Nectar Dinner benefiting Slow Food Cincinnati

Join Slow Food Cincinnati for a private dinner at Nectar in Mt. Lookout on Sunday, October 10th at 6:30PM. Chef/Owner Julie Francis embodies Slow Food ideals year-round, serving local, seasonal, and organic ingredients whenever possible. Dinner will include a fall salad course with wine pairing, a main course with wine pairing, and a dessert course, all served family-style. A vegetarian option will be available.

Tickets, which include three courses with beverages, tax, and gratuity, cost $55 for members or $60 for non-members, and can be purchased online: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/126287.

Members, please contact Krishna at volunteer@slowfoodcincinnati.org to receive your discounted pricing.

Slow Food Cincinnati events

Very impressive lineup of events from Slow Food Cincinnati, which appears to have finally hit its stride!  From their newsletter:

• May 1st: Mushroom Foraging Join us for a day of hunting the elusive morel mushroom at Flying J Farm in Johnstown, Ohio (outside of Columbus).  The hunt starts at noon with a potluck to follow at 4:00 p.m.  Please bring a dish with mushrooms in it to share.  Contact Katie@slowfoodcincinnati.org by April 24th if you are interested in carpooling.  (Note: This event was originally scheduled for April 24th but was rescheduled by Flying J Farm.)
• May 14th: Cheese and Beer Pairing We all know that a good wine and cheese pairing can be an eye-opening experience if done right, but what about beer and cheese?  Abbe Turner from Lucky Penny Farm and Grant McCracken, a Certified Cicerone, will tell us why beer and cheese deserve a place at your table, and give hints to pairing them effectively.  The cost, which includes 5 beer and cheese tastings, is $15 for Slow Food USA members and $20 for non-members.  This event begins at 7:00 p.m. and is only for those ages 21 and above.  Location is still being determined, but will likely be central.  Space is limited so please email Laura at events@slowfoodcincinnati.org to RSVP by May 1st.
• May 23rd: Vista Grande Ranch Cookout and Buffalo Farm Tour If you want to learn more about the meat that you consume, this is a perfect opportunity.  Learn how animals are raised humanely and without the use of antibiotics or hormones.  We begin the day at a park near the ranch (exact location still to be determined) at 11:00 a.m. with a delicious cookout featuring Vista Grande buffalo.  We will then head to the ranch for a tour from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.  There will be a nominal fee to cover the cost of the food, and space is limited so please email Laura at events@slowfoodcincinnati.org to RSVP by May 10th.
• June 17th: Fermenting Class with Fab Ferments Want to learn how to ferment your own food?   Curious about the numerous health benefits and culinary applications?  Join us for a hands-on learning experience at Turner Farm with Jennifer and Jordan from Fab Ferments!  More details to come – please watch our blog for more information.

Slow Food Cincinnati Kickoff Meeting Jan 27

Slow Food Cincinnati is having their 2010 kickoff meeting 6:00pm, Wednesday January 27th at Park+Vine (1109 Vine St, Over-the-Rhine, 45202).

From the evite:

Please join Slow Food Cincinnati for our 2010 Kickoff Meeting at Park+Vine downtown!  We are excited to meet Slow Food Cincinnati Members and food enthusiasts alike for an evening of delicious local food and beverages, conversation, and information about our group.  The event is free of charge, however we welcome any donations to offset the costs of refreshments.

Please bring your appetite, ideas, and interest in supporting good, clean, fair food.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

For more information on becoming a registered Slow Food member, please visit slowfoodusa.org.   We welcome both Slow Food members and non-members to this event.

Free (donations gratefully accepted), but reservations required.  To reserve your place, visit their facebook page.

Segoe Symposium On Smart Growth

The Segoe Symposium on Smart Growth at the University of Cincinnati on December 10th will feature a panel discussing the formation of the Greater Cincinnati Regional Food Policy Council, followed by Kami Pothukuchi, PhD, speaking about SEED Wayne (Sustainable Food Systems Education and Engagement in Detroit and Wayne State University), a campus-community partnership dedicated to building more sustainable food systems. She'll discuss her research on the links between food and community & economic development, including urban agriculture, community food assessments, local policy and planning.

Panel at 5:30, speaker at 6:30, local foods reception hosted by Slow Food Cincinnati at 7:30 featuring small bites and local wines.  Niehoff Urban Studio at 2728 Vine St. in the Short Vine area of Corryville. Free, but email for reservations.

Tomato Canning Class from Slow Food Cincinnati

Slow Food Cincinnati and Turner Farm are offering a hands-on field-to-pantry canning class with home canning expert Lydia Hirsh.  Participants will harvest organic tomatoes straight from the vine, peel, dice, pack, and process the tomatoes, and leave with 3 wide-mouth pint jars of chopped tomatoes.  All necessary equipment along with step by step instructions provided. 

$35 per person.  8:30am - 1pm, Saturday August 22nd.  Turner Farm, 7400 Given Road, 45243 (Indian Hill.)  For more information or to reserve space, call 513-561-7400 or email events@slowfoodcincinnati.org

Slow Food Cincinnati

Slow Food is forming a local convivium, Slow Food Cincinnati. The group is looking for volunteers who are interested in promoting local foods in our area.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Vice President (Co – Leader)
• Recording Secretary: Takes minutes of meetings.
• Corresponding Secretary: Maintains database of and communicates with members. Works closely with the Membership Coordinator.
• Treasurer: Keeps the books, files the tax return. (The group is a non-profit.)
• Fundraising: Looks for way to raise money. The convivium has $0 right now and is awaiting a small start up check from the national organization.
• Grant writer: Applies for grant money on behalf of Slow Food Cincinnati. One opportunity has been identified and is due in March.
• Web Site Administrator: Establishes and maintains the Slow Food Cincinnati website. Responsible for the content on the website and keeping it current. Works with all other positions to seek solicitations. (A couple of people may want to share this position.)
• Membership Coordinator: Maintains membership email list and shares updates with the Database Administrator and Corresponding Secretary. Works to provide added value for members. Considers how to communicate with members w/o email addresses.
• Program Chair: Works to develop programs & events. The convivium's goal is three events in 2009.
• Community Liaison: Investigates community events and shares with members via the group's website. Partners between Slow Food Cincinnati and other local groups.
• Meeting Site Coordinator – keeps an active list of places to meet that are non-profit friendly. When meetings/events are scheduled, works with the hosting group to execute arrangements.

Anyone interested in becoming involved should contact the volunteer coordinator. Volunteers will meet for the first time in January.