The New Slow Food Piedmont Triad Blog

We've moved the blog to http://slowfoodpiedmont.wordpress.com for now. Please update your blogroll!

Open House with Focus on Local Meats at Goat Lady Dairy Oct. 1

October 1, 2006
Open House with a focus on Local Meats!
Goat Lady Dairy, Randolph County
1-5 p.m.

All friends of Slow Food are encouraged to come out to the country to enjoy the fall Open House. Each spring and fall the Tate Family opens their farm and dairy for visitors to get up close and personal to the goats, chickens, pigs and cows, tour the organic gardens and pastures, taste and buy handmade cheese and learn firsthand about one family's efforts to establish sustainable, local agriculture. This fall Slow Food is sponsoring a special emphasis at the Open House to help us all learn about the many local farms now producing clean raised meats. We have invited farmers producing pork, beef, ostrich, chicken, lamb and goat to help us learn about their production methods and bring meat for sale. This event is free and open to all except PLEASE, do NOT bring your pets! (strange animals really stress out the animals who live there)

Don't forget to bring a cooler!

For directions to Goat Lady Dairy, see their web site at
http://www.goatladydairy.com.

School Kids at the Market

Middle school kids from Greensboro Montessori (on Horsepen Creek Road, 688-0119) harvested, prepared and served food from their school garden last Saturday, September 16 at the Greensboro Curb Market. Chef Brian Dahlstrom, head chef at the Greensboro coliseum, along with Mary Ellen Smith, their kitchen and catering manager volunteered their time and equipment to conduct a tasting of autumn food. Angie Thompson and Jon McLean of the Montessori school came along for support and picture taking.

Everyone got there early at 7am, heated the grill, sliced and diced, and eventually offered a delicious vegetable hash of potatoes, butternut squash, onion, peppers and basil served on a toasted tortilla to hundreds of marketers.



Everyone had a good time and enjoyed the food. It is part of Slow Food's presence at the Saturday market as well as a demonstration of the fruits of a school garden. We hope to do it again soon.

Charlie Headington

School Kids at the Market!

September 16, 7am-11am

Taste the bounty of the Greensboro Montessori School gardens as its students slice, prepare, and share their autumn harvest with friends of the market.

Look for chef Brian and the kids in the Tasting Booth at the Greensboro Farmer's Curb Market, corner of Lindsay and Yanceyville, across from the old baseball stadium, from 7am-11am.

Support Slow Food, school kids and school gardens.

Chef Tom Peters Demonstrates Fruit Carving to Marketgoers

A couple of weeks ago Chef Peters impressed and entertained the Greensboro Farmers’ Curb Market crowd with his amazing ability to transform fruit into art. Chef Peters works at Heritage Woods Retirement Community as a chef but has practiced the skill of fruit carving for years.

Using a fine gauged set of instruments as well as regular knives, he created a flower bouquet on the face of a watermelon, coaxed a swan from an apple and dressed up many other pieces of fruit. Carved fruit makes a wonderful table top display.

In conjunction with our theme of seasonal fruit, we served up smoothies Slow Food style; all local ingredients except the bananas. Favorites included a banana/watermelon/mint/honey smoothie and a peach/cantelope/banana/blueberry one. We tried every combination available to us and they were all good. There really isn’t a recipe for these healthful concoctions, simply take fruit and a little ice and blend it thoroughly. To thin add orange juice, to avoid using ice use frozen fruit in addition to fresh.

As always, thanks so much to Mary Ellen, our visiting chef Tom Peters, and all the market vendors who provided the delicious produce that made the event possible.

See you September 16th when the Montessori kids and Charlie Headington whip up some wonderful creations fresh from their Edible Schoolyard.

Slow Food Booth at the Market this Saturday

This weekend is a great time to stop by the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market at the corner of Yanceyville and Lindsay streets. Slow Food is hosting another day of culinary creativeness, this time with guest chef Tom Peters.

The focus will be on REFRESHING and the bounty of fruits available at the market. Cantelope, peaches, watermelon and even a few blueberries and early apples are ripe right now.

On Saturday from 7:30 to 11 or so you'll find us at the booth with the striped awning sharing delicious tastings of blended fruit drinks and displaying examples of how to decorate your table with fruit. Fruit as food, fruit as art!

See you there!

Chef Bryan Dahlstrom's Amazing Market Bruschetta

This Saturday’s Slow Food booth at the Greensboro Farmers’ Curb Market was a great deal of fun. Chef Bryan Dahlstrom, the Executive Chef for Centerplate at the Greensboro Coliseum, volunteered his time to serve up a wonderful combination of market ingredients. Bryan’s recipe for Farmhouse Bruschetta calls for using sourdough bread from Simple Kneads and heirloom tomatoes as a base to build on, then letting your imagination run wild with all of the great choices for toppings available at the market.

Donations of sourdough bread from Simple Kneads, feta cheese from Goat Lady Dairy, baba ganoush and hummus from Zaytoon, as well as purchases of heirloom tomatoes from Handance Farm, butter from the Amish farmstead, and lots of little extras from other market vendors gave us the very best ingredients to work with. The crowds were thick as Bryan and Mary Ellen (a dedicated Slow Food enthusiast and head of food service for the entire coliseum) cooked and served up a delightful array of bruschettas. Bryan’s daughter Monique was on hand too, and chopped greens, drizzled olive oil, and added the final touches to the taste treats. Over and over we gave directions to the vendors responsible for such amazing bread, tomatoes, butter and cheese. Lots of mini lessons on the value of heirlooms throughout the day too! People could not believe the taste!

Not sure how many people we served that day, but we stopped counting mid-morning at around 250 so it was many more than that. The primary recipe we served (sourdough bread, butter, soft cheese, heirloom tomatoes, mesculin greens, basil olive oil and sea salt) appears below and was touted by many as the best bruschetta they’d ever had. I agree wholeheartedly. In addition to the basic recipe, we served bruschetta topped with an ever varying array of baba ganoush, hummus, cheddar cheese, feta, arugula and porcini oil. Lots of double tasters assured us that all the selections were crowd pleasers.

As Executive Chef for the Greensboro Coliseum, Bryan is responsible for a wide range of culinary events including luncheon meetings for groups such as the Greensboro Sports' Council, the Piedmont Triad Council of Governments and other local civic groups' formal business meetings, conventions such as the Southern Baptist National Convention, backstage catering for concerts, and VIP hospitality areas at large scale sporting events such as the ACC and NCAA basketball tournaments. Bryan and his family are newcomers to the Greensboro area having recently relocated from Jacksonville Florida where Bryan was the head pastry chef at the Jacksonville Jaguars Stadium. His delightful recipe follows:

Grilled Farmhouse Bruschetta

One loaf of crusty artisan bread, sliced thin, preferably sourdough
1 pound of farmhouse cheddar, soft fromage or goat cheese
Approx 8 -10 cups tender leafy salad greens (like frisee, arugula, dandelions, squash blossoms, etc...)
2 pounds vine-ripe heirloom tomatoes, fairly thinly sliced
1 pound butter, organic preferred
Extra virgin olive oil, to taste, use basil or porcini olive oil for extra flavor
Kosher or sea Salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Butter both sides of bread, lightly toast both sides on grill or in skillet. Assemble open-face sandwich on baking sheet starting with sliced, spread or crumbled cheese on top, followed by the sliced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Place in 350 degree oven for about 3 - 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped fresh greens, drizzle with your choice of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Serve whole slices or cut into strips for a slightly messy but smaller serving. Enjoy!

Slow Food at the Market July 15

Stop by the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market this Saturday from 7:30am-11:00am for a special treat. The market is located at the corner of Yanceyville and Lindsay Streets in Greensboro.

Chef Dahlstrom, the new executive chef for the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, is helping Slow Food Piedmont spread the word about delicious local produce, meats and cheeses by cooking up a little tasting event at our booth.

Our booth is near the Lindsay Street entrance. Just look for our banner and the black and white striped awning, or follow your nose for a free tasting of something delicious made from market ingredients. To find out what, you'll have to visit us Saturday!

This is a great time to visit the market. So many fruits and vegetables are at their peak, and as always there are plentiful selections of meats, cheeses, eggs, and many other household staples. You'll also find specialty items like honey, dips, jams, baked goods, and Middle Eastern delicacies at the market so don't miss out.

Hope to see you there.

~Lavonne Childs

Slow Food Family Picnic/Potluck at Old Salem this Sunday!

July 16, 2006 (this Sunday!)
Slow Food Family Picnic at Old Salem
Behind Single Brothers' Workshop, Winston Salem, NC
Picnic begins at 1 pm
$5 suggested donation to Slow Food

Come join us for a Slow Food Picnic and Potluck at Old Salem Museums and Gardens on Sunday, July 16, starting at 1:00. Please bring a dish that features local, seasonal food and a blanket or chairs for your picnic spot. Please write the name of the dish and recipe on an index card to be placed by the dish. Beverages, plates, and utensils will be provided.

(We get a lot of requests for recipes at the potlucks, so the plan is to post recipes on the web site at www.slowfoodpiedmont.org/recipes.html - now under construction!)

This is a family event, so be sure to bring your spouse, significant other and/or children. (Sorry, no dogs allowed.) After the picnic, Jill Crouse, Old Salem gardener, will talk to us about the heirloom gardens, and they will be open to those who would like to tour them.

The picnic area will be located in the grassy area behind the Single Brothers' Garden. Parking is available in the parking lot on Salt Street (enter Salt Street from Walnut, off Old Salem Rd.) or at the Visitors' Center. Directions to Old Salem are available at http://www.oldsalem.org/visit/location.htm. In case of rain, the potluck will be held in the Multi-Purpose Room in the Single Brothers' Workshop, located beside the picnic area.

www.oldsalem.org

Chef Chris Mckinley Wows Farmers' Market Crowd

This past Saturday, Chef Chris Mckinley and his lovely wife Samantha volunteered their time to the SF booth at the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market. Chef Chris puts on the Dinners at the Dairy for Goat Lady Dairy and is the chef for the Nasher Museum Cafe at Duke University. He and his wife, a cheese maker, are enthusiastic supporters of eating local foods.

This weekend they took the lead for SF, hosting a wonderful cooking and tasting session focused on the bountiful array of summer squashes available this time of year. Mary Ellen Smith was there too, providing the original inspiration for focusing on smells and sizzling at the booth, as well as bringing us the cooking gear and helping serve.

Chef Chris whipped up a delicious smelling batch of Zephyr Squash Fritters and Tomato Feta Topping (Chris's recipes below) and the crowds soon followed; more than 250 tasters! The recipe was an excellent example of taking a plentiful and inexpensive produce item and adding a few additional local ingredients for an amazing outcome. The fritters were pretty, smelled great and had outstanding flavor. Our group purchased beautiful produce, eggs and cheese from Cornerstone Garlic Farm, Inspiration Farm, Goat Lady Dairy, Weatherhand Farm, market manager Larry Smith and a few others.

SF gathered lots of names and email addresses of interested market goers and we can't wait to host our next chef demonstration on July 15th from 7:30am-11am. Ideas for that day and a volunteer or two are welcome. We are still looking for a chef for that day as well. We hope to see you there. Here is the recipe for the fritters and topping:

Zephyr Squash Fritters

1 pound (about 2 medium) zucchini
1 tsp salt
1 medium clove garlic, peeled, chopped
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 TBL chopped thyme
1/2 cup flour
2 to 4 TBL olive oil

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate zucchini into a medium bowl. Add the salt, thyme, garlic, pepper, and eggs. Mix well to combine. Slowly add flour, stirring so no lumps form. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until the oil sizzles when you drop a small amount of zucchini mixture into the pan. Carefully drop about 2 Tablespoons zucchini mixture into pan; repeat, spacing fritters a few inches apart. Cook fritters until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Turn fritters and continue cooking until golden, 2 to 3 minutes more.

Tomato and Goat Feta Topping

3 medium tomato-diced
6 oz goat feta cheese
2 cloves garlic-minced
1 TBL tarragon
1/4 cup balsamic
2 tsp salt

Place diced tomato in bowl. Sprinkle with salt and mix. Allow to stand approximately 15-20 min. Add tarragon, garlic, balsamic, feta and spoon onto hot fritters. Enjoy!

Cherry Picking at Levering Orchard

This past Sunday, my husband Sandy and I participated in a lovely experience that I plan to repeat at least yearly. Along with members of Slow Food Piedmont Triad and UNCG's "Simple Living in a Complex World" class, we wound our way up to the Levering Orchard in Ararat, Virginia, just north of the N.C./Virginia line between Mount Airy and the Blue Ridge Parkway, to pick cherries and share good food and good company.

The Levering Orchard is 98 years old. Frank Levering's grandfather first planted the cherry trees here, and Frank and his wife Wanda Urbanska took over the operation of the farm in 1986, a move that they wrote about in their book Simple Living. It is a pick-your-own orchard, although there are some already picked fruits available for sale. Levering Orchard is known for its cherries, but it also offers peaches, nectarines, pears, and apples. See the Levering Orchard web site for this year's schedule and other information.

We carpooled to the orchard from a couple of departure points, and once there, headed straight for the trees. The trees were much bigger than I'd anticipated, and they were chock-full of cherries! By late Sunday afternoon, many of the low-hanging branches had been picked, necessitating climbing the heavy tall ladders. I was in a tree as often as possible when I was a child, so I enjoyed the excuse to get up there and simply sit for a spell while my husband picked cherries. It is hard but pleasant work, and it is easy to pick more cherries than you meant to buy or use! We concentrated on picking the large dark sweet cherries, and bought half a bucket of the smaller tart cherries already picked. I estimate that between us we picked about 17 pounds of cherries. When it is this much fun, it's hard to stop. And the scenery and the view - well, it was gorgeous.





After we all finished our cherry picking, Wanda, Frank, and their son Henry joined us for a potluck picnic and a discussion afterwards about simple living and Slow Food. Also joining in the discussion were Tenley Weaver and Dennis Dove of Full Circle Organic Farm. Tenley and Dennis operate a food distribution co-op of local produce that focuses on USDA-certified organic and biologically-grown vegetables and no/low spray fruits called "Good Food Good People." They provide consumers and restaurants in southwest Virginia with seasonal sustainably-grown food.

I had a nice conversation afterwards with Frank Levering about my daydream of buying a couple of acres for a little blueberry farm. He was so encouraging that I might actually look into it some day, after Italy! (Everything is "before Italy" or "after Italy" these days - looks like it is already a benchmark in my life.)

Wanda and Frank are the authors of several books about simple living as well as the host and writers of the television program Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska, beginning its third season on PBS in January 2007. In a nutshell, this is how they describe the show:

"Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska examines what people can do to make their lives easier and more stress-free, from buying products that will last a long time to managing budgets more responsibly. The show focuses on four themes: environmental stewardship, thoughtful consumption, community involvement and financial responsibility."

I recommend their book Nothing's Too Small to Make a Difference, for a well-rounded view of the simple living philosophy.

For more photos of the event, please go to the Flickr photo site that Mandie created for Slow Food Piedmont Triad.

Flickr group created

I've created a new flickr group so that we can share our photos of Slow Food events, like yesterday's cherry-picking! It's a invitation-only group, so please email me @ mandie [at] captivatedbymandie -dot- com with SLOW in the subject and your email (or flickr site), and I'll send you an invite!

Local Food Goes Mainstream

Time Magazine published an excellent article on the Locavores and the Eat Local Challenge called The Lure of the 100-Mile Diet in the June 4 issue. In fact, it had a whole section on "Eating Smart," including an article from Michael Pollan entitled Six Rules for Eating Wisely, and another article by Margot Roosevelt on pasture-raised beef, The Grass-Fed Revolution.

All are well-written, informative articles and well worth your time!

City Budget Cuts and the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market

Today, I found out that one of the positions that might be eliminated as part of the city budget cuts is the coordinator for the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market. This person is responsible for publicity, event planning, grant-writing, and is a liason to the city government. This is the person largely responsible for the huge growth in the farmers' market in recent years, and the wonderful events such as the semiannual Pottery Festival and Crafts in the Afternoon.

The farmers' market supports local farmers, food artisans, businesses, and craftsmen. The other events support local artists and craftsmen. They provide a great service and a community-building experience for our citizens. Altogether, they are a big part of why Greensboro is a wonderful place to live. The people who frequent the Curb Market are passionate about it.

This year Slow Food Piedmont Triad and others were optimistic about working to obtain money to improve and add on to the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market. Plans had begun to add a tasting kitchen and a social area with tables and chairs where shoppers could eat one of the tasty breakfasts that volunteers at the Market often cook, such as the strawberry pancakes on Strawberry Day, or the local eggs, grits, sausage and biscuits served on Farmers' Appreciation Day. Or where they can simply sit and chat over a cup of coffee. Design students from UNCG were on board to design the spaces.

Our city manager thinks that we might possibly rather keep a dollar or two in our pockets annually than keep the person responsible for bringing us these delightful days and events on the payroll.

Please let our mayor and city council know that Gerry Alfano is valued in our community, and plays a very special role in making downtown Greensboro a better place to live. Tell them that you think the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market is important, and enriches our lives, and that you think that Alfano's excellent work justifies it receiving more funding, not less.

You can email them from this web page, or you can call and fax them. Their phone contact information is at this web page.

UPDATE: By the time I found out about this and posted it, the city council was already in session. They did not cut the position, so there is no need to contact them, unless you would like to thank them. Thank you, Sandy Carmany, for your timely responsiveness to your constituents!

Cherry Picking and Simple Living Potluck June 11

June 11, 2006
Cherry Picking and Simple Living Potluck
Levering Orchard, Virginia
Carpool leaves at 2 p.m. See schedule below.
$5 donation; utensils & beverage provided.

Join the Slow Food crowd for a celebration of the cherry season. Pick cherries, enjoy a potluck meal and talk about life, the slow-simple life.

2 pm: Car pools leave Old Salem visitor’s parking lot in Winston-Salem or the parking lot between Sears and Friendly in Greensboro.

3:30-5:30: Cherry picking at Levering Orchard.

5:30-7:00: Slow Potluck (Yes, bring a dish of slow food.)

6:30-8:00: Slow discussion about Simple Living.

8:00-9:00: Return trip.

Directions: From US 52, 1 mile north of VA line, turn east on Epworth Church Rd. (VA 686). Go 3 miles to Wards Gap Rd. (VA 679). Turn left and go straight for 3.6 miles to 3-way fork. Follow middle fork, Orchard Gap Rd. (VA 691), to Levering Orchard (.7 mile). Follow signs for cherry picking and parking. The meal and discussion will take place at the Cherry Orchard Theatre, up the hill from the packhouse.

For a map and more information, go to www.leveringorchard.com.

Slow Food News Items

Slow Food/Local Food has made it in print and on the pavement during the last two days.

The Wednesday, May 31, GSO News and Record featured Laurie O'Neill in "Close to Home", an account of Laurie's month in the Eat Local Challenge wherein she almost exclusively ate food within 100 miles of Greensboro. As she recounts, some foods were hard to give up, ie. cocao beans for chocolate are not grown here, but on the whole the experience was fun, pretty easy, and delicious.

She grows some of her own food and gets most of the rest from the local farmer's market on Yanceyville and Lindsay. Creativity in the kitchen plus home grown herbs plus fresh produce and free-range meats made the task of cooking an enjoyable one. Laurie is already thoughtful about local food, but this past month heightened her awareness of food, our farmers and herself. That's pretty much what Slow Food is about.

Sarah Jones, another Slow Food advocate, wrote in her bi-weekly column, "Local food offers extra helpings." She pointed out that eating locally is not only about eating fresh and delicious food; it affects the world. 1) Local food is better for the environment; it's transported just a few miles and it's usually freer of chemicals; 2) local food supports the local economy by returning more money to the farmer/grower; and 3) local food preserves endangered varieties of vegetables whether its kale, tomatoes or apples, and endangered varieties of animals. Added to this is the social conviviality of the marketplace: friends, tastings, chatter.

If that's not enough, Masoud has reopened Zaytoon as a Mediterranean Cafe: Local, Natural, Organic. It is located in downtown Greensboro at 301 N. Elm Street on the ground floor of a modern office building. One of two entrances is off of a lovely urban plaza so there is outside seating. The hours are M-F, 7:30am-6:00pm. Phone in orders at 336-373-0211.

Debby and I ate there on opening day June 1 and there was a steady stream of customers...satisfied customers. We had the baba ghanouj platter and the falafel wrap. The baba ghanouj was light on the tahini so you could taste the delicately seasoned eggplant. The falafel was crunchy yet moist with cucumber accompanying it. Its internal color was a lime green and we wondered if it contained mashed fava beans along with the chickpeas. Real authenticity and our bill came to $10.68!

The rooms are bright and spacious with local watercolors by known artists on the walls. Feel free to linger too over some baklava and turkish coffee.

We are happy you are back, Masoud and Annah.

Charlie Headington

Organic Gardening Workshop May 27

ORGANIC GARDENING WORKSHOP
W/ Charlie Headington
May 27, 2006
(Six spaces left!)

Charlie Headington is conducting another organic gardening, edible landscaping, and Permaculture workshop this Saturday, May 27. It will cover a host of gardening and design ideas and practical tips on sheetmulching, pond construction (with thrown away carpets), four season harvests, backyard orchards, and of course organic gardening.

If you have seen Charlie on GCTV's program, "Urban Gardening", or have seen his work at his home or at Greensboro Montessori School, you know you are in for a treat. See attachment for more details.

Time: 9am-4pm Lunch included!
Place: his home at 515 N. Mendenhall St. in Greensboro.
Phone: 336-273-7292.
email:headington@intrex.net

Cost: $60 ($50 to Slow Food members) and only $30 for students.

Call and send $20 to reserve a place.

Local Seasonal Lunch at Bistro Sofia May 21

May 21
Begins at Noon
$25.00 + gratuity
Reserve 336-855-1313

Join food lovers and food growers at Greensboro’s acclaimed Bistro Sofia for a four-course lunch, with wine, of local seasonal food. Yes, the farmers will be our guests as we enjoy the fruit of their labors.

The menu to date (there could be some changes):

1st Course:
Uwharrie Farms tomato herb mousse, Bettini Farms salad greens, Sweet tomato vinaigrette
2nd Course:
Local rabbit and fava bean stew, rabbit thyme jus, herb baked polenta (Old Mill of Guilford cornmeal)
3rd course:
Bettini Farms mulberry parfait, crème chantilly (Homeland Creamery Heavy Cream)
4th Course:
Goat Lady Dairy Tallegio

Bistro Sofia is located at 616 Dolley Madison Road, Greensboro, NC, just off Friendly Avenue, near Guilford College.

Web sites:
Bistro Sofia
Bettini Farms
Goat Lady Dairy
Homeland Creamery
Old Mill at Guilford
Round Peak Vineyards
Uwharrie Farm

Eat Local Challenge 2006

I am honored and excited to have joined the Eat Local Challenge, a blog that will bring together information from a diverse group of U.S. consumers dedicated to supporting those who produce food that doesn't travel thousands of miles before it ends up on your plate. My first post for this new site is entitled Full Circle, Almost. So far, twenty-six other Locavores have signed on to become authors for the Eat Local Challenge blog, and it looks like hundreds have pledged to eat local for the month of May! Others have chosen to take the challenge in another month.

The posts about my own eat local challenge will be archived here, so that anyone who is interested can follow my progress. The overall challenge is to eat food produced within 100 miles of your home, but each person sets his or her own personal goals and exemptions. I'll keep you updated with the information I find about sustainably and humanely raised food produced within 100 miles of Greensboro. If any of you decide to join the challenge, please leave a comment!

It will be great fun and very enlightening to see how others find foods within their 100-mile foodsheds during a time of year when many places are just beginning to get fresh foods to the markets. Some traditionally lush harvests in California will be delayed due to unusually heavy rains. Here in the South, we've had drought. The Northeast is just now thawing out!

We are lucky to be able to find so many local foods in our markets here in the Piedmont Triad. Now we need to support our farmers and encourage the next generation of young farmers to continue the tradition by making good choices with our food dollars.

Now, here are my personal Eat Local Challenge goals and exemptions:

Goal: To eat food produced within 100 miles as much as possible, then extend the range to food raised, produced, or caught in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia.

Exemptions: salt, pepper, spices, tamari, flour*, pasta*, rice, olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider and balsamic vinegars, tahini, sugar, other baking necessities, Parmesano-Reggiano, coffee, tea.

Challenge: I'm used to eating out for lunch in the neighborhood, and I don't think that anyone serves local food. My addiction to Pepsi One, which I'll try to kick in May. My new craving for olives. I'll miss salmon and bacon. Local regulations will not allow pork producers to cure meat without nitrates.

Help needed in finding: Grains of all kinds, pasta. If I can find local sources for flour, pasta, and Carolina grown rice, I'll take them off the exemption list in an update.

Tips offered: The Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market sells locally grown chicken, beef, pork, dried beans, mushrooms, milk, butter, goat cheese, and eggs, in addition to seasonal fruits and vegetables. Chicken will be available from Back Woods Family Farm again in May. The corn for the grits and cornmeal from the Old Mill at Guilford is grown in Yanceyville. Donna sells their products at the Curb Market. The Piedmont Triad Farmers Market also sells sustainably raised lamb, and ostrich. Deep Roots Market carries some local products, including some fruits and vegetables, beef and dairy products.

NOTES:

I'll buy my fair-trade organic coffee from Tate Street Coffee House, which is a short walk away, and sorry, but I have to have sugar in my coffee.

I'll keep a pitcher of iced tea in the refrigerator to try to kick my diet soda habit. I can't go without caffeine - my migraines are enough of a problem in the spring. The problem here will be my husband drinking it all. He loves sweet tea. I'll flavor it with mint from my garden.

I'll buy my bread from Simple Kneads, a wonderful organic bakery in downtown Greensboro, or from nearby Spring Garden Bakery, or pita from Dough Re Mi at the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market. Or bake it.

I am mulling over making my own pasta for the first time. After all, I have to justify buying this noodle-cutter at the Liberty Antiques Festival yesterday! Note that I bought a "new" baking pan that begs for lasagne as well. I think I found a source for semolina flour from Virginia. I'll post more if I decide to do it - it looks like the fates have decreed this. Now let's see if I have the time and energy.

I plan to eat a lot of salad, which is not really one of my favorite foods. The way I have decided to make this fun and challenging is that I will make my own salad dressings and marinades. I've been addicted to Annie's dressings for years, but there's no reason I couldn't make my own from scratch. I've added a lot of the base ingredients for salad dressings and marinades to the exemption list, to which I plan to add herbs from my garden and other ingredients that I find at the farmers' market.

Deep Roots Taste Fair and Open House at Goat Lady Dairy this weekend!

There are two great food events both days this weekend!

April 29, 2006
11th Annual Taste Fair
Deep Roots Market Cooperative
11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Join Deep Roots Market Cooperative for this FREE community celebration featuring delicious samples of freshly prepared organic foods and wellness samples. Celebrate Deep Roots Market’s 30 year commitment to the Triad community. This is a great time to learn more about the co-op, fair trade and organic products, as well as local favorites. Bring the whole family and plan to spend the afternoon outside listening to live music and trying new treats while savoring old favorites! The event will be held at Deep Roots Market, 3728 Spring Garden St. Greensboro. Raindate is Sunday April 30th. Call 292-9216 for more info! Web site: www.deeprootsmarket.com (Slow Food will have a booth. Please contact Laurie at lponeill@slowfoodpiedmont.org if you would like to volunteer to staff the table for an hour or so.)

April 30, 2006
Open House
Goat Lady Dairy, Randolph County
1-5 p.m. FREE

Bring the whole family to experience the farm for yourselves. There are animals to touch, eggs to gather, herbs to smell and gardens to tour. You can also stroll in the woods or meadows, relax by the pond or even picnic. The farm’s family and prize winning cheese makers will be there to help you learn about their life on the farm and give you a taste of farmstead cheese. Of course, you can also purchase some cheese to take home. 3515 Jess Hackett Road in Climax. Phone (336)824-2163, www.GoatLadyDairy.com.

"The Real Dirt on Farmer John" Premiere in N.C.!

Slow Food Film Series presents
a guided tour of “Uneasy Nature”
& the North Carolina premiere
of “The Real Dirt on Farmer John”
April 20, 6:00-9:00 pm
Weatherspoon Art Museum, UNCG

“The Real Dirt on Farmer John,” a documentary of farmer and artist John Peterson of Illinois, depicts the trials, yearnings and jubilations of a man and his farming family. His story encompasses love of the land, family fidelity, a fall from grace and a glorious vindication. The film has won 18 film festival awards.

“Uneasy Nature” brings together six internationally recognized artists who incorporate the evolving perception—and use, manipulation, and distortion—of nature in contemporary culture. A museum curator will lead us through a short tour.

Join us for a savory reception at 6 pm, the tour of “Uneasy Nature” at 6:30, and the screening of the film at 7:00 pm.

For more information and directions go to http://weatherspoon.uncg.edu/events.
For more information on Slow Food and future events, go to www.slowfoodpiedmont.org.

Citywide Earth Day Celebration April 1

April 1, 2006
Great American Clean Up
9 - 11:30 a.m.
We invite you to help Greensboro Beautiful give the City a spring cleaning as part of the Great American Cleanup. Please volunteer to join your friends and neighbors, cleaning up our neighborhoods, roadsides, parks, and other littered areas. Contact Lynne Leonard at 373-2957, or Lynne.Leonard@greensboro-nc.gov to participate.

April 1, 2006
Greensboro City Celebration of Earth Day
Kathleen Clay Edwards Library
12 - 5:00 p.m.
Bring your litter-free picnic lunch, and enjoy a fun-filled day learning about our environment at Kathleen Clay Edwards Library, on Price Park Drive, behind Jefferson Elementary School. To exhibit, or for more information, contact Yvonne Foust at 373-2053 or fousty@greensboro-nc.gov, or Melanie Buckingham at 373-2923 or Melanie.buckingham@greensboro-nc.gov.

Prizes will be awarded for the first one-hundred displayed litter-free picnic lunches…Get Creative, you can Eat it All!

From Noon to 1pm, Have your litter-free picnic lunch while you enjoy music with local bands, gospel music and Radio Disney.

From 1p.m. - 5 p.m., Enjoy and learn from interactive exhibits, art, guided hikes and garden tours. Visit the Master Gardener Learning Station. Kids can enjoy nature crafts, live animals and face painting. Explore hybrid and alternative vehicles, teen challenge events, solar exhibits, food samples, Geocaching, hayrides, orienteering and much more.

Slow Food will have a information table. Slow Food members, please contact Laurie by email if you would like to volunteer to staff the table for an hour or so.

Shiitake Inoculation at Handance Farm

Saturday I drove out to Handance Farm in Rockingham County for their Mushroom Inoculation and Work Day. By the time I got there, much of the work had been done. The major task at hand was to help Pat and Brian Bush inoculate freshly cut logs with shiitake mushroom spawn. The first step is to drill holes all over the log. That's Brian in the middle.



The log is passed to the next team of two, who fill specially made plungers with shiitake spawn and press the spawn into the holes.



Then the holes and all other cut surfaces are painted with cheese wax to prevent them from being contaminated with other fungi (and critters). An identifying tag is nailed to the end, and it is stacked in a pile.



Here's how they stacked last year's logs. The mushroom farm (Dark Hollow, who moved) that Sandy and I went to last year made a mushroom house out of the logs -it seemed like a perfect place for a hobbit.

Mushroom Inoculation Work Day and Potluck

March 25, 2006
Mushroom Inoculation Work Day and Potluck
Handance Farm, 2541 Baker Crossroad Road, Reidsville, NC 27320
FREE - Please RSVP at 336-951-0811.

1-5 p.m. ~ Work with mushroom logs and spores, no children or dogs please.
3-5 p.m. Children's program
5-7 p.m. ~ Farm tour and potluck, children welcome, bring a dish to join us.

Get some hands-on experience and help Handance Farm with their new venture by helping inoculate 200 logs with shiitake spawn. Included in the day are a talk on growing mushrooms, a tour of Handance Farm and a potluck dinner. Bring a dish to share and a folding chair if you’d like. Be sure to wear work clothes and comfortable shoes. Children are welcome at 3:00 and for the tour and potluck (starting at 5), but please leave your dogs home. Please click here for a flyer.

Directions: From Greensboro take Church St. Ext. north past Hwy. 150 & 158 where it becomes Woolen Store Rd. and T's into Ironworks Rd. Go right, then take the immediate left onto Sandy Cross Rd. Go approx. 2 miles (you'll pass Breckenridge Mobile Home Park on right) and take left onto Baker Crossroad. Go about 200 yards and 2541 is the first house on right (2-story white with huge stump in front yard, a big holly tree and boxwoods).

Food with a View Tonight at the Scene

March 18, 2006
“Food With a View" Film Series
The Slow Food Movement
The Scene, 604 South Elm St., Greensboro, NC
8:00 p.m.
$5 suggested donation.

The Slow Food Movement, a documentary about worldwide food communities that are rediscovering some of the greatest joys of life: enjoying the flavors of their local region, renewing their health, and re-connecting to the land. Desserts and discussion.

Slow Foodie Profile

Name: Laurie O'Neill

Day Job: Secretary at a local university

Your interests: Organic gardening, voluntary simplicity, fiber arts

How did you get involved in the Slow Food Piedmont Triad convivium?
I was in Charlie Headington's "Simple Living in a Complex World" class at UNCG and he mentioned that a local convivium would be formed soon. Because food is so much a part of my simple living philosophy, I was excited at the opportunity to help organize it and meet others with similar interests.

What does Slow Food mean to you and how does it impact your daily life?
As a cook and an eater, I enjoy the freshness and the challenge of eating locally and seasonally. As a gardener, I am interested in healthy food and heirloom varieties of vegetables. As a small farmer's daughter and sister, I am concerned that my heritage and culture are fast disappearing. As a citizen, I am frightened at the rate that industry has taken control over our entire food system. As a member of Slow Food, I hope to make a difference in supporting small farmers and promoting the benefits of local food.

Describe a Slow Food meal you've recently prepared or eaten:
The other night, we had a simple organic meal of field peas, corn on the cob, and baked sweet potatoes. I grew the field peas in my garden and froze them. I bought the corn at Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market this summer and froze it. The sweet potatoes were from the same market and I served them and the corn with a small amount of organic butter that I bought at Deep Roots Market. It was a very easy, quickly prepared meal. Learning to preserve and store foods for year-round enjoyment was one of the most valuable skills that I learned growing up on a small farm.

Cable Access Kick-Off Meeting

When I sent out the invitation for the kick-off meeting of the Slow Food GCTV show, I didn’t know what to expect. It was entirely possible that I would end up at a meeting with my husband and sister – talented people, to say the least, but not quite an entire volunteer force. Instead, the Green Bean conference room filled with an amazing group of people with a diverse set of skills and interests. We have people experienced in film and editing, music and art, cooking and gardening and even a Spanish teacher!

Together we put together a list of show topics that could easily fill a season. Among the many ideas were:

• A blind taste-testing of local organic versus conventional foods
• The Wellness Policy
• Edible Schoolyards
• Slow Food at home
• A student food-related film competition
• Multicultural food within our community
• Farm to kitchen cooking shows
• Food and cooking for spiritual and physical health

And the list goes on and on. We are planning to film the mushroom inoculation at Handance Farm for one of our first episodes as well as the cheese making process at Goat Lady Dairy.

While we have a great group together, this is certainly a more-the-merrier situation. In addition to on-site volunteers for filming days, we would also like to have a volunteer to find and approach people and businesses to sponsor episodes (i.e. help pay for the show in exchange for a panel of recognition at the beginning and end of the episode) as well as volunteers to do a little research here and there. Even an hour or two a month of volunteer time could go a long way to making this show a success!

Please contact Sarah Jones with ideas, feedback and for more information: ThoughtForFood@bellsouth.net.

The Future of Food - Tonight at the Scene

February 25 8:00 P.M. at The Scene at 604 South Elm
The Future of Food
Shown as part of 'Food With a View': Slow Food Film Series

The Future of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the truth behind unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that we find on our grocery shelves. From the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada to the fields of Oaxaca, Mexico this film gives voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. The health implications, government policies and push towards globalization are all part of the reason why we need to be informed about genetically altered crops in our food supply and support our local food communities.

A discussion will follow led by Dr. Charlie Headington of UNCG.
Enjoy homemade desserts while watching the film. $5.00 suggested donation.

On March 18, 'Food With a View' will show The Slow Food Movement, a documentary about worldwide food communities that are rediscovering some of the greatest joys of life: enjoying the flavors of their local region, renewing their health, and re-connecting to the land. Desserts and discussion. $5.00 suggested donation.

Terra Madre Benefit Dinners in the Triangle Area

From Slow Food Research Triangle:

February 28, 2006
Eat Out Tuesday-Terra Madre Benefit Dinners
Triangle Area Restaurants, North Carolina

On Tuesday, February 28th, select Triangle restaurants in the Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Durham area of North Carolina that are committed to using local, seasonal foods, will donate 10% of their proceeds from that evening's sales to Slow Food's Triangle Convivium. Money raised will help send a small delegation of local farmers to Turin, Italy next October 2006 for Slow Food International's Terra Madre. Additionally, each participating Triangle restaurant will highlight special local offerings on their menus that evening. Participating restaurants include: Acme, Bin 54, Crook's Corner, Elaine's, Enoteca Vin, Four Square, Frazier's, Lantern, Magnolia Grill, Nana's, Nasher Museum Café, Panzanella, Pop's, Starlu, Zely & Ritz and 411 West. To learn more about Terra Madre, visit www.slowfoodusa.org

Slow Food on GCTV

You are invited to a planning and support meeting for one of Slow Food Piedmont Triad’s exciting ‘06 projects: a cable access show on GCTV!

When: Tuesday, February 28, 2006, starting at 7:30 p.m., ending when the ideas stop flowing

Where: The Green Bean conference room, 341 S. Elm Street, Greensboro

What: Our goal for this meeting is to brainstorm show topics and gather a crew of volunteers for production

We need your ideas, time and support to get this fun, educational show off the ground!

For more information, contact Sarah Jones at 336.456.7257 or ThoughtForFood@bellsouth.net

Beekeeping

Many of the counties in our region are beginning their annual beekeeping classes. If you are interested in becoming a certified beekeeper, check out one of these classes:

http://www.ncbeekeepers.org/courses.htm


Other beekeeping links you may want to check out:
http://www.ncbeekeepers.org/
http://www.guilfordbeekeepers.org
http://www.abfnet.org/
http://www.nhb.org/index.html
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu:8050/entomology/apiculture/ (NC State)
http://www.forsyth.cc/CES/ & http://forsyth.ces.ncsu.edu/copubs/ag/special/bee/023/
http://www.honey.com/

No NAIS!

I have been at a loss for words about NAIS - the National Animal Identification System. To put this kind of shackle on the small livestock producers in this country is shameless. The local farmer from whom I buy my chickens says that when this USDA program goes into effect, he will not be able to sell his free-range hens and eggs to the public anymore. He and his wife have been building a successful business and had made plans to raise heritage turkeys and rabbits this year. NAIS is changing everything for them. It is also taking away a valuable food resource for local consumers.

I received this email from Allan Balliett, a frequent contributor to the Slow Food DC listserv, in response to a query by a listmember. I wanted to share it with you because it does a good job of explaining NAIS from a small livestock farmer's point of view, and it led me to an excellent blog set up to inform the public about NAIS and help us fight it. If you care at all about food, small businesses, privacy, or needless government regulation, you should care about stopping NAIS.

NAIS is one of several programs that have become necessary because of problems created by confinement animal operations that the government is currently pushing onto small family farms. Is the goal the safety of Americans or is it saving agri-business from the unfair competition created by, as Kathy says 'Food that tastes like it used to"? It's amazing how greedy corporate bean counters are, pushing to recollect any crumbs that fall to small farms. Since keeping clean, living food out of the hands of anyone but the rich helps creates profits for corporations invested or integrated in the 'health' sector, it's hard to imagine that this continual and painfully obvious push to make farming too expensive or difficult except at [large] scale doesn't have larger payoffs in mind.

NAIS is just one of many.

Best source of NAIS and anti-NAIS info is at noNAIS.org (which, btw, is also an excellent example of how the internet can be put to work for the betterment of everyone).

The following is quoted from there.


"The National Animal ID program was originally designed to give the big beef producers help in getting export markets which required disease controls. The idea is that every single livestock animal in the United States will be identified and tagged. All livestock animal movements will be tracked, logged and reported to the government. The benefit is to the big factory farms who probably do need this type of regulation. They get to do single ID's for large groups of animals. Small farmers, pet owners and homesteaders will have to tag and track every single animal.

"There are no exceptions - even small farms that sell direct to local consumers will be required to pay the fees and file all the paper work on all their animals. Even horse, llama and other pet owners will be required to participate in NAIS. Homesteaders who raise their own meat and grandma with her one egg hen will also have to register their homes as 'farm premises' and obtain a Premise ID, tag all their animals and submit all the paperwork and fees. Absurd? Yes - There are no exceptions under the current NAIS plan. The USDA has slipped this plan in the back door without any legislation. This is going to be very expensive and guess who is going to pay for it in higher food prices...You!"

Allan Balliett has a website about his Shepherdstown, West Virginia farm at www.freshandlocalcsa.com. His CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program serves the DC Metro area.

slow food potluck and events for 2006

Sarah, our new media guru, tries to decide what to add to her plate next

55 people attended the potluck/planning meeting at Old Salem last night. The food was great, and several people commented on the energy and conviviality of our group. There's nothing like a Slow Food potluck, folks!

The Events page on our Web site has been updated. Please note that the events are only part of the exciting plans for our convivium this year - we also look forward to the Local Food Guide in May, information booths at the local farmers' markets, and a community access TV show among other projects!

Lots of new information will be posted on our web site beginning in May, and beginning March 1, we will have an email newsletter. Mandie Rose will join the blog team as a contributor soon.

All in all, it's looking to be a very productive year for Slow Food Piedmont Triad!

Tom holds a sweet potato biscuit with blueberry butter

Wellness Policy Update

Wellness Policy Committee Meeting
(OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)
Thursday, February 9th, 2006
9 A.M.-10 A.M.
501 W. Washington Street
Greensboro, North Carolina
Cynthia Sevier's Office
Second Floor (I will send room # )

For about 1 month Deb Bettini and I served on the Wellness Policy Committee for the Guilford County Schools. This first meeting was attended by 7 people with various backgrounds and the mood of the meeting was very upbeat and everyone was enthusiastic about making a change for our children.

Last week we were scheduled for our 2nd meeting on Thursday Feb. 2, 2006. On Tuesday 1/31/06 I received a call from one of the participates stating that Deb and I could not serve on the WP Committee(WPC) because we were not elected to the Health & Safety Board for the school. I was told that all meetings were open to the public and we could attend but not comment or vote! Deb on the other hand was told not to attend any of the meetings.

At 9 a.m. on Feb. 2, 2006 I showed up at the scheduled meeting only to find an empty, dark office. The meeting had been rescheduled. I only found this out through several phone calls to people on the WPC. There were no phone calls or emails sent to inform Deb and I of the change. There are currently 4 people that now make up the WPC. Dr. Routh from the school board sat in on the first meeting to address policy rules and procedure.

Here are the names of the people serving on the Health and Safety Board for Guilford Co. Schools (this information is being sent to me and I will provide proper titles.) I also apologize for any misspelled names.
** represent those who are currently serving on the WPC.

Terry Grier
Dot Kearns
Ruth MacKinze
Robert Strack
Joyce Wellborne
Glenn Willis
Lynn Beckford
Deana Hayes
Patty Kinade
Janet Mayer**
Marty Sykes
Rober williams
Bobin Berjeron-Nolan
Greg Jones
Robin Lane**
Terina Piccarillo** PTA Chair for Healthy and Safety
Dr. Quinlin
Lea Sheplar
Vernus Thompson
Beth Woody
Dr. Terrance Young
Cynthia Seiver**

Terinal Piccarillo is representing the school, the community and the parent that is required of the WP guidelines. According to Senior Food Policy Analyst, Madeleine Levin, the schools are not breaking any of the WPGuidelines.

When these 4 people finish the WP it will be posted on the Guilford Co. school website. The public will have 21 days to comment and then it will go back to the WPC for any changes, it will then be up for a second public reading. This is when the school would like to hear from YOU. I strongly feel that the community should have more involvement with the development of the WP before it is made public.

I will have more of this as the week progresses. I hope that any of you that can make the next meeting will attend!

Sincerely,
Donna Myers

broccoli leek soup

This soup is a great marriage of flavors and it won't weigh you down. I'll expect heaven to smell like thyme in butter.

2 T butter
2 c chopped leeks, white and light green parts
1 1/2 t green garlic (see notes)
1 1/2 t basil
1 t thyme
4 c chopped broccoli
1 c broccoli florets (reserved)
1 c diced peeled red potatoes
3 c chicken stock
2 c lowfat milk
1-2 t salt, to taste
1 T cornstarch
Extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Saute the leeks, garlic, basil and thyme in butter for about five minutes. Add the chopped broccoli, potatoes, and stock, bring up to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for ten minutes. Steam the broccoli florets in a steamer basket on top of the pot. Take off the heat, add the milk and salt, and blend. Dissolve the cornstarch in a little cold water, add to the soup, and bring it back up to a slow boil for one minute. The soup will thicken slightly. Add freshly ground black pepper and steamed broccoli florets. Garnish with shredded extra-sharp cheddar.

Notes:

Leeks usually have a little dirt between the layers. Chop them and let them soak in some water while you chop the other ingredients. You can substitute onions, but the delicate flavor of the leek is wonderful. Try it!

I used green garlic because I had two bulbs that had sprouted for a couple of weeks. I wanted a little garlic flavor but I didn't want to overwhelm the leeks. So I chopped off the sprouts, chopped them up, and put them in the soup. They were perfect. Don't throw out that sprouted garlic. If you can't cook with it, plant the cloves!

I chop my basil in a food processor with a little olive oil each fall and freeze it in small ice cube trays, such as those sold for dorm refrigerators. Then I pop them out into a plastic bag and I have the taste of fresh basil all winter. All I have to do is toss a cube in the sauce or soup, or defrost in the microwave to mix into meatballs.

My favorite potatoes are Yukon Gold, but red was on sale.

You can steam more broccoli florets to put in the soup to make it heartier. If you want it thicker, use cream, substitute another cup of potatoes for a cup of broccoli, or use one cup less stock.

Sources:
Leeks, broccoli, potatoes, garlic, and thyme - Deep Roots Market
Butter and milk - Homeland Creamery
Basil - my back yard, then my freezer
Chicken stock - my freezer, chicken originally from Back Woods Farm
Cornstarch - Harris Teeter
Extra-sharp cheddar cheese - the Molners

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cross-posted from The Mock Turtle's Song.

good ole beef stew in the crockpot

Nothing fancy here. It's one of those staples on a cold weekend.

1-2 lbs. grass-fed beef stew meat
3 T flour
1 t salt
1 3/4 c beef stock or water
3 medium potatoes, cubed
4-5 carrots, sliced
1 c chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T tomato paste
1 T worchestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
1 t paprika
Black pepper
fresh parsley
fresh rosemary
Splash of red wine

Put the beef in the crock pot and mix with the flour and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients through the black pepper and mix. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. Go have fun somewhere. About 30 minutes or so before you're ready to turn it off, add the herbs and wine.

notes:
This is a very forgiving recipe for substitutions and additions. If you have room and you have mushrooms, by all means, add them. You can add them with the wine.

A few words about the beef - We don't eat a lot of red meat, for budgetary and cholesterol reasons. But when I do, I now buy my beef from Rocking F Farms at the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market. They sell their local farm-grown, pasture-raised beef from a cooler, which they replenish from a freezer that they haul on a trailer. Their prices are competitive with the industrial beef you find at the grocery store.

The friendly vendor is more than happy to discuss what they feed their cows and how they are raised. They raise most of their own feed, and do not use growth hormones. The cows are pasture fed until the last six weeks or so when they are switched to a grain mix on site so there's no need for unnecessary antibiotics.

The thought of eating industrial "confined animal feeding operation" beef makes me queasy since I read Power Steer by Michael Pollan (must reading if you care about what you and your family eat), so if I can't afford better quality, I just do without.

I didn't have beef stock, but I added 2 T of Vogue Cuisine Instant Beef Flavored Base to the water, and I thought that it was good. I also use their vegetarian chicken-flavored base. It contains mostly organic ingredients, but no organic seal.

sources:
beef stew meat: Rocking F Farms at Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market
flour, beef-flavored base, vegetables, spices: Deep Roots Market
tomato paste, worchestershire sauce: Harris Teeter
parsley, rosemary: My back yard
red wine: A neighbor's gift

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cross-posted from The Mock Turtle's Song.

Potluck and Slow Food Community Meeting at Old Salem Feb. 10

Potluck and Slow Food Community Meeting
7:00 p.m., February 10, 2006
Single Brothers Kitchen, Old Salem, Winston-Salem

Bring a tasty dish that is flavored with local food and family tradition, meet Slow Foodies, and usher in our second year as the Slow Food Piedmont Triad convivium.

We want to announce the event schedule, explain our projects, solicit your feedback and encourage your help. Invite your friends. This will be a fun time!

Contact person: Jill Crouse, head vegetable gardener at Old Salem. Tel: 336-682-3715.

Directions: Head to Old Salem and park in the parking lot off Salem Avenue or on Main or Salt Streets. Enter the Single Brothers Workshop on lower level.

Slow Foodie Profiles

Kicking off a new ongoing feature on the blog, Charlie Headington and Lavonne Childs have filled out our new slow foodie questionnaire. We'd love to hear more about you, too - email me (ThoughtForFood@bellsouth.net) if you would like to share your experiences!

Name: Charlie Headington

Day Job: Teach about Sustainability Issues at UNCG and tend an Edible Schoolyard at Greensboro Montessori School

Your interests: good food, sustainable and simple living, gardening, learning Italian, playing chess.

How did you get involved in the Slow Food Piedmont Triad convivium? I've long been an organic gardener and teacher of gardening and sustainability, and thus concerned with the culture and availability of good food. My wife and I attended Terra Madre, a 2004 gathering of 5000 world-wide small farmers and producers, and we joined with Steve Tate of Goat Lady Dairy and others to form a Slow Food convivium in the Piedmont. I've enjoyed working with other committed volunteers from all walks of life.

What does Slow Food mean to you and how does it impact your daily life? Slow Food means a thriving local culture of fresh, tasty food, sustainable farms and markets, and a city swarming with family-run eateries. It also means eating mindfully, with the earth, land, and our bodies in mind.

Describe a Slow Food meal you've recently prepared or eaten: My wife and I belong to an Italian conversation group that occasionally gets together to eat. In January we brought together four courses of largely seasonal and locally available food. We made squash ravioli: fresh pasta filled with a butternut squash concoction that my daughter made. The meat dish featured local pork. The candlelight meal lasted for four hours and we spoke Italian throughout it!

Name: Laurie O'Neill

Day Job: Secretary at a local university

Your interests: Organic gardening, voluntary simplicity, fiber arts

How did you get involved in the Slow Food Piedmont Triad convivium?
I was in Charlie Headington's "Simple Living in a Complex World" class at UNCG and he mentioned that a local convivium would be formed soon. Because food is so much a part of my simple living philosophy, I was excited at the opportunity to help organize it and meet others with similar interests.

What does Slow Food mean to you and how does it impact your daily life?
As a cook and an eater, I enjoy the freshness and the challenge of eating locally and seasonally. As a gardener, I am interested in healthy food and heirloom varieties of vegetables. As a small farmer's daughter and sister, I am concerned that my heritage and culture are fast disappearing. As a citizen, I am frightened at the rate that industry has taken control over our entire food system. As a member of Slow Food, I hope to make a difference in supporting small farmers and promoting the benefits of local food.

Describe a Slow Food meal you've recently prepared or eaten:
The other night, we had a simple organic meal of field peas, corn on the cob, and baked sweet potatoes. I grew the field peas in my garden and froze them. I bought the corn at Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market this summer and froze it. The sweet potatoes were from the same market and I served them and the corn with a small amount of organic butter that I bought at Deep Roots Market. It was a very easy, quickly prepared meal. Learning to preserve and store foods for year-round enjoyment was one of the most valuable skills that I learned growing up on a small farm.

Food with a View: Big Night at the Scene Jan. 28

Food With A View: Slow Food Film Series, winter 2006, at The Scene at 604 S. Elm St., Greensboro, NC on January 28, February 25, and March 18 at 8 PM, $5.00 encouraged donation.

Want to warm up your Saturday nights this winter? Come to The Scene for an enjoyable time watching a great food film. Desserts and discussion will follow.

January 28, we will show the wonderful film, Big Night. As we enjoy homemade desserts after the film, Justin Cantanoso, executive director of The Business Journal, will lead an informal discussion with us. Justin, a second generation Italian American, will share his experience of visiting Rome recently with his family to witness the canonization of a cousin. Justin also enjoyed a homemade Sunday lunch in Reggio Calabria with dozens of relatives he was meeting for the first time.

In case you would like to know the plot summary of Big Night, here it is:

Big Night

In life and love, one big night can change everything.

Written and Directed by Stanley Tucci, this 1996 movie has an all-star cast including Marc Anthony, Tony Shalhoub, Minnie Drive, Isabella Rosselini, Ian Holm, Live Schreiber, Allison Janney, and Stanley Tucci.

Primo and Secondo are two brothers who have emigrated from Italy to open an Italian restaurant in America. Primo is the irascible and gifted chef, brilliant in his culinary genius, but determined not to squander his talent on making the routine dishes that customers expect. Secondo is the smooth front-man, trying to keep the restaurant financially afloat, despite few patrons other than a poor artist who pays with his paintings. The owner of the nearby Pascal's restaurant, enormously successful (despite its mediocre fare), offers a solution - he will call his friend, a big-time jazz musician, to play a special benefit at their restaurant. Primo begins to prepare his masterpiece, a feast of a lifetime, for the brothers' big night...

Rated R with a run-time of 107 minutes.

N.C. Natural Milk Meeting

NC NATURAL MILK MEETING
Saturday, January 21, 2006
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
(919) 560-0260
Parkwood Public Library
5122 Revere Road
Durham, N.C. 27713
RSVP Alice Hall at tigrclause AT mindspring.com

This is for anyone interested in learning the health benefits of raw, unpasteurized milk and milk products. There will also be a discussion on the current attempt to legalize raw milk and cow share programs in North Carolina that will benefit both consumers and farmers. Raw milk is currently available about 30 states including Virginia and South Carolina.