Slow Food Boston

Join the SFB Book Club!

5/6/2020

Looking for ways to meet new friends with a shared interest in food and sustainability while under quarantine? We're excited to share the launch of our new online Book Club! This group aims to bring together individuals in the Boston area interested in exploring the literary side of Slow Food, from fiction to non-fiction to biographies and more. Any topic relevant to good, clean, and fair good is game! We're starting this group off as online only, but would love to explore setting up a monthly (or bi-monthly) in-person meet-up to exchange thoughts (and of course, Slow Food-friendly snacks!)

Sign up through our SFB Book Club Facebook page to get special access to updates, online meetups, and books we'll read. Don't have Facebook? You can also sign up for the Book Club on our Resources Page.

Join in on the fun reading books you've been meaning to get to or ones you've only just discovered through the SFB Book Club. Come chat with others that are just as passionate about improving food systems and how we grow our food. Happy Reading!

Terra Madre Day 2019!

1/6/2020

On December 10th, 2019, Slow Food Boston celebrated 30 years of good, clean, and fair food with a sold-out pasta-making class at Seven Hills Pasta Co.

At Seven Hills' cozy & twinkle-light lined shop in Melrose, MA, fellow slow foodies and pasta-lovers donned in aprons and Prosecco glass in hand joined each other around the table as Chef Giulio Caperchi led us through his artisanal pasta-making process hailing from his hometown of Rome, Italy.

Giulio is an avid supporter of Slow Food and the meal reflected it. Not only is their pasta made using the movement's values - with high quality durum wheat semolina flour and water, slowly kneaded and extruded through a bronze-dye to achieve the ideal rough outer texture perfect for clinging onto every drop of pasta sauce - Giulio often experiments with ingredients in Slow Food's Ark of Taste, such as Jacob's Cattle Bean, a beautiful white and reddish-brown speckled, plump kidney bean originating from the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. Giulio reflected on the importance of highlighting these ingredients - both in the kitchen and in the fields at his farm in Rutland, MA - which are native to our land, promoting local biodiversity one seed at a time.

In addition to homemade focaccia studded with roasted tomatoes and drizzled with fresh Olio Taibi olive oil, diners were delighted with roasted butternut squash marinated in fall spices from Siena Farms (Sudbury, MA), stewed cattle beans in a bright tomato sauce, and - of course - the result of our hard work, traditional gnochetti sardi (Sardinian-style gnocchi, also known as maloreddus) bathed in a savory bolognese of beef cheek, rib, shank, and ground beef, a nod to the nose-to-tail cooking method that characterizes both Giulio's traditional Italian cooking and Slow Food's zero waste values.

We ended the night with robust slices of panettone ("It's so fluffy that if you dip it in your cup of coffee, it will soak up the entire cappuccino!", Giulio excitedly exclaimed), and heavenly homemade gelato made with Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a decadent, chocolatey finish.

Guests also left with a sweet treat for the road: board member, Chris', specialty homemade cider caramels made with boiled cider, a final homage to another Ark of Taste Item.

Guests left with full & happy bellies, and the words of the Slow Food manifesto fresh in their minds:

"Our century, which began and has developed under the insignia of industrial civilization, first invented the machine and then took it as its life model.

We are enslaved by speed and have all succumbed to the same insidious virus: Fast Life, which disrupts our habits, pervades the privacy of our homes and forces us to eat Fast Foods.

To be worthy of the name, Homo Sapiens should rid himself of speed before it reduces him to a species in danger of extinction. A firm defense of quiet material pleasure is the only way to oppose the universal folly of Fast Life.

May suitable doses of guaranteed sensual pleasure and slow, long-lasting enjoyment preserve us from the contagion of the multitude who mistake frenzy for efficiency.

Our defense should begin at the table with Slow Food.

Let us rediscover the flavors and savors of regional cooking and banish the degrading effects of Fast Food.

In the name of productivity, Fast Life has changed our way of being and threatens our environment and our landscapes. So Slow Food is now the only truly progressive answer.

That is what real culture is all about: developing taste rather than demeaning it. And what better way to set about this than an international exchange of experiences, knowledge, projects?

Slow Food guarantees a better future. Slow Food is an idea that needs plenty of qualified supporters who can help turn this (slow) motion into an international movement, with the little snail as its symbol."

To those who attended and our generous hosts at Seven Hills, thank you so much for such a fun night celebrating what Slow Food is all about. Check out some photos & descriptions by social-media-helper Yuchen below, and stay tuned for more Slow Food events ahead in 2020. Happy and slow eating to you all!"

Grazie mille to our friends at Seven Hill and to everyone who came to celebrate Terra Madre with us! (Photo credit: Yuchen He)

Celebrate Terra Madre Day with Seven Hills Pasta Co.!

11/24/2019

Join Slow Food friends for an evening get-together on Terra Madre Day, a global celebration of good, clean, fair foods grown and made sustainably. What better way to celebrate this special day than to make your own fresh pasta! Slow Food Member Giulio Caperchi, Chef and Co-owner of Seven Hills Pasta will teach you how to make pasta dough from scratch using local ancient grains for an informative, hands-on experience. Come learn about the secrets to making excellent pasta, discover how local ingredients are produced from small-scale producers, and enjoy delicious pasta tasting with some wine to celebrate this momentous day.

Tickets are available here, see you there!

What is Terra Madre Day?
Terra Madre Day is a major Slow Food event, celebrating local food on a global scale. Every December, on the 10th, thousands of people around the world organize parties and gatherings to celebrate good, clean and fair food: good quality and flavorsome; clean for our bodies, for animals and for the planet; fair for producers and consumers alike. Terra Madre Day brings together all who share the vision of a food system that supports local economies, that respects the environment, biodiversity, taste, and tradition. Come to the table!

Announcing our Worker Justice=Food Justice Panelists!

11/9/2019

SFB is thrilled to announce the panelists for our 2nd Slow Food Conversation: "Worker Justice = Food Justice" happening on November 19th at Bow Market!

Come join us for a lively discussion with our speakers Lucas Turner-Owens of the Boston Ujima Project, a capacity-building initiative to bring Greater Boston area business owners, investors, and workers together in creating a community-controlled economy and Yamila Ruiz, High Road Director of RAISE, the High Road Employer Association at Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) United, which advocates for sustainable business models that champion living wages, basic benefits, and fair promotion policies. This thought-provoking conversation will be moderated by Mei Mei Street Kitchen and Mei Mei Restaurant's very own, Chef, Operating Manager and Co-Founder, Irene Li. We can't wait to hear about the many exciting projects these champions of fair restaurant wages are embarking on, see you on the 19th!

Moderator

Irene Li, Mei Mei Street Kitchen & Mei Mei Restaurant

Irene Li, Chef and Operating Manager, Mei Mei Street Kitchen and Mei Mei Restaurant
Irene operates Mei Mei Street Kitchen & Mei Mei Restaurant in Boston, where her work centers around ethical sourcing and fair employment practices. Her businesses merge modern techniques and multicultural cuisine with local foods and sustainable business practices. Mei Meiʼs creative, farm-driven, Chinese American food has been featured in Food & Wine, The New York Times, People, Bon Appetit and more. Ireneʼs life experiences range from organic farming to prison education and many things in between, and while she never expected a life in the restaurant industry, her desire to create change and care for those around her remains constant. At Mei Mei, Irene directs a groundbreaking open book management training program in conjunction with Rethink Restaurants. Sheʼs working to provide the entire team, from dishwashers to sous chefs, with valuable financial know-how and business management skills, and an opportunity for profit-sharing. She is an Eater Young Gun winner, Zagat and Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree, and a five-time James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef semi-finalist.

Panelists

Yamila Ruiz, Director of RAISE, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United

Yamila Ruiz, RAISE Director, High Road Employer Association at ROC United
As Director of RAISE, the High Road Employer Association at ROC United, Yamila helps support restaurant owners who are part of ROC United’s national employer network to advocate for sustainable business models that champion living wages, basic benefits, fair promotion policies, among other "high road" employer practices as recipes for success. Convened by Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC United), the leading restaurant workers' rights advocacy organization in the country, RAISE is changing the conversation about wages and labor practices for one of the largest and fastest-growing economic sectors in the country. Prior to joining ROC United, Yamila has worked in various sectors of the restaurant industry throughout her career. Until last year, Yamila was the Legal Organizer for ROC United, leading the Sanctuary Restaurants project to create safer spaces for all within the restaurant industry. She also provided legal support to ROC chapters nationwide to better assist restaurant workers and employers working towards increasing equity in the industry. Prior to that, she served as the Research & Policy Organizer at the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Boston working on the One Fair Wage campaign to eliminate the subminimum wage for all tipped workers in Massachusetts.

Lucas Turner-Owens, Fund Manager, Boston Ujima Project

Lucas Turner-Owens, Fund Manager, Boston Ujima Project
The Boston Ujima Project is working to organize Greater Boston area neighbors, workers, business owners, and investors to create a community-controlled economy. Ujima is led by the Center for Economic Democracy (CED), a “movement strategy and capacity building organization” which convenes local stakeholders to collaborate toward social, political, and economic transformation. Lucas provides Technical Assistance to entrepreneurs, connects them with business support organizations, gives financial education to Ujima's investor base, does loan packaging, underwriting, and manages Ujima's portfolio of investments. Prior to joining the Ujima Project, Lucas worked as an economic policy analyst for Operation HOPE, a nonprofit focused on consumer financial education. Lucas has also provided technical assistance and expansion loans from a network of impact investors to grow social enterprises and worker-owned co-operatives at Cooperation DC. As a Senior Analyst at Next Street Financial, Lucas applied his background in small business development and public policy to support clients making impact investments and strategic growth decisions.

Slow Food Conversation: Worker Justice=Food Justice!

10/28/2019

Did you know?

Restaurant workers are more likely to require food stamps, live in poverty and are 70% made up of women than employees in other industries. Current federal laws allow employers to pay as little as $2.13 in the restaurant industry for tipped employees instead of minimum wage ($15). With lenient labor laws and wealthy lobbyists keeping restaurant wages low, how can we expect workers in the food and beverage industry to earn a decent living?

Slow Food Boston fully believes in wage equity, that food industry staff should be fairly compensated by their employers, and that national policies should reflect these basic human rights. That is why we are excited to host our second Slow Food Conversation on "Worker Justice = Food Justice." Join us for a lively conversation to hear about local initiatives to pay food service workers and suppliers a fair wage/price and provide benefits to employees. We'll also get insights and hear first-hand about the challenges faced by restaurant owners to account for dozens of overhead costs that are often obscured from diners. Guest speakers will also discuss tipped employee minimum wage, open book management, worker owned co-ops, and the fight for $15. Please join us and take part in a thoughtful discussion about how the Slow Food community can work collectively to develop a more equitable food system that can afford to pay a living wage.

Enjoy complimentary appetizers provided by Mei Mei and grab a beer in tune with the seasons from our hosts Remnant Brewery. Additional food will be available for purchase. More details about participants to come.

Tour de Farms Concord is Almost Here!

8/28/2019

Less than two weeks away from our 7th annual Tour de Farms with a few remaining tickets left! Join Slow Food Boston on an agricultural excursion as we cycle across the Concord countryside, stop at four unique farms, and get an exclusive look behind the scenes of what's being grown and harvested this season!

Enjoy a delicious, locally prepared lunch provided on the tour, then close out the summer at this one time a year event with a lovely farm-to-table dinner with one of our favorite growers, Wright-Locke Farm, to savor unique dishes made from seasonal ingredients. Registration for the tour and Farm-to-Table Supper can be found here. See you there!

In Season Harvest Fair Summer Social After party!

8/20/2019

Hey Slow Foodians!

Our friends at In Season and Sustainable Business Network are celebrating the end of summer with the first ever In Season Harvest Fair at Bow Market in Somerville this Sunday, August 25th. This is a great opportunity to not only discover new local products, you'll also get to meet the makers behind them! Check out demos from some of our favorite local growers and producers and stop in for some lunch made of sustainable, locally grown/made ingredients.

Shortly after, to celebrate this inaugural event, Slow Food Boston is excited to host an after party reception and give toast to the local vendors, Bow Market business owners, and organizers of the Harvest Fair.... and you're invited! Come mix and mingle with us over some bubbly at this afternoon social and learn about upcoming events in store at Slow Food. Register here!

7th Annual Slow Food Tour de Farms

7/30/2019

On Sunday, September 8th, come ride with Slow Food Boston to explore Concord's broad array of local farms and meet your local food producers on our 7th annual Tour de Farms! Enjoy a scenic, autumn bike ride across Concord's vibrant agricultural landscape as we tour local farms in the area and discover what's being grown and harvested in the charming countryside of this historic town. Learn about the region's unique cultural and historical heritage and the regenerative practices of our local food growers that help sustain the health of our environment and local communities. Take a break to savor an afternoon lunch featuring local ingredients while getting to know your fellow riders and Slow Food members. Then, after completing a 20-mile ride, complete your evening with a lovely Farm-to-Table Supper at Wright-Locke Farm featuring a fall harvest menu while mixing and mingling with fellow dinner guests.

Tickets for the ride are $60 with fees per person. The Farm to Table Supper is $60 with fees and is open to everyone, riders and non-riders alike. Rain date is scheduled for Sunday, September 22nd. Tickets are limited.

Community Servings Kitchen Volunteer Night + Slow Food Spring Social!

5/5/2019

Hey SFBers,

Come join Slow Food Boston on Thursday, May 9th for a fun night of meal prepping for a good cause! We'll be dishing up some delectable, nutritious eats made from scratch for the beneficiaries of Community Servings, a local non-profit that prepares and delivers meals for our homebound and chronically ill friends throughout the greater Boston area. Mix and mingle with other fellow SFBers in the area while fine-tuning your chopping skills. Then, come reward yourself after all that hard work with a nice, cold one at Turtle Swamp Brewing, Jamaica Plain's beloved local brewery, at our Slow Food Spring Social to follow. Pair your beverage with some freshly grilled sausages from local butcher pop-up, Meadowlark Butcher, who pride themselves in using only pasture-raised, 100% grass-fed meats.

Find details and register here. This one's definitely not to be missed! See you there!

WDSD Week Three: Interview with the Boston Area Gleaners!

4/24/2019

For part 3 of our ongoing World Disco Soup Day interview series, we chatted with Jack Leng, Education and Outreach Coordinator of the Boston Area Gleaners!

About Jack
Originally from Maryland, Jack earned an MS in Environmental Education from Antioch University New England. Prior to that, Jack taught physical education in Virginia, and saw firsthand how important it is for young people to learn how to live an active life, and how good nutrition and access to healthy food can dramatically affect kids' resiliency.

Jack has worked with Mill City Grows, Three Sisters Garden Project, CitySprouts and Waltham Fields Community Farm. He has a deep love and appreciation for the natural world, and believes everyone should get to enjoy its bountiful fruit.

Jack joined the Gleaners in 2016 and was astonished at the amount of good, nutritious food going to waste on local farms. He's committed to reducing food waste and increasing access to fresh local food for more vulnerable populations. Thanks to his enthusiasm, Jack inspires folks to volunteer with us and spearheads our corporate and community group service days. If you're looking for a speaker or to plan a group volunteer trip, Jack's the guy to call.

What is gleaning?
The Gleaners’ define it as the act of collecting surplus crops from farmers' fields. In ancient times, landowners invited peasants onto their fields after the main harvest to take what was left over. Simply put, gleaning was a method of improving food security for the poor.

...And there’s a big need for this, even today! Farming is unpredictable, and farmers need to plant extra to ensure they will have enough produce to sell throughout the year. With an unpredictable market, this can result in surplus food: in fact, up to 20% of the food grown on farms is never harvested. This food could be donated, but many farmers simply cannot afford the labor to harvest and distribute it.

In come the Boston Area Gleaners, whom since 2004 have organized volunteers to harvest surplus crops from local farms and distribute these high-quality, nutritious fruits and vegetables to food banks, pantries, and meal programs.

By the numbers

In 2017, they gleaned over 635,000 pounds of 60 crop types from 50 farms in eastern Massachusetts
Since their start in 2004, they have gleaned over 1.8 million pounds of fresh, local produce for the benefit of people in need.
By 2019, they hope to capture 1 million pounds of crops every single year.

Slow Food Boston is excited to include the Gleaners in this series as they offer a unique, agricultural-based perspective in the Boston Area food rescue scene. Click HERE to read the interview and learn more about how the Gleaners are providing a necessary service in our local community.

Join us at the Boston Public Market on April 28th to celebrate World Disco Soup Day, an anti-food waste campaign, and to meet Jack and other key members in local food rescue!

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