January Cooking Class at Turner Farm

Turner Farm and Laura Robinson will hold a hands-on, farm-to-table cooking class in the Meshewa kitchen (adjacent to Turner Farm) on January 8th, 10AM to 1PM. This is the first in a series of classes that will focus on basic cooking techniques using seasonal ingredients picked fresh from the farm.

In this class, you will learn the ins-and-outs of two fundamental kitchen recipes: a pie dough and a custard. Once mastered, these two classic components will become invaluable tools in your kitchen repertoire and work in a variety of applications. In this class, we will combine the dough and the custard to form a lovely quiche!

Weather permitting, we will start by picking the greens that will be used in the dish. We will then make our way to the kitchen to make the dough from scratch and assemble the custard. We will end by enjoying the meal together.

Space is limited, so please email Sally @ turnerfarm@zoomtown.com if you are interested in joining. The cost of the class is $35 and a check must be received by January 5th to reserve your spot in the class. Checks are payable to Turner Farm and can be mailed to Turner Farm, 7400 Given Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45243.

Pumpkin Pie Baking Class at Turner Farm

Using winter squash, eggs and other ingredients from Turner Farm, participants will leave with an unbaked crust and filling for one fresh pumpkin pie to bake at home. The basics of pie crust making will be demonstrated and then experienced hands on. One pie will be baked and shared with the participants. The class will be held at the Meshewa kitchen (adjacent to Turner Farm) on November 13th from 9:30AM to noon. The cost is $30 per person. Reservations are needed by November 10th. To reserve your spot, email (turnerfarm@zoomtown.com) or call (513 561-7400). This class is co-sponsored by Turner Farm and Slow Food Cincinnati and will be taught by Sarah Anthony.

Participants should bring their own:
Pie pan (glass or metal will do)
Storage container to take the filling home in
Rolling pin
Mixing bowl
Mixing spoon

Optional:
Pastry cutter
Pastry cloth
Measuring spoons and cups
Sharp knife

Nectar Dinner Canceled

We'd like to thank those that expressed an interest in our Nectar fundraising dinner, but we had to cancel the October 10th dinner because we have not met our attendance goal necessary to go ahead with the event. Keep watching the blog, as we'll have a few upcoming events to get involved with before everyone gets too busy cooking and hosting delicious holiday meals.

Slow Food membership drive

Now through October 15th, Slow Food USA is running a membership drive with the goal of adding 10,000 new voices to connect into the local and national food scene. A donation of $25 will pay for a yearly national/local membership. This will connect you both to the information and resources of the national chapter but also to the opportunities and discounted event prices through Slow Food Cincinnati.

Go here to find out more information and to become a member today:

www.slowfoodusa.org/JoinTheFoodFight5

Autumn Blossom Banquet

We wanted to make local Slow Food supporters aware that the Autumn Blossom Banquet is coming up on September 25th. The dinner is on the organic Blue Sky Farm in Villa Hills, KY and includes the locally made pottery that the meal is served on. Tickets are $100 and some proceeds benefit Slow Food. Go to the website for more information and to order tickets.

August 2010 Newsletter

Mark Your Calendars for These Upcoming Events:

• Sunday, October 10th: Slow Food Dinner at Nectar Join Slow Food Cincinnati for a private dinner at Nectar in Mt. Lookout. Chef/Owner Julie Francis embodies Slow Food ideals year-round, serving local, seasonal, and organic ingredients whenever possible. Dinner will include a fall salad course with wine pairing, a main course with wine pairing, and a dessert course, all served family-style. A vegetarian option will be available. Dinner will begin at 6:30 pm. Tickets, which include three courses with beverages, tax, and gratuity, cost $55 for members or $60 for non-members, and can be purchased online here. Members, please contact Krishna atvolunteer@slowfoodcincinnati.org to receive your discounted pricing.

• Saturday, September 25^th: Slow Food Day of Service Join Slow Food Cincinnati as we participate in this National volunteer initiative. We will head to the Anderson School Garden to help them with preparations for next year’s growing season. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Sarah at sarah {at} slowfoodcincinnati {dot} org to sign up.

But Wait, There's More! Keep an eye out for more info on these other exciting events later in the year.

• Bread Baking with Blue Oven Bakery Slow Food Cincinnati will travel to Williamsburg, OH to get a lesson from the pros at Blue Oven in how to bake bread.
• Cheese Making with Blue Jacket Dairy Angel from Blue Jacket Dairy will be offering a free cheese making demo here in Cincinnati.
• Member Meeting All registered Slow Food Cincinnati members are invited to join us for our membership meeting, which will be held in late fall, to discuss the future direction of our chapter. We will be holding a vote for next year’s board positions, so if you are interested in running for one of the open positions, please email Sarah at sarah@slowfoodcincinnati.org to have your name placed on the ballot.

Recent Events

What an exciting month we've had! Thank you to those who came to our Movie Night at UC. We hope to screen more movies in the future-- are there any you're interested in seeing?

Turner Farm and Lidia Hirsh provided the basis for a great canning class! We couldn't have asked for much more than great weather, delicious tomatoes, and a beautiful place like Turner to learn about canning. If you missed out this year, don't worry-- we hope to have another class next year.

We are enormously grateful to everyone who volunteered for, or just came out and ate the great food at Farmers' Fair last weekend. We hope you ate new foods, learned new things, and had a wonderful time at one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. Thanks to the Farmers' Fair board and sponsors for all their hard work, and to Ed Begley, Jr., Jay Denham, Berlin Reed, Josh Durr, and the Comet Bluegrass All-Stars for the entertainment

If you haven't already, please check our Facebook page for pictures from our recent events, and please feel free to add your own photos.

Finally

We'd love to hear from you. If you are interested in volunteering to help with events or if you have event ideas, please email Laura at events@slowfoodcincinnati.org. If you can help out in other ways, please email Sarah at volunteers@slowfoodcincinnati.org. And remember, there is strength in numbers. Please bring your friends who are interested in becoming members of SlowFood Cincinnati, or who just want to learn more about why it's cool to be Slow. And don't forget to keep up to date with all the latest information on our blog.

Saturday Berry Picking Canceled

Sorry for the late notice, but due to lack of interest and an early berry season with the heat, we will be cancelling our berry trip for tomorrow. Sorry to those planning on attending, if you are still interested call Alpine Berry and check availability: 812-934-6677 . They may still have some berries for picking.

Canning Class with Turner Farm - spots available

HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO CAN FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES BUT THE TASK SEEMED OUT OF REACH? NOW YOU "CAN", AND ENJOY SUMMERS' BOUNTY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR!

Please join Slow Food Cincinnati and Turner Farm in collaboration with Lydia Hirsh to extend the summer bounty through a hands-on tomato canning class. The class will be held at Turner Farm on August 7th from 9:00AM - 1:00PM.

Together we will bring you a memorable, educational experience -- we will begin by picking organic tomatoes straight from the vine; we will then peel, dice, process and pack the tomatoes together. You are welcome to tour the farm and bring snacks or a picnic lunch (or a dish to share) to enjoy afterwards while the cans are cooling.

The cost of the class is $35. We will provide all necessary equipment along with step by step instructions. You will leave with 3 wide mouth pint jars of chopped tomatoes to enjoy well past the summer season.

We look forward to seeing you August 7th at Turner Farm
7400 Given Road - Cincinnati, Ohio 45243
Phone: 513-561-7400
To sign up, please follow this link: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/121644

July, August and beyond

July 2010 Newsletter

Mark Your Calendars for These Upcoming Events

• Friday, July 30th: Movie and Gelato with SFC Join Slow Food at UC's Niehoff Urban Studio for a free screening of PolyCultures, a 2009 film about re-establishing a healthy food system in urban Cleveland. We will have Dojo Gelato, beer, and popcorn available for purchase. Doors open at 8:30, film begins at 9:00. Event is free and open to the public.
• Saturday, August 7th: Tomato Canning with Turner Farms Want to learn how to can your own food? Slow Food Cincinnati and Turner Farm are teaming up with Lydia Hirsh to offer this beginners hands-on workshop teaching the basic fundamentals you will need to can tomatoes for enjoyment once summer is long gone! We will start with organic tomatoes we'll pick straight from the vine, and everyone will go home with three pint jars of tomatoes. Details are still being finalized for this popular class.
• Saturday, August 21st: Berry Picking Slow Food Cincinnati will head to Alpine Berry Farm in Batesville, IN for a day of berry picking with friends. Admission is free, pay for what you pick.
• Saturday, August 28th: Farmers' Fair Come down to the Roebling Entertainment District in Covington for this all-day celebration of local food! The event will feature a Farmers' Market from 10-4, as well as food and wine tastings from local chefs and vineyards, cooking demonstrations, educational activities for the whole family, and featured speaker Ed Begley, Jr. Proceeds benefit Slow Food Cincinnati, as well as CORV (Central Ohio River Valley) Local Food Guide, the Northern Kentucky Chapters of the Future Farmers of America, and the Ohio Valley Foodshed Project. Please visit theFarmers' Fair website for the most up-to-date information or to volunteer for this wonderful event. Admission is free.
  
• Sunday, October 10th: Slow Food Dinner at Nectar Join Slow Food Cincinnati for a private dinner at Nectar in Mt. Lookout. Chef/owner Julie Francis embodies Slow Food ideals year-round, serving local, seasonal, and organic ingredients whenever possible. Once details are finalized, the event will be opened to our current Slow Food members first. Any remaining available spots will be opened to the public.

But Wait, There's More! Keep an eye out for more info on these other exciting events later in the summer.

• Slow Food Day of Service Join Slow Food Cincinnati as we participate in this National volunteer initiative.
  
• Bread Baking with Blue Oven Bakery Slow Food Cincinnati will travel to Williamsburg, OH to get a lesson from the pros at Blue Oven in how to bake bread.
• Cheese Making with Blue Jacket Dairy Angel from Blue Jacket Dairy will be offering a free cheese making demo here in Cincinnati.
• Member Meeting All registered Slow Food Cincinnati members are invited to join us for our membership meeting, which will be held in late fall, to discuss the future direction of our chapter.

Recent Events

Thanks to all those who braved the heat, humidity, and rain with us at Sustainable Sunday-- we had a great time! We shared some great food and conversation, and we can't wait for the next walk, coming up this fall.

We are grateful to Jennifer and Jordan of Fab Ferments, to Turner Farm, and to everyone who came to the fermenting class, for helping to make it such a great evening and a wonderful learning experience. We could all use a little "culture" in our diets!

If you haven't already, please check our Facebook page for pictures from our recent events, and please feel free to add your own photos.

Finally

We'd love to hear from you. If you are interested in volunteering to help with events or if you have event ideas, please email Laura at events@slowfoodcincinnati.org. If you can help out in other ways, please email Sarah atvolunteers@slowfoodcincinnati.org. And remember, there is strength in numbers. Please bring your friends who are interested in becoming members of Slow Food Cincinnati, or who just want to learn more about why it's cool to be Slow.

Upcoming Summer Events

Mark Your Calendars for These Upcoming Events:

• Thursday, June 17th: Fabulous Fermenting 101 Want to learn how to ferment your own food? Join us for a hands-on learning experience at Turner Farm with Jennifer and Jordan from Fab Ferments to learn about the health benefits and culture of lacto-fermented vegetables. This is a beginners hands-on workshop teaching the basic fundamentals you will need to make your own raw cultured veggies! Everyone will go home with three quart jars of fermented food. Jars will be provided, but please bring a harvest basket, cutting board, knives and a pounding instrument. Space is limited so reserve your spot by paying the class fee now! Cost is $30.
• Saturday, July 17th: Campbell County Backroads Farm Tour Slow Food Cincinnati will join the Campbell County Farmland Work Group for the Backroads Farm Tour Saturday, July 17th from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. This self-guided driving tour of 17 farms will illustrate the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, honey, beef, wines, and horse farms that give Campbell County its special character. meet local farmers and experience farm life at its best. Visit their website in June for a map and full schedule. Admission is free.
• Saturday, August 28th: Farmers' Fair Come down to the Roebling Entertainment District in Covington for this all-day celebration of local food! The event will feature a Farmers' Market from 10-4, as well as food and wine tastings from local chefs and vineyards, cooking demonstrations, educational activities for the whole family, and featured speaker Ed Begley, Jr. Proceeds benefit Slow Food Cincinnati, as well as CORV (Central Ohio River Valley) Local Food Guide, the Northern Kentucky Chapters of the Future Farmers of America, and the Ohio Valley Foodshed Project. Please visit the Farmers' Fair website for the most up-to-date information or to volunteer for this wonderful event. Admission is Free.
  
• Sunday, September 12th: Cooking Class and Dinner at Granny's Garden Did you know we have the largest school garden program in the Midwest here in Cincinnati? Granny's Garden School serves all of Loveland's K-4th grader's, but when school's out, Slow Food gets to play! Join us for a cooking class to learn new techniques and recipes for seasonal ingredients you may not be used to preparing. After the class, we'll enjoy the fruits of our labor, of course! Details are still being ironed out, but we'll be sure to keep you posted.

But Wait, There's More! Keep an eye out for more info on these other exciting events later in the summer.

• Sustainable Sunday Join Park+Vine, Slow Food Cincinnati, and the Miami chapter of the Sierra Club for our next Sustainable Sunday. We'll meet at 11 a.m. at Park+Vine, stop by Coffee Emporium for a fuel-up, then head out on a leisurely stroll along the river to Maribelle's for lunch. We'll plan to be back at P+V around 2 p.m. or so. Check our blog or facebook page, or P+V's facebook page or twitter for final details and to learn how to RSVP.
  
• Berry Picking Spend a day with your Slow Food friends picking fresh, delicious berries. Because berries are so dependent on the weather, this event will likely be short notice, but open to all. We'll send out an email and update our blog to let you know when and where to meet us!
• Coffee Shop Talks Let's sit down with a cup of coffee and a local producer or grower to get to know more about what makes their business Slow. Please let us know who you'd like to see featured in these talks.
• Member Meeting at Brylan's Coffee Cafe All registered Slow Food Cincinnati members are invited to join us for our membership meeting, which will be held sometime in July at the lovely Brylan's Coffee Cafe in Newtown, where we will discuss the future direction of our chapter.
• Event Survey We have some ideas brewing, but we'd like to hear what you think of them. Please take our brief survey to help us plan future events.

We'd love to hear from you. Please take the time to fill out our brief event survey to help us determine what types of events we should host in the future-- we're not having fun unless you're having fun! If you are interested in volunteering to help with events or if you have event ideas, please email Laura at events@slowfoodcincinnati.org. If you can help out in other ways, please email Sarah at volunteers@slowfoodcincinnati.org.