Celebrate the sounds and bounty of Ojai! Our friends in the Slow Food Ojai/Ventura convivium have asked us to share news of a June event in Ojai:
Immerse yourself in adventurous music and mouthwatering food at the 62nd Ojai Music Festival on Sunday, June 8, 2008.First, experience a world-class concert featuring groundbreaking percussion works by Gyorgy Ligeti, Edgar Varese and Steve Reich at 11:00am in the enchanting outdoor Libbey Bowl. A concert filled with musical textures and layers will be performed by members of the acclaimed So Percussion, Nexus, and Steve Reich himself.
After the concert at 1:00pm, walk to the Lavender Inn in downtown Ojai for a Harvest Luncheon hosted by Slow Food Ojai/Ventura. You will be treated to a special lunch featuring locally grown seasonal fruits and vegetables created by Slow Food members and chefs/bakers Jeri Oshima (Treasure Beach Cafe) and Bobbi Corbin (Knead Bakery). Also, local farmers and specialty food creators will be on hand with samples.
Tickets for both the concert and the luncheon are available at www.OjaiFestival.org. (Choose Tickets --> Single Tickets --> and then select June 8 from the calendar. Both concert tickets and tickets for the Harvest Lunch are listed.) The cost of the Slow Food lunch will be $45 per person.
Receive 15% off your concert tickets by entering promo code SLO15.
Steve Fields and Sims Brannon, co-leaders of Slow Food Ojai/Ventura, have shared news of an upcoming event with us. Last year's tour of the Churchill-Brenneis orchards and its companion citrus lunch was a tremendous success, so we're pleased to alert Slow Food Los Angeles members and friends to another event that will showcase some of the fine produce from our neighboring convivium:
Sidecar Restaurant will present a special dinner featuring citrus and avocados from Ojai's Churchill-Brenneis Orchard:When: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 beginning at 6:30pm
Where: The Sidecar Restaurant, 3029 East Main Street, Ventura, California
Cost: $55 per person; $75 per person with wine pairingsChef Tim Kilcoyne will create a four-course menu based on Jim and Lisa's tangerines, oro blancos, and several varieties of avocados.Â
To secure your reservation, call the Sidecar Restaurant at 815.653.7433 or visit their website.
P.S. If you can't make this dinner, The Sidecar Restaurant will be doing monthly dinners with local farmers.
Our friends in the Ojai convivium have asked us to share news of an upcoming event:
Locally Grown 2, a concert that will benefit Food For Thought, the Ojai healthy schools program, will be held on Friday, August 25th at the Libbey Bowl in Libbey Park, Ojai Avenue, in Ojai.The concert will feature Perla Batalla and Brett Dennen, local favorites who have gained attention through their work with Leonard Cohen (Batalla) and John Mayer and Sheryl Crow (Dennen). The concert will begin at 5:00pm and last until 10:00pm.
Additional information is available and tickets are on sale through Brown Paper Tickets. Information about ticket prices is available through Brown Paper Tickets or by clicking on the image at left.
For more information about Food For Thought, visit their website.
Update: July 21, 2007: Screenings have been confirmed at the Laemmle Music Hall theatre; more information has now been posted.
Update: July 5, 2007: Los Angeles-area screenings have been rescheduled or cancelled: We're not sure which, but have requested additional information from the film's distributor.
In addition to the Ojai screenings, Q&A, and dinner in connection with The Real Dirt on Farmer John, Michael Sieverts, a friend of Slow Food and reader of our site, alerted us to several additional screenings in the Los Angeles area, if you can't make it to Ojai. All the screenings will be on July 6th, at a variety of locations: Santa Monica, Los Angeles, West Hills, Pasadena, and Irvine. Theatre information can be found on the Farmer John website.
The New York Times ran a review of the film, and also prominently featured Farmer John in an article by Dana Bowen entitled "Old MacDonald Now Has a Book Contract." Read the complete article on the Times' website.
Our colleagues in the Ojai convivium have asked us to extend this invitation to Slow Food Los Angeles members and friends:
Farmer John Brings the Real Dirt to the Ojai PlayhouseThe Real Dirt on Farmer John is a movie about Illinois farmer John Petersen and his decades-long struggle to wrest right livelihood from his family’s farm. Winner of over 30 festival awards, this film has it all: life, death, sex, terrorism, art, failure, success. Helped along by the fact that his mom started taking 16 mm movies of the family when John was a child, and by the fact that John is an artist as well as a bred-in-the-bones farmer, this movie reaches far beyond any normal expectations of a documentary about a midwestern farmer.
Presented by Food for Thought Ojai, the Ojai Film Society, and Slow Food Ojai/Ventura, The Real Dirt on Farmer John will be screened Saturday and Sunday, June 30 and July 1, at 4:30pm at the Ojai Playhouse at 145 East Ojai Avenue in downtown Ojai. Tickets are $8 for adults, and $5 for seniors and students at the door.
Farmer John Petersen will be at the Sunday screening for Q & A.
Immediately following Sunday's screening, there will be a fixed price dinner reception for Farmer John at ironpan restaurant. The three-course tasting menu will feature locally grown produce and poultry and will cost $25 per person. ironpan is located at 219 East Matilija Street in Ojai. For reservations, call ironpan at 805.646.3500 by Friday June 29.
View the film’s trailer at http://www.farmerjohnmovie.com.
For further information, please call Marty Fujita at 805.640.5044.
Our colleagues in the Ojai convivium have asked us to share the following event announcements with our members and friends in Los Angeles:
Slow Food Ojai/Ventura will present a special opportunity to learn about and taste a range of artisanal cheese all made in California on Sunday, May 20, at the Sidecar Restaurant in Ventura. In addition, for those interested, the Sidecar that evening will be presenting their Sunday Bistro dinner that will feature some of the cheeses to be sampled as well as the best from that week’s Farmers' Market.When: Sunday, May 20, 2007; cheese tasting from 4:00pm-6:00pm; bistro dinner follows
Where: The Sidecar Restaurant, 3029 East Main Street, Ventura
Cost: For the cheese tasting, $25.00 per person (includes wine). For the two-course bistro dinner, $25.00 per person.For reservations, please contact the Sidecar Restaurant directly, either by phone at 805.653.7433 or by email to reservations [at] sidecarrestaurant [dot] com.
The cheese tasting will consist of samples of a wide array of California cheeses with wines chosen specifically to accompany and enhance their flavors. Chef Tim Kilcoyne will also make some appetizers using the cheeses to provide us with suggestions on interesting and creative uses for the cheeses.
We've also learned that the Sidecar Restaurant is holding a special Farmer's Dinner featuring produce from Phil McGrath on Wednesday, August April 25, at 6:00pm. Phil was a delegate to last year's Terra Madre conference in Turin, Italy last October, jointly sponsored by the Ojai/Ventura and Los Angeles convivia. The five course dinner will be priced at $55.00 per person and advance reservations are required.
Slow Food Ojai/Ventura and Slow Food Los Angeles invite you to join us for a special chef/farmer lunch and orchard tour in Ojai on Sunday, February 25.
This is a rare opportunity to learn first-hand from growers and food professionals how local crops were affected by recent weather, and growers’ plans for recovery.
Highlights of this event will include:
++ A report from local farmers and chefs who attended the Terra Madre Conference in Turin, Italy last October;
++ A special seasonal citrus-themed menu created by Ojai caterer Jeri Oshima, one of Slow Food Ojai’s representatives at the conference;
++ An update on the status of Ojai's citrus and avocado crops after our devastating freeze and windstorm; and
++ A tour of current conditions at Churchill Orchards, a local citrus and avocado orchard.
When: Sunday, February 25, 2007, beginning at 12:30pm
Where: Lunch and presentations will be at Azu Restaurant in downtown Ojai, at 457 East Ojai Avenue. The farm tour will start around 2:00pm at Jim Churchill and Lisa Brenneis’ orchard in Ojai’s East End. (Maps will be provided at the restaurant).
Cost: $35.00 per person (includes tax and tip). Wine, beer, or other alcoholic beverages are extra.
To reserve: Email your reservation request to snailwrangler [at] slowfoodla [dot] com, including the total number in your party. To confirm your reservation, please send your check, payable to Slow Food Ojai, to
Slow Food Ojai
10465 Ojai Santa Paula Road
Ojai, California 93023.
We must receive payment via check no later than February 16, and your check must be received before your reservation can be confirmed. Confirmed reservations are not refundable.
The Terra Madre Conference was launched as a companion project Slow Food’s Salone del Gusto convention two years ago. Ojai pixie tangerine growers and sustainable agriculture advocates Jim Churchill and Lisa Brenneis represented Ojai at the inaugural gathering in 2004. Many of you may shop at their booth at the Hollywood Farmers' Market or may have seen recent Los Angeles Times articles on the citrus freeze, featuring Jim.
We'll get a full report on the 2006 conference from delegates with a variety of fresh perspectives:
++ Jeri Oshima, whose Four Worlds Catering focuses its efforts on dishes made from the bounty of local farmers;
++ Larry Yee, director of Ventura's UC Cooperative Extension office, where he manages the planning and coordination of sustainable agriculture research and education, youth education, and agricultural/food policy;
++ Legendary organic farmer B.D. Dautch of Ojai's acclaimed Earthtrine farm, which produces over 100 different varieties of produce winter, spring, summer and fall - an anchor stand at the Sunday Ojai Farmers' Market; and
++ Camarillo farmer Phil McGrath, whose attendance at Terra Madre was sponsored by Slow Food Los Angeles. Phil is a fourth-generation farmer who sells his wide mix of organic vegetables and strawberries at local farmers' markets and to local restaurants from Santa Barbara to Hollywood.
The focus of the 2006 Terra Madre conference was on strengthening local food communities by building bridges between farmers and other producers with chefs and other end-users, fostering a greater respect among members of the agriculture world in the importance of maintaining a healthy environment, and finding new outlets for small-scale producers who face crushing competition from industrial producers.
We recommend wearing comfortable footwear suitable for touring the orchard and fields at Churchill.
For more information about Ojai Pixie Tangerines and the growers who bring them to market, visit their site.
Our friends in the Ojai/Ventura and Santa Barbara convivia have asked us to share the following invitation with Slow Food Los Angeles members and friends:
Best-selling cookbook author Anna Thomas will host a special Full-Moon Harvest Dinner in the farm fields and orchards of Ojai farmer B.D. Dautch to raise money to send local representatives to the Slow Food International Terra Madre Conference. The fundraising event is being sponsored by Slow Food Buon Appetito Santa Barbara and Slow Food Ojai/Ventura.When: Saturday, October 7, 2006. beginning at 5:00pm
Where: Earthtrine Farm, Ojai
Cost: $110 for Slow Food members; $125 for nonmembers
The five course dinner will be comprised of ingredients grown, raised or caught within 100 miles. The event will include dinner, a special farm tour, wine, and live music. To register or for more information, please contact Janice Cook Knight at 805.884.0302 or cookingbiz [at] cox [dot] net (Slow Food Buon Appetito, Santa Barbara) or Steve Fields at 805.640.9630 or slowfoodojai [at] earthlink [dot] net (Slow Food Ojai/Ventura).The fundraising event will help support two local Terra Madre participants, Camarillo farmer Phil McGrath and Ojai caterer Jeri Oshima. McGrath is a 4th generation farmer who sells his wide mix of organic vegetables and strawberries at farmers markets and to local restaurants from Santa Barbara to Hollywood. Oshima’s Four Worlds Catering focuses its efforts on dishes made from the bounty of local farmers.
The evening will start with a farm tour by long-time organic farmer B.D. Dautch through his acclaimed Earthtrine farm which is filled with fields of vegetables and fruit trees.
The dinner will be prepared by Santa Barbara caterer Kim Shiffer (Fresh Food Catering). Shiffer, who trained at Chez Panisse in Berkeley and under chef Judy Rogers at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco, also is a popular cooking instructor focusing on Mediterranean cuisine at Santa Barbara City College's Adult Education program. Oshima will supply appetizers and dessert made from produce grown in Ojai. Wine will include several varieties from Richard Sanford’s Alma Rosa Winery. Dinner under the giant oaks will be accompanied by the music of Les Gendarmes du Swing, a French-style swing band.
Anna Thomas, the evening’s host, is the author of three pioneering best-selling cookbooks, The Vegetarian Epicure, The Vegetarian Epicure, Book Two, and The New Vegetarian Epicure. Anna’s long-time love and dedication for the best ingredients has made her a strong advocate for the locally-grown produce movement for many years. Anna is also the co-writer/producer of such award-winning movies as El Norte, Frida, and Mi Familia.
About Terra Madre
The Terra Madre conference is designed to promote an alternative to the current industrial food production system--one where food quality and variety are valued, rural regions thrive, and links between producers and consumers are strong. Terra Madre will be a forum for those who seek to grow, raise, catch, create, distribute and promote food in ways that respect the environment, defend human dignity and protect the health of consumers.Terra Madre will be a gathering of an unprecedented scale, drawing 5,000 people from 120 nations. Participants will represent '"Food Communities," which means they are part of a chain of production, linked by a common product, ethnic identity, region, history, or approach. Over 450 American and 110 Canadian delegates will attend Terra Madre, including fruit growers, ranchers, honey producers, winemakers, vegetable farmers, artisanal cheesemakers, bread bakers, brewers, chefs and more.
Our friends in the Ojai convivium have shared news of an event that will be of interest to all fans of Harry's Berries:
On Sunday, July 16, 2006 Slow Food members and friends of Slow Food will have a unique opportunity of visiting Southern California's premiere strawberry grower and then enjoying a special dinner featuring the produce from that farm.
The strawberry farm is Harry's Berries in Oxnard. For those who frequent our local farmers' markets, Harry's Berries needs no introduction. For those who don't, ask anyone who does and they will sing the praises of their delectable berries (and cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and other goodies).
The dinner will be hosted by chef Tim Kilcoyne at his Sidecar Restaurant in Ventura. Tim is a big fan of Harry's Berries and a devoted patron of local farmer's markets.
The tour of the farm will start at 4:00pm. Dinner will follow. Dinner will feature a four-course meal and cost $50 for Slow Food members and $60 for nonmembers. A flight of wines selected to match each course will be available for an extra charge, and tax and gratuity are extra.
You can make a reservation by emailing the Sidecar Restaurant at reservations [at] thesidecarrestaurant [dot] com or by calling them at 805.653.7433. When you make your reservation, please leave or send your email address so they can send you directions to the farm and the restaurant. Also, you will need to leave a credit card number to guarantee your space.
Don't miss a unique opportunity to savor one of our region's true gems at the height of the season!
In honor of Ojai's Lavender festival this month, The Side Car Restaurant in Ventura will be holding a special dinner on Wednesday, June 21, 2006 at 6:30pm. The dinner will feature lavender from Karen and Bill Evenden of New Oak Ranch in Upper Ojai.
The dinner will feature a five course tasting menu which will incorporate lavender in each dish. This will be a fantastic evening (and is coming up soon) so make your reservations quickly. Price is $45 per person and a credit card number is required to hold your reservation since seating is limited. Email reservations [at] thesidecarrestaurant [dot] com.
Our friends in the Ojai convivium have alerted us to an upcoming event that will benefit victims of the recent hurricane season:
In response to the devastating destruction of those communities in the paths of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Rotary Club of Ojai-West Foundation, Inc., Slow Food Ojai, and the Rotary/Interact Club of Nordhoff High School are sponsoring an exciting fundraiser for the victims.When: Sunday, December 11, 2005, beginning at 4:30pm
Where and Cost: see belowFilmmaker Les Blank will be present for the Ojai Playhouse showing of two of his films about New Orleans culture and cuisine, “Always for Pleasure� and “Yum, Yum, Yum!� After the viewing of these celebrations of the history, customs, and taste of Cajun culture, event participants can continue on to a Louisiana Creole dinner at a splendid Ojai residence.
“Always for Pleasure� takes us on a musical-cultural-eating tour of New Orleans, including the great Allen Toussaint, crayfish at Frankie and Johnny’s and the Wild Tchoupitoulas. “Yum, Yum, Yum!� is one of the most joyous celebrations of the pleasure of eating good food in all of cinema. Steve Grummette (program director of the Ojai Film Society, founder and artistic director of the Ojai Film Festival) enthusiastically supports this event and the owners of the Ojai Playhouse have generously donated the theater for the viewing of these films.
Les Blank has dedicated a sizable portion of his time as a filmmaker to documenting this beautiful world, resulting in films that are as ravishing as they are inquisitive, as vibrantly alive as they are informative. "Although I consider Les Blank to be a quintessentially American filmmaker," wrote Annette Insdorf in an article for a recent Lincoln Center event, “something about his work reminds me of Jean Renoir. Both are drawn to the rituals of daily live—the meals, music and festivals that bind individuals together into communities.� And as Jay Cocks put it so simply and perfectly, “I can’t believe that anyone interested in movies or America. . .could watch Blank’s work without feeling they’d been granted a casual soft-spoken revelation.�
Les Blank will be present for Q & A at both the Ojai Playhouse and the dinner following the movie. His presence is made possible by donations from Tom and Janice McCormick, Joan Churchill and Alan Barker.
Christine Denney and Wendy Burger, chefs for the event, are co-creating sumptuous southern fare. The menu includes jambalaya, red beans and rice, cornbread, and a favorite New Orleans dessert which is being donated by the Ranch House. They are working together with Slow Food Ojai, TBS personality Claude Mann and Food For Thought. Wine will be provided by Casa Barranca Wines and by Slow Food Ojai. The Rotary/Interact Club members have volunteered to provide support and assistance in running the event. In as much as is possible, the culinary ingredients will be from local purveyors. Suppliers who wish to donate to the pantry for this event are welcome to contact Wendy Burger at 805.646.1040.
Atmospheric music will be in an elegant music room during dinner hours by the Ojai Mardi Gras Band. This excellent group performs traditional and contemporary music of New Orleans. Influenced by classic Mardi Gras Performers such as The Wild Tchoupitoula’s, Dr. John, and The Neville Brothers, the music is infectious and filled with the Delta Groove. Musicians include Patricia Cardinali (vocals and percussion, Don Cardinali (guitar and mandolin), Ron Seba (vocals and guitar), Jack Joshua (bass), Dave Stewart (drums) and special guest Billy Goodrum (piano). For the past 15 years The Ojai Mardi Gras Band has collaborated with other local artists to produce the Ojai Mardi Gras Masquerade Gall as a benefit to local organizations and individuals in need. Their musical talents are offered as a complete donation to the December 11 Hurricane Victim fund raiser.
Ticket purchasers can choose the recipient organization for their donation. Because local non-profit organizations and individuals have already underwritten the costs for this fund raiser, checks for tickets can be written to one of the following charitable organizations: Rotary Club of Ojai-West Foundation, Inc. and Terra Madre Fund. The donation for movie-only tickets is $20 and for movie plus dinner, $75. Tickets for the event are available in Ojai at the stores Attitude Adjustment and Serendipity, or by calling Linda Taylor at 805.646.9892.
We've just been informed that there are a few spaces left for Slow Food Ojai's Ultimate BLT event this Sunday, August 29, from 3:00pm to 6:00 pm.
The event will feature an heirloom tomato tasting, a specialty bacon tasting, and then the opportunity to make your own ultimate BLT.
The Ultimate BLT Event will be held at the Amestoy House in the Upper Valley. It is being organized by caterer and Slow Food Ojai member Lorraine Lim. The event will cost $15 for Slow Food members and $20 for non-members. Please bring your own beer, wine, or other beverage.
Please RSVP by e-mail to slowfoodojai@earthlink.net or call (805) 640-9630. Please RSVP right away to assure your spot, as only a few remain.
Stephen Fields and Sims Brannon from Slow Food Ojai alert us to an important week for apricot lovers:
The famed K.B. Hall apricot orchard stand in the upper Ojai Valley will be open starting this Sunday. Tom Hall (one of K.B.'s sons) said they will be open all of next week until the following weekend. As many of you know, the K.B. Hall orchard dates back nearly 100 years and is the only large apricot orchard left in Ventura County. They grow the highly prized Blenheim apricots.
The orchard is dry-farmed, which means that they don't irrigate. This year, all of the weather factors have cooperated and they have a big, wonderfully sweet harvest. The stand is located about 1/2 mile west of the Summit on Hwy 150 in the Upper Ojai.In addition, we have reserved a case of apricots for our Let's Jam event on July 1. There are still spaces available for the class. Master preserve-maker (and olive oil guru) Caroline Beck will teach us the ins and outs of making apricot preserves. The class is from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Amestoy House. The cost of the class is $20 for Slow Food Members, $25 for non-members and $5 for children. Again, we encourage children to attend so that we can pass along this wonderful culinary art to the next generation.
And don't forget Slow Food Ojai's first quarterly potluck one week from Friday evening (June 26) at Susan McRae's house from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The theme is Mediterranean appetizers. Hope to see you there!
Steve and Sims
For most of us, canning and preserving is a lost art. We may have a few prolific fruit trees in our yard but don’t know what to do when the fruit ripens all at once. Or we eye the wonderful fruits at the farmers market at this time of year and think it would be great if only we could enjoy some of those wonderful flavors in other seasons.
Well, we have the answer! Slow Food Ojai is going to teach us all how to make fruit preserves, guided by Caroline Beck, the master preserve maker from Cook & Ladder in Santa Ynez.
When: Thursday afternoon, July 1, 2004, from 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Where: The Amestoy House in the Upper Ojai Valley.
Cost: $20 for Slow Food members; $25 for non-members; $5 for children
The class will be limited to 25 people. Because this event is being scheduled during summer vacation for most school children, we would like to encourage people to bring along children so that they can be introduce to this endangered culinary art.
The Ojai convivium has moved its preserves class up a few weeks from the original schedule because the fruit harvest is early (but wonderfully prolific) this year due to the unusually warm spring. We are fortunate to have Caroline Beck, the master preserve maker from Cook & Ladder, as our instructor. Caroline makes all sorts of wonderful and inventive preserves and marmalades along with olive oil that she sells at the Ojai Farmers Market. (By the way, Cook & Ladder’s 2004 Extra Virgin Olive Oil took a gold medal in the largest and most prestigious olive oil competition in the world, Olive Oils of the World. Cook & Ladder’s award-winning entry was among 327 contenders and selected from a panel of 16 international judges.)
Caroline will prepare a batch of apricot preserves (using Blenheim apricots from K.B. Hall’s orchard just up the road from the Amestoy House), and everyone will get a jar to take home. She will also discuss more advanced preserve techniques.
Please sign-up by emailing Stephen Fields at slowfoodojai@earthlink.net or by telephoning him at 805.640.9630.