Seedling Soiree for Olivewood Gardens

You've read about Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center in this space many times before. They're the  sprawling oasis in National City that teaches primarily low-income children the joy and benefits of organic gardening and cooking--turning kids on to getting dirty to get veggies growing and then turning them on to eating the nutritionally packed veggies they grow. They also have fun educational events for parents and families, host herb and veggie plant giveaways, and even host yoga classes. It's an exciting place and one where I've spent many many enjoyable hours as a volunteer cooking instructor.

They give and give and give--but need some financial assistance from us to keep on shining the bright light on health and a sound environment. On Saturday, June 8th, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Olivewood Gardens will hold its third annual fundraiser, Seedling Soiree.

If it's anything like the previous two events, it'll be a magical evening held on the grounds of Olivewood Gardens with magnificent food and drink provided by top San Diego chefs. This year they include Alex Carballo of Stone Brewing Company paired with Hanis Cavin of Carnitas Snack Shack, Miguel Valdez of The Red Door and The Wellington paired with True Food Kitchen's Nathan Coulon, Paul Rinaudo of Spike Africa's Fresh Fish Grill & Bar paired with Simon Dolinky of Saltbox, Olivier Bioteau of Farm House Cafe and Chad White of EGO and Plancha, Jack Fisher of Cucina Urbana and Joe Burns of Waters Fine Food and Catering, and surprise chef Jo Ann Plympton of GANG Kitchen. The paired chefs will prepare a course together, resulting in a blow-out six-course meal showcasing the best of San Diego's organic and sustainable produce, fish, and meats.

Chef Chad White

Chef Miguel Valdez with The Red Door and The Wellington owner Trish Watlington

The evening will be emceed by Sam (the Cooking Guy) Zien and we'll hear a short talk by guest speaker Ron Finley, "the Guerilla Gardener," who has been featured on TED Talks.

Sam the Cooking Guy

You can visit the website to buy tickets. It's truly a don't-miss event!



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Must-Attend May Events in S.D.

Something's in the air in San Diego--there are so many local events going on this month alone that sound terrific that I want to share just a few.

This is short notice, but the annual Gator by the Bay Zydeco, Blues & Crawfish Festival is coming this weekend (May 10-12) at Spanish Landing Park (across from the airport). It's a chance to take in some Louisiana culture and eat some terrific Cajun and Creole specialties, like boudin sausage, catfish, crawfish etouffé, po' boy sandwiches, seafood gumbo, jambalaya, fresh oysters (from Carlsbad Aquafarms), beignets, boiled peanuts, sweet potato pie, and homemade ice cream. And, of course, boiled crawfish with potatoes and corn from Mitch Olivier of Crawfish Corner in Opelousas, Louisiana.

There will also be cooking demos, live bands, and dancing. And crawfish. You can buy tickets here.

Next up is Restaurant 404k, the May 21 pop-up restaurant event Burlap chef Anthony Sinsay is holding to raise funds for Southwest High School, his alma mater (class of 2001). In honor of his late home-ec and nutrition teacher Sharon Kleinschmidt, who taught for almost 48 years, Sinsay has created The Sharon Kleinschmidt Culinary Scholarship. He's taken a total of nine students as interns to stage in his kitchen over three weeks. At the end of the three weeks, he'll work with them to prepare a four-course menu for the pop-up at Southwest High School.

Tickets are $40 per person and the proceeds will go directly to providing scholarships to students at the Regional Occupational Program in Culinary Arts at Southwest High School under the auspices of his new scholarship fund.

You can reserve and buy tickets by calling the school at 619-628-3023 or send an email to soh404k@gmail.com.

Finally, here's an event that is a crowd pleaser every year that benefits The San Diego Council on Literacy.

Eat. Drink. Read. will be held this year on May 22 at the NTC Promenade McMillin Center in Pt. Loma from 5:30 to 8 p.m. As always, there's a terrific lineup of restaurants with book-inspired gourmet dishes. The list includes Amaya at the Grand Del Mar and La Jolla, Casa Guadalajara, Chaplos Restaurant & Bar, Craft & Commerce, Jsix, Leroy's Kitchen & Lounge, Rancho La Puerta, Sycuan Casino, The Lion's Share, The Red Door, Urban Solace, and Whisknladle--plus a number of fab vendors, like Eclipse Chocolate, Sadie Rose Baking Company, Stone Brewing, Banks Rum, Callaway Vineyard & Winery, Ryan Bros. Coffee, Solar Rain, and Honest Tea.

Tickets are $65 and can be purchased at www.eatdrinkread.com.

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Stuck for a Mother's Day Idea?

I'm no longer into doing holiday round-ups--where to go, what to buy, and all that. There are just too many options and it ends up being a laundry list that's a mess to compile and few people read. But I was struck by this idea for Mother's Day from a favorite place of mine, True Food Kitchen, and wanted to share it with you.

It's pretty simple, actually, a gift card. Yeah, yeah, but the cards are enclosed in a pretty holder made of biodegradable seed paper holding fresh basil seeds. Plant the paper and your mom will have a basil plant in weeks.

And, of course, True Food will be having a Mother's Day lunch with specials that include pan-roasted halibut with spring asparagus, hon shimeji mushrooms, arugula and citrus vinaigrette, and strawberry shortcake with local organic berries, vanilla bean shortcake, and Greek yogurt. Healthy, delicious--my kind of brunch.

As I've written before, I'm a big fan of the kale salad--can't miss with that!

True Food Kitchen Chef Nathan Coulon teaching me how to make the kale salad.

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Su-Mei Yu's Savor San Diego Hits KPBS This Thursday

San Diego food lovers know Su-Mei Yu, the longtime owner of Saffron in Mission Hills. She's been a culinary fixture in the community for well over 25 years, as both restaurateur and cookbook author with titles including Asian Grilling, Cracking the Coconut, and The Elements of Life. So with that deep a connection to food and to San Diego it only makes sense that she has now turned her talents and enthusiasm to television to show off many of the local producers who represent what she considers the best of San Diego's foodstuff.

Su-Mei Yu with farmer Noel Stehly at Stehly Farms in Valley Center

Her new show, Savor San Diego, debuts this Thursday at 9:30 p.m. on KPBS (airing again on Saturdays at 3:30 p.m.). The six episodes taped so far reflect the diversity of Su-Mei's interests: hand-crafted tofu, grass-fed beef, avocado oil, citrus, seafood, farmers markets and community gardens. These far-ranging subjects, however, have something besides being local to San Diego in common--they exist to get people back into the kitchen. And that, says, Su-Mei, is why she's tackling this project.

"I did it because I want people to cook again," she emphasizes. "We have so much bounty. I want people to see what's available because it's all so good."

Su-Mei learning how tofu is made, with owner Shawn Daniels in purple apron.

Su-Mei is a big and lively personality and it comes through in the first episode, which I viewed on Saturday at a launch party she hosted. It's aptly named "The Yin-Yang of Protein"since it features a tofu maker and rancher. Each episode of Savor San Diego is divided into three segments, a focus on two different venues and then a short cooking segment that ties the two together. In this first episode Su-Mei first visits San Diego Soy Dairy in El Cajon, which for more than 30 years has made organic, small-batch tofu. Su-Mei cheerfully dons an apron and billowy blue hair cap, then eagerly follows owner Shawn Daniels around the plant as she--and we--learn how tofu is made.

The city girl from Bangkok on horseback with rancher Joel Mendenhall.

We next see Su-Mei up in Palomar Mountain on the Mendenhall Ranch and through her meet low-key  sixth-generation rancher Joel Mendenhall, who for several years has partnered with Matt Rimel in producing HomeGrown Meats. Su-Mei's bravado in getting up on a horse to tour the property comes through in her laughing plea to Mendenhall that, "I'm just a city girl from Bangkok!" She's then hoisted onto the horse and trots off behind the young cowboy. We learn from Mendenhall about the benefits of grass-fed beef and how the cattle are raised.

Then comes the tie-in with an open-air cooking demo on the ranch. Su-Mei, with Mendenhall beside her, prepares "Mama Yu's Beef & Tofu Stir Fry." It's a simple recipe, packed with protein obviously, but also lots of vegetables--and certainly accessible to the home cook.

Each episode of Savor San Diego, says Su-Mei, took two days to film. What made it easier was that, other than the fishermen, she knew everyone featured. "I've been cooking with their ingredients for years."

Su-Mei in the Olivewood Gardens teaching kitchen.

One episode, however, veers away from the vendors and reflects her social work background.  "Cultivating Communities" features the New Roots Garden in City Heights and Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center in National City. "I'm involved in community, in refugees. Once a social worker, always a social worker," she says. These two places touch her heart, not only because they grow  fresh, healthy food, but because their mission is to educate neighborhoods and help build community. Clearly this is a way for her to show how powerful that can be.

You can see the show promo here:


Savor San Diego - KPBS Promo from FortyOneTwenty on Vimeo.

You can also learn more about Savor San Diego and get the recipes on www.savorsdtv.com. Additionally, Saffron is offering a premiere special on Thursday, May 2: One whole chicken, jasmine rice, Cambodian salad and five dipping sauces for $14. And, they suggest pre-ordering.




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Gobbling Up Turkey Eggs

I was at the Thursday UTC farmers market a couple of weeks ago, talking with farmer Eli Hofshi of Eli's Farms about his produce for my Local Bounty blog on San Diego Magazine--then I noticed some unusual eggs sitting in cartons. They were beautiful, slightly larger than chicken eggs and splashed with brown speckles.

It turns out they were fertilized turkey eggs. Hofshi's turkeys have been prolific so far this spring and he has plenty to raise, so he has started bringing the rest out to the farmers markets to sell. Clearly, I had to try them. I've cooked with duck eggs and quail eggs, but these turkey eggs were a first for me.

Back in November, Slate writer Brian Palmer questioned why we don't eat turkey eggs. He posits very simply that it's because they're expensive. They just don't produce like little factories like chickens and require far more space than chickens. And they require more food. All fair points. Hofshi sold me the eggs at $1 apiece.

But, there was a time when turkey eggs were not only an American staple, but also popular in Europe. And, you can still find them for sale online and in some British markets. Here in the U.S., your best chance at finding them is at a local farmers market from farmers like Hofshi.

Now why would you want to spend the money to eat them? Mostly because they have a richer flavor than conventional chicken eggs and, thanks to their size, you don't need as many for a given recipe. But, they are higher in cholesterol than chicken eggs. So, they're kind of a treat--and certainly a conversation piece. Soft or hard boil them, poach them, fry them. Use them for sauces or baking. Or as I did--enjoy them simply scrambled.

You can find Eli's Farms at the UTC, El Cajon, City Heights, and Pt. Loma farmers markets run by Brian's Farmers Markets.


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Cheese, Pecans, and More at the Carrboro, NC Farmers Market

Last week I flew out to Chapel Hill, North Carolina for the first time to visit my brother Jay and his family. Jay is a professor at Duke University and director of the Duke Center for Sustainability and Commerce. It was a fairly brief visit, but he organized two special outings for me: a North Carolina barbecue lunch--from pork ribs and brisket to hush puppies and fried okra--and a trip to the local farmers market in Carrboro.

This part of North Carolina is a blending of rural with all the trappings of major universities and, of course, the renowned Research Triangle. Small towns are linked together by winding roads with views of lakes, farms, Colonial homes with gracious front porches, and only periodically, commerce. The Wednesday and Saturday Carrboro Farmers Market is held in the Carrboro Town Commons, a village center that also houses restaurants and shops and the local coop, the Weaver St. Market. The Carrboro Farmers Market has been around for 35 years and is notable for the facts that all the food sold there comes from within a 50-mile radius of Carrboro and that the vendors must represent their own products, be it produce, cheese, meat, breads, or flowers--and there are lots of all of these.

This time of year, my brother pointed out, the market isn't that large. Spring is just arriving and the full flush of spring harvest and summer bounty hasn't quite yet arrived. But there was still a feeling of abundance and while I saw lots of produce that you'd also find in Southern California--lettuces, radishes, kale, strawberries, beets (very big there), and tomatoes--I was charmed by surprise after surprise. Some of the most delightful surprises were simply the names of these regional farms: Coon Rock Farm, Captain J.S. Pope Farm, Wild Hare Farm, Two Chicks Farm, Ever Laughter Farm, Waterdog Farms, Fickle Creek Farm, and Celebrity Goat Dairy. Then there were the actual products. Here are a few:

Pecans--two types, Elliot and Cape Fear--in the shell.

And, pecan pie, of course.

Then there were the cheeses, all made at area dairies.

I sampled a number of delicious goat cheeses. But here at this stall was Florence of Chapel Hill Creamery, which she said is about seven miles away. Florence is the cheese maker and has an extensive repertoire, including fresh mozzarella, farmers cheese, Carolina Moon--her version of Camembert, Hickory Grove, and Calvander--an asiago-style cheese. When I return to Chapel Hill--hopefully this time next year--I plan to visit the dairy and learn about her cheese-making techniques.

Finally, there was the family-run Chicken Bridge Bakery, which had some of the most beautiful breads I've ever seen. The baker uses Carolina ground flour to produce a number of unique loaves, along with bagels, muffins, granola, and even naan. They run a Community Supported Bread project (CSB), which, like CSAs, is subscription based, enabling people to join by the month and receive a different loaf of bread weekly.

See those little samples in the basket above? For some reason I was drawn to them. They were dark and both crunchy and chewy in the way a dark bread can be when toasted. Well, they were the result of  a mistake, the baker admitted. He'd made--and burned--Danish Seeded Rye loaves. Instead of tossing them, he sliced the loaves thin and toasted them to make these delicious crackers. I bought a bag for $3.50 and am still enjoying them--with local goat cheese I later found at the Weaver St. Market and brought home.

The Carrboro Farmers market, which is vendor run, is only one of over a dozen farmers markets in Raleigh/Durham and the Triangle. And, if you happen to be in the area April 27 and 28, you can take the Piedmont Farm Tour--39 farms for $25 per carload in advance or $30 at the first farm you visit. You can buy your button online at www.carolinafarmstewards.org.


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Snake Oil Teams with Cinepolis for Film-Themed Cocktails

Michael Esposito, founder of San Diego's Snake Oil Cocktail Company, has found a unique way to make a splash: at the movies.

The company has teamed up with the luxury movie theater chain Cinepolis to create themed cocktails that are inspired and pay homage to select films playing at the moment in all five Southern California locations.

"I mean, what's better than a 3-D experience," Esposito said, "having specialty cocktails and food coming at you while you are in the theater!"

Frankie Thaheld, Snake Oil's new director of culinary mixology, who is also responsible for the culinary cocktail program at George's California Modern, is designing these fresh-juice cocktails--two for each film--and then trains the Cinepolis staff to execute them onsite. Now, how does one create a film-inspired cocktail? Esposito explained that they look at the film and then explore how the ingredients play with the film's setting, plot, and theme.

So, what's playing now? Snake Oil picked two films this quarter to focus on: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Next quarter will be Great Gatsby and Iron Man.

Wonderful Wonderstone: vodka, pressed watermelon, lavender essence, fresh lime, sea salt

Marvelous Marvelton: Nolet's Dry Gin, smashed kiwi, vanilla essence, sparkling wine

Cobra Venom for G.I. Joe: Aged rum, juiced pomegranate, pressed moro blood orange, Chinese 5 spice

Lady Jaye for G.I. Joe: Ketel One Vodka, pressed tangerine and lime, torn mint, club soda, cocoa nib

The signature cocktails sell for $13 at all five locations--and can be delivered to your seat during the movie.

Note: photos courtesy of Snake Oil Cocktails.

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