by Alix Wall   –   Berkeley Side

By now most East Bay residents are familiar with CSAs, or community-supported agriculture — consumers subscribe to a farm and receive in return boxes of organic, seasonal produce.

Oakland-based nonprofit Phat Beets Produce has been running one such CSA for six years, but they’re now taking the concept one step further. Phat Beets is now offering The Cultured Case through what they call a CSY, or community-supported youth program. Subscribers receive jars of preserved and pickled vegetables, all made by Oakland youth taking part in Phat Beets’ Fresh Fellows program.

Founded in 2007, Phat Beets Produce connects small-scale farmers of color to urban communities through the creation of clinic-based farmers markets, school farm stands, youth market gardens and community kitchens.

Fresh Fellows was started two years later, along with help from a doctor at UCSF Benioff Oakland Children’s Hospital. It teaches youth from the hospital’s Healthy Hearts Clinic who are at risk for diet-related illnesses about healthy eating, cooking and gardening.

The program takes place at Phat Beet’s Youth Market Garden, a shared free urban garden that produces over 3000 pounds of produce each year. The food is shared with the neighborhood as well as the community at the Healthy Hearts Clinic. (Hence the name “clinic-based farmers market.”)

Some participants get so much out of Fresh Fellows that they have attended the program repeatedly. This was the case with Lorena Ramos, an 18-year-old from Hayward, who now heads up the CSY as well as Phat Beets’ catering company, We Cater! Collective. Other Fresh Fellows participate in the catering company as well.

“Given that we had some youth who had done the program two or three times, it was clear they wanted to get more involved and also find a means of income,” said Alyssa Cheung, Phat Beets’ office manager.

One popular item in The Cultured Case is kimchi. Cabbage grows year-round, so the fermented Korean pickle is made frequently. Ramos said that even though she is half-Korean, she did not learn how to make kimchi until recently.

“I grew up eating it, but not making it, as my mom doesn’t make it,” she said.

Her grandmother, on the other hand, did make homemade kimchi, but Ramos didn’t especially love the smell of her recipe. So she set out to make her own version. Ramos found a recipe online, began experimenting to make it her own, and soon began giving kimchi-making demos at local farmers’ markets with the Fresh Fellows. It is now included in The Cultured Case.

Phat Beets is marketing The Cultured Case to its 175 CSA members, but one doesn’t have to be a CSA member to join the CSY. The two programs are being kept separate separate because the pickles need to be stored separately in a cooler, and it’s too complicated for Phat Beets to put icepacks in its CSA boxes.

Subscribers receive an email at the beginning of the month, listing everything that’s available. A recent list included seven kinds of pickled vegetables: brined okra, “Kale Yeah! Kraut,” Curtido Spicy Kraut (Salvadorean spicy cabbage relish), two kinds of kimchi, ginger beets and mustard seed sauerkraut. In addition, subscribers could order a variety of mustards and chile pastes. While most of the krauts and kimchis are made by Fresh Fellows, some of the sauces come from small women-owned businesses in Oakland.

All produce for the items comes from Phat Beets farmers markets, some of which are leftover from the markets and some of which are “cosmetically challenged.”

The jars can be picked up at several Oakland destinations, such as Impact Hub, UCSF Benioff Oakland Children’s Hospital, Destiny Arts Center and the Phat Beets office in North Oakland. Subscribers also pay a deposit for the jars and return them each time when picking up a new batch.

While the staff of Phat Beets has supported the undertaking so far, “the goal is to make it [an independent] company,” said Max Cadji, a founder of Phat Beets. “Eventually we want them to be running their own company with minimal support from us. We don’t want them to just be laborers, we want them to be managing it, too.”

Another goal is for the business to become profitable. “We’re always trying to figure out what the most fun and profitable way to make money is, as we don’t like writing grants,” said Cadji. “If we can make revenue from this to avoid writing grants and reports, even better.”

Ideally, Cadji envisions hiring a manager for the program to provide programming and structure. In the past, Phat Beets has worked with youth who have just left juvenile hall, or have participated in theOakland Restorative Justice program. “Having a youth coordinator would help them create recipes and provide the support they need to be successful,” said Cadji, as opposed to them “showing up, shredding cabbage and checking in for five minutes.”

Cadji said that four Fresh Fellows are now working for the catering company, and there’s a need for the graduates of the Fresh Fellows to earn money.

“We have plenty of catering gigs, and one former participant was managing our Twitter account, and another our spreadsheets.” The next step, Cadji said, is for participants to learn how to approach retail stores to sell their products. “We’re trying to get them [to learn] all aspects of a business.”

Becca Stanek   –   The Week

You may know Donald Trump’s stance on immigration, but did you know his stance on Adele? People decided to ask some of the 2016 presidential candidates a few personal questions, and while some of the results aren’t that surprising — Donald Trump’s “guilty pleasure” TV show is the Saturday Night Live episode that he hosted — other candidates revealed a few rather quirky facts.

Who knew, for example, that Chris Christie considers himself a karaoke master? Or that Hillary Clinton snacks on jalapenos on the campaign trail? Below, some of the most interesting and unexpected facts about some of 2016’s candidates:

• Donald Trump has lost 15 pounds on the campaign trail. “There’s so little time to be eating,” the real estate mogul told People. “I never thought it, but speaking is almost a form of exercise. It’s very exhilarating… The events are so exciting. When I’m done I don’t want to eat.”

• Many of the candidates boasted about their musical skills. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio “can sing Lionel Richie and Frank Sinatra songs,” former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee calls himself a “gifted rap artist,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he “can really sing,” and Carly Fiorina declared that she is “great at composing songs” for her two dogs.

• Candidates consider political TV shows to be guilty pleasures. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz watches Veep, Mike Huckabee enjoys Real Time with Bill Maher, Hillary Clinton gets her diplomatic fix with Madam Secretary, and Carly Fiorina says she needs to catch up on House of Cards.

• Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush eats perhaps the saddest breakfast of all: A banana and a cup of coffee.

Read the full candidate questionnaires over at People.

ANADOLU AGENCY   –   Daily Sabah

Known as Turkey’s capital of pickling, Bursa’s Gedelek village has come to the rescue of farmers facing a Russian boycott of their vegetables, promising to pickle and export all unsold vegetables across the country.

Gedelek Agricultural Development Cooperative Chairman Mustafa Şener said Antalya’s farmers were the main victims of the Russian ban that came after Turkey shot down a Russian jet that violated its airspace, arguing that unsold vegetables needed to be utilized.

“Since the announcement of the Russian boycott, between 500 and 600 tons of produce arrived in Gedelek. There is no reason why farmers need to suffer. We, as the pickling industry of Gedelek, are willing to do everything possible to prevent Russian bans from harming our country. We are determined to pickle all unsold vegetables and then to sell them across the world. We already have a market. They don’t need to stress about it. They can call us anytime they want.”

In the past, Antalya provided only a small fraction of the pickled vegetables, he said, noting that those which came were unseasonal produce grown in greenhouses. “In the last week, we are receiving between 50 to 80 tons of vegetables a day,” he said.

Gedelek Muhtar Mehmet Dönmez said Gedelek pickle had become a globally recognized brand, with 25 percent of the 20,000 tons produced annually sold overseas. He said 17 different types of pickles were produced in the region. “Domestically, our most popular pickles are those made from cucumber and cabbage. Overseas, we sell mainly sweet pickles, mainly garlic and beetroot.”

He said as a result of the Russian ban, which was also boycotting pickles, local producers had moved onto other markets. “I’m calling on all vegetable producers harmed by the ban. Let’s pickle them and sell them all over the world. Our country is strong and won’t be harmed by Russia. We are behind our government’s stance and are willing to do what’s necessary to overcome all adversity.”

JULIANA GOODWIN, Food columnist   –   The Baxter Bulletin

A savory gift from the kitchen is a welcome change this time of year.

I adore homemade gifts, particularly edible ones, but I get tired of sweets. After half a dozen cookies, I long for something salty which is why I predominantly dish out savory gifts.

Savory gifts are unique, practical and often healthier.

There are presents I parcel out each year — like my jalapeno infused vodka — and new additions every season. I have four recipes this week, so let’s get to the good stuff.

I am known in my family for my jalapeno infused vodka; I’ve been making it for years and it’s so easy. All I do is add jalapenos to vodka and let it seep for a few days. Then strain the vodka and package it in pretty bottles. I give it with a bottle of Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix and pickled green beans or asparagus. The recipient can drink it immediately or keep it for a cold February morning.

Another staple in my gift giving are rosemary almonds which I first tried at a Spanish restaurant. I loved them so much I came home and recreated them.

The olive cheeseball is a good hostess gift because it can be served immediately or kept for up to five days. It’s simple and delicious. Serve it with French bread or crackers. For pretty presentation, you can buy a nice plate (and leave it as a gift), make the cheeseball, surround it with crackers, add a Christmas spreader and then wrap it all up in clear gift wrapping and tie it with a bow.

My last gift is one that your friends are not likely to receive from anyone else: Dukkah. I was introduced to dukkah, which is an Egyptian spice mix that is used as a dip, in Australia. It’s wildly popular there are served at restaurants and vineyards. The mix is made by toasting and then grinding nuts and spices together. It is served with French bread and extra virgin olive oil and first you dip the bread into the olive oil and then into the dukkah and the oil makes the dukkah stick to the bread. This dip is excellent with wine and I serve it at a lot of parties and people love it because it’s so different. The dukkah should be stored in an airtight container and will last a month. You can experiment with a variety of nuts- hazelnuts and pistachios are popular. In my recipe, I use a combination of macadamia, almond and pistachio nuts. I bought a spice jar to give it away.

If none of these recipes appeal to you, then here are a few more ideas: Make a savory bread like beer bread, focaccia, or potato bread and give that away in lieu of sweet breads.

Make savory popcorn, nut mixes or your own version of Chex mix.

If you know someone who was recently widowed or lives alone, make a couple batches of soup that freeze well and then buy disposable red and green containers. Fill the containers with soup and stack them up like a tower and tie them together. The recipient can freeze the individual portions (seniors particularly appreciate this gift).

Another gift I made years ago for an elderly neighbor was a birdseed wreath (for her to feed the birds, not consume herself). I just bought refrigerated pizza dough and braided it into a wreath and pressed bird seed into the wreath and she put it outside to attract birds.

A gift from the kitchen is truly a gift from the heart. I hope you enjoy making some of these recipes.

Jalapeño Infused Vodka

1 bottle of vodka

3 fresh jalapeños

Decorative bottle or bottles for gifting

Bloody Mary Mix

Pickled green beans, asparagus or okra

Note: I usually split the vodka into 2-3 bottles so this makes 2-3 gifts depending on the size of the decorative bottles.

Wear gloves to work with jalapeños. Select fresh, unblemished jalapeños and wash and dry them before using.

Pour out a few ounces of vodka and make yourself a drink (you need room for the jalapeños). Slice the stems off jalapeños and cut jalapeño into fourths. Stuff the peppers in the vodka (you want some seeds as this adds heat). When done, seal the vodka and place it in a closet for 5 to 10 days. If you just want a little kick in terms of spice, five days is plenty. If you want hotter, then keep it longer. You can also use spicier peppers like habañero or Tabasco. After it has seeped, strain it through a cheese cloth (or multiple coffee filters) and bottle into decorative bottles. Package it with Bloody Mary mix, and some sort of pickled vegetable. I do not recommend dried hot peppers; I tried that once and it was a failure.

I found this green bottle at a Dollar Tree. I always look at dollar type stores before I go to craft stores because I find some great deals in dollar stores but the selection is unpredictable. The Santa costume was made for a wine bottle but I used it on the vodka.