Who: Slow Food Saratoga Region and Old Friends at Cabin Creek (part of ticket sales will benefit Old Friends at Cabin Creek)

What: Cocktail Hour, Dinner and tour of the paddocks (chef and menu TBA)

Where: Old Friends at Cabin Creek | 483 Sand Hill Rd. Greenfield, NY 12833 | (518) 698-2377

When: 6pm Cocktail Hour | 6:30 – 8:3o Dinner

Ticket Sales TBA

When: Friday June 28 | 5pm – 8pm

Where: Olive Vineyards | http://olivavineyards.com/ | 2074 State Highway Route 4, Fort Edward, New York 12828

Bring: A food item to share with approximately 20 people

Who: Regional Farm and Food Project and Slow Food Saratoga Region invites you to join us

Extra virgin olive oil has been part of life’s necessities since the beginning of time. The oldest olive trees alive are 4,000 years old and provided medicine, beauty aids and were important elements of religious rituals. This remarkable tree’s fruit provides us life-giving antioxidants and vitamins to help us live healthier, longer lives. Each extra virgin is unique; the oil’s aromatic properties are a reflection of terroir, varietal, and processing. These unique characteristics in each oil can be showcased by the food we pair them with and enjoyed with every course of the meal. Come learn about the health benefits of olive oil and learn how to incorporate them into our every day lives.

Slow Food Menu

Melgarejo Arbequina
Oro Bailen Picual
Organic Sicilian Cerasuola
Portuguese Cobrancosa
Greek Koroneiki

Dishes:

Shrimp with Avocado Oro Bailen
Ricotta crostini with Local Honey and Portuguese Cobrancosa, Sea Salt
Anchovies with Peperonata and Sicilian Cerasuola
Asparagus, Shaved pecorino with Greek Koroneiki
Ice Cream with Melgarejo Arbequina

When: 6pm

Where: Saratoga Olive Oil Company

Cost: $20

Buy Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/376533 

Mixed Organic Green Salad

with kolrabi, radish, & apple slaw, apple cider vinaigrette

Farm Contributors: Kilpatrick Family Farm, Argyle Cheese Farmer, Pleasant Valley Farm, Saratoga Apple
———
Cavatelli Pasta
with roasted butternut squash, shitaki mushrooms
roasted garlic sage pesto

Farm Contributors: Rutkowski Farm, Bulich Mushroom Grower
———-
Root Vegetable Gratin
with sweet potato, leeks, purple top turnip, celeriac, cerephilly and grace cheeses

Farm Contributors: Denison Farm, Argyle Cheese Farmer, Kilpatrick Family Farm, Battenkill Valley Creamery, Sheldon Farms
——–
Brussel Sprouts
with cider-braised onions

Farm Contributors: Denison Farm, Sheldon Farms
——–
Slow Roasted Beet Salad

Farm Contributors: Kilpatrick Family Farm, Argyle Cheese Farmer, Denison Farm
———–
Maple Glazed Carrots

Farm Contributors: Sheldon Farms, Denison Farm
———
Skidmore Bakeshop Artisan Rolls

Farm Contributor: North Country Flour
——–
Baked Apple
with skidmore granola and maple cream anglaise

Farm Contributors: Battenkill Valley Creamery, Knight Orchards, Thomas Poultry Farm

Join us for a Slow Food event that will bring local Saratoga food lovers, farmers, chefs, and Skidmore students together to join in celebrating our community and our relationship to food. The hope is that we can come together and build relationships around growing, cooking, buying, and eating food that will benefit our personal and community health and sustainability. Guests of honor will be guiding dinner conversation in attempt to learn more from those around us about the benefits of slow food and how we are and can be involved in the process. So, if you are looking for an event of good food, passionate people, and engaging conversation, we hope that you can make it out to the Slow Food Skidmore Dinner upstairs in the Skidmore Dining hall at 6:30 on Tuesday, December 4!

As the air has turned crisp and the leaves are in their colorful glory, fall seems to be in full swing– and with it pumpkin-flavored everything. Are you looking to extend your pumpkin tasting experiences beyond pumpkin spiced lattes and pumpkin pie? Here are 10 inventive pumpkin recipes to get you thinking about- and enjoying- the fall-staple squash in a whole new way. Pumpkin pie waffles, anyone?

http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/easy-vegetarian-recipes/10-inventive-pumpkin-recipes-whoopie-pies-tamales/

Here is a can’t-miss piece by Michael Pollan linking politics and the food movement, an especially relevant topic as we approach election day:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/magazine/why-californias-proposition-37-should-matter-to-anyone-who-cares-about-food.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&utm_source=buffer&buffer_share=0e196

Remember Prop 37 from my post a few weeks ago? The law in California for labeling G.M.Os? Well, celebrities decided to take it into their own hands to get people thinking about the implications of this proposition with a cleverly sarcastic video:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/09/california-prop-37-video-celebrities_n_1952203.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003&ir=Food

Could this be the grocery store of the future? A supermarket called “In.gredients” in Austin, Texas sells pure, local ingredients with zero-waste and zero-packaging. The microgrocer functions similarly to bulk-bins but on a larger scale. Customers bring containers from home, fill them with their desired ingredients, then the customers pay according to the weight (i.e amount of food) of their containers.

http://in.gredients.com/

This past Monday, the Farm Bill expired. To help people understand what the expiration of this bill means, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition helped clarify with some FAQs.

http://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/faq-on-farm-bill-expiration/

Are you looking for a way to eat better, more “true” foods? Then consider the October-unprocessed challenge of committing to eat “no processed foods during the month of October by signing your name”. Sure we are already a week into October, but it’s not too late! Even if you don’t feel up to the commitment, the challenge is a good way to think about the effects of the food you are consuming.

http://www.eatingrules.com/october-unprocessed-2012/

This article offers a great (cultural) perspective on the role of food justice in the food movement.

http://grist.org/food/mom-knows-best-how-food-justice-starts-at-home/#.UG21LDO4qFI.twitter

On the topic of food justice, this past week Chipotle signed an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to join the Fair Food Program, meaning better conditions for workers and a symbolic image of change as a large national food retailer.

http://www.examiner.com/article/chipotle-signs-fair-food-agreement-with-the-coalition-of-immokalee-workers

Enjoy the rest of your weekend and have a great week!

Saratoga Farmers’ Market to hold Iron Chef Challenge between Chefs Max
London and John Ireland on Saturday, October 6th
Vegan and meat-centered dishes, as well as optional “chef’s choice”
presentation, will highlight locally-produced market ingredients in
fifth annual contest
(Saratoga Springs, NY) – Two of Saratoga’s favorite chefs, Max London
of Max London’s and John Ireland of Panza’s, will face off in the
Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s fifth annual Iron Chef Challenge on
Saturday, October 6, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at High Rock Park.
Recognizing the diverse culinary preferences of its customers, the
market this year is asking the chefs to develop separate meat-centered
and vegan plates, and an optional third plate of their own creation.
Max London won the competition previously in both 2011 and 2010.
“Since our market’s first Iron Chef Challenge in 2008, this has become
a favorite annual event among our market customers. It’s inspiring for
home cooks to see what our area’s talented chefs can create with
autumn’s fresh, local ingredients,” notes Jeff Bowers, President of
Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association.
The competition will be held on the south lawn of the market, adjacent
to the large public parking lot on High Rock Avenue. Spectators are
welcome to watch any portion of the event, free of charge. The chefs
are allowed to bring butter, flour, oil, salt, pepper, three other
ingredients of their choice, and cooking utensils. The cooking
equipment will be provided by Adirondack Appliance.
Shortly before 9:30 a.m., each chef will receive a basket of several
“mystery ingredients” from the farmers’ market and $30 to buy
additional market items of his choice during a brief shopping period.
Then, each chef will have one hour of cooking time.
The master of ceremonies for the event will be Dave Pedinotti, chef
and owner of Mouzon House. Judges for the competition will be:
– Arielle Landsberg, president of Slow Food Saratoga Region
(slowfoodsaratoga.com);
– Ashley Dingeman, food blogger (saratogafoodfanatic.com);
– Daniel Berman, food blogger (fussylittleblog.com).
Presentation and judging will begin at approximately 10:45 a.m.
Judging will be based on criteria including taste, presentation, and
originality. The winner will be announced shortly before 11:30.
“Our market places an emphasis on helping consumers create fresh,
healthy meals from farm-fresh ingredients from this region. We hope
this competition might inspire some friendly competitions among
families or neighbors, ” notes Market Coordinator and event organizer
Suzanne Carreker-Voigt.
Background on Saratoga Farmers’ Market
Saratoga Farmers’ Market Association runs three outdoor markets in
Saratoga County: Saratoga Farmers’ Market at High Rock Park
(Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.);
Clifton Park Farmers’ Market at St. George’s Episcopal Church at 912
Route 146 (Thursdays from 2-5 p.m.); and Malta Farmers’ Market on the
lawn of Malta Community Center at the corner of Route 9 and Bayberry
Drive (Tuesdays from 3-6 p.m.).
All three outdoor markets will be open through the end of October,
after which the Saratoga Springs market moves indoors to Division
Street Elementary School (220 Division Street) for its Saturday market
(9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) for November through April.
The association’s “producer-only” standard for all its markets
requires all vendors to grow or produce their goods in Saratoga,
Schenectady, Rensselaer, or Washington counties and ensures that
products are fresh and unique, not purchased for re-sale. In this way,
sales provide economic, ecological, and social support to local
communities.
More information about the markets is available at
www.saratogafarmersmarket.org.

Here are some things that were talked about in the food world this week:

Good news: Whole Foods came out with a study illustrating that buying local is the new “it” trend, above buying organic food. This means Whole Foods and other supermarkets are taking note to meet the demand.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/26/local-produce-organic_n_1917485.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

This article on reclaiming our seed culture begins with a quote from Janisee Ray, the author of The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food stating “In the course of getting a plate of food to our table, we’re paying attention to the farmer, the chef, the farmers market—all of that is as it should be, but we pay very little attention to the thing that starts it all, the seed”. This article discusses why our seed culture is so important and what we must do to preserve it.

http://grist.org/food/planting-rebellion-how-to-reclaim-our-seed-culture/

This week, a man won 7.2 million dollars in a lawsuit against a grocery store that sold him popcorn that caused his lung disease. His illness was traced to diacetyl, a chemical used in popcorn to give the snack its buttery flavor.  Studies were already being done on the harm of the chemical, but this story should add new urgency to the issue.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/09/20/161489994/man-wins-7-million-in-suit-claiming-microwave-popcorn-caused-lung-disease#more

Are you looking for a delicious soup recipe to ring in the cooler temps? I would recommend this one from the Local Kitchen Blog:

http://localkitchenblog.com/2012/09/25/100-local-leek-potato-delicata-squash-soup/

Here is an interesting article (with a Skidmore mention!) about college grads joining the world of farming.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/nyregion/the-farm-life-draws-some-students-for-post-graduate-work.html?emc=eta1

In the aforementioned cancer study, published in the science journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, a group of UK scientists looked at the long-term effects on a bestselling weedkiller used worldwide. Results showed that most of the rats exposed to the any amount of weedkiller were quickly developing tumors, liver and kidney damage, and dying prematurely.

http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/topics/technology-and-supply-chain/monsanto-weedkiller-and-gm-maize-in-shocking-cancer-study/232603.article#

I seem to have a new article from Mark Bittman almost every week. I will work on bringing some more diversity soon, but when it comes to an article about labeling G.M.Os, this one’s a winner. In the article, Bittman discusses Prop 37, a potential new law in the state of California for processed and genetically modified foods to be labeled. Rather than taking a side for or against genetic modification, Bittman argues the proposition is more about a right to know.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/15/g-m-o-s-lets-label-em/

Bringing a similar point of view to Prop 37, Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics, mentions the cancer study results, arguing that the science of the study is complicated but our needs are simple: to know what it is we are consuming.

http://www.foodpolitics.com/2012/09/what-to-make-of-the-scary-gmo-study/

Beyond the G.M.O label controversy this week in food news was talk of the “organic” label, as settlement on the Aurora dairy case, filed in 2007, was decided. Back in 2007, a complaint was filed stating that one of the largest producers of organic milk and butter, Aurora Organic Dairy, was claiming the organic label while their cows were being confined in feedlots similar to industrial farms, an act entirely against organic regulation requirements. However, rather than being punished or removed of their organic label, the company was allowed to keep their organic certification after agreeing to reduce their herd size from nearly 2,200 to 1,200 and to make proper changes to its farm plan. Now, after years of litigation, a settlement has been reached for Aurora to pay 7.5 million dollars for false marketing claims.Although, as a company they are maintaining that they have done no wrongdoing and this is merely a financial decision based on frivolous claims.

Article on the original case filing: http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/organic-watchdog-group-takes-on-aurora-organic-dairy-usda.html

Article on 7.5 million settlement: http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_21494501/boulders-aurora-organic-dairy-settles-class-action-suit

After all of this label talk, are you wondering what exactly certain labels on your food mean? If so, here is a video breaking down labels into simplified explanations.

http://www.abc4.com/content/about_4/gtu/story/Health-Labels-on-Food/Ihiuk4zR_0Wh9eyUb2_t1g.cspx

Enjoy your first official fall weekend!