flickr photostream:

http://flickr.com/photos/slowfoodtriangle

Want to learn about the 306 other “Eat Ins” across the country today? Check this out:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=timeforlunch&m=tags

Our “Eat In” in Durham was quite spectacular yet chill. 40 people + on 2 days notice of the actual location and finally some cool weather with a light refreshing mist. Very welcoming. The conversation was lively and forward looking - the food beyond words. Folks were very participatory during the discussion and the children were able to enjoy the playground just feet away from the amphitheater, which was very convenient and provided an appropriate backdrop for the topic.

I enjoyed meeting folks that are already thinking and working on this initiative everyday as I’m trying to figure out where we can help out the most now. There are alot of bridges to cross. As it turns out there a plenty of people working for and within the current system that already want better, real food in our cafeterias - but their hands are tied because of funding, infrastructure and legislation etc. So, no wagging of the finger please - they are doing their job and making a living, they’re not setting the program themselves - just running it cause that’s their job .

So, how can we as a community help bring Real food into our schools?

I just heard about 1,000 strawberry plants going in on Eco Farm land in Orange County. If Slow food Triangle works something out with Eco can we bring some by this spring? Oh you don’t have a kitchen?  No worries! Let’s work on fixing that. I have a friend that builds out kitchens for restaurants. Maybe if Slow Food Triangle raises some funds we can bring those strawberries in after all and make some preserves to enjoy next winter….and you can have Eco keep it coming if you wish. Wouldn’t that be nice to look forward to? What’s that you say? - you’d rather just have some strawberry ice cream today? Hmmm, I better ask the principal about that..Have you ever had beef stroganoff that’s simmered overnight? Don’t put the noodles in just yet silly. The governor is arriving in a few minutes…

One attendee pointed out that we as a community need to treat our public schools as all-age community centers. If we do this and all pitch in as a restructuring effort - alot of the problems will solve themselves naturally and much delicious fun and learning would be had.

If you would like to host a potluck on your school’s grounds to help raise awareness of what’s possible - contact info@slowfoodtriangle.org and keep an eye out for more events like this at slowfoodtriangle.org.

Much thanks to the Slow Food USA , Durham Public School System (who were really helpful) as were the staff, administration and PTA at George Watts.
Bravo to Dr. Alice Ammerman of the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health and the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention - as well as ALL of the attendees today in Durham and all across the USA!

Gordon Zacharias
Slow Food Triangle

June is Eat Local Triangle month. These participating restaurants have committed to offering at least one totally local dish on their menus for the entire month. More dishes and restaurant to be announced. Check back here soon!

Of course, all dishes are subject to change. Call ahead if you want to confirm.

ACME - Fava bean, mint and goat cheese ravioli
Bin 54 – Heirloom tomato salad, softshell crabs as available and the menu always includes pureed sweet potatoes
Blu Seafood and Bar - From the Seas NC catch with a garden vegetable Succotash and a fresh local sauce
Bonne Soiree – Braised beef with roasted baby beets and cabbage
Carolina Brewery - Summer Brushetta, local red and yellow tomatoes, local greens from the Farmer’s Market, bread from the Pittsboro Bread Shop and local mozzarella from Cornicopia cheese.
Crook’s Corner – Cauliflower Vinaigrette with fresh herbs and a local cheese plate
Elaine’s - Elaine’s braised rabbit & housemade pappardelle w/ baby carrots, arugula & rabbit consommé
Foster’s Market – Roasted white beet salad
411 West – Local mahi with squash casserole, sautéed green beans, roasted Vidalia onions and basil butter sauce.
518 West - Softshell crabs on greens and a corn and olive Vinaigrette
General Store Cafe - Mediterranean Burger with roasted tomatoes, basil, goat cheese and roasted potatoes
Glasshalfull – Chilled red beet and tomato Gazpacho with a mint and cucumber ice
Globe – Farmer’s Market Gazpacho
Hayes Barton Cafe & Dessertery – Fried green tomatoes with a roasted red pepper and shrimp remoulade
Il Palio Ristorante – House made spaghettini carbonara
The Inn at Celebrity Dairy - Strawberry Shortcake
J. Betski’s - Smoked pork chop with braised kale, new potatoes and sweet onion gravy
Jujube – Grilled NC shrimp and zucchini with purslane and a black vinegar and local honey dressing
Lantern - NC pickle plate with ramps, pumpkin, radishes, napa kimchi, turnips and carrots
Lilly’s Pizza - Homegrown salad with local vegetables and herbs
Lucky 32 –Cornmeal crusted NC catfish with Creole Mayo and creamy grits, as well as daily specials
Magnolia Grill - Mapleview buttermilk soufflé pudding with local berries
Margaret’s Cantina - will include local produce, eggs, locally ground flour and corn and NC farm raised trout. Weekend specials will include all local dishes
Nasher Museum Cafe – Fresh mozzarella whole wheat panini with pesto, roasted shiitake mushrooms and tomatoes
Neal’s Deli - Moroccan carrot salad with parsley
Panciuto - Grilled pork chop with baby carrots, broccoli, spring onions, roasted potatoes and pesto
Piedmont Restaurant - Pork rillette with pickled vegetables
Pazzo! Restaurant – Carrboro Farmer’s Market Chowder
The Raleigh Times Bar – Watermelon Gazpacho with grilled watermelon skewers
Rue Cler - Chevre stuffed squash blossom served on sliced purple Cherokee tomatoes
Squid’s – NC shrimp grilled with roasted zucchini, new potatoes, Vidalia onions, arugula and green tomato vinegarette
Tasca Brava - Pescaitos da Horta (“fish from the garden), fried green beans with a garlic aioli and a sherry vinaigrette and strawberry sorbet.
Toast - NC shrimp, housemade pancetta and, radicchio bruschetta as well as daily specials which will be all local
Vin Rouge – all local specials and an all local cheese plate
Vivace Raleigh - Cauliflower sformato with chilled pea soup
Watt’s Grocery - Yellowtail snapper filets stuffed with crabmeat and topped with summer pea and local tomato vinaigrette. Our pasta, made with local flour and eggs, changes often but will be all local all month. I/2 chatham county free-range chicken served with market squash casserole and sauteed snap beans
The Weathervane – Daily specials will have an all local dish such as: NC grouper on sautéed Asian greens, tomato relish and lemon pepper fettucini
Zely & Ritz - Goat Cheese Wrapped with Swiss Chard and Green & Red Tomatoes

If you’ve registered you can login to your dashboard and Record your favorite experiences, recipes, hidden local kitchens, farmstands and more on the blog…

be sure to tick the Individual Challenge Category on right to have your post placed in a relevant part of this blog

from Bret Jennings:
(Also check out the Eat Local Events page to read about the Local Dinner coming up at Elaine’s on Monday June 25th)
Local produce now featured on the menu includes: english peas, squash, strawberries, radishes, garlic, rapini, beets, sugar snap peas, red potatoes, romaine, arugula, baby carrots, spinach, and collards.  Local meats currently on the menu include pork, N.C. fluke, jumbo lump crab, tuna, shrimp, Georgia quail and local chicken.  Lately we’ve been able to get live softshell crabs each Thursday from the N.C. coast.  They will stay alive for about three days after delivery, so we can serve them through the weekend (pleas call for availability).  We’re also using lots of heirloom grains from Anson Mills in South Carolina: white corn hominy, buckwheat polenta, and grits.  Also, many of you know and love our signature ‘foie gras blt’ made with local baby mache, pickled tomatoes and candied bacon on brioche toast.  If you’ve yet to sample this delicious morsel, make a point to stop in before the end of June.

Here’s some local food thoughts from Tes in Pittsboro.
Keep up, she posts often!
http://truefood.wordpress.com/

Why do our food choices matter?

Eat Local Triangle is a month-long calendar of events
this June, 2007.

Join us in raising awareness about the connection
between local foods and farms to:

-Flavor
-Health
-Local economy
-Environment
-Land preservation

eatlocaltriangle.org

Marysabel Caballero, Moises Herrera, and their family’s renowned coffee farm, Finca El Puente, located in the mountains of Marcala, Honduras, have taken Honduran coffee to unprecedented levels of excellence. Leaders in sustainable, environmentally responsible coffee production of the highest quality, the family works closely with Durham-based Counter Culture Coffee to bring their heirloom varietal coffee - nicknamed “The Purple Princess” for its regal flavors of lavender, plum, and blackberry - to our area.
As part of a rare visit to the United States, Marysabel and her family are coming to Durham for a special event at Counter Culture’s Durham roastery and training center. Marysabel will give a presentation about the family farm and their unique approach to coffee cultivation, followed by a brief Q&A session and reception.

It’s such a pleasure to be able to meet, interact with, and befriend the local farmers who grow and bring our food to market. By necessity, great, heirloom Arabica coffee varietals grow only at high altitudes between the tropics, so doing so with the people who cultivate our coffee is a truly rare and valuable experience. The event is free and open to everyone, so I hope to see many of you there.

WHEN:
MONDAY, AUGUST 13
6:00 PM PRESENTATION – RECEPTION FOLLOWS

WHERE:
Counter Culture Coffee
4911 South Alston Avenue
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 361-5282

Event flyer PDF

Light food and drinks will be served.

For more information, please contact Mark Overbay, mark@counterculturecoffee.com.