UCSC’s organic farm invites the public to come up and enjoy fresh produce, farm tours, live music, cooking demos, and lots more this Sunday, Sept. 30, from 11a.m.-5 p.m. at the Farm and Garden’s Fall Harvest Festival.
Think of it as an excuse to savor and stroll 30 of the most vibrant acres on the coast—in full harvest right now. Visitors of all ages will find something engaging up at the scenic site of experimental agriculture. The festival will also feature a produce sale with organically raised pumpkins along with dry-farmed tomatoes and other fresh fruits and vegetables. There will be hay rides, food sales, flower-crown making, cider pressing, and other old-fashioned hands-on delights. “It’s a time to celebrate the abundance of the summer,” says festival organizer Margaret Bishop.
Other activities include workshops on making sourdough bread, promoting garden pollinators, canning tomatoes, and learning about famine foods, along with guided tours of the farm and a medicinal herb talk and walk through the garden. The 2018 Harvest Festival schedule includes music all afternoon long by the Naked Bootleggers, Whiskey West, even an open mic opportunity in the mid-afternoon.
Admission is free for UCSC students, kids 12 and under, and members of the Friends of the UCSC Farm & Garden; general admission is $5. Free parking will be available at the Campus Facilities and Barn Theater parking lots, and a free shuttle will be available. Motivated home bakers will want to try their luck with the highly popular Apple Pie Contest. All pies must be entered at the Farm Festival between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30. For questions or additional copies of all the rules, call 459-3240 or e-mail ca***@uc**.edu.
Fresh Catch
There’s a terrific new alliance between a top natural food emporium and a local seafood entrepreneur: the partnership between the Santa Cruz-based Ocean2table fishery and New Leaf Community Market’s Westside Santa Cruz, Capitola, and Half Moon Bay locations.
This partnership—exciting for those of us who can’t get enough of the fresh seafoods brought in by Charles Lambert and Ian Cole, co-founders of Ocean2table—expands New Leaf’s offerings of super fresh fish. The plan is to offer fish within 24 hours of arrival in port.
“New Leaf has always had high standards for fish, and is committed to direct relationships with fisheries in the region,” said Daniel Hartsock, meat and seafood manager at New Leaf’s Westside location. “Ocean2table shares our passion for sustainable seafood and our partnership ensures we’ll always have the freshest and most sustainable local fish for our customers.”
Information about seafood species and origin, plus the name of both boat and captain, will be displayed on the seafood case at the markets every Tuesday and Friday, weather permitting. New Leaf has been a longtime advocate for sustainable seafood, and in addition to this new Ocean2table alliance, has collaborated with FishWise and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program. www.newleaf.com/seafood.
Snack of the Week
Avocado Toast with Cured Lemon, $6 at Kelly’s. We discovered this luscious snack (or lunch) last week when one of our former students came to visit. I just wanted something small, and spotted the avocado toast item.
Bigger than a snack, two large slabs of dark rye bread arrived frosted with creamy olive-oil-infused avocado, studded with bits of tangy cured lemon. Paired with chamomile tea, the sensuous toast made a big hit. We each took a bite and then more bites, and there was still some left to take home. Sweet buttery avocado contrasted with the citrusy brightness of the lemon. Outstanding. Generous. Cheap. kellysfrenchbakery.com.
