Did you know there are urban farms out there? No, I don’t mean people in cities with elaborate edible gardens. I don’t even mean people living in cities raising a few chickens. I mean people in seriously urban areas who keep goats in their backyard. And a beehive. And a few chickens. And a turkey or two. And bunny rabbits (for meat, not pets) on the front porch. And maybe at one point they had a couple of pigs they fed from what they could find in dumpsters. After all that the fact that they’ve turned the vacant lot next to their house into an Eden of edible delight rather pales by comparison.
Ernie and I toured Ghosttown Farm in Oakland and were awed. Ernie was especially happy to see the red chard “just like we had for dinner last night” growing right there in one of the raised beds sitting on top of an old concrete pad. Then we visited babies and were awed.
All that awe left us hungry, so we headed to our favorite soft tofu place and met up with Very Tall Cousin Sam. I bought him a soft tofu casserole. He gave me an abalone he picked off a rock deep under the cold Pacific with just a snorkle and a mask and a prying knife to help him. I’m thinking of what to do with that abalone as I write….
But I’ll tell you this. No matter what I do with it, even abalone will have a difficult time competing with the stellar banyan and crunchy rice one finds at the tofu house.
rebecca kaminsky | 04-Jun-09 at 10:55 am | Permalink
I’m wondering if “the tofu house” you are talking about is the one on telegraph in oakland? What is the name again? Thanks!
Molly Watson | 04-Jun-09 at 11:27 am | Permalink
It is indeed. Pyung Chang at 4701 Telegraph. Yummers.
rebecca kaminsky | 04-Jun-09 at 4:43 pm | Permalink
Thanks, next on my list to try!