Slow Food, and Plenty of It

Rather than write a long article about the Slow Food USA dinner I attended and photographed on April 1, I'll just post photos with this explanation. The dinner for forty took place at the River Cafe & Cheese Shop. In attendance with a half dozen or so farmers whose hard work had provided the fruit, vegetables, and meat we were served. I have been to forty or so "farm dinners," but never has the abundance been more pronounced than at this meal, which was produced by two of the most talented chefs I know. Heidi Schlecht, owner of the cafe and cheese shop, was an attendee at Terra Madre in Italy in October, as was Jim Dunlop, who raised the pigs that were featured in the meal. (Jim was at the table.) Accompanying Heidi in the kitchen they share in the Sash Mill in Santa Cruz was my friend, Justin Severino, who traded in the potential of a chef's toque and its accompany stress for the gratifying work of being a butcher and chef, selling all his products at farmers markets.

The meal was several courses long, and each course featured one or two or three different selections of wines, including some a fabulous pinot noir that Heidi's husband had made from the grapes grown on their land in the Santa Cruz mountains. The occasion for the meal was the "March of the Chefs," a fundraiser for Slow Food USA—basically they're trying to create a Terra Madre in San Francisco. What you see here was offered for only $85/person (I've seen other "farm dinners" that go for $170, and with far less food than was served here). At the end of the dinner, several of us who lingered, savoring each other's company, were sent home with boxfuls of leftovers, and bottles of leftover wine. The value was extraordinary, and the food—spectacularly well prepared.

Every single person I talked to—farmers, friends, Slow Food members—used the same word to describe the event: ABUNDANT.

Because that's who Heidi and Justin are, and how they do things.

• • • • • • • • • • •

Pictured below: the little girl is Heidi's daughter. The reflection in the window are: Gina (working with the catering staff), Justin, and Carla, who manages the cafe. Beautifully.

The farmers who attended were: Betty Van Dyke, Jim Dunlop, Joe Schirmer, and Mike Irving with Teresa Kurtak.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: “Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” — Wayne Dyer

Yes, I had a very happy birthday yesterday. I got to go into an office with people and work I truly enjoy, and I got to go up to Logan's school, where twenty little children yelled "Happy Birthday, Nana!!!" to me. Later this week, I'll celebrate with family and friends at Gabriella Café.

Thanks for visiting.

And here ya go.

Comments

[Martha Pettit]

Hi,

I got hungry just looking at your blog. This is just a heads up that there is a great article titled "Seeing Red" on eating local and local farmers by Barbara Kingsolver in the May/June issue of Mother Jones.
http://www.motherjones.com/toc/2007/05/index.html
Martha

[malika]

Looks delicious!

Not that the photos aren't worth a thousand words each, but how about posting a menu? :)

[deliberately]

Tana,
I just awarded you with a Thinking Blogger Award. You can find out what it means and why I chose your blog on my site. Thanks!

[deliberately]

Tana,
Great blog. I gave it a Thinking Blogger Award on my site. Keep up the great posts!