Feast from our Fields - Local Foods Benefit

Feast from our Fields
Women's Resource Center in Alamance County, NC

Women’s Resource Center invites you to a
Feast from Our Fields

Featuring locally-grown & raised foods
Grass-fed beef from Braeburn Farms
Pork from Cane Creek Farm
Organic Vegetables from Timberwood Organic Farms
Wine from Irongate Winery
Goat Dairy Products
Catering by Marg of Sonny’s Catering
Desserts by the Women’s Resource Center

Special guest Tony Kleese of Carolina Farm Stewardship

Come enjoy great local food at our Historic Depot located at 200 S. Main Street downtown Burlington and learn why local is so important in our global world

Saturday, October 8, 2005 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.
$40 per person Casual Attire
Limited Seating Reserve today PH 336.227.6900

Chard with Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

I have been trying to acquire a taste for cooked greens in the last couple of years. Particularly rainbow chard, because it is so lovely in the garden and has such a long growing season. The first time I planted chard, it lasted through the summer, through the winter and into the following year.

This recipe, adapted from Deborah Madison's instructions in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, may have helped me reach my goal. Don't be put off by the seemingly high cost of pine nuts. A small amount packs a lot of flavor and they are very lightweight. If you buy a little at a time in bulk, it is definitely worth the money.

Chard with Tomatoes and Pine Nuts

About 12-15 large chard leaves, washed
2 T olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
several basil leaves, slivered
handful of cherry tomatoes (I used Sungolds)
1 T pine nuts
salt and pepper

Trim the stems from the chard leaves and discard (or use for another dish if you like them). Chop the leaves and boil for 5 minutes in salted water, 8 minutes for older, tougher leaves. Drain.

Heat olive oil, garlic, and basil. Add chard, whole tomatoes, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Cook until tomatoes are warm and toss together well.

Serves 2-3.

A Taste of Floyd

My partner and I went to Floyd, Virginia on Saturday to a Slow Food event called "A Taste of Floyd." After tasting samples of delicious local foods and wines from Villa Appalachia and AmRhein, you could then go inside a wonderful store/gallery/cafe, Harvest Moon, and purchase the items of your choice. There was music and interesting conversation - in other words, it was a terrific event.


Foodies line up to taste farmstead cheeses from Meadow Creek Dairy and egg salad from happy hens at Copper Hill Farms.


My favorite apple was the Jonagold.

Apples from Blue Ridge Cider and Good Food, Good People may seem to have ruled the day, but there were peppers and pears from Five Penny and Mood Indigo Farms, goat cheeses from Ladybug MicroCreamery and Lotsa-Cedars, "ewe"gurt from Icelandic sheep at Sunny Hill Farm, buffalo jerky from Brush Creek Buffalo, tomato sauce, sausage, coffee, and local honey as well.

After all this, hubby was still hungry! On a great tip from Billy the Blogging Poet, we headed to Oddfella's Cantina for a late lunch. I was full from the Farmer's Appreciation Day breakfast at the Greensboro Farmer's Curb Market and apple slices and goat cheese,
so I just had a pint of Newcastle and took in the ambience of the place. Sandy had a chicken chimichanga, which was one of the best I've ever tasted.

Oddfella's states on its menu that "our ground beef and our greens are organic, and, in season, we make extensive use of local, organic growers." Everything on the menu looked wonderful.

The wooden floors, old storefront windows and doors, and lovely patio in the back added to the relaxing atmosphere. We were especially charmed that all the tables and chairs were different, many of them vintage. The owner, Rob, told us that he'd been asked why he doesn't open another Oddfella's in another town, such as Christiansburg. He said that he would not be able to furnish it in the same way because of health regulations - for example, the drop leaf table at which we were sitting would probably not pass. What a shame! This is not the first time I've felt that the government has lost sight of what is important in regulating food and food production.


A small curtained stage in the corner provides a venue for old-time, blues, jazz, classical guitar, Irish music, and other performances, such a Spoken Word event in which Floyd bloggers Fred and Colleen will participate Sunday, Sept. 18.



Add food, beer and dirt, and I'd say that pretty much adds up to everything I need. We didn't go here; that will have to wait for next time. I hope that "next time" will be soon - three hours is not enough time to savor the atmosphere of Floyd.

September 10 - a BIG Slow Food Day!

On Saturday, September 10, three great farm and food events are happening! What to do, what to do? Well, I suggest that we all get up early, eat breakfast and shop at "Farmer's Appreciation Day" at the Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market. Then, either head south for Rising Meadow Farm's "Farm Fest" in Randolph County, or north to Floyd, Virginia for "A Taste of Floyd." Or, if you're a fast slow foodie, maybe you can catch all three!

Farmer's Appreciation Day, Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market
6 am-noon
The market opens at 6:00 AM with a breakfast of locally raised foods being served at 7:00 AM. Take some time this morning to hang out with others that love our farmers as well as the market. There will be information booths, live music and great fellowship! Contributors include Neese's Country Sausage, Old Mill of Guilford, Simple Kneads Bakery, Phillips Brothers Country Ham, and Alex Amoroso of Cheesecakes by Alex will be the chef. For more information, go to Epicourier.

Farm Fest at Rising Meadow Farm
All day event ($5 per person) with demonstrations, food, artisans and music. See http://www.risingmeadow.com/ for more information. (It's just down the road from Goat Lady Dairy.)

A Taste of Floyd
Floyd, Virginia
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“A Taste of Floyd” will take place on the grounds surrounding the Harvest Moon building located on Rt.8. It will feature offerings from the local farmers and store suppliers plus samples from the new Over the Moon Bakery & Coffee Shop.

Local wineries, including Villa Appalaccia, Chateau Morissette, and AmRhein, will be participating along with the area's four premier cheesemakers: Meadow Creek Dairy, Lady Bug Microcreamery, Lots-a-Cedars, and Sunny Hill Farm. Fresh artisan breads from Sweetwater Baking Co. and Austin's Fresh Bread will be available for sampling as well as fresh roasted coffees imported by the Honduras Coffee Company. Tastings from Bright's Beef and Brush Creek Buffalo, eggs from Copper Hill Farms, organic produce from Good Food-Good People, and sauces from Hooper's Specialty Foods will round out the local products available. Come spend the day exploring all the delicious tastes they have to offer, and become inspired to slow down and take time to savor the bounty of the land that surrounds you.

Tickets for the tasting are $3.00 with all proceeds going toward Slow Food. They will be raffling off two baskets stuffed with locally produced foods. All proceeds will benefit the Floyd County Food Bank. For more information please call the Harvest Moon at 540-745-4366.

Sustainability Fair at CCCC

SUSTAINABILITY FAIR
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Central Carolina Community College, Pittsboro Campus
Saturday Workshops & Exhibits (8:00 - 4:00)

Register for the workshop by 9/9/05 and save $25. Early registration for Saturday workshops $35 - price includes lunch. Walk-in registration $60.

The Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) Sustainability Fair will demonstrate and explore many areas of sustainability through Workshops & Exhibits. Exhibits on the Pittsboro CCCC Campus will feature a variety of sustainable products, processes and hands-on demos. On Saturday, also, you can register to attend a series of half-day workshops exploring sustainable practices in agriculture, building, transportation & land/water conservancy.

Attend the Saturday Workshops and you will learn:
* Sustainable Agriculture-Urban permaculture, organic compost
* Sustainable Transportation & Renewable Energy--biofuels & electric cars
* Sustainable Building--green building & natural building
* Land and Water Conservancy

Sponsored by:
* Central Carolina Community College
* Piedmont Biofuels

Who should attend the Sustainability Fair?
* Student & teachers
* Families & community members
* Renewable energy & biofuels supporters
* Farmers and gardeners
* Builders, architects, contractors & landscape architects
* Engineers
* Parks, recreation & wildlife organizations
* Land & water conservation groups
* Environmental professionals & businesses
* Local businesses, civic groups & non-profit organizations

Registration Fees:
$60 Saturday Workshops (includes lunch)
$75 Friday Tour & Saturday Workshops (includes lunch)
$25 Friday Tour only (includes lunch)
Free: General Admission is FREE to the outdoor Fair Exhibits

Exhibit Space and Sponsorship Opportunities are Available!
The cost for exhibits is $25 per booth. Event sponsorships are available
at Green $100, Blue Sky $250 & Global $2,000 levels. If your organization
is interested in this unique opportunity to advertise your services and
products, please contact our office to reserve an exhibit space or to
arrange a sponsorship.

To register for Workshops & Tour
& for more information on Exhibits & Sponsorships, contact:
Sandra McMahon, smcmahon@cccc.edu
919-542-6495 ext 224 or
Continuing Education Office at CCCC
919-542-6495 x223

http://www.cccc.edu/Sustainability/index.html

Tate is Chosen for Cheese 2005 Fair in Italy

Every two years, Slow Food International hosts a Cheese fair in the
historic town of Bra,Italy. There will be two hundred cheese vendors
from all over the world. This year, one of our own was invited by Slow
Food to participate! Steve Tate of Goat Lady Dairy is one of only five
artisan farmstead cheesemakers from the United States chosen to attend
the event. Additionally, all five chosen are from the southern U.S.,
and all are members of the American Presidium, a Slow Food organization
formed to promote and protect the production of traditional raw milk
cheeses.

Slow Food USA members received a booklet about Cheese 2005 last month.
I've copied excepts from the booklet about the event below:

"The fifth edition of 'Cheese', to be held in Bra from September 16-19,
2005, marks an important stage in the history of the event. As of this
year, in fact, it has been officially recognized as an international
fair in acknowledgment of its importance and capacity to attract the
interest and attention of exhibitors, visitors and media from all round
the world. With the support of Italian and European production
cooperatives, 'Cheese' provides a unique opportunity to taste all the
European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected
Geographical Indication (PGI) cheeses. Another important feature is
the vast number of top-quality artisan cheeses on display at the stalls
of the Market, where small producers, affineurs, cheesemakers, and
graders will all be present. Shepherds, on the other hand, will have a
whole street to themselves, and a section will also be devoted to the
cheeses of the Slow Food Italian and International Presidia.

"...The main focus at 'Cheese 2005' will be on goat cheeses, and a
special space will be dedicated to their extraordinary diversity. The
House of Goat Cheeses...will be a large-scale point of sale with
display counters featuring goat cheeses from the over 100 products on
the 'cheese list', complete with full details about origin, type, aging
and price. Cheeses will come from the major producer countries such as
France, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Greece, as well as from emerging
countries such as Britain, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany.
'Guest stars' from the USA, Japan, Australia, and Cyprus will also be
making special appearances.

"Not that the House of Goat Cheeses (staffed by the cheesemakers
themselves, who will assist you in your selections) will only be a
place to shop; here it will also be possible to taste and learn.
Educational activities (guided and free tastings) and cheesemaking
demonstrations will be presented at set times, and the tasting program
will be supplemented by contributions by experts, production
technicians and the cheesemakers themselves."

The event will also include wine tastings, artisan breads, and other
food delights that pair well with cheese.

Congratulations, Steve!

Ten Tips for Better Bread

I found a terrific blog recently that I think you will all enjoy called Farmgirl Fare. Susan writes about her experiences as an organic farmer and artisan baker in Missouri. The photography is lovely and the writing is about Slow Food at its best.

In particular, I recommend that you read her article, Ten Tips for Better Bread. If you're a baker, you'll love it. If you appreciate what bakers do, you'll love it. If you don't bake bread, you'll want to start! I haven't tried to knead bread in years because of my tendinitis, but I think I might try it again this coming weekend.

naturally and humanely raised meat

Richard the Pig hangs out with his buds at Goat Lady Dairy farm

All right. I did it. I bought some baby back ribs this morning from Back Woods Farms at the Greensboro Farmer's Curb Market. Wes Peterson changed the name of his business to avoid confusion with a Peterson who is selling conventionally raised meat at the Piedmont Triad Farmer's Market at Sandy Ridge Road.

To understand the significance of this, you should know that I have boycotted pork since around 1996. I am enormously concerned about the effects of huge industrial hog farms on our state's environment and quality of life. Plus, I had a mind-meld with a pig on a truck in which he was in a complete panic. I won't tell you what he told me. It was a private thing just between us, and can't be articulated in human words anyway.

In the past year, as I have become aware of the changing conditions of our food supply, and the importance of buying locally on the economy and the environment, I have finally come to this conclusion. I am going to support the small farmers who make an effort to provide us with healthy, humanely produced meat, poultry, egg, and dairy products. As much as I would like to become a vegetarian, it is not going to happen any time soon. And if I can eat something that used to breathe, what's the difference between eating seafood and beef? Or pork? Or chicken? As long as these animals are raised in a pleasant environment in natural conditions and taken care of, they are better off than in the wild. My reasoning was that we'd be better off without pigs altogether than for them to be raised in horrible conditions. I still believe that is true, but it is not a practical solution. It won't happen. But we do have choices now.

Until recently, you couldn't get humanely farm-raised pork with no antibiotics or growth hormones unless you were buddies with a small farmer who raised his own. Now, with large companies like Niman Ranch and small farmers like Wes Peterson getting into the game, you can. It's a different market these days. More and more consumers are demanding meat products that aren't raised in filthy, disgusting conditions. You can also buy chicken, beef, turkey, and lamb. Deep Roots Market and Earth Fare carry organic, free-range, and antibiotic/hormone-free meats if you can't make it to the farmers' markets.

Now, I don't know if I'll be able to make myself eat these ribs. I've conditioned my mind against it for about nine years now, and you can convince yourself of anything if you work hard enough at it. My brain says, don't eat a pig. It's an intelligent creature whose only purpose in life is to suffer for our gain. But Wes is doing us, and pigs, a service here, and if I don't eat these, my husband will be happy to have them all to himself.

I highly recommend that everyone watch The Meatrix. What will it be for you, the red pill or the blue pill? The video starts up when you open the page.

4th Annual Farmers Appreciation Day

Slow Foodies,

Mark your calendars, it's just around the corner!!

4th Annual Farmers Appreciation Day
Greensboro Farmers' Curb Market
Saturday Sept. 10, 2005

The market opens at 6:00 AM with a free breakfast of locally raised foods being served at 7:00 AM. Take some time this morning to hang out with others that love our farmers as well as the market. There will be information booths, live music and great fellowship!

We still need volunteers to help out. Call or email me for more information, Donna Myers 273-4371.

And don't forget, bring a friend!!

Donna Myers
EpiCourier

garden macaroni and cheese

My garden is a little behind the times - while others are harvesting tomatoes, peppers, corn and eggplants, I'm still harvesting broccoli! In this recipe, you can use whatever you have on hand from your garden or the farmers' market. Corn, mushrooms, and zucchini would all be good.

First, this note: please understand that since I can't follow a recipe, my own recipes often contain a certain amount of guesswork. For example, I buy my macaroni in bulk, so for this dish, I cooked twice as much macaroni as I thought I needed, used enough of it in the recipe to fill up the casserole dish, and the rest went into the fridge for another dish. Such is life in my kitchen. If you make this and think that it needs a little more or less whatever, it probably does!

3-4 c. cooked macaroni
3 T. butter
1 T. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 c grated Parmesan
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. salt
black pepper to taste
About 3 c. finely chopped vegetables - I used:
2 c. broccoli
1/4 c. green pepper
1/4 c. carrots
1/2 c. onion
4 large leaves of basil, chopped
a stalk's worth of parsley leaves, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt 2 T. butter. Mix in 1 T. flour until smooth, and cook for a minute. Mix in the milk until smooth, and bring it up to boiling slowly, stirring often. Add the cheese and seasonings, saving some cheese for the top. Take it off the heat.

In a skillet, saute the chopped veggies and herbs in the remaining 1 T. butter for about 5 minutes, until bright and crunchy. Mix in the macaroni. Put the combination macaroni and vegetables into a buttered casserole dish. Pour the cheese sauce over it and mix it all thoroughly. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Here's a little tip: if you buy butter or margarine in sticks, save the wrappers to grease pans and casseroles. These work especially well for muffin pans.

Local Foods Dinner Supports Piedmont Land Conservancy

Forever These Flavors…a dinner event to celebrate over 11,000 acres of special places protected by Piedmont Land Conservancy. Come celebrate the intersection of the missions of the Piedmont Land Conservancy and Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants by attending a dinner of North Carolina foods, Piedmont-brewed beer and Yadkin Valley wines. Quaintance-Weaver buys over half of its produce from local sources and Piedmont Land Conservancy protects working farms so more farmers can keep their land in production.

The event will be held the evening of Sunday, August 28th at 6:00pm at the O. Henry Hotel and will feature a wine and beer reception followed by a three-course meal, remarks and dessert. The cost of $125 per couple will support PLC’s farm land protection efforts. Guests will choose in advance from a list of three entrées – Carolina Mountain Trout, Niman Ranch™ Spare Ribs, and Vegetarian Strata. Please call PLC at 336-691-0088 for more information or to reserve a spot (space is limited).

Lynne Dardanell
Piedmont Land Conservancy

Local Harvest Dinner

August 25, 2005 (Thursday)
Local Harvest Dinner
6:30 p.m.
Tickets $100 per person
Advanced Reservations and Payment Required
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association invites you to the first Local Harvest Dinner. Celebrating sustainability in the field and on your table.

Come enjoy a splendid 5-course meal prepared by local chefs using the freshest of local ingredients served on location at Hickory Nut Gap Farm in Fairview, NC. This event will be one to be savored and remembered. Be a part of it!

Featured Chefs: Hector Diaz of Salsa, Laurey Masterton of Laurey’s Catering and Gourmet-to-go, Mark Rosenstein of the The Market Place, John Stehling of Early Girl Eatery, Anne Everitt formerly of Elaines on Franklin and Lantern.

All proceeds to benefit the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the support and expansion of local and organic agriculture in the Carolinas.

Please RSVP by contacting the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association at (919) 542-2402 or cfsa@carolinafarmstewards.org. If emailing, please include your name, address, number in your party, vegetarian meals if requested, and a phone number where we can reach you during the day.

Symposium Cancelled, More Events Planned

As you know we have been working hard to plan our Slow Food Symposium on Oct. 1st. Please note the Symposium steering committee has decided to cancel this event this year. We will analyze and redesign it and offer a new and improved version in the future. We did not get enough early registrations to warrant going ahead with the original plan. But we think we have some ideas how to make it better and more attractive to a wider audience in the future. In the meantime we have already had some great Slow Food events and our chapter leaders have many more in the works. Watch for news of fall and winter events.

Mark your calendars now for these two: Saturday, September 10 FARM FEST at Rising Meadow Farm (see www.risingmeadowfarm.com) an all day event ($5 per person) with demonstrations, food, artisans and music. And Sunday, October 9 GOAT LADY DAIRY Fall Open House, 1 to 5 pm. Free. Both events are great fun and educational for the whole family.

Steve Tate
GOAT LADY DAIRY

Goat Lady Dairy wins 1st Place for raw milk Gouda

Slow Food Friends,

Thought you would enjoy celebrating some great news with us. Last week
my sister Ginnie (the Goat Lady) and our cheese-maker associate, Carrie
Bradds attended the American Cheese Society meeting in Louisville, KY.
A part of this annual event is a national cheese competition. This year
over 120 cheese-makers from all over N. America entered 749 cheeses. We
are thrilled to announce that Goat Lady Dairy won a 1st place in the
American Made: International Style category for our Goat Lady Gouda, a 3
month aged raw milk cheese we make in 6 to 8 lb wheels.

Hand made, traditional raw milk cheeses have become an important part of
the emerging local food revival across the country. We are proud to be
a part of this important change.

Take care,

Steve
Goat Lady Dairy

Montessori Produce Market Today 10 am to noon!

According to the News and Record this morning, Greensboro Montessori School is having their "fifth annual 'Montessori Market' today. Proceeds from the sale of produce grown in the school's gardens will buy school supplies for underprivileged students in Guilford County. The sale will be from 10 am to noon at the school, which is on Horse Pen Creek Road in Greensboro."

Edible Schoolyards in action!

Biofuels Presentation

A couple of weeks ago the Kathleen Clay Edwards Library branch hosted an informative lecture on the use of biofuel to power personal and professional vehicles.

One of the presenters, Andrew McMahan, has provided a copy of his discussion slides so that members unable to attend can review at their convenience. He did a great job putting them together and they are a quick study guide on the topic.

They are formatted into slides in a word document so won't work well for the Slow Food web site, however, I would be happy to email them to anyone interested. Email me directly at lrchilds2002@yahoo.com if you'd like the file. No special software is needed to view, they open in any version of Word.

Master Gardeners Demonstration Site Photos

Master Gardeners Demonstration Site

Today I visited the Legacy Demonstration Gardens behind the Guilford County Cooperative Extension offices. They are located on Old Burlington Rd., near the intersection of East Bessemer. The gardens are beautiful and include many examples planting techniques. There is over an acre of plants, shrubs, trees and pathways.
The site even includes an apiary. Adjacent to the gardens is the Community Gardening Project which allows individuals to lease space for plantings. 10% of the plantings go to programs that help feed the hungry. The link to the web site featuring all cooperative extension programs is http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/guilford/garden/-mg.shtml

These gardens are worth a visit. Here is the link to the photo album: http://www.kodakgallery.com/Slideshow.jsp?mode=fromshare&Uc=13lvek2v.bndwu8ab&Uy=-um37xp&Ux=0

Recipes galore

Ben Hwang of Lux.Et.Umbra sent us a recipe database that he's been working on, and he invites everyone to contribute to it. He's got a few in there already that look pretty tasty. Ben says that the BBQ Meat Loaf is his favorite. It's pretty cool - check it out!

Plus, Donna at Epicourier is always looking for recipes to add to her list. Click on Recipes at the right.

We'll eventually add a recipe section to our blog and/or web site. It's coming...probably around the same time we put up the Local Food Guide information. If you'd like to contribute a recipe that uses local, sustainably produced food, or relates to Slow Food in some way, please email Laurie at lponeillATslowfoodpiedmont.org. (Substitute @ for AT when you email.)

Students Flock to Campus Organic Farms

Great article about connecting universities with local farms:
Why not UNCG?!

Students flock to campus organic farms


Miranda Roberts

Chinese Vermicelli

Chinese Vermicelli

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/4 black soy sauce (must be black-it is much thicker than regular soy sauce)

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons hot chili oil

2 Tablespoons black vinegar

1 pound vermicelli (I used rice vermicelli for the pot luck)

1/2 cup toasted sasame seeds

1 cup green onions, thinly slices on the diagonal, for garnish

In a large bowl, whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, chili oil, and vinegar.

Cook vermicelli in boiling water until barely tender. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. With your hands, immediately toss the pasta with dressing, making sure pasta is completely and evenly coated. Add sesame seeds and continue folding the dressing through the pasta, literally "wiping" the bowl with the vermicelli. Remove to a shallow dish, top with green onions, and serve at room temperature.

For the pot luck, I topped with additional toasted sesame seeds and black caraway seeds.

You can use your imagination by adding some color to the border of the plate with carrots, grape tomatoes, parsley, etc.

This dish can be made up to two days in advance, but add the green onions only shortly before serving.

Beatrice Schall