Fun Playing with Mother Earth and Slow Food on Terra Madre Day

Every since I gave my first volunteer day to World Hunger Year as a follower of the late singer Harry Chapin, in 1977, I have been involved in the food movement. The "food movement" takes many forms - some fun and tasty,  some serious and life-or-death, and some in between these extremes. The organization that best embodies this movement for the "average American,"  IMHO, is Slow Food. Founded internationally by delegates from 15 countries in 1989, Slow Food in the US

seeks to create dramatic and lasting change in the food system. We reconnect Americans with the people, traditions, plants, animals, fertile soils and waters that produce our food. We inspire a transformation in food policy, production practices and market forces so that they ensure equity, sustainability and pleasure in the food we eat.

Slow Food USA Mission Statement.

Slow Food designated Thursday December 10, 2009 as Terra Madre Day. Members were encouraged to celebrate eating locally, and to celebrate 20 years of Slow Food activism. Events raised the voices of small-scale farmers, fishers, breeders and all those who uphold good, clean and fair food production and traditions in their region, and are working for food sovereignty. And so, in this spirit, Bob and I partook in two fabulous eating adventures that celebrated the locally owned and smaller-scale food producers and providers. And we had fun playing with all of this food, too.

We began with lunch delivered from Mister Brisket to a diverse group assembled in our office conference room - a few of the firm's attorneys, friends, and Slow Food members.


BBQ Brisket on White

Two people ordered this - the perfume was amazing!


The Charles Barr

Since I couldn't decide between corned beef and pastrami, I decided to enjoy both! On rye, of course, with deli mustard. Yum.

And as if this feast wasn't enough - local farmer Courtney McLeod (also known as Herbthyme on the local chat boards) brought us two lovely dessert choices from her farm kitchen  - banana bread and chocolate pumpkin bread.

Sorry the banana bread got short shrift - I was shooting across the table.

After about 5 hours of digestion, it was time for part 2 of the festivities, which would include many of the same folks who shared our lunch - a Meet the Farmers' Dinner at The Greenhouse Tavern.

Our evening began in the intimate downstairs room, with the farmer-guests seated at the Chef's Table alongside the open kitchen.  The tables were set with bread from On the Rise Artisan Breads and the most creamy looking spread - I thought for sure it was cheese or a dip from Lake Erie Creamery (one of the featured farmers) - but the server informed us that it was butter churned in-house! And a delightful start it was!

The amuse was served to each diner, then a platter was set on the table for anyone who wanted more!

Arincini with Parmesan & Chives

This succulent bite was served with an Aperol Cocktail with Prosecco. As we enjoyed, Chef-Owner Jonathon Sawyer welcomed us.

Our first course featured Lake Erie Creamery cheeses:

Endive Tarte Tatin with Fresh & Aged Goat Cheeses and Roasted Grapes

 

I've never thought to roast grapes - but what a wonderful idea! The tatin melted in the mouth - it was a shame that farmer Mari Ann Janosko was unable to join us, so she could hear those lip-smacking sounds for herself!

Old Overholt Rye & Pimm's Highball

Chef Jonathon decided to go all over the map with the drink selections - after the prosecco cocktail that began the evening, we enjoyed Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale with our first course, and this cocktail with our second. The rye liquor complimented the rye flavors in the salad course perfectly.

Caraway & Rye Roasted Seed Carrots with Assorted Greens, Pumpkin Seeds and Bacon

The greens and beets were supplied by Farmer Peter McDermott of Urban Farms and they were simply marvelous - the carrots had an extra shot of sweetness infused into them by the recent frigid weather snap, and the greens conversely had been harvested "just in time" to avoid being frozen.

The next two courses were served family style:

40 Clove Garlic Chicken, Whole Fryed, with Lemon, Thyme & Pomme Puree

The chicken, from Hickory Acres farm in Oberlin, was incredibly crispy and moist, and the deep fried lemons added a new taste twist. Farmers Fred and Chris Thaxton delivered with the most heavenly organic garlic, which was roasted to perfection.

Eat your heart out, Colonel Sanders - the herbs and spices complimented the fresh poultry  to a tee.

Thaxton's garlic was especially wonderful mashed into the pomme puree:

Sorry - too busy eating to photograph the combination - but you get the idea!

The last meat course was sourced from Farmer Aaron Miller and featured his grass-fed beef!

Braised Beef Shortrib with Pearl Onions

 

My portion.

My table-mate's portion.

Unfortunately, I was so fixated on the beef that I didn't photograph the Yorkshire Puddings when they came out, nor did I snag one. Chef Jonathon said that more were coming, so I didn't worry about it. Bob and I finally snagged the last two from the initial batch, that were sitting on a serving plate on the far side of the tables.  Since I knew more were coming, I didn't photograph it (it was already getting pretty cold). Trust me that the puddings were beautiful to look at and delicious to eat - but when the additional batch came out, the emphasis was more on taste than looks:

These were every bit as delicious as (and a lot warmer when I got to taste them than) the first ones!

For dessert, Chef Jonathon combined some of Lucy's Welhausen's magnificant Ohio Honey with Ohio Grenache for a warming glogg, which complimented the honey-based dessert very nicely:

 

Fennell Pollen Panna Cotta with Ohio Honey

A light and succulent ending to a fabulous celebration of some of our finest local farmers and their wares! The flavor of the fennell pollen cut through the rich panna cotta, and brought out the honey notes.

I hope that you found some local food to play with on Terra Madre Day. And it's ok if you didn't - no need for event psychosis - every day can be Terra Madre Day if we take a little time and effort to consider where our food comes from and how it is made. We are very lucky in the Cleveland area to have so many fine sources at the farm, retail and restaurant levels to play with food that is made with love, on so many levels.

Fun With Slow Green Food for Bastille Day at the Geenhouse Tavern

It never ceases to amaze me - what an amazing spread Chef Jonathon Sawyer and his crew of Cleveland Chefs put on for his annual Slow Food benefit. It is impossible to even taste a little of everything - there is too much, and it is all so good. But taste we did, last Monday, July 13 - one day before Bastille Day (to accommodate the Chef's "Iron Chef" taping schedule (Jon is a sous chef for Iron Chef Michael Symon), which would bring him to NY on the actual Bastille Day date). And the wonderful wines by Bill Barefoot of 55 Degrees - just perfect.

Though I did my best to identify the creator of each item - I missed a few. Please feel free to fill in, in the Comments, anyone or anything I miss below.


Crepes on the Patio

As we walked up a few minutes before the official start time of 6pm, we saw Bob Holcepl's crew from Crepes Deluxe already busily at work making fresh crepes. Alas - this was one of the only items I did not taste - I simply ran out of room. But Bob and Edsel both raved about theirs!


What Was I Thinking, to Not Taste These!


Baguettes from On the Rise Bakery

Chef Jonathon welcomed each diner with a baguette - by the end of the evening, the Chefs were dueling with them! And perfect, they were, to accompany the goodness!

I walked around the room to take the first batch of photos, without tasting.


Corn Cakes & Berries

Not sure who made these - they were right next to a savory, but were a little sweet. Lovely!


White Salmon Mousse Topped With Pork Fat


Rilettes - I Believe it Was Pork

And I think these two amazing dishes were from Zach Bruell of Parallax, L'Albatros and Table 45.


Stuffed Mushrooms

Which I foolishly passed on - I should have at least tasted the stuffing (I don't care for mushroom meat)! I believe that these came from Chef Dave Eucke, Chef d'Cuisine of L'Albatros.


Blurry Tomato-Cheese Crostini

Made by GHT - a delightful canape!




Cheese and Accoutrement From The Baricelli Inn

There is no better cheese monger in Cleveland than the Minillo team! Chef Paul's son, Chef John Minillo, was on hand to explain and serve the cheeses. The ones I tasted were simply fabulous, and well accompanied.



I loved these little sandwiches even though they had bits of pickle in them - just superb! Not sure who made these - was this Eric Lascher's contribution?


Charcuterie and Kraut

I joked with Chef Greg MacLaren, author of this dish, that I couldn't even look at this, let alone eat it - we'd served over 400 pounds of kielbasa and kraut at the American Mensa AG event a week earlier - but this dish was magically delicious!




Bone Marrow Stuffed Potatoes - Greenhouse Tavern



These were not only delicious, but wonderfully playful in the presentation!


Pork Belly, Blini, Watermelon

A delicious bite from Chef Kurt Steeber of Boulevard Blue. Betcha can't eat just one!




Chicken Liver and Cognac Pate

This tasty treat was delivered by Cleveland Magazine's own Laura Taxel.








Sausage Toulouse Style with Mustard and Toast

This amazingly delicious bite came courtesy of Moxie's Executive Chef, Jonathan Bennett.


Raw Bar with Horseradish Vodka and Dipping Sauces

This bit of loveliness came courtesy of GHT - succulent oysters, pristine small shrimp, and mussels I did not taste. The accompaniments were amazing, as always.



I tasted this expecting clam - but it wasn't. Chef Jonathon said it was escargot - what a clever treatment for a snail-a-phobe like me! Very, very tasty.



This delightful beef dish was provided by Chef Scott Popovich of Certified Angus - yummy!


Beef Shortrib Sliders with Gruyere Cheese

As usual, Chef Rocco Whalen of Fahrenheit knocked it out of the park!


Tea Hills Pork

If I was forced to pick a "favorite" (a formidable task, indeed, this night) - this would have been it. Exquisite meat, exquisitely prepared by Chef Mike Nowak of Bar Cento. Bravo!


Four Varieties Charcuterie

It was so good to see Chef Dante Boccuzze in the house! His amazing sausage was as good as ever - I actually liked the pepperoni (and I'm not a pepperoni kinda gal). Please - Chef Dante - open your new restaurant soon!


Clams in Foie Gras Sauce - GHT

Heaven on a plate.



Fried Gnocchi Wrapped in Lardo - GHT

I actually preferred this dish with the house-made prosciutto. But that's just me.

As amazing as this groaning board of goodies was - other bites periodically emerged from what I believe was the GHT kitchen; I don't know if any of the guest chefs were involved in these:


Vichyssoise

Simply yummy.


Rosemary Garlic Frites with Aoli



Sawyer signatures, perfectly executed.



This lovely bite of fish in Buerre Blanc was served to the tables - sorry, I forgot which fish - but it was sustainable, pristine and most delicious.


Peach & Cherry Claufutis with Custard and Whipped Creme infused with Black Pepper

My description does not begin to do justice to this amazing concoction from Chef Steve Schimoler of Crop Bistro. An amazing combination of sweet and savory - my only regret was that I treated it as a sweet and didn't sample it until almost the end. My loss - the pepper-infused creme was fantastic, and perfectly complimented the sweets below it.



As we reached the end - the Chefs, Servers, and others who contributed to the evening gathered on the stairs to pull the winning raffle ticket (the contest benefited our local Slow Food Convivium), and to receive a well deserved round of applause!

I do not have photos of Jenni's Ice Cream - but wish I did - I'm not a big sweets eater, but the Violet Ice Cream and the dark chocolate were both amazing (thank you Tom Bauer!). GHT provided a couple of Pastry Chef Keri Garcia's signatures - but since both had coffee flavors, I had no trouble turning them down (and I needed to, because I was seriously full by the time they were served). An espresso mousse, and a coffee custard, were both enjoyed by those of the attendees who weren't already stuffed. I did very much enjoy (a couple of days later) the individually wrapped cookies available to each diner as they left - stuffed with chocolate and nuts - simply wonderful!

Alan Glazen of Erie Island Coffee provided the java to those who partake, and the coffee drinkers seemed very happy.

Every year, this event gets better and better - I can think of no better reason to become involved with Slow Food than to get to know the people behind events like these. As my dear friend Harry Chapin (who died 28 years ago today) frequently channeled Pete Seeger - being involved with causes like Slow Food keeps you connected to the live hearts, the live souls, the live minds. "Well if a man tried, to take his time on Earth, and prove before he died, what one man's life could be worth - well I wonder what would happen to this world." [I Wonder What Would Happen to This World, (c) Harry Chapin]. Just don't forget to play with your food.