Café Virtuoso to Address Fair Trade Coffee Roasting and Water Conservation at the Good Food Community Fair

By Tania Alatorre, SFUSD Board Member and Good Food Community Fair Coordinator

We're pleased to announce that Café Virtuoso will present at this year's Good Food Community Fair. Café Virtuoso, founded and owned by Laurie Britton, is the only 100% certified organic and fair-trade coffee roaster in San Diego. Her unique café and roasting facility is located in Barrio Logan, a few blocks from Quartyard, making them the perfect community partner.

Laurie has owned the cafe since 2007. Her daughter Savannah works alongside her and trains their talented team of baristas, and leads café coffee classes and “cuppings,” the practice of observing tastes and aromas of brewed coffees. Both have a profound passion for coffee and for supporting organic and fair trade coffees in addition to being long-time supporters of Slow Food. They have a wealth of knowledge of the global coffee industry and sell a unique range of organic beans and teas that they share with their staff. It’s not uncommon that you walk into the Café Virtuoso and learn something new about the coffee you’re about to enjoy. Chat with the baristas, they know their stuff.

Savannah will kick-off the Good Food Community Fair special programming at 11AM with an engaging conversation on how Café Virtuoso selects coffee from farms around the world, roast beans in house, how they have paved the way for women in coffee in San Diego, and what they are doing to conserve water at their café and roasting headquarters. Stay for their latest cold brew paired with Nomad Donuts donut holes!

You can also find Café Virtuoso at the Little Italy farmers market on Saturday’s.

Master Gardeners Educate and Service San Diego Communities

by Nathan Yick, Slow Food SDSU Chapter Leader

San Diego has over 300* Master Gardeners, passionate gardeners who serve and educate San Diegans on pest control and horticulture for free. Part of a rigorous training program founded in 1980, by the University of California Cooperative Extension, they work alongside teachers and parents helping children with their garden projects. They help community gardens overcome challenges with their plots, and with the drought plaguing California, their services and knowledge are much needed in the gardens.

To help San Diego communities combat the drought, the Master Gardeners have developed their Earth Friendly Gardening program. This program trains gardeners in sustainable gardening addressing things like how to adapt to the drought by providing information on creating an earth friendly garden--information on how to conserve water, maintain soil quality, and reduce waste. Thanks to the Master Gardeners, Community Gardens all over San Diego, like the Agape House by San Diego State University, have thrived and continue to provide fresh and local produce for the community.

"One of my favorite things about being a Master Gardener is helping people with their gardening challenges," says Dominick Fiume who became a Master Gardener through working at the Ark of Taste Heritage Garden in Old Town State Park.

As fulfilling and rewarding experience it is being a Master Gardener, becoming one takes a lot of work. To become certified, students go through a training program consisting of 16 weekly classes taught by agricultural experts which educate aspiring volunteers on pest management and horticulture. They must pass an exam and then volunteer regularly as well as continue their education to keep their certification.

Through their commitment, knowledge and passion for public service in gardening and pest control, the Master Gardeners have helped San Diego communities preserve and create more sustainable gardens.

SFUSD is excited that this passionate and knowledgeable San Diego resource is participating in our 2015 Good Food Community Fair. Look for their booth on wise water use.

*the original story in the Sept newsletter reported there were over 60 Master Gardeners in San Diego. San Diego has over 300.

September Annual Membership Campaign

We invite you to join an international community committed to good, clean & fair food for all. Why become a member?

To CONNECT with other people who care about the same kinds of things you care about. You receive discounts and special invitations to local, national and international events, including Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto.

To LEARN more about good, clean and fair food and the slow food movement. You receive an exclusive print magazine that showcases what is happening in the Slow Food movement locally, nationally and internationally. You have access to special members-only offers and previews.

To ENGAGE in helping to make a more good, clean and fair food system. You receive opportunities to get involved in national campaigns and local activities and projects.

To SUPPORT an organization that shares your values and is working to make the kind of change in the world you want to see. Your membership card proclaims your commitment to Slow Food values. You ARE the Slow Food Movement!

By becoming a member of Slow Food USA, you not only help support Slow Food Urban San Diego (SFUSD) projects in San Diego, and Slow Food projects across the world, you can you enjoy discounts and special offers from our Member Benefit Partners.

Photo credit: L. Joy

Locally, our school garden programs introduce youth to urban gardens and farms to help educate them on healthy eating practices and where our food comes from. We help local farmers and fishermen strengthen their knowledge, skills and connections to Slow Food practices by sponsoring their participation in important national and international programs and conferences, such as the Slow Food School Garden Program, and Terra Madre. We help schools connect their lunch programs to local farms.

Farm-to-table cooking classes. Photo by: L. Joy

Our annual Good Food Community Fair connects our community to organizations who advocate for positive food policies, as well as local farmers, artisans and chefs who support Slow Food principles. Our Ark of Taste projects identify, promote and protect heritage foods in danger of extinction. And, through programs like Slow Sips, we offer film screenings, guest lectures, and other community gatherings that educate and celebrate the bounty of food! These are just a few of the projects and programs you are supporting through your membership. Join us today!

Ark of Taste apples. Photo by A. Dominguez.

Why We Need You

1. Your membership dues provide a stable, sustainable source of revenue for the organization, allowing it to be powered by – and accountable to – everyday people.

2. Members are a source of political capital. Our growing membership demonstrates to decision makers the huge number of people who support Slow Food values.

3. Members are the lifeblood of the Slow Food Movement. You provide on-the-ground action, whether through a commitment to living Slow Food values or your participation in local projects and activities such as those described above.

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Our mission as an international grassroots membership organization is good, clean and fair food for all.

Good Our food should be tasty, seasonal, local, fresh and wholesome.

Clean Our food should nourish a healthful lifestyle and be produced in ways that preserve biodiversity, sustain the environment and ensure animal welfare - without harming human health.

Fair Our food should be affordable by all, while respecting the dignity of labor from field to fork.

For All Good, clean and fair food should be accessible to all and celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions and nations that reside in the USA.

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About Us Food is the cornerstone of culture and community, and directly relates to the future of our planet. A better, cleaner and fairer world begins with what we put on our plates - and our daily choices determine the future of the environment, economy and society. If you care about local farmers, ranchers, fishers, animal welfare, the joy of a shared meal, preserving food culture, protecting the environment or avoiding GMOs, we have a place for you at our table.

Who We Are Slow Food Urban San Diego is part of Slow Food USA and the global Slow Food network of over 100,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through a vast volunteer network of local chapters, youth and food communities, we link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect the community, culture, knowledge and environment that make this pleasure possible.

SFUSD Slow Sips featuring Slow Meat experts. Photo by S. Shoffler

What We Do Slow Food USA has over 12,000 members nationwide from over 200 local chapters and 40 campus chapters that coordinate local activities, projects and events. Working together with members and supporters across the nation, we:

Care We preserve and share local foods and food cultures. We defend and advocate     policies that promote holistic alternatives to the industrial system. Through tastings, workshops and social opportunities, we explore and celebrate the Slow life.

Cultivate We develop leaders in communities who model joy and justice. We champion local, culturally significant heritage foods, customs and recipes - and bring these experiences into farms, markets, restaurants and homes. We teach the next generation how to grow, prepare and share food responsibly.

Connect Conviviality is central to our mission. We are a global community, connecting people to the land and to each other through local projects, educational events, and shared meals. We become catalysts for change by sharing the joy of Slow Food and prioritizing wholesome living over convenience.

Community and conviviality at our Slow Sips events. Photo by S. Shoffler

For more information on becoming a member click here!

New Member Benefit Parter Brings Local Seafood to Locals

One year ago, the Tuna Harbor Dockside Market opened near San Diego's Seaport Village offering local seafood caught by local fishermen. This area used to be a busy seafood dock during the heyday of our fair city's tuna fishery. In recent years, gift and ice-cream-type shops have dotted our Downtown waterfront. But since last year, every Saturday morning, THDM has brought the fishing culture back to our community. THDM is an open-air seafood market. They sell local seafood caught by San Diego fishermen. The only non-local products are those that San Diego fishermen catch off other parts of California, because that's where the fish are swimming.

Most of the seafood they sell has never been frozen and may have been caught just the night before. The fishermen sell their harvest themselves. Like Farmers Markets, THDM offers San Diego the opportunity to get closer to our food sources. They plan to sell aquafarmed seaweed direct from local aquafarmers in the future.

"The key to fishing sustainably, is fishing a variety of species," says Pete Halmay, sea urchin fishermen and THDM Board of Directors. Likewise, broadening our palates is important. Most Americans eat just a few types of seafood - shrimp, tuna, salmon. But eating seafood that is local and in season lowers our carbon footprint and supports local economies. It also means we aren't putting so much pressure on any one population.

Because the fishermen and aquafarmers sell the seafood themselves, you can chat them up. By the way, these folks love to talk. Must be something about long days and nights at sea. Ask them about what they are selling. How did they catch or harvest it? What's their favorite way to cook it?

And for those who don't care to clean or filet their own fish, THDM has a free cleaning station. Please tip these guys.

SFUSD members get a 10% discount at most vendors at the THDM. To learn more, visit: www.thdocksidemarket.com

More than Honey and Sweet Sips Networking

Honey tasting.

Big thanks to everyone who came out for our Sweet Sips networking event in July at Local Habit. Mead tastings by Golden Coast Mead, honey tastings offered by Wild Willow Farms and local beekeepers from the San Diego Beekeepers Society and special honey-based dishes by Chef Jimmy. A sweet time, indeed.

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And thanks to all who joined us for the re-screening of the More than Honey documentary. This is an amazing, intriguing, beautiful and quirky film. Please see it if you haven't already.

For those of you interested in learning more about bees and what you can do locally, here are a few great local resources:

San Diego Beekeeping Society holds classes and meetups to encourage responsible beekeeping. Lots of expert members there. You can find a list of beekeepers on their website who perform live bee removals and other bee resources in the county.

Wild Willow Farm is a non-profit organization offering beekeeping classes (also farming classes). The instructor is very knowledgeable about bee issues locally and globally and can tell you about hosting a hive on your property.

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Girl Next Door Honey offers beekeeping classes and workshops, one-on-one consulting, a host-a-hive program and performs live bee removals.

If you need to remove bees from your property, please consider live removal by one of these folks or those listed on the Beekeeping Society website. Bees are important to our food supply and need a helping hand. Stay tuned for future bee-related events.

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Local Food and Beverage Tours with Epicurean San Diego, New Member Benefit Partner

San Diego is home to more than 90 craft breweries and a growing number of farm-to-table restaurants committed to supporting the county's more than 6,000 local farmers. So it's no surprise that when Stephanie Parker moved back home after a three-year, food-forward stint in San Francisco, she felt called to help make the most of San Diego's local food and beverage scene. Parker has been in the food and hospitality business since her college years, and her biggest passion is showing locals and visitors alike the best that her city's farms, coffee roasters, craft breweries, butchers and wineries have to offer.

Cue the birth of Epicurean San Diego, Parker's newly founded food, farm and libation tour company. Epicurean offers half and full-day hands-on food tours on Saturdays that are open to the public for up to 12 guests, as well as private tours for special events. More public tour dates and locations coming soon.

 

Tour guests can expect to stop at three to five carefully curated businesses committed to local, organic sourcing and sustainability. A full day tour might begin with a coffee cupping class at a local coffee roaster, followed by an hour-long organic farm tour and a field-side, linen-napkin and artisanal crafted lunch. The afternoon might include a flight at a local winery, a lesson in curating from a local salumi maker, and a final foray at one of San Diego's famous craft breweries with some cold pints to celebrate the day. Guests are certain to go home with full bellies and a sense of pride in the community they call home (or home-away-from-home).

"Our tours are founded on a combination of passion for learning and a desire to strengthen ties in the community," says Parker. "When we see where our eggs and beverages come from, we have an opportunity to make informed buying decisions that align with our values."

Slow Food Urban San Diego members get a 10% discount on all Epicurean San Diego tours. To learn more, visit epicureansandiego.com.

~by Kathryn Rogers, SFUSD Board Member~

Join the SFUSD Board of Directors

Slow Food Urban San Diego is soliciting applications for our Board of Directors. If you are interested in joining our Board, please email a brief bio and letter of interest indicating the position in which you are interested in to info@slowfoodurbansandiego.org by October 15th. In-person interviews will be scheduled in late October. Join us in supporting good, clean & fair food in our community. Positions up for election are described below.

Members of the Board serve up to two two-year terms in any one position, and newly elected Board Members will serve during 2016-17, beginning in January 2016. To be eligible, you must have or obtain a Slow Food membership. 

Education Committee Chair The Education Committee provides the San Diego community with education and enrichment opportunities and supports campus and school chapters. The Committee supports existing programs, including the School Garden program, Edible for San Diego Kids, Farm-to-School, as well as educational programming for families and adults. The Chair oversees the Education Committee, which meets monthly, striving to engage and include Slow Food Urban San Diego’s membership as much as possible.

Farm Liaison / Ark of Taste Liaison The Farm Liaison works to link Slow Food Urban San Diego with the local farming community and recommends strategies for the Chapter to advocate for and support farmers. The Farm Liaison sits on the Slow Food California Ark of Taste Committee (~2 conference calls a month and review of applications to the Ark) and to support Ark of Taste Programming and recognition in San Diego. The Farm Liaison may form a committee.

Membership Coordinator The Membership Coordinator oversees all things membership. S/he maintains and updates the Chapter’s membership list and leads in recruiting and retaining members; reports membership status at each board meeting; organizes membership drives and leads in planning Slow Food Urban San Diego’s “Slow Sips” events. The Membership Coordinator also maintains relationships with our Member Benefit Partners and continues to build the Member Benefit Program. The Membership Coordinator may develop and coordinate additional programs to build the Chapter membership and may form a committee.

Outreach / Food Justice Committee Chair The Outreach / Food Justice Committee spreads the word about Slow Food and collaborates with relevant community partners to promote sustainable food production and urban farming. The Committee represents SFUSD at community events and coordinates with the Membership Chair to develop and coordinate programs to build Chapter membership. The Committee also liaises with the Slow Food University Chapters, the SD Food Systems Alliance, and the Slow Food California Policy Committee, which meets monthly via conference call. The Chair oversees this committee and identifies community events and partnerships that best support the SFUSD mission and programs.

The Fund Development Chair The Fund Development Chair creates, maintains and updates an inventory of resources of potential donors and sponsors; develops and implements a fund-raising campaign to be supported by the Board. The Fund Development Chair may form a committee.

Secretary The Secretary records minutes during monthly Board Meetings, administers annual elections and coordinates a schedule of interviews for Board positions.

Treasurer The Treasurer maintains the books for the organization, handles expense reimbursements, accounts payable, and annual filings. The treasurer is responsible for leading the budgeting process and providing financial guidance to the Board, as well as presenting a Treasurer’s report at monthly board meetings. A working knowledge of Quickbooks is desired but training by the outgoing treasurer will be provided if necessary.

Vice Chair/Chair-elect The Vice Chair works with the current Board Chair to administrate the Slow Food Urban San Diego Board of Directors and maintain chapter standing. Candidates must have served on the Slow Food Urban San Diego Board for a minimum of one year and agree to assume the Board Chair position in 2017 for at least a one-year term.

Communications Committee Chair The Communications Committee facilitates Chapter communications through website maintenance, newsletters, social media and networking and ensures consistency of communications to members, media and the community. The Committee oversees marketing and getting the word out regarding Chapter activities. The Communications Chair oversees the committee and supports the Chapter Co-Leaders in tracking Slow Food California, Slow Food USA and Slow Food International activities of interest and in sharing SFUSD activities with other Slow Food entities. Strong writing, editing and communications skills required.

Sincerely, Slow Food Urban San Diego Board of Directors

2015 Good Food Community Fair

SLOW FOOD URBAN SAN DIEGO'S THIRD ANNUAL

GOOD FOOD COMMUNITY FAIR

WATER WISE SAN DIEGO

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2015

11AM - 3PM

@ QUARTYARD IN DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO.

Go to GoodFoodFair.com for more information!

A celebration of artisanal food and craft drinks, cooking demos, art and music, discussion panels with local farmers, chefs, food producers and breweries, and more!

Join us downtown at the Quartyard to mix and mingle with San Diegans working towards a sustainable & delicious San Diego. Special programming and events will cover good, clean and fair food in a time of drought. Entrance is free.

It'll be a delicious time! Go to GoodFoodFair.com for more information!

Interested in Participating?  Would your organization like to host a complimentary booth at the fair? Please fill out this form by September 4th.

Questions? Please contact us at membership@slowfoodurbansandiego.org.

Educating and Advocating for Healthy Bees in San Diego: Profile of San Diego Beekeeping Society Secretary Camille Smith

San Diego Beekeeping Society

Honeybees intuitively know when it’s time to nurture a new queen. So it’s no surprise that when Camille Smith landed in San Diego, the bees took flight to bring her a hive to nurture in preparation for a role as Secretary and Volunteer, Recruitment and Event Planning Coordinator of the San Diego Beekeeping Society.

Smith has always been interested in bees, but it wasn’t until she moved to California in 2008 that she had the opportunity to keep a hive of her own. That summer, three swarms came through her backyard, enticing her to buy a bee box. The bees didn’t return, but a few months later a friend called saying they had caught a swarm. Her forays as a suburban beekeeper had begun.

Over the next few months, she read a numerous books about beekeeping, watched educational videos on YouTube and joined the San Diego Beekeeping Society. From her mentor and working with society members, she learned hands-on how to properly care for bees to help them thrive.

Her initial interest in working bees quickly transformed into heartfelt passion.

“I love working with the bees,” gushes Smith. “It is so amazing how they work completely collectively with no ego. Everything they do is for the benefit of the entire hive. Even at the end of their lives, they go outside the hive to die so their sisters don’t have to clean out their bodies.”

This level of collective thinking inspires Smith in her role bringing people together at the San Diego Beekeeping Society. She and more than 1,000 volunteer members work to educate people about bees and best practices in responsible beekeeping. They visit schools and participate in community events to increase awareness about pollination and bees among people of all ages.

“The more information people have about bees, the more people are aware to not use pesticides/herbicides in their yards,” explains Smith.

The San Diego Beekeeping Society also works to advocate for legislation that is friendlier to bees and beekeeping. They had success a few years ago working with a coalition to loosen restrictions on urban beekeeping and designate best practices for keeping bees in the City of San Diego. More recently, the San Diego Beekeeping Society has worked with the County of San Diego to update their policies to make it easier for beekeepers to comply with the ordinances.

“We’ve made good progress,” says Smith. “We are proud to be doing our little part to help support the bees, and we have more people every month interested in becoming beekeepers.”

Even with growing efforts to support them, bees are not out of danger. Colonies are still collapsing from the combined effects of exposure to pesticides and herbicides, monoculture that limits access to food sources when crops are not blooming, and weakened immune systems from parasitic mites.

What can you do to learn more and support healthy bees?

• Access online resources including the San Diego Beekeeping Society Resource Library, the Pesticide Action Network, and Scientific Beekeeping

• Come to a San Diego Beekeeping Society meeting

• Plant flowers that attract bees; just make sure the flowers you buy have not been treated with synthetic pesticides

• Use natural products instead of pesticides to manage pests

Like the community-minded bees, together we can do more. Take it from a resident Queen Bee:

“Bees pollinate one third of the crops we eat,” explains Smith. “There is a direct relationship between the bees, our food, and our health. By voting with our pocket books – choosing to support local and sustainable food production through farmers’ markets and CSA – the food vendors will have to adjust. And the bees will fare better too.”

Making Mead and Better Food Systems for Us All - An Interview with Golden Coast Mead CEO, Frank Golbeck

A few years ago, Frank Golbeck came home from his eighth 16-hour workday in a row and collapsed from exhaustion on his living room floor. His wife, Theresa, came up to him and said; “Frank, you’re not happy. Look at you, just lying on the floor there miserable after work. If you had all the time, money and energy in the world, what would you do?”

Golbeck had never stopped to ask himself if he enjoyed what he was doing with his life. Prompted by his wife’s question, his mind drifted back to his early years growing up in Orange County. He often visited his grandfather’s apple farm in San Bernardino and has fond memories of watching him share his honey wine (mead), hard cider and fruit wine with customers.

During his college years studying economic development at UC Berkeley, Golbeck and some friends worked at the student organic garden and made mead to share with their friends. Those were some of his favorite moments – breaking open a bottle of home-brewed mead to kick off a dance-until-the-sunrise kind of night.

Inspired by his wife’s encouragement and the joy of recollecting such happy times in his life, Golbeck called up his college friend and fellow mead maker, Joe Colangelo (now Golden Coast Mead Director of Sales and Marketing). They brainstormed about how to turn their love of mead into a viable business plan. Quickly recognizing a need for someone to manage their finances, they reached out to Praveen Ramineni (now Golden Coast Mead CFO), and working together, developed the concept for Golden Coast Mead (of which Golbeck is now CEO).

In 2010, after sending inquiries to more than 50 local breweries and wineries, the Broomell family (of Triple B Ranches and Vesper Vineyards) was the only respondent willing to share their capacity and expertise. With Triple B’s support, the Golden Coast Mead team sold their first batch of mead in 2011.

Today, almost five years later, Golden Coast Mead is fermenting mead in their own fully licensed facility with 4,370 gallons of fermentation capacity, and they distribute their ferments to nearly 100 accounts throughout San Diego County. They also serve select locations in Orange County, Los Angeles, New York and New Jersey.

So what makes Golden Coast Mead special?

Golbeck calls their process and product “magic.”

“We are capturing sunshine and turning it into something you can pour for your friends and drink together,” gushes Golbeck. “Modern mead-making is a journey of discovery and craftsmanship.  Using a combination of innovation, science and educated guesswork, we unlock layers and styles of mead that no one has ever tasted.  There is a whole spectrum of mead for us to create that runs wider and deeper than that of beer and wine, and we are proud to do it in a natural, refreshing, and balanced way with no sulfites, filtration, or forced carbonation.”

Golden Coast Mead’s signature San Diego-style mead is a result of this commitment to innovation.

“By adjusting ingredient ratios, we are able to change the body and flavor profile to make it really well suited to our San Diego climate,” says Golbeck. “By using ale yeast and less honey, we are making meads that are crisp and light instead of thick and syrupy.”

An all natural product? Check. Unique flavor profiles? Check. But what about the impact Golden Coast Mead is having on the bigger ecological system in the San Diego region and beyond?

“The bees enable and inspire this whole thing,” says Golbeck. “With colony collapse disorder, we have an opportunity to right an imbalance caused by monoculture, which is harmful to bees’ fragile immune systems. We are trying to promote organic agriculture business models by helping to build the market for local, organic honey on a large scale.”

So what’s the takeaway?

Golbeck hopes Golden Coast Mead will inspire people to do what they love and share it. In turn, perhaps this will create more sustainable food systems for us all.

You can taste Golden Coast Mead’s latest brews at their tasting rooms in Oceanside and Julian, look for them at a local beer and wine store near you, or try their mead at Slow Food Urban San Diego’s “Sweet Sips” Networking Event and Screening of “More than Honey” on July 23.

Photo credits @Taylor Abeel of www.sojournimagery.com

Local Habit’s Chef Jimmy Tessier Sweetens Up This Month’s Honey-Themed Slow Sips

Our host for this month’s Slow Sips networking event featuring honeybee experts plus mead and honey tastings from San Diego-based producers is Local Habit: a vibrant Cali-Creole restaurant in San Diego’s lively urban community of Hillcrest. Local Habit specializes in local ingredients, craft beer and New Orleans-inspired cocktails. Local Habit recently welcomed a new executive chef, Emeril protégée Jimmy Tessier, who brings 25 years of experience to each plate he serves. Chef Jimmy is excited to use his fusion style of blending unique flavors to bring new and imaginative dishes to Local Habit.

Native to Fall River, Massachusetts and a 1995 graduate of Johnson & Wales University, Tessier has a long history of working across the country with some of the top chefs in the industry. In 1994, Tessier was taken under the wing of famed celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. He worked with Emeril in Las Vegas to open two of his hotspot restaurants, Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House and Delmonico Steakhouse. During his 18 years in Las Vegas, Tessier honed his skills in a variety of different cuisines including French, Mediterranean and Italian.

Having worked with numerous high profile chefs including Chef Carla Pellegrino of Top Chef fame and Chef Sammy DeMarco of Travel Channel’s “Chow Masters,” Tessier brings an accumulation of learned talent from the best mentors in the business. This talent paired with his gritty and ambitious energy earned him a spot on Food Network’s hit show Chopped in 2012.

Tessier decided to make San Diego his home in 2014 when he helped open Union Kitchen and Tap as Executive Sous Chef. Now with feet planted at Local Habit, Tessier is excited to showcase his wealth of knowledge of different cuisines.

“I want guests to know that Local Habit isn’t just about gumbo,” said Tessier. “Because I was trained by such a variety of chefs, I am not pigeonholed into one type of food. I love putting spins on classic New Orleans-style plates.”

Tessier is excited to host this month’s honey-themed Slow Sips event at Local Habit, especially because of his love of using honey as an ingredient.

“Honey is amazing to cook with because it’s in its purest form and you can create the guiltiest pleasures,” said Tessier.

Tessier will be serving Honey Mustard Lamb Chops with Truffled Cauliflower Puree along with Smoked Honey Bread Pudding with Candied Walnuts and Ginger Honey Ice Cream for the honey-themed Slow Sips event.

Want to use honey in your cooking at home? Here’s the recipe for Chef Tessier’s Honey Mustard Lamb Chops:

Potluck Picnic in the Park!

Our May Potluck Picnic in the Park was a success! Slow Foodies gathered at Pioneer Park in Mission Hills to break bread, and dips, and fresh fruit salads, not to mention poke, cheeses, ceviche and more. Thanks to everyone who came out and shared their dishes. Please stay tuned for the next one! Have a suggestion for location? Email us at info@slowfoodurbansandiego.org.

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon ~ Boeuf a la Bourguignonne

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon, chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 pounds lean stewing beef (cut into 2" chunks) 2 carrots, sliced 1 onion, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 3 cups full-bodied red wine 2 - 3 cups beef stock 1 tablespoon tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, smashed 5 - 8 twigs of fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons flour and 2 tablespoons butter, mashed together (for thickening the sauce at the end)

For the brown-braised onions 1/2 bag frozen white pearl onions, defrosted and patted dry 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 cup beef stock or beef broth Salt and pepper 5 sprigs of thyme 5 sprigs parsley

For the sautéed mushrooms 1 pound mushrooms, quartered 3 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper

Directions

Gather and prep your ingredients prior to cooking. Chop the bacon, chop the beef (or have the butcher do this for you to save time!), chop the veggies, smash the garlic, wash your herbs, uncork the wine. Having all your ingredients ready to go will help the preparation run smoothly.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Start by thoroughly patting the beef dry using paper towels. Damp beef will not brown properly but rather steam and turn an icky shade of gray when cooked.

In a large dutch oven pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add to this your bacon and cook for several minutes, until the bacon is browned and has released most of its fat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon, leaving the fat in the pan.

Over medium-high heat, brown the beef in the bacon fat for one or two minutes on each side. Do not overcrowd the pan. The beef should quickly develop a nice caramelized brown on the surface. Turn the beef to brown on all sides, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat until all of the beef has been browned. If your meat is not browning properly the pan is either over crowded, not hot enough, or your meat is too damp. Use caution when browning the meat as the hot fat tends to spatter at times.

Once all of the beef is browned, lower the heat to medium and add the carrots and onions to the hot pan. Cook for five minutes or until they develop a golden brown color. Then, carefully pour out the excess bacon drippings, leaving the veggies in the pan.

Add the beef and bacon back into the pot. Add to that the tomato paste, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, wine and beef broth. Stir to combine. Cover and place back in the oven to cook for 3 to 3 and ½ hours.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms

For the onions:

Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, occasionally shaking the pan to allow the onions to roll around in the pan and brown on all sides. Add to the onions the beef stock and fresh herbs. Allow to come to a simmer, lower the heat, cover and simmer slowly for about 20 - 30 minutes. Check the pan towards the end of the cooking time. Most of the liquid should have evaporated and formed a brown glaze around the onions. Season with salt and pepper, remove the herbs, then set aside.

For the mushrooms:

Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the foam from the butter begins to subside (an indication that the butter is hot enough according to Julia) add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat and set aside.

Once the beef has finished cooking remove from the oven. Run the stew through a strainer separating the meat, herbs and veggies from the liquid sauce. Place the meat back in the pot, you don't need to add the veggies and herbs but if some get mixed in that's okay it will just add texture to the stew. Place the separated sauce in a pan and allow to rest for a few minutes. Excess fat with rise to the surface, use a spoon to collect and discard about half to three fourths of the fat. You should be left with 2 to 3 cups of sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add to the sauce the mashed butter and flour mixture and stir with a wire whisk over medium heat, bring to a simmer and stir until slightly thickened and smooth.

Now you are ready to combine all the ingredients, add to the meat in the pot the thickened sauce, brown-braised onions and sautéed mushrooms. Warm over medium heat and stir to combine all the ingredients.

Beef Bourguignon can be served over buttered noodles, mashed potatoes or simply with a sliced baguette.

You tube of Julia Child making Boeuf Bourguignon

Local Delegates Explore the Ethics of Eating Meat at Slow Meat 2015

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How are livestock animals raised? What are they fed? How are they processed? What is the impact on the environment and surrounding communities? What are the ethics of eating meat?

The Annual Slow Meat conference, held this year in Denver, Colorado on June 4-6, brought together producers, butchers, thought leaders and eaters of every ethos to address the conundrum of industrial animal husbandry and to celebrate the alternatives. Each year, the diverse attendees join together to take a hard look at the current state of meat and seek solutions to the problems of the industrial system. It's part conversation, part celebration.

Joining this year’s conversation were Slow Food San Diego delegates Jaime Fritsch and Drew Deckman.

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Fritsch came to San Diego from Portland, Oregon in 2014 after spending his time in the Pacific Northwest living in an old homestead farmhouse, traveling to shoot commercial photos and contemplating the state of food issues surrounding his locale. Inspired by the local food movement and drawn to tough questions about what it means to be a conscious omnivore, Fritsch formed alliances with meat producers and storytellers up and down the west coast – Sean Kelley of the San-Diego based art curation group Set & Drift; Camas Davis of the Portland Meat Collective; Michael McGuan of the former Linkery; food writer and TV personality, Troy Johnson; and chef Javier Plascencia of Finca Altozano in Valle de Guadalupe, Ensenada. Together they created Death for Food, an experiential exhibition that examines questions about the process of humanely bringing meat to the table.

Death for Food raises tough questions about the “right” way to harvest animals for consumption. One answer to these questions is Fritsch’s new collaborative project, MEAT San Diego. This meat collective is a group of people that organize themselves to learn about and take ownership of their roles in procuring, raising, butchering, preserving and preparing meat. By coming together as a community that supports good food values, collective members can take classes to learn about animal husbandry, humane slaughter, whole animal butchery, charcuterie, cooking, and more. Members can access local, humanely raised meat animals at a fair price that supports both them and the farmer. MEAT San Diego poses an answer to a regional logistical problem in San Diego (a three-million person metro area with no USDA slaughterhouse within hundreds of miles): how do San Diegans get the best local meat on their dinner tables? Stay tuned as the collective grows in the coming months and years ahead.

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After growing up in Peachtree City, GA and earning a degree at Rhodes College, Drew Deckman followed his passion with a ten-year culinary journey to France, Switzerland and Germany. Drew cooked with “gastro masters” such as Paul Bocuse, Jacques Maximin, Gilles DuPont and Tommy Byrne, and was awarded a coveted Michelin Star for his work in Restaurant Vitus in Germany as well as Rising-Star Chef of the Year in Berlin in 2003 during his tenure as Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Berlin (17pts Gault Millau). Back in the states, after mentoring under star-teacher and cookbook author Madeleine Kamman, Drew became a part of the final class of the School for American Chefs at Beringer Vineyards in Napa Valley, California. He has since then worked in Kona, Hawaii, Cancun, Rome, Shanghai, and in Los Angeles, where he was an entertainer’s private chef.

These rich experiences and Drew’s desire to create and serve Mexican-influenced haute cuisine “drew” him to the rich shores of San Jose del Cabo as the owner and chef of Deckman’s in San Jose, and now to the Guadalupe Valley where in 2012 Deckman’s en El Mogor was born. This al fresco organic restaurant is nestled amid the Mogor Badan Winery in the Guadalupe Valley in Northern Baja California. Drew remains dedicated to the local, sustainable ingredients in the food he sources and prepares at his restaurant, sourcing much of it from the Mogor Badan farm. He is Regional Governor for Slow Food International in Baja California and Brand Ambassador for SmartFishAC a sustainable fisheries NGO.

We are excited to hear what our delegates bring back from Slow Meat 2015! Be sure to join us at Slow Sips on June 17 from 6-8 at Carnitas Snack Shack, featuring Jaime Fritsch as our special guest and a future seafood event with Chef Drew. 

Update on the Pacific to Plate Bill We need your support!

Thanks in part to the Slow Food community's support, Speaker Atkins’ fishermen’s market bill, AB 226, has advanced to the Senate.  The bill must now repeat the committee process, and has been assigned to start in the Senate Committee on Health.  Because the bill is now in its second house, we ask that you continue your support by submitting a new letter, this one addressed to the Senate Committee on Health.  An updated sample letter is below with the new address.

The bill is not yet officially scheduled for a hearing, but there is a chance that it could be brought forward in the coming weeks, so to ensure that your support is captured in the official record we are asking that letters be submitted this week if at all possible.

Send your letters to the CA State Senator Ed Hernandez or San Diego County, Thomas Ledford: Thomas.Ledford @ sdcounty dot ca dot gov by June 10, 2015.

AB 226 Sample Support Letter (to CA Senate's Health Committee)

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Pacific to Plate AB 226

From a previous post:

Slow Food Urban San Diego is excited about the new proposed legislation that will help California fishers get their products to Californians. State Assembly Speaker Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) has introduced legislation, "Pacific to Plate," to clarify and streamline state laws to make it easier for San Diego's Tuna Harbor Dockside Market, and other fishermen's markets like it, to grow and thrive. See how you can support California's fishermen's markets and the Pacific-to-Plate bill below.

Slow Food Urban San Diego and Slow Food California Support this legislation. 

Three barriers in the current California laws and regulations affect fishermen's markets in California:

1. Current laws and regulations in California do not define fishermen's markets so prevent them from easily obtaining permits to operation.
2. Current laws and regulations do not allow fishermen to clean fish for direct sale to consumers.
3. Current laws allows direct fresh-caught fish sales to occur only from permanent, temporary, or mobile food facilities where permits are required for each participating fisherman or aquaculturist.

The proposed legislation:

• Designates Fishermen's Markets as “food facilities” in the California Retail Food Code.
• Exempts evisceration of whole raw fresh-caught fish at a Fishermen’s Market from the definition of food preparation to allow fresh-caught fish to be cleaned by the fishermen for direct sales to the public.
• Establishes a separate Fishermen's Market chapter in state law, specifying the operational requirements (modeled after requirements for Certified Farmers' Markets) to allow commercial fishermen and aquaculturists to organize under a single permit holder for the market.
• Clarifies that food facilities that sell certain products such as whole fresh-caught fish can have an open front.

If you'd like to support this legislation, please send a letter of support (like the sample letter below) to Speaker Atkins. Send letters to CA Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins. Some reasons to support Pacific to Plate AB 226:

• Fishermen’s markets allow fishermen to sell local seafood direct to consumers - providing fresh seafood with a lower carbon footprint.
• The Pacific-to-Plate legislation streamlines the permitting process, so that fishermen can sell direct to the public.
• Fishermen's markets provide a place for fishermen to collaborate and plan what they'll fish - leading to more sustainable fishing practices, like fishing lightly across a wider variety of fish.
• More fishermen's markets means more fresh fish available at better prices to the consumer.
• Fishermen's markets, like farmers markets, connect the community to their food producers and the food producers to their community.

A History of Carnitas

Last month Slow Food minded folks from San Diego and Mexico gathered together for an unforgettable evening in the Valle de Guadalupe. MEAT San Diego, Chef Javier Plascencia and La Cocina de Doña Esthela joined forces to present "A History of Carnitas". Attendees enjoyed live Norteño music, wines from Hacienda la Lomita, beer from Agua Mala and of course a whole pig carnitas cookout. The chefs prepared the carnitas in the traditional fashion, utilizing the whole pig which was locally raised in San Diego. A portion of the proceeds of the event will go to support sending Slow Food Urban San Diego's official 2015 Slow Meat delegate to Slow Food's Slow Meat conference in Denver, Colorado. This delegate will bring back knowledge learned at the conference and help find ways to make positive changes in San Diego's meat industry and culture. Fore more of the delicious details on the evening check out Chef Javier Plascencia's video recap!

5 Tips for Building Community Around the Kitchen Table

- contributed by Kathryn Rogers -

Setting the table for a dinner party always makes me excited. Arranging the linens, plates and candles takes me back to happy times with family and friends. So easily my thoughts drift to balmy summer days with vegetables roasting on the grill and the anticipation of guests. No matter the occasion – a summer picnic on the patio, a holiday feast, or a springtime brunch – nothing is better than pairing good people and delicious food.

Reflecting on the joys of mealtime, I’m amazed at how infrequently these busy days I take time to sit at my table and truly enjoy a meal. I often find myself grabbing a breakfast bar for the road, eating my leftovers lunch at my desk, stopping by a deli for a quick bite on my way to an evening meeting.

When did mealtime become a try-to-fit-it-in-your-day task instead of time to gather, nourish and connect? And why, when we do make the time to sit and enjoy a meal, does it feel so good?

The kitchen table is sacred domain – our trusted ally in times of hunger, joy and sadness. We gather around the table to tell stories about our days, to nourish ourselves with fresh ingredients lovingly prepared, to share culture and history in the recipes of our ancestors, to get to know each other on a first date, to shed tears over the struggles we face, to witness big moments like baby’s first bite of broccoli, to laugh. Food brings us together.

It is not surprising, then, that as we have traded shared mealtimes for a quick bite in our cars that our relationship with food and community suffers. In fact, according to a recent article in the Atlantic, the average American eats one in every five meals in the car, and the majority of American families report eating one meal together less than five days a week.

It’s time we reclaim our kitchen tables as a place for building relationships and strengthening community ties. And to start thinking of new people and places to bring together to share food and stories. For it is around our tables that we create new opportunities to collaborate, spark creative ideas, or connect with each other in deeper ways.

Looking for some ideas to spice up your next food gathering?

Here are five tips to bring even more enjoyment to mealtime:

1. Invite friends and family to a themed brunch where everyone brings a dish using the same ingredient. Think something versatile like olive oil, ginger or fresh figs. An in-season ingredient from the farmer’s market is also a great option. You and your guests might come up with a dish as genius and unexpected as fig ceviche or olive oil scones.
2. Designate a guest to bring a question to your next dinner party. Then have each guest go around the table and answer the question. It’s a great way to get to know each other better and discover shared connections. Otherwise you may never learn that your neighbor loves live jazz as much as you do!
3. Host a cocktail hour and have each guest bring a bottle of wine. Then cover all the bottles with paper bags, number them and do a blind taste test. Ask your guests to vote for their favorite, and award the guest who brought the winning bottle with first dibs on dessert.
4. Host a picnic in one of San Diego’s beautiful outdoor spaces. Gathering in a community garden or on blankets in Balboa Park brings new energy to mealtime. Encourage everyone to bring a potluck dish and reusable plate. Great food, fresh air, good company and no stress of hosting… a winning combo.
5. Next time you go out to eat, choose to sit at the bar or community tables and strike up a conversation with those around you. Simple questions about what they’re eating or if they have a favorite drink are a great place to start. Perhaps you’ll end up swapping stories about your shared love for international travel and maybe even end up with a new friend.

Together, we can reclaim our sacred kitchen tables.

Become a Member Benefit Partner!

Our members are always on the lookout for Slow Food-friendly restaurants and businesses. These are establishments that provide delicious food created with locally-sourced ingredients and good, clean, and fair practices. We strive to recommend businesses our members should support to satisfy their Slow Food cravings. Our goal is to encourage members to stimulate the local economy and support local restaurants and the long food chain that supports them from farmer to chef. We hope that, by providing our members with special discounts at select Slow Food-friendly restaurants, they will be encouraged to experience and support the culinary gems of urban San Diego.

How It Works

All Slow Food Urban San Diego members receive a Member Benefits Card that they can present to receive a small (10% suggested) discount on their food bill (including or excluding alcohol) or a special offer at Slow Food-friendly businesses. With your participation, we hope to encourage our engaged and passionate community of members to shop and support Slow Food-minded businesses such as yours.

Join SFUSD

Participating restaurants and businesses will be highlighted on the Slow Food Urban San Diego website, newsletter and Facebook page.

We at Slow Food Urban San Diego are very excited about the support that our Membership Benefit program will provide to the local San Diego food economy. If you think that you might be interested in becoming a part of this program, please complete the attached application. We’d be happy to answer any questions you might have - thank you for your consideration!

If you would like your business to participate in our Member Benefits program, please complete and the application below send your it to us at the following address:

Email: membership@slowfoodurbansandiego.org

OR

Post:    SFUSD Membership 301 Washington St. Box 216 San Diego CA 92103

Membership Benefits Program Application

If you have any questions about the Member Benefit Program or partnering with SFUSD, please contact us at: membership@slowfoodurbansandiego.org.

SFUSD Welcomes a New Member Benefit Partner, Local Habit

Slow Food Urban San Diego welcomes our newest Member Benefit Partner, Local Habit! With "Cali-Creole" food, created by executive chef Nick Brune, Neopolitana-style pizzas, house-cured meats, local produce, and a seasonal menu, the newly re-opened Local Habit embodies Slow Food's mission. SFUSD members get 20% off drinks. Check out their farm-driven sustainable menu in Hillcrest.

Psst: And keep your eye peeled for a SFUSD Slow Sips event at Local Habit in July!

Interested in becoming a Slow Food Member Benefit Partner? Email:membership@slowfoodurbansandiego.org.

Roosevelt Middle School Garden Volunteers Build Big!

From constructing raised beds for planting sweet potatoes to weeding garden boxes in preparation for the summer harvest, it was a productive day in the garden for the more than 50 volunteers who joined Slow Food Urban San Diego at Roosevelt Middle School on April 18.  Volunteers, including children, families, community leaders and a team from Navy Logistics, came together to help prepare the community and school gardens for planting.

The Roosevelt school gardens are home to educational classes and community activities that allow students and local residents to development a deeper sense of self, their relationship with nature, our community, and our world.

After a fun day in the sun (sunscreen provided!), volunteers shared stories and relaxed while munching on burritos donated by Chipotle and snacks provided by Specialty Produce.

-contributed by Kathryn Rogers