Erika Lesser in Freeport

Erika Lesser, Executive Director of Slow Food USA, will speak in Freeport on March 1 as part of The Wolfe's Neck Farm Foundation's talk series, "Food for Thought, Thoughtful Food."The presentation will be in the Freeport Community Center, 53 Depot Street, Freeport, from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. We will address the past, present, and future of food and farms in Maine. The events is free and open to the public; donations to support this and future events appreciated.

Erika will speak on the topic "Good, Clean and Fair: Slow Food in Principle and in Practice" She will focus on creating a sustainable culture of good food for a healthier community. David Buchanan, the leader of Slowfood Portland, will also present, to offer practical steps for people to get involved in their own communities.

Erin Go to the Potluck

For the next Slow Food Seacoast potluck and meeting, on Sunday, March 4th, we'll be exploring flavors of the Emerald Isle. This theme was chosen in honor of the approaching St. Patrick's Day, as well as the strong influence of Irish culture brought to New England over its entire history.

For many, the phrase 'Irish food' conjures a bad reputation for blandness and monotony. Certainly, for many decades, the potato monoculture, poverty, and privation determined much of the national diet, a fact which contributed to the idea that Irish food was not rich or varied.

Here in the United States, many of us are familiar with the supposed classic Irish meal of corned beef and cabbage - but that's really an Irish-American dish, a variant on a traditional bacon and cabbage mixture. It seems that immigrants to the United States could not find the fatty, salt-cured, thick-sliced bacon of the old country, and substituted the corned beef found at Jewish butcher shops in East Coast cities. This new combination became the basis for the New England boiled dinner.

But Irish food is not all potatoes and cabbage. There are some wonderful things to be found if one looks more deeply into the culture and its food history.

To allay any fears of a table full of soda bread and Guinness (not that there's anything wrong with that!), here's a look at some Irish food history and recipe sites, which may inspire you to explore a food culture shaped by history and economics, grassy dairylands, rocky soil, the produce of a cool moist climate, and abundant fish from the oceans.

Wikipedia gives an overview of Irish Cuisine from its earliest history (venison stew and mead) to the arrival of the potato in the 1600s to the 'New Irish Cuisine' of the 20th century, based on seafoods and cheeses.

Irish Culture & Customs has an exceptionally long list of recipes and a collection of articles on specific food topics.

DoChara's History of Food in Ireland does a similar overview in greater depth, and also offers a small collection of recipes.

Ireland's Eye offers a set of traditional recipes featuring ham, oats, jams, and other classic ingredients.

FoodIreland has some excellent recipes for baked goods and meat dishes, many featuring brand-name ingredients commercially available in Ireland.

With all this variety, we should have plenty to explore. Please plan to come -- and bring friends. Slainte!

Fast Meets Slow

This Thursday, the Music Hall's Wild Card film series presents the movie Fast Food Nation, a docudrama adaptation of Eric Schlosser's hard-hitting nonfiction book on the ubiquitous American fast food industry. In settings ranging from ranches to restaurants to meatpacking plants, the movie gives an expansive overview of how all those burgers and fries ended up on all those plastic trays. If you don't like what you see, a panel discussion following the movie will concentrate on delicious alternatives. Susan Tuveson of Cacao Chocolates in Kittery and Evan Mallett of Lindbergh's Crossing will offer up some 'cooking as theatre,' creating a dish right onstage featuring local eggs, potatoes, onions, and herbs. There'll be tasting for all. Rounding out the discussion will be Garen Heller of Back River Farm, John Forti and Michelle Moon of Slow Food Seacoast, and the UNH Office of Sustainability. Film at 7:30, tasting and dicussion afterward. Please come down!

It's a Peach!

...and a plum and an apple and -- well, you get the idea. If you have fruit trees, you may be interested in attending this demonstration offered through the UNH Cooperative Extension.

Tree Fruit Pruning Demonstration

The UNH Cooperative Extension, Rockingham County, will be holding a tree fruit pruning demonstration on Thursday, February 22 at 9:30 am until noon time. Bill Lord, Tree Fruit Specialist will demonstrate how to prune apples, peaches, cherries and plums.

The pruning demonstration will be hosted by Sunnycrest Farm in Londonderry. Dress for the weather. Directions to Sunnycrest Farm in Londonderry: Exit 4 off Interstate 93, West on Route 102, four miles, turn right at Sunnycrest sign on the right. Drive one mile to farm at 59 High Range Road. Demonstration is free and open to the public. Registration not required. For more info call UNH Cooperative Extension at 679-5616

Fish Tale

Sara Zoe sends word of an interesting web movie: "This short non-narrative video tracks the day in a life of a fish as it travels from sea to stomach. Starting at the Portland Fish Exchange, fish are unloaded from the fisherman's boat and then sold at auction to the highest bidding "Fish Pimp". They are then transported from the Exchange to processing plants, restaurants, and retail markets all over the world. A salmon is filleted and sold at a local fish market. At the end of the day, the salmon is cooked on a grill and made into a nice meal"

Slow on the Half-Shell

Looking for a Slow way to celebrate Valentine's Day? Our friends at Slow Food Portland, ME, are hosting Oyster Night from 5-8 PM Wednesday, the 14th. They say, "Twelve dollars will get you a sampling of four Maine oysters, some great music from Hot Club of Portland, and an all-around general good time as we support our local aquaculture growers! Bring your sweetheart and start your Valentine evening off right!At 6pm there will be a presentation from Dana Morse, a UMaine Extension Agent with the Maine Sea Grant, and Sebastian Belle, Executive Director of The Maine Aquaculture Association.More Oysters, champagne and local beer available at the bar. Tickets available ($12 ea.) at the door or at Aurora Provisions, Rosemont Market and Bakery and Standard Baking. Location: Center for Cultural Exchange at One Longfellow Square.

Grab a date and go!

Slow Food Book Picks

For our last meeting, attendees were asked to bring a favorite food-related book. The choices were interesting and widely varied, including memoirs, investigative journalism, fiction, and cookbooks. Favorite food books created a window into the tastes, imaginations, and personalities of our group, so we know you'll be interested in what these choices were. Here they are!

Kate: Chez Panisse Vegetables, by Alice Waters.
jeff: The Accidental Connoisseur: An Irreverent Journey Through the Wine World, by Lawrence Osborne
Katie: Tender at the Bone: Growing up at the Table, by Ruth Riechl
Andy: Organic, Inc: Natural Foods and How they Grew, by Samuel Fromartz
Erin: On Rue Tatin: Living and Cooking in a French Town, by Susan Loomis
Sara Zoe: My Life in France, by Julia Child with Alex Prudhomme
Joanne: Didn't know about the bring-a-book plan, but a recent fiction read inspired her to make biscuits on a cold winter day!
Steve: The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster (For the tasty alphabet market...)
Peter: The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History in Four Meals, by Michael Pollan
Michelle: Saltwater Foodways: New Englanders and Their Food At Sea and Ashore in the 19th Century, by Sandy Oliver
John: Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses, by Isabel Allende
Jenny: The Political Palate, by the Bloodroot Collective
Joanne: The Art of Syrian Cooking (available secondhand!), by Helen Corey

It was so great to be introduced to these books. If you care to order any, think about taking title and author information to your local bookseller to give those folks your business!

Alert: Food Needs

This email came to us today:

Could you please email your group regarding the soup kitchen at the Seacoast Community Church? They recently lost their donations from Hannaford and need food desperately. They provide lunch on Tuesdays, and boxes of provisions to people who need food. I deliver the day-old from Me&Ollies every Tuesday, and they told me yesterday of their plight.

Requested donations:
Canned meat (no tuna, please - they have lots of that)
Spaghetti noodles
Spaghetti sauce
Peanut butter
Jelly
Meals in a box (they had "Homestyle by Banquet" previously)
Any other canned veggies, rice, noodles

If anyone wants to donate, they can bring it to my shop : Creek Hill Upholstery, 205 Bartlett Street, Portsmouth 436-8790; or take it directly to the church (near the high school) Seacoast Community Church around the back door from 7:30 am - 2pm, on Tuesdays only. Thanks! --Jeanne from Creek Hill.

O Miraculous Blog

Last night's meeting was not only great, it inspired the group with new ideas for the use of this blog.

First, it gives us a place to post recipes. Send your recipes in, or post them as a comment. We can tag these posts with a 'recipe' tag, and retrieve them all in one big list when it comes time to create a SFSeacoast cookbook. Thanks to Jenny for that idea.

Katie proposed using the blog to share information about what everyone's bringing to the next potluck. Another great idea! The day the reminder e-mail goes out, a meeting reminder post will appear. You can use the comments under the post to chime in and give us an idea of what you'll be bringing.

Commenting is easy and turns the blog into more of a discussion, so don't be quiet out there!

Aphrodisiacs

Cultures across the world have long been fascinated with the idea that food can not only help us express love, but might even be able to act on our systems to get us in the mood for romance. Science lends only some very small support to the idea, but that doesn't stop us from enjoying the rich, flavorful, and luxurious foods considered to be aphrodisiacs. Tonight's Slow Food meeting features a "Foods of Love" potluck, in honor of the month of St. Valentine. For some of the most commonly identified aphrodisiac foods, consult this index on Amy Reiley's website Eat Something Sexy. You can sign up for an Aphrodisiac of the Month e-mail from Ms. Reiley! Thanks to Jim for letting us know of this fun resource.

Slow Food on Food Stamps

Carlo Petrini is adamant that Slow Food not be an elitist movement, and many members of our convivium are active in food justice causes. But how easy is it to eat locally, seasonally, and sustainably on a budget? One couple accepted the Slow Food for the Poor Challenge: to eat for a week on $61.87, the food stamp allotment their 2-person household was given. They did succeed, but their success depended very much on things not everyone has access to, like nearby markets, full kitchen equipment, and garden produce. It's a thought-provoking article that suggests ways we can improve access to good, clean, and fair food for all income levels.

White Stuff on the Ground, Green Stuff in the Greenhouse

The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension will be offering a Greenhouse Production Basics workshop on Wednesday, February 21.

Designed for novice growers, this daylong workshop will cover site selection, greenhouse construction, growing media, plant nutrition, budgeting, niche marketing and plant selection. The workshop will be held at the Massabesic Audubon Center in Auburn. A follow-up twilight meeting at a local greenhouse in March will cover insect and disease problems. Registration cost is $30 per person and advance registration is required before February 14. Space is limited. For registration information call Gail at 679-5616 at UNH Cooperative Extension, or you can download the registration form by visiting the Extension's website.

Winter (Conference) Wonderland!

On March 2, NOFA-NH's Fifth Annual Winter Conference titled "Peas Lettuce Feed You" will take place at Winnisquam Regional High School in Tilton, NH, just 20 miles north of Concord. The conference features 28 workshops in 4 sessions, on food, farming, gardening, landscaping, sustainability and related topics, and will offer an potluck lunch, a Keynote, and a Market Fair showcasing local, organic and/or sustainable products, organizations, businesses, farms, and foods. All farmers, gardeners, food enthusiasts, landscapers, homesteaders and friends of the earth are welcome!

Early registration by February 20 saves $10: NOFA Members $35, non-members $45. After February 20 an additional $10 will be added to the registration fee. Potluck Lunch is free when you bring a dish to share! No time to cook? Then you may purchase a $10 ticket to the potluck.

This event and many others brought to our attention by the Office of Sustainability at UNH. Their online calendar is available here!