Tickets Now On Sale

Tickets are now on sale for the Edible Institute — a weekend of talks, presentations, and local food & wine tastings by some of the local food movement's most influential thinkers, writers, and producers. March 10-11, 2012, Santa Barbara, CA. 

Admission to Edible Institute is $250 and includes all the Saturday and Sunday sessions, including lunch on both days—and the Food & Wine Gala on Saturday night. Click here to buy tickets.

KEYNOTE: Nikki Henderson

photo: Sarah Adler/SF Chronicle

We are excited to announce that the Edible Institute 2012 Keynote speaker is Nikki Henderson, Executive Director of the People’s Grocery in Oakland, CA. Nikki began her work in social justice through the foster care system in Southern California, having been raised with seven older foster brothers. Through mentoring, tutoring, and directing Foster Youth Empowerment Workshops, she developed her passion for youth leadership development among communities of color. She later shifted into sustainability, developing course curriculum for the University of California system and advocating across the state for environmental justice and political ecology.

SESSIONS

Barry Estabrook in conversation with Tracie McMillan and Jonathan Bloom.

CULTIVATING FOOD JUSTICE ON THE WEB with moderator Gary Nabhan
and speakers:

• Naomi Starkman / Civil Eats
• Leslie Hatfield / Eco Centric
• Nichol Nelson / Take Part Media 

CREATING FOOD COMMUNITIES ON THE WEB with moderator Molly Watson
and peakers:

• Darya Pino / Summer Tomato
• Cathy Erway / Not Eating Out in NY
• Sean Timberlake / Punk Domestics

WOMEN OF THE SEA: SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD CHALLENGES IN CALIFORNIA with moderator Clare Leschin-Hoar and speakers:

• Stephanie Mutz, President, Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara, Inc.
• Anna Larsen, SirenSeaSA
• Helene York, BAMCO

DRINKING SANTA BARBARA: TERROIR, ORGANIC, BIODYNAMIC AND NATURAL WINES with moderator Gillian Handelman
(Prior to the discussion we'll take a short break while the winemakers pour several of the wines.)
Speakers:

• Jim Clendenen, Au Bon Climat
• Bob Lindquist, Qupe
• Sashi Moorman, Stolpman and Piedrasassi

Saturday Keynote with Brian Halweil of Edible East End, Edible Manhattan, and Edible Brooklyn.

Sunday Session: TELLING SUSTAINABLE MEAT STORIES: How ranchers, retailers, and restaurateurs take their meat and their message to consumers.

• Jeff Tripican, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Sales, Niman Ranch
• Will Harris, President of White Oak Pastures
• Chris Arnold, Director of Communications, Chipotle
• Whole Foods Markets

EDIBLE GALA

Announcing our second annual Edible Institute Food & Drink Gala (at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum) featuring the finest food and drink artisans, restaurants and producers from the Santa Barbara community including:

• Buttonwood Farm Winery
• Full of Life Flatbread
• New West Catering
• Seagrass Restaurant
• Los Olivos Wine Merchant and Café
• Bell Street Farm Eatery
• Succulent Cafe
• Bacara Resort
• Whole Foods
• Goodland Kitchen
• Chocolate Maya/Le Crepe Shoppe
• IxCacao Brownies
• Here's the Scoop Gelato
• Telegraph Brewing Co.
• The Hitching Post II
• Alma Rosa Winery
• Au Bon Climat Winery
• Margerum Wine Company
• Oreana Winery
• Qupe Winery
• Riverbench Winery
• Zaca Mesa Winery

Admission to the Food & Drink Gala is included in the admission price to Edible Institute.

The Edible Institute Sunday Sessions will feature film presentations from U. Roberto Romano, Sanjay Rawal, and Daniel Klein.

Award-Winning producer, director, director of photography, and still photographer U. Roberto (Robin) Romano will give an extended presentation on two of his films. THE HARVEST, a feature documentary on the life of migrant children and their families in America and DARK SIDE OF CHOCOLATE, a feature documentary on slavery in the West Africa cocoa trade. See a clip of Roberto Romano’s documentary THE HARVEST here.

Producer and director Sanjay Rawal will give an extended presentation on his farm labor film entitled FOOD CHAIN (release date of fall 2012) featuring Barry Estabrook, Eric Schlosser, and others.

Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine will give an extended presentation on THE PERENNIAL PLATE, an online weekly documentary series dedicated to socially responsible and adventurous eating. These episodes follow the culinary, agricultural and hunting explorations of chef and activist, Daniel Klein and his trip across America, taking the viewer on a journey to appreciate and understand where good food comes from and how to enjoy it. Check out some of the films from Daniel and Mirra’s trip online at: PerennialPlate.com.

Click Here to Purchase Tickets to the Edible Institute

Meet Phil Harris, Black Cod Fisherman from NOAA Ocean Media Center on Vimeo.

For more information, visit Phil's website.

Three Problem Solving Recipes

It's the day or so before Thanksgiving and you've pretty much got everything planned out. But there's always a way to make it better. Here are three recipes that we love and that will make your Thanksgiving a little easier, stress-free and delicious.

A Side Dish That Everyone Can Eat

What dish can you make that will please your friend the vegan, your family members who are on diets and the others who just want something that tastes good and goes with all the other rich food. How about a fresh take on a Waldorf Salad? This one skips the traditional mayonnaise dressing in favor of a vinaigrette.

• Click here for the Celery, Apple and Walnut Salad recipe

Easy Gravy

What's the most stressful part of making Thanksgiving dinner? It's got to be the last 30 minutes or so when the turkey comes out of the oven and you're scrambling to turn the pan juices into a delicious, lump-free gravy. Here's a way to make the gravy ahead of time without sacrificing one bit of flavor.

• Click here for the Make Ahead Roast Turkey Gravy recipe

A Dessert You’ll Have Room For

After a huge Thanksgiving meal some people are ready for pie and others want something a little lighter. This ice cream will work perfectly with a slice of pumpkin pie or, for many of us, a scoop of this by itself will make the perfect finale to the Thanksgiving meal.

• Click here for the Pumpkin Date Ice Cream recipe

Above: Melissa Gomez and Julia Crookston, Goodland Kitchen

How to Turn Your Passions Into Profits
On December 8th, join WEV and four local food entrepreneurs at Goodland Kitchen to learn about starting or growing a specialty food business. Panelists include many that have been profiled in Edible Santa Barbara:

Julia Crookston, Preserves Santa Barbara, Goodland Kitchen & Market: Julia is a career culinarian with over 30 years of production and development experience. She is a lifelong promoter and practitioner of handmade high-quality foods and is deeply involved with local food production systems.

Gail Zannon, Santa Barbara Pistachios: The Zannons planted their first 50 acres of organically grown pistachios in Cuyama in 199. Now, with 440 acres in production, Santa Barbara Pistachios is a family farm and business. A veteran of fancy food shows and farmers markets, Gail knows more ways to serve and sell a pistachio than just about anybody.

Heidi Whitney, IxCacoa Brownies: IxCacoa Brownies is an all natural, premium chocolate brownie company which specializes in using spices from around the world to create unique flavors. Heidi combines her passion for good chocolate and travel with a degree in business to grow a company that she hopes to take global.

Elizabeth Poett, Rancho San Julian Beef: Elizabeth Poett was born and raised on her family’s historic cattle ranch, Rancho San Julian and is dedicated to good food and preserving the environment. She has been providing Rancho San Julian Beef to Farmers Markets and restaurants along the Central Coast for the last three years and makes beef jerky in the Goodland Kitchen.

Melissa Gomez will be the moderator for the discussion.

• Date: Thursday, December 8
• Time: 6–7:30pm Panel Discussion / 7:30–8pm Networking
• Location: Goodland Kitchen, 231 S. Magnolia, Old Town Goleta

To sign up go to http://wevonline.givezooks.com/events/foodstuff-how-to-turn-your-passion-into-profits

Edible Santa Barbara loves local small businesses, especially since we happen to be one, too. So, we are also big fans of WEV - Women's Economic Ventures, a local nonprofit that provides training, consulting, coaching and loans to small businesses in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. And, despite the name, it's not just for women. Although they target women because of the unique challenges they face, WEV helps men, too.

Now, in addition to their successful Business Plan classes and training, they are offering a new program called “Thrive in Five™ — Empowering Small Businesses to Grow and Thrive.” This program was created for entrepreneurs that have a solid, up-to-date business plan but need additional expert assistance with stabilizing and growing their companies.

Thrive in Five™ provides long-term, individualized training, consulting and coaching and requires a 12-month minimum commitment (up to 5 years). A current Thrive in Five participant said "WEV's Thrive in 5 program has helped to move me forward by leaps and bounds over where I would have gone by myself!" Enrollment is limited and the next session starts up soon. If you're a business that is looking to grow to the next level, this could be the perfect way to help make it happen.

To join this program or to just find out more about it, contact Lisa Minyard by September 30th at lminyard@wevonline.org. WEVonline.com

So you’re starting the Eat Local Challenge, and you’re wondering what you are going to be able to eat for the next month. Yes, you can find plenty of fresh produce and even seafood and meat available at many area farmers markets and stores. But what about everything else? How far can you go eating strictly local? The best way to start is by having a well-stocked pantry.

The Shelf-Stable Basics

Olive oil and other oils: You’re really in luck if you live in Santa Barbara County because we have a great selection of really top quality locally grown and pressed olive oils. Find one that you like and then buy in bulk for a better value. Also, try local walnut oil and pistachio oil.

Vinegar: You can find apple cider vinegar and verjus at the farmers market. Global Gardens also has a whole line of wine and fruit infused vinegars.

Dried beans: A number of local farmers are now offering dried beans. Check out Shepherd Farms or Mama’s Preserves for a selection of heirloom varieties. Beans are one of the lowest cost and tastiest forms of protein.

Wheat flour and wheat berries: You can get local flour and wheat berries from Solvang Pie Company and Huasna Valley Farm. Use the wheat flour in baking. Wheat berries are the whole kernel of the wheat and are a little bit nutty and chewy. Try substituting them for rice or other grains.

Canned tomatoes: Several local farmers (Ellwood Canyon Farms, Roots Organic Farm) have joined forces with Duo Catering to offer beautiful jars of pantry ready tomatoes. Or pick up a flat of cosmetically-challenged tomatoes and spend an afternoon canning. Either way you’ll have the basis for many a quick delicious meal.

Nuts and dried fruit: Again, we are lucky to live in Santa Barbara County because we have our pick of walnuts and pistachios. Even almonds, pecans and peanuts are grown not too far away in the Central Valley. We can also find dried apricots, figs, dates and raisins at the farmers markets.

Peanut butter and nut butters: Avila and Sons is now selling their own peanut butter and other types of nut butters.

Jelly and jam: There is a wonderful selection of local jams. Try Bona Dea, Mama’s Preserves, Montecito Country Kitchen, Katie Rose and Marcie’s Garden/Jimenez Farms. And jam is another thing that is very satisfying to make yourself. You can even make a quick, small batch of ‘refrigerator’ jam for immediate consumption.

Honey: There are lots of local sources for honey. If you don’t know a beekeeper, pick up a jar of San Marcos Farms honey. Try using honey for part or of all of the sugar in baking or other desserts.

Pickled vegetables: Again, we’re in luck. Try Pacific Pickle Works, Bona Dea or Harry’s Berries for absolutely delicious pickled vegetables. Harry’s Berries also makes a delicious salsa.

Coffee: Believe it or not, coffee is being grown in the Goleta foothills. You can buy locally grown and roasted coffee from Calimoya at the farmers market. You can also find a variety of locally roasted coffees, some of which are also Fair Trade and organic. 

Dried Herbs and Spices

Herbs de Provence: Shepherd Farms makes a delicious version of this classic dried herb blend. You can buy small jars or buy in bulk to refill your own jars.

Salt: Steve Escobar has been experimenting with making local sea salt. Hopefully it will be available soon. If not, you could try your hand at it.

Pepper: While there isn’t a source of local black pepper, there are pepper trees all over this area. They produce the pink peppercorns that are frequently found in blends. No one is processing and selling a product right now, but it could be an interesting project.

Other spices: You can also find locally packaged spices and spice blends. They may not be grown in the area, but at least you are supporting a local business.

Other Basics

Bread: Try the many varieties of bread from Solvang Pie Company, made with the wheat they grow. Or support a local bakery who makes everything from scratch.

Pasta: Solvang Pie Company also sells fresh pasta. Also try making your own fresh pasta in large batches and freezing a portion of it.

Tortillas: La Tolteca has been supplying area markets with local tortillas for years. What we don’t have yet is a source for local masa corn flour.

Eggs: Lily’s Eggs are readily available. Or try the eggs from Dare 2 Dream Farms in Lompoc.

Milk: Unfortunately we don’t have a commercial dairy in Santa Barbara County. You can get milk from within 150 miles from Rockview Farms or Alta Dena. For raw milk there is Organic Pastures and Claravale Farms, which are about 200 miles away.

Cheese: Central Coast Creamery makes a really nice selection of goat and cow milk cheeses. Rinconada Dairy makes several delicious sheep and goat milk cheeses. Both are in San Luis Obispo County. There are also a number of other artisanal cheese makers throughout California that are definitely worth supporting.

Condiments:  You might want to try making your own mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and the like. Or try using Canoga Park-based Follow Your Heart Vegenaise instead of mayonnaise. You can find delicious hummus from Baba Foods based in San Luis Obispo at our local farmers markets. Also some farmers are selling barbeque sauces, salsas, chutney and even salt-cured lemons. At Plow to Porch you can find Om Sweet Mama, a line of locally created and sourced salad dressings. 

. . . . . 

With your kitchen cupboards and refrigerator filled with the above, you will definitely find it easier to whip up a meal or snack throughout the month ahead. Best of luck on the challenge!

Santa Barbara Certified Farmers Market (almost all local, some regional)

Plow to Porch (almost all local, some regional)

Isla Vista Food Co-op*

Lazy Acres*

Whole Foods*

C’est Cheese

New Frontiers

Tri-County Produce

El Rancho Market

Los Olivos Grocery

Lassen’s (Goleta and Santa Maria)

On August 13, Buttonwood Farm & Winery held their annual All Farm Dinner to celebrate the bounty of Buttonwood Farm. Jeff Olsson of New West Catering was instrumental in developing the concept and each year Jeff, Janet and the whole team at New West do an absolutely amazing job of featuring everything that is grown or raised on Buttonwood Farm. The Menu:

Passed Hors D'oeuvres:

Homemade Beef "Hot Dogs" Wrapped in Pastry with Green Chile Mustard

"Steak and Eggs" Hand-cut Beef Tartare with Quail Egg on Brioche

North African Lamb Sausage with Oregano, Rosemary and Thyme

Quesadilla of Zucchini and Sweet Corn with Homemade Goat Cheese

The Family Style Feast:

Heirloom Tomatoes, Watermelon and Cucumber with Basil

Grilled Farm Vegetables with Salsa Pebre and Crispy Onions

Anaheim Chile Relleno with Homemade Goat Cheese

Tandoori Grilled Lamb with Habanero Peach Chutney and Spearmint

Grilled Steer "Florentine" with Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Cilantro

Mole Verde Braised Beef with Pepitas and Cilantro

Greens and Herbs with Shallot Vinaigrette

House-made Breads with Tomato Butter

Served Dessert:

Mini-peach Crostata and Brown Butter Peach Ice Cream Sandwich with Peach Chantilly and Roasted Peach Coulis

Alama Pintado Almond Turtles

Here are some photos from this year's event taken by David Browne.

The dinner was held next to the pond in a beautiful setting in the vineyard.

Each place setting was arranged with a piece of artwork by Seyburn Zorthian and a bunch of herbs.

New West Catering, with Jeff Olsson to the left.

The meat on the grill.

Emily Garland of New West artfully arranges the hors d'oeuvres.

The beef tartar topped with a quail egg atop brioche.

The platters are assembled waiting to go out to the tables.

Krista Harris, left and Rob Hatherill enjoying the food, the wine and the setting.

Making More with Microbes

It's all about the dirt. Many of you read our article on Local Grass-Fed Beef: Converting Sunlight to Food in the fall 2010 issue of Edible Santa Barbara. In the article Guner Tautrim of Orella Ranch talked about the importance of developing humus that contains a healthy community of microbes. Now the Orella Stewardship Institute is hosting a comprehensive Soil Foodweb Workshop featuring Doug Weatherbee who uses an applied soil microbiological systems approach to regenerate the fertility of degraded soils.

Instructor Doug Weatherbee is a Certified Soil Foodweb Advisor who works closely with the renowned Dr. Elaine Ingham, Soil Foodweb Inc. and Matt Slaughter, Director of the Oregon Soil Foodweb Lab. This is a unique opportunity for the community to gain important knowledge of soil biology and how it impacts every aspect of our environment.

• Dates: September 8-11th, 2011
• Location: Orella Ranch, Gaviota Coast (20 miles west of Santa Barbara)
• Cost: $650 per person. There are partial and full scholarships available

The course is designed for ranchers, farmers, gardeners and landscape designers and will help participants to unearth the potential of their land. They'll learn valuable tools and techniques to help turn their soil into rich and fertile ground through composting, creating compoting tea and by gaining a better understanding of soil microbiology.

To register, questions or to apply for scholarship, please email roots@loatree.com or call 805.450.2357 or visit the website.

Food Production in the U.S.

This summer Antioch University Santa Barbara is presenting a series of films and discussion related to food production. In keeping with the spirit of social justice, each of the events is free and open to the public. This is an excellent opportunity see these films and to partake in lively discussions moderated by the Antioch faculty. All are held at the Antioch campus at 801 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, and more information and trailers can be found on their website.

Book Club: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

Tuesday, July 26, 12:00 PM  or  Wednesday, August 17, 6:00 PM

Read Michael Pollan’s book and then join in a lively discussion. The New York Times review called it "a tough, witty, cogent rebuttal to the proposition that food can be reduced to its nutritional components without the loss of something essential." We would call it essential reading for anyone who eats.

Film Series: King Corn & Big River

Thursday, July 21, 4:00 PM

In this abridged (50 min) version of King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis plant and grow a bumper crop of America’s most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil, with the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat—and how we farm. In Big River (30 min), Ian and Curt explore the impact their farm had on the health of our rivers and the Gulf of Mexico’s “dead zone.”

Film Series: Food, Inc.

Monday, August 8, 4:00 PM

Filmmaker Robert Kenner's Academy Award nominated film, Food, Inc. lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government's regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. The film features interviews with many experts including Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Joel Salatin and Gary Hirschberg.

Film Series: Queen of the Sun

Wednesday, August 24, 4:00 PM

Filmmaker Taggart Siegel (known for his film The Real Dirt on Farmer John) takes a profound, alternative look at the bee crisis. Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this alarming and ultimately uplifting film weaves together an unusual and dramatic story of the heart-felt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world.