We just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone that made this season at the market such a joy. 

From the truly hard working under appreciated folks that make these markets possible, running smoothly week after week, rain or shine. To our amazing friends who find time in their crazy busy schedules to come to do the markets, help us with our markets, visit and share part of their days with us, and to our true blue customers, new and old, (especially the ones making that delicious “mmm” sound when tasting our foodstuffs), you keep us inspired, grounded, dedicated, focused and coming back for more. 

So here is to you...thank you for making Urban Table a part of your every day.

We would be pleased as punch if you would stay in touch on facebook, twitter and check out our new Modern Day Forager blog, as well as, stop by and say hi at the larder in Jam.

xxoo--

Following a 'tonic tasting' in 2000 to find the best on the US market, Charles Rolls – who had built his reputation running Plymouth Gin – joined forces with Tim Warrillow, who had a background in luxury food marketing, to analyse the composition of mixers. The pair discovered that the majority of mixers were preserved with sodium benzoate or similar substances, while the use of cheap orange aromatics such as decanal and, artificial sweeteners (such as saccharin) was widespread – a combination that was affecting the tasting experience and driving customers away from the sector. So, in 2004, they began creating mixers using natural and fresh ingredients. 

Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water launched in the UK in early 2005, the brand name chosen due to ‘Fever Tree’ being the colloquial name for the Cinchona Tree in which quinine, a key ingredient for tonic, is found. The highest quality quinine was sourced from the Rwanda Congo border and blended with spring water and eight botanical flavours, including rare ingredients such as marigold extracts and a bitter orange from Tanzania. Crucially, no artificial sweeteners, preservatives or flavourings were added. The highly carbonated tonic, consisting of small ‘champagne’ bubbles for a smoother taste, was packaged in 200ml single serve glass bottles, the perfect size for a double measure gin & tonic; the glass packaging was designed to reflect the premium natural values of the brand and to ensure freshness. 

Without a proper marketing budget the company’s future lay in the hands of editorial exposure. A short piece in the national press in the summer of 2005 elicited an instant and positive response. Sales rose dramatically and Waitrose, looking to revamp its mixer category, approached the company to list the product. One month later it was on shelf and Waitrose’s share of the mixer market grew from seven to eight per cent in just one year. Majestic, Oddbins, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason also started selling Fever-Tree, subsequently followed by Sainsbury’s and Tesco in 2008. During this period of success, the Fever- Tree mixer range blossomed to include an award-winning Bitter Lemon, a Lemonade, a Ginger Ale and a Ginger Beer (Both ginger drinks using three natural gingers from Cochin, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria) and the world’s first all-natural lower calorie tonic water. Leading bartenders quickly cottoned on to the benefits of a great mixer; Today, Fever-Tree is served in top hotels, leading restaurants and gastro pubs countrywide. 

Internationally, it can be found in 7 out of the top 10 restaurants in the world (as voted for by Restaurant magazine in 2008). In Spain, the world’s largest premium gin & tonic market per capita, Fever-Tree Premium Indian Tonic Water was immortalised at El Bulli, where world-renowned chef Ferran Adria turned it into a course in itself: ‘Sopa de Fever-Tree tonica’. In the US, the world’s largest mixers market, Fever-Tree was awarded ‘Best New Product’ at the 2008 Tales of the Cocktail awards. 

The most powerful endorsements, however, have come from the trade; there is universal support of Fever-Tree’s reinvigoration of the long overlooked mixer sector, a David and Goliath battle against the conglomerate power of the mass market brands. Spirit companies have also been quick to endorse the brand and the Fever-Tree team now work on sampling and co-promotion opportunities with many of the premium companies such as Martin Millers, Belvedere, Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire, Johnnie Walker and Plymouth Gin, driving Charles Rolls and Tim Warrillow’s ambition of quality mixers being drunk by every quality conscious imbiber. After all, if ¾ of your Gin & Tonic is the tonic, then make sure you choose the best. 

Pear + port + lemon + AZ Bitters Figgy Puddin = Figgy Stardust

Baxter's Original Premium Smoker Wood 

When it comes to choosing your smoker wood, you should always look for wood that has been naturally dried. Baxter's Original wood is placed on racks with contstant airflow around the wood. This allows the wood to dry in a natural timeframe which preserves all of the natural sugars in the wood and that helps to provide the most flavor. By forcing air around the wood they can ensure that the wood dries completely so you never receive wet wood.

The reason that Naturally Dried makes them different than the competition is that most providers "kiln" dry their wood. This means that they take their wood and put it in an oven and cook out all of the moisture from the wood. While this is a fast process is also forces out all of the woods natural sugars since it is not dried in a natural environment. By "kiln" drying their wood you get a reduction in flavor, I mean, come on the flavor comes from the natural sugars that are in the wood.

So by using Baxter's Original smoker wood you can be sure that you are getting the best flavor out of your wood and that always helps to make the tastiest, sweetest, and all around best BBQ anywhere. 

About Garlic Gold®
It all started in late 2002 an itch for entrepreneurship, a love of garlic and cooking, plus frequent requests for “that garlic thing.” Seven Oaks Ranch is the proud manufacturer of the Garlic Gold® line of gourmet, USDA certified organic food products. One of the fastest growing organic food companies, it all began as an 8th grade economics class project for Orion Brutoco and three classmates at Oak Grove school in Ojai, CA. Orion’s dad, Seven Oaks Founder and serial entrepreneur Rinaldo Brutoco, got involved and developed an entrepreneurial training program for the boys.

With imagination and a lot of energy, the students used Rinaldo’s recipe for a home-made condiment (people had enjoyed this in the Brutoco’s home for years) and launched a start-up that turned into a real business: Seven Oaks Farms, Inc. The original product was a combination of hand crafted, crunchy, toasted garlic nuggets and first cold pressed organic extra-virgin olive oil, which the students developed under Rinaldo’s guidance from scratch. They learned how to analyze a prospective market, analyze a prospective product, develop a creative name, develop labels, create pricing models, and how to manufacture the product in quantity. Finally, the students learned how to hand bottle and label the finished goods.

A farmer’s market stand, opened and operated by Rinaldo and the students, soon led to rave reviews—“It’s Crunchy!” They learned how to take that test market data from the local farmer’s market, and refine everything from the consumer feedback into the finished product consumers are enjoying across North America.

In March of 2003, national distribution was obtained through the largest organic produce distributor in the country, Albert’s Organics. Since that time, through the dedication of countless individuals, Garlic Gold® has grown to be carried by more than 3,000 retailers across the country. Still hand crafted with the same love and energy as the first batch made by those young students experiencing entrepreneurship for the first time, Garlic Gold® has grown into a fixture in homes across North America.

Garlic Gold’s® products have become a favorite of world renowned foodies and food bloggers, including David Rosengarten, Chef Emeril and Kath Younger. The company, true to it’s enthusiastic roots in the heart of young students, has grown into a values-based business recognized as one of the Top 20 Organic companies by Ode Magazine, and a leading innovator in the natural and organics industry.

The organic home of Garlic Gold® started at Seven Oaks Ranch, a 12.5 acre organic ranch nestled in the Ojai Valley. As we grew, we moved our production facility to Ventura, CA, where we operate a certified organic kitchen (the only one we know of in Ventura County). Great care is taken to hand craft each of our unique products. Each full time crew member – we’ve created 25 jobs since our launch over seven years ago – receives living wages, health insurance and other benefits. Named ShangriLa (heaven on earth) for it’s breath taking beauty, Ojai provided the perfect backdrop for creating the gourmet delights that we hope you’ll enjoy as much as we enjoy making them.

Our mission is to create meaningful opportunities for individuals in a company where corporate responsibility, sustainability and integrity are considered the legitimate precursors to profit.

Dorset Cereals, Simply Delicious Muesli

• Whole Grain, 37g or More Per Serving
• A Classic Muesli
• 30% Fruit, Nuts & Seeds
• Kosher
• Vegetarian Society Approved

The finest multi-grains flakes, raisins and sultanas, sunflower seeds, dates, brazil nuts and whole roasted hazelnuts blended together.

From Poundbury England. Poundbury is in the historic and beautiful country of Dorset. 

This muesli is a simple blend of oats, flakes, fruits, nuts, and seeds - and that's it.

To make this delicious breakfast cereal, they take the finest multi-grain cereals - jumbo oats, barley and toasted & malted wheat flakes - blend them carefully and add the tastiest fruit, nuts and seeds: raisins, sultanas and dates for their plump juiciness and crunchy sunflower seeds, brazil nuts and roasted hazelnuts. Then they mix them up a bit, and that's it.

Simple, but then the best things in life usually are.

Good to Know

• Good source of fiber. Contains 5 g of total fat per serving. 
• No trans fat or hydrogenated oils
• No added sugar. 
• Contains naturally occurring sugars
• No added salt. 
• Registered Kosher - London Beth Din
• Vegetarian Society approved

Ingredients

• Spice Mix for chicken, recipe at bottom
• 1 (3-pound) frying chicken, cut into 10 pieces
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Spanish chorizo sausages, thickly sliced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Spanish onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• Bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped, reserve some for garnish
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and hand-crushed
• 4 cups short grain Spanish rice
• 6 cups water, warm
• Generous pinch saffron threads
• 1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 2 lobster tails
• 1/2 cup sweet peas, frozen and thawed
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions: Rub the spice mix all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Heat oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Saute the chorizo until browned, remove and reserve. Add chicken skin-side down and brown on all sides, turning with tongs. Add salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from pan and reserve.

In the same pan, make a sofrito by sauteing the onions, garlic, and parsley. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes on a medium heat. Then, add tomatoes and cook until the mixture caramelizes a bit and the flavors meld. Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Add chicken, chorizo, and saffron. Add the clams and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. The shrimp will take about 8 minutes to cook. Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the lobster tails. When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.

Cook's note: The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with peas, parsley and lemon wedges.


Spice Mix for chicken:

• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine ingredients in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the chicken; marinate for 1 hour, covered

Black Truffle Oil from Poddi Tartufi.

The company Poddi operates in the heart of the Nera Valley, a region blessed with the best truffles in the world. The truffles are discovered and processed using traditional methods which are passed down from generation to generation, with the expertise of those who know and love the fruits of his land – the ancient Umbria.

The processing and transformation of the aroma is done through a careful artisan process, which allows you to enjoy the taste of the highest-quality truffles and other culinary specialties for which Poddi Tartufi gets a large consensus in national and international markets.