Spring 2021

NO. 61

SPRING 2021

LIMITED EDITION

EAT • DRINK • READ • GROW

edible SAN DIEGO®

TIME TO BLOOM

BLACK FOOD MATTERS • A TASTE OF HOME • SOLVING THE TAKEOUT CONUNDRUM

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SPRING 2021 | edible SAN DIEGO 1

Spring 2021

CONTENTS

Issue 61

IN THIS ISSUE

DEPARTMENTS

4 Publisher’s Note

LIVING LOCAL

6 Liquid Assets

Hot Dish

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS

22 Local Markets Guide

PREP (FOR REAL LIFE)

24 Solving the Takeout Conundrum

FEATURES

8 Black Food Matters

14 A Taste of Home

WHAT TO LOOK FOR ON

EDIBLESANDIEGO.COM

READ

• Local Urban Sustainable Farmers

• The Inequities of Farming

• Cooking Tips from a Florentine Farmers’ Market

• Sweet Potato Burrito Bowl

• Five Kinds of Salt and How to Use Them

LISTEN

Living Local Podcast

WATCH

• Peach Caprese Salad

• Spring Salad with Kumquats and Green Garlic

• Eating Kamayan Style in San Diego

• Vegan Coconut Pudding with Passionfruit

• Weekend Escape to Visalia and

Sequoia National Park

ON THE COVER

The farm at IRC MAKE Projects is located on a

busy corner of 30th Street in North Park. As part

of the social enterprise’s Youth FarmWorks & Café

program, the small plot supplies fresh produce to

fulfill CSA and weekly meal prep orders, as well

as menu dishes for the MAKE Garden Café. Story

on page 14.

THIS IMAGE

Red butter lettuce basking in the sun at the IRC

MAKE Projects farm might be prettier than any

flower we’ve ever laid eyes on.

MARIA HESSE

2 ediblesandiego.com

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Publisher’s Note |

Beloved

Community…

Borrowing a phrase from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., welcome

to this issue of Edible San Diego, a precious respite from

screen time and the stresses of the continuing pandemic. “Beloved

community” is a beautiful and challenging vision that resonates

with our vision as a business and with this issue of the magazine.

Last summer, in response to the Black Lives Matter protests,

our small team committed to commissioning more stories about

Black-owned businesses in our region and to dedicating this issue

of the magazine to food justice. This topic is deeply rooted in

our mission, but we recognized it deserved new and sustained

emphasis. Our features “Black Food Matters” and “A Taste

of Home” share perspectives of local Black entrepreneurs and

recent immigrants. Let us listen and learn about how food can

bring us together and show how much more we have to do as a

community.

We take a look at an unintended consequence of takeout food,

a survival strategy for restaurants and home cooks alike. We are

sure you have noticed that the same packaging designed to protect

our health also presents huge issues. Let’s explore some options.

All this time at home has also led to a new or renewed interest

in gardening, so Nan Sterman’s piece on growing from seeds

comes at the perfect time for spring in Southern California.

It’s always a proud moment to greet you in this space each

issue. I feel a mixture of pride in how much we sacrificed and

innovated to be here today and concern that the pandemic’s

decimation of health, incomes, and business might make revenues

from advertising, memberships, and subscriptions unequal to the

task of running this lean little business.

Old rules for how each of us participates in the fastchanging

world of media keep morphing; dare we envision a

new relationship of community-supported media? We aim to

meet you where you are with a refreshed website and ever more

opportunities to connect digitally. If you love the stories we

present or have ideas about what else we should write about,

please join, subscribe, and reach out. If you think your business

aligns with our awesome readers, let’s work together. And if you

already do—thank you!

We’re motivated to keep working hard because local food is

essential to creating a more just world. Preparing for this note, I

was so appreciative to hear Dr. King’s vision mentioned on the

radio. His “beloved community” offers solace and faith that we’re

up to the challenge.

Katie Stokes

Publisher, Edible San Diego

This magazine is made possible thanks to Edible San Diego members, subscribers, and advertisers.

Join today at ediblesandiego.com.

ISABEL MATTOX


edible Communities

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Come visit our family farm hidden in the heart of

Vista. We use organic and regenerative agriculture

practices to grow delicious healthy produce for our

community to enjoy.

Fresh Produce • Farm Animals

629 Mar Vista Drive * Vista, CA 92081

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Our farm animals would love to meet you!

MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

EDITORIAL

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Editor in Chief

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Executive Editor

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Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings, and

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Thank you for supporting your local food media company.

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Woof ‘n Rose Winery

RAMONA VALLEY

Specializing in red

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National and

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marilyn@woofnrose.com

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Living Local |

Liquid

Assets

BY MICHELLE STANSBURY

The Inclusion Committee of

the San Diego Brewers Guild

helps to implement diverse,

inclusive, and equitable practices

into local breweries to spearhead

outreach in communities currently

underrepresented in craft beer, and

to educate craft beer consumers on

how to be agents of change in the

community. Be an agent of change

while sipping on one of these local

beers.

Blood Saison

Border X Brewing’s flagship beer, Blood

Saison, is inspired by a Mexican agua

fresca with jamaica (hibiscus) and agave

nectar for a sweet and tart flavor with

light hints of biscuit malt. Owner David

Favela, a first-generation immigrant

from Mexico, draws inspiration from

traditional Latin flavors rather than

trying to duplicate the flavor profiles of

European beers.

Humble IIPA

Founded by Timothy Parker, Chula Vista

Brewery is Black- and Brown-owned

and embraces the culture and diversity

of southern San Diego. Humble IIPA is

a strong but smooth imperial IPA made

with Centennial and Simcoe hops.

Glorious Golden Ale

Second Chance Beer Co.’s beertender

Brandon Montgomery recommends the

in-house special Glorious Golden Ale.

This one is a Belgian-style golden ale

that presents a medium-light body with

notes of pear, apricot, white pepper, and

sweet grain.

Hot Dish

BY MICHELLE STANSBURY

Sparked by a Facebook post from Wanda Rogers in the summer of 2020,

the Black Food Experience is a burgeoning initiative growing with support

from Slow Food Urban San Diego. The movement seeks to tell stories of

Black food today and throughout history, celebrating Black food culture around

San Diego. With growers, cottage food producers, food trucks, pop-up shops,

and more, the Black Food Experience is creating a comprehensive network to

highlight and support Black-led food initiatives in the region. Learn more about

these local, Black-owned businesses and others at theblackfoodexperience.com.

Popcorn Shrimp & Grits

Buttery cream cheese grits and smoked turkey gravy complement popcorn

shrimp for a decadent dish from chef and co-owner Sarajevo Petty at Surf & Soul

Spot. Influenced by her Southern roots, Petty adds tomato relish for originality,

while crispy fried shrimp adds crunch to the creamy grits.

Fish Sausage Burger

David Muhammad, the owner of I Am Green Cafe, shares that his vision is

to evolve his community’s diet from the legacy of plantation living by offering

alternatives to foods that negatively impact health and quality of life. His fish

sausage recipe uses no pork casings or fillers, just fresh whiting and seasonings

marinated together for hours. The flavorful sausage is then served on a toasted

brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and special sauce.

TOP: BORDER X BREWING


TOP: BRANDON MONTGOMERY

BOTTOM: SURF & SOUL SPOT

Jambalaya

The jambalaya at AJ’s Creole Cuisine & West Coast

Smokehouse combines andouille sausage from Louisiana

and a vegetable medley of onions, red and green bell

peppers, garlic, celery, and fire-roasted tomatoes with

Creole-Afro-Caribbean chef and owner Alicia Colby’s own

blend of Creole spices and seasonings. The twist? A garnish

of coconut flakes and green onions for spicy sweetness.

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Black Food Matters

Starting a conversation about nutritional equity

BY DEBRA BASS

We posed five questions to a few local leaders dedicated to

the improvement of food, nutrition, and wellness in the

Black community of San Diego to reflect on the events

of 2020. They shared stories of how they have been affected and

what they think this means for the future.

Everyone noted that the Covid-19 pandemic, like other

public health crises in the past, has shed a spotlight on the

socioeconomic disparities of the Black community affecting the

overall health of Black people in America. Local leaders in the

realm of food see this as an opportunity for widespread change

in the diet paradigm of traditionally underserved populations.

Most said the goal is not just to increase awareness of nutrition

disparities, but also to instigate more health food experimentation

in Black communities. Advocates said that they hoped these

conversations could ultimately lead to a greater diversity of

people discussing health, wellness, and the immune system as it

relates to food.

If nearly all of the underlying conditions for increased risk of

complications and mortality associated with Covid-19 are foodrelated,

overhauling diet and nutrition must become a priority.

Fending off future health crises that will also have severe global

economic and environmental consequences will require new food,

health, and nutrition policies.

As many families and communities battle quarantine weight

gain, food-based businesses and health activists say that it’s

an ideal time to make health, longevity, and nutrition

more than a fad.

Khea Pollard

CEO and founder, Café X: By

Any Beans Necessary

What role has food advocacy

played in your work?

Oh boy! Well, breaking

into an industry with such

a high (cost) threshold

for participation has been

challenging. Most people

can’t afford an espresso

machine that costs a couple

thousand dollars, or a

commercial grinder for a few

hundred, plus all the other

accoutrements for a coffee

start-up. We broke into the

industry making cold brews

and popping up around town

until I applied for a grant that got us a complement of “stuff”

and a coffee cart. Everything we do is about advocacy—making

it simpler for people of color to participate, understand, and

develop skills in this industry. From introducing people to

micro-roasting to simply introducing them to different beans, we

deserve exposure just as well as anyone else. Money shouldn’t be

an obstacle to running this type of operation, especially when the

really good beans come from the motherland anyway.

What do you think is the role of nutritional equity in the

social justice movement?

I’ve never heard of nutritional equity, but I imagine that means

equitable access to nutritious food. The food you consume is

foundational to your overall health and well-being. The food you

grow is potentially your livelihood. Controlling the means of

production as well as access on the back end keeps us all in chains

to the extent that much of the time, people don’t even recognize

it. And when we do, we don’t go as hard for food as we do law

enforcement and criminal justice, or some other important topic.

We do need to be fighting for autonomy, in every sense of the

word, as a foundational aspect of any movement for Black lives.

How have the effects of Covid-19 on the Black community

changed the conversation about food and nutrition?

I think Covid-19 highlighted much of what is already present:

dramatic health disparities in some regions, zip codes, and

communities. In much of the advocacy I see, everything

is about testing this “underserved” community, or that

“disenfranchised” community—make sure we test our new

vaccine in the communities hit the hardest. These drug trafficking

pharmaceutical companies will push that rather than a healthy

diet as one critical aspect of prevention from Covid-19. Why

is Operation Warp Speed about a vaccine rather than radically

altering the way we diet, the way we exercise and take care of our

whole bodies? That is the ultimate prevention for these chronic

underlying conditions that make people especially vulnerable

to this virus in the first place. Nutritious food is still not being

pushed as part of the solution! Therein lies the priorities of the

powers that be.

Do you think the renewed interest and support of Blackowned

businesses, especially wellness-focused outlets, will have

long-term effects on health in Black communities?

The moment is what we make it. We saw a spike in our numbers

at Café X from people of all different cultures, socioeconomic

backgrounds, and races. And I’ve also seen Black businesses pop

up, totally riding the wave of the moment. But, these moments

are a flash in the pan for a lot of frustrated people and those

looking for an opportunity to self-affirm. None of it is wrong, but

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flashy moments don’t sustain movements. Laying real groundwork

and strategic planning does. So, I say maybe it will. But it’s more

likely that this support disappears or becomes real silent until the

next tragedy where the same kind of supporters and businesses

pop up again. Wash, repeat. We as an organization have been on

this journey since our inception in 2016 and have seen a lot of

things, and people, come and go. Black support inside and outside

our community can be very fair weather. Ultimately, whether or

not this renewed interest is harnessed successfully is up to us.

How has the effect of the pandemic on you, your business, or

your family changed or altered your perspective?

We were doing amazingly well off the heels of Black History

Month in February 2020. Covid-19 hit the scene and the

government started mandating people shelter in place. Because

there were no patrons, all the tenants in the building we were

located in had trouble making rent. None of us could sustain,

and the property owner decided to sell the building. We have put

locating a new storefront on the back burner while developing

thoughtful projects and initiatives. The right space, with the right

partners, will come—no more of us bouncing from collaboration

to collaboration at tables where we don’t fit. We’ll be selecting on

our terms and that’s damn good.

Michael Gabriel Cox

Owner, Black SD

Magazine



In my work, food advocacy has

played a huge part because our

publication makes sure that we

provide our African-American

community and community

at large healthy alternatives of

businesses to support. Because

support for food-based businesses is based on consumption, it is

imperative that we showcase a balance of options including healthy

juices, smoothies, vegan, and vegetarian food. Our community is

plagued with always being at risk for things such as cancer, heart

disease, and diabetes, so we have to work on changing that by

providing healthy options, tips, and education.



The role of it is access. To be truly equitable for nutrition within

a social justice movement there has to be more access to this.

This access needs to be across the spectrum, from in school to

nearby stores with fresh produce and healthy alternatives. Many

communities who don’t have access to nutritional options also

don’t have access to proper transportation, be it personal vehicles

or public transportation. Nutritional equity has to be solved on

both the macro and micro level when strategizing and planning.



I believe that it has helped highlight those businesses that offer

healthy alternatives as I mentioned. Many people, organizations,

and media outlets have sought to help the Black community in

areas such as small business and entrepreneur highlights. Through

this and the need for change, it has helped fuel the conversation

forward in a progressive manner.




I believe that the focus hasn’t been placed on health as much

as it should, so that is unclear. I know that people within the

community have wanted to get healthy due to the coined term

“quarantine weight” many have stated they gained. I think it will

have an effect on the community in some way, but long term isn’t

something I would say right now.



It has made me think about alternative ways to incorporate

healthy lifestyles such as vegan, vegetarian, and raw. My

perspective changed as I learned more about different Blackowned

businesses who offer these food alternatives and learned

about why they chose these different lifestyles.

Alberto Cortés

CEO, Mama’s Kitchen



Food advocacy has been a

cornerstone of the work that we

do at Mama’s Kitchen. With a

particular focus on people with

critical illnesses, our efforts

aim to create awareness of

the unique nutritional needs

of historically underserved

people living with HIV, cancer,

diabetes, and/or heart disease

and how medically appropriate nutrition can improve both health

outcomes and quality of life.



When you consider that food insecurity is directly associated

with adverse health outcomes, and when you consider that

food apartheid and food insecurity are common experiences in

historically disenfranchised communities in our country, the

connection to the social justice movement is very clear. The need

for public health policies and legislative initiatives that reduce

food insecurity and food deserts in vulnerable communities is

COURTESY OF BLACK SD MAGAZINE AND MAMA’S KITCHEN


Mama’s Kitchen volunteers prepare meal bags for the nonprofit’s clients in need.

COURTESY OF MAMA’S KITCHEN

urgent. The elimination of food disparities requires innovative

strategies if we are to effectively erase racial and ethnic inequities

in food systems in the United States.



The Covid-19 pandemic, like other public health challenges, sheds

a glaring light on the socioeconomic disparities and systemic racism

in our country. The lack of access to healthy foods, a preponderance

of low-quality nutrition, and higher rates of food insecurity result

in a higher prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases. These, in

turn, are responsible for the increased morbidity and mortality

from Covid-19 in disadvantaged communities.




Sustaining this interest and support can, over time, have a positive

impact. But the complexities of historic and systemic racism require

efforts that go way beyond the support of Black-owned businesses.

To be clear, intentional support of Black-owned businesses is a

very concrete way to witness prosperity that has, otherwise, evaded

many in these communities due to systemic injustice. Concurrently,

the need for policy changes is absolutely critical.



We are living in extraordinary times with the convergence of the

pandemic, the increased demand for social justice, and a federal

government that is tone-deaf to the disparities and injustices that

so glaringly exist in our country. I am called to examine my own

contributions to these injustices, and take a stand as an anti-racist.

I am called to take action in my sphere of influence, to both

mitigate bias and microaggressions while simultaneously working

to dismantle and replace the systems and policies that support

these disparities experienced in our historically underserved

communities. We have an extraordinary opportunity to make a

difference. Lilla Watson, an Indigenous Australian visual artist,

activist, and academic working in the field of women’s issues and

Aboriginal epistemology, says, “If you have come here to help me,

you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your

liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”


Kelston Lamar Moore

Personal chef and CEO, Chef Kelston’s

Culinary Experience

What role has food advocacy played in your

work?

Everything I do is from the heart. I cook with

love. I have an extreme love for people and I just

let that flow through my unique dishes.

What do you think is the role of nutritional

equity in the social justice movement?

I believe a certain demographic of people are

finally being educated on healthy cuisine and

how important it is to eat a balanced diet. The

vegan craze is paramount in the social justice

movement. It is implied that if you love yourself,

you’ll take care of yourself by feeding your body

the nutrients it needs.

How have the effects of Covid-19 on the Black

community changed the conversation about

food and nutrition?

Covid-19 has given the Black community

time and self-reflection. Before the pandemic,

nutrition was harder to maintain because of time

constraints. Now people have time to learn new

recipes, plant gardens, and practice alternative

eating habits.

Do you think the renewed interest and

support of Black-owned businesses, especially

wellness-focused outlets, will have long-term

effects on health in Black communities?

I firmly believe the effects will be lasting, and

although the pandemic is a terrible thing, it

is the key factor in the shift. Sometimes the

movement just needs a push!

How has the effect of the pandemic on you,

your business, or your family changed or

altered your perspective?

The pandemic gave my business the boost

it needed. The demand for a private chef

skyrocketed due to limited access to dine-in

restaurants. It also gave me inspiration and hope

for the future. Through these trying times is

where I learned my resilience and the depth of

my creativity. It is because of that, I know I can

accomplish the impossible. I will continue to be

innovative and think outside the box. I will, in

essence, be prepared for any other obstacles that

come my way.

VALERIE DURHAM, SEARCY SHOT IT, KELSTON LAMAR MOORE COURTESY OF KELSTON’S CULINARY EXPERIENCE


LINDSAY KREIGHBAUM COURTESY OF QUIN BUTLER

Quin Butler

Owner and chef, The Vegan Lion

What role has food advocacy played in your work?

Food advocacy has played a huge part of owning my business, The

Vegan Lion. I am trying to be the bridge between those wanting

a healthier lifestyle and them actually having it. You truly are

what you eat no matter how cliché that might sound. My life has

improved dramatically since I started my journey to a healthier

lifestyle in 2017. People have been manipulated into being OK

with eating foods that provide no nutrition and our bodies and

health suffer greatly. This is something that I am dedicated to

changing for my family and my community.



It’s hard to believe our country values equality for all when it

doesn’t even believe we all deserve to eat healthy or at all. People

of color are purposely misled and kept away from foods that

actually bring value to our bodies or life and that is not fair or

just. If you are not well within, it’s easier for you to be controlled

and kept down. It also can keep you from reaching your highest

potential and stepping into your true power. How can you fight

for your basic human civil rights if you are too sick? It’s harder

to eat organic, healthy food if your neighborhood grocery store

doesn’t have those options for you or you can’t afford them. Food

deserts are blatantly intentional because who does it benefit to

flood communities of color with more fast food restaurants than

healthy food stores? How do you build generational wealth and

power if you are spending most of your money on medicines and

treatments from doctors for conditions that can be prevented with

a healthy lifestyle?



I believe that when Covid reduced the already limited resources

and access that most Black communities have to healthy, quality

food, it brought to light even more how Black people are

constantly left to fend for themselves in this country. We need

more Black-owned health food stores, healthy food vendors,

gardens, farmers, and healthy food allies to eliminate food deserts

and increase access to healthy food options in Black communities.

Seeing how empty shelves were in stores at the beginning of the

pandemic was something I’ll never forget.




I think any consistent efforts of individuals, organizations, or

businesses on educating others on a healthier lifestyle will have

long-term effects on health in Black communities. Change takes

time, and sometimes the process can be really slow—but it’s been

getting better, and will continue to improve. Ten years ago, I

would have never considered going vegan, but the more I learned

about what health really is and let go of the mindset I had, I was

able to make a long-term change. I will continue to help as many

people as I can focus on their health and hopefully they will do

the same for others. “Buy Black” and “Support Black-Owned

Businesses” are not new concepts. These sentiments come and go

in cycles to the forefront of focus depending on what’s going on

in the country. Last summer my business increased rapidly during

the height of the Buy Black 2020 movement, but when people

moved on to the next thing, it slowed back down a little. Whether

people are seeking me out intentionally to support me as a Black

business owner or not, The Vegan Lion will be here doing what I

can to help.



This pandemic is causing a deep human-to-human disconnect that

I hope we can heal from and get past once it’s over. People need

one another. Physical interaction and closeness is a necessity for

human survival. People are afraid to be around their own family

and friends. I miss seeing everyone’s faces and smiles when I go

out. The last time I saw my grandad I couldn’t even hug him or

be in the same room with him because he was quarantined. I

haven’t done any big events for my business because things are so

complicated now due to Covid restrictions. Covid has been hard to

deal with, but I am hopeful I will be able to persevere through this

and come out stronger on the other side.

Interviews have been edited for clarity.


A Taste of Home

Cooking creates a bridge between past

and future for refugees in San Diego

BY FELICIA CAMPBELL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY OLIVIA HAYO

“

B

ack home, there are no companies, no restaurants. Besides, restaurant

food is different; it is all cooked by men,” Roda Suleiman says with a

smirk. “It is the women cooking tagalia with aseeda, injera, gorassa.” She

describes the traditional meat and okra stew, tagalia, which is traditionally served

alongside fermented, jelly-like aseeda or rounds of sour flatbreads like injera,

gorassa, or kisra. “Oh, and even medeeda,” she says. “You know medeeda?”

I shake my head, and she continues describing the toasted fenugreek

custard that is considered a Sudanese comfort food. “We take milk straight

from the cow, then we put it over the fire. We also make fresh butter for the

medeeda,” she says almost wistfully. The look in Suleiman’s eyes shifts when she

speaks about food, softening as happy memories of a childhood spent on her

grandparents’ farm replace more recent memories of the burning of that home

and slaughter of both livestock and humans during the genocide in Darfur.

Suleiman fled her village during the war, walking nearly 1,000 kilometers

(over 620 miles) to the Nuba Mountains where she lived as a refugee for two

years before being sent to another refugee camp in Kenya. “There I learned to

write A, B, C with my finger in the dirt,” she says, describing her life in the

camp where she waited for an asylum interview. “We were there seven years.

When my visa was approved, they said I just need to wait for my flight,” she

laughs. “My flight came three years later.”

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a nonprofit organization that

is committed to helping refugees, like Suleiman, not only with critical support

in the midst of a crisis like war, conflict, or natural disaster, but also to empower

new immigrants to build a future as they resettle in a new country. In San

Diego, the IRC is doing just that through the Merging Agriculture, Kitchens,

and Employment (MAKE) Projects, a job training social enterprise program.

MAKE Projects allows participants to gain paid work experience, practice their

English, and begin to forge a new community. Food is an especially powerful

way to achieve these goals.

“Many of these ladies don’t speak any English at all, but in the kitchen, it

doesn’t matter. We communicate through food,” says chef Andrew Gerdes, who

runs the IRC’s commercial kitchen and café training programs in North Park.

Chef Gerdes first became interested in international cuisine when he moved

from Nebraska to New York to attend the French Culinary Institute. “There were

all these flavors right outside my door,” he says. “After working in restaurants

for a few years, I went to work as a sous chef at a private school where we were

cooking different cuisines from all over the world each day. We saw lunchtime as

another opportunity for the kids to learn—learning through eating.”

This background has served him well in his current role as he takes

inspiration from program participants to develop menus for the weekend

café and for the new family meal takeaway program. “It’s a two-way street,”

he explains. “We learn from each other. I teach them some classic French

techniques, and they teach me about the foods they cook at home.”

Some menus are easier to put together than others. Suleiman came to the

program as an experienced cook and was able to translate her recipes almost

directly into menu-ready dishes. Other participants have come to Gerdes with

little more than memories of their mother’s cooking. That’s when he begins

researching recipes and working with participants to recreate familiar flavors.

Opposite, top row from left:

Mercedes Sotolongo, from Cuba, holds

tostones al ajo and Cuban rice and beans.

Roda Suleiman, from Darfur, Sudan, holds

a plate of kisra bread and okra stew.

Sahra Gamadid, from Somalia, holds

anjero bread and a traditional Somali

preserved beef dish called oodkac.

Opposite, middle row:

MAKE is an acronym for Merging

Agriculture, Kitchens, and Employment.

The MAKE Projects café and family meals

are cooked using produce grown in the

on-site garden.

Opposite, bottom row from left:

Abshiro Abdi, from Somalia, is a few

weeks into her kitchen training.

Sangabo Noor, from Somalia, is a few

weeks into her kitchen training.

Chef Andrew Gerdes draws inspiration

and recipes for weekly family meal menus

from the traditional dishes of current and

past program participants.


Complimentary

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No. 39 | Winter 2019

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MEMBER OF EDIBLE COMMUNITIES

Issue 45

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Family meals have featured dishes from Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, and dozens of other countries represented by past and current

program participants. This week’s menu is Burmese and includes lahpet thoke (tea leaf salad), khow suey (vegetable coconut curry

noodle soup), gin thoke (melon salad), and Burmese semolina cake.

“I had a couple of young Tanzanian participants whose parents

cooked, and they remembered the foods from home, but had

no idea how to make them. I did some research and we worked

together to develop recipes,” Gerdes says.

With participants from countries like Afghanistan, Congo, Haiti,

Iraq, and dozens more, the flavors in the MAKE Projects kitchen are

diverse and constantly changing. “We cooked a different food every

day,” says Mercedes Sotolongo, a Cuban participant from the fall

2019 cohort. “I like to cook, and here I learned a lot, food from 10

or 12 countries. Back home I like to make desserts like flan or arroz

con leche, but here I wanted to learn about hojaldre. I didn’t know

the English name, so I asked Andrew, and he said he would look it

up. It means ‘puff pastry’ in English, and he taught me how to use

it. We made empanadas with fresh jam using fruit from the garden.

Delicious. My time here was awesome.”

Sotolongo was a doctor back in Cuba, but with different

licensing requirements in the United States, she soon realized

that she needed to think about other options. “It’s tostones al

ajo,” she explains as she presents a plate of perfectly crisp fried

plantains topped with shreds of pungent fresh garlic. “And this is

very simple rice and beans—just cumin, salt, garlic, onion, bay

leaf, oregano. In my country, we eat these things. And fried sweet

bananas, sometimes chicken, arroz con pollo.”

During her time in the MAKE Projects kitchen, Sotolongo

learned new words, asking Gerdes how to spell various names of

ingredients and tools, and though she now works in a medical lab

doing Covid testing, she credits the program with boosting her

confidence during the transition. “Also, I still make this delicious

chicken curry that I learned here,” she says, smiling.

The other participants echo Sotolongo’s passion for learning

about new foods and cultures. “I never got to travel anywhere,”

says Sahra Gamadid, a Somali participant who graduated from the

summer 2020 program. “But, it is nice; I got to experience these

other places with the food.”

Every participant has the opportunity to be both student

and teacher. “I loved learning food of different countries,” says

Gamadid. “For me, I teach them how to make malawah, a kind of

sweet injera bread. It became very popular.” Her fermented crepes

are now featured permanently on the MAKE Café brunch menu,

along with Somali-spiced potatoes, onions, and eggs.

The MAKE Projects kitchen is steps away from the garden,

where ingredients for the café brunch and weekly family meals are

harvested fresh as needed. The produce is also available to CSA

members along with specialty pantry items made by the team,

including the likes of pickles, hummus, and jams. The garden

reminds many of home. “I love to pick fresh things here,” says

Gamadid, as she looks out over the garden. “Like we did back

home. Everything in my country is organic. Here it is different.”


“We grew everything back there,” Suleiman says as she walks

through the garden, pointing at the herbs. “Thai basil, corn,

oranges—everything except the berries, we grow in Sudan. I miss

the food of my country.”

Suleiman was hired to work part-time with the MAKE Projects,

and now shares the foods of her homeland at IRC events and with

new cohorts of participants. She has deftly adapted her recipes to

make use of what’s available locally. Kisra bread, which is similar to

Ethiopian injera, is traditionally made with a fermented sorghum

dough (rather than the darker, teff-based dough used in Ethiopia).

This yields a lighter-colored, subtly tangy round of similarly

bubble-dotted bread. “Here in America, I use normal [AP] flour

and corn flour [masa harina] with hot water. When it’s cold

outside, I leave it two days to ferment. If it’s hot, maybe only a few

hours. Gives a nice sour taste.”

“She is so good, we didn’t want to let her go,” Gerdes grins.

“I love my work here,” Suleiman says, adding that the extra

money she makes with this second job all goes to support

her mother in Sudan and her two sons, who are still awaiting

immigration interviews in Kenya.

After graduating from the program, Gamadid found a job as

a care worker, but she still finds time to cook and enjoys sharing

the new recipes she learned in the MAKE Projects kitchen with

her five children. On her return visit to the IRC in North Park,

she brought a stack of fermented anjero bread and a traditional

Somali dish called oodkac, for which finely cubed beef is spiced

with garlic and cardamom and quick-preserved through deepfrying.

Though participants might make traditional meat-based

dishes like oodkac for one another or for the café menu, the

MAKE family meals are all vegetarian.

“We began family meals in response to Covid after the café was

shut down,” Gerdes explains. “I wanted to cater to the families in

the area who might have different dietary needs. Everyone can eat

everything on the menu, and if they want more protein, we offer

chicken and fish as add-ons.”

The MAKE Projects kitchen is a safe space where participants

have an unspoken understanding of the difficult circumstances

that brought them together. The food they cook is a borderless,

yet tangible expression of home that they share with one another.

The family meals have become reflections of these edible

memories. “I wanted to stay true to home cooking and invite

people into the kitchen to hear these amazing conversations about

food that I get to be a part of every day,” Gerdes says. “I don’t

include a dish you’d find at, say, an Afghani restaurant; instead, we

focus on home cooking.”

Somali participants Abshiro Abdi and Sangabo Noor are three

weeks into the program and they work skillfully alongside Gerdes

and Suleiman on this week’s Burmese menu. Together they chop

herbs and fry split yellow lentils for lahpet thoke, a crunchy tea

leaf salad. They bundle dry noodles to send out alongside flavorful

coconut curry broth for khow suey. They look serious, but happy

as they cube melon for gin thoke fruit salad. “The semolina cake

shows the Indian influence on Burmese cuisine,” says Gerdes as he

places a few slices in a takeaway container.

For the North Park community, these family meals are about

more than healthy, delicious international foods, and for the

participants, it is about more than learning new job skills. “I ask

myself, why do people order from us?” says Gerdes. “It’s not just

the food, it’s the stories. So, I include handouts with the meals

that explain where the food comes from and a bit about those who

inspired them. People tell us they read the handouts to their kids

over dinner.”

Stories are the way we make sense of the world and our place

in it, and food provides a physical connection to our own heritage

and to that of other cultures. Tapping into the power of taste and

memory, the IRC MAKE Projects create a gentle bridge between

past and future, for both refugees and the communities they now

call home.

IRC MAKE Projects in North

Park offers weekly family meals, a

weekend café and pop-up dinners

when dining services are permitted,

and a CSA program. Learn more

at ircmake.org.


| Partner Content


Partner Content |

Spring Is for

Seed Starting

BY NAN STERMAN

March is one of my favorite—and busiest—months of

the year. As the air begins to warm with spring, I start

dreaming about growing tomatoes, eggplants, squash,

basil, and all the other yummy summer vegetables.

March is the best time to start summer vegetable seeds in our

region. Get them going now and those seedlings will be ready

to transplant in six weeks. I know many anxious gardeners want

to start seeds sooner, but that’s not a good idea. The soil is too

cold and the days too short until mid-April at the earliest. If

you plant before then, the seedlings will sit and sulk, waiting for

warmer times. And while they wait, they are susceptible to critters,

mildew, fungus, and other maladies.

So I’ve learned to take a deep breath and wait until March,

which gives me plenty of time to plan and marvel at the whole

process of growing vegetables, herbs, and flowers from seed.

And it gives me time to teach in-person, hands-on seed-starting

workshops across San Diego County. This year, of course, that

won’t happen, so I’ve put the workshop online so it is available on

demand. Visit waterwisegardener.com to register.

Whether in person or online, you’ll see how miraculous seeds

are. They look like little pieces of dead wood, hardly big enough

to see in some cases. But set them on soil, add water, keep them

at the right temperature, and in just a few months, they grow into

enormous plants that, in turn, feed us.

Start from seed to witness the entire process from beginning

to end. Starting from seed also offers many more options for

trying new varieties or finding old favorites that you won’t find

as seedlings in the nursery. You can swap seeds with friends, pass

them down through generations, and save your favorites to be sure

to enjoy them one year to the next.

While I’ve been starting seeds for decades, the pandemic has

brought many new gardeners into the world of seed starting.

Some are curious to see the process. Some are looking for a

connection to nature and the outdoors. Some want an activity

to do with children. Many new gardeners are looking to feed

themselves and their families, and to have a safe, reliable source of

fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables.

This sudden surge in starting seeds has made for big challenges

in the seed industry. Last year, companies that sell seeds to home

gardeners struggled to keep up with the unexpected demand.

According to my friend Renee Shepherd, owner of Renee’s Garden

Seeds near Santa Cruz, seed companies project the number of

COURTESY OF WATERWISE GARDENER


packets they expect to sell each year based on the previous year’s

sales. But in 2020, the packets they produced to last through June

sold out in April, which put a huge stress on the supply chain.

Most companies had enough seeds, but they ran out of printed

envelopes and other critical supplies for fulfilling orders.

This year, those companies planned to meet the larger demand,

but even so, some wholesale suppliers (not the retailers that you

and I buy from) were running low by January. Fortunately, I have

plenty of seeds on hand, including my three top favorite tomatoes:

Nova, a golden grape tomato; Valentine, a brilliant red oversized

grape tomato; and a new one called Apple Yellow. Every year, I

test new varieties for the National Garden Bureau. They send

seeds scheduled to come to market in a few years, and last year,

Apple Yellow was among them. I was really impressed. The plants

grew huge but not out of control. The fruits formed early and

kept going longer than any other of the 16 varieties of tomatoes I

grew. The fruits themselves were bright yellow and the same size as

a grape tomato, but with square “shoulders” much like an apple.

And they were delicious!

Fortunately, I have enough Apple Yellow tomato seeds for this

year. By next year, I’m hoping the seeds will be readily available so

I can include them in my seed-starting workshops.

Let me show you how to start vegetables from seed. Sign up

at waterwisegardener.com for my online seed-starting workshop,

and you’ll learn all my tips and tricks for growing the summer

yummies you and your family love to eat.

If you’d like to see how vegetable seeds are bred, tested,

selected, produced, and brought to market, check out the

Season 5 episode of A Growing Passion called “The Story

of Seeds: From Breeding to Eating.” And stay tuned for the

Season 8 episode, “Pandemic Pivot,” premiering on KPBS

(San Diego) in April 2021. We explore how the pandemic

has affected our farming and horticulture communities,

and feature San Diego’s only local seed producer, San

Diego Seed Company. All

episodes of A Growing Passion

can be viewed online anytime

after their television debut at

agrowingpassion.com.


edible san diego

Local

Monday

Escondido—Welk Resort √†

8860 Lawrence Welk Dr.

3–7pm

760-651-3630

Enjoy the Open Air

Wednesday

Thursday

Tuesday

Coronado √

1st St. & B Ave., Ferry Landing

2:30–6pm

760-741-3763

Escondido √*

262 East Grand Ave.

2:30–7pm (2:30–6pm Oct to May)

760-480-4101

The Farmstand NEW

(formerly People’s Produce Night Market)

4261 Market St.

5–8pm

619-813-9148

Mira Mesa √*

10510 Reagan Rd.

2:30–7pm (3–6pm fall-winter)

858-272-7054

Otay Ranch—Chula Vista √

2015 Birch Rd. and Eastlake Blvd.

4–8pm

619-279-0032

Pacific Beach Tuesday √†

Bayard & Garnet

2–6pm

619-233-3901

San Marcos √

251 North City Dr.

3–7pm (3–6pm fall-winter)

760-744-1270

UCSD Town Square √

UCSD Campus, Town Square

10am–2pm, Sept to June

858-534-4248

Vail Headquarters √*

32115 Temecula Pkwy.

9am–1pm

760-728-7343

Little Italy Wednesday √*†

501 W. Date St.

9am–1pm

619-233-3901

Ocean Beach √

4900 block of Newport Ave.

4–8pm (4–7pm winter)

619-279-0032

Santee *†

Carlton Hills Blvd. & Mast Blvd.

3–7pm (2:30–6:30pm winter)

619-449-8427

South Bay √

4475 Bonita Rd.

3–7pm

619-550-7180

State Street in Carlsbad Village √

State St. & Carlsbad Village Dr.

3–7pm (3–6pm fall-winter)

858-272-7054

Temecula—Promenade √*

40820 Winchester Rd. by Macy’s

9am–1pm

760-728-7343

EAT the most

delicious

californiagrown

fruits

and vegGIES

7 days a week

Lemon Grove √*

2885 Lemon Grove Ave.

3–7pm

619-813-9148

Linda Vista √*†

6939 Linda Vista Rd.


760-504-4363

North Park Thursday √*†

2900 North Park Way

3–6pm

619-550-7180

Oceanside Morning √*

Pier View Way & Coast Hwy. 101

9am–1pm

760-791-3241

Rancho Bernardo √

16535 Via Esprillo

11am–1:30pm

619-279-0032

Friday

Borrego Springs √

700 Palm Canyon Dr.

7am–noon, Oct to Apr

760-767-5555

Horton Plaza Lunch Market

225 Broadway Circle

11am–2pm

619-795-3363

Imperial Beach √*†

10 Evergreen Ave.


info@imperialbeachfarmersmarket.org

La Mesa Village √*

La Mesa Blvd. btwn Palm & 4th St.

3–6pm, year-round

619-795-3363

Rancho Bernardo √

13330 Paseo del Verano Norte

9am–1pm

760-500-1709


Markets Guide

Cook All Weekend

Saturday

find the freshest local catch

City Heights √*†!

Wightman St. btwn Fairmount & 43rd St.

9am–1pm

760-504-4363

Del Mar √

1050 Camino Del Mar

1–4pm

858-465-0013

Little Italy Mercato √†

600 W. Date St.

8am–2pm

619-233-3901

Sunday

Hillcrest √*

3960 Normal St.

9am–2pm

619-237-1632

La Jolla Open Aire √

Girard Ave. & Genter

9am–1pm

858-454-1699

Leucadia √*

185 Union St.

10am–2pm

858-272-7054

Pacific Beach √

4150 Mission Blvd.

8am–noon

760-741-3763

Poway √*

14134 Midland Rd.

8am–1pm

619-249-9395

Rancho Penasquitos

9400 Fairgrove Ln.

9am–1pm

858-484-8788

Murrieta √*

Village Walk Plaza

I-15, exit west on Calif. Oaks & Kalmia

9am–1pm

760-728-7343

North San Diego / Sikes Adobe √†

12655 Sunset Dr.

10:30am–3:30pm

858-735-5311

Rancho Santa Fe Del Rayo Village √

16077 San Dieguito Rd.

9:30am–2pm

619-743-4263

Temecula—Old Town √*

Sixth & Front St.

8am–12:30pm

760-728-7343

Tuna Harbor Dockside Market

598 Harbor Ln.

Port of San Diego

8am–3pm

Vista √*†

325 Melrose Dr.

8am–noon

760-945-7425

Support local growers

and businesses

Santa Ysabel √

21887 Washington St.

Noon–4pm

760-782-9202

Solana Beach √

410 South Cedros Ave.

Noon–4pm

858-755-0444

cultivate community

Due to Covid-19: Markets shown in gray are temporarily closed and

all listings are subject to change. Please contact markets directly to

confirm hours of operation and locations.

Visit ediblesandiego.com for more complete information

and links to market websites.

* Market vendors accept WIC (Women, Infants, Children) Farmers’

Market checks.

† Market vendors accept EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer).

! Market vendors accept WIC Fruit and Vegetable checks.

√ Indicates markets certified by the San Diego County Agricultural

Commissioner, ensuring that the produce is grown by the seller

or another certified farmer in California, and meets all state

quality standards. Temecula markets and the Murrieta market

are certified by the Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner.


Prep (For Real Life) |

Solving the Takeout

Conundrum

BY MARIA HESSE

With the need to support our local restaurants through takeout and delivery

purchases comes a tidal wave of to-go containers. From one-ounce sauce

cups to heavy-duty clamshells and utensils, a single order can leave the

waste-conscious consumer feeling overwhelmed.

We asked Jessica Bombar at the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation, a

local nonprofit focused on zero-waste living, to give us some guidance on the topic.

1. Recycle

Takeout recycling is tricky. There are usually mixed materials involved: paper with

plastic liners, utensils that are too small to recycle, compostables, etc. Bombar says,

“Learning the difference between materials and proper sorting is important because

adding nonrecyclables into the curbside bin can have negative effects at the facility.”

The key might be to look for businesses that are using recyclable aluminum, paper

without liners, plastic (polypropylene PP #5 and PET #1), or compostable takeout

packaging.

2. Reduce/Refuse

Whether you’re bringing food home or having it safely delivered, Bombar suggests

taking the time to specify no utensils in your takeout bag—and you might be able to

skip the bag altogether. “Not only are you preventing the use of single-use plastics,

but you are also helping promote a by-request thought process that sets a new

standard because these options only exist if enough people ask for it.”

An added tip for when dining out is feasible: Keep a reusable container in your

car (jar, Tupperware, etc.) to take leftovers home.

More food businesses are adopting reusable programs like The Plot’s new takeout

container exchange with reVessel and In Good Company’s gourmet meal kits.

Bombar adds, “M’Porte also has a takeout exchange program similar to reVessel, and

Surfrider SD just launched their ocean-friendly to-go program.”

3. Empty, Dry, and Loose

As a reminder, items for recycling need to be emptied of their contents. Give them

a quick rinse, dry, and toss them straight in the recycling bin loose, not in a plastic

bag. Items with heavy food residue are not recyclable, so take care to remove as much

debris as possible.

“These are important standards not only for general recycling and takeout. For

example, small sauce containers are recyclable, but most people send them to the

landfill instead of emptying and recycling,” Bombar says.

4. Compost Leftovers

Hand in hand with recyclable packaging comes the recycling of unwanted food.

Bombar says, “Solana Center offers Food Cycle, a community compost program for

residents and businesses to help divert unwanted leftovers or scraps.” Plus, there are

resources to help residents start composting right at home.

LuckyBolt packs chicken macro bowls

with ingredients from four local farms in

compostable containers for Frontline Foods

to feed VA healthcare workers.

5. Reuse

Think beyond single-use and wash and stash

takeout containers for sprouting trays or seed

starters, future food sharing or donations

(so you don’t lose food storage containers

to family or friends), or try finding purpose

for these items in creative family projects,

like making paint palettes and storing beads,

puzzle pieces, and crayons. Do you have more

ideas? Tag us on social media or send your

suggestions to info@ediblesandiego.com.

As a parting thought on recycling in general,

Bombar stresses the importance of diverting

electronic products: “When sent to the

landfill, e-waste such as batteries, lightbulbs,

and electronics can eventually leach out

into groundwater and negatively impact our

waterways. Solana Center offers curbside

e-waste donation at our site.”

Find more facts and tips on recycling at

solanacenter.org/recycling.

For a list of local restaurants offering

takeout and delivery options in your

neighborhood, check out the Ultimate

Takeout and Delivery Guide on

ediblesandiego.com.

COURTESY OF LUCKYBOLT



Your Time

To Dine

April 11-18, 2021

A blossom of foodie adventures awaits!

Join us at San Diego Restaurant Week

this spring for an 8-day edible extravaganza.

sandiegorestaurantweek.com


Spring 2021

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