Slow Food - Eugene

Thursday night, we attended our local Slow Food convivium's annual fall members' meeting and potluck at Eugene's Garden Club on High Street. What a turnout (I overheard a headcount of 75) and what a feast!

Thanks to the generosity of our kids, we were able to shop while we were in town earlier in the afternoon for fresh ingredients and baked a double batch of our Vegetable Strata in their oven in Springfield, as our kitchen was 20-miles away from our destination. Other members and guests contributed an array of fabulous entrees, side dishes and desserts. Fortunately for me, many of them were gluten-free and vegetarian! We filled our plates to overflowing with the bounty of colorful, savory and sweet foods made with mostly produce, meats and products grown or produced by members and bought from local natural foods markets: Polenta Pie, Homemade Bread Bowl filled with Cheese in Brie with Shitake Mushrooms, Kale and Quinoa Salads, Vegan and Mushroom Farro Soups, Lemon Chicken with Garlic Potatoes, Pizza, Yukon Potatoes with wild Mushrooms and Apples, Scalloped Potatoes and Potatoes (with milk and sour cream from chef's cow), Neapolitan Ragu,Vegetarian Pesto Salad, Beet Risotto, Carrot Date Nut Muffins, Hazelnut Tarts, Berry Cobbler and much more....

Members bring their own eating and serving utensils, plates and bowls, cups and goblets, beverage of choice and a potluck dish to share with the group to all gatherings. We enjoyed the evening with our new friends and members John Karlik and Lynn Cosby of Good Food Easy, a CSA located in Creswell, Oregon, who graciously shared their soup spoons and wine with us.

Education is an important feature of Slow Food gatherings. This evening was no exception. After introductions and announcements Tom Barkin awarded checks to several non-profits from fund-raising events this past year. We heard from Jim Crane about the Time for Lunch initiative - "It's time to provide America's children with REAL FOOD at school."  and the School Garden Project:

We also enjoyed learning about the Farm to Table Program and the Willamette Farm and Food Coalition. Nicki Maxwell explained the Seed Ambassador program and introduced Seed Ambassadors Sareh Kleeger and Andrew Steel of AdaptiveSeeds to share their seed saving story with us.

I hope you will be inspired to find a local chapter of Slow Food near you! Contact Slow Food USA.

About the Eugene Convivium

Slow Food Eugene: "The Willamette Valley Convivium was established in 2000 by Nonie Fish, food writer, restaurant reviewer, and cooking instructor. In 2002, a leadership board was established to sponsor educational events, form partnerships with other local organizations, and coordinate with Slow Food USA. Slow Food Eugene is a vibrant and diverse convivium whose members include restaurateurs, food purveyors, farmers, educators, and committed food-and-wine lovers from all walks of life.

Eugene, Oregon is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, one of the richest agricultural regions in the world. Eugene and the surrounding areas of Lane County are recognized centers of small-scale sustainable agriculture. Our markets overflow with organically raised vegetables, fruits, nuts, meat, poultry, and cheeses. Local wineries produce award-winning pinot noir, pinot gris, and many other varieties. The nearby Pacific Ocean provides the finest seafood. The Cascade and Coast Range mountains offer fish, game, and mushrooms. Slow Food Eugene is dedicated to the celebration and preservation of this bountiful heritage through events, education, and political action.

Membership: Interested individuals and families are also encouraged to join Slow Food USA, the parent organization, to support the important goals of the national and international Slow Food movement and receive Slow Food publications."

Mock Balsamic Vinegar and Jeera Lassi

The aromas coming from the kitchen were incredible. My pre-holiday test-run to try out these dishes was not without its challenges. While enjoying the warm notes of the smoky Provolone wafting from the kitchen as the strata baked, I took time out to defrag from a couple of glitches during preparation.

In the course of preparing dinner, I discovered (1) that my blender’s bearing was shot, leaking some of the swirling yogurt mixture all over the counter top as a metallic gray slurry, having run down through the motor first; (2) this is also the first time our fillet of sole came with its tough gray skin and spiny bones attached. My husband only noticed the topsides while making his selection at the fish market. Problems out of the way and resolved: blender in the recycle bin, fish recipe revised to accommodate two people who are not the least up to spending the next hour removing skin and bones, all ended well. The commingling of aromas kept us in a mood of great anticipation... and we weren't disappointed. Great meal!

Jeera Lassi is a traditional drink in India made by blending dry-roasted cumin seeds, yogurt, water and salt and pepper to taste. Especially with spicy foods, this beverage refreshes your palate between bites. Garnished with mint and roasted cumin.

Christmas Fish is a holiday entree meant to be presented as stuffed, rolled fillets sprinkled liberally with red paprika. Here you see that I spread the stuffing over the top of the sole fillets and baked according to the directions. This worked out quite well; much less work than rolling the fillets around loose stuffing.

Dinner this evening was an infusion of textures and flavors from four recipes taken from both of my Cooking Course Challenge books. The Christmas Fish is found on page136, Shilpa’s Roasted Beets on page 96 and Jeera Lassa on page 207 of the Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet; Asparagus and Provolone Cheese Strata is found on page 156 of The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen.

Asparagus and Provolone Cheese Strata can be prepared a day ahead. Chill 3 hours or overnight before baking.

Shilpa's Roasted Beets first marinate in Mock Balsamic Vinegar, combined with garlic, oregano, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. This is now my favorite way to prepare beets. No boiling or peeling necessary. Delicious served hot or cold.

How to make Mock Balsamic Vinegar:

Ingredients:

3/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup red wine

1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil for 3-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes longer. Let the vinegar cool. Refrigerates well for up to 2 weeks. Yields 1/2 cup.

Because the beets cook for an hour at 400 degrees, the strata for 45 minutes at 325 degrees and the fish for 30 minutes at 375 degrees, I baked the strata first, then increased the temperature, roasting the beets for a half hour, placing the fish on the lower rack to bake for the last 30 minutes without adjusting the temperature. The fish was moist and tender; not overcooked. I kept the strata hot in my warming drawer until the other two dishes were ready to serve.

 

Here's how to make Jeera Lassi:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 cup yogurt
• 3/4 cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste ( I used cayenne)
• Ice, optional
• Mint sprigs and roasted cumin seeds for garnish

Directions:

1. Dry-roast the cumin seeds in a small pan, without oil, over medium heat.
2. Stir seeds until they brown; do not burn.
3. Set a few seeds aside for garnish.
4. In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the ice and mint.
5. Chill or pour into glasses and add ice. 
6. Garnish with mint and cumin seeds.

Serving size: one 10 ounce glass

Enjoy!

"A messy kitchen is a happy kitchen and this kitchen is delirious." Anon