July 31, 2007

The Numbers

Ever talk with someone about eating locally and watch their face grow pale at the thought of sourcing their entire diet from their bioregion? It can be an intimidating prospect. But in the most recent issue of The Snail, which arrived this week, Tracey Ryder of Edible Communities quotes poet, peach grower, and Terra Madre delegate David Mas Masumoto as saying:

If everyone in the US ate locally grown food only 10 percent of the time, we could save every small family farmer in the country. Only 10 percent of the time: that's three days each month, or one meal out of 10. Even with the overly busy lives we lead, one meal in 10 seems possible.


I'd love to find the hard numbers that Masumoto relied on in making that statement, but even if the 10 percent figure is slightly off, the idea that one meal in 10 can make a difference is a great one to share.

July 21, 2007

Ice Cream Picks for Seacoast's Best Licks?

This time of year, an evening stroll to the local dip shop for a scoop or a cone of ice cream is a seasonal treat not to be missed. One local favorite is Annabelle's, on Ceres Street in Portsmouth (warning: link moos). They're open late, and they make their own ice cream in great flavors like Maine Berry (or Red, White, and Blueberry), Maple Walnut (made with NH syrup), Ginger Fruit and Coconut. For a road trip, White Farms Ice Cream in Ipswich, MA, is a great destination: an old-fashioned New England dairy stand with Frozen Pudding and Grape-Nut varieties.

Comment below and tell us what your favorite Seacoast area ice cream stops are! We promise the line will only be a little bit longer one you divulge your secrets.

Big Agribusiness

An article on agricultural consolidation from Gristmill, the environmental news blog. Thanks to Jeff for passing this along.

July 13, 2007

Farm Bill Update

On July 17,the House Agriculture Committee will meet to debate two Farm Bill drafts. If they make it out of committee on time, the week of July 26 is reserved for floor debate in the House on Farm Bill content. The Senate schedule has not yet been released.

Now is the right time to make our voices heard. This legislation comes up for renewal only once every 5 to 7 years and it affects all aspects of our food system, from crop subsidies to school nutrition programs.

Here's an easy way to send a message about healthy priorities to our legislators: Fill in a simple e-letter to your representatives courtesy of the Farm and Food Policy Project.

The link will bring you to an automated form managed by the Farm and Food Policy project, which has been endorsed by Slow Food USA. It takes less than a minute at this site to let our legislators know you're paying attention. For more background information and other ways to get involved, here are a few other links:

Farm and Food Policy Project (Bookmark this one...it presents a weekly update on Farm Bill status!)

Slow Food USA's Take Action! page on the Farm Bill

The American Farmland Trust page on Farm Bill Issues

I hope you'll take a moment to send a message to your representatives in Congress. . And as the bill makes its way to the floor, please check back to these websites for updates. A little pressure on our legislators now can make a huge difference in the way we produce and consume our food!

Thanks to David Buchanan of Slow Food Portland for the links and information.

July 11, 2007

Word of the Day

Ethicurian

# eth*i*cu*re*an n. (also adj.) Someone who seeks out tasty things that are also sustainable, organic, local, and/or ethical.

July 10, 2007

Christmas in July?

This exciting announcement comes from Seacoast Eat Local...please share the news with vendors you think might be interested!

Each fall, Seacoast Eat Local receives an overwhelming number of requests from consumers looking for locally grown foods for their holiday tables. In order to facilitate direct sales to consumers by growers, Seacoast Eat Local, in collaboration with the Atlantic Culinary Academy in Dover, NH, will be hosting two holiday farmers' markets this fall. The first will be November 17th, the Saturday before Thanksgiving. The second will be December 22, the Saturday before Christmas. The Atlantic Culinary Academy will be offering their space (indoors at the Atlantic Culinary Academy) and a variety of chef demonstrations; Seacoast Eat Local will be heading up comprehensive publicity and advertising. Write to seacoasteatlocal@gmail.com for an application form or to ask questions!

July 8, 2007

Greens Made Easy


In response to popular demand, Andy of Andy's Greens has provided the list of salad greens, classified by flavor type, that he and chef Jim presented at the Down on the Farm picnic. Many of the the greens are pictured and described at Cook's Thesaurus, for more help finding them.

MILD
Lettuce
Orach

SWEET
Basil
Spinach
Baby Swiss Chard

TART
Lemon Balm
Purslane
French Sorrel

EARTHY
Beet Greens
Baby Kale
Swiss Chard
Turnip Greens

BITTER
Broccoli Raab
Dandelion Greens
Chicories: Endive, Frisee

PEPPERY
Arugula
Cress
Mustard
Mizuna
Nasturtium
Radish Greens

SAVORY
Cilantro
Dill
Garlic Scapes
Lovage
Parsley

July 6, 2007

You're Invited...

to the Atlantic Heights Backyard Garden Tour, Sunday, July 14, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Visit our friends is this unique, beautiful Portsmouth neighborhood, built in 1919 as a 'garden city' and recently added to the National Register of Historic Places. The tour will be followed by a potluck picnic in Big Rock Park.

July 5, 2007

Picnic Pics!


Announcing the Slow Food Seacoast Flickr page, home to photos of our events and activities.

Start with the "Farm Picnic" set - the day was a beautiful, breezy, sunny summer day and the farm picture-perfect and a very joyous place to be. The food, delicious; the company, excellent; the education on greens and pie and farm history, superb; and the teamwork it took to pull it off, astounding. Here's to many more wonderful events to connect us with our local agricultural heritage. See you next time!

July 3, 2007

A Bold Feast of Mold and Yeast

From Slow Food Boston...Stone Hearth Pizza Co. Welcomes Vermont Author for an Evening of Cheese and Beer

Stone Hearth Pizza Co.'s Sudbury location will host Vermont author Jeffrey P. Roberts for A Bold Feast of Mold and Yeast, a tasting dinner and discussion on Wednesday, July 18, 2007, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Inspired by Roberts' new book, The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese, Stone Hearth Pizza chef and general manager Michael Ehlenfeldt will present a six-course tasting of favorite Stone Hearth dishes interspersed with samplings of cheeses from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Locally brewed draught beers ranging from light summer ales to Belgian brews will be paired with each of the six courses.

"With this event, we'd like to recognize the craftsmen and women in our area that pour their heart into their work every day in order to produce the best cheese and beer possible," says Chef Ehlenfeldt.

As guests enjoy farmstead cheeses like Sainte Maure, a mold-ripened goat's milk cheese, and Hooligan, an award-winning creamy cheese made from cow's milk, Roberts will lead a discussion about the different styles of beer and how they balance the flavors of each distinctive cheese. In recognition of the importance of knowing where our food comes from, Roberts will share stories of the cheesemakers featured in the dinner, all of whom he knows personally.

The cost of this event is $40 per person. Guests can purchase signed copies of The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese. Call (978) 443-5550 to reserve your spot. Click here for the menu.

About Stone Hearth Pizza Co.

Stone Hearth Pizza Co. debuted in August 2005 in Belmont, Mass., when longtime friends Christopher Robbins and Jonathan Schwarz leveraged a combined 30 years of business and entrepreneurial experience to open an upscale neighborhood dining spot based on their shared core values: friendship, good food and family. The company's commitment to sourcing sustainable, organic and, whenever possible, local ingredients ensures a superior product, supports family farming, protects natural resources and strengthens local economies. Chef and general manager Michael Ehlenfeldt's menu offers both classic and unexpected varieties of Neapolitan-style, oven-fired pizzas, as well as a regional beer and wine list. A second location in Sudbury, Mass., opened in May 2006, and a third location in Needham, Mass., opened in April 2007. Plans for more locations are in the works. Visit www.stonehearthpizza.com to find out more.

About Jeffrey P. Roberts and The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese

A resident of Montpelier, Vermont, Jeffrey Roberts is an adjunct faculty member at New England Culinary Institute and a frequent speaker on artisan cheese, sustainable agriculture and the working landscape. As a co-founder and principal consultant to the Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese at the University of Vermont, he is responsible for the development of international initiatives, public education programs and marketing. Roberts is a leader in Slow Food USA, serving as a director and treasurer of the national board and as Northeast Regional Governor. He co-chaired "Artisan Cheeses of America" at Slow Food's Cheese 2001/3 and Salone del Gusto 2002/4 events and is one of organizers of Slow Food USA's American Raw Milk Cheese Presidium.

The Atlas of American Artisan Cheese (Chelsea Green Publishing; June 2007; Paperback; $35) is the first reference book of its kind. Organized by region and state, this fully illustrated encyclopedia of contemporary artisan cheeses and cheesemakers highlights more than 350 of the best small-scale cheeses in the United States today. It provides the most complete overview of what's available nationwide, with each entry describing a cheesemaker, its products, availability, location and details on the cheesemaking process.