Slow Food Maumee Valley: August 2008

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Tomato Tasting - Results are Clear

The two dozen members and friends of Slow Food Maumee Valley have made their decision: we tasted more than a dozen varieties of heirloom tomatoes from area farms and gardens, and the winner by a landslide is the Cherokee Purple.

Pam Weirauch of Pam's Corner also produced some winners - mixed heirloom gazpacho, heirloom tomato tartlets, and goat-cheese stuffed tomatoes were popular, as was the caponata made with eggplants from Andy Keil's farm from a recipe by Mario Batali.

If you missed our first annual heirloom tomato tasting, you don't have to wait until next year's tomato season. Send a message to slowfoodmaumeevalley@gmail.com to be added to our regular e-mail messages, or visit the Slow Food USA website to join.

Unless you have dozens of tomato varieties in your garden, check out your local farmers market. The Toledo Farmers Market is hosting its first annual Salsa Fest on August 30th.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Tomato To-mah-to Tasting

It's early August, and the tomatoes are beginning to ripen. The season will be in full swing by Sunday August 24th, the date of Slow Food Maumee Valley's first annual Heirloom Tomato Tasting, to begin at 4:00 PM, at the home of John and Paula Ross. Slow Food Maumee Valley is teaming up with Pam Weirauch of Pam's Corner to offer a tomato-centric menu including tastes of heirlooms from a variety of area farms and gardens and desserts made from local fruit, plus iced tea and basil lemonade.

The cost will be $20 per person ($15 for SFMV members). Reservations are a must for this event. Please reply or call 419.536.0807.

Slow Food Maumee Valley is a non-profit organization, and a portion of your cost will be tax-deductible. Proceeds from the event will be used to help strengthen the food system in the Maumee Valley.

As always, you can go to http://slowfoodusa.org/ to become a member.

Who We Are and What We Do

Slow Food Maumee Valley is part of Slow Food USA and the global Slow Food network of over 150,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through our network, we link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect the community, culture, knowledge and environment that make this pleasure possible.

Our mission as an international grassroots membership organization is good, clean and fair food for all.
Good
Our food should be tasty, seasonal, local, fresh and wholesome.
Clean
Our food should nourish a healthful lifestyle and be produced in ways that preserve biodiversity, sustain the environment and ensure animal welfare – without harming human health.
Fair
Our food should be affordable by all, while respecting the dignity of labor from field to fork.
For All
Good, clean and fair food should be accessible to all and celebrate the diverse cultures, traditions and nations that reside in the USA.
Working together with members and supporters in our area, across the nation and around the world, we:
Care
We preserve and share local foods and food cultures. We defend and advocate policies that promote holistic alternatives to the industrial system. Through tastings, workshops and social opportunities, we explore and celebrate the Slow life.
Cultivate
We champion local, culturally significant heritage foods, customs and recipes – and bring these experiences into farms, markets, restaurants and homes. We teach the next generation how to grow, prepare and share food responsibly.
Connect
Conviviality is central to our mission. We are part of a global community, connecting people to the land and to each other through local projects, educational events, and shared meals. We become catalysts for change by sharing the joy of Slow Food and prioritizing wholesome living over convenience.
Learn more about Slow Food USA and Slow Food International