Looking for Spring at the Farmers Market

The fresh lettuces at the Toledo Farmers Market this morning were hydroponic, but they still taste like spring. The Winter Market has finished, and today's half open-air, half covered market was the perfect place to start the weekend. My friend Millie couldn't resist the hydroponic strawberries, fresh from an Ohio greenhouse!

Toledo GROWs Brings Nancy Lee Bentley to Town

Slow Food Maumee Valley is happy to share this announcement from Toledo GROWs:

Toledo GROWs to Bring Acclaimed Chef and Author to Toledo Botanical Garden (April 17th and April 19th) .

Internationally-acclaimed health and wellness pioneer Nancy Lee Bentley will appear at Toledo Botanical Garden, April 17th and-19th to introduce her newest book, Truly Cultured: Rejuvenating Taste, Health and Community with Naturally Fermented Foods.

Nancy Lee Bentley is a pioneering holistic health expert, professional chef, natural foods marketing and nutrition consultant, teacher, writer andspeaker. Her work has appeared in national/regional trade and consumer publications ranging from "Organic Gardening" to "Natural Foods Merchandiser". She co-authored the successful Dr. Mercola's TOTAL HEALTHProgram.

Nancy Lee has organized and developed organic/natural food products, co-ops, cooking classes, restaurants, healthy food service pilots, start-up businesses, national trade and organic certification associations. She has trained MasterCard® chefs; organized an allergy/specialty foods mail-orderbusiness, brokered organic and specialty grains, developed wheat-free recipes for Cher, baked a 3-tiered purple birthday cake for Prince, and catered for Aveda founder, Horst Rechelbacher.

Bentley workshops will show participants how to: "Eat our way back to good health, sense, and enjoyment!" using the ancient practice of natural fermentation and culturing.Truly Cultured is a delicious and nutritious feast of recipes, quips,quotes, quizzes, history, anecdotes, puns, myths, food science, facts and figures, secrets, insights, how-to tips, tidbits and unabashed, call-it-like-it-is power truths that help readers understand how important live, cultured, fermented foods are to our health and our communities. Ms. Bentley is well-known for connecting the burgeoning healthy and gourmet organic foods industry with the environmental movement and the spiritual revolution. She tirelessly promotes traditionally cultured foods and holistic lifestyles to support optimum nutrition and sustainable communities. For more on Nancy Lee Bentley and her book, Truly Cultured, please visit the website http://www.trulycultured.com/.

Thursday: April 17th - 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm
– Introduction to being Truly Cultured FREE and open to the public.

Saturday April 19th 10am to 2pm
Seminar : What Does it Mean to be Truly Cultured ( includes food tasting ) .$40 advance fee / $50 walk in. Space is limited -reserve your space in advance.

To register for Saturday's event go to http://truly-cultured.amazonwebstore.com/ or call 419-936-2975

Slow Supper at the Original Sub Shop

Two dozen Slow Fooders enjoyed a vegetarian feast presented by Sarkis and Jackie David at the Original Sub Shop, the site of our February Slow Supper. All were enthusiastic about the traditional Middle Eastern lenten dishes, and SF Maumee Valley signed up three new members! Thanks to member John Henry Fullen for recording the event.

March Slow Supper and More

Sunday March 16th, 2008

Toledo Botanical Garden Conference Center

5-6 PM - Stables Room - Beer Tasting with Lloyd Adelphia

Everything you ever wanted to know about beer.... but didn't know what to ask. There will be beer tasting and valuable information on how to make your own. This is a members only event, but you are welcome to bring guests.

6-8 PM - Terrace Room - Irish / Green Pot Luck

Please bring a dish to share that is green and/or Irish for the potluck, and bring your own beverage.

R.S.V.P. if you are planning on attending and what you might be bringing to share: Mary Weiss 419- 842-0005, mweiss@bex.net

Leap Night Dinner Update

Reservations will be accepted through Sunday February 24th for our February Slow Supper.

The time is 6:30 PM on Leap Night, Friday February 29th
The place the Original Sub Shop and Deli, 402 Broadway, Toledo
The price is $15 for Slow Food members, $20 for those who have not yet joined.

Our hosts will be Jackie and Sarkis David, and Sarkis has created a menu featuring traditional Middle Eastern lenten dishes, including vegetarian soups, grape leaves, and more.

Coffee and tea included, BYOB if you'd like to enjoy a glass of wine with your meal.

RSVP to slowfoodmaumeevalley@gmail.com or by calling Paula Ross @ 419.536.0807

Toledo Grows Events

We're not sponsoring the following events, but we are happy to help get the word out:

Saturday February 23rd -- The 4^th Annual SEED SWAP

The Swap and all workshops are free and open to the public!

12:00-3:00pm, Crosby Conference Center (SEED SWAPPING) - bring seeds, bulbs, house plants, gardening magazines, et cetera-- there's still time to order unique seeds to share from sites like rareseeds.com. All are welcome -- but those who bring something to exchange will receive more tokens...

Workshop Schedule: (all workshops are at Toledo Botanical Garden)

11:00am "Plant Nutrition", Art Abilities Studio (AAS)
11:00am "Talking Tomatoes", Children's Ed. Building (CEB)

1:30pm "Gardening for Maximum Nutrition" (AAS)
1:30pm "Plant Propagation" (CEB)

3:15pm "Beekeeping" (AAB)
3:15pm "Invasive Plants" (CEB)

Come to the Garden on Saturday, February 23, 2008 to exchange seeds, learn new skills and diversify your gardens. No matter your gardening ability, you'll enjoy the chance to mingle with other gardeners and swap favorite seeds and bulbs. The Seed Swap gives gardeners the opportunity to enjoy new plants and to help preserve unique local and cultural strains, as many gardeners grow plants that are unique to their ethnicity or taste. Visitors are also encouraged to bring houseplants to exchange. There will be activities for kids, workshops, music and more so bring the whole family.

For more information, please call (419)936-2975 or email tgrows2@toledogarden.org.

The Seed Swap is a free/grassroots event � please help us by printing or forwarding these flyers�

February Slow Supper

This month's Slow Supper will be Friday, February 29th. It's a bonus day, and Slow Food Maumee Valley has arranged just the right way to celebrate it: enjoying a convivial meal others who share a passion for food and drink that is good, clean, and fair.

The meal will be meatless, creative, and delicious, prepared by our hosts Jackie and Sarkis David, and presented at the Original Sub Shop and Deli, 402 Broadway, Toledo at 6:30 PM. The price is $15 for Slow Food members, $20 for those who have not yet joined. Coffee and tea included, BYOB if you'd like to enjoy a glass of wine with your meal. RSVP by Friday, February 22nd to slowfoodmaumeevalley@gmail.com or by calling Paula Ross @ 419.536.0807.

Watch this space for menu updates!