>> coming up next on "california country," we visit a store that's got the right stuff. and think radicchio is just an ingredient for a salad? well, it's actually the symbol for one family's unique history. then we get grilling with one of our favorite chefs, and see how flowers are going from decorations to dessert at this special farm. it's all ahead and it starts now. [captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation]

welcome to the show. i'm your host, tracy sellers. we're at one of my favorite places today--ikeda's country market, here in auburn. and, you know, recently i got to visit a place that's similar to this one, but they're taking things a step further: they're actually growing their own groceries. deep in the heart of the gritty mission district of san francisco, there is a food oasis waiting for you. the bi-rite market has been a neighborhood institution since the 1940s and features everything from gourmet cheeses to freshly baked breads and cookies, the custom-carved meats, and even a rooftop herb garden. but the heart of the store's success, both in the past and present, is the produce department. fresh fruits and vetables from across the state are featured here, complete with pictures and descriptions of the farmers.

and they're all under the supervision of produce manag simon richard. a former farmer, he knows firsthand that the produce selection at this tiny but mighty neighborhood market is unlike any other you'll find. >> there's nothing better than harvesting your food, bringing it to the market, and talking to the people aboutour produce. and i feel here at the market, at bi-rite, we offer that same experience. we have the relationship with the farmers, so we can share that message to our customers. >> but the store isn't just a place to buy groceries. it's the culmination of a dream for owner sam mogannam. his family has owned the store since the 1960s, and in 1998 he took over full ownership, using his background as a former chef to turn the store from a neighborhood market to a neighborhood marketplace; that is, a swcase for all things new and fresh, even for the most discerning of foodies that are found in the bay area. >> it was exciting. i love food and i love feeding people, and this was like a way of feeding more people more fluidly, um...more regularly.

>> there are so many things. i mean, the staff is incredibly knowledgeable. they're all really passionate and friendly. and the amount of volume that this place does, everything is super fresh. >> i often tell people about bi-rite, just because, to me, it's like it's a candy store for a kid, you know? to me, i love coming here and i feel so fortunate to be able to dibble and dabble in the great chocolates and the wonderful food that's made. and the fruits and vegetables, they come from some of the best farmers and whatnot. >> they pack more than 4,000 locally produced food products in here, and with only 1,500 square feet to work with. and they've expanded in recent years with a creamery across the street, run by sam's wife anne, who makes all the baked goods at the store and some pretty delicious ice creams, too. >> we get all of our produce from the market, actually. >> oh, great. >> and you should taste the balsamic strawberry...

>> since i'm being forced to. >> which is a summertime classic. >> right, right. >> you know, we don't have it all year long because, of course, that's not the season. but it's just, you know, everybody really looks forward to it when the strawbeies are perfect and we can make that flavor. >> that's real good. ha ha! >> ♪ hey, hey, ah hey, hey, ah... ♪ >> wanting to expand further on this mini-empire built on farm-fresh food, sam and simon have taken it a step further, from selling food to farmi their own food. 3 years ago, the duo bought land on 2 plots in sonoma county, and along with help from store works,hey began their foray into farming. >> it's a great opportunity to come and get in the soil, and i usually try to grab one or two bi-rite workers to come up with

me and help and get in the soil and experience. so you basically got to move really slow and concentrate on each plant because you can really easily--if you start harvesting one plant and then are like, "ok," and get on this one, then you'll forget to finish this one. so i just-- i encourage, like, kind of staying on top of one plant and really just taking your time. >> i work in the deli, so, you know, i see the food when it's cooked and i serve it to people, and i explore the produce area of the store. but it's just different to see, like, you know, where the food's coming from and that, like, the owners are actually--like, this is the most direct relationship we have and i just think that's awesome.

>> you know, the mindset in a market is to always have items in stock all the time, you know? i mean, you got to have your milk all the time, but sometimes i think i's just as important to have something that's special and seasonal and you have it for a short period of time. customers really appreciate it, you know, and it's unique. >> just getting closer to the food and how food is produced, getting a greater understanding of what our farmers are going through and their experiences, has helped build, really, and strengthen our relationships with them. >> the bi-rite staff estimates they now get about 5,000 pounds or so of produce from their farms, and they use it in a variety of different ways at the store. some produce es to the deli, some to the bakery or creamery, and some goes dictly into the produce section. and while it may not seem like a lot of produce compared to other

grocery stores, it is a big step for this neighborhood market as it strives to feed a new generation of hungry customers, who have an appetite to know where their food really comes from. >> it's not easy to harvest food. you know, we can't survive without the work that our farmers do, and we feel it's very important to share that story. i mean, it's finally getting out to the masses and that's important, right? because, like, so many people look at food as just fuel and energy, and not really look at it from the perspective of how it's produced. and that, you know, that connection needs to happen. >> and things are going so wel for the bi-rite family that they're actually going to open another store next summer. coming up, you think all salad greens are created equal? think again.

>> welcome back to the show. now, are you like me? do you buy these baggedalad mixes all the time? well, you know, i never really stopped to think about all the different lettuces that go into these guys until i met this next family and found out that these bagged salads actually changed the future of their farm. what ingredients go into making the perfect salad? ask 10 people and you'll probably get 10 different answers. but ask the marchini family of watsonville, and they'll tell you wholeheartedly it's all about the radicchio, the once unknown veggie that has put this family on the culinary map. you see, it all began in the ear part of the 1900s, when florindo marchini made the long and uncertain trip from italy, bringing along with him an entrepreneurial spirit and a love for farming, both of which he passed on to his son, joe. >> as a little kid, my dad used to grow radicchio in his garden, and he'd say, "ok, joe, this is the time to plant radicchio." he was always planting it in

the fall. >> a true farmer at heart, joe always liked to grow vegetable varieties that no one else had, and with radicchio, he found a gem. he experimented at first in his backyard and then hit it big with the salad revolution of the 1980s. >> i do know that during the late eighties, people started to eat more salads, and... salad companies like fresh express, earthbound farms, ready pac--big retailers, big lettuce growers--they had already been doing the whole head, like t&a had been doing the--had a big name on the whole head business. well, they said, "hey, let's cut it up, put it all together, and sell it." and so, luckily enough, radicchio was included in that mix, in that ingredient component of spring mix. >> and what started out as a small backyard crop eventually turned into a full-time career, with joe becoming the united states' first full-time radicchio farmer. he has passed on his love for farming to his son jeff and his 2 grandsons, marc and mick. >> about 5 years old, the first time i remember radicchio was a field growing around our house

in le grand, california, and my mother brought us out there to takd a christmas photo. and i just remember holding a head of radicchio, and that was about 15 years ago, and i think that was probably the first big planting that we ever had to try it out and now it's grown a lot since then. >> native to italy, the vegetable is still popular there and is slowly gaining fans in the united states, thanks to chefs like gordon drysdale, who isn't intimidated by the bitter flavor that is usually associated with the leafy green. at his pizza antica restaurant in mill valley, he tosses in radicchio to a variety of dishes to add complexity and a deeper flavor. he says he enjoys using them in everything from a salad with apples, parmesan cheese, and anchovy vinaigrette to a topping on one of his famous pizzas. >> well, radicchio is an ingredient that makes sense in

a restaurant like this. italians adore radicchio. americans are starting to really like radicchio. radicchio is a fabulous, lightly bitter addition to a dish that might be too achingly sweet if you were not careful. this is radicchio di verona. it's great for salads. it's a ttle bit on the sweeter side. tight, compact heads are what you're looki for, very firm. it'll be crisp and juicy and really delicious. this is radicchio de treviso. it's an elongated head, so it should also be firm. they should have good weight for the size of the head. you should make sure you don't see any shriveled-up leaves or the beginning of browning on there. >> so from the salad bowls of talented chefs to the salad bowl of america, greens of every color, shape, and size are now a staple of california cuisine. no matter how you enjoy them, as long as you enjoy them, farmers across the state couldn't feel better about this bitter veggie.

>> we just like growing something special, and we think, as long as we're on top of our game and making sure we have consistent quality and having radicchio available 24/7, any day of the year, i think that it won't go away. >> hi. i'm chef paul murphy of humphrey's restaurant in beautiful san diego bay. we're gonna make a grilled radicchio salad with papaya, california olive oil, and a lovely, sweet balsamic dreing. drizzle a little bit of olive oil over it, a little bit af salt and pepper. now, what the olive oil does is it takes out the bitterness because radicchio is traditionally a very, very bitter saladyou want to grill it about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. now, what happens is the olive oil penetrates the bitter radicchio and it takes it out and it gives it almost a charcoal flavor, so you lose that bitterness. and when you combine the charcoal flavor with

the sweet dressing, it's an absolutely wonderf alternative to just a green salad. i'm going to cut it into about one-inch cubes. we're going to mix this with the basil and the papaya, white balsamic dressing that i'm going to show you how to make in one moment. get your favorite mayonnaise and take about 2 spoons of it. you're going to add--what this is this is reduced white balsamic vinegar, and it's reduced down to a syrup that is so sweet and wonderful, it's going to take out any leftover bitterness that may have stayed in the radicchio. so easy, mom, you could make this a day ahead, 3, 4 days ahead, this dressing. you're just going to drizzle some of the white balsamic glaze onto the mayonnaise. we're going to mix that. we're going to add our basil. oh, it's about a tablespoon of basil. a little bit of salt and pepper...

and some of our extra virgin olive oil from the napa valley. you want to mix it until you have a nice, creamy consistency, almost the same consistency of, unfortunately, our ranch dressing. we're going to add our grilled treviso. going to add a little bit more basil... put in our papaya... and then here's our creamy dressing. and last, but not least, we have the candied pecans that we made ahead of time. we're going to add, oh, about a half a--say about a half a cup of these. you can break them. and all these recipes can be found on this program. and there you have it. it's a grilled treviso salad with papaya, candied pecans, and

a white balsamic dressing with exa virgin olive oil and a simple mayonnaise. please enjoy. >> grilled radicchio, huh? you thought that was interesting? well, wait till you see what we're eating after the break. it's coming up next. >> welcome back to the show. you know, here at ikeda's, they make a lot of great baked things, but the one thing you absolutely have to try are their pies. they are legendary around here. you know, the big secret is that every pie you get here is going to be warm underneath. true story. this one is--let's see what this is--peach cobbler. hello! you know, these are the best desserts you can get here, but down in san diego, they're putting some pretty interesting things on their desserts. check it out. i'll just take this to the car. here in san diego county, flowers are all around us to enjoy, to smell, and now

even to eat. anyone who has received a bouquet of flowers will tell you the magnificent qualities about them aren't just limited to their awe-inspiring beauty or to their sweet floral scent. they can offer so much more. just ask john clemons, a flower farmer for more than 20 years now. you can step onto his farm in the town of jamul; indeed, it looks similar to the other dozens of flower farms in san diego county, but look a little closer and you'll discover a sweet surprise. >> in the mid-nineties, i was looking through a book, came across a recipe for crystallized violets. and i thought, hmm, egg whites, dip the flower in, throw it in sugar, roll it around, put it down. it dries, and you have something crunchy that's non-perishable because it's completely dried, and it's sugar-coated. and i thought, oh, my god. cold food aside, they could use them on desserts. i've got to figure out how to do this. >> imagine your favorite flowers

turned into sugary tastes of heaven. that is exactly the idea that john set out to accomplish--to make a sweeter, better-tasting edible flower at he grew himself, the likes of which nody had seen or heard of before, not even his girlfriend at the time; that is, until their first date. >> i brought her a little tray of crystallized violas instead of the flowers and--when i met her, i remember walking up to her and saying, "i brought you some flowers." >> john had talked about the farm on the phone and when we had mailed and what he did, but when i actually saw it, i just went--[gasps]--and i just thought, oh, my god! these are way more beautiful than i had thought. and i just immediately knew i wanted to be a part of that. >> i was a little nervous because she was hot. i thought, oh, my god. i hope she likes me. ha ha ha! >> oh, she liked him, all right. she liked him enough to leave her home in new york and come to california to start an edible flower business with him called

sweetfields. and, together with diane's daughter, the trio has successfully turned john's one-time hobby into a full-time job that even young chase is excited about. >> chase roams the hills. he collects all the rocks. he picks the flowers and he screams no from every greenhouse. ha ha ha! we all get along really good and we all really have our niches, you know. and i come from the business background and managing things and, you know, kind of getting the business plans and everything together. my mom is really kind of the rah-rah customer service; "get out there," you know, "mingle with our customers," and then john. this is john, so the farm, the production. if you could lock john in a room with some raw

materials, some flowers, and he just wants to keep creating. >> and creating new edible ventures for his flowers is something john has no problem doing on his 33-acre farm, which acts like a canvas for this artist to go to work. all of the flowers here are grown organically inside greenhouses, with nothing but sun, water, and soil helping them grow. to keep things fresh, after 5 months or so, he rotes the soil out and puts new flowers in. from here, the flowers are either picked as edible flowers or they are put through their patent-pending crystallization process. the flowers are put into a special solution that contains alcohol, which creates a barrier on tha flower. from here, they are put in a salad spinner and placed on a rack to dry. then they are sprayed with a strawberry-scented spray and dusted with sugar, and by crystallizing them, the flowers are perfectly preserved and

nonperishable. >> you know, we have violas, pansies, snapdragons, mini roses, rose petals. then you take all 5 flower varieties and we have 4 patent-pending finishes, so you can get any flower with any finish. >> creating edible masterpieces is something karen krasne knows a thing or 2 about. she opened up her extraordinary desserts business in downtown san diego in 1988 to rave reviews and hasn't looked back since. she has built a reputation on making delicaciethat are, in fact, anything but ordinary, and the exquisite flowers that sweetfields are producing are a natural fit for this dessert diva. >> it was very much "in" a long time ago to start putting them on wedding cakes, and so that was our spin with it. and then, every year or so, we'd sort of develop another dessert that-- whether it's for valentine's or during the holidays or something--where we can use one of their products because it really enhances our product. so we take the beauty of our chocolate or our fruits, and we

take natural flowers and then by adding on a sugared flower, just the whole piece at that point takes a step up and becomes almost more of a gift item to someone rather than just a dessert. >> and the customers keep on coming. fans all across the state are logging on to the sweetfields web site and snatching up these edible works of art with costco just recently placing an order, too. so, from the fields to fudge cakes, these farmers are proving that it is worth it to stop and smell the roses every once ia while, as long as you stop to eat them every once in a while, too. >> you know, the best part is, for me, in the morning when i get to the farm here, walking the greenhouses by myself. i love that, and then looking at what we've accomplished. >> you know, we do have something that is not on the market anywhere but with us. that's something.

>> san francisco, a place known for its dazzling landmarks and histor sites. but look closer and you'll also see another side to one of the most beautiful cities in the world. a much tougher side. more than 5,000 people call the streets of san francisco home, with thousands of others living in the shadows. 40-year-old jamey howell was one of those people.

>> well, i ended up homeless-- my daughter had been taken from me--on the streets of san francisco, using drugs, hopeless. pretty much close to giving up. >> but sometimes in our darkest hours, a ray of sunshine and hope can be found. for jamey and dozens of other men and women who've been hit hard by life in the city, their hope can be found in an unlikely place, in the country, at the saint anthony's farm. >> saint anthony's farm is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, part of the saint anthony foundation out in san francisco. uh, it' a 6-month program for men to

come and do drug and alcohol rehabilitation plus work on the farm. it's a--actually, a good mix of the animals and the garden and the ground's crew. >> excuse me. if i had to change one thing, that was everything. get to mama. get to mama. just the affection you get from a cow, sometimes it just stops me in my track. >> as jamey and others have found, an amazing transformation is taking place in the rolling, emerald hills of sonoma county. people going from the depths of disparity to finding a real purpose in life. today, nearly 5 years sober, jamey has gotten his daughter back and his life in order, which begins every morning working and feeding the new friends in his life at the farm. so inspired by his change in life, he's taken his recovery a step further

and is now a full-time employee at the dairy. >> the only time i ever touched a cow was if i was eating it, you know. being in the city, you know, i didn't know what was going to happen. i certainly didn't expect what did happen. here you go. here you go. hey, ladies. good morning. >> what did happen is exactly what franciscan friar alfred boedekker had in mind when he started the farm in 1954. originally formed to supply the saint anthony's foundation in san francisco with all of its food for the needy, the farm has grown into so much more. today there's an organic garden, a csa program, and of course, the dairy, which now supplies clover stornetta with 10% of its organic milk, and along

the way has gained the moniker of having the milk of human kindness. with a milking herd of less than 300 cows, saint anthony's farm remains a relatively small operation, but that's ok, because as you quickly learn here, success isn't measured in monetary growth, but rather, in personal growth. >> we do a 12-step program. they do case counseling, uh, they do life histories, so they can kind of bring all the information and tools that they have here, um, to kind of find out why they were doing what they were doing. so we try to revitalize them, get their interests and self-esteem back up, so they can kind of carry on and go back out into the society and contribute and give back. >> this form of dairy therapy is exactly what 24-year-old ruben needed to get his life back on track. like jamey, he was in and out of trouble most of his life. and the organic dairy was the catalyst for him to finally go clean and chemical free, too. without it, he knows exactly where he'd be.

>> i'd be--i wouldn't be here. i don't even know--i couldn't-- i don't even know--i'd probably be in prison or locked up somewhere. 'cause i didn't, you know, i didn't care about loss or anything. i didn't...i just didn't care. i'm 24, i'm changing my life. everything is going good for me. a lot of things are falling into place. i take 6 months out of my life to come here and look at myself, and in these 6 months i've gotteb more things back-- my family, job, car, place to live. >> people helping people. the circle of life. simple phrases to some, but for jamey, reuben, and the hundreds of others of saint anthony's residents, they are real life and they're examples that miracles can be found, even in the unlikeliest of places, even on a small dairy farm in the

hills of petaluma. >> there's a lot of good that comes out of this plae. a lot of miracles happen every day, but i feel it in the people that once they start to get it, they feel it, too. you can see it in their eyes. it just lights up. you could see the life. the soul comes back, you know. [captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--]