Slow Food Chicago seeks to create dramatic and lasting change in our local food system to ensure equity, sustainability and pleasure in the food we eat.
Slow Food is an educational non-profit with the goal of creating a world in which everyone can enjoy food that is good, clean and fair. Slow Food represents a growing movement of 18,000 members nationally, including over 3,000 supporters in the Chicago area. We seek fulfillment of our mission by: 1) Connecting eaters to the Chicago region’s biodiverse and sustainable producers through organizational partnerships, publications, and social events. 2) Increasing public awareness around the economic, environmental, political, and cultural impact of our eating through education, garden projects, and social events.
Chicago TomatoFest 2010
A celebration of Heirloom Tomatoes in Chicagoland, honoring the people who grow, cook, and eat them.
Slow Food Chicago, Candid Wines and The Chicago Honey Coop have teamed up for the Second Annual Chicago Tomato Fest. This spring, TomatoFest Plant Sale sold or gave away nearly 500 heirloom seedlings as Tappy’s Land Race Currant, Mortgage Lifter, Japanese Black Trifle, Marmande, and many more now in danger of being extent.
BLT Bonanza – August 23 to September 19
“Buy a sandwich, build a garden”
Chicagoland restaurants present their own unique take on the classic BLT sandwich, featuring Heirloom and Ark Varieties of Tomatoes and Pork, if the chef chooses to use Bacon. 50 cents per sandwich will be donated to Slow Food Chicago preSERVE program to build a shed and fence at the community garden on 12th Place and Central Park Avenue.
Visit these restaurants to eat a delicious BLT and support the preSERVE garden project!
Custom House Tavern http://www.customhouse.cc/
Uncommon Ground on Clark St. http://www.uncommonground.com/
Uncommon Ground on Devon http://www.uncommonground.com/
Osteria Via Stato www.osteriaviastato.com
City Provisions: www.cityprovisions.com
Green Grocer Chicago www.greengrocerchicago.com/
The Signature Room on the 95th https://www.signatureroom.com/
TomatoFest Potluck Supper
Thursday September 9
Time: 5:30-8:30 pm
$10.00 for Slow Food members and Honey Coop members + side dish or dessert.
$15.00 for non-members + side dish or dessert.
Children are free
Reservations required at Brown Paper Ticket
Show off your home grown tomatoes! If you grew tomatoes this summer, bring a few along. Label them with your name, their variety and where they were grown.
Organically grown wine provided by Candid Wines
Beer & soft drinks donated by Goose Island Brewery
Chicago Honey Coop is an urban apiary dedicated to sustainable agricultural practices. This West Side bee farm houses about 100 chemical-free hives on the site of the original Sears headquarters. Tours of the apiary and the preSERVE garden will be given, and we will harvest black eyed peas and crowder beans. Bee Etiquette: Please wear light colored clothing and a hat. Don’t wear perfumes or colognes or scents.Proceeds to benefit preSERVE, a community garden in North Lawndale in partnership with the North Lawndale Greening Committee, NeighborSpace, the Chicago Honey Co-Op, and Slow Food Chicago.
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Directions:
Take I-290 west to Independence Blvd. Exit and go south about 3 blocks just past the old railroad viaduct. Turn left on Fillmore Street. The Honey Co-Op is in the middle of the block at 3740 W. Fillmore. It is 2 blocks north of Roosevelt Road between Independence Blvd. and Central Park.
By train: There is a Blue Line stop at Homan/Kedzie. Walk the ramp toward Homan Ave., walk south on Homan approx. 5 blocks just past the 12 story 1905 original Sears Tower. Fillmore is the first street beyond the tower. Walk 2 blocks west to the Honey Co-Op.
By bus: Homan/Kimball bus to Fillmore St. and walk west 2 blocks.
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| Chicago TomatoFest news:
Check out the TomatoFest blog http://chicagotomatofest.blogspot.com/ and the press on Buy a Sandwich, Build a Garden, http://www.nbcchicago.com/feast/Buy-a-BLT-Build-a-Garden-101313649.html our fundraiser for the preSERVE garden! |
Farm Dinner at Uncommon Ground next Mon. Aug 30th
Slow Food Seasonal Farm Dinner
Monday, August 30, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
Uncommon Ground (1401 W. Devon Ave.)
$65.00 per person, plus tax and gratuity
Reservations required — call 773-465-9801
Slow Food Chicago is partnering with Uncommon Ground (1401 W. Devon Ave.) for a summer soiree on August 30. This farm-to-table dinner is a five-course feast of seasonal dishes, beginning at 6:00 p.m. with a reception on the restaurant’s rooftop and a complimentary summer cocktail. The menu is as follows:
Passed appetizers
Heirloom tomato gazpacho shooter with eggplant caviar, blini, herb crème fraîche
Dietzler Farm smoked brisket, pickled onions, white cheddar cheese, arugula, garlic crostini
First course
Green Acres Farm zucchini tempura with spicy corn dipping sauce
Second course
Seared wild Alaskan scallops with heirloom tomato, white wine-garlic broth and herbed crostini
Third course
Herb-brined Gunthorp Farm turkey breast, braised rooftop greens with house-cured tasso ham, crispy onions
Fourth course
House-smoked chipotle barbecue ribs, corn fritters, dandelion greens, corncob syrup
Fifth course
Seedling Orchard peach tart, ground cherry glaze, chantilly cream
The cost is $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (773) 465-9801. A portion of dinner proceeds benefit Slow Food Chicago.
2nd Annual Pig Roast at Goose Island — tickets now available!!
Slow Food Chicago presents:
2nd ANNUAL PIG ROAST AT GOOSE ISLAND
Sunday, August 22, 2010
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Goose Island Beer Company (1800 W. Fulton Street)
$60.00 per person
Buy tickets online at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/119835
Join Slow Food Chicago for the pork party of the summer! Enjoy Goose Island beers & local pork prepared by talented chefs:
* Rick Gresh (David Burke’s Primehouse)
* Jared Wentworth (Longman & Eagle)
* David Carrier (Kith & Kin)
* Erling Wu-Bower (The Publican)
* Mark Steuer (The Gage)
* Rob Leavitt (Mado)
* Michael Schrader and Jimmy Farrell (N9ne Steakhouse)
* Andrew Hroza (Goose Island Clybourn Brewpub)
* Christine Cikowski and Joshua Kulp (Sunday Dinner Chicago)
Vegetarian option and dessert provided by Stephanie Samuels (Angel Food Bakery).
Tickets also include a commemorative beer glass & an optional tour of the Goose Island Beer Company. Please note: brewery tours are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Be sure to arrive on time if you’d like to participate!
All proceeds benefit Slow Food Chicago.
NOTE: No one under 21 years old will be admitted.
Farm Dinner at Trattoria No. 10
Monday, August 16 at 6:00 p.m.
Trattoria No. 10 (10 N. Dearborn St.)
$70 per person, includes all tax and gratuity
Reservations required – call (312) 984-1718
On Monday, August 16, Slow Food Chicago is teaming up with Trattoria No. 10, an Italian favorite in the Loop at 10 N. Dearborn, for a delicious four-course farm dinner with accompanying wines.
First Course
Becker Lane bacon, free-range poached egg, Bordeaux spinach and housemade goat’s milk ricotta
Paired with: 2008 White Nebbiolo, “Tzapel,” Rainoldi
Second Course
Gnocchi with summer vegetables
Paired with: 2005 Nebbiolo, “Inferno,” Rainoldi
Main Course
Braised Dietzler Farms beef cheeks over tossed orzo, Spence Farm red beets, basil and oil-rubbed aged ricotta
Paired with: 2002 Nebbiolo, “Sassella Riserva,” Rainoldi
Dessert
Cheese from a local dairy
Paired with: 2004 Nebbiolo, “Sfursat,” Rainoldi
The event begins at 6:00 p.m. Cost is $70 per person, which includes tax, gratuity and a donation to Slow Food Chicago. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Trattoria No. 10 at (312) 984-1718. Trattoria No. 10 is located at 10 N. Dearborn St.
Anniversary Dinner at Sepia
Monday, July 26 at 6:30 p.m.
Sepia (123 N. Jefferson St.)
$85 per person, excludes tax and gratuity
Reservations required – call (312) 441-1920
In celebration of Sepia’s third anniversary this month, the restaurant is teaming up with Slow Food Chicago to host a celebratory dinner on July 26. The intimate event will feature a meal from Executive Chef Andrew Zimmerman, who will use his culinary wattage to pair five courses of fresh, local ingredients with small-production wines curated by Wine Director Scott Tyree. The menu:
Carpaccio of Confit Octopus
watermelon, cucumber, sesame, kimchi
NV Gruet Blanc de Noirs, New Mexico
Ratatouille Tart
roasted zucchini, sweet peppers, eggplant marmalade, prairie fruits farm chevre, parmigiano sable
2007 Ermacora Sauvignon, Colli Orientali del Friuli
Pan Roasted Wild Striped Bass
Three Sister’s sweet corn, chanterelles, bacon, fines herbs
2004 Chablis Mont de Milieu 1er Cru, Maison Verget
Lamb Loin Wrapped In Cured Lamb Belly
lamb neck bisteeya, vadouvan, pistachio
1999 Chateau Musar, Bekaa Valley
White Chocolate-Mascarpone Tart
cherry-raspberry compote, lemon verbena syrup, buttermilk ice cream
2009 Elio Perrone Bigaro Moscato/Brachetto, Piedmont
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner at 7:00 p.m. Cost is $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity, and a portion of the proceeds ($7.50 per person) will benefit Slow Food Chicago. Reservations are required and can be made by calling Sepia at (312) 441-1920 or visiting OpenTable.com. Sepia is located at 123 N. Jefferson St.
Volunteer to Weed Whack – Farmer in Need
Volunteer to Weed Whack! This Saturday July 10th
Genesis Growers, an organic farm in St Anne, Illinois was hit by a tornado last week leaving the farm in a critical need of weeding; given that this farm practices sustainable farming and no chemicals the weeding can only be done by hand. If you can give a half day this Saturday please keep reading for specifics.
Volunteers will meet at Southport Grocery and Cafe (3552 N Southport, Chicago) at 8am; everyone is responsible for their own transportation but carpooling is encouraged. This can be determined amongst yourselves that morning. At Southport
Southport Grocery will provide lunch (provided by Slow Food Chicago) as well as driving directions.
How much time is needed?
8AM – Arrive Southport Grocery
10AM – Arrive Genesis Growers
Lunch Break
1:30PM – Depart
It takes about 1 1/2 hours to get to Genesis Growers from Southport Grocery. You will arrive around 10am…work till noon…break for lunch…and then work until about 1:30pm.
What do you need to bring? Lots of water and a beverage you want with your lunch. Please wear comfortable clothes, covering your arms and legs, as well as sturdy shoes and sunscreen. The crew at the farm will provide you with the tools you need. Also there is no refrigeration at the farm so bring a cooler for your lunch.
Click here to sign up..and thanks in advance for your time. Volunteers will be taken through noon on Friday.
Location: Genesis Growers Farm: 8373 E 3000S Rd St Anne, IL 60964 (Meet at Southport Grocery – 3552 N Southport)
Start Time: 8AM
Date: July 10th, 2010
End Time: 2PM
Location: Genesis Growers Farm: 8373 E 3000S Rd St Anne, IL 60964 (Meet at Southport Grocery)
Next book discussion: “Salt: A World History”
Sunday, August 1
2:00 – 3:00 pm
First Slice Cafe (4401 N. Ravenswood Ave.)
RSVP to sfchicagoevents {at} gmail(.)com
Description:
Mark Kurlansky, the bestselling author of Cod and The Basque History of the World, here turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history: salt. The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of humankind. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions.
