On a recent trip to the Orange County Fair — the ninth largest fair in the United States — the onslaught of fried delights had me feeling quite guilty. Luckily, the theme for this year’s fair was “Farm to Table,” despite the rampant availability of cheeseburgers with donuts for buns. Organizers invited a number of nationally-renowned chefs and speakers to give fair attendees live culinary demonstrations … and something they didn’t’ expect to eat.
One of the featured speakers at this year’s fair was Chef Keiko Beatie, who is also a longtime cannabis advocate and OC NORML board member. Chef Keiko was on-hand to show aspiring chefs among the gathered crowd how to whip up delicious vegan dishes that would impress friends, family, and guests who have chosen the vegan lifestyle — and everyone else, too.
Chef Keiko’s enthusiasm for healthy culinary creations was infectious, radiating among the audience during her live cooking class. As samples of Keiko’s non-dairy chocolate strawberry pudding made from avocados were passed around to drooling audience members, the revelation that the delicious dessert also contained hemp drew oohs, ahhs, and even a gasp or two.
Tips from Chef Keiko: Best if chilled before serving and let’s see if they guess it’s made from avocados! Enjoy making it with love!
“Hemp seeds are so nutritious because they’re full of complete protein and lots of Omega-3 dl fatty acids. Food made with hemp not only tastes great but can help ward off cancer, diabetes, and other diseases,” explained Chef Keiko.
“Hey, what’s better than some hemp and a Zeppelin cover band? That’s a fair!”
Chef Keiko followed up her dessert-first sample giveaway with a lesson on how to make her Summer Veggie Bean Salad, perfect for backyard cookouts or a simple afternoon snack. The delicious salad, which will serve roughly six people with the ingredients provided in Keiko’s recipe, also contains hemp seeds and CBD. Everyone in the crowd was looking for seconds of the salad after samples had run out, and during a follow-up conversation recently, Chef Keiko informed me that multiple people from the fair had reached out to her for information on obtaining CBD oil.
While Chef Keiko has provided cooking lessons on hemp-infused creations at the Orange County and San Diego Fairs before, this is the first time Keiko incorporated CBD into her demonstration. This is the first year of the fair where adults can legally grow hemp or cannabis in the state of California, so it only makes sense to educate people on healthy uses for the plant. Keiko says it was “a pleasure to share this information with the community in the goal for better health and well-being for all.”
The end of marijuana prohibition in California means you may soon be able to consume cannabis for fun at the fair, too. The language of Proposition 64, passed last November, affords fairground operators the opportunity to apply for a license that would allow adults over the age of 21 to consume marijuana at a fair or other private event held on the grounds. Though county fairs are events organized with the entire family in mind, it is not uncommon to find beer gardens, wine competitions, and other adult-only activities at California fairs.
Who knows, maybe next year Marijuana.com will be sharing THC-infused demonstrations from Chef Keiko‘s mainstream events. Ultimately, that’s up to the fair’s board of directors, but Keiko is ready. “I would be honored to share with fair attendees the benefits of cannabis-infused foods at the Orange County and San Diego Fairs,” added Keiko.
credit:marijuana.com