Discretely nestled in the foothills of Hollywood, just beyond the urban chaos of Hollywood Boulevard, lies Wattles Farm. This organic community garden has offered a natural respite for Angelinos since 1975, and on October 25th, 2017, it served as the venue of choice for the roaming farm-to-table dining concept, Outstanding in the Field. Nearly ninety guests gathered for the organization’s first completely plant-based supper among the lush garden plots of Wattles for a truly unique dining experience.

The five-hour event was both rustic and refined, meticulously curated yet extremely relaxed and comfortable. Women in breezy sundresses adorned with large-brimmed hats and men in smart tailored shirts and sunglasses paired their chic attire with practical boots and sneakers, prepared to “rough it” in the soft dirt of the garden. The day was hot – over 100 degrees – but the ample trees, giant misting fan, and chilled high-alcohol kombucha kept guests tolerably cool. Upon arrival, a chipper, sandy-haired Outstanding team member greeted each individual and instructed them to place their plate at the communal table (it is a tradition to bring your own plate). Guests were then free to enjoy a leisurely ninety minute reception and optional garden tour.

As attendees became acquainted with each other, they were treated to boozy refreshments supplied by local beverage companies and intricately prepared passed hors d’oeuvres. 101 Cider House impressed guests with brightly colored alcoholic probiotic drinks, filling wine glasses with the lavender hues of “Purple Monkey” and vibrant green “Bonfire Betty.” The host chefs of the evening, Donna Jean’s esteemed Roy Elam and up-and-coming S+M Vegan’s duo Marie Chia and Shane Stanbridge, delighted with an array of petite bites before the sit down supper. The standout was the cultured cashew cream cheese-stuffed date wrapped in marinated eggplant – a vegan take on the trending bacon-wrapped date.

Just prior to settling in for dinner, Outstanding in the Field Founder, artist Jim Denevan, gave a short speech to educate the crowd on the history and mission of the organization. It began in the summer of 1999, and has since flourished into the robust roaming restaurant it is today. In 2017 they will serve close to ninety outdoor dinners in twenty-seven states, in addition to four Canadian provinces and even Burgundy, France. The goal is to introduce people to the source of their food and the local chefs that create it. They turn farm-to-table on its head, literally bringing the table to the farm.

Wattles Farm president, Toby Leaman, concluded the presentation with a final warm-hearted welcome. Guests were then asked to take their seats at the tree-lined communal dining table. The multi-course meal was served family style, one dish for every eight diners, each thoughtfully paired with a beer or wine. Freshly made baguettes and sage focaccia accompanied a crudite platter of olives, picked carrots, tomato-onion jam, shiitake pate, and creamy vegan butter. The pate was decimated in minutes, the obvious favorite. The second course featured roasted magic myrna potatoes drizzled with a preserved plant-based lemon yogurt. This was followed by a lighter course of an arugula lentil salad, tossed with tomatoes, pistachio-milk curd, and smoked beets, dressed in a lemon-tamari vinaigrette. Both were exquisite, but the chefs demonstrated their true talents with their two main courses. Eyes popped wide as the gigantic bowl of green risotto was placed on the table alongside the elegantly plated winter squash ravioli with sauteed kale. The multiple textures of the risotto, such as the popped sorghum and roasted brussels sprouts, added an addictive contrast to the creamy herb pesto base. Diners helped themselves to second and even third scoops. After some time to digest and savor the rich meal, the evening concluded with a stellar pear cobbler, topped with homemade vegan “nutella” and cashew cream. Mere crumbs remained.

Contentedly full guests left the event just after sunset with a new appreciation for local produce and perhaps a new friend or two. The five hours of mingling, tasting, and learning was more than just a pleasant picnic on the farm, it is the beginning of a new approach to eating and entertainment. Outstanding in the Field educates people about the importance of eating and buying local through the entertaining culinary events, highlighting local chefs and producers while familiarizing diners with the source of their food. The team encourages everyone to “follow the bus” to see where the next meal will be held, but in the meantime, you can host your own Outstanding dinner. Prepare a meal using produce from the farmers market and local purveyors. You don’t need to be a trained chef to create a fantastic, locally-grown meal. The produce does the work for you!

Find Tanya on Instagram and The Vegan Potluck Podcast.

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The future of the quintessential French farmers market is facing big challenges.

If you followed shoppers at Joël Thiébault’s stand at the Marché President Wilson home, you could find yourself in any number of places; a neighboring posh apartment in the swanky 16th arrondissement, a hidden kitchen in the trendy Northern Marais neighborhood, or even an afternoon picnic aside the canal St. Martin. No matter where you ended up, you would be sure to eat well because Joël Thiébault sells some of the best produce you can find in a city of over 80 open-air markets.

Thiébault’s heirloom veggie varieties have rocketed him to super-stardom among French foodies who flock to his stand at the market every week. But Thiébault’s resuscitation of forgotten vegetables is not the only thing that makes him extraordinary at this Parisian market. An independent producer, Thiébault is a part of a shrinking community of farmers who bring their  locally grown produce to market.

Paris’ open-air markets, which closely resemble what which we call farmers markets in the states, have increasingly become centers where wholesale food is resold to shoppers. Middle men have edged out independent producers and local produce has been replaced by ersatz apples and oranges. The authenticity of the “farmers” market in France – a country that cherishes both its culinary tradition and artisan culture – is increasingly compromised by industrial agriculture and its unfortunate byproducts.

“There are less and less small producers,” Earl Martinet told me when I visited his stand at the Marché Cours de Vincennes. For Martinet, the extinction of local growers is due to multiple factors. For one, the price of land is constantly rising and for many farmers it seems more advantageous to sell their terrain to developers rather than continue to cultivate it. This decision is likely influenced by another threat to independent farms – the fact that the younger generation is less and less interested in taking over the family farm. Many of the independent farmers at these markets represent the last generation to continue in the family’s farming tradition. Once these vendors hang up their hoe for good, it is unlikely that their stand will be replaced by another representative of local agriculture.

Producers such as Martinet come to the market hoping to reach – and expand – an audience of Parisian locavores and ethical eaters, but even this investment of time is a threat to their business. The teams working the farms at home are often small and suffer from the absence of their colleagues who spend anywhere from one to four times a week at various markets around the city.

“It makes my days very long,” Marc Mascetti explained to me, while looking over his crates of carrots, potatoes, and salad varieties, “I have to go home after this and make up for the work that I missed while I was here.”

Mascetti, whose farm is located 34 km from Paris, explained that the most pervasive menace to local farmers is the fact that, “now the vegetables come from Spain, Italy, Belgium, Holland – even Argentina!” At his market, Marché Place Monge, he is the only independent, local farmer to have a stand, tout seul in a sea of industrial food resell outlets.

But where besides abroad do these squeaky-clean zucchinis and individually wrapped watermelons come from? The source is often Rungis, a huge food and flower market located 7 km south of Paris. Wholesale goods at this large-scale market offer an easier option for vendors who want to pull an easy profit from the open-air market scene.

Even many of the organic food vendors avail themselves of the Rungis option, stocking up on organically grown foods from around Europe and cashing in on the growing trend of favoring bio (organic) foods in France. The city’s two all-organic markets, the Marché Raspail and the Marché Batignolles are both full of such stands, where non-seasonal organic produce abounds. Even here, local farmers are not in the majority.

The victims of this mark-it-up-and-sell-it mentality aren’t only the independent producers, but the shoppers, as well. Many don’t realize that what they think is farm-fresh produce at the market may very well have been shipped in from Spain a week ago. While the concept of the open-air market in France has stayed the same, the content has drastically changed, and the evolution may have been slow enough that many market-goers haven’t noticed that the farmer has been taken out of the market.

If you visit an open-air market on a trip to Paris, here are some things to look out for to be sure that you are supporting local growers:

• Key words. Look for words such as maraîcher, producteur, ferme, and Ile-de-France, which signify that the produce was grown by a producer on a farm in the vicinity of Paris. Local vendors will also usually put their name and location of the farm, so look out for that, as well.
• Dirty, seasonal produce. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is easy to get seduced by all the lovely looking vegetables on display at the market. But if you want the real deal, be ready to dust some dirt off your carrot before biting into it. Take a tour around the market to see what’s out there and try to determine what seems to be in season, and what seems to be airbrushed and a little too perfect.
• Chatty Vendors. French markets are not just centers of commerce, but also lively social scenes. Local vendors especially like to take advantage of the opportunity to have an exchange with their customers while they are in town. Look for animated discussions over white asparagus and new potatoes – that’s where you want to be.

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In the absence of all the conveniences that make America so cozy, Shelter Editor K. Emily Bond ponders life without microwave ovens, HBO and good lighting. 

My husband, kid and I live in an ancient walled city. We don’t have a basement because, I suspect, someone’s skeletal remains are down there. There are lots of antediluvian dead people underfoot; you can’t dig in Seville, Spain without bumping up against a pile of bones or Roman cutlery, which invariably leads to bureaucratic disaster. As a result, there are few swimming pools within city limits and even fewer basements.

Bones I can live with, permitting they pre-date Columbus. The lack of a basement (despite my storage issues) is something I’ve learned to live with, too.

Here are a few more typically American conveniences that I’ve loved and left, the dearth of which has improved my quality of life tremendously.

A Microwave Oven
Over 90% of American homes have a microwave oven. They’re the ultimate in convenience, and admittedly more energy efficient than conventional ovens. That’s the good part.

Now, I’ll refrain from stating the obvious “but!” that follows (hint: it concerns the nutrients lost to your beloved Black & Decker). Instead, I’d like to direct your attention to the story of Norma Levitt. She was transfused a bag of blood that the nurse made the mistake of zapping in a microwave oven.

Guess what happened?

Norma died.

If the convenience of microwave heating could so dramatically alter the molecular structure of blood, thus killing poor Norma Levitt, imagine what it’s doing to your leftovers.

HBO
Apparently too much television can kill you, this according to an Australian study. The more hours you spend watching TV, the greater your risk of dying at an earlier age. Seriously. Like, by the hour. The study found that each hour spent in front of the TV increases your risk of dying from heart disease by 18 percent.

Is True Blood really worth it? Not if it was like last season.

Central Heating and Air
Air conditioning works by raking air across a thermostatically controlled refrigeration system and directing it back into our living environments. It’s really quite awesome on a hot day, but it also increases energy costs by about 50 percent and puts enormous strain on our environment.

Like it or not, a lot of our electricity is still produced by burning coal, thus contributing to dirty air, acid rain and global warming.

Stan Cox, author of Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths about Our Air-Conditioned World, writes that, “if people in India, Brazil and Indonesia used as much air-conditioning per capita as we do (and why not, their climates are hotter than ours), they would consume not only their own electricity supplies but also all of the electricity in Mexico, the United Kingdom and Italy – plus all 60 nations of Africa! The air-conditioning of America’s homes, businesses, schools, and vehicles causes the release of greenhouse gases equivalent to 400 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.”

Whole Foods
The joy I feel during a shop at Whole Foods is fettered only at the checkout line. No matter how good, ethical, healthy, organic and “local” Whole Foods makes me feel, when I take an objective step back and really look at the store – the layout, the lighting that makes the produce look like it’s being bathed in late afternoon sunshine – I can’t help but feel that I’m being marketed to and, in fact, kind of duped.

Is it really better to buy organically grown tomatoes flown in from Chile? Am I really helping small, local farmers in my native Maryland if most of the organic produce in this country comes from California? Particularly if “five or six big California farms dominate the whole industry,” as suggested by this article in Slate?

More pressing, do I really need a $10 bag of cherries?

Probably not.

Thankfully, opportunities to buy roadside produce abound in this fine nation of ours, as do hyper-local food co-ops. The lighting might not be as pretty (nor the parking as convenient) but at the very least you’re adding value to the quality of your life and the community.

Images: Walker Art Center; jmv; marlambie; Joe Shlabotnik

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