Edible Santa Barbara – Winter 2014

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ISSUE 24 • WINTER 2014

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

The COOKS Issue Fine Chocolate Solvang’s Kringle and Crown Do Your Kids Cook?

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

2 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

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Downtown Santa Barbara Wine Tasting Serving Family-Owned Handcrafted Bordeaux from Happy Canyon

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SANTA BAR BAR A

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

page 30

STE VEN BROWN

ERIN FEINBL AT T

winter

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Departments 10 Food for Thought

by Krista Harris

12 Edible Notables

Gourmet Goodies Local Vanilla Extract Cooking Dinner Made Easy For the Cheese Lovers For the Wine Lovers Vertical Tasting: Chocolate

15 In Season 16 Chef Profile Chef Bethany Markee

by Rachel Hommel

20 Drinkable Landscape Bubbly ’n’ Bourbon

by George Yatchisin

22 Edible Garden

page 34 4 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

K ATE DUNBAR

The Long Wait for Asparagus

by Joan S. Bolton

26 Edible DIY Kombucha

by Randy Arnowitz

30 Local Cooks

Richard Lambert

by Janice Cook Knight

34 Book Review

Life by the Cup

by Jane Handel

66 Event Calendar 68 Dining Guide 70 Source Guide and Maps 80 The Last Bite

Winter’s Don’t-Miss Dish

by Liz Dodder

Discover the new Seagrass and dine in casual elegance…

R E S T A U R A N T

We have a private dining room and can accommodate large groups.

30 East Ortega Street • Santa Barbara • 805.963.1012 SeagrassRestaurant.com

Organic, Farmers Market Driven Menu, Gastropub Inspired

Black Sheep is a local eating spot that was created on the premise of being different and being OK with it, let’s just eat, laugh and be merry.

Happy Hour 5 - 6pm private events

and

large groups

26 E O rt e ga , Sa nt a B a rb ar a • 805 96 5 - 1 1 1 3 • The B l a c kS he e p S B .c o m EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 5

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

page 47

Features

Recipes in This Issue

38 Solvang’s Kringle and Crown A Baking History

Appetizers

by Ann Dittmer

18 Bethany’s Kale Chips 59 Downey’s Lobster Flan

4 Winemaker Steve Clifton 4 The Rock Star in the Kitchen

by Hilary Dole Klein

Soups and Salads

50 Discovering the Taste of Fine Chocolate

by Nancy Oster

Main Dishes

56 Chef John Downey Adventurous Voyage Leads to Santa Barbara Kitchen

by Jill Johnson

60 Do Your Kids Cook?

by Pascale Beale

58 Downey’s Butternut Soup 65 Simple Mixed Green Salad 47 47 65 63 63 48

Black Cod Bone-in Pork Chop Creamy Scrambled Eggs Penne Pasta and Cheese Roasted Chicken, Vegetables and Potatoes Rustic Duck

Desserts

ABOUT THE COVER

36 65 36

A collage of chocolate confections by Steven Brown and Erin Feinblatt. Chocolates by Chocolate Maya.

Beverage

ABOVE : PHOTO BY ERIN FEINBL AT T

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Coconut Chai-infused French Macarons One-Pan Flourless Chocolate Cake Raspberry Earl Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling

21 Saint Barb’s Blast

JEREMY BALL

winter

Building Peace of Mind.

Awa rd Wi nni ng Bui lder s S i n c e 1 986

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EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 9

FOOD FOR D THOUGHT

S

SANTA BAR BAR A

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

ERIN FEINBL AT T

ometimes when people write about food, they write about nutrition. It’s easy to extol the virtues of vegetables by touting their vitamin content, amount of fiber and level of micro-nutrients—or to vilify certain foods for their lack of those things.

But when I see lists like “Seven Super Foods You Must Eat Every Day” or “Five Foods You Must Never Eat Again,” I get a little annoyed. Is the act of eating to be reduced to a good vs. evil scenario?

I try not to read nutrition labels, because I try to buy foods that don’t have them. You don’t need a nutrition label or a list of “ I try not to read nutrition ingredients on a carrot or an orange.

And thankfully there are more and more labels, because I try to buy nutritionists who tout the value of eating foods that don’t have them. whole, unprocessed foods and not just You don’t need a nutrition eating according to what is checked off label or a list of ingredients on a nutrition label.

Cooking from scratch is “in” now, on a carrot or an orange.” and more and more people would like to cook on a regular basis, even if they don’t currently. The hows and whys of that fill up entire books—if you haven’t already, please read Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation by Michael Pollan.

So, perhaps you could say that we are doing our third Cooks theme issue to support the cooking-from-scratch movement. There are certainly many health benefits to cooking from scratch yourself and going to restaurants where the chefs cook from scratch. But I think we are also supporting the idea that eating good food, lovingly prepared, is good for the soul, not just the body.

I hope the soul of cooking and love of good food is reflected in this issue.

From the tamale guy to the kale chip expert, from tasting chocolate to cooking with teens and from chef John Downey to winemaker Steve Clifton, these are articles that go beyond just the act of cooking.

I’m convinced that just as an orange is far more than the sum of its vitamins and calories, cooking a meal is far more than just following a recipe and putting dinner on the table. The reason the subject of food is so interesting to read about is because it’s not about eating, it’s about living. Let’s celebrate the pleasures of the table this season, and let’s cook!

edible

Krista Harris, Editor and Co-Publisher

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PUBLISHERS

Steven Brown & Krista Harris EDITOR

Krista Harris RECIPE EDITOR

Nancy Oster COPY EDITOR

Doug Adrianson DESIGNER

Steven Brown SOCIAL MEDIA

Jill Johnson

Contributors Randy Arnowitz Jeremy Ball Pascale Beale Joan S. Bolton Ann Dittmer Liz Dodder Erin Feinblatt Hilary Dole Klein Janice Cook Knight Jane Handel Rachel Hommel Nancy Oster Carole Topalian George Yatchisin

Contact Us info@ediblesantabarbara.com

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

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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.

© 2014

edible Santa Barbara

®

FULL of LIFE

Flatbread Los Alamos, California

field baking since 2003

Restaurant, certified org anic frozen pizzas, field bakes and catering w w w.Fu llO f Li f eFo o ds.co m

2014 James Beard Award Winner

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An Evening with

An Evening with

Ina Garten An Evening with the Barefoot Contessa THU, FEB 19 / 8 PM GRANADA THEATRE Tickets start at $40 $15 UCSB students A Granada facility fee will be added to each ticket price

Pre-signed books will be available for purchase

Michael Pollan THU, APR 30 / 8 PM GRANADA THEATRE Tickets start at $25 $18 UCSB students A Granada facility fee will be added to each ticket price

“Michael Pollan [is the] designated repository for the nation’s food conscience.”

The New York Times

Co-presented with

Pollan will be signing books following the event

A&L: (805) 893-3535 Granada: (805) 899-2222 www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 11

edible

Local Vanilla Extract

Notables

In the Cook’s Pantry Products and places for cooks and gifts for cooks this winter and beyond.

Jilli Vanilli

Here’s an ingredient that we never thought we’d find locally—vanilla extract. This small-batch, handcrafted product is made using local alcohol from Cutler’s Artisan Spirits and organic, fair trade vanilla beans from Uganda. What’s even more important is that it is an exceptional product. Use it all winter when baking, add a little to some hot chocolate or dab a little on your wrist as a beautiful scent! It doesn’t hurt that it comes in a beautiful bottle worthy of fine perfume, and it makes a great gift.

Jilli Vanilli is available at Isabella’s Gourmet Foods, Crazy Good Bread, Viva Oliva, Cutler’s Artisan Spirits. Visit JilliVanilli.com for more information.

Cooking Dinner Made Easy Pantry SB Dinner Kits

Gourmet Goodies Central Coast Specialty Foods

Lompoc rejoiced when Central Coast Specialty Foods opened up.

From cheese to local and European gourmet specialty foods, they also have a superb meat counter with everything from tri-tip to wild boar.

It’s a great spot to pick up provisions when wine tasting at the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, and they have a full lineup of deli sandwiches, salads, dogs and sausages. Try the Total Veggie Salad and the West Coast Turkey Sandwich pictured above.

Central Coast Specialty Foods is open Sat, Mon–Wed 10am – 6pm; Thu–Fri 10am –7pm; Sun 10am – 4pm. They are located at 115 E. College Ave., Suite 10, Lompoc; 805 717-7675; CentralCoastSpecialtyFoods.com

Do you have a hard time finding the time to make dinner from scratch? It’s not so much the time spent cooking, but all the planning, shopping and making sure you have the right ingredients. Several companies have come up with the concept of a dinner kit delivery service where you receive everything you need to cook dinner yourself at home. We are fortunate to have locally owned Pantry SB right here in Santa Barbara providing this service and sourcing local ingredients, with a strong emphasis on organic. How it works:

You’ll get a box delivered to your door each week that has all the ingredients and recipes you need to make up to three meals a week in quantities of two to eight servings. Their instructional videos make it great for learning new techniques and working with unfamiliar ingredients, too.

Weekly and monthly memberships. Dinners cost around $12 per person for each meal. Visit ThePantrySB.com for more information.

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vertical TASTING

Inspired by Nancy Oster’s article in this issue, “Discovering the Taste of Fine Chocolate,” we decided to do a vertical tasting of chocolates recommended by Maya Schoop-Rutten, owner of Chocolate Maya. The chocolate bars she suggests are not only made from the finest chocolate, but they are sourced from cacao farmers who are getting a fair price for their work.

Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolate Beans from Madagascar Percentage of chocolate: 75% Bar produced in Santa Barbara, California TwentyFourBlackbirds.com

For the Cheese Lovers Santa Ynez Valley Cheese Company

It was about time that a cheese shop opened in Santa Ynez.

Cheese lovers have already discovered this charming shop, with its walls adorned with photos of the owner’s sheep.

It’s a great spot for getting all your favorite regional and specialty cheeses cut to order and some day soon they hope to be offering their own locally produced artisan cheese.

Santa Ynez Valley Cheese Company is open Mon–Sat 10am–5pm and Sun 10am – 4pm. They are located at 1095 Meadowvale Rd., Santa Ynez; 805 691-9448; SantaYnezValleyCheeseCompany.com

For the Wine Lovers Cowboy Ike’s Wine Jelly and Syrup

Here’s another local product that belongs in your pantry and in a gift basket. The Original Cowboy Ike’s Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Jelly got a firm start when it was entered into the Santa Barbara County Fair in Santa Maria in 2005 — where it won First Place and Best of Show. These days you can find it all over the Central Coast, and the product line includes jelly made from other varieties as well, such as Syrah, Grenache, Chardonnay and a Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Syrup.

Try serving the jam with goat cheese and smoked fish on a cracker as an appetizer or drizzling a little of the syrup on a slice of flourless chocolate cake.

Cowboy Ike’s is available at Isabella’s Gourmet Foods, Whole Foods Market and other area markets. You can also order online at CowboyIkesWineJelly.com

You might think we’re partial to our local bean-tobar maker, but we swear that even blindfolded we would count this as one of our favorites. The texture is perfect—not too firm and not too soft. And it has a delicious hint of green apple. Try pairing with tea in the afternoon or wine in the evening.

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate Beans from Camino Verde, Balao, Ecuador Percentage of chocolate: 76% Bar produced in Arcata, California DickTaylorChocolate.com The beautiful design of the wrapper and elegant stamped texture of the bar provides a clue to its sophisticated flavor. We pick up notes of hazelnut. The flavor comes on quickly and then has a clean finish. This bar would be perfect after dinner with coffee or espresso.

Ritual Chocolate Beans from Marañón River Valley, Peru Percentage of chocolate: 75% Bar produced in Denver, Colorado RitualChocolate.com This is chocolate produced from pure Nacional cacao beans (the famous “white” beans), and it doesn’t disappoint in the least. It has a deep, earthy and complex flavor that lingers in the mouth with a tangy finish. Enjoy all by itself or pair with a fine port.

Patric Chocolate Beans from Madagascar Percentage of chocolate: 74% Bar produced in Columbia, Maryland Patric-Chocolate.com This bar is called IN-NIB-ITABLE for its sprinkling of cacao nibs across the surface. But while nibs are usually bitter, this chocolate is not. Instead the flavor is nutty with a distinct fruitiness. This would be perfect as part of a dessert platter with dried fruit and aged gouda.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 13

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in Season this winter Winter Produce

Year-Round Produce

Winter Seafood

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

Almonds, almond butter

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

(harvested Aug/Sept)

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

(harvested Sept/Oct)

Edible flowers Garlic

(harvested May/June)

Herbs

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

Kale Leeks Lemons Lettuce Mushrooms Onions, bulb

(harvested May/June)

Oranges Pistachios, pistachio oil (harvested Sept/Oct)

Potatoes Radishes Raisins

(harvested Sept/Oct)

Shallots Spinach Sprouts Squash, winter

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

Other Year-Round Coffee (limited availability) Dairy

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

Eggs Fresh flowers Honey Olives, olive oil Meat

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

Potted plants/herbs Preserves Wheat

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

(harvested July/Oct)

Walnuts, walnut oil (harvested Sept/Oct)

Yams

(harvested Aug/Sept)

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 15

chef

Profile

Chef Bethany Markee

by Rachel Hommel

T

he clanking of plates, the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, the sweet aromas filling the… school cafeteria?

Backpacks and books in tow, these are not your typical diners. This is the Viking Café at Solvang Elementary, where one chef has successfully redefined the school lunch program. Feeding the curiosity of young patrons, everyone is asking for seconds.

With over 30 years of restaurant experience, Chef Bethany Markee is not your typical lunch lady, but a culinary school graduate trained in the French tradition.

Leaving the comforts of fine dining, Markee embarked on a revolution of her own: to transform both the cafeteria and her own culinary consciousness.

Originally hailing from Maine, Markee was inspired

by Solvang’s rich local bounty. Eager to incorporate nutrition alongside taste, she sees cooking as both an education and responsibility, to cook with intention. And always from scratch.

TENLE Y FOHL PHOTOGR APHY

“Most food directors are dieticians, not chefs,” said Markee. “I learned early in my career that it’s about the relationships you form. Students will change their patterns if they trust you, if you listen to them.”

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Since the beginning of her program, Markee has invited and welcomed menu suggestions, engaging directly with her hungry (and curious) customers. Creating teachable moments for the students, each meal offers a lesson in taste, a chance for students to understand where their food comes from. From carrots to snap peas and her infamous kale chips, it is these light bulb moments that are critical for children to form healthy eating habits, both at school and at home.

“I’m amazed at the general disconnection children have with their food,” said Markee. “The only way to really get students to change their way of eating is talk to them, cook with them, have conversations with them—they remember that.”

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hungry little Vikings. No longer must children fear mystery meat or pink slime.

“Children are incredibly honest customers. They are never going to lie,” said Markee. “When they like it, they really, really like it, running down the hallway at 90 mph screaming ‘I love kale chips’… it’s a sheer joy I never felt in the restaurant business.”

TENLE Y FOHL PHOTOGR APHY

With plans to create an adaptable model locally and statewide, Markee is eager to expand her kitchen, looking forward to one day building her very own production kitchen. Hoping to assist other schools in the future, she is trained and prepped for the battles ahead, all in the name of school lunch. Equipped with an armory of kale, carrots and hope, she is the face of our new school food movement: 400 hungry troops fed, and counting.

“This is an amazing opportunity for chefs, to make huge differences in our communities,” said Markee. “The more that chefs are willing to take a risk and dive in, the better school food in this country will be.”

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

Chef Bethany Markee picks up kale at the Solvang Farmers Market.

With only $1 a meal to spend on a child’s lunch, Markee has worked nonstop to see change.

In 2010, she became a board member and volunteer for Veggie Rescue, a nonprofit started in the Santa Ynez Valley that offers free delivery services of gleaned produce from local farmers. Working alongside the organization, she is able to get nearly 10,000 pounds a year of gleaned produce, saving the school over $50,000 annually on lunch expenses.

In 2013, Solvang Elementary School was honored with the prestigious Golden Carrot Award, one of only three winners in the nation. The award, sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, celebrates and rewards schools for serving healthful, plant-based menu options. For a school of 400, the award not only increased Solvang Elementary’s reputation, but also helped fuel the revolution.

“We are the little school that could—we wouldn’t give up,” said Markee. “We hope to be a model for other schools, to let people know it’s possible, with our fists held high in the air!”

STE VEN BROWN

“It’s completely changed my entire food service program,” said Markee. “Our motto has always been to provide real fresh food for children, every day.”

RECIPE Bethany’s Kale Chips 2 bunches kale 2– 4 tablespoons oil (olive oil or canola oil or blend) 2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon kosher salt

And the response at school has been tremendous, both in the classroom and at home. Markee is not only educating our future gourmets, but also their parents. It is these moments that are truly memorable to her, bridging language barriers in an effort to better the health of our future generations.

Preheat oven to 375°. Wash, dry and cut off the bottom of the stems on the kale. Toss prepped kale in bowl with oil. Lay on a sheet tray; do not crowd. Sprinkle with salt just before baking.

Bake in oven 8–14 minutes; watch, as kale can burn quickly.

Serve immediately.

With kids requesting kale chips at home, the revolution is growing, plate by plate. It is the students asking for change, the

Helpful hints: You can change oil to sesame oil give it a more Asian flare. You can also use spicy herbs and salts to jazz it up.

18 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

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EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 19

DRINKABLE LANDSCAPE

P

Bubbly ’n’ Bourbon

STE VEN BROWN

by George Yatchisin

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resuming one might concoct a “new” cocktail always makes me think of the great quote from musical oddballs Ween, and I paraphrase: “It’s like when you wake up from a dream with a brilliant song, you write it down, and then in the morning you realize you just wrote ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’”

The classics are classics for a reason, and if you wander too far from them you just end up with weirdness for novelty’s sake.

But, of course, you can also take a classic and give it a local spin—that’s what the Drinkable Landscape is all about. Think of this edition as the Santa Barbara Seelbach Cocktail, a sparkling wine drink perfect for the holidays and moved from its Louisville origins to our own backyard.

Named after the Seelbach Hotel, so swank it hosted guests like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Al Capone, this cocktail has a wonderful, mythical provenance: Supposedly it was born when a bartender caught a spewing, just-opened champagne bottle’s spray in a customer’s Manhattan.

Think of it as a very adult “you got your peanut butter in my chocolate” moment.

The drink was lost during Prohibition and rediscovered in the 1990s with the first wave of interest in bitters, which help drive this drink.

To do it traditionally, you should use a Kentucky bourbon (Old Forester, to be precise). But now in Santa Barbara we have our own, so why not use Ascendant Spirits’ Breaker Bourbon? Plus, thanks to Riverbench Vineyard & Winery, we can do something Kentuckians can’t — make the drink with a sparkling wine from our very own county. (I’d suggest Ian Cutler’s 33 Straight Bourbon for the drink, since his distillery is in the Funk Zone right next door to the Riverbench’s tasting room— we could almost pretend the two could get accidentally spilled into each other —but his first batch sold out, alas.)

Clarissa Nagy, Riverbench’s winemaker, creates three sparklers, and they are fine to drink on their own, really too good for the purposes of mixology. But this is the holidays, and that means we want to impress, to use the best ingredients, to celebrate. Riverbench Cork Jumper Blanc de Blancs, made 100% from Chardonnay grapes, is the first sustainable sparkling wine in the county (thanks to the brilliant Sustainability in Practice program). This sparkling wine is luscious and rich, a pleasing cross of lemon and apple and that lovely bready yeast flavor you want in a wine made using méthode champenoise.

You will have to purchase it directly from the winery, but can do so online or at the tasting room. Showing up in person also gives you the option of tasting your way through the full line of Riverbench wines, both still and sparkling.

So that’s about as fun a shopping trip as you can have.

You might, of course, wonder why a sparkling wine needs to be gussied up in the first place. A Saint Barb’s Blast (Sta. Barbara is the patron saint of gunpowder, after all) is about celebration, elevation, showmanship. The bourbon and Cointreau expand the wine’s flavor profiles —you’ll start picking up a nuttiness, for instance, plus some oak and more citrus.

Then the bitters add all sorts of grace notes, and the Peychaud’s (a crucial feature in the New Orleans’ staple the Sazerac— so you want some in your bar), helps make the drink a blushing bronze that seems fitting for the season.

I have cut the alcohol amounts a tiny bit, as this drink can seem a bit too pungent in its typical ratios. Plus it’s not like you’re trying to hide budget bubbly, either.

Then there are the garnishes, possibly two if you want to be extravagant. It’s winter, so, unlike people in Louisville, we can probably pick an orange off one of our own trees. You need a twist zester to make the strips easily, but this handy tool is relatively cheap at a good cooking store. That little orange line along the glass again adds more citrus zip, but more than anything it’s beautiful.

Feel free to include a few pomegranate seeds, too. They are a typical champagne cocktail accoutrement, if not for this particular drink. Still, you might have pomegranates in your yard, so if you have the seeds, drop them in, pretty and pungent as they are. (You do know the trick of excavating the seeds from the fruit in a bowl of water, so as to avoid making a bloody red mess?)

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

He blogs at GeorgeEats.com

Saint Barb’s Blast Makes 2 cocktails

15th Anniversary

MARCH 6th & 7th, 2015 The allure of Pinot Noir on the American Riviera.

Friday & Saturday tastings featuring more than 225 winery participants pouring Pinot Noir complemented by wine country appetizers from Executive Chef David Reardon and the Bacara culinary team.

Two full days of tastings, seminars, culinary excellence and wine country camaraderie.

Enter to win a pair of tickets to our Foodie Frenzy seminar by using code EDIBLE at wopn.com/tickets

11⁄ 2 ounces Ascendant Breaker Bourbon 1

⁄ 2 ounce Cointreau

10 dashes Peychaud’s bitters 10 dashes Angostura bitters Approximately 10 ounces chilled Riverbench Cork Jumper Blanc de Blancs (enough to fill two champagne flutes)

World of Pinot Noir 2015 event at

2 orange peel twists 6 pomegranate seeds (optional)

Over ice, combine the bourbon, Cointreau and bitters. Stir well. Strain evenly into two champagne flutes. Spiral the orange peel along the inside of the glass. If you wait to do this after adding the sparkling wine, the drink will foam up, so do it now. Add the chilled sparkling wine to fill. (Pouring the sparkling wine should mix the ingredients; if you feel it hasn’t, stir very gently.) If desired, add 3 pomegranate seeds to each drink.

Tickets available at worldofpinotnoir.com 805.489.1758 EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 21

EDIBLE GARDEN

The Long Wait for Asparagus

by Joan S. Bolton

S

even hundred and thirty days until harvest. Two full years may seem like a mindnumbing length of time to wait. But consider that the result will be 15 to 20 years of fresh, tender asparagus, and all is forgiven. Although asparagus is harvested in the spring, winter is the time to select and to plant.

Asparagus is a perennial crop, and one of the few perennial vegetables that we grow. It’s typically planted bare-root in January and February, at the same time that bare-root fruit trees and roses go into the ground.

Each plant is dormant and little more than a clump of roots.

Growing your own asparagus results in amazingly succulent spears.

It also provides cooks with an opportunity to play with color. While most commercial asparagus is a rich green, in the garden you can fiddle with purple and white spears.

So researchers at UC Davis and UC Riverside developed asparagus plants that embrace mild winters and produce heads that don’t open with warming temperatures in spring.

Today, the gold standard for our climate is UC 157.

It produces double the crop of Mary Washington, matures earlier and maintains tight heads.

Availability can be spotty.

But with an asparagus bed lasting up to two decades, UC 157 is worth the hunt.

Purple asparagus is on the rise as well. Purple Passion was developed in Northern California by Brian Benson, who also created UC 157.

Pacific Purple is a newcomer from New Zealand.

Neither produces yields as bountiful as UC 157.

But the purples have a higher sugar content and are said to taste a little sweeter. And the spears are less fibrous, so you don’t snap off as much of the stalk prior to cooking.

They do, however, turn Established asparagus emerging in the spring. green with heat.

What to Select As for white asparagus—it’s not a separate variety. Instead, the Previous generations of home gardeners were limited to asparagus white results from a technique called blanching. Cover the emergthat had been created by East Coast breeders to withstand ing tips of green or purple asparagus with shredded leaves, peat freezing winters and wet, humid summers. Names like Mary moss or even plastic nursery pots to prevent sunlight from reaching Washington, which was introduced in 1917, and Jersey Giants them. This prevents the plants from producing chlorophyll, which may come to mind. normally turns the spears green or purple. That’s why if you dig around, you’ll see that below the surface the stems are white.

But those varieties don’t perform as well on the West Coast. (continued on page 24)

22 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

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At Planting Time Your asparagus is in this for the long haul, so don’t skimp on prep.

You’ll be planting the asparagus roots —AKA crowns—in long trenches. Loose, fertile soil is a must. Raised beds are ideal.

Otherwise plan to build a few substantial berms.

Choose a spot that gets at least six to eight hours of daily sunlight. Asparagus needs sunshine to warm the soil when the slumbering roots begin to stir after the winter solstice.

The site may be within your vegetable garden or along a fence or wall where the asparagus’ ferny foliage can provide a filmy backdrop for ornamental plants. Strawberries should not have been grown there. They may have tainted the soil with rust, which can infect the asparagus.

Dig a trench one foot wide and eight to 10 inches deep. A dozen crowns — enough to feed a family of four —require a trench about 12 feet long, or two trenches six feet long spaced several feet apart.

Amend the soil that you’ve removed with a generous amount of organic material, such as compost, leaf mold, well-rotted animal manure, earthworm castings or peat moss.

Use the amended soil to shape a two-inch-tall mound of the amended soil down the length of the trench. Water thoroughly.

Spread the spidery roots of each crown on top of the mound, spacing the crowns one foot apart. Add another two inches of amended soil, then water again.

Keep the bed moist. In a month or so, pale shoots should appear.

Let those tips grow an inch or two tall. Add soil, but don’t cover the tips. Chase the growth, adding soil bit by bit as the tips rise. But don’t bury the tips. They may rot if they don’t see the light of day.

If the tips open, don’t harvest those spears. Let them leaf out.

24 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Filling the trench may take a month or more.

Continue to water regularly.

As summer progresses, the tips will open, then produce tall, feathery, fern-like branches. In the fall, the foliage will yellow, while female plants produce red berries.

Wait to cut down the ferns Harvest the spears that are at least the diameter until they’ve of a pencil. turned brown and begun to wilt. This allows the plants time to build up reserves of carbohydrates in their roots. More carbs translates to more vigorous roots and more prolific harvests.

The first spring after planting, harvest only one or two spears from each plant. Taking more will deplete the roots’ energy and subsequent crops.

The spears are ready when they reach six to eight inches high.

Use a sharp knife to slice off the stalks at an angle just below the soil line. Cutting them flat may nick neighboring stems.

The Second and Third Spring The second spring after planting, harvest any spears that are at least the diameter of a pencil.

By the third spring, new spears may be ripe every day of the season.

If you miss a few days and the tips open, don’t harvest those spears. Instead, let them leaf out. Stop the harvest completely when new spears decrease in size.

Keep the bed well watered year-round. Even if nothing is happening above ground, the roots need moisture to flourish.

After the annual trim, apply an inch or two of well-aged, fine-textured compost or other organic material to replenish nutrients and keep down weeds.

Your maintenance and patience has paid off, as you look forward to 15 to 20 years of fresh, tender asparagus.

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

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EDIBLE DIY

L

ast winter I was helping my friends Nicky and Joe, and their son Jack, prune their fruit trees at their quaint Ojai homestead. After our third plum tree, Nicky brought out a corked bottle containing an amber-colored beverage and three Ball jars of ice. She filled our glasses and I took a swallow. Slightly pungent.

Vaguely fermented. A little fizzy. Maybe even astringent. Sweet, but not sweet.

“What is this,” I asked when my puckered mouth finally went back to its original shape.

“Kombucha,” she informed me, matter-of-factly.

“I thought that was like, some classical Japanese dance theater where the actors wear heavy white makeup,” I gave back.

“No, you’re thinking of Kabuki.

Kabuki Theater,” Nicky replied, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t you mean karaoke?”

“No, that’s when you go to a bar and sing badly into a microphone over prerecorded tracks of weepy Lionel Richey songs,” she said as she went back to pruning.

I took another sip. “Different. Really good,” I said as I followed her back to a yet-to-be pruned, tangled pomegranate tree.

Hours later when I had gathered my pruning gear and was about to leave, Nicky handed me a clear one-gallon pickle jar.

Inside, she explained, was a part of her “mother,” or SCOBY, and two cups of starter. A large swatch of clean, cotton fabric was secured over the top of the jar with an elastic band. I put the jar in my truck and drove home carefully and deliberately—one eye on the road. The other, on that peculiar, gelatinous, jellyfish-like mass sloshing around in the jar on the seat next to me.

When I got home, I Googled “kombucha” and discovered that it is a slightly fermented and fizzy beverage made from very 26 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

sweet black or green tea that is drunk for its refreshing taste and therapeutic and probiotic health benefits. Now the strange part: The kombucha is produced by fermenting the sweet tea with the help of a Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast, or SCOBY. The SCOBY, sometimes referred to as the “mother” or “mushroom,” is the home for the bacteria and yeast and happily floats atop the sea of kombucha like an opaque, rubbery life raft.

The origins of kombucha are somewhat vague, and mysterious at best.

It is believed that the practice of brewing kombucha originated in Asia during the Tsin dynasty. Later its healthful benefits were enjoyed in Russia, Japan, Europe and the United States, where it was known by many names, such as Russian fungus, Mongolian wine, magical or miracle fungus, Japanese sponge, Fungus Japonicus, elixir of life and gout tea, among others.

Individual SCOBYs can take on a variety of appearances. In fact, my first one, Moby, resembled a thin amorphous, jellyfish that initially bobbed around in the middle of its jar. It seemed to grow tiny tentacles and then grew a second layer, or “baby,” on the surface of the concoction to seal off and protect the brew from invading bacteria.

My second, Scoby Doo, looked like a perfect five-inch disk or pancake. When I initially put it in its crock, it immediately floated to the top of the liquid and began producing a second layer above, which grew to the diameter of the container.

Brewing kombucha tea at home is easy and requires only a minimum of equipment and expense to start. This is the basic recipe that I use when brewing in a one-gallon container.

Obviously, it can be adjusted for more or less amounts.

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What You Need • A glass or lead-free ceramic container —1 gallon or larger size is ideal. I started with a 1-gallon pickle jar but after becoming a “brew master” by my second or third batch, I graduated to a 2½ gallon crock. A cylindrical vessel is preferable to one that is tapered. The SCOBY will quickly grow to the circumference of its container and wrestling the slimy thing through a much narrower opening can be messy and traumatic to your SCOBY. • 1 SCOBY—These can often be purchased at health food stores and certainly online. However, due to the increased popularity of home brewing, it is not likely that you will have to pay for one since a friend, or a friend of a friend, probably has one to divide and share.

• 3½ quarts of filtered water • 2 cups of kombucha starter —This is simply the plain, raw kombucha tea before you bottle or flavor it. You can get this from the same friend who gives you a SCOBY. If not, you can use store-bought, raw, unpasteurized, unflavored kombucha.

• 1 cup of white sugar —It is not recommended that you use honey or other sweeteners to brew the kombucha tea, just the white devil itself. Fear not, as most of the sugar is diminished during the brewing process.

• 8 black and or green tea bags or the equivalent amount of loose tea. Use at least 2 black with 6 green. Avoid flavored teas that contain essences or oils. I use half black and half green.

• Sealable glass bottles —I use the 34-ounce, clear, swing-top type.

• One clean cotton flour-sack cloth, or make one from an old unbleached T-shirt.

• 1 large elastic band— Size depends on the mouth of your container.

• A small plastic kitchen funnel and a handheld strainer.

Getting Started—the Basic Brew Boil the appropriate amount of water in a nonmetal pot or kettle.

Pour in, stir and dissolve the sugar. Add the tea bags or loose tea.

Leave the tea bags in the water until the sweet tea cools to room temperature. Some recommend only steeping the tea bags for 10 minutes but you can determine that by experience and taste.

After the tea has cooled and the tea bags are removed, pour the sweet tea into your large jar or crock and add the kombucha starter. Stir and gently place your SCOBY into the container. It may sink, float or not commit and stay somewhere in the middle.

Regardless of where it settles, within a few days you will notice a cloudy film forming on the surface of the brew. This is the new SCOBY, or baby, forming.

Lastly, cover your jar with the clean cotton cloth and secure it with the elastic band. Keep it at room temperature and out of direct light in a place that has plenty of air circulation and is not likely to be moved, bumped or jostled.

Begin sampling your brew at about seven to 10 days, or sooner during the warmer months. Let your kombucha palate be your guide. When it is not too sweet and not too tart or vinegar-y it is done and ready to bottle.

Two Brewing Methods There are two ways to brew your kombucha. With “batch brewing,” when your kombucha is done and ready to bottle, you empty all of the kombucha out of your jar with the SCOBY. 28 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

You bottle up the entire amount except for two cups of the brew, which is the starter for your next batch. Then again, you make the sweet tea, cool it and put it back in the jar with the starter and the SCOBY. I initially made my kombucha this way but now use the “continuous brew” method. When my tea is ready, I fill one bottle and then replace that same amount with cooled sweet tea. The SCOBY remains in the crock and the remaining tea acts as starter.

The advantage of continuous brewing is that the SCOBY is not handled or disturbed as often as with batch brewing and there isn’t as much pouring, spilling and dripping.

Bottling and Flavoring Your Kombucha Using a funnel and a small strainer, bottle your brew leaving a half to a full inch of headroom at the neck of the bottle. If using the batch method, remember to save two cups of your product for your next starter. You can bottle it up plain or flavor it at this time.

To flavor your kombucha tea, add a cup or two of fruit juice, chopped fruit, a cinnamon stick, fresh ginger, ¼ cup of raw honey or flavored tea leaves like hibiscus or orange spice.

Strawberries, oranges, Meyer lemon, plums and passion fruit are especially good choices as they add a pleasing flavor and color to your brew. Be inventive. The local farmers market will offer you creative, seasonal options to sweeten your brew.

Leave your bottled tea on your counter, out of direct light, to further ferment and to carbonate. After one to three days, refrigerate and enjoy!

Throughout history it is told that the “magical tea” appeared to have cured cancer, increased longevity and enhanced well-being.

Today, many brew and drink the tea for its superb detoxification properties, to relieve arthritis and joint pain and to enhance gut health, aid digestion and relieve a myriad of other symptoms.

Regardless of whether kombucha is the cure-all that it is said to be, it’s like having an interesting and bizarre science project living in your kitchen that’s also delicious and refreshing to drink.

Randy Arnowitz is a gardener, horticulturist and writer. He particularly enjoys working with roses, orchids and sharing the day with his golden retriever, Peaches, who faithfully accompanies him in the field. He has written for a number of local publications.

Tips No metal spoons, kettles or mixing bowls should be used in the brewing process. If you use a crock for the continuous brew method, be sure that the spigot is made of plastic and not metal.

The fermentation process is temperature-dependent. Your sweet tea will turn into kombucha much faster in warm weather than during the cooler months, especially if you keep your home cool in the winter.

With each new batch, the mother SCOBY will produce another layer, or baby. Eventually it becomes very thick and begins to displace much of the liquid. Therefore, after a few batches or when a friend wants one, it’s a good idea to separate the layers of the SCOBY, give them away and put the youngest, or uppermost, layer back into your tea.

Never add any honey, fruit or juice to the brewing container.

Only flavor the tea at the time of bottling. However, the plain, unflavored tea can be drunk or added to fizzy water, fruit juice or lemonade any time that it is ready.

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LOCAL COOKS

Richard Lambert

The Tamale Guy

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

R

ichard Lambert tasted his first tamale at the age of 10. While working on his family’s olive ranch in Lindsay, California, at lunchtime he swapped his tuna fish sandwich for one of the ranch worker’s tamales. A love affair with tamales was born.

Many years later, in 2012, Richard opened Santa Barbara Tamales To Go. A lot of tamales had passed his lips in the intervening years. He’s always loved them. A favorite aunt made them. He tried to make them in his early 20s—not very successfully, but he improved over the years. He always loved to cook.

Then, in 2011, needing good tamales for a family party, but tamales not being in season (it was not fiesta or Christmas), he wondered where he could get really good, fresh ones. Tamales, he thought, should be something available year round. Recently retired from his business making educational safety videos, Richard had the time to pursue his tamale passion.

Richard is a fifth-generation Santa Barbaran. You might recognize the name “Lambert” from Lambert Road in Carpinteria, named for Richard’s great-great-grandfather, who grew beans and other crops there. Richard’s father was also a rancher, and as a child Richard lived first in Santa Barbara, briefly in Santa Paula, then primarily grew up at the olive ranch in Lindsay.

After college he worked for many years as a landscape contractor, eventually producing horticulture videos, and from that experience his business changed to producing fire safety videos. He returned to Santa Barbara in 1989.

Richard Lambert cuts some tamales in half for sampling during a class at the Santa Barbara Public Market.

30 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

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Richard Lambert demonstrates making the filling and forming his tamales with his special touch of including two olives.

Richard’s daughter lives in Mexico City. On a trip to visit her, and with a business idea in mind, he asked his daughter if she could find someone to teach him tamale making. His daughter found Beatriz Ramirez, Mexico City’s “tamale queen.” Over several days Beatriz was generous enough to teach him her recipes and techniques.

From that point it took only about six months for Santa Barbara Tamales To Go to open. Richard refined the recipes to suit his own palate, but from Beatriz he’d learned things every good Mexican-food chef should know: how to roast tomatillos and chiles on a comal or under a broiler until they are browned but not black; how to choose very fresh masa preparada (the traditional ground corn mixture used to make tamales), and how to spread it just-so onto the outer wrapper so the tamales are of uniform size. All the ingredients must be very fresh. There should be just enough masa to surround the generous filling.

I met Richard at a Spanish food and wine tasting this past summer. His tamales were, for me, the food highlight of that event. As I took a bite of his spicy black bean tamale, four things struck me: The flavor was exceptionally full and rich; the tamale had a moist and generous filling; there was much less masa than most tamales contain; and tucked into the tamale was a whole black olive! I took his contact information with me, and a few weeks later I ordered a dozen assorted tamales. They come in six flavors: Chicken Verde, Chile and Cheese, Chipotle Beef, Pork, Spicy Black Bean with Mole Sauce, and Farmers Market Vegetable.

I’ve eaten too many masa-heavy tamales in my lifetime.

Sometimes I’ve wondered where the filling is! Richard’s tamales are all about the filling: in fact he says the proportion is about 70% filling to 30% masa. He says, “If there is a thinner layer of masa, the moisture from the filling is drawn into the masa, and keeps the whole tamale moist.”

I watched Richard make a chicken tamale at his commercial kitchen space in Goleta. I still wasn’t prepared for the thin layer of masa he spread, and the generous amount of filling. But he

32 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

explained the masa swells as it cooks, making the perfect envelope of fluffy corn surrounding the tasty insides.

Instead of using cornhusks, Richard uses an outer wrapper of unbleached parchment paper. They’re simpler to use and of a uniform size, and look much like the cornhusks. He ties the finished tamales with colorful strips of raffia, the color indicating which kind of filling is within.

Richard hopes to have March 23 declared National Tamale Day. He feels that a favorite and traditional food, one dating back 5,000 years and to Aztec and Mayan culture, should have its special day. Given Santa Barbara’s Hispanic roots this seems fitting, and Mayor Schneider and the Chamber of Commerce support his goal.

Every one of Richard’s tamales contains two ripe olives: a tribute to his dad, the olive rancher, and his family roots in agriculture. They add piquant flavor to an already flavorsome dish.

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 and cookbook writing for over 30 years. She lives in Santa Barbara with her family. JaniceCookKnight.com

Resources Santa Barbara Tamales To Go delivers. Call to order: the menu is online. There is a one-dozen minimum order. They will arrive fully cooked and hot, but once cooled to room temperature you can refrigerate or freeze them for later use. It’s always nice to have a few tamales on hand for a quick meal.

The company is developing a “tamale bike,” a small mobile hot box attached to a bicycle, and will be selling tamales at events around town. They plan to appear in the Funk Zone regularly on weekends. Check SBTamalesToGo.com for that announcement. You can also buy Santa Barbara tamales at the Forager’s Pantry at the Santa Barbara Public Market.

And, you can lend support to National Tamale Day at: NationalTamaleDay.com.

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BOOK REVIEW

Life by the Cup by Zhena Muzyka

by Jane Handel

A

rguably, one of the most stressful, anxiety-producing challenges of all is one faced by the parent of a sick child— especially an infant whose life is in jeopardy. Zhena Muzyka’s son, Sage, was born with a kidney defect.

Unconscionable though it may seem, this was considered to be a “pre-existing condition” by health insurance companies and therefore Sage was uninsurable.

Life by the Cup is dedicated to Sage and rightly so. As the story unfolds, Zhena uses every ounce of energy, intuition and resourcefulness that she can conjure up as she tries to figure out how to provide for all of her child’s needs, including the surgical procedures that save his life.

But what, exactly, does a frantic single mother of modest means do in such a crisis? Well, if your name is Zhena Muzyka, you start a tea company. Having studied herbal medicine in Peru, as well as aromatherapy, she had a basic understanding of what goes into the making of tea blends—how a few drops of essential oils on tea leaves create a new sensual experience. Zhena’s motto became “A tea for all the senses.” And slowly, through lots of trial and error, she built her company: Zhena’s Gypsy Tea. A combination of entrepreneurial savvy, personal charisma, chutzpa (and “angel” investors) helped to propel Zhena’s Ojai-based cottage industry into a multimillion-dollar blockbuster.

Going toe to toe with executives at Safeway, et al., she learned how to negotiate for prime shelf space location for her product.

She learned how to do spreadsheets and crunch the numbers.

And although the learning curve was steep, and there were more than a few meltdowns along the way, she came through with her integrity intact.

For midway, Zhena has an epiphany. And it’s one that not only shifts the trajectory of the story, but permeates all aspects of her life. It occurs when she makes her first visit to the tea fields of Sri Lanka—to see firsthand the place where her company’s tea

is grown. There, she observes the women who toil in the fields carefully plucking the best leaves, one by one, day in and day out. She observes their primitive living conditions, their lack of basic amenities, the lack of education for their children. She witnesses their indomitable spirits despite such hardship, and vows to improve their quality of life no matter what personal sacrifice this entails. This consciousness-raising experience informs the rest of the story.

From that moment on, Life by the Cup becomes more than a treatise on selfempowerment. It becomes a call to action on behalf of the many who work their fingers to the bone for the benefit of the few; it is a passionate plea for each of us to become activists by purchasing fair trade products so that tea pickers in Sri Lanka, coffee growers in Ethiopia, and workers everywhere are justly compensated for their efforts. It’s an important message that is delivered in the most humble, sincere and non-preachy way imaginable.

The book’s form is unique: Each chapter begins with what Zhena calls “Inspiration.” She describes a cup of tea, a brief history of its ingredients, and its brewing method. What follows next is personal memoir, and then the chapter concludes with a self-help exercise for the reader to practice. Sprinkled throughout, like seasoning, is an eclectic selection of inspirational quotes and proverbs from an array of known and unknown international sources. This one by Rabindranath Tagore is a personal favorite: “The burden of self is lightened when I laugh at myself.”

Life by the Cup ends with a chapter on how to host one’s own tea party and there is also a selection of delicious tea-based recipes that were created with her friend, baker Kate Dunbar, whose Ventura bakery, Le Petit Rêve, had a passionate following.

Zhena Muzyka inherited a porcelain teacup from her beloved grandmother, Maria, and this cup is a treasured talisman. Like her Ukrainian Gypsy grandmother, Zhena is also a healer with

“This consciousness-raising experience informs the rest of the story.”

34 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 35

a deep knowledge of herbal remedies. But another part of Maria’s legacy was a gift for storytelling. It’s quite likely that she cast spells with her stories and so, too, does Zhena. But writers require special skills—craft and artistry, for starters. It’s one thing to be able to tell a good story at a dinner party, but quite another to keep the reader on the edge of his or her chair, turning the pages quickly to see what happens next.

Life by the Cup seduces the reader with its compassion, humor and honesty—we acutely feel the author’s distress for her son, and are grateful and relieved when his life is spared; we are inspired by how courageously she faces the many challenges that are thrown in her path; we learn from how she creatively deals with the inevitable crises that confront anyone in business. And then, Zhena Muzyka deftly inspires us to take action—to find our own integrity, if not redemption, in being advocates for the just and fair treatment of others.

Jane Handel is a writer who lives in Ojai. For the sake of full disclosure, she and Zhena Muzyka (who also lives in Ojai) are friends, but that friendship did not prejudice the writing of this review.

Recipes excerpted from Life by the Cup: Ingredients for a Purpose-Filled Life of Bottomless Happiness and Limitless Success by Zhena Muzyka (Atria Books, June 2014).

Coconut Chai-infused French Macarons with Raspberry Earl Dark Chocolate Ganache Makes 20 Macarons 11 ⁄ 2 cups almond flour 2 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 Zhena’s Coconut Chai Tea Sachet 4 egg whites at room temperature Pinch cream of tartar 1

⁄ 2 cup granulated sugar

Sift together the almond flour and confectioners’ sugar. Stir in the tea leaves and mix thoroughly. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Sprinkle in granulated sugar and beat the egg whites until they are glossy and stiff peaks form.

One third at a time, fold the almond mixture into the egg whites.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour the batter into a pastry bag and pipe out small half-inch circles one inch apart.

Let the cookies sit on the counter for 30 minutes or until their tops have formed a dry skin.

Halfway through the waiting time, preheat the oven to 325°.

Bake the cookies for 12–15 minutes. Let them cool completely before removing from the parchment.

36 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

K ATE DUNBAR

RECIPES

Raspberry Earl Dark Chocolate Ganache Filling Author’s note: While we use Raspberry Earl for this ganache, you can change it up and use Egyptian Mint, which lifts and cools the spices in the spicy chai macarons; or you can use any other green or black tea.

I always love the result of unexpected flavor combination; synergy and delight comes from taking risks!

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⁄ 2 cup whipping cream

1 Zhena’s Raspberry Earl Tea Sachet 4 ounces dark chocolate, broken into pieces 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

In a small skillet, simmer the whipping cream and the contents of the tea sachet over a low flame for five minutes. Strain the cream over the chocolate and let sit for five minutes before stirring. Stir well and, when completely smooth, add the butter and mix again.

One by one, remove a macaron from the parchment and dip the flat bottom in the chocolate and place it on the flat side of another cookie, making a cookie sandwich. Now take the whole cookie and dip half of it into the chocolate again. Place the cookies on parchment to cool.

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38 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Solvang’s Kringle and Crown A Baking History

by Ann Dittmer

O

ne bite into a rich, flaky Danish pastry and you are transported on a culinary trip to the low rolling hills of Denmark. Right? Wrong.

The edible Danish is not Danish at all. Rather, the much beloved Danish pastry (as referred to in America) actually originates from an Austrian bread that was introduced into Denmark by both Danish and Viennese bakers trained in Vienna during the 19th century. Bakers from Vienna came to Denmark when a local pastry worker strike in the 1850s forced desperate Copenhagen bakers to bring in foreign help.

Although the bakers modified the bread over time, adopting a specialized layering technique and incorporating quality Danish butter (the best in the world at the time), the pastry still is referred to in Denmark as wienerbrød or Vienna bread.

Eating a Danish at a bakery in Solvang can be an equally transporting experience. But should you be more cautious this time about drifting off to Denmark? The bakeries and shops are perhaps too cute to be real. Are you looking at nothing more than a modern tourist trap with Hollywood dressing?

Wrong again. These bakeries are as authentic as they come.

The origins of Danish bakeries in Solvang extend back to the town’s beginning, in 1911, when it was founded as a Danish-American colony. But 1911 was a time when buying goods at the store meant purchasing raw products: flour, sugar, yeast. There were no cookie or bread aisles. Nor, for that matter, were there giant supermarkets. If you wanted it, you made it yourself. For the eggs, butter and milk—if you didn’t have your own chickens or cows—you’d barter jars of home-canned apricot jam in exchange for these fresh perishables in the days before refrigeration.

The shelves of sweets as seen in Solvang’s bakeries today were not the mainstay of the early Solvang bakers. The emphasis in these early bakeries rested entirely on what the locals needed.

Practical, everyday items like breads were the primary seller.

White, wheat and pumpernickel were the breads of choice in the Danish household. The local baker helped ease the burdens of overtaxed housewives who often cooked three meals a day for as many as 14 family members and farm hands. Since no selfrespecting Dane would be caught without freshly baked bread, the town’s baker filled a vital community service.

If you don’t count the kitchens of the Solvang Hotel (1911), Mission Bakery was the first bakery in town. Built sometime between 1912 and 1914, Mission Bakery was a fixture in early Solvang for many years, having several owners and two locations.

Originally located two doors down from Ludwig Andersen’s Solvang Tailor Shop, the town’s first baker remains uncertain.

However, the earliest baker noted in reliable records was Hans Christensen. He lived in Solvang from 1915 to 1919, after which Arthur Petersen, Hans’ son-in-law, took over the bakery.

By 1925, Mission Bakery relocated across the street and was operated by George Christensen (no relation). Unfortunately for George, he developed an allergic reaction to yeast and could not continue baking. So, he asked Henry Eckenrode to come to Solvang and take over his bakery in 1927. Henry worked at this location for one year until he moved into a new building (with a new business name) on the south side of Main in 1928.

Eckenrode’s Solvang Bakery would become the town’s first long-term baker (retiring in 1945). Eckenrode was reputed to have the best doughnuts anywhere. In 1932, he sold apricot pies for 25 cents, a loaf of white bread for 11 cents and three butter horns for 10 cents!

Eckenrode operated without competition until Alfred Petersen, a baker from Denmark, came into town to attend Atterdag College, the folk school in Solvang that emphasized Danish cultural arts. The occasion marked the last time a single baker would supply all of Solvang’s needs. Alfred Petersen’s first

“ They would trade supplies in the early morning hours to make sure that they each had enough for that day. If a baker ran out of sugar or flour, he could run down to his competitor who happily loaned him the needed supplies.”

Opposite: Alfred Petersen at work in his bakery, Petersen’s Pastries, in 1939.

PETER STACKPOLE . ELVERHØJ MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND ART COLLECTION.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 39

40 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Opposite: In the gas crisis of the 1970s, local bakers found ways of delivering their fresh-baked breads to local customers “pollution free.” Peter Weber pedals his Danish-imported ”Long John” delivery bicycle in town.

KING MERRILL. ELLEN WEBER COLLEC TION.

needed to be. Carl sponsored innumerable Danish bakers to emigrate into the United States and work for him.

These knowledgeable, Danish-apprenticed bakers assured that Carl produced a top-quality product while keeping his hands out of the flour. The result of his sponsorship of these Danish bakers was that some of them ultimately became Carl’s main competitors—Peter Weber, Arvid Petersen, Bent Olsen and Ove Mortensen.

Between the 1950s and the 1970s, these four men ultimately moved from being the extra help to owning their own bakeries, and, along with Carl, became what I like to call Solvang’s “Bakers Five.” While other bakers came and went over the years, no one was able to crack the balance of these five experienced bakers: Birkholm’s Solvang Danish Bakery (Carl Birkholm, 1951) Peter’s Pastries (Peter and Ellen Weber, 1959) Danish Mill Bakery (Arvid Petersen, 1960) Danish Village Bakery (Bent Olsen, 1970) Mortensen’s Bakery (Ove Mortensen, head baker, and Earl and Dolores Petersen, 1976)

ANN DIT TMER

ANN DIT TMER

bakery was actually just a corner of the Mercantile Cooperative grocery in 1935. Ultimately, he moved his business, Petersen’s Pastries, across the street, one door to the east of Elna Larsen’s Dress Shop (she would later expand her business into his floor space after he retired).

Petersen would bake fresh everyday. If he sold out at 10am or at 4pm, Petersen’s doors would close for the day. He never sold an old product from the day before. His Napoleons and bread were considered the best in town.

With increasing public interest in Solvang, and the spreading word of delicious pastries to be had, local bakers began to see increased sales to people from out of town. And of course, once Solvang began to emphasize tourism in the mid to late 1940s, promotion of the town’s baking assets caught the attention of the voluminous market in Los Angeles.

Carl Birkholm was one of the early pioneers in this time of Solvang’s re-invention and self-promotion. Seeing an opportunity, Carl moved from Los Angeles to Solvang in 1951 and opened a small bakery, crammed into a corner of Hans and Caroline Knudsen’s coffee shop on Main Street (now Copenhagen Drive). Birkholm’s timing was impeccable; his baked goods were something new to the American palate and irresistible. Ten years later, he moved Birkholm’s Solvang Bakery to a large shop in Copenhagen Square on Alisal Road, employing 40 people. He sold thousands of cookies and pastries to local, state, and national customers, including Scandinavian Airlines which served his cookies on flights from Los Angeles to Denmark.

Carl took the popular appeal of Solvang bakeries and turned it into a package to sell on Southern California’s supermarket aisles to a public as yet unfamiliar with Danish pastries. Carl’s commercial formula was radically different than anything the town had seen (then or since) and was wildly successful. He remained active in the industry until 1990, at which time his son carried on in the bakery business. Birkholm’s expanded business model became a tasty and memorable advertisement for Solvang, helping to draw even more tourists into the town that had once been only a speck on the back roads of the Santa Ynez Valley.

One great disaster befell Carl Birkholm, however. He was allergic to flour. Any other baker would have walked away. Carl did for a time, but he returned with long sleeves and a plan to make sure he wasn’t in the baking room any more than he

Each bakery filled a unique niche, enabling this unusually heavy load of bakers to remain solvent in such a small town.

Bent Olsen, Arvid Petersen and the Webers catered to the locals (walk-ins only, little to no mail order), making lots of bread and special orders as well as pastries. Mortensen’s Bakery specialized in the walk-in tourist industry with their pastries, leaving bread making to the other bakers. Birkholm’s concentrated on the tourist industry by developing an incredibly diverse array of products. He also focused on the mass production of cookies for mail order, shipping much of his goods outside the community (though he certainly had a loyal walk-in customer base as well).

One reason for the longevity of the “Bakers Five” was cooperation. A strong part of the Danish work philosophy is the maximization of cooperative effort. For the early founders of Solvang, business and agricultural cooperatives were a major key to success in this remote corner of Santa Barbara County.

Above: Ever supporting and promoting the Danishness of Solvang, bakers’ wood signage keeps the visual appeal of the Old World alive—and, for Bent Olsen, the tradition and taste of his family recipes date back as far as four generations in Denmark.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 41

The idea behind these cooperatives was for independent farmers and businessmen to pool their purchasing power to leverage greater bargaining power. The result was lower prices for supplies, providing everyone with higher profits.

So, for the bakers, cooperation was a natural instinct.

They would trade supplies in the early morning hours to make sure that they each had enough for that day. If a baker ran out of sugar or flour, he could run down to his competitor who happily loaned him the needed supplies. There was no competitive hoarding in this group. By helping each other, each individual gained an economic benefit.

An example of this informal cooperative is seen by the generosity of Carl Birkholm, who shipped a semi-truck full of Danish butter cookies and pastries to Los Angeles markets on a daily basis. On the return trips, the truck would be loaded with baking supplies for all the bakers in town. Furthering this camaraderie, the “Bakers Five” socialized together as well, belonging to close-knit Danish social groups like the Danish Brotherhood and Rebild.

With the exception of Peter’s Pastries (which was sold in 1989 to Susan Halme, who currently owns the Solvang Bakery), the shops of the Bakers Five are still found in town today, having withstood the vagaries of changing economies and fortunes.

Olsen is still baking today; the other bakeries have sons or hired bakers running their shops now. But the Danish recipes in these shops have remained the same since their businesses began—and the high-quality ingredients and delectable taste keep bringing their customers back for more.

Ann Dittmer teaches geography at CSU Northridge and Pierce College. When she isn’t lecturing on weather and landforms, she can be found working in her garden, photographing native flora and fauna, training her dog, Pickles, or prowling the Santa Ynez Valley for anyone willing to talk about local history.

This article is based on Ann’s four years of extensive research into Solvang’s fascinating history and is an excerpt from her large, in-depth history of Solvang to be published in partnership with the Elverhøj Museum of History and Art. 42 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

ANN DIT TMER

In the baking backroom of Peter’s Pastries, the flour dust was always arm deep.

From left to right: Ellen Weber (holding a tray of kringle), Alfred Petersen, Erna Madsen (holding a jar of cookies), Metha Kjersgaard and Peter Weber (handrolling pastry dough). 1958 DANISH DAYS PHOTO. ELLEN WEBER COLLEC TION.

The Baker’s Trademark As you visit Solvang bakeries, take note of the shop signs overhead. The twisted pretzel-shaped kringle mounted by a crown is the universal emblem for a baker’s shop in Denmark. The Danish kringle is a soft pretzel made with a delicate and layered pastry dough, often with different fillings or toppings, such as almond paste and raisins. The symbol is not exclusive to Denmark. In Germany, particularly the southern portion, the pretzel (or laugenbrezel ) is incredibly popular and is also incorporated into the baker’s insignia. This is a deep tradition that reaches back to at least the 12th century.

The crown, however, was not added to the baker’s mark until the 16th century, during the Turkish siege of Vienna in 1529. Two versions of this story exist.

The first relates that when the siege was at its worst, the bakers and their staff left their shops and helped defend the city. In the second version, it is said that the bakers were preparing their dough at an early hour in the morning. Upon hearing digging sounds, they rushed to sound the alarm that an underground invasion was in progress. Regardless of which story is true, the bakers were so brave and effective that after the siege was over and the Muslim Turks had retreated, the pope awarded the bakers a crown to be displayed with their prized emblem, the bretzel or kringle, on their signs.

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Winemaker

Steve Clifton

The Rock Star in the Kitchen

by Hilary Dole Klein PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY BALL

I

Standing casually at the stove, searing a pair of duck legs, t may have astounded his family that Steve Clifton of the he appears exceptionally mellow and laid back, as if he has widely praised Palmina and Brewer-Clifton wineries would nothing else to worry about except getting the duck in the oven. become a renowned winemaker, but it couldn’t have been It’s hard to imagine that in addition to his partnership with a surprise that cooking has played such a big role in his career.

Greg Brewer at Brewer-Clifton (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), “Growing up in Pomona,” he says, “when I was 4 or 5, and the production of 23 bottlings a year for Palmina (Northern every afternoon I ran into the house to watch Julia Child. My Italian varietals), he’s the winemaker for two other wineries: mother loved it, but my father thought I was totally weird. Still, Baehner-Fournier (Bordeaux) and Solminer (Riesling and I don’t remember not being in the kitchen.”

Austrian wines) wineries.

I met Steve one evening He’s also a partner at a pop-up dinner at Palmina Cooking is “a translation” of Italian in Tritono, an Argentine Winery in the Lompoc Wine culture. “I’m more Italian trained than winery, and he partners with Ghetto. The winery has been restaurateur Joe Bastianich on called “one of the best, if not anything else. And yet it’s not about various projects. Plus, as lead the best, sources for Italianate Italian wines or Italian food, it’s singer he fronts the classic wines in the U.S.” Steve had rock band, MOJO, which recently created a special about a culture that they do better. plays at local venues and wine Dolcetto for a new Manhattan We may veer off the Italian road,” festivals.

Beach restaurant, Love & Salt; Joe Bastianich is the and its chefs, Michael Fiorelli he adds, “but never off the Italian godfather of Steve’s son Lucca, and Rebecca Merhej, had mindset.” — Steve Clifton a precocious young cook who, prepared a remarkable tasting according to his proud father, meal to celebrate its uncorking. can’t wait to turn nine so he can enter the Master Chef Junior Sitting with Steve, I found him personable, unpretentious and competition. When Steve talks about his two sons and his wife funny, with a kid-like enthusiasm that is irresistible. and winery partner, Chrystal, he literally glows. He’s clearly a A few weeks later, I leapt at the chance to see him in action man with a lot of love in his life—for family, for wine and for in the winery’s well-stocked, utilitarian, industrial kitchen, food, and the interplay between them. testing recipes for inclusion in Palmina’s newsletter. He would Chrystal and Steve devise a recipe for each wine they release. be making rustic duck to go with Pinot Nero, his preferred “First Chrystal and I do it at home. We taste the wines and name for Pinot Noir; pork chops finished in Nebbiolo, garlic come up with a dish that might work with them,” he says. But and rosemary, both meats accompanied by braised vegetables long before that, when he’s in the early stage of researching with mushrooms and onions; and black cod rolled in lemon zest varietals, he’s thinking about food. and herbs, served on arugula salad with fingerling potatoes and paired with a Malvasia Bianca “When I choose a new varietal, I go back to its source and research local ingredients and ways of cooking. Why were Steve had been up since well before dawn. “We brought in people drawn to certain wines and what were they eating?

20 tons of grapes this morning,” he tells me. “Usually the harvest can be drawn out; this year it’s coming all at once.” (continued on page 46)

44 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Winemaker Steve Clifton is as comfortable in the kitchen as he is in the winery.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 45

For instance,” he explains, “in Piemonte, they like to eat game birds, which go with Dolcetto, Barbiere or Nebbiolo; while in Friuli, the pork they prefer goes better with white wines. I call myself a forensic winemaker.”

Steve spent his high school years skating and surfing, then moved on to music, and in the ’80s and ’90s he toured with a band called Great Service that morphed into Movement. The Los Angeles Times even compared him to Roger Daltrey of The Who. “But when I needed money,” he says, “I always worked in the restaurant business.”

Just as Palmina features wines from Northern Italian varietals, Clifton says his cooking is “a translation” of Italian culture. “I’m more Italian trained than anything else. And yet it’s not about Italian wines or Italian food, it’s about a culture that they do better. We may veer off the Italian road,” he adds, “but never off the Italian mindset.”

One of his biggest influences was his job at Rumari, a restaurant in Orange County owned by a Sicilian family.

“I learned more about cooking in general, and especially Italian cooking, from them.”

Another influence was Steven Bedford. “He was the winemaker when I worked at Rancho Sisquoc and would cater all our events. He’s an amazing chef.” When Steve became retail manager of the Wine Cask store, Seth Kunin was the manager of the restaurant, and David Cecchini the chef. “We spent all our free time cooking together and hanging out,” he remembers.

Steve and Greg Brewer started Brewer-Clifton while he was still at the Wine Cask. Pierre LaFond and winemaker Bruce Maguire gave the two enough space for 10 barrels.

“We squeezed them in between two tanks. Greg and I didn’t eat lunch for a year to save to buy the barrels and enough fruit to fill them.” Even then food played a big role.

I watch Steve take the skin off a filet of black cod.

“It’s one of the fish that is caught locally that’s overlooked,” he comments. “It’s so buttery, high in omega-3s and really, really flavorful.” He is adamant that all their dinner events are sourced from Santa Barbara producers such as local farmers markets and places like the Valley Piggery and Santa Barbara Fish Market. Steve buys his duck from a deli right in Lompoc that he raves about: Central Coast Specialty Foods. “You can get anything there, from alligator to camel,” he claims.

He sprinkles the fish with olive oil, fresh dill and lemon zest. He rolls up each piece and ties it with twine, his fingers almost too large for the task. He sprinkles them with salt and pepper and slides them into the oven, stating his preference for fine ground black pepper over the “hipper” coarse cracked pepper. And he can’t cook without Morton kosher salt. “I can put it in my hand and know just how much to use.” (continued on page 48)

46 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

RECIPES — Steve Clifton/Palmina Bone-in Pork Chop Makes 4 servings 2 large bone-in pork chops Flour seasoned with salt and pepper 4 cloves fresh garlic, sliced in halves 4 sprigs fresh rosemary 3 tablespoons olive oil 3

⁄ 4 cup Nebbiolo

1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon pepper

Dredge pork chops in seasoned flour (salt and pepper).

In a large ovenproof pan, sear pork chops on each side on high heat in 3 tablespoons of olive oil.

Add garlic and rosemary to pan—1 sprig under each chop, 1 sprig on top. Pour Nebbiolo over chops and bring to a boil. Sprinkle with kosher salt.

Place entire pan into oven at 450° for 12 minutes.

Black Cod

Plate chops, garnish with garlic and rosemary from pan and serve with your choice of side dish.

Makes 4 servings 11 ⁄ 2 pounds filet of black cod (sablefish), filets need to be no longer than 8 inches 3 tablespoons chopped dill 2 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from roughly 2 small lemons) 1 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon olive oil (divided) 1

⁄ 2 teaspoon kosher salt

1

⁄ 2 teaspoon ground black pepper

SALAD 2 cups baby arugula Juice of 1 ⁄ 2 lemon 2 tablespoons olive oil Pinch of salt 2 cooked fingerling potatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 450°. Lay the filets out, remove any bones.

Brush the top side of the filets with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle the remaining ingredients evenly on the filets (2 tablespoons lemon zest, dill, salt and pepper).

Roll up the filets lengthwise into a spiral and tie with kitchen twine. Place on an edged baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle filets lightly with 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon lemon zest, and salt and pepper. Bake fish for 25 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix arugula, lemon juice and olive oil until all the arugula is coated. Remove fish, plate over arugula and serve with 2 sliced fingerling potatoes.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 47

As for extra-virgin olive oil, Palmina produces its own, sourced from the Santa Ynez Valley. He gives me a sample to taste and I find it nicely grassy but not at all bitter. He also lets me sample Palmina’s Saba, an aged balsamic vinegar, made from a cooked-down musk, which tastes like liquid candy.

When the fish comes out, he places one roll on top of some arugula tossed with lemon and oil and pours a taste of straw-colored Malvasia, deliciously crisp and light. “This wine never fails with fish cooked with salt and lemon,” he observes, with satisfaction.

As we chat, he casually dredges leftover morsels of raw fish in flour (“double O because it’s lighter and less clumpy”).

He pours olive oil in a pan and throws in a handful of chopped shallots and thin slices of lemon, then adds the fish and fries them until they are crispy. It’s an eye-opening dish and a must to add to my repertoire—I’d never tasted fried lemon before.

I ask Steve what is his favorite dish to cook.

“Pizza!” he says, happy as a kid. His favorite tool in the kitchen is the huge Hobart mixer that was a gift from Chrystal, and he even has his own mobile wood-burning pizza oven.

“Our first event at the winery was a pizza party for more than 200 people,” he says, grinning at the memory. A Clifton specialty is to use the same yeast he used in a particular wine, such as Sangiovese, in the dough of the pizza he will pair with that wine. “That’s where I love to take pizza to!”

A personal favorite pizza recipe consists of local roasted beets and crushed walnuts on a goat cheese base. “After it has been baked, I put fresh-picked arugula tossed with lemon juice and lemon zest on top.” He is looking forward to the annual week he spends at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. “They feature Palmina wines and I do cooking demonstrations, including making pizza on the beach.”

At home Steve says he cooks about 75% of the time. “I see it as therapy; I relax by cooking. Chrystal is very talented, but she doesn’t see it that way. I do it to unwind.”

In their refrigerator he always has prosciutto. “Also Grana Padana, a cheese similar to Parmesan. And I love to have really, really fresh eggs. We have chickens just for that. In a pinch there is nothing better than a frittata for kids.”

He pours some Nebbiolo over a pair of pork chops he is searing and the kitchen fills with the fragrance of garlic and rosemary.

“I always wanted Palmina to be more than a winery and tasting room. My wines need food to express themselves.

Food brings people to the table and wine starts the conversation. Once the conversation starts, the food tastes better.”

Hilary Dole Klein spent her early years in Santa Barbara under the impression that the only restaurant in town was a Chinese one. She has since written about travel, restaurants, food, wine, artists, bugs, health and family. A new dish, a new restaurant or a big personality has never failed to enchant her.

48 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Rustic Duck Makes 4 servings 2 shallots, diced 5 carrots, diced 1 bunch of celery, diced 12 pearl onions, boiled for 3 minutes and skin removed 12 button mushrooms, quartered 1½ cups Black Pine Pinot Noir Italian parsley, chopped 4 duck quarters, leg/thigh

Preheat oven to 350°. Heat a large cast-iron skillet and sear duck legs until brown.

Remove duck legs and put on a plate.

Add shallots, carrots and celery and sauté together over medium heat for 7–10 minutes, or until they start to soften. Add back the duck legs and add wine. Bring to a boil.

Cover the pan, put in oven. Cook 15 minutes with dish covered, then remove from oven, add mushrooms and pearl onions. Flip the duck quarters to cook the other side. Put back in oven and cook 10 more minutes, uncovered.

Remove and plate with vegetables on bottom, duck leg on top and top with chopped parsley.

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Discovering the Taste of

Fine Chocolate

STE VEN BROWN

by Nancy Oster

50 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

MAYA SCHOOP- RUT TEN

Cacao pod ready for harvest.

Don Fortunato, Marañón valley cacao farmer.

M

aya Schoop-Rutten, owner of Chocolate Maya, hands me a thin piece of the 100% Arriba Nacional chocolate grown on a plantation she visited in Ecuador. There is no sugar in this sample, just the cacao beans—fermented, dried, roasted and processed into a smooth, deeply flavored chocolate.

I’ve invited a group of friends to join me in Maya’s Chocolate Lounge to learn more about the range and the depth of flavor available to those of us interested in tasting, not just eating chocolate.

The Taste of the Bean “It has a strong chocolate smell,” Dave notes before tasting his sample.

“Earthy,” says Maya.

I chew the chocolate a little to break it into smaller bits that melt on my tongue.

“Not too bitter,” says Krista.

I agree, and note the creaminess as I move the melting chocolate to my palate and breathe in through my mouth.

Suddenly I experience a burst of citrus, then a lingering almond-like nuttiness.

Maya says, “Good chocolate has an aftertaste that keeps working.”

We each interpret flavors differently based on genetic differences in our taste buds and our personal taste histories.

Shaun notes a woody fragrance, tastes cigar tobacco and then grassiness. No cigars in my taste memory—but this is what makes a shared tasting interesting and fun.

Letty says, “At one point I tasted flowers.”

Then Anne says, “But this doesn’t taste like chocolate to me.”

The Taste of Chocolate Fine chocolate provides a symphony of flavors with an opening flavor, a middle flavor and a finish. Anne is right: This particular symphony is not the one I grew up with either.

That’s because sugar and vanilla form our familiar chocolate profile and this bar has no sugar or vanilla.

Fine chocolate typically contains two ingredients: sugar and cacao beans. It may also include a lecithin emulsifier and pure vanilla. The percentage listed on a bar tells you how much of the bar is derived from the cacao bean.

To meet cost expectations and maintain consistency of flavor, bulk chocolate manufacturers often add cocoa powder, vanillin, artificial chocolate flavoring or milk powder and replace or supplement expensive cocoa butter with PGPR (from the castor bean) and other oils. To qualify as dark chocolate, a bar only needs to be 35% cacao; so what you taste in massproduced chocolate is predominantly sugar and vanilla, not the bean. And those flavors don’t dance in your mouth the way the taste of the bean does.

Flavor Starts in the Forest The photos on the walls around us in Maya’s shop were taken on her trips to cacao plantations in Latin America and Asia.

Maya’s camera focuses on the farmers in the forest and the role they play in bringing the taste of chocolate to life.

Cacao trees only grow in tropical forest plantations near the equator. A canopy of taller trees provides sun protection for the young cacao seedlings. The forest duff breeds gnat-like midges

Opposite: Examples of fine chocolate bars.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 51

MAYA SCHOOP- RUT TEN

52 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

that fertilize cacao flowers. Pollinated flowers produce large red, orange, yellow, green, purple or white pods attached to the trunk and limbs of the tree. The pods are filled with purple-brown or white cacao beans cradled in a juicy translucent white pulp.

Genetics play a large part in flavor but, like fine wine grapes, beans grown in different locations (terroir) have different flavor characteristics. And those flavor profiles vary from year to year, based on weather conditions.

While bulk manufacturers strive for consistency of flavor, fine chocolate makers celebrate the unique flavor of beans from a particular origin (country, region or plantation) or genetic stock.

The Beans of Chuao, Venezuela When Maya’s exploration of cacao plantations began in 2007, Chuao was at the top of her list. The small village of Chuao produces some of today’s most well-known single-origin cacao beans. Soil, microclimate and genetics contribute to their delicately rich flavor, but so does 400 years of tree care and preprocessing experience.

Like many cacao-growing areas, Chuao is far off the beaten path. From Caracas, Maya took a narrow road up into the beautiful mountains of the Henri Pittier National Forest. Many hairpin turns later, the road descended towards the distant ocean port of Choroni, where she took a fishing boat to Chuao… well, almost. From the harbor, she walked 45 minutes to the village.

The fragrance of fermenting cacao beans drew her to the village center, where she saw women taking wheelbarrows filled with beans to drying platforms on the church plaza.

In Chuao, the beans, still encased in pulp, are removed from the pods in the forest, then taken quickly to the village, placed into huge fermentation crates and covered with banana leaves. The crates are protected from weather extremes in roofed fermentation rooms. Maya explains, “In other places, farmers will ferment in baskets, bags, plastic containers or even leave the beans to ferment on the forest floor. I have also seen bags of pods left sitting for days before the beans were removed. The beans deteriorate quickly inside the pods.” Yes, all of this affects the flavor of the dried beans.

As the cacao beans ferment, their juicy pulp drips out through the bottom of the crate for two to eight days. Fermenting reduces the bitterness and astringency of the bean. Optimum fermentation time varies with the variety of bean. White Criollo beans, like many of the trees in Chuao, are low in tannins.

They don’t require as much fermentation as the bolder-flavored Forestero beans grown in other places.

Pouring fermented beans onto a platform on the church plaza, the women sweep them into circles, then rake the beans throughout the day to ensure even drying. The beans go back to the covered structure at night and are returned to the plaza every morning until they are properly dried for storage and shipping.

Left to right, top to bottom: Ecuadorian landscape. Opening cacao pods with a machete, Chiapas, Mexico. A white fruity pulp surrounds healthy cacao seeds.

Open pod reveals quality beans. Mold and bugs in pods with low quality beans.

Hand sorting for quality control in Peru. Beans drying on raised platforms with greenhouse protection from the rain. Child on plantation in northern Peru.

Successful cacao farm family grows top quality beans. Dan Pearson, Marañón Chocolate, Peru.

Maya has seen beans on other plantations being artificially dried using heaters, air blowers and even smoke. In some communities they are spread out on hot asphalt roads to dry. Beans in Chuao are not rushed.

In many remote places dried beans are sold to middlemen or co-ops who mix the beans together, making no distinction for quality of flavor or processing skills. At Chuao, however, chocolate makers buy the beans directly from the farming community.

Flavor, quality and processing all figure into the price.

Wild Cacao Genetics Cacao trees (Theobroma cacao) originated in the Americas, which still host the greatest diversity of varieties. Criollo, the most delicately flavored but least disease-resistant tree, grows indigenously in Latin America. However, fungal diseases have taken a toll on these trees and many have been replaced with disease-resistant fast-growing hybrids that produce less flavorful beans and deplete the soil. More robust high-yielding Forestero trees are also indigenous to Latin America and were planted extensively in Africa to meet the needs of bulk production, but they generally lack the fine flavor of Criollo. An early hybrid, the Trinitario, combined these two wild types to produce higher yielding trees with more flavorful beans.

Up until recently farmers were paid the same price for all their beans regardless of flavor, but that is changing. The number of small bean-to-bar companies has exploded, especially in the United States. Some chocolate makers and confectioners like Maya actually visit cacao forests, where farmers help them find the most flavorful beans. The chocolate makers or confectioners pay to have these beans, or the high quality couverture chocolate made from the beans, shipped to them directly.

The Fortunato Tree in Peru American Dan Pearson was in Peru with his stepson Brian Horsley supplying machine parts and food for miners in remote locations. While sourcing bananas one day in 2007, Dan met Noe Vasquez, a young farmer, who told him about the delicious bananas growing in a secluded canyon nearby. Dan went with Noe to look at them and saw a strange tree growing under the banana canopy. Noe opened a ripe yellow pod from the tree to show Dan the cacao seeds inside. Half of them were white.

“Around here they’re all like that,” Noe said in response to Dan’s surprised look.

Later Dan Googled “cacao” and discovered that white beans are rare and particularly flavorful. He called the USDA to learn more. Dan was told that trees with white beans do not grow at that altitude.

Dan collected leaf samples to send the USDA as requested.

Noe pointed to a scrawny tree owned by his friend Don Fortunato and told Dan it had especially flavorful beans. When Dr. Lyndel Meinhardt called Dan back from the USDA with the DNA results, he asked, “Are you sitting down?”

He explained, “What you found was a highly prized variety that went extinct 100 years ago in Ecuador.” Fortunato’s scrawny tree was an identical match to that Pure Nacional variety, except EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 53

that a white Pure Nacional bean had never been found before.

If the name Don Fortunato sounds familiar, it might be because he was mentioned in Anthony Bourdain’s “Peru” episode of “Parts Unknown.”

Sorting Good Beans From Bad Maya handed us each a piece of Fortunato chocolate to taste.

As the flavors danced delightfully across our palates, my friend Milt suddenly announced, “I’d pay more for this!” Maya smiled.

In 2013, Maya tells us, she flew into Lima, Peru, then north to meet Brian Horsley, who was waiting to take her to the hidden canyon where the Fortunato beans are grown and processed.

Brian oversees careful cutting of the pods from the trees, removal of the beans, then pays the farmer directly for the beans.

Brian takes the wet beans to his nearby processing facility to sort, ferment, sort, dry and sort again. Any imperfect or buggy beans are discarded.

Maya compares this to another farm where she helped sort wet beans. “I’m putting this beautiful pulp in one bucket,” she says. “Then I find this black pulp with mold and bugs and I throw it away. But they stop my hand and say, ‘No, no, no!

That goes in this bucket. We have customers for this.’”

Brian wholesales many of his beans to bean-to-bar makers.

The rest are processed into 68% chocolate in Switzerland and sold to confectioners.

Five million small farms produce 90% of the world’s cacao beans. Identifying and mapping fine-flavored beans and recognizing growers who produce the highest-quality beans is the goal of the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Initiative (HCP). This collaboration between the Fine Chocolate Industry Association and the USDA began with the discovery of Fortunato’s Pure Nacional trees.

The Arriba Nacional chocolate from Ecuador, which we were tasting at the beginning of this article, is one of the first beans to be designated an heirloom cacao by the HCP. It was planted by retired Nestle employee Samuel von Rutte to restore indigenous trees to his region. The industry is paying more for these beans as a result of the heirloom designation.

The Chocolate You Choose Makes a Difference Cacao farmers have struggled to support their families on the small amount paid for their flavorful indigenous beans. The average farmer is paid less for cacao beans than it costs to produce them.

Some have switched to higher-yield hybrid beans, or to producing coffee beans or palm oil, which bring higher market prices.

However, preservation efforts and the increased willingness of consumers to pay more for directly sourced flavorful chocolate are having a huge impact on cacao farm families. Dan Pearson sees more children in the Marañón canyon going to school and more young people choosing to stay in the canyon to grow cacao, now that they are getting a fair price for their work. Thousands of new trees are being planted.

A strong market for uniquely flavored varieties ensures continued diversity and gives farmers incentive to plant the best varieties for their area, process them carefully and sell them with pride, at premium prices. It’s a win-win-win for farmer, chocolate makers and consumers like you and me.

ERIN FEINBL AT T

Nancy Oster’s love for good chocolate is exceeded only by her enjoyment of sharing it with friends. She wants to thank her group of volunteer tasters for their great questions and enthusiasm — especially those she asked to taste bulk unsweetened baking chocolate for comparison.

Maya’s Tasting Recommendations Chocolate Maker

Bar Name

Location

Source of Beans

Dandelion Chocolate

70% Maya Mountain Belize

San Francisco, CA

Southern Belize

Dick Taylor Craft Chocolate

76% Ecuador, Camino Verde

Arcata, CA

Camino Verde farm, Balao, Ecuador

Millcreek Cacao Roasters

Pure 70% Dark Chocolate Bar

Salt Lake City, UT

Arriba Nacional, Ecuador

Marou Chocolate Ben Tre 78%

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Mekong Delta, Vietnam Trinitario type

Patric Chocolate

74% IN-NIB-ITABLE

Columbia, MO

Madagascar

Ritual Chocolate

75% Marañón 2013 Harvest

Denver, CO

Pure Nacional, Marañón River Valley, Peru

Rogue Chocolatier

Jamaica 75%

Three Rivers, MA

Bachelor’s Hall Estate, Jamaica

Rogue Chocolatier

Balao 75%

Three Rivers, MA

Camino Verde, Balao, Ecuador

Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolate

Madagascar 75%

Santa Barbara, CA

Madagascar

Twenty-Four Blackbirds Chocolate

Dominican Republic 68%

Santa Barbara, CA

Dominican Republic

54 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

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Chef John Downey

Adventurous Voyage Leads to Santa Barbara Kitchen

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

E

xploration. The Perhaps it was his word elicits affinity for the sea that images of set the course for a mountain climbers or globetrotting future, but astronauts, but can also it was his adoration for be used to encompass his older brother, who the life and culinary had found employment foundation of Chef as a chef aboard the John Downey of the Queen Mary, that was eponymous and highly the driving force behind esteemed Downey’s. his venturing into the A step into his small, culinary world. comfortably appointed At age 15, John restaurant belies the left regular school and adventurous life that entered a technical school led to its creation in to learn cooking, just 1982 as part of the as his brother had. His triumvirate of local class was headed up by chefs that first put Chef Walter Thomas, a Santa Barbara on the former Chef Master from national food scene. the Waldorf in London.

Chef Downey’s Chef Thomas stressed the life began simply importance of learning in England with a the fundamentals of mechanically inclined “old-fashioned French father who described cooking” and eschewed salad as “damned the “cowboys” of the rabbit food” and a kitchen, those chefs “mum” who complied relying more upon culinarily with her “razzmatazz” than skill. husband’s taste.

Those lessons were deeply ingrained in John as he As a youngster, Chef John Downey fills a bowl with his Butternut Soup. set sail on his career path.

John enjoyed the family camping and fishing expeditions and summers spent The famed Cunard Lines was John’s next destination. near the ocean. He discovered the joys of fresh produce He landed a job as a cook on the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) and fish while working at jobs in nursery hothouses and on and was aboard her maiden voyage from Southampton to commercial fishing boats.

New York City. “The kitchen and the responsibilities were Opposite: Chef John Downey in his efficient restaurant kitchen.

56 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 57

RECIPES Downey’s Butternut Soup Makes about 3 quarts (serves 8 easily) 1 ounce butter 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 1 butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled and seeds removed 4 bay leaves 1 teaspoon thyme, dried or fresh 1

⁄ 2 teaspoon anise seed

1 teaspoon marjoram 2 green apples, cut in quarters 4 cups chicken stock Salt and white pepper to taste 4 ounces fresh cranberries 1

⁄ 2 cup heavy cream, for garnish

Ginger, for garnish

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook slowly without browning until softened. Add the butternut cut in chunks, the herbs, the apples, the chicken stock and a little salt and pepper. Cover with lid and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until the butternut is tender.

Purée the soup in a food processor fitted with steel blades or a blender. Pass through a fine strainer. Return to a clean saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the cream.

Correct salt and pepper to your taste.

Warm the cranberries gently in a little butter until they just start to split their skins.

Serve the soup in hot bowls garnished with warm cranberries and a little chopped fresh marjoram if available. May also be garnished with a little whipped cream to which some freshly grated ginger has been added.

58 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

huge: 150 or more cooks serving up meals to thousands of people,” he remembers. He spent close to five years at sea, circumnavigating the globe three times before he was 19.

New York was the next culinary port of call for John when he found landlubbing employment at a smallish restaurant, Lafayette. He spent a little more than three years there before moving to the Market Bar & Dining Rooms at the World Trade Center, run by the restaurant impresario Joe Baum.

Before the word “locavore” was bandied about, the Market Bar was showcasing fresh local seafood and produce.

The overseer for all things culinary at the restaurant was the legendary James Beard, with whom John worked closely.

“The early part of my career, it was all training ... it was just a job. It was at the Market Bar that I truly discovered my passion,” Chef Downey quietly reminisces, then quickly tears up. “I can’t believe it’s gone.”

He began to do some soul searching. Was deeply urban life for him? He began to think not. The Bay Area, with the influence of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, was becoming the mecca for those interested in food. In the late 1970s John and a chef friend decided that they would venture across the country to stake their claims in the gold of California cuisine.

“San Francisco was not what I had in mind,” John laughs.

“It was cold.”

In 1978 they then drove down the coast to answer a call for a chef from a restaurant in downtown Santa Barbara, Penelope’s. Both friends interviewed for the job, but John got it, staying three years before opening up Downey’s.

It was a heady time in town after Gourmet published an article on the Santa Barbara food scene around that time.

“Wolfgang Puck used to come up and hang out with us. Julia Child would come in and have long discussions,” John says.

But, harkening back to his days in New York, he wanted to stay intimate as Lafayette had been.

He also wanted to highlight, as the Market Bar had, the wide variety of fresh local bounty. He began establishing relationships with farmers in the area; relationships that continue to this day. “I remember Tom Shepherd back then, sauntering in through the back door with these amazing Early Girl tomatoes,” recalls John.

Flash forward several decades and sailing is still part of his life, with a boat named after his daughter in the harbor.

You can still find John diligently working in the restaurant or exploring the farmers markets. He thoroughly enjoys connecting with people and seeing what the seasons have brought, finding creative ways to incorporate the foods onto the menu.

He has no regrets of anchoring his life and profession here. “I can’t think of anywhere else, or a better place, for a chef to be.”

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

Downey’s Lobster Flan This is even better with a slice of fresh truffle added to each cup before baking. I first served this dish on New Year’s Eve many years ago. Of course, considering the occasion, I added the optional fresh truffle. It was definitely the “big hit” of that evening!

Pinch nutmeg Pinch cayenne 1 tablespoon cognac

4 large eggs

Simmer slowly together the cream, water and coarsely chopped lobster shell for ½ hour. Strain, pressing all the liquid through.

If less than 1 quart, make up with fresh cream. Beat eggs, seasonings and cognac gently together, being careful not to incorporate too much air. Add the hot cream, stirring quickly.

Divide lobster meat among 6 (3½-ounce) soufflé cups and then add the flan mixture. Bake in a bain-marie at 350° until lightly set (about 40 minutes).

Salt and white pepper

Serve warm with thin slices of toasted French bread.

Yields 12 (3½-ounce) molds 2 cups cream plus 1 cup water 2 ounces cooked lobster meat, minced (a 11 ⁄ 4 -pound lobster should yield this with some left over for chef’s snack. Be sure to save the shell it came in.)

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 59

Do Your Kids Cook?

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

I

n a 2013 interview with Mark Bittman of the New York Times, Michael Pollan had the following to say about cooking: “We do find time for activities we value, like surfing the Internet or exercising… The problem is we’re not valuing cooking enough. Who do you want cooking your food, a corporation or a human being? Cooking isn’t like fixing your car or other things it makes sense to outsource.

Cooking links us to nature, it links us to our bodies. It’s too important to our well-being to outsource.”

Coming from a family that is passionate about food, where we all cook—aunts, uncles, cousins (male or female), parents and brothers —I admit that I find it odd that one wouldn’t cook. When I started researching this article, I did not anticipate the wide range of opinions that flowed in from friends and acquaintances on the subjects of cooking for oneself, for one’s family, and of kids in the kitchen.

By kids, I don’t mean those under 10 who are always eager to help. Indeed, for this age group, baking cakes and cookies, making pancake breakfasts or producing pizzas from scratch hold some kind of magical appeal. No, the “kids” I am referring to are those on the brink of venturing out into the world— those who are on the eve of reaching their 20s.

My questions, sent in emails and posted in various forms of social media, were simple: Do your teenage children cook? Can they make a meal for themselves? If they do, what do they like to cook?

The answers I received ranged from “Can’t cook, can’t clean and has no interest” to “My daughter decided to make an entire meal from Thomas Keller’s cookbook last week!” and all points in between. There were many, many, though who did not cook at all and saw no necessity in learning. I was surprised by this, as I view cooking as an essential life skill. I quickly realized that many people do

Above: Roasted Chicken, Vegetables and Potatoes. Opposite: Teenager Ineka Damen enjoys cooking and is as comfortable making a cake as making her own breakfast.

60 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Roasted Kale and Grilled Persimmon Salad.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 61

Clockwise from top left: Salad dressing whisked in the bowl the salad will go in. The chicken and vegetables right before they go in the oven. Olivia Groom demonstrates her knife skills while cutting leeks. Cheese is added to the penne pasta. Stirring the pasta until the cheese melts.

not hold this to be true. As I was told in a very energetic fashion by a non-cooking friend of mine, “I feed myself perfectly well without being able to cook!”

These simple questions produced some pretty strong answers. Here is a random sample from the non-cookers: “It’s not an essential skill.” “Kids with no interest in cooking can survive without knowing how to cook.” “My kids don’t have time to cook. They’re too busy with their school schedules and after-school activities. They can learn later.” And “I think it’s important, but in today’s environment, it’s not essential.”

On the other hand, I also heard the following: “It’s absolutely an essential skill, one you cannot live without.” And “All my children know how to cook— I don’t understand why you wouldn’t [teach them].”

These passionate comments, and some rather spirited discussions held around, what else, the dinner table, led me to do more research.

There are multitudes of websites and books that tout the many benefits of children and young adults knowing how to cook. These benefits include building self-esteem, encouraging the trying of new foods, connecting with family around a table 62 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

with no intrusions from the outside world, saving money, maintaining health and being creative.

However, it seemed that the very people this research was aimed at were not asked what they thought about the matter.

When I posed the questions to my two children, ages 17 and 14, it brought the debate home. My 17-year-old claimed cooking was “absolutely essential so that you can be independent. You won’t always have someone there who can cook for you!” Her younger brother’s thoughts on cooking ran along the lines of “Not if I can help it, unless it’s chocolate cake or shortbread!”

Some teens I spoke to seemed to have an ambivalent attitude.

They liked the idea of cooking but not the effort. They know they should make better food choices but often grab what’s easy and close to hand—pre-packaged and preferably salty or sweet.

Asked about making salads or cooking vegetables, one young man said, “I don’t like green things. I hate broccoli, but spinach is okay, I guess. I usually close my eyes and hope for the best when I find it in a dish!”

Many liked baking but not the cleaning up part. I was starting to feel a little despondent. Where were our future budding cooks?

Are we destined to have a generation of non-cooking, microwave-

RECIPES Penne Pasta and Cheese Makes 4 servings 12–16 ounces penne pasta 21 ⁄ 2 ounces butter (5 tablespoons) 3 ounces flour 2 cups milk, warmed 6 ounces grated Cheddar or Gruyere cheese 4 slices ham or prosciutto, cut into small pieces (optional) Salt and pepper

Fill a large pot with water, cover and bring to a boil. Add salt, the penne pasta and cook uncovered until al dente —just done. Check the cooking time on the pasta package (usually 8 –10 minutes). Drain the pasta and set it aside in a large bowl.

Return the pot to the stovetop, place over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and stir vigorously to create a thick paste. Once the flour is fully incorporated into the butter, about 3–4 minutes, add a little of the milk, whisking continuously. The mixture will still be very thick. Gradually pour the rest of the milk into the saucepan, whisking vigorously until all the milk is incorporated, creating a creamy sauce.

Add the grated cheese to the sauce and stir until the cheese has melted – a minute or two. If you are using the ham or prosciutto, stir it into the sauce now. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Add the pasta back into the pot and mix together. Serve immediately.

Roasted Chicken, Vegetables and Potatoes Makes 4 servings 1 large yellow onion, peeled, halved and sliced 4 whole chicken legs 3 large carrots, peeled, halved and sliced 2 large zucchini, rinsed, halved and sliced (when zucchini aren’t in season, try leeks) 1 pound small potatoes, rinsed and halved Olive oil Salt and pepper 4–5 springs fresh thyme (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Place the sliced onion into the bottom of a medium-sized oven-proof dish (a small to medium roasting pan works well). Place the chicken legs on top of the sliced onions. Place all the vegetables over and around the chicken legs. If using thyme, add it now.

Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the chicken legs and the vegetables. Sprinkle a good pinch of salt over the top and 4–5 grinds of black pepper. Place in the center of the oven and roast for 1 hour.

If you like, turn the chicken legs and vegetables over a couple of times during that time. Serve hot.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 63

Clockwise from top left: Ineka Damen whisks eggs for the Creamy Scrambled Eggs. Alexandre Groom melts chocolate for the One-Pan Flourless Chocolate Cake.

A salad made with a mix of greens and radicchio. Alexandre Groom and Ethan Whetter pour the chocolate cake batter in a pan.

food-zapping, eating-while-walking teens on our hands?

Then I came across a website, CookingTeens.com, billed as “the place for teens who love to cook and eat.” It had engaging writing and even tried to entice teens to try, among other things, kale!

“In the mood for something salty and crunchy that’s fresh and crispy too? How about kale chips… that you make at home. We hear you laughing from here. Kale? As a chip?

Yes, ye of little faith. Turns out that if you prep it right, the curly green collection of cruciferousness [sic] crisps up after barely 10 minutes in the oven. And if you season it right, well, let’s just say that our testers (a teenager who doesn’t care for cruciferous veggies, particularly when they’re cooked, and his mom, who really appreciates a nice chip) polished off what amounted to an entire bunch of kale, scarfing down the chips the way some people (not us, of course…) shovel in popcorn at the movies”—CookingTeens.com My daughter tried them. They were a hit. Perhaps getting my son to eat or cook a green vegetable might not be so hard after all.

As for the cleaning up part, when I was a kid at home we had a rule—cooks don’t wash up. This was a fantastic rule as I 64 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

couldn’t stand doing the dishes. Perhaps not having to clean up after myself encouraged me to be adventuresome in the kitchen.

I know that some of my early creations were binned, tossed away as inedible (a rather hideous vinaigrette made with cottage cheese comes to mind), but I was always encouraged to try again, even when I used nearly all the pots and pans in the kitchen.

So after all this questioning and ruminating, I wanted to come up with recipes that I thought my sample of teenagers would like to know how to cook—if they had to or, preferably, wanted to— and which would demonstrate some cooking basics.

These were some of the dishes they asked for, and we all agreed that the recipes should be simple and quick, with few pots, pans or utensils to ensure an easy cleanup.

I think I’m going to encourage my kids to have fun in the kitchen… and yes, I’ll do the dishes!

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

Creamy Scrambled Eggs Makes 2 servings 4 eggs 1

⁄ 2 tablespoon butter

Salt and pepper

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk together well.

One-Pan Flourless Chocolate Cake

Place the butter in a small saucepan placed over low heat. Once the butter has melted, pour in the eggs. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the eggs start to form soft curds. (This will take a few minutes. It’s very important that you do not turn up the heat—your patience will be rewarded.) Keep stirring until the eggs are just cooked through; they should look wet when you remove the pan from the stove. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Serve with buttered toast, if you like.

Makes 8 servings

Simple Mixed Green Salad Makes 4 servings 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon fruit vinegar (or other vinegar of your choice) Salt and pepper 8 ounces mixed salad greens, washed and spun dry

8 ounces dark chocolate (60%–70% bittersweet), chopped into small pieces 8 ounces unsalted butter 6 ounces sugar 4 eggs, lightly beaten in a small bowl Cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat oven to 325°. Line a small square, or 8-inch round, cake tin with parchment paper.

Place a medium-sized, heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the chopped chocolate and butter and heat, stirring frequently until completely melted and smooth. Add the sugar to the chocolate mixture and cook until incorporated and smooth once more.

Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool down for at least 5 minutes. Then stir in the beaten eggs. (If the chocolate is too hot, the eggs will scramble.)

Place the mustard in a large salad bowl. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and vinegar and whisk until the vinaigrette resembles the consistency of a light mayonnaise. Add salt and pepper to taste. Place salad serving utensils over the vinaigrette.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place the cake in the center of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is firm to the touch. It will still be very moist—a knife inserted will not come out completely clean.

Add the mixed greens to the salad bowl, on top of the serving utensils.

When you are ready to serve the salad, toss the salad so that all the ingredients are well combined. You can make all sorts of variations to this salad. For example, add feta cheese, sliced apples or sliced almonds.

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then invert it onto a cake plate. Remove the cake tin and parchment paper. Let cool for 20 minutes. For a fancier presentation, dust with cocoa powder and serve with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream, or both.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 65

WINTER EDIBLE EVENTS DECEMBER

T H U R S D AY

DECEMBER

16–24

18

Hanukkah

Edible Santa Barbara Winter Issue Release Party

DE C E M BER

5:30 –7pm at Santa Barbara Public Market Join us at the Santa Barbara Public Market as we celebrate the release of the Winter issue of Edible Santa Barbara.

Pick up a copy of the magazine, tour the market and taste from market merchants. Event is free. Wine and beer available for purchase. More details at EdibleSantaBarbara.com

S AT U R D AY

S AT U R D AY

DECEMBER

DECEMBER

Deck the Halls

Los Alamos Third Saturday Evening Stroll

20

20

11am – 8pm at the Ojai Rancho Inn

DECEMBER

25 Christmas Day

5 – 8pm, downtown Los Alamos

A holiday shopping event where all rooms turn into mini pop-up shops for the day. Artists of all forms set up shop for one day only… plus tarot card readings, photo booths and much more.

OjaiRanchoInn.com

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

F R I D AY – S U N D AY

M O N D AY

S AT U R D AY

JANUARY

JANUARY

JANUARY

Charcuterie Workshop

Kitchen Fundamentals: Knife Skills and Techniques

Chicken Dinner at Bell Street Farm

9–11

8am–4pm at Casitas Valley Farm

12

17

J A NU A RY

The first in a series of charcuterie workshops, providing professional instruction in the art of preserving meat.

You will learn how to process a whole heritage breed, sustainably raised pig from Casitas Valley Farm. Learn to make prosciutto, capicola, salami, sausage, bacon and more. CasitasValley.com

6 –9pm at Schott Campus, Room 27

5:30 / 7:30 at Bell Street Farm, Los Alamos

What knife to use, knife qualities to look for, proper handling and care will be covered. All cutting techniques and styles will be practiced. $51. Register at SBCC.edu/CLL.

Prix-fixe chicken dinner at Bell Street Farm on the third Saturday of each month. Endless antipasti bar, followed by a family-style rotisserie chicken dinner with roasted vegetables and potatoes and dessert. $45 not including tax or gratuity. For reservations, call 805 344-4609; BellStreetFarm.com

S AT U R D AY

JANUARY

JANUARY 27

JANUARY

25–31

24

Santa Ynez Valley Restaurant Week

Make It Yourself: Sushi 10am–2pm at Schott Campus, Room 27 This cooking class will cover the basic techniques of making traditional Japanese sushi as well as miso soup and vegetable dishes. $51. Register at SBCC.edu/CLL.

Restaurants throughout the Santa Ynez Valley are offering special 3-course tasting menus for the price of $20.15 (excluding tax, tip and beverages).

Reservations are highly recommended.

Restrictions may apply. Go to VisitSYV.com/restaurant-week for participating restaurants, hours and menus.

66 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

THROUGH

FEBRUARY 7 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Visit SBIFF.org for a complete listing of screenings and special events.

For updates and more details on these and other events, visit EdibleSantaBarbara.com T U E S D AY S

W E D N E S D AY

S U N D AY

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

The Vegetarian Gourmet 10am–2pm at Schott Campus, Room 27

Make Argentine Empanadas from Scratch

Edible Santa Barbara Supper Club

This hands-on class with Chef Michele Molony focuses on creating vegetarian menus of diversity and interest for each season. Students will create a four-course meal at each session. Students of all skill levels welcome. Four Tuesdays. $132.

Register at SBCC.edu/CLL.

6 –9pm at Schott Campus, Room 27 Join Rodrigo Gimenez as he lets you in on the secret to making delicious empanadas. Easy to make, store and serve, fillings vary from spinach, chicken, beef, corn and even fish. $33. Register at SBCC.edu/CLL.

6pm, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café Join the publishers of Edible Santa Barbara for a multi-course meal prepared by Chef Chris Joslyn paired with Bernat wines. $75 all inclusive.

A great opportunity to enjoy a meal and conversation with like-minded individuals. Tickets and more information at EdibleSantaBarbara.com.

3–24

F E B R U ARY

S AT U R D AY S

FEBRUARY 7– MARCH 21 Keeping Backyard Chickens

FEBRUARY

14 Valentine’s Day

9am – noon at Wake Campus, Room 7 Come learn the basics of keeping backyard chickens. Discover which breeds work for you, where to find them, how to keep them safe and healthy and tips for safe egg handling. $95. Register at SBCC. edu/CLL.

F R I D AY – S U N D AY

MARCH

6–8

Charcuterie Workshop

M A R CH

8am – 4pm at Casitas Valley Farm Part of a series of charcuterie workshops, providing professional instruction in the art of preserving meat. You will learn how to process a whole heritage breed, sustainably raised pig from Casitas Valley Farm. Learn to make prosciutto, capicola, salami, sausage, bacon and more.

CasitasValley.com

4

8

W E D N E S D AY

T H U R S D AY

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

Solvang Third Wednesday

An Evening with Ina Garten

18

19

3–7pm in Solvang

8pm at the Granada Theatre

Solvang’s Third Wednesday Wine and Beer Walk includes a ticket to sample two wines at five participating wine—and/ or beer—tasting rooms, a specialty logo glass, and a map to help you navigate your way through all of the fun. $20. solvangthirdwednesday.com/wine-walk

New York Times best-selling cookbook author and Food Network TV host Ina Garten—aka “The Barefoot Contessa”—will share a charming insider’s view of her world and the pleasures of good food, cooked with love and passion. Tickets: $43–$128 ($16 for UCSB Students). For more info go to: ArtsAndLectures.sa.UCSB.edu

F R I D AY – S AT U R D AY

MARCH

6 –7

World of Pinot Noir at Bacara Resort Celebrating its 15th anniversary, this renowned annual event offers two days of tastings featuring 225 wineries, educational seminars, and winemaker dinners. Tickets and information can be found at WorldOfPinotNoir.com or call 805 489-1758.

MARCH

F R I D AY – S U N D AY

T U E S D AY S

MARCH

6–8

MARCH

10 –17

18–22

Local Wine & Food Tastings

Superb Sauces

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

11am–6pm at Cebada Tasting Room

10am–2pm at Schott Campus, Room 27

Enjoy tasting locally produced, handcrafted foods paired with estate grown wines. Located inside Isabella Gourmet Foods in La Arcada. $15/pp; 805 451-2570 for more info.

Technique is everything in the creation of an elegant sauce. Let a master chef show you how to tackle the most daunting of sauces and get hands-on experience applying the skills demonstrated in class on your own culinary creation. $60.

Register at SBCC.edu/CLL.

Taste of Solvang

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 67

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 invited to advertise in this guide because of their emphasis on local, seasonal ingredients and their commitment to real food.

South County Arlington Tavern 21 W. Victoria St. Santa Barbara 805 770-2626 ArlingtonTavern.com Offering a winning combination of local, farm-fresh fare, exceptional service and a unique relationship between beer, wine and food. Chef Ron True crafts his seasonal menu using only the highest-quality, simple and honest ingredients. Farm Friendly Dining Certified. Dinner Mon–Sat 5–10pm, Sun 5–9pm; bar 4pm–midnight, Sun 4–10pm.

Backyard Bowls Santa Barbara Locations: 331 Motor Way 805 845-5379 3849 State St., La Cumbre 805 569-0011 Goleta Location: 5668 Calle Real 805 770-2730 BackyardBowls.com Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai Bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt and more.

The Bistro Bacara Resort & Spa 8301 Hollister Ave. Goleta 877 804-8632 BacaraResort.com The Bistro offers a casual and relaxed oceanside atmosphere for all ages. Rich in fragrant olive oil and local vegetables, menu highlights offer traditional Italian dishes, such as pastas and brick-oven flatbreads, complemented by lighter, coastal cuisine. After an extensive renovation, the new dining room incorporates Santa Barbara’s beautiful panorama.

The Black Sheep 26 E Ortega St. Santa Barbara 805 965-1113 TheBlackSheepSB.com The Black Sheep offers a casual gastro pub setting with local farm-to-table cuisine. Open 5–10pm; Sun 5–9pm.

Book Ends Café 602 Anacapa St., (upper patio) Santa Barbara 805 963-3222 Book Ends Café offers unique handcrafted sandwiches and seasonal selections of farm-fresh salads, quiches and treats, all prepared with ingredients sourced from local farmers. Enjoy organic, fair-trade coffee while sitting on the secret and tranquil rooftop patio. Mon–Thu 8am– 6:15pm; Fri–Sat 8am–2pm.

68 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Bouchon 9 W. Victoria St. Santa Barbara 805 730-1160 BouchonSantaBarbara.com Bouchon sources all of its ingredients using an “as-freshand-as-local-as-possible” approach. Experience fine dining, excellent regional wines and relaxed service in a warm, inviting ambience. Private dining in the Cork Room is available for groups of 10–20. Dinner nightly 5–10pm.

Ca’ Dario Pizzeria 29 E. Victoria St. Santa Barbara 805 957-2020 CaDarioPizza.net Located just steps away from Chef Dario Furlati's flagship eatery, Ca’ Dario Pizzeria offers a casual, urban atmosphere to enjoy authentic pizzas, salads and appetizers. The 30-seat restaurant boasts a welcoming bar, perfect for enjoying local or Italian beers on tap. Open for lunch Mon–Sat 11:30am–2:30pm, dinner Mon–Sun 5–9:30pm.

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

Cielito Restaurant 1114 State St. Santa Barbara 805 965-4770 CielitoRestaurant.com Cielito showcases bold and sophisticated flavors with Mexican and Latin American inspired cuisine featuring the highest-quality, local and seasonal ingredients from land and sea. Full bar, award-winning wine list. Lunch, happy hour, dinner. Private dining available. Tue–Sun 11:30am–2:30pm; Tue–Thu & Sun 5–9pm; Fri–Sat 5–10pm.

Giannfranco’s Trattoria 666 Linden Ave. Carpinteria 805 684-0720 Giannfrancos.com Experience authentic Italian regional cuisine at this family-owned and -operated trattoria in downtown Carpinteria. Chef Giovanni prepares each dish from the freshest local and imported foods to offer his creative take on Tuscan grill specialties. Weekday lunch served 11am–3pm. Weekend lunch served noon–3pm. Dinner served 5–9pm. Closed Tuesday.

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

Mon–Fri 8am–2:30pm.

The Lark 131 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara 805 284-0370 TheLarkSB.com The Lark features artisanal and seasonal ingredients that celebrate our local community. Enjoy dinner and drinks in the architecturally urban-inspired dining room, at the communal table, the bar or out on the patio by the fire.

The private and classy Pullman Room is available for your next special event. Open for dinner Tue–Sun 5–10pm; until 11pm on Fri and Sat.

Lucky Penny 131 Anacapa St. Santa Barbara 805 284-0358 LuckyPennySB.com The Lucky Penny take-away café offers wood-fired pizza, artisan coffee, handmade pastries, seasonal salads, fresh squeezed juices, beer and wine. Enjoy your meal onsite in the picnic area or grab it to go. The perfect place to stop as you meander along the Urban Wine Trail in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner 7am–9pm seven days a week.

MESAVERDE 1919 Cliff Dr. Santa Barbara 805 963-4474 MesaverdeRestaurant.com MESAVERDE, a plant-based restaurant in Santa Barbara, fuses Mediterranean flavors and fresh ingredients to establish a taste reaching beyond simple expectations.

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

Miró Bacara Resort & Spa 8301 Hollister Ave. Goleta 877 804-8632 BacaraResort.com Miró offers progressive European cuisine, an interior inspired by the Spanish artist Miró and breathtaking views of the Pacific. Chef de Cuisine Johan Denizot's locally sourced ingredients are accented with unique international flavors. Miró Wine Cellar houses an extensive collection of 12,000 wines spanning 13 countries and 75 international appellations.

Reds Bar & Tapas

Sly’s

Fresco Valley Café

211 Helena St. Santa Barbara 805 966-5906 RedsBarandTapas.wordpress.com

686 Linden Ave. Carpinteria 805 684-6666 SlysOnline.com

442 Atterdag Rd. Solvang 805 688-8857 FrescoValleyCafe.com

Located in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone, offering a tapasstyle menu, full bar and wide selection of cervezas and vinos. Enjoy a glass of wine and a cheese plate on the charming al fresco patio. Hosting live entertainment and eclectic events weekly. Open Tue–Fri at 3pm; Sat–Sun at 1pm; Happy Hour Tue–Fri 3–7pm.

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

Fresco Valley Café offers a broad menu of dishes made from scratch using homemade family recipes and organic and fresh local ingredients. You will also find fresh pastries, a fine list of local beer and wine and a plentiful catering menu.

Wed 11am–8pm; Thu–Sat 11am–8:30pm; Sun 11am–8pm.

Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro

Sojourner Café

225 W. Bell St. Los Alamos 805 344-4400 FullofLifeFoods.com

Loreto Plaza at 3315 State St. Santa Barbara 805 569-2400 Arlington Plaza at 1324 State St. Santa Barbara 805 892-2800 RenaudsBakery.com Renaud’s is a bakery specializing in French pastries and French-style cakes, as well as a bistro offering an extensive menu for lunch and dinner. Open Mon–Sat 7am–5pm, Sun 7am–3pm.

Sama Sama Kitchen 1208 State St., Santa Barbara 805 965-4566 SamaSamaKitchen.com Sama Sama creates meals inspired by Indonesian food and local farms and markets. Their food and cocktail menu is constantly changing depending on availability from our local sources. They are locally owned and operated and part of the Shelter Social Club family. Lunch Mon–Wed 11am–2pm. Dinner Mon–Sat 5–10pm and Sun 5–9pm.

Happy Hour Thur–Fri 4–5pm.

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 35 years.

They purchase organic produce from local growers, carry local wines and beers and are known for their innovative desserts. Open Sun–Wed 11am–10pm (desserts and drinks until 10:30); Thu–Sat 11am–11pm; closed Mon.

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

bouchon

North County

Santa Monica Seafood

Ballard Inn & Restaurant

38 W. Victoria Street Santa Barbara (located inside the Santa Barbara Public Market) 805 845-0745 SMSeafoodMarket.com

2436 Baseline Ave. Ballard.

800 638-2466 805 688-7770 BallardInn.com

Featuring a carefully curated selection of responsibly sourced seafood—both locally sourced and imported.

Also serving soups, salads, appetizers and entrees at their intimate oyster bar, along with wine and beer. Mon–Sat: 10am–9pm; Sun: 10am–8pm; Oyster Bar Hours: Mon–Sat: 11am–9pm; Sun: 11am–8pm.

Scarlett Begonia 11 W. Victoria St., #10 Santa Barbara 805 770-2143 ScarlettBegonia.net Scarlett Begonia will always strive to have interesting, thoughtful food. Menus change weekly with an innovative, fresh approach to breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Showcasing progressive modern cuisine, Scarlett Begonia features sustainable, organic, high quality ingredients coupled with innovative cooking to provide one of the most food-centric experiences in Santa Barbara. Open for dinner and cocktail hour Tue–Sat 4–9pm, breakfast and lunch Tue–Sun 9am–2pm.

Seagrass 30 E. Ortega St. Santa Barbara 805 963-1012 SeagrassRestaurant.com Seagrass offers a fresh Santa Barbara Coastal Cuisine fine dining experience, procuring the highest quality ingredients available and superior local bounty. Open Tue–Thu 5:30–9pm; Fri–Sat 5:30–10pm; Sun 5:30–9pm.

Chef Budi Kazali's award-winning cuisine, an extensive wine list, exceptional service and a romantic atmosphere create a memorable dining experience in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. Open for dinner Wed–Sun 5:30–9pm.

Bell Street Farm Eatery & Market 406 Bell St. Los Alamos 805 344-4609 BellStreetFarm.com With farm-fresh cuisine and sophisticated yet comfortable design, Bell Street Farm offers a distinct environment to enjoy a meal, snack or a wine tasting. The market showcases picnic baskets and accessories for creating a portable meal, as well as gifts and merchandise from local artisans. Open Fri–Mon 10am– 6pm.

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

Closed Tue and Wed.

Full of Life Flatbread

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

The Hitching Post II 406 E. Hwy. 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. Cocktails/wine Mon–Fri 4pm, Sat–Sun 3pm. Dinners only Mon–Fri 5–9:30pm, Sat–Sun 4–9:30pm.

Industrial Eats 181 B Industrial Way Buellton 805 688-8807 IndustrialEats.com Industrial Eats features wood-fired ovens, craft butcher shop, tap wines and beers, killer pies and the coolest coffee machine on the Central Coast. Open every day 10am–9pm.

Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café 2879 Grand Ave. Los Olivos 805 688-7265 LosOlivosCafe.com The Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café brings together the best flavors of the Central Coast. Their award-winning wine list offers over 500 wines, to enjoy with their fresh, seasonal and local cuisine, or to enjoy at home. Open for lunch and dinner daily 11:30am–8:30pm (8pm Sun) and breakfast Sat & Sun 8–10:30am.

SY Valley Kitchen 1110 Faraday St, Santa Ynez 805 691-9794 SYKitchen.com An inviting farmhouse in the heart of Santa Ynez, serving modern Northern Italian dishes showcasing local ingredients and Chef Luca Crestanelli’s light touch.

Homemade pastas; pizzas served from the wood-fire oven; oak-grilled chicken, lamb chops, steak and dazzling cocktails crafted by Alberto Battaglini. Dinner: nightly 5pm–closing. Lunch: Wed–Sat 11:30am–2:30pm.

Succulent Café Wine Charcuterie 1555 Mission Drive Solvang 805 691-9444 SucculentCafe.com Specializing in handcrafted and artisan culinary goods.

Featuring buttermilk biscuit breakfast sandwiches, gourmet sandwiches and salads at lunch and unique localcentric plates at dinner.

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 69

edible

Source Guide Serving grassfed beef directly to customers since 1991

RESERVE YOUR Portion Today at:

MorrisGrassfed.com

Indonesian food inspired by our local farms & markets.

1208 State St. Santa Barbara samasamakitchen.com LOCALLY OWNED, OP ERATED & PA RT of the S HELT ER SOCI AL C L U B fam ily

The Edible Source Guide is a compact listing of all of our advertisers. Please visit them to pick up your free copy of the magazine and let them know how much you appreciate their support of Edible Santa Barbara.

BREWERIES AND DISTILLERIES

Figueroa Mountain Brewery Quality craft beer has been the focus of family-owned “Fig Mtn Brew” since they started production in 2010. Try their famous Davy Brown Ale or Hoppy Poppy IPA at their flagship tasting room and beer garden in Buellton (45 Industrial Way, Open Mon–Thu 1–9pm and Fri–Sat 11am–9pm) or their new tasting room in the Funk Zone in Santa Barbara (137 Anacapa, Suite F, open daily 11am–9pm).

805 694-2252; info@FigMtnBrew.com Telegraph Brewing Co. 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 at 418 N. Salsipuedes Street, Santa Barbara, Tue– Thu 3–9pm, Fri–Sat 2–10pm, Sun 1–7pm.

Telegraph beer is available at many restaurants and grocery stores in Santa Barbara County and throughout California. TelegraphBrewing.com CATERERS AND PRIVATE 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 FARMERS MARKETS

Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market Eight markets, six days a week. See schedule on page 23. 805 962-5354; SBFarmersMarket.org FARMS AND RANCHES

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

Available at local farmers markets and online.

DrakeFamilyFarms.com

(909) 947-8688 70 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Casitas Valley Farm & Creamery A multi-enterprise system using Permaculture principles to provide our local community with certified organic crops, artisan crafted cheese, and sustainably raised, heritage pigs. Farmstand open Sat–Sun 11am–4pm at 4620 Casitas Pass Rd., Ventura (Hwy. 150); 805 649-8179; CasitasValley.com The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens Fairview Gardens builds critical connections between community, agriculture and education.

Guests are encouraged to take a self-guided

tour or arrange with their staff for their school or organization to have a guided one hour educational tour. Camps, farm stand, field trips.

FairviewGardens.org

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

Available at local farmers markets and at DrakeFamilyFarms.com Fat Uncle Farms Fat Uncle Farms grows almonds in Wasco, just northwest of Bakersfield, and they sell fresh whole raw almonds as well as roasted and flavored almonds and many other almond products at the Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday farmers markets. 866 290-0219; FatUncleFarms.wordpress.com Global Gardens Global Gardens is Santa Barbara County’s premiere Certified Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil producer. Visit their Los Olivos demonstration farm and world famous tasting bar for signature tasting palette of over 12 tastings, education, worldly recipes and more.

2450 Alamo Pintado Rd., Los Olivos; 800 307-0447; GlobalGardensOnline.com Jimenez Family Farm Small family-run local farm specializes in sustainably grown food and their famous handmade pies, quiches and small batch preserves.

Visit them at the farmers market to purchase produce, pies, jams and naturally fed and farmraised rabbit, lamb, pork, goat and poultry.

805 688-0597; JimenezFamilyFarm.com Morris Grassfed Providing 100% grassfed and finished beef to customers throughout California. Processed in USDA inspected facilities, cut and wrapped by small-scale artisan butchers and delivered directly at pre-arranged delivery locations throughout the year. Family owned, they practice holistic management on the rangelands they manage.

831 623-2933; MorrisGrassFed.com Rancho Olivos Located in beautiful Santa Ynez, Rancho Olivos creates distinctively fresh artisan extra-virgin olive oils from their sustainably grown Italian and Spanish varietals of olives. Open for olive oil tasting daily noon–4pm. 805 686-9653; RanchoOlivos.com FOOD PRODUCTS

Bob’s Well Bread Bob’s Well Bread is about great bread, made the old-fashioned way—handcrafted in small batches and baked to perfection in a custombuilt, stone-deck oven. They use only the finest ingredients, sourced locally and seasonally, in all of their products. 550 Bell St., Los Alamos; info@BobsWellBread.com; 805 344-3000; BobsWellBread.com (continued on page 72)

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Spring 2009 / Number 1

SANTA BARBARA

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Summer 2009 / Number 2

Fall 2009 / Number 3

SANTA BARBARA

SANTA BARBARA

Celebrating the Food Culture of Santa Barbara County

Celebrating the Food Culture of Santa Barbara County

Celebrating the Food Culture of Santa Barbara County

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Winter 2009 / Number 4

SANTA BARBARA Celebrating the Food Culture of Santa Barbara County

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ISSUE FIVE • SPRING 2010

SANTA BARBARA

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ISSUE SIX • SUMMER 2010

SANTA BARBARA

Celebrating the Food Culture of Santa Barbara County

Celebrating the Food Culture of Santa Barbara County

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ISSUE SEVEN • FALL 2010

SANTA BARBARA

Celebrating the Food Culture of Santa Barbara County

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ISSUE 8 • WINTER 2010 MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

SANTA BARBARA

Celebrating the Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

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ISSUE 9 • SPRING 2011 MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

SANTA BARBARA

Celebrating the Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

An Interview with

Heirloom Heaven Abalone Palmina Winery The Hidden Promise of Suburbia Food from the Hearth

Local Honeybees Culinary Bootcamp Edible Landscape Thanksgiving Santa Barbara Channel Seafood

Chocolate: From Cacao Bean to Confection Salmon A Seasonal Stew Endless Pastabilities

Eggs Backyard Chickens Beekeeping Salt: The Essential Ingredient Artichokes Community-Supported Agriculture

Member of Edible Communities

Member of Edible Communities

Member of Edible Communities

Member of Edible Communities

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

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ISSUE 11 • FALL 2011 MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

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ISSUE 12 • WINTER 2011 MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

SANTA BARBARA

SANTA BARBARA

ISSUE 13 • SPRING 2012

Santa Barbara

Celebrating the Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

Celebrating the Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

Pistachio Harvest La Huerta Mission Gardens Farmer to Table

Biodynamics

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

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ISSUE 14 • SUMMER 2012

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

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ISSUE 15 • FALL 2012

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

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Croissants!

Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro

Wild Yeast Bread Profound Pairings A Passion for Spices

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

ISSUE 16 • WINTER 2012

One of TIME magazine’s “100 most influential people of 2010” talks to us about his garden, cooking and his upcoming lecture in Santa Barbara

ISSUE 17 • SPRING 2013

edible

Salt of the Sea Sorrel and Rhubarb The Rituals of a Meal

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ISSUE 18 • SUMMER 2013

Santa Barbara

Nothing Like Chocolate

Diving for California Gold Fish on Friday Fisherman’s Market

The Lazy Gardener

Eating in Los Alamos Market Walk with Patricia Perfect Picnics

Santa Barbara

COOKS ISSUE

WINE & BREAD ISSUE

Giannfranco’s Trattoria Culinary Inspirations Edible Mushrooms

For Love of Pinot The Art in Artisan Bread Zaca University

Santa Maria-Style Barbecue Lompoc Beans Ice Cream

Regenerative Earth Farms Aquaponics Exotic Edible Trees

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara

Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

Celebrating the Local Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

Scoop?

Bob and Ellie Patterson’s Artisanal Gelato and Sorbet

Lompoc Wine Ghetto Culinary Lavender Pasta and Water

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ISSUE 20 • WINTER 2013

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

LIVING BEER

LOCAL

Sauvignon Blanc Coffee: Grown in Goleta Eating Acorns

ISSUE 19 • FALL 2013

Santa Barbara

THE

Eating Daylilies

Almonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend

of the Harvest

Grass-Fed Beef In the Kitchen with Bradley Ogden What the Kids Are Growing Canning Farmers Markets

EAT DRINK

Winter Blossoms Unsung Heroes

Wine Caves: Down to Earth Stone Fruit Recycling Edible Flowers

ISSUE 10 • SUMMER 2011 MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

Celebrating the Food and Wine Culture of Santa Barbara County

Where’s the

Michael Pollan Sustainable Seafood Fairview Gardens A Culinary Journey The Pod Squad Whitcraft Winery

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SANTA BARBARA

Guerilla Brewing and Feral Fermentation

ISSUE THE BELLY O F THE

Funk Zone

The COOKS Issue MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

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EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 71

FOOD PRODUCTS CONTINUED

Crazy Good Bread Co. Crazy Good Bread makes the good life a little bit better, with handmade artisan breads. Be breadventurous and try one of their many flavors of levain loaf, crisps or croutons. Open Mon– Thu 10am–5pm; Fri 9am–5pm; Sat 8am–3pm.

4191 Carpinteria Ave. #12, Carpinteria; 562 270-0680; CrazyGoodBread.com Joëlle Olive Oil Joëlle Olive Oil offers a full line of fresh, coldpressed, extra-virgin olive oils estate grown in California. Award winning in international competitions, all of their oils are unfiltered, extra-virgin and date-stamped for year of production. JoelleOil.com Pacific Pickle Works All natural, hand crafted pickles made in Santa Barbara using produce grown from California.

Try their Cukarambas, Bread & Buddhas, Asparagusto and Unbeetables, or kick up a cocktail with their Bloody Mary Elixir. Available in Santa Barbara specialty retail and grocery stores. 805 765-1779; PacificPickleWorks.com GROCERY STORES & PRODUCE DELIVERY

Isabella Gourmet Foods A boutique artisan grocery combining the down-home charm of an East Coast general store with an upscale West Coast setting and featuring locally made smallbatch foods. Located at 5 E. Figueroa St., Santa Barbara. Mon–Fri 9am–6pm; Sat 10am–6pm; Sun 11am–5pm; 805 585-5257; IsabellaGourmetFoods.com Isla Vista Food Co-op A community-owned food co-op open to the public and highly regarded for its sustainable business practices and high-quality foods.

Highlighting tri-county local, organic, fair-trade, farmer-owned, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, raw, gluten-free and all-around sustainable ways of being. Open daily 8am–10pm. 6575 Seville Rd., Isla Vista. 805 968-1401; IslaVistaFood.coop

Tecolote Book Shop Since 1925

1470 eaSt Valley rOad upper VillaGe Of MOntecitO

805 969-4977 Gift WrappinG • ShippinG • Special OrderS BOOk SearcheS • authOr appearanceS 72 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Lazy Acres Santa Barbara’s best source for wholesome, natural and organic foods and products with real people dedicated to providing unmatched personal service. Mon–Sat 7am–11pm, Sun 7am–10pm. 302 Meigs Rd., Santa Barbara; 805 564-4410; LazyAcres.com Mesa Produce A local “mom and pop”-owned produce stand offering farmer-direct produce at competitive prices. Although seasonal local products are their focus, they also carry a full line of produce items. Handmade jams sourced from Santa Barbara County, no-pesticide fruits; local organic produce, olives and olive oils, organic nuts and raw honey. Open 10am–6pm. Closed Dec. 25–Jan 8. 2036 Cliff Dr., Santa Barbara 805 962-1645.

New Frontiers Natural Marketplace New Frontiers Natural Marketplace is a full service natural foods grocery store and deli.

Located in Solvang at 1984 Old Mission Dr. (corner of Alamo Pintado and Mission Dr.); 805 693-1746; NewFrontiersMarket.com Plow to Porch Organics Local organic/pesticide free/chemical free and all natural produce delivery service and organic market. The market carries a wide array of seasonal and local food products, located at 3204 State St. (walk through Buddha’s Garden), Santa Barbara. Open Mon–Fri 10am–7pm.

805 895-7171; PlowToPorch.com Santa Barbara Public Market The Santa Barbara Public Market, located in the heart of the performing and cultural arts district, houses handcrafted, regionally sourced and sustainably made food and wine.

With an ardent focus on local farms and artisanal ingredients, the Santa Barbara Public Market presents residents and visitors alike with a well stocked pantry for daily foraging.

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

Bacara Resort & Spa Nestled on the bluff and beaches of the Gaviota coast, Bacara offers relaxed luxury and incomparable natural beauty. Additional features include a four-story spa, wellness center, zero-edge saline swimming pools, restaurants, lounges and tasting room. BacaraResort.com Ballard Inn & Restaurant Comfortably elegant accommodations, attentive staff and award-winning cuisine make the Ballard Inn & Restaurant one of the most sought-after small luxury inns in the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country. 2436 Baseline Ave., Ballard. 800 638-2466, 805 688-7770; BallardInn.com Ojai Valley Inn and Spa Rediscover The Oak, famed dining on the terrace at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. The Oak’s executive chef has introduced a newly transformed menu that continues the Inn’s rich culinary tradition. Take a front row seat for new, mouthwatering specialties and reimagined classics. 905 Country Club Rd., Ojai, 855 4174652; OjaiResort.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. Mon–Thu 8am–5pm, Fri 8am–6pm. 1033 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara; 805 965-5942. AmericanRivieraBank.com

Giffin & Crane General Contractors At Giffin & Crane General Contractors, Inc., each project is unique, whether it’s a simple remodel or an extraordinary architectural estate.

Working closely with their clients to fulfill their clients’ dreams, they are committed to providing the best workmanship, on time and in budget. GiffinAndCrane.com RESTAURANTS—EDIBLE DINING GUIDE

A listing of Local Restaurants begins on page 68.

SPECIALTY RETAILERS & PRODUCTS

Central Coast Specialty Foods Central Coast Specialty Foods showcases high quality local and imported specialty foods, offering charcuterie, gourmet cheeses, a full-service deli, exotic meats and local beers and wines. Catering available. Mon– Wed 10am–6pm, Thu–Fri 10am–7pm, Sat 10am–6pm and Sun 10am– 4pm. 115 E. College Ave., Ste. 10, Lompoc; 805 717-7675; CentralCoastSpecialtyFoods.com 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 10am– 6pm, Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 10am– 4pm. 15 W. Gutierrez St., Santa Barbara.

805 965-5956; ChocolateMaya.com Grapeseed Company The Grapeseed Company creates botanical spa and skin care products handcrafted from the byproduct of wine plus antioxidant-rich local and organic ingredients. Located at 21 W. Ortega St., Santa Barbara and open Mon–Sat 11am–6pm. Closed Sun. 805 456-3655; TheGrapeseedCompany.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.

Mon–Thu 1–9pm. Fri–Sat noon–10pm and Sun noon–9pm. 1187 Coast Village Rd., Montecito. 805 969-7020; ScoopSB.com il Fustino Purveyors of the finest and freshest olive oils, specialty oils and vinegars attainable in today’s market. All oils are grown and milled in California. il Fustino products are secured from small boutique growers and provide unparallelled taste. Located at 3401 State St. Santa Barbara; 805 845-3521 and in the Santa Barbara Public Market at 38 W. Victoria St.; 805 845-4995, Santa Barbara; ilFustino.com

McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams McC’s was founded in Santa Barbara in 1949 with one goal: to make the finest ice cream in the world. Seventy years later, the dream is alive. Authentic, handcrafted ice creams, made with love by people obsessed with getting it right. 728 State St., Santa Barbara; McConnells.com Olive Hill Farm Gus Sousoures has been making his olive oils for many years in the Santa Ynez Valley and now you can taste and buy them, along with other oils, vinegars and gourmet food products at his cozy store in Los Olivos. Open daily 11am–5pm; 2901 Grand Ave, Los Olivos; 805 693-0700; OliveHillFarm.com Plum Goods Santa Barbara’s own eco-chic boutique offering handcrafted, fair trade, upcycled, simply inspired gifts, goods, furniture, lighting and art. Winner of Best Gift Store in SB! Open Mon–Fri 10am–6pm; Sat 10am– 7pm; Sun 11am–5pm. 909 State St., Santa Barbara; 805 845-3900; PlumGoodsStore.com Tecolote Bookstore Tecolote Bookstore is an independent bookstore located in the upper village of Montecito at 1470 E. Valley Rd. Open Mon–Fri 10am–5:30pm, Sat 10am–5pm, closed Sun. 805 969-4977 Valley Brewers This local, independent shop supplies everything needed not only for home brewing, but for home winemaking and cheese making.

They also offer classes and have a popular homebrewers club with monthly meetings.

Open Wed–Sat 10am– 6pm, Sun 10am–4pm and Mon 10am–6pm. 515 Fourth Pl., Solvang; 805 691-9159; ValleyBrewers.com WHOLESALE PRODUCE DELIVERY

Harvest Santa Barbara Delivering freshly harvested wholesale produce—sourced directly from local family farms to schools, restaurants, hospitals and retail businesses. Their mission is to be the catalyst for a healthier, more sustainable food system by strengthening the ties between farmers and the community. 805 696-6930; HarvestSantaBarbara.com WINERIES AND WINE RETAILERS

Alma Rosa With certified organic vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, Alma Rosa focuses on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as well as other food friendly wines with the high acid and extraordinary balance for which Richard Sanford’s wines have been known since 1976. Open 11am–4:30pm daily. 250-G Industrial Way, Buellton. 805 688-9090; AlmaRosaWinery.com (continued on next page)

Farmer’s market menu: always 3 courses plus a craft cocktail. always interesting, always delicious! $35

Full bar, all drinks and nibbles 4:30-6:00 tues-sat

11 West Victoria in Victoria Court

805-770-2143 www.scarlettbegonia.net breakfast & lunch: tues–sun dinner: tues–sat EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 73

WINERIES AND WINE RETAILERS CONTINUED

Alta Maria Vineyards Alta Maria Vineyards and its subsidiary wine brands. They strive to make the best wine possible in a conscious manner utilizing organic and sustainable techniques along with conventional methods, which leave no indelible mark on the people, places and products around us. Tasting room open 11am–5pm daily. 2933 Grand Ave., Suite A, Los Olivos; 805 686-1144; AltaMaria.com Au Bon Climat Tasting Room and the Jim Clendenen Wine Library Celebrating 30 years of winemaking in Santa Barbara County, Au Bon Climat is world renowned for beautifully balanced and elegant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The tasting room features a large selection of cellar aged library wines and Jim Clendenen’s eclectic smaller labels. Open daily noon– 6pm; 813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, next to the Wine Cask.

805 845-8435; AuBonClimat.com Beckmen Vineyards Begun in 1994 by father and son team Tom and Steve Beckmen, Beckmen Vineyards is the oldest biodynamic vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, producing some of the most acclaimed Rhone varietal wines in California. Visitors are welcome at Beckmen’s wine tasting cottage and picturesque picnic area 11am–5pm daily. 2670 Ontiveros Rd., Los Olivos; 805 688-8664; BeckmenVineyards.com Buttonwood Farm Winery In 1968 Betty Williams came to Buttonwood, creating a life that found expression through a connection with the land. The vineyard now has 33,000 vines with a mix of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Marsanne, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Visit the tasting room at 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang. Open 11am–5pm daily. 805 6883032; ButtonwoodWinery.com Cambria Estate Winery Farming for over 25 years, Cambria specializes in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. They are committed to sustainable practices in both the vineyard and in the winery. Visit the tasting room 10am–5pm. 5475 Chardonnay Lane, Santa Maria; 805 938-7318; CambriaWines.com Casa Dumetz Making wine from their organic vineyard in Malibu and from the Tierra Alta vineyard in Santa Ynez. Visit the tasting room Thu noon– 7pm, Fri–Sat 11am–7pm, Sun 11am–6pm or by appointment. 388 Bell St., Los Alamos.

805 344-1900; CasaDumetzWines.com Cebada Vineyards This boutique winery produces sophisticated Burgundian-style wines handcrafted on the farm. Downtown Santa Barbara Tasting Room open daily noon–6pm. Inside Isabella Gourmet Foods at 5 E. Figueroa St.; 805 451-2570.

Tasting and farm store shopping by appointment at the farm in Lompoc, 805 735-4648 74 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

Consilience Producing some of Santa Barbara’s boldest, most expressive Syrah. Sister labels Marianello and Tre Anelli carry the tradition in food-friendly Spanish and Italian varietals. All three labels make wines with unique flavor intensity and source from vineyards in Santa Barbara County.

2923 Grand Ave., Los Olivos; 805 691-1020; ConsilienceWines.com

Municipal Winemakers After spending their formative years traveling and studying terroir and techniques, Municipal Wine is now working hard to make honest, interesting and delicious wines for the people of this world. They do this with love—carefully and slowly. Tasting room at 22 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara and 425 Bell St., Los Alamos.

805 931-6884; MunicipalWinemakers.com

Foxen Winery & Vineyard Bill Wathen and Dick Doré have been making wine together since 1985, when they founded Foxen Winery & Vineyard at the historic Rancho Tinaquaic in northern Santa Barbara County. Visit the two tasting rooms at 7200 and 7600 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria.

Open daily 11am–4pm. 805 937-4251; FoxenVineyard.com

Qupé For 30 years, Qupé has been dedicated to producing handcrafted Rhône varietals and Chardonnay from California’s Central Coast.

Employing traditional winemaking techniques and biodynamic farming practices, they are true to type and speak of their vineyard sources.

Open daily 11am–5pm. 2963 Grand Ave., Suite B, Los Olivos; 805 686-4200; Qupe.com

The Good Life A craft beer and wine cellar featuring California craft beers and Central Coast wines. Open daily Sun–Thu noon–9pm, Fri–Sat noon–11pm.

1672 Mission Dr. (Hwy. 246), Solvang.

TheGoodLifeCellar.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 Clarissa Nagy.

Tasting Room is open from 10am–4pm daily.

6020 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria; 805 937-8340; Riverbench.com

Grassini Family Vineyards Boutique winery specializing in handcrafted production of Bordeaux varietals. They focus on farming the vineyard to its fullest potential using renewable and sustainable resources.

An artisan approach helps make wines that represent the uniqueness of Happy Canyon.

Tasting room 813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara; 805 897-3366; GrassiniFamilyVineyards.com The Hitching Post II The Hitching Post II offers their own worldclass Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Wines.

Open daily except major holidays. Cocktails/ wine tasting at 4pm, dinners only 5–9:30pm.

406 E. Hwy. 246, Buellton. 805 688-0676; HitchingPost2.com Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Café Specializing in premium California wines with a focus on highlighting the Central Coast. They feature Bernat Wines, which are estate grown and made by owner Sam Marmorstein. Open daily 11:30am–8:30pm. 2879 Grand Ave., Los Olivos. 805 688-7265; LosOlivosCafe.com Margerum Wine Company Margerum Wine Company is committed to creating handcrafted wines using only the highest-quality grapes so that they can make wines that are indicative of the place where they are grown. They have two tasting rooms located in the historic El Paseo complex: Margerum Tasting Room and MWC32, which features their reserve and limited production wines. Daily noon–6pm with the last tasting at 5:30pm; MargerumWineCompany.com Martian Ranch & Vineyard We take our farming more seriously than we take ourselves. Come to Martian Ranch & Vineyard where you can experience wine tastings, weekend tours of the vineyard, daily tours of the winery, farming lessons and scenic picnic areas! 805 344-1804; MartianVineyard.com

Refugio Ranch Vineyards Their family believes that it is “terroir” that gives a wine its soul. They grow 26 acres of organic grapes on their vineyard overlooking the Santa Ynez Valley, and they feel deeply connected to the land and its remarkable terroir. Visit their beautiful tasting room at 2990 Grand in Los Olivos to explore the current releases. Thu, Sun & Mon 11am–5pm; Fri & Sat 11am–7pm. 805 688-5400; RefugioRanch.com Sanford Winery Home to the oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in Santa Barbara County, Sanford produces distinctly complex wines from their iconic vineyards. Make reservations for a VIP tasting or stop by to sample a flight at their picturesque tasting room. Downtown SB location coming soon! 5010 Santa Rosa Rd., Lompoc; 800 426-9463; SanfordWinery.com The Winehound The award-winning Winehound features the world’s best wines—from the everyday to a luxury cuvée—all top dogs, no mutts. Open Mon–Sat 11am–7pm, Sun noon–6pm.

3849 State St., Santa Barbara. 805 845-5247; TheWinehound.com Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards 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

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Celebrating the Local Food Culture of the Capitol Region, Season by Season

Mick Klug on Peaches

Refresh: Cold Summer Soups T H E H E I R LO O M TO M ATO

SUMMER 2014

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ISSUE 24

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Good food. Good drink. Good read. • No. 25 • Summer 2014

Javier Plascencia | Organic Beer | Smit Farms | No-dirt Gardening Tulloch Farms | Crime in the Fields | Native Plant Gardening

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No. 15 • Spring 2011

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Overindulge in Asparagus while the Local Pickings are Good Romance the Palate, Latin American Style Taste Prince Edward County Resurrect Tradition

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edible Source Guide Maps

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20. The Wine Cask 20. Grassini Family Vineyards 20. Au Bon Climat 20. Margerum Wines 21. The Black Sheep 21. Seagrass Restaurant 22. McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams 23. Book Ends Café 24. Telegraph Brewing Co. 25. Plow to Porch 26. Renaud’s, Loreto Plaza 27. Il Fustino 28. Whole Foods 29. The Winehound 30. Backyard Bowls, La Cumbre 31. Mesa Produce 32. MesaVerde Restaurant 33. Lazy Acres

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1. Municipal Winemakers 2. Riverbench Winery 3. Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co. 4. Reds Bar and Tapas 5. Backyard Bowls, Downtown SB 6. Chocolate Maya 7. Grapeseed Co. 8. Plum Goods 9. Scarlett Begonia 10. Bouchon Santa Barbara 11. Arlington Tavern 12. SB Public Market 12. Cazy Good Bread 12. Il Fustino 12. Santa Monica Seafood 13. Renaud’s, Arlington Plaza 14. Ca’ Dario Pizzeria 15. Sama Sama 16. Sanford Tasting Room 16. Cielito Restaurant 16. Isabella Gourmet Foods and Cebada Vineyards Tasting Room 17. American Riviera Bank 18. Sojourner Café 19. C’est Cheese

29 30

LAS POSITAS

Santa Barbara

LA CUMBRE

25 STATE ST.

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INE D R REL HO

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 79

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

by Liz Do dder

Fried Brussels Sprouts

at Sides Hardware & Shoes, a Brothers Restaurant Chef Michael Cherney came to Los Olivos to get in touch with ingredients and be closer to where they come from: the farm.

Farms are so important to Chef Cherney that he spent time living on one through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). He then escaped city life to slow down here in the Santa Ynez Valley, where he runs the kitchen at what locals just call Sides, and where most everything is sourced locally and fresh.

He uses sherry vinegar from Spain, and when it comes to capers, he finds smallest are best. As for the mega popular Brussels sprouts themselves, he says that this tasty winter Brassica can be hard to source locally simply because everyone wants them! Brussels sprouts farming, anyone?

LIZ DODDER

His dish features the acids of sherry and capers instead of the sprouts’ typical co-star: bacon. At a restaurant known for its house-cured bacon steak, one notices the lack of pork in this dish. Cherney explains: “It’s based on the roasted Brussels sprouts with fish sauce at David Chang’s Momofuku.”

Chef Cherney trims the stem off washed Brussels sprouts and cuts them in half. Then he heats peanut oil in a deep fryer to 350° (grapeseed and cottonseed oils also have a high smoke point but olive oil won’t work).

He fries them for 2 minutes or until golden brown, just before they get mushy inside. He removes them and tosses them with sherry vinegar and kosher salt, then finishes them with a handful of capers.

80 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA WINTER 2014

SAVORING THE PAST, CULTIVATING THE FUTURE Join the celebration of Santa Barbara’s best chefs, artisans, winemakers and farmers. Now in its second year, the Santa Barbara Food & Wine Weekend showcases the distinct tastes, sights and sounds of the region while also bringing cutting-edge culinary talent from across the country to Santa Barbara.

Learn more at www.BacaraCulinaryWeekend.com

April 16 –19, 2015 Bacara Resort & Spa Santa Barbara, CA

EdibleSantaBarbara.com WINTER 2014 | 81

SPEND THE HOLIDAYS

IN A PLACE LIKE NO OTHER.

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