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Slow Food Movement hits Lake Tahoe with free event |
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Written by Billy McCullough/special to the World
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Tuesday, 28 August 2007 |
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Do you enjoy the pleasures of good food? Have you noticed that seasonal food tastes better? Ever feel like days are going by too fast and we have gotten away from the importance of sitting down with friends and family to eat?
Well, you are not alone and there is an international movement that is spearheading the reawakening of the importance of conscious eating. This international group, which has smaller, local chapters throughout the world is called Slow Food and a local chapter, called Slow Food Lake Tahoe has recently been formed.
The mission statement for Slow Food states, “Slow Food is good, clean, fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good: that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health; and that food producers should receive fair compensation for their work, and that all people should have access to this good clean food.”
 The main principle of the movement is to eat food that is grown locally and in season. It is trying to reconnect people with the food chain — from field to table. By doing this, people will then be eating food that is fresh, higher in nutrients, supporting a local economy, and overall, tastes better.
We, as Northern Californians, are blessed with an abundance of “local” products. The Sierra Valley, just north of Truckee has some amazing farms and ranches producing vegetables, fruits, and meats. Most of these products are highlighted at local Farmers Markets and can be purchased directly from the source.
Also, we live within 100 miles of the largest produce production area in the world. Luckily, our choices are bountiful throughout the year. The Slow Food movement is helping people become aware of what is coming from the regions around one’s community so conscious decisions can be made on what is freshest and in season.
 Slow Food encourages people to seek out the farmers, have a relationship with what you are putting on your plate, and to reap the benefits of tasty, health food. By reawakening and training people’s senses, Slow Food helps one rediscover the joys of eating and understand the importance of caring where the food comes from, who makes it and how it is made.
In the United States, we have gotten extremely used to getting what we want when we want it. Between fast food and grocery stores that stock almost every kind of produce year round, we have lost touch with the heritage of food. We are accustom to having blueberries from Chile in the middle of the winter and apples from New Zealand in the spring. Not only will these products not taste as fresh or flavorful, but the amount of energy spent transporting them to us is massive. Slow Food wants people to become “co-producers,” not consumers of food because, by being informed about how and where our food is produced, we become a part of and a partner in the production process.
Slow Food Lake Tahoe is just getting off the ground and ready to soar. Its primary goal is to inform people about what is in season and who produces it locally. Its other goal is to bring people back to the table, to slow down and enjoy the pleasure of good food and good company.
 Through information seminars where people can meet the farmers and taste the products to informal theme gatherings like “Tomato Night” or “Local Artesian Cheese Night,” Slow Food wants to make the dining experience fun, tasteful and pleasurable. Other chapters in California have expressed that their local chapters have grown with time. The members have become close friends through the common goal of fresh, local, seasonal food and Slow Food Lake Tahoe hopes to follow their path.
In the spirit of education, Slow Food Lake Tahoe will be hosting an event at Sierra Valley Farms in Benworth, Calif., just north of Sierraville. It is called “From Field to Table” and is a free, yes free, event to help introduce people to the principles of Slow Food. Mark Estee of Moody’s Bistro and Billy McCullough of Dragonfly Restaurant and Sushi Bar will be preparing food from local farms. They will demonstrate their dishes and share the food and recipes. Then, people will have the opportunity to meet the farmers, see how a local farm is run, and receive information on how to become a member of Slow Food. It is a great chance for people to see what “good, clean, and fair food” is all about.
For more information, please call one of the founding members: Lisa Boudreau (formerly of Lisa’s Central Market) 308-0753, Mark Estee (Moody’s) 587-5911, Gary Romano (Sierra Valley Farms) 832-0114, Billy McCullough (Dragonfly) 587-0557, Kaili Sanchez (Project MANA and the Nutrition Coalition) 916-496-1814.
Photos by Emma Garrard/Tahoe World
Top to bottom: Lisa Boudreau, Kaili Sanchez and Mark Esteee talk about the Slow Food movement at a Slow Food Lake Tahoe event last week.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 28 August 2007 )
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