June 1st, 2009 by Melinda McRae
PURCHASE TICKETS NOW or call Brown Paper Tickets’ 24/7 Hotline at 800-838-3006
Slow Food Sacramento is pleased to present “Common Table” on Saturday July 11, a day of tours and workshops culminating in a sit-down gourmet dinner at the Fremont Community Garden. The goal is to raise awareness about local urban gardening and food programs, as well as to advocate for improved city, county and state food policies that enable more locally grown foods in urban locations. The event benefits the Sacramento Hunger Coalition (a program of the Community Services Planning Council), an organization that works to alleviate hunger and increase food security, and the Sacramento Area Community Garden Coalition, an organization dedicated to expanding urban locations for growing fruits and vegetables.
Activities during the day on July 11 include a variety of workshops relating to community gardening, backyard organic gardening, composting, food gleaning and local food swap programs. The Sacramento Hunger Coalition will host the second-annual What’s “Growing” On Bike Tour, a tour of local community gardens and places with access to locally grown foods. The organization will also host Hunger 101, an interactive session to learn how the poor cope with lack of availability of fresh foods. Two movies will be screened: “The Garden” and “FRESH” — both document the need for more locally grown, healthful food. The tour, workshops and movies will be offered from 8:30 – 5 p.m. on July 11. Participants may enjoy any or all of these for $25, purchase workshop and/or “FRESH” ticket now.
The evening activity on July 11 begins at 5:30 and includes a three-course dinner of fresh, seasonal faire catered by Magpie Caterers. The outside family style feast will be held at the Fremont Community Garden, a beautiful setting amidst thriving fruit and vegetable plants. Dinner speaker Brahm Ahmadi of People’s Grocery in Oakland will share his insights on Innovative Solutions for Food Justice. Ahmadi is a nationally recognized leader in the movement to spearhead growing fresh food in urban locations for low-income residents. Dinner begins at 5:30 pm at the Fremont Community Garden located at 14th & Q Streets. A live auction hosted by KXTV’s Dana Howard will feature an array of culinary goodies including private dinners at local restaurants that embody Slow Food, private gardening consulations and more. Avid Reader will offer a variety of books on gardening and the urban food movement. Cost for the dinner is $75 for Slow Food members and $100 for non-members. Tickets for the dinner are available at Brown Paper Tickets.
Slow Food Sacramento encourages all green-thumbers to participate in the “Step up to the Plate” challenge: Grow for the good; plant an extra row. Gardening for the greater good is gaining strength in Sacramento and Slow Food is doing its part. Members are planting now and delivering later to River City Community Services (RCCS) when the vegetables are ready. This summer, for every donation delivery Slow Food gardeners make to RCCS or other food banks will receive a receipt that will be good for a raffle ticket at the Urban Ag Fest. In this raffle, everyone wins — especially the clients at River City! Click here for more information about donating to RCCS.
For more information contact Charity Kenyon, ckenyon@kenyonyeates.com, 916-609-5012, or 916-343-0081 (cell).
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The Sacramento City Council adopted a resolution naming July 11, 2009 “Urban Ag Day!” It embodies Slow Food’s belief that is important to enable residents to grow, glean, and swap food crops within the urban limits. Congratulations to all those who were involved in getting this important resolution passed.
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May 29th, 2009 by Melinda McRae
2009 will mark the Urban Farm Stand’s third year in operation. Thanks to a grant from The California Wellness Foundation, the Urban Farm Stand project will continue this year, at three different locations.
The Alkali/Mansion Flat Urban Farm Stand will open for its third year,operating Tuesdays from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m., starting May 5th and continuing through October 27th. At J. Neely Johnson Park, 516 11th Street, Sacramento 95814 (Between E & F Streets)
The McClatchy Park Urban Farm Stand starts May 9th 2009 with a kick-off at the Celebrate Oak Park event from Noon – 6pm. Thereafter, the Urban Farm Stand will operate every Saturday through October 31, 2009 from 10am – 2pm at McClatchy Park (3500 5th Avenue).
Alchemist CDC will be working with the FEED Coalition (Food Education Equity Diversity) and local growers to assist with carrying out the Del Paso Heights Farmers Market at the Robertson Community Center, 3525 Norwood Ave., Sacramento, CA. The farmers’ market will operate June-October, Every Saturday, 7:30 am to 12 noon.
♦♦ Now accepting EBT/Food Stamps! ♦♦
Two new additional locations have been opened and will continue through October. Click here for a map of all of Sacramento County Certified Farmers’ Markets and Urban Farm Stands.
The Urban Farm Stand project brings convenient access to fresh locally grown produce (both conventional and organic) to low-income communities that have little to no access to fresh produce nearby. The Urban Farm Stand Project also includes a youth leadership development component. We will be working with two youth interns per location and involving them in the planning and operations. Through volunteering with the Urban Farm Stand, the youth will gain useful job and leadership skills as well as nutrition information about the benefits of including fresh fruits and vegetables in ones diet. The youth interns will be tasked with developing a means to communicate and share this nutrition information with members of their community.
The Urban Farm Stands will provide a vital source of healthy foods to individuals and families. As part of our role in promoting healthy eating, we will be engaging area day care centers and pre-schools to provide nutrition information to children ages 0-5 and their parents. The parents will be encouraged to participate in the Urban Farm Stand project as volunteers.
These lively weekly events will also provide a fun meeting place for neighbors to get to know each other, share their talents and enjoy the resources available in their community. By providing convenient access to fresh fruits and vegetables, coupled with relevant nutrition information, the Urban Farm Stand will result in healthier families and healthier communities.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Davida Douglas, Urban Farm Stand Coordinator at 916-204-8260 or via e-mail at: davida@alchemistcdc.org
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May 22nd, 2009 by Melinda McRae
“Just a note to let you know how much my family and I enjoyed the Cajun dinner the other night, complete with brown paper bag table cloths and bowls of crayfish and sausage to cover them! What a feast!
I look forward to hearing about future events. Thank you for all the work that went into putting this together.
Warm regards,
Fred Teichert”
With the temperature creeping to triple digits, more than 100 people gathered to celebrate the kick-off of crawfish season in the Sacramento Delta at the Supper Club. Presented by Slow Food Sacramento, the attendees enjoyed the favorites of Louisiana delta cuisine, with delicious piles of crawfish boil, piled on newspapers, including steamed crawdads, corn, potatoes, andouille sausage and Chef Matt Woolston’s secret spices. Mark St. Mary and Louisiana Blues and Zydeco band entertained and delighted with their foot-stomping Cajun tunes. Side dishes included fried chicken, Cajun potato salad, smoked beef ribs, succotash and pickled okra and watermelon rinds. Local “crawfishermen” Jackie and Curt Hagen discussed the history and culture of crawdad fishing, attendees enjoyed the full southern vibe with the heat, elegant and genteel service, and the unparalleled dining experience that is the Supper Club. To make it more authentic, the quintessential Zydeco band, Louisiana Blues and Zydeco performed, with diners dancing to old Creole classics. It was a perfect day to celebrate Sacramento’s late spring season.
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March 20th, 2009 by Melinda McRae
SORRY, THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT.
Slow Food Sacramento is paying homage to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Sacramento’s Jazz Jubilee with a Cajun crawfish boil. Not only do these river cities share a love of music, they also share a native crustacean: The Crawfish, also known as crayfish, crawdad or crawdaddy. Crawfish season in Sacramento kicks off in May, and Slow Food Sacramento invites you to celebrate these lobster-esque creatures with a traditional Cajun crawfish boil at the Supper Club.
Chef Matt Woolston shares his take on the Southern bash:
Appetizers
Corn, Andouille and Arborio Hushpuppies with Creole dipping sauce
Gazpacho Shooters with Tomatillo avocado mescal Salsa
Deviled Eggs with smoked paprika and caper
Dinner
Crawfish Boil with Corn, Potatoes and Special Cajun spices
Southern Fried Chicken
Southern style Bledsoe pork spareribs, lightly smoked tender and sticky
Southern Potato Salad with Red Potato, Boiled Egg, Apple wood Smoked Portobello Bacon, Whole Grain Mustard and Scallions
Succotash with sweet corn, Lima beans, sweet peppers and green beans
Pickled Okra, Watermelon Rind, Jerusalem Artichokes, Scallions
Fresh seasonal fruit
Lemonade and Iced tea
Complementing the festivities is a performance by Mark St. Mary Louisiana Blues & Zydeco Band, so bring your favorite pod nah for dancing!
Where: The Supper Club, 1616 Del Paso Blvd
When: Sunday May 17, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Cost: $40 for Slow Food Members; $45 for non members
PURCHASE TICKETS NOW
For more information, please contact Melinda Beer, melinda_beer@yahoo.com, or 916.717.1621
Crawfish Tidbits
The name for crawfish derives from the French “ecrevisse,” and according to folklore, the French-speaking Acadians (who became Cajuns) were forced from Maritime Canada down to Louisiana, and lobsters went with them. Legend says the journey was so long and exhausting that when the lobsters arrived they’d lost so much weight they were reduced to crawfish.
Crawfish from the Delta make up the state’s largest freshwater catch, up to 500,000 pounds per year, and Sacramento exports a sizeable amount to Louisiana. It is not known how Crawfish made it to the Delta, but it is believed that Cajun farmers brought them to Sacramento and populated the Delta. There is a second crop in mid-July when rice fields are flooded.
UPCOMING EVENTS AT UC DAVIS’ GOOD LIFE GARDEN 
Backyard Edible Gardening: Growing a Successful Vegetable Garden
When: Saturday, April 25, 2009, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Where: Sensory Theatre and Garden at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
Features: A one-day seminar designed as an overview on how to establish, maintain, and utilize the many benefits of a productive backyard edible garden. The seminars will be taught by UC Master Gardeners and local gardening experts.
Cost: $25 per person (w/o box lunch); $35 per person (with seasonally-inspired box lunch)
An Evening to Savor Port with UC Davis’ Dr. Roger Boulton and Darrell Corti of Corti Brothers
When: Saturday, May 2, 2009, 6 p.m.
Where: Sensory Theater at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
Features: Dr. Roger Boulton of the UC Davis Department of Viticulture and Enology and Darrell Corti, venerable Sacramento wine retailer, will introduce participants to the very colorful history of Port wine. They’ll explain the differences between Port varieties and vintage vs. non-vintage Ports, and teach us how the beverages should be stored, served and savored. The evening includes exciting tastings of hard-to-find Ports, Portugese Douro table wines, and an array of delectable appetizers. Cost: $125
A Very Special Mothers’ Day Brunch with Suzanne Ashworth
When: Sunday, May 10, 11 a.m.
Where: The Good Life Garden at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science
Features: Suzanne Ashworth, owner of Del Rio Botanical Farm and passionate seed-saver, will share her knowledge of seed saving before a brunch featuring some of Suzanne’s exotic produce and more well-known spring crops. Cost: $65
FREE DEMONSTRATION COOKING CLASSES AT EAST BAY CULINARY CENTER
SATURDAY APRIL 4, 9:30a.m. – 4 p.m.
*There are no reservations for free classes; tickets for each class will be given out prior to the start of each class
522 North 12th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, 916.440.0623
9:30am- 10:30am Chef Dina’s Italian Stuffed Toast with Mascarpone & Marmalada
Chef Dina will prepare Pain Perdu a l’Italienne (French Toast Italian style) using Colomba Paquale, a scrumptiously sweet, citrus-flavored, dove- shaped Italian Easter bread topped with coarse sugar & sliced almonds. It’s similar to Christmas Panettone but without the raisins. Dina will lavishly fill this traditional Easter bread with marmalada & mascarpone (Italian style orange marmalade & cream cheese). She’ll then serve her remarkable “Italian Stuffed Toast,” cooked crisp and golden on the griddle. Learn Dina’s delicious Easter creation for Easter or anytime of the year. Quality imported Colomba Pasquale is conveniently available at Corti Brothers in Sacramento for celebrating an Italian-style Easter.
11:00am-12:00pm Malaysian Curry Puffs with Culinary Instructor Shankari Easwaran
Let Shankari Easwaran, a prominent Culinary Instructor from East Bay Restaurant Supply, Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op & Whole Foods Sacramento, introduce you to Curry Puffs, a delectable Malaysian street food. Known as Karipaps in Malay, these savory turnovers made with flaky pastry are often filled with spiced, minced chicken and potato. Sold in Singapore, Thailand, & India as well, these mouth-watering “puffs” are traditionally deep fried. Shankari however will teach her simpler & healthier version baked to perfection. Come sample Shankari’s rendition of this popular savory treat & immerse yourself in the rich culinary traditions & exotic flavors of Malaysia.
12:30pm-1:30pm Chef Andrew Hillman’s Small Plates with Seasonal Spring Produce
We welcome Andrew Hillman, Cooking Instructor, Slow Food Member, and Current Sous Chef at Rio City Cafe in Old Sacramento to our Culinary Center. Chef Andrew will showcase local, seasonal spring produce!. Using a succulent saute of spring garlic, he will embellish freshly caught grilled Corvina, presenting it on a stunningly simple, small plate. With his vast culinary experience, he’ll expound on the first of the year’s bountiful crops, highlighting the bright, fresh flavors of a Spring Salad of Daikon, English Peas, Herbs and Tender Greens.
2:00pm to 4:00pm “The Cooks of Broadway” moderated by notable local Cookbook Author & Capital Public Radio’s Host Elaine Corn
Sample Wonderful World Cuisine from Ethiopia, Vietnam, Bali & Mexico in just 2 hours! Elaine Corn hosts four Broadway cooks, all of whom have appeared in her public radio series “Broadway: Around the World in 30 Blocks.”
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January 24th, 2009 by Melinda McRae
Slow Food Sacramento is pleased to announce a fun, interactive and educational seminar showcasing local olive oil purveyors, moderated by Dan Flynn, executive director at UC Davis Olive Center. Participants will learn how to judge the clarity, identify a variety of aromatics, as well as detect the numerous flavor attributes of olive oil. Chef Rick Mahan will prepare light appetizers that feature locally grown olive oils. Seating is limited.
Location: The Waterboy, 2000 Capitol Avenue
When: Sunday Feb. 15, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Price: $25 general, $20 Slow Food members: BUY TICKETS NOW
For more information, please contact Melinda Beer at melinda_beer@yahoo.com, or 916.717.1621.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA OLIVE OIL
Commercial olive farming in California began in the late 1800s, primarily in the valleys of Central and Northern California. Those early olive crops went into olive-oil production but, in the early 1900s, the industry shifted, as canning technology resulted in higher returns for table olives than for oil. Today, 90 percent of California’s olive production is for canned olives, with only 10 percent crushed for oil. This is just the opposite of Spain, the world’s leading olive producer, which grows 90 percent of its olive crop for oil and only 10 percent for cured olive products. California is the only state in the nation producing a commercially significant crop of olives. California olive-oil producers have planted large numbers of the Arbequina, Arbosana, Koroneiki, Frantoio, Mission, Manzanillo and Leccino varieties. During the past 25 years, health-conscious consumers have led a revival in olive oil as a flavorful alternative to vegetable oils. Demand for olive oil has doubled during the past 10 years. California now produces about 400,000 gallons of olive oil annually. SOURCE: UC DAVIS OLIVE CENTER
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January 14th, 2009 by Melinda McRae
Tickets available at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op, 1900 Alhambra Blvd. $15 General, $10 Co-op owners, $5 children under 12
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January 13th, 2009 by Melinda McRae
UC Davis’ Good Life Garden presents an evening full of fascinating discussion about the Lunar New Year, celebrated by Asian cultures throughout 
the world. Lunar New Year is a time for reunion and renewal with loved ones and friends, and food plays an essential and meaningful role in these celebrations. Culinary historian and Asian food expert Thy Tran, director of the Asian Culinary Forum and the proprietor of Wandering Spoon, will discuss various cultures’ approaches to the celebration of Lunar New Year, and the significance of the foods they eat during this very important holiday season.The presentation will be followed by a tasting of a delicious selection of Lunar New Year dishes, including Chinese jaozi (Bejing-style boiled dumplings); Korean duk gook (rice cake soup); Nepalese alu kauli ko tarkari (potatoes and cauliflower cooked with tomatoes, cilantro, and roasted cumin and coriander); and Vietnamese banh chung (sticky rice cakes with pork meat and mung beans). Attendees will also have an opportunity to enjoy Asian beer with their meal. There is very limited seating for this special event.
When: Thursday, February 12, 2009
Time: Doors open at 6:15pm; Event begins at 6:30pm
Where: Barton Art Gallery,1723 I Street, Sacramento (916) 443-4025
Price: $45; BUY TICKETS NOW For more information, please visit http://www.goodlifegarden.ucdavis.edu/event_list
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January 13th, 2009 by Melinda McRae
California Gold Rush: What We Ate
160 years ago, eager, gold-seeking “Forty-Niners” flocked to California in search of good fortune — and left behind a rich legacy of food and drink. Enjoy an exploration of the Gold Rush flavors and dishes that characterized everyday life in the Mother Lode, and learn how California’s modern-day cuisine has been indelibly shaped by the vibrant diversity of these intrepid (and hungry) argonauts.
The evening will begin with a presentation by local Gold Rush historian James Henley, former manager of the Sacramento Archives & Museum Collection Center. The talks will be followed by a three course meal showcasing dishes consumed by the miners and denizens of California’s Mother Lode. Included in the meal will be a commemorative “California Common” beer (indigenous to America, and first produced in California during the Gold Rush) brewed by the UC Davis brewing program in collaboration with Sacramento’s Brew It Up; and Boudin bread from San Francisco’s first sourdough bread bakery (established in 1849). The meal will also feature Barton & Guestier Margaux and Sauternes wines. Barton & Guestier (B&G) wines, established in Bordeaux in 1725, were some of the first imported French wines to arrive in California during the Gold Rush.
Menu:
Acorn & Pine Nut Cakes with Warm Huckleberries
Hangtown Fry
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“Yankee” baked beans with bacon and molasses
Savory Beef Stew
Lyonnaise Potatoes
Salmon with wild greens sauce
Boudin sourdough bread
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Blackberry-Dried Apple pie
Poundcake
Tapioca Pudding
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UC Davis “California Common” beer
Barton & Guestier Red Bordeaux & Sauternes wine
Proceeds from this event will benefit the UC Davis Good Life Garden, located within the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. The Garden’s mission is to celebrate the relationship between good food and good health by linking the culinary arts, nutrition, and wine and food sciences in an academic setting. For more information about the Garden, please visit http://www.goodlifegarden.ucdavis.edu
Date: Saturday, January 31, 2009
Time: 6:00pm
Location: The Roundhouse, California State Railroad Museum, 111 “I” Street, Old Sacramento, (916) 445-6645
Price: $75 per person; BUY TICKETS NOW
For more details please visit: www.goodlifegarden.ucdavis.edu/events
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November 13th, 2008 by Melinda McRae
Tuesday Evening, November 18th at 6:30
Lucca Restaurant and Bar, 1615 J St
Please call Glenn Stewart to RSVP: 916.669.5300
A selection of fine wines will be served with dinner; $60.00 per person includes wine, $40 without wine (corkage waived for this event) ~ Does not include tax and 20% service chargeHand Passed ~ To Start
Steak Tartar Toast
Carne Crudo Tostadas
BBQ Beef Biscuits
Salad
Warm Spinach Salad with Mushrooms, Roasted Squash, Pumpkin Seeds and Oxtail-Chili Vinaigrette
Entrée ~ Trio of Lucky Dog Ranch Primal Cuts served family style
Lucky Dog Ranch Slow Roasted Prime Rib
Lucky Dog Ranch
Grilled Filet Mignon
Grilled Lucky Dog Ranch
New York Strip
Accompanying Sauces: Horseradish Cream, Green Peppercorn Sauce, Béarnaise and Cowboy Butter
Accompanying Sides: Wild Mushroom Tamales, Chipotle Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Autumn Vegetables
FAQs about Lucky Dog Ranch
Lucky Dog Ranch is owned and operated by Ron & Terri Gilliland; the beef produced at our ranch for this dinner is all natural beef.
Where is it raised?
Our ranch is headquartered in Dixon, California.
What kind of beef is it?
The cattle are angus cross. These breeds are the top-quality beef breeds, not dairy-cross breeds.
How is it raised?
Our cattle roam and graze freely. They are not confined to feed lots.
Is it natural? Or Does it contain any bad things?
We do not use growth hormones or preventive antibiotics. All of our cattle is given standard vaccinations.
Is it grass fed?
No, our cattle graze freely on grass and are fed grain (Corn, brewers grain and alfalfa).
Is it organic?
No but it is natural. Our land is not yet certified organic although we do not use any additives in our cattle.
How is the beef processed?
We never send our cattle to feed lots. We take them directly from our ranch to Johansson’s meats, a small harvesting facility in Orland.
Is the beef aged?
Yes it is dry aged. It is hung for 28 days before being trimmed and cut.
Why is single animal handling important?
Our ground beef only contains meat from one animal. There is no commingling of animals and this nearly eliminates the risks generally associated with ground beef.
What is the fat percentage?
14%
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October 14th, 2008 by Melinda McRae
- October 18 – Small Farm Progress Day and Farmer Fair (Thompson Ranch, Auburn) – Featuring trade show and resources fair, equipment demonstrations, farmer show-and-tell, fun activities and keynote speaker Lynn Miller (editor/publisher of the Small Farmer’s Journal).
- October 26 – Forestry Field Day (Edwards Family Farm, Colfax) – Featuring low-powered logging techniques, portable sawmills, and wood processing equipment.
- November 8 – Orchard Field Day (Twin Peaks Orchards, Newcastle ) – Featuring equipment demonstrations, pruning, orchard layout, and value-added products.
For more information, please visit http://www.smallfarmprogressdays.org.
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