Knoll Organics | nopa: food blog

Knoll Organics Brooke Town • Jun 17, 2010 • Post A Comment

Husband and wife Rick and Christie Knoll were not always growing some of the best produce around. Before they moved to Brentwood in 1979, they were gardening out of their backyards in Santa Ana, California. At the time they considered themselves "alternative suburbanites," but many years later they would become leaders in soil evolution. The onetime alfalfa field, purchased by the Knolls in 1979, has gradually become a year-round agro-system, in which diversity feeds the farm and the living organisms below the soil.

Rick Knoll received his PH.D. in Organic Chemistry from U.C Irvine, while Christie Knoll studied voice in Oakland. Their lifestyles and education brought them to the world of Biodynamics, which they believe nurtures the soil. In a nutshell, Biodynamics can be understood as a combination of "biological dynamic" agriculture practices. "Biological" practices include a series of well-known organic farming techniques that improve soil health. "Dynamic" practices are intended to influence biological as well as metaphysical aspects of the farm (such as increasing vital life force,) or to adapt the farm to natural rhythms (such as planting seeds during certain lunar phases.) The importance of the soil remains clear when the Knolls proclaim, "We feel that the soil continuum is a fundamental aspect of ecological production that is beyond what ‘Organic' has become!" The Knoll's practices are clearly beyond Organic, incorporating Biodynamics, Integrated Pest Management, Ecological Farming and Sustainability. Their website offers a detailed guide to attracting insects and birds to a farm, which is a crucial factor in Biodiversity.

The production of Knoll Farms is year-round, and includes greens, garlic, herbs, figs, stonefruit, flowers and firewood. At nopa, we use a variety of items throughout the year. For Spring, their arugula is a staple in one of our salads, and we often sauté a number of their greens with garlic confit. For dessert, Knoll's Lemon Verbena shows up in one of our housemade ice creams.

Earlier this Spring, we used their pea greens, both in salads and in entrées, green garlic in a savory broth, and the farm's horseradish with crème fraîche. Green garlic - also called young garlic, is exactly what it sounds like: the green shoots of immature garlic bulbs that have been picked early. The flavor is definitely more delicate and not as spicy as garlic that is harvested and left to dry.

As Summer approaches, we get very excited about Knoll's figs, including Adriatic, Black Mission, Turkey and Kadota. There is something about a fig that seems so magical: biting into that first sample of the season, exposing a brilliant center and a delightful collection of tiny seeds.

Posted by Brooke Town on June 17, 2010 • Filed under Where Our Food Comes From • Share: del.icio.us / StumbleUpon / Digg
Photos courtesy Knoll Farms