*Note: we only used tomatoes that would have, in all certainty, gone to waste. Not a single tomato in this photo shoot was taken for granted!
Want to outfit yourself for a tomato fight (or just a really great day)? This list will connect you directly to the play-worthy clothes you see in the slideshow:
Women’s Dizzie Dress
Women’s Swifty Zip Hoodie
Women’s Flexure Crop Pant
Men’s Smythy Short Sleeve
Men’s Big Easy Shorts
Men’s Peter T-shirt
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If you’re anything like us, in a month or so you’re going to be bombarded with tomatoes from your garden. While we thrive on good salsa and revere a great marinara recipe, we also recognize the need to branch out. Behold Fava Bean Succotash, created by Horny Toad model, Luna. Spoon it on top of barbequed salmon or chicken, use it to top toasted rustic bread or eat it all by itself.
And if you have a killer recipe that puts tomatoes to good use, please let us know!
Fava Bean Succotash
1 1/2 pounds fava beans, shelled (you can substitute 1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans, thawed)
2 large ears of corn, kernels cut off the cob (about 2 cups)
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Cook fava beans in a medium-large pot of salted, boiling water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to a colander; reserve cooking water. Rinse beans with cold water. Then peel off outer skins of beans and discard, placing beans in a medium bowl. Add corn kernels to reserved cooking water and cook about 1-2 minutes, then drain in a colander. Return beans and corn to the pot. Mix in tomato, Italian parsley, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle extra parsley on top as a garnish.
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Meet our superstar model Luna. Not only can she rock a bear hat like no one’s business but she’s also a chef, singer, songwriter and cookbook author. For seven years she’s worked along the California coast as a private chef, keeping her lucky clients healthy, happy and well nourished. Just last week she celebrated the release of her cookbook Nourished: The Art of Eating and Living Well.
She definitely did her part to keep our tastebuds in a jovial mood on the photo shoot. We love her approach to cooking - it’s all about wellness and sustainability, and yet she manages not to skip a single beat on deliciousness. Her food is simple and elegant and asks you to slow down and appreciate what the planet has to offer.
Luna describes what she does like this: My work feels like play. When I’m in the kitchen I’m sort of a cross between Frida Kahlo and Glenda the good Witch of the West. I get to wield my magic and collaborate with nature to create scrumptious edible art that celebrates the sensuous pleasure of being alive. It’s fun and it feels good to support a high quality of life and happy bellies while I’m here on planet earth.
Here’s a list of some of her favorite things about living in Santa Barbara (in her own words):
- Farmers Markets. In addition to the bountiful produce I love Fat Uncle Farms Almonds… especially the Chinese Spice and Garlic & Herb flavors.
- Urban Foraging – I hunt for everything from rosemary to fresh avocados and figs!
- Epic Tamales from La Super-Rica.
- Beautiful sunset beach walks and summertime ocean swims at Butterfly Beach.
-Early morning hiking on Rattlesnake Canyon Trail.
- Shakin’ my booty at Sunday Morning Dance Tribe.
- A perfect cup of coffee from the French Press.
- A thick slice of Sunflower Rye Bread from D’Angelo’s Bakery – lightly toasted with a smear of ghee (clarified butter).
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We love Summer. We love food. Which is why this time of year you’ll find us sharing meals outside with good friends over a nice bottle of wine and the dwindling light. We hope you enjoy our Summer Solstice supper menu:
Courtney’s Grilled Watermelon Salad
The Perfect Salmon with Dill-Pistachio Pesto
Summer Carrot and Date Quinoa Salad with Basil and Mustard Citrus Vinaigrette
Coconut Milk Rosewater Ice Cream
Courtney’s Grilled Watermelon Salad
4 cups grilled watermelon, cubed
2 ripe tomatoes, cubed – buy what’s in season and looks ripe and delicious
1/4 red onion, sliced thin
A generous portion of crumbled feta
Fresh mint leaves
For the dressing:
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh pepper
Cut the watermelon into thick-ish slices and grill them, about 4 minutes each side, on medium heat. Cube the watermelon and combine with the sliced onion and cubed tomato. Let the ingredients sit for a half hour so the flavors combine. In the meantime, mix the salad dressing, using your preferred oil-to-vinegar ratio. When you’re ready to serve the salad, top with shredded fresh mint leaves and crumbled feta then mix in the dressing.
The Perfect Salmon with Dill-Pistachio Pesto (from Nourished: The Art of Eating and Living Well)
serves 4
Four 6 ounce wild salmon fillets
olive oil
sea salt & fresh ground pepper
To prepare the salmon:
Preheat oven to 450 °. Heat oven-proof sauté skillet over high heat for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of the salmon fillets with olive oil and season the tops generously with sea salt and fresh ground pepper. When the pan is very hot, place the salmon fillets flesh side down in the pan and cook over medium heat without moving them for 2 minutes, until they’re very browned. Carefully turn the fillets over and place the pan in the oven for 7-10 minutes more, until the salmon is barely cooked through.
Dill-Pistachio Pesto
1/3 cup fresh dill
2 small green onions, trimmed and chopped
1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced (1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 cup pistachios, toasted and finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
generous pinch of sea salt
Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix well to thoroughly combine. Spoon over top of salmon fillets
We also love this Summer Carrot and Date Quinoa Salad with Basil and Mustard Citrus Vinaigrette (from Anna Brones at EcoSalon).
And for dessert!
Coconut Milk Rosewater Ice Cream
2 14 ounce cans of full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup of honey
1 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon rose water
Combine the ingredients well by whisking or blending in the blender. Make into ice cream according to the directions on your ice cream maker. It may still be soft and need an hour or so in the freezer to firm up.
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Break out your sun visors, the US Open Flying Disc Championship is being held in in Santa Barbara this year – and we’re sponsoring it. We interviewed Jeff Shelton and Thomas Cole, the guys responsible for bringing this event to town.
Jeff in action
Jeff- Tom and I have been playing in the US Open and World Championships for the last decade all over the US. It’s a tight knit disc community and people step up to volunteer and host the tournament in their hometowns across the country. We have often wanted to have it here and 2012 worked.
Tom- There’s an amazing long-term disc history in Santa Barbara. There hasn’t been an overall disc tournament here since the Whammo-sponsored days of the late 1970s and early 198os. Those were part of the North American Series and you qualified to play in the Rose Bowl for the World Championships. We’re trying to build on this legacy, albeit on a smaller scale, though it should be a fantastic time.
Jeff- I always had a disc in my hand in high school in the mid 1970s, though never realized at that time people actually competed. I just loved to throw the plastic. After Tom moved back from Mozambique in the mid 1990s he began to show me different throws and all the different events people competed in. My first overall tournament was the Arizona State championships in 2003. I had no idea what I was in for.
Tom- I started throwing the disc in grade school when I was 10. Two local guys did a freestyle demonstration for my 5th grade class at Cold Spring School and I was blown away. My mom began taking me down to Palm Park every weekend for the next few years. Palm Park was the freestyle Frisbee mecca for Santa Barbara in the late 1970s and early 1980s with some of the best players in the world gathering there to play. It was an epic upbringing, having the chance to learn from some of the most gifted and accomplished disc players.
Tom in action
Tom- I think most people would be fascinated to see what can be done with a flying disc. The sheer variety and skill level shown by the best throwers is a treat. People might not understand what we’re doing all the time, but I think they would recognize how cool it is.
Jeff- First of all, there are seven events we play during the course of the championships: accuracy, discathon, self-caught flight, double disc court, freestyle, disc golf and distance. One of the oddest and most interesting events to watch is discathon, where the disc gets thrown through an obstacle course and you are trying to be the first across the finish line. Double disc court (DDC) is the consummate disc skill game, where teams of two players try to land their throws inside their opponents court. DDC showcases all the throws, catches, athleticism and teamwork possible with a disc. It’s fun to watch. Freestyle is by far and away the crowd favorite, a combination of artistry and choreography as partners spin, roll, tip and otherwise manipulate the disc during their 3 minute routine. Most folks have probably seen someone freestyling at some point. I would definitely urge people to come out and watch any of these events, though certainly the DDC and freestyle finals happening on Saturday down at Palm Park.
Architect Jeff taking care of business in downtown Santa Barbara
Tom- Jeff is actually my uncle in a convoluted way and we do a lot of creative things together, including running an aloe plant nursery and inventing and playing as many odd games as possible. Our families are pretty intertwined and steeped in the local history of both the Westmont and Mountain Drive communities that we both grew up in. When not in town I spend a considerable amount of time and energy as a humanitarian aid worker in Africa. My wife Linda and I started a non-profit, Community Action Fund for Women in Africa, that works to help empower women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings to rebuild their lives. Observing community and resiliency in Africa gives me a good perspective on how to approach life here in Santa Barbara.
Jeff- All good things start with a strong family and community. No matter where one lives, they should continually try to nurture the environment around them. As an Architect I try to make sure that buildings reflect the lives and people who live here. Besides working with Tom and the rest of my family and friends, this community is full of talented and caring people who make Santa Barbara flourish. We’re pulling many of them together to help make the US Open a success and a lot of fun.
Tom in his natural element
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Break out the water wings – summer’s lurking! Here’s a playlist to usher in long days and balmy nights. Enjoy.
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We’re proud to announce that Julio Solis and his non-profit, Baja Vigilantes, the subjects of the second film in the MoveShake installment, were awarded the Moving Mountains Award at Telluride MountainFilm last month! Besides our desire to offer a massive congratulations and a series of high-fives to all involved, we have exciting news.
The first two installments in the MoveShake series will be premiering online at moveshake.org THIS Thursday, June 7th, from 7-9 PM MDT! Directer Allie Bombach of Red Reel will host a live online viewing of both films, followed by a Q&A with Mountain2Mountain founder, Shannon Galpin. Joining Bombach and Galpin will be ocean activist, Wallace J Nichols. Nichols played an immense role in Julio Solis’ life, inspiring him to further understand and eventually pursue the protection of endangered sea turtles. We’ll meet you there!
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