Check out pictures from this year's San Diego Farm Bureau Farm Tour in Valley Center. This year's tour visited Triple B Ranch’s vineyard and winery; TAJ Farms’ free-range livestock; Rancho Monte Vista, a citrus grower; and Altman Plants’ newest greenhouse growing facility. [nggallery id=8]
Slow Food Urban San Diego hosts the first Southern California Regional Chapter Dinner
Slow Food Urban San Diego was honored to host a regional chapter dinner that included leaders and board members from Slow Food Orange County, Slow Food Temecula and Slow Food San Diego North County. Our guest for the evening was Michael Dimock, President of Roots of Change and Slow Food Russian River board member. Special Thanks to Chefs Jeff Jackson, Kara Snyder and the staff at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. [nggallery id=10]
What We're Reading: Confetti for Gino by Lorenzo Madalena
by Pasquale Verdicchio
Lorenzo Madalena’s Confetti for Gino was a Doubleday Book of the Month Club publication in 1959. The only other edition after that was a paperback Gorgi Edition published in England. That is what I found and first read of this book, on the island of Formentera, Spain, in 1979. Confetti is a fictionalized version of the everyday life in San Diego’s Little Italy of the 40s and 50s. The events and relationships described within it are true to those that took place there, and they reflect the relationship of what was then called “the Italian colony” to “American” society. When I arrived in San Diego in 1986 to teach at UCSD, and started to look into the history of the Italian American community, I realized that the novel I had read a few years before represented an important document. My search took me to the SD Library and eventually I found a couple of copies of the novel through booksellers. Convinced of the value of such a book, I brought it to the attention of my publisher, Guernica Editions. It’s taken a long time to come out, but finally, through the sponsorship of the San Diego Italian Film Festival, Confetti for Gino has been issued in a new paperback edition.
Confetti should be of interest to everyone because it is a very real document of one of San Diego’s premier communities--one that figured so prominently in one of the city’s main industries: fishing. The story told is that of Gino De Marino's identity struggle. A rough and tough tuna fisherman, Gino is an ex-serviceman who returns to San Diego from the Pacific Theatre at the end of WWII, takes over his father’s fishing boat, and tries to make a living. As a serviceman he clearly fits into a San Diego landscape that is still familiar to us today: a mix of civilian and military industries and traditions that comingle and live side-by-side, even as they sometimes seem light years apart. Gino represents that sense of double-identity, as a serviceman returned to civilian life and as the son of Italian immigrants attempting to integrate more fully into “American” society. Part of his struggle is represented in the novel through Gino’s attraction to a woman who is antithetical to his community’s standards. (Most of all, she is not Italian.) What makes Gino a character that anyone can easily identify with is that his struggles are the real, everyday struggles experienced by anyone trying to make something of their lives, no matter what their background.
The pull of two different traditions, cultures, and societies is a fundamental point of focus of the book; enmeshed in this are all the relationships that move through and between those worlds and their pull on Gino. His allegiance to his family, his brother, those he cares for, and his allegiance to his own needs and desires, constitue the central challenge of the novel and illustrate one man's attempt to live in his society while remaining true to himself and his family's history. Confetti for Gino gives us an opportunity to look back and to get a taste, not only of a time gone by, but of a dimension of one of San Diego’s neighborhoods that might not be as evident today. San Diego’s Little Italy has opted for a different type of development today, one a little more distant from its own culture. Confetti for Gino represents a tessera of a mosaic that requires resetting, an ingredient of a communal recipe that can bring back some of its original flavor.
Confetti for Gino is a valuable rediscovery. While, as Ken Scambray has noted, “Madalena’s detailed descriptions of the food and folkways of the Sicilian community are intended to be his resistance to the overriding themes of assimilation and conformity of the 1950s. [And that he was] acutely aware that social policy makers at the time refused to acknowledge the reality of Americans’ diverse ethnic identity.” It is also true that in today’s globalized existence a book such as this refocuses our attention on manifestations of local culture and knowledge, and in the inherent differences that are the rule rather than the exception. I would say that rather than describe the struggles against or for assimilation, Madalena attempts to describe a struggle toward integration. This is possibly what Madalena shared with his character Gino. While Madalena fished only sporadically, he knew the culture well from his father’s activities within it, and from the many friends in the community who also worked as fishermen. Fishing represented the life-blood of Little Italy at the time, but Madalena also lived a struggle for integration in his personal life. He was not alone in choosing a life outside of fishing, but that didn’t make it any easier. He held advanced degrees that reflected his interests in writing and teaching, a fact that possibly distanced him from his community and flung him closer to the outside world. Both Lorenzo and Gino were of immigrant families, both lived in San Diego’s Little Italy, both fished, and both struggled with their identity and their desire to integrate more fully into American society without giving up too much of their Italian identity.
Confetti for Gino by Lorenzo Madalena (Guernica Editions, 2011); Postface by Pasquale Verdicchio, is available through Amazon, or through Small Press Distribution, Berkeley (http://www.spdbooks.org/Producte/9781550712247/confetti-for-gino.aspx), as well as San Diego Italian Film Festival events as long as copies last.
How to break down a sea urchin
Mitch Hobron of the San Diego Fisherman's Working Group oversees a San Diego Art Institute Culinary Student as she breaks down a Sea Urchin at the first annual Dine on the Dock event.
Crack, Scoop, Clean.
A Digital Conversation with Alysha Stehly and Chris Broomell
Check out this month's Digital Conversation with Alysha Stehly and Chris Broomell of Vesper Vineyards and Triple B Ranches. Be sure not to miss their stop on the upcoming San Diego County Farm Bureau's Farm Tour Day.
And Don't forget to read our June Newsletter!
Slow Food Urban San Diego is looking for a treasurer to serve on the Board of Directors.
The responsibilities of this position include:
- Create and review policies relating to the Slow Food Urban San Diego chapter's cash flow, cash management, and working capital and make recommendation to the SFUSD Board
- Review, manage and recommend annual operating budgets including any necessary augmentations during the year
- Review the SFUSD Chapter’s Annual Tax Return and end of the year report(s); Recommend changes to the SFUSD Board as necessary to maintain fiscal stability
The candidate should possess the following qualities or experience:
- Experience gathering and reporting financial data
- Knowledge of financial management requirements, accounting and bookkeeping
- Commitment to the objectives of Slow Food Urban San Diego
This position requires a time commitment of five to 10 hours per month:
- One Board meeting per month,
- Prepare monthly financial reports
- plus additional hours or meetings as needed for unique tasks, events, and projects
Interested candidates should contact Slow Food Urban San Diego at info@slowfoodurbansandiego.org with a resume and short personal statement.
Dine on the Dock
May 31st, 2012
Dine on the Dock was a delicious success! San Diegans interested in a brighter future for San Diego's bays and fishing industry made their way to Pier 4 at Driscoll's Wharf for an evening of sustainably harvested seafood, music and conversation.
We were glad to see old friends and to meet some new ones (like Cliff, the sea-cucumber fisherman!) at an event that drew members from all reaches of the local food community.
Slow Food Urban San Diego is proud to have teamed up with San Diego Weekly Markets and the San Diego Italian Film Festival for such a fun event. Thanks to all the fishermen, chefs and dedicated advocates for a vibrant local fishing community who made the event an evening to remember.
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A Bus Tour of Mendenhall Ranch
Whole Foods Hillcrest arranged a bus tour to Mendenhall Ranch on Saturday June 2nd. A few Slow Food Urban San Diego board members tagged along to see where some of our locally raised, grass-fed and finished, certified-humane beef came from and to meet the dedicated people who are responsible for it.
With the urbanity of Rancho Bernardo twenty minutes behind us and oak-dotted golden hills in front of us, our bus arrived at Lake Henshaw. Joel Mendenhall, a sixth generation San Diego County Rancher, Thad Benshoof and Peter Morris (of Homegrown meats) met our group at the 17-cabin resort on the lake owned by Mendenhall's parents, Frank and Janice.
Our next destination was the weaning corral, where eight-month-old calves were being gradually weaned from their mothers' milk so they could develop a taste for grass. Here, Joel, Thad and Peter explained how Mendenhall Ranches and Homegrown Meats produce their Black Angus, grass-fed and finished beef: Nothing but mother's milk and grass for about two years until the animals reach a weight of 1,100 pounds. When the cows are heavy enough, they are processed in a certified-humane facility and nary a bit of them is wasted.
Next, we set out on a brief hike for a view of Lake Henshaw and an explanation of the "American Grassfed" and "Animal Welfare Approved" Certifications: both certifications HomeGrown Meats proudly displays on its products. Dan explained to us that both of these certifications are carried out by third party organizations and that there is no cost to the producer (which means the certification can not be bought.)
We finished our day with a lake-side BBQ featuring HomeGrown Meats' hot dogs and hamburgers.
All in all, it was a great day!
Many thanks to our wonderful tour guides, Carolyn and Ray at Whole Foods Hillcrest; our gracious hosts, Joel, Frank and Janice Mendenhall and Thad and Peter of HomeGrown Meats!
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Dine On The Dock is Tonight!
To get you excited for the evening's activities, we're revisiting our interview with Peter Halmay of the San Diego Fishermen's Working Group.
A Conversation with Peter Halmay from SFUSD on Vimeo.
There are still a few tickets left! Buy yours here. The proceeds from your ticket will assist in Peter's and The San Diego Fishermen's Working Group's efforts in establishing the waterfront fish market of our dreams!
In Case You Missed It… Fermentation!
by Erin Batty May 10th was standing room only at the Triangle building, and emails and calls continue to filter in requesting information about ginger-beer, raw milk cheese, water kefir, and the like. I think this calls for another fermentation class!
Little did I know that fermenting is a passion shared by so many Urban San Diegans. But to my pleasant surprise, the lacto-fermentation class sold out and a sizeable donation was generated for Seeds at City Urban Farm. Thank you to all who attended for your interest, enthusiasm, and participation!
Lacto-fermented foods are uniquely nourishing to the body and open the door to a world of complex flavors. Enhance your sandwich with Stogsdill’s kraut, suit your salad with fermented dressings, make a snack of pickled vegetables, or pair your potatoes with homemade ketchup. There are endless possibilities for fermented foods, if only there were more hours in the day to try them all!
Pickled carrots are elementary. Who is ready to step it up a notch at the next fermentation workshop?
In the meantime, enjoy this surprisingly simple recipe for delicious homemade ketchup…
Join Slow Food URBAN San Diego, The San Diego Fisherman's Working Group and The San Diego Italian Film Festival for Dine on the Dock
May 31st, 6 PM, Pier 4, Driscoll's Wharf Dine on the Dock, an evening of fine food and entertainment featuring local fishermen's catch prepared with an Italian accent by several of San Diego's most acclaimed chefs, will take place on the dock at Driscoll's Wharf in Point Loma on the evening of May 31, 2012, at 6 pm. Slow Food URBAN San Diego and The San Diego Fisherman's Working Group, with sponsorship from The San Diego Italian Film Festival as part of their CineCucina celebration, are presenting this delicious and fun evening to focus attention on a revitalized fishing industry in San Diego.
Come and enjoy fresh and exquisite local food gleaned from the sea by members of the San Diego Fisherman's Working Group including Mitch Hobron (Taxi II), Phil Harris (Sea Nag), Gary Harle (Victoria Ann), Mike Flynn (Baby Joe), Pete Halmay (Erin B.) and Zach Roach (Addiction). These fishermen continue in the tradition of early San Diego-Italian fishermen who provided the means for many families to join the American middle class. The cuisine these families introduced to San Diego, and America, is based on a moderate and sustainable level of fishing spread across a wide range of species, stocks and sizes.
To prepare this local seafood, event producer, San Diego Weekly Markets, has recruited some of the best local chefs including Pete Balistreri (Tender Greens), Andrew Spurgin (Campine catering company), Melissa Mayer (Martini Media), Craig Jimenez (Craft and Commerce), Chad White (Gabardine), Amy DiBiase (The Shores Restaurant ), Ryan Johnston (Whisknladle), and Trey Foshee (George's at the Cove)
Proceeds will be used by the sponsoring non-profits for continuous promotion of this dockside market where local commerce will help improve our lives and make them more delicious.
Dine on the Dock celebrates the intersection of local Italian culture and the fishing industry
Buy your tickets here!
Join us for a soirée with Le Dîner!
Pull out your freshest white trousers, and your grandma's picnic box for an al fresco dinner on May 25th with Le Dîner a San Diego! Slow Food URBAN San Diego is pleased to partner with Le Dîner á San Diego, a spontaneous, elegant "pop-up picnic" dinner feast inspired by "flash mob" dinner parties which have taken place in France, Germany and several other European and Canadian cities. Tickets are $25 and with each additional 500 tickets sold, Le Diner will donate $500 to support Slow Food Urban San Diego's upcoming school farm tour program with the San Diego Unified School District. If the event sells out, Le Diner will make an additional donation to Slow Food International to fund the 1,000 Gardens in Africa Program.
Guests can either bring their own meals or purchase gourmet picnic fair from Campine and Snake Oil Cocktail Co.
Please join us for this fun event!
Join Us Thursday, May 10th, for a Lacto-Fermentation Class
Giant deli-style dill pickles, crusty sourdough baguettes, perfectly tart yet creamy yogurt, sweet and bubbly home-made root beer: all are delicacies enjoyed thanks to fermentation. Join Slow Food Urban San Diego on Thursday, May 10 from 6 - 8 PM for a hands-on celebration of lacto-fermentation. There will be a variety of foods to sample in addition to an open discussion about fermenting. Make your own pickled carrots (courtesy of Blind Lady Ale House) and see how easy it is to ferment for flavor, economy, and health. If you are experienced in the art, please bring your stories! Stogsdill’s Pickles, the community expert in vegetable ferments, will be in attendance and available to answer any questions. Cost to attend is $15 for members and $20 for the general public. All proceeds will be donated to Seeds@City Urban Farm. Please RSVP by Monday, May 7 to reserve your pickling jar!
A Digital Conversation with Lee Chase of Automatic Brewing Co., Blind Lady Ale House and Tiger! Tiger!
The Craft Brewers' Conference is in town and we were lucky enough to catch Lee Chase, of San Diego Brewing fame, for this month's Digital Conversation. Enjoy!
Slow Food Urban San Diego Announces the Formation of the Sustainable Seafood Committee
Sustainability and leadership are central to the core values of Slow Food Urban San Diego, and on April 26 we were honored by San Diego Oceans Foundation with an Ocean Leadership Award for Community Group of the Year – presented at the Oceans Benefit Gala celebrating sustainable seafood. April also saw the launch of the newest committee initiative of SFUSD – the Sustainable Seafood Committee. The committee will work to support local sustainable seafood initiatives in our community and link San Diegans with artisans of the sea, the local fishermen, to promote a direct market and working waterfront. The award recognizes an organization for making “a significant impact in enhancing the marine environment, protecting sensitive marine resources, and promoting community involvement by inspiring, motivating, and educating others.” We will take that as affirmation that we are headed in the right direction. The Sustainable Seafood Committee will provide another avenue to support sustainable food in a manner that honors the region’s rich maritime history while fulfilling our role as a trusted community resource.
The award and the committee are milestones of achievement and vision – how far we have come and where we hope to lead. Over the past year SFUSD has shown its growing commitment, as a sponsor of the 3rd annual Maritime Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony – A Sustainable Seafood Feast (put on by The Maritime Alliance – “promoting Blue Tech & Blue Jobs” that support sustainable oceans), as a trusted source in the selection of San Diego Coastkeeper as the 2011 recipient of the maritime community’s Sustainable Seafood Award.
The committee is chaired by Kristen Goodrich (Board Member, 2009-11). Kristen is the Coastal Training Program Coordinator at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve in Imperial Beach. She has a masters degree in marine affairs and policy and experience in developing sustainable seafood guides and fisheries management.
Slow Food Receives the Ocean Leadership Award for Community Group of the Year
Thursday, April 26th, Slow Food Urban San Diego was awarded the Ocean Leadership Award for Community Group of the year for Excellence in Ocean Stewardship 2012. The award was presented at the San Diego Oceans Foundation Gala at Sea World. In attendance at the event were chefs, fishermen and organizations ivolved in the sustainable seafood community.
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Earth Day 2012
Slow Food Urban San Diego participated in EarthFair 2012 in Balboa Park, which was attended by over 70,000 people. Our table was featured in the Fair Food Zone, which included a temporary vegetable garden and booths from other like-minded local community groups. We shared information about upcoming Slow Food Urban events and handed out heirloom tomato seeds from Baker Creek (http://rareseeds.com/) and sunflower seeds as part of the Great Sunflower Project. (http://www.greatsunflower.org/)
César E. Chávez Day of Dialogue
To honor the life and legacy of César E. Chávez in social justice and agriculture, Project NewVillage hosted the 12th Annual Cesar E. Chavez Community Tribute and Celebration.
This year the 2012 César E. Chávez Community Tribute was a platform for a “Day of Dialogue” to explore the opportunities and benefits of urban agriculture in Southeastern San Diego. Elected officials, clergy, community-based organizations, and everyday people were asked to join the Good Food Legacies Campaign to help conceive and realize a sustainable food system with healthy options while creating green jobs, and building community.
Work Day at Mt. Hope Community Garden
[singlepic id=68 w=500 h=400 float=center] Members of the Slow Food Urban San Diego Board, directors of Project New Village's Mt Hope Community Garden and Mt. Hope community members gathered on Saturday for a day of work. Projects included gravel clearing, compost sifting and sign removal. SFUSD presented Diane Moss, the project director, with the proceeds from our joint Slow Food Mixer at Local Habit to be used towards a Rototiller.
The vision is great and there is much work to be done! Stop by any Saturday from 1 - 4 to volunteer your time and be a part of a great project.
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A Digital Conversation with Peter Halmay
A Conversation with Peter Halmay from SFUSD on Vimeo.
Check out our latest interview for our Digital Conversation Series with Peter Halmay of the San Diego Fishermen's Working Group. Peter Shared with us his vision for a future, sustainable San Diego and its oceans. Thanks Peter!