Cali Coast Wine Country

all about California's Central Coast Wine Country, including Santa Barbara & San Luis Obispo

You are here: Home / Archives for Edible Santa Barbara

Edible Santa Barbara

Local Veggie Farro Bowl at Plenty on Bell

By Leave a Comment

Spring Farro Bowl at Plenty on Bell

Spring  |

Plenty on Bell in Los AlamosAt the helm of Plenty on Bell is long-time Los Alamos chef Jesper Johansson, who has cooked on this street since 1999. A native of Sweden, he’s gained a large local following with his down-to-earth dishes and scrumptious breakfasts.

At Plenty on Bell, Johansson focuses on local, farm-to-table comfort food. Dishes on the menu are influenced by his family background of traditional baking and cooking from scratch, as well as the local produce here in Santa Barbara county. Much of the herbs and produce is  sourced from the chef’s gardens in Los Alamos, then turned into comfort food Johansson grew up with in Sweden. Traditional baking and cooking everything from scratch defined his childhood home, with fun, festive cooking for friends on weekends.

Bowls are a signature dish, featuring weekly and seasonal specials and vegan options with around-the-world flavors like white beans & sausage, mussels & frites or Italian pastas. This Spring Farro Bowl features tender Spring vegetables and locally-grown farro from Kandarian Organic Farms. An ancestor of modern wheat, emmer farro is a heritage grain that’s nutrient-dense, GMO-free, nutty and chewy. And it’s 100% organic.

Johansson first rinses the farro, then puts about a cup in 2 cups of water with a pinch of salt and cooks it for about 20 minutes. It should double in size and be al dente when it’s ready. Meanwhile, he blanches the peas and asparagus for about a minute, then transfers to an ice bath. He chops or thinly slices the asparagus, carrots, leeks, radishes, spinach, mint and parsley. To make the dressing, Johnansson puts sherry vinegar, a mix of whole grain and Dijon mustard, lemon, olive oil and salt and pepper in a small jar and shakes it to combine. He then mixes all ingredients together and tops with fresh herbs to serve – grated cheese or harrissa would also work.

Summer Recipe: Grilled Avocado

By 1 Comment

Summer’s Don’t-Miss Dish in Edible Santa Barbara Magazine

Jan 2016: The restaurant at Mattei’s Tavern is currently closed. It’s available for events and accommodations, and will reopen the restaurant in Spring 2018.

What started as an experiment in cooking California’s signature fruit quickly became Chef Robbie Wilson‘s signature dish. The Grilled Avocado with Ponzu sauce and fresh wasabi at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos stemmed from Wilson’s love for tempura-fried avocado, and is now the dish that every table wants.

Wilson wanted to do something entirely new with local produce, and dreamed of an avocado dish to be eaten with a fork – something savory and something very California. Grilling it over red oak on the restaurant’s 1889 grill was right in line for this historic landmark. Wilson says the trifecta of smoke, acid and the fruit’s buttery texture is what makes this simple, yet adventurous dish. He only uses Hass avocados from Bliss Family Avocado Ranch in Carpenteria because of their large size and amazing taste – Hass avocados have higher fat content and larger yields. Bliss also grows different varieties that produce fruit year-round, keeping Wilson’s most-popular dish always in-stock and always local.

Grilled-Avocado-Liz-Dodder-Photography-web

To grill the avocado, Wilson halves it and scoops out each half, then brushes each side with olive oil, salt and pepper. Make sure the grill is hot – as hot as possible. Place the halves crater side down on the grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until they easily release from the grill. Turn them over on their backs for just a minute, then remove and sprinkle again with olive, sale and pepper. Fill each crater with a Ponzu sauce of equal parts soy sauce and acid (rice wine vinegar + citrus juice), nori (seaweed) and garlic. Serve with freshly-grated wasabi. If you can’t find fresh wasabi, Wilson says don’t use the dyed green stuff; instead, use thinly sliced local hot chiles and float in the Ponzu.