An Evening in the Garden

Trinity Gardens in Santa Barbara is a community garden with a capital "C".  In addition to having individual garden plots, they have a large communal area where additional produce is grown, harvested, and donated to those in need. This outreach project is supported by volunteer hours each garden plot owner is asked to contribute.  In addition, the garden hosts seasonal events for all ages in the community such as the pumpkin patch, Easter egg hunt, and provides gardening and food education through hands-on classes.  We were pleased to have the opportunity to support this wonderful project by providing linens for the garden's annual fundraising event, Evening in the Garden.  

The event included a family-style vegetarian dinner with appetizers, craft cocktails, and local beer and wine. It was a true garden-to-table affair, and while I couldn't contribute anything for the "garden" part of it (I have the proverbial brown thumb), I knew I could certainly help with the "table" part.  The event planners gave me pretty much a carte blanche to come up with a set of linens for the 10 picnic tables and 40 guests. I chose a vintage linen table cloth (sourced specifically with this kind of an event in mind), several Belgian linen table runners and mis-matched napkins with bright floral patterns combined with the signature FOLD napkins in complimentary colors, to break up the patterned napkins.

The signature cocktail made with the passion fruit and Barbados cherry reduction, both from the garden.

The guests enjoyed live music by Ventucky String Band, beer provided by Pure Order Brewing, Jaffurs Wine Cellars wine, and dinner prepared by Alejandro Martinez and Linda Vogel.  Produce was sourced from the garden and also contributed by Lassens, Givens Farms, Ebby's Organic, and other local farms. 

 

Communication Arts Magazine Design Annual Competition Winners

We are at once honored and humbled for the recognition by the scrupulous and discerning judges of the Communication Arts 57th Design Annual Competition of trademark design for FOLD.  Our logo, designed in partnership with Irene Hoffman Design received the 2016 Award of Excellence in the Trademark Category.  4,228 entries were submitted, and only 161 were accepted. Other categories, and other award-winning designs can be found here.

Communication Arts magazine is a professional journal for designers, art directors, design firms, corporate design departments, agencies, and everyone involved in visual communication.  

Designing From Nature

When it comes to designing spaces, one of the goals (if not the goal) is to create something more than just a sum of all design elements, bur rather a cohesive combination that looks and feels genuine, authentic. The Apiary, a mead and cider production facility and tasting room and one of the newest additions to the Carpinteria industrial park, is a testimony to the creative genius of Nole Cossart, who created such a space. From the whitewashed walls to the reclaimed wood to bouquets of dried herbs and flowers—everything works together to transport the visitors to a place that they may not be able to put their finger on it, but to one that’s comfortable, whimsical, and nostalgic at the same time. On a recent afternoon, Nole and I had a nice chat about starting a business, building bar stools, and the difference between mead and cider—all over a glass of Jun, a probiotic tonic mead, and The Apiary’s latest tap offering.     

Growing up just north of Santa Barbara, where, in his own words, "one either becomes a surfer or a cowboy," Nole chose the former, and the time spent surrounded by nature shines through in every element of his business. Looking at the shelves lined with jars of herbal elixirs, honey, and various concoctions he uses in his brewing recipes, one can't but feel the old-school apothecary vibe. Making small batches of mead and cider allows Nole to source seasonal, organic ingredients from local farms and orchards. 

Working with a limited budget, Nole had to prioritize the long to-do list a brand new business owner faces. Learning carpentry skills from his dad, taking design courses in high school, and shaping a surf board or two—all came in handy in the process of creating the space that serves as the production site and the tasting room for The Apiary. Hand-lettering his logo and signage, printing postcards, repurposing wood pallets to make the seating, using bee boxes to create the back drop and the foundation of the tap bar—the elbow grease does not seem to run out!  

Though not much of a use trying to summon Uber, the rotary phone is used by patrons mainly to order pizza.

The Apiary is a tasting room for the time being, but Nole hopes to offer bottled mead and cider in the near future.  Hours and location here.

Adventures in Screen Printing

A few weeks ago, when the Sherpa fire was raging in the El Capitan Canyon and the indigo dip dyeing workshop was cancelled because of it (it was set to take place outdoors, in one of the greenhouses at the Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm), I was determined to find another workshop to go to in its place.  The babysitter was already scheduled, and I was itching to get my hands dirty making one kind of a creative mess or another.  The ever trusted instagram came to the rescue and led me to jump in the car with a friend and take a day trip to LA to take a screen printing workshop at The Line Hotel in Koreatown, hosted by the hotel's gift shop, Poketo. The hotel, incidentally, has its own greenhouse. It is perched on the second floor roof terrace, next to the pool, and houses Commissary, one of the three eating spots at the hotel.  We had an hour or so to spare before the workshop started, so we indulged in lunch and an early afternoon cocktail.

The Commissary 

The workshop was held in one of the vacant hotel suites on the 8th floor.  The creative duo Home Work from Melbourne brought pre-made silk screens and inks, so all we had to do is create our own patterns on tea towels and totes.  The screens were washed in the bathroom and dried with hairdryers periodically.  

Easy as Crumble

Ever wondered why the saying goes "easy as pie"?  I wondered this myself this past Memorial Day weekend, when every foodie Instagram account I follow featured their take on the all-American dessert and shamed me for not making a pie of my own.  I have actually never made a pie in my whole life, ever.  Because I am intimidated.  Because it actually never seemed easy to make, despite the saying.  Somehow I wouldn't allow myself any cheating, either, like (gasp!) buying a pre-made frozen crust.  And every time I even think about making a pie, I always come back to this recipe from Ina Garten.  No, it is not pie, it is not even a half a pie, it is a crumble. It hits all the right points (flaky crust, oozy filling, etc.) but takes very little time and effort to make.  Here are the ingredients:

2 cups of flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 sticks of butter, diced
1-2 lbs of stone fruit, pitted and sliced

Heat the oven to 400 c.

Mix all the ingredients by hand or a mixer, making sure not to cream the butter. This is perhaps the only tricky part of this recipe.  It is best to keep the butter as cold as possible during this step and not let it get to room temperature.  I prefer to mix by hand, gently breaking up the chunks of butter, and gently tossing the mixture together. The mixture should be "crumbly", not uniform. 

Press 1 1/2 cups of the crumble mixture onto a 9-inch pie dish or a springform pan in an even layer, pushing the mixture up the sides of the pan.  I use a flat-bottom glass for this step.

Arrange the sliced fruit in a circular pattern, skin side down.  Sprinkle the remainder of the mixture over the fruit.  

Bake 40-50 minutes, or until the juices start bubbling up and the tart starts looking deep golden brown.

Enjoy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!