Reference Tasting Event at Clos Pepe Winery

Our Slow Food colleagues in Santa Barbara have asked us to extend the following invitation to members and friends of Slow Food Los Angeles:

"Displaying aromas and flavors of cherry, plum, cedar, and tobacco, with notes of Asian spice." Did you ever wonder exactly what winemakers really mean by designations like these? How can pinot show a "leathery nose" or Syrah taste like "black pepper, plum syrup, and herbs de Provence"? What is the difference in taste between a wine aged in a barrel made of French oak or American oak, or with a medium or heavy toast?
 
Clos Pepe winemaker Wes Hagen will help demystify the descriptions winemakers give to their finest wines. After a brief introductory talk, we will each have an opportunity to educate both our nose and our palate. Participants will try to match a range of over twenty-five different characteristics noted on a score card with wines that have been specially infused to help us isolate and identify those mysterious aromas and flavors that give our favorite wines their character and complexity. After this, we will be much more confident about our ability to discern the specific flavors within a wine, either from the wine's nose or by tasting it.
 
But the evening will not be just educational. We will also enjoy a seasonal dinner created by Jeff of New West Catering, accompanied by Clos Pepe wines. Don’t miss this memorable experience at Clos Pepe, a lovely winery that is not generally open to the public.

When: Saturday, November 10, 2007, beginning at 4:00pm
Where: Clos Pepe Winery, Lompoc, California
Cost: $80 per person for Slow Food members; $100 per person for nonmembers. Proceeds in excess of costs will be donated to Slow Food Nation.

This event is limited to 40 people. To sign up, please send a check payable to Slow Food Santa Barbara to Laurence Hauben, 814 San Roque Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. For more information, contact Laurence at sbslowfood [at] verizon [dot] net.

Menu:
 
Pizzas from the wood-fired pizza oven topped with:
Chanterelle mushrooms, fresh thyme, ricotta, midnight moon;
Caramelized Onion, gorgonzola dolce, arugula;
Duck prosciutto, pasilla chile, grana padana;
Heirloom tomato, mozzarella, basil oil

Autumn Squash Pot Stickers With Black Bean Flavor And Sweet Soy
Charred Rare Ahi Tuna With Butter Lettuce, Avocado, And Ginger-Soy
Braised Berkshire Pork Belly With Apple Relish

A Selection Of Fine Imported And Domestic Cheeses, with Honeycomb, Crostini, Lavash, And Baguette

Grand Marnier Chocolate Truffles
Roasted Pear Crostada With Mascarpone
Scottish Shortbreads

Event Announcement: "Fridays at Fairview"

Our friends in the Santa Barbara convivium have asked us to share news of the inaugural event in their "Fridays at Fairview" series for members and friends who may be heading north this weekend:

FRIDAYS AT FAIRVIEW GARDENS: Low-tech food for a high-tech world!

Start your weekend early. Come walk the farm, pick fresh organic produce and fruits, and participate in creating fabulous healthy dinners cooked from all local ingredients.

Inaugural Event Friday, September 21, 2007

Guest chef: Laurence Hauben, leader of Slow Food Santa Barbara
Guest Winemaker: Douglas Braun of Presidio Winery

Limited to 20 guests: $75.00 per person, all-inclusive ($10 of Slow Food members’ tickets go to Slow Food Nation)

To reserve your space, please e-mail info@marketforays.com or telephone 805.259.7229.

For more information about Market Forays, please visit www.marketforays.com. For more information about Fairview Gardens, visit their web site.

Dinner Menu (subject to adjustments based on availability of ingredients): ++ Warm crostini of local organic goat cheese with roasted fresh Mission figs; ++ Petits farcis (summer vegetables with Provencal herb stuffing); ++ Local albacore in escabeche (a delicious sauce based on tomatoes and sherry vinegar); ++ Seasonal vegetables and fresh dug potatoes; ++ Butter lettuce with citrus walnut vinaigrette and Asian pears; ++ Apple tarte tatin (upside-down caramelized apple tart).

Event Details

3pm: Meet at the Fairview Gardens Farm Stand, 598 North Fairview Avenue, Goleta (bring a picking basket and knife);
3 to 4 pm: walk the farm gathering the ingredients for our dinner;
4 to 5:30 pm: help, watch, or relax in the shade as we prepare our feast and decorate tables;
5:30 pm: Wine tasting with Douglas Braun, founder and winemaker for biodynamic Presidio Winery;
6:00 pm: Dinner is served family style at outdoor tables
 
Please come dressed casually, wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring a wrap or sweater, temperatures cool in the evening.

Event Announcement: Blenheim Apricots in Santa Barbara

Laurence Hauben, the leader of Slow Food Santa Barbara, has extended an invitation to Slow Food Los Angeles members and friends to attend a "market foray" focused on Blenheim apricots.

When: Wednesday, June 20, 2007 from 9:30am until 3:00pm
Where: in and around Santa Barbara; details available upon request (see below)
Cost: $50 per person; $25 for children under 12 accompanied by an adult.

The day's events will include apricot picking (up to 2lbs per person) at a local orchard that is one of the few to produce Blenheims, a picnic lunch in the orchard, jam-making instruction in a private home, a printed recipe for your future jam-making efforts, and a jar of jam to take home.

Information about this and other market forays can be found at Laurence's Market Forays website.

For specific information about the Blenheim apricot event, and to reserve your place, please contact Laurence by phone at 805.259.7229 or by email to info [at] marketforays [dot] com.

Event Announcement: Get to Know Your Heritage Turkey

Our friends in the Santa Barbara convivium have invited members and friends of the Los Angeles convivium to join them for this exceptional event:

Chef Kathleen de Chadenedes, leader of the San Luis Obispo Convivium, has offered to share her experience on how best to cook the succulent heritage turkeys. Below is her description of the class program:

In this demonstration class, you'll learn about the many delicious options the heritage turkey provides from a confit of the legs to a gently poached breast with a Sherry and Mushroom Veloute. Two different roasting methods will be shown: inserting a maple rosemary compound butter under the skin and stuffing with chestnuts, fennel and pancetta. We'll discuss how the heritage turkeys differ from the Broad Breasted Whites and how to bring out the best in your heritage bird.

While our birds cook, we'll prepare some delicious new side dishes that you can incorporate into your holiday repertoire: Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pecans; Wild Rice and Scallion Crepes (served with the turkey confit); Baked Winter Squash with Olive Oil, Garlic and Fresh Herbs; Apple Beet Puree and a Chipotle Sweet Potato Gratin.

When: Sunday, November 19, 2006 from 1:00pm until 4:00pm.
Where: The home of Dick and Margaret Fuller, 667 Wakefield Road, in Goleta.
Cost: $75 per person for Slow Food members, $85 for nonmembers.

To sign up for the class: Please send an email to Laurence M. Hauben to reserve, and mail your check (payable to Slow Food Santa Barbara) to 814 San Roque Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. Credit card payments will also be accepted via PayPal; please mention this when you reply and details will be sent to you.

Locally, organically fed heritage turkeys can be purchased directly from local farmer Katherine Anderson from Blue Oak Ranch for $7 a pound for hens, $5 a pound for toms. Call 805.689.8657 or go to the Blue Oak Ranch web site. Heritage turkeys can also be ordered at Lazy Acres for $5.99 a pound.

Event Announcement: Full-Moon Harvest Dinner

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.

Event Announcement: The Art of Hoshi Gaki

Hoshi gaki are persimmons that are peeled and dried whole over a period of several weeks through a combination of hanging and delicate hand-massaging, until the sugars contained in the fruit form a delicate "bloom," a surface dusting that looks like frost. Unlike sliced dried fruit, which tend to be leathery, hoshi gaki are succulently tender and moist, with concentrated persimmon flavor. The hoshi gaki method is traditional to Japan, and came to America with Japanese farmers who settled in California’s Placer County. Associated with long life and good fortune in the Japanese culture, they are a treasured holiday gift.

Because they are so labor-intensive, hoshi gaki all but disappeared from commercial production. Slow Food has placed the hoshi gaki on its Ark of Taste, and is part of an effort to revive the process. One Placer County farmer and Slow Food member, Jeff Rieger, learned the art of hoshi gaki after restoring an old orchard planted in rare persimmons and Asian pears that he bought from its retiring Japanese-American owner. Jeff is selling fruit at the Santa Monica Farmers' Market this fall, and offered to teach the class.

When: Tuesday, October 11, 2005 from 5:00pm to 7:30pm
Where: 5022 Hook Tree Road, La Canada, California [map]
Cost: $70 for Slow Food members, $90 for nonmembers. Free for children under 12 accompanied by an adult.

We will learn the art of hoshi gaki under the skillful direction of Jeff Rieger, and be introduced to rare varieties of persimmons, including the chocolate colored Maru Gaki and Tsuru Noko persimmons. Each participant will receive a flat of persimmons, string, bamboo poles from which to hang the drying fruit, and detailed written instructions on how to complete the process. Refreshments will be served. Note: You will be provided with special peelers, but please bring your own paring knife and an apron.

Reservations: Please email sbslowfood [at] msn [dot] com. Send your check, payable to SlowLA to:

SlowLA
c/o Jordan Vannini
P.O. Box 91536
Pasadena, CA 91109

IMPORTANT NOTE: Attendance is limited to 35 people, not including young children. Slow Food members will get priority. To become a member, please visit www.slowfoodusa.org, click on membership and support, and indicate which Convivium you wish to join.

NEED MORE PERSIMMONS? If you wish to order additional Hachiya persimmons for drying, or want to order other varieties of persimmons or Asian pears from Jeff, please call him at 916.769.5462, or email jhrieger [at] sbcglobal [dot] net.

Event Announcement: A Midsummer Night's Feast in Santa Barbara

Our friends in the Santa Barbara convivium have invited us to join them in "A Midsummer Night's Feast":

When: Friday, August 19, 2005
Cost: $75.00 per person for members; $100.00 for nonmembers.

For information about location, time, or other details, and to reserve your place, please email the Santa Barbara convivium at sbslowfood [at] msn [dot] com. Space is limited; reserve as soon as possible.

Join us under the full moon for a celebration of summer's sensuous bounty as chef Michael Hutchings delights our senses with a menu inspired by the seasonal gifts of the earth.

There will be amazing food, there will be wine, there will be song.

There may not be forks, as the chef may decide to create a menu that allows eating with our hands.

For sure, there will be incredible memories and romance.

Proceeds will benefit the Santa Barbara convivium's Taste and Nutrition education efforts, and a portion of your ticket cost is tax-deductible.

Event Announcement: Love Trail and Raffle in Santa Barbara

The Santa Barbara Convivium has alerted us to an event tomorrow (Saturday), February 12, 2005, at the Downtown Farmers Market. (The Downtown Farmers Market is located at the corner of Cota and Santa Barbara Streets.)

From 10:00 am to 12:00 pm the Farmers Market will host a Love Trail and Raffle. Twelve local chefs will prepare aphrodisiac foods from Farmers Market ingredients for your pleasure. This event is a fundraiser for the Farmers Market Taste Education and community outreach efforts, supporting guided tours of the markets for schoolchildren, cooking demonstrations and samplings, bilingual recipes and outreach to neighborhood clinics, etc…

Cost of event: $25 per person for full tasting and raffle entry. Individual tastes can be purchased at the booths for $3 to $5. Raffle tickets are $5 each, 5 for $20. Prizes include getaways, romantic dinners, wine, and spa treatments.

If your pre-Valentine's Day plans include Santa Barbara, add the Farmers Market to your schedule!

Celebrating the 2004 Olive Harvest

Two family businesses in Santa Barbara County have joined together to celebrate the 2004 olive harvest with a spectacular five-course luncheon prepared with gold-medal winning products grown and produced in Southern California. Guests will have the opportunity to sample Global Gardens 2004 Estate Organic Olive Oil, which was a Gold Medal winner at this year’s Los Angeles County Fair along with many other taste sensations prepared by Chef Kurt Alldredge. Global Gardens was the first award winning certified organic extra virgin, COOC approved olive oil grower and producer in all of Southern California with their 2003 harvest. Over 2,000 olive trees are planted on a certified organic ranch in Los Alamos, CA.

When: Saturday, November 6, 2004 from 12:00-3:00pm
Where: Buttonwood Farm Winery, 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang, California
Cost: $59 for Global Goodness and Slow Food members; $69 for nonmembers

Menu and ticket information can be found at the Global Gardens web site or by calling 1.800.307.0447 between 9:00am-5:00pm Pacific time, Mondays through Fridays.

The Buttonwood Farm Winery is in a beautiful, central location, easily attainable for our customers in all of Southern California and the perfect place to see a 360 degree view of the entire Santa Ynez Valley. We are the only olive oil producer to host special events open to the public featuring estate grown olive and home-made recipes,� said Theo Williams, founder of Global Gardens with her husband Joel.

Joel and Theo Williams created Global Gardens in 1998 as a way of expressing their passion for bringing flavors from around the globe to their community. Their food products are inspired by family recipes and influenced by locally grown organic products. The couple is dedicated to creating food specialty products that reflect their commitment to healthy living. In addition to exceptional olive oil, the couple has created the Global Goodness Food Club allowing members to enjoy fresh, seasonal flavors shipping four times per year and offering unique discount and incentive programs. This unique, reasonably priced Club Membership may also be given as an annual or one time gift. Global Gardens also creates unique corporate and personal gifts for the discriminating businessperson. Both large and small gift orders are customized to fit any budget, promotional event, or holiday.

Olive: Feast of the Noble Fruit

Global Gardens & Slow Food Chapter Buon Appetito Santa Barbara present the Second Annual Olive: Feast of the Noble Fruit, a celebration featuring a five-course, all-inclusive luncheon, made with award-winning products, estate grown certified organic extra-virgin olive oil and fine wines.

When: Saturday, May 29th, noon-3 pm
Where: Rancho La Cuna, home of Global Gardens, 2401 Hwy 135, Los Alamos
Cost: $85 for Slow Food USA & Global Goodness Club members, $95 non-members

Chef Jeff Olsen of New West Catering will feature (to name a few!):

* Smoked, Grilled Leg of Lamb
* Wild Albino Salmon
* Niman Ranch Pork Asian Style
* Pomegranate Chicken
* Savory Mezze like Grilled Baby Artichokes, Portabella Tart, Eggplant Gremolata and Spinach Chiffonade
* Refreshing Homemade Desserts, including gelato and Greek cookies

Please join us for a sumptuous culinary afternoon overlooking olive groves and vineyards.

Buy tickets directly from the Global Gardens website or call toll free, 1.800.307.0447.