Beacon Coffee Company coffee samples
There's a new artisan micro-roaster, coffee company that just might change the way we in Ventura County savor a cup of java. Beacon Coffee Company, headed by John Wheir, located on Olivas Park Drive is taking beans to a new level.
French presses of coffee to sample and chocolates
I got the chance to meet John and sample two of his roasts, one Honduran and an organic Nicuraguan roast, last week at Lynn Okun's Art Barn in downtown Ventura. She was hosting the weekly pickup for CSA members of Rio Gozo organic farm in Ojai. Newlywed farmers Johnny Fonteyn and his bride Elizabeth,
Elizabeth of Rio Gozo Farm
have been introducing their members to value-added options to include along with their weekly vegetables like preserves and yes, delicious, locally-roasted coffee.
This beautiful, sunny day, we sat and sipped Beacon coffee's carefully roasted beans and nibbled on a sugar-crusted homemade French toast in a black-iron skillet provided by hostess with the mostest, Lynn
A skillet of crystalized French toast
Lynn Okun, our hostess
and unique chocolates Elizabeth brought. As we sat, CSA members filtered in to pick up their boxes of rainbow-hued bright lights chard, perfect baby collards, celery, several lettuces, fennel, cilantro, carrots and broccoli and savor a cup or two.
A few of the veggies from Rio Gozo Farm's CSA box
Elizabeth explained what each vegetable was and members had the chance to talk about how to prepare them as they savored their warm coffee.
Elizabeth and Johnny of Rio Gozo Farm talking to a CSA member
John Wheir also was available to answer copious questions about fair-trade, different ways of roasting and the flavors he's enhanced in each bean.
John Wheir of Beacon Coffee, illuminating conversation on a sun-streaked day
H elaborated on his delicate methods of roasting that enhance but don't hide the bean's flavors. He ultimately wants people to be able to identify the coffee's country of origin by taste alone and to do tastings where people can travel the world with cups of java as their vehicle.
What an incredibly cozy Ventura afternoon filled with foodies, farmers, artists and warm comforting coffee. I ended the afternoon by walking Lynn's gardens and seeing her new sculptures and yes, the pizza oven she built out of earth that I covet.
Lynn Okun's "Loven" pizza oven made of earth
Perhaps soon we'll get together a group to make gourmet pizzas under the stars.
