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Archive for the ‘18 Reasons’ Category


Inspiration, Sweetness & Harvest: 18 Reasons’ Summer Farm Tour Series

April 10th, 2012 by Olivia

Yeehaw: 18 Reasons is hitting the road this summer! Rosie and I are excited to introduce our Farm Tour Series. Once a month in June, July and August will we get the chance to meet some of the inspiring farmers we work with at Bi-Rite.

In the first tour with our trusty tour guide Simon Richard (Bi-Rite’s head farmer & produce buyer), we’ll visit two incredibly inspirational farms, Mariquita Farm and Catalan Farm, who each grow and sell an endless variety of gorgeous veggies and fruits throughout the year.  In the second tour we’ll visit Yerena and Tomatero Farms, lip-smacking berry farms that send the message home that organic and local tastes so much better! In the last, but certainly not least August tour we’ll head north to Sonoma and visit Bi-Rite Family Farm and Oak Hill Farm. Lunch is provided by Bi-Rite Market and is included in the ticket price for each tour. We will facilitate carpooling to each farm and will reimburse drivers for the gas that they use.

Ticket price includes lunch, reimbursement for gas for those who drive and the opportunity to meet the amazing farmers that are changing our world.

The Farm Series: Early Summer Inspiration
Saturday, June 30, 9AM-5PM, Ticketed
$40 member price/ $50 general admission
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/236886

The Farm Series: Mid-Summer Sweetness
Saturday, July 21, 9AM-5PM, Ticketed
$40 member price/ $50 general admission
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/236889

The Farm Series: Late Summer Harvest
Saturday, August 25, 9AM-5PM, Ticketed
$40 member price/ $50 general admission
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/236890

Posted in 18 Reasons, Eat Good Food, Produce, Producers Whose Food We Celebrate, Who We Are | 3 Comments | Article Page


Potato, Parsnip and Celery Root Soup: SF Mom takes on Eat Good Food Recipe

April 2nd, 2012 by Kirsten

San Francisco local Heather Knape moderates our 18 Reasons Food Lit Book Club and writes a blog called Eating Dirt about growing, cooking and eating food with her family. We invited her to try a recipe from Eat Good Food to see how cooking it would fit into her lifestyle as a busy mom and how it went over with the kids! She shared her experience with us:

Spring has sprung, sort of. The snap peas my kids and I planted last year are flowering on the deck, early asparagus is in the market and citrus is reaching its peak for the year. But the time for a dinner celebrating the commencement of bountiful growth hasn’t quite arrived — lamb is good, yet the price of asparagus is still high and there is no rhubarb in sight. About the only harbinger of Spring I can reliably find in good supply is green garlic– though that in itself is a much awaited treat.

Sam’s Potato, Parsnip and Celery Root Soup is an especially good recipe for this anticipatory time of year. It straddles the seasons deliciously, relying on winter holdovers of potato and parsnip as a base, with the brightness of celery root and green garlic to highlight the season. In addition to providing a great opportunity to talk to kids about how garlic matures from a stalk to a bulb, it gives those of us living where greens grow year round a gustatory glimpse into the warming of local soil, like crocus pushing up through the snow in colder climates.

Served with salad this soup makes a great dinner. To entice younger eaters in my house I float tiny meatballs on top; they eat it up. A thermosful also makes a great take-away lunch, both for parents and first graders. Good with homemade croutons, carrot sticks, an apple and a spoon packed alongside.

Potato, Parsnip and Celery Root Soup (adapted from Eat Good Food, p122):
1 T unsalted butter
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 large leeks, white and light green parts thinly sliced
salt
2 large waxy potatoes, peeled and diced (yukon gold are good)
2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced (or rutabagas or turnips)
1 medium celery root, peeled and diced
2 stalks green garlic, chopped
1 t ground mustard
4 large sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup dry white wine (leave this out if you want to send it to school)
4 cups chicken or veggie broth (homemade or storemade)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cream
1 T lemon juice
1. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat.

2. Add the leeks, 1/2 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 6–8 minutes. The leeks will become translucent, be careful not to let them brown or burn. Add the potatoes, parsnip, celery root and garlic. Cover the pot and let it cook gently for 10 minutes or so, then add the mustard, thyme and bay leaf for a couple more minutes.

3. Add the wine now if you are using it, then cook until it has evaporated.

4. Add the broth, cover the pot partially and increase the heat to medium high. Bring just to a boil, then lower the heat to keep it simmering gently. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until the vegetables are starting to break down.

5. To finish, remove and discard the thyme and bay leaf. Then puree the soup, either with an immersion blender, or by letting it cool and then blending it in small batches. Stir in the cream and lemon juice and season to taste with salt. Serve with chives and homemade croutons on top. To make the croutons, cut bread into cubes, then sauté in butter and sprinkle with salt.

Posted in 18 Reasons, Book, Eat Good Food, Recipes, Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page


Teaching the Eat Good Food Pantry at 18 Reasons

March 20th, 2012 by Alli

I was out to dinner with a few Bi-Rite friends the other night and the discussion turned to our pantries. We debated which products we stock at home, how we use them, and most importantly, why we choose to purchase particular brands and products over others. We all concluded that we have what some might consider “dream pantries,” filled with multiple oils and vinegars, several types of soy sauce, mustards and salts, and more grains than you’d find in the kitchen at Café Gratitude! I loved hearing which products my coworkers select, and at the end of our debate we concluded that while we might have over-the-top supplies, you don’t need much to have a complete, well-functioning pantry.

I’m thrilled to be leading a two-part pantry stocking class this April, as I’ve tasted through hundreds-maybe thousands-of pantry items while working at Bi-Rite. This lesson will guide you through the basics of building a functioning pantry, plus you’ll learn the back story of WHY I choose the particular products for Bi-Rite and my own pantry and HOW to apply them in flavorful, quick meals. While there are countless resources and lists on creating a well-stocked pantry, in this class you’ll have the unique opportunity to TASTE through the pantry items that I’m highlighting, allowing you to pick your own favorites and determine which items you’re missing from your own stock.

Come to this class if you want to enhance your current pantry with sustainable ingredients, learn about our favorite items on the shelves at Bi-Rite, or strengthen your week-night cooking skills. Regardless of whether you have an empty cabinet or a dream pantry, you’ll learn important skills to keep your stock exciting, delicious, and functional!

Class dates: Mondays April 2nd & 30th, 6:30-9PM
Registration–don’t wait, the class will sell out! www.brownpapertickets.com/event/230709

Eat Good Food teaches us how to select jackpot pantry items, like this page on good quality canned fish!

 

Posted in 18 Reasons, Eat Good Food, Grocery | No Comments | Article Page


Thursday 18th Hour: Come and Knock on Our Door

February 16th, 2012 by Olivia

 

Photo: Paul Dyer

Rosie and I are finally starting to feel settled in our new space and graciously welcomed into the 18th Street community. Though we were on Guerrero Street for over three years, something about being on 18th feels special to us.

 

 

18 Reasons has always had diverse programming: extending from hands-on cooking classes to wine tastings to food documentary screenings, all in an effort to continue to educate our community about the food we eat. While rich in classroom based learning, our schedule was lacking a casual way for people to gather, eat good food, and relax.   And after listening to some feedback from our members and volunteers, we learned that you wanted this type of simple, no-reservations needed, evening. Welcome 18th Hour!

 

Photo: Henrik Meng

18th Hour is a café night every Thursday from 5–9. The hope is to create a place where people can come and hang out– listen to music, chat with friends, all while enjoying a glass of wine and a cheese plate. We have a menu ranging from $3 to $15 that includes a wine list, beer list, and snacks. It’s perfect for that time between work and evening, week and weekend.  Come to finish up a day’s work  with a beer and some cheese or meet up with your friends for a chilled out happy hour.  So far we have been blown away by the positive response the past few weeks. Thank you! For those of you who have already supported us, we hope to see you soon– and everyone else, we look forward to greeting you! Stop by any Thursday.

Posted in 18 Reasons, Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page


Radicle Papyrus: Julia Goodman Returns to 18 Reasons

January 25th, 2012 by rosie

photo from inthemake.net

18 Reasons has eagerly awaited the return of Julia Goodman, artist and papermaker, to our space. About a year ago, Julia joined us along with sound artist Scott Cazan to host “Transparent Substrate”, a beet papyrus workshop and hands-on exploration of pre-paper technology using the amazing, edible, seasonal beet. During the workshop, Julia discussed the range of materials used prior to the invention of paper,  then led the group in pounding out their own piece of beet papyrus.

Julia’s returning next week with a new exhibition, which will be here at 18 Reasons from February 4-March 31. We want to share her below artist’s statement with you so you can read up before you come and see the exhibition in person. You can get an idea of Julia’s process from these brilliant photos of Julia taken for website In the Make when they visited her at home last year  (thanks to Klea McKenna for letting us re-purpose them here).

harvesting beets for the papyrus, photo from inthemake.net

If I were you, I’d join us for her opening February 4th from 6-9PM or at 18th Hour any Thursday in February or March–that way you can enjoy a bevvie and bite while you take in Julia’s work. Both take place at 18 Reasons at 3674 18th St.

“RADICLE PAPYRUS”

Part 1:

For RADICLE PAPYRUS, Julia Goodman makes papyrus out of beets using bold colors and diverse symmetries that exist underground. Her continued interests in mortality and scarcity influence her use of delicate materials. The work establishes the existence of overlapping territory between the history of papermaking and the root vegetable. The exhibit includes related sound collaborations with Scott Cazan.

photo from inthemake.net

Part 2:

“With the abundance of paper used today throughout the world in books, magazines, and newspaper and for writing, it is difficult to conceive that there was a period of thousands of years when true paper did not exist.  At the present time it would be impossible for civilization to endure, even for a day, the total lack of paper – a material that is as little understood by the average consumer as it is indispensable.”

Dard Hunter, Papermaking: The History & Technique of An Ancient Craft (1943)

My work originates from my investigation into the materials used before the widespread availability of paper, known as pre-paper technologies. Using this root vegetable and its incredible staining powers, I explore the different steps in the papyrus making process. The result is a thin, transparent, skin-like, intensely colored material. There’s something simple and satisfying about repositioning a material and letting light come through something that grows underground.

Julia in her Bernal backyard, photo from inthemake.net

Posted in 18 Reasons | No Comments | Article Page


Mel

Let the Blitzing Continue! Preview Wine Tasting Tonight at 18 Reasons

November 30th, 2011 by Mel

Our final Wine Blitz of the year is fast approaching–next one won’t be until May of next year! Starting Thursday, December 8th and ending Sunday, December 11th, purchase of any 12 or more bottles of wine will be 20% off — we even offer free delivery anywhere in San Francisco. This is a great opportunity to stock up on bottles for holiday gift giving and Champagne for the New Year celebration. We have a wide array of wines that is perfect for everyone on your list, from the casual weeknight drinkers to the wine geek connoisseur, so be sure to ask any member of the wine team for suggestions when you’re picking out your cases.

Need a taste before you buy? Join us today at 18 Reasons from 6-8pm for a preview of some of the new wines we’re excited about. It’s an opportunity to ask us questions about our wines, and also a chance to avoid the Wine Blitz crowds by placing a pre-order. We’ll have about 20 wines at the tasting, including bottles from favorites DeForville Nebbiolo, Pavelot Pernand Vergelesse, and from importer Louis/Dressner. You can also try our new weeknight red from Urbanite Cellars and taste the new Cotes du Rhone from legendary Hermitage producer, Jean-Louis Chave.

Admission is $10 for members and $15 dollars for non-members. 18 Reasons is located at 3674 18th Street between Dolores and Guerrero Streets.

Looking for a wine that we don’t carry? Let us know! We’re happy to place special orders for the Wine Blitz — the sooner we hear from you, the easier it is to source that hard-to-find case of wine! Email Trac or Mel with any questions or special orders or call 415–241-9760.

Posted in 18 Reasons, Wine, Beer & Spirits | No Comments | Article Page


From Young Moms to You

November 18th, 2011 by rosie

Thanksgiving preparations have you running around a bit? The students at Hilltop High have an easy, nutritious, and delicious soup to fuel your list making and table setting.

On Tuesday 18 Reasons went to Hilltop High for our third cooking class, co-organized with HeartBeets. Everyone was either sick or otherwise in need of some good nourishment, so we made this roasted butternut squash soup. It takes a little over an hour, but most of that time is spent roasting your vegetables.  This means you can check things off that to-do list while dinner makes itself.  The girls at Hilltop all loved it, especially once they knew they could add as much hot sauce as they liked!  We served it with melted cheese sandwiches, but it would be equally good paired with a chicory salad smothered in a poached egg. Also feel free to trade out the Moroccan-inspired spices for others.

We hope this soup helps you take care of yourself so that you can take care of others this holiday season!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Moroccan Spices (Serves 6–8)

1 medium butternut squash (our favorite Rugosa from Mariquita Farm would be excellent)
1 yellow onion
2 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
2 carrots
1 parsnip
1 tsp cumin seeds or cumin powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2–1 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 C chopped tomatoes
1 can low sodium garbanzo beans, drained
2–4 C water or low sodium chicken/vegetable stock
olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 limes
cilantro

Pre heat oven to 400 and adjust one rack to the middle of oven. Liberally oil a baking sheet with olive oil.

Cut squash in half the long way. Scoop out seeds and place squash cut side down on baking sheet.

Cut onion into four pieces (do not peel). Peel and chop carrots and parsnip into four large chunks. Put onions, unpeeled garic, carrots and parsnip on baking sheet with squash. Pour on more olive oil, enough to coat vegetables all the way. Roast for 45 minutes or until squash skin is blistered and light brown, stirring occasionally.

Remove vegetables from oven and let cool until easy to handle.

Peel skin off of onions and garlic and chop roughly. In a soup pot, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add onions, garlic, all spices, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add tomatoes and while that cooks, scoop meat out of squash. Add squash flesh, carrots, and parsnip to soup pot.  Cook 5 minutes. Add 2 C water and garbanzo beans.  Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 5 min.  Crank pepper mill a couple of times into pot. Taste for seasoning.

Using an immersion blender or your regular blender, puree soup until smooth.  Add more water until soup is as thick or thin as you like. Taste one more time for salt and pepper.

Serve with fresh lime juice and some chopped cilantro.

Posted in 18 Reasons, Produce | No Comments | Article Page


A Grocer’s Role in Feeding Us is Complicated: Let’s Discuss!

October 27th, 2011 by Kirsten

Join Us for a Discussion About a Grocer’s Role in Feeding a Community

The Commonwealth Club of California Presents

STOCKING UP: HOW THE GROCER AND CONSUMER CAN TAKE BACK FOOD CHOICE

On Wednesday November 2, the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco will host a discussion examining the grocer’s role in feeding our society. Behind the displays on supermarket shelves is a web of politics, economics and strategic marketing that influences product placement and, ultimately, consumer purchasing decisions. Caught in the middle are American eaters.

Bi-Rite owner Sam Mogannam has assembled a diverse group of experts to examine key questions about the complexities of food distribution and the empowerment available to the consumer. As he did in recently published Bi-Rite Market’s: Eat Good Food, Sam will share his insights about the American food system from the point of view of a neighborhood grocer committed to creating and feeding a community.

Joining the discussion will be Rex Stewart, CEO of New Leaf Market, along with Michael May from Harvest Hills Market. Food Policy consultant Naomi Starkman will moderate the conversation.

Panelists will discuss the path that food takes to get to our table and the role that grocers play in feeding us. They will also explore alternative models and ways to inspire change in supermarkets; what they sell, where it comes from, how it arrives to them and how they choose to merchandise it. Can grocers say “no” to business as usual and “yes” to responsible farmers, ranchers, and small producers?

Secure your seat today for the panel on November 2; reception begins at 5:30 and program begins at 6:00. More information is available on The Commonwealth Club’s web site.


Posted in 18 Reasons, Book, Eat Good Food, Events, Who We Are | No Comments | Article Page


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