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ISSUE 45 • SUMMER/FALL 2020
Santa Barbara ®
& Wine Country
Cuyama Lamb, Stewards for the Land God’s Country Provisions Life in Balance How to Write a Food Blog During a Pandemic and National Crisis L O Y A L
L O C A L
Together We Grow
Kelly and Elizabeth Hahn, Homeowners
What does True Community Banking mean? It means we invest in helping you and our community grow. It means our success is your success.
Let’s grow together. HOM E EQU I T Y L I N E S | CON FOR M I NG & J U M BO MORTG AG E S | BR I D G E LOA NS
AmericanRivieraBank.com • 805.335.8150 Santa Barbara • Montecito • Goleta • San Luis Obispo • Paso Robles Visit: www.AmericanRivieraBank.com
Tasting daily at the Margerum & Barden Tasting Room at the Hotel Californian, 19 East Mason, Santa Barbara
Margerum Wines are available at margerumwines.com, fi ne restaurants and food & wine retailers.
SANTA BAR BAR A
WIL FERNANDE Z
Late Summer/Early Fall
Departments 6 Food for Thought
24 Local Culinary Artist
by Krista Harris
God’s Country Provisions by Laura Booras
8 Wine Online What We’re Drinking at Home
28 Edible Pantry
12 In Season
Quick Pasta Cooking by Krista Harris
14 Cooking for Health 60 Support Local Guide Avocados Tomatoes Peppers Fish Cruciferous Vegetables Berries Chocolate
ERIN FEINBL AT T
20 Five Tips to Avoid Cooking Burnout by Krista Harris
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64 The Last Bite Sautéed Apples by Krista Harris
Join us FOR AN Empowering Event AT THE Drive-In
A world-renowned chef and outdoorsman, Eduardo is a testament to the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity.
SURVIVAL IS JUST THE BEGINNING
Special screening hosted by Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation
Charged: The Eduardo Garcia Story Following the film will be a never-before-seen, inspiring discussion with Eduardo Garcia. Thursday, October 8, 2020 West Wind Drive-in Theater Goleta, CA Gates open at 6 p.m. Movie begins at 7 p.m.
Reserve your ticket now at: cottagehealth.org/crhevent2020 www.cottagehealth.org/crhevent2020
Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital
SANTA BAR BAR A
Recipes in This Issue
32 Baa Baa Local Sheep
Salads & Appetizers
Cuyama Lamb, Stewards for the Land by Rosminah Brown
14 Avocado Tomato Salad 56 Fig and Melon Salad 55 Olive Tapenade Toasts 16 Pimientos de Padrón Tapas 57 Roasted Eggplant with Summer Salad 54 Summer Salad with Peaches, Mint and Burrata
42 How to Write a Food Blog During a Pandemic and National Crisis by Sarah Migliaccio and Janice Cook Knight
48 Grandmillenial Style In the Kitchen by Krista Harris
50 Where Have All My Flowers Gone? Man vs. Gopher by Nancy Oster
52 Life in Balance In the Time of Covid-19 by Pascale Beale
Main Dishes & Side Dishes 16 Brian’s Black Cod with Succotash 45 Janice’s Watermelon Salad 15 Pascale’s Ratatouille 31 Pasta with Chickpeas and Artichokes 30 Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans 46 Sarah’s Shatta (Middle Eastern Hot Sauce) 46 Sarah’s Skirt Steak with Shatta 17 Silky Sautéed Cabbage 29 Spicy Tomato Pasta 55 Tomato, Peach, Herb and Nut Tabouleh
Desserts & Beverages ABOUT THE COVER Jack Thrift, Jenya Schneider and their dog Rocco with their sheep at Elings Park. Photo by Rosminah Brown.
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19 Maya’s Dark Delicious Classic Truffles 45 Janice’s Southern Rose Peach Cocktail 18 Strawberries in Pinot Noir
PASC ALE BE ALE
Late Summer/Early Fall
Taste the Magic of Mangalitsa Pork from Winfield Farm
Photo credit: Edible Santa Barbara Magazine Roseminah Brown
Nestled in the Santa Ynez Valley 3 miles west of Buellton, Winfield Farm is owned and operated by Bruce and Diane Steele. Our dedication to top quality, naturally grown food that tastes good is why we specialize in rare purebred Mangalitsa wooly pigs. Winfield Farm operates entirely on SOLAR ENERGY & HUMAN POWER-Bruce raises our Manga herd single-handed. He has a personal relationship with every pig. Winfield Mangas are treated with utmost care throughout life. NO ANTIBIOTICS Winfield Mangasâ€™ diet consists of pasture plus 100% naturally grown barley, squash, acorns, walnuts â€“all except barley hand-harvested locally. Winfield Managas are finished on the same variety of acorns as the famed Iberico pigs renown for premium prosciutto - pata negra. NO GMO FEEDS Please visit the Winfield Farm Mangalitsa Market on our website. We offer USDA certified Mangalitsa roasts, chops, collar steaks, bacon, ground pork (the REAL ham burger) and other products. Try Winfield Mangalitsa Pork and taste the magic for yourself!
www.WinfieldFarm.us Also like us on Facebook: WinfieldFarmBuellton Follow us on Twitter: WinfieldFarmUS And Instagram: Winfield_Farm
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Listen to this article.
SANTA BAR BAR A Member of Edible Communities
STE VEN BROWN
Welcome back! After going on hiatus for the spring quarter, I am so happy to be bringing you this late summer/early fall issue. The world has turned upside down since our last issue and it seems like it was a lifetime ago. We have all experienced varying degrees of upset and challenges. There have been good days and bad days. Days of baking and days of barely getting Krista Harris wearing a locally made mask from the Etsy shop IttleTings. out of bed. Reopenings and reclosings. The only thing we can be sure of is that the “new normal” keeps changing. And this magazine is changing with the times as well. This issue will be entirely digital. We plan to offer a print version of the magazine in early November. But I have to say that there are some nice advantages to going digital. We have added website links throughout the articles and ads to make it easy to click for more information and audio files to some of the articles. As I worked on this over the past couple months my thoughts kept turning to what life must have been like for people during the early 1940s World War II on the homefront. They were faced with food shortages and rationing, curfews and blackout orders and the altogether real risk of losing friends and family members. Their lives were turned upside down as soon as Pearl Harbor was attacked and the United States entered the war in December 1941. For the next three years, people were forced to make many sacrifices without really knowing when it would all end. While history books go into great detail about the battles and the strategies of the war, I find the stories of the people who remained at home interesting. In many cases they were as brave and altruistic as the soldiers on the battlefield. But there were no medals given to women working double shifts at the shipyard or children who conducted scrap metal drives and planted victory gardens. The way communities pulled together to help the war effort was incredible. I think there are many lessons we can learn from that era and how people worked together to stay safe and well during such a major upheaval. My heart goes out to all the people today working on the front line of healthcare and food production and distribution. This issue is dedicated to everyone who has persevered during these difficult times. We are all in this together, and I hope you get some inspiration and enjoyment from reading this special issue.
Edible Communities James Beard Foundation Publication of the Year (2011)
Steven Brown & Krista Harris EDITOR
Krista Harris RECIPE EDITOR
Nancy Oster COPY EDITING & PROOFING
Doug Adrianson GRAPHIC DESIGN
Steven Brown & Krista Harris ADVERTISING
email@example.com SOCIAL MEDIA
Jill Johnson CONTRIBUTORS
Pascale Beale Laura Booras Rosminah Brown Henry Bruington Janice Cook Knight John Cox Joshua Curry Liz Dodder Erin Feinblatt Wil Fernandez Krista Harris Sarah Migliaccio Nancy Oster Colin Quirt Carole Topalian Edible Santa Barbara® is published quarterly and distributed throughout Santa Barbara County. Subscription rate is $28 annually. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used without written permission from the publisher. Publisher
Krista Harris, Editor and Co-Publisher
Email us at firstname.lastname@example.org to let us know how you are doing and what you’d like to see us cover in the next issue. Tag us on Instagram with what you are cooking @EdibleSB. 6 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
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.
Here To Support You During Covid 19 Plow to Porch is a local organic/pesticide free produce and grocery delivery service to simplify the purchase of local fresh organic/pesticide free produce and other local foods in order to inspire good nutrition, support local farmers, protect our environment and make eating healthy food fun! Subscribe to a weekly box of produce from local farms and extras like local organic honey, local organic eggs, local gourmet quiches and pies, organic fair trade coffees, local organic olive oils, local organic jams, local sustainable fresh fish, local hormone-free grass fed beef, and more delivered conveniently to your home, business, school or a designated drop off spot.
Subscriptions start at $22.50. You control your produce box delivery via our website! • Delivery options include weekly or every other week • Freedom to suspend your delivery, weekly billing, various box sizes • Gift certificates available
Au Bon Climat / Clendenen Family Vineyards www.AUBONCLIMAT.COM
What We’re Drinking at Home by Krista Harris If there’s anything that we always need to have on hand, it’s wine. Our local wineries have had to adjust to the pandemic regulations, but they have plenty of choices. Many offer outdoor tasting, but it’s also easy to order wine and have it delivered directly to your door. Buying wine online is a great way to show support for our local wineries. If you are not sure where to go or what to buy, perhaps our list will make it easy for you. Some wineries offer discounts on multiple bottles purchased. There are often even more discounts if you join their wine club. In addition, many wineries are offering specials on shipping or local delivery right now and other discounts. Availibility is constantly changing, so call or check their websites for additional information. They may offer live video guided tastings on their social media platforms.
So many wines to choose from! In addition to Au Bon Climat (you cannot go wrong with one of their exquisite Pinot Noirs or one of their Bien Nacido Chardonnays), you can order wine from Clendenen Family Vineyards and other Jim Clendenen projects. Also check out their specials and case discounts. Pictured here is the 2016 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard ($35). “This vineyard has hit its stride producing marvelous Chardonnays year after year. On the palate, classic Chardonnay flavors of apple, citrus and vanilla go on and on. Serve with shellfish, Cornish game hen, or alfredo pasta with lobster. Scored 94 points Antonio Galloni’s Vinous; 93 points Jeb Dunnuck; 92 points Wine Spectator.”
Buttonwood Winery & Vineyard www.BUTTONWOODWINERY.COM Rosé fans will struggle to choose between their Grenache Rosé and their Syrah Rosé — so just get both. Did we mention that they have discounts on ordering 12 or more bottles? Merlot fans (yes, there are many despite Sideways) will want to stock up on their 2015 Merlot ($23.40 or $20.80 for club members). “Cheeseburgers and pasta are perfect for this full-bodied Merlot. Merle is the French name for the black bird and our Merlot is always darkly hued. Crimson in color with beautiful clarity, 2015 Merlot’s bouquet is reminiscent of boysenberry, fig and subtle savory Herbes de Provence. In the mouth it is very fresh, showing a great balance between weight, acidity and toasty oak tannins. Flavors of fresh cherries and raspberry and beautiful cacao notes typical of the varietal are displayed on the finish.”
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Clementine Carter www.CASADUMETZWINES.COM
Winemaker Sonja Magdevski (of Casa Dumetz Wines) created the Clementine Carter label to focus on Rhône varietals and to explore a wine and cider combination each year with a unique bottling. In 2019 she created Clairette Beauty, 50% Clairette Blanche from Martian Ranch and 50% apple cider from Bear Creek Ranch in Aptos (sourced with the help from Scar of the Sea).
They have a case special on their Pinks Rosé ($120) right now that is not to be missed. Also worth stocking up on is their 2016 Cork Dancer Pinot Noir ($30). Or do a vertical tasting with the three-pack of their Highliner Pinot Noir, which includes 2012, 2013 and 2014 ($120).
Clementine Carter Clairette Beauty Vinous Cider 2019 is currently available online and is $36. Also online is the “Santa Barbara Virtual Tasting“ 3-bottle package ($100), which includes The Feminist Party GSM 2018, Clementine Carter Grenache Rosé and Clementine Carter Sta. Rita Hills Grenache 2018.
“Leading the Hitching Post Wines team are the creators and two longtime friends, Gray Hartley and Frank Ostini, who have been making wines in Santa Barbara County, California, since 1979. In 1981 they discovered the wonders of Santa Barbara Pinot Noir; since then Pinot has been their primary focus. Hartley and Ostini strive to create flavorful handcrafted wines that possess poise and balance, putting a slice of Santa Barbara in each glass, and a piece of their soul in every bottle of Hitching Post.”
Kita Wines www.KITAWINES.COM They have a well-rounded selection of wines available on their website, including some library wines. One standout is their 2018 T’aya ($22), a blend of Marsanne, Roussanne and Grenache Blanc. And if you’re collecting rosés, add their 2018 Grenache Rosé ($20) to your cart.
Foxen www.FOXENVINEYARD.COM Two of their exceptional Pinot Noirs—the 2016 Santa Maria Valley ($36) and the 2014 Sta. Rita Hills ($20.20)— are available to order online. Be sure to check out their Rhone-style wines as well. Quantity discounts for 6 or more bottles and bigger discounts for 12 or more. “Jenny and Dick’s seven-acre Williamson-Doré vineyard, planted in 1999, sits on the eastern realm of the Santa Ynez Valley, close to the entrance to Happy Canyon. The site is gently sloped to the south, with great sun exposure and shallow soils that de-vigor the vines and thus concentrating the fruit. Varietals grown include Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre and Sangiovese.”
“This rosé is comprised of 100% Grenache Noir grapes that are grown and picked specifically for rosé and the pale pink color and bright aromatic highlight this. The aromatics of strawberries, hibiscus, blood orange and cranberry entice you with their charms at first encounter. Relatively high acidity leads to an intense palate of ruby red grapefruit, red apple, white pepper and spice. The brightness combined with lees aging gives this wine a complexity and vibrancy that carries all the way through the finish. The purity of the Grenache grape makes this wine a match for almost any dish.”
EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 9
Margerum Wine Company www.MARGERUMWINES.COM Try the 2019 Riviera Rosé ($24.50) for a special dinner or try the 2018 Riviera Rosé in 375ml cans (12.50) for outdoor dining or relaxing by the pool when the weather is hot. Discounts on ordering 12 or more bottles.
Lo-Fi Wines www.LOFI-WINES.COM Although not all their offerings are available online, it’s a well-curated selection. Their Cab Francs are particularly noteworthy— 2018 Cabernet Franc Clos Mullet ($32) and 2018 Cabernet Franc Coquelicot ($28). And don’t miss the opportunity to grab some of their Chardonnay, Malbec and Syrah. 2018 Cabernet Franc Clos Mullet: “Hand-harvested and organically grown; 100% de-stemmed. Pumped over once daily. No sulfur used at harvest. Fermented on the native yeasts, followed by full malolactic by naturally occurring bacteria. The wine was fermented for two weeks then pressed to tank, settled, then racked to barrel the following day. Total of 20 ppm so2 added without filtration in keeping with our minimalist (lo-fi) philosophy.”
“Riviera Rosé, called ‘Riviera’ as Santa Barbara is known as the American Riviera based on its’ southern-facing, Mediterranean climate. This is the perfect wine to accompany the picnics, dinners, and BBQs. Enjoy Riviera Rosé on the lake or by the pool. You can take this can of rosé just about anywhere. Our winemaker, Doug, worked at a winery in the south of France for 4 years where this style of rosé is made and Margerum Wine Company makes the private-label rosé for Auberge de Soleil and other top properties.”
Lumen Wines www.LUMENWINES.COM You’ll find a good selection of Lumen’s handcrafted wines on their website, and what’s more they offer a large outdoor space ideal for tasting if you’d like to stop by their Los Alamos tasting room. Shipping is free on orders of six or more bottles. Some Pinot Noirs are club member only, but anyone can pick out the stellar combination of the Lumen Pinot Noir 2016 ($36) and the Pinot Gris 2018 ($30). Lane Tanner’s Pinot Gris could single-handedly cause you to fall in love with this varietal. From the tasting notes:“This Pinot Gris offers aromas of canteloupe, white peach and honeysuckle. On the palate it offers fresh melon, butterscotch and peach flavors focused around a striking acidity and minerality. The finish is long and lingering... Drink now through 2035.” As if we could keep it that long without drinking it… 10 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
Riverbench Vineyard www.RIVERBENCH.COM After perusing the great selection of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, be sure not to miss their lineup of sparkling wines—Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, Demi Sec, Brut Rosé and Pinot Meunier (see description below). Discounts on ordering 12 or more bottles. “This rare grape is famous in Champagne, France, but has yet to make itself known in California; we are, in fact, the first to grow it for sparkling wine here in Santa Barbara County. We jumped in with both feet
and took a chance, and this first Pinot Meunier sparkling wine is lighting up our world. The grape itself has quite a backbone, forming a sparkling wine with structure and complexity.”
Rusack Vineyards www.RUSACK.COM They have a nice selection of Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs at different price points. Also don’t pass up their 2018 Sauvignon Blanc, Ballard Canyon Estate ($26), a great everyday dinner wine. And for a special occasion, they have a large selection of magnums. “This 2018 vintage of Sauvignon Blanc marks our second 100% Ballard Canyon Estate Sauvignon Blanc. After arriving at the winery in the early morning, the grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed, and then cold-fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve the crispness and varietal characteristics. This beautifully dry white wine is gifted with bright fruit aromas, suggesting both white nectarine and passionfruit. These merge with flavors of caramelized pineapple & jasmine blossom, underscored by a hint of slate, with a finish on the palate that is both full and fresh.”
Taste of Sta. Rita Hills www.TASTEOFSTARITAHILLS.COM This is where you head when you really want a large selection— representing a compilation of some of the most prestigious wines in the Sta. Rita Hills. Browse the Storm Wines, Paul Lato Wines, Demetria, Sea Smoke and many others. Italian varietal lovers will gravitate toward their Moretti label 2017 Sangiovese Grosso ($38), 2018 Barbera ($38) and the 2018 Vermentino ($29), described below. “Another fantastic vintage for one of our most popular white wines. We love this vineyard for its consistency of quality. White flowers, citrus and tropical fruit on the nose lead to a bright cornucopia on the palate—lime, mulberries and ripe pear. This is a medium-bodied wine perfect for sipping alone or paired with seafood, chicken or fried foods. While rich on the palate, the low alcohol makes the finish clean and crisp.”
Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards www.ZACAMESA.COM Along with their excellent selection of Rhone varietals, they have a couple of exceptional Chardonnays and a Pinot Noir from Bien Nacido Vineyard. We love their 2014 Z Three estate ($48). But don’t forget to add one of our favorite whites, the 2017 Viognier ($25), to your cart.
Santa Barbara Winery www.SBWINERY.COM With so many wines to choose from, their specials on packs of three wines are the way to go. Try the Italian Package, which includes Primitivo from Joughin Vineyard, Sangiovese from Stolpman Vineyard and Lagrein from Joughin Vineyard. If you are shopping for a gift, check out their branded wooden wine boxes. Another option, wines from both Santa Barbara Winery and La Fond Winery are available for local delivery.
“Viognier is a white grape variety indigenous to the Rhône Valley of France. We are so taken with this beautifully aromatic varietal that we have dedicated 20 acres of our estate vineyard to the grape. The 2017 is a stunning, pure and elegant expression of Viognier. The nose is laser-focused with stone fruits, pear skin and white flowers, spotlighting mineral notes of wet stone and chalk. With beautiful energy on the palate, its mouthwatering acidity carries persistent flavors of nectarine and citrus peel.”
EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 11
in Season this summer/fall Summer Produce Apricots Artichokes Asparagus Avocados Basil Beans, green Blackberries Blueberries Cabbage Cantaloupe Celery Cherries Chiles Chives Cilantro Collards Corn Cucumber Dill Eggplant Figs Grapefruit Grapes Lavender Limes Melons Mint Mulberries Mustard greens Nectarines Onions, green bunching Peaches Peppers Plums/Pluots Raspberries Squash, summer Strawberries Tomatillo Tomatoes Turnips Watermelon
Almonds, almond butter (harvested Aug/Sept)
Apples Arugula Beans, dried Beets Bok choy Broccoli Carrots Cauliflower Chard Dandelion Dates
Halibut Rock fish Salmon, King Sardines Shark Spot prawns Swordfish Tuna, albacore White seabass Yellowtail
Year-Round Seafood Abalone (farmed) Black cod Clams Oysters Rock crab Sanddabs Urchin
Edible flowers Garlic
(Bay leaf, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme)
Kale Leeks Lemons Lettuce Mushrooms Onions, bulb
Oranges Pistachios, pistachio oil (harvested Sept/Oct)
Potatoes Radishes Raisins
Spinach Sprouts Squash, winter
Walnuts, walnut oil (harvested Sept/Oct)
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Other Year-Round Eggs Coffee (limited availability) Dairy
(Regional raw milk, artisanal goat- and cow-milk cheeses, butters, curds, yogurts and spreads)
Fresh flowers Honey Olives, olive oil Meat
(Beef, chicken, duck, goat, rabbit, pork)
Potted plants/herbs Preserves Wheat
(Wheat berries, wheat flour, bread, pasta and baked goods produced from wheat grown locally)
EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 13
cooking for health
any people are taking an increased interest in the food they eat. Whatever your age and risk factor, eating foods that are anti-inflammatory can optimize your health during this pandemic. Here’s a list of the top seven most useful (and delicious) anti-inflammatory foods and recipes from our archives to go along with them.
1. Avocados We are fortunate to live in a premier avocado-growing region, so put this at the top of your list when shopping at the farmers market or local farm stand. The healthy properties of avocados are as numerous as the culinary opportunities. Here’s a simple salad similar to an Italian Caprese salad that uses avocados instead of cheese.
Egg Salad Sandwich What to do with your beautiful onion-skin-dyed Easter eggs? First on the list must be a classic egg salad sandwich. You have many variations to choose from so you won’t getAvocado Tomato Salad tired of them, even if you’ve made dozens of eggs. This recipe is so adaptable. It can be very colorful if you Makes 2 sandwiches use yellow and orange tomatoes along with red ones. You 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and coarsely chopped could also layer thin slices of cucumber or radishes along with the tomatoes and avocados. 2 tablespoons mayonnaise or 1 tablespoon mayonnaise and 1 tablespoon crème fraiche Salt and pepper, to taste
Makes 4 servings 2 avocados, cut in half, pitted and peeled 2 large tomatoes
A couple sprigs of cilantro or basil, torn in small pieces • A tablespoon of something crunchy, such as capers, chopped celery, chopped pickled vegetables, chopped radishes or chopped Olive oil onion
• A sprinkling of chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, basil, cilantro, chervil or tarragon
Kosher or coarse salt
• A dash of something tangy, such as lemon or lime juice, or the Freshly ground black pepper pickled juice or caper brine if you used either of those or a dash Slice the avocado and the tomato into ¼-inch-thick slices. of white wine vinegar Arrange on a platter alternating the avocado and the tomato in a Bread (sliced bread, baguette, bagel, roll, croissant or slider bun) concentric circle or in rows. Sprinkle the herbs and drizzle a small Additional mayonnaise and/or mustard (optional) amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar evenly across the salad. Add a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper and serve immediately. Additional pickled vegetables (optional) Lettuce Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, seasoning and additions and mix until incorporated but2018 with a still chunky texture. Taste and add 14 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER FALL /FALL 2020 more seasoning or additions if needed.
– Krista Harris
2. Tomatoes Tomatoes stay in season through the end of fall, so enjoy them now. But don’t stop at just using them in salads. The healthy lycopene in tomatoes is even more fully absorbed by your body when tomatoes are cooked with olive oil.
Pascale’s Ratatouille Ratatouille is the epitome of Provençal fare, and originated in Nice. My grandfather’s family comes from the same part of the world and our family recipe has been passed down through generations. My mother taught me to make this dish. Ratatouille is traditionally made with the addition of red and green peppers. They are thinly sliced and also cooked separately before adding to the onion mixture, usually after the zucchini but before the tomatoes. I prefer to make it without the peppers. There are many recipes for cooking ratatouille, each varying in the order that one cooks the vegetables. Purists insist (as my great-aunt did) that each vegetable is cooked separately before being mixed in with the onions as this seals in the taste of each vegetable. I absolutely agree and believe that it’s worth the extra effort to prepare it this way. One last note: Do not cover your ratatouille as this will cause too much moisture in the dish. Makes 8–10 servings 4–5 medium yellow onions, cut in half and then thinly sliced 1 large or 2 medium aubergines (eggplant), thinly sliced and cut into small cubes 4–6 courgettes (zucchini), cut into quarters lengthwise and then into small cubes 8–10 medium tomatoes (Romas work well), quartered and diced 3 cloves garlic, either finely chopped or crushed Olive oil Salt and pepper 1 bay leaf
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan pour a little olive oil and then add the chopped onions. Cook until soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Whilst the onions are browning, in a large frying pan or heavy skillet pour a little olive oil and sauté the chopped aubergines (eggplant) until lightly browned. about 8–10 minutes. Once cooked, add the aubergines to the onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. In the same frying pan/skillet pour a little more olive oil and add the courgettes (zucchini). Cook until lightly browned, approximately 5–7 minutes. Once cooked, add these to the onion mixture.
C AROLE TOPALIAN
In the same frying pan/skillet add a touch more olive oil and cook the tomatoes over high heat with the garlic for 2–3 minutes—letting any excess water from the tomatoes evaporate. Add the tomatoes to the onion mixture. Cook all the vegetable together for a further 30–45 minutes, adding salt and pepper to your liking and adding the bay leaf, which should be removed just before serving. It is also excellent served cold the next day. – Pascale Beale
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4. Fish The fatty fishes such as salmon, black cod, sardines, herring, mackerel and anchovies have the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Here’s our favorite black cod recipe from Chef Brian Parks, formerly of Coast Restaurant.
3. Peppers Late summer is pepper season; both sweet bell peppers and hot chili peppers are excellent anti-inflammatory foods. Padron peppers (and the similar Shishito peppers) are delicious when quickly cooked in a hot pan with olive oil and sprinkled with salt.
Brian’s Black Cod with Succotash Makes 2 servings Two 6-ounce portions black cod
Pimientos de Padrón Tapas In Spain you find them in tapas bars as pimientos de Padrón. Picked when they are small, most are sweet and mild, but every so often you’ll encounter one with fiery heat. Eating them is a bit like a pepper roulette! Try them the way they are served in Spain, where they are quickly fried in olive oil and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. Serve them whole—pick them up by the stem, and eat the pepper, leaving the stem. If you can’t find Padrón peppers, you can substitute shishito peppers. Makes 4 servings Olive oil 30–40 Padrón or shishito peppers
1 ear white corn 1
⁄ 4 cup fava beans
⁄ 4 cup spring onions or cipollini onions
⁄ 4 cup baby zucchini
⁄ 4 cup grape tomatoes
⁄ 4 cup baby spinach
2 ounces olive oil
In a cast-iron pan or good-quality stainless steel pan, heat up 1 ounce of the olive oil over medium to high heat. Season the black cod with salt and pepper, and place skin side down in the pan, cooking for 5 minutes. Flip the fish over and lower the heat to finish the cooking process. The meat will have a light, flaky feel and will separate slightly when done.
Add enough olive oil to a medium skillet to generously cover the bottom, and heat over a medium flame. Add the peppers, and fry in the hot oil. Stir or turn the peppers, and cook just until they are slightly browned and blistered. Sprinkle with a good coarse sea salt and serve immediately.
In a sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil. Have the fava beans cleaned and blanched, and the corn should be removed from the cob. Add the corn and fava beans to the sauté pan, and cook over medium heat. Try not to get any caramelization on the vegetables when cooking. Slice the zucchini into thin rounds and add to the pan. Halve the tomatoes and add with the spinach to the pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the succotash on the plate and the perfectly cooked black cod on top. Serve immediately.
– Krista Harris
– Brian Parks
Coarse sea salt
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5. Cruciferous Vegetables Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and cabbage are all loaded with antioxidants. Cabbage is one of the most versatile— shred it raw for salads and slaws, ferment it for sauerkraut or try this easy pan sautéed recipe.
Silky Sautéed Cabbage I first had sautéed cabbage when my grandfather’s girlfriend made it for a dinner. I was probably in high school at the time, but it really made an impression on me. And I listened carefully when she described how she made it. She used lots of bacon—no wonder it was so good! I created the recipe using more onion and a little pancetta and I think it is even better, although a vegetarian version with just olive oil would also work beautifully. 1 small head of cabbage or 1 ⁄ 2 large cabbage 1 medium to large onion, diced 3 ounces pancetta (or 3 slices of bacon), diced Olive oil, if needed Salt and freshly ground black pepper White wine vinegar, if needed
Cut the cabbage into quarters, cut the core out and then slice into nice thin ribbons. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and cook the pancetta until it is beginning to brown. It should render enough fat for sautéing the cabbage, but if it is very lean, add a little olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes and then add the cabbage. Add salt and pepper.
Sauté the cabbage mixture for about 8–10 minutes over medium heat, stirring from time to time to coat all the cabbage and onion with the pancetta. When it is very tender and caramelized, taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Sometimes I add a dash of white wine vinegar, if it needs a little boost in flavor. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat later. – Krista Harris
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6. Berries Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries along with cherries and grapes are all excellent for your immune system. Berries are great for breakfasts, snacks and make a healthy dessert. And don’t forget that red wine has long been associated with protective health benefits.
Strawberries in Pinot Noir Even less-than-perfect strawberries are improved by this method and dead-ripe strawberries become ambrosial. You also get your dessert and after-dinner wine in one dish. Local Pinot Noir pairs very well with strawberries, but you can also successfully substitute other types of red wine. Choose a wine that you enjoy drinking. The wine is not cooked, so you are essentially drinking this wine. And it pairs well with more of the same. Makes 2–4 servings 1 pint strawberries 1 cup red wine (Pinot Noir or another red wine) 1
⁄ 8 to 1 ⁄ 4 cup unbleached granulated sugar, depending on the sweetness
of the berries
ERIN FEINBL AT T
Freshly ground pepper, to taste (optional)
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Trim and cut the berries in half, or in quarters if they are large. Combine them in a medium bowl with the sugar and then pour the wine over them and let macerate at room temperature for no more than 1 hour. Serve in a bowl or wine glass along with the wine and, if desired, a touch of freshly ground pepper. It is also excellent served with sorbet or as an accompaniment to cake. – Krista Harris
7. Chocolate As if we need another reason to indulge our love for dark chocolate and cocoa, the anti-inflammatory effects make it an important part of a healthy diet. Try using cacao nibs as a substitution for nuts when garnishing a dish. And, of course, a little piece of chocolate makes a great dessert. Making classic truffles rolled in cocoa powder is not terribly difficult when you follow this recipe from Maya Schoop-Rutten of Chocolate Maya.
Maya’s Dark Delicious Classic Truffles For a spicy variation add a chili powder of your choice into the cream at the same time you add the honey: 1 ⁄4 teaspoon of red chili or 1 ⁄8 teaspoon of habanero chili. Makes 20–30 truffles 2 cups (10 ounces) of high-quality chocolate discs or cut up bars of chocolate, 55% to 60% cocoa mass. (Naturally, you can find this at Chocolate Maya; Guittard or Valrhona chocolate is also recommended) 11 ⁄ 2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature (Straus Family Creamery is recommended) 2
⁄ 3 cup of the best-quality heavy cream
(Straus Family Creamery is recommended) 1 tablespoon honey (Local San Marcos Farms honey, any variety, is recommended) 1
⁄ 4 teaspoon pure vanilla or 1 ⁄2 teaspoon very dark rum
8 ounces high-quality unsweetened pure cocoa powder for rolling and dusting
Set your chocolate in a bowl. The chocolate must be in chips, discs or cut into small pieces with a sharp knife. Cut the butter into very small pieces and spread them over the chocolate chips. Set your cream in a pan ready for the stove top. Add the honey to the cream along with the vanilla or rum. Make sure your chocolate bowl is not on a cold surface—put a towel between the counter and the bowl for insulation to keep your cream nice and warm. Get your cream to a boil, then pour onto the chocolate and butter. Let the cream soak into the chocolate and butter. Use a rubber spatula to gently move the cream to cover most of the chocolate for about 20 seconds or until the chocolate is melted.
Then, with a very strong wrist movement, you will whisk the chocolate and butter starting right at the center of your bowl. As the emulsion begins to form, continue whisking outwards to the edges of the bowl. Do not stop; you need to make an emulsion. The whole process will take approximately 1 minute. Your chocolate should look shiny, almost like chocolate pudding. Note: If the chocolate doesn’t emulsify or if it “breaks” (looks grainy or curdled), try putting it immediately into a food processor and blending until smooth. When your chocolate ganache is smooth and shiny, you will let it sit for 24 hours at a temperature no higher than 70°. I do not recommend the refrigerator for this recipe. After 24 hours your ganache will be set and ready to be rolled. Set your 8 ounces of pure cocoa powder into a deep bowl. Use a miniature ice cream scoop or a spoon to scoop a small amount of the ganache out to roll in your hands. One very useful trick is to coat your hand with some cocoa powder so the ganache does not stick to your skin. Roll the rounded truffle into the cocoa powder in the bowl until nicely and evenly covered. Set on a flat tray, ready to eat anytime! Keep out of the refrigerator or if you must put them in, use an airtight container (humidity is the worst enemy of chocolate). The truffles will keep one week, but like anything they will be better fresh!
LITTLE BONUS FOR VANILLA You can make your own vanilla extract with fresh vanilla pods marinated in vodka. Split the vanilla pods lengthwise and soak in the vodka of your choice. – Maya Schoop-Rutten
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5 tips to combat Cooking Burnout 1. Get Inspired
Sometimes all you need is a fresh dose of inspiration. Reading a new cookbook or blog, watching some cooking videos or swapping recipes with a friend are good ways to get new ideas. Youâ€™ll find some inspiration in the pages of this magazine and be sure to check out the Edible Santa Barbara website and social media channels.
n addition to baking, many of us are cooking more meals at home than we ever have before. With little opportunity to go out and keeping a close eye on our budgets, eating at home has become the new norm. The great thing about cooking at home is that you can cook delicious meals that you and your family love and they are often healthier and more economical, too. The downside is that after cooking three meals a day for seven days a week, you may start to experience burnout. Here are five tips to keep your spirits up and the home kitchen humming.
Pascale Beale Blog, online cooking classes and YouTube channel videos. www.PascalesKitchen.com
Sarah Migliaccio and Janice Cook Knight Blog and recipes. www.TriedAndTrueKitchen.com
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IN ADDITION, WE LOVE THE FOLLOWING
Pick Up Limes
Mindful meals and meal prep. Great for breakfast, lunch and snack ideas. Check out the video “Delicious curries » 3 recipes + homemade naan.” www.youtube.com/pickuplimes
Healthy, gluten-free, seasonal and whole food recipes. Check out the video “Cilantro Lime Chicken | easy & flavorful chicken thigh recipe.” www.youtube.com/Downshiftology
Elegant, easy plant-based cooking. Check out the video “Quarantine-Fit | keeping fit & healthy during lockdown.“ www.youtube.com/avantgardevegan
Simple, creative, home-cooked meals. Check out the video “Spicy Spaghetti Bolognese with a secret ingredient!” www.youtube.com/user/donalskehan
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Pick Up Limes Downshiftology avantgardevegan Donal Skehan
Fit Men Cook Healthy and quick cooking. Check out the video “Soul Food - Tomatoes and Okra with Shrimp.” www.youtube.com/fitmencook
Fit Men Cook Garden Answer Vegetable gardening and landscaping. Check out the video “How to Plant Potatoes! // Garden Answer.” www.youtube.com/gardenanswer
My Name is Andong My Name is Andong
Unusual cooking techniques, world cuisine. Check out the video “Scallion Pancakes: Korean or Chinese?” www.youtube.com/mynameisandong
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try going vegetarian (or vegan, gluten-free, paleo, etc.) for a month; cook from a specific cookbook for a week; cook from just what’s in your garden for a day; and a long-time Edible favorite challenge is to eat entirely local food for a month. The advantage of a challenge is that it might introduce you to new habits that you will keep long after the challenge is over.
4. Include Others
AtHomeWithNikki Kitchen and home organization. Check out the video “Organized Kitchen Tour | How To Organize Your Kitchen.” www.youtube.com/athomewithnikki
2. Create a Plan Taking a more structured approach can make cooking easier and less stressful. If you haven’t already, start meal planning. Start by doing an inventory of what’s in your pantry, refrigerator and garden (if you are growing edibles). Plan out what you want to make each week and make a list of what you need to buy. Try making a weekly menu and posting it in your kitchen to keep yourself on track and to let your family know what’s coming up each week. You might also try keeping a cooking journal to document what you are cooking and your thoughts and impressions of how each meal turned out. A cooking journal is also a great place to make notes of recipes you’d like to try in the future.
3. Challenge Yourself It’s similar to playing a game. You can make cooking fun again by challenging yourself to cook something new or in a different way. There are many challenges you can choose from—cook five new recipes each week;
Everything is more fun when you do it for and with other people. Although we are social distancing right now, you can find creative ways to involve other people. You can host a dinner party on Zoom. Some people send out recipes ahead of time and everyone makes the same meal. Video conferencing is great for cooking together or making cocktails together or just enjoying a glass of wine and conversation. Another option to involve others is to set up a meal exchange with a friend or neighbor where you cook dinner for each other once a week. You can drop it off on each other’s doorstep with no in-person contact. It can also be great to cook an easily transportable (and easy to reheat) dinner for someone in need. It’s not much more work to make a double batch of something—one to keep and one to share.
5. Take a Break Often the best solution to burnout is simply to take a break. You may have been cooking seven nights a week for quite some time now. Give yourself some time off and use up some freezer meals that you stockpiled. Or get a meal at a restaurant that offers pickup or delivery. You can also pick up some prepared foods or easy-toheat meals at the market. If you are lucky enough to have other household members who cook, then rotate cooking dinner (and cleanup), so everyone participates and gets time off. We may be cooking at home more, but it doesn’t have to feel like a chore. Give yourself what you need to keep your creative juices flowing in the kitchen, and enjoy nurturing yourself and the ones you love. – Krista Harris
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C U L I N A RY A RT I S T
God’s Country Provisions by Laura Booras PHOTOGRAPHY BY WIL FERNANDEZ
Piping the meringue onto a lemon glazed doughnut.
or me, there’s not much that evokes happy memories more than a freshly made doughnut. As children, my sister and I would stay with my grandparents for the weekend, and my grandfather would gently wake us up early on Saturday mornings. We would get in the car, sometimes still in our pajamas, and drive to the local Krispy Kreme as the sun came up. Everyone else would be in bed, but the doughnut shop was bustling, serving up huge trays of doughnuts. Each of us would savor one, still warm, and my grandfather would make his
disappear before we got home, since he wasn’t supposed to be eating them in the first place. It’s precisely this kind of story that the owners of God’s Country Provisions had in mind when they got into the doughnut business. The brand brings together products and experiences that evoke the spirit of a simpler, happier way of life. I was fortunate enough to get a behind-the-scenes tour last winter before the pandemic with Loren Ollenburger, who owns the shop with his wife, Sarah, and partners Tracy and Craig Minus. Opposite: Loren Ollenburger
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For decoration like meringue or another color glaze, this is vital because if the topping melts off, it doesn’t make for a pretty result. Other decorations, like sugared blueberries, iced stripes or crumbled toppings, can be added after the glaze. Gonzales, a professional chef, went to culinary school and found a niche where his expertise and creativity clearly shine through. While yeast doughnuts will always be my favorites (also, chocolate is a must), God’s Country Provisions also offers a selection of cake doughnuts. I’m told that these can be really complex because the cake allows for more flavors in the base of the doughnut.
Sugared blueberries are carefully placed on these glazed doughtnuts.
When I arrived, I was given an apron featuring the shop’s simple silhouetted logo, inspired by a scene near their home. Loren led me into the kitchen, where the counters and shelves were filled with yellow and purple doughnuts created for a special event at the local high school. The two couples moved up to the area because they admired the quality of life here. “We had the same desire to raise our children outside of the hustle and bustle of Orange County and Santa Barbara,” Sarah shared. At one point, the couples got wind that Donut Time, a Buellton shop, was for sale. Having always loved doughnuts, they decided to take a leap and get into the business. “We don’t just hand people a menu and tell them to pick something. We’re constantly innovating and coming up with creative flavors and colors, new ideas.” This is evident in the unique flavor combinations, like strawberry habanero, many of which feature local ingredients. In the works right now is a lavender doughnut, featuring local lavender flowers from Lavande. A few months prior, the families purchased Los Olivos Lemons, which feature prominently in the Lemon Meringue doughnuts. Their creativity even extends to wine pairings. At Riverbench, we’ve now hosted two events featuring God’s Country Provisions doughnuts made to pair with our wines, including the use of Chardonnay in the filling. The key is that these beautiful creations aren’t overly sweet. They feature complementary flavors that enhance the characteristics of the wine. A sommelier-worthy pairing? Perhaps not, but it’s a lot of fun, and if you’re not having fun while drinking wine, then you’re doing it wrong. Head Chef Alex Gonzales was busy in the kitchen the day I visited, and he showed me how careful he has to be when glazing doughnuts. The key is temperature: the doughnut itself and the glaze can’t be too hot or too cold, or the texture changes, and it won’t stick properly.
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This makes sense; the blueberry doughnut is a revelation of fresh blueberry flavor. And don’t underestimate the classics, either, like a traditional old fashioned. When pressed, Loren admits that this is his favorite, simple and delicious. The case is enticing, full of simple doughnuts one would expect in any shop, along with the more innovative flavor combinations. Loren and his partners love children, families and this beautiful area. Their generosity extends well beyond the massive box of doughnuts I was lucky enough to take home from my visit. They offer a complimentary coffee to any first responders who come into the shop, too. And shortly after the pandemic began, they created decorateyour-own-doughnut kits that could be picked up or shipped to people who couldn’t come into the shop. I can’t imagine how many grateful parents there were out there when those kits arrived, offering their kids a welcome break from the chaotic world. If their main goal was to provide a happy and satisfying feeling to their patrons, the families have certainly accomplished this mission. To bite into a doughnut is to become nostalgic for a simpler time. For me, the memories of sharing a sweet treat with someone I really loved come rushing back. Loren thanked me for visiting, but the truth is, we should all be thanking them for putting their hearts into something as unique as God’s Country Provisions. Now, more than ever, we all find respite in a simple taste of comfort. Laura Booras, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, is the general manager at Riverbench Vineyard & Winery in the Santa Maria Valley. Wil Fernandez, a former advertising agency executive, enjoys dabbling in multimedia production and getting his hands dirty. Both transplants from the East Coast, Laura and Wil live on the vineyard, where they actively farm their own ingredients used to host food writers, celebrity chefs and wine critics for unique Wine Country experiences.
If you go… The store is located at 252 E Hwy 246 Suite C, Buellton. It is open in the morning from Wednesday through Sunday, and the pop-up shop in Los Olivos is open on weekends. Visit www.GodsCountryProvisions.com for more information, and follow them on Instagram for drool-worthy reasons to visit more often.
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PA N T R Y
Quick Pasta Cooking When There’s Nothing in the House for Dinner by Krista Harris
Shopping List Pasta — penne, fusilli and orecchiette (or your favorite shapes) 1 (15 -ounce) can of tomato sauce 2 (15-ounce) cans of crushed, diced or peeled tomatoes 6 -ounce tube of tomato paste 1 (15-ounce) can of cannellini or white beans 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans 1 (14-ounce) can of artichoke hearts (in water or oil) Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil Small can or jar of anchovies (optional) Kalamata olives Capers Garlic (preferably fresh, but in a jar if necessary) Pine nuts or blanched slivered almonds (optional) Breadcrumbs Red pepper flakes Dried oregano or Herbes de Provence dried herb blend Kosher salt Black pepper Olive oil Red wine (optional)
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lot of us have been cooking at home more and going to the grocery store less often. At some point, you may look in the refrigerator and think to yourself that there is nothing to make for dinner. So it’s a good idea to have some standby pantry staple recipes that are quick, easy and delicious. These meals have the added bonus of being made from fairly inexpensive ingredients, and they don’t use a lot of pots and pans. So they are easy on the budget and cleanup is simple. My definition of a pantry meal is that it has to be made from ingredients that are shelf stable and always in my pantry. Pasta meals are the perfect solution. You can always jazz these up with some fresh ingredients or something you’ve defrosted from your freezer or serve them with a fresh salad. But at least you know that in a pinch, if you have just these ingredients in your pantry, you and your family will not go hungry. At left is a list of the pantry basics I like to have on hand. With this list, you can make all three of the following pantry dinners. And they are all so good that you might just find yourselft making them even when there is plenty in your refrigerator for dinner.
Spicy Tomato Pasta This is a hybrid of an arrabbiata sauce and a puttanesca sauce. It is ridiculously easy and smells so good that it makes your mouth water as you are making it. Like all these recipes, it can easily be doubled to serve more. Don’t be turned off by the anchovy— you can leave it out if you like and the flavor will still be robust. This is an all-pantry recipe, but you can easily add more to it, depending on what you have on hand. If you have access to fresh basil or parsley, chop it up or tear off a few leaves and add to the pasta right before serving. It’s also good served along with some grilled fish or chicken. Makes 2 servings 6 ounces penne pasta (or your favorite shape) Olive oil Red pepper flakes 1–2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 anchovy fillets, optional 15-ounce can of tomato sauce A splash of red wine or water 8 –10 kalamata black olives, pitted and cut in half 2 tablepoons capers, drained
Bring a medium-size pot of salted water to boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve a little of the pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, add a generous amount of olive oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes— a pinch or about ¼ teaspoon depending on how spicy you’d like it. Add the garlic and the anchovies, if you are using them. Crush the anchovies into the oil and garlic and cook until just softened and combined. Add the tomato sauce, adding a splash of red wine or water to the can to rinse out the tomato sauce and add that to the skillet. Add the olives and capers. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 10 –15 minutes, taste and add salt and pepper as needed. After draining the cooked pasta, add it to the skillet and stir to combine. Add a little of the reserved pasta water, if it needs thinning. Serve immediately, adding chopped fresh basil or parsley if you have it.
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Pasta with Tomatoes and White Beans Although this is similar to the previous recipe, it showcases cannellini beans. I’ve used canned beans to make it a quick dinner, but in an ideal world you’d use soaked and cooked dried beans. Beans, and canned beans in particular, can be a bit bland, so the key to this recipe is to season it well with salt and pepper. The toasted bread crumbs are a great substitute for Parmesan cheese. Although if you do have fresh Parmesan, feel free to add it as a garnish. Another nice touch is to top it with a drizzle of either plain olive oil or a garlic or herb infused olive oil. As with the previous recipe, this can be jazzed up if you have some fresh ingredients. It’s very nice to add some fresh spinach. Just toss it in at end and cook until just barely wilted. Makes 2 servings 6 ounces fusilli pasta (or your favorite shape) Olive oil 1
⁄ 4 cup dried bread crumbs, crushed so that they are fine
Salt and pepper Dried oregano or Herbes de Provence 1–2 cloves of garlic, minced 15-ounce can of cannellini or white beans, rinsed and drained 15-ounce can of crushed, diced or peeled tomatoes
Bring a medium-size pot of salted water to boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve a little of the pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, add olive oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and stir constantly until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe out the pan and return to heat adding more olive oil and the garlic and a generous pinch of the dried herbs. As soon as the garlic begins to soften, add the beans and an additional drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Sauté the beans until coated with the olive oil, then add the tomatoes. If your tomatoes are whole, break them up with a wooden spoon. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 15–20 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning. After draining the cooked pasta, add it to the skillet and stir to combine. Add a little of the reserved pasta water, if it needs thinning. If you have fresh spinach, add it and stir until just wilted. Serve immediately, topped with the toasted breadcrumbs and a drizzle of olive oil—if you have a garlic or herb infused olive oil, this a great time to use it.
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Pasta with Chickpeas and Artichokes This is inspired by Victoria Granof â€™s recipe for Pasta con Ceci from her book Chickpeas. I love her one-pot method and customized it to accommodate some triedand-true pantry ingredients. Makes 2 servings Pine nuts or blanched slivered almonds (optional, but they are a great touch) Olive oil Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes Some finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, about a tablespoon 2â€“3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and more later to taste if needed 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped A couple tablespoons or a handful of pitted kalamata olives, whole or cut in half, optional 6 ounces pasta (a small shape such as orecchiette, ditalini or macaroni) 2 cups hot or boiling water Salt and pepper
Add a small handful of pine nuts (or almonds) to a large skillet or large shallow Dutch oven over medium heat and stir until just lightly toasted. Remove and set aside. Add a generous amount of olive oil to the skillet (about 4 tablespoons) over medium heat and add a pinch of red pepper flakes and the garlic, cooking it until the garlic becomes golden brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes with their oil and the tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds. Then add the chickpeas, olives, artichoke hearts, pasta and hot water, stirring to combine all the ingredients and scraping any browned areas of the skillet. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Most of the liquid should be absorbed and it should be a nice saucy consistency. If the liquid is almost completely absorbed before 15 minutes, cover the skillet for the last few minutes. If it is too soupy, cook uncovered slightly longer to thicken it. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately topped with a drizzle of olive oil and the toasted pine nuts or almonds, if you are using them. Krista Harris is the editor and publisher of Edible Santa Barbara. She loves cooking more than she loves cleaning and is grateful to have a husband who insists on doing the dishes.
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Baa Baa Local Sheep Cuyama Lamb, Stewards for the Land Words and Photos by Rosminah Brown
New life revitalizes areas burnt by the Cave Fire at the San Marcos Foothills Preserve.
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Listen to this article.
sn’t it interesting that our childhood storybooks and Mother Goose rhymes involved sheep and shepherds, but they are more like fairy tales because who actually has sheep? We function in a predominantly urban society. How often do we see sheep except at zoos and a few farms? I’ve been lucky to grow up in the Santa Barbara foothills —and there were cows at least — in the area now known as San Marcos Foothills Preserve. Many years ago, it was simply the landscape of coast live oaks and chaparral where my brother and I played. The fields sustained a small herd of cattle that grazed the land until about 15 years ago when it was approved for luxury home development. Approximately 200 acres were given to the County as the public preserve we know today. When the preserve was established, the cattle were relocated, and the foothills were left ungrazed…until now. In the spring of 2019, we got a notice that sheep were coming to graze for a land management project funded by the Channel Islands Restoration nonprofit (CIR for short). Sheep! With working dogs to protect them! The notice told us to beware that working dogs are working and barking. Very exciting! A week later, I started to see little white dots moving around in the hills. One day I saw a man heading into the preserve with two unleashed dogs with him, and I marched straight over to him to warn him that there are sheep there and working dogs, and he needed to keep his dogs in check. We had about a three-second stare-down before he kindly said thank you for the warning, and he appreciated my vigilance. He introduced himself and his dogs…who actually were the working dogs I was warning him about. The man was Jack Thrift, the actual shepherd. This broke the ice quite effectively, and I’ve been a fan of Cuyama Lamb ever since. I have visited the sheep up in the preserve and told all my friends about them. And I’ve helped with the “push,” where CIR volunteers lined up along the preserve to move the flock several miles from one end to the other.
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Left: Jack Thrift Anderson and Rocco the herding dog, who is a very good boy. Right: Lucy, the Maremma Sheepdog, guards her flock at Elings Park.
Cuyama Lamb is a recent business development, based on traditional crop-livestock integrated agriculture, a practice that had fallen by the wayside in favor of large-scale monocropping. Its home base is in the Cuyama Valley on the eastern side of Santa Barbara County, and it’s headed up by Jack Thrift Anderson, Jenya Schneider, and their staff of very good boys— the working dogs. Jack started out at Quail Springs, a permaculture collective based in the Cuyama Valley of eastern Santa Barbara County, eventually becoming their rangeland manager. He was inspired by their 200-year development plan that included grazing in its dynamic approach to creating a sustainable community. And he started to form his own plans to operate a land management grazing business. In 2014 he relocated to Oklahoma for a year to gain ranching experience initially for cattle. He returned with a hint of a Midwestern accent and the decision that sheep would be more effective for his long-term goals. This brought him back to Quail Springs, just before jumping off to get his chops within the lamb industry, so to speak, from Kaos Sheep Outfit in Lake County, near Mendocino. This rounded out the background needed to start his own integrated lamb business, which he formed in 2018 with Jenya Schneider at Quail Springs.
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Jenya, on the other hand, started out as a regenerative ecologist, graduating from Brown University. She spent a decade in this field, bridging the gap between natural ecosystems and healthy human communities with a focus on mentorship programs for girls in northern California. She seemed destined for an educational position at Quail Springs, but she was lured (or was that wooed?) into co-founding Cuyama Lamb with Jack. The two met at a class at Quail Springs just before Jack went to Lake County. They hit it off and, while she resided in Oakland at the time, they found many reasons to visit each other. Their first official date was to a native grassland exhibit at the Oakland Museum. Jack’s initial business plan was to start as a one-man operation, but as their relationship grew, they both got on board with the idea that their experience and vision combined was greater than the sum of their parts. Now, Jack is incredulous that he ever thought he could run Cuyama Lamb without her. And there is indeed a lot of work involved with running a business with a flock of sheep. The company has three distinct components to its operations. The most visible is the land management through sheep grazing. Here, grazing offers many layers of benefit. If the sheep graze through orchards and vineyards, they offer integrated crop management by eating the weeds and naturally
Jenya Schneider holds one of the new lambs at Elings Park.
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“We as humans are inherently connected to landscapes. And we are in a crisis of belonging. Pain and indecisiveness come from feeling you don’t belong, so feeling a part of your surroundings is important to the wellbeing of all. Imagine a world where we are a benefit to it, and we can be a part of our landscape. Being a better steward for the land is better for everything: people, soil, plants, and animals. It is possible to provide for it while also receiving from it.” – Jack Thrift
Jack, Jenya and Rocco enjoy a moment before sunset with their sheep at Elings Park.
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electric fencing as the sheep move around to new fields. Much fertilizing the soil. Sheep grazing on wildlands not only reduces of Jack and Jenya’s days are spent building fences, taking down fire hazards through weed abatement, but their foraging habit fences and talking to people who wander by with questions. also mimics the original herbivore grazers like deer and helps restore natural habitat. It is sometimes chaotic, and unforeseen issues pop up constantly that must reprioritize their time. In the month the Goats have often been used for weed clearing, but sheep sheep spent moving around daily at the San Marcos Foothills graze differently and select for different plants. This behavior Preserve, the couple dealt with a rattlesnake bite on one of helps clear out invasive exotic weeds, leaving room for native their dogs, moving a portion of their flock to Summerland for bunch grasses to return. Their hooves help scarify native seeds a short grazing project, co-hosting a regenerative agriculture that depend on trampling and dispersal to create better growing educational session with the White Buffalo Land Preserve (in conditions. In the San Marcos Foothills Preserve, the restoration the rain) and coordinating all the sheep shearing operations project to bring back the native bunchgrasses should also bring with the shearers who traveled down from Mendocino. back the Meadowlark and Grasshopper Sparrow, grounddwelling birds that had been pushed out by the invasive exotics. With so many moving parts in a highly dynamic environment, it can be hard to unwind and recharge. Their As a nearby resident of the preserve, seeing the sheep comhome was an RV parked in various locations near the flock ing by and hearing them in the hills was such a joy, especially where they would cozy up with each other and their herding when the young lambs were there. So we benefit from their dogs at night. presence, too. The dogs themselves are critical The second component contributors to the whole operation, of Cuyama Lamb is meat Their lamb is organic, pasture raised Cuyama Lamb couldn’t function production. They started an without them. Jack and Jenya have initial flock of 400 yearling ewes. through their grazing projects and, as four dogs, and each plays a different Over the years, they follow a anyone who has passed by the everand vital role in caring for the flock. natural cycle of growing, having babies and culling out the young moving flock throughout Santa Barbara Lucy and Yorae are the sheep males, called wethers, while protectors. Lucy is a Maremma, County can see, the sheep are living retaining the ewes to expand the and Yorae is a Great Pyrenees, headcount. Their lamb is organic happy, enriched lives. breeds with natural herd protecting and pasture-raised through their instincts. They are bonded to the grazing projects. And as anyone who has passed by the eversheep, live and sleep with them and guard them. moving flock throughout Santa Barbara County can see, the These creamy white dogs are the ones you’re most likely to sheep are living happy, enriched lives. encounter if you visit the sheep in any publically accessible spot. Finally comes wool production. It might seem to be the The dogs will see you and race right up to the fence to bark at least visible aspect of the company, but wool is a part of nearly you. Then they immediately back away to say: This is my crew all our lives. Wool socks, sweaters, rugs, dryer tumbler balls and and do not come any closer. They are lovely sweet dogs, and felted toys all come from sheep. Much to my surprise, I learned there’s no need to fear them, but they are still working dogs— from Jack and Jenya that all the wool produced in the world is not pets—and they shouldn’t be approached through the fence hand sheared. No machine can do the intricate work of shearing as if they were. At night, they keep away predators. Not a single wool from a sheep’s body. And shearing must be done yearly to sheep or lamb has been lost yet under Lucy and Yorae’s watch. keep a sheep’s wool maintained from overgrowing, matting and This recent springtime, just as the novel Coronavirus put simply to remove its winter coat for the warmer weather. Much the county into lockdown, Yorae gave birth to six puppies. As like how we must keep our own nails and hair trimmed, so is a the rest of us sheltered in place, uncertain of our future, Jack sheep’s fleece periodically cut. and Jenya shuttled Yorae between the offsite flocks and her litter Currently, their wool is sent away wholesale, but anyone of wiggly pups. Since then, five of Yorae’s offspring have moved who would like to buy an entire fleece from them is welcome on to other farming families while one male, called Bruno, is to inquire. Shearing is a springtime activity and took place at growing up with Yorae and Lucy. He’s destined to be a very big Orella Ranch in Gaviota in late February this year. Last year boy and already a natural at protecting the sheep. the shearing took place right on the preserve, an easy walk up Rocco is a herding dog, who stays with the shepherds and Cieneguitas Road, where a multimillion-dollar luxury home follows their commands to assist moving the sheep around. now stands. He is a gathering dog who specializes in herding sheep back Unlike a business with a brick and mortar location, or into the flock. Sherman was Jack’s longtime pet (since he was even a farm that is generally confined to a defined plot of land, still a teenager), who became a natural driving dog—the dog tending sheep is a nomadic experience that cannot follow a rigid that herds the sheep away from them. Sherman, being an old schedule. Cuyama Lamb’s ability to move around the county soul, sadly passed away earlier this year. When the time is right, requires coordination of trucks to haul the sheep, a watering they’ll bring another herding dog into their lives. station and food for the dogs, as well as daily construction of The dogs are like family. Working alongside the dogs with EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 37
Snack break! Jack, with the assistance of volunteers through the Channel Island Restoration nonprofit, herds the sheep across San Marcos Foothills Preserve.
Left: Sheep queued up for their first shearing. Right: Jenya holds up an intact fleece. This is where our wool comes from. There exists no mechanical way to shear sheep, it is entirely done by hand.
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This yearâ€™s newly shorn sheep cast an inquisitive eye while grazing at dusk at Elings Park. Did you get a chance to see them? If not, they will be back.
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unconditional love and trust is a special bond between all of them. But when they’re not working, these dogs have plenty of love to give and receive with others. Rocco, in particular, has no shame in seeking attention and will climb up onto you to clearly state his need for scritches. The crew has two semi-permanent homes. The first is at Quail Springs in the Cuyama Valley, where it all began. This year they took up residence in Gaviota, on Orella Ranch, where their business model works complementary to Orella’s regenerative and permaculture operations. The move will allow them better access to the Central Coast, and let them return home at night rather than pack into a small RV with their dogs. While they do enjoy the semi-nomadic nature of their work, both acknowledge that this lifestyle makes it hard to build strong, stable relationships outside of their shepherding bubble. For Jenya, it’s having the time and space to grow a garden she misses most. Moving around doesn’t let her put down roots, literally or figuratively. For someone so passionately devoted to nature, getting her daily food from a store instead of growing it is a hard compromise. For Jack, who is naturally extroverted, he values the friendships from Quail Springs. He misses those community connections when he’s away, tending the sheep for months at a time. Cuyama might be just 30 miles away from Santa Barbara as the crow flies, but is over a two-hour drive as it lacks a direct route. Likewise, bringing the sheep out into our coastal communities has created new friendships. Returning to Cuyama for the months the sheep graze the high desert puts those new relationships on hold. Thankfully, their new home in Gaviota has organic farm produce onsite and calming ocean views. Its more central location will allow them to commute around the county more easily, returning to Cuyama as needed. I spoke with Jack just a few days after they moved, and he was already building new garden beds for themselves. Since then, the garden has flourished with lettuces and other vegetables from their favorite seedling farm, Yes Yes Nursery. This year, they plan to have the first round of meat produced in whole, half and quarter shares. All the meat will be available via Gaviota Givings, Orella’s retail side, and will complement Gaviota Giving’s selections of pork, beef and chicken. I got my hands on a midsection primal of one of their lambs last spring. One of their “ewes” turned out to be a boy, and he was culled from the flock. From this, I dry-cured the loin cuts into charcuterie. One became lomo with traditional spices of garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and rosemary. The other was basturma, a Middle Eastern dish using cumin, fenugreek, and paprika. Both cured in about a month, and I brought them to Orella Ranch, sliced them thin and drizzled with olive oil for a dinner at sunset. For a couple surrounded continuously by sheep, they haven’t yet tired of eating lamb, and we thoroughly enjoyed the charcuterie. Cuyama Lamb is more than just sheep. It’s more than breaking beyond the borders of assuming that being a rancher
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requires having your own ranch. Jack and Jenya’s sheep are going into spaces where machines and neglect drained resources, and they have put life back into it. The fact that they are going into public spaces adds much to our personal delight. As Jack puts it, “We as humans are inherently connected to landscapes. And we are in a crisis of belonging. Pain and indecisiveness come from feeling you don’t belong, so feeling a part of your surroundings is important to the well-being of all. Imagine a world where we are a benefit to it, and we can be a part of our landscape. Being a better steward for the land is better for everything: people, soil, plants, and animals. It is possible to provide for it while also receiving from it.” That’s the underlying thread of Cuyama Lamb. In this time of Covid-19, hiking through Elings Park or the San Marcos Foothills Preserve provided residents with joy in rural life, and hope in seeing newborn lambs steady their legs under the protective care of their mothers and the guardian dogs. Next year, let us hope for the same. But I know what lingering question weighs heavy on your mind. And the answer is: Yes, Jack and Jenya have and use a shepherd’s crook. It is a real thing. The crook is used to reel a wandering sheep back into the flock. It goes to show that very little has changed from the nursery rhymes and fables of our childhoods. Sheep graze, they have shepherds and dogs taking care of them. Wool is still hand-sheared and is still a well-loved and useful textile. Jack and Jenya are bringing this literally into our backyards through integrated land management that replaces industrial crop machinery and synthetic fertilizers with natural ones. Being shepherds is a semi-nomadic existence that often moves contrary to modern society and requires discipline to thrive in solitude. Still, with the right teammates and a supportive community, they are never alone. Rosminah Brown is a Santa Barbara native who types fast and eats slow. When she isn’t fleeing wildfires in the foothills, she can often be found around the San Marcos Preserve, especially now. She hopes everyone is staying safe and looking after each other.
To Find Out More Want to see where the sheep are grazing? Follow them on Instagram @cuyamalamb. Their multi-year contracts at publicly accessible spaces include the San Marcos Foothills Preserve, Elings Park and the Tea Gardens in Montecito. So we won’t have to travel far from our shelters-in-place to visit the sheep and working dogs. This summer, they are offering whole, half and quarter shares of their Santa Barbara County raised lamb with plans to have ground meat and sausage later on. They are eager to work with people who share their approach to being connected to the food they eat and the land that provided it. Ordering and inquiries are available on their website: www.cuyamalamb. com/lamb-orders. To request more information on their meat, you can also email email@example.com.
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How to Write a Food Blog
During a Pandemic and National Crisis A Conversation with Mother/Daughter Food Bloggers Sarah Migliaccio and Janice Cook Knight of Tried and True Kitchen
Sarah Migliaccio (daughter) and Janice Cook Knight (mother), the team behind the blog Tried and True Kitchen.
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SAR AH MIGLIACCIO
How do you write a mother/ daughter food blog during a pandemic and a national crisis of conscience? Sensitively. We all have to eat. Food is one of the principal ways we nurture each other.
SAR AH MIGLIACCIO
Janice: Our mother/daughter food blog has always been tons of fun. Both enthusiastic foodies, Sarah and I have been blogging at TriedAndTrueKitchen.com since spring of 2019, sharing seasonal, mostly gluten-free and/or paleo recipes, with lots of fresh fruit and veggies. I’m in Santa Barbara; Sarah lives in Austin, Texas—a food capital of America; such good restaurants. We think food is beautiful too so we take and share lots of pictures. During the first weeks of the Covid-19 shutdown, food became our fixation: how to safely procure it. Could we have food delivered? Could we safely leave home and shop? A lot of us decided we should probably be growing our own food. We sifted through our old seed packets, and flooded nurseries looking for seeds and starts. Then our collective nation decided to bake, and we all went a little crazy with the breads and the carbs. Even I, who usually avoid gluten, started making long-fermented pizza and focaccia dough, thinking I don’t know what—that I needed wheat bread to survive? It was as though I reverted to a former life. Buying yeast was impossible—it was sold out everywhere at first. Generous bakers shared their sourdough starters with friends, and then everyone was giving away loaves of bread. Eventually the gluten-free bakery in our town reopened, and I bought some of their bread, and started making foods more in line with my regular diet. Sarah: I am what some would call a grazer, and working from home 24/7 was a true test of my self-control (or lack thereof ). My fiancé and I mostly cooked from home for the first few months of the quarantine, but as restaurants started to open, we slowly began getting takeout from our favorite spots, usually one to two nights per week. We’ve been utilizing our backyard more during this time, and it has been a sweet silver lining. We often eat lunch or dinner on the back porch, and I’ll read each morning while sipping my coffee, before the weather gets too hot, and I get a dose of some healing vitamin D. It’s taken a few months to adjust, but we’re finally feeling like we’ve hit a good balance of home cooking, ordering takeout and (frequently) getting outside to exercise.
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Janice: We signed up for a produce delivery box. When another service became available in our neighborhood, we got that one delivered, too. It was more than we needed, so we started sharing ours with friends and family, especially those whose lives or work was making it hard for them to shop. That felt good to us, as it was a simple way we could help. Sarah: In Austin, during April I decided to get a produce delivery box for the first time ever. We used to have our groceries delivered through Instacart, but the waits are days now—so we opt for weekly produce boxes and going to the grocery store as-needed. I love having a produce box, not just for the assortment of fruits and veggies that I would never buy on my own (such as okra, fresh dill flowers, kabocha squash, even oranges, because I prefer other fruits), but because it’s another small way that we can shop local and support small Texas farms. The unique recipes that they give with each box are an added bonus!
For weeks, I didn’t want to go to our farmers markets, even though they remained open here, never closing, because there were just so many people about. For some reason the grocery stores seemed calmer, less crowded, though I don’t think they were any safer, what with being indoors. Now I go to the farmers market twice a month, going early and trying to stay for a short time. The produce has been as beautiful as ever. I also buy eggs, and meat—homemade chicken sausage and lamb. Producers sell mushrooms, nuts, seafood. And wonderful breads and hummus. Like many people, we developed a way to clean groceries efficiently. We set up a table on our back porch to clean packages before we bring them in. We wash veggies and fruits with a little Veggie Wash, then dry and put away. One thing I discovered was that I like pre-cleaning the produce, which I hadn’t done before. The greens get really plump and fresh again. I wrap them in a towel and put them in my fridge drawer, where they stay fresher longer.
JANICE COOK KNIGHT
Sarah: I didn’t feel a need or have the Janice: A good friend of mine patience for extra cleaning. I take extra who is immune-compromised care washing veggies before eating and figured out a way to get farmers cooking. Only a handful of my friends market produce delivered to her are more diligent about this. home by individuals willing to shop for her. She found vendors Janice: That’s because you’re who would personally deliver millennials! Our age group feels more meat and fish, as well as assorted vulnerable. citrus. She shared some of her Sarah: (laughing) I’m sure you’re bounty with me. A lot of us were right! bartering items. I traded a jar of Janice’s Southern Rose Peach Cocktail. my homemade marmalade for a face mask a friend had made. It’s Janice: Food is one of the lenses my favorite, the most comfortable one I’ve tried. through which I see the world. And I ache for our world. I watch the virus numbers go up and down, and the racial Sarah: During this time, we were blogging more than injustice some of us, myself included, are hopefully waking up usual, making things like: Wild Nettle Soup, Almond Butter to. Racial injustice often translates to food injustice. I’ve known Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Cashew Veggie Green Curry, about food deserts for a long time: communities— often, but Almond Sea Salt Freezer Fudge, Paleo Apple Cider Donut not always, inner cities—where people don’t have access to fresh Holes, Rainbow Minestrone, Carrot and Ginger Soup, Ginger food, only fast food. Because I’ve worked with food my whole Veggie Stir-fry, Gluten-Free Zucchini Lasagna Soufflé, Classic life, this seems like an issue I could help with. Possibly through Egg Salad, Cassava Flour Tortillas, Creamy Walnut Guacamole our local food bank. In every community there will be different and lots of cheese boards (because why not!). opportunities. Janice: Now with summer coming on, I naturally want to eat lighter. We’ve had some very warm days in Santa Barbara, and I know in Austin it’s been in the 90s, even over 100° lately. I want salads, salads, salads. Cucumber, watermelon, jicama; raw carrots and grilled fish.
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Sarah: Food is one of the first ways we think of to help someone going through a big life event: a birth, a death, a crisis of some kind. We are in one of those crisis times, and sharing food is one of the sensitive ways we can help right now. These recipes are not only comforting, but seasonal, and the perfect way to ease into summer.
Janice’s Southern Rose Peach Cocktail I first tasted a version of this cocktail at the now defunct Sweet Lowdown’s, a bar and restaurant in Atlanta, and an invention of Patrick, their bartender. He used guava purée in place of the peach. I make his version in late winter, when fresh guavas are available in our garden and at the farmers market (or use guava juice, and cut back on the simple syrup). Homemade rose syrup adds fabulous flavor. You can boost it, to taste, with additional bottled rosewater, unsweetened. Makes 1 serving 1 ounce vodka 4 ounces peach purée from yellow or red-fleshed peaches (directions follow) 1 ounce rose syrup, or simple syrup 1
⁄ 2 teaspoon –1 teaspoon rosewater, to taste
11 ⁄ 2 ounce seltzer
Shake first 4 ingredients over ice, add seltzer and serve in a martini glass. To make peach purée: Peel and slice fresh peaches, about 1 large, and place in a blender with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water. Blend until smooth.
Janice’s Watermelon Salad with Jalapeño Dressing Very refreshing. We eat some version of watermelon salad about once a week during summer months. The feta adds a punch of saltiness. Jalapeño-infused olive oil can be found at specialty groceries, such as Il Fustino in Santa Barbara. It’s a useful flavored oil to keep on hand. Makes 4 servings 3 cups cubed watermelon (3 ⁄ 4 –1-inch cubes) 11 ⁄ 2 cups cubed cucumber (1 ⁄ 2 -inch cubes), seeded or not (I don’t mind the seeds) 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint leaves 1 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoons jalapeño-infused olive oil 1 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar Pinch of salt 4 ounces firm sheep feta or Violife vegan feta, cut into 1 ⁄ 2 -inch cubes
SAR AH MIGLIACCIO
Place cubed watermelon and cucumber in a wide, shallow bowl. Arrange the sliced basil and mint on top. Mix the olive oil, the infused jalapeno oil, balsamic vinegar and salt together. Drizzle over the salad, coating everything evenly. Arrange the feta cheese on top and bring to the table. Toss just before serving.
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1 teaspoon ground cumin 10 twists of freshly ground black pepper 1½ teaspoons sherry vinegar 1 cup sliced fresh jalapeño peppers (from 4 or 5 medium-sized peppers), sliced into 1-inch chunks (Seed your jalapeños if you’re sensitive to heat—this is spicy!) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1
⁄ 2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In a food processor, add everything but the olive oil and lemon juice. Blend until the ingredients are finely chopped (but not obliterated), pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. Slowly, drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice through the top while your food processor is on. Blend until light green and creamy. If the sauce is outrageously spicy at first, give it a 30-minute rest or longer, as it will mellow out a bit. This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 1 to 2 weeks.
SAR AH MIGLIACCIO
Sarah’s Skirt Steak with Shatta Makes 4 servings 1 pound skirt steak 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon ground cumin 8 twists of freshly ground black pepper
Sarah’s Shatta (Middle Eastern Hot Sauce) “Bright and herbaceous,” is the way I described shatta to my fiancé the first time I tried it. I made a big batch that we went through in less than a week, putting it on absolutely everything, from skirt steak (our favorite way to eat it) to rice, to using it as a dip for veggies. The jalapeños and garlic give it a nice punch, while the slightest bit of cumin enhances all of the ingredients, melding them together perfectly. We still eat about a batch a week—it is a staple in our house now, and perfect for the hot summer months!
2 teaspoons sea salt
Combine olive oil, cumin, black pepper and sea salt, and rub evenly all over your skirt steak, at least 30 minutes before grilling (or up to 2 hours before). Turn your grill on high heat. Cook the steak over high heat for about 6 minutes per side for mediumrare. When done (you can use a meat thermometer and check for an internal temperature of 135°), pull off the grill and let rest for 10 minutes. Once rested, slice thin (like you would slice a thin onion), going against the grain. Top with a generous dollop of shatta and serve alongside our watermelon summer salad. Enjoy!
Makes about 10 ounces 1
⁄ 3 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
⁄ 3 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
⁄ 4 cup raw walnuts or pumpkin seeds
4 medium cloves garlic 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (scale back to 1 teaspoon if using regular table salt)
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Sarah Migliaccio is an interior designer living in Austin, Texas. She loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen, read cookbooks, travel and likes things just so—beautiful as well as tasty. She’s a transplanted Californian. Janice Cook Knight is an award-winning writer, cookbook author and cooking teacher based in Santa Barbara. She enjoys gardening, music and the science of cooking, and she is thrilled by a good recipe. This mother/daughter team blogs at www.TriedAndTrueKitchen.com and on Instagram at #triedtruekitchen.
SAR AH MIGLIACCIO
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Hallmarks of grandmillenial style include blue and white floral china, embroidery and old silverware.
Grandmillenial Style Listen to this article.
In the Kitchen
he term “grandmillenial” was coined by Emma Bazilian in her article for House Beautiful last fall to describe a new granny chic style amongst millennials. The aesthetic has really come into its own during the shelter-in-place era, given its comfy, homey and reassuring vibe. And who amongst us does not crave comfort right now? The hallmarks of the look include floral and toile prints for wallpaper and fabrics, needlepoint, wicker, tufted cushions, crochet and lace, retro fixtures and appliances. It’s essentially all things traditional, many of which never really go out of style. But this traditionalism is having a moment right now and certain elements, that seemed out of style for the past several years, are now being loved again. Hello, skirted tables and pleated 48 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
by Krista Harris lampshades. Grandmillenials cherish the handme-downs they get from their grandparents, but also embrace thrift store finds. For inspiration, follow these Instagrammers: Vanya Wilkinson Interiors, Heritage Goods & Supply, Eddie Ross and Whimsy Antiques. And YouTuber: TheDailyConnoisseur. How does the grandmillenial style relate to the kitchen? I would argue that just as we crave comfy vintage vibes in our living space right now, we are also in need of reassurance at the dinner table. The rise of home cooking means that we’re spending a lot more time around the dining table, too. So whether you are a millennial or not, here are some tips for bringing grandmillienial style to your kitchen and dining room.
Blue and White China
You can find blue and white dishware in all sorts of patterns at all sorts of price points. You may even have some in your cupboard already. The beauty of it is that you can mix and match the patterns or combine with plain white dishes. Even the more ornate and colorful old china patterns often combine well with each other.
Your grandmother (or great-grandmother) may have made coffee in a percolator. They were quite popular until the 1970s and ’80s when everyone switched to using automatic drip coffee makers. A percolator is simple to use and can make delicious coffee. Add water to the bottom of the pot and ground coffee to a filter basket connected with a small tube. Set it on the stove and when the water begins to boil, the water is pushed up the tube and saturates the coffee before dropping back down. It’s best served immediately. Percolators are still easy to find since they are often used on boats or when camping. Be sure to use a coarse-ground coffee and if you have leftover coffee, refrigerate for later. It makes great iced coffee, especially if you freeze some in an ice cube tray and use the coffee ice cubes when serving.
Classic Comfort Food
Old Silverware Just as blue and white dishware mixes so well together, old sterling or silver-plated place settings can be combined. Old sets often have unusual pieces that are fun to use such as long-handled ice tea spoons, round-bowl soup spoons, fish and cocktail forks. And don’t be afraid to put your silverware in the dishwasher, just be sure never to mix it with stainless steel cutlery. A chemical reaction happens when the two metals are touching that can damage both.
Floral Table Linens Stop saving your cloth napkins for special occasions and start using them at every meal. Grandmillenials use vintage floral prints and linens with crochet trim or embroidery to great effect. They are easy to incorporate into your lifestyle, too. I’ve used Provence-style printed napkins from Williams-Sonoma for years and they come right out of the dryer ready to fold and use without ironing, and the floral print hides the inevitable stains. A tablecloth, placemats and/or a runner can add another design opportunity. If you have kids or messy eaters, you might look for vintage patterned oilcloth tablecloths on Etsy. Try the shop Freckled Sage.
Vintage Finds Whether something is found in the back of your cupboard, your parents’ basement or an online thrift shop, there are many quirky, nearly obsolete objects that can contribute to the grandmillenial style. An old-fashioned butter dish is practical as well as charming in the kitchen or on the table. Start using a teacup and saucer instead of a mug for your coffee or tea and go the extra mile by using a sugar bowl and creamer set along with it. Not everything has to be used how it was originally intended. The bottoms of old salt shakers can make tiny window sill vases for sprigs of herbs.
It’s not just what’s on your dining room table, it’s what’s for dinner. Every family and culture has its own traditional favorites when it comes to comfort food, some of which we forget about. Cookbooks from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s often have classic recipes that are worth rediscovering. If you have any recipes from your grandparents, now is the time to try them out. Some ideas include meatloaf and mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie or tuna noodle casserole. Try starting off dinner with a shrimp or fruit cocktail. Bake a pie or a jelly roll cake for dessert. I do draw the line at Jell-O salad with bits of canned fruit suspended in it. But that’s just me. In the first few weeks of the shelter-in-place order, I cooked for a week using recipes from two of my cookbooks from the 1940s. Nancy Oster, one of our Edible writers and recipe testers, wrote to me: “My cousins and I have been exchanging family comfort food recipes from our childhood, which means we have made things like French blue cheese salad dressing, sloppy joes, my aunt’s Pennsylvania Dutch beef soup with pot pie noodles and another aunt’s banana oatmeal cookies. It’s fun to hear what different family members remember with childhood joy. We have a family What’s App group and a bi-monthly Zoom call that stretches from England to Hawaii.” For younger millenials in their early 20s who may be just learning to cook, some Zoom cooking calls might be both instructional and inspiring. Ask family members to cook a favorite dish while you watch and ask questions. Perhaps granny chic cooking will become a trend right alongside the white wicker chairs and floral cushions of grandmillenial style. If it brings a little good cheer and comfort, I’m all for it. Krista Harris is the editor and publisher of Edible Santa Barbara. She collects old cookbooks and was born a couple decades too early to be a grandmillenial, but it’s definitely an aesthetic she can embrace.
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Where Have All My Flowers Gone? Man vs. Gopher by Nancy Oster
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dandelion quivered and disappeared, pulled down into the earth beneath it. A mound of freshly churned soil appeared in its place, and the earth-brown face of an inquisitive gopher emerged at the edge of the mound. Only his glistening eyes and ivory teeth prevented him from blending completely into the mound of tilled soil. He glanced alertly around the yard. When he caught sight of me, he stopped. Our eyes locked. He didnâ€™t move. Neither did I. Then he darted back into the safety of the dark caverns below. I opened the patio door and carried my cup of lemon verbena tea out onto the mortar-scarred battlefield that had once been a grassy green lawn where my son and daughter had played and eaten apples, peaches, and pomegranates picked from our backyard trees. Noting the number of moist new excavations, I resisted the urge to call my husband, Dave, at work to let him know that his attempt to evict the gopher had once again failed. But I wanted to finish drinking my tea while it was still hot, and I wasnâ€™t sure I could treat the matter with the composure it deserved.
Last night as I was falling asleep, Dave had jumped up backyard. It was running, but nobody was nearby. Flexible out of bed and rushed downstairs. I heard the kitchen door tubing, attached to the exhaust pipe, ran down into a nearby slam behind him. From our bedroom window, I could see gopher hole. Dave was working at his desk in another room. his silhouette cast in silver by the moonlight. He was leaning “Uh, what’s happening with the lawnmower?” I asked. slightly forward, concentrating on something only he could see. “Huh? Oh, the gopher… don’t worry, I don’t think it will Then I remembered a recent discussion he’d had with kill him… but it’ll give him a horrible headache.” Diane, our organic gardener. She had suggested he try a more An insistent ringing of the phone interrupted my primitive method of communication with the gopher. I guessed reminiscences. I set down my cold cup of tea. It was Dave, and I that out there in the dark, Dave was making a claim to his had a good idea what he was calling to find out. Secretly, I think territory in a way that a gopher would instinctively understand. I’d grown to admire the tenacity of that gopher. I slipped back into bed and pulled the covers over my face The battle of man versus gopher was to rage on for about six trying to stifle convulsive sobs of laughter. I heard the kitchen more months. Dave filled the holes with water until the ground door close softly. Dave got back into bed, trying not to wake was so saturated that when we walked across it, our feet sank me. I reached over to touch his arm. “Cold out there?” I asked. into the tunnels, leaving trenches and mud-covered shoes. “I thought you were asleep,” he said, leaning forward with On one occasion, when Dave stuck the hose into the top of what started as a goodnight kiss but ended in uncontrollable a recent mound, the water bubbled back up and out climbed a laughter. “It was worth a try,” he said, taking a deep breath frightened gopher, his shiny wet fur slicked tight against his body. and smiling. We watched the little guy run over I don’t know how long to the fence and quickly dig his The battle of man versus gopher was gophers usually live, but this one way to the other side. “And don’t had more lives than a cat. “I don’t to rage on for about six more months. come back!” I yelled. want to kill him,” my husband But our plants continued Dave filled the holes with water until the said in the beginning, “I just want to die overnight, their roots ground was so saturated that when we to convince him to leave.” ravenously devoured. We finally A year had passed. Each night walked across it, our feet sank went to the nursery for help. after work, Dave took our three Dave and I looked at the green into the tunnels, leaving trenches dogs out to the backyard to “see steel prongs on the wire traps. We and mud-covered shoes. the gopher.” The dogs helped choose the gopher bombs instead. enthusiastically by digging out The bombs killed my lime tree sections of the tunnel. Dave would return to report the number and all the mint around the water faucet, but not the gopher. of fresh mounds and plan new strategies. Our friends had begun My hairdresser suggested that through meditation and to regularly ask for updates on the latest battle. visualization, I establish a connection with a garden spirit who could facilitate my communication with the gopher. She urged I sat down on a white plastic chair in the warm morning me to explain that I’d be willing to share the yard space with him sunshine, remembering the first skirmish. I was cleaning the if he would agree to remain in a certain area. Yes, I even tried kitchen when I heard firecrackers going off in the backyard. that. No response. Apparently, my garden spirit was on vacation. I dried my hands and hurried out to find my boyishly handsome husband standing on a piece of plywood. Then one spring afternoon, as Dave and I were sitting at the dining-room table talking, I noticed that Mrs. Cat, the calico Sunlight caught the strands of silver in his wavy brown from next door, was in our yard. Her attention was focused, her hair. “What are you doing?” I asked. He was lighting a string body tense and her tail twitching. I watched as she leaped out of firecrackers. He moved the plywood to reveal a gopher hole. of our view. A few seconds later, she raced by the patio doors, a With a mischievous glint in his blue-gray eyes, he grinned, brown furry prize hanging from her mouth. dropped the lit firecrackers into the hole, replaced the plywood, “She has the gopher!” I shouted. Dave turned back from the and stood on it waiting for the explosion. window to look at me. I could see the sense of loss in his eyes. Then there was the day he came into the house with a hunk The battle of man versus gopher was over. Won decisively by of black metal covered with spiderwebs and dust. “What is Mrs. Cat. that?” I asked. “An ignition coil.” Of course, I thought. Later he invited me out to the yard. The coil gave off a spark whenever anything came near it. “It won’t hurt him,” he said as he placed it in the gopher’s tunnel and covered it with dirt, “but it may convince him to move to a neighbor’s yard.” It didn’t. One summer afternoon, I came into the living room and noticed our gas lawnmower sitting in the middle of the
Thirty-some years later, Nancy Oster involuntarily continues to share her backyard with itinerant gophers that pop up out of the underworld when the soil has been moistened by winter rains and the carrots are plump and sweet. She says that she’d like to harness the gopher’s power to till and aerate the soil in her raised beds, before she plants her spring vegetables—and perhaps teach the gopher to identify and eat only weeds. But Dave laughs and assures her that he has a few other ideas he’d like to try first.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 51
Life in Balance
In the Time of Covid-19 by Pascale Beale
Listen to this article.
“IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES, IT WAS THE AGE OF WISDOM, IT WAS THE AGE OF FOOLISHNESS, IT WAS THE EPOCH OF BELIEF, IT WAS THE EPOCH OF INCREDULITY, IT WAS THE SEASON OF LIGHT, IT WAS THE SEASON OF DARKNESS, IT WAS THE SPRING OF HOPE, IT WAS THE WINTER OF DESPAIR, WE HAD EVERYTHING BEFORE US, WE HAD NOTHING BEFORE US, WE WERE ALL GOING DIRECT TO HEAVEN, WE WERE ALL GOING DIRECT THE OTHER WAY…” CHARLES DICKENS
hat a strange time this is. Dickens’ opening sentences from A Tale of Two Cities, written 170 years ago, ring true today as we live through the tumult that is Covid. This unseen virus has touched all of our lives to one degree or another. In just a few short months, we have modified our behavior, reevaluated that which is important to us, and retreated into the cocoons that are our homes. While essential workers worked stoically in the face of this disease, the rest of us sheltered at home, acknowledging their sacrifices in nightly choruses of ringing pots and pans, and hand-clapping our appreciation. It has been a time of great stress and introspection, and the realization that our very livelihoods, our self-assuredness, and our dependence on the status quo are, in fact, quite tenuous. Time itself seems to have morphed, from predictable and reliable, to indeterminate and vague. As daily schedules— choreographed by school bells, working hours, appointments, meetings, squeezing in of exercise classes, and, for many, ferrying kids to and fro—evaporated into the never-ending staycation that wasn’t, turning our once-organized homes into a mishmash home-office-classroom-playground. Time, it seems, and the necessity to be governed by it has lost its relevance. How often have you heard, “What day is it?” when speaking with a friend on the phone. As the human race started to retreat from the world at large, it appears Mother Earth took a deep breath. By April, global emissions fell by 17%, and if levels hold, we are on track for the sharpest reduction in emissions since World War II, according to a report from the Nature Climate Change and Global Carbon Project. Air quality in cities around the world improved, and skies were free of aviation vapor trails. As the mechanical 52 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
impact and man-made noise of our daily lives ebbed away, it was replaced, albeit temporarily, by melodious birdsongs and sightings of unlikely creatures in urban environs. It was time for most people to take a deep breath. As our movements were curtailed, our habits were transformed. People sought sustenance and comfort, often in the form of food. People who had never baked took up sourdough bread making with gusto, kids baked cookies, everyone rushed to the stores, not just for toilet paper but to buy flour in prodigious quantities. Questions bloomed on chat sites and Google searches: how to make a… insert your favorite snack, treat, baguette, croissant, multigrain sourdough boule. And Instagram posts were, and still are, flooded with an abundance of baked goods. I readily admit to being one of those ardent bakers, a little miffed to be honest, when my trusty sources of flour suddenly evaporated. Where did all these bakers come from? Who knew that sourdough bread was to become a “thing?” I baked along with everyone else. There are few things more satisfying than the aroma of freshly baked bread in your kitchen. All my senses relaxed, it made (and still makes) me happy. M.F.K. Fisher once wrote, “No yoga exercise, no meditation in a chapel filled with music will rid you of your blues better than the humble task of making your own bread.” No wonder there was no flour to be had. Honestly, I baked as a way to deal with stress. The tsunami of event closures that rolled over the hospitality industry in the spring was breathtaking in its catastrophic magnitude. By the middle of March, as lockdown progressed, things looked grim. From a personal standpoint, not only were all cooking classes, demos and in-person events canceled, so too, was the book tour for my latest cookbook Salade II. What to do?
After a week of shell-shocked inaction, I mulled over the As I look back over the upheaval of everything that most effective way to communicate with the world at large. One is Covid-19— loved ones lost, the surreal experience of morning, sipping on a hot espresso in my trusty “keep calm and virtual funerals, canceled graduations, commemorations and carry on” mug, I scrolled through Instagram posts, as one does, celebrations—I contemplate the uncertainty of the coming and came across a live feed from cookbook author and chef, months, the future of our businesses and our collective health. David Lebovitz. He was in lockdown in Paris. His book tour It is comforting to know that there are things that offer solace. had also been canceled, so he decided to take to the airwaves We may not be able to attend concerts, but choirs have sung, and talk to his legions of fans about his latest book, Drinking spliced together in harmonic convergence by maestros of digital French. As a side note, it says something about everyone’s technology. We may not be able to play sports together, but we collective frame of mind when thousands of people around the take heart when watching two little girls playing tennis across world are tuning in, early in the morning, to watch him make the rooftops of Finale Ligure in Italy. We may not be able to travel, but we can still pull up a virtual chair at a dinner table and talk about cocktails! He was enchanting, his live posts and share a common meal across hundreds of miles. As I read filled with funny anecdotes. His quintessentially French partner joined him. They were terrific research reports on the effects of this pandemic on our collective psyches, and entertaining. I watched every I had learnt a new expression, one thread stands out: Growing and morning. I also tuned in to watch making something calms us. From my friend Cat Cora’s Corantine “to pivot”—otherwise known as container gardening to nourishing Cuisine show in the afternoons. What energy and positive messages restructuring your life and business blooming sourdough starters, nurturing ourselves and our loved ones they all had. An idea percolated, in a ridiculously short period. help us stay sane. and so, armed with my phone strapped to a tripod by means of a In an unscientific survey of strong elastic band, I too, launched, friends and colleagues, I asked what with some trepidation, into live streaming cooking demos. had changed for them during these past few months. Their responses ran the gamut from delight in discovering new foods I write “with trepidation” for a reason. Live streaming is an and healthy choices: odd medium, a one-way window into someone else’s world; these days, usually their homes. Our homes are our private “We have gone totally vegetarian, and it’s been fun adjusting space, and we control who can enter it. By going “live,” the our recipes… but it’s been even more fun since we are cooking ability to regulate who can open the door and step inside is gone. the vegetables we are growing ourselves.” I was not sure what to expect. However, within a few short days, “I’ve been making bread because of you, like a wee factory. I had regular viewers from London to Melbourne, spanning a One of the things we came up with was ‘Posh Beans on Toast’ 17-hour window around the world. Friends joined in, peppering It’s beans of any kind mashed a bit with sautéed onions, garlic my live stream with banter, anecdotes and questions. Even or whatever you have around. I add a bit of hemp seed pesto though I could not “see” them, I felt their presence. It was as well; we always have that. Put it on toast, with or without uplifting, and the response I got was uniformly positive. tomatoes or avocado. My eldest, who doesn’t cook, says this will Thirty-three days later, after making everything from salads be a staple for her going back to college. Best thing is cooking to clafoutis, I took a day off to take stock. In that time frame, whatever I fancy and being able to have time.” I had learnt a new expression, “to pivot”— otherwise known “Yes! I’ve made a delicious salsa verde, homemade marinara, as restructuring your life and business in a ridiculously short and started making all manner of oddball smoothies. Most period. Everyone has had to learn how to reinvent themselves satisfying are naughty bready bakes.” and familiarize themselves with technologies they had, up until To frustration about just how much cooking we have had then, no inkling of. How many of us had never heard of Zoom, to do: let alone hosted meetings, chats, birthday parties and multi“Yes! I love cooking when I’m not expected to do it every state conference calls on it? few hours while working 10 –12 hour days and trying to be a I realized two weeks into the Instagram Live sessions that good wife and a mom to a wonderful but increasingly restless I could teach my cooking classes this way too. With a little teenager. I dream about going to restaurants.” apprehension, my trusty tripod with its low-tech attachments Everyone agreed, though, that there are just too many dishes in hand, I launched into territories unknown, teaching virtual to do! cooking classes. To my utter astonishment, it worked! Although My friends’ feedback echoed the experience of the people in participants could not smell or taste the food as I prepared it, my virtual cookery classes: Cooking is a means of connection they could cook along with me. This medium allowed people to people, even those separated by thousands of miles. to join in from, not just from my home town, but from all over During quarantine, I have also taught some private classes; a the States, and Europe and Australia as well. When asked, “Will retirement celebration, a father and daughter get-together, one you continue this after we get back to normal?” the answer was, a surprise birthday party linking 18 households from Florida to and is, an emphatic yes! EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 53
California. I emailed the recipients the recipes a few days ahead of time. They shopped for the ingredients prior to the class, and then, at the appointed time, we cooked together. We laughed, they told familial stories, we chopped, they asked questions, we whisked vinaigrettes and tasted as we went along. Despite the physical separation, they were connected through the dishes they prepared together, experienced the same aromas in their kitchens, and tasted the same food. Once all the recipes were completed, I handed over the controls of the Zoom platform to the participants and stepped away. They sat down to eat together, laptops propped up on the dining table, sharing their homes and the same meal with each other. After every class, I have received almost identical comments: “Despite the miles that separate us, we were able to have dinner together, sharing the same meal!” Such is the power of food. It nourishes us, body and soul. Pascale Beale a food writer, cook book author and founder of Pascale’s Kitchen, a Mediterranean styled cooking school based in Santa Barbara. Her classes are now also available on Zoom, and on her YouTube and IGTV Channels. She has authored nine cookbooks, including her latest title Salade II: More recipes from The Market Table. For information about her classes, product line, and books visit www.PascalesKitchen.com.
Recipes These are some of my favorite seasonal dishes, ones that make me smile and think of picnics, languorous lunches on the terrace and carefree days. May they soon return for all of us. Bon appetit!
Summer Salad with Peaches, Mint and Burrata Makes 4 servings 2 peaches, halved, pitted and sliced 2 nectarines, halved, pitted and sliced 1 ounce mixed salad greens 8 thin slices prosciutto (optional) 1 handful of mint leaves 1 burrata cheese 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar Flake salt and black pepper
Arrange the peach and nectarine slices on a large platter. Intersperse with the greens, prosciutto (if using) and mint leaves. Gently tear apart the burrata and dot the salad with the cheese. Whisk together the olive oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle with some of the flake salt and 5–6 grinds black pepper.
54 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
Olive Tapenade Toasts Makes 4 servings as an appetizer 12 ounces pitted black or kalamata olives Juice and zest of 1 lemon 1
⁄ 3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon capers 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives 8 turns of freshly ground black pepper 4 toasts
Place all the ingredients into a food processor, except the lemon juice. Run the processor so that the ingredients form a thick, smooth paste, pouring the lemon juice through the feeder opening. You may not need to use all the lemon juice. The tapenade should not be too dry. Serve on toasts drizzled with olive oil.
Tomato, Peach, Herb and Nut Tabouleh Makes 4 servings 1
⁄ 2 cup water
⁄ 2 cup Moroccan couscous
3 peaches, pitted and cut into ½-inch pieces 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped 2 ounces pine nuts, dry roasted 4 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered 3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped 2 tablespoons mint, finely chopped 1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped Juice of 1 lime Zest and juice of 2 lemons 1
⁄ 3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Bring 1 ⁄ 2 cup salted water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the couscous, cover, remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the couscous with a fork. Let cool to room temperature.
In a large salad bowl, combine the peaches, parsley, cilantro, pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, chives, mint and basil. Add the cooked couscous and toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk the lime and lemon juices and zests together with the olive oil. Add a good pinch of salt and 5–6 grinds pepper. At least 15 minutes before serving, add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to combine well
EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 55
Fig and Melon Salad Food, like music, has the peculiar ability to transport you to another time and place. If I hear the first licks of “California Girls” by the Beach Boys, I instantly see my young pre-teen self, sitting in the back of my parents’ convertible, top down, belting out the lyrics to the music being played on a clunky eight-track tape deck. It’s the summertime, the air is warm, the light golden and I have few cares in the world. Ah, the joys of summer! I have the same reaction when I come across Charentais or Cavaillon melons, whose heady violet, jasmine perfume permeates the air of any market stand. That aroma holds the promise of the taste of luscious honeyed apricots, and evokes, for me, the image of picnics in Provence. You can imagine my delight, therefore, when, tasting a local Tuscan-style cantaloupe melon in the farmers market in California, I felt I had just stepped into the South of France. Needless to say, I brought some home and made this salad, an ode to the sweet taste of summer. Makes 8 servings FOR THE SALAD 2 Tuscan melons, halved, seeds removed and flesh scooped out with a spoon 16 assorted figs, quartered 1
⁄ 3 cup raw pistachios
⁄ 3 cup mint leaves
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled into small pieces 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives FOR THE VINAIGRETTE 3 tablespoons fruity olive oil Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 1 pinch of coarse sea salt 8–10 grinds black pepper
Place the melon scoops and figs in a salad bowl. Scatter the pistachios, mint leaves, goat cheese and chives over the top.
56 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
In a small bowl, whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients to form an emulsion. Pour over the salad just before serving and toss to combine.
Roasted Eggplant with Summer Salad 2 medium eggplant, halved lengthwise Olive oil 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence or Za’atar Salt and pepper 1 cup Greek yogurt Zest and juice of 1 small lemon 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
Using a sharp knife, cut a cross-hatch pattern across each of the eggplant halves. Do not cut all the way through the skin, but make the cuts at least ¾-inch deep. Place the eggplant halves on a baking sheet. Drizzle a good glug of olive oil over the eggplant, then sprinkle the herbs over the top. Add freshly ground pepper and a large pinch of salt. Roast for 40 minutes, or until the eggplant are completely tender and easily pierced with a knife. While the eggplant are roasting, prepare the topping. In a small bowl combine the yogurt, lemon zest and juice. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, a pinch of salt and a little pepper and stir to combine.
11 ⁄ 2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
In another small bowl combine the chopped tomatoes and the basil.
2 tablespoons finely sliced basil
Once the eggplant are cooked, place them on a serving plate. Spoon some of the yogurt mixture over the top of each half, then spoon the tomatoes over the yogurt. Serve immediately.
Preheat the oven to 375°.
EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 57
Makes 4 servings
HEALTHY FOOD FOR EVERYONE! During the Covid-19 pandemic and economic crisis, thousands in our community have found access to healthy groceries and fresh produce at no cost is a huge help. We’re here for YOU! (SEE LOCATIONS AT RIGHT. NO PAPERWORK NECESSARY.)
THE FOODBANK HAS PROVIDED 10 MILLION POUNDS OF NUTRITIOUS FOOD 50% FRESH FRUITS & VEGGIES 35,000 HOME DELIVERIES 50 SITES COUNTYWIDE 20 NO-CONTACT DRIVE-THRUS 31,000 KIDS’ SUMMER LUNCHES FOOD TO 4,000 FARMWORKERS, AND MORE!
FOODBANKSBC.ORG FIND FOOD • VOLUNTEER • DONATE SENIORS AND THOSE WHO NEED HOME DELIVERY DUE TO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES:
CALL (805) 357-5761 58 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
EMERGENCY FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS Foodbank of Santa Barbara County will distribute free groceries and fresh produce at the following locations. No documentation/registration required. Everyone is welcome. Measures have been taken to ensure the safety and cleanliness of each site. For a complete list of sites where you can receive groceries, fresh produce, or prepared meals, please visit FoodbankSBC.org.
UPDATED AUGUST 23
Orcutt Presbyterian Church 993 Patterson Rd. Every Friday, 2pm-4pm
Village Chapel 3915 Constellation Rd. 1st and 3rd Tuesday, 10:30am-1pm 4th Friday, 3pm
Salvation Army 4849 Hollister Ave. Every Tuesday, 9am-12pm & 1pm-4pm Every Wednesday 1pm-4pm & 5:30pm-7:30pm
Allan Hancock College 800 S. College Dr. Every Tuesday and Thursday, 11am Catholic Charities 607 W. Main St. Every Tuesday and Thursday, 12pm-2pm STARTING September 1 Every Tuesday and Friday, 12pm-2pm Elks Lodge 1309 N. Bradley Rd. Every Thursday, 9am Coast Valley Worship Center 2548 S. Broadway Every Tuesday, 10am-11am Angel Food/Pacific Christian 1217D S. Blosser Rd. Every Saturday, 9am-12pm Salvation Army 200 W. Cook Ave. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9am-4pm
FSA Dorothy Jackson Resource Center 646 N.H St. Every Monday and Friday, 10am-12pm
Lompoc High School 515 W. College Ave. Last Saturday of the month, 8:30am
Children’s Park (Lower Westside) 520 Wentworth Ave. 1st Tuesday, 1pm 2nd Tuesday, 1pm
Santa Rita Village 926 W. Apricot Ave 4th Wednesday, 10:30am
Franklin Community Center 1136 E. Montecito St. 3rd Tuesday, 1:30pm Every Thursday, 1pm
Los Alamos Senior Center 690 Bell St. Every Saturday, 10am-11:30am 2nd Wednesday, 3pm People Helping People 260 Gonzales Dr. Every other Thursday (7/30), 10am-11am
St. John Neumann Church 966 W. Orchard St. 2nd Wednesday, 9am-10am
Oasis Orcutt Senior Center 420 Soares Ave. 3rd Thursday, 9:30am-11am
Guadalupe Senior Center 4545 10th St. Every Thursday, 11:30am-2pm
Evans Park 200 W. Williams St. 3rd Friday, 3pm Rancho Hermosa 235 E. Inger Dr. 1st Friday, 3pm
NIPOMO Nipomo Food Basket 197 W. Tefft St. Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 10am-1pm
Beatitude House 267 Campodonico Ave. Every Tuesday, 11:30am-12:45pm
Family Service Center 4681 11th St. Last Thursday of the month, 12pm Ranch Acres 1050 Escalante Dr. 4th Tuesday, 3pm
FOR SENIOR HOME DELIVERY, PLEASE CALL
GOLETA/ISLA VISTA Isla Vista Youth Projects 5638 Hollister Ave., Suite 200 By Appointment ONLY Contact Ana Maya, 805-8693303
Westside Community Center 423 W. Victoria St. CLOSED August 31 and September 7 Every Monday and Wednesday 1pm-3pm, Friday, 9am-11am
Catholic Charities 352 N. 2nd St. Monday-Friday, 10am-11:45am 12:30pm-2pm
DRIVE-THRU OPTION PRODUCE ONLY
Good Shepherd Pantry 380 N. Fairview Ave. 1st Saturday, 9am Goleta Valley Church 595 N. Fairview Ave. 3rd Saturday, 8am-10am Sandpiper Apartments 375 Ellwood Beach Dr. 1st Thursday, 9am
UCSB 2837 UCEN (UCSB Students Only) Every Wednesday and Friday 10am-3pm
New Life Church 50 E. Alamar Ave. 3rd Tuesday, 1pm-2:30pm
Presidio Springs 721 Laguna St. 3rd Wednesday, 4pm-6pm
Carpinteria Children's Project 5201 8th St. Distributions twice a month Wednesday, August 5 and 26 3pm-5:30pm
Grace Food Pantry 3869 State St. 1st, 2nd & 4th Saturday, 9am-10am
Catholic Charities 609 E. Haley St. Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30pm
Santa Barbara City College 721 Cliff Drive Every Wednesday, 2:30p-4pm Positano Apartments 11 Camino De Vida 3rd Monday, 3pm
BUELLTON Buellton Senior Center 164 W. Hwy 246 (Behind post office) Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm
Bethania Lutheran Church 603 Atterdag Rd. Every Tuesday, 5:15pm-6:45pm Golden Inn Village Family 890 Refugio Rd. 4th Monday, 2:30pm-4pm
NEW CUYAMA Cuyama Family Resource Center 4689 Highway 166 3rd Wednesday, 12pm
SAN LUIS OBISPO St. Patrick’s Church 501 Fair Oaks Ave. Tuesday-Thursday, 4pm-5pm
www.FoodbankSBC.org FoodbankSBC.org EdibleSantaBarbara.com SUMMER /FALL 2020 | 59
SA NTA BARBA R A COUNT Y
SUPPORT LOC AL GUIDE Now more than ever, it’s important to seek out and support local businesses. Here is our guide of some of the current and past advertisers that we fully support and hope you will, too. Click on any of the websites for a direct link to get more information about what they offer and any updated hours of operation. California (sign up at www.LarderMeatCo.com). You can also order through our Mangalitsa Market on the Winfield Farm website—please call first! Follow us on Facebook (WinfieldFarmBuellton), Twitter (@ WinfieldFarm.us) and Instagram (Winfield_Farm).
Food & Restaurants Backyard Bowls 5668 Calle Real, Goleta, 805 770-2730 3849 State St. Santa Barbara, 805 569-0011 331 Motor Way, Santa Barbara, 805 845-5379 www.BackyardBowls.com Santa Barbara’s most innovative breakfast and lunch spot featuring Acai bowls and smoothies. They also offer oatmeal, yogurt and more.
Babé Farms 805 925-4144 www.BabeFarms.com Babé Farms boasts a year-round harvest of colorful baby and specialty vegetables, grown in the Santa Maria Valley. Family owned and operated, Babé Farms is the “couture” label top chefs and fine retailers look to for their gourmet vegetable needs.
Jimenez Family Farm 805 688-0597 www.JimenezFamilyFarm.com
Ballard Inn & Gathering Table 2436 Baseline Ave., Ballard, 805 688-7770 www.BallardInn.com
901 N. Milpas St., Santa Barbara, 805 770-1700 www.BossiesKitchen.com Located in the historic D’Alfonso building with the cow on top, Bossie’s Kitchen offers seasonal farmers market dishes in a casual counter service setting. Chef-wife team Christina Olufson and Lauren Herman’s menu features garlic- and herb-roasted chicken, sandwiches on house-made bread, soups, salads, sides and nightly specials. Open for lunch Tue–Sat 11:30am–-3pm, dinner Tue–-Sun 5pm–close, brunch Sun 10am–3pm and happy hour Tue–Sun 3–6pm. Closed Mon.
Elegant accommodations, attentive staff and awardwinning cuisine make the Ballard Inn & Gathering Table one of the most sought-after small luxury inns in the Santa Barbara Wine Country. Gathering Table open to the public Wed– Sun from 5-9pm.
Barbareño 205 W. Canon Perdido St., Santa Barbara 805 963-9591 www.Barbareno.com
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 farm-raised rabbit, lamb, pork, goat and poultry.
Offering an approachable take on the fine-dining experience, Barbareño highlights the traditions and specialties of the Central Coast through creative story-driven dishes and ingredients from local farmers. Sit in the main dining room and enjoy the enticing atmosphere of an open kitchen, or outside on the lush patio alongside the Santa Maria grill. Dinner nightly 5–9:30pm; closed Tue.
Bob’s Well Bread
805 686-9312 www.WinfieldFarm.us
550 Bell St., Los Alamos, 805 344-3000 www.BobsWellBread.com
Taste the magic of Winfield Mangalitsa! Mangalitsa ground pork (the real hamburger) and hickory-smoked bacon are now featured in the Larder Meat Company’s Larder Club meat box, delivered monthly throughout
Making bread the old-fashioned way: handcrafted in small batches with the finest ingredients and baked to perfection in a custom-built stone-deck oven. Drop in to taste what visitors and journalists are raving about
60 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
Farms & Ranches
as “worth the drive”—signature Pain au Levain, awardwinning artisanal breads, croissants and specialty pastries. All-day menu of made-to-order breakfast, lunch and weekly special dishes. Indoor-outdoor picturesque café. Thu–Mon 7am–6pm. Café closes at 3pm. Closed Tue and Wed.
9 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, 805 730-1160 www.BouchonSantaBarbara.com
La Arcada 1100 State St. San Roque Plaza, 3401 State St., Santa Barbara, 805 845-3521 www.ilFustino.com
Il Fustino is Santa Barbara’s first and finest olive oil and vinegar tasting room. Il Fustino purveys only the finest and freshest olive oils, all grown and milled in California. They also provide an unparalleled selection of artisan vinegars. San Roque Plaza: Open Mon–Sun 11am–5pm. La Arcada: Open Thu–Sun noon–4pm.
1150 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805 969-2500 www.Breeosh.com
Montecito Country Mart
Chocolate Maya 15 W. Gutierrez St., Santa Barbara, 805 965-5956 www.ChocolateMaya.com Chocolate Maya handmade chocolate confections: a variety of velvety truffles and chocolate-dipped temptations that are made from the highest-quality chocolate (Valrhona, Felchlin, Conexion, including small bean-to-bar artisans couverture) fresh local ingredients and exotic findings from their travels overseas. Covid-19 hours noon–4pm every day. Closed on Wednesday.
Corazón Cocina 38 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, 805 845-0282 www.CorazonCocinaSB.com Located inside the Santa Barbara Public Market, offering homemade, local, unique and fresh cocina Mexicana. Join Chef Ramón Velazquez for fresh ceviches, mouthwatering tacos and homemade aguas frescas.
1016 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805 969-9664 www.MontecitoCountryMart.com The Montecito Country Mart has been renovated and preserved, with its original barbershop, post office, market and old-fashioned toy store, as well as Rori’s Artisanal Creamery, Bettina, Merci, Caffe Luxxe, CO Collections, Kendall Conrad, Little Alex’s, Malia Mills, Hudson Grace, James Perse and Space NK Apothecary.
Olive Hill Farm 2901 Grand Ave., Los Olivos, 805 693-0700 www.OliveHillFarm.com Specializing in local olive oils, flavored oils and balsamic vinegars as well as many locally produced food products. Olive oil and vinegar tastings with fresh local bread available. Open daily 11am–5pm.
Pico 458 Bell St., Los Alamos, 805 344-1122 www.PicoLosAlamos.com Located in the historic 1880 General Store, offering a casual dining experience with innovative cuisine made from locally-sourced ingredients. The extensive wine list has earned a Wine Enthusiast “Top 100 Wine Restaurant” award two years running. Open Tue– Thu 3–9pm; Fri–Sat noon–10pm; Sun Burger Night noon–9pm.
418 State St., Santa Barbara 805 250-3824 www.CubaneoSB.com
Plow to Porch
A fast-casual restaurant that shares space with Shaker Mill (Cuban-inspired cocktails) and The Academy of Recreational Sciences (Modern Times taproom). Serving traditional Cuban dishes, they take inspiration from the original Cuban dishes while updating the flavors to suit the ethos of California cuisine. Mon–Sun 11am–1am.
Plow to Porch Organics is a local organic/pesticide-free produce and grocery delivery service to members who subscribe. They simplify the purchase of local fresh organic produce and other organic, local foods in order to inspire good nutrition, support local farmers, protect the environment and make eating healthy food fun! Subscriptions start at $22.50.
The Food Liaison
805 895-7171 www.PlowToPorch.com
1033 Casitas Pass Rd., Carpinteria, 805 200-3030 www.TheFoodLiaison.com
214 State St., Santa Barbara, 805 869-2820 www.TheProjectSB.com
Catering. Counter. Classes. Utilizing many locally grown organic ingredients, enjoy daily rotating entrées and soups, seasonal menu and gourmet salad bar. Corporate and event catering since 2013. Sign up for cooking classes online.
Featuring modern Mexican cuisine, intriguing cocktails and a 20-beer taproom in the heart of the Funk Zone.
The Hitching Post II
PureWild Marine Collagen Infusions combine organic juices like blueberry, lime and mango with wild harvested marine collagen and adaptogens for a delicious way to better health. Available for purchase at Rainbow Bridge, Westridge Markets and Pacific Health Foods.
406 E. Hwy. 246, Buellton, 805 688-0676 www.HitchingPost2.com A favorite of locals and visitors since 1986. Serving wood-grilled fare, prepared in the regional barbecue tradition, along with their highly regarded Hitching Post Wines. Casual and relaxed setting.
C AROLE TOPALIAN
Bree’Osh is a French artisan bakery café specializing in sweet and savory brioche bread made with traditional sourdough. Featuring local, organic, highquality ingredients. Serving breakfast and lunch daily 7am–2pm.
Renaud’s Patisserie & Bistro 3315 State St., Santa Barbara, 805 569-2400 1324 State St., Santa Barbara, 805 892-280 1187 Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805 324-4200 www.RenaudsBistro.com Renaud’s is a bakery specializing in French pastries and French-style cakes, as well as a bistro offering an extensive menu for breakfast and lunch. Open Mon– Sat 7am–5pm; Sun 7am–3pm.
The Santa Barbara Smokehouse, Inc. 805 966-9796 www.SBSmokehouse.com The Santa Barbara Smokehouse produces highestquality smoked salmon utilizing traditional, artisanal methods. From their rope-hung Cambridge House Private Reserve smoked salmon, to Cambridge House wild and hot smoked salmon, years of artisanal tradition go into every batch.
PureWild Co. www.PureWildCo.com
Ramen Kotori 1618 Copenhagen Dr., Solvang, 805 691-9672 www.RamenKotori.com Mom-and-pop ramen shop offering farmers market– inspired Japanese dishes including traditional Shoyu ramen, Karaage Japanese fried chicken, gyoza pot stickers, kimchi fried rice and seasonal pickles.
Bouchon sources all of its ingredients using an “asfresh-and-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.
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Kitá Winery 300 N. 12th St., Unit 1A, Lompoc, 805 819-1372 www.KitaWines.com Established in 2010 as a small, premium wine producer, Kitá’s focus is on respecting the balance of soil, climate, location and taste. The word “Kitá” means “our valley oak” in the Santa Ynez Chumash language of Samala. Open Fri 2–6pm, Sat noon–6pm, and Sun noon–5pm.
Vineyard: 6855 Santa Rosa Rd., Buellton, 805 688-7921 Funk Zone: 111 Yanonali St., Santa Barbara, 805 845-2020 www.LafondWinery.com
Solvang Olive Company
1578 Mission Dr., Solvang, 805 213-1399 www.SolvangOliveCo.com
32 El Paseo in the center courtyard, Santa Barbara, 805 845-8777 www.BardenWines.com
Solvang Olive features locally grown olive oils, fruit and balsamic vinegar and handcrafted gourmet olives. The Solvang store also carries olive oil beauty products, tableware and cooking ingredients created by Californian artisans. Tasting room open Mon–Thu 10am–5pm, Fri–Sun 10am–6pm.
Succulent Café Wine Charcuterie 1555 Mission Dr., Solvang, 805 691-9444 www.SucculentCafe.com Comfort food with a twist, prepared with seasonal and local farm-fresh ingredients. The best charcuterie plates around feature farm-fresh cheese, house-made jam, pickled vegetables, nuts and fruit. Great local wine, craft beer and signature cocktails. Open Mon, Wed– Fri 10am–9pm, Sat–Sun 8:30am–9pm; Happy Hour 3–5pm. Closed Tuesday.
Wine & Beer Au Bon Climat
Located in the historic El Paseo complex, the new Barden Tasting Room focuses exclusively on wines sourced from Sta. Rita Hills, handcrafted by Margerum Wine Company. Select from a flight of current releases or exclusive Library Wines. Enjoy Barden wines by the glass on their dog-friendly patio.
Buttonwood Farm Winery 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang, 805 688-3032 www.ButtonwoodWinery.com Since 1983, the vineyard and its award-winning wines have been hand-raised and hand-crafted with the goal of environmental responsibility. The vineyard now has 38,000 vines highlighted by Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc, along with small blocks of Semillon, Grenache Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Grenache, Syrah, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Tasting daily by appointment 11am–3:30pm.
813 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, 805 963-7999 AuBonClimat.com
388 Bell St., Los Alamos, 805 344-1900 www.CasaDumetzWines.com
The tasting room and the Jim Clendenen Wine Library are known for world-class Chardonnays and Pinots, yet other varietals are available. Jim Clendenen has been making wines of vision and character for over 30 years. Amazing lineup of current releases and library wines on hand. Tasting room open Mon–Fri noon–6pm, Sat and Sun 11am–6pm. Outdoor wine tasting daily. Reservations recommended.
A boutique winery specializing in Rhône varietals crafted with premier Santa Barbara County fruit. Their wines are sold almost exclusively at their tasting room in historic Los Alamos and through their wine club. Thu–Sat noon–7pm, Sun noon–6pm, Mon noon–4pm, Tue–Wed by appointment only.
Babi’s Beer Emporium 380 Bell St., Los Alamos, 805 344-1911 www.BabisBeerEmporium.com Great beer. Impeccable selection. Great fun. Adventurous beer drinkers can discover unique, hardto-find craft beers, ciders and special projects—on tap or in bottle. Stay to have a bite from Dim Sama’s menu. Thu–Sat noon–7pm, Sun noon–6pm, Mon noon–4pm, Tue–Wed by appointment only. 62 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
Foxen Vineyard & Winery 7200 and 7600 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria 805 937-4251 www.FoxenVineyard.com The Foxen Boys’ winery and tasting room features Burgundian and Rhône-style wines. Visit the historic shack “Foxen 7200” for Italian and Bordeaux-style wines. Picnic tables and scenic views at both locations. Open 11am–4pm daily.
Lafond Winery & Vineyards is the sister label to neighbor Santa Barbara Winery. With the first grapes belonging to Lafond Vineyards being planting in 1962, owner Pierre Lafond established the first commercial winery in Santa Barbara County. The Lafond label specializes in Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. Visit the Funk Zone tasting room Sun–Thu 10am–6pm, Fri–Sat 10am–7pm or the vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills 10am–5pm daily.
Lama Dog 116 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara 805 880-3364 www.LamaDog.com Craft beer taproom and bottle shop located in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone. Open Sun–Wed 11:30am–10pm, Thu 11:30am–11pm, Fri–Sat 11:30am–midnight. @lamadog
Margerum & Barden Tasting Room at the Hotel Californian, corner Winery Tasting Room, 59 Industrial Way, Buellton; 805 686-8500 www.MargerumWines.com Enjoy wine tasting, order from their menu, and stock up on provisions at the combined Margerum and Barden Tasting Room across the street from Hotel Californian in the Santa Barbara Funk Zone. Indoor and outdoor patio seating, with an indoor mezzanine that can host private events. Handcrafted Rhône varietal wines from Margerum Estate Vineyard and from grapes grown at top Santa Barbara County vineyards. All complemented with a simple fare menu—cheese and charcuterie, pizzas, paninis, salads and other foods to complement the wine. The winery in Buellton is open by appointment for wine tasting and winery tours.
Riverbench Vineyard & Winery Vineyard Tasting Room 6020 Foxen Canyon Rd., Santa Maria 805 937-8340 Santa Barbara Tasting Room 137 Anacapa St., Ste. C., Santa Barbara 805 324-4100 www.Riverbench.com Riverbench Vineyard was established in 1973, when the first Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes were planted on the bank of the Sisquoc River, known as the Santa Maria Bench. For decades since then, some of the most renowned California wineries have purchased Riverbench fruit for their wines. In 2006, Riverbench began producing their own estate wines in limited quantities, with many of their certified sustainable wines available exclusively through the Riverbench wine club and tasting rooms in Santa Maria and Santa Barbara. Visits currently by appointment only; please go to Riverbench.com to read current policies and make reservations.
Santa Barbara Winery 202 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara 805 963-3633 www.SBWinery.com Santa Barbara Winery is the oldest winery in Santa Barbara County. Established in 1962, Pierre Lafond pioneered the commercial vineyard business under the Santa Barbara Winery label in the Sta. Rita Hills. The winery and tasting room is located in Santa Barbara’s Funk Zone and is one of the only fully operating wineries of its kind in the urban district. Tasting room open Sun–Thu 10am–6pm, Fri–Sat 10am–7pm.
Taste of Sta. Rita Hills 2923 Grand Ave, Los Olivos, 805 688-1900 www.TasteOfStaRitaHills.com Taste of Sta. Rita Hills is the go-to store for unique Sta. Rita Hills and Central Coast wines, featuring hard-tofind wines by Sea Smoke, Paul Lato, Bonaccorsi and many others. They offer some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Central Coast.
Zaca Mesa Winery 6905 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos 805 688-9339 www.ZacaMesa.com Since 1973, Zaca Mesa Winery has crafted distinctive wines from their unique mesa-top vineyard. As an early pioneer of the region, they now have 150 acres planted, specializing in the production of estate-grown Rhône-style wines. Tasting room and picnic area open daily 10am–4pm. Call for more information on winery tours and private event space.
Specialty Retail ella & louie Floral designer Tracey Morris has two great loves: flowers and people. Relying on more than 25 years of design experience, Morris helps clients celebrate their big occasions with exquisite and expressive floral arrangements. Ella & Louie produces a range of looks from classic elegant designs or brightly colored flower crowns to unusual yet stylish. Local delivery.
805 691-9106 www.EllaAndLouie.com
Tecolote Bookstore 1470 E. Valley Rd., Montecito 805 969-4977 www.TecoloteBookshop.com Tecolote Bookstore is an independent bookstore located in the upper village of Montecito. Open Mon– Fri 10am–5:30pm; Sat 10am–5pm; closed Sun.
Professional Services American Riviera Bank 525 San Ysidro Rd., Montecito, 805-335-8110 www.AmericanRivieraBank.com 1033 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara 805 965-5942 www.AmericanRivieraBank.com Offering a local and sustainable approach to banking. The founders of American Riviera Bank are a carefully selected group of successful, prominent, experienced and influential community and business leaders who understand the unique needs of the Santa Barbara community. Montecito branch open Mon–Thu 9am–5pm; Fri 9am–5:30pm. Santa Barbara branch open Mon–Thu 8am–5pm, Fri 8am–6pm.
Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation https://www.cottagehealth.org/donate/cottagerehabilitation-hospital-foundation/
SBCC Foundation 805 730-4401 www.SBCCFoundation.org
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County
The SBCC Foundation was established in 1976 to provide Santa Barbara City College with private philanthropic support. The foundation acts in partnership with the college and bridges the gap between available public funding and institutional need, as determined by the college leadership. The SBCC Foundation provides more than $4 million annually for student success programs, scholarships, book grants and other critical needs of the college in order to support SBCC students as they prepare for careers, transfer to four-year universities and pursue lifelong learning goals.
805 967-5741 www.FoodbankSBC.org
Working every day to move people from hunger into health. The mission of the Foodbank is to provide nourishment to those in need by acquiring and distributing safe nutritious foods via local agencies and providing education to solve hunger and nutrition problems in Santa Barbara County. For information about their Covid-19 relief efforts, please visit https:// foodbanksbc.org/disasterrelief/.
Ranch at Canyon Ridge
Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation helps provide exceptional services for people with disabilities. You can also give to the Cottage Emergency Response Fund, which directly supports immediate efforts to care for patients and protect healthcare teams across Cottage Health. Partnering with Cottage Health allows them to respond to this evolving pandemic and ensure the highest level of care to our communities in the weeks and months ahead.
www.RanchAtCanyonRidge.com A private and gated ranch retreat in the heart of Santa Ynez Wine Country with sweeping views of rolling hills and vineyards. Farmhouse vacation rental, 20 acres, infinity pool and jacuzzi, farm animals, spa services.
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Sautéed Apples This is one of my favorites for this time of year when the apples are fresh and abundant. It has the best attributes of apple pie—caramelized, tender apples—and you don’t have to turn the oven on to make it. I love it with the addition of Grandma Tommie’s Apple Pie Liqueur by Cutler’s Artisan Spirits, but you could substitute other spirits if you add some spices like cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Make it nondairy by using olive oil and serving with nondairy ice cream. Makes 2– 4 servings 4 medium apples 3 tablespoons butter or olive oil 2–3 tablespoons honey, depending on the sweetness of your apples 1
⁄ 2 cup Apple Pie Liqueur
Ice cream, crème fraîche, yogurt or heavy cream for serving
Peel and core the apples, cutting them in quarters and then in smaller slices. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the butter. Add the apple slices and sauté them for about 5–10 minutes, or until they are tender and translucent. Add the honey and distribute to coat the apples. Taste one of the apples to make sure it is tender and sweet, continue cooking or add additional honey if needed.
Serve in bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of crème fraîche or yogurt or a drizzle of heavy cream. –Krista Harris
64 | EDIBLE SANTA BARBARA SUMMER /FALL 2020
Remove the pan from the heat and add the liqueur. Then return the pan to low heat and simmer for a few minutes to cook the alcohol off and infuse the apples with the liqueur. Taste one of the apples to see if it needs additional cooking time. You want the apples to be cooked completely, golden and slightly caramelized.
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