule here was the same. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, we decamped the 90 miles up the coast.
Children are often the conduit into a local community. Mine were just that. As I immersed myself in school runs, the PTA and starting a new business, I felt myself planting roots. Each town or city I’ve lived in has its rhythm, and its citizens tune in to its cycles to a greater or lesser degree.
This town felt natural to me, as though I had pulled on a comfy sweater. It started to feel like home. As the years passed, I realized that one’s true sense of being is not just dependent on a physical place but very much on those who populate it, on the community you support, and that, in turn, supports you.
Which leads back to those beautiful soft lentils. As I held them in my hand, I felt a tangible link to my other homeland, realizing that I now had feet straddling another body of water: one foot in Provence and another in the American Rivera. I felt a kinship with those who tend the land and nourish us
on both sides of the Atlantic, and perhaps that is why it’s not at all a coincidence that the experience I enjoy the most is gathering friends around the table, wherever that table may be. It is a chance to share our lives, to laugh, to cry, sometimes both simultaneously, to reflect, and in sharing the food we have prepared together, we share ourselves. This is belonging.
RECIPES
Grape Harvesters Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette
This salad is adapted from a recipe in my Autumn cookbook and came about because of some stunning grapes I picked up from Cosecha Farm, whose stand is always one of the most visually tempting at our local farmers market. Deanna King, the owner, produces exquisite food. Getting to know the farmers at the market has been a privilege, and I’m filled with admiration for their incredible hard work and tenacity. If you have ever spent a day picking fruit, you know how backbreaking it can be.
This recipe is a thank you, Deanna, to you and your family for all your tender produce.
MAKES 4–6 SERVINGS
FOR THE PESTO VINAIGRETTE:
11/2 tablespoons parsley pesto or the pesto of your choice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar
5 slices prosciutto or thin smoked country ham, cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
4 ounces plain goat cheese, sliced
4 ounces grapes, de-stemmed and halved if the grapes are large
Place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a small blender or food processor and run until you have an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette into a large salad bowl and place salad servers over the vinaigrette.
Place all the remaining ingredients in the bowl on top of the salad servers. When ready to serve, toss well to combine.
Pissaladière with a Twist
Ihad leftover vegetables from preparing a crudités platter and some extra shortcrust pastry dough in the fridge. I was trying to decide what to make for dinner. This was the result: a spin on a pissaladière, a galette topped with caramelized onions, zucchini, Romanesco broccoli and goat cheese. You can use any vegetables for this. Carrots, green onions, mushrooms and squash would also work well. It’s a great way to use all the bits and pieces in one’s fridge. Serve with a light salad and lunch or dinner is done.
MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS
FOR THE DOUGH:
9 ounces (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
5 ounces butter, chilled, cut into small pieces.
1 large egg
Zest of 1 lemon
Pinch of salt
FOR THE VEGETABLES:
Olive oil
4 large yellow onions, peeled, halved and finely sliced
Coarse sea salt
Black pepper
1 cup sliced Romanesco broccoli
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
2 ounces chilled soft goat cheese, sliced
Basil flowers or small basil leaves for decoration
Place all the dough ingredients into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs, then use longer pulses until the dough forms a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20–30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, prepare the vegetables. Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, a large pinch of salt and 5–6 grinds of black pepper, stirring frequently, and cook until the onions are completely soft and golden. This will take at least 20 minutes. Add the Romanesco broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, a pinch of salt, 4–5 grinds of pepper and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Remove from the heat but leave the vegetables in the pan while you roll out the dough.
Preheat oven to 400°.
Cut ⅔ of the dough and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Refrigerate or freeze the balance of the dough for future use. Roll out the dough to a 9-inch square, 1/4-inch thick. If the edges are a little ragged, square them off with a knife. Place the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Spoon the cooked onions and vegetables onto the dough, covering it entirely. Insert the goat cheese slices into the vegetables. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Dot the surface with the basil flowers or leaves. Serve at room temperature.
Lentils with Glazed Onions and Green Tomatoes
This dish was inspired by the spectacular lentils I found at the market from one of my favorite farmers, Jacob Grant, who owns Roots Organic Farm. His stand always has a magnificent cornucopia of seasonal vegetables, and he delights in sharing his latest horticultural treasures with his customers. I was positively giddy when he showed me these. The result is a healthy, earthy and nourishing salad packed with a multitude of flavors. It’s a terrific dish for lunch or dinner, served as part of a vegetarian feast or as an accompaniment to roast chicken, grilled meats or fish.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
FOR THE LENTILS:
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
3 cups water
Olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Black pepper
1 large yellow onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon chopped pistachios
3–4 Green Zebra tomatoes, cut into eighths
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1/4 cup packed small basil leaves
FOR THE VINAIGRETTE:
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or basil olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or pear champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Place the lentils and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a strong simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes. The lentils should still retain their shape and not be mushy. Drain, then return the lentils to the saucepan. Drizzle the lentils with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add a pinch of salt and 3–4 grinds of pepper. Toss to combine.
To caramelize the onions while the lentils are cooking, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a cast-iron skillet or small pan and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and Herbes de Provence, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 12–14 minutes, or until the onions are soft, translucent and golden brown. Add the pistachios and cook for 1 minute more.
Add the cooked onions, tomatoes and chives to the cooked lentils and gently mix. Spoon the lentil salad into a serving bowl and dot the surface with the basil leaves.
Whisk all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a small bowl to form an emulsion. Pour the vinaigrette over the lentils and serve.
Pear Mousse
There is something ethereal about this mousse, as its delicate and airy nature belies the fact that it is packed with flavor. I like the light textural quality of the pears combined with the sugared pecans. Please don’t skip the nuts; they add a terrific crunchy counterpoint to the silky mousse.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
2 pounds pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
2 egg whites
3 tablespoons sugar (divided)
3/4 cup chopped pecans
Blitz the pears in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until you have a smooth purée. Chill the purée for 10 minutes.
Whip the cream with the vanilla paste until it just holds firm peaks.
Whisk the egg whites with 1 tablespoon of sugar in a separate bowl until they hold firm peaks.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the pear purée, then add the egg whites in two parts, carefully folding them into the mixture. Spoon the purée into individual serving glasses or bowls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. It will firm up after chilling.
Spoon the pecans and remaining sugar into a heavybottomed skillet placed over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has melted and coated the pecans. It will only take a minute or two, so take care not to let the mixture burn. The mixture will be sticky. Tip the nuts onto a plate and let cool. When ready to serve the mousse, sprinkle some caramelized pecans on top.
Chef, teacher and food writer, Pascale Beale, owner of Pascale’s Kitchen, grew up in an eccentric European family who cherish food, wine and the arts. She is the author of 10 Mediterranean-style cookbooks, including the best sellers Salade and Salade II. Her food memoir, 9’ x 12’: Adventures in a Small Kitchen, a multi-media book, is hosted on Substack. Her latest cookbook is Flavour: Savouring the Seasons. Visit her epicurean website, www.PascalesKitchen.com.
SANTABARBARA & WINE COUNTRY edible
SUPPORT LOCAL GUIDE
Now more than ever, it’s important to seek out and support local businesses. Here is our guide of the current advertisers that we fully support and hope you will, too. Visit the websites to get more information about what they offer and any updated hours of operation.
Food & Restaurants
Alessio Artisanal Gelato
1623 Mission Dr., Suite A, Solvang www.ViaGelateria.com
Alessio Artisanal Gelato is a family-owned and -operated gelato shop using locally sourced ingredients to bring authentic Italian gelato to the Santa Ynez Valley. Wholesome, real ingredients. Featuring new flavors weekly. Located in the Parc Place shopping arcade with convenient parking. Open Wed–Sun noon–6pm.
Bob’s Well Bread
550 Bell St., Los Alamos, CA 805 344-3000
2249 Baseline Ave., Ballard, CA 805 691-9549
www.BobsWellBread.com
Now in two locations with convenient online ordering, Bob’s makes bread the old-fashioned way: handcrafted in small batches with the finest ingredients and baked to perfection in a custom-built stone-deck oven. Drop in to taste what visitors and journalists are raving about as “worth the drive” —signature Pain au Levain, awardwinning artisanal breads, croissants and specialty pastries. All-day menu of made-to-order breakfast, lunch and weekly special dishes. Indoor-outdoor picturesque café. Los Alamos: Thu–Mon 7am–4pm. Ballard: Thu–Mon 8am–4pm. Café closes at 3pm. Closed Tue and Wed.
Chocolate Maya
15 W. Gutierrez St., Santa Barbara 805 965-5956
www.ChocolateMaya.com
Chocolate Maya handmade chocolate confections: a variety of velvety truffles and chocolate-dipped temptations that are made from the highest-quality chocolate (Valrhona, Felchlin, Conexion, including small bean-to-bar artisans couverture) fresh local ingredients and exotic findings from their travels overseas. Mon–Tue and Thu–Sat noon–5pm, Sun noon–4pm. Closed on Wednesday.
New Frontiers Natural Marketplace
1984 Old Mission Dr., Solvang 805 693-1746
www.NewFrontiersmarket.com
New Frontiers is in the business of providing naturally delicious foods of the freshest and highest quality, as well as a full array of other choices for healthy living. Visit their website for menus, special savings and coupons. Open daily 7am–8pm.
Olive Hill Farm
2901 Grand Ave., Los Olivos 805 693-0700
www.OliveHillFarm.com
Specializing in local olive oils, flavored oils and balsamic vinegars as well as many locally produced food products. Olive oil and vinegar tastings with fresh local bread available. Open Thu–Mon 11am–5pm.
Plow to Porch
805 895-7171
www.PlowToPorch.com
Plow to Porch Organics is a local organic/pesticide-free produce and grocery delivery service to members who subscribe. They simplify the purchase of local fresh organic produce and other organic, local foods in order to inspire good nutrition, support local farmers, protect the environment and make eating healthy food fun! Subscriptions start at $28.
Wine & Beer
Au Bon Climat
813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara 805 963-7999
www.AuBonClimat.com
The tasting room and the Jim Clendenen Wine Library are known for world-class Chardonnays and Pinots, yet other varietals are available. Jim Clendenen made wines of vision and character for over 30 years. Amazing lineup of current releases and library wines on hand. Tasting room open Mon–Fri noon–6pm, Sat and Sun 11am–6pm. Outdoor wine tasting daily. Reservations recommended.
Babi’s Beer Emporium
380 Bell St., Los Alamos 805 344-1911
www.BabisBeerEmporium.com
Great beer. Impeccable selection. Great fun. Adventurous beer drinkers can discover unique, hardto-find craft beers, ciders and special projects—on tap or in bottle. Stay to have a bite from Dim Sama’s menu. Thu–Sat noon–7pm, Sun noon–6pm, Mon noon–4pm, Tue–Wed by appointment.
Buttonwood Farm & Vineyard
1500 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang 805 688-3032
www.ButtonwoodWinery.com
A small gem set amidst the splendor of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley. Their vineyard is surrounded by a prolific farm with olives, pomegranates, peonies and their famous peaches. Enjoy wine tasting in their beautiful outdoor garden or intimate tasting room patio. Open for tasting 11am–5pm daily; food served Sat and Sun.
Clementine Carter
388 Bell St., Los Alamos, 805 344-1900 www.ClementineCarterWines.com
A boutique winery specializing in Rhône varietals crafted with premier Santa Barbara County fruit. Their wines are sold almost exclusively at their tasting room in historic Los Alamos and through their wine club. Thu–Sat noon–7pm, Sun noon–6pm, Mon noon–4pm, Tue–Wed by appointment.
Foxen Vineyard & Winery
7600 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria 805 937-4251
www.FoxenVineyard.com
The Foxen Boys’ winery and tasting room features Burgundian and Rhône-style wines. Visit the historic shack “Foxen 7200” for Italian and Bordeaux-style wines. Picnic tables and scenic views at both locations. Open daily.
Goodland Wine Shop & Bar
4177 State St., Goleta 805 695-3003
www.GoodlandWineShop.com
The shop offers locally produced wine and beer, as well as kombucha and mead. Glasses of wine and snacks are available at their wine bar. Check their website for winemaker events, held on Tuesdays at 6pm. The shop is open Tue–Sat 11am–7pm. Happy Hour Wed–Thu 5–7pm.
Koehler Winery
5360 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos 805 693-8384
www.KoehlerWinery.com
Koehler Winery crafts premium estate-grown wines from the heart of Santa Barbara wine country. Situated on the celebrated Foxen Canyon Wine Trail, Koehler Winery is located in one of California’s most diverse and distinctive growing regions. Koehler Winery’s rusticinspired tasting room and estate grounds are open daily 10am–5pm.
Margerum Wine Company
19 E. Mason St., Santa Barbara 805 845-8435
2446 Alamo Pintado Ave., Los Olivos 805 504-1209
www.MargerumWines.com
Located near Santa Barbara’s waterfront across the street from Hotel Californian, Margerum Wine Company offers tastings or wines by the glass in their expansive tasting room or on the heated patio. An indoor mezzanine can host private events. All complemented with a simple fare menu—cheese and charcuterie, pizzas, paninis, salads and other foods to complement the wine. Or visit the tasting room in Los Olivos which offers bento box food and wine pairings and oyster and sparkling wine pairings with reservations in advance. The winery in Buellton is open by appointment
Riverbench Vineyard & Winery
137 Anacapa St., Ste. C., Santa Barbara 805 324-4100
6020 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria 805 937-8340 Riverbench.com
Established in 1973, when the first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were planted on the property. For years since then, some of the most renowned wineries have purchased Riverbench fruit for their wines. In 2004, Riverbench began producing their own still
and sparkling wines in limited quantities, with many available exclusively through their tasting rooms in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara.
Zaca Mesa Winery
6905 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos 805 688-9339
www.ZacaMesa.com
Since 1973, Zaca Mesa Winery has crafted distinctive wines from their unique mesa-top vineyard. As an early pioneer of the region, they now have 150 acres planted, specializing in the production of estate-grown Rhône-style wines. Tasting room and picnic area open daily 10am–4pm. Call for more information on winery tours and private event space.
Specialty Retail
ella & louie
www.EllaAndLouie.com
Floral designer Tracey Morris has two great loves: flowers and people. Relying on more than 25 years of design experience, Morris helps clients celebrate their big occasions with exquisite and expressive floral arrangements. Ella & Louie produces a range of looks from classic elegant designs to unusual and stylish. Local delivery.
Services and Organizations
American Riviera Bank
525 San Ysidro Rd., Montecito, 805-335-8110
www.AmericanRivieraBank.com
1033 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara 805 965-5942
www.AmericanRivieraBank.com
Offering a local and sustainable approach to banking. The founders of American Riviera Bank are a carefully selected group of successful, prominent, experienced and influential community and business leaders who understand the unique needs of the Santa Barbara community. Montecito branch open Mon–Thu 9am–5pm; Fri 9am–5:30pm. Santa Barbara branch open Mon–Thu 8am–5pm, Fri 8am–6pm.
Bobby Williams Art www.BobbyWilliamsArt.com
Artist Bobby Williams presents a retrospective of his paintings depicting agricultural life on the Central
Maravilla
5486 Calle Real, Santa Barbara 805 321-6718
www.MarvillaSeniorLiving.com
Senior living in Santa Barbara. A sprawling 20-acre community of beautifully landscaped grounds bordered by mature eucalyptus and the San Jose Creek—within walking distance of prime shopping districts. Experience the best in senior living with quality care and upscale amenities.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
1212 Mission Canyon Rd., Santa Barbara 805 682-4726
www.SBBotanicGarden.org
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a 78-acre botanical garden containing over 1,000 species of rare and indigenous plants. In this living museum, every plant is part of a special collection of California’s native plants managed by their team of gardeners and horticulture professionals. Open daily 10am–5pm, reservations required.
SBCC Foundation
805 730-4401
www.SBCCFoundation.org
The SBCC Foundation has provided Santa Barbara City College with private philanthropic support for over 45 years, serving as the vehicle through which individuals and organizations may invest in the college and its students. The Foundation provides more than $5 million annually for the SBCC Promise, student success programs, scholarships, emergency grants and more— supporting SBCC students as they prepare for careers, transfer to four-year universities and pursue lifelong learning goals.
Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce
www.SBSCChamber.com
Representing 1,100 businesses and 75,000 jobs from Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, Goleta and everywhere in between, the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce is proud to advocate for business, support economic development and promote tourism and visitor services.
Coast at Gallery Los Olivos during July 2024. Opening reception July 1, 5–7pm. 2920 Grand Ave., Los Olivos.
Fall’s Don’t-Miss-Dish
Local Quail with Leeks and Ginger Soy Pomegranate Sauce at
The news around the Santa Ynez Valley is that Budi is back (see page 32 for the full story). Chef Budi Kazali, formerly of the Ballard Inn & Gathering Table and Ramen Kotori, has quietly opened the re-imagined Gathering Table along Mission Drive in the heart of Solvang.
For locals and visitors who know of Kazali, this is anything but quiet. Since the Ballard Inn closed in 2021 (then sold to new owners), folks have been waiting to see what Kazali would do next. This French-inspired bistro space is fresh, warm and inviting, and it is located in the former Succulent building. Heather Saarloos designed the interiors to match Kazali’s French- and Asian-inspired cooking, as well as his friendly, down-toearth personality. It’s a place for greeting neighbors, sharing plates, being festive and just hanging out.
“It’s been great so far,” Kazali beamed. “Friends, farmers, winemakers… they’ve come in several times a week. It’s a real community outpouring.”
For part deux of The Gathering Table, Kazali has partnered with a long-time fan of his cooking. Doug Cavanaugh says the thing he missed most was Kazali’s chicken sliders with their layered flavors. Cavanaugh is a restaurateur in Southern California who
The TableGathering
bought a ranch in Santa Ynez Valley and now supplies some produce from his property to the restaurant. It’s a symbiotic partnership that brings Kazali’s beloved Asian-FrenchCalifornia food back to the valley.
This fall, find this quail appetizer on the menu. The quail comes from local ranch and farm, Motley Crew near Lompoc; the leeks are from Kazali’s long-time provider Shu Takikawa and The Garden of..... The shiitake mushrooms are local, and the pomegranates come from a friend’s garden—another benefit of Kazali knowing his neighbors.
To make the quail dish, start with leeks. One day before, take off the outer layer and soak in water to clean. Poach the white part of the leeks in seasoned water for 3 minutes. Drain and wrap tightly in plastic while hot, then refrigerate overnight.
Four to five hours before, remove legs from the quail. Cover them with a dry brine of salt, brown sugar, black peppercorn, coriander and thyme; leave on 4 hours.
Chop 2 shallots and 2 cloves garlic. Sauté these with grated ginger in olive oil over medium heat, then add thyme sprigs, soy sauce and black pepper. Add 1 cup red wine and bring to a boil; cook down to reduce by half. Add 2 cups pomegranate
juice; cook down to reduce by half. Add 1 cup veal stock; cook down to reduce to syrup consistency, then strain.
Brush the dry brine off quail legs. Add 1 quart duck fat to saucepan (or bacon fat or olive oil) and heat to a gentle boil. Poach the legs along with shitake mushroom cap for 30–40 minutes, until tender. Drain, then cool.
Heat sauté pan with olive oil to medium-high heat (not too hot), add mushroom cap and legs to sear both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan, and add the breasts, searing each side about 4 minutes, until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
Turn heat down to medium. Cut leeks into 1-inch pieces and remove plastic. Sear leeks gently on one of the cut sides, then add to the plate. Take breast off bone, add to plate with legs and mushroom. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, frisee salad or sliced endive, and a thyme blossom.
Liz Dodder is a drinker, eater and traveler who has eaten five kinds of foie gras in one day. She’s also a blogger, writer, photographer, recipe developer, web designer, social media maven and Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW). www.CaliCoastWineCountry.com
