>> coming up on "california country," find out why these bay area kids are kicking junk food

to the curb in favor of fruits and vegetables, and get this, they even like it. >> [laughs] i like to eat a lot. >> next, got a big appetite? well, then do we have the place for you. >> you know, california cuisine area that this is just like, you know, "what? what are these guys doing?" >> then, see why tangerines have the right touch for these farmers. >> i want to demand one after every farmer's market. >> and it's time to get giddy over goat...cheese. it's all ahead on "california country" next. [captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] >> kids are naturally picky eaters. getting them to eat anything new is almost like pulling teeth. and getting them to eat healthy is virtually impossible. but the importance of doing so is becoming ever so

vital. and according to the centers for disease control, the amount of overweight children in this nation has nearly tripled since 1980. which is exactly why one group of women in the bay area have become cafeteria crusaders. at richmond's leadership public school, lunch hour has hit and kids are scrambling to get the best lunch they can. but take a closer look at what they're actually eating, and it's not what you would expect. no chicken fingers or french fries here. >> the tamale, the burrito, and the pizza are the best foods they got here. >> oh, my god, i love the milk. >> thanks to a new pilot program, kids across california are being introduced to gourmet meals made almost entirely of fresh, local, organic products. behind these gourmet lunch trays are kristin richmond and kirsten tobey who, along with executive

chef amy klein, have created a unique new business called revolution foods. each spent a large portion of their careers in education and knew something had to change in kids' eating habits, and they were the ones who wanted to change it. >> and we both just had this really common interest in food and in nutrition and had seen how bad school lunches are in schools today. >> when i see what we're sending out every day and that it's fresh and it's sort of the highest quality product we can put in front of our kids, it makes us very happy. >> so now each school day, bright and early, the revolution is beginning at the rev food headquarters in alameda, and in a converted mcdonald's of all places. but now instead of fast food, kids are being introduced to entrees that are fast, healthy, and good for them. here, all the food is prepared

fresh daily--nothing fried, processed, or reheated. from there, workers then deliver the lavish lunches to schools all across the bay area and in los angeles, as well. >> every single lunch and breakfast has a piece of-- a serving of whole fruit. and most of our snacks come with a serving of whole fruit. and if they don't come with that, they come with a serving of fresh vegetables. >> to help with their new food revolution, the ladies built key partnerships with whole foods, clover stornetta, and diestel turkeys. as well, the three began sourcing from local farmers throughout the bay area, like torrey olson of gabriel farms in sebastopol. gabriel farm is a 14-acre organic farm located in the ideal fruit-growing climate of sebastopol. the farm features several different fruits, but asian pears are what they are best known for. they have 8 varieties that they sell to local markets, hospitals,

schools, and yes, revolution foods. >> you know, we have a piece of fruit in a lot of different places, and it's really pretty amazing. and i just--i mean, i'm really thankful that we get to work with all those people. >> [giggles] >> and now today, thanks to the combined efforts of farmers like torrey and the women of revolution foods, this cafeteria campaign to get healthy food into kids' mouths one lunch tray at a time is dishing out more than 12,000 healthy breakfasts, lunches, and snacks a day to eager kids throughout the state. >> it's the school lunch revolution. so it's what--it's changing what school lunch is all about. it's making it tasty, it's making it healthy, it's making it fresh. and it's just-- it's revolutionizing. it's kind of giving a new meaning to what school lunch has traditionally meant to kids in schools. >> and a lot of students that have never--probably like a lot of us here, that, you know, never really loved school lunch are now eating it every day, which is really exciting.

'cause we should provide great food to our kids in our schools. so it's great to be making that a reality. >> want to create for yourself one of the unique recipes from today's show? log on to our website at cacountry.tv for full details. brought to you by allied insurance, a member of the nationwide family of companies, which also includes nationwide insurance. on your side.

>> like the show? you'll love "california country, the magazine," which delivers the best stories from throughout the golden state. visit californiacountry.org for more information.

>> welcome back. beyond the bustle of the big city is an undiscovered paradise called "california country." >> ask any great chef about their favorite dish and they'll tell you making really great food takes ability, talent, dexterity, and no matter how big or small the dish is, for many it takes a certain amount of artistry. every artist likes to start with a really great canvas. and for chefs down here in san diego, nothing gets better than this.

but it can be turned into a masterpiece thanks to one restaurant's unique philosophy on using farm fresh food. these are the days i love my job, let me tell you. where to start? in san diego, california's second largest city, there are beautiful places and people all around you. this is where skinny is always in and portion control is a must. but surprisingly, this is also the place where you can find good old-fashioned comfort food served up in heaping portions like this. >> it's good food and lots of it. and just generally wonderful. >> well, this is my first time here. they've been telling me about how good this place is and all the portions and stuff, so had to come try it out. it's really good. >> i would describe it as, first off, huge portions, which i would say everything on the menu. there's nothing you could be unhappy with. and then

the service is so wonderful. everyone's always so--just so great and so happy that you're gonna have such a good experience every time you come in. >> from meatloaf to fried green tomatoes to pancakes as big as the plate, this place dishes it out every day to an eager crowd. and with almost everything being served in skillets or huge platters, you know the food has to be good and fresh. and that's where valdivia farms, located in nearby carlsbad, comes in. like many farms in san diego county, it's small, diversified, full of life, and the perfect match for this one-of-a-kind restaurant. >> they're certainly the largest user of potatoes. and they use a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in their restaurants, the hash house does.

>> from persimmons and avocados in fallbrook to green beans in la jolla, the area is rich with agriculture, albeit on a smaller scale. about 65% of the farms in the area are 9 acres or less. but at the hash house, small farms are highlighted in a very big way. >> well, we're basically taking the meats and the agriculture inspired by the midwest and doing it with an urban twist. so it's twisted farm food. and andy's from milford, indiana. and i'm from southern california. so that makes it twisted. twisted farm food, yeah. >> it's pretty twisted. >> so i think that it's been received really well in san diego because it's such

a, you know, california cuisine area that this is just like, you know, "what? what are these guys doing?" >> i just remember growing up having fresh corn, fresh tomatoes, fresh green beans. and, you know, every season there was something different coming in. and when i came out to california--i mean, california's such a great city, great town, great state to just find all these things in. it's great to be a chef in california 'cause you can almost find anything you want out here. it's awesome. >> i always say if something goes wrong in your life, you can go see your grandma or you can go to the hash house. i mean, so it kind of takes the place of, you know, your family when

you're not--when you can't go there. just go to the hash house, have a good breakfast or dinner, and you'll feel--you'll get that same comfort you'd get if you go home to see your mom or your grandma. >> in the changing world of food, there seems to always be one constant, nothing stays the same. but the one steadfast rule is people always enjoy good food, something the chefs and farmers in california know a little about. so whether you like a small bite or a heaping portion, there's always a new culinary masterpiece to enjoy. for "california country," i'm tracy sellers. >> sightseeing in california is a world tour of the chic and unique all in one state. don't miss your exclusive tour when we come back. this segment is brought to you by...

>> welcome back to "california country," the show that takes you on an all-expense paid trip to experience the best kept secrets of the golden state. >> it's the ojai pixie tangerine. and around these

parts, it's not just something they grow, it's something that has caused 26 farming families to grow into one. located just about 30 minutes inland from santa barbara, the town of ojai is a taste of small town california. accessible only by a twisty ride through the mountains, it remains a secluded oasis full of agriculture. it was here where the bacon avocado business once thrived. that was until they stumbled upon a small fruit with big potential. >> so i was kind of wandering around the valley scratching my head, wondering what to do, and i was actually over at friends' ranches in the friends' ranches' packing house and just reached into a bin the way you do, and i picked up something and i peeled it, and i was, whoo-hoo! really, that was it for me. if you'd have been there, you'd have seen a light bulb go on over my head.

>> today, there are more than two dozen families farming pixie tangerines in the ojai valley. but instead of competing against each other, this eclectic group of farmers has done just the opposite. they've joined forces to form the ojai pixie tangerine association. the group now picks, packs, markets, and believe it or not, even eats together each harvest season. in charge of the bunch is the original pixie chick herself, tony's daughter emily thatcher. >> there's 26 different family farmers in the pixies. and, um, we all hold different views, whether it be politics or religion or what have you. >> they're sort of like frenchmen. they don't agree on anything but pixies. >> it's like being being in a band that doesn't particularly have a lead singer, doesn't particularly have one songwriter, but everybody has to show up at rehearsals, and we have to argue over the arrangements, and then we have to perform.

>> would you like to try an ojai pixie tangerine? >> sure. >> they're seedless. >> oh, my, these are really... >> i know. very sweet. they're pretty easy to peel. >> they're beautiful! >> pixies. they're seedless. they're called pixies. >> we have the advantage with the pixie that the avocado industry had 30 years ago. not everybody's tried one. >> thank you. >> and everybody who does will take one. >> and the pixie movement is sprouting supporters left and right. martha stewart has become a fan, and "sunset" magazine even named the pixie best in the west. all of which is no surprise to chef andy arndt at the nearby ojai valley inn and spa, who's been using the fruit since he moved to the area. >> it's definitely a treat. i've never been at a place where i can have this abundance of vegetables and produce daily, and it keeps me creative and keeps me, uh, changing the menus and keep everyone interested and keep the guests

excited about what we do. >> and besides chef andy's salads and sauces, the inn has found yet another use for the versatile pixie, as a special spa scrub. which was an idea that definitely rubbed one hard-working farmer the right way. >> well, i thought it was pretty funny. i'd never been to a spa before. when we first started selling ojai pixie tangerines, when i was a little kid, the ojai valley inn has always been our customer for the tangerines. and we never really knew what they did with them. i want to demand one after every farmers market. [laughs] as a little kid, anyone would take note of any of the tangerines that we were growing. and it's so much fun to create another generation of pixie eaters. announcer: forget the frozen and

the fast food. a smorgasbord of delightful recipes are a click away on our easy to use website. from farm to feast, stay tuned for more of the tempting tastes of california.

>> like the show? you'll love "california country," the magazine, which delivers the best stories from throughout the golden state. visit californiacountry.org for more information. >> welcome back to "california country."

>> there's just nothing like a great piece of cheese, whether you like a feta or a gouda down there, or my personal favorite, this good old-fashioned cheddar, california is producing some of the best cheeses in the world. but these days, you might just be surprised at who's producing all of that great cheese. americans love cheese. there's, of course, the cheeseburger and the ever popular cheese pizza. and the question, "do you want cheese on that?" has become almost a catchphrase of pop culture. and nowhere is the love for the all-american dairy product more visible than here in california. the golden state now produces nearly one out of every 4 pounds of cheese made in the united states. and specialty cheeses are becoming particularly popular as more and more people learn there's more to the world of cheese than just single-wrapped pieces of cheddar. and cheese heads of all education levels get to unite

every day at the cheese school in san francisco. >> hello, everybody. well, the cheese school of san francisco is a novel concept, and whenever i mention it to people, they say, "there's a whole school devoted to cheese? where do i sign up?" >> the first of its kind in the nation, the cheese school works alongside the retail outlet cheese plus to inspire folks to branch out from just another plain grilled cheese sandwich to the world of asiago, havarti, romano, and a whole lot more. >> just as with wine, where you can't learn it in a day or even a lifetime, cheese is the same way. and cheese you don't need to be 21 to eat. and so, you know, it gets into our systems at a young age, so we're familiar with it to that degree. but then you get to learn about that whole new world of cheeses that's out that that probably our mothers didn't feed us. >> we, uh, that's all we do all day long here, is educate people about cheese. certainly you're talking about american cheeses and california cheeses in general. there seems to be a sense that cheese is made here

in the united states, but the vast majority of the customers that think, oh, i've seen the-- i've seen the commercials for the happy cows. >> but it's not cows that are behind one of the biggest trends in cheese today. it's these guys. goat cheeses are the fastest-growing ones in the market these days, and here's where it all starts. welcome to redwood hill farms in sonoma. in the self-proclaimed premier wine destination of california, grapes have been leveraged for goats. it all began in 1968 when jennifer bice was a young 4h-er and her parents moved here from los angeles and started their farm with, what else but goats? >> being the oldest of 10 kids in our family, um, we all loved the goats and could teach them tricks and pretend like we were

in the circus with them. but of course we each wanted to have our own goats. so, um, we were in 4h and we each had our own goats, and it added up to a herd quite quickly. >> and that herd quickly became the catalyst for a new, unique venture--goat milk. jennifer took over the operation with her late husband steven, and together with jennifer's brother scott, they embarked on a new career in goat cheese. popular today, back then goat cheese was pretty much a foreign concept to most. >> at that time, people would kind of back away, um, you know, almost gagging, when you would mention the goat products. but then, of course, uh, now, we do a demo and people are just running over and thrilled to try it because they've seen it, they've heard of it, they've read about it.

>> thanks for its versatility and unique flavor profile, goat cheese has become more popular than ever with chefs who are using it in everything from appetizers to desserts. sometimes called chevre, which is french for goat, it ranges in texture from creamy to semi-firm to firm. >> i think because of the different applications we use it in--we use it in a pasta dish, we use it on salads, we use it in sauces--i think it's pretty versatile. i mean, we certainly have to pick the right goat cheese, make sure it's the right--because some can be a bit stronger, a little bit milder. uh, but, yeah, it's fun to work with. >> you know, the chefs have, like you say, really gone on from--[clears throat]--using it, uh, the fresh chevre, which is almost a staple now, like sugar and flour, stuffing it into things, topping it on things. >> today, redwood hill now produces 6 different types of award-winning cheeses, made from the milk of more than 350

award-winning goats. and though the humans aptly run the show at the farm, there's no doubt who is really in charge here, and for good reason. >> it's critical just to treat them well and have them happy, because, you know, it's a business, and just like, you know, you want to treat your employees good. you want to make them happy, 'cause if your employees aren't happy, you know, the business isn't gonna succeed, and we consider our goats, you know, our employees, and we want to take, you know, really good care of them. >> so, no matter what kind of cheese you think tastes the best, it is no doubt the product of an amazing amount of work, devotion, and dedication from from some pretty creative people and creatures. so have we convinced you to give goat cheese a try? well, if so, you might want to come to a restaurant like this. thanks for watching the show this week. we'll see again next week on

"california country." announcer: "california country" is brought to you by the following partners... [captioning made possible by california farm bureau federation] [captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--]

annenberg media ♪ provided by: narrator: welcome to episodio once of destinos: an introduction to spanish. in this episode, raquel concludes her stay in spain. adiós, raquel. adiós, raquel. most of what you will see and hear is a review of previous episodes as raquel reflects on her investigation in spain. alfredo: ¿abogada? ¿es esta persona un cliente? no le puedo decir nada más. es un secreto. most of the conversational spanish that you will hear will already be familiar to you. que disfrute de su estancia en madrid. ¿en qué hotel se queda? en el hotel príncipe de vergara.