[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”SFEE’s Top Ten Projects of 2016 – By SFEE’s Chair, Anne Howard” title_type=”no-divider” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
Anne Howard
As 2016 comes to a close, it’s always good to look back at what we’ve actually done in the past year. Where did the time go? What happened during the past year that was new or worthwhile to remember? As I complete my first year as Chair, I can look back at what SFEE accomplished in 2016 and be proud of our chapter, our Leaders – and our food community.
Slow Food East End plays a unique role in our community though our support of Edible School Gardens. Thanks to our partnership with Susan and Myron Levine of the Joshua Levine Memorial Foundation, the East End has one of the most successful school garden programs in the country.
Through the JLMF & SFEE annual April fundraiser, we are able to fund stipends for three Master Farmers who advise school gardens throughout the East End. We also provide mini-grants to help these school gardens grow and flourish as educational teaching tools.
In addition to our support of school gardens, here’s our list of Top Ten 2016 Projects that we’re especially proud of (in no particular order).
Top Ten 2016 Projects
Honoring the Founders of Slow Food East End (Ted Conklin. Mary & Tom Morgan, Kate Plumb) at the “Gala in the Garden” fundraiser at Estia’s Little Kitchen. Our sincere appreciation goes to Chef Colin Ambrose, Jessica Ambrose and the staff at Estia’s for hosting this wonderful event benefiting Slow Food East End, Ride for Life, and Project Most.
Helping raise $18,000 for ALS Ride for Life at the Estia’s event. SFEE was proud to be on the team that raised this money. Without our work – and the generosity of those in attendance – these donations in honor of Chef Gerry Hayden would not have been possible.
Supporting WLIW Channel 21 and WNET Channel 13 by helping organize a MetroFocus segment spotlighting Slow Food East End and Eastern Long Island’s Slow Food Movement. You can watch this video on SFEE’s website www.slowfoodeastend.org.
Helping save the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin by being an Ambassador for this Slow Food “Ark of Taste” native pumpkin. Slow Food East End’s numerous events during the year helped bring attention to our new favorite pumpkin for cooking just about anything!
Awarding our second Slow Food East End “Carlo Petrini Award” to Susan and Myron Levine for the joy they have brought to thousands of local children through their generous support of school gardens. The Levines received the award at a lovely Slow Food dinner at 18 Bay Restaurant on Shelter Island.
Being a sponsor of the FoodLab Conference at Stony Brook Southampton; the Fall Festival and Craft Slow at Hallockville Museum Farm; and making donations to Feisty Acres Bobwhite Quail Release Program , Slow Food USA’s “100 Years of Plenty” biodiversity campaign, the Long Island Regional Seed Consortium, and Hallockville Museum Farm.
Becoming a member of the Long Island Farm Bureau!
Teaching kids to cook the foods they grow in their school gardens through our Chefs to Schools program. Local chefs work with teachers to educate kids in food preparation, safety and nutrition. Our Chefs to Schools program was promoted at the Wellness Foundation’s “Wellness in the Schools” Conference in March. SFEE appeared on the program for the Long Island regional meeting Family & Consumer Sciences teachers, discussing the Chefs to Schools program and explaining the meaning of Slow Food.
Bringing people together over food through our Snail Socials, Snail Picnics, Snail Suppers and Market Dinners – with a renewed emphasis on education at these events. Plus, recognizing restaurants that promote good, clean, and fair food through our Snail of Approval program.
Sponsoring 3 delegates to attend Terra Madre, Slow Food’s international gathering in Turin, Italy. We also provided financial support for Lucy Senesac, SF Master Farmer, to attend the National School Garden Spring Break Conference in Charlotte, NC.
None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the support of members, leaders, friends and donors. We are already planning new and exciting programs for 2017. If you are not currently a member of Slow Food East End, we urge you to join and get involved. We are a one-of-a-kind organization that is dedicated to changing the world through food that is good, clean, and fair for all. We do good things as well as enjoy “the pleasures of the table.”
[column width=”1/1″ last=”true” title=”Report from Terra Madre Torino
Italy – September 22-26, 2016 ” title_type=”no-divider” animation=”none” implicit=”true”]
This past September, Slow Food East End Leaders Laura Luciano and Pierre Friedrichs, along with Master Farmer Lucy Senesac, attended Slow Food International’s Terra Madre Salon del Gusto in Torino, Italy as part of a delegation representing Slow Food USA.
Terra Madre Salon del Gusto (Mother Earth Salon of Taste in Italian) is an international conference that brings thousands of farmers, food producers, and Slow Foodies from 150 countries to Torino every two years.
This year Slow Food International took the event to the street literally, since most exhibitions took place outdoors throughout city, a first for this event. There were conferences, meals, food tastings, classes, presentations and off-site events which gave ample time for delegates to mingle, share learn, and be inspired.
Here are some highlights from Laura’s recap
Pierre and Laura presented SFEE’s good work: The products they brought representing the Long Island Cheese Pumpkin Project were a big hit. Meeting with like-minded people from all over the globe who are working for a common cause was invigorating and inspiring. It confirmed that we are part of a much bigger movement.
The work that each chapter puts forth creates a wonderful global story about the same core values: Good, Clean and Fair. At the USA booth there was a map where each chapter placed Slow Food Flags which represents what we grow, farm or produce that’s “Slow.” We are proud to say we had many flags to place.
SFEE has National exposure. We are very lucky to live in an area where philanthropy and the beauty of the land and sea are all around us. We live IN a Slow Food region, other folks are not as fortunate. A strong undercurrent to Terra Madre was the Indigenous fabric of our country, food diversity, biodiversity, seed sovereignty; rallying around farmers who understand this concept as something bigger than themselves for the greater good and feeding those who are less fortunate (example: educating food banks and in turn providing nourishing products that are diverse – not to promote one specific vegetable because it is easy, promote nutrition and food diversity for the masses.
Our wish for our chapter is to focus on these very issues in the coming years – from grants to farmers (who support these values) to educating food banks (dialogue begins with the less fortunate communities). Through these banks, there is the possibility of creating a Slow Food Co-op for farmers. We have big opportunities within these areas.
The USA is a melting pot of cultures from all over the world. Our strength as a nation is to embrace these core values as Americans. To meet with people from all over the world who are making products from their hometowns, showing their wares and sharing stories fills your heart with such pride. Mono-culture, Mono-Agriculture is a dangerous slippery slope. Diversity is freedom in reference to race, beliefs and one’s heritage.
The Ark of Taste points to this concept. It is an international catalogue of endangered heritage foods that are sustainably produced, unique in taste, and part of a distinct eco-region. The goal of the Ark of Taste is to reverse the trend of our narrowing food options by saving “endangered” foods from extinction by promoting them to consumers. After a product is added to the Ark of Taste, Slow Food tries to support the producers behind Ark products by helping them develop local projects called the Presidia that work to improve the infrastructure of artisanal food production.
In the face of Big Ag, there are more than 500 million family farms world wide that struggle day to day to defend biodiversity, promoting native seeds, and act locally to develop clean, healthy economies. This multitude concretely endorses an alternative model and designs possible future scenarios in which food sovereignty will be developed and propagated, in which food will no longer be the slave of a faceless and unchecked market.
This is at the core of what Slow Food means. Supporting what is real, listening to the stories of the very folks who grow and create a product because it is part of their heritage, it is their way of life. It is as real as it gets. There is no mystery.
Slow Food International working to revitalize a region/economy
The Apennine Mountains- in particular. Slow Food is working with an entire region to bring back the very folks whose family heritage and work is vital to that mountain range. SFI is working to bring back this economy which speaks volumes to the power of Slow Food.
Valle d’Aosta is very important, both in socio-economic and cultural terms. It is known for its centuries-old tradition of producing Fontina cheese, which is done in small batches. It is radically different than the cheese we know by the same name here, which most likely is not made in this region. Pierre and Laura witnessed a cheese monger making this cheese at his co-op facility. The concept of one central place that makes cheese for the area’s dairy farmers was eye opening. (A concept that would be great here on the East End, not just for cheese, but perhaps for meat production, or vegetable distribution).
University of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG) in Pollenzo
Founded in 2004 by Slow Food in cooperation with the Italian regions of Piemonte and Emilia-Romagna. It is an international research and education center for those working on renewing farming methods, protecting biodiversity, and building an organic relationship between gastronomy and agricultural science.
UNISG students, hailing from around the world, gain dynamic experiences in artisanal and industrial food production, thanks to complementary education in both sciences and humanities, sensory training, and hands-on learning during study trips across five continents.
The by-product of this education is a new professional figure – the gastronome – skilled in the production, distribution, promotion, and communication of high-quality foods. Gastronomes are the next generation of educators and innovators, editors and multimedia broadcasters, marketers of fine products, and managers of tourism and other related businesses.
Pierre and Laura enjoyed dinner at this school. Laura noted it was a magnificent facility for culinary exploration and study.
Slow Food East End’s Chefs to Schools Program – “Making Cassoulet at the Hayground School”. During a special 3-day session, students at the Hayground School were up for the challenge of preparing a traditional French Cassoulet, a slow-cooked casserole from the South of France. Under the direction of Chef Joan Turturro and with the help of Kim Dyla, the students prepped garlic sausage, made the Duck Confit , and assembled with the remaining ingredients, which were all local, fresh, and seasonal. On Day 3, the Cassoulet was ready to bake and enjoy! The moral of the story: tasty things come to those who have fun and persevere in the kitchen!
SFEE Awards Snail of Approval to 18 Bay Restaurant on Shelter Island
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Photo: 18 Bay Husband and Wife Chefs / Owners Elizabeth Ronzetti and Adam Kopels
The Snail of Approval recognizes businesses that incorporate the Slow Food ideals of good, clean, and fair food into all aspects of their food operation. When customers choose a restaurant that has been awarded the Snail of Approval, they know they are consuming quality food that is mostly local, sustainably raised and grown, and delicious. The mission of the East End Chapter of Slow Food is to spread the word about the health, economic, and environmental advantages of eating locally and seasonally. The Snail of Approval program supports this mission.
Husband and wife owners Adam Kopels and Elizabeth Ronzetti are both chefs. They opened 18 Bay in 2011 after closing their Bayville, NY restaurant in order to be closer to their farmers and purveyors. Elizabeth and Adam have been living the Slow Food philosophy for years and were sponsored by the Slow Food Huntington Chapter as delegates to the Slow Food International Conference in Turin, Italy. The restaurant has received numerous accolades from the press and customers alike.
Elizabeth and Adam are as passionate about how and where their food is grown and raised as they are about selecting the freshest, seasonal ingredients. The four-course, prix fixe menu at 18 Bay changes weekly and is directly inspired by Adam and Elizabeth’s daily visits to local farmers, purveyors, and markets. There is a strong Italian influence throughout the menu with an emphasis on creativity and variety. Each course is crafted to celebrate and accentuate the essential qualities of the ingredients rather than focusing on sauces. The first course consists of a tasting of four separate antipasti; the second, a homemade pasta; the main offers a choice between a fish or meat / poultry, and dessert. Handcrafted cocktails using house-made organic syrups and over sixty wines by the glass are available. 18 Bay gladly accommodates vegans, vegetarians, diners with food allergies and dietary requests without compromise.
18 Bay Restaurant joins The North Fork Table & Inn, Southold; Nick & Toni’s, East Hampton; Noah’s, Greenport; Love Lane Kitchen, Mattituck; and Estia’s Little Kitchen, Sag Harbor as restaurants having earned the Snail of Approval.
Slow Food is a non-profit, member-supported organization that advocates for healthy food produced with minimal damage to the environment. The East End Chapter, encompassing the North and South Forks, is part of the global Slow Food network of over 100,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through a vast volunteer network of local chapters, youth and food communities, we link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect the community, culture, knowledge and environment that make this pleasure possible.
Our mission as an international grassroots membership organization is good, clean and fair food for all.
SFEE Awards Snail of Approval to Estia’s Little Kitchen in Mattituck
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Photo: Slow Food East End Vice Chair, Pierre Friedrichs, Snail of Approval Chair Robin Tyson-Stoehr, Estia’s Owner / Chef Colin Ambrose, Slow Food East End Chair Anne Howard
Slow Food East End is pleased to announce that Estia’s Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor, NY, has been recently awarded the chapter’s prestigious Snail of Approval.
The Snail of Approval recognizes businesses that incorporate the Slow Food ideals of good, clean, and fair food into all aspects of their food operation. When customers choose a restaurant that has been awarded the Snail of Approval, they know they are consuming quality food that is mostly local, sustainably raised and grown, and delicious. The mission of the East End Chapter of Slow Food is to spread the word about the health, economic, and environmental advantages of eating locally and seasonally. The Snail of Approval program supports this mission.
For over 25 years Estia’s has been a fixture on the South Fork and an early adopter of the farm-to-table philosophy. Chef Colin Ambrose, owner, is committed to sourcing the freshest, seasonal ingredients. His connection to farmers and local producers has spanned 22 years as a member of Quail Hill Farm and the steward of his own kitchen garden. Estia’s satisfies the senses on many levels with Colin’s creative take on healthy American-Mexican fare, his friendly, knowledgeable staff, and the cozy ambience, reminiscent of a gentler time on the South Fork. Customers crave this experience and their favorite signature dishes enough to wait patiently for an available table or stool at the bar.
Colin lives Slow Foods’s philosophy and practice of good, clean, and fair food by offering quality dining at affordable prices and his involvement with the local community. He is a staunch supporter of school gardens, opening his restaurant to fundraisers such as Eileen’s Angels, and participating in The Joshua Levine Memorial Foundation and Slow Food East End’s fundraiser for Edible School Gardens the past six years.
Estia’s Little Kitchen joins The North Fork Table & Inn, Southold; Nick & Toni’s, East Hampton; Noah’s, Greenport; 18 Bay Restaurant, Shelter Island; and Love Lane Kitchen, Mattituck as restaurants having earned the Snail of Approval.
Slow Food is a non-profit, member-supported organization that advocates for healthy food produced with minimal damage to the environment. The East End Chapter, encompassing the North and South Forks, is part of the global Slow Food network of over 100,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through a vast volunteer network of local chapters, youth and food communities, we link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect the community, culture, knowledge and environment that make this pleasure possible.
Our mission as an international grassroots membership organization is good, clean and fair food for all.
SFEE Awards Snail of Approval to Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck
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Photo: Slow Food East End Chair Anne Howard, Love Lane Kitchen Owner Carolyn Iannone, Chef Corey Guastella, Snail of Approval Chair Robin Tyson-Stoehr
Slow Food East End is pleased to announce that Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck, NY, has been recently awarded the chapter’s prestigious Snail of Approval.
The Snail of Approval recognizes businesses that incorporate the Slow Food ideals of good, clean, and fair food into all aspects of their food operation. When customers choose a restaurant that has been awarded the Snail of Approval, they know they are consuming quality food that is mostly local, sustainably raised and grown, and delicious. The mission of the East End Chapter of Slow Food is to spread the word about the health, economic, and environmental advantages of eating locally and seasonally. The Snail of Approval program supports this mission.
Love Lane Kitchen’s owner Carolyn Iannone is committed to sourcing as many fresh and seasonal ingredients as possible from local providers in addition to their vegetable and herb garden. Both Carolyn and Chef Corey Guastella draw inspiration for their menus from what is available. Approximately 90% of the dinner menu, which changes weekly, is farm to table in Spring, Summer, and Fall. Love Lane Kitchen also serves perennial breakfast and lunch favorites 7 days a week. Their wine list features Long Island varieties exclusively.
Carolyn’s passion about Slow Food’s mission of good, clean, and fair food is evident by her own philosophy and practices by offering quality dining at affordable prices and forging solid relationships with her providers, staff, and customers. Love Lane Kitchen provides food and gift cards to local charities and offers community cooking classes on Thursday evenings in the winter taught by Chef Cory.
Love Lane Kitchen joins The North Fork Table & Inn, Southold; Nick & Toni’s, East Hampton; Noah’s, Greenport; 18 Bay Restaurant, Shelter Island; and Estia’s Little Kitchen, Sag Harbor as restaurants having earned the Snail of Approval.
Slow Food is a non-profit, member-supported organization that advocates for healthy food produced with minimal damage to the environment. The East End Chapter, encompassing the North and South Forks, is part of the global Slow Food network of over 100,000 members in more than 150 countries. Through a vast volunteer network of local chapters, youth and food communities, we link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect the community, culture, knowledge and environment that make this pleasure possible.
Our mission as an international grassroots membership organization is good, clean and fair food for all.
