Behind the Scenes of SB’s Tastiest Week: Curating a Countywide Culinary Revival, One Bite at a Time
By Jamie Knee   |   May 6, 2025

“How do you create a food and wine experience that actually means something?” It’s the question I was asked again and again when I spoke at FestForums earlier this year on the art of designing culinary festivals. It’s also the question I carried with me every day over the past year as I stepped behind […]

Broccoli Sprouts
By Melissa Petitto   |   March 18, 2025

Broccoli sprouts are something that I spot year-round at the farmers market, and the sprouts at Ojai Microgreens are so vibrant and spicy! These small sprouts pack a nutrition powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Sulforaphane is one of the main components of broccoli sprouts and is a potent antioxidant that helps reduce inflammation and […]

 

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Cara Cara Oranges
By Melissa Petitto   |   March 11, 2025

Citrus season in California is always a time I look forward to, and the Cara Cara orange is hitting the farmers market right now at Somers Ranch. This tangy and oh so sweet citrus is a vibrant red orange color, has a berry/citrus like flavor, and boasts so many incredible health benefits. Most of us […]

Turnips
By Melissa Petitto   |   February 11, 2025

The Garden Of is one of my favorite vendors at the farmers market and right now they have some lovely turnips. The turnip is a root vegetable in the cruciferous family, just like broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts. They come in different colors such as purple, red, and green. The bulb as well as the […]

SBAFE/Sweet Wheel Farms
By Steven Libowitz   |   February 4, 2025

For a nonprofit whose main asset is a modest seven-acre farm in Summerland known as Sweet Wheel Farms, the Santa Barbara Agriculture and Farm Education Foundation (SBAFE) has a rather large and lofty goal. Namely, to upend our “modern” food systems and reconnect people to the understanding that our food comes from the land, and […]

Clark’s Oyster Bar Is Fresh
By Tiana Molony   |   January 28, 2025

Upon sliding into one of the booths at Clark’s Oyster Bar, I disclosed to co-owner and chef Larry McGuire that I’d never had oysters before. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to try them; I’ve just never gotten around to it. This also seemed like the perfect time to admit to him that I don’t […]

Rainbow Swiss Chard
By Melissa Petitto   |   January 14, 2025

Rainbow Swiss chard is so beautiful, with its gem-like colored stems and its rich nutrient density, and it’s available freshly picked from Roots Organic Farm right now. A part of the beet and spinach family, Swiss chard comes in white and rainbow varietals. High in magnesium, iron, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K, this […]

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  • Bar Lou Brings French-Mediterranean Fare to CVR
    By Tiana Molony   |   December 24, 2024

    Restaurateur Warner Ebbink and Chef Brandon Boudet didn’t plan on opening another restaurant. As it happened, the pair was focused on a hotel project in Ojai when the opportunity presented itself. But when the coveted building on the corner of Coast Village and Middle Road became available, they knew they had to have it. Even […]

    Join In a Thanksgiving Soul Food Dinner
    By Montecito Journal   |   November 26, 2024

    Momma’s Soul Food Fusion – home of Chef Guidance Moon and her 15-year old sous-chef and son, Elishah Barthelemy – is inviting you to a Community Thanksgiving Dinner on November 27, 2024, from 5 pm to 10 pm at the Isla Vista Community Center, 970 Embarcadero del Mar in Isla Vista.  The theme is “Thankful […]

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    Napa Cabbage
    By Melissa Petitto   |   November 19, 2024

    Napa cabbage is in season and – as cabbage goes – is one of the most flavorful, nutrient-dense varieties out there. Something Good Organics has the first available, and I grabbed some for myself and my clients. This cabbage, also called Chinese cabbage, is traditionally used in kimchi, but is also an incredible vehicle for […]

    Guatemalan Blue Squash
    By Melissa Petitto   |   November 12, 2024

    I love discovering new finds at the farmers market and the Guatemalan blue squash is a new varietal for me. Roots Organic Farm has some of the first seasonal squashes and I am so excited to take this one back to the kitchen and create a recipe for you. This rare heirloom variety of winter […]

    Appointed Ambassador for Project Zero
    By Joanne A Calitri   |   October 29, 2024

    In a major collaborative effort to bring its work in marine conservation to our town, Project Zero has appointed MICHELIN Chef Massimo Falsini as an Ambassador. Massimo is the Chef-Partner of Caruso’s Restaurant at the Rosewood Miramar Beach. He has proven to be a dedicated environmentalist, taking that commitment into his kitchens with sustainable sourcing […]

    Fuyu Persimmons
    By Melissa Petitto   |   October 8, 2024

    The first time I had a persimmon was seven years ago upon moving to Santa Barbara. There are two main types found here, the Fuyu and the Hachiyas. Avila and Sons Farms has some of the first Fuyus in the Farmers Market. The Fuyu is considered a non-astringent persimmon, one that can be eaten hard […]

    Okra
    By Melissa Petitto   |   October 1, 2024

    Her Produce has some green and red okra at the farmers market right now and let me tell you, if you haven’t tried okra before go and grab some of this delicious fruit. That’s right – it’s technically a fruit as it is a flowering plant with edible seed pods. Grown mainly in warm climates, […]

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