Slow Food Tufts

Yogurt Making Skill Share

2012-02-12T10:20:00.005-05:00

Our evening of yogurt making was a smashing success. Joan VanWassenhove and her boyfriend, Dean Paetzold welcomed us skill-sharers with delicio
us hors d'oeuvres and wine so we could all chat and got acquainted with their cats.

Soon the much-anticipated time came for the yogurt-making, so we all followed Dean into the kitchen where he went through the whole process for us from start to finish. He had even made three batches the night before so we could taste the different kinds. He made one with goat yogurt because there was a request for that from our group. It tasted great, but turned out a little bit thin, so he is going to tweak the recipe. The other two kinds of yogurt were made with cow's milk and were major crowd pleasers. He showed us how to sterilize the pot

you use, how to heat and cool down the milk, add the yogurt and then put it in a warm place to incubate and let the bacterial cultures do their work.

To incubate they wrap the pot in a heating blanket and set it in a laundry basket overnight.

The temperature is easily controlled that way. He then showed us how you strain it through cheese cloth to make it different thicknesses. We were all brainstorming what to make with the leftover whey and one of our members mentioned she had seen a limoncello recipe that called for whey...possibly a future skill share in the making.

The whole process was surprisingly simple, but you may have to do a little bit of trial and error experimenting. However Dean has done a lot of that for us, so if you follow the directions he has provided below, you should make a successful batch of yogurt. Joan and Dean had also prepared a batch of delicious homemade granola, also which they kindly included below. The yogurt was great plain, or with a little spoonful of honey...or my personal favorite, with a little bit of fresh-ground peanut butter. I know that sounds weird. It did to me too at first, but try it. You just might like it.

Enjoy!

Skill Share: Basic Yogurt Making

Ingredients:

½ gal. - 1 gal. milk (the best to use in my experience is whole milk from Jersey cows. The

higher percentage if protein results in thicker yogurt without straining)

2 Tablespoons plain yogurt with live active cultures

Utensils:

Pot, Whisk, Kitchen thermometer, Cheesecloth, Colander, Bowl

Steps

1) Sterilize

Sterilize all vessels and utensils. Boil a few cups of water in such a way that the steam

comes in contact with everything the milk will come in contact with. That is, put the whisk in

the pot and let the boiling water steam the whisk for a few minutes.

Empty the water from the pot and put the whisk on clean surface (such as the sterilized lid

from the pot).

2) Heat Milk

Pour the milk into the pot and heat the milk to 180 degrees F. Stirring will help keep the milk

from burning on the bottom.

3) Cool Milk

Cool the milk to 110 degrees F. This can be done rapidly by having a sink half full of cold

water at hand. Place the pot in the cold water and stir the milk while slowly pushing the pot

back and forth to agitate the water.

4) Add Yogurt culture and Incubate

Once the milk is at 110 degrees use the same whisk to deliver the inoculation. A couple

tablespoons of any plain yogurt with "live active cultures" will do the trick.

Cover the pot and maintain a minimum of 105 degrees and a maximum of 120 degrees for at

least 6 hours and not more than 12 hours. The ideal temperature is 110 degrees. An 8-hour

culture seems best. Swaddling the pot in a heating blanket and extra blankets works well.

An oven with just the pilot burning may be warm enough. Do not disturb the yogurt.

After this period of time the yogurt should be ready. It can then go into containers and into

the fridge.

5) Strain to thicken

Pour a little boiling water over cheesecloth, colander, and bowl to be used.

To drain: place a colander in a bowl, line the colander with cheese cloth that has been

double or triple folded, pour yogurt into cloth, and fold excess cloth over the yogurt. Placing

a light plate or bowl over directly on the cloth will help facilitate more thorough draining of the

whey.

Draining 40% to 50% of the whey from the yogurt will result in a thickness similar to what you

find in many store bought yogurts. This may take 1 to 2 hours. To achieve thicker, greekstyle

yogurt drain about 75% out.

Example: For normal thickness, drain 1.5 to 2 quarts of whey from 1 gal. of yogurt, leaving 2

to 2.5 quarts yogurt.

Fully thickened "greek" yogurt may need 3 to 4 hours of draining, or overnight in fridge. If

you let it drain for 2+ days you will achieve something akin to cream cheese.

Pour off clear/yellow whey to allow for more drainage if your bowl is not deep enough.

Clean Up

When done, wash cheesecloth by hand in several changes of warm, soapy water. Air dry.

Store in ziplock bag to reuse.

Homemade Granola

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Prepare 2 very lightly oiled baking/cooking sheets.

In saucepan over high heat, reduce 1 cup apple cider down to ½ cup.

In a large bowl mix dry ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup coarsely chopped nuts

¼ to ½ cup each any seeds or grain flakes to taste. Ground flax and wheat germ

works well.

In a separate, small bowl mix wet ingredients:

3 tablespoons canola oil

½ cup reduced apple cider (see above)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Spread evenly on greased baking sheets. Bake for a total of

40 minutes, rotating pans and stirring granola every 10 minutes to ensure even browning.

Add any desired dried fruit after baking.

Melt Cheese Like the Swiss Skillshare

2011-11-19T17:04:00.006-05:00

by Elaine Siew

A couple weeks ago, I invited Slow Foodies over to my house to explore the decadent world of fondue and raclette. I spent a year in Switzerland as an exchange student in 2005-2006, and was very fortunate to learn about the sweet melty-cheese-magic of fondue (not just for chic 70’s parties anymore) and raclette (stinky cheese heaven). For the first time two weeks ago, I ate BOTH in one night with my fellow Slow Food cheese-lovers!

So Swiss cheese fondue (French for “melted”) is a delicious combination of Gruyere cheese, Emmental cheese (what we would commonly know as just Swiss cheese – with the holes in it), white wine, and lemon juice, with a couple subtle spices. I cooked this on the stove and then poured it into a garlic-rubbed fondue pot over a flame, but traditionally you would cook this in a heavy stoneware or cast iron “caquelon” and eat right out of it. Also, in Switzerland, you would normally just eat this with bread cubes – oh yes, carbs and cheese all night long – but at the skillshare we added grapes (and you can really dip anything that you like covered in cheese!). And we drank wine with the fondue of course, because many a Swiss person will tell you that you can only drink wine or hot tea with fondue – or you will die (seriously).

To double-dose on cheese, we also prepared raclette – my FAVORITE Swiss meal. It is basically melted raclette – a pungent-smelling, soft cheese abundant in Switzerland – over boiled potatoes and cured meats, sprinkled with cracked pepper and garnished with cornichon pickles. Traditionally, the Swiss would take a massive half-wheel of raclette and prop it over an open flame, then take a big knife and scrape off the melted layers onto the accoutrements on your plate (it’s amazing to find a raclette hut mid-mountain when you’re skiing the Swiss slopes). Today, you can buy special raclette grills – with mine, you can grill veggies on top (to also get covered in cheese, of course) while you melt slabs of raclette on little paddles in cubbies under the grill.

For dessert, we enjoyed Swiss “carac” tarts – which are tartlet shells filled with chocolate ganache and fondant, as well as bars of Cailler chocolate – the most amazing chocolate in Switzerland that they sadly do not export (but were shipped to me by a very sweet friend in Geneva).

All in all, a beautiful evening celebrating everything that is good and right about Swiss cheese, and proving yet again that you can never, never have too much cheese.

Mobile Poultry Processing with Pete and Jen

2011-11-14T23:15:00.001-05:00

By Elliot Hohn

This Fall I was lucky enough to be able to join Peter Lowyand Jennifer Hashley, founders of Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds, on theirbeautiful farm in Concord, MA to help with the harvesting of their flock ofchickens. Jen and Pete regularlyinvite volunteers to come out and get their hands dirty (or rather, bloody),and to get an up-close look at our food system in action.

Jen and Pete started raising chickens in 2003, and the farmis now home to over 600 hens, as well as pigs, rabbits, and sheep. All of theanimals on the farm are pasture-raised, with humane and sustainable practicesbeing essential aspects of Jen and Pete’s farming philosophy. Additionally, Jenand Pete are state licensed to slaughter their birds using something called aMobile Poultry Processing Unit (MPPU), which is a custom-built traileroutfitted with a killing-room, a feather-plucker, and set of processing andcleaning stations.

The long day of chicken harvesting starts early, withvolunteers arriving before 7am for coffee, home-baked bread, and a quickbriefing from Jen on evisceration techniques and hygienic practices during thehandling of freshly killed birds. Joining me for the day were a handful ofother Tufts students, a half-dozen students from the Cambridge CulinaryInstitute, and a random assortment of folks from the Concord community and fromaround Boston.

For the next six hours, we worked hard to process around 375birds, including capons, Freedom Rangers, Cornish Rocks, and even one large (andhandsome, I might add) turkey. Surrounded by good company and the feeling ofbeing a part of what is, in my opinion, one of the more impressive andrespectable operations that exists within our food system, we enjoyed a longday helping put tasty, humanely-raised chickens on the tables of Jen and Pete’s loyal customers.

To anyone who is interesting in getting gaining a deeperunderstanding of where the food they eat (or don’t eat) comes from, I wouldhighly recommend making a trip out to Jen and Pete’s place. They are a wealthof knowledge, and the experience just might change the way you look at the foodon your plate.

For more info, visit their website at http://peteandjensbackyardbirds.com/.

Formaggio Kitchen Cheese Cave Tour & Tasting

2011-11-07T20:20:00.011-05:00

by Tina Galante
Last week, 12 Tufts Slow Foodies visited Formaggio Kitchen, an artisanal cheese and specialty foods store in Cambridge, for a private tour and tasting event. The event started off with a tour of the store’s “cheese caves,” which are small underground rooms kept at the precise temperature and humidity ideal for aging young cheeses and maintaining moisture in older cheeses. Our cheese-monger, Julia (a Tufts alumn!), told us all about the store’s process of buying and importing cheese and went into great detail about the special relationships Formaggio builds with its small-scale producers.

After the tour, it was tasting time! We each got to sample a sizable hunk of 6 different cheeses, each carefully paired with a unique and delicious condiment. Arguably the biggest hit was a local raw cow’s milk Landaff cheese with an out-of-this-world tomato jam (I was hesitant at first, but I think this is my new favorite jam!). Another amazing combination was “Inspiration,” a washed rind, raw milk cheese from Vermont, paired with a piece of local dark chocolate (produced by a man who roasts his cacao beans in a toaster oven in Western Mass!)

Each cheese and condiment came with a story that gave us an even greater appreciation for the craftsmanship and care that went into each of these delicious products. It was truly the epitome of a Slow Food experience, and given that most of the group went home with at least one purchase from the store…I’d say the event was a success. :)

Thanks to Julia Hallman and Erin Weber of Formaggio Kitchen for making this event possible!

(And thanks to Rachael Kirk for the great photos!)

If any of you are interested, I’d highly recommend attending one of the upcoming events and/or classes hosted by Formaggio. Click here to check them out!

2011-11-01T12:34:00.002-04:00

Last week, the nation celebrated its first Food Day. October 24th marked a day to bring awareness to our food system and Tufts was not exempt from the festivities. Mayor Menino delivered a talk at the Sackler School about nutrition in Boston and the Friedman School screened the documentary Forks Over Knives.

Where was Slow Food among the day's events? Serving up delicious snacks! Slow Food popped New Jersey-grown organic popcorn for movie-goers to munch on. Because what's a movie without popcorn? And what's Slow Food without healthy, environmentally conscious food?

Food Day was certainly a success. People from different fields gathered to find solutions to important nutrition and agricultural problems. And Slow Food was there to fuel people's brains with delicious popcorn. Thank you to all those who attended events throughout the day, we hope you enjoyed!

Tour of Shaw Dairy: Dracut, MA

2011-10-18T10:44:00.004-04:00

Written by Glennon Beresin

This Monday, we had a GREAT time visiting Shaw Farm, a 103-year-old, fully operational Dairy Farm located in Dracut, MA. When we first arrived, we pulled into the parking lot of their pasteurizing facility that doubles as a beautiful retail space/ice cream stand. The building, we later learned, was newly constructed to incorporate epoxy flooring for pasteurizing that deters bacterial growth and is heated and cooled geothermally! While we waited for our tour leader to arrive, we excitedly scanned the ice cream coolers for post-tour purchasing. I was happy to see they carried seasonal flavors like pumpkin and apple strudel, AND had coffee Oreo, an all-time personal favorite.

Our tour leader, Warren, is the owner and manager and represents the fourth consecutive generation of their family on the farm. With his son following his footsteps, he lends the farm’s success and longevity to planned self-sufficiency and innovation. When many of his friends in the dairy business chose to opt in to cooperatives to sell milk to industrial processing, the Shaw family made the decision to remain autonomous. Like the fancy farm stand, their barn was also recently renovated with state-of-the-art ventilation to keep herd healthy. They are also always looking to expand business ventures in and around Boston, have a souped-up milk delivery truck and even a facebook page!

As we walked across the street to see the cows, we passed two gigantic trailers for raw milk storage. One tanks is for conventional milk and the other is for organic milk. Yet another reason the Farm is doing so well is that they have the ability to manage both kinds of herds successfully. By keeping the organic herd very small and in-line with the minimal demand in Dracut, they are able to fill stores in wealthier areas with their organic product (We were happy to know that even in for the conventional cows, he doesn’t use rBGH or regular antibiotics.).

Our tour ended, of course, back at the stand, where we all bought a bunch of delicious ice cream to take home! If you want to learn more about the Shaw Farm, look them up on Facebook! Bailey, their pet donkey, who we all befriended during the tour, regularly updates the site. Aside from all the great info, meeting him (he is a real donkey, very loving) was one of my highlights, along with being licked by a dairy cow.

Visit to the Cranberry Station

2011-10-12T18:18:00.000-04:00

By Katrina Brink

A small group of 5 of us Friedman students, plus one intrepid medical student, drove down to the UMass Cranberry Station in East Wareham, MA. We were soon to find out it is the only one of its kind in the world.

We were welcomed by the Integrated Pest Management Specialist, Hilary Sandler, who taught us that there are only about 55,000 acres of cranberry production worldwide, with about 14,000 acres in Massachusetts. Our guide taught us about the typical pest management and harvesting techniques used for cranberries. We also learned about some of the difficulties organic growers face in the humid climate of New England and the competition they encounter from newly minted organic cranberry growers in Quebec.

Hilary informed us that the average cranberry farmer is about 58 years old, but that fortunately there has been a recent resurgence of interest from young people getting into growing cranberries. The Director of the station, Carolyn DeMoranville, explained to us how the Ocean Spray Cooperative works and which berries get packaged fresh in bags, which get dried, and which ones are used in concentrate.

After we learned all we could about cranberries we followed Hilary out to a bog to get a first-hand look. The growers had already left for the day, but we got to enjoy the results of their work, knocking all the berries loose from the vines, so they float on the surface of the water. It was a beautiful scene of a field of floating red berries. The growers will return another day to harvest the berries by gathering them with a large boom to contain them and scoop them up so they can be packaged and/or processed.

Ms. Sandler suggested we come back next year over Columbus Day Weekend for the Cranberry Harvest Festival, so we can enjoy all the fun festivities associated with this delicious, tart fruit that is native to New England!

An Afternoon on Hutchins Farm

2011-09-28T15:06:00.000-04:00

Curly Red Russian Kale

By Kyle Foley

Hutchins Farm is a family-owned and –operated organicproduce farm less than 30 miles west of Boston in Concord, MA. Two brothers,Gordon and John Bemis, have been running the farm since 1973, and are nowjoined in the farm’s operations by Gordon’s daughter, Liza, and John’s son anddaughter-in-law, Taylor and Andrea. When a Slow Food group drove out to visitthe farm recently, we were given a tour by the farm manager, Brian Cramer, andLiza Bemis (also a Friedman student!) joined us, too. Hutchins grows a widevariety of certified organic vegetables, as well as a handful of fruit crops.They are particularly known for their greens (lettuce, kale, chard, arugula,escarole, collards, etc), but (full disclosure: I also work for the farm once aweek, but no bias, I swear!) everything they grow is delicious. Currently, it’sapple season on the farm, and root crop season, and more greens as the weathercools. Apples (as well as some other crops that Hutchins grows, like sweet corn)are particularly tricky to grow organically in New England because of pestpressure and the humid climate here (which is ripe for fungus). Because of this(not to mention because of how crunchy and tasty they are), Hutchins apples arein high demand.

Hoeing the lettuce planting

Brian showed us around several of the fields, talking as wewent about the different challenges and benefits of growing organically. Welearned a lot about the incredible variety of bugs that like to make theirhomes in the fields of different crops, and were able to see up close somepotato bugs and Mexican bean beetles, in addition to the beneficialinsects that roam the fields. Weeding takes up a good portion of the farm crew’stime and energy, and we saw a handful of crew members at work hoeing a freshlettuce planting. Brian also showed us some fallow fields planted in covercrops, and talked about the importance of good soil quality as a key componentto the farm’s success. And on our way back to the farmstand, we were able toget a good look at some tractors and cool farm implements that make the work ofplanting, weeding, irrigating, and harvesting easier.

Farmstand produce

Walking through the fields was a perfect way to spend partof a beautiful fall afternoon, and I don’t think any of us left without pickingup some vegetables (and apples) to bring home!

If you’re interested in purchasing Hutchins Farm produce,you can find them at the Central Square farmers’ market in Cambridge on Mondayafternoons, the Belmont farmers’ market on Thursday afternoons, and the UnionSquare farmers’ market in Somerville on Saturday mornings. And if you get thechance, head out to Concord to visit the farmstand at 754 Monument Street!

First Potluck of the Year!

2011-09-20T16:46:00.000-04:00

Members of Slow Food got together for our first potluck of the year. In the vein of Slow Food International's $5 meal challenge, all dishes brought had a budget limit of $5/4 people. Some recipes from our wonderful feast are attached!

Tri-Color Pasta with Kale and Sun-dried Tomatoes by Tina Galante

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup sundried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed and leaves chopped
8 ounces tri-color pasta
¼ cup parmesan cheese
Fresh basil to taste
Salt & pepper
Directions
Soak sundried tomatoes in hot water to cover for 15 minutes to soften them, then drain and thinly slice.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. In a separate large skillet, sauté the onions and garlic. Stir in kale and reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until tender.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. Drain pasta and add kale, tomatoes, and remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.

Vegan Truffles by Geeta Bhasin

This was taught to me in India by Micah Stanek who used to work in a raw-vegan café. We managed to get the ingredients together and made these truffles in the kitchen at Navdanya farm!
I think it works for a $5 recipe because of the 4 ingredients, 3 can be purchased at CVS for low cost. Coconut oil is a low-cost import, readily available at ethnic grocery stores.
I already had oats and sugar at home. I went to Shaw’s and picked up a $4 container of cocoa powder and bought a large bottle of coconut oil from Patel Brothers for $7.99. I will be able to make these many times over with the ingredients that I now have in my pantry.
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup oats
½ cup coconut oil
Thaw the coconut oil ahead of time so that it is easy to work with. Between solid and liquid is the easiest state for this recipe.
Mix dry ingredients. Add coconut oil and combine thoroughly. Roll into balls and place on floured baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour or until serving time. Best if removed shortly before serving. Makes 16 bite size truffles.
Note: If mixture is too liquidy to roll into balls, add more oats or put it all in the fridge for 5-10 minutes.

Curried Cauliflower and Carrots by Kyle Foley

Ingredients
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for topping
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 red onion, cut into eighths
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Whisk together the curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper and olive oil in a medium bowl.
Spread the cauliflower, carrots, and onion in a single layer on a large baking sheet-lined with tin foil. Drizzle with the
dressing and toss so it is thoroughly coated.
Roast the vegetables in the oven until tender and browned, about 40 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Remove to
a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil on top. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Brownies Recipe by Ryan Kring

½ lb (2 sticks) sweet butter, 4 eggs, 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, 2 cups sugar, ¾ cups all-purpose flower, 1 tsp vanilla, 2/3 cup walnuts

Melt chocolate & butter together, cool to room temp. Mix sugar, eggs, & vanilla together. Add chocolate mixture to egg mixture in thin stream while beating. Add flower. Mix well. Add nuts. Bake in greased pan for 30 min at 350.

Bean Salad by Meghan Johnson

Ingredients

* 1 (15 ounce) can green beans
* 1 pound wax beans
* 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
* 1 onion, sliced into thin rings
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Directions

1. Mix together green beans, wax beans, kidney beans, onion, sugar, vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Let set in refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

2011-09-09T14:10:00.002-04:00

Hello Slow Food Tufts!

Its a brand new academic year and we would like to welcome new and returning Tufts Slow Foodies. Your Slow Food Tufts board has a bunch of exciting events lined up to celebrate local, fair, and delicious food. Get excited for visits to a cranberry bog and local farm, potlucks and skill shares, and an end of the semester bake-off featuring Friedman's sweetest.

We will be holding our first meeting on Tuesday September 13 2:30-3:30, Location TBA

Join us for our first pot-luck of the semester where we reclaim the value meal. Bring a dish that costs under $5 to make and the recipe for the dish. Your Slow Food board will compile the recipes into a cookbook of cheap, delicious meals! This event is part of Slow Food USA's challenge to take back the value meal. More information can be found at https://secure3.convio.net/sfusa/site/SPageServer?pagename=5Challenge_Home

Welcome to Slow Food Tufts- we're excited you joined us!

Sharpening Up on Knife Skills

2011-05-07T17:32:00.008-04:00

by Jessica McGovern

About a month ago Tufts University Slow Foods Student Organization approached me to host a skillshare at my apartment to discuss knives, I gladly obliged. The evening began with some basics that included an overview of knives and knife skills and ended by using all of those meticulously cut vegetables in a tasty vegetable and herb soup. Here are some of the topics that we discussed:

Overview of Knives
You don't have to be a trained chef to produce a great meal. Knife skills are one of the fundamental components to becoming an exceptional cook. Knives come in many shapes and sizes, each having its own specific purpose. Many people become discouraged by all of the different options that are available, but it really is not necessary to have more than the four basic types of knives.

* Chef's Knife - The most versatile of all knives, with a wide blade that is 8" to 10" long. It is best to choose a knife that feels good and balanced in your hand. The knife should have a full tang (this means that the blade should go all the way through the handle for the best wear and stability).
* Paring Knife - Paring knives are generally 2-1/2-4" in length. It is ideal for peeling and coring fruits and vegetables, cutting small objects, slicing, and other hand tasks.
* Boning Knife-  This type of knife has a more flexible blade to curve around meat and bone. Generally 4-5" long.
* Bread Knife - Bread knives are usually serrated (having teeth like a saw). Most experts recommend a serrated knife that has pointed serrations instead of wavy serrations for better control and longer knife life. You must use a sawing motion when using a serrated knife.

Knife Cuts
The main point I stressed when discussing knife cuts was uniformity. If all of the pieces are about the same size the vegetables will cook evenly. One of the best ways to learn, besides doing, is by seeing. Check out this video by Bobby Flay to see how to cut red peppers and garlic (his favorite).

Knife Safety Tips

1. Chop slowly and carefully.
2. Always cut away from your body.
3. Make sure your hands are dry.
4. Make sure that you curl your fingers under on the hand holding the food. This takes a while to get used to, but will become second nature with practice. If your fingers are curled under, the chances are good you will never cut yourself.
5. Watch what you're doing at all times.
6. Using your dominant hand, hold the knife firmly and using a rocking motion, cut through the food. The knife should not leave the surface you're working on. Move your hand (with the curled under fingers) along as the knife cuts the food.
7. Always make sure that your cutting board is secured and will not move while you are cutting. Try placing a wet paper towel or dishrag underneath your board.

Sharpening and Truing
A chef once told me "a sharp knife is a happy knife." It's a little sentimental for my taste. I prefer the saying "a sharp knife is a safe and efficient knife." Having a sharp knife ensures that you have even cuts. Dull knives can become dangerous when you apply extra pressure while pressing down on the knife, the extra pressure leads to less control. There are several ways to sharpen your knife such as using a wet stone, a handheld sharpener and an electric sharpener. Personally, I prefer the handheld sharpener because it is cheap, effective, light and safe to use.

Another tool used to keep your knife sharp, but it does not actually sharpen your knife, is called a truing steel. This long, round object keeps knives sharper by straightening out the edge. To use a steel hold the knife in your dominant hand and the steel in the other, with the steel point pressed into a solid waist-high surface. Hold the knife base at the top of the steel at a 20 degree angle. Slowly draw the knife down the length of the steel, pulling the knife back so the entire blade, from base to tip, moves against the steel, as if you were slicing off pieces of the steel. Repeat on the other side. Do this five or six times.

Simple Vegetable Soup Recipe

Ingredients:
5 medium red potatoes- cut into medium cubes
2 red onions- cut into a large dice
4 carrots- peeled and cut into a large dice
1 cup mushrooms- cleaned and roughly chopped
Slow Foods members cutting up vegetables.
1 large yellow squash- cut into a large dice
1 head of garlic- peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups vegetable stock
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 fresh sage leaves
4 sprigs fresh rosemary

Directions:
1. In a large saute pan heat the olive oil and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms and yellow squash.
2. Cook the vegetables on medium-high heat for 4 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
3. Transfer the cooked vegetables to a large sauce pan. Add the potatoes and cover with the vegetable stock.
4. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Add the thyme, rosemary and sage and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
6. Season with salt and pepper if necessary and serve hot.

Check out Jessica's blog: Great Eat-spectations!

Brew-off and “Beer Luck”: What More Could You Ask For?

2011-05-02T10:58:00.015-04:00

by Nicole Tichenor

As a devoted beer drinker, I can safely say that yesterday’s Brew off and Beer Luck was my favorite SFT event of the year. A lot of other people probably agree, because those two rooms full of homebrewed beer were packed with people (over 100 members of the Tufts graduate community attended!) Here’s how the night went: everyone brought a glass, and we were able to choose 6 -7 beers of the 19 (!) to try, just to make sure everyone got enough tastes. Meanwhile, there was an esteemed panel of judges tasting each beer and scoring them. From Cambridge Brewing Company we had Will Meyers, Brewmaster and Megan Parisi, Head Brewer. The other judges were Dave Lytton, who works at the Modern Homebrew Emporium and James Nicholson, who runs Mystic Brewery.

The homebrewers were from several schools at Tufts: the medical, dental, urban and environmental policy and planning program, Fletcher school, and nutrition schools. The diversity of backgrounds matched the diversity of beers entered in the competition – everything from Black Saison and India Pale Ales to American Style Black Ale. It was really interesting to hear the brewers (fellow students) describe their beers like seasoned professionals. One of the pairs of brewers told me that their Oatmeal Stout was made with a real bowl of oatmeal with all the fixins in it. It’s my new favorite breakfast!

At the end of the night, the winners were announced. The students picked Kristin Irvin and Greg Saia’s Pale Ale as the 2nd place winner and gave the gold to Melissa Page’s “Vitamin Apri-Hop.” The judges’ pick was the Gluten Free Pale Ale brewed by Friedman student Alyssa Koomas. The judges also picked favorites in the different beer categories. For Classic Styles, 2nd place went to Sam Barber’s IBU-tiful, and 1st went to Scott Recksiedler for his California Common lager. Scott also took 2nd place in the specialty category for his Pumpkin Ale, which was like fall in a glass. 1st place specialty beer went to Alyssa’s Gluten Free Pale Ale. For darks/lagers, 1st place went to Kate Abowd Johnson, who brewed a powerful wood-aged beer, called Bourbon Trail Stout. 2nd place in that category went to Sarah Kasten’s American Style Black Ale, which was one of my favorites of the night.

Many thanks to our judges, donors, brewers and participants. Thanks also to our sponsors who donated wonderful prizes: Modern Homebrew Emporium, Redbones BBQ in Davis Square, Christopher's Restaurant, Cambridge Common, Mystic Brewery, and Cambridge Brewing Co.

We’re looking forward to Brew-off 2012 already!

Cambridge Brewing Company: A Tasting and Tour

2011-04-27T22:24:00.004-04:00

Cambridge Brewing Company: A Tasting and Tour

by Sarah Kasten

Last Saturday, a group of us gathered at Cambridge Brewing Company in Kendall Square for a tasting and tour led by CBC head brewer Megan Parisi. She and fellow CBC brewer, Jay Sullivan , gave us through a full introduction to the art of brewing and a tasting of CBC's diverse beers. We walked through CBC's brewing facilities, learning all about how this brewery makes and stores its many varieties. A great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon. Here are some highlights:

-Megan showed us three malts that they use in varying combinations to create a variety of beers: Regatta Golden, a light, crisp Kolsch-style beer, the cararmel-like Cambridge Amber ale, and the Charles River Porter loved by the coffee fiends among us. Malts can add a range of flavors and colors to the finished beer. The malts are all created from the same raw grains (usually barley, but sometimes wheat or oats) and then roasted. The different flavors and colors the different types of malts are created entirely by the temperature and length of the roasting process. Megan was keen to highlight that brewing really is about taking a raw agricultural product and turning it into something entirely new. CBC works closely with its suppliers to maintain consistency through growing seasons and sources, adjusting their own recipes in some cases in order to stay true to their well-known beers.

-CBC was started 22 years ago, before the model of the brew-pub had become popular in the U.S. Not knowing whether the restaurant would be a success or not, the main brewing kettle was stationed in the center of the dining room. The gas burners and the kettle of steaming wort generate so much heat that CBC's brewers are up at the crack of dawn to brew so that the dining room has cooled down by the time the restaurant opens for lunch.

-When asked about current brewing trends, Megan and Jay were thoughtful in their responses The industry has definitely benefited from a surge in consumer interest in microbreweries. On the one hand, this has led to some consolidation in the industry as large beverage corporations seek to expand their market share. On the other hand, the brewers named several examples of start-up breweries in Massachusetts alone, noting a trend towards nano-breweries, who typically produce just one or two barrels at a time. Either way, it seems like an exciting time for beer in America with high-quality beers becoming increasingly available to consumers and a new generation of producers striking out on their own!

Thanks to Cambridge Brewing Company for hosting the event! Check out their website for more information about their beers: http://www.cambrew.com/.

Olive Oil: How Much Do You Know?

2011-04-15T11:35:00.004-04:00

For SF Tufts April meeting, Olive Oil Importer and Governor of Slow Food New England Rosemary Melli came to teach our group how to properly taste olive oil, and tips and tricks for purchasing good olive oil (even on a budget). Here's a little taste of what we learned at the event!

Intro facts about olive oil:
*Most of the olive oil in the United States is actually vegetable oil (either canola/other vegetable oil or olive oil made from lower quality olives) mixed with up to 30% real olive oil to impart the signature color/taste of olive oil.

*Extra-virgin olive oil has an acidity of less than 1%. Good EVOO will have an acidity of around 0.3%. The acidity comes from a certain amount of oleic acid in the olives. EVOO olives will be picked and then taken to the mill between 24 hours to 3 days after being taken off the tree.

*It takes 3 kilos of olives (about 6.6 pounds) to produce one bottle (about 1 liter) of olive oil.

*Olive trees take about 20 years to become mature enough to bear fruit.

*The California olive oil industry is growing, and is starting to produce high quality olive oil. Look out for this oil in the future!

*The National Organic label in Italy is called "Biologica"

The life of an olive oil importer
Rosemary goes back to Italy every year to check in with olive oil growers and producers to see how their product is made. She shared pictures with us of beautiful olive trees, families working in the field, and the Italian countryside. But the best olive oil does not always have to come from Italy-- it depends on what tastes you look for in olive oil. Spain exports some great olive oil, and Rosemary mentioned that she has started to explore Turkish olive oils as well!

Rosemary has noticed that the olive oil industry has become more mechanized. The children of families who used to pick olives now all work in cities in the IT industries, so olive oil producers now hire Slavic workers or purchase machines to pick the olives.

Tips for purchasing/storing olive oil
1. Look for the harvest date on the bottle. Olive oil has the best nutritional and taste properties when consumed less than 18 months after harvest. After that, the oil will lose some flavor and antioxidants.

2. Pure olive oil will congeal when stored in the fridge-- this is an easy way to find out if your olive oil is pure or not!

3. Store your olive oil away from oxygen, light, and heat. Metal containers imparts a certain flavor to the oil, so store your olive oil in ceramic, glass, or even plastic. Olive oil should be stored away from the stove. Good places to store oil are cool cabinets, a basement, or the fridge.

Steps to tasting olive oil
The International Olive Oil Council will have a tasting yearly to test different varieties of olive oils from around the world. Here's how they do it (notice the similarities to tasting wine).

1. Color: Look for a fresh green or golden color. In a real competition, a blue cup would be used to mask the color of the oil so that the judges aren't biased by a brighter color.
2. Circulate the olive oil in the tasting cup to release odors.
3. Add a little bit of heat to the oil by rubbing the cup on the palm of your hand.
4. Smell (enjoy this step!)
5 Sip the oil out of the cup by breathing air in as you sip. The oil will hit your tongue-- swallow!
6. You'll notice a peppery flavor at the back of your palate. This flavor is stronger after harvest and can be overwhelming for people who are not used to the flavor. What you're tasting is the antioxidants in the oil!

Friedman and the Chocolate Factory

2011-03-31T18:24:00.006-04:00

by Ellen Cynar

A group of Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition students recently had the sweet pleasure of touring the Taza Chocolate Factory located in Somerville, MA. The tour was a combined force of Slow Foods Tufts and Tufts Food Works, looking to see good, clean and fair business in action. We began our tour by learning about the history of Taza and its production philosophy. Taza, which means cup in Spanish, was started by Alex Whitmore and Larry Slotnick who wanted to get back to the roots (or the beans) of chocolate making. Emulating Mexican-style artisan chocolate, Taza crafts 100% stone-ground chocolate with a unique, slightly gritty texture. The company considers itself ingredient obsessed, using only high-end, organic chocolate.

DID YOU KNOW: Taza is one of the few “bean-to-bar” chocolate companies in the United States? This means Taza makes their chocolate in the Somerville factory, beginning with raw cacao beans.

While sampling Taza’s delicious chocolate, the group learned about the process of growing and harvesting cacao beans. Taza works directly with farmers in the Dominican Republic through a Direct Trade Agreement, which seeks to provide fair compensation to farmers in exchange for high quality, environmentally conscious, cacao crops.

DID YOU KNOW: Cacao beans come from pods grown on trees and vary in color from yellows to greens to reds? Different colored pods can grow on the same tree.

After donning very stylish hairnets, we made our way back into the factory where we checked out the roasting and winnowing (de-shelling) machines to learn how to process cacao beans. We sampled cacao nibs, which are the little pieces of roasted cacao beans that can be covered in chocolate and used for snacking, baking or toppings.

DID YOU KNOW: Roasting cacao beans give off the smell of brownies? This brings new meaning to the idea of “occupational hazard”.

A few additional samples later, we made our way into Taza’s shipping and packaging room and learned how Taza lovingly wraps those perfectly round Mexicano chocolate disks. Taza works to create a sustainable product starting with sourcing all the way to packaging and delivery. Shipping is kept to a minimum with direct sourcing and Taza utilizes UPS carbon neutral shipping for long journeys.

DID YOU KNOW: Taza chocolate is delivered locally via pedal power? Taza partners with Metro Pedal Power for Boston, Cambridge and Somerville deliveries.

Hairnets removed, the group moved back into the Factory Store area to finish learning about the chilling and molding process of Taza chocolate, and of course, try more samples. Some favorites included Guajillo Chili, Salt and Pepper and for the pure at heart, Cacao Puro.

Slow Foods Tufts and Tufts Food Works would like to thank Taza and its generous staff for coordinating such a delicious event. Visit Taza Chocolate's website for more information about the company, their chocolate or to go on a tour of your own. Don't worry, we left some samples behind. For more information regarding nutrition and agriculture private sector connections, please visit Tufts Food Works' website.

All About Lobster

2011-03-24T22:45:00.011-04:00

(This post written by Slow Food Tufts member Bridget McElroy)

Lobster was the topic and the guest of honor at the March 17th Slow Food Tufts meeting. Jim Lynch took time out of his busy schedule at the Lynch Lobster Company in Beverly, MA, to speak to the group about the different aspects of the lobster business including catching, sourcing, marketing, shipping, sustainability issues, and some tasty recipes. With him, he brought two live lobsters to teach us about the legal lobster size and to give us a little lobster anatomy lesson.

Jim and his two brothers represent the third generation of their family to work in the lobster business, as their grandfather started his own company in the industry in 1925. In 1994, the three brothers branched out to start their own small, hands-on, local live lobster distribution business with a national and international scope. According to Jim, the lobster industry produces 200-225 million pounds per year and does about a billion dollars worth of business annually. In general, the industry is divided up into small companies like Lynch’s, which do about $1-5 million in sales annually. Many of these companies are primarily involved in buying from lobstermen along the coast in New England and Canada and then distributing the product to various points along the supply chain. Lynch Lobster Company sells directly to consumers, restaurants, retailers, processors, or larger distributors, and can process between 5 and 10 thousand lobsters per day.

Although not one himself, Lynch personally knows many lobstermen (the only contracts his company has with lobster fishermen are based on a handshake) and he is very familiar with the political and environmental factors that affect them. We learned that in recent years, catch numbers have gone up significantly, partially because of regulations that have increased the stock. Policies have continued to raise the minimum size of lobsters that can be caught (meaning more lobsters are thrown back and allowed to keep growing and breeding) and they also require larger escape vents on traps (releasing lobsters from any traps lost by fishermen). Another very important factor that Jim pointed out is the reduced number of cod and haddock due to over-fishing. These fish are a lobster’s natural predators, and lobster populations have thrived since fish numbers in certain areas have dwindled.

Despite increased catch numbers, lobstermen in New England continue to face price fluctuations that sometimes pay them an unsustainable wage, especially during the off season (November-May). Additionally, in most cases, lobstermen don’t have much choice about where and when to sell their catch, and just sell to local middlemen at that day’s market price. Regulations in New England that limit the processing of whole lobsters are unfavorable to those who might want to start a value-added enterprise of their own – especially as value-added products like lobster tails and lobster meat have grown in popularity in recent years. Competition with Canada’s government-subsidized lobster processing industry is also a formidable challenge.

Jim Lynch’s many years of experience in the lobster business made him quite an enlightening guest to have. His enthusiasm for his family business, the industry, cooking, and lobsters in general made it a thoroughly enjoyable talk. At the end of his presentation, we all got to put our names in a hat for the chance to bring home two Lynch lobsters. Maggie Holmes (pictured left with the catch) was the lucky winner and I’m sure she prepared a delicious dinner that night.

Thank you to Jim Lynch and the Lynch Lobster Company, and to the Slow Food Tufts officers for organizing this fun talk!

2nd Annual Slow Food Tufts Brew-Off!

2011-03-15T18:10:00.022-04:00

Yes, spring is in the air. The piles of gritty snow are finally almost gone, brave tulip and crocus shoots are poking up, and yes, the smell of freshly-brewed, and quietly fermenting beer is in the air. Or at least it is in my closet, where I have my freshly minted batch of homebrew fermenting away, just in time for this year's second annual SLOW FOOD TUFTS STUDENT HOMEBREW COMPETITION!

Calling all brewers and brewer-curious folks in the Tufts graduate student community! Get your worts started now, as submissions to enter the brew-off are due April 1st! More details on how to enter are below (and in case you missed the fun of last year's competition, I've included a brief write up and photos of the event).

Slow Food Tufts Brew-off and Beer Luck!

Thursday, April 28

5:30 to 7:30 pm

Jaharis Cafe - Boston Campus

What is a brew-off?

A brew-off is a fancy name for a student home-brew competition- ALL Tufts graduate students, including Slow Food Tufts members, are eligible to enter. Don't have your own equipment? Collaborate and enter with a friend! Beer will be judged by a panel of expert brewers and beer aficionados. Prizes go to judges' and student favorites. Brewers must submit at least 1- 6 pack or 3- 22oz bottles of their home-brew, but are encouraged to bring more to share!

What is a beer-luck?

SFT's twist on the traditional potluck - instead of a dish to pass, bring your favorite beer to share with others!

How to enter the competition...

In order to officially enter the brew-off, email your name, school/program and type of beer you'll be brewing to rachael.kirk@tufts.edu by APRIL 1st! Any entries received after this date cannot be guaranteed entry into the competition.

Sarah Kasten, Rachael Kirk, Bridget McElroy, Juli Obudzinski

Brew-off committee

Highlights from Slow Food Tufts 2010 Brew-Off...

Over 100 graduate students from the Frieman, Dental, Medical, Fletcher and UEP Schools crammed crammed into the Jaharis Cafe on the Boston campus on April 29, 2010, for our first ever graduate student homebrew competition! Even former Dean Irwin Rosenberg showed up to partake in all the beer tasting festivities!

The brew-off started with a general tasting, where students, accustomed to the nature of Slow Food events, filled up their own tasting mugs/thermoses/mason jars/dixie cups with 2oz samples of beers that were entered into the Brew off. Students also brought various and sundry beers to contribute to the Beer-Luck, so rest assured, there was plenty to imbibe in.

18 homebrewers entered a total of 16 beers in the competition, which were judged in 3 separate categories.

Group 1: Ales, Pilsners, Blondes (India Pale Ale, Honey Blonde, Classic American Pilsner, California Common, Pale Ale and an India Red Ale)

Group 2: Belgian/Wheat (Belgian, Ginger Wheat, Belgian Triple, Weizenbock, and Heffeweizen)

Group 3: Darks (German Alt, Porter, Altbier, and Gingered Pale Ale)

Our esteemed panel of judges included Randy Baril, owner of the Modern Homebrew Emporium in Cambridge; Joe Connolly, beer buyer at Gordon's Liquor in Watertown; David Lytton, certified beer judge and tour guide at Harpoon Brewery; and Bert Boyce, beerologist at Samuel Adam's Brewery in Jamaica Plains.

Beers were judged on aroma, flavor, appearance, mouthfeel and overall impression. The winning brews included the Pale Ale, submitted by Friedman students Vladamir Kustanovich and Jesse Roberts, the Belgian Triple, submitted by Dental School student Scott Recksiedler, and the Gingered Dark Ale submitted by UEP student Alex Reisman.

Prizes included Samuel Adam's merchandise, a selection of collectors edition craft brews, gift certificates to the Cambridge Brewing Company, Lord Hobo, and the Modern Homebrew Emorium.

Last year's brew off was an absolute blast, and proved to be THE perfect way to wind down an otherwise chaotic spring semester. So mark your calendars for this year's competition - THURSDAY APRIL 28TH, and if you're thinking about brewing, submissions are due the week after spring break on FRIDAY APRIL 1ST.

Let the brewing begin!

Tufts Does Trivia!

2011-03-10T18:00:00.000-05:00

Here on the downtown Boston campus of Tufts, we have several separate schools full of grad students working towards degrees in the health sciences (nutrition, dentistry, public health, medicine, biomedical science, and more). While we all pass by each other in the library and around campus, it’s not often that we have events involving more than one school. This all changed on a recent Thursday night, when students from the Friedman, Dental, Medical, PHPD, and Sackler programs came together to test their trivia knowledge! With questions submitted by professors from various disciplines, as well as some pop culture and Boston-specific trivia, everyone had their chance to shine – and to be occasionally stumped. Teams combining brainpower from various schools did appear to have an advantage in the competition, with both the winning and runner-up teams bringing together different programs.

Matthew Hast, Director of Admissions at the Friedman School, was a fantastic host for the night as he took the 100 or so students in the room through eight rounds of questions. Afterwards, everyone was able to mingle (and debate some of the answers) at Sweetwater Tavern nearby.

Some fun facts we learned throughout the night:

o The Boston Marathon began in 1897!

o It takes 5000 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef.

o Only 2 – 3% of Massachusetts residents are currently uninsured for health insurance, compared to 15% in the general U.S. population.

o There are more than twice as many players on the New England Patriots roster than OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) inspectors in Massachusetts. (67 Patriots, 33 OSHA inspectors)

Slow Food would like to thank the PHPD program, Medical School, and Dental School for their help in organizing Trivia Night, and particularly the PHPD program for providing everyone with pizza! We hope everyone had a great time, and look forward to more cross-campus events.

Bread-Baking Skillshare

2011-03-07T20:22:00.007-05:00

This past Saturday, three Tufts Slow Foodies (Maya Behar, Maggie Holmes, and I) squeezed into a tiny, yet lovely kitchen in Somerville to learn all about the art of hearth bread-baking from our very own Nicole Tichenor. Nicole took us through a recipe for Pain de Campagne, or “country bread”, explaining all of the intricacies involved in the two day process. For time’s sake, Nicole prepared three loaves (two boules and her first baguette) in advance so that she could show us how to set up the oven for hearth baking. The hearth baking method involves placing a skillet filled with water on the top rack and misting water on the sides of the oven to produce steam, causing the bread to rise rapidly and resulting in a delightfully crispy crust. The loaves were done in only about 15 minutes but required at least 45 minutes to cool, leaving us with plenty of time to chat about everything from wedding planning to the science behind good bread. Amidst the conversation, Nicole put the three of us to work to create our own batch of dough, using the starter, or Pâte Fermentée, she prepared the day before. We each took turns mixing ingredients and kneading the dough until the consistency and temperature was just right and ready for the first of several rises. We rounded out the afternoon with a small taste of the finished baguette and each left the skillshare armed with a loaf of freshly baked bread, a printed step-by-step recipe, and the knowledge and confidence necessary to try hearth bread-baking in our own kitchens. In fact, Maya wasted no time and picked up some bread flour and yeast on her way home!

Three key take aways from the skillshare:

1) Use good quality ingredients

2) Follow directions EXACTLY (this is where I usually go wrong!)

3) Stay focused and “keep your head in the bread”

Thanks again to Nicole for sharing her bread-baking skills with us!

Vanishing of the Bees screening: Bad News but Sweet Honey

2011-02-28T16:00:00.005-05:00

Students in the Agriculture, Food and Environment program (or students who take Ag classes at Tufts) learn a lot about soil science, fertilizer use, and most of the inputs necessary for plants to grow inside our agricultural system. But rarely do we hear about the pollination services (namely, honeybees) that are also needed to grow most of the food we eat (in fact, 1 out of every 3 bites of food that you take is produced with the help of honeybee pollination).

This Sunday, Slow Food Boston, Slow Food Tufts, and Slow Food BU teamed up to host a screening of the documentary “Vanishing of the Bees.” This movie, narrated by Ellen Page (Juno and Inception) shed light on the current research into Colony Collapse Disorder, how it affects different beekeepers, its implications on agriculture, food safety and society as a whole, and what is being done to remedy the situation. I highly recommend the documentary for anyone interested in learning more about beekeeping and pollination services in agriculture and current events related to Colony Collapse Disorder. This issue may turn out to be a large political and scientific problem in the near future, and all Slow Foodies should educate themselves about it in order to best promote clean and fair food.

After the movie, a panel of local beekeepers(including Golden Rule Honey and Allandale Honey Co) discussed their feelings about the film and their personal experience working with beehives. One overarching theme of both the film and the panel is that there is a new wave of hobby beekeepers in the U.S. Many major cities (including Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and New York) have made backyard beekeeping legal again, and Michelle Obama even installed a beehive into the organic garden at the White House. Lastly, we all got to taste the delicious, original honey produced by these local beekeepers. Local honey has such a distinct taste, and can change in taste and color depending on what crops honeybees get pollen from.

It was a pleasure to watch this eye-opening film, hear from local apiarists (and taste their honey) and meet members of Slow Food Boston and Slow Food BU. Hopefully there will be many more opportunities to collaborate on events in the future!

Watch the trailer here:

Vanishing of the Bees - Trailer from Bee The Change on Vimeo.

Also, thank you to Slow Food BU for hosting the event!

Slow Food tea-tasting

2011-02-28T10:23:00.010-05:00

I was lucky enough to hold a tea-tasting last week, with the sponsorship and support of Slow Food Tufts. The turnout was a bit low, but this has a lot to do with the date chosen, President's Day, when a lot of people are gone for the weekend. Still, the company was lovely and we had some great teas!

Preparing for the event, I headed down to the Tea Zone at 15 Elm Street, Somerville, where I was amazed by the selection of teas. After careful browsing, I finally purchased 2 oz. of peach white, 2 oz. of Milima estate black, 2 oz. of cream Earl Grey, and 1 oz. of gyokuro green. The guy behind the counter was really nice, and I was unhappy to notice a "for lease" sign on the front window as I walked out.

I then went to the supermarket and got ingredients, out of which I made blueberry muffins and new-to-me cucumber sandwiches, which were just those little pumpernickel cocktail breads, with chive cream cheese and cucumber slices on top. Recipes for those vary somewhat; this was my own variation.

In attendance was Elana Brochin who brought with her a minty "tisane" (or herbal tea), Isaac Anderson (engineering grad student) who brought his delicious homemade chai latte, Catherine Owens who brought a smorgasbord of teas from her travels in Bolivia as well as some deluxe jasmine green tea, and Becca Weaver who dashed over from a flurry of meetings to join us.

We started with the gyokuro green, a premium Japanese tea that called for just two minutes of steeping with comparatively cool, 140 degree F water. This produced a very light brew with a surprisingly rich, earthy flavor. Next was the jasmine green tea that Catherine brought with her, which, simply upon opening the tin in which the tea came, elicited oo's and sighs from everyone around the table. The jasmine was indeed very strong in that pot and left my apartment with a pleasant after-smell, which was complemented well by the next pot we brewed, the peppermint-clove tisane brought by Elana. We made the collective decision that an herbal, non-caffeinated tea would be good for our next round, and it was a good choice, with the herbs opening up our throats and tasting like a summer garden.

It was at this point that Elana had to leave our company and we were sad to see her go. After that, our tea-time looked more like this:At this point, we made the decision to get into the teas of which I'm particularly fond: the black teas. Most commonly, these are your Liptons and Tetleys, etc. However, I had purchased the Milima estate black earlier and was raring to give it a try. Kenyan teas are generally of the Assam variety (generally what is used to make Irish breakfast teas), making very strong, dark brews. Unfortunately, I simply overdid the steeping time while my favorite teapot's spout became clogged. As a result, this was our least successful pot, becoming bitter with tannins, though it made an excellent case for the value of milk or cream in darker black teas.

Around this time, we all start getting both a bit giggly from caffeine and a bit groggy from two hours of tea-drinking, but we pressed on to one of my favorite teas, and probably my very favorite flavored tea: cream Earl Grey. Tealuxe sells this as Creme de la Earl Grey, but they are made the same way, by adding vanilla oil to Earl Grey tea, which is usually black tea with bergamot (a kind of citrus) oil on it. The result is a truly creamy taste (including the texture which is very slightly oily due to the added flavors), and Becca noted aptly its similarity to yellow birthday cake.

Though that sounded like dessert, we decided at that point that our tea-tasting needed to wind down, as we all noted emerging hiccups and general fa-tea-gue. It was time for one more treat: Isaac's homemade chai latte. Boxed Oregon Chai is simply no replacement for authentic chai latte, but even less so for it being freshly made and brought to your home in a glass jar. As we finished, we all breathed a sigh of relief, and also gradually realized that three hours had passed, with us simply sitting in one place, enjoying novel flavors and each other's company without noticing President's Day slowly passing us by. Numerous cucumber sandwiches, almost a whole pan of muffins, and five pots of tea plus a jar of chai latte later, my friends went home with some extra of their favorite new discoveries in tow and the feeling of freshness and subtle elation that tea delivers. I very sincerely hope that we can do this again soon.

Thanks to Slow Food Tufts for your sponsorship of this event!

-Jeff Hake

Tedx Manhattan "Changing the Way We Eat" viewing party

2011-02-27T18:47:00.004-05:00

When you’re a student at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy, it can sometimes feel like food is all you think or talk about. Earlier this month, though, it wasn’t just on our minds: thousands of other Americans tuned in to watch an eclectic, thoughtful line-up of speakers give creative, inspiring thoughts on how to change the global food system. The Tedx Manhattan “Changing the way we eat” event was held in NYC and webcast live to households and viewing parties. Several members of Slow Food Tufts attended a viewing party hosted by the MIT Food & Agriculture Collaborative, a new campus group “actively engaged in advocating for and supporting the development of a more sustainable food system” at MIT and around the world.

Slow Food members, MIT students and other guests enjoyed a delicious all-day potluck along with a full day of innovative and interesting conversations and talks. There was plenty of local NYC flavor, including Columbia professor Michael Conard’s New York foodshed analysis, a local business leader’s outline of Harlem’s efforts to reform its food landscape, and Dan Barber of Blue Hill restaurant, who shared the amazing story of a 27,000-acre fish farm so healthy it doesn’t need to feed its fish and “measures its success by the health of its predators.” Presenters described dozens of creative solutions to changing the way we eat, from DIY window farms to farms in pick-up trucks to innovative financing options for sustainable food entrepreneurs. Lucas Knowles from the USDA’s “Know your Farmer, Know your Food” initiative described examples of successful partnerships between industry and agriculture. And there were several other giants from the sustainable food movement, including Brian Halweil, Laurie David and Slow Food USA President Josh Viertel. Slow Food members were inspired by his description of his foray into enlightened eating and social change and of the challenges of voting with your fork when the incumbent—fast, convenient food—is the only option. See the rest of the line-up here.

TED is the 25-year-old non-profit devoted to “ideas worth spreading” that began as a conference linking people from the fields of technology, entertainment and design. Since then, TED has expanded with global talks, conferences, prizes, and fellowship programs in fields ranging from medicine to music, and also created TEDx, a program of independent, local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

First Spring Potluck: a delicious success!

2011-02-18T14:14:00.004-05:00

Last night, members of Slow Food Tufts gathered at Maggie's house for a delicious potluck. We took a break from our studies to eat, drink, and talk. Conversation was never dull, and it was a great event for getting to know fellow Slow Foodies.

As always, the highlight of the event was the diverse, tasty food that everyone brought. We even ate an entire (relatively) large slice of double cream Brie... and opened a second package! Sarah Kasten brought homemade chutney that reminded us all of Christmas spices, Kyle made a yummy Baby Arugula Salad, and Emily brought Mochi for dessert. Ever the fan of wrapping appetizers, Maggie made Bacon and Kimchi wrapped Tofu, which was delicious!

In addition, we felt that it would be great to start compiling lists of recipes, so that people could make what they tried at the potluck. Here are some recipes from this potluck, see you at the next one!

Quinoa- Black Bean Salad with Smoky Lime Dressing
(made by Jesse Appelman, recipe from the NY Times)

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa (Inca Red from Ancient Harvest)
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

Preparation
Place the quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.

Lower heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Stir in the green onions, black beans, and cilantro.

Puree the remaining ingredients together in a food processor; pour over quinoa and stir to coat with dressing. Adjust seasoning with salt and additional lime juice if desired.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4-6

Kale Mashed Potatoes
Made by Tina Galante

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds potatoes, cut into chunks (I like to leave skins on)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, large stems stripped and discarded, leaves chopped
1/2+ cup warm milk and/or cream
2-3 tablespoons salted butter
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:
Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes. Then add the chopped kale, a pinch of salt, and saute until tender.

Mash the potatoes with a potato masher or fork. Add butter and slowly stir in the milk and/or cream until the texture is smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the kale.

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Made by Rachael Kirk

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, then stir in vanilla and peppermint extracts. Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Bacon/Kimchi Wrapped Tofu
Made by Maggie Holmes

1. purchase 1 pound of kimchi (preferably in long strips, not chopped), 1/2
pound of bacon, 1 packet extra firm tofu.
2. cut the tofu into cubes.
3. wrap the kimchi around the tofu
4. wrap the bacon around the kimchi/tofu and secure with toothpicks
5. broil on high for 8-10 minutes to heat through and crisp up the bacon
6. gobble down with a pack of your funnest pals!

Tufts film students premiere "From Farm to Table"

2011-01-12T13:45:00.003-05:00

This article was originally published in The Friedman Sprout on January 7, 2011.

Conversation and concern about local agriculture and food systems continue to crop up on the Tufts Medford campus, and sometimes in surprising ways. The latest is a film produced by four undergraduate students called “From Farm to Table”.
The film premiered on December 15^th, 2010 as part of a series of documentaries focused on social change, which included pieces on the struggles of bicyclists in Boston and alleged abuses by Immigration and Naturalization Services against Boston’s immigrant population. The films emerged from a course called Producing Films for Social Change, offered through the Tufts Experimental College and the Tisch School of Civic Engagement.
“From Farm to Table” explores the local farm and food movement through the lens of a few programs in the Boston area. Chief among these is a program run through the Friedman School called the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, which trains and supports new and immigrant farmers in New England. The filmmakers interviewed both staff members and participants in the program to gain insight into the importance of local food and what it takes grow food in the challenging Northeast region.
Mitchell Geller, a senior Psychology and English double major and one of four filmmakers of “From Farm to Table”, entered the film course without knowing what he would be undertaking as a project. Despite an interest in food “on some level”, local food was not on his radar. However, after group members Shaye Martin, Bonny Chau and Sally Ehrlich did more research on the topic and heard that New Entry was willing to participate in the process, “the film really took shape”, said Geller by e-mail.
The four students quickly discovered that they were in up to their necks in information about local food. “The hardest part,” said Geller, “was trying to decide what to include and what to cut.” While they ultimately struck a balance between featuring New Entry and the local food issue in general, Geller recognized that “New Entry could be the subject of a feature-length film in and of itself.”
This balance was struck by addressing food production on one end of the local food system, through New Entry, and local food consumption on the other end, by interviewing customers and the manager of the Bedford Farmers’ Market. Geller says that they found all their interviewees to be open and enjoyable to talk to and learn from. However, his favorite may have been meeting New Entry farmer Rechhat Proum.
Proum features strongly in the film. After the interview with Jen Hashley (director of New Entry) concluded, she introduced them to him. A clear character who fills the screen with an infectious smile, Proum describes why New Entry is so important to him. Geller exulted in his enthusiasm for farming and the program that has enabled him to do what he loves since he emigrated here from Cambodia. “That day on the farm was one of our most memorable,” said Geller, “especially as Proum made sure we tried everything he grew.”
The enthusiasm and humor of subjects like Proum and the other farmers, the calm, informed determination of Jen Hashley and the other staffers, and the richness of color and texture offered by farmscapes and fresh produce are what makes this film jump off the screen. But it’s the informed research and capable editing of its makers that engrossed the audience at its premier. It was well-received then, and now that it has been posted to YouTube, it has had “a fair number of views” and continues to receive praise. Geller said that there may be a few more screenings in the next few months. To stay informed about the film, he noted the film’s Twitter feed @FromFarm2Table.
-Jeff Hake

Presentation by the Student Farmworker Alliance and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers

2010-12-30T01:17:00.010-05:00

In the news over the past few years, you may have heard phrases like "Boot the Bell" and "One Penny More" amongst stories of abused farmworkers and debt slavery on American soil. These phrases and the public knowledge of farmworkers rights' abuses are the responsibility of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and the Student Farmworker Alliance (SFA). And on December 9th, these groups paid a visit to Tufts' Fletcher School.

Meghan Cohorst of SFA and Cruz Salucio of CIW came to Boston and spoke at dozens of events for over a week while they were in the area. The Friedman School's Slow Food Tufts and the Fletcher School's Human Rights Project, Migration Club, and PRAXIS journal worked jointly to coordinate and sponsor the event, including providing catering from Central Square's Harvest Co-op.

The Crowe Room was quickly filled with over 20 undergraduate and graduate Tufts students, who listened eagerly to the discussion lead by Meghan and Cruz. Their discourse made for a fascinating scene, as Meghan largely spent her effort translating for the audience as Cruz, a former teacher and farmer who emigrated from Guatemala, spoke comfortably in Spanish. They began by describing who they were and why they were going around the country. The CIW and SFA are working jointly to speak up for farmworkers in Immokalee and elsewhere in Florida as well as around the United States who are abused by their employers, most often in the pocket but also physically and psychologically. Often these workers are held in a form of slavery wherein they receive below minimum wage pay and are hit with exorbitant "fees" for basic employer services and are not allowed to leave their work for any reason including family, healthy or financial issues through fear of violence. In these situations, their status as undocumented workers leaves them with no legal recourse and little hope of escaping the oppressive cycle of debt slavery.

After their introduction, Meghan and Cruz showed a film, a news report made several years ago that documented their efforts to better the lives of farmworkers. The workers in Immokalee, Florida typically harvest tomatoes and citrus fruit. They are paid by the bucketful; therefore, the faster they can harvest, the more money they make. However, even the fastest worker is rarely able to make anything close to a living wage because the pay received per bucket is simply too low. The film captured the effort by CIW to increase the pay of these workers by going straight to the top. Much of the tomatoes harvested in Immokalee goes to fast food restaurant chains, so the CIW took their protest to YUM! brands, namely, Taco Bell. Through their "Boot the Bell" campaign, the CIW worked for years through letter-writing, boycotts, marches, and hunger strikes to increase the pay that workers receive per bucket by one penny. After nearly a decade of effort, the film captured the triumph of the CIW to secure the pay raise.

Cruz Salucio (L) and Meghan Cohorst take questions from the audience.

After the film, Cruz and Meghan took questions from the event attendees, who conversed with the presenters in both English and Spanish. Meghan and Cruz discussed their upcoming campaign to take on other players in the food system supply chain, including several grocery store chains, and their continued efforts to pull back the veil that hides the abuse and debt slavery of farmworkers in the United States. The event served to explain the history and rationale for these major campaigns, and also to bring these efforts to new people and regions, who can both learn from them as well as get involved in the struggle.

David Sussman of the Human Rights Project signs up to get involved with the SFA and CIW.

Thank you to Meghan Cohorst and Cruz Salucio, as well as Beth Tuckey, Elise Garvey, Elizabeth Burgess, Rebecca Nemec, Signe Porteshawver, Isabel Leon, Sarah Strong, Ronit Ridberg, Slow Food Tufts, PRAXIS, the Migration Club, the Human Rights Project, the Fletcher School, the Friedman School, the Harvest Co-op, and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Student Farmworker Alliance for making this fantastic event possible.

Upcoming CIW/SFA event: On February 27th, 2011, farmworkers and allies from across the Northeast will gather in Boston for a major action to call on Stop & Shop - and its parent company Ahold USA - to work with the CIW.
Organizers will be in Boston from mid-January through February in preparation for the event. If you are interested in organizing a presentation in your class, congregation or organization, please contact Meghan Cohorst at meghan@sfalliance.org or 239-503-1533.

-Jeff Hake

Garden party at the Friedman Student Garden

2010-12-29T20:02:00.022-05:00

Volunteers, last greenery, and one of our two new cold frames in the garden.

It has been another successful year for the young Friedman Student Garden. The tomatoes grew tall in their fenced corner, the heirloom bean vines scrambled up the rails and produced delicious mottled pods, and the plot planted by the Quincy School students flourished, growing thick with kale, peppers and carrots.

But as the seasons have turned, so has the garden. To close the year and put the beds to rest, Becca Weaver and I hosted a garden party on November 24th. We had two objectives for this event. The first was obvious: the vines were dried on the fences and the garden was ready for a rest. But our other objective was more far-reaching: to build cold frames.

Laura Held (L) and Kyle Foley harvest lettuce, mesclun greens, and senposai.

We, by chance, chose an appropriate date for our end-of-season work. After an unusually warm fall, that Wednesday was the first day with a real bite to it, a sure sign that we were undertaking this labor just in the nick of time. Aside from Becca and I, a small contingent of other folks showed up. Fortunately again, it was also the perfect amount of helping hands, with Michelle Sisson, Kyle Foley, and Laura Held in attendance, and an appearance by Amelia Reese Masterson later in the afternoon on a break from work.

We got started by removing old plant material and putting it in our compost bins. We filled both bins up very quickly! Then we harvested what remained in the garden before the hard frosts moved their way in. Being thrifty, we had a healthy harvest of all kinds of greens, lingering peppers, stubby Tonda di Parigi carrots, and a bounty of green tomatoes.

While clean-up and harvest in the garden continued, some of us got started on building the cold frames. The idea behind cold frames is the same as that behind greenhouses. Using a translucent, airtight material, one can capture ground heat and sunlight to warm a space for growing plants. For the modern greenhouse, the material of choice is almost always 6 mil plastic,

but for small spaces, home gardeners and hobby farmers will often make use of old windows and build cold frames.In our case, we found a large set of free old windows being given away by a fellow who lives in Billerica. They are all of different sizes, but with cold frames, you can custom-build the frame to suit your recycled material. Typically, a cold frame is built as a wooden rectangle, with one long side being higher than the other, creating a slope. The window is then placed on top, secured with hinges, and the slope is angled towards the sun, which follow a low southern path in northern winter months. This allows for maximum "solar gain".

Using guidance from Eliot Coleman's Four Season Harvest, Becca made a design suitable for our needs. We used funding provided to us by the Friedman Student Council (thanks again!) to purchases our other necessary materials, including lumber, connectors, and hinges.

Senior cold frame engineer Becca Weaver treats the wood with linseed oil before construction.

Michelle Sisson gives the cold frame sidewall the business.

We then placed our cold frames over some remaining greens for which we wanted to extend the season. We also transplanted one of our rosemary plants (which performed spectacularly in our garden this season) into the cold frame and mounded it with hay to see if we can overwinter what is normally a tender perennial.

Jeff Hake transplants rosemary to the cold frames.

Our end product was two beautiful, double-lighted (windows on cold frames are referred to as "lights") cold frames that we hope will last for many more years in our garden. Not only have our greens remained growing and harvestable, but we will also plant into them earlier in the spring than the rest of the garden, taking advantage of cold-hardy crops like various greens, carrots, peas, and onions.

Towards the end of our time at the garden we had a wonderful visit from a father and son who were out on a walk. Though the father spoke almost no English and his son could not have been much more than a year old, they stuck around for awhile, the boy dawdling around us while the harvest and construction continued. He was hesitant to try a carrot that Becca handed to him but was nevertheless fascinated by what we were doing, mouth hanging open at the sight of our activity.

The garden is now closed for the winter, buried under next spring's first flush of moisture. However, it was an excellent year for our little plot, and Becca and I would like to thank our wonderful volunteers, Michelle, Kyle, Laura, and Amelia, the Friedman Student Council, the Friedman School administration, Jen Obadia, and the grounds and maintenance folks at the school for helping and supporting us through another year with our hands in the soil.

-Jeff Hake

Slow Food Meets America's Test Kitchen

2010-12-27T12:31:00.008-05:00

Earlier this month, a group of Slow Foodies from Tufts visited the home of the popular cooking show America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) and the magazines Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country. We were given a behind-the-scenes look into the busy operations of the company and its myriad activities (filming cooking shows, recipe and equipment testing, cookbook production, magazine publishing – the list goes on), all taking place right in Brookline, MA. Bailey Vatalaro, Sponsorship Coordinator, gave us a great tour, filling us in on all sorts of fun facts about how recipes and equipment are tested and chosen for the magazines and TV shows. America’s Test Kitchen and both magazines run on the premise of testing out recipes and equipment until they find the most surefire methods and products, and then presenting their findings (and the reasons why some tactics worked and others did not) to readers and viewers. As Bailey explained to us, the idea is that if you follow the recipes exactly as they write them, the dishes should truly come out just as they do for the chefs in the test kitchen. (Speaking from personal experience, the recipes really do work well!)

We were able to meet some test cooks in the midst of trying out pork chop recipes (which smelled great), and learned about the volunteer testers all over the country that try out recipes from home. The feedback from thousands of volunteer testers plays a major role in what recipes are featured in the magazines and on the shows, making the recipes customer-approved before they hit the general public. We decided that the test cooks have one of the best gigs in the food industry, being able to invent their own recipes, test them in an amazingly well-stocked kitchen, and potentially have them published, all while working a 9 – 5 job (elusive hours for most chefs!). Another unique aspect of the shows and magazines is that their sponsors are never companies whose products they might test, so as to keep their recommendations as neutral and evidence-based as possible. We were all impressed by the diligence and exhaustive testing that goes into every single recipe and product they recommend. As part of our tour, we were able to walk through the active test kitchen, where rehearsals were going on for some filming, and we were pleased to briefly meet Bridget Lancaster (see photo below), deputy editor of Cook’s Country and on-screen test cook. (We also caught a quick glimpse of founder Chris Kimball passing through, bowtie & all!)

Our last stop on the tour was the extensive library of cookbooks owned by ATK, organized into an astounding variety of topics ranging from poultry to pastry to Peruvian food (literally). While America’s Test Kitchen does not necessarily focus on the Slow Food principles related to knowing where our food comes from, they do focus on making cooking a more accessible, less intimidating activity by zeroing in on popular, traditional dishes and making them easy to execute. Their model is one-of-a-kind, and I appreciate their desire to draw in as many people as possible to the world of cooking. Without people knowing how to cook or wanting to cook, it will be difficult to even begin talking about such things as preserving biodiversity in our food sources. Cooking can be a crucial step to starting bigger conversations about food, and we had a great time discussing cooking and food on our tour of the test kitchen.

(If you're not familiar with America's Test Kitchen, you can watch the show on your local public TV station (check www.americastestkitchen.com for listings), and you can also learn more about Cook's Illustrated and Cook's Country magazines on the same website.)

Slow Food, Youth and Boston

2010-12-20T10:53:00.007-05:00

Check out this article about the Slow Food movement in Boston, that was recently posted on Emerson College's Survive and Thrive Boston blog.

"Youth Participation is Backbone of Slow Food movement in Boston" http://www.surviveandthriveboston.com/2010/12/youth-participation-is-backbon.html

Slow Food Tufts Co-chair Ronit Ridberg was interviewed for this piece, which provides a great snapshot of the importance of youth involvement in the Slow Food community here in Boston.

Friedman & Slow Food Tufts is Well Represented at the “It Takes a Region Conference” in Albany

2010-11-23T12:32:00.003-05:00

On an early Thursday morning in mid-November, carloads of Friedman students (and many Slow Foodies) headed across the Bay State to reach their destination in Albany, New York for the weekend. This was the designated spot for the annual conference of the Northeast Sustainable Working Group (NESAWG), where nearly 400 people gathered from across the Northeast to talk food. The meeting was organized so that all activities would take place in a fantastically quirky hotel just off the freeway, complete with 18th century décor and the air of a colonial village.

While the hotel made for an amusing scene, the annual meeting was really meant to get people to work. After all, the conference is a working conference and NESAWG is a regional network of people who work to address an array of regional food system issues. This year’s working sessions were a continuation from the last conference and covered topics like infrastructure, food safety, regional supply chains, research and assessment, labor and trade, food access, food planning, and messaging and outreach. This means that the breadth of diverse interests held by Tufts students’ was largely covered.

Sticking to tradition, many Friedman students not only attended the conference, but also served as scribes for the various working sessions. That way, interested folks can review notes from each group and become up-to-date on progress. A smart approach, since the nature of the sustainable food field implies lots of overlapping areas of expertise and interest.

Day 1 was set aside for pre-conference trainings, and this year there were four: 1) Alternative Supply Chain Development hosted by Red Tomato 2) New Leaders in the Food Movement including Friedman’s very own Amanda Beal who represented Eat Local Foods Coalition of Maine, 3) Systems Planning; and 4) Advocacy 101: from Local to Farm Bill and Beyond.

The sessions were well represented by Tufts students and it was the general consensus that compared to the shorter working sessions, there was more of an opportunity to achieve concrete goals. I attended a seven-hour long Red Tomato workshop, during which I learned a great deal about the nuts and bolts of the operation as well as the more complex issues that Red Tomato faces. Interesting discussions revolved around the questions of how to grow a distribution infrastructure for expanding and complex local food system networks and how to scale-up without losing integrity.

The Greenhorns hosted a festive evening of old time string band music, local cheese, and some wildly tangy pickles. I think we would all agree that the mixer served as a valuable opportunity for networking and having plain old fun.

The next day, the Opening Plenary was an appropriate way to kickoff the busiest of the conference days. NESAWG Director Kathy Ruhf clarified the purpose of the working conference – to bring together a diverse group of sustainable food supporters and facilitate discussion, planning and goal setting. This was followed by a theatrical and rather amusing presentation by some of the Northeast’s most outspoken leaders. The presentation was a hard act to follow…unless you come from Columbia University’s Urban Design Lab, which uses an impressive design-based approach to shape the future of sustainable urbanism. Attendees were blown away by a presentation of cutting-edge graphics of New York’s food system. Their newest endeavor is the National Integrated Regional Foodsheds Model that will offer exciting opportunities to identify and eliminate barriers across the food chain for achieving integrated regional foodsheds.

Breakout into the various working sessions ensued, and attendees scrambled throughout the hotel to find the session that they felt would best suit them. The working sessions were remarkably short and productivity was heavily dependent on the effectiveness of the facilitator and the dynamics of the group mix. (This is where the comprehensive notes taken by Friedman scribes come in handy). Next came another enjoyable evening of a multi-course dinner and an a cappella performance.

The second day of the conference was designed to allow for a continuation of the working sessions. Attendees were encouraged, but not required, to stick to their original decision. More clamoring and swapping occurred. During these meetings, people seemed refreshed and eager to engage in productive conversations, possibly feeling the pressure of leaving the conference with maximal learning.

It took me until the end of the conference to achieve a better understanding of a working conference: it is not necessarily intended to generate tangible and momentous work, but rather to serve as a forum for important face-to-face discussion and collaboration that would continue throughout the year. With this in mind, it appears that the NESAWG conference was quite successful. After all, I learned more about what was going on in the Northeast, met some admirable leaders in the sustainable food system movement, and was given the opportunity to engage in a yearlong process to achieve goals specific to different working groups. And, nearly as important, I had the chance to bond with members of the Tufts community in an eccentric hotel and enjoy a change of pace from my usual deskwork.

Friedman Symposium Attendees Learn from Sustainable Food & Ag Leaders

2010-11-15T14:05:00.005-05:00

The 2010 Friedman Symposium and has come and gone and there were many, many highlights this year certainly worthy of writing about on the Slow Food blog. For one, unlike last year’s focus on pediatric obesity and nutrition labeling, the recent Symposium served as a forum for enlightening discussions about sustainable agriculture practices and policy, USDA initiatives, regional food systems, and food security. The list of distinguished conference speakers is lengthy. The Friedman community was certainly welcoming of Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan’s short-but-sweet return to the school. She stood at the podium, as she had done time and again just 2 years prior, and spoke of the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative, which she continues to defend amid an often hostile political arena.

On Saturday morning, a quartet of speakers really brought attention to Slow Food’s core principles of clean and fair food.

Kate Clancy spoke first. She was remarkably personable and professional during her lecture and conversations with the Friedman community. Clancy has no doubt racked up a lengthy resume as a food systems consultant and Senior Associate at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. In her lecture, Clancy refers to the large investments taking place in Europe in regional food systems research. “The U.S. really needs to bring research and planning up to par,” she said. After all, our food systems framework has major impacts on social welfare and food and environmental security. Clancy explains the potential for engaging in food system activities at the regional level, but admits that there are too many assumptions that have to be made. She calls on academics and researchers to develop methodologies and indicators for assessing regional food systems. An exciting new project (in which our very own Tim Griffin is actively involved) will assess whether greater reliance on regionally produced foods would enhance food security in the Northeast. The project involves an inter-state, inter-disciplinary research collaboration and it hopes to answer the fundamental questions of what a resilient food system would look like in the Northeast and what research and governance structures are needed at a regional level.

Next, Oran Hesterman, President and CEO of Fair Food Network, gave an informative rundown of his organization’s dedication to re-designing the food system in a manner that would achieve access to healthy, fresh and sustainably grown food for all (hence the “fair” in Fair Food Network). He explained how the Double Up Food Bucks project provides families who receive SNAP benefits with the means to purchase more Michigan-grown fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. What should the Tufts community be reading to tap into his way of thinking? Hesterman recommends checking out a recent Report to Congress, Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food, as well as two newer books on climate change, The End of the Long Summer and The Coming of Famine. And, stay tuned for Hesterman’s own new book, Fair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System for All, which will be released next year.

And who better to continue the conversation than the illustrious Fred Kirschenmann from Iowa State University and the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture? As many folks in the Friedman community know, Kirschenmann is a longtime leader in sustainable agriculture. But what many may not know is that he also oversees his own 3,500-acre organic farm in southern North Dakota. Kirshenmann offers his stance on sustainable food production. “Organic is one ecological approach and we don’t know what would happen if everyone farmed organically. Let’s develop and try out a variety of options and choose them in terms of our best understanding of how the options might play out in the future.” Kirshenmann also aimed to set the notion straight that not all farmers in our history were organic. “My grandfather was a slash and burn farmer and that is far from being organic!” The agriculture veteran calls on universities and professional societies to engage in research that would focus on models and alternatives to minimize energy inputs and ecological impacts. To learn more about Kirschenmann’s philosophy check out his new book, Cultivating an Ecological Conscience: Essays from a Farmer Philosopher.

Last and certainly not least was Tim Lang from the City of London University who presented via livestream on the future of food policy from a European perspective. The presentation was quite humorous owing to the need to work out technological glitches and Lang’s quick adoption of the role of comedian. Nonetheless, his comic interjections were appropriate and he successfully enlightened the audience about food system problems in Europe that closely parallel those in the U.S. “Just like your country, we are not linking policy related to public health, the economy, social justice, and the environment,” he explained. He also spoke of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), a massive system of EU agricultural subsidies and programs that continues to focus on a reductionist paradigm of producing more. “CAP is on the defensive about money, just when we should be turning it into a public health policy…” Lang joked that Americans think their farm bill is big and have no sense of the sheer size of CAP! He also explained that while the EU may be slightly ahead of the game in food systems research investments, there is a critical need for developing new indicators for nutrition and food security that could translate into future policy.

The Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems track of the Friedman symposium was very well planned and executed. The speakers topics and viewpoints all complimented each other quite well and if their experience was anything like mine, conference attendees left the auditorium with an enhanced and reinvigorated viewpoint on the sustainability of food and agriculture.

Terra Madre 2010 report

2010-11-10T16:12:00.001-05:00

Ciao, internet. We're back from Terra Madre 2010, the fourth edition of Slow Food International’s gathering of food producers, educators, activists, and cooks in Turin, Italy. We joined over 6,000 delegates from over 150 countries for four days of discussion and networking.

We were inspired by the work of our fellow delegates, from fellow Slow Food chapter leaders to those far removed from our lives. Standing in line for lunch one day, we spoke with an Israeli couple who grow organic fruit on a kibbutz, a government agronomist from Chad who helps subsistence farmers handle drought and desertification, and an Afghan horticulturist employed by the European Union to analyze local varieties of wheat suited to the different regions of his country.

Our big takeaways were twofold: policy and justice.

By policy, we mean the 2012 farm bill. We were thrilled to hear from Slow Food USA president Josh Viertel that the national organization, which has been so successful at recognizing local innovators and building networks at the grassroots level, aims to be a major voice in the coming policy debate. With 200 chapters and tens of thousands of members engaged in local-level efforts to build good, clean, and fair food systems, Slow Food USA is in a perfect position to highlight what works and lift it up to the national level.

And as we heard throughout the week, food justice needs to be central to this conversation. At a meeting of the full U.S. delegation, Raj Patel reminded us of the Black Panther movement which, recognizing the centrality of food to social justice, pushed for school breakfasts in Oakland as their very first act.

Later, the Fair Food Network’s Oran Hesterman, in a packed workshop, presented a vision of food justice that includes not only equitable access to good, clean food, but also to the means of producing it, including land and water, and to good jobs in the food system. Linking the issue with the upcoming farm bill, he laid out a menu of specific, achievable strategies that would incorporate both food justice and local food system supports into existing farm bill programs.

As Slow Food Tufts members and graduate students of food and agriculture policy, we are ready to lend our energy and knowledge to this fight. Tufts students – if you’d like to stay in the loop, write to ronit.ridberg@tufts.edu to be added to our e-mail list.

-Jesse Appelman and Ronit Ridberg

Co-chairs, Slow Food Tufts

Video from Carlo Petrini Lecture now available

2010-10-29T12:27:00.000-04:00

For those that weren't able to attend last month's lecture with Slow Food Founder Carlo Petrini at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, we are pleased to offer the lecture in its entirity online.

Please visit the following link to view the video:

http://media.nutrition.tufts.edu/Seminars/FriedmanWeekly/2010Oct6/oct62010.html

And finally, we still have SIGNED copies available of Mr. Petrini's book, Terra Madre: Forging a New Global Network of Sustainable Food Communities. We will have them available for sale at our next Slow Food Tufts Meeting on November 18th. Books are $15 for students; $20 for non-students.

Stay tuned for an update from Ronit and Jesse about their recent trip to Italy to attend the biannual Terra Madre conference...

Slow Food Tufts members process pastured poultry

2010-10-12T09:02:00.000-04:00

As much of society moves farther from knowing where food comes from, members of Slow Food Tufts are fearless: they spent a full day helping to slaughter and process chickens at the farm of Tufts’ very own Jennifer Hashley (of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project) and her husband Pete Lowy. Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds raises high-quality, humanely-grown chickens, pigs, some sheep, and even a few rabbits out in Concord, MA. On October 9, they graciously invited Slow Food Tufts to visit their farm and learn how to process chickens.

By Jacqueline Minichiello

Our nerves were a little shaky that morning as we embarked on an experience that for many of us was our first and for some would be our last. We signed the forms, suited up and then were employed at either the slaughtering and de-feathering or the eviscerating and cleaning station of the Mobile Poultry Processing Unit (MPPU). The MPPU is essentially a flatbed trailer decorated with countless hoses, tubes, ice chests, buckets, and bottles.

Jennifer demonstrated the process once and then a freshly slaughtered chicken was placed in front of each of us. The process was slow and interesting as we acclimated to our task. While some of us were less timid than others, everyone was taken back when we heard Juli’s bird clucking! And then the sound was duplicated by some of the other birds!

After overcoming the disturbing noises, we worked hard to follow the steps carefully and thoroughly: loosen crop, remove neck, circumvent backside, pull out innards….repeat. We remained in good spirits and asked plenty of questions. After processing over 400 chickens, we were nearly chicken processing experts, but we all decided that we had had enough (the process is exhausting!). Then, a few brave souls volunteered to do the actual slaughtering.

By then end of the day we were full of pride, worn-out, and very smelly (it took two showers to get my chicken smell off). But it was entirely worth it! The unique experience provided us with the opportunity to actually play a role in our food system, and one that is sustainable. Being part of Slow Food means being aware and knowledgeable about farm-to-fork issues, and for the group that took on this less-than-glamorous challenge, we can say that we now know how to slaughter our own chickens!

Carlo Petrini Comes to Tufts

2010-10-06T20:57:00.000-04:00

On October 6, Carlo Petrini, founder of Slow Food, visited the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy on the first day of his U.S. university tour. Mr. Petrini spoke in Italian with consecutive translation, which added to the romantic and captivating ideas of the Slow Food movement: good, clean, and fair food for all, as well as the preservation of food culture and traditions that make the pleasure of good food possible. Mr. Petrini was unapologetically honest, and urges all of humanity to change our ways of life to avoid a ecological and cultural disaster. “Slowness is a homeopathic medicine; just take a little every day,” Mr. Petrini advised.

Mr. Petrini gave an animated and thought-provoking lecture on the current food system. He explains his agenda for change through a project conceived by Slow Food, known as Terra Madre, which has become a powerful global network linking together, cooks, academics, and consumers (although Mr. Petrini urges us to think of ourselves as citizens, not merely consumers). He commended the Slow Food Tufts chapter, and other chapters across the U.S., for our commitment to the philosophies of the organization.

The Slow Food founder began his speech by addressing soil fertility and water quality issues. He also highlighted the tragedy of losing Mother Nature’s biodiversity. Mr. Petrini declared that we have lost 70% of the earth’s biodiversity. He addresses why this matters with an example from Italy: “In Italy we only have 5 breeds of milk cows now, and they are the ones that produce the most liters of milk. There once existed a variety that produced less milk, but that milk made the most delicious provolone in the world!" That breed no longer exists and neither does the best provolone, according to Mr. Petrini.

He also called attention to waste issues, explaining that we produce food for approximately 12 billion people, but we waste nearly half of this. “Respect the tradition of using leftovers,” he proposed. He also points out a phenomenon: at the same time nearly 1 billion people suffer from malnutrition and another 1.7 billion suffer from obesity. “The current food system is crazy: it is unfair, it destroys everything, and it is completely against nature,” said Mr. Petrini.

The speaker received a standing ovation and a long line of members of the Tufts community, eager to get a signed copy of his new book, Terra Madre. Mr. Petrini is putting forth his ideas to a variety of academic audiences on his U.S. visit as he attempts to overturn, step by step, a very stubborn and powerful food system.

Click here to see what the official Slow Food blog has to say about Mr. Petrini's visit to the Tufts Friedman school.

Cranberry Bog Visit

2010-10-06T20:20:00.000-04:00

This fall, Slow Food Tufts members traveled south to visit the UMass Amherst Cranberry Experiment Station and a number of cranberry bogs. The station, located in East Wareham, serves as an outreach and research center and aims to support the economic viability of the region’s cranberry industry, with a focus on efficiency and sustainability. Most of us know and love cranberries during a specific time of the year, but the round, shiny red berries are a prevalent, year-round theme in Southeastern Massachusetts.

The origin of the Cranberry Station can be traced all the way back to 1905 when the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association (CCCGA) convened to discuss cranberry insect problems. At that time, cranberry farming has been growing strong for nearly 50 years, but not without some stumbling blocks presented by Mother Nature herself. By 1910 the Legislature made funds available to purchase land for both a building to house the station and a cranberry bog. Alas! The UMass Cranberry Experiment Station began its story, supporting the industry for the century to come.

It was pretty clear that the cranberry industry is critical to both the economy and character in Southeastern Massachusetts. Growing cranberries requires a surrounding network of support acres – the fields, forests, streams, and ponds that make up the cranberry wetlands system – so there are more than 60,00 acres of total land are used to cultivate cranberries. This helps to conserve open space, making for a beautiful contrast of woodlands surrounding sandy or flooded cranberry bogs, depending on the growing stage.

Cranberry is one of only three crops native to North America and holds a special place in New England agricultural and culinary traditions. Many people think of Massachusetts when they think of cranberries and deservedly so: the state ranks second in the nation in cranberry production. Fortunate for the many Bay Staters dependent on the industry, people across the nation and world are seeking out the health benefits and unique gastronomic properties of the berry and are equally fascinated by the natural beauty of the cranberry harvest.

The low-growing, woody cranberry plant is a perennial that produces stems or “runners” that are one to six feet long. This forms a thick mat over the surface of a cultivated bed. By September, the fruit begins to develop its characteristic red color through the production of a potent antioxidant pigment, anthocyanin.

Once the berries are firm and distinctively scarlet in color, the harvest begins. Wet harvesting involves flooding the bog and driving motorized “egg beaters” into the bog to loosen the berries from the vines. The floating tiny red balls are then corralled towards shore and are moved by pump into waiting trucks.

The folks from the UMass Cranberry Station did an excellent job of making sure we got to see every step of the cranberry growing process. The trip was brought to an end by a visit to a cranberry shop with everything from chocolate covered berries to cranberry salsa. The vist couldn’t have been more picturesque for a true autumn-in-New England experience.

Slow Fooders Dig In!

2010-09-28T15:19:00.000-04:00

Like other Slow Fooders across the nation participating in Dig In!, a contingent from Slow Food Tufts volunteered their beautiful Saturday morning on a local farm. Just a quick 40-minute drive from Boston, the farm in Dracut is part of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project, which supports the growth of small and emerging farmers in Massachusetts.

Tufts students helped begin "winterizing" the farm by taking down the electric fencing, posts, and water pipes that surrounded delicious-looking peppers, basil, mums, and Swiss chard. To help the farmers prepare to move plants into the greenhouse, they put together plastic tables (not the way you put together Ikea furniture, but by actually sawing plastic pipes into table legs and pounding them in with a hammer!). It was a gorgeous day to be in the country, and great for busy graduate students to use their hands for activities other than typing and writing!

Welcome Back!

2010-09-04T08:42:00.000-04:00

Save the Date for Slow Food Tufts Kick-Off Meeting!

Thursday, September 16 @ noon in Jaharis 118 (Boston Campus)

The heat and freedom of summer may well have passed, but things at Slow Food Tufts are getting ramped up for the exciting activities we have planned for the fall semester!

If you're new to Tufts, or new to Slow Food (or both!), here's a brief description of who we are, what we do, and why you should consider becoming a member.

Who we are? Slow Food Tufts is an official student group at the Friedman School at Tufts University. SFT formed in 2009, and evolved out of the FOOD Group, a discussion circle started at the Friedman School. Most of our members have come from Friedman, but we are open to all graduate students at both the Medford and Boston campuses.

Our Mission? Through its understanding of the connections between gastronomy, politics, agriculture, and the environment, Slow Food Tufts seeks to become an active player in agriculture, ecology and local cuisine. Slow Food Tufts links pleasure and food with awareness and responsibility. Our activities seek to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread the education of taste, and link producers of excellent foods to consumers through events and initiatives.

What we do? Slow Food Tufts strives to provide a forum for students interested in issues of food, agriculture and politics to engage in dialogue, learn from each other and connect with local food producers. We meet once a month while classes are in session and try to host a few potlucks as well. We also host guest speakers and lectures, organize film screenings, facilitate skill share workshops, and plan field trips to local farms. Other big events we've organized in the past include a Slow Food Trivia Night and a Student Homebrew Competition.

Here are a few potential slow food activities we have in the works for the fall...

Mozzerella making workshop with local cheesemakers
Canning fall produce skills share workshop
Tour of meat CSA farm and small-scale poultry farm with mobile processing unit
Chocolate making workshop
Bee keeping presentation

Also, we are pleased to announce our premier event of the fall: Slow Food Tufts welcomes Carlo Petrini (founder and president of Slow Food International) to the Friedman School on Wednesday October 6th at noon to discuss the future of food and the importance of biodiversity in our global food supply. This is sure to be a stellar event, and we could think of no better way to kick off the fall semester!

Lastly, we will be hosting our 2nd Annual Brew-off and Beer-luck in the Spring. This graduate student homebrew competition was such a success last year that we had to commit to making it an annual event. We will be looking for co-chairs to organize this event, so stay tuned, or contact Juli.Obudzinski@tufts.edu for more info.

Why become a member? So now that we've shared all the riveting food-related activities we have planned for the upcoming semester, this is the part where you ask how you can become involved. Easy - you can become a member of Slow Food Tufts! This is as simple as showing up to our monthly meetings and getting on our email list so we can send you invites to Slow Food events and other activities. As a member, you get first dibs on all SFT hosted events, and get to play an exciting role in planning future activities. We're always looking for great ideas for Slow Food Tufts and volunteers to help make our events possible.

And don't forget our Fall Kick-Off Meeting will be in Jaharis 118 on Thursday September 16th at noon. No need to RSVP, just bring your lunch and join us!

Hope to see you on Sept 16th!!

Slow Food Tufts officers:

Ronit Ridberg, Co-Chair
Jesse Appelman, Co-Chair
Julia Simons, Treasurer
Juli Obudzinski, Administration

Brew-off and Beer Luck tickets!

2010-03-29T14:35:00.000-04:00

Tickets are now officially on sale for Slow Food Tufts upcoming Brew Off and Beer Luck - the first ever student homebrew competition and beer tasting! Enter your own brew, or just come to taste (and judge!) your fellow students' concoctions.

Visit our event on facebook!

Slow Food Tufts Brew Off and Beer Luck

Thursday April 29 - 5:30 pm

Jaharis Cafe & Patio (weather permitting)

150 Harrison Avenue

Buy tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/104802

Admission is $5 and includes entry into the event, homebrew samples, edible beer/food pairings, and a chance to talk beer with your talented Tufts homebrew community. Expert judges include brewmasters from local breweries and other beer aficionados who will also be on hand to indulge your brew knowledge. Plus, you'll be able to vote for your favorite brew and nominate a students' favorite!

And don't forget...

DEADLINE TO ENTER IS THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 1ST. Send an email with your name, school, and beer you'll be brewing to Juli.Obudzinski@tufts.edu.

Happy brewing!

Film Series: Bullshit

2010-03-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

Please join Slow Food Tufts and Slow Food Boston for a film and panel discussion addressing the truly thorny issues facing agriculture around the world: the rise of globalisation, seed patenting, genetic engineering, bio-piracy, and the loss of indigenous knowledge.

3rd Annual Film Series - Bullshit
Sunday, 03/14/2010 3:30PM (tickets $5)
Location: Posner Hall, 200 Harrison Ave

Bullshit is a documentary film from Pea Holmquist and Suzanne Khardalian about Vandana Shiva, who TIME Magazine calls "...a hero of our times, an icon for youngsters all over the world."

Shiva is an Indian environmental activist and nuclear physicist, as well as an organic farmer who doesn't hesitate to travel far & wide in order to argue the plights of the Indian farmers. The film follows her as she does battle with one of her toughest opponents, Monsanto, when they try to patent an ancient Indian strain of wheat.

The issues facing the Indian farmers are facing the farmers in our own country as well, as we have seen in films like Fresh or Food, Inc. We use our post-film panel to bring these issues home; we'll be joined by local foods advocate Jamey Lionette, Tufts professor Dr. Sheldon Krimsky, Christie Higginbottom, garden historian at Old Sturbridge Village and heirloom produce advocate and FarmAid associate director Glenda Yoder.

Tufts Dining Services to pilot ‘going trayless’

2010-03-03T08:57:00.000-05:00

We've been following the trayless initiative spearheaded by a determined Ex-College class on the Medford Campus. The Tufts Daily reports that the students have been successful in convincing Dining Services to agree to a pilot to start in Carmichael Dining Hall after spring break! Great work!

Check out the full story here:
http://www.tuftsdaily.com/news/dining-services-to-pilot-going-trayless-1.2177528

Brew off!!

2010-03-01T17:25:00.000-05:00

Click on the image to read more about the awesome upcoming Brew-off & Beer-luck:

Slow Food Tufts Brew-off and Beer-luck
Thursday, April 29
6:00 to 8:00 pm
Jaharis Cafe - Boston Campus

Let the brewing begin!

SFT & SFBoston present "The End of the Line" this Sunday

2010-02-05T20:50:00.001-05:00

Slow Food Tufts & Slow Food Boston are proud to present "The End of the Line," as part of SFB's 3rd annual film series, this Sunday, Feb. 7 at 3:30 pm.

Details:
Grilling beautiful tuna steaks. The ubiquitous shrimp cocktail. Polluted fish farms. Mercury. Omega 3 fatty acids. Fishing quotas. Ouch - purchasing & consuming seafood has never been so rife with conflict as it is now. Well, we're trying to help - the next film in our 3rd Annual Winter Film Series might, if we're lucky, provide more insight.

This somewhat unnerving documentary The End of the Line explores issues like those above in what the LA Times called a "...crisp, informative and convincing way..." The NY Times says, despite some flaws, that it "...subverts our ancient faith in the ocean as an inexhaustible resource, offering a persuasive case that the major species of edible fish are headed for extinction."

Join us for this in-depth look at current research and thoughts on our oceans, the fish that populate them and the people whose livelihoods depend on them. Oh, not to mention the effects all of it has on those of us on the other end of the chain: the consumers!

Our post-film panel includes founder of 'Teach a Man to Fish,' writer Jacqueline Church, director ofconservation at the New England Aquarium Heather Tausig and activist Niaz Dorry, who works with groups such as Cape Ann Fresh Catch and the Northwest Atlantic Marine Alliance. They will help us learn about issues facing the New England coastline, our local fishing industries and the mouths that depend on th

em.

Please do join us and our co-sponsor, Slow Food Boston, for this eye-opening and thought-provoking film. Cost is $5, payable at the door by cash or check.

Directions:
Posner Hall at Tufts' Friedman School of Nutrition is located at 200 Harrison Avenue, off

of Kneeland Street. It is close to Chinatown, the Theater district and the New England Medical Center.

Closest public transport options are the Orange Line NE Medical Center stop, Silver Line SL4 & SL5 stop on Washington St @ the Medical Center, as well as the Green Line Boylston St stop. South Station is also in the vicinity. Street parking is limited in the area, but there are garages on Washington Street.

A Google map of the area can be found HERE.

Go Trayless, Medford!

2010-01-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

Having been an undergrad at Tufts before I came across the river to study at the Friedman School, I am still in the habit of reading the headlines of the Tufts Daily from time to time (I also like elephants and brown and blue). At the end of last semester we at SFT were psyched to see that a group of ambitious and sustainability-minded undergraduates has been hard at work advocating for a "Trayless Initiative" for Medford dining halls. You can read the full story here. Notice that the comments section (despite tending toward the inane, as so many anonymous comments do) evidences a high level of support among students!

I spoke recently with Sophomore Alex Freedman, who got involved in the initiative as part of the Experimental College class "Environmental Action: Shifting from Saying to Doing." He reported that they had a great meeting with Patti Klos, Director of Dining and Business Services, and they are hopeful that a month-long trial period will be initiated sometime this semester.

Let's aim for more good, clean, fair food and food service on the Medford and Boston campuses in 2010! Stay tuned as we work with Corporate Chefs, our new food service contractor, to bring local, organic, and tasty food to the Friedman School...

Come to Slow Food Trivia Night!

2009-12-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

Please join us this Thursday, December 10 at 5pm in Jaharis Café for Slow Food Trivia Night, in honor of Terra Madre Day.

There will be great snacks, fun facts and some of the coolest food scholars around... Please bring your own beer or wine, as well as dishware/utensils.

Turkey Day

2009-11-30T09:18:00.000-05:00

I knew when Sara invited me to the Thanksgiving turkey harvest at the farm the only possible answer I could give was an enthusiastic “Yes!” Who wouldn’t jump at the chance to learn the intricacies of small scale poultry processing, spend a day on the farm and catch up with one of her closest friends?

So I woke up at 5am, dug out my favorite farming clothes from the bin under the bed (they are so lonely down there since going back to school) and drove the long haul for a full day of harvesting and processing about 150, 28-week-old ‘Broad Breasted Whites’ that had spent most of their turkey lives foraging on pasture. “Harvest” and “process” are, of course, pleasant euphemisms for the last stage of raising livestock and getting it to market: the slaughter.

As many Americans were in the pre-holiday frenzy of buying a frozen turkey at the store, I felt excited to experience the process from a new perspective. In this case, these birds were pre-sold (and sold out!) to a community of people who value small-scale agriculture and having a direct connection to the land and people who raise their food. A group of people willing to trek to the farm and pick up a turkey at its source.

I walked from my car to the barn with that familiar mix of excitement and nervousness roiling in the bottom of my belly. It was that first-day-of-school feeling, mixed with the squawk of the geese in the pasture and the warmth of the early morning autumn sun. I was in an unfamiliar place about to embark upon a new, and quite messy, expedition. I walked into the small slaughterhouse and slipped on a pair of the indoor rubber boots lined up by the door. “So, what made you want to come here and do this?” one of the farm crew asked as I walked toward him down the white hall. For me the answer was simple: one day I plan to raise poultry and I want to gain any first hand experience I can.

I had a few weeks between accepting the invitation and my morning drive to the farm to mentally prepare for this adventure. I spent this time recognizing my immense excitement at participating in harvest and learning a bevy of new skills about small-scale poultry processing. Not only did it feel like an important step in gaining poultry production knowledge, but also a deeper understanding of exactly what it takes to produce the food I eat. Tempering my overt enthusiasm was the awareness that turkey harvest unavoidably included killing a living animal. Would I be able to kill a turkey? Should I even be eating animals in the first place? I believe strongly that animals are an important part of the nutrient cycle of the farm…and of our food system. So for me, I concluded that if I’m going to eat the meat, it should be humanely raised using sustainable practices and that I should be able to kill it…or at least be intimately aware of how it ends up on my plate. But at my core, I was just so excited to experience a part of the food system in a way.

I knew, roughly, what to expect on the farm: from the large, upside-down cones that would hold the birds as their necks were cut to the hot water scald and the infamous plucker: the stainless steel cylinder lined with rubber fingers that quickly pull feathers from the birds as they spin around and around in the basin.

Then there would be evisceration…the process of removing the turkey guts by hand. I’ll call them guts because that was the depth of my understanding of the inside of a turkey before that day. This last step of the process was the biggest mystery, I could hardly name all the internal organs of a turkey, nonetheless how to remove them.

And so it began! I walked into the first room and waved a hello to Sara and met the rest of the farm crew. There is no hugging or handshaking when you are covered in turkey. Sara was working on a pile of turkeys as they spun out of the plucker. By this stage they looked, roughly, like a bird at the market: pink and featherless breasts, thighs and wings with necks still attached. Her job, and later mine, was to remove the oil gland, trachea, crop and neck. The neck was saved in a bucket of ice and the bird was then hung on a rack for evisceration. Two very skilled, and quick moving, apprentices cut a circle around the vent of the hanging bird and gently escorted the intestines, and everything else, out of the bird onto the stainless steel table below. The liver, gizzard and heart sorted into buckets of ice, joining the turkey later on. The intestines scooted into a bin for compost. I got to try my hand at this, and it was at first the equivalent of playing Operation, blindfolded. But one learns quickly where to find the lungs, the heart and the gizzard inside a still-warm bird.

OK, this is the point where you may say, “Stop! Please! Too much information!” The point of these details is not for the gross-out factor or to open debate about if we should be eating animals. But for those of us who believe in good, clean, fair food: this is it. This is small-scale production that treats animals, farmers and the environment fairly. And the more we know and understand exactly what it takes to raise this kind of food, the more easily we can find and support farmers, growers and producers who share these values. Each of us may value a different part of the process, but the power is in the knowing.

After about half of the turkeys were processed and resting in ice baths, we got to the task of cleaning out the gizzards. The gizzard is, roughly, the secondary ‘stomach’ of the turkey. Since turkeys don’t have teeth, the gizzard is the place where food is mashed up by the external squeezing of the gizzard muscle and internal, mechanical grinding of grit: non-food matter that’s eaten and stored in the gizzard for this purpose. Little did I know that each gizzard gets cut and cleaned out by hand before joining the liver, neck and heart as the (previously mysterious) giblets. We stood around the slippery-floored room, sharing small, sharp knives as we worked through the icy bucket of fist-sized gizzards. Each gizzard was cut open like a clam, exposing the gritty contents of the turkey’s stomach, surrounded by a rough lining. This is delicate, detailed work when compared to the previous hours of the day. I slowly opened my first gizzard, almost like opening a small gift, to find a pocket of nickel-sized rocks, short pieces of straw and something that looked eerily like sea glass.

Sea glass?

I paused, not quite believing what I saw. Maybe there was something about turkey digestion that I just didn’t understand. I glanced around the room; every other gizzard was full of the frosted glass too. “Um, is this glass?” I asked. Sure was! The best I could determine, through the rapid-fire banter of the farm crew, the teasing and jovial finger pointing, was that someone cracked the windshield of a farm vehicle while driving through the pasture. I think I heard something like, “That structure just appeared out of nowhere.” Of course, the fine turkeys, always attracted to sparkly goodies, pecked up the small pieces of safety glass that scattered in the field. This unusual grit was burnished into the equivalent of sea glass through the constant grinding of the gizzard. Not to worry, the glass didn’t harm the turkeys, as the inside of the gizzard is encased by a very thick lining, which we eventually removed before the gizzard joins the rest of the giblets.

Yes, there was the instant amazement of seeing glass in the ‘belly’ of the turkey, and it makes for a good story. More importantly, I very directly experienced the connection between what we put into growing and raising our food and where it ends up…be it the gizzard of the turkey, the food we eat, the water or the air.
I left the farm that day content, exhausted, dirty and empowered. Proud that I had learned new skills and gained a fresh understanding of what it takes to produce the food I eat. I left eager to prepare my own Thanksgiving turkey, ready to face the giblets with enthusiasm (not trepidation) and more steadfast than ever to make educated choices about the source of my food.

Want more information? Below are a few links addressing small-scale animal processing, ‘humane harvest’ and the culinary interest in small-scale butchering.

Grist Will Whole Foods’ new mobile slaughterhouses squeeze small farmers?
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-11-20-Whole-Foods-chicken-farms/

Gourmet Humane Slaughterhouses
http://www.gourmet.com/foodpolitics/2009/06/humane-slaughterhouses

Wilamette Week Ethical Butchers Do It Better
http://wweek.com/editorial/3552/13275/

Dean Mullis of Laughing Owl Farm in the Charlotte Observer
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/food/story/1073588.html

NY Times Diner’s Journal Blog
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/16/small-scale-butchers/

Written by Vanessa Herald

Slowcal? You Tell Me

2009-11-21T18:56:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to foster dialogue, I invite you to respond to the questions I pose here, in the hope that we can share ideas and learn from each other. I am withholding my conclusion to this post for a few days. In order to avoid any apprehension of baiting, I'll vow not to directly address any responses to this post. Any takers?

Q: Can the local foods movement support a food system that is good, clean, fair and economically viable?

The designation of locavore as Oxford English Dictionary Word of the Year in 2007 was a nod to the ascent of the local food movement. Put aside the global implications, and the local feasibility of, a fully realized bioregionalism. Consider one aspect of the debate currently surrounding the local foods movement: the extent to which geographic proximity to your food source can be used as a proxy for sustainability.

The best-known proxy of this sort is the set of standards for organic foods under the USDA National Organic Program, which has been criticized for not going far enough. Widely considered a step in the right direction, the principles of the organic standards nonetheless fail to embrace principles of agroecology that might bring our foodsystem closer to sustainaibility.

Enter locavorism, which takes fresh aim at the moving targets of sustainability. So, Bullseye? Well...maybe. For example, while it can't be denied that choosing local foods reduces your carbon footprint, it turns out that a rather large proportion of the greenhouse gas emmissions - and various other forms of non-point source pollution - from agriculture occur as a result of on-farm management decisions. This suggests that, in pursuit of environmental sustainability, the methods of production may be more important than the location of the farm. That is, if I lived in California's semi-arid Central Valley, and I purchased lettuce from a techno-industrial farm in my county, the only thing green about this would be the color of my lunch.

However, another dimension of sustainability is brought into focus when considering the merits of locavorism: economic sustainability. An obvious boon to farmers is the increased income from being able to sell products directly to consumers through markets, community supported agriculture, and relationships with local restaurants and institutions. Slightly more abstract is the multiplier effect observed in local economies. Basically, the dollar you spend with your local farmer in turn tends to be spent locally, accruing economic benefits to the community. Given the steady decline of the urban economy in the last 50 years, this seems a rather significant aspect of the local foods movement. Coupling this factor with a sustainably produced local food supply makes locavorism an attractive option.

Yet, the questions remain: How do we complete this picture, and fuse economic and environmental sustainability with a local food system? How do we ensure that sustainable practices are both a necessary condition of our food system, as well as an investment that rewards farmers? Is it enough to buy local?

You tell me.

Daphne Miller's "The Jungle Effect" Full of Adventure & Ancient-Yet-Apropos Advice

2009-11-12T09:20:00.000-05:00

According to SlowFood USA, food is a common language. We all share the same fundamental nutritional needs and the pleasure of the meal is not bound by time, place, or culture. Also like language, however, food can be mutated, manipulated and adapted. In her book The Jungle Effect Dr. Daphne Miller, M.D. traverses the globe and traces time to unearth several original, indigenous diets that have gotten lost in translation through the westernization of the world’s food system.

Through a bifocal lense – part clinical, part anthropological – Miller examines the traditional diets of 5 “cold spots”. These are places tucked away in far-flung pockets of the world where native diets remain largely isolated from American influence, and, not surprisingly, nearly free of the chronic diseases that typify western health. Her stories read more like travel writing than tired diet book, and she takes you with her as she hopscotches across continents and explores their native foodscapes.

First, in Copper Canyon, Mexico, a cold spot for type 2 diabetes, Miller observes the dietary practices of the Tarahumara Indians. While long-distance running is a trademark of their culture and undoubtedly plays a role in their preserved insulin sensitivity, Miller discovers that the Tarahumara also benefit from key indigenous ingredients. These are mainly three slow-release carbohydrate staples: heirloom maize, beans, and squash. Other antidiabetic ingredients indigenous to the area include nopales (cactus), jicama (aka “Mexican turnip”), and indigenous herbs and spices (like cinnamon, cloves, and fenugreek seeds).

In Crete, Miller sets off in search of the “real” Mediterranean diet and the secret to staving off heart disease. In addition to pointing out the standard Mediterranean signposts, like olive oil and wine, she also goes hunting for horta (wild greens) in the Cretan hillsides and introduces you to local cheeses (used in moderation) like anthotyoros and kefalotyri.

Then it’s off to Iceland, where rates of depression are astonishingly low. Since Icelanders’ resistance to depression cannot be attributed to any genetic predisposition, and it’s certainly not on account of the weather (think permafrost and endlessly dark winters), Miller arrived in Reykjavik to find the food-mood link. The answer, she discovered, lies mostly in omega-3 fatty acids – not just in the fish (though they do eat lots and lots of the stuff), but in their wild game, cheese, skyr (Icelandic yogurt), and milk. Turns out, the grass, clover, and moss on which their animals graze (free range!) is also an incredibly rich source of ALA. Between fish, meat, and milk, the average Icelander gets a healthy dose of depression-fighting omega-3’s at nearly every meal.

On her next excursion she takes you to Cameroon, a cold spot for bowel trouble. From colon cancer to acid reflux, Cameroonians have particularly healthy GI plumbing. After her time in Ntui, a small village in the rainforest of central Cameroon, Miller found that the benefits their indigenous foods can be summarized by the five F’s. First, fiber is a mainstay in the Cameroonian diet with starch staples like millet, sorghum, teff, local hybrids of maize, plaintain, and brown rice. Second, Cameroonians eat less flesh. A low-meat diet may be just as important in preventing colon cancer as a high-fiber one. The diet is also high in fermented foods and foraged (and folate-rich) greens and select fats. Interestingly, there may be an anticancer effect from both unrefined peanut oil and palm fruit oils, high in PUFAs and antioxidant beta-sitosterol. Palm fruit oil is also high in antioxidant vitamins A and E.

Her final trip is to Okinawa, where there are notably few cases of, among other diseases, breast and prostate cancers. While soy is an Okinawan staple, the proverbial jury remains undecided on soy’s role in breast and prostate health. However, one school of thought suggests that soy in its natural form, such as tofu, miso, edamame, and soy milk, may have protective effects; processed soy, like that found in soy protein powders, texturized vegetable protein, and energy bars may be detrimental. All soy aside, however, Okinawans small portion sizes, lean BMI’s and plant-based diet add significant pieces to the cancer puzzle. Antioxidant-rich Okinawan fruits and vegetables linked to breast and prostate cancer prevention include garlic, onions, and leeks, cruciferous vegetables, goya (bitter melon), tomatoes, watermelon, grapefruit, guava, imos (yams), and green tea. Active ingredients in their maitake, reishi, and shiitake mushrooms may also play a role in cancer prevention.

Miller asserts that you do not have to live in the outermost cultural edges to reap the benefits of an indigenous diet. Throughout her journeys from place to place and plate to plate, she discovers that common denominators are clear and can universally translatable (and oh-so aligned with the SlowFood mentality):

1. Choose foods that are fresh, local, and in season.

2. Learn, practice, and appreciate food cultivation techniques and recipes passed down through the ages.

3. Preserve endangered food traditions like communal eating, eating for satiety rather than fullness, and observing fasts and other food rituals.

4. Limit sugar to that found naturally in foods like honey, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

5. Get salt from natural, unprocessed sources such as fish, sea greens, and vegetables.

6. Eat meat in small quantities in favor of plant-based protein.

7. Select nonmeat fats from whole nuts, seeds, grains, and fatty fruits and minimally processed oils such as olive, palm fruit, or coconut oil.

Tomatoes

2009-10-20T16:30:00.000-04:00

This fall we've kicked off a new season of Slow Food Tufts events with a couple of skill-share events. Here are some photos from a tomato processing skill-share where we turned 50 lbs of tomatoes into 12+ quarts of tomato sauce. While waiting for the tomatoes to cook down we shared food and drink and took the opportunity to get to know each other and our relationships with food a little better!

Tufts Farmers Market Thursday

2009-09-29T20:40:00.000-04:00

Rain or shine, this Thursday October 1st from 11:00a.m. to 1:30 p.m. the Tufts Medford campus will host a farmers market. The market will be set-up outside the Mayer Campus Center. The New Entry Sustainable Farming Project will supply a variety of local sustainably grown seasonal fruits and vegetables. You can expect to see apples, pears, peppers, winter squash, potatoes, onions, and eggplant. Fresh apple cider by the glass and loaves of homemade pumpkin bread made with locally grown sugar pumpkin will be for sale.

If you're looking for some culinary inspiration to whip your fall vegetables into something amazing, check-out one of my favorite cooking blogs - 101 Cookbooks. (I'm sending directly to the roasted pumpkin salad recipe that looks amazing!)

Hungry world...

2009-09-28T22:48:00.000-04:00

Recently, MSN money online published a series of pictures selected from the 2005 photographic book "Hungry Planet" by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Alusio. A quick search found a Time magazine series with even more of these photos, really worth taking a look at. The book has an intro by Marion Nestle and essays by plenty of well-known writers and thinkers.

The photos compare a week's worth of food for different families from all over the world, at every level of economic development. The differences are astounding, and speak volumes to our national and global food crises.

You can view the slideshow here, Part I and Part II.

Especially notable are the statistics below the photos that tell the viewer how much each family spends on the amount of food pictured. But as a whole, this group of photos delivers some pretty bad news about where developed nations are, and where developing nations are headed, with regard to industrialized eating habits and health outcomes.

On a happier note, the USDA has rolled out its new "Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food" initiative. Watch Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack make the announcement on Youtube. (I'd rather watch Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan make announcements though, no offense to Secretary Vilsack.)

Secretary Merrigan has launched the "Know Your Farmer" website, which is a monumental step in the right direction. The website is clean, well-designed, and user-friendly, with links to different categories of resources and tools -- for rural community development, conservation, organic conversion and community nutrition programs, among others.

It's a clearinghouse of information on grants and loans available to farmers and food entrepreneurs, and is also attempting to also foster a dialogue and virtual social space for people interested in continuing the conversation.

To that end, Deputy Secretary Merrigan will be hosting a Facebook chat this Thursday, October 1 from 3:45 - 4:15. You can submit a question in advance, though the USDA's press release doesn't make it clear exactly how. It says that more details are available here, but that just seems like the link to the webchat. Anyway, you can become a fan of USDA on Facebook and leave comments or join in the discussion there.

We're excited to participate in this new national conversation! Slowly and steadily, we can affect positive change in our world.

Come on down to our potluck dinner!

2009-09-13T22:33:00.000-04:00

This coming Thursday, September 17, we'll be hosting our first event of the school year at 60 Brookside Ave., Apt. 2 (map), the home of our gracious Administrative Officer, Jalal. It's a potluck dinner from 6-9pm, and since it's a Slow Food event, we ask that you do your best to bring food &/or drink that is good, clean, and fair.

What does this mean? To us, it means that the food tastes good, is good for us, and, to the maximum extent possible, (1) is produced in a clean way that doesn't harm the health of humans, animals or the environment, and (2) that those whose work went into producing it are fully and fairly compensated.

We also ask that you remember to bring your own utensils and dishes to eat & drink from to minimize waste and lighten the load for our host.

We hope that you'll join us on Thursday evening -- it's sure to be a delicious time! If you'll be attending, please click here to RSVP. (Follow the blue "edit this page" link at the bottom right to add yourself.)

Thanks -- we look forward to eating with you!

Welcome Back!

2009-09-03T11:56:00.000-04:00

Happy September to all! Our first meeting will be held in Jaharis 156 on Tuesday, September 15 from 12-1 pm. Bring your lunch and please be ready to participate!

Slow Food Tufts was formed last year, out of the remnants of the former student group, FOOD. We seek to be active in politics, agriculture, food systems, ecology and local cuisine, to defend biodiversity in our food supply, spread the education of taste, and link producers of excellent foods to consumers through events and initiatives. And of course, to eat and drink together in the spirit of gastronomy and conviviality!

On behalf of Slow Food Tufts, thanks for checking out our blog. We'll be updating it more frequently this semester, and hope that some new members will be interested in writing as well. See you Tuesday!

Food Independence

2009-07-04T12:23:00.000-04:00

Take a small stand today. Sign the pledge to buy and eat all locally sourced food for the 4th of July. A coalition of organizations put together a petition and some other actions you can take if you want to take your food independence a step further. Here's what they have in store for you:

Here’s what you can do:

* Sign their petition either by going to www.foodindependenceday.org or Facebook
* Contact your state’s first family and ask them to share their July 4th menu with us (they can e-mail it to roger(at)kitchengardeners(dot)org)
* If you’re a kid and growing some local food of your own, share your story with others through the “Why I’m a Victory Grower” video contest.

For the skeptics out there who still aren't sure about this whole 'local food' thing and feel like it's an anti-growth, protectionist movement thrown together by a bunch of naive do-gooders I point to the economist John Maynard Keynes. While reading Saving the World at Work by Tim Sanders I came across this interesting fact about buying local that is usually left out. John Maynard Keynes coined the term "local multiplier effect" in his book The General Theory of Employment in 1936. The multiplier effect measures how many times a dollar stays in one community. The theory is that the higher the multiplier effect in a community the more healthy and vibrant that community becomes. So, the buy local movement is nothing new. It is protectionist but it's not anti-growth nor is it a harebrained idea thrown together by a bunch of foodies.

So, as you can see, buying local food or local anything is really the patriotic thing to do this Independence Day!

(Cross-posted on www.almondbean.blogspt.com)

Recession Impacting Your Grocery Budget? How About Wild Edibles?

2009-06-23T10:09:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure what it is, but the people who are featured in the on-line videos like this one all have a bit of that wild-funk to their style. Someone needs to give these foragers a make-over if the expect people to:

a) trust them
b) take them seriously
c) for the movement to catch-on

But looks aren't everything! There is much to be gained from an expert forager. If you are curious about what wild edible (sometimes referred to un-lovingly as weeds) can be found in Boston and how to prepare them, you're in luck! There is a great event in Boston next month so mark your calendars.

Wild Edibles Walk at Allandale Woods
Wednesday, July 15, 6:00 p.m.
Meets at Annunciation Melkite Cathedral Parking Lot, 7 VFW Parkway,
West Roxbury

Event is free. Registration required. Contact 617-542-7696 or
info@bostonnatural.org

The walk will be lead by the decidedly normally looking Russ Cohen, expert forager and author of Wild Plant I Have Known.

This free event is sponsored by the Urban Wilds Council, Boston Parks and Recreation
Department, and Slow Food Boston.

Fresh Film

2009-05-24T21:15:00.000-04:00

I received an e-mail about the release of the newest documentary on the food system in the U.S., "Fresh". Since press releases are thoughtfully crafted, and I haven't seen the film yet, I will just use their language.

FRESH celebrates the farmers, thinkers and business people across America who are re-inventing our food system. Among several main characters, FRESH features urban farmer and activist, Will Allen, the recipient of MacArthur's 2008 Genius Award; sustainable farmer and entrepreneur, Joel Salatin, made famous by Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma; and supermarket owner, David Ball, challenging our Wal-Mart dominated economy.

If you're in the Boston area there is a screening Thursday May 28th at 7 p.m. Harvard will host the screening at: Harvard Northwest Building, 52 Oxford Street, Room B-103, Cambridge, MA 02138

The screening at Harvard will also include a truly amazing panel. So even if the film is a dud (which I highly doubt!) it's worth going just to hear the panel. Following the screening you can experience the awesomeness of the follow local food gurus:

Theresa McCulla (Moderator), Manager, Harvard’s Food Literacy Project
Joel Salatin, Founder, Polyface Farms
Will Allen, Founder, Growing Power
Henrietta Davis, Cambridge City Council
Michael Leviton, Chef, Lumiere Restaurant
Ana Joanes, Director & Producer of FRESH

You can purchase tickets ($15) and find other screenings at the film's website: http://www.freshthemovie.com/screenings/fresh-screenings/

If you go, I would love to hear your feedback, thoughts, critiques, inspirations, etc. about Fresh.

Cross posted at Only An Almond Bean and Culinate.

It's Farmer's Market Season In Boston

2009-05-16T19:52:00.000-04:00

Mark your calendars! The farmer's markets are opening this week. You no longer have to buy your produce at a grocery store. You can shake hands with the farmer who grows your rocket and ask him or her how the growing season is going.

If you live or work in downtown Boston, the largest Mass Farmers Market opens on Tuesday May 19th in Copely Square. It starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 6 p.m. every Tuesday and Friday from May 19th through November 24th.

If Back Bay isn't your T stop don't disparage. Mass Farmers Market, a local non-profit, runs over 180 markets across the state include the following in Boston:

City Hall market in Boston, which begins May 27th and runs on Mondays and Wednesdays

Davis Square farmers market in Somerville, which begins May 27th and runs on Wednesdays

Central Square market in Cambridge, which begins June 1st and runs on Mondays

Framingham Village Green market, which begins June 11th and runs on Thursdays.

And really, the opening of the markets means returning to local, seasonal food. A winter diet of root vegetables, Florida citrus, and greenhouse veggies is over! The earth is coming to life again after the winter and you can taste it in the food. Especially the food that is grown locally.

If you are new to the whole eat local, eat sustainably thing there a number of tools out there to help you select rhubarb in May/June and not watermelon. One of our members, Maggie Gosselin, developed the Local Foods Wheel with some of her friends from California. This is a great tool to use with children because it is tactile and filled with beautiful pictures. Although there isn't a New England wheel yet, the New York wheel is a good substitute. You can order a Local Foods Wheel from Chelsea Green.

If you just need a quick reference, the Sustainable Table is a great web site. Their eat seasonal page allows you to select your state and the month and it gives you a pretty comprehensive list of what is coming off the fields in your area.

So here is to spring! Let's welcome the farmers back to Boston and hit those markets in full force!

Rebuilding the Food System

2009-05-13T19:29:00.000-04:00

(Cross Posted on Only an Almond Bean and my Culinate Blog.

Well, I finished my first year of graduate school! It's been a fantastic 9 months. Although statistics got a bit hairy at times, it was a great first year. As we all know, lot of learning goes on outside the classroom as well. Recently I attended the American Planning Association's national conference in Minneapolis. It was fantastic!

The whole planning field is all new to me, but the more I learn the more I believe that urban planners will play a key role in improving the food system and food environment in the U.S. Planners work in areas critical to improving our food including transportation, community development, environmental impact, and zoning. Each of these areas can contribute to a more sustainable, safe, and healthy food system.

The conference included a number of sessions on improving the food environment and urban agriculture. Although many of the food-focused planners were primarily interested in food production in the urban setting, I see a lot of potential for linking rural and urban communities more fluidly through regional food systems. There is no way that cities will be able to produce all the food they need to sustain themselves even with SPIN farming, roof-top gardens, and greenhouses heated via aquaculture.

Of course there is still plenty to be done in the urban setting. So if you live in a city and want to get involved here are some things you can do:

- Develop a regional food policy council

- Make sure that food is in your city's comprehensive plan (I didn't even know such a thing existed until I attended the conference!)

- Review zoning rules for livestock

- Review zoning rules for community gardens

- Tear out your lawn and put in a vegetable garden. Jac Smit, has a great article title "Eat Half Your Law" if you want more information.

- Ask the city to line the streets with fruit bearing trees

- Ask the city to put a garden on city hall property. The White House is doing, so should you!

- Push your legislators for 10% of the food to be grown within the city

- Make sure that grocery stores can easily accessing economic incentives developed by the city to open stores in under served areas

- Work with the corner markets in your neighborhood to bring in fresh produce and low-fat dairy products

Looking at cities through the context of food, food security, and sustainability should help planners build healthier cities, healthier farms and rural communities, and reduce negative environmental externalities associated with the food we eat.

For more information check out these sites:
Agricultural Urbanism
The American Planning Association's Police Guide on Community and Regional Food Planning
Victory Gardens 2008+
American Farmland Trust
Public Health Law and Policy
National Policy and Legal Analysis Netowrk to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN)
Interdisciplinary Consortium on Urban Planning and Public Health (ICUPPH)

Formaggio Kitchen Cheese Cave Tour

2009-05-05T11:25:00.000-04:00

Please join Slow Food Tufts this coming Saturday, May 9 at 4pm for a tour and cheese tasting at Formaggio Kitchen. We will be led by Kurt Gurdal, the owner and cheesemaster, who will tell us about the first

cheese cave in New England (theirs!) and their aging process. The store has literally hundreds of varieties of cheeses from all over the world, and this is a great opportunity to learn about and try some of them.

The tour and tasting will be $10 per person (cash, please). Friends and family are welcome to join; if you plan to attend, please RSVP to Jessica by Friday, May 8 and include the number of people you'll bring. For directions please click here.

Slow Food Tufts Meeting this Thursday

2009-04-21T01:11:00.001-04:00

This Thursday April 23, please join us in Jaharis room 156 at 12pm for an all-member Slow Food Tufts meeting. We have some exciting and important agenda items to discuss -- the new Jaharis garden, greening & sustainability efforts at the Café, and shaping the future of Slow Food Tufts.

We'll also talk about our final event of the semester -- a private cheese tasting and tour of the cheese cave at Formaggio Kitchen with Kurt, the cheesemaster!

Don't forget to bring your lunch - hope to see you there.

And the Winner is . . . Team Liver!

2009-04-13T09:11:00.000-04:00

Slow Food Tufts Trivia Night 2009

Trivia Night was a great success! I can't think of a better way to roll out a new student group than free beer & food, new knowledge, and prizes. Our master of ceremonies, Matthew Hast, kept the evening fun and light while the competition heated-up in 6 rounds of food trivia. As a school of nutrition, we take our food knowledge - trivial or not - very seriously. It literally came down to the final rapid fire photo round when Team Liver secured the winning spot and scored the free trade coffee and chocolate donated by Equal Exchange and the Friedman School Student Council. Coming in a very close second was Team O.C. which won two Friedman School t-shirts.

Many thanks to our sponsors: Mercury Brewing, City Feed & Supply, Equal Exchange, South End Formaggio, and the Friedman School Student Council.

Stay tuned for our next event, a tour of the oldest cheese caves in New England! (For more information go to: http://www.formaggiokitchen.com/huronave/storetour)

Also on the agenda, the Greening Committee will be working with the administration add a touch of verde to the Jaharis Cafe.

Trivia Night!

2009-04-09T14:20:00.000-04:00

Click below for more information on our Slow Food Trivia Night, Tonight from 6-8 pm:

Slow Food Trivia Night

2009-04-03T12:08:00.000-04:00

Please join us for Slow Food Tufts' kickoff event Thursday, April 9 from 6-8pm in the Jaharis Café.

All members, friends and family of the Tufts community are invited to join our celebration of good food and obscure facts about food, nutrition and agriculture. There will be free snacks and drinks, as well as prizes for correct answers and humor or creativity!

Food Fights in Boston

2009-03-29T13:38:00.000-04:00

What a week! It went like this:

On Tuesday, Michael Pollan spoke at Tufts, presenting a serious challenge to the western nutritionist paradigm;
On Wednesday, Friedman faculty, staff, and students discussed his visit at a school-wide forum (bringing him down to earth a little);
On Thursday, MIT hosted a panel discussion on the locavore (Oxford Dictionary's 2008 word of the year) movement that featured a veteran locavore chef as well as distinguished scholars of food-systems and sustainability, including Cornell University's David Pimintel, grand-daddy of life-cycle analyses and carbon foot-printing;
And finally on Saturday, the highlight of the week was the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy's 3rd annual Student Research Conference.

With over two-dozen students and researchers from Friedman and beyond gathering to present their work and debate the issues, there was plenty of food for thought. The topics ranged from revitalizing industrial wastelands in San Francisco by converting them to food corridors, to analyzing consumer preferences for bioengineered food products in China (where labelling is required). Equally fascinating was the keynote panel discussion, which focused on "new approaches to feeding the world." A lively discussion was inspired by the panelists, all of whom had interesting and insightful remarks on the future of food production and consumption.

Unfortunately, the discussion was quickly framed by the ubiquitous and increasingly tiresome juxtaposition of techno-industrial agriculture against organic agriculture as mutually exclusive approaches to solving the questions of sustainability, nutrition, and hunger that plague current food-systems.

As an aside, though the classic debate posits organic against 'conventional' agriculture, I personally reject the notion that the dominant food production methods practiced today can be generally characterized as conventional. In fact, vast and highly-productive agriculture geared towards producing bulk commodities and industrial feedstocks is an outcome of technological advances and deliberate policy initiatives that have been enacted in the last fifty to seventy-five years. Conversely, the assumption that 'organic' is inherently non-industrial is a false notion.

To be fair, and thanks in part to audience questions and astute moderation by Friedman's Parke Wilde, the panelists partially withdrew each of their Hobson's choices, admitting that there is no single method of farming that is going to meet the challenges we face. Predictably, as the discussion drew to a close, the technocrats and the grass-roots food justice advocates all threw their hats in the same ring. The final remarks all merged into a recognition that everyone in the room was striving towards the same goal: improving the livelihoods of all humans while producing food in an ecologically sustainable manner.

While virtually impossible to oppose, this position is nothing 'new,' as the title of the panel alluded to. To take it a step further, I would say that only vaguely were actual 'approaches' even discussed:

Robert Paarlberg of Harvard University and Wellsley College gave some level of detail on the availability and application of the 'precision agriculture' (a euphemism for agriculture dependent on industrial-scale technology and synthetic inputs) of which he is in favor;
Susan Roberts presented a basic outline of the potential for organic practices to save the day;
Mark Winne of the Hartford Food System offered some prescient insights on the post-production aspect of food justice, but he was sidelined by the aforementioned debate of production practices;
Even at the MIT panel, David Pimentel was hard-pressed to depart from his allegiance to 'capital-O organic' as the way to go.

Interestingly, at Saturday's event as well as the MIT panel there was little discussion of actual policy mechanisms that we might employ to achieve the implementation of any or all of the panelists' favored approaches. This, to me, is a grave oversight of the fact that politics and policy have shaped the food-system we have today, from farm to fork. In the US, for example, government programs (from outright subsidization to technical assistance programs to the USDA nutrition guidelines) have incentivized the commodity-based agriculture that dominates producer and consumer behaviors. It is odd to me that only Michael Pollan made a point of suggesting that we need to overhaul our policy framework in order to shift to sustainable agriculture. Paarlberg did mentioned a fertilizer tax, and Roberts referred to UN policy recommendations, but in no great detail.

While I point the finger at past and current regulatory frameworks as a key source of the problems we face, I am hopeful that we can work within these frameworks to put us on a path to sustainability. As my colleague Asta Schuette pointed out in a discussion about water scarcity and emerging technological responses (read: GMOs), there are some relatively low-hanging fruit we've yet to pick from the sustainability tree. Optimizing and expanding on the host of existing conservation programs that strive to implement best management practices at the farm-level can take us a long way towards our goals without resorting to wholesale, exclusive adoption of either techno-industrial agriculture, agroecology, or locavorism. All we need are networks of scientists, farmers, activists, and advocates dedicated to implementing these policies in good-faith and insisting upon integrity and tranparency from all stakeholders. That, and a few other things:

We need to supercharge the Conservation Reserve Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program;
We need to reorient EQIP;
We need a chunk of that stimulus money to fund research and extension in sustainable agriculture;
We might consider converting Chrysler's facilities into centers for manufacturing eco-friendly farming equipment for small, diverse farms;
We need the authors of the Farm Bill to recognize the important role - negative and positive - of fruit and vegetable production in the US.
We need to face up to the global dimensions of our domestic and international policies.

(I'll stop there.)

Go figure: Just as reducing our greenhouse gas emissions will involve a diverse portfolio of geographically and socially appropriate sources of renewable energy, creating a sustainable food-system will require a suite of policy mechanisms to shift producers, processors, and consumers away from the ecologically impractical bind we find ourselves in today.

There are solutions for some of the (many) problems discussed in Boston this week. Effectively employing those solutions is the first step towards greening our food-system. What we lack is the political will to implement them with sincerity and integrity. Slow-foodies, engage yourselves in active citizenship, but quickly!

Michael Pollan at Tufts

2009-03-25T00:10:00.000-04:00

So, the ubiquitous Michael Pollan spoke this evening at the Cohen Auditorium on the main campus of Tufts. It was thrilling to be there and it continues to be thrilling being part of this growing movement toward healthier food, bodies, and lives. He talked about how he was flattered and even intimidated (!!) to be at the institution where Friedman is housed, and recognized that the work being done here is shaping the future of food, nutrition and public health.

Mr. Pollan had a lot of moving and inspirational ideas he shared with the audience; he talked about urban gardening in Milwaukee, the need for more integrated research on lifestyle choices and health, about pseudo-food, school nutrition, farm biodiversification and giant agro/food industry's grip on regulation, but what had the most impact on me were his criticisms of us as nutritionists -- the researchers and idea-generators who have taken on the responsibility of helping people figure out what they should eat.

He spent a lot of time discussing the ideology of nutritionism, compared with real nutrition science and loss of traditional cultural food knowledge. He compared our understanding of nutrition to surgery in the 1600's, and while everyone laughed, I was struck by that truth. We as nutritionists are so far from knowing or beginning to understand all the functions of nutrients in all their myriad metabolic processes; Western medicine along with agro/food industry seeks to isolate and encapsulate nutrients to "enhance" our health or banish them from our diets, under the guise of countering disease and promoting wellness, and meanwhile endocrinologists can't even tell us how to diagnose something as seemingly straightforward as a zinc deficiency.

Our perspective as nutritionists must turn back toward the health of whole foods, whole meals, and whole food systems.

The criticism of the dietary guidelines was also deserved; the general public should get a clear, understandable message about healthy foods, and the guidelines shouldn't be slick ways of incorporating the interests of corn & soy, sugar, big pork, big dairy and big beef. The guidelines I linked to above are from 2000; a quick reading reveals clear ties to industries like dairy, oilseeds and livestock. The most recent guidelines are contained in an 80-page publication that I doubt even most dietitians have taken the time to read thoroughly. I hope that our esteemed Tufts faculty members who are involved in forming the 2010 dietary guidelines will be able to take an objective standpoint, removing themselves from their industry-backed daily research, their focus on nutrients and nutritionism, and their reductionist approach (there's a chapter entitled "Sodium & Potassium") to generate suggestions that are honestly meant to guide people's everyday choices and improve public health.

I think Mr. Pollan couldn't have gone far enough in his criticism of the incestuous relationship between industry and research. Research says olive oil is good for you -- industry goes "Hey, let's capitalize -- we can make mayo out of olive oil and call it health food!" Research says too many carbs make people gain weight -- industry is THRILLED because now there's a new, perfectly engineered market with a gaping hole for low-carb "food" products. Labeling processed, industrially-manufactured "foods" with logos and icons indicating health benefits is misleading, confusing and disingenuous. Who cares if vaguely butter-esque spreads are made with heart-healthy Omega-3's when it costs us the end of small local dairies, the loss of age-old knowledge of making a preserved food product oneself, the dietary lack of a naturally balanced whole food, petro-based fertilizers being dumped on farms growing only soybeans as far as the eye can see, running off and contaminating watersheds and foodsheds and keeping us chained to this dysfunctional industrial food system? Not to mention, of course, perhaps the greatest loss nutritionism has brought about -- simply enjoying naturally rich, smooth, creamy real butter?

This is, to me, a major part of why Americans have the unhealthy relationship to food that Pollan called "orthorexia" -- the unhealthy obsession with eating healthy. We've lost our ancient foodways that tell us how to eat balanced, whole foods in ways that will keep us happy, satisfied and healthy, and we're searching blindly for a replacement. Right now there are two movements filling the space: the one of fast, standardized chains providing food-like edible products, filled with McDonald's, Chili's, Applebee's, Tastee Delite, Krispy Kreme, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut -- the list keeps growing -- and quickly spreading both their pseudo-food items and the diet-linked diseases that come with them, and what we're striving for: the return to farm-fresh local foods, seasonal eating habits, understanding what real food is and how to prepare it, savoring the knowledge and tastes of nature's edible bounty, cultivating healthy food systems that rely on nature (including biology, biochemistry, and all the ag sciences) to guide them, and food markets that act responsibly and don't treat edible/agricultural products the same as television sets (let's not even get into markets and price-driven farm production, that's another dysfunctional ballgame).

Obviously there's a cultural shift happening; we are up against some of the biggest and most powerful forces I can imagine, and I don't want to call it war, but that's kind of what it feels like. I hope we win.

Amidst the Revolution

2009-03-23T00:13:00.000-04:00

Is it really the season for a food revolution?

This New York Times article says it is, and mentions all the key players from Berry and Waters to Hoefner and Merrigan, and more -- seems like we're in the midst of it all.

Michael Pollan @Tufts 3/24

Future of Food & Nutrition Student Research Conference at the Friedman School

NY Times Article about MRSA-resistant pork (just thought I'd throw that in there)

On easy Slow Foods at home

2009-03-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

Winter doesn't seem to be letting up, and for that reason (& cuz they're delicious) I've been focusing on "larder" items more than ever -- not butter or bacon, but other delectable, fatty food items I can prepare myself. I definitely try to "waste not want not" in my kitchen, but since I don't compost, I often have food scraps.

This past weekend I made the last of the meat I'd bought from Blood's Farm Slaughterhouse in the fall -- a butterflied leg of lamb. After trimming all the fat off the outside & some from the inside, I had probably a pound or more of lamb fat - mmmmm. I've read various studies touting the benefits of brown fat over white/yellow beef or chicken fat, and it's delicious, so I didn't want to throw it out. All it took was a quick glance at a google search, and I was rendering my lamb fat in a medium saucepan over a very low flame. It cooked slowly for about 3 hours, and I had to stir it every few minutes so that the chunky parts wouldn't burn. Although my entire kitchen smelled like boiled sheep fat, my finished product - a jar of pure, pale brown lamb tallow - will last me a LONG time, and only a tiny bit will add amazing flavor to pilafs, stews and casseroles.

My other fatty homemade delicacy is real crème fraîche (fresh cream, a fermented french dairy product similar to sour cream), made from heavy cream. Just like yogurt, crème fraîche is made by adding live bacterial cultures to fresh dairy. I happened to have a small bit of leftover crème in my fridge, so I added that -- approximately 2 tbsp -- to a pint of heavy cream. I mixed the two in a heat-safe glass bowl and left in in the oven set to warm for about 3 hours. I left the oven door open just a tiny bit so it wouldn't get too hot, since my oven is unpredictable. Then I removed the bowl from the oven, stirred the cream, and left it overnight. This afternoon I'll check on it and pop it in the fridge if it seems palatable.

The major recommendation I have for either of these slow foods is to use the freshest and most pure ingredients possible. Animal fat can be very rich in fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids, but if you don't know where the animal came from or what it ate, the final "purified" product could taste or function very differently from how it traditionally should. Likewise with cream, conventional brands of heavy cream are often adulterated with mono- and diglycerides, carageenan, and god knows what other stabilizers/emulsifiers/etc. (the stuff that leaves a waxy coating in your mouth -- NOT natural). This means that the crème fraîche you end up with will also leave that weirdness in your mouth and have a different taste than a product made from organic, unadulterated, non-UHT pasteurized heavy cream. Crème fraîche is really versatile and doesn't curdle with acid or heat. You can eat it with fruit or desserts, or add it to pureed vegetable soups, gravies, or sauces for an enriched flavor and super-velvety texture.

Just to quickly add a nutrition perspective -- these foods aren't exactly every day staples, but can definitely be part of a healthy, balanced diet. I don't eat a lot of junk food, sweets, or fried foods -- I prefer to include these kinds of indulgences in my diet. They're high in fat and cholesterol, but also rich in vitamins and nutrients that everyone needs to be healthy.

Welcome to Slow Food Tufts!

2009-03-02T19:05:00.000-05:00

We are now an official group at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy. Our first event, a Food Trivia Night, is currently in the works!

Please contact the executive board with any questions or comments.

Co-presidents

Asta Schuette & Jessica Lattif

Administrative officer

Jalal Elhayek

Treasurer

Chelsea B. Lewis

Web Coordinator

Maggie Gosselin