FARM FRESH TUESDAYS Last Tuesday I found Carra Duggan, the flower grower at Everett Family Farm, ensconced on the sunny porch between Farmers Exchange and River Cafe. For the past month, Duggan and Everett Family growers have been offering an organic mini-market on Tuesdays from 11:30am–4pm at the popular veranda location on River Street. “We’re seeing how it goes,” said Duggan, who is especially proud of the incredible watercolor-tinted yarrow that thrives on the farm property.
Last week the charming little stand was bursting with zinnias, yarrows and Peruvian lily, as well as slender young celeries, salad mix and padron peppers. Baskets overflowed with summer squashes in pale greens and yellow, fat pink beets and bold crimson strawberries as well as neatly packed salad mixes and spinach. So it seems that now on Tuesdays when you crave that end-of-the-day pot of tea and lavender cookie from River Cafe, you can also take home a sweet bouquet and greens beans for a dinnertime stir fry. At least that was last week’s micro-harvest from Everett Family Farm. Next week, who knows what you’ll find? Everett Family Farm is a longtime favorite vendor at both the Westside Saturday farmers market and the Live Oak market.
CREAM O’ THE CROP Congrats to Mission Hill Creamery, whose achievements in organic ice cream landed it a spot on Mother Earth News’ Top 20 Artisan Ice Cream Companies. Mission Hill was selected among other creameries from New Jersey to Alaska and was one of only two chosen from California. It was probably the Salted Caramel (now tempting us from the freezer section of New Leaf markets) that did it.
VINE HILL ON INGALLS STREET Nick Guerrero of Vine Hill Winery told me that painting will begin this week on a witty exterior mural to adorn the new Westside tasting room for Vine Hill’s award-winning wines. Architect Mark Primack is already planning the tasting room’s interior, which will occupy the site of the former Pelican Ranch tasting room next door to Kelly’s. Yet more wine excitement for lucky Westside residents and visiting oenophiles.
SQUID PRO QUO Back in the day the India Joze Calamari Festival was one of the West Coast’s holy culinary events. Visitors dialed their vacations to segue with the weeklong gastronomic vision quest based on variations in the key of calamari: Thai, Greek, Balinese—everything under the sun involving calamari and all the spices in the world. Chef Jozseph Schultz is once again strapping on his leathers and knives and addressing the finer implications of all things squid. It happens Sunday, Aug. 21, 5-8pm at 418 Front St. in Santa Cruz. Tickets are $45 at http://www.indiajoze.com.
Send tips about food, wine and new dining discoveries to Christina Waters at xtina@cruzio.com. Read her blog at http://christinawaters.com.
