Spring 2011
Envisioning Sustainable Futures for Urban Farms
Envisioning Sustainable Futures for Urban Farms Story and Photos by Jess Watson A huge bramble of blackberry bushes sprawls at the corner of 28th and Peralta in Dogtown, the only hint of the future crops that will be grown on the 1.4-acre triangular lot after its transformation into the West Oakland Park and Urban Farm.…
Read MoreOakland’s Farm Fresh Approach to School Food
Oakland’s Farm Fresh Approach to School Food By Sarah Henry Move over Berkeley, another East Bay school district is gaining ground on the school food revolution front. The Berkeley Unified School District’s School Lunch Initiative frequently and fairly garners kudos as a model for school eats and education around the country (see sidebar near end…
Read MoreBook Review
Getting to the Heart: A review of Heart of the Artichoke and other kitchen journeys by David Tanis, Artisan Books, 2010 Chez Panisse chef David Tanis’s new cookbook, Heart of the Artichoke, begs for a whole evening curled up on the sofa with a glass of vin santo. This is a book to read word…
Read MoreOffal
Eating Offal: It takes guts By Sage Dilts (Pictured here is the charcuterie plate always on the menu at Café Rouge. Two house-made pâtés flank slices of the smoked tongue, for which owner Marsha McBride and butcher Scott Brennan received a 2011 Good Food Award. For more information about the awards, click here. Photo by…
Read MoreSeven Stars of Spring
Seven Stars of Spring By Jessica Prentice with line drawings are by Sarah Klein (sarahklein.com) colored by Maggie Gosselin Jessica Prentice, Maggie Gosselin, and Sarah Klein created the Local Foods Wheel to help us all enjoy the freshest, tastiest, and most ecologically sound food choices month by month. Here are Jessica’s seven best bets for…
Read MoreWhat's at the Market?
What’s at the Market By Barbara Kobsar, Illustration by Helen Krayenhoff Each farmers market is “shaped” by size and location but “flavored” by its unique group of farmers and vendors, as well as shoppers. Yes, shoppers! I’m as likely to see a regular shopper as I am to find a favorite grower at the markets.…
Read MoreChocolate Candied Orange Biscotti
From Ode to an Orange Peel: a story about how Chef Siew-Chinn Chin makes and uses citrus peels in her kitchen. Makes about 3 dozen 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¾ cup sugar ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 large eggs 2…
Read MoreShaker Lemon Tart
From Ode to an Orange Peel: a story about how Chef Siew-Chinn Chin makes and uses citrus peels in her kitchen. It’s no surprise that Siew-Chinn Chin appreciates this tart, which originates from the 19th-century Ohio Shaker community, where cooks were well known and respected for their baking skills. Shaker beliefs dictated that…
Read MoreOde to a Fruit Peel
Poetic renderings from Siew-Chinn Chin’s Kitchen Story and photos by Helen Krayenhoff On a cold winter’s day, we are sitting in the warm kitchen of Siew-Chinn Chin, a pastry chef and Oakland resident who works at Chez Panisse. Slender and energetic, with a sparkle in her eye, Siew-Chinn moves nimbly from counter to fridge…
Read MoreAnnals of an Urban Beekeeper
Annals of an Urban Beekeeper: Khaled Almaghafi of Queen of Sheba Farms Story and photo by Jessica Watson It isn’t easy being an urban bee. In addition to resisting the widespread Colony Collapse Disorder, urban bees must navigate fearful neighbors wielding insecticidal spray and face the daily challenge of locating plants suitable for foraging. For…
Read MoreSlow Money
Slow Money: The movement for sustainable financing options for food and farming enterprises in the East Bay By Kristina Sepetys | Photo by Stacy Ventura It’s the end of a perfect fall day and the Northern California chapter of Slow Money is calling to order its monthly meeting in a conference room in the…
Read MoreGoodbye, Green Jell-o
Goodbye, green Jell-O Local healthcare professionals are bringing a more nutritious green hue to hospital food By Helene Kremer About this quilt: Jane Kelly, a Health Promotion Specialist at John Muir Medical Center is an avid food gardener, and passionate health enthusiast. She was inspired to make this quilt by the objectives of the…
Read MoreLocal Heroes 2010
Edible East Bay holds its annual Local Hero Awards voting as part of its involvement with Edible Communities, Inc. The announcements of the winners from each of our 70+ regional Edible Communities magazines help to raise broader awareness of the achievements by small to mid-sized businesses in reinvigorating the traditions of local food production. In…
Read MoreGrow Your gardening Inspiration
Grow your gardening inspiration with East Bay garden pros at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show—March 23–27 Story and photo by Katie Trevino-Zimmerman Pictured: Linda Bennett, Stefani Bittner, and Linval “Fishtea” Owens of Star Apple Edible Gardens As more and more people get on the local-food bandwagon, some are proudly answering the movement’s central…
Read MoreEditor's Mixing Bowl
Food is fundamental to our own health, and also to the health of our communities. The movement for clean, healthy food for all people has deep and easily traceable roots in the soils of Berkeley, where Chez Panisse is about to celebrate its 40th anniversary. That restaurant’s founder, Alice Waters, was on hand January 14…
Read MoreSpring 2011 Contents
Editor’s Mixing Bowl SF Flower & Garden Show: Oakland’s Star Apple Edible Gardens is the star Local Hero Award Winners Goodbye, Green Jell-O: Local healthcare professionals are bringing a more nutritious green hue to hospital food Slow Money: The movement for sustainable financing options for food and farming enterprises in the East Bay Annals of…
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