Thursday, December 17, 2009

New Site, New Media

Hello, friends.

It's been awhile since you've seen us in this space, though out in the real world we have been working hard on a number of things. We have been continuing to work locally for the Slow Food USA national initiative Time For Lunch, having eat in events and writing our congresspeople. We have been meeting with farmer's markets and local purveyors to help spread the word about Slow Food and plan slow food tasting events. And we've been looking ahead into 2010, planning movie nights, seminars, dinners, membership drives and picnics.

Another thing we've been doing is beefing up our online presence. To that end, we've decided to get our own dedicated URL:

http://www.slowfoodwestchester.org

We love blogspot and we're grateful for the chance it gave us to build a web identity. But now there are more things we need and want to do than we can do here. So, if you've come to this site to learn all about Slow Food and Slow Food Westchester, that's great, but click on the link above and find us at that new address. And if you're enough of a fan to have this page bookmarked, thank you! Thank you, but please update the link.

One more thing: we're on Twitter, too! Turns out Slow Food Westchester is too long for a Twitter handle, so we're:

http://twitter.com/SlowFoodWchstr

We love to get followed, and we follow back!

Thanks for visiting, and see you at the new sites.

Happy (slow) holidays,
Slow Food Westchester

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

A WINTER CSA

Dear Friends and Gardeners: (Past & Present)

SunRaven has become a winter distribution site for Winter Sun Farms. Now that autumn has descended upon us, it is time to think about extending the wonderful summer bounty to over the course of winter. Winter Sun Farms has been busy preserving our local harvest to provide us with great tasting local produce for the winter months. This is a good opportunity for us to have easy access to wonderful local organic vegetables.

By joining our distribution site at SunRaven for a Winter Share you will not only get delicious food, but you will help Winter Sun Farms achieve their larger mission of creating a more regional, fair and sustainable food system.

Winter Sun Farms has been rapidly growing in the Hudson Valley and New York area by establishing Winter Markets in New Paltz, Vassar and Beacon. Our location is their first in Westchester County. Their other satellite distribution locations are in Saugerties, Woodstock, Brooklyn, and New York City (8 locations). Please let your friends know about this opportunity and let us know of your interest as soon as possible.

The cost is $124.00 for 4 distributions, one in December, January, February, and March. Each produce package will be delivered to SunRaven and consist of 6-7 items. Winter Sun Farms preserves the produce by freezing, canning or cold storing as in the case of its root vegetables. Below is a list to give you an idea of what your share would look like, but of course, it is subject to change...as mother nature always has a say in the share.

ITEMS:

4 Jars Heirloom Red Tomatoes 28oz

1 Jar Carolina Gold Yellow Tomatoes 28oz

2 Packages Pepper Mix (Rainbow or Five Farm) 13.5

1 Package Yellow and Green Summer Squash 16oz

2 Packages Whole Raspberries 5oz

2 Packages Whole Blueberries (or Blackberry) 8oz

2 Packages Broccoli Florets 9.5oz

2 Packages Green Beans 12oz

1 Packages Broccoli 16oz

2 Packages Butternut Squash Puree 16oz

3 Packages Fall Greens Mix 9.5oz

1 Package Edam me 8oz

1 Package Cauliflower 9.5oz

Fresh

1 Package Carrots---root cellared 2lbs

1 Package Potatoes---root cellared 5lbs

2 Packages Pea Shoots---1/3 lb

1 Package Onion--- root cellared 2lbs

26-28 items in Total —6-7 items per drop off.



Your commitment will include a return e-mail to me stating your interest and a check made out to Winter Sun Farms. Please send to:

Kathryn Dysart c/o

SunRaven

501 Guard Hill Road

Bedford, NY 10506



. Or..... We can now pay on-line. Check it out...

Go To: www.wintersunfarms.com

Click: Hudson Valley

New Paltz, NY

Enter Website

Click: Become a Member (red bar on left)

Scroll down to SunRaven/ Bedford, NY

Click: SunRaven/ Bedford, NY



If you decide to pay on-line, please let me know. The delivery dates and times have not been established yet. I'll let you know as soon as I know.

We look forward to hearing from you and are very excited to be able to offer this healthy winter food supply. Thanks again for your interest and participation.

Sincerely,

Kathryn

Friday, September 18, 2009

SLOW FOOD NEWS Around the Area

September 26 (Saturday)
PIGHAMPTON, the Fourth Annual Slow Food NYC/East End Pig RoastEvent Description: Join us at PIGHAMPTON, the fourth annual Slow Food NYC/East End Pig Roast on Saturday, September 26th at 6:30 PM (rain or shine) at the Hayground School in Bridgehampton. It doesn't get much more local than this..Karen Rivara's Raw Bar of Peconic Pearl and Mystic oysters and local clams, Harry Ludlow's Bridgehampton Fairview Farm heritage breed pigs, roasted low and slow by Foody's own "Pig Master," Chef Bryan Futerman, and, of course, the great wines of Paumanok Vineyards, on the North Fork, poured by winemaker, Kareem Massoud.

Proceeds from this event will support the programs and activities of Slow Food NYC and Slow Food East End.

Location: Hayground School - 151 Mitchell's Lane; Bridgehampton, South Fork, Long Island [Map]

Time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm

Tickets: Slow Food Members - $95 / Non-members - $115

Tickets Available ONLY on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/78553

October 3 (Saturday)
SLOW U: Coffee – Good, Clean, and Fair

Event Description: NYC coffee roaster, Dallis Coffee, and NYC coffee consultant, TampTamp Inc., will host a special Slow U seminar on coffee.

Learn from these NYC coffee experts, Anne Nylander, of TampTamp, and Teresa von Fuchs, of Dallis, how coffee is grown, sourced, and processed while delving into the social, political, and economic complexities of the global coffee trade. Anne and Teresa will discuss the environmental impacts of coffee and show how your coffee choices can support small, traditional, sustainable coffee farms and the families who work them.

In addition, while sampling some of Dallis’ finest, sustainably produced coffees, Teresa and Anne will demonstrate professional tasting techniques and explain evaluation criteria.

Location: Think Coffee – 248 Mercer St, (btwn. 3rd and 4th Sts.), Manhattan [Web Site]

Time: 10:00 am to 12:30 pm

Tickets: Slow Food Members - $20 / Non-members - $25

Tickets Available ONLY on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/82412

November 8 (Sunday)
Nose to Tail Eating: Lamb Butchering - Demo, Tasting, and AuctionEvent Description: See Master Butcher Rudi Weid break down the carcass of a 110 lb sustainably and humanely raised lamb (straight from the pastures of Three Corner Field Farm in Shushan, N.Y.) into primals, sub-primals, and, ultimately, into roasts, chops, and miscellaneous cuts, like organ meat and stewing meat. In the age of "boxed" and vacuum packaged meat, this is a truly unique opportunity.

As Master Butcher Rudi wields his knives from head to hind quarter, he will discuss each section, muscle, and cut and you will enjoy another lamb, roasted, seared, and grilled, accompanied by New York State wine specially selected for the occasion. When Rudi is done, you will have opportunity to bid on cuts to take home. (Cash and checks will be accepted.) Proceeds from this event will benefit the Slow Food NYC Harvest Time program of good food education at schools in East Harlem, on the Lower East Side, and in Williamsburg.

Location: The Institute for Culinary Education (ICE) - 50 West 23rd St.; Manhattan [Web Site]

Time: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Tickets: Slow Food Members - $55 / Non-members - $75

Tickets Available ONLY on-line at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/76318

(Note, please DO NOT contact ICE about tickets for this event. )

Other Community Events

September 17 (Thursday)
The Sustainable Agriculture Investment ConferenceEvent Description: Creating a sustainable food system requires capital.

Join investors, agriculture and food entrepreneurs and government officials at the inaugural networking and investment conference for the sustainable agriculture industry.

For more information, visit www.newseedadvisors.com/conference

Register Here: www.newseedadvisors.com/registration

Location: Marriott Financial Center - Manhattan

Time: 8:00 am - 6:00 pm



September 20 (Sunday)
il Buco sixth annual "Sagra del Maiale" Pig RoastEvent Description: On Sunday, September 20th, il Buco will celebrate its 15th anniversary while hosting its sixth annual outdoor Pig and Apple Festival. Chef Ignacio Mattos and staff rise before the sun and start a bonfire on Bond Street, where they slow-roast a 200 lb heritage breed Ossabaw Pig. Additional dishes include their renowned Porchetta Panini, apple pork sausages, farmers market panzanella, wild arugula, and apple ricotta fritters. Many of il Buco's local farm producers will be in attendance at the event.

$20 for all menu items. Alcoholic beverages including Red and White Wine, Prosecco, Lambrusco, and Wolffer Estates Apple Wine will be $10 per beverage. Beer will be $6.

il Buco will keep in line with its commitment to the environment by using only biodegradable and compostable paper goods, cutlery and drinking cups during the festival.

More info at ilbuco.com/media/events_news

Location: il Buco - 47 Bond Street (btn Lafayette and Bowery), Manhattan

Time: 1:00 pm - 9:00 pm



September 20 (Sunday)
Poppy Tooker at Stone Barns

Event Description: Visit the Stone Barnes Center for Food & Agriculture as they welcome New Orleans Slow Food Leader Poppy Tooker to celebrate her book Crescent City Farmers Market Cookbook that showcases the best of classic Creole and modern regional cooking.

After Hurricane Katrina, Poppy spent every waking moment raising money, working with farmers, fishers and market organizers to bring the farmers’ markets back into the community.

Poppy will demonstrate a delicious gumbo and sign copies of her book, which will be available for sale.

More info at www.stonebarnscenter.org/

Location: Stone Barnes Center for Food & Agriculture, Pocantico Hills, NY [Directions]

Time: 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm



September 30 (Wednesday)
Panel Discussion - The Changing Role of American FarmersEvent Description: Over the past decade, our relationship to food and how it’s grown has transformed. But what about our relationship to the people who grow it? There is hope in the legions of new, young, and urban farmers cropping up around the United States, and yet overall, our country’s agricultural community is shrinking by the day. How is the role of farmers in our society and in our lives shifting? And what still needs to change?

Moderator Lisa Hamilton, author of the recently published “Deeply Rooted: Unconventional Farmers in the Age of Agribusiness,” will be joined by organic pioneer Fred Kirschenmann, a Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University and President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, New York; the New York Times’ Verlyn Klinkenborg, author of “The Rural Life”; and New York farmer Mary-Howell Martens.

Admission is free.

More info at mcnallyjackson.com or call 212-274-1160

Location: McNally Jackson Books - 52 Prince St. (b/t Lafayette & Mulberry)

Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Monday, August 24, 2009

TIME FOR LUNCH in Tarrytown

SLOW FOOD WESTCHESTER’S TIME FOR LUNCH EAT-IN ON LABOR DAY


On Labor Day, Monday, September 7, between 4-6 p.m at Washington Irving School in Tarrytown, parents and politicians, kids, school board members and senior citizens will come together for a Slow Food Westchester “Eat-In.” Slow Food USA's “Time for Lunch” is both a local get-together and a national campaign that will send a message to Congress, as it considers reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act this fall, that it is time to support real food in schools. Just $1 in additional funding per day per child could dramatically improve the food that children eat in school.

Join Slow Food Westchester for an afternoon of freshly-made appetizers and desserts, games for children, a soccer match, music for all, and an opportunity to meet fellow rivertowns residents and your local legislators to begin a conversation about school food and why it matters. There will also be time to sign a national petition, to learn more about school lunch policy, nutrition education and what each of us can do on a local and national level.

We will be joining 250 other “Eat-In's” from each of the fifty states. Together, we can have a good time while sending a powerful message to Congress that it is time to give the 30 million children who eat lunch in school every day food that tastes good and is good for them. By giving schools the resources they need, we can build a strong foundation for the health of our children and our nation's future. Sharing food is how we can begin.


What: Time for Lunch National Eat-In
When: Monday September 7, Labor Day
Time: 4 – 6 p.m.
Where: Washington Irving School, Rte. 9 Broadway in Tarrytown


For more information about Slow Food Westchester's “Time for Lunch” event, please contact: Linda Viertel at 631-0087, or Slow Food Westchester Co-Chair, Jan Frasier Maltby, at 631-0105 after September 1.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

MUSHROOMS AT THE BURNS

Know Your Mushrooms
Sept. 2 at 7:30

Filmmaker Ron Mann (Grass) cooks up a tasty stew of mushroom arcana seasoned with astonishing facts (did you know the world's largest organism is a five-mile-long fungus?) and eccentric characters. Using goofy animation and original music by the Flaming Lips, Know Your Mushrooms is a funny, informative tribute to the wild mushroom and the cultural experiences—mind-expanding and otherwise—attached to it. Best Feature, NYC Food Film Festival.

Q&A: Gary Lincoff, who is featured in the film, is one of the nation’s best known mushroom experts. He is the author of the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

ANNOUNCING - TIME FOR LUNCH

A Special Message from Slow Food USA


Time for Lunch Petition

This summer Slow Food USA is launching an awareness campaign called Time for Lunch to bring public attention to the need to help our schools feed our children healthy foods (not fake or fast foods), and to help our schools source real food locally.

This fall the Child Nutrition Act, the bill that governs the National School Lunch Program, is up for reauthorization in Congress. The National School Lunch Program provides a meal to more than 30 million children every school day. By giving schools the resources to serve real food, 30 million children will benefit with better health, better nutrition, better concentration, and, as many studies have shown, academic achievement.

The Slow Food USA platform is recommending these inclusions to the bill:

Invest in children's health - Give schools just one dollar more per day for each child's lunch.
Protect against food that puts children at risk - Establish strong standards for all food sold at school, including food from vending machines and school fast food.
Teach children healthy habits that will last through life - Fund grants for innovative Farm to School programs and school gardens.
Give schools the incentive to buy local - Establish financial incentives that encourage schools to buy food from local farms for all child nutrition programs, thereby creating jobs in our communities, rebuilding rural economies, supporting family farmers, and shortening the distance food travels to save oil and ensure school foods are as fresh and healthy as possible.
Create green jobs with a School Lunch Corps - Train underemployed Americans to be the teachers, farmers, cooks, and administrators our school cafeterias need in a program similar to Americorps.
To sign the Time for Lunch petition and learn more: www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch


Contact Your Legislators

A second component is telling your legislators that this issue is important to you. Quick steps:

1. Write a letter to your Washington legislators to vote for the reauthorization.
2. Make a phone call to tell them that change can't wait: It's time to provide America's children with real food at school.
3. Invite your legislators to your Eat-In (see third component below) and/or set up a meeting to talk in person.

To find your legislators' addresses, visit http://congress.org and type in your zip code. Remember that politicians work for you.


Community Eat-Ins on Labor Day

A third component of the campaign involves heightening media attention on the need to reauthorize the Childhood Nutrition Act through hundreds of Community Eat-Ins across the country on Labor Day. An Eat-In is a potluck that takes place in public and gathers people to support a cause - like getting real food into schools. Any type of Eat-In can be planned - big or small.

To learn more and for details on how to organize your own Eat-In on Labor Day, visit the Slow Food USA website at http://www.slowfoodusa.org/timeforlunch.


If anyone is interserested in hosting an event or would like to join an event, contact us at slowfoodwestchester@gmail.com.



Slow Food International is a non-profit, member-supported organization founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world. Today, we have over 85,000 members in 132 countries. To become a member, or renew your membership to Slow Food USA, please visit:
www.slowfoodlongisland.org
or
www.slowfoodusa.org

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

FOOD, Inc at the JACOB BURNS

Food, Inc.

Opens July 1

Food, Inc. is more than a terrific movie-it's an important movie, one that nourishes your knowledge of how the world works (or, in this case, has started not to work)." (Entertainment Weekly)

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner talks to best-selling authors Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (Omnivore's Dilemma) to lift the veil on our nation's food industry—a nexus of mechanized farms, engineered food, and unhealthy practices that's been effectively hidden from American consumers by slick public relations and slack government regulation. This eye-opening documentary explains how unfettered corporations exploited laws and subsidies to create wholesale monopolies, and explores how modern developments in food production pose grave risks to our health and environment.

Opening Night, July 1, 7:00 pm with Frederick Kirschenmann, a longtime leader in sustainable agriculture. Kirschenmann is President of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills and Distinguished Fellow for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University. He also oversees management of his family's 3,500-acre certified organic farm in south-central North Dakota.

Robert Kenner. 2008. 94 m. NR. US. Magnolia Pictures.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

LUNCH BUNCH at THE COOKERY

Slow Food Westchester is hosting the final LUNCH BUNCH (until the fall) at:

THE COOKERY
39 Chestnut Street
Dobbs Ferry, NY
914-305-2336

THE COOKERY is David DiBaris' and his family latest Italian incarnation. David had been associated with Zuppa in Yonkers and Babbo in Manhattan. We are lucky to have an Italian Restaurant that cures it's own meat and makes its own pasta(actually Mom is making it in the basement). So, come make some new friends,catch up with old ones and support a new neighbor.


Friday, June 5, 2009
12:30-2:00
RSVP jan@jmaltby.com

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

POTLUCK at TABLE

Please join Slow Food Westchester
at Table Local Market
this month to celebrate the beginning of Spring.

Experience a very special local market that celebrates local farmers
and purveyors. You’ll also share sumptuous food provided by some of the most passionate locavores anywhere—you!


This event is a potluck, so we urge you to reach out to local farms and purveyors to create a dish you can share with others. The warm spring air might inspire dishes with early spring greens (lettuces or spinach), earthy morels, bright green asparagus, fingerling potatoes or perhaps the last apples of the season.

Table will provide wine (Fountain Head Wines/Bedford Hills), beer (Captain Lawrence/Pleasantville) and other refreshments, as well as a seasonal dish of their own along with spectacular local breads and cheeses.

So leave the kiddies at home and bring a seasonal dish and cutlery (we're trying to be sustainable here) to share with your fellow locavores.

Date: May 17th (Sunday)
Time: 6pm - 8pm
Address: Table Local Market
11 Babbit Road, Bedford Hills, NY 10507
Fee: $10 per person (and at least 1 dish per party, please)
Space Limit: This event is limited to 30 people
RSVP: slowfoodwestchester@gmail.com

Please let us know if you have any questions at all.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Come Meet the Chefs......

Slow Food Westchester and the Chef Association of Westchester and Lower Connecticut would like to invite you to, Come Meet the Chefs...... On Monday, May 4th, join us at the Doral Arrowood, 975 Anderson Hill Road, Rye Brook, NY as we present an introduction to Local Artisans, Sustainable Operations, Organic Products, The Slow Food Movement and the American Culinary Federation. There will be talks, demonstrations and sample tastings. Come early and enjoy a pre-meeting social in the THE PUB from 6-7. Meeting and Education 7-9 pm. RSVP at slowfoodwestchester@gmail.com.

On, Friday, May 1st our Monthly Lunch Bunch will be settling in Tarrytown at the newly opened Sweet Grass Grill. Come meet new friends and support the owners of Tomatillo in their new venture of local, fresh fare. RSVP to slowfoodwestchester@gmail.com

Thanks to all who made it to our SLOW COOKER POTLUCK. It was a great. success. I can't wait to open my recipe booklet and and try a few recipes. Watch for another potluck at the Mt. Kisco Child Care Center to celebrate the Fall Harvest

Monday, April 13, 2009

SLOW FOOD WESTCHESTER IS BUSY

The women at Slow Food Westchester are busy. We are back and ready to move forward to promote the mission of Slow Food; assuring everyone has access to food that is good, clean and fair. We need to to make sure our children are left with a sustainable food system. One business that shares our concern is opening this weekend. TABLE,located at 11 Babbit Rd, in Bedford Hills, across from the train station.

Celebrate Spring, Celebrate Farmers!
TABLE's GRAND OPENING In Honor of Earth Day
Saturday April 18th - 10 AM - 6 PM
Open House with Special Tastings, Meet your Farmer, Children's Tastings
.

Also, stop by THE BEDFORD POST tomorrow for our monthly Breakfast Meeting and share your ideas and meet great people.

Wednesday night is our SLOW FOOD POTLUCK at Mt. Kisco Day Care and May 1st is our third SLOW FOOD LUNCH BUNCH at the restaurant SWEETGRASS on Main Street in Tarrytown.

Take a moment and go on the Slow Food USA Food Blog to learn more about the recent article in the NY TIMES about the safety of Free-Range Pork.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

LUNCH BUNCH REMINDER

This Friday, April 3, we will meet at The Stone Barn Center for Food and Agriculture. Our adventure will begin with a short tour of the grounds, animals, and greenhouse. Spring is alive and well on the Farm. The Berkshire Pigs have farrowed and they have welcomed yet another round of piglets. The field is being tilled and planted with parnsips and transplanted with broccoli and kale. The new poults are laying egges by the dozens. Afterwards we will drop by the cafe, say hello to Alberto and pick up lunch. I recommend the famous egg salad. You can even pick up a few dozen eggs to take home and make your own salad. Finally, we will gather in the Hay Barn to discuss our tour, the future of food and enjoy the bounty of Stone Barns.
RSVP by April 2 to Jan Frasier Maltby, at jan@jmaltby.com. Unfortunately, we have to limit this month to 10 people.

Slow Cooker Slow Food Event @ Mount Kisco Child Care April 15th 6pm



The slow cooker can be a busy parent's best friend. Come and join us in a delicious tour of what your "crock pot" can do and learn more about the edible gardens and innovative food based curriculum at Mount Kisco Child Care.

Joining us with short presentations will be:

John Turenne, a chef & food consultant, Slow Food CT member.
Mimi Edelman, garden educator and Slow Food Hudson Valley co-leader
Susan Rubin, food and garden "evangelist", Slow Food Westchester co-leader
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand D- NY (invited)

The event is open to all members of Slow Food Westchester and families of Mount Kisco Child Care.
Fee is $10 which covers food and a slow cooker recipe booklet.
Join our raffle and take a chance to win your very own slow cooker along with a great slow cooker cookbook!

Monday, March 23, 2009

SPRING IS COMING

The news from the Food World is exciting. Michelle Obama is planting a garden at the White House, the New York Times asks "Is a Food Revolution Now in Season"? and my sister announced that she is tearing up her lawn and putting in an organic garden. I think Spring is coming and a bright sun will shine on the mission of Slow Food. Everyone has the right to a clean, fair and healthy food system.

In keeping with our mission, Slow Food Westchester continues to plan events to spread the word. This Wednesday, we are hosting a Sold-Out event with the Westchester and Rockland Dietetic Association at Peter Pratt's. You can learn more about it from my previous blog. It looks like the Press will be there and I will report back on it next week. Don't forget our second, LUNCH BUNCH, next Friday, April 3. Will get back soon on a location. Our monthly BREAKFAST MEETING, at the Bedford Post is on April 14. May 4th we will be hosting a LOCAL TASTING EVENT with the the Westchester and Lower Connecticut Chef's Association at the Doral Arrowood. More on that next week.

Out and about the county there is also much going on. Brian Lewis, of the famous, BEDFORD POST, is doing Sunday evening cooking classes. For $100 dollars you get to learn from best. Sign up yourself or get a group of friends together. You bring your own wine and eat what you cook. What more could you want. Call Deborah Burman at 914-234-7800. They are Sundays, from 5-8.

Also, my friend John Boy is moving down county. His fabulous food will be available at DeCicco's in Ardsley, 21 Center Street. Last week I bought 2 Pork Shoulders from John at the County Center and my family has been enjoying them all week. We had Pulled Pork, Carnitas, Asian Pork in Lettuce Wraps and have more in the freezer.

Have a great week and happy eating.

Monday, March 9, 2009

UPDATE, MONDAY, MARCH 9

For the a Slow Foodie like me, this weekend was a whirlwind. It started on Friday with our first Monthly Lunch Bunch at COMFORT in Hastings on Hudson. If you haven't been there, you should go. It is a very small space, so the 12 of us were fortunate they reserved a table and most of the restaurant for us. We came from all walks of life and parts of the county. We dined on grilled chicken salads, sandwiches and vegetable plates. All organic and all delicious. We met new friends and shared restaurant suggestions and recipe ideas. Thanks to everyone who came and we are looking forward to speaking to all of you more and exploring some of your wonderful ideas.

Saturday, I woke early to drive (unfortunately) to the Community Market in Briarcliff. As is usually the case, I didn't bring enough cash. Half way around the room, I ran out of money. The plethora of wonderful items is just too tempting and I wanted to buy it all. Grass-fed cheese, wood-oven breads, fresh pickles, chutneys, apples, cider and meat, pork, chicken and eggs. Next time I will stop by the bank to make sure I can stock up on the potatoes, onions, and rutabagas that I had to pass up. There was even a fishmonger with the tastiest scallops. They were clean and fresh, not in that syrupy liquid often found in scallops from a grocery. The next Market in Briarcliff is in two weeks.

Sunday, I grabbed my youngest and headed North to the Junior League of Westchester's EVERYBODY IN THE KITCHEN. Not only was I in search of new Slow Food recruits, but I wanted to have some fun myself. Since I was still cashless, I managed to eat my way around the Gymnasium at the Boys and Girls Club of Westchester. I stuffed my face with WAVE HILL BREADS, Cookies from SUSIE'S SMART COOKIE, Milk from HUDSONMILK, and tasty treats from NEAR AND NATURAL Market and Cafe and the soon to be opened TABLE. There was a craft area for kids and cooking demonstration and talks throughout the day. The Junior League did a great job.

But, for those of you who missed all that. There is plenty yet to come.

Tuesday, March 10th, 9-10:30,Breakfast Meeting, BEDFORD POST
Wednesday, March 25th, 5:30, PETER PRATT'S (See earlier blog)

Friday, April 3, 12:30, Slow Food Lunch Bunch (place to be determined)
Tuesday, April 14, Breakfast Meeting, BEDFORD POST
Wednesday, April 15, MT. KISCO DAY CARE, Slow Food Crock Pot Potluck

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

MARCH: UPCOMING SLOW FOOD EVENTS

MONTHLY LUNCH BUNCH: Join the foodies of Slow Food Westchester each month as we experience a new Local Restaurant. On Friday, March 6,at 12:30 pm join us at COMFORT in Hastings-on-Hudson to experience their Organic and Healthful Cooking.
RSVP to Jan Maltby at jan@jmaltby.com by March 3rd. www.comfortrestaurant.net



SLOW FOOD WESTCHESTER, WESTCHESTER/ROCKLAND DIETETIC ASSOCIATION and FOOD BANK WESTCHESTER present:

FOODLAND: Sustainable ways to grow land and food, economical and creative ways to enjoy local cuisine.

Date: Wednesday March 25, 2009

Place: Peter Pratt’s Inn
Yorktown Heights, NY

Time: 5:00-5:45 p.m. – networking and appetizers. Meet local farmers and taste their products.
6:00-8:00 p.m. – food courses alternating with presentations by restaurateur Jonathan Pratt, horticulturalist Russell Greenleaf, and farm manager Kevin Skvorak.

Farmers are finding new ways to sell their goods and finding new goods and ways to produce them. We need to preserve this major NYS industry. First, we need to insure enough healthy land is preserved to grow food. How much farmland do we need to feed the growing population? How many new farmers will we need? How can we ensure that local farmers can afford to keep farmland?

We will also discuss growing food for work & therapy: troubled youth, mentally challenged adults, prisoners.

We will taste and talk about new cuisine opportunities that can be enjoyed in NYS.

Cost: $35.oo per person, Slow Food Members receive a free glass of wine

For reservations and information call: 914-882-0121
Diane A. Lombardi, RD
PR Chair, Sustainable Agriculture Co-Chair
Westchester Rockland Dietetic Association

WAVEHILL BREAD BAKING CLASS

Slow Food Artisan Bread Baking Class for Kids
WaveHill Bakery
196 Danbury Road, Wilton, Connecticut
www.wavehillbreads.com
Sunday March 1st, from 2:00-4:00.p.m.
Space is limited to 10 kids and 10 adults
R.S.V.P. to chefmlkim@gmail.com a must!
Free for SlowFood members/$5 a child for non-members.

Please join us to learn how bread is made at the celebrated WaveHill Bakery
in Wilton, CT. Owners Margaret Sapir and Mitchell Rapoport will show
the kids the ins & outs of breadbaking. From learning how the spelt and rye
are milled, to shaping the dough, learning how the dough rises and, finally,
baking the bread. Each child will have enough dough to make a loaf to take home.
During the proofing process, snacks will be available for everyone.

This is a wonderful class that kids enjoy.
It’s best for children ages 4-10, but older kids will enjoy it too.

WaveHill's amazing Artisanal bread will be available for sale at the event.
This event is almost SOLD_OUT

Friday, February 13, 2009

SLOW FOOD UPDATE

Tuesday was our second breakfast meeting at the BEDFORD POST. Michelle and Susan reported a great turnout. Our next meeting will be MARCH, 10.

Saturday, I went shopping at the Farmer's Market in the Westchester County Center in White Plains. It took two trips to my car to carry the cheese, apples, fruits, vegetables, lotions and meats to my car. I'd asked John Boy to bring me a pork butt/shoulder. And he came through with a beauty. Restaurants have already gotten wise to the joys of this cut of pork and the more home cooks that discover it the harder it will be for me to find. But, I can't help sharing. So, instead of going to the super hot Momofuku in New York city, you can braise it in your oven all day and enjoy it at home with your family and friends. Put the butt and a bottle of Doc's Draft Hard Apple Cider (also from in the market) in a large braising pot, fat up. Rub 1/2 c. brown sugar and 1/4 c.salt on top and put it in the oven at about 320 degrees. Cook until the meat pulls away from the bone, about 6 1/2 hours for a 10 lb. butt. So simple. Enjoy it with a bottle of Whitecliff Vineyard Pinot Noir from the Hudson River Region. You can pick this up at the market as well. Unfortunately, you will have to wait until March 15th for the next indoor market. In the meantime, use our links to find out where the closest Community Market is next weekend.

MARK YOU CALENDARS: The first ever Slow Food Lunch Bunch. Friday, March 6th at 12:30 at COMFORT in Dobbs Ferry.

Friday, February 6, 2009

WEEKEND UPDATE

The temperature is suppose to rise to 50 degrees by tomorrow. A perfect day to drop by one of the local Farmer's Markets in our area. COMMUNITY MARKETS has two, in Briarcliff and Mamaroneck. Click on our link to learn more. The WHITE PLAINS COUNTY CENTER INDOOR FARMERS MARKET is this Sunday, Feb. 8 from 10-3. Stop by and say hello to John Boy and pick up some of his Berkshire Pork. See you there.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

BEDFORD ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT

It was amazing and wonderful that over one thousand people found time in their "busy" lives to attend the BEDFORD ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT last Saturday at Fox Lane High School. SLOW FOOD WESTCHESTER shared a table with MT. KISCO DAY CARE and BETTER SCHOOL FOOD in the EXPO Area. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hello and learn about the SLOW LIFE. We had the opportunity to visit a few other tables and sat in on a couple of lectures. We managed to add a few of those to our Blog Links . For those who missed it, maybe next time.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

MORE HOPE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE

The New York Times reported today that there is a new chef in the White House. The great news for the Slow Food world is that he is one of us. His name is Sam Kass and, according to the Times, he is one of the new breed of chefs who are as concerned about the environment as about the poor eating habits of this country. Mr. Kass shops from local farms and buys wine from small sustainable wineries. He laments the sorry state of the National School Lunch Program. Last May Kass spoke at a weekly Tuesday gathering in Chicago to a group of like minded individuals. He drew attention to the high precentage of government funding for the school lunch program being spent on meat and dairy, while a little more than one quarter is spent on vegetables. This, along with the additives of colors and preservatives hinders a child's ability to learn. Thow in the abundance of high fructose corn syrup and it does not bode well for a healthy school environment. Let us wish Mr. Kass luck and maybe that Victory Garden at the White House will happen after all.

Monday, January 19, 2009

MONTHLY BEDFORD POST BREAKFAST MEETING

Last Tuesday morning was the first of our monthly breakfast meetings at The BEDFORD POST and I'm pleased to say we had a terrific turnout.
Co-leaders Jan Maltby, Susan Rubin and Michelle Kim were there, along with Catherine Clare, a great local supporter, Margaret Sapir from WAVE HILL BREADS, Cynthia Brennan from TABLE, Neil Alexander, a local attorney and advocate and Jon Zeltsman with COMMUNITY MARKETS.
Everyone was full of ideas. As always, we encourage people to be as enthusiastic about following up on their ideas as they are about suggesting them.

Everyone at the table dined on Crip Farm Fresh Egg with wild mushroom grits and guancial. It was delicious. A few of the early birds that were sneaking off to yoga in the studio upstairs, enjoyed the homestyle baked goods that are offered. Over the next few months, we hope to try everything this cozy farmhouse has to offer.

Following the breakfast a few of us were lucky enough to have Brian Lewis, Bedford Posts' chef, give us a tour of the kitchen, private dining room and formal dining room. The space is lovely, warm and inviting. Brian, also, gave us a sneak peek into his Sunday night cooking classes. Here, everyone gets to beome a chef and prepare a 4-course dinner in the main kitchen before sitting to wine and dine family style. Hopefully, Jan will have the opportunity to attend in the next few weeks and report back on the experience.

Mark your calendars for Feb. 10, 2009 at 9:30 for the next breakfast. We will meet the second Tuesday of each month at the BEDFORD POST, 954 Old Post Road (RT. 121), Bedford Hills, 914-234-7800.

We, also, wanted to let everyone know that Maryanne Hedrick is stepping down as co-leader and Susan Rubin has agreed to assume her role.

Next BIG EVENT: Bedford Envirnmental Summit on Jan. 31st.