The premiere issue of Edible Marin & Wine Country magazine is out, and it’s gorgeous. It’s filled with stunning photos and wonderful information about Marin, Sonoma, and Napa food and the growers and artisans who create it. There are plenty of recipes and ideas for home cooks and gardeners, as well as inspiration and information about where to find the best local, sustainably grown food and information about the Slow Food movement in general.
Publisher Gibson Thomas has been spearheading the Marin-Sonoma chapter of Slow Food since 2002, and her passion for our local bounty of incredible food and its producers is palpable.
After reading about Mill Valley’s Cici Gelateria, in the issue’s sweet rundown of ice cream and gelato shops that use local, sustainable ingredients, my family popped in for a selection. There’s only a hint of a relationship between Cici’s gelato and traditional ice cream. The gelato’s fresh flavors come through quite strongly and deliciously, without relying on an overuse of sugar or fat. We sampled a rich, hazelnut pistachio; a very minty mint chocolate chip; and a salted chocolate that offered a complex mix of tastes not often found in frozen desserts. (I’ve also had the pleasure of enjoying a couple of Cici’s more novel flavors, which are periodically available, such as a delicious lavender vanilla, and a refreshing, wonderful cardamom.)
The magazine also made me want to forage for edible greens along my local roadsides, get to Napa’s Oxbow Market, and create wonderful dishes with heirloom tomatoes. Best, it truly made me appreciate my local community of food growers, purveyors and enthusiasts.
Edible Marin & Wine Country is available by subscription and is distributed free at Whole Foods and other markets. Not in Marin/Napa/Sonoma? Fear not. There are Edible publications covering communities from San Diego to Cape Cod, with plenty of stops in between.
Photo by Susan Sachs Lipman
