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Chair of Mental Health Advisory Board Warns SC County Supes About Sweeps
BY SARAH RINGLER
On July 18, Xaloc Cabanes, Chair of the Mental Health Advisory Board for the County of Santa Cruz sent the following letter to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.
The Santa Cruz Mental Health Advisory Board strongly recommends that the Board of Supervisors take immediate action to help our homeless population by:
1. Directing the County Behavioral Health Department to work with the Parks and Recreation Departments throughout the county to redesign and establish a health and safety focused Street Cleaning Encampment Protocol that is trauma sensitive and follows state law requiring the storage and later retrieval of taken property for 90 days.
2. Decrease cost by decreasing the number of police at Encampment Clean Ups. This is an issue of Public Health, not criminal. More than 3 armed officers is unnecessary, threatening, and expensive.
California Civil Code § 2080 et seq. imposes mandatory statutory duties on public entities and their employees and agents to maintain for a minimum of 90 days unattended property over which they have taken charge.
Police departments are not storing the items taken during encampment cleanups. Police assisted street cleaning commonly referred to as “sweeps,” takes place across the county. Survival equipment and valuable personal items are thrown into Parks and Recreation dump truck vehicles never to be seen again. This is unlawful and unacceptable.
The daily police and sheriff altercations and destruction of people's property is a self-sustaining cycle that perpetuates the harmful circumstances and trauma disorders of the homeless people. Witnesses report that the police do not listen to the homeless people's pleas for visible specific survival items. Police can be heard threatening arrest throughout the process making people feel criminalized and terrified. Witnesses reported recently watching the police throw away a 40 lb. bag of dog food as the dog owner begged to be able to take it with her. Seizure and destruction of medicine is common and can be life threatening.
One way to comply with the law is to not take the property in the first place; this would also be cheaper.
The public health goals of the camp cleanup programs are not being met. We think it can be done better, cheaper and get closer to solving the problem.
Studies of sweeps found that of the 174 camps removed by the LAPD last year, everyone has returned. The solution that is being employed is not solving the problem. The city has put fences around public parks that keep everybody out. The violent language and shock of the sweeps affect the most vulnerable in an already vulnerable population, increasing symptoms of PTSD and panic disorders. It is well documented that Veterans in this population are especially likely to suffer from these conditions.
The daily sweeps of Coral Street starting June 3 were predated by a city eviction notice of only five days. With physical disabilities even two weeks is often not enough. Five days is horrific.
Forcing disabled homeless people to move off of Coral Street is short sighted and harmful. Many people with illness or chronic conditions will likely miss appointments and postpone care due to a much further distance to travel to access Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP) or the showers at Housing Matters. This ultimately can increase the severity of their conditions and keeps them unhoused and dependent on county funded nonprofit services longer.
Supporters of the police removal of the camps, cite spreading disease as a main concern. HIV, lung diseases, skin infections as well as mental health issues afflict this demographic in higher numbers than the general population. This is why forced migration is so dangerous. Forcing people to move further away from the resources offered by HPHP can increase spread of contagious diseases and seems to be in complete opposition to the stated health concerns of the county. We need to prioritize public health.
Tents, bedding, tarps, food, clothing, shoes, water bottles, backpacks, chargers, phones, cleaning supplies, bikes, mobility aids, medicine, propane tanks, portable batteries, coolers, laptops, art materials, family memorabilia, pet food, even ID’s, birth certificates and identification papers are destroyed making it even more impossible to seek services in the county. Some of these items are hard to acquire and some are the most basic tools needed to get out of survival camps and off of assistance programs.
The cycles of property seizure and destruction makes it extremely difficult for homeless people to maintain the stability required to keep in touch with employment/family/doctors, develop routines, sleep, eat, and ultimately survive when living without shelter and everything is destroyed... over and over. Recent statistics from Behavioral Health indicate that on average 43% of the people they serve are unhoused, but this is likely an understatement due to the exclusion of contract services.
In this county alone we have witnessed the loss of homes to fires and floods and we do not know when an earthquake may cause more loss. In addition, the economic downturn especially in the local tech industries, plus the exorbitant cost of reasonable housing in this area- this should give us pause to consider that no one is immune to losing their home. About 15,000 people are becoming homeless each week in the US now. We suggest that a more compassionate and sustainable plan will not only help homeless people now, but could build a better infrastructure of resources and support.
This method of police action against encampments is not working. With national attention on the homeless crisis, here in Santa Cruz County we have an opportunity to implement solutions that work. Current practices are not bringing solutions- they are exacerbating the problem.
Undeniably there is a need for safety, trash removal, and walkability all over the County. Let us all work together to navigate a new solution that prioritizes health and allocates funding to help not punish homeless people, including senior citizens and veterans. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Xaloc Cabanes, Chair Mental Health Advisory Board
Contact Mental Health Advisory Board and thank them for their advocacy.
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SC City Government and Housing Matters Conspire to Conceal Our Homeless Crisis
BY SARAH RINGLER
Governor Newsom unleashed a nightmare when he permitted communities in California to clear out camps where people without houses had gathered to set up makeshift homes. I doubt if anyone thought this would go smoothly or humanely. It seemed obvious that pro realtor and tourism city governments would relish the idea of sending in police and clean up crews to try and destroy the camps creating the situations described in Mental Health Advisory Board Chair, Xaloc Cabanes's, letter above.
Emails to and from Housing Matters CEO Phil Kramer and Santa Cruz City government show their mutual revulsion towards how out of control the homeless crisis in our area has become. "The sidewalks are stained and reek of urine," states Kramer referring to the sidewalks on Coral St. where his Housing Matters is located. But rather than create more bathrooms, the decision was made to "break the cycle of people returning to that space" and attempt to powerwash the problem away.
"That space" is called Housing Matters and claims to "offer housing navigation, case management, emergency shelter and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness."
Below is the city's response from Lisa Murphy: "I look forward to working with Housing Matters as a valuable partner to help those individuals in and around Coral Street with our recently awarded Encampment Resolution Grant. This will help keep this location clear." The Encampment Resolution Grant is $4 million from the state that will provide 20 interim housing units as well more of the usual so-called "support, navigation, service coordination, outreach" that has been barely effectually provided by Housing Matters so far. I'm curious to know how providing those services will keep the location clear.
The yearly Point in Time (PIT) report releases numbers that many believe undercounts the number of homeless. The 2024 PIT for the county shows fewer people sheltered this year than in the last 9 years. (2015, 610 sheltered, 2017, 450 sheltered, 2019, 467 sheltered, 2022, 525 sheltered, 2023, 378 sheltered, and 2024, 365 sheltered.) Housing Matters continues to receive funding for doing little to relieve core issues of homelessness and appears, with the city, to not even want them around.
I would also like to reiterate Cabanes and the Mental Health Advisory Board's emphasis on decriminalizing homelessness. They recommend to "Decrease cost by decreasing the number of Police units at Encampment Clean Ups. This is an issue of Public Health, not criminal. More than three armed officers is unnecessary, threatening, and expensive." I also feel this is unfair and demoralizing to our police force who have more than enough to do enforcing traffic laws.
Take action by attending the Aug. 26 protest — see poster below — or write to the following to ask for better treatment of our vulnerable community members and better, and less punitive, use of government funds.
This year's PIT report also noted that 86% of the homeless lived in Santa Cruz County when they lost their housing. (10% were from other parts of California and 4% were from out of state.)
Contact all five Santa Cruz County Supervisors
Contact Santa Cruz County Parks and Rec
Contact Phil Kramer
Contact Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley
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PHOTO CONTRIBUTED FROM RAIL AND TRAIL
Neil, a resident living close to Pacific Collegiate School said, “As a neighbor of PCS, auto traffic is reduced in the afternoon. The number of students on bikes on the trail in the afternoon is impressive.”
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Transforming Transportation: The Impact of the Rail Trail on Santa Cruz So Far
BY FAINA SEGAL
Seventy percent of Santa Cruz County lives and works in the County and most commuting is done in the narrow North-South corridor between the Santa Cruz mountains and the Coast of the Monterey Bay. This happens to be the exact corridor that the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line serves. In fact, Santa Cruz County grew up along and around the rail line, which is why it’s no surprise that it serves the densest neighborhoods and job centers in addition to over 40 schools and 92 parks.
The Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line is a 32-mile rail line owned by the County of Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, California office of Rail Transportation and Federal Rail Administration are working together to implement new passenger rail service from Santa Cruz to San Jose via Salinas. The new 22 mile service between Santa Cruz and Pajaro with stops in Seabright, Live Oak, Capitola, Aptos and Watsonville is being designed now.
In the heart of Santa Cruz, a transformation is taking place that is reshaping how people move around the city. The Westside Rail Trail, a 1.7-mile-long protected, car-free pathway, has become a vital artery for the community, connecting the entire Westside and providing a safe, accessible, and environmentally friendly transportation option.
Since its inception, the trail has seen tremendous usage, with hundreds of people relying on it daily to navigate the city. The Westside Rail Trail is not just a convenient route; it’s a symbol of a community embracing a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle.
Safety and Accessibility for Students - The Westside Rail Trail is also making a significant impact on the younger generation. This year, students at many Westside schools have been able to ride their bikes and walk to school safely using the trail.
Olders Too - Trail use is not limited to bikes and pedestrians: mobility scooters; wheelchairs and recumbent tricycles are all welcome on and share the many benefits of the trail.
Beyond the Westside - In addition to its role enhancing car-free traffic on the Westside, the trail is also an important connector, providing access to West Cliff Drive, Wilder Ranch recreational trails and Natural Bridges State Park
As the popularity of the Westside Rail Trail continues to grow, more Rail Trail segments are being built throughout the County. The next segment, connecting the Westside to the Wharf is expected to open this fall, and construction has started on the North Reach from Wilder ranch to Davenport. Next up, the Rail Trail segments from the Boardwalk to Aptos are all expected to start construction in 2026.
The Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) released the first draft engineering proposal for rail service in June. We gave our comments and are waiting eagerly to see these recommendations included in the next iteration that comes before us this fall.
Here’s a quick summary of some of our recommendations:
- The Rail Trail should stay in the Right of Way (next to the tracks) between 38th and Jade Street park.
- All stops need to be placed adjacent to the nearest cross-street, with direct access from the Rail Trail and following best practices for accessibility and safety.
- We should add priorities for accessibility and frequency to our design standards. The linearity of our rail line already gives us great travel times compared to driving, which means we don’t always have to prioritize speed.
- We should have more train stops. Adding stops in places like 7th Ave, Seascape, and Ohlone Parkway mean we reach more neighborhoods that meet the federal grant guidelines and help us meet our transportation needs.
- Planning for how Santa Cruz METRO will align with rail service should be happening now.
Go HERE for more information.
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PHOTO BY CHRIS KROHN
Even though it is day 3 of the DNC, even more cement barriers are being installed around delegate hotels.
Real Security and Fake Security - A Snow Plow in August - DNC, Day 3 Report
BY CHRIS KROHN
A Chicago snow plough, normally used to confront the sometimes vicious snow storms this city routinely receives during its harsh winters, is being used as a go-to security suppression device. It has been one of my most enduring images at this Democratic National Convention (DNC) 2024.
These snow plows are parked in 2’s and 3’s, dozens of them, on many side streets leading up to where the DNC is being held, the United Center, also home of the Chicago Bulls basketball team. These snow ploughs are a low-tech symbol of the intensive security measures that exist all over Chicago as this convention enters its third day. These machines all have Chicago Public Works employees sitting in each driver seat, carry out their 8-hour shift, stationary, waiting to be called to go block a street or intersection. They are being used to divert both vehicular traffic and protester traffic. They are perhaps the lowest of low-tech, but doing the grunt work for the high tech security plans orchestrated by the Dept. of Homeland Security, Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Chicago Police Department. That effort is also backed by many foot soldiers from various Illinois cities and other states, some in battle fatigues, bullet proof vests, and carrying automatic weapons. Last night I saw one group of about 40 (soldiers?) in two lines high-stepping down a busy street adjacent to the United Center as dusk descended on the Windy City.
The security preparations and apparatus present at the DNC in Chicago, and the July RNC in Milwaukee, appears to be a would-be training ground. Not to sound conspiratorial, but if you have your eyes wide open, all this military style movement seems like a blueprint for how cities might be put in lock-down in moments of civil distress and crisis. Many Democrats who’ve taken the stage at the United Center have been keen in pointing to the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 document as an ultimate assault on not only Democracy, but one that advocates for a state of siege should the next Republican administration meet any waves of dissent on its stated mission to reshape the American political, social, religious, and cultural landscape. But seeing the drastic security measures taking place here so that Democrats can carry out their convention unimpeded by pesky protesters, I am left with the feeling that these same Democratic Party decision-makers are complicit in not only the shaping of anti-democratic action and dialogue, but perhaps unwittingly giving over security to the strong-arm tactics of a non-elected national security apparatus.
One last example: There is a wonderful bike-share program here in Chicago similar to Santa Cruz’s B-cycle program. I have been using this program to get around the city, but the DNC security plan has shut down bike stations in a 10-block radius of the United Center where the DNC is holding nightly meetings and the McCormick Center where many Democrats are staying and where programming sessions about party issues are held daily. These two venues are five miles apart and routinely takes delegates a half hour by shuttle bus given the circuitous security route they travel. One delegate told me that this route took almost two hours on the first night of the convention because of “protesters” she said. What I witness is an ongoing police action—stopping, blocking, not directing traffic, constantly scanning their immediate surroundings expecting trouble, but always protecting their own. Most police around these venues are not from Chicago, so they can not offer directions. But of course, the majority of the thousands of security cops here stand around in groups checking their cell phones and often taking up the only shaded areas available in and around the convention venues.
Back to the bike issue. I have not been able to find bike stations to park a bike once I have arrived at my destination. They shut down numerous stations, for security reasons of course, and I ride around, sometimes for 20 minutes, looking for an open station. While I am in bike limbo, there are literally hundreds of cops on bikes, new ones, tires gleaming, headlights, and something I’ve never seen before, loudspeakers fixed to the middle of the handlebars. I have found it to be but one irony in this convention of ironies that the police are on bikes in and around these convention venues because it is the easiest way to get around, but the public cannot get near these same places with their 2-wheeled vehicles. Also, I think back to when I was on the Santa Cruz city council and we were demanding that a certain percentage of police be on bicycles and the pains the police chief went through to try and explain to us why it wouldn’t work and how the rank and file just did not want to be on bikes was breathtaking.
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Lawsuit Against Proposed Auxiliary Lanes
BY RICK LONGINOTTI
In March 2024, the Campaign for Sustainable Transportation and the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit against Caltrans regarding the Environmental Impact Report for proposed auxiliary lanes (exit-only lanes) in Aptos, from State Park Drive to Freedom Boulevard.
There are three important reasons to stop this project:
1. The project will not achieve congestion relief on Hwy 1. In the words of former Executive Director of the Regional Transportation Commission, Linda Wilshusen, “The data in the Draft EIR itself demonstrates no sustained traffic-relief benefit from this Project."
2. The auxiliary lanes will result in the destruction of over 1,100 trees in Aptos, among them many beautiful redwoods.
3. The $180 million earmarked for this project could be better spent on improving our transit system and improving safety on our streets. Santa Cruz County has the 2nd worst rate of injuries to bicyclists and 5th worst rate of injuries to pedestrians out of 58 California counties.
Our lawsuit petition points out that the Caltrans EIR:
- Failed to analyze or mitigate increased vehicle miles traveled resulting from the project.
- Failed to analyze any alternatives to the project, including a genuine bus-on-shoulder express bus service.
- Relies on a Tier I EIR (Master EIR for auxiliary lanes from Santa Cruz to Freedom Blvd) that the court invalidated in 2022 in response to our lawsuit.
See my 20-minute video Why Auxiliary Lanes Won't Work. You can contribute online or to CFST, Box 7927, Santa Cruz, 95061.
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Cactus Fruits,
a Brief Biography
BY KATHLEEN KILPATRICK
Unless tamed into spinelessness
by Luther Burbank, who is said
to have cajoled them,
assuring them of safety in his care,
nopales are forbidding in their thorniness,
a protective strategy
extended to their fruits, the tunas,
those bright orbs formed
from brilliant, tender flowers.
Harvested with care and leather gloves,
tunas are succulent, delicious.
Still, they retain a bit of prickle,
requiring practiced handling,
which is why the six bought from Citlali
at Tuesday’s market a few weeks ago
remained so long in the blue bowl.
Already dark girded when we left them,
a home for fruit flies a week later on return,
they appeared, for all intents, destined
to go directly into compost.
Still, one must not place too much store
on appearance, youth, or beauty.
When it comes to edibility,
I am an eternal optimist.
One by one, I halved them,
with only one, too soft,
too fulminant, discarded.
Opening their withered,
blackened, bristled skins
revealed juicy hearts of deep magenta,
scooped out and chopped,
and promptly savored.
A little past their prime perhaps,
yet they retained their sweetness
and their succulence,
tempered by abundant seeds,
too hard to chew.
Indigenous folk of Baja Sur
feasted wildly, seasonally,
on pitaya, their native cactus fruits,
with joy and gathering.
They then consumed a second harvest,
the seeds, excreted, cleaned, and roasted,
ground to meal for little cakes.
If you find this little tale repugnant,
perhaps you’ve never drunk coffee
from berries passed through a civet cat,
or found surprises in your baby’s diaper,
or loved a dog who loved to feast on feces.
We are all products of recycling,
will one day be recycled.
Better not to waste
what can be put to use,
best to savor that which is revealed
when we seize that risk with joy,
and open to uncertainty.
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PHOTOS FROM KATHLEEN KILPATRICK
Tunas, fruit from the nopal, or prickly pear cactus.
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Tunas, peeled, deseeded, mashed and ready to eat. | |
CARTOON BY ELIZABETH WILLIAMS | |
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The Old Chinese Buddhist Poets
BY WOODY REHANEK
...knew a thing or two
about landscapes, weather & time.
They had the knack of revealing
eternity in snow, rain, mist, wind,
clouds, rivers, lakes, & mountains--
all echoing the mind's floating
as in the ancient scroll paintings.
Some poets were unencumbered
by the accouterments
of civilization; others
were embedded in bureaucracies.
All knew how to use their tools:
swords for injustice, saki for company,
water to mirror the mind's
debris or glorious transparency.
Their lives followed cherry blossom
trajectories--blooming, withering,
carpeting the centuries with petals
as though it were yesterday.
Following those cherry blossom paths,
you could actually learn how to live.
************
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San Francisco Mime Troupe's 65th production, American Dreams Comes to Santa Cruz, Sept. 7, 3pm, at London Nelson, 301 Center St. Santa Cruz
For a limited time, from Aug. 13 to Sept. 8, 11:59pm, PDT, audiences around the country and the world will be able to watch this critically-acclaimed original play American Dreams for free on Vimeo.
Visit VIMEO to watch FREE until Sept. 8.
To access for FREE use promo code: powertothepeople
Tip - enter code before logging your personal info.
Though free, we encourage you to make a
suggested donation of $20.
And help us share this play we created -for the people with the people, wherever they live, by forwarding this email to 10 friends!
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
A doulble-crested cormorant searches the waters of Soquel Creek for an afternoon snack.
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Santa Cruz County Covid-19 Report - Rt goes below 1 for first time in 13 Weeks
By SARAH RINGLER
The California Department of Public Health and Santa Cruz County Health Department regularly release data on the current status of Covid-19 in the county as well as information on influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and Mpox. Since cases of Covid are still appearing, and there are still vulnerable people, I will continue reporting the graphs below.
The three graphs below were updated on Aug. 21.
The first graph is the Effective Reproductive Number. When the line rises above one, it shows that the spread of the virus is increasing. Below one means the spread is decreasing. Last week it appeared the Rt was dropping below 1.0 but when this week's graph was released, the number stayed above 1.0.
The second graph below shows data that the Health Department collects for Covid from wastewater at the City Influent, for the city of Santa Cruz, and from the Lode Street pump stations for the county.
The third graph below shows hospitalizations.
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Photo TARMO HANNULA
Fashion Street — This man uses a walker to stroll along Soquel Avenue in downtown Santa Cruz.
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Labor History Calendar - Aug. 23-29, 2024
a.k.a Know Our History Lest We Forget
Aug. 23, 1834: British National Trades Union founded.
Aug. 23, 1927: Sacco and Vanzetti executed.
Aug. 23, 2021: Striking doctors forced back to work after pharmacists pledge to join strike in Nigeria.
Aug. 24, 1980: Solidarnosc founded in Gdansk, Poland.
Aug. 24, 2020: Media reports Tacoma area postal workers defied managers to reinstall six mail sorting machines to slow delivery.
Aug. 25, 1819: Birth of Allen Pinkerton whose strike-breaking detectives (Pinks) gave us the work “fink.”
Aug. 25, 1933: 100 IWW pickets arrested in Yakima, Washington.
Aug. 25, 1968: Battle of Lincoln Park in Chicago.
Aug. 26, 1919: UMW organizer Fannie Sellins gunned down by company guards in Brackenridge, PA.
Aug. 26, 1970: Alice Doesn’t Day – US and French women demonstrate for equal pay, reproductive freedom and an end to domestic violence.
Aug. 27, 1950: Truman seizes railroads to block strike.
Aug. 28, 1968: Black bus drivers wildcat strike against racist union and management in Chicago.
Aug. 28,1995: Boise, Idaho construction workers “wobble” job: several IWWs blacklisted.
Aug. 29, 2009: 3,000 garment workers end two-day strike against wage cuts in Cambodia.
Aug. 29, 2013: Strikes across US continue fast food workers’ living wage fight.
Labor History Calendar has been published yearly by the Hungarian Literature Fund since 1985.
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Two Daughters
Hope has two daughters.
Their names are Anger and Courage.
Anger at the way things are and
Courage to see that they do not remain as they are.
-- Augustine of Hippo (Saint Augustine)
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Photo by TARMO HANNULA
Crispy Cabbage Leaf Pancake
By SARAH RINGLER
Humorously, each pancake is one leaf of cabbage that has been dragged through a batter and fried until crisp. Spoon on a little vinegary sauce and eat. It’s pretty easy and very satisfying.
The recipe calls for Chinese cabbage, native to the area around Beijing in northwest China. It is commonly used in Chinese, Japanese and Korean cooking. It has a more delicate leaf and flavor than the more common cabbage found around here.
Chinese cabbage is called napa cabbage in California although I couldn’t find a reason for that; “nappa” is a Japanese word referring to leaves from edible vegetables. In Australia, it’s called wombok. The Korean word is baechu, so since this is a Korean recipe these pancakes are called baechujeon. Baechu is also an essential ingredient in kimchi, a pickled salad common on Korean table and would do well alongside these pancakes. The recipe is from maangchi.com/recipe/baechujeon,
Napa cabbage comes in various sizes and I recommend buying the smaller ones so you can cook more leaves at the same time. Large leaves need to be fried singularly so it takes longer to fry them and they lose their crispiness when they sit.
Some of the flavor of the pancake comes from the stock so try not to use just water. Japanese dried Hondashi added to water makes an excellent stock. Four to five leaves make a nice lunch or dinner for two.
Baechujeon
8 ounces napa cabbage leaves, 4 to 5 leaves
Vegetable oil for frying
Batter:
1 cup stock (vegetable stock, anchovy-kelp stock, Japanese dashi or chicken broth)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅔ cup all purpose-flour
1 egg
Sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon coarse ground chili pepper or gochu-garu
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 green onion, minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
Prepare the napa cabbage by cutting off one inch of the thick base, depending on the size of the cabbage you bought. Wash and dry the leaves. Use leaves that can fit into your large frying pan. Cut a slit about an inch or so into the thick stalk so the leaf lies flat when pressed down.
Make the sauce. Combine the soy sauce, ground chili pepper, vinegar, green onion, and sesame seeds in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
Make the batter by combining the stock, salt, flour, and the egg in a large bowl. Mix together well with a whisk.
To fry the cabbage leaves, heat up some vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Swirl to coat pan evenly. When the pan is hot, dip a cabbage leaf into the batter, making sure to coat the whole leaf. Place it in the skillet. Repeat with another leaf if possible.
With a spatula, press down on the base of the leaves for about 10 seconds to flatten them out. Cook until lightly crisped on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip and add more oil if necessary. Cook another 2 minutes, until the other side is lightly crisp, too. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, until both sides are crisp but not brown.
Transfer to a plate and serve right away with the dipping sauce. Work in batches with the rest of cabbage and the batter.
To eat, cut the pancake into bite size slices crosswise with a kitchen scissors. Add some dipping sauce and eat. Serves 2.
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Send your story, poetry or art: Please submit a story, poem or photo of your art that you think would be of interest to the people of Santa Cruz County. Try and keep the word count to around 400. Also, there should be suggested actions if this is a political issue. Submit to coluyaki@gmail.com
Send comments to coluyaki@gmail.com
If you are enjoying the Serf City Times, forward it on to others.
Subscribe, contact or find back issues at the website https://serf-city-times.constantcontactsites.com
Thanks, Sarah Ringler
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