Slow Food Austin
October 2011 Slow Food Austin Newsletter
October Slow Session
November Farm Tour
Upcoming Slow Food Events
Other Events Around Town
Slow Food Austin Membership Drive

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Slow Food Austin reconnects people with the food they eat. Our educational initiatives, social activities, fundraising events, and community volunteer projects inspire respect for where food comes from and awakens true pleasure in eating. To learn more about Slow Food Austin and become a member, visit our website!

 

Sorry this newsletter is coming in a little late- time seems to be flying this fall.

 

I am utterly beside myself with these cooler temperatures. I find myself having unexpected fantasies of playing outside with my son, having a picnic at the park, and actually turning on my oven again. I hope you are finding wonderful ways to enjoy the beginning of fall and soaking up the recent rain.

 

At Slow Food Austin we are taking advantage of the fall weather and holding ALL of our events outside. Our Slow Session will be at Springdale farm, we'll gather at Urban Roots farm for our monthly Happy Hour, the farm tours are at local farms of course including a Barn Dance at Montesino Ranch this month, and we'll be at a few local food events like a dinner benefiting The Sustainable Food Center which will be held in the student's garden at Escoffier culinary school. Read on to get all the details and we'll see you out there!

  
Wishing you outside time,
Sara Weber
President 

October - Slow Food Austin Slow Session 

 

Friends, Farms and Food Day

Date: Monday, October the 10th

Time: 7pm-9pm

Location: Springdale Farm

755 Springdale Road

Austin, Tx 78702

 

    

This year on October 24th cities across the U.S. will be celebrating Food Day, a day in which people from all walks of life come together to voice their support for healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way.   

 

In preparation for the Food Day events happening later in the month, Slow Food Austin will be having a Dine and Discuss Potluck of appetizers, drinks, and desserts at the lovely Springdale Farm.  Come catch up with friends, enjoy the evening air, introduce the kids to the farm animals, exchange recipes, and discuss how we as a community can work together to support and nurture good, clean, and fair food.   

 

To get the dialogue going, a panel of Austin Food Champions; Katy Levit, Happy Kitchen Developer at Sustainable Food Center, Judith McGeary, founder and director of Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, and Glenn Foore, owner and farmer of Springdale farm will each be discussing their field of expertise as it relates to the Food Day principles. The session will end with an open dialogue and unveiling of the upcoming events going on around town to celebrate Food Day on October 24th.

   

This session is free and open to everyone in the community.  Slow Food Austin will provide some snacks and beverages.  Bring a chair, a friend, a favorite appetizer, dessert, or drink and RSVP to [email protected].         

Happy Hour at Urban Roots Farm

Date: Thursday, Oct. 20th
Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Location: Urban Roots Farm

 

 

  

Please join Slow Food Austin for our monthly Third Thursday Happy Hour at Urban Roots Farm.  A Suggested $15 donation upon entry.  Jesse Bloom and the Ecstatic Cuisine Team will be serving up seasonal goodies while Michael Menley of A Torrid Affair will be mixing up a variety of Dripping Springs Vodka hand crafted cocktails.  This is sure to be a great evening so come out to the farm.   Parking is limited so please carpool or ride your bike.  Also, don't forget your closed toe shoes, blankets and chairs.  A special Thank You to Dripping Springs Vodka and Ambiente for sponsoring this happy hour.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit Slow Food Austin and Urban Roots Farm.
Slow Food Austin - November Farm Tour!

 

Montesino Ranch: Farm Tour
Saturday, November 5th, 5 pm
Ticket Price: $15/ $25
Location: Wimberley, TX
 
Just forty-five minutes southwest of Austin, tucked into the charming Hill Country, is Montesino Ranch. The natural beauty of rolling pastures, tree-covered hills, and the limestone-bedded Blanco River crossing the farm will immediately draw you in and make the short drive more than worth-while. It inspires farm managers Melody McClary and David Burk to grow equally beautiful fruits and vegetables. "Vegetables will be plentiful this fall," says Melody. "We will have a good season."
 
Join Slow Food Austin for a tour of this gorgeous produce farm and a sample of their produce. The farm tour starts at 5 pm. A $15 ticket is redeemable for a selection of Montesino's wonderful vegetables. After the farm tour, put on your dancin' shoes and come on down to their spacious 28 foot pole barn for the dance. The $25 ticket covers both the veggies and entry into the dance.
 
The live music starts at 7 pm and ends once all the dancers are tired. BYOB. Food will be available to purchase at the dance.
 
To RSVP and buy tickets go to
Tour questions? Email Grit Ramuschkat at
Upcoming Slow Food Events - Mark your calendars! We have a lot of great events coming up, so mark your calendars now, and stay tuned for our November newsletter where more details will be provided!

Monday November, 8, 7-8:30p: How to Have a Heritage Holiday.  Come learn about buying a local heritage breed turkey or pig for Thanksgiving and explore Ark of Taste foods you can buy locally to compliment your holiday spread.  email [email protected] with questions.

Sunday November 13, 11-2 p.m.: Urban Patchwork Farm Tour, Austin

Come with Slow Food Austin on a Sunday scavenger hunt to unearth some of UP's productive produce patches, even their egg-laying hens! Farmer Paige Hill will host the event and explain the ground-breaking CSA patchwork concept behind UP.  UP is expanding into other Austin neighborhoods - come on the tour to see if it's right for yours! Children are welcome on this educational and fun tour. The ticket price of $15 includes a take-home selection of UP produce; light refreshments will be served. To RSVP and purchase tickets, email [email protected] 

 

Thursday, Nov. 17th: Happy Hour at Rain Lily Farm.  Royal Fig Catering will be crafting delicious farm fresh goodies for our November Happy Hour and beverages will be provided by Balcones Distilling and will be served by Balcones Ambassador, Lara Nixon.  Wine will be provided by East End Wines.  A Suggested $15 donation for entry.  Don't forget your blankets and chairs!  5:30-8pmRSVP Here

 

Thursday, December 15th:  (512) Brewing and Antonellis Cheese Pairing at (512) Brewing.  7-9pm.  This has become a mainstay in our annual scheduling.  A Beer and Cheese Pairing...an homage to the bi-annual event held in Bra, Italy by Slow Food International.  Proceeds benefit Slow Food Austin.  Stay tuned for Ticket Details. 

Slow Food Austin & Foodways Texas host a Bycatch Dinner

Date: Sunday, November 13th

Time: 5pm Reception,  6pm 4 Course Seated Dinner

Location: Wink Austin, 1014 North Lamar Blvd. 

Cost: $60 a person

Stay Tuned to our website and newsletter for Ticket Purchasing Information. 

 

In February of this year, food professionals Bryan Caswell of Reef, Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due Supper Club and P.J. Stoops of Louisiana Food, participated at the Foodways Texas Annual Symposium to discuss the impact of current fishing practices in the Gulf of Mexico.  Jenny Wang, a food writer in Houston, moderated the discussion.  The name of the panel, "The Strangest Thing in the Nets: Bycatch, 'Trashfish' and Gulf Sustainability", encapsulated the major issues threatening not only the Gulf of Mexico, but all major seas and oceans, and a solution to prevent the overfishing of the apex predator fish (grouper, snapper, tuna, salmon etc.) by diversifying fish demand to include what has traditionally been called Bycatch or Trashfish; Gulf sustainability being the ultimate goal. 

 

"Trashfish or Rough Fish usually refers to larger fish species that are not commonly eaten, are too rare to be commonly encountered, or are not sought after by anglers for sporting purposes. There is no standard list of rough fishes. A fish that is considered a rough fish in one region may be considered a desirable game and food fish in another."

 

Bycatch refers to fish that are of a different species than the targeted species, undersized individuals of the target species, or juveniles of the target species.

 

In response to this panel, Slow Food Austin and Foodways Texas have come together to present a dinner exclusively featuring those very same Bycatch and Trashfish to show the community that not only are these fish edible, they taste good and they should be treated with the same amount of culinary respect as other fish.

 

Please Join Slow Food Austin and Foodways Texas in discovering the bounty that the Gulf of Mexico has to offer.  There will be a reception followed by a 4 course seated dinner with wine pairings at Wink Restaurant, Sunday, November 13th at 5pm featuring Chefs Jay Huang, Brandon Fuller of Wink, Matt Taylor of BC Tavern and Pastry Chef Jessica Armstrong of BC Tavern. 

A special thank you to our sponsors, Louisiana Foods, Wink Restaurant and BC Tavern.

 

 *A portion of the proceeds will benefit Slow Food Austin and Foodways Texas.

More exciting events around town!
There are always so many fun and interesting events happening in Austin. While we don't have time to feature them all, here are a few you may want to check out!

 

Local Food Fair

Sunday, Oct. 23, 1 pm - 4 pm

Location: 5604 Manor Road, home of Third Coast Workers for Cooperation, Third Coast Activist Resource Center and Workers Defense Project. 

 

Meet and greet (and even buy!) from local farmers, and find out more from local grocery delivery companies and farmers' markets just how to connect yourself with local food. Co-sponsored by SFC, this event will feature samples of dishes made with local produce, samples of farmers' produce, refrescos, recipe sharing and music. Find out the difference between a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and a local delivery service and which might be right for you, and sign up to get a season's worth of nutritious, affordable food!

 

Dinner in the Garden:  Sunday, October 23rd, 6:00pm-9:00pm

Proceeds benefiting SFC

Location: Escoffier School - 6020-B Dillard Circle

Cocktails at 6:00, dinner begins at 6:30. 

Tickets are $125 and available HERE. (you will need to create an account to purchase)   

 

A guest speaker from the local food community will highlight Farm Bill 2012, and speak about National Food Day.

 

Featured Chefs and Farmers:

Jason Dodge of P�ch�  - Salad Course  

Josh Watkins of The Carillon - Main Course  

Shawn Cirkiel of Parkside and The Backspace - Main Course  

Janina O'Leary of TRACE - Dessert Course
Sponsors include Edible Austin, Marquee Rentals and Tito's Handmade Vodka. 

 

 

Film + Food + Focused on Good
Lights. Camera. Help., founder of the world's first exclusively cause-focused film festival, presents:

Film + Food + Focused on Good
Nov. 4th, 6p-9p

***Get your ticket to attend! http://bit.ly/FFFoG
 
TASTE delicious locally, sustainably grown food from across Austin, prepared by gourmet locavore chefs.
WATCH short films about important food issues.
LEARN from local food community leaders about the causes they support and how film has elevated the discussion.

Proceeds benefit all programs of Lights. Camera. Help.!

Slow Food Austin Membership Drive - Extended, Double Your Impact!

Here at Slow Food �ustin, we're committed to creating every opportunity to get you more involved and connected with the Slow Food movement in our community. One of the easiest and most powerful ways is through membership.  We're inviting you to join Slow Food USA during our September campaign, when your donation (in any amount) will make you a member and a portion of your membership donation will come back to the local chapter. And right now, a matching grant will double your gift to Slow Food USA through October 15th!

Click here to join now.

There are a variety of membership benefits, but I think you'll find the best part is knowing your contribution plays a critical role in bringing our community together to support our local farmers and food traditions, teaching the next generation about good food, and transforming laws to make a healthy meal as affordable as fast food.
  

Supporting Local

 

I know the fall weather has brought some relief for area farmers and ranchers but they are still facing challenges.

 

It seems like every time I turn on NPR there is bad news. In conversations with local producers I have heard about farms with too many CSA shares unclaimed (possibly because of the economy), fears about water rate increases, and ranchers who need to sell lots of harvested meat due to the drought or fires. I feel powerless about these issues at times but then I remember the influence I can have in my own community.  

 

Now is the time to consider joining a fall CSA, buying your meat from a local rancher, stocking up at the farmer's market, volunteering at a farm, and eating at restaurants that source from local food producers. Also, if you are a farmer, rancher, or artisan and you'd like to write a guest article for our website related to the challenges you are facing and how you are dealing with them, we'd love to hear from you.