Hungry for history: New story times will discuss La Jolla lore and food

La Jolla has a thriving food scene today, but it has an equally interesting culinary history.

For example, who knew iceberg lettuce was invented in La Jolla? Or the story of Jethro Swain, one of La Jolla’s first farmers? Or that Virginia Scripps — sister of La Jolla philanthropist Ellen Browning Scripps — had her own curry recipe? Or that there was something called a “whale barbecue” in La Jolla?

To share this local lore and more, the La Jolla Historical Society is presenting a new series of Story Hours centered on La Jolla and food. The free story times, led by local historian Carol Olten, will be held at 2 p.m. Sundays starting Oct. 12 and continuing through Nov. 23 on the Historical Society’s campus at 780 Prospect St.

“They will take a narrative look at the stories we don’t normally get exposed to by reading history books off the shelf,” Olten said. “La Jolla has had a lot of interesting people — some are kooky and smart, some are involved in local groups and others are more quiet. … So I want to find people and places and things that are a bit more off the beaten path.”

There will be sessions centered on a recipe book by a social club that includes abalone stew and Virginia Scripps’ curry; early restaurants and their interesting menus; and elaborate holiday dinners at places such as the La Valencia Hotel and Casa de Mañana.

Right before Halloween, Olten said, there will be a “spooky story time” about dinners that used to be held in local caves, complete with the tale of a man who would show up wearing a white shirt and gold cufflinks and asking for work.

Another story focuses on Swain, who came to La Jolla with his wife in 1910 and bought a large piece of land around Girard Avenue and Genter Street and started a farm.

“He supported himself by raising fresh produce, milking cows and raising chickens for eggs and supplying the community with his products,” Olten said. “He experimented with different seeds to see what would grow in this climate instead of Ohio, where he was from.”

The Historical Society has copies of Swain’s diaries, which proved to be “wonderful resources to explain what it was like for a normal person living in La Jolla at that time,” Olten said.

Olten also will pull from the stories of a young woman who grew up on an agricultural station established in La Jolla that led to the growing of iceberg lettuce.

“There was a field station and the idea was to alter the growth of produce so it could be more readily shipped by freight,” Olten said. “They needed lettuce that would not go limp en route to Arizona or beyond, so the iceberg head lettuce was invented.”

To find out more about the story times, visit lajollahistory.org/storytime.