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Think dynamo in a compact package and you have a pretty good picture of Joan Reden.
   Organic gardener, wife, mother, healthy cook, musician, artist, Sedgewick docent, Joan could easily run circles around me and would probably do so on her motor scooter.
  With Santa Ynez’s Star Drug popping out of The Wooden Spoon’s metaphorical hat, I visited with one half of the duo behind the business and she filled me on the Redens’ busy life. Valley residents for nearly 24 year, Joan and Steve have been married for 28.  “We’ve been together,” she said, “for 35 to 36 years.”  Both born and raised in West Los Angeles, they didn’t meet until Steve hired her as a Pharmacy Tech and it sounds like the rest, as they say, is history.
  Parents of four, their children are split between the east and west coast. A son and daughter in New York and a son and daughter make their homes on this side of the continent.
   About the motor scooter, during a visit to Italy, Joan said, Vespas caught her eye and triggered her interest. “Last year,” she continued, “I got one.” She and a girl friend, ordered scooters and are enjoying their alternative mode of transportation. A member of a scooter club with “20-ish” members, Joan is taking a motor cycle safety course and going on rides.  “You have one year to get your license,” she explained.

Joan Reden prepares to replentish the composter.

  Steve on the other hand, takes to the road in a more conventional manor.  “His hobby is his Porsche,” she said. “He likes taking care of it and has attended a BMW driving school in South Carolina.”  In case you haven’t met Steve, he is one of the friendly faces behind the counter at Star Drugs. A pharmacist for 40 years, he earned his degree at University of Arizona in Tucson.
  Steve and Joan share an interest in tennis, and both love to travel. When asked about their food interests, Joan was quick to point out that they eat lots of salads, fish, beans, chicken and veggies.

  “We love to grill, too,” she said, adding that “we like simple foods, no sauces, just lots of flavor from herbs and spices.” Admitting to a fondness for Italian food, Joan went on to wax poetic over Mexican cuisine. “Whenever I get to L.A.,” she said, “it’s Tito’s Tacos for a burrito.”
  A beautiful garden behind their home attests to their love of fresh, healthy foods.  “We really are adventuresome in our tastes, but stick to organic, local, sustainable foods and stay away from sodas and processed foods.”
  I enjoyed meeting Joan, we visited, talked food, kids, snacked on homemade banana bread and before I left took a tour of their garden.

  Healthy, productive and due in part, I’m sure, to the commitment to composting and keeping things as natural as possible.
  When we came to talking recipes, she shared a couple of her favorites, some olive and anchovy bites and a wonderful roasted tomato soup that is served with homemade bruschetta.
  Great for snacking and nibbling, these “bites” come from her long-time friend Nicole Peña who served up many culinary treasures as owner of the Santa Cota Market.

Joan Reden displays the result, a rich, soil nourishing compost.

OLIVE & ANCHOVY BITES
  
1 cup flour
1 stick chilled butter
1 cup finely grated cheese (Manchego or Gruyere)
2 oz. anchovy fillets, roughly chopped
1/2 cup (2 ounces) pitted black olives, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Sea salt

  Place all ingredients into the food processor and pulse until the mixture forms a firm dough.

ROASTED TOMATO SOUP

12 large (about FOUR pounds) tomatoes, stemmed and quartered
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
12 large garlic cloves, peeled
Sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, plus few leaves torn for garnish
2 cups cold water

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Stem and quarter tomatoes and, using a large bowl, mix with 1/4 cup of the oil, the vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper, to taste.  Spread the tomatoes out on a non reactive baking sheet and roast in the oven until very dark in spots, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove and allow to cool a bit.  In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining 1/4 cup oil, onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very soft.
Add basil leaves and sauté with the onions for about one minute more. Add the roasted tomatoes and water. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for ten minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Puree the tomato mixture in a blender, starting with the motor at a slow speed, increasing gradually. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender right in the pot. The mixture should be very smooth. You should have about eight cups. You can prepare the soup to this point and refrigerate it. When ready to serve, pour the soup into a medium saucepan and bring it to a slow simmer over medium heat. Serve with following bruschetta.

BRUSCHETTA

1 loaf country style bread
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt

Cut the bread crosswise into slices about one inch thick (you will need eight slices). Lightly brush both sides with olive oil and season with salt.

Place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown and just beginning to crisp, about six minutes. To serve the soup:  place one bruschetta in the center of a shallow soup bowl and pour the around each bruschetta. Garnish with torn basil leaves.