A Summer Angelenos Can Be Proud Of

No sooner did I walk out of my doctor's office, boasting my healthy ways, and proudly admitting "I don't eat junk food" did I find myself staring at my guiltiest pleasure in the world.

Unfortunately that was at Costco. And now my family has the daunting task of eating 24 ounces of these:

Our 4th of July picnic can't come soon enough.

This is the quintessential chip of my childhood. These crispy, light, perfectly salted chips taste of beach picnics, BBQ's, and poolside lunches. Each bite is filled with memories of salty summer air, from dockside picnics with Food Buoy sandwiches in Woods Hole, to birthday parties at Amelia's house in Cambridge, and fresh mozzarella and Kathleen's Bake Shop chocolate chip cookies at Kate's in Bridgehampton. These are the chips of good friends and great memories. The chips even filled our guests' welcome bags at our wedding last summer. And that was no small feat. We got married in Utah. (Indeed, as the boxes of chips arrived on my mom's doorstep, shipped dutifully from my mother-in-law straight from Hyannis, I began to ponder my life as a bootlegging importer of all things delicious.)

I've lived in LA now for 4 years. And each year I wonder, desperately, "how on earth will I make it through another summer without my beloved Cape Cod Potato Chips"? If they can import water from Fiji to every continent around the globe, and turn San Francisco sourdough into an American staple, why, on earth, aren't Cape Cod Potato Chips sold in SoCal!?

Thus, every summer I return to the East Coast for weddings and reunions, each time happily gorging on Cape Cod Potato Chips from the moment I land at Logan. (Eventually, I eat so many chips it seems like a good thing they aren't sold in LA.)

But that's all about to change. Armed with 24 ounces of my favorite summer snack, this summer I'll be making new memories, one crispy chip at a time, right here in sunny Santa Monica.

What's Growin' On Around Town

I was pretty excited when SlowFood LA announced yesterday that Alice Waters would be speaking about edible education and school gardens here in Santa Monica on May 19. The event, which benefits Canyon Charter School will include a presentation, book signing, and Q&A with Ms. Waters and 15 year-old Sam Levin, who founded a sustainable garden for his public school in Western Massachusetts.

Tickets and complete information available here.

Watch a sneak preview of Alice's new book, The Edible Schoolyard, a Universal Idea:




AND

Get your edible garden groove on the weekend before the celebrated Berkley chef comes to town, with Gardens of Gratitude's 100 Garden Challenge! The goal: plant 100 victory gardens and transform LA's Westside to an edible paradise of fruits, berries, nuts, veggies and flowers!

For more information about Gardens of Gratitude, and to find out how to participate in the event May 16-17, visit the 100 Garden Challenge, here.

I can't think of a more perfect activity do with young foodies, eco-friendly families, and anyone Growing Up Gourmet!!