Summer’s here! It’s show time for cold drinks, swimming, potlucks and barbecues, lying in the grass reading a good book, camping, quality downtime with friends and family, and lazing around in the sun. Plus, all the blueberries, strawberries, watermelon, basil, and tomatoes your heart desires.
Consider this issue of Made Local Magazine your ultimate guide to making the most of the warm season in Sonoma County. Our feature on local bubble (boba) tea and aguas frescas will have you hankering after cool and fruity drinks with a special twist; or maybe you’ll want to go out on a limb upon reading Sara Bir’s story on prickly pears, a cactus fruit beloved in Mexico, and head out for an urban foraging adventure; if you stumble upon a bounty of plums at the farmers’ market, do be sure to try out Savorbang!’s intriguing recipe for Pico de Plums—just don’t eat the results on a sandy beach or you’ll risk the wrath of the inimitable Sarah Whitmore. Let us know how the pico turned out!
On another note, be sure not to miss the great step-by-step breakdown by Dani Burlison on eating healthy, fresh, and local on a limited budget—a timely piece with the ongoing affordable housing crisis and high-price of living in the Bay Area. For this piece, we were lucky to snag the incredible talents of Santa Rosa-based illustrator Mikayla Butchart, whose illustrations of lovingly rendered people and food brought the story to life. And, I’m happy to welcome Gretchen Giles, Made Local Magazine’s founding editor, back to the pages of this magazine with her (as always) smart take on Empire on Main Street, a new documentary about the ambitious rise of Guerneville restaurateur Crista Luedtke.
Have a food-related story you’d love to see featured in an upcoming issue? As always, please write me at editor@madelocal.coop. I’d love to hear from you!
Leilani Clark
EDITOR
editor@madelocal.coop