Fall Fun for (Eco)Foodies

This time of year is pretty fabulous for those of us who love fresh, varied produce from our local farms. You can get everything from tomatoes, to okra, to winter squash, all of it rich with flavor and good-for-you goodness. Us Bostonians are also blessed with a thriving network of people invested in the local food movement, which means there are plenty of opportunities to expand your mind along with your belly. Below are just a few events coming up in the next few weeks--be sure to check out the websites for more info on not only these events but future happenings. Enjoy!

Boston Local Food Festival

Saturday, October 2nd. Fort Point Channel.

This promises to be a veritable bonanza of local goodness, with everything your local-loving heart might possibly desire. You can sample everything from beer, to cheese, to bok choy and soak in all kinds of food-related demonstrations. I don't know what I'm more excited about...sustainable cooking with crepes or "retiring Ronald McDonald"! For more details about the festival and how to find your way there, visit http://bostonlocalfoodfestival.com/.

DIG IN! Volunteer with Slow Food Boston @ Earthworks or The Food Project

Saturday, September 25th.

What better way to spend a gorgeous fall Saturday than doing a few hours of good for a great local food organization, followed by a local potluck picnic? At The Food Project site, volunteers will help put the farm "to bed" for the winter and have the chance to learn more about their programs for urban youth. At Earthworks, helpers will mulch and renutriate the soil around trees and shrubs in their urban orchards, all of which are open for public picking. Either way, you can't go wrong! For more details on each project and how to get involved you can visit the Slow Food Boston events page. There, you can also learn about Slow Food's RAFT Dinners--the focus there is on heirloom varietals along with regional foods and traditions--as well as a book event this Friday for Food Heroes by Georgia Pellegrini.

Festivals, Festivals, Festivals.

You can treat yourself to local beers, homemade chili, cider donuts, and so much more if you just know where to be and when. Check out this list of New England food festivals compiled by Boston.com. You can also peruse the websites of local farms for more apple and fall-themed events, like the Cider Pressing, Harvest Potluck, and Scarecrow Contest at Red Fire Farm!

Markets, Markets, Markets.

Although the abrupt appearance of such crisp weather can make it feel like the growing season must be coming to an end, most local farmers markets will be open and overflowing through late October or even November. For a list of which markets are open and until when, visit www.massfarmersmarkets.org.

Give Love, Get Love: Local Treats for Your Sweet

This Valentine's Day, The Channel Cafe has planned an inspired "Local Love" meal featuring local, organic produce from Enterprise Farms and libations from Narragansett Brewery. The four course dinner will also include locally foraged mushrooms and locally raised meat. Yes, that is a lot of local!

The dinner, which will take place on Saturday the 13th (perfect for surprising that special someone!), is just $30 per person, including beer. Quite a deal for a meal that features such special ingredients. Indeed, everything on the plate that night will have been produced with tremendous care, the very type of attentive devotion that the holiday should celebrate. It's a perfect opportunity to give a little love back to your local farmers and to celebrate love in your own life, whether with friends or a sweetheart.

My husband and I can hardly wait until Saturday, and I imagine that spots are filling up quickly. Call 617-426-0695 to reserve your place at the table!

*The lovely gift tag in the photo comes courtesy of Central Bottle, where the owner's seven-year-old nephew is officially in charge of all signage. There is a basket full of these gems by the register, perfect to go with a gift bottle for your special someone.

Sustainable Seafood with Slow Food Boston

This Sunday, as part of their 3rd annual Winter Film Series, Slow Food Boston will be offering a screening of The End of the Line, a documentary that explores the many complex issues surrounding seafood consumption. From environmental impacts, to mercury levels, to the people whose livelihoods depend on healthy oceans, the film promises to be an informative look at a complicated web of relationships. The film will be followed by a panel discussion including Jacqueline Church, founder of Teach a Man to Fish; Heather Tausig, director of conservation at the New England Aquarium; and Niaz Dorry, and activist who works with groups like Cape Ann Fresh Catch.

If you're a die hard Saints fan (or a fan of that other team), not to worry. The screening is at 3:30--perfect timing for a dose of good-for-you food knowledge before you head home to enjoy the game...and probably some not-so-good-for-you snacks.

Click here for directions and details!

Eat Well. Do Good. Have Fun.

If you're looking for a little foodie fun to warm your belly and your heart this weekend, head to Enterprise Farm for their Locally Grown Pancake Breakfast. The breakfast, which takes place tomorrow from 9:00 a.m. to noon, will feature pancakes made with locally grown and milled whole wheat flour from Four Star Farms in Northfield, Mass. And there will be plenty of locally made accopmaniments, including maple syrup from Bree-Z-Knoll Farm and bacon from Austin Brothers Valley Farm.

Although the farm's location in Whately is a bit of a drive for us Bostonians, it's a worthwhile trip this time of year. When you just can't manage another bite of pancake, you can peruse the local, organic produce on offer at The Food Shed and stock up on wintry veggies for the next few weeks, including my favorite: celery root!

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Northampton Survival Center, which provides food to low-income individuals and families in the area, an important community resource especially in this difficult economy. So, grab a few friends and make a day of it. Your farmers, your community, and your belly will thank you!

Click here for directions.

Photo by Presta, via Flickr Creative Commons

A Wintertime Treat: Growing in the Concrete Jungle

As we Bostonians brace ourselves for the longest, coldest months of the year, Slow Food Boston is offering a welcome bright spot with the beginning of their Winter Film Series next Sunday: a screening of HomeGrown, the story of a family who managed to grow 6,000 pounds of produce on less than 1/4 acre of land in downtown Pasadena. As always, the movie will be followed by a panel discussion to expand on the ideas presented in the film, including Lisa Gross, founder of the Urban Homesteaders' League, and Jess Liborio of The Food Project. For just a $5 donation to Slow Food you can reserve your spot, which I would say is quite the bargain--after all, when was the last time you got to see a movie for less than $10? Much less donate your money to a great organization and participate in a stimulating conversation? Click here to reserve your tickets for the 3:30 showing. Hope to see you there!

Other upcoming film topics include the complexities of seafood consumption and the fight for healthy school lunches. Click here to see the full series schedule.

A chat and talk and cook kind of thing.

"A chat and talk and cook kind of thing." This is how Ranveer Brar, corporate chef for One World Cuisine, introduced the Tuesday night cooking class at Mantra's Naan Bar. I had arrived excited for the class but flustered after a long day at work, and his relaxed description sounded like exactly what the doctor ordered. What could be better than that, after all?

The class, which Mantra runs every Tuesday from 5:30-6:30, is designed to "demystify the tandoor," says Chef Brar. Indeed, within minutes of arriving, I had learned that the cylindrical tandoor oven, which originated in Turkey, is fired at the bottom and is most often made of clay bound around coils of rope. In India, where bread is also sometimes grill-baked at home, there are often community tandoors, used jointly by a group of families. And, if you have neither a private nor a community tandoor, as is true for most of us in the States, Brar recommends using any piece of non-glazed cookware for baking, such as a terra cotta dish or a pizza stone. Heat the oven to 450 for breads and 400 for meats, and you'll have at least some approximation of the tandoor.

The first lesson of the day was how to make naan dough. Here in the U.S., where the flour is harder and has more gluten than in India, the ideal dough is made with 30% milk. For our batch, Brar used 1 egg, 2 pounds of self-rising flour, milk, and a pinch each of salt and sugar. He also added just a teaspoon of oil toward the end. He cautioned against over-kneading and then put the dough away to rest for 2 hours, swapping it out for an already rested batch.

The dough, once shaped into naan-sized portions, is cooked on the side of the ovens, where it connects with a slap. Once ready, it's removed with two metal skewers and set aside for serving. While Brar used plain dough for our naans, it's also common to add mint or toasted caraway to the dough itself--yum.

Our naan samples were served with three chutneys: mint & cashew, tamarind, and tomato and onion seed. All three were delicious, but the mint & cashew seemed to be the crowd favorite. In addition to the basic naan, we were treated to tastings of a green chili and mozzarella stuffed naan, as well as one stuffed with date and coconut. Both combinations were surprising to me (I usually just go straight for the garlic naan) and both were delicious. Dates, Chef Brar told us, were historically used in royal bread, and it wasn't hard to see why. Their sweet flavor and rich texture made for a unique and decadent dish.

Next it was onto the meats, which came with a brief lesson in spices. The Ayurvedic style used in India is a holistic approach devoted to achieving harmony in the body. "Your body type dictates what you're going to eat," Chef Brar explained. The tandoor spices that he used for our kebabs included ground red chili, celery seed, cilantro, toasted coriander, fried onion, and garam masala. There are 12 altogether, six heating and six cooling for balance. Given this holistic philosophy, I was happy to hear that Chef Brar and One World Cuisine are also working to balance their menu from a sustainability perspective by purchasing produce from local markets in the summer and fall, as well asVermont chevre.

First up was a seekh kebab--seekh is the word for skewer--which is typically made with beef or lamb depending on the religion on the region in India. This recipe was a mixture of ground lamb, ginger, and garlic, molded in a careful cylinder around the skewer before going into the oven. According to Chef Brar, the ideal kebab should consist of 10% flavoring and spices, 90% meat. Next, we enjoyed a Roti kebab, which held larger chunks of meat, more similar to the "kebabs" I make at home on the grill. This style of kebab is marinated in yogurt, which acts as a great tenderizer for the meat. Chef Brar's recipe includes 1 pound yogurt, 2 ounces each of ginger and garlic paste, 2 ounces of chick pea flour, and salt and pepper. We also got to try a chipotle chicken tikka, which was tender and packed with flavor.

In addition to the cooking classes, the Naan Bar has a separate menu full of delicious-sounding taste treats. There are appetizers like Mustard-Seed Lamb Chops and Chili Mussels, as well as endless varieties of naan, ranging from smoked salmon to PB&J! For just $12 you can choose your three favorite and make it a trio. While our group was fairly full after so many generous samples, we agreed that we would come back another night to enjoy the many delights on offer.

All told, the cooking class is a lovely way to unwind after a long day at work. For just $20, you get a wealth of information, all those yummy samples, and a cocktail to boot. To reserve your spot, visit Mantra's website or give them a call at (617) 542-8111. Happy eating!

Eat Well, Buy Fair.

These days, lots of us do our best to eat fresh, local food as a favor to our bodies, our palates, and our planet. But, no matter how devoted we are to keeping it local, there are some things that can be awfully hard to give up. Take coffee, for example. I only drink one cup a day, but that cup is oh so very special. Wrapping my hands around that warm, steaming beverage makes early mornings at my desk feel like a treat rather than a chore. And while it's not a local treat, there are ways the conscious consumer can keep such simple pleasures from becoming guilty ones. What's the best place to start? Buy Fair. When you make the choice to buy a Fair Trade product, whether it's coffee, chocolate, or bananas, you're ensuring that small scale producers receive a fair price for their goods, which often enables them to raise themselves out of poverty. It also allows these producers to invest back into their community, which leads to countless social and environmental benefits.

This past week, I had the opportunity to learn more about Fair Trade at a dinner at Garden at the Cellar hosted by Green Mountain Coffee, which has a growing line of Organic Fair Trade coffees. I also got to taste some delicious dishes prepared by chef Will Gilson, whose culinary beginnings at the Herb Lyceum contributed to his focus on fresh seasonal food. The meal, which combined Fair Trade and local ingredients along with a tasting of Organic Fair Trade coffee from Green Mountain, was a preview of the Eat, Drink, and be Fair event happening this Wednesday at the Artists for Humanity Epicenter in South Boston. The event will feature creations from Chef Wilson, as well as chefs Jay Silva, Richard Garcia, and Peter McCarthy. It's a great opportunity to learn more about how you can buy Fair in your daily life, as well as to sample dishes featuring Fair Trade ingredients like coffee, tea, and vanilla. The event will celebrate the fact that October is Fair Trade month, as well as Boston's efforts to become a Fair Trade Town in 2010. (Go Boston!)

Below are some highlights from chef Gilson's meal last week. Based on this very yummy preview, this is one cook-off you do not want to miss!

Our meal began with a delicious amuse of heirloom pumpkin soup, pumpkins courtesy of Sparrow Arc Farm in Troy, Maine. These tiny cups were packed with rich fall flavors, and a lovely hint of spice for yet another layer of warmth.

The soup was followed an incredible plate of locally foraged mushrooms along with a slow-poached egg, black truffle, and a house made duck neck rillette that was breaded and fried. I had never tried duck before, but I dove in whole-heartedly and was amply rewarded. It blended perfectly with the full, earthy flavors of mushroom and truffle, all of which was brought together beautifully with the soft egg yolk. So yummy and satisfying on a cool fall night.

Our next dish incorporated the Green Mountain Free Trade coffee in a coffee and sunchoke puree that provided a perfect compliment to some slow-roasted chicken and a savory, house made chicken sausage.

For dessert, one of my favorites: a poached pear with a little something sweet on the side. In a delicious twist, the late season pear was tea-poached, lending it a subtle jasmine aroma. And when each bite was topped with a bit of caramel and vanilla bean whipped cream...perfection. Knowing that so many of the ingredients were Fair Trade, including the tea and the vanilla, made it all the more enjoyable.

Over dessert, we also had the opportunity to sample two of Green Mountain's Organic Fair Trade blends. We tried a Kenyan blend that was bright and fruity, along with a Sumatran that had a deeper, earthier flavor. As a lover of strong coffee, the Sumatran was my favorite, but it was surprisingly fun to taste coffee in a way that's usually reserved for wine. With the help of a Green Mountain expert, my fellow diners and I threw out words like "round" and "chocolatey," focusing on flavors and aromas that often go overlooked. It left me thinking that a coffee tasting brunch might be in order...all organic and Free Trade, of course.

For more information on Wednesday's event and how you can buy Fair, visit www.eatdrinkandbefair.com.