Slow Food RI’s Annual Meeting, Tuesday, February 2 at 7pm

January 7, 2010

2009 was a great year for Slow Food Rhode Island: We not only saw our membership more than double, we also hosted and co-hosted some great events (movie nights, panel discussions, a movie followed by a talk on coffee with New Harvest Coffee Roasters, and a wonderful author and farmer talk with author-farmer Novella Carpenter and Providence’s City Farm farmer Rich Pederson) as well as increased activism on the local and national level with the push to increase biodiversity and awareness of place-based foods through the Renewing America’s Food Traditions (RAFT) Grow-out, and the Slow Food USA Time for Lunch campaign, which strives to get healthy food into schools through an increase in funding for the Child Nutrition Act.

As you may know, local Slow Food chapters are run entirely by volunteers, and our funding comes from event fees and donations to the chapter. In addition to events similar to those we hosted in 2009, we will be fundraising to send a local farmer, food producer, cook, academic, or advocate (or perhaps a couple of people) to Terra Madre in October 2010.

To start off 2010 strong, we are hosting our annual meeting on Tuesday, February 2 at 7pm at Local 121. There will be a delicious buffet available for $15, cash bar, and we are requesting a donation of $5 per person to help fund this year’s efforts and events.

During the meeting, we will discuss our plans for this year and beyond – and we want to hear your ideas as well. We’d like to know what types of events you’d like to attend, and, of course, if you’d like to coordinate an event, we’d love that as well!

We will also vote on officers for our chapter, including Chairperson, Membership, and Secretary. The current officers are Chair, Amy McCoy, and Secretary, Ingrid Lofgren.

Please rsvp to slowfoodri@gmail.com, and feel free to send along any questions or suggestions for the chapter, whether you are able to attend or not. As always, if you are interested in volunteering with Slow Food RI in any way, please also drop us a line at slowfoodri@gmail.com.

We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting and making plans for this year and beyond!

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Mario Batali talks with Peter Buffett about Slow Food

December 24, 2009

From Peter Buffett’s advent calendar, click here to see the video.

Plus, a little information on Mario Batali’s foundation. The mission of the Mario Batali Foundation is to feed, protect, educate and empower children, encouraging them to dream big while providing them with the necessary tools to become an active force for change in today’s world. In an effort to do so, the MBF strives to ensure all children are well read, well fed and well cared for. Help Mario make a difference in children’s lives locally, nationally, and abroad!

To learn more and/or donate, visit
www.mariobatalifoundation.org.

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Community Supported Fishery Subscriptions Available at Providence Wintertime Farmers Market

December 21, 2009

Port Clyde Fresh Catch Maine shrimp Community Supported Fisheries (CSF) subscriptions are now available in Pawtucket at the Wintertime Farmers Market. Six monthly CSF deliveries will begin during the weekend of January 9th and 10th. Subscribers can pick up their shares at the entrance to the Wintertime Farmers Market (1005 Main Street, Pawtucket).

Subscriptions of Maine shrimp shares will be available for pick up between 12:00-2:00pm on January 9th, February 13th, March 13th, April 10th, May 1st, and May 29th.

Similar to local community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, CSF subscribers purchase a “share” of the fishermen’s catch; in turn, they receive the freshest possible, wild-caught seafood every week for a specific period of time. All deliveries of Maine shrimp will be vacuum-sealed and frozen in 1 lb packages for easy storage. Subscriptions will consist of six monthly deliveries, each of 5 lbs of ready-to-cook Maine shrimp, for a total subscription cost of $216. Subscribers can also add on a copy of “The Original Maine Cookbook” to their subscriptions for an additional $18. Those who do not live near one of the two CSF delivery locations or who wish to place mail orders for fish, lobsters, lobster meat, crabs, or crabmeat can do through the Port Clyde Fresh Catch website, subject to seasonal availability.

The Midcoast Fishermen’s Cooperative, whose fishermen sell their seafood under the Port Clyde Fresh Catch brand name, are the last fleet of small groundfishing boats east of Portland, Maine and the village of Port Clyde is among the last true fishing communities left from the industry’s heyday. While CSFs and restaurant sales have been an enjoyable experience for all involved, they are also critical strategies for the future of the Port Clyde community. In the words of MFC chairman Glen Libby, “The community support generated by the CSF program has been overwhelming—it has made a huge difference to our fishing families.”

Those who would like to find out more about subscriptions to the CSF should contact Jessica at (207) 975-2191 or jessica@midcoastfishermen.org for more information.

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Celebrate this Holiday Season with Local Food!

December 11, 2009

And help support the local economy while you’re at it – what could be more holiday spirited than giving great gifts and keeping the business local?

The Wintertime Farmers Market in Pawtucket, RI is the perfect place to do your holiday grocery and gift shopping! Get the eggnog, pie, veggies, cheese, meat, or shellfish you need for your holiday gatherings, plus pick up gifts for everyone on your list.

Below is the Farm Fresh RI Holiday Gift Guide, a selection of edible gifts available at the Wintertime Farmers Market. Many people may be scaling down their purchases this year due to the economic downturn, so everything on this list is $25 or under (sweet!):

  • Farmacy Herbs Tea Sampler: a collection of their handcrafted, organic tea blends to help you relax, fight colds, and warm up this winter. Add a jar of local honey for an extra sweet gift!
  • Deluxcious Foods’ gluten-free chocolates, cookies and confections are hand made using farm fresh local ingredients. They make perfect stocking stuffers!
  • Narragansett Creamery cheese baskets feature heavenly cheese made in small batches in Providence RI. Give it to someone who’ll share!
  • Coffee-lovers will be pleased with a pound of New Harvest Coffee Roasters fair-trade coffee, roasted in Pawtucket, RI.
  • Jacks Snack’s handmade dog biscuits are made from human-grade ingredients, local and organic when possible. Dogs love ‘em! (my Golden, in particular, would tell you how much she loves them if she could)

From hot pepper jelly to salsa to apple butter, there is an edible, spreadable treat for anyone on your list. Pick out your favorite flavors made from ingredients grown in RI.

  • Sweet or spicy roasted pecans from Purple Pear of Providence make a special gift for a food-lover. Once you try them you’ll want to keep them for yourself!
  • Spoil someone with succulent scallops and herb butter from Bomster Scallops.
  • Assemble your own gift basket: help someone de-stress with Earth Essence Herbals lavender aromatherapy spray, an herb plant from Allen Farms, and ache-away salve from Farmacy Herbs.
  • Fresh Bucks, a gift certificate for the farmers’ market, can be purchased at the Farm Fresh info table. They never expire and always bring a smile!

Whether you are hosting a holiday dinner or attending a party, get the ingredients for a festive and flavorful meal at the Wintertime Farmers Market:

  • Poultry, beef, lamb, pork, clams, oysters, lobster, scallops, eggs, milk, and cheese are all available from local farmers at the market.
  • Veggies in season include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards, garlic, herbs, leeks, onions, parsnips, pea greens, potatoes, turnips, and winter squash.
  • Sweet apple cider, Christensen’s Dairy eggnog, and Yacht Club seltzers make fun holiday drinks.
  • What’s a holiday dinner without dessert? The Cupcakerie features stunning seasonal cupcakes such as Peppermint Twist and Gingerbread. Pies are available from Cutie Pies and Hopkins Farm. Cookies, breads, and other treats are available from many vendors! Or bake your own using farm-fresh apples, pumpkin, or pears. Top with Kafe Lila Ice Cream!

For more information about Farm Fresh Rhode Island or the Wintertime Farmers Market go to www.farmfreshri.org

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Big changes needed to make diets sustainable, report

December 11, 2009

This article from FoodNavigator.com caught my eye:

Reducing meat and dairy consumption, eating fewer fatty and sugary foods, and wasting less food are the three changes to consumption habits that will have the biggest impact on making diets more sustainable, says a new report.

The Sustainable Development Commission was asked by the UK government’s Department for Environment, Food, Rural Affairs to map out evidence on sustainable diets and look at synergies and tensions between public health, the environment, social inequalities, and economic stability.

It points out that no one, universal definition of a sustainable diet exists, but that this must be addressed for the government to meet its goal of a sustainable, secure and healthy food supply. Until now, the healthy eating element has been centre stage.

For the full article, click here. And to read the report, click here.

What do you think? What steps are you taking to make sustainable food choices?

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Slow Food Boston’s Brazilian Cocktail Party! Part 2!

December 1, 2009

Brazilian Cocktail Party, Part 2 Quick! What’s the most common ingredient in the tasty appetizers we’ll be serving at our Thursday, December 3rd festa, first event in our series exploring immigrant food traditions? -Caipirinha or tropical juice spritzer -Farofa de carne seca, sautéed manioc flour with Brazilian cured beef -Pão de queijo, cheese and manioc rolls -Canjiquinha, creamy corn soup with pork -Mandioca frita com lingüiça calabresa, deep-fried manioc with Brazilian sausage -Bolinho de bacalhau, codfish balls -Empadinha de palmito, heart of palm turnover -Empadinha de camarão, shrimp turnover -Orange slices and vegetable sticks -Molho and piri piri, hot sauces -Brazilian pastries Gold star if you said manioc, also called yuca or cassava. The starchy tuber is Brazil’s major contribution to the world food basket—it originated in the Amazon—and one of its most important staples. Our party menu pays homage to manioc three ways: as crunchy, toasted farofa, as the silky-textured base for bread and as a crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside home fry. Here, Nazare and Washington, two of our volunteer cooks, show me how to make pão de queijo with sour starch, fermented manioc starch.

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Brazilian Event Promo Cooking from Slow Food – Boston on Vimeo.

Please join us for a culinary trip to Brazil this Thursday, December 3rd at the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS), our host and partner for the event. Proceeds will be donated to their AIDS/HIV Prevention & Education Program.

Brazilian Cocktail Party Thursday, December 3rd, 6:30-9:30 pm Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers 1046 Cambridge Street, Cambridge Tickets $20; reserve them here. Next up: a Vietnamese picnic in spring 2010. Email me if you have ideas for others! Anastacia Marx de Salcedo, Slow Food Boston

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Slow Food Boston’s Brazilian Cocktail Party!

November 28, 2009

Brazilian Cocktail Party, Part 1 This December Slow Food Boston is kicking off a series exploring the food traditions of local immigrant groups. First stop: Brazil! Nazare and Washington—two of the volunteer cooks for our upcoming festa—and I are here at Casa de Carnes Solução, a Brazilian butcher shop on Bow St. in Somerville. We’re shopping for the ingredients for pão de queijo, rolls made from manioc and cheese from Minas Gerais, region of origin for most of Massachusetts’ estimated 75,000 to 230,000 Brazilians. Let’s take a look inside!

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Brazilian Event Promo Shopping from Slow Food – Boston on Vimeo.

We hope you’ll come by on December 3rd for a frosty caipirinha, piping hot cheese rolls and 7 other delicious appetizers prepared by the Brazilian staff of the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS), our host and partner for the event. Proceeds will be donated to their AIDS/HIV Prevention & Education Program. Next up: a Vietnamese picnic in spring 2010. Email me if you have ideas for others! Brazilian Cocktail Party Thursday, December 3rd, 6:30-9:30 pm Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers 1046 Cambridge Street Tickets $20; reserve them here. Anastacia Marx de Salcedo, Slow Food Boston

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Urban Agriculture Talk with Farmer-Author Novella Carpenter and Farmer Rich Pederson, November 12 at 7pm

October 26, 2009


We’re really excited about our two talks coming up in the next few weeks – the “Building and Maintaining a Local Food System” panel discussion at URI’s Kingston campus on Thursday, November 5 at 6pm, as well as this talk:

Farm City, City Farm: Tales in Urban Farming from Farmer-Author Novella Carpenter and Farmer Rich Pederson

Sponsored by Slow Food Rhode Island and Southside Community Land Trust
Thursday, November 12, 2009, 7pm
at the First Unitarian Church of Providence, 1 Benevolent Street
A donation of $10.00 per person ($5.00 for students) is suggested

Join us for a evening of stories – trials, tribulations, and triumphs – from two talented urban farmers; Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City: the Education of an Urban Farmer, and Rich Pederson, Southside Community Land Trust’s City Farm Farm Manager.

Novella and Rich will take turns sharing their urban agriculture experiences with us, with their unique perspectives influenced by each of their environments; Novella’s in Oakland, California, and Rich’s here in Providence. They’ll follow their story-telling with an audience question and answer period, which is sure to be entertaining and informative – and quite likely very funny as well.

For more information, email slowfoodri@gmail.com

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On Locally Grown Foods, courtesy of Providence the Creative Capitol

October 22, 2009

As we’re all interested in the local food scene – and we mean the growing, as well as the preparing and serving – this article (excerpted below) from Providence the Creative Capitol caught our eye:

The national trend towards locally grown, organic, seasonal foods has been gaining momentum thanks to recent food scares and recalls. Vegetables containing E-coli and peanuts spreading salmonella have helped raise awareness about food production, called into question factory-farming practices, and led consumers to want to know where their food is coming from…

…Bruce Tillinghast, owner and chef of New Rivers, a Providence restaurant serving refined bistro food made from fresh, organic ingredients, was an early local promoter of locally grown food.

We were thrilled to see that the article included insight into the Rhode Island food system, with our friends from New Rivers, Farmstead, Red Planet, Farm Fresh Rhode Island, and Southside Community Land Trust all mentioned in the article. We think it nicely demonstrates how many people are working so diligently at building and maintaining a local food system right here in Rhode Island.

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

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Panel Discussion: Building and Sustaining a Local Food System

October 19, 2009

We are pleased to present the “Building and Sustaining a Local Food System” panel discussion at the URI Kingston campus on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

The panel members include Matt Jennings of Farmstead and La Laiterie at Farmstead and Don Minto of Watson Farm.

This same panel participated last year, and by all accounts, it was a fabulous discussion. What’s more, the event is free of charge.

The talk starts at 6 pm and will run approximately 1.5 to 2 hours. The location is the Weaver Auditorium at the Coastal Institute (click on the link, the Coastal Institute is #13 on the map) on the URI Kingston campus.

Parking is available along Flagg Road and in nearby parking lots.

We hope to see you at URI for a budget-friendly, educational evening.

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