Slow Food Eugene

This month’s last Tuesday meet-up will be at Izakaya Meiji Company. Izakaya Meiji is a one of a kind Eugene spot that touts its personality as East Meets Country and Western. This is a great opportunity to meet and greet fellow Slow Food members and friends and learn about new developments in the food world. We start at 5:30pm.

This month will be highlighting spirits produced in the Northwest. Renowned bar tender Elliot Martinez will begin a short presentation at 6:15pm. He will be on for a couple minutes at a time introducing the particular spirit coming from the bottle in hand. We will be sampling these spirits on Izakaya Meiji’s flight night–a flight of special drinks and a bite to compliment it.

In addition Izakaya Meiji will have their their menu favorites for us to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you there.

After two years at NW Youth Corps, the RAFT Garden is now in the second year at the Whiteaker Community Garden at the end of N. Polk St. The plot is on the east side and marked with a RAFT sign. The RAFT garden includes Hooker’s corn, Oregon Giant Pole bean, Oregon Delicious melon, Lower Salmon River squash, and Marshall Strawberry. This year, potatoes will be added — Haida, Tlingit and possibly Anna Cheeka (Ozette).

Last October, Andrew Still and Sarah Kleeger of Adaptive Seeds led a seed saving demo at the garden. It was well attended and the local RAFT community took seed, literally and figuratively. Most of the Oregon Giant beans were donated to Adaptive Seeds and they report that all have been sold for the coming season.

Kathy Heerema will join Nicki Maxwell this year in planning, planting and caring for the garden. Let Nicki know if you are interested. You can reach her at nicolamaxwell47@gmail.com.

The RAFT (Renewing America’s Food Traditions) Alliance is a collaboration of food, farming and environmental advocates (including Slow Food USA). It was founded in 2004 to identify, restore and celebrate America’s biologically and culturally diverse food traditions through conservation, education, market recovery and regional networking. RAFT developed the first-ever comprehensive list of food species and varieties unique to each eco-region of North America and found that well over 1,000 food varieties are threatened, endangered or functionally extinct from the marketplace.

2012 is shaping up to be a super year of great food, great company, and great efforts to build a healthier food system. There are number of events already on the calendar and a few that are just brainstorms waiting to be fleshed out.

These events are going to be successful because you–our faithful members and friends–are going to volunteer to get them done. To get on the volunteer list, email our volunteer coordinator, Judy Stickney, by clicking here.

Here is the list, so far:

• Carts And A Cold One–July 22 at Ninkasi Brewery.
• One Field Meal–September 9, McKenzie River Farm, with Chefs Mark Kozmicki and Tiffany Norton from the Party Cart providing dinner and Stewart and Emily Philips from Red Wagon Creamery offering up desserts
• Food Film Festival with the Slow Food University of Oregon chapter–October 12-14
• Flea Market, cookbook exchange, silent auction, and whatever we can fit in–August
In addition to these events, we will have a RAFT Garden growing heritage crops on a 20′ by 30′ plot.

We welcome your ideas to make our events successful. And, you can bring new ideas that you’d like to see Slow Food Eugene pursue. Just bring your volunteer hat.

Ready to empty out the bookshelves and cabinets of those treasures you never use? We all have them–cookbooks we haven’t opened in years, bowls hidden in the far corners of our cabinets, the second or third KitchenAid blender or fondue pot that we got for wedding presents decades ago. The Flea Market wants that stuff. (Vintage, or new/good condition items only, please.)

We also want your help. Lois Safdie would like to meet with a few interested people to refine the concept and iron out details.

When you buy Farm to School Fuji apples at participating retailers in the Eugene area including Kiva, Friendly St. Market, Sundance, Cappella, Red Barn, New Frontier and Eugene Local Foods, profits from the sale will support the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition’s Farm to School Program.

Slow Food Eugene Last Tuesday Meet-Up-Mazzi’s Restaurant, Tuesday, April 24, 5:30pm

This month’s last Tuesday meet-up will be at Mazzi’s Restaurant. Mazzi’s is on the street in front of Hideaway Bakery. This is a great opportunity to meet and greet fellow Slow Food members and friends and learn about new developments in the food world. We start at 5:30pm. Our hosts will begin a presentation at 6:15pm. They will be on for 15 minutes or so with time for questions.

This Meet-Up is just in time for Morel season. Bruce Newhouse and Peg Boulay, members of the Cascade Mycological Society, will chat with us about the Morel mushroom and the fun of finding and eating wild mushrooms.

Mazzi’s is a Eugene institution. In addition to their old favorites and seasonally inspired specials menu, they will also have a happy hour special for us to enjoy. What a great way to get ready for some spring Morel hunting, eat delicious food, and meet some new food loving friends. We look forward to seeing you there.

The Important Details:

Date: Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Time: 5:30pm-7:00pm
Location: Mazzi’s Restaurant, 3377 East Amazon Drive Eugene, OR 97405
(541) 687-2252

A selection of appetizer options will be available from the menu

Slow Food Eugene Lists Upcoming Events For 2012

2012 is shaping up to be a super year of great food, great company, and great efforts to build a healthier food system. There are number of events already on the calendar and a few that are just brainstorms waiting to be fleshed out.

These events are going to be successful because you–our faithful members and friends–are going to volunteer to get them done. To get on the volunteer list, email our volunteer coordinator, Judy Stickney, by clicking here.

Here is the list, so far:

Carts And A Cold One–Date To Be Determined at Ninkasi Brewery.
One Field Meal–September 9, McKenzie River Farm, with Chefs Mark Kozmicki and Emily Norton from the Party Cart providing dinner and Stewart and Emily Philips from Red Wagon Creamery offering up desserts
Food Film Festival with the Slow Food University of Oregon chapter–sometime in the fall
Flea Market, cookbook exchange, silent auction, and whatever we can fit in–August
In addition to these events, we will have a RAFT Garden growing heritage crops on a 20′ by 30′ plot.

We welcome your ideas to make our events successful. And, you can bring new ideas that you’d like to see Slow Food Eugene pursue. Just bring your volunteer hat.

The Eugene Coalition For Better School Food Invites You To An Evening With The Renegade Lunch Lady

The Eugene Coalition For Better School Food is bringing Chef Ann Cooper to town. In a nation where children are born with shorter estimated life expectancies than their parents because of diet-related illness, Ann Cooper is a relentless voice of reform who is focusing on the links between food, family, farming and children’s health and wellness.

Chef Ann Cooper is a celebrated author, chef, educator, and enduring advocate for better food for all children. Her current focus is to put her skills and background to use in creating a sustainable model for schools nationwide. This will enable schools to transition any processed food based K-12 school meal program to a whole foods environment where food is procured regionally and prepared from scratch.

DATE: Friday, May 4, 2012
TIME: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
PLACE: First United Methodist Church, 1376 Olive Street, Eugene, OR

For more information, go to the the Coalition’s web site.
Farm to School Apple Fundraiser

When you buy Farm to School Fuji apples at participating retailers in the Eugene area including Kiva, Friendly St. Market, Sundance, Cappella, Red Barn, New Frontier and Eugene Local Foods, profits from the sale will support the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition’s Farm to School Program.
For more information visit www.organicgrown.com

Interesting Tidbits

We would like to add links in our newsletter to pieces about Oregon agriculture and cuisine, Slow Food, healthy eating, food politics, and just plain food fun. If you have links to articles that you think our readers would find interesting let us know. Send us an email with the link.

Here’s An Idea Worth Pursuing–Urban Food Forests

http://grist.org/urban-agriculture/into-the-woods-seattle-plants-a-public-food-forest/

Join Our Slow Food Eugene Facebook Group Page
Join our Facebook group. Click here to find us.

Mark Bittman on the Farm Bill
Bittman writes an op ed column in the New York Times about the increase in imports and exports and the decrease in consumption of local food. He suggests that for the new farm bill to serve us, it must encourage more farmers to produce more staples.

Support Slow Food Eugene’s Sponsors

Take a look at the list of sponsors in the left hand column. These local businesses are supporting Slow Food Eugene’s fight for good, clean, and fair food. Their help is vitally important to our efforts to support organizations like the School Garden Project and the Farm to School Program.

We encourage others of you to help us out. This is a great opportunity to get your business name out to our large and growing newsletter subscriber list. Join the sponsors listed along the left hand column. Not only are they supporting good, clean, and fair food, but they are letting our subscribers know that they are friends of Slow Food Eugene. Send an email for details about our sponsorship program.

And, for our subscribers out there, show your support by clicking on their ads and patronizing their businesses.
Public Service Announcements

As a public service, we are listing some upcoming events we thought that you might be interested in. Listing an event in our newsletter is not an indication that we are sponsoring or endorsing the event.

Farmers Markets

The Lane County Farmers Market is open:

SATURDAYS–8th and Oak from 9am-3pm.
TUESDAYS–8th and Oak at the downtown park blocks from 10am-3pm starting on May 1st.
THURSDAYS–2700 Hilyard St at the Amazon Community Center from 2pm-6pm starting on June 7th!

Hideaway Bakery
also has a Saturday Farmers Market from 9am to 3pm.

Local Food Organizations

Weston A. Price Foundation Potluck

What: A monthly potluck in Eugene (and other locales) to foster discussion and understanding of traditional healing foods used by long-lived and healthy societies. Based on researched gathered by Weston A Price, DDS.
Who: Weston A. Price Foundation, Eugene Chapter
When: Held second Monday of each month, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
Where: Rotates among members’ homes. Email Lisa at info@krautpounder.com for current location and to get newsletters of activities.
Cost: Bring a Weston A. Price Traditional-Style dish to share. More Information: Lisa at info@krautpounder.com

Victory Gardens

What: Ongoing edible planting events providing an opportunity to volunteer in creating new gardens, developing edible forests, caring for existing gardens, making compost and meeting like-minded gardening folks.
Who: Victory Garden Team
When: call 541-653-0149 or click email for the schedule
Where: 505 River Road, Eugene
Cost: free

More information: victorygardensforall@gmail.com or call Charlotte 541.653.0149

We’re meeting at The Humble Beagle this month.  This is a great opportunity to meet and greet fellow Slow Food members and friends and learn about new developments in the food world.  We start at 5:30pm.  Our hosts will begin a presentation at 6:15pm.  They will be on for 15 minutes or so with time for questions. 

Our featured guests are Ari Gold and Gary Katz. Ari and his wife, Anni, own The Humble Beagle.  Gary is one of the founders of the neighboring, Humble Bagel.  As you might guess, this is a family affair.  Ari and Gary will be talking about their recipe and process for smoking the fabulous fish and seafood appetizer on the Beagle’s menu.

 Important Info:
DATE:  Tuesday, February 28, 2012
TIME:  5:30-7:00pm
PLACE: The Humble Beagle, 24th and Hilyard, Eugene, Oregon
Happy Hour Special: A selection of appetizer options will be available from the menu

Hummingbird Wholesale is hosting a grand opening of Stellaria Building and you are invited! 

Our community of Birds and tenants welcomes you to experience a dynamic, fun, building-wide event.

Save the Date: Wednesday, February 29th
Time: 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Where: The Stellaria Building at 150 Shelton McMurphey Blvd
What: Yummy finger foods and drinks

Live music by our talented and good looking co-workers and friends, and maybe some dancing.

A welcoming program at 5 pm at Hummingbird Wholesale in Suite 104

Tour our lovely new building and learn about our sustainable practices
Individual office open houses Raffle to benefit the incubator kitchen
Located on the 1st floor, this will be a commercial kitchen available for small local food businesses to help defray overhead costs.  Raffle proceeds will help outfit the kitchen with equipment needed to make it a perfect place for creating great foods!

Please RSVP to info@hummingbirdwholesale.com or 541 686-0921