Slow Food Happy Hour, Wednesday June 27

I am definitely headed to this on Wednesday!

Freshen Up: A Taste of Summer with Slow Food RVA & Gourmand John Haddad
Wednesday, June 27, 5-7 pm
Anderson Gallery, 907 1/2 West Franklin Street

Happy Hour | Free and open to the public | Celebrate the season, connect with area growers, and learn about Richmond’s diverse food community—all while sampling local produce and cheeses and enjoying the sounds of Richmond’s Indigenous Gourd Orchestra.

Edible Education Online Class

Edible Education is an amazing online opportunity to listen to the super stars of the food movement speak passionately about the food revolution.

Nikki Henderson of the Peoples Grocery and Michael Pollan lead up this class being offered at UC Berkley with support form the Chez Panisse foundation. And thanks to YouTube we can all sit in on a class about the latest goings on in the food revolution.

The course consists of conversations with the all stars of the food movement... might I suggest starting with a rather inspiried talk by Director Peter Sellars. Other speakers include Slow Food predident Carlo Petrini, Marion Nestle, Jack Sinclair of Walmart, Ann Cooper "the renegade lunch lady," Eric Schlosser of "Fast Food Nation," Alice Waters and many others.

Tune into YouTube as the semester continues for all of the lectures, and an education in whats happening right now in the food revolution!

Slow Food Film Feast!

This summer I've been working with our local Slow Food Chapter to help put together the first Slow Food Film Feast!  These guys have worked hard to create an amazing line up of educational, fun, and inspiring films all focused on important food issues.  This first "Reel Food RVA" event will include feature films like Farmageddon, Queen of the Sun, and Truck Farm.   The all day Saturday event opens with three documentary films for food and film lovers of all ages starting off with a great  piece from Bill Nye that's perfect for early morning.  (Just like Saturday mornings back in the day!) 

This event helps to kick off national Food Day which is Monday Oct. 24th.  Join us October 22 at the Byrd Theater in Carytown for a day, hour, morning or afternoon of  film and, of course, food. Stay tuned for ticket, and vendor information. 

Sponsorship: Help get the word out about your own sustainable and local food efforts while supporting Slow Food RVA. For information on Sponsorship opportunities contact Stacy Luks at info@slowfoodrva.org.

Joining Slow Food Just Got Cheaper! ...Update

Have you heard? The membership fee to join slow food has dropped by more than half to just $25. It seems a tier system has been created, where the $60 fee may get you some perks, but if you've been wanting to join, but reluctant to fork out the cash, now may be the time. Check out their website for more information,and for info. on some fun upcoming events.
Check out the membership page of the Slow Food USA site for detailed information on the benefits of your  $25 or $60 membership fee. 

Chocolate Tasting Tomorrow Night!!

Slow Food RVa is pleased to host

       an evening of Chocolate Tasting and Education

presented by

the KALLARI ASSOCIATION of Ecuador, producers of

organic, sustainably-produced cocoa and fair-trade chocolate

made from Slow Food Presidium-recognized heirloom cacao beans.

Wednesday May 11^th – 6:30 pm

Bon Air United Methodist Church – In The Commons

1645 Buford Road, Richmond 23235

Experience the world through gourmet dark chocolate
in this blind tasting/education session

Hear about the stages in cocoa production and
bean preparation from an Amazon cocoa grower

Learn to discern chocolate notes & textures,
roasting techniques and regional flavors

Hear about the economic impact of the
world's 3rd most important commodity

Slow Food Members  $15   Non-members  $20   Proceeds to Kallari Association

Contact:  info@slowfoodrva.org

Schedule for Tedx Webcast this Saturday, February 12

TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat”

February 12th, 2011

10:30am – 6:00pm (webcast); 9:30am-6:30pm (in person)

Event Program

9:30am

Registration

10:30am (Webcast begins)

Session 1 – What happened?

• ETHEL
• Welcome
• Laurie David, Environmental activist, producer and author
• Carolyn Steel, Architect and Author – How Food Shapes our Cities (TEDTalk Video)
• Cheryl Rogowski, Family Farmer and McArthur Genius Award recipient
• Karen Hudson, President Dairy Education Alliance, co-founder ICCAW (Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water)
• Ken Cook, President and Co-Founder Environmental Working Group
• Performance
• Scott Kahan, MD, MPH, Co-Director George Washington University Weight Management Center, Clinical Director S.T.O.P Obesity Alliance, Faculty George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Kathy Lawrence, Program Director School Food FOCUS

12:15pm (Webcast offline)

Lunch

1:30pm (Webcast returns)

Session 2 – Where are we?

• Dan Barber, Executive Chef and Co-Owner Blue Hill Restaurant – How I Fell in Love with a Fish (TEDTalk Video)
• 2011 TEDxManhattan Fellows
• Brian Halweil, Senior Fellow Worldwatch Institute, Co-Director Nourishing the Planet, Editor Edible East End, Publisher Edible Manhattan and Brooklyn
• Lucas Knowles, USDA Coordinator Know Your Farmer Know Your Food
• Barbara Askins, President & CEO 125th Street Business Improvement District
• John Fraser, Chef/Proprietor Dovetail and What Happens When restaurants
• Performance
• Dr. Melony Samuels, Founder and Director Bed-Stuy Campaign Against Hunger (BSCAH)
• Ian Cheney, Co-Founder Truck Farm, Peabody award-winning filmmaker
• Josh Viertel, President, Slow Food USA

3:15pm (Webcast offline)

Break

4:00pm (Webcast returns)

Session 3 – Where are we going?

• Dr. William Li, President Angiogenesis Foundation – Can We Eat to Starve Cancer? (TEDTalk Video)
• Dr. William Li update
• Michael Conard, Assistant Director Urban Design Lab and Adjunct Associate Professor, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation at Columbia University
• Britta Riley, Artist and Co-Founder, Windowfarms
• Elizabeth Ü, Founder and Executive Director Finance for Food
• Performance
• TEDxManhattan Challenge
• Frederick Kaufman, Professor CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
• Curt Ellis, Co-Founder FoodCorps, Peabody award-winning filmmaker
• Michel Nischan, Chef, President/CEO Wholesome Wave Foundation, Owner/Founder Dressing Room restaurant, cookbook author

6:00pm Webcast offline

½ hour reception

Find out more about the speakers here.

Magic Beans and Palm Oil

More than a few weekends ago, I got to travel to the beautiful countryside of Maryland to visit very dear friends of mine, Katie and Ted. These lucky folks live on a horse farm, and I always learn so much from them when I go. Mostly we talk rebellion, and we cook a bunch. So, it was at their house that I was introduced to the beans of Rancho Gordo and the oil of Palm.

First, the palm oil. You can see from this photo that the oil is a dark amber color, and so will stain anything it touches yellow- including whatever you are frying. On the other hand, frying in this oil is unlike any other. It does not smoke, it does not pop, and it has a wonderful flavor. I hear it is like frying in bacon grease. Plus, the deep color means that the oil is high in several vitamins like beta carotene, and contains more nutrients than any other oil we eat. Try it out!

Now, about the beans. Katie had several bags of Rancho Gordo beans in her cupboard. We made fritters with the Yellow Indian Woman beans which were wonderful, and I got to take some seeds home to plant. Along with the Yellow Indian Woman, I planted some Good Mother Stallard, Rio Zape and Pintos. Growing information is not easy to come by for all of these heritage varieties, but I figured I could adapt as they grew. I planted them upon my return and am looking so forward to rich stews and hearty winter suppers and definitely more fritters.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and Our National School Lunch Program

Three Cheers for Chef Jamie Oliver, and all of his efforts to improve our food system! The season finale of his ABC show aired last night with a mixed bag of positive impact and government roadblocks. This is a great time for Jamie to be raising awareness of the need for vast change in the way we feed our children. The new Federal School Lunch Bill is awaiting a vote in the Senate. The group Mission: Readiness, made up of retired military officers has weighed in with the release of their report this week showing how obesity in America's youth has become a problem for military recruitment. The group is petitioning the government to support better food in our school system. I feel like some real threshold has been crossed when the Mission: Readiness group has turned it's attention to the poor quality of our school lunches. Read the A.P. article here, or the somewhat more informative NPR story here.
Click Here to sign Jamie's petition for better food in America's public schools. You can roll over each state and see how many people from each state have signed. Virginia has almost reached 12,500. That puts us a couple thousand below North Carolina, and about 50 thousand behind California. As for West Virginia, the state that played host to Jamie's Food Revolution Television show... they are at 5,343 signatures, interesting stuff. Check out Jamie's Food Revolution website to track progress and learn more on how you can help. The site even has a two week school meal plan with recipes included.
Locally, our new Richmond chapter of Slow Food has made transforming the food in our area public schools part of their mission. To learn more about Slow Food Richmond, and maybe join in, click here.
If you want more info here are some related reports from The Institutes of Medicine of The National Academies:
http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2008/Nutrition-Standards-and-Meal-Requirements-for-National-School-Lunch-and-Breakfast-Programs-Phase-I-Proposed-Approach-for-Recommending-Revisions.aspx

Food Bloggers storm Olio

Just kidding. It was not nearly that aggressive, (and also we were invited) but it was pretty exuberant. The food bloggers on Eating Richmond did take over Olio for an evening last week, however, and swooned over the food, met the proprietors of this sweet, neighborhood spot and totally nerded out about our takes on food.

Olio is a really fun market and bistro, on Main near Meadow, where you can pick up gorgeous olive oils, vinegars, truffles and wines as well as salads, sandwiches, soups and pizzas- all made to order. The RFC was very glad to see the focus on local producers- Olio is a drop of site for the Avery's Branch milk share program, and many of their veggies are from Victory Farms in Hanover.

The food was great- I loved their use of (home made?) dried tomatoes and white beans on their bruchetta, as well as the flat bread on their pizzas. The drinks are inexpensive and the menu at Olio is fresh and varied, which makes it a great spot for a quiet dinner (if you don't go when the raucous food bloggers are there.) If you want to order in, Olio offers free delivery for orders over $40.

It was fantastic putting faces to the voices of the local food blogs. I loved hearing the stories of food activism from RVA Foodie , aka Jason Guard, who writes Caramelized OpinIONS and is the co- creator of Eating Richmond- the food blog aggregate that brought us all to this bistro for drinks and antipasto. I got to talk with Brittany of Eating Bird Food about her trip to San Francisco at the Food Buzz Convention- I was seriously jealous! And, I always enjoy sharing drinks with John Haddad, food writer for Style Magazine and his blog, Epicuriosity. John is helping to start the Slow Food RVA chapter, and it has been really fun to see how that is shaping up. I was a bit surprised to find myself talking with Bacon Grease (not his real name) of Eating Video Games about preparing and eating pig heads. I would not lie- check out the posts. Part 1 is here, part 2 is here.

So thanks, Jason for getting us all together- I look forward to many more crazy conversations with y'all about our adventures in food and elsewhere.

June Greens

It's getting warm, but that doesn't mean you have to stop eating salads! Lettuce gets bitter and bolts when the weather heats up; ditto for spinach. However, there are plenty of delicious alternatives to your basic salad greens, most of which have delicious, unique flavors. You can always buy your salad pre-washed and mixed at the farmers' market...Root Force Collective Farm, currently vending at the Bryan Park and South of the James markets even sells a blend that includes borage, fennel green and edible flowers. If you've got a bit of dirt available though, why spend all the money when you can grow it yourself? Just direct seed any of the following varieties of greens, and you'll be cutting salad in no time.

Arugula
The ultimate green. Spicy and unique, prolific, a perfect companion to salads with fruit, nuts and creamy cheeses.

Pak Choi (small varieties)
A great salad base, this asian green has a very mild and slightly sweet flavor. The stem is pleasantly crunchy and slightly juicy, reminiscent in texture to celery, though not as aromatic. Make sure to buy a small variety, as the large ones can get big like swiss chard and are really not suitable for salads.

Osaka Purple Mustard Greens
Any variety of mustard greens will hold up just fine, but I love the Osaka purple because...well...it jsut makes me so nostalgic. I love Osaka. Southwestern Japan will always hold a special place in my heart. Nandeyanen...anway, I also just love the color and the intense spicyness (similar to horseradish -- a completely different sense of 'spicy' than you find with arugula). Be careful with this one if you've got a sensitive tongue. I recommend chopping it and just adding a little at first.

Tatsoi
This Asian green competes with arugula for my favorite. It looks like spinach but tastes better...very vibrant and almost citrusy. The stem is also crunchy and pleasant.

I will also note that the best thing about these salad greens is that every one of them doubles as a sauteing green. They all hold up amazingly well as parts of soups or curries, on pasta or rice, on pizza, or anywhere else you might use a denser green! Seeds for all of these are available from Johnny's, and they ship fast. Summer greens are the perfect filler for a space in the garden where you've harvested overwintered veggies like garlic and onions. They are also really easy to plant: just throw some seeds down. You could thin later if you like, but honestly, you don't really need each individual plant to get that large if you're planning on eating salads. I sowed these greens in my median garden about a month to a month and a half ago and they are ready to go. You could even just toss a bunch of seeds together and sprinkle them in a big patch, then just gently clear-cut with a pair of clippers. They will flush back out as long as you don't cut down to the base.

Any summer salad greens I'm missing? Don't hesitate to let me know!

Spring Meals!

I've been in a bit of a culinary rut. The limited variation in spring vegetables, combined with an exhausting work schedule and a general cooking malaise has led to some very uninspired dinners around my house. Recently, however, I've been inspired by my sister and her boyfriend, who have embarked on an experiment with the 'raw diet.' As you probably know, raw foodists don't eat anything that has been heated in any way. No bread, cheese, or beans, three of my favorite things ever...sounds pretty terrible, right? Well, I can't say I'm planning on 'going raw' anytime soon, but the creativity required to maintain such a diet and still take in a healthy level of nutrients has inspired me. Ron and I enjoyed a (primarily) raw dinner the other night, celebrating what's in season and (of course!) some good wine thanks to Once Upon a Vine.


Recipes for this simple, fresh and (mostly) raw meal...

Spring Slaw

Ingredients:
2-3 Carrots
4-5 heads baby pak choi
1 bunch white or pink Japanese turnips
A few radishes
1 apple (or 1 pear)
1 Tbsp. currants
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
Olive oil
Red wine or cider vinegar
Salt & pepper
4 leaves (or so) finely chopped fresh basil

Grate carrots, turnips, radishes and apple/pear. Finely chop pak choi, and mix with all grated ingredients. Add currants, basil and ginger. Drizzle with a good amount of olive oil and a few dashes of vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Slaw is a great way of enjoying all these spring veggies, especially if you're sick of sauteing. The ginger is key here, as are the currants. This was really good, and would also make a great filling to stuff squash with. I do recommend doing all the grating with one of those disc-like food processor attachments. We don't have one, and this did take a while to do by hand.


Strawberry Shiso Salad

A bit of explanation here. Shiso is a most wonderful asian herb with a very distinct flavor, useable in place of basil in salads, salad dressings and on pizza. The botanical name of Shiso is perilla -- check out the wikipedia article on this plant. I ate green shiso (青紫蘇 or aojizo) all the time in Japan, often wrapped inside makizushi or as a salad dressing, and came to love its unique flavor. I'm not sure if it's for sale in Tan-A or other asian grocery stores, but of course I prefer the idea of growing it myself so I've got lots in the garden. Honestly, I couldn't begin to describe the flavor...you'll have to taste it for yourself sometime. Suffice to say, it is vibrant, green and unlike anything you've ever tasted. Worth pursuing, definitely, for those (like me!) who sometimes get into cooking ruts, or are constantly searching for new flavors.

Ingredients:

Salad
1/2 pint chopped fresh strawberries
Mesclun mix (Amy's Garden sells great blends! I mix and wash them myself.)
Roasted walnuts
3-4 shiso leaves
Chevre cheese (I have been getting mine from Lovingston Dairy, a new vendor at the South of the James market)

Dressing
Olive Oil
Cider Vinegar
Herbs (anything goes here...basil, thyme, oregano)
Dollop of grainy mustard
Lemon juice or orange juice

Place mesclun mix in a bowl and top with other ingredients. Salad dressing should be a 2:1 ratio of olive oil to vinegar, then however much you want of the other ingredients. Shake well and drizzle over the top of the salad.


Strawberry Toast

Ingredients:
Norwood Cottage bread
Twin Oaks herbed tofu
Fresh strawberries

This is just a good way to get some protein along with all the veggies. Ron is always focused on maintaining a good protein intake, so we always have some tofu hanging around, though I am a bit dubious about the hormonal effects of eating too much soy. I do love tofu though. My dad used to make it from scratch, and ever since then, I've been hooked. This herbed tofu from Twin Oaks is great sliced thin and served as-is on bread. If you haven't eaten uncooked tofu before, you should; it tastes amazingly fresh and clean.

Wine: Friuli Pino Grigio 2007. Some random Italian wine they had available for tasting at Once Upon a Vine that we ended up liking. It's cheap and I'm really into whites lately.

Sunday Cooking -- Fresh Arugula Pasta!

Lately my Sunday cooking endeavors have begun to spiral out of control. I've gone from tortillas to artisan bread to yogurt, and this weekend I got bit by the Italian bug...so I had to try to make my own fresh pasta. Having just been blessed by a fresh harvest of organic baby arugula, I figured it would be exciting to experiment with making a fresh green pasta. I have never made pasta before so this was all a learning experience!

My sister was kind enough to lend me a spare hand-crank Italian pasta maker like this one. We tried hand-cutting some of the pasta we had rolled out, but getting the noodles to a uniform thickness and length was difficult, though I'm sure experienced pasta makers are able to do it. The machine is definitely worth the money if you want to make pasta more than once or twice.

We used the Joy of Cooking pasta recipe and doubled it. The recipe is as follows:

2/3 cup all-purpose flour (when I doubled the recipe I did 2/3 white flour and 2/3 whole wheat)
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
(optional) 2-4 tablespoons blended cooked spinach or other fresh green; make sure to drain the greens quite well before using.

Mix egg with water, salt and olive oil. Make a well in the flour and pour liquid into it. Work dough with hands until sticky and blended. Add greens into dough and work in. Knead for about 10 minutes, the way you would bread, then allow dough to rest for up to 1 hour. We chopped our arugula instead of blending it, and it turned out to be too coarse, so I recommend putting it in the food processer and making it the consistency of pesto before incorporating in the dough.


Cut the dough into sections. We did a preliminary rolling with a rolling pin, to form the dough into the right shape...then we passed it through the flattening part of the pasta maker. The machine has different settings for thinness, depending on what kind of pasta you want to make. Start on the thickest setting, then gradually roll the dough through on thinner and thinner settings until you get to the one you want. It got really long and we kept dividing the pieces into shorter chunks so we could manage them as we fed them into the rollers! Throughout, it's important to keep everything -- the work surface, your hands, the machine, the rolling pin and the pasta itself -- well dusted with flour. We also spread a sheet of parchment paper on the counter as a resting place for chunks of dough and finished pasta.


Cutting the flattened dough was fun, and took the least amount of time out of all the steps to the finished product. We slid on the cutting attachment and fed pieces through, careful to keep them well floured. Without enough flour, noodles tended to stick together. They also stuck together where larger chunks of arugula were lodged in the dough -- definitely a reason to puree the greens.

Finally, we cooked some pasta up and ate it, simultaneously strategizing about how to store the rest. We decided to create loose bundles and freeze them in a ziploc bag, hoping they do not re-form into a blob of dough. I'm hoping we can just take them out of the freezer and throw them right into a pot of boiling water. And the fresh pasta we tried? It was SO GOOD! Salt, pepper and a little pat of butter was all I needed. I am not a huge fan of 'normal' pasta and I can't remember the last time I was willing to eat plain spaghetti, but I could have eaten a mountain of this stuff. You could really taste the egg (organic & free range definitely helps with this...we are so lucky to have access to good eggs.), though the arugula was for all rights and purposes undetectable. Good for you though in terms of nutrients, and the pasta was pretty!! I'm looking forward to making some egg noodles and also roasted red pepper pasta this summer. I hope you are inspired to try your own round of pasta making, and readers who have advice on pasta or questions are highly encouraged to comment.

That's all for now...the verdict is still out on what I ought to try next, though I do have a notion to experiment with crepes...

Potlucks are in as the new 'out'

In my house, the month of March has officially been dubbed 'frugality month.' Following Christmas and a cavalcade of birthdays, it's time for me to get back to basics and save a little. I am happy to say I am still employed and lucky enough to be relatively unhurt by the economy, but I am somewhat inspired by the financially conservative mindset that has hit the American mainstream.

With that in mind, one of my efforts this month has been to avoid eating out. As an aspiring foodie, I admit I thoroughly enjoy sampling the vegetarian fare (yes! I'm a veggie) at restaurants around town, and as I have gotten more interested in quality ingredients and good cooking, my tastes have started to range into the expensive. It's not just expensive restaurants. No, it's that I want the full experience: appetizers, salad, white wine, dinner, red wine, dessert, and maybe dessert wine or coffee or tea. As a college student I used to go places and order a glass of water and a dinner plate, but now I find myself forking over serious cash whenever I go out. So this month, restaurants and I are on a 'break.'

In the meantime, I have managed to satisfy my desire to be 'out' on weekends, chatting with friends, soaking up a lively atmosphere, by somehow managing to attend five potlucks in the last three weeks. Gone are the days of taco dip, goulash and jello...these potlucks were absolutely delicious! I highly recommend what I would like to call the New Potluck as an economically sound alternative to the expensive night out. I want all of you to stop imagining potluck dinners as a mishmash of unidentifiable slop on a paper plate, and reenvisioning them as opportunities to celebrate food, friends and the season! Just like our famous RFC potluck parties, most of the items at these meals were in-season, characterized by late winter veggies like fennel, butternut squash, beets, and early greens.

My first potluck of the month was during my trip to the VABF conference, which yielded a mountain of food cooked by organic farmers: highlights included a sweet potato phyllo tart and a warm black bean soup. Following that I attended the Tricycle Gardens volunteer meeting, where participants brought brunch dishes to share: Nellie Appleby (TG kitchen gardener extraordinaire) had delicious pickled beets for us to try! Next was a birthday party where I ate grilled winter veggies seasoned with garlic and butter. Last weekend were two more dinners, one a fennel bonanza featuring 4 dishes including parts of the fennel plant, then an Indian food fest at Erin's, where I ate homemade chapatis, raita, curry and macaroons.

Needless to say, I have not felt the slightest craving to head out to the restaurant scene! I would love to see other members of Richmond's locavore community following this trend, maybe even going to far as to start a 'movement!' Potlucks are easy because you only have to cook one item, not a whole meal, and they are also a great way to share ideas on how to make the most of the limited late winter/early spring options for fresh vegetables. Remember to give your events that sustainable touch by asking participants to bring their own fork and plate or by supplying people with compostable goods from a company like Green Duck (see post below!). Anyway, I hope you plan your own potluck soon...and if you do, be sure to invite me.

Busting the KFC "Meal Deal Challenge"

This was passed on to me by a friend and I thought I would pass it on to you....

"Some of you may have seen the recent advertising from KFC touting their "Meal Deal Challenge" - the premise is that you cannot make (at home) the meal they offer for less than their price ($10).
Needless to say I took umbrage and have thus taken them to task. I beat them by 3 bucks and had extra food leftover.Recently, the American public was issued a challenge by the folks at KFC (formerly "Kentucky Fried Chicken," but "fried" just didn't sound healthy). The fast-food joint argues in its latest commercial that you cannot "create a family meal for less than $10." Their example is the "seven-piece meal deal," which includes seven pieces of fried chicken, four biscuits, and a side dish -- in this case, mashed potatoes with gravy. This is meant to serve a family of four. I'm not really a competitive soul, but this was one challenge I could not resist. When it comes to food, America has been sold a bill of goods. We've been flimflammed, bamboozled, hoodwinked. We've been tricked into thinking that cooking is a chore, like washing windows, to be avoided if at all possible, and then done only grudgingly and when absolutely necessary. On the contrary, cooking is a vital, spiritual act that should be performed with a certain reverence. After all, we are providing sustenance to the ones we love -- can anything be more important?
Read the whole entry on www.Grist.org
Peace,kmf"

Wonderful Market "Social"

This week my friend Montana approached me all excited saying she had the best time this past Saturday thanks to the South of the James Market and the creative planning of a friend of hers from church. Montana's friend, Andrea had decided to host a fantastic day of celebrating food, community and the joy of meeting and making new friends. Okay so how did Montana's host accomplish this? She started by inviting a small group of people from her church who may have met before, but never really got to spend much time together. The guests joined the host and her husband for a Saturday Morning Breakfast of homemade scones, with homemade jam and coffee followed by a group trip to the South of the James Market.
The host had planned out in advance a lunch menu that allowed for some tweaking based on what was available at the market and then everyone shopped the market for all the necessary ingredients to make a fantastic lunch. My friend Montana says that she had not ever been to this market before, and she felt that most of the other guests were not accustomed to shopping at farmers markets. This fun group outing allowed them to explore the market with an experienced market shopper and then see how all the great produce you can find there can be turned into a great fresh meal.
Once all the ingredients had been procured and some of the guests had found things to purchase just for themselves, they all headed back to the car and their host's home to spend a couple hours working together to prepare and enjoy their meal! Once the guest returned home they found all of the recipes for the foods they had just enjoyed had been e-mailed to them.
Montana had a great day she says, making new friends, exploring the market and enjoying wonderful food. She lives in the far west end and she has a real interest in fresh farmers market produce. While the market they visited is probably too far for her to travel to on a regular basis she is hopeful to visit the New Lakeside Market and would like to see that grow and expand. She also suggested that a market closer to her in the short pump area would be the thing to really draw her out.
So what great foods did this party enjoy....? Here is the e-mail that was sent full of helpful tips and great recipes!


Farmer’s Market Lunch – Recipes
Oatmeal Scones
From Baking Illustrated: A Best Recipe Classic, by the Editors of Cook’s Illustrated (NY, 2004).
Note: Yes, I’m aware of the large amount of butter and full-fat dairy. You’re still alive, aren’t you?
1 1/3 cups oatmeal (rolled oats or quick oats)
¼ c whole milk
¼ c heavy cream
1 egg
1 ½ cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
10 Tbsp cold butter, cut up
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread oats over a cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned. Cool.
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together milk, cream, and egg. Remove 1 tablespoon of mixture to use for glazing.
Place flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into food processor. Pulse to mix. Add the cold butter. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. (If you don’t have a food processor – use a pastry blender or knives to cut in the butter.)
Transfer mixture to a bowl. Stir in oats. With a spatula, stir in liquid ingredients, until it comes together in a mass. (Mixture will be sticky.)
Dust work surface with flour. Turn dough out. Form into a 7-inch circle (about 1-inch thick). Cut into 8 wedges. Use a spatula to transfer wedges onto paper-lined baking sheet. Brush with reserved milk mixture.
Bake till browned, 12-14 minutes. Cool on pan 5 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Strawberry Jam & Cherry Jam
No big secrets here – I follow the directions on the package of Sure-Jell for low-sugar recipes (the pink box, not the yellow one). The strawberry is a freezer jam, and the cherry is a regular cooked jam. Tart cherries are hard to find in Virginia – I had to drive forever to get them. Let me know if you have a better source!

Pizza Dough
(The host own recipe)
(makes enough for 2 pizzas)
3 ½ cups bread flour
2 packages dry yeast
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
1 ¼ c warm water
¼ c olive oil (can use less oil – but use at least 2 Tbsp)
1 tsp olive oil (for coating dough)
Cornmeal for dusting
Combine flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add water and olive oil. Mix until combined, then knead 10 minutes. (I do this in my Kitchenaid mixer.) Add 1 tsp olive oil to coat dough. Cover and let rise till doubled (1-2 hours). Punch down. (If there’s time, raise and punch down 1 or 2 more times – the more you let it rise, the better it tastes.)
Makes 2 crusts.
For oven: Preheat pizza stone to 500 degrees. Roll out dough and top. Carefully slide onto pizza stone. Bake 10-12 minutes.
Pizza on the Grill
For grill: Preheat grill to blazing hot. Roll out dough. Slide dough directly onto grill rack. Cover and bake until firm enough to flip over – about 3-5 minutes. Flip dough over (using tongs), and quickly top with toppings. Cover and bake until done – about 5 minutes more.
Friday Night Pizza (recommended by Elaine)
From Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year in Food Life (NY, 2007).
(makes enough for 2 pizzas)
3 tsp yeast
1 ½ c warm water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 ½ c white flour
2 c whole wheat flour
Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add oil and salt. Mix the flours and knead them into the liquid mixture. Let dough rise for 30-40 minutes. Divide in half and roll out two 12-inch crusts. Top and bake at 425 for 20 minutes.
NOTE: Pizza dough freezes well. Punch dough down, and freeze in a plastic bag. To thaw, place bag in a bowl and thaw in the fridge (will take about a day). Bring to room temperature before rolling out.

Swiss Chard Tacos
From Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday (NY, 2005).
Roasted tomato salsa:
1 14-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes (try Muir Glen) – or roast your own (see next page)
1 jalepeno pepper, or 1 chipotle pepper (canned, packed in adobo) – or more or less, to taste
1-2 cloves garlic, whole and unpeeled
Swiss chard filling:
1 bunch (12 ounces) Swiss chard or other greens (beet greens, spinach, etc.) – washed and dried
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or more or less, to taste)
Corn tortillas
Cilantro
Goat cheese or queso fresco or feta
For salsa:
In a small dry pan (cast iron is best) over medium-low heat, place the garlic and the jalepeno (if using). Slowly pan-roast the garlic & chile, turning, until browned on all sides. Peel garlic. Rub skins off pepper. Slice off stem of pepper, slice lengthwise, and remove seeds.
Drain tomatoes. Place tomatoes, chile, and garlic in food processor. Pulse until pureed.
For filling:
To prepare chard, remove stems from leaves. Chop stems into 1/2-inch pieces. Chop leaves into 1-inch pieces.
Put onion and oil in large nonstick pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with about ½ tsp salt. Slowly cook until caramelized (10-15 minutes). Add garlic and red pepper. Add chard stems and cook till just tender. Add leaves and stir until wilted. (Covering the pan can quicken the wilting time.

Note: I roast tomatoes, rather than canning them – they have tons of flavor and their uses are limitless. Plus, it takes much less work than canning! (Try just pureeing roasted tomatoes, and then cooking them with garlic, olive oil, and thyme for the best pasta sauce ever.)
Roasted Roma Tomatoes
Roma tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheets with foil. Lay tomatoes, cut side up, on baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until slightly browned and cooked, about 20-25 minutes.
Freeze tomatoes, with juices. Can be pureed without peeling.
Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic
From Tom Collichio, Think Like a Chef (NY, 2000).
(This recipe makes 3 different ingredients – roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic cloves, and roasted tomato juice.)
20 ripe tomatoes, peeled, stems and cores removed, sliced in half crosswise
2 heads garlic, divided into cloves
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Heat oven to 275 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with aluminum foil. In a large bowl, toss all ingredients. Place tomatoes, cut sides down, onto the baking sheet. Divide the rest of the mixture (garlic, oil, thyme) over the tomatoes.
Roast 3-5 hours, turning once during process. While roasting, periodically pour off the juice that collects in the pan – save the juice. Roast until tomatoes look slightly shrunken, and concentrated (but not yet dry).
Allow tomatoes to cool in the pan. Discard thyme stems. Store tomatoes, juice, and garlic in separate containers. Refrigerate for 1 week or freeze for 6 months.

Home-cooked beans: A bit of work, but they taste better than canned, and have no mystery ingredients. I get my beans from the bulk bins at Ellwood Thompson’s. They’re typically fresher, better quality, organic, and cheaper than grocery-store bags of beans (a win-win-win-win). Cooked beans can be frozen, in their cooking liquid.
Basic Cannellini Beans or Chickpeas
From Jack Bishop, The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook (NY: 1997).
1 pound dried cannelloni (or Great Northern) beans, or chickpeas, washed and picked over
3 large garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
Salt
Place beans in large bowl, and add enough water to cover by several inches. Soak at least 8 hours or overnight. (Quick method: bring beans and water to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit 1 hour.)
Drain beans. Place beans in large pot, and add enough fresh water to cover by several inches. Add garlic and by leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste (1-2 teaspoons) and continue cooking until beans are tender but not falling apart (anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes more). Turn off heat and allow to cool in their cooking liquid. Discard bay and garlic before using or freezing.

Sicilian Chickpeas with Escarole and Caramelized Onions
From Jack Bishop, The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook (NY: 1997).
1 large escarole head (about 1½ lbs), well washed, dried, and torn into 2-inch pieces
¼ cup olive oil
1 large or 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 2½ -3 cups or so)
2 tsp sugar
¼ cup raisins
Salt and pepper
3 cups chickpeas, drained – reserve 1/3 cup cooking liquid
Heat oil in large sauté pan. Add onions and ¼ tsp salt, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until golden (about 15 minutes). Add sugar and cook until onions are golden brown (about 5 minutes – be careful not to burn).
Add raisins and escarole to pan. Cook, turning escarole occasionally, until greens are wilted but still crunchy (about 5 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in chickpeas, raisins, and cooking liquid. Simmer about 3 minutes. Serve either warm or room temperature.

UPDATE: It turns out the name of this creative and clever host is Andrea. Since the original June 16th posting date of this story I have been able to communicate with Andrea directly and she has provided me with this nice insight into her motivation and some practical steps behind this market based event.
A letter from Andrea......
"My partner and I have been members of various CSAs in Richmond, and are currently members of the Victory Farms CSA. We love cooking with friends, so this was just a bigger version (there were 10 of us total) than we usually do. I had a full pantry that day, in anticipation of making whatever came to people's minds. (In the pantry/fridge: veggie stock, pre-cooked beans, various citrus, good parmesan cheese, rice, pasta, polenta, garlic and ginger - plus I made sure my spices, oils, and vinegars were all full.) We have an herb garden, so I anticipated using that, too. I made pizza dough in the morning, and set it to rise. I also provided breakfast (people had paid for the event, so I wanted people to feel a little spoiled).

The foods we made were really just some of the foods in my regular rotation of dishes, plus lots of ideas from others. One person transformed a bunch of arugula into pesto. Another made a vinaigrette for salad. One person made bruschetta. Everybody helped clean and prep veggies. My partner tended the grill. (It was 100 degrees out - so he gets major points for that!)

Coincidentally, several of the people who attended had recently read The Omnivore's Dilemma. I think that consciousness about the provenance of one's dinner has become more of an accessible idea. (It was that book that really transformed my own thinking about it - shifting me from just being a budding foodie to being more of a locavore.) I had a few goals in planning the event. First, like any host, I wanted people to feel comfortable and well-cared for. I wanted them to eat delicious food. I wanted us to spend a leisurely time together while actually doing something - to get to know one another while our hands were working together on a shared task. And, I wanted people to feel like this kind of eating, and this kind of living, is accessible and real and fun. I'm really pleased with the outcome. "

Thank you Andrea!

RFC Visits Belmont Butchery

This week we paid a visit to the Belmont Butchery, a butcher shop located on Belmont Avenue near Carytown. Since we love to support local small businesses, we were eager to find out if this was a place where we could get quality meat. We were looking for keywords ("grass-fed," "free-range," "organic"), and a sense of soul. As it turned out, we found a lot of both.

During our visit, we were privileged to talk with Tanya Cauthen, the owner of the shop and an experienced chef who has been in and out of the Richmond restaurant community for years. When we arrived, we watched as Cauthen and her two assistants chatted with customers, helping them choose their cuts of meat and wrapping their purchases in clean white paper. Large pieces of beef looked luscious and red inside the glass cases, placed next to chicken and coils of sausage. On one side of the store we noticed a map of Italy marked with the words "Chris is Here" and a small indicating arrow. Along the opposing wall sat a small collection of cheeses and wines, and on one shelf I noticed a cookbook called The Cook and the Gardener. We also saw the latest issue of Edible Chesapeake. It was with a sense of eager anticipation that we asked Cauthen if she’d chat with us for a few minutes. She finished ringing up a customer, and asked us if she could talk while she worked.

A wide selection of meats, including poultry.

Before we could even ask, Cauthen told us that she is all about supporting "pastoral" style farming – places where pigs wallow in mud, cows roam across hills munching grass, and chickens peck at the ground in ample yard space. We were thrilled when she said she gets a lot of her meat from farms in the area, and the rest, if not local, is as natural as possible. Cauthen emphasized that she is all about finding a “happy medium” for her customers. She supplies them with meat from a variety of sources, hoping to promote organic, sustainable farming with the promise of quality. If people like the meat they get from these sources, they will continue to seek them out.

A big blackboard explains meat cuts and extolls the quality of Belmont Butchery's selection.

Cauthen wants the Belmont Butchery to be a "forum for awareness," a place where people can develop a preference for good foods and an understanding of where they come from. We quickly realized there was a lot we could learn here about natural foods and sustainable agriculture. One interesting discussion was about "certified organic" products. Cauthen told us the certification process is lengthy and expensive – financially impossible for some small businesses to undergo. She said she isn’t always focused on organic certifications, instead searching for local farms with agricultural practices she finds appropriate. While she feels some standards are important, Cauthen is truly focused on the quality of the meat.

We were also interested to learn the "Prime" designation for cuts of beef (i.e. the 'best' cuts) are actually impossible to get from grass-fed beef, because 'prime' quality beef has intermuscular fat, or marbling, a phenomenon that results from the corn-based diet characteristic of industrial cows.

How can we, as consumers, support Virginia farmers? Cauthen tells us to "Go to the farmer’s markets. Talk to the farmers." Personally asking these people when and where to obtain their produce will help you create a year-round method of obtaining food outside faceless stores. "I don’t like big conglomerates," Cauthen says. We agree.

Cutting meat for a customer.

Right now, Cauthen tells us, a Butchery employee is in Italy, working as an intern at a butcher shop there. She points at the map. He will eventually return, ready to teach his co-workers how to cut meat Italian-style. Cauthen seems proud as she describes her employees and customers. Throughout our conversation, there has been a tangible sense of community – somewhere out there exists a diverse group of people connected to good food, moving in and out of the butcher shop and around Richmond. Cauthen is vocal about the personal relationships she maintains with other local businesses, and the farms who supply her with meat. Clearly she values solidarity and trust above financial gain. We felt distinctly reassured that the mission of the Butchery was to draw its customers into a community of good eating. “Food should have a face,” Cauthen said, whether it’s the humanely-raised animal you are eating or the people providing you with a meal.

Wine and cheese round out the selection of artisanal foods.

Finally, we had heard the Belmont Butchery was involved in the Richmond chapter of the Slow Food movement, which you can read about here. When we asked, Cauthen said there hasn’t been much activity lately – the holiday season is, as always, intense – but she wants the group to move forward. We volunteered to help, so look for more information on Slow Food in upcoming posts!