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An Evening With Eric Schlosser

May 9, 2012 by

As I mentioned in my last post, I recently helped organize an intimate, 55-person dinner for esteemed journalist Eric Schlosser, who was visiting nearby Lebanon, Illinois, for a speaking engagement at McKendree University. How was I so lucky to be part of such a special event, you ask?

Faithful readers of Rhubarb and Honey know that I have volunteered for Slow Food St. Louis for over six years and spent the last three years serving as one of three co-leaders for the organization. So, when Slow Food was approached by the good people at McKendree about hosting this once-in-a-lifetime dinner, I jumped at the chance to help.

For those of you who don’t know Mr. Schlosser, he’s an investigative journalist whose 2001 bestseller, Fast Food Nation, brought to light the impact of the fast food industry on America’s diet, landscape, economy, and workforce. He began his career as a playwright and later wrote for The Atlantic Monthly, reporting on a variety of subjects from migrant farm workers to the nation’s prison system. Mr. Schlosser also co-produced two award-winning films, Food, Inc. and There Will Be Blood.

I first heard Mr. Schlosser speak a number of years ago at Slow Food Nation in San Francisco; listening to him talk about the plight of migrant farm workers brought home for me just how deep the issues in our industrial food system run, and I returned to St. Louis empowered to tackle the issues in our local food system. To get the chance to honor this man and his amazing work was a dream come true for me.

Farmhaus Restaurant

The dinner was held at Farmhaus, who graciously loaned us their restaurant and staff for the evening, and the meal was prepared by Chef Josh Galliano, who was recently named Food and Wine Magazine’s People’s Choice: Best New Chef Midwest.

Chef Josh Galliano

Our evening with Mr. Schlosser began with a round of appetizers, which included delicate, delectable egg custard cups topped with pickled black walnuts and radishes and Chef Galliano’s classic praline bacon. Brown sugar, pecans, and bacon? There’s nothing wrong with that … especially when paired with a local craft beer, Perennial Artisan Ale’s Black Walnut Dunkel Weiss, brewed with 250 pounds of Missouri black walnuts.

Egg Custard Cups and Praline Bacon

What followed was a stunning five-course meal, each dish exquistely prepared using fresh, local ingredients from a variety of Illinois farms and paired with a glass of classic Missouri wine:

Dinner with Eric Schlosser

FIRST COURSE
Ike Jime Tilapia, Beets
Josh Davis Farm, Doublestar Farm
Paired with Chaumette Winery Traminette

SECOND COURSE
Roasted Chicken, Asparagus, Stinging Nettle Cavatelli, Grated Egg, Pecan Soil
Circle S Farm, Scharf Farm
Paired with Bethlehem Valley Vineyard Chardonel

THIRD COURSE
Sorghum Glazed Pork Loin, Butter Roasted Radish, Sorghum Gastrique, Turnip and Mustard Puree
Black Spring Farm, Prairie Apiaries, Doublestar Farm
Paired with Sugarcreek Winery Chambourcin

FOURTH COURSE
Spring Lamb, Purslane, Spinach, Soft Herbs, Persillade
Liske Family Farm, Doublestar Farm
Paired with Mount Pleasant Winery Norton

FIFTH COURSE
Young Chevre, Rhubarb Chips, Sweet Pea Ice Cream, Whipped Honey, Mint Oil
Prairie Fruits Farm, Simonton’s Orchard, Doublestar Farm
Paired with Augusta Winery Vintage Port

Every course was as delicious as it sounds. The tilapia? Incredibly unique. The roasted chicken? Comfort perfected. The pork loin? Happiness on a plate. The lamb? Simply divine. The dessert? Spring personified.

This truly was a perfect meal, celebrating both the high-quality food produced by small Illinois farmers and the fabulous wines produced by small Missouri winemakers. I can’t thank Chef Galliano enough for all he did to make the evening a success.

In addition to enjoying this amazing meal, our guests were able to chat with Mr. Schlosser, who couldn’t have been nicer or more easy to talk to. He’s an extremely humble man who believes in just doing the right thing, and by the end of the night, I felt as if we’d been friends for awhile. I’m thrilled that he enjoyed our company just as much as we enjoyed his.

 
 
 

P.S. Writing this post was a bit bittersweet for me as I recently decided to step down as co-leader of Slow Food St. Louis, but my love and admiration for all that the organization is and does will always carry on … and I suspect that they haven’t seen the last of me yet.

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Homegrown With A Side of Mad City Chickens

March 29, 2010 by

A few Monday’s ago, Slow Food St. Louis hosted a screening of Homegrown, a documentary that follows the Dervaes family who run a small organic farm in the heart of urban Pasadena, California.

While “living off the grid,” they harvest over 6,000 pounds of produce on less than a quarter of an acre, make their own biodiesel fuel, power their computers with the help of solar panels, and maintain a website that gets 4,000 hits a day. It’s truly an inspiring story, and if you haven’t seen it, you should.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z54yRKjiSxA]

I first saw Homegrown last year at the Tivoli. In the audience that night were a young couple, Justin and Danielle, who were also inspired by the film … so inspired in fact that they went home, tore up their lawn, and began an urban farm! I am happy to say that I’ve become good friends with Justin and Danielle and am amazed at what they do at Yellow Tree Farm as it resides on an even smaller plot of land than that of the Dervaes family.

You can watch a video of Justin and Danielle’s first year of urban farming; truly amazing, right!

Tonight, Slow Food St. Louis is hosting a screening of Mad City Chickens, a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards. From chicken experts and authors to a rescued landfill hen or an inexperienced family that decides to take the poultry plunge—and even a mad professor and giant hen taking to the streets—it’s a humorous and heartfelt trip through the world of backyard chickendom.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ4LaHZggoE]

Tonight’s screening will be held at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue, 63143) and begins at 7:00 pm; you should check it out!

To learn about more upcoming film screenings, check out Slow Food St. Louis’ “Good Gardening, Good Food” program, a series of workshops & films covering all aspects of urban homesateading.

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Good Gardening, Good Food

February 16, 2010 by

It doesn’t get more local than growing the food you consume in your own backyard. And to that end, I am excited to announce that Slow Food St. Louis, in conjunction with Schlafly Bottleworks and Brick City Gardens, have launched their “Good Gardening, Good Food” program — a series of workshops and films focused on organic gardening and other urban homesteading activities.


All of the workshops will be held on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue) in Maplewood. The cost is $45 per workshop or you can attend all six workshops for $210 – a savings of $60.

I’ve listed all of the workshops below, and to find out what movies are being shown, just visit the link above (all films are shown in the Crown Room at Schlafly Bottleworks; admission is free, but donations are appreciated).

March 20: No-Till Vegetable Gardening

Mother Nature doesn’t plow the soil to plant her seeds and neither must you. Learn how to grow a garden using labor-saving, no-till methods that prepare and fertilize the soil simply by adding mulch and compost to the surface. This modern, organic approach has many advantages as it saves time and labor, preserves the life of earthworms and other beneficial soil life, prevents erosion and soil compaction, and greatly reduces weed growth and evaporation of water. In doing so, it more easily grows beautiful, healthy plants. Taught by Patrice Gros, a certified organic vegetable farmer from Eureka Springs, Arkansas, who has been using no-till methods at Foundation Farm for 12 seasons. He also teaches workshops and trains aspiring farmers at Foundation Farm School.

April 3: Chickens 101 – Raising Chickens in the City

Provide your family with truly fresh, organic eggs by learning how to keep chickens in your backyard. This comprehensive workshop tells you everything you need to know, from coop design and feed formulas to city ordinances governing urban livestock. Taught by Julia Weese Young, a long-time urban chicken farmer who teaches classes on raising chickens.

April 10: The Art and Science of Composting

Homemade organic compost is the best thing you can add to your garden. Composting is a living process in which ordinary ingredients are transformed into a magical substance that fertilizes plants, conserves water, introduces healthy microbes, and prevents disease. Learn how to recycle your leaves, grass clippings and food scraps into the “black gold” that will grow a healthy, abundant garden. We will cover thermal composting, worm composting, and biodynamic starters. Taught by Frank LeBeau, an organic market gardener, landscaper, and farm hand.

April 24: Permaculture – Creating a Backyard Garden of Eden

Permaculture is based on the design of nature. It was formulated by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren who carefully observed how native plants grew in the wild. By applying their understanding they have created abundant “food forests” in various climates around the world. Their designs bring plants, sun, soil, rain and organic matter together to create self-sustaining, “permanent agricultural” gardens. Once established, these gardens require minimal maintenance and produce a cornucopia of crops for generations. Taught by Bill Wilson, the co-founder of Midwest Permaculture in Stelle, Illinois, and a teacher of permaculture courses throughout the United States.

May 1: Beyond Organic Gardening

Grow healthy, nutritious crops using the most advanced ecologic practices. Learn how to create raised garden beds with well-structured soil and a correct mineral profile. Discover how to create a “living soil” with beneficial microbes that provide fertility and protect plants from disease. Triple normal garden yields by using intensive planting design and biodynamic preparations. Taught by Mark Trela, a biodynamic farmer from Terra Haute, Indiana, with 25 years experience growing wine grapes, cut flowers, and vegetables, and Frank LeBeau.

May 8: Wildly Abundant Gardening – Controlling Pests and Providing Fertility Naturally

Grow a luscious, healthy, pest-free garden. Learn how to make safe and effective organic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and fertilizers from inexpensive household products. Control weeds and prevent plant diseases by using compost teas, companion planting, and attracting beneficial insects that eat the bad bugs.

To register for any or all of the workshops, call Sue Kaiser at 314-630-5910 or e-mail her at brickcitygardens@yahoo.com … see you there!

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