Sweet Holidays From Slow Food Katy Trail

Holiday sweets made with native Missouri nuts (pecans, hickories and black walnuts).
In star basket, Black-walnut chocolate-ginger biscotti; on the tray, Date and nut bars, Zimmerschied and papassinos; in wooden bowl, spicy pecans.

SFKT Celebrates Terra Madre Day, Raises Funds for 1,000 Gardens in Africa Project

Delegate Walker Claridge tells the Terra Madre Day dinner celebrants why the conference experience was so important to him. "When I was at Terra Madre, I was amazed to see all the important work Slow Food was doing," said Claridge. "I had no idea what an activist organization it was."


On Dec. 6, amidst a festive Italian-themed holiday ambience, Slow Food Katy Trail members and others from the mid-Missouri community celebrated Slow Food's Terra Madre Day at Broadway Brewery.

A delicious Italian dinner was prepared with local food by the kitchen staff of the brewery, which is owned by Terra Madre delegate Walker Claridge. Walker and the four other mid-Missouri TM delegates spoke to the crowd between courses about their Terra Madre experiences, insights they brought home with them and new-found appreciation for the Slow Food organization. Several hundred images of Terra Madre/Salone del Gusto and other Italian scenes were projected on a large screen during the dinner.

In addition, Slow Food Katy Trail partnered with two other organizations to sell gift items at the dinner (to benefit the 1,000 Gardens in Africa project). The Mustard Seed, a local fair-trade retail store, brought merchandise made in Africa. Dan and Melinda Hemmelgarn, on behalf of the Missouri Organic Association, sold their 2011 "organic" calendars. Also, Broadway Brewery donated 30 percent of the ticket price to the project. All proceeds from the evening (about $700) are going to the African gardening project.

It was a delightful evening, and many people walked away with a new understanding of what the Slow Food organization is, and how far-reaching its influence is throughout the world.

To learn more about the "1,000 Gardens in Africa" project, visit http://www.slowfood.com/terramadreday/pagine/eng/pagina2.lasso?-id_pg=113

Come help us celebrate Terra Madre Day at Broadway Brewery on December 6

Terra Madre delegate Mimo Davis (below) enjoys chestnut gelato at Salone del Gusto. The Ligurian chestnuts featured in this delicious ice cream are one of Slow Food’s Presidia projects. Presidia are local projects that work to improve the infrastructure of artisan food production. More than 10,000 small producers are involved in Slow Food Presidia projects throughout the world. At left is a cornmeal (polenta) producer from Trentino.

Who: Slow Food Katy Trail and other SF chapters throughout the world!
What: Terra Madre Day
When: Monday, Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Broadway Brewery, 816 East Broadway
Why: Slow Food’s birthday and many other reasons below!

You’re invited to help SFKT celebrate Terra Madre Day–along with Slow Food chapters throughout the world–as we come together on this day to share Italian-inspired local foods, photographs and knowledge taken away from the international conference a few weeks ago.

That evening we’ll also tell you about an exciting new African gardening project to which we all easily can contribute. Last, but not least, we’re going to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season in the festive ambience of the brewery. Plus, you’ll have a chance to do some holiday shopping at our special gift tables. Mustard Seed Fair Trade (25 S. Ninth St.)–whose fair-trade principles are compatible with Slow Food’s–graciously will donate 10 percent of sales that evening to the African gardening project.

Please read below for more details about the event and to see the menu. Reservations are necessary for the 60 spaces available. RSVP to the brewery at 443-5054 by Dec. 1.


Slow Food Katy Trail, the mid-Missouri chapter of Slow Food USA, is co-hosting, with Broadway Brewery, a Terra Madre celebration at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 at the brewery. Five delegates–Walker Claridge of Broadway Brewery, Craig Cyr of Wine Cellar & Bistro, Brook Harlan of Columbia Area Career Center Culinary Arts program, Julie Walker of Greystone Farm and Bernadette Dryden, co-leader of SFKT–represented mid-Missouri at the international Slow Food Terra Madre conference in Italy in late October.

That evening, at the brewery, as we eat a specially prepared dinner inspired by food we tasted during the conference, each of the delegates will share with the dinner guests a few things that he or she learned at Terra Madre. We also will have a running photographic backdrop during the dinner. Guests will get a "taste" of the conference as they watch photos of the delegates–many in the native dress of their countries–share their stories, foods, music and customs. It truly was the Olympics of the sustainable food world!

Terra Madre brought together 6,000 farmers, educators, cooks and food activists from 160 countries. The "food communities" of Terra Madre come together biennially to share innovative solutions and time-honored traditions for keeping small-scale agriculture and sustainable food production alive and well.

While at the conference, Carlo Petrini–Slow Food International president and that wonderful Italian who started the organization more than 20 years ago–asked each chapter to help build 1,000 gardens in Africa in one year. Consequently, chapters throughout the world will donate to this project through fundraisers and other events such as ours. Broadway Brewery will donate a generous portion from each dinner reservation to the garden project.

We also thought it would be an appropriate partnership for the Mustard Seed to sell some of their African merchandise at the brewery that evening. They will have African baskets, holiday items, jewelry, chocolate, kitchen and home accessories available. For more information, please visit the following sites:

1,000 Gardens in Africa project:
http://slowfood.com/sloweb/eng/dettaglio.lasso?cod=C2744B881b2061E04Fiqj13FF7F9

Slow Food international programs, including Terra Madre:
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/international/

Slow Food Katy Trail blogsite (to see a few photos taken at the Terra Madre confab):
http://slowfoodkatytrail.blogspot.com/

Mustard Seed Fair Trade:
http://www.mustardseedfairtrade.org/index.html

Taste of Terra Madre Menu
Inspired by Walker Claridge’s Terra Madre experience

Broadway Brewery, 816 E. Broadway Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

Antipasti
Platters of olives, fennel, peppers, roasted garlic, cheese, greens

Rambasicci
Stuffed Cabbage from Trieste

Zuppa di Fagioli e Cozze
White Bean Soup with Mussels

Gnocchi con Sugo d'Anatra
Potato Pasta with Duck Sauce

Sugo di Pomodoro Ricco con Carne e Polenta
Shaved Beef with a Rich Tomato Sauce on Polenta

Arance Caramellate con Torta di Mandorle
Caramelized Oranges with Almond Cake

$54 per person
Price includes Broadway Brewery beer pairing with each course and Westphalia Vineyards’ Prodigal Son wine with the beef course.
Wine options are available for an additional price.
Products from Missouri food producers will be announced at the dinner.
RSVP to Broadway Brewery (443-5054) by Dec. 1

Celebrate Terra Madre Day at Broadway Brewery on Dec. 6

Join Slow Food Katy Trail and Broadway Brewery for a fabulous meal at the brewery on Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. We'll be telling tales of our recent adventures at the international Slow Food Terra Madre conference in Turin, Italy.

The five delegates are eager to share with the mid-Missouri community what they learned at this "Olympics of Sustainable Food."

Terra Madre brought together 6,000 farmers, educators, cooks and food activists from 160 countries. The "food communities" of Terra Madre come together biennially to share innovative solutions and time-honored traditions for keeping small-scale agriculture and sustainable food production alive and well.

Details and reservation information will be available soon. Meanwhile, save the date!

Join us for the whole-farm dinner at Chert Hollow Farm Sept. 29

THE EVENT You’re invited to spend an evening exploring the culinary possibilities of one diversified mid- Missouri farm through a special tour & dinner. Hosts Joanna & Eric Reuter of Chert Hollow Farm, LLC will lead guests on a farm tour including produce fields and animals, then offer a multi-course meal sourced predominately from ingredients grown and produced on-farm.

THE FARM Chert Hollow Farm, LLC grows certified organic produce for sale through the Columbia Farm- ers Market and local restaurants. The farm is also the primary year-round food source for Eric & Joanna, who raise, process, and preserve virtually all their own produce, meat, and eggs; a significant amount of their own milk & cheese; and some grains, beans, and fruit. Maintenance of diversity is one of their basic principles of farming, as evidenced by their focus on heirloom vegetables and heritage breeds, including a number of Slow Food Ark of Taste varieties.

THE MEAL This year’s menu (SEE BELOW) will be influenced by Mediterranean cuisine, highlighting fresh flavors and simple preparations. All but a few basic ingredients such as oil, vinegar, and flour will be harvested and/or produced on-farm. Eric & Joanna will prepare the meal, which will be all-vegetarian as meat on the farm is seasonal and butchering does not happen until later in the fall. Ingredients will be determined by seasonal availability, but will include a wide variety of fresh produce & herbs, goat milk & cheese, eggs, and more. Beverages will be BYOB.

TAKING PART Sixteen places are available, open first to Slow Food Katy Trail members. The suggested $30 donation covers some costs and a Slow Food membership for the farm, with the remainder funding SFKT’s other activities. Reservations must be confirmed by sending a check to Slow Food Katy Trail, 1 E. Ridgeley Rd., Columbia, MO 65203 by September 22. For more information, email slowfoodkatytrail@yahoo.com or contactus@cherthollowfarm.com. Chert Hollow Farm is located 20 minutes north of Columbia; carpooling is encouraged.
http://www.cherthollowfarm.com/meal.htm http://slowfoodkatytrail.blogspot.com

MENU

Tasting plate of hummus (blended farm cowpeas, parsley, garlic, yogurt,
etc.), cuke & pepper slices, fresh pitas (Missouri wheat), cheese

Greek salad (coarse-chopped salad of tomatoes, cukes, peppers, onions,
farm-made feta, garlic/herb vinaigrette)

Broiled polenta squares (farm cornmeal) with caramelized onions & peppers,
grated aged cheese

Missouri dolmades (Chard leaves wrapped around Missouri rice, farm onions,
garlic, cucumbers, peppers, herbs; steamed)

Fresh-made ravioli with cheese & herb stuffing (farm-made ricotta, herbs, &
more)

Green salad (baby lettuce greens, fresh produce, boiled farm eggs, etc)
Custard (farm eggs & milk, possibly fruit topping)

MENU IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, DUE TO AVAILABILITY OF PRODUCTS

Slow Food Katy Trail

invites you to its second annual

Farm-to-Table, A Dinner in the Vineyard

This September 19 feast­–at 4 p.m. in Les Bourgeois Vineyards–will celebrate local farmers and the food they produce. Come dine with Slow Food members, friends, farmers and cooks as we toast the beginning of fall and the bounty of local food we all love.

Les Bourgeois is again graciously hosting our celebration in its vineyards south of I-70 and providing all the wine. A charming tobacco barn set among 22 acres of Chardonel, Vignoles and Vidal will provide the backdrop for mid-Missouri's four most talented chefs to work their magic.

Cooking together will be: Craig Cyr of The Wine Cellar & Bistro, Mike Odette of Sycamore, Aaron Wells-Morgan of Les Bourgeois Blufftop Bistro and Brook Harlan of the Columbia Area Career Center Culinary Arts program. These four wonderful cooks are donating all their time and efforts for this feast and are so excited about doing so! Wait until you see the menu below, and you'll know how hard they've worked to contact local farmers to procure products and devise delicious ways to use them. Of course, we wouldn’t think of having a feast without beautiful music! The fabulous John G. Stewart jazz trio will round out the sensorial delights of the evening.

All proceeds will benefit Slow Food Katy Trail's Slow Food-in-Schools projects. Even though we don't tout these important projects nearly often enough (we're too busy actually getting them done!), we do want you to know the great things we are doing with schoolchildren to raise their local-food awareness. Please see the blog posts below to get a taste of all we've accomplished during the last two years with Lee Elementary School third graders. Our third year starts in September at West Boulevard Elementary School.

Other details about the dinner:

Cost per person is $99

Due to limited seating, only 70 tickets will be sold; they are available only through the Brown Paper Tickets Website: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/124725.

Times

2 p.m.–Tour of the new winemaking facility at Les Bourgeois (optional)

3 p.m.–Vineyard tour (optional)

4 p.m. –Dinner

Directions and parking details will be provided at a later date.

To see photographs of last year’s dinner, please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/slowfoodkatytrail/sets/72157620517967915/show/

Slow Food Katy Trail's

Farm-to-Table, A Dinner in the Vineyard

A fall feast to celebrate seasonal foods from local farmers

and to benefit our Slow Food-in-Schools projects.

Meet the Farmers at the Table

Assorted heirloom tomatoes, spiced pecans,

pickled shiitakes, Bresaola, chorizo, lardo and pain d’epi

Pierpont Farms, Missouri Northern Pecan Growers LLC, Sunrise Shiitake Farm,

Chefs' handcrafted meats, Patchwork Family Farms,

Uprise Bakery

Toasting with Trout

Apple-wood smoked rainbow trout with Dijon-scallion potato salad,

hard-cooked eggs and baby sprouts

Troutdale Farm, Pierpont Farms, Root Cellar

Pass the Beef and Greet Your Neighbors

Whole-roasted, sliced round rubbed with

garlic, rosemary and peppercorns

Standing, sliced rib roast marinated with sorghum and chili pepper

Covered-L Farms, sponsored by AgriMissouri

Autumnal Accompaniments

Pecan- and sage-encrusted pumpkin, squash and potato gratin

Local beer-sautéed greens with Berkshire-pork bacon

Root Cellar, Weiler Dairy, Broadway Brewery,

Newman Farm Heritage Berkshire Pork

Glorious Greens and Scrumptious Cheeses

Mixed greens with Les Bourgeois wine vinaigrette

Assorted goat cheeses with pear and apple compote

Root Cellar, Goatsbeard Farm

Heaven-in-the-Vineyard Dessert Trio

Caramelized-apple crêpe cake kissed with maple goat cream

Chocolate truffle

Butternut squash and honey brulee

Root Cellar, Goatsbeard Farm, Patric Chocolate, Weiler Dairy,

Bonne Femme Honey Farm, Pierpont Farms

An assortment of Les Bourgeois wines will complement all the courses.

Broadway Brewery beer also will be on tap.

2010 Dinner in the Vineyard coming soon!

Guests at the 2009 Dinner in the Vineyard enjoy wine, live jazz, the rustic ambiance and the anticipation of the next delicious course.


See more photos of last year's dinner at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slowfoodkatytrail/sets/72157620517967915/

Check back here for more details on tickets for our upcoming Dinner in the Vineyard!

SFKT connects local children with local food

Julie Walker of Greystone Farm (above left) "brings the farm to school" as she talks about chickens and eggs with Lee School third graders. During the same "Harvest-of-the-Month" session, chef Brook Harlan (above right) makes two kinds of omelets for the budding Epicureans. A student in Ann Mehr's art class (above) shows off her Thomas Hart Benton-inspired tempera (egg yolk) painting. Children learn how lettuce grows at Pierpont Farms (below) and chef Craig Cyr serves up freshly made quiche to students for their lunch on the farm.

More photos of the May 2010 field trip to Pierpont Farms may be seen at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/slowfoodkatytrail/sets/72157624136493716/

Slow Food Katy Trail has just completed the second year of its Slow Food-in-Schools project with Lee Expressive Arts Elementary School in Columbia. What an incredible two years it has been! The program there will continue under the guidance of Amy Higgins, a Slow Food-trained parent volunteer. In September, we will be starting the same program at a different school–West Boulevard Elementary. We'll kick off the project with a volunteer raised-bed garden-building event at the school on September 25. It will be followed by a potluck picnic on the school grounds. Please come join us!

In case you're not familiar with the project, here's a history and timeline of our efforts:

January 2008 Slow Food Katy Trail met with Lee students, teachers and its principal and decided upon a three-pronged schoolyard-garden and farm-to-table collaborative project with Lee School third graders: raise-bed gardening; field trips to local farms; and "Harvest-of-the-Month" sessions.

April 2008 We provided funds to build six-raised bed gardens behind the school. Slow Food members, teachers, parents and other volunteers helped construct the beds and fill them with soil. We also provided seeds for planting. Just before the children leave for the summer, we show them how to prepare a delicious salad with the many varieties of lettuces they raised.

May 2008 Goatsbeard Farm in Harrisburg hosted the children at the farm (during three separate field trips), showing them how goats are milked and cheese is made. The children tried their hands at making cheese; frolicked with the goats; and enjoyed an outdoor lunch of fresh goat cheeses, Uprise bread and fresh fruit. For many, it was their first trip to a real farm.

May 2009 and 2010 We took the children on field trips to two local farms, where they got to run through a bamboo "forest," pick lettuce, commune with the farm animals and listen to the farmers talk about raising animals and produce. They helped wash the lettuce for a beautiful salad that chef Craig Cyr of The Wine Cellar & Bistro made as they watched and asked questions. Craig also cooked other delicious locally grown and produced products from the farms. We concluded the farm tours with an outdoor lunch for all the children.

Monthly during the school year from September 2008 to May 2010
Our “harvest-of-the-month” sessions have introduced the children to a locally raised or crafted food each month. Not only do these sessions enlighten and delight the children, but they strengthen the connection between local farmers and the community.

Slow Food Katy Trail pays local farmers to bring their tomatoes, sweet potatoes, popcorn, honey, eggs, wheat, cheese and so forth to the school every month. The farmers discuss life on the farm with the children and how they grow or produce their products. The children study the various foods in different areas of the curricula such as history, art and science.

Local chefs and Slow Food volunteer cooks come to the school each month, in conjunction with the farmers' visits, to turn the food into delicious and nutritious treats for the children. All the children participate in the cooking.

It's been highly successful; the children love meeting the farmers, eating and preparing the fresh food, the demonstrations and doing the food art projects.

The overall goal is to help children develop a desire and appreciation for fresh, local foods, and to help them understand the importance of sustainably raised food as it relates to the environment, their health and their own communities and cultures. Judging from the children's comments, smiles and attitudes (and feedback from teachers and the principal), I'd say we have succeeded!

A special thanks to all the Slow Food volunteers and farmers who have generously donated their time and energies to help get this project off the ground and keep it going. Take a bow! Also a big thanks to teachers Ann Mehr and Carissa Seek, former principal Teresa VanDover, and principal Karen Burger for believing in this project. A big tip of the hat to Peter Stiepleman, assistant superintendent for elementary education, for his support of the Slow Food mission.

Italian feast to benefit chapter's Terra Madre hopefuls

Below is an invitation to an Italian dinner with a special purpose. Slow Food Katy Trail and The Wine Cellar & Bistro invite you to Festa Italiana!, a casual and delicious local-foods feast that will benefit our Slow Food chapter’s delegation to the Terra Madre conference in Turin in October. Donating their talents to the cooking and serving of the dinner will be chefs Craig Cyr and Brook Harlan.

This conference is held in the Piedmont region of Italy, where the Slow Food organization was born more than 20 years ago. The five-day meeting will bring together food communities, cooks, farmers, educators, food activists, academics, youth and musicians from throughout the world. All who attend are united in a desire to promote sustainable local food production in harmony with the environment, while respecting knowledge handed down throughout the generations.

Although the biennial conference has been held since 2004, this will be Slow Food Katy Trail’s first time to apply for representation there. We’re excited about the possibility of sending a mid-Missouri food community delegation to “The Olympics” of the food world. It’s high time that our region show the world what we have to offer!

We’re proud to nominate chef Craig Cyr, of The Wine Cellar & Bistro; chef/educator Brook Harlan, of the Columbia Area Career Center Culinary Arts Program; farmer Julie Walker, of Greystone Farm; and Walker Claridge, of The Root Cellar and Broadway Brewery fame. Proceeds from this dinner will be used for plane fares. Conference costs are covered by other sponsors upon arrival in Italy.

We’re able to offer this fabulous feast at such a reasonable price because of volunteer assistance and generous donations. A special thanks to the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s support of Missouri Legacy Beef and Show-Me Farms, whose local beef products will be featured. Grazie mille to Glazer’s Midwest, Golden Barrel and Missouri Beverage, who will keep the vino flowing ... and xoxoxo to those relentlessly faithful Slow Food volunteers who make it all possible every time at every event!


The $35 ticket price includes tip. Slow Food members receive the first opportunity to purchase tickets during the first five days of sales. Ticket sales open to the public on June 1.

For more information on the Terra Madre conference and its importance in the construction of a global sustainable food network, please visit http://www.terramadre.info/pagine/incontri/welcome.lasso?id=C2744B880a15e27F8CmV S2DE0085&tp=3. This is a fantastic opportunity for our local food community to share information and collaborate with like-minded people from throughout the world.

Please come share in the excitement of the possibility and, as always, delicious eats!


Buon appetito!

Slow Food Katy Trail and
The Wine Cellar & Bistro present

Festa Italiana!
An Italian buffet of delicious local and seasonal foods
to benefit SFKT’s Terra Madre delegation

Sunday, June 13 at The Wine Cellar & Bistro, 505 Cherry St.
Come anytime between 5 and 8 p.m.



Antipasti
Beef carpaccio, pickled vegetables, assorted goat cheeses and grilled crostini



Insalata
Salad of arugula and mixed greens, tomatoes, roasted mushrooms, green onions and Uprise croutons–tossed with an anchovy-balsamic vinaigrette.


Il secondo

 Ossobuco–beef shanks slowly braised in Chianti, with fresh herbs. Served with a creamy risotto made with pancetta and Milton Creamery Prairie Breeze cheese.



Trio di gelati

Mint with Patric Chocolate nibs
Strawberry
Rhubarb with vanilla and wildflower honey


I Vini
A selection of Italian white and red wines


Prepared and served by chefs Craig Cyr and Brook Harlan

Mother-Daughter Team Helps Recover Lost Tradition Of Preserving Food

Saving The Seasons--An Easy-To-Use Guide For Those Who Want To Preserve Their Own Food, But Don’t Know How

Not that long ago, many people knew how to preserve food. Information about canning, freezing and drying was passed down from generation to generation. But that’s not the case today, say Susanna Meyer and Mary Clemens Meyer, co-authors of Saving The Seasons: How To Can, Freeze, or Dry Almost Anything, a new book from Herald Press. “Many younger people today want to preserve food, but don’t know how to do it,” says Susanna “Maybe their grandmother canned, or their mother used to, but that generational knowledge hasn’t been passed down.” “Many families no longer have a tradition of preserving food,” adds Mary, who is also Susanna’s mother. “They have not learned what the more rural population of a century ago knew about how to pick, prepare, and process food to keep for the future.”

Passing on tips and ideas for preserving food was one reason why the two decided to create "Saving the Seasons."

“We wanted to provide a clear and easy-to-use guide for those who want to preserve their own food, but don’t know how,” says Susanna, who directs agricultural production at Grow Pittsburgh, a non-profit organization that produces food in the city and helps people create new gardens. “It’s especially helpful for those without a farming or gardening tradition,” adds Mary, who, along with her husband, grows certified organic vegetables and fruit in Fresno, Ohio. “It tells the best way to preserve a certain food, and exactly how to do it.” The two note that the book also comes along at a time when more people are expressing an interest in eating locally grown and seasonal food. “More people care about where their food comes from,” says Mary. “They want to know who grew it and under what conditions. The easiest way to get those answers is to grow food yourself, or buy direct from the grower.” “People are growing becoming more interested in issues like food safety, gardening and supporting local farmers,” Susanna adds, noting that tighter household budgets also play a part in decisions to preserve food.

They both think that "Saving the Seasons" will be of particular interest to those who bought "Simply in Season," a cook book from Herald Press that celebrates cooking and eating locally grown seasonal food. “One of the challenges of cooking seasonally for many in the U.S. and Canada is not having the food you need when it is out of season,” Susanna says. “Preserving food while it's in season is a great way to make sure you have it later in the year.” “We include information about when produce is in season, and the best way to preserve each item,” adds Mary. “Learning to preserve your own food makes living seasonally a year-round possibility, not just a one-season experience.”

The book also grows out of their faith, they say. “Being a Christian to me means caring for God’s earth and learning from the created world,” says Mary. “The process of planting, weeding, waiting, and then finally harvesting, preserving and eating helps me feel that I am a participant in God’s creation, not just a bystander.” “Growing up Mennonite, I learned that I was responsible to care for my own health and the health of the environment and people around me,” adds Susanna. “Growing and preserving my own food helps me live out these values.” Susanna hopes Saving the Seasons will “inspire people who might otherwise think they can’t preserve their own food.”

“I’m excited about sharing the how-to of preserving with a new generation of gardeners and eaters,” adds Mary.

"Saving the Seasons: How to Can, Freeze, or Dry Almost Anything" is available from Herald Press at www.mpn.net/savingtheseasons or by calling 1-800-245-7894, x 278 (U.S.), 1-800-631-6535 (Canada). The cost is $24.99 USD/$28. 99 CAD.

SFKT hosts series of delicious fundraising dinners; continues work with schools

Slow Food Katy Trail and Broadway Brewery helped local-food lovers celebrate the season with a Local Spring Food and Beer Dinner at the brewery on April 18.

Walker Claridge and his crew cooked up an incredible meal for 60 guests. A fabulous tribute to local food, the event showcased the bounty of edibles available to mid-Missourians in early spring. Guests also got a tour of the brewery and learned how beer is made "down under" Broadway.

Part of the proceeds from the dinner went to help fund our Slow Food-in-Schools efforts.

Stay tuned for details about an Italian-themed fundraiser/dinner to help send local food-community delegates to the international Terra Madre conference in Italy in October. A casual pasta-and-wine supper is scheduled for June 13 and a vegetarian feast is slated for July 24. Both are at the Wine Cellar and Bistro.

Slow Food Katy Trail will wrap up the second year of its Harvest-of-the-Month program with Lee School third graders in May. A field trip and lunch is scheduled for the children at Pierpont Farms.

We also provided seven days of delicious organic snacks to West Boulevard Elementary School students during MAP testing in April. Volunteers prepared and bagged 900 individual snacks. For less than 34 cents per child per day, children enjoyed freshly peeled carrot sticks, peanut butter and whole-wheat crackers, almonds, fig newtons, bananas, brown-rice cakes, and sunflower-seeds and raisins.

Last chance for spring dinner and beer-tasting tickets

Only five tickets remain for our spring dinner and beer tasting at Broadway Brewery on Sunday, April 18. Please see information below.

Celebrate Spring Food at April 18 Dinner

Slow Food Katy Trail

and Broadway Brewery present

An Early-Spring Dinner and Beer Tasting

Four courses and five beers to celebrate local spring foods

and to benefit Slow Food-in-Schools projects

April 18 at 5 p.m., Broadway Brewery

Festive group tables and camaraderie * brewery tour

THE MENU

Spring sextet charcuterie platter

Walker's handcrafted coppa, soppressata, pâté

and vegetarian appetizers begin the festivities

Uprise bread accompanies

A trio of beautiful babies

Three baby-lettuce heads (one freckled, one red and one green) lightly dipped in different dressings and each crowned with its own blend of delicate vegetables, cheese and/or nuts

A delectable duo of meats

A sorghum-glazed baked leg-quarter of chicken shares the plate with herb-encrusted dry-aged beef

First-of-the-season asparagus and local grains accompany

The dessert quartet

Chocolate ganache bites

First-of-the-season strawberry shortcake

Blueberry compote with fresh cream

Mint sorbet

A variety of Broadway Brewery beers accompany the courses

(Wine available for purchase for non-beer drinkers)

Cost per person is $45 and only 60 tickets are available

Slow Food members received the first opportunity to purchase tickets during the first five days of sales. On April 8, ticket sales are open to the public. Sales will be made only through the Brown Paper Tickets site: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/107131

All proceeds will benefit Slow Food Katy Trail's Slow Food-in-Schools projects. Even though we don't tout these important projects nearly often enough (we're too busy actually getting them done!), we do want you to know the great things we are doing with schoolchildren to raise their local-food awareness. Please see our blog (http://slowfoodkatytrail.blogspot.com/2009/05/sfkt-connects-local-children-with-local.html) to get a taste of all we've accomplished during the last year with Lee Elementary School third graders. We are continuing the program this year, as well as providing snacks to all the children at West Boulevard Elementary during MAP testing for seven days in April.