Who are we?

On the cusp of the transition to 2013, you may be asking yourself a boatload of questions pertaining to your job, your family, your hobbies. How am I making a difference? Is my job meaningful to me? How can I improve my family life in this coming year? Is crocheting for me? The answers to those reflections buzzing around in your head can probably be summarized in a few words: love, happiness, community, health, etc. Those simple words can mean a lot of things, but constructing the connotations behind the widely understood definitions can bring you closer to others you discover feel the same way.

Organizations need to define what is important to them too. Slow Food has a few words that have brought us all together and I think the beginning of a new year is a good time to revisit our purpose. How will Good, Clean, and Fair influence your life choices in 2013?

Good:

The word good can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. For Slow Food, the idea of good means enjoying delicious food created with care from healthy plants and animals. The pleasures of good food can also help to build community and celebrate culture and regional diversity.

Clean:

When we talk about clean food, we are talking about nutritious food that is as good for the planet as it is for our bodies. It is grown and harvested with methods that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems and promotes biodiversity.

Fair:

We believe that food is a universal right. Food that is fair should be accessible to all, regardless of income, and produced by people who are treated with dignity and justly compensated for their labor.

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey Recipe

The holidays are upon us. Often this time of year inspires weeks of personal reflection and heartfelt nostalgia while simultaneously evoking a need to scribble out a long list of resolutions. The top of my list for 2013? A juicing cleanse to kick off a healthy new year! But who am I kidding? Now is not the time to start said cleanse- there is still a whole week left in 2012 to indulge in sugar-toned gluttony and deep-fried tastiness!

Here is a recipe from Coronado-based author Jill O'Connor to get you through the holidays with a bit of chocolatey, liquor-laced cheer!

Grown-Up S'mores from Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O'Connor

Serves: Makes 15 S’mores

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Ingredients:

For the chocolate filling: 8 large egg yolks 1-½ cups confectioners sugar sifted 2 tablespoons white crème de cacao 2 tablespoons Kahlua 2 teaspoons Cognac 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 2 tablespoons Dutch-Processed cocoa power 12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 1 ½ cups heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

For the marshmallow fluff meringue: 3 Large egg whites Pinch of Salt Pinch of cream of tartar ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup of marshmallow fluff

For the graham cracker crust: 3 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs ½ cup (1stick) unsalted butter, melted 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

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Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To make the crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and granulated sugar until will combined.  Press into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan.  Bake the crest until starts to brown and become crisp, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and confectioners’ sugar together in a large bowl until they are thick and the color of butter.  Beat in the Cognac, crème de cacao, Kahlúa, vanilla, and salt.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth.  Remove the pan from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Let cool slightly, then gradually beat into the egg mixture.

Fold the softly beaten heavy cream into the chocolate mixture just until combined.  Spoon the chocolate cream over the graham cracker curst, smoothing it evenly with a spatula.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very firm, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

When ready to serve, make the meringue: Using an electric mixer set at low speed, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until soft peaks form.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add the marshmallow Fluff to the egg whites a little at a time, beating constantly until stiff peaks form.

Carefully cut the S’mores into 15 large squares.  Place each S’mores on a dessert plate.  Top each with ½ cup of the meringue in a large dollop.  Use a small kitchen torch to carefully burnish the meringue until tipped with golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Head, Heart, Hands & Health

To many city-dwellers, the mention of 4-H conjures images of the county fair: kids chasing greased pigs, chicken cages with red ribbons, white and black cows towering over smiling youngsters. While this perception of the century old organization is partly true, the history and current mission of 4-H (Head, Heart, Hands & Health) is much more expansive. 4-H clubs started in Ohio in the late 19th century as the USDA's Cooperative Extension System were beginning to disseminate new farming technology through land grant universities and regional offices. As it often happens, older farmers were less keen on experimenting with new "advances" in their field (literally). So clubs were formed to attract the younger farmers-to-be to learn about leaderships skills, local economies, and, of course, agricultural innovations.

Nowadays the scope has widened to encompass a number of community activities to help students to learn leadership, citizenship and life skills. Here in San Diego a 4-H club member could be participating in activities from veterinary sciences to marine biology to animal husbandry to ham radio. (Here's a full list of 4-H activities in San Diego).

Not to say that the agricultural side of 4-H has been abandoned: Slow Food Urban San Diego had the pleasure of working with Henry Kraus, a local 4-H student committed to raising his pigs organically. He is learning about leadership, economics, and agriculture in his community in a big way: bucking the "conventional" model amongst the pressure of adults and peers to raise his pig non-organically must not have been easy! But he stuck to his guns and raised a beautiful healthy pig that fetched a price tag well above the conventionally raised pigs in his midst. As everyone who attended last months Pig Picking at Roots Community Kitchen, the outcome was delicious! Henry, leading by example, is in turn helping to educate other local farmers (or farmers-in-training) about the benefits of raising livestock organically. The four leaves of the 4-H clover (head, heart, hands, and health) are certainly being grown and nourished by such an effort.

Through the support of local 4-H programs here in San Diego we can assist our youth in fulfilling the 4-H pledge and subsequently set the stage for a healthier, kinder, and more educated foodie/farmer community:

I pledge my head to clearer thinking, My heart to greater loyalty, My hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.

For more information about 4-H, check out their website.

Ready for the Holiday Mixer?

Please join us in celebrating the season at our Holiday Mixer with Saltbox at the Hotel Palomar on Wednesday, December 12th from 5:30 - 7:30.

Chef Simon Dolinky will prepare complimentary bites from the Saltbox kitchen using seasonal and local ingredients. Cocktail specials, local beer and California wine will also be available. This event will be held on the rooftop deck so, bring a jacket!

Please Register by Monday, December 10th.

We hope to see you there!

Happy Holidays from Slow Food Urban San Diego!

Those funny persimmons...

They are pumpkin orange, tomato round, and berry sweet. They are a mystery to many but once a slice of this unique fruit is picked off a plate at the farmer's market and the tongue gets a taste of that subtly sweet flesh, there is no turning back: every fall you will look for those little globes of deliciousness gracing your favorite orchard's table. You can add persimmons to that must-have list of other unique fruits like pomegranates and Asian pears (which are also in season right now).

So what to do with your bounty? If they make it home without you ravenously snacking on your stash, here's a great salad from Epicurious.com to add a little healthy and locally sourced holiday cheer to your Thanksgiving table:

Rainbow Chopped Salad

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup hazelnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

• 6 cups chopped romaine hearts
• 4 cups sliced red cabbage
• 1 large Fuji apple, halved, cored, diced
• 1 Asian pear, halved, cored, diced
• 2 Fuyu persimmons, peeled, seeded, diced
• 3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Dressing: Whisk vinegar, shallot, and honey in small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Salad: Combine romaine and next 6 ingredients in very large bowl; toss to blend. Add dressing and toss to coat.

Divide salad among plates. Sprinkle with blue cheese, if desired, and serve.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rainbow-Chopped-Salad-363733#ixzz2Cq4BuSCh

Mama's Kitchen Pies!

It's not too late to help a great organization and enjoy some tasty Thanksgiving pies. Here's the lowdown from Mama's Kitchen's Pies website: Mama’s Kitchen’s Pie in the Sky Bake Sale Sells Thanksgiving Pies from October 1st through November 21st

Each November since 2005, dozens of San Diego restaurants, bakeries, and caterers donate thousands of pies that volunteers then sell to family, friends and colleagues. Delicious apple, pumpkin, pecan and no-sugar-added apple pies cost $20 each ($15 is tax deductible), providing over six hearty home-delivered meals to a Mama’s Kitchen client and a tasty Thanksgiving dessert to the buyer.

Mama’s Kitchen is the only organization that prepares and delivers free nutritious home-cooked meals for every day of the year throughout San Diego County to men, women and children affected by AIDS or cancer.

For more information and to order pies, go to Mamaspies.org.

Pig Pickin’ in Support of Organics in Local 4H Programming

Here are some photos from today's tasty pig pickin' at Roots Community Kitchen in Santee. Thanks Henry for raising such a delicious pig as well as raising awareness among your fellow 4H members about organic animal husbandry! And a round of applause for all the chefs and local beverage purveyors for cooking up and complementing all those pork dishes!

Food and the City

"At some point, this industrial tack that we've been on, we're going to fondly remember the end point of that and realize 'you can't eat that.' And that little green square, as seen from the air, to me is the first space, the first move. As soon as we can get that back to green, that's going to have a huge ripple effect. When we get it back green, it's going to accelerate everything." ~John Quigley, Environmental Activist and supporter of South Central Farmers I have to admit that I am only half way through Jennifer Cockrall-King's book, Food in the City. I have been stuffing it into my farming bag, on top of my pruners and gloves, next to my compost-stained notebook documenting volunteer To-Do tasks at the urban farm where I work. With this book in dirty hands, I actually wish the bus ride to and from downtown was longer! Cockrall-King has gathered information from many recent publications about the urban farming movement as well as documented her own visitations to city-bound plots across the northern hemisphere and synthesized her findings in this highly informative book.

Often optimistic but sometimes heartbreaking, she paints a green-tinted picture of the incredible potential of urban farming to change our food system, our politics, our lives. She also illustrates the challenges that have been faced, such as the plight of the South Central Farmers in Los Angeles: After the 1992 race riots the community built an amazing garden on public land. In 2007 the government quietly sold it off to a new owner who bulldozed the farm and has not "improved" it since the destruction five years ago. The land sits empty, a chain link fence preventing farmers from growing food for their families. It is stories like this that makes one shake their head in bewilderment among all of the otherwise inspiring examples of community cohesion and fortitude.

This mixture of hope and call to action engages the reader as Cockrall-King wanders through the farms and gardens of cities such as Detroit, LA, Chicago,London, and Toronto. My bus rides have been full of scribbled notes in the margins, sighing (South Central Farmers), and smiling (farms surviving and championed in urban centers across the globe) as I adventure with her, vicariously sampling peas and amaranth on my way to my own urban oasis and living classroom. This book is a journey into literal urban jungles well worth taking.

Join Slow Food Urban San Diego and the Food Justice Committee from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Price Building in City Heights room 640 to meet Jennifer Cockrall King, author of Food an the City: Urban Agriculture and The New Food Revolution. Following a discussion including local food advocacy and justice groups, the author will be available for book signing.

For more information about this event, click here.

Pumpkin Padron Bisque

In celebration of Food Day (Week), Alchemy's Chef Ricardo Heredia made a guest appearance at the Seeds@City Urban Farm stand last Thursday to give a scrumptious cooking demonstration in true Autumn spirit. Scoops of roasted pumpkin, charred Padron peppers, and silky cream filled his bubbling cauldron (stockpot) luring hungry students with the mouthwatering aroma.

A simplified version of the bisque served at Alchemy, he charred the peppers with a blowtorch ("Every poor college kid should have one!" he quipped), threw organic canned pumpkin into his Vitamix, and blended the produce with a generous dollop of heavy cream. Topped with smoked paprika oil and pepitas, students and faculty at City College raved over the free samples and beelined towards the farm stand to buy up the Padrons.

Thanks Chef Ricardo for reaching out to the community! It's people like you who make Food Day exciting, informative, and delicious!

Here's his recipe:

Pumpkin-Padron Bisque

Yield 4 qts

• 3 ea. charred med. *Padron peppers *
• 4 ea. cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 ea. yellow onion
• 2 lbs. cooked pumpkin
• 1 cups sour cream
• 1 quarts heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons salt

Method

Rough chop the onion and toss with olive oil cook in oven broiler along with the Padrons and garlic until charred and caramelized. Remove the seeds from the Padrons but leave the charred skin on. Puree all ingredients intermittently with one quart of the cream heated. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and smoked paprika oil.

Paprika Oil

• 1 cup pimenton (smoked paprika)
• 4 cups rice oil ( or any oil of your choice)

Method

Put pimenton along with one cup of oil in a sauce pan. Cook on medium heat for two minutes stirring frequently until it begins to darken and give off a toasted aroma. Add remaining oil and cook on low heat until it starts to simmer. Remove from heat and let sit until cool approx. 1 hour. Strain through a fine mesh sieve.

** Substitute your pepper of choice**

To make vegan omit the cream and sour cream and use vegetable stock

FOOD DAY IS OCTOBER 24TH!!!

October 24th might be the official day o' food, but really how can we restrict such a flurry of events to just one day? Check out FoodDay.org to find out about all the fun and informative food happenings occurring this week all around San Diego County (& the rest of the country). Some of the highlights include tours, cooking demos, and a kids scavenger hunt at the SD Public Market; tasty fundraisers at local restaurants to support Food Day activities at elementary schools; and tours and special events at local farms such as Olivewood Gardens and Seeds@City Urban Farm.

Check out the website for more details about this exciting week of food awareness!

Herbs are slow food too...

The Lazy Hummingbird Coffee and Teahouse in Ocean Beach was aflutter Thursday night with music, elixir-making demonstrations, music, and raw chocolate fueled dancing for a fundraiser benefiting Jeans4Justice, a nonprofit organization striving to end sexual violence. Herbalist Michael Paul concocted herbal raw chocolate macaroons and a seed-milk based elixir full of vitamins, minerals, and herbs. About 10 ingredients into the Vita-mixed creation I started to wonder how the combination of such good-for-me-additions like powdered spirulina and ground manzanita could meld into a luscious dessert like drink. Minutes later I was sipping a delicious chocolate-infused shake.

Music by Vicious Phishes, Dillon and Jen, and harpist Amanda Odish rounded out the evening and inspired folks young and old to shake a leg for the cause.

To learn more about Michael Paul's herbal chocolates and his mobile tonic bar visit his website.

One person's junk...

Is another person's treasure! You've heard that one before as you browsed through a particularly fruitful garage sale. A perfectly good bread machine? A ceramic bust of Mozart? A slightly rusty but still totally usable push lawn-mower? What were these sellers thinking? Of course you'll take it all off their hands...

The same thing happens in the garden. Some of us see weeds, others culinary delights. Where I work at Seeds@City Urban Farm we have our fair share of delicious volunteer plants like dandelions, amaranth, lambs quarters, stinging nettle, and purslane. Some was sown on purpose long ago, some just shows up. Instead of pulling it all and throwing it in the compost pile, we share the nutritional value and delicious uses with our community through the CSA program and farm stand. If you don't have your own garden to weed (and eat from), ask at the local farmers' markets for some of those tasty greens.

Here's a great article from the New York Times about a few of our favorites.

Honoring Fannie Lou Hamer

"All my life I've been sick and tired. Now I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." - Fannie Lou Hamer, Civil Rights Activist

Some people get tired of fighting for what they believe in and give up. Others get tired, get angry, and fight harder. Fannie Lou Hamer would be in that second, much rarer group of extraordinary people. She spoke her mind, including the words in the above quote, during her fight for voting rights and political equality in the Deep South during the 1960s. She was jailed, beaten, slandered but still kept marching forward in the quest for basic rights for African Americans. After nearly a decade of political activism which often landed her in the spotlight, she remained active in a slightly quieter way as she pursued many grassroots endeavors regarding nutrition and food justice in economically vulnerable areas. Hamer started a "pig bank" in 1968 which provided local families with the opportunity to 'borrow' a pregnant gilt and then raise the piglets for food. About 300 families benefited from the program. The Freedom Farm Co-op was started in Sunflower County, Mississippi in 1969 and by 1972 was providing local families with approximately 70 acres worth of fresh produce. Hamer was also active in the Head Start program which provided education, health, and nutrition services to low-income children and their families.

As the food justice movement strengthens, expands, and is certainly challenged along the way, we can look at the life and work of Fannie Lou Hamer as inspiration to keep fighting for what we believe in, as sick and tired of the obstacles as we may become.

In honor of Hamer and her fight for food justice, Project New Village in Southeastern San Diego is holding a legacy luncheon on Thursday October 4, 11:30am – 1:30pm at the Bethel Baptist Church Campus (1962 Euclid Avenue San Diego, CA 92105)

Guests will be treated to tasteful, healthy seasonal food; hear about the work of the People’s Produce Urban Agriculture Initiative and enjoy cultural expressions provided by local artists.

Tickets are $35.00 per person $250.00 per table of eight.

To purchase tickets and for more information call (619) 262-2022 or email info@projectnewvillage.org

www.projectnewvillage.org

Cottage Industrialists Unite!

You know its happened to you. You see it two booths away. It is perfect and you must have it. You smile at the lady behind the table and hand her a couple bucks. Your fingers work at the cling wrap before you have even turned away into the hustle and bustle of the farmers' market. You take a bite of the most beautiful cookie you have ever seen (not counting your Aunt Dollie's cookies from back home). You let the chocolate melt in your mouth, the saltiness tingle your taste buds. Your friend asks you how it is and you answer, "Eh, its good, but man, my Aunt Dollie's cookies are so much more awesome!" By the time you reach the end of the row you have the image of a booth, of you in an apron selling Aunt Dollie's scrumptious baked goods. Then you remember you have to use an expensive commercial kitchen for that type of thing... Well, there is something to get very excited about cottage industrialists! Governor Jerry Brown just signed AB 1616 into law proclaiming that "non-potentially hazardous foods" such as breads, fruit pies, and jams can be prepared in home kitchens and sold to stores, restaurants, and directly to the public. Of course there is a bit of regulation involved including getting a food safety certification and registering with the local health department. But hey, that's a lot less cost and hassle than installing a certified commercial kitchen in your home or renting space outside the house. Talk about an opportunity for thousands of households to make some extra money and share their talent! How will this affect the farmers' market crowd? Will there be a flood of homemade baked goods and jams coming to the stands?

That is perhaps a question for Catt White and Christopher Smyczek of SD Weekly Markets in their popular Vendor 101 seminar. Aspiring vendors can learn about start up costs, permits, product development, marketing and a slew of other useful information from the two star market managers.The next one is happening October 29th.

So go ask Aunt Dollie for her killer cookie recipe, do some research on the new regulations, take the seminar, and get baking!

Welcome San Diego Public Market!

San Diego Public Market opened its enormous warehouse doors on September 12th, 2012. The vision of Catt White and Dale Steele, supported by thousands of eager San Diegans through grassroots action and Kickstarter funding, the Public Market is ambitiously putting down roots just west of the I-5. The bright orange warehouse at 1735 National Avenue in Barrio Logan is now open two days a week for San Diego's newest farmers markets: Wednesday and Sunday 9am-2pm. I wandered through the prepared food stands with the pumpkin bread, garlic spreads, and steaming tamales tempting me at every stride. The farm stands were bustling around 11am. I chose beautiful heads of butter lettuce, deep green avocados, and sweet fresh dates (OK, and a gorgeous handmade cutting board) to place in my reusable bags for the trek home. Marketeers were excited and optimistic about the market's opening week, noting that the relatively chill atmosphere was perfect for adjusting to the new venue. And what a venue it is! The Miss Sushi food truck was parked inside (yes, inside!) the building next picnic tables for noshers. The voices of happy patrons floated up into the huge expanse above the steel girders and mixed with the tunes strummed by the live band. Industrial remnants of the building's former life still occupy the re-purposed space and provide plenty of happy distractions while strolling through the veggie packed lanes. And I have to admit that during this heatwave, it was really nice to take a leisurely look without the sun beating down on the chard (and me).

Check it out. Buy some goodies. Support our local food system!

www.sandiegopublicmarket.com

Peppers, peppers, peppers...

The farmers markets tables are awash in reds, greens, purples, oranges- shiny bells and crinkly horns, tiny slivers of heat and crispy sweet bites of summer. It is pepper season! When I was a kid my favorite recipe to prepare was Chile Rellenos. Assisted by an adult, of course, I would heat up that oil and dip the jack cheese filled (canned) pepper into a fluffy egg batter then throw my dripping masterpiece into the oil spitting pan and watch that baby brown. Once a sufficient amount sat on a paper towel covered plate, we would sit down to watch the evening news while drowning our dinners in salsa and sour cream, strands of gooey cheese streaming from plate to mouth-bound fork.

I don't cook (much) by submersing my produce and dairy in vats of oil these days, but I still love the combination of peppers, egg, and cheese. Here's my updated version of my childhood fave:

Stuffed peppers with roasted salsa and a fried egg:

8 peppers (the bigger the better- try poblano or pasilla but lots of other peppers will work), 1 cup cherry or small heirloom tomatoes, 1 onion cut into eighths, 2T olive oil, 1 cup shredded or crumbled cheese, 2 eggs, a bunch of cilantro

Preheat your oven to 400'. Toss peppers, tomatoes, and onions with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a baking pan and roast for about 30 minutes or until the peppers are soft and slightly browned.

Once the veggies are ready, let cool slightly, and place half the peppers on a broiler safe baking sheet. Peel off papery skin if desired, carefully slit them on one side and remove seeds. Then stuff them with your choice of cheese: My favorite is Monterey Jack, but goat cheese or queso fresco can work too! Place under broiler until cheese is melted.

Meanwhile, place tomatoes, onions, and remaining peppers into blender and blend just until large chunks are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Add a dash of hot sauce if you like, preferably made from African bird chili peppers like the ones in the photo above!

Heat a frying pan to medium and fry two eggs to your liking. (I prefer over easy with good farm fresh eggs)

Place one or two chile rellenos on each plate. Top with fried egg. Pour warm salsa over top and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Approximately 2 servings.

Eat Drink Local Week is here!

Tables overflowing with delicious food, raffle baskets full of veggies and natural products, a jazz band plucking, strumming, and drumming away as the sun set over Point Loma... Eat Drink Local Week kicked off last night at Top of the Park in Hillcrest! Patrons sipped, danced, and nibbled the night away ushering in a week chock full of foodie events. Check out Edible San Diego's website for a list of events and participating restaurants. http://www.ediblecommunities.com/sandiego/

Proceeds from the events benefit Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center, Seeds@City Urban Farm, and Wild Willow Farm and Education Center.

Fermenting frenzy in my fridge

I just ordered The Art of Fermentation by Sandor Katz. I can't wait to flip through the tome, mouth watering or nose wrinkling at the various fermented creations to be found within. I admit I'm taking the whole fermenting thing slow. I've experimented with quite a few recipes in Katz' primer, Wild Fermentation, and have jars of yogurt, kimchi, kraut, kombucha, and pickles in my stash. I figure I'll perfect my skills with the basics before moving to stuff like Chicha (read the recipe- I dare you) and whatever else might be awaiting in Katz' new book. But I love my kombucha. Making it yourself is not only much cheaper but you can create the flavors and sweetness that appeal to you! Besides, who can resist the science-experiment-like draw of this mushroom/yeast bevvie? Here's how I make my kombucha (based on the recipe in Wild Fermentation) (I usually double or quadruple the recipe I drink so much!):

Grab a 1 quart mason jar. Steep 2 black tea bags in 1 quart of hot water for at least 20 minutes. Remove tea bags. Add 1/4 cup sugar and stir until dissolved. Let cool to the point where you can stick your hand in without it hurting. (Very scientific) About 100 degrees. Add a kombucha mother (get one from a friend or buy at a place like OB People's Co-op), translucent side down, along with some of the kombucha the mother was stored in (or apple cider vinegar in a pinch). Cover mouth of jar with cheesecloth and store in a warm spot (70-85 degrees). Let it hang out for about a week, longer if you want it less sweet, more acidic. Once it tastes good to you, store it covered in the fridge. Start a new batch and add one of the mothers (the mother you used will grow another "skin." Peel this off and use either one.) Enjoy!

If you want to meet Sandor Katz in person and attend a bunch of cool workshops, check out this festival happening up north on September 16th: http://www.farmtofermentation.com/

Also, go to the San Diego Fermenters Club Facebook page and like 'em to hear about local meetings and events: http://www.facebook.com/fermenters

Wild Willow Farm Potluck features The Real Dirt on Farmer John

On the third Saturday of the month the farmers at Wild Willow Farm and Education Center in Imperial Beach fire up the pizza oven, clear off the long tables and benches, light up the twinkling Christmas lights in the barn, and harvest produce for that night's potluck. In addition to the proliferation of inspirational food (Lavender infused coconut cream pie? Dandelion and cashew pesto dip? Fava bean and garlic hummus?) and dance-provoking live music, a documentary well worth shushing the clattering of forks was shown during last Saturday's warm August night. The Real Dirt on Farmer John tells the epic story of Midwest farmer John Peterson. From his experimental commune days on the farm to the collapse of his family business and finally to the formation of a thriving CSA program we see how this extraordinary man has changed the face of farming through passion, self expression, and perseverance.

Click below to watch the trailer:

The Real Dirt on Farmer John

Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook

The tomatoes of summer are among us: the deep pink Brandywines and green shouldered Black Krims, the sunny orange Valencias and norm-defying Green Zebras! We stroll through farmers markets with an abundance of choice for flavor, size, sauce-ability. We savor each bite, nothing more than a little salt needed. But come winter? The heirlooms we cherish are absent from our favorite farmer's stall and we must ask ourselves: Do I dare try a supermarket tomato?

Barry Estabrook's Tomatoland could help you decide but it may mean going tomatoless through the darker months.

Estabrook delves into the the history of the multi-billion dollar, year-round tomato industry and explores the decline in taste of the ancient fruit as well as the increase in human trafficking to work in pesticide drenched fields. From green tomatoes bouncing off the asphalt (and frighteningly surviving) in front of him, to the brave work of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, to the optimistic future of better tasting supermarket tomatoes, Estabrook paints a picture of the industry through personal experience and in-depth interviews with those at the heart of the issues.

So savor those heirlooms while you can because once you know the true price of a Florida winter tomato, you'll most likely pass on the Caprese salad come January. That is until we win the battle for better tasting, more humanely grown and harvested, not so perfect blushing fruits. It's worth the fight!