Chef Charles Phan is the visionary and executive chef of the world renowned Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco. But the James Beard award‐winning chef admits that most of the credit for his success goes to his family. There are upwards of 18 Phan siblings, cousins, aunts, and nephews working with the chef. Family comes first and it is easy to understand why—from their humble beginnings fleeing North Vietnam as part of the Boat People exodus in the 1970’s to building a hugely successful restaurant enterprise in America today—it’s all in the family. In this episode the chef and his family head south to Santa Cruz where the surfs up and the farmer is caught playing hooky in the waves. When he finally dries off, farmer Joe Schirmer is planting and harvesting Chef Phan’s unique Asian ingredients. Schirmer explains how his farm (Dirty Girl Produce) is split between two of the best growing regions of the Bay Area‐‐ Santa Cruz’s banana belt, where the weather is relatively hot and dry and La Selva Beach is a strong coastal influence. This mixed climate enables Schirmer to grow what Phan needs to be at the top of San Francisco’s food scene. The family gathers and sells, together at the Santa Cruz Farm Market. Then, back in the kitchen the chef and his 3 children whip up Vietnamese, Thai, and Chinese specialties with an all American twist suited for a weekend night.