Come learn more about Terra Madre, Slow Food, and what you can do to support good, clean, fair food in Maine.
We hope you can join us.

UPDATE: TONIGHT’S POTLUCK HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO SNOW. PLEASE STAY TUNED – WE’LL ANNOUNCE A RESCHEDULED DATE SOON.

On Wednesday, January 16, 2013, we’re going to be having a potluck dinner at Mayo Street Arts center from 6-8pm, which will include a chance to hear about the experiences of this year’s delegates from Maine to Slow Food’s Terra Madre conference. Terra Madre is Slow Food International’s major bi-annual conference held in Torino, Italy held to foster discussion and introduce innovative concepts around food and agriculture and to bring together those players in the food chain who together support sustainable agriculture, fishing, and breeding with the goal of preserving taste and biodiversity. The delegates will talk about their trip and what new ideas or perspectives they are bringing back to Maine.

This year’s delegates from Maine were:

Heather Chandler, Sunrise Guides
Sarah Bostik, Cultivating Community
Holli Cederholm, Proud Peasants Farm

We also invite any past Terra Madre delegates to join us at the potluck and share stories of their Terra Madre trip and what they took away from the experience.

Come learn more about Terra Madre, Slow Food, and what you can do to support good, clean, fair food in Maine.
We hope you can join us.

Wed, Jan 16
6-8pm
Mayo Street Arts
10 Mayo Street, Portland, ME

Please bring a dish or non-alcoholic beverage to share. We would especially like to highlight dishes that feature local ingredients or Maine specialties, Maine cheeses, etc.

There is no charge to attend, but please RSVP for the potluck on the Slow Food Portland Facebook events page or send an email to info@slowfoodportland.org

There will also will also be a special Slow Food lunch event with the group that is open to the public that will take place Monday Nov. 26 at 12noon at The Farmer’s Table restaurant on Commercial Street. See our earlier post of our Facebook page for more information.

Slow Food Portland is also looking for 1 or 2 volunteers who can accompany the Italian students on their tour and visits Monday & Tuesday (Nov. 26 & Nov. 27,  1 volunteer needed for each day), and help the group get where they need to go. Monday’s events include visits to a number of food shops on Commercial Street, lunch at Farmer’s Table, and an afternoon tour of Allagash Brewery. Tuesday’s itinerary will be a trip to Harpswell with visits to a coastal farm and lobster coop. Please email info@slowfoodportland.org if you are interested in spending either day with our visitors.

The cost of the lunch is $19 per person and includes tax and gratuity.

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP by Thursday Nov. 22 on the Slow Food Portland Facebook events page or by emailing info@slowfoodportland.org

Farmer’s Table: University of Gastronomy Lunch Menu

First Course

Organic buttercup squash and apple cider cream
Or
Mixed local greens, deep fried 6 minute egg, lemon vinaigrette and pickled shallots

Second Course

Pasture raised local duck confit ravioli, housemade duck egg pasta, orange scented demi-glace, roasted brussel sprouts
Or
Housemade organic egg spaghetti tossed with Maine lobster, Bang Island mussels, handpicked Jonah crab and scallops, mushroom-lobster brodo, leeks

A teacher from the University of Gastronomic Sciences of Bra, Italy — the university created by Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini in 2004 — is bringing a group of 10 students from the university to New England at the end of November on a educational food tour of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine. They will be in Portland on November 26 and 27.

Slow Food Portland is trying to assist the group to plan some tours and events for the group while they are here, so they can learn about our rich Maine food culture.

We will host a potluck dinner for the group one of the evenings so that members of the community can meet the students and hear about their studies and experiences.

We are specifically looking for families or individuals who would be willing to host one or two of the students in their homes the nights of Nov. 26 and 27.

If you would like to host a student or students, or volunteer in any way during their visit, please let us know.

Thank you,

Karl Schatz
Slow Food Portland
info@slowfoodportland.org

T.J. Watson Fellow Bennett Konensni will be leading a ‘Worksong Workshop,’ in the morning and performing in the afternoon, bringing agriculture worksongs from around the world to Southern Maine.  We’ll plant some garlic while we sing, and mix up the morning with a little bit of yoga too.

The music line up includes great Maine musicians, including:
Singing Hands (Children’s Musicians)
Erica Brown & the Bluegrass Connection
The Tricky Britches
The Gawler Family Band
Chriss Sutherland

Enjoy local food from Local Sprouts Cooperative (additional cost) and brews from Rising Tide & Sebago Brewing Company (2 drink tickets included in ticket price) while you listen!  Children will enjoy face painting, crafts and activities all day!

Buy Tickets

Slow Food Portland will be giving away 2 tickets to the festival on our Facebook Page this week. Check it out!

This year’s delegates from Maine are:

Heather Chandler, Sunrise Guides
Sarah Bostik, Cultivating Community
Holli Cederholm, Proud Peasants Farm

We’re also inviting all past Terra Madre delegates to join us at the potluck and share stories of their Terra Madre trip, as this year’s delegates look forward to what is certainly going to be an amazing Slow Food experience.

Just prior to the potluck at Local Sprouts Cafe will be Portland Permaculture’s monthly swap.
It’s a great event, for more information: http://www.meetup.com/portlandpermaculture/events/81140452/

We are also in the process of reorganizing Slow Food Portland’s steering committee. If you have any interest in being on the steering committee, or volunteering with the chapter, please let me know.

Come learn more about Terra Madre, Slow Food, and what you can do to support good, clean, fair food in Maine.
We hope you can join us.

*Terra Madre is Slow Food International’s major bi-annual conference held in Torino, Italy held to foster discussion and introduce innovative concepts around food and agriculture and to bring together those players in the food chain who together support sustainable agriculture, fishing, and breeding with the goal of preserving taste and biodiversity.

I want to join!

Why join? Here are some of the benefits to being a Slow Food USA member. With SFUSA membership you…

Become part of a community:
• Connect to your local chapter and get invitations to local events
• Get a Slow Food USA member card (with a donation of $25 or more)
• Support a movement that is local, national, and global

Get informed:
• Learn about the issues
• Get tips on cooking, gardening, and “going slow”
• Stay up-to-date on the latest food news

Get involved:
• Help out with local projects
• Receive action alerts and insider updates on advocacy

Though there are a variety of membership benefits, the best part is knowing your contribution plays a critical role in bringing people together to plant gardens and share food, to support farmers and local food traditions, to teach the next generation about good food, and ultimately to transform food and farming in the U.S.

I want to join! Become a member now!

And don’t forget to join Slow Food Portland at Quimby Colony on Sept. 17 for our $5 Challenge Farmers’ Market excursion and lunch.

Slow food shouldn’t have to cost more than fast food. It shouldn’t be harder to feed our children fruit than it is to feed them Froot Loops. But against the odds, every day there are people all over the country who manage to cook healthy food on a budget. We need to make cooking and eating this way a possibility for everyone.

Slow Food Portland will be hosting an amazing $5 meal that you won’t forget. We’ll be gathering at Quimby Colony’s (located in the old Roma Restaurant) new renovated kitchen facility, everyone will put $5 into a spending pool, we’ll walk down to the Saturday Farmer’s Market in Deering Oaks Park, buy locally grown ingredients, and then come back to the Quimby Colony kitchen and together cook a delicious $5 lunch. Jonah Fertig of Local Sprouts Cooperative and Cafe will lead the farmer’s market shopping expedition and lunch preparation. We have room at the event for 30 people, so sign up today:

SIGN UP: Slow Food Portland Maine $5 Farmer’s Market Excursion Lunch

Or if you can’t attend our event on the 17th, you can still take the challenge and share a meal with family and friends and create your own $5 slow food meal. Click here – every action counts!

Wednesday August 17, 6-8pm
@ Quimby Colony (the old Roma Restaurant)
769 Congress Street

Our special guests on Wednesday will be Nick Runkle and Justin Cutter from the Compass Green Mobile Greenhouse project.

Compass Green is a fully functional greenhouse built in the back of a box truck that grows vegetables and herbs and is powered by waste vegetable oil. They teach practical farming tools and raise awareness on sustainability through presentations, workshops, and greenhouse tours.

They will be talking about their project and giving tours of the mobile greenhouse, which we hope to have parked right in front of Quimby Colony.

We will also be talking about our plans for the $5 meal Slow Food Day of Action, which will take place on Sept. 17.

We discovered last month that while the beautiful kitchen at Quimby Colony has lots of plates and glasses, there is a definite lack of serving and eating ware, so I highly recommend everyone bring their own eating “kit” or at least a fork or spoon, and whatever serving utensils you need for your dish.

We had an amazing potluck last month with the likes of seared tuna, and amazing salads and cheese. Let’s see if we can top it this month.

Please RSVP to info@slowfoodportland.org, so we can have a rough head count.

Looking forward to seeing you there!