In December’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles interviews Carl Hansen, the executive director of SLO Food Bank and then goes out on a gleaning run at SLO Creek Farms to pick apples with dozens of volunteer pickers. Glean SLO is a newly coordinated project of the Food Bank to collect commercial and residential leftover crops for distribution through our local food bank. Listen to Decembers’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” for November on KCBX Radio with chef/host Charles Myers
In November’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles visits with the owner of Chong’s Farm from Fresno; a specialty grower for Asian vegetables and herbs. Chong is a new addition to the Saturday morning SLO Farmers Market and shows up with unique, hard-to-find Asian vegetables that have never been offered in our area before. Listen to November’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” on KCBX Public Radio with chef/host Charles Myers
In October’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles finds out about the new oral history project at Kennedy Library on the Cal Poly campus regarding area Farmers Markets. They wish to collect stories from local organizers, early supporters & farmers to enhance our historical understanding of the people of the central coast. Listen to October’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” on KCBX Public Radio with host/chef Charles Myers
In September’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles visits with Steve Burns, one of the organizers of Savor the Central Coast with Sunset Magazine. This 4 day event runs from Sept. 29th thru Oct. 2nd throughout San Luis Obispo County. It includes a California Mission Heritage dinner at the SLO Mission Plaza, a dinner on the square in downtown Paso Robles, a giant wine tasting on the Pismo Pier with all of Sunset Magazines new award winners and two days at the Santa Margarita Ranch with celebrity chef’s, gardeners and winemakers. Listen to September’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” on KCBX Public Radio with host Charles Myers: August 2011
In August’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles visits the new “restaurant row” at the Saturday morning SLO Farmers Market. A dozen local restaurants now offer prepared dishes to eat at the market or take home for meal preparation later. Many of these restaurants are long-time users and supporters of Farmers Markets, like Neon Carrot, Luna Red, Buona Tavola, Full of Life Flatbread, Saffron Indian Cuisine, the Crushed Grape, Mezze, and more. Listen to August’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with chef/host Charles Myers on KCBX Public Radio
In June’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles visits the Templeton Saturday morning farmers market. The 6-8 week cherry season is here and this visit inspires a couple of seasonal cherry recipes: Rustic French Cherry Clafoutis & Pennsylvania Dutch Cherry Soup. Then Charles interviews Antonio Varia from Buena Tavola Restaurants who is just getting underway with a new project; Allesina Fine Cured Meats. His first offerings are several varieties of artisan, small batch salamis. Soon to come from this project are chicken and turkey sausages, proscuitto and pancetta. They are available at the Templeton farmers market and soon at the Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo markets. Listen to June’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” May 2011, with host/chef Charles Myers
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, we chat with Dr. Tom Newhaus, Cal Poly Professor & Fair Trade activist. Charles and Tom discuss the upcoming fundraising dinner for the Fair Trade Club at Cal Poly and Project Hope & Fairness at the Monday Club, Tuesday May 17th. Tom is raising money with an elegant multi-course French dinner to assist student participation in his upcoming trip to the cocoa growing region of Africa. For eight years Tom has spent his summers in Africa building economic tools for cocoa growers to increase the viability and sustainability of farming and growing the bean that brings us chocolate. Hear more in the program and visit “Sweet Earth Chocolates” or Project Hope and Fairness. Listen to May’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with host, Charles Myers, on KCBX Public Radio
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles discovers the first releases of local olive oil at area Farmers Markets. Join him as he visits Lone Oak Olive Oil’s grove and hears about the intricate details involved in growing, harvesting and pressing olive oil from Arroyo Grande with owner Phil Langston. Listen to March’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with host, Charles Myers, on KCBX Public Radio
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles visits with the owners of the new Meze Market and Wine Cafe’ in Railroad Square in downtown San Luis Obispo. The owners, Jason and Carry, are both from the local wine industry and bring their experiences living in Europe as inspiration for the meze and charcouterie served at their new cafe’. Authenticity is at the heart of their efforts to bring hard-to-find European meats, cheeses and wines to SLO. Listen to January’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with chef/host Charles Myers on KCBX Public Radio
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles visits the new Sunday morning certified Farmers Market in the parking lot of Kennedy fitness on Tank Farm Road in SLO. It runs from 10am to 1pm and features several growers who don’t attend other local markets. Also, the market was full of winter squash, so Charles shares some new recipes for butternut squash gratins. Listen to December’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” on KCBX Public Radio with host/chef Charles Myers
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh, Charles visits with the Morro Bay Farmers Market manager to find out about all the new food vendors in their “cuisine court”. This expanded list is part of their effort to offer more than just fresh, local produce. It includes prepared foods and raw milk, cheeses, lamb, chicken, rabbit, beef, Alaskan salmon and more. Also in this episode Charles visits Windrose Market in Templeton to investigate what is being offered from this premium organic grower at their new 6-day-a-week farmstand. Listen to November’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” on KCBX Public Radio with host/chef Charles Myers
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh on Public Radio, KCBX, chef/ host Charles Myers discusses the upcoming weekend of events centering around the Sustainability Center at the Cal Poly Agriculture School. On Friday the 22nd of Oct. there is an afternoon symposium on obesity with three national recognized figures covering different aspects of this problem. This is followed by a Friday night reception. Also Saturday night the 23rd at the Hearst Ranch Dairy Farm, is “A Taste of the Future” – a localvore extravaganza – led by chef Megan Loring of the Neon Carrot. More information at www.cfs.calpoly.edu. Listen to October’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” on KCBX Public Radio with chef/host Charles Myers
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh on Public Radio, KCBX, chef/ host Charles Myers chats with Christine Hance, organizer of Savor the Central Coast- a celebration of the culinary & agricultural bounty of the central coast sponsored by Sunset Magazine. Hear about the various dinners, tastings and events throughout the county as well as the exhibition “kitchen garden” installed at Santa Margarita Ranch. The event lasts from Thursday Sept 30th through Sunday October 3rd. Listen to September’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” August 2010 with chef/host Charles Myers on KCBX radio
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh on Public Radio, KCBX, chef/ host Charles Myers visits with Jean Pierre Wolff from Wolff vineyards, a leader in sustainable vineyard and winemaking practices. Jean Pierre fills us in on the status of labeling certification for sustainability throughout the wine industry. He addresses state, national and international certifications as well as our own local program called “SIP Certification” (sustainability in practice) spearheaded by the Vineyard Team and Central Coast Grown. You’ll find “SIP” certification prominently displayed on some local wine labels. Listen to August’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” July edition with chef/host Charles Myers
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh on Public Radio, KCBX, chef/ host Charles Myers visits with Neal Maloney of the Morro Bay Oyster Company. Neal farms 134 acres in the middle of Estero Bay in Morro Bay and delivers his fresh, local oysters to area restaurants and farmers markets. He has 5 years experience raising oysters out in the bay, but has only owned the Morro Bay Oyster Company for the last year and a half. Neal shares his daily experiences of aquaculture and gives insight into the local seafood industry. Listen to July’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” on KCBX with chef/host Charles Myers
In this month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh on Public Radio, KCBX, Chef/ host Charles Myers tours the Templeton Saturday Morning Farmers’ Market with chef Greg Winnogard of Mirosal Restaurant at the Lido Resort. They survey the June arrivals and talk about some of the menu items inspired by these seasonal items. Then he continues on to several other market vendors to discuss the real beginning of the farmers’ market season. Listen to June’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” on KCBX with chef/host Charles Myers
Keeping It Fresh, March 2010. This month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh features an interview with Mike Broadhust, a farmer and the manager of the Cambria Friday afternoon farmers market. I asked Mike to fill us in on some of the issues and history behind the controversy with the San Luis Obispo Thursday market conflict between the farmers market association and the Downtown Association. He is on the fringes of the heated battle for control of the farmers market, but has some interesting perspectives on keeping farmers markets healthy and effective parts of the community. Listen to March’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” on KCBX with chef/host Charles Myers
Keeping It Fresh, February 2010. This month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh features an interview with local winemaker, vineyard owner and environmental activist, Jean-Pierre Wolff, of Wolff Vineyards. He has been a pioneer of forward-thinking vineyard practices since he took over Wolff vineyards ten years ago. Hear about some of the many projects he’s initiated on this month’s “Keeping It Fresh” with Big Sky Cafe’owner, Charles Myers. Listen to February’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with chef/host Charles Myers
Keeping It Fresh, January 2010. This month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh features a tour around the county to see what local chefs are offering for San Luis Obispo Restaurant Month. This promotion is a great way to sample local restaurants with their restaurant month menus offering 3 courses for $30 – sometimes with wine included! Listen to January’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with chef/host Charles Myers
Keeping It Fresh, November 2009. This month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh features a visit with Pepper Creek Farms and their many different varietals of pumpkins, each with it’s own characteristics and flavors. Then we check out the newest restaurant in Atascadero – the farm centric Fig Good Food and spend some time with the owner, Christine Dillow discussing her plans for this little “from scratch” effort. Listen to November’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with host/chef Charles Myers
Keeping It Fresh October 7, 2009 This month’s edition of Keeping It Fresh features a survey of local farmers to see what we can expect at farmers’ markets for the month of October. Then Charles interviews the editor and publisher of “Edible San Luis Obispo”, a new quarterly magazine devoted to local, sustainable foods and farming. This magazine is part of a national movement of local magazines exploring their own regional food sources. Listen to October’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with host, chef/owner Charles Myers
On September’s episode of “Keeping It Fresh” chef/owner of Big Sky Cafe, Charles Myers, visits with Phil Langston of SLO Grown Produce about his new venture, Lone Oak Olive Oil. Phil and Charles visit the Lone Oak Olive orchard and discuss the numerous elements that go into choosing olive tree varietals and refining the methods of production for a hand-crafted, Tuscan-style olive oil. This episode was aired on KCBX Public Radio September 2nd, 2009. Listen to September’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with host, chef/owner Charles Myers
Keeping It Fresh with host Charles Myers Aug/09 On August’s episode of “Keeping It Fresh” Charles visits with Jeff Jackson, chef of the Range Restaurant in Santa Margarita, and Stephanie Simonin, owner of Happy Acres Goat Cheese Dairy. Both are participating in Pallet to Palate, the county-wide Farm to Table promotion this month at various restaurants and venues. Sandra Diamond, an organizer of the event, also fills us in with all the details. Listen to August’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with Big Sky Cafe chef/owner, Charles Myers
On July’s episode of “Keeping It Fresh” Charles visits with Mike Cirone from See Canyon Orchard and tastes some Italian dandelion greens from Ralph Johnson’s organic farm. Afterwards, he and Colleen Childers of Blue Sky Gardens near Santa Margarita discuss making jam with blackberries, ollaliberries, lingonberries, plums and apricots. The recipes discussed are available in this blog. Listen to July’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping It Fresh” with Big Sky Cafe chef/owner, Charles Myers
On June’s episode of “Keeping It Fresh” Charles visits the recently restarted Friday night Avila Beach Farmers Market and talks with several farmers with unique products. This market, which is like a beach-front street fair with live music and lots of food prepared by local restaurants, is only open during the summer and winds down in October. After the market visit, Charles introduces the local organization, Central Coast Grown, developed to promote sustainable agriculture and help market products produced here on the central coast. Listen to June’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping it Fresh” with host, Big Sky Cafe owner, Charles Myers
On May’s edition of Keeping It Fresh Charles interviews the new owner of Morro Bay Oysters, Neil Maloney. They discuss raising, harvesting, and shucking local Pacific oysters at his expanded oyster farm in the middle of Morro Bay. Listen to May’s Keeping It Fresh:
“Keeping it Fresh” with host, Big Sky Cafe owner, Charles Myers
In this episode, Charles visits a farm located just outside Paso Robles, CA. Farmer, owner, Joe Thomas and his wife Debra give Charles the tour of the farm. Speaking about the rare variatels of fruits and vegetables the organic farmer harvests for use in their newly opened restaurant,Thomas Hill Organics Market Bistro & Wine Bar in downtown Paso Robles. Listen to April’s Keeping It Fresh: