Cooking Up a Story has a 6-min video interview with Dan Imhoff (who wrote Food Fight, a book Slow Food USA is promoting around this issue) outlining the important connections between the modern Farm Bill and our food system at large.
The more we understand the Farm Bill, the better we'll be able to write to our senators and congressmen and let them know what we think. More info from Slow Food USA.
April 27, 2007
April 26, 2007
Michael Pollen Strikes Again...and Hits the Farm Bill
For those of you who are familiar with Michael Pollen's work, you will agree that he has truly insightful perspective on how humans have come to affect the food system we are a part of, for better or for worse. In the United States, one of the most powerful influences is the National Farm Bill, which is up for renewal this year. Slow Food USA has joined with other progressive groups to educate the public and ask citizens to put pressure on Congress to change the way farm subsidies are distributed. They have complied some excellent information on their website, including a sample letter to your senators and representatives, and encourage everyone to get involved…. Now back to Michael Pollen who has written a wonderful article summarizing how the Farm Bill has gotten so out of balance. This can be viewed on his website at michaelpollen.com. Check it out and if you haven’t read any of his books, you may decide to take a trip to you local bookstore for a copy of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, his most recent work.
April 23, 2007
Renegade Lunch Lady!
Concerned about food in the schools and how kids learn to eat? Check out Chef Ann Cooper's website Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children. This doesn't look like the school lunch menu I remember, but if Cooper is successful, more school dining programs will feature delicious, healthy lunches and snacks made from whole foods. A former fine-dining chef, Cooper has worked in many school kitchens and is now trying to transform the food in the Berkeley (CA) Central School District. She is the author of several books on food and cooking. From her bio:
Chef Ann did not always serve food in a cafeteria line; she is the former executive chef of the Putney Inn in Vermont. But her commitment to healthy, fresh food drove her to work with school administrators, politicians and parents - the people with the power over school food - to guarantee that wholesome food choices are available to kids today and kids tomorrow. Chef Ann's definition of a healthy school lunch extends beyond the French fries, processed chicken nuggets and syrupy fruit salad found on the average commodity-driven lunch menu approved by the National School Lunch Program. According to Chef Ann, we won't have much hope for future generations of healthy kids unless we begin teaching them what good food really is - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that 35 percent of our children are overweight, which statistically predicts that children born in the year 2000 will be the first in our nation's history to die at a younger age than their parents.
April 20, 2007
Once in a Blue Moon...Earth Day Fest in Exeter
Blue Moon Market and Cafe at 8 Clifford St., Exeter, will celebrate 12 years in downtown Exeter as well as celebrate Earth Day, with a 12 percent discount on selected local, organic, and Earth-friendly products on Sunday, April 22. Slow Food will be there along with Seacoast Eat Local and other area sustainability groups. Drop by and say hi, and learn about the other special events are in the works, including a community clean-up, a new series of cooking classes, and something for the kids also. Visit: www.bluemoonmarket.net.
April 18, 2007
Easter, Extended
Our friends at Flag Hill Winery are presenting a delectable spring menu of Greek-inspired Easter dishes as part of their New England Regional Cuisine series! Chef Ted McCormack, a SFSeacoast member, says "After 40 days of fasting we'll feed your hunger with a wine tasting, tour and a traditional Greek menu."
Diners make reservations in advance and choose their favorite options for each course from a carefully composed menu including many locally and regionally sourced ingredients. This months' starters include Avgolemono Soup (Chicken and rice flavored with lemon, egg and parsley), an
Appetizer Sampler of rice-stuffed grape leaves, lamb-stuffed zucchini, Kale-akopitapa and three-cheese pie; a Greek Salad of cucumbers, red onions, Kalamata olives, Maine grown tomatoes and Seal Cove Feta in garlic and herb vinaigrette. For entrees, choose from Spit Roasted Leg of Riverslea Farm Lamb (marinated in yogurt and herbs and cooked slowly over a charcoal open pit fire with roasted baby potatoes and grilled vegetables) Chicken Lemonato (chicken breast baked with lemon garlic sauce with carrots and leeks over rice pilaf), Sea Bass Spetsae (Atlantic Sea Bass baked with a fresh herb and garlic tomato sauce over olive and feta orzo), or Vegetable Moussaka (layered zucchini, eggplant, potatoes and spinach baked with garlic béchamel sauce)
Some of the items supplied by local farms:
Riverslea Farm, Epping, NH: Lamb
Babcock Farm Lee, NH: Honey
Kellie Brook Farm, Greenland, NH: Chicken & Eggs
Seal Cove Farm, Lamoine, ME: Feta Cheese
Diners make reservations in advance and choose their favorite options for each course from a carefully composed menu including many locally and regionally sourced ingredients. This months' starters include Avgolemono Soup (Chicken and rice flavored with lemon, egg and parsley), an
Appetizer Sampler of rice-stuffed grape leaves, lamb-stuffed zucchini, Kale-akopitapa and three-cheese pie; a Greek Salad of cucumbers, red onions, Kalamata olives, Maine grown tomatoes and Seal Cove Feta in garlic and herb vinaigrette. For entrees, choose from Spit Roasted Leg of Riverslea Farm Lamb (marinated in yogurt and herbs and cooked slowly over a charcoal open pit fire with roasted baby potatoes and grilled vegetables) Chicken Lemonato (chicken breast baked with lemon garlic sauce with carrots and leeks over rice pilaf), Sea Bass Spetsae (Atlantic Sea Bass baked with a fresh herb and garlic tomato sauce over olive and feta orzo), or Vegetable Moussaka (layered zucchini, eggplant, potatoes and spinach baked with garlic béchamel sauce)
Some of the items supplied by local farms:
Riverslea Farm, Epping, NH: Lamb
Babcock Farm Lee, NH: Honey
Kellie Brook Farm, Greenland, NH: Chicken & Eggs
Seal Cove Farm, Lamoine, ME: Feta Cheese
April 17, 2007
UNH and Slow Food Celebrate Earth Day This Weekend!
Below is a press release from UNH regarding Earth Day celebrations. Thanks to our new Tabling Team, Slow Food will be there! Keep an eye out for them, and also for our friends at the many related organizations.
DURHAM, N.H. -- Befitting its status as one of higher education’s sustainability leaders, the University of New Hampshire marks Earth Day 2007 with two days of celebratory events. Governor John Lynch will attend the Earth Day Fair and Forum, April 20, which showcases many UNH and local community groups working toward sustainability and closes with a forum of local experts on reducing carbon. Also on April 20, students from Oyster River middle and high schools invite the community to join them as they clean up Durham, and the Environmental Protection Agency will present UNH with ENERGY STAR energy efficiency ratings for several buildings. The popular UNH Solar Fest, April 22, features a day of solar-powered music as well as food, service and activism. All events are free and open to the public.
Earth Day Fair
Friday, April 20, 1 -4:30 p.m.
Murkland Courtyard at UNH
Information and ideas from many UNH and community groups and offices, including the Office of Sustainability, Organic Gardening Club, NH Farm to School, Organic Dairy Research Farm, Student Energy Waste Watch Challenge, New Hampshire Carbon Challenge, Student Environmental Action Coalition, the UNH Energy Office, and many more.
In case of rain, the fair will be cancelled.
For more information, go to http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/newsletter/aprilmay2007newsletter.html
Durham Clean Up
Friday, April 20, all afternoon
All roads leading to UNH
Join hundreds of students from Oyster River middle and high schools as they clean up their community en route to the UNH Earth Day festivities.
For a map of targeted clean-up areas, go to www.diwul.org.
Take the Challenge: A Forum on Carbon Reduction
Friday, April 20, 3 p.m.
510 Courtyard Reading Room, Dimond Library
A panel of UNH experts shares practical tips on reducing carbon emissions, the leading cause of global warming. Tom Kelly, director of UNH’s Office of Sustainability, will moderate.
Solar Fest
Sunday, April 22, 11:30 a.m. to sunset
Thompson Hall Lawn, UNH
Solar energy-powered music by UNH’s own piano rock group AmPm, jazz/funk band Lespecial, The Wood Brothers, Apollo Sunshine, Hot Buttered Rum String Band and high performance rockers RAQ. UNH student organizations including the Organic Gardening Club, Peace and Justice League, Students Without Borders, UNH Compost Program and New Hampshire PIRG will share their sustainable practices, and a car running on vegetable oil will be on display. Power courtesy of Sunweaver Solar Company.
Fun for all ages! For more information, go to www.myspace.com/unhsolarfest.
DURHAM, N.H. -- Befitting its status as one of higher education’s sustainability leaders, the University of New Hampshire marks Earth Day 2007 with two days of celebratory events. Governor John Lynch will attend the Earth Day Fair and Forum, April 20, which showcases many UNH and local community groups working toward sustainability and closes with a forum of local experts on reducing carbon. Also on April 20, students from Oyster River middle and high schools invite the community to join them as they clean up Durham, and the Environmental Protection Agency will present UNH with ENERGY STAR energy efficiency ratings for several buildings. The popular UNH Solar Fest, April 22, features a day of solar-powered music as well as food, service and activism. All events are free and open to the public.
Earth Day Fair
Friday, April 20, 1 -4:30 p.m.
Murkland Courtyard at UNH
Information and ideas from many UNH and community groups and offices, including the Office of Sustainability, Organic Gardening Club, NH Farm to School, Organic Dairy Research Farm, Student Energy Waste Watch Challenge, New Hampshire Carbon Challenge, Student Environmental Action Coalition, the UNH Energy Office, and many more.
In case of rain, the fair will be cancelled.
For more information, go to http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/newsletter/aprilmay2007newsletter.html
Durham Clean Up
Friday, April 20, all afternoon
All roads leading to UNH
Join hundreds of students from Oyster River middle and high schools as they clean up their community en route to the UNH Earth Day festivities.
For a map of targeted clean-up areas, go to www.diwul.org.
Take the Challenge: A Forum on Carbon Reduction
Friday, April 20, 3 p.m.
510 Courtyard Reading Room, Dimond Library
A panel of UNH experts shares practical tips on reducing carbon emissions, the leading cause of global warming. Tom Kelly, director of UNH’s Office of Sustainability, will moderate.
Solar Fest
Sunday, April 22, 11:30 a.m. to sunset
Thompson Hall Lawn, UNH
Solar energy-powered music by UNH’s own piano rock group AmPm, jazz/funk band Lespecial, The Wood Brothers, Apollo Sunshine, Hot Buttered Rum String Band and high performance rockers RAQ. UNH student organizations including the Organic Gardening Club, Peace and Justice League, Students Without Borders, UNH Compost Program and New Hampshire PIRG will share their sustainable practices, and a car running on vegetable oil will be on display. Power courtesy of Sunweaver Solar Company.
Fun for all ages! For more information, go to www.myspace.com/unhsolarfest.
April 15, 2007
Heard it Through the Grapevine
The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension - Rockingham County and the New Hampshire Winery Association will be holding a grape pruning seminar at Candia Vineyards in Candia on Wednesday, April 18. The seminar is free but pre-registration is required as parking space is limited. To accommodate participants we may be holding two sessions: one in the morning at 10:00 am and one in the afternoon at 1:00 pm. Each session will last about 1 1/2 hour.The seminar will be presented by Bob Dabrowski of Candia Vineyards. For more information call Bob at 867-9751 or UNH Cooperative Extension, Rockingham County at 679-5616.
Clean Up & Green Up
Tired of the winter that never ends? Why not plan on joining us at Strawbery Banke for a morning full of springtime activity for Strawbery Banke's annual Garden Clean Up Day?
The volunteer happening begins at 9 AM in the Visitors' Center with refreshments and coffee. After that, fan out to the historic gardens and byways of Strawbery Banke, freshening up and cleaning out the gardens in preparation for spring planting. After a few hours getting our hands in the soil again, we'll wash up and meet together for a Slow Food potluck featuring John Forti's homemade soup and bread and whatever you'd like to bring. Everything is free! Please bring garden gloves and tools, anything you'd like to share for potluck and dress appropriately for the weather. We're asking that volunteers RSVP to volunteer@strawberybanke.org or (603) 433-1110, by April 17th if possible, to help plan jobs and make sure there's enough coffee.
Hope to see you then!
The volunteer happening begins at 9 AM in the Visitors' Center with refreshments and coffee. After that, fan out to the historic gardens and byways of Strawbery Banke, freshening up and cleaning out the gardens in preparation for spring planting. After a few hours getting our hands in the soil again, we'll wash up and meet together for a Slow Food potluck featuring John Forti's homemade soup and bread and whatever you'd like to bring. Everything is free! Please bring garden gloves and tools, anything you'd like to share for potluck and dress appropriately for the weather. We're asking that volunteers RSVP to volunteer@strawberybanke.org or (603) 433-1110, by April 17th if possible, to help plan jobs and make sure there's enough coffee.
Hope to see you then!
April 10, 2007
There Are Four Kinds of Food in Books...
Cooked Books: Adam Gopnik looks at literary food in a nifty essay in this week's New Yorker.
April 2, 2007
Turkish Delight
Our friends at Slow Food Boston send this announcement of a Turkish Cooking class!
Hi All,
Join us next Thursday, April 5, as we explore the delights of Turkish cooking in an interactive fashion that will allow everyone to learn something about the peoples and cuisine of this magnificent culture.
Our chef for this evening will be Ms. Banu Bildik, a member of our fund raising and events committee who is visiting with us until later this year when she will return to her native Istanbul.
Ms. Bildik will lead a small class (only 20 spots!) in preparing an authentic Turkish meal from appetizer to dessert. If this sounds of interest to you, then please sign up now. At our most recent Slow Food Pot Luck Supper Ms. Bildik prepared a number of Turkish delicacies that made for an exceptional evening.
The cost of the evening will be $30.00 per person with all proceeds being donated to Slow Food Boston above the cost of the food that we purchase. The class will begin at 6PM and conclude before 9PM after we have all had a chance to enjoy the fruits of our kitchen labors. Please send an email to info@slowfoodboston.com if you would like to attend. Payment will be accepted at the door.
The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts is located on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. You can find directions on their website.
As always, we hope to see you there!
Rosemary, Peggy and Alex
Hi All,
Join us next Thursday, April 5, as we explore the delights of Turkish cooking in an interactive fashion that will allow everyone to learn something about the peoples and cuisine of this magnificent culture.
Our chef for this evening will be Ms. Banu Bildik, a member of our fund raising and events committee who is visiting with us until later this year when she will return to her native Istanbul.
Ms. Bildik will lead a small class (only 20 spots!) in preparing an authentic Turkish meal from appetizer to dessert. If this sounds of interest to you, then please sign up now. At our most recent Slow Food Pot Luck Supper Ms. Bildik prepared a number of Turkish delicacies that made for an exceptional evening.
The cost of the evening will be $30.00 per person with all proceeds being donated to Slow Food Boston above the cost of the food that we purchase. The class will begin at 6PM and conclude before 9PM after we have all had a chance to enjoy the fruits of our kitchen labors. Please send an email to info@slowfoodboston.com if you would like to attend. Payment will be accepted at the door.
The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts is located on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge. You can find directions on their website.
As always, we hope to see you there!
Rosemary, Peggy and Alex
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