Posts by Edible East Bay

    Dress in your garden grubbies to help out with autumn chores on an organic farm. Try your hand at planting garlic and fruit trees, seeding cover crops, orchard fertilizing, and sheet mulching. Projects for people of all ages and abilities are available in the organic vegetable garden, fruit orchard, and small plant nursery.…

    Organizers at Gill Tract Community Farm invite the community to gather and celebrate the bounty of the land and its stories as we honor the ancestors and original stewards of Huichin, the Lisjan Ohlone. Enjoy a lunch made from black beans, butternut squash, greens, and onions grown on the farm. Join in song,…

    Join City Slicker Farms at the West Oakland Farm Park for a family-friendly celebration of the organization’s 18-years-strong fight for food justice. Enjoy gardening demos and a Farm Park tour as you learn about the park’s garden program. Stop by the Alameda County Public Health Department wellness table. Entertainment by the Black Excellence Band…

  Come find out how some local urban farmers and gardeners grow food and raise animals on this year’s East Bay Urban Farm Tours. Hosted by the Institute of Urban Homesteading, the tours showcase eight sites of different sizes that employ various farming styles. Find out how these folks create and maintain productive veggie, pollinator,…

  A gala public reception with the artists kicks off this popular yearly event, which features works by 115 Emeryville-based artists and craftspeople. Come enjoy the variety of works, including paintings, sculpture, photographs, prints, textiles, ceramics, furniture, glass works, and poetry. “I found that the work submitted for this year’s show reflects the artists’ concerns…

    Celebrate the harvest season with a fun mix of activities each October weekend at Orchard Nursery. Visit the Maker’s Market for foods and crafts made by local vendors, and meet the friendly farm animals. Enjoy live music, plenty of pumpkins, kids’ activities, and more. Events vary each weekend day. Free. Info: here Orchard…

There’s plenty to feast on at this joyful, funny, and poignant celebration of culinary desire. The exhibit features renowned artists such as Salvador Dalí and Wayne Thiebaud along with rising talents. View a range of works, from hyper-real still lives to larger-than-life fabric sculpture, depicting food to address issues of family, nutrition, politics, and famine.…

  Celebrate bees and other pollinators at this annual event presented by a group of concerned citizens. Learn why bees are vital to our health and how you can support the bee population by planting pollinator–friendly gardens and creating safe shelters/habitats. Enjoy activities and education for kids of all ages along with a marketplace featuring…

    Mark the end of summer with a festive dinner party at Julie’s. Here are the five courses you can look forward to: First… Ajo Blanco Marcona almonds, roasted grapes, extra virgin olive oil Second…Crab & Early Girl Tomato Buttered Dungeness crab, tomato confit, tomato-cucumber jelly, basil, toasted brioche Third… Stuffed Local Squid Preserved…

Apple Honey Upside-Down Cake Recipe by Chef Scott Miller Food styling and photography by Gina Iannitelli, courtesy of Market Hall Foods Scott Miller, executive chef at Market Hall Foods, started making upside-down cakes as a way to use his backyard fruit harvest. But his recipe is especially welcome as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the…

    When the farmers put down their hoes, it’s time to celebrate farm life at Full Belly Farm‘s lively annual festival. Learn about sustainable rural living and agricultural arts through tastings, tours, food and drink, live music, a farmers’ market, crafts, silent auction, and a children’s area. Learn new skills at workshops on organic…

  No Immigrants No Spice welcomes the community to an event featuring Bay Area immigrant chefs and barbecue from Indonesia, Northern Iran, and Mexico. Enjoy dance performances, live music, an art installation, and an auction. The evening also features a reel of Comedy Central shorts and on-the-spot interactive education about how immigrants impact the Bay Area.…

Two upcoming sales offer a huge and diverse selection of plants plus opportunities to get expert gardening advice. The Botanical Garden’s fall event features Mediterranean climate plants including California natives and plants from South Africa, Australia, and South America. Info: here   At the Merritt College fall plant fair and sale, offerings include diverse heirloom…

  Don’t miss the chance to visit the Wagner Ranch Nature Area, a historic site and nature preserve that’s open only twice a year to the public. Taste a variety of olives, olive oils, and products from olive growers; attend cooking demos and nature tours through the historic ranch and olive grove. Enjoy nature-based arts…

  Amble along the waterfront at Jack London Square as you taste wines from more than 20 Northern California wineries. Located in the heart of the Urban Wine Trail, Jack London Square’s Ferry Lawn setting is just the place to sip, stroll, dine, and enjoy vendors and live music. Wineries taking part include Dashe Cellars,…

Arrive hungry to this bustling street-food festival, where you’ll find scrumptious and affordable food, craft beer, and local wine from more than 50 regional food trucks and vendors. Taste a range of savory and sweet dishes, from curry, cheesesteaks, and dumplings to frozen “khustard” and ice cream tacos. Watch live food demos by local chefs…

  Sample the variety of luscious tomatoes grown at MariLark Farms, and also feel free to bring and share the bounty from your own garden. Enjoy a seed saving demo, a raffle, and a seed swap. Please RSVP: Charlie(at)marilark.com or here Read our story about Charlie Costello and his generous practice of giving tomato plants…

  Two classic documentaries by legendary Berkeley filmmaker Les Blank have been restored and will screen in the Bay Area. Argot Pictures presents Chulas Fronteras (Beautiful Borders), a film about the music and culture of immigrant farmworkers on the Texas-Mexico border, and Del Mero Corazón (Straight From the Heart), which illuminates love songs in the…

  Celebrate Oakland’s unique cocktail heritage and community and enjoy special drinks crafted just for the week. Find $10 cocktails inspired by Oakland and explore a lineup of festive events and tours that connect cocktail fans with spirits makers and business owners. A portion of event proceeds benefits the nonprofit Oakland Indie Alliance. Info: here  …

  Eight local artists, Dorothy Abuan, Elissa Callen, Lorrie Fink, Shari Arai DeBoer, Leah Jean, Helen Krayenhoff, Katie McCann, and Junko Stickney, display and sell their work at this lively community event. Plants and garden wares are also for sale, and live music is by the country duo Mo B. and Dick. Snacks include made-to-order…

  Enjoy an inspiring afternoon of conversation at Soul Food Farm. Speakers include Sallie Calhoun, co-owner of Paicines Ranch; Abbey Kingdon Smith, co-founder of the Jefferson Center for Holistic Management; Sibella Kraus, founder of Sustainable Agriculture Education – SAGE; artist N’gina Kavookjian, founder of South; and Judith Redmond, co-owner of Full Belly Farm. Naomi Starkman,…

  Celebrate the Wine Country harvest with a Provençal-inspired Grand Aioli—a multi-course feast of grilled meats, seafood, and garden-fresh produce paired with the finest Robert Mondavi wines. Meet artisan food purveyors French Corner Crèpes and Fabrique Délices and enjoy dinner and live music as the sun sets over the vineyards. Top off your late-summer evening…

  What’s happening locally with electric vehicles and clean energy? Come learn the latest about electric vehicles, including home and public charging, rebates and incentives, and special programs for lower income drivers. Get resources to make your living space a clean-energy home. Presented by the Ecology Center, City of Berkeley, 350 Bay Area, and the Berkeley…

  Come explore O2AA, a West Oakland eco-industrial park where artisans work together to develop environmentally progressive projects. O2AA tenants practice sustainable methods as they share space, resources, tools, and machinery. The group welcomes the public to its fourth annual festival, a chance to visit artisans’ studios, shop for crafts, enjoy a variety of street…

  Join Slow Food East Bay for Black America, the latest meal in their ongoing Cultural Food Traditions Project. Come taste outstanding barbecue and soul food prepared by Fernay McPherson of Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement and Rashad Armstead of Crave BBQ and Grammie’s. Fernay recently expanded her spot in the Emeryville Market and Rashad won…

  Celebrate summer as Community Foods Market hosts Peach Day, featuring tastings, a peach pie bakeoff, and a kids’ peach-themed poster contest. The bakeoff winner will have their pie featured on the menu of the markets’ Front Porch Cafe. Want to be more peach savvy? Join Bill Fujimoto, former manager of Monterey Market, for a…

  Kitchen Table Advisors partners with farmer and floral designer Joanna Letz for an evening tour of Bluma Farms rooftop garden. Come see the vibrant seasonal blooms set against a backdrop of the San Francisco Bay. Following the tour, Joanna leads a bouquet-making demonstration and invites guests to create their own hand-held bouquets of fresh-picked flowers. Berkeley-based…

  Côte West Winery invites the community to a celebration of local artisans and small businesses. Join in for a fun afternoon of food, art, jewelry, and woodwork. Wine tasting offered for $15/flight (fee waived with bottle purchase). Kids & dogs welcome. Free. Info: here   Made in Oakland Saturday August 24, 2–6pm  Côte West Winery…

    Want to help out in an organic vegetable garden, fruit orchard, and small plant nursery? Cloverfield Farm’s summer workshop is an opportunity for volunteers to lend a hand with farm chores. Wear old clothes and a sun hat and bring gardening gloves if you have them. No experience is needed, and people of…

Pour Your HeART Out showcases female stars in the worlds of hand-crafted wine, beer, food, spirits, and music. Presented by Alameda-based Rhythmix, the event benefits the organization’s free youth arts programing provided to over 2,500 East Bay students annually. Come enjoy artisanal wines, hand-crafted brews, small-batch spirits, tantalizing treats, live music, a wine raffle, and…

  Bring your dancing feet to the farmers’ market, as the Ecology Center hosts its annual Salsa Festival. It’s a day filled with dance and music, featuring Grammy award–winning percussionist Christian Pepin y Su Orquesta Bembé as well as salsa demos and lessons. Special fun for kids and families includes dancing on the plaza and…

  Here’s a letter we were thrilled to receive from reader Richard Hasbrouck in response to Nikki Goddard’s story on Retzlaff Vineyards in our Summer 2019 issue:   Editor:   Please compliment Nikki Goddard on her excellent heartfelt article about Retzlaff Vinyards, and Gloria Retzlaff Taylor in particular. Bob Taylor and my wife were long-time…

Even if you weren’t one of the lucky attendees at Taste Our Terroir, you can still enjoy the winning wines and foods. At the popular Livermore Valley event, Judges Ethan Fletcher of Diablo Magazine, wine and travel writer Jill Robinson, and Mike Dunne of Dunne on Wine tasted 16 gourmet food and wine pairings and…

  Here’s a chance to taste mochi donuts in a delicious variety of flavors! Mochi teacher Kaori Becker offers a pop-up at Eon Coffee with donuts in matcha, black sesame, strawberry, kinako (roasted soybean powder), mulberry, Earl Grey, and chocolate flavors. For those who want to make their own mochi, Kaori teaches classes in preparing…

  Experience Persian food as you hear Chef Hanif Sadr’s stories of Iran’s culinary traditions. Learn about the similarities between the ecosystems of Northern Iran and those of Northern California. This event is part of Slow Food East Bay’s Cultural Food Traditions project, a series that celebrates migration and diverse traditions. Bauman College hosts the…

  Stroll along the waterfront at Jack London Square as you taste wines from more than 20 Northern California wineries and enjoy live music, vendors, and dining. Participating wineries include Dashe Cellars, Rosenblum Cellars, Wente Vineyards, and Wachira Wines. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit the Alameda County Community Food Bank. Cost: $40 general…

  Bay Area artist Christy Chan invites locals to be part of a new public art project, Inside Out. This endeavor turns written autobiographical phrases into large-scale, luminous night-time video projections on the walls of the Richmond Civic Center. Chan explains it this way: “At a time when the word wall is being used to…

  Livermore Valley shows off the best of its food and wine with four days of tasty and information-packed events. The excitement begins on Thursday evening with the popular pairing competition at Casa Real, when 17 Livermore Valley winemakers partner with Bay Area chefs to compete for honors. Guests join in by tasting the pairings and…

  How do ancient cooking techniques stack up against future-minded innovations? Come watch a cook-off between competing teams inspired by past versus future. Team Traditional Wisdom relies on traditional methods like fermentation, ayurveda, and herbalism. Team Future of Food works with science and innovation, using cultured meat, cricket powder, and CBD infusions. Judges score the…

Come enjoy local arts and Livermore Valley wine under majestic oak trees at Alden Lane Nursery. Meet local artists, who exhibit and sell paintings, pottery and ceramics, photography, jewelry, and more. An assortment of local wine and foods as well as live music and prize drawings add to the festivities. Free. Info: here  or 925.447.0280…

  Join the Town Kitchen for an open house at its new site in East Oakland. The Town Kitchen employs and trains underserved local youth, who prepare and deliver chef-crafted meals to corporate clients. Come meet community leaders and enjoy appetizers prepared by Town Kitchen staff. A panel discussion will focus on corporate social responsibility and its…

  Savory Summer Squash & Comté Galette   Recipe, food styling and photography by Asha Loupy, courtesy of Market Hall Foods   One bite of this savory fromage-filled galette and you’ll be transported to a boulangerie in the French countryside. The addition of semolina flour gives the crust a flaky, rustic texture, while nutty Comté…

Market Hall’s annual Bastille Day bash highlights French foods with tastings, special menus, and prize giveaways. Enjoy cheese and charcuterie tastings, munch on moules-frites, discover French pantry ingredients, and learn how to make boudin blanc sausage. Like Independence Day in the United States, Bastille Day honors the political revolution that ended a monarchy in favor…

  Plastic-free July is a worldwide movement aimed at easing the global crisis of plastic pollution. In partnership with the Ecology Center, local business Fillgood.co is offering pop-up refill stations during the month of July and beyond. Bring your clean jars and fill up on household goods like dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, and conditioner, all…

  Learn about efforts to combat climate change from activists working at the intersection of food and climate justice. Food is responsible for up to one third of all greenhouse gases, but impacts can be reversed through regenerative farming, agroecology, and biodiversity. Find out how soil can sequester carbon and how individuals can help create…

Links to the recipes are found below. Click on the first slide to open the slideshow and scroll through at your own pace.   Recipe: Jalapeño Pineapple Kraut Recipe: Pineapple Tepache    

  Punny billboards featuring Clo the Cow have kept Californians smiling for generations. This summer, in celebration of Clo’s 50th birthday, Clover Sonoma is running a billboard contest to hear your mooost clever ideas. Can you come up with a new ad to join favorites like “Wholly Cow,” “Dairy Godmother,” and “CLOVER: the only milk…

  It’s always a treat to dine at Greens, where guests can count on outstanding vegetarian food and stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the beloved Fort Mason restaurant is partnering with six renowned Bay Area chefs. Each will design a four-course vegetarian prix-fixe meal inspired by historic menus…

  It’s a big week for mac and cheese lovers everywhere. But at Oakland’s Homeroom, a restaurant devoted to the stuff, they are celebrating with music, games, macaroni art, a photo booth, and lots of mac to eat. On Sunday, you can enter your best macaroni creation in the recipe contest for a chance to…

  A diverse group of Bay Area printmakers display their works in a new exhibit at the Compound Gallery. Don’t miss the stunning pieces by Edible East Bay cover artist Susan Tibbon and over 100 other printmakers whose works are on view and for sale. Place your vote for the audience favorite award, a cash…

  Two workshops in the Three Stone Hearth kitchen help you put Indian dishes on your home menu. In the first, learn to make four delicious regional Indian dals, plus a lentil chutney. Enjoy the chance to work with spices common in Indian cuisine such as asafoetida, Kashmiri chili powder, curry leaves, and mustard seeds. Dal…

  Slow Food East Bay continues its Cultural Food Traditions project with Indigenous America, a dinner held on a beautiful rooftop garden in Berkeley. Taste Native American cuisine prepared by Wahpepah’s Kitchen and be part of a conversation on land sovereignty and history. The evening features Crystal Wahpepah of the Kickapoo Nation and women from…

A few months back, we wrote about “Everybody Eats Lunch,” a local art project that brought strangers together to share a meal, and quite a few of our readers signed up to participate. Now Berkeley’s Kala Art Institute presents “Hello Stranger,” an expansive multimedia installation with 220 posters, each representing a statement by one of…

  Peach season has arrived, and that reminds us of our 2018 story about how East Bay chefs Eric Tucker, Phil Gelb, Romney Steele, and Tina Ferguson-Riffe like to prepare their hand-picked organic peaches from Masumoto Family Farm. Gelb says, “The first cases of spring lady peaches and rose diamond nectarines have arrived from the…

  The podcast series Flipping the Table from Roots of Change offers powerful conversations about food and farming. Their latest release features noted author and activist Anna Lappé, daughter of author Frances Moore Lappé and author, toxicologist, and bioethicist Marc Lappé. Anna is the founder of Real Food Media and received the James Beard Leadership…

  Gather Restaurant has been giving back with a Cocktails for Change program. This week, profits from the program are donated to the Insight Garden Program (IGP). Come to Happy Hour on June 10, enjoy a drink, and help people in prison learn vocational gardening skills and landscaping. The IGP model helps to end cycles…

    Join Farley’s East for outstanding coffee, tea, and community-based fun. After recently marking its 30th anniversary in San Francisco, Farley’s celebrates its upcoming 10th anniversary in Oakland. Enjoy a special food and drink menu and an art show celebrating many of the artists who have joined Farley’s over the years. Friends from Shut-Up…

  Quench your thirst at the Ecology Center’s North Berkeley Farmers’ Market this summer. Enjoy beer hosted by Ocean View Brew Works, live music from 5 to 7pm, and tasting samples from local farmers. Bring a reusable mug, pint glass, mason jar, or other vessel. Proceeds support the Ecology Center. Info: here   Thirsty Third…

    Dip back into our spring fish tacos map . . .                                                     Check out our new Favorite Scoops of Summer map . . . And by all means,…

  Enjoy outstanding dishes prepared by Bay Area chefs Melissa King and Tu David Phu at a fundraiser to support pollinators and beehive grants for schools. Whole Kids Foundation celebrates National Pollinator Month through its #GiveBeesAChance campaign, which is raising funds to bring 50 new educational beehives to schools and nonprofits across the nation. Dinner…

  The Berkeley Ecology Center’s free annual festival is all about healthy family fun. Enjoy hula hooping, drumming, dance classes, art-making, and a bouncy house. Visit the creative reuse booth, petting zoo, and a pediatric information table hosted by Kaiser Permanente. The Fest takes place right next to the Saturday farmers’ market, where you can…

If you’d rather not choose between a great book and a great meal, check out the new book club series at Oakland’s Flora Restaurant and Bar. The Flora family has chosen some favorite reads, starting with selected works from The Portable Dorothy Parker. Executive Chef Rebecca Boice leads the first gathering on May 15. Meet…

  Help celebrate at Bernal Cutlery as the knife shop and sharpening service marks its 14th year in San Francisco and its first anniversary in Oakland. Both shops are offering 20% off all knives and sharpening supplies during the parties as well as free tiny knife tattoos. Info: here   Read our story on Bernal Cutlery: here…

  Devote a day to the appreciation of grassland culture at the Transhumance Festival. Transhumance, from the Latin trans (across) and humus (ground) is a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. Come celebrate the work of shepherds, farmers, and ranchers, and learn about the connections between what we eat and our land,…

  Increase your garden savvy with classes led by Malibu Compost Biodynamic at Flowerland. Learn about creating healthy organic soil, making use of good bugs in your garden, and bringing your skills indoors to help houseplants thrive. Free, but space is limited. Info and registration: for Healthy Soil and Organic Houseplants Healthy Soil, Happy Garden Sunday…

  This tour brings you to 10 demonstration edible gardens (nine public and one private) in Benicia and Vallejo. It’s a great opportunity to learn simple techniques to create a food-producing ecosystem that uses water wisely. Ask questions, enjoy the gardens, and go home with ideas about how to incorporate sustainable design into your own…

  Stasher welcomes the community to an Earth Day block party fundraiser at its new Emeryville site. Stashers are nifty storage bags made of platinum silicone, which is derived primarily from sand and is plastic free. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to 1% For the Planet, which connects businesses with environmental nonprofits.…

Students can now apply for Plant to Plate, a unique internship program for Richmond-area high schoolers. The program starts in October and provides hands-on learning about gardening and cooking, as well as other life skills. Sessions are led by garden educator Kelli Barram and chef Arnon Oren, owner of Anaviv Catering and Events. Applicants should…

  Bring the whole family to this festive farm celebration complete with authentic Mexican cuisine, local wines and beers, and other treats from area businesses. Harvest fresh veggies from the fields and taste pesto made with local olive oil. Features live music and dancing, soccer, piñata games, tractor tram rides, and more. Campers welcome, but…

  Immerse yourself in all things honey at this year’s California Honey Festival. Sixteen farms offer goodies from honeycomb and bee pollen to honey soaps and skin care products. Learn about the importance of bees and pollination, taste honey and honey-inspired products, and watch cooking demos. Info: here Third Annual California Honey Festival Saturday May…

    Come learn the fundamentals of gongfu cha, known as the connoisseur’s preferred method for brewing Chinese tea. In Chinese, “gongfu” (kungfu) means “skills and effort.” In this workshop, Annie Chen, founder of Teaphile, demonstrates gongfu cha using the appropriate tea vessels and explains how this method differs from other brewing styles. Cost: $20.…

Market Hall is the East Bay place to go for food inspiration any time of year, but when you’re laying out a holiday spread, it can be an especially helpful place to stop. Market Hall chefs offer a full menu of prepared foods for each holiday, and they also generously share recipes like these for…

  Join the folks from New York–based Hop Culture Magazine for Juicy Brews WestFest, an afternoon of fun and beer. Held at Drake’s Dealership, this craft beer festival benefits City Slicker Farms and offers unlimited pours from some of the country’s best breweries. Chat with the brewers, meet artist Killer Acid, and enjoy a variety of foods…

    Interested in going co-op? Don’t miss the California Center for Cooperative Development’s 10th annual co-op conference. Learn how to strengthen a co-op or start a new one. Learn about cooperative housing, worker groups, and consumer stores like food co-ops, and hear about the role co-ops play in the creation of jobs and housing. Workshops cover…

  Anaviv’s Table and celebrated Italian author and chef Roberto Forretti invite you to a sensory experience of food, wine, and music highlighting Italy’s Le Marche region. Come savor a four-course meal accompanied by fine regional wines, a guided olive oil tasting, a pasta-making demo, and an opera performance by tenor Carlo Assogna featuring songs from…

Gardeners and aspiring gardeners: Come out to Rodgers Ranch, where you’ll find a wide array of locally grown plants for sale. Enjoy family fun, artisan vendors, and free classes on soil, fertilizer, foraging, and more. Local food offerings include slow-cooked BBQ and vegan options. Rain or shine. Info: here or 925.890.7289   6th Annual Rodgers Ranch…

  Those who subscribe to a CSA (community-supported agriculture) program enjoy fresh seasonal produce as they pay in advance to help stabilize their selected farm’s income. Along with the fresh fruits and veggies, many farms offer items like flowers, eggs, meat, seafood, and honey. For a close look at some local CSA programs, read our…

  Come explore local art, crafts, wine, and food as Côte West Winery celebrates local makers. The winery is opening its production space for participants to display and sell their wares, develop community, and bring awareness to some of the great things happening in Oakland. The tasting room, adjoining the production area, will be open…

  What would it be like to sit down to lunch with someone you’ve never met? Interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker Christy Chan explores this question through a community art and storytelling project. People who sign up are paired with a lunch companion based on their shared food preference rather than their age, gender, race, job,…

  For adults only: Alembique Apothecary offers a botanical speakeasy inspired by the neighborhood alley bars of Paris and Barcelona. Guests are invited to enjoy individually crafted “tincturetails.” These botanical cocktails with low or no alcohol are made from plants like kava, hops, rose, cinnamon, cacao, and passionflower. Expect drinks that will surprise your palate…

  Slow Food East Bay announces a new series of gatherings celebrating diverse cultural and culinary traditions. Join Sacred Kitchen and ITK Culinary for the kickoff event, which includes hands-on food preparation in small groups led by local chefs. Chefs share their personal and culinary histories, and then the larger group gathers for a full meal,…

  Join Julie Drucker of Yemaya Seaweeds for a three-class series that includes sampling local seaweed varieties, learning how they’re processed, and understanding why it’s important to support seaweed harvesting. Classes also cover nutritional information, culinary suggestions, and best storage practices. Take an optional one-day field trip to the Sonoma Coast to identify and harvest seaweeds along the shore…

The Bay Area marks Zero Waste Week, March 16–21, with events and opportunities for all. Recycling Update at the Freight & Salvage features 25 experts giving brief talks on waste reduction, high diversion, and zero waste as well as plenty of networking opportunities. Zero Waste Youth USA hosts Downstream Pollution, Upstream Solutions, a youth convergence…

  Continuing its Abajo Dinner Series, Comal hosts a Traditional Agave Spirit Dinner. At this collaborative meal, Guadalajara native David Suro of Siembra Spirits showcases three handmade agave spirits as well as special offerings from Pedro Jimenez’s Mezonte brand and Mónica Leyva’s Pajarote brand. Enjoy your drinks with a menu of Oaxaca-inspired dishes by Comal’s…

In pairs or triplets, the medicinal power of herbs can far exceed that of a single one. Adding one or more herbs to the first may amplify its effect, broaden its action, or correct imbalances. Learn about powerful herbal pairs and discuss various herbs including echinacea, hypericum, calendula, and others. The class is taught by…

Just in time for spring planting, you’ll find a vast variety of seeds at the annual seed exchange hosted by the Bay Area Seed Interchange Library (BASIL). Celebrating its 20th year, this swap includes speakers, a potluck dinner, and hundreds of seeds from all around the Bay Area. Cost: Free when you bring seeds and…

  Slow Food East Bay and Transition Berkeley host an evening that delves into the prickly questions involved in raising livestock for food. Can a small group of dedicated farmers change the agricultural industry? How do we encourage people to eat less (and better quality) meat? Join in for a potluck dinner, then watch Eating Animals, a…

Ever wonder which medicinal plants grow nearby? Join Maria del Carmen Cortez (Carmen), a clinical herbalist and permaculture expert, for an informative plant walk in Dimond Park. Carmen will identify the medicinal plants growing in our midst and explain their uses. The group meets at Dimond Library and walks to the park together. Free. Info:…

  Well, everything, if you’re a cheese lover. Tickets are still available for several highlight events at the upcoming California Artisan Cheese Festival. Take part in tastings, seminars, and pairing demos; enjoy the chance to meet industry experts, authors, and celebrity chefs. Get on board for Cheese, Bites, & Booze, a walk-around tasting at the…

  Inspired by the Stone Soup fable, an upcoming event at Julie’s Alameda celebrates the power of community. Join in on the scheduled activity or bring your own project and get energized as part of a collective creative experience.   Stone Soup Community Event Thursday February 28, 6:30–8:30pm Free-Form Drawing Featured artist Steve Chabre guides participants…

  Class #1, The Urban Orchard Intensive: Learn about bare root tree selection and planting your urban orchard with fruit trees and fruiting shrubs. Get instruction and practice with grafting apple trees to take home. Cost: Full day $100–$150 sliding scale; individual sessions $40–$80 sliding scale.   Urban Orchard Intensive (full day) Saturday February 23, 10am–5pm…

  Join the mad scientists at Counter Culture Labs in Oakland and learn to make liquid nitrogen ice cream, farm cheese, Fight Club soap, mad science mocktails, and more. Come for a full day of Valentine’s workshops or choose one or two favorites. Cost: $20 per workshop. See details and signup links below: Saturday February…

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  Celebrate Alice Medrich and Bay Area chocolatiers as you indulge in luscious samples and find gifts for Valentine’s Day. Taste confections, bars, and truffles from Charles Chocolates, Lonohana Estate Chocolate, Barlovento Chocolates, Humphry Slocombe, Dick Taylor Chocolate, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co., Laura Chenel Cheese, Dandelion Chocolate, and Alexandre Family Farm.  Alice Medrich will be signing books,…

  Join Pollinate Farm & Garden and Farms to Grow, Inc. for the third annual Black Hands in the Soil, an evening of film about the legacy of Black farming in the United Sates and around the world. The evening’s feature documentary, 40 Acres and a Mule, details the early struggles of Black farmers in the…

Join this gathering of farmers, ranchers, food experts, and homesteaders for Sierra Harvest’s annual Sustainable Food and Farm Conference. You’ll learn about best practices, tour area farms, and get ideas for enhancing your home garden, farm, or food business. Participants craft their own curriculum, choosing from 20 workshops including fire preparedness, seasonal meal planning, basic and emergency…

Kabocha Squash Crème Caramel Recipe by Anaviv’s Table Chef Kadie Vita   The chefs at Anaviv’s Table relish each season for the unique produce that becomes available. So if winter is making you feel a little blue, Chef Kadie Vita has the perfect antidote, this delicious Kabocha Squash Crème Caramel. Kabocha, a Japanese winter squash,…

  Come meet Nik Sharma, San Francisco Chronicle food columnist and author of the blog A Brown Table, at Market Hall on February 2. You can get a signed copy of his first book, Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food, and have a chance to taste some of the book’s recipes like Curry Leaf Popcorn Chicken; Deviled Eggs with…

If so, start planning now for California’s premier cheese event, the California Artisan Cheese Festival. Seminar presenters have just been announced and include Planet Cheese author Janet Fletcher; cheese expert Juliana Uruburu; American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professionals Vanessa Chang and Rachel Perez; Cheese Twins and Food Network celebrities Charlie and Michael Kalish; and co-founder of Culture Magazine Lassa Skinner. Seminar topics…

Scion: A detached living portion of a plant—such as a bud or shoot—that can be grafted onto rootstock to create a new plant that joins the strength of the rootstock with the desired characteristics of the scion. Gardeners interested in having heirloom varieties of fruit growing in their yard do this sort of grafting.  At…

  Explore Oakland’s booming food scene during Restaurant Week, when eateries throughout the city offer prix-fixe lunch and/or dinner menus. You’ll find tasty meals for $10, $20, $30, $40, and $50 at spots like Benchmark Oakland, Clove & Hoof, Nido, Reem’s, Lake Chalet, and many other places. New this year: Enjoy interactive dining experiences where…

What’s winter like on an organic farm? Come find out by helping with seasonal chores at Cloverfield Farm in El Sobrante. Learn new skills as you assist with grape pruning, dormant fruit tree spraying, blackberry clearing, seed starting, and vegetable transplanting. Activities are offered for all ages and abilities. Wear work clothes, sun hat, and…

What’s Your Favorite?     When you get that fish taco craving, where in the East Bay do you head? Artist Margo Rivera-Weiss is mapping readers’ picks. Send us an email [editor@edibleeastbay.com] or post your favorite fish taco spot where we can find it on  Instagram (use #eebfishtaco in your post), Twitter, or Facebook.