The Fairfield Green Food Guide is proud to co-sponsor this special event with Audubon Greenwich, Edible Advocates Alliance and the Fairfield Organic Teaching Farm. Thank you to Fairfield Bread Company for donating their artisan baguette, The Flaxette, to the wine and cheese reception and CT Farm Fresh Express for helping provide the local cheeses.

NEW! Sunset Meadow Vineyards in Goshen, CT, owned and operated by the Motel family, has generously donated their award-winning sustainable wines to the event and will be on hand to tell us more about them during the wine and cheese reception. Sunset Meadow Vineyards has been recognized as a 2010 Editors’ Choice in Yankee Magazine’s Travel Guide to New England. This designation is awarded by Yankee’s editors and contributors, who name select restaurants, lodgings, and attractions in New England to the exclusive list.

Wednesday, July 14
6:00 pm: Local Wine & Cheese Reception with Exhibitors
7:00 pm: Film Screening (83 min.)  & Panel Discussion

Made from the same elements as stars, plants, and human beings, dirt is very much alive. Narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, DIRT! The Movie introduces viewers to soil’s fascinating history and explores Earth’s most under-appreciated and valuable source of fertility. This insightful film tells the glorious story of the material beneath our feet - from its miraculous beginning to its tragic degradation. More than a film, it’s a call to action. To learn more about this amazing film, visit our Special Events page or visit: www.dirtthemovie.org.

RSVPs required and space is very limited. To secure your seats now, buy tickets online for $12/person or RSVP and pay $15.00 at the door, space permitting. To buy online, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/114370. To RSVP, call Jeff at 203-869-5272 x239 to check door ticket availability.

Panel Discussion:

• Moderator: Analiese Paik - founder and editor of the Fairfield Green Food Guide website.
• Emily Brooks - founder of the Edibles Advocate Alliance/Shared Harvest CT and advocate for increasing awareness about the role of local & sustainable agriculture in human health.
• Jeff Cordulack - Environmental Council of Stamford (ECOS) President and Audubon’s Greenwich’s Events & Communications Manager.
• Annie Farrell - farm manager at Millstone Farm in Wilton, organic farm consultant, and a pioneer in the sustainable agriculture movement.
• Mike Nadeau - owner of Plantscapes Organics, LLC and one of the original developers of NOFA’s Organic Land Care standards.

Exhibitors:

• Edibles Advocates Alliance/Shared Harvest CT - a consultant for grass-roots, agricultural, and socially innovative organizations. (http://www.ediblesadvocatealliance.org/)
• Fairfield Green Food Guide - a free website dedicated to helping consumers source local and sustainably grown food and connecting with the green food community. (www.FairfieldGreenFoodGuide.com)
• Fairfield Organic Teaching Farm - A proposed working farm and organic educational center on town-owned land in Fairfield,CT.(http://www.fairfieldorganicteachingfarm.org/)
• Flaxette Bread Company - a local artisan bread company.
• Millstone Farm - an organic farm in Wilton owned by Betsy and Jesse Fink and run by Annie Farrell. (http://millstonefarm.org)
• Mike’s Organic Delivery - a farm-to-door, organic & local food delivery company servicing Greenwich and other nearby towns. (www.mikesorganicdelivery.com)
• Mow Green US - a lawn care company using ‘reel mowers’ to provide quiet, clean and green mowing at no additional cost. (www.mowgreen.us)
• Peter’s Garden - a supplier of ‘licorice root’ mulch for gardens.
• Plantscapes Organics Inc. - a NOFA accredited organic land care professional helping residents and businesses to green their properties. (www.plantscapeorganics.com)
• Red Bee Honey - a Wilton-based artisanal honey and honey-based skin care product producer practicing organic hive management. (www.redbee.com)
• Southfield Sustainable Community Platform - a year-round indoor/outdoor farmers’ market and eateries featuring locally grown, organic and epicurean gourmet foods in Stamford.

Added 7/8/10: This CSA is full for the season.

Dragongoose Farm in Redding, CT is offering 7 CSA shares for $20 a week from June to October. Pick up your share directly from the farm at 60 Cross Highway, Redding on Monday or Tuesdays, time can be arranged to suit. $20 includes 6 free range eggs, a large bouquet of flowers, assorted herbs, greens (buttercrunch lettuce, Harts mesclun mix, rainbow chard, Bull’s blood beets, scallions, Scotch blue curly kale, nasturtium, spinach for example).

Later in the season Georgina will have English runner beans, fava beans, bush beans, corn, tomatoes, hot padron peppers, eggplants, plus black currants, mulberries, pears and lamb.

This farm is committed to sound ecological practices and is aiming for organic. Added: 7/8/10: Contact information deleted at the request of the farmer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 22, 2010
Contact: Linda Piotrowicz
Linda.Piotrowicz@ct.gov or 860-713-2558

Hartford, CT -Unseasonably warm weather this spring and well-timed rainfalls are among the contributing factors to what Connecticut’s sweet corn growers are calling a record-early harvest.
“It’s the earliest we’ve ever picked corn,” said Tom Baggott of Baggott Family Farms in East Windsor, who began picking on Saturday, June 19th. “Even using a combination of plastic and row cover, which helps the plants grow and produce ears faster, we’ve never picked before the last week in June.”

Tom’s daughter-in-law, Erin Windham, brought some of the early harvest to the Coventry Farmers’ Market, where she also sells specialty cut flowers and a wide array of produce that she and her husband grow at Windham Gardens in Granby.

“Customers were very surprised and thrilled to see corn this early in the season,” Erin remarked.

The 105 dozen ears she brought to the market sold out in two hours. This week Erin also will be bringing corn to the Madison, Simsbury, and Whole Foods West Hartford farmers’ markets, and expects customers there to be just as excited as those in Coventry were on Sunday. “To many of them, it signifies the beginning of summer vegetables.” she added.

Several farms in the state specialize in extra-early corn production and those who have not yet begun picking plan to start this week, still at least seven to 10 days earlier than most seasons. In addition to selling at their own stands and at farmers’ markets, they will wholesale to area farmers who use traditional growing methods and will not begin picking until early July. By Independence Day, CT Grown sweet corn should be plentiful for holiday picnics and barbeques.

“Personally, I like it best grilled with the husk on,” said Erin. “After it comes off the fire, I peel it and add a touch of butter and salt. It’s easy and scrumptious.”

According to Agriculture Commissioner F. Philip Prelli, other CT Grown crops are also ripening early this season, thanks to cooperation from Mother Nature.

“It appears to be a record-early season for peaches, too. This is the first year anyone can remember picking them in June. Strawberries came in two weeks ahead of normal and are almost gone. But berry lovers shouldn’t despair because blueberries and raspberries also are early, and are already making their way to farmers’ market and farm stands,” he said. “So far, it has been a remarkable season in many ways. If we are spared an early frost this fall, it could be one of the longest harvest seasons we’ve ever enjoyed in the state.”
To help consumers find their favorite CT Grown products, the CT Department of Agriculture offers many online listings, including farmers’ markets and farm stands and stores, at www.CTGrown.gov. Click on “Publications” at the left of the page for a complete list of titles.
CONNECTICUT GROWN - The Local Flavor
Visit us at www.CTGrown.gov
###

June 20, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Teresa Mucci

CT NOFA Event Coordinator

Email: Teresa@ctnofa.org

Phone: 203-888-5146

CONNECTICUT NOFA CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNUAL TASTE! ORGANIC FESTIVAL

CT NOFA will celebrate its 10th Annual TASTE! Organic Connecticut festival on September 19th at Manchester Community College, Great Path Road, Manchester, CT from 10 am to 4pm.

This year’s TASTE will highlight local and organic food as always but with a new twist by showcasing local celebrity chefs known for their work with local and organic food. Chef John Turenne, president of Sustainable Food Systems, and fresh from his recent TV appearance with “The Naked Chef” Jamie Oliver, will be designing this year’s NOFA food-booth menu. Seen Lippert, who was a chef at Chez Panisse for 11 years, will be working with John Turenne to create a diverse menu of Connecticut-grown foods, and will also host a workshop on using the abundance of your summer garden. New Haven celebrity chef Bun Lai, owner of Miya Sushi will teach a workshop and share his insights after his restaurant was named one of the top-ten sustainable restaurants in America.

There will be an opportunity to meet and greet the dynamic Severine von Tscharner Fleming, the founder of The Greenhorns, and see a sneak-peek screening of her new documentary, “The Greenhorns” about young farmers in America, as well as an archival film compilation of rare agricultural footage.

See:

www.thegreenhorns.net

www.serveyourcountryfood.net

www.youngfarmers.org

www.thegreenhorns.wordpress.com

Music will be by The Whiskey Boys, Trainwreck Jerry and Deborah Simmons throughout the day.

Attendees can shop at the Farmers’ Market and visit vendors of all kinds. Among the many activities there will be a Children’s Area with crafts, storytellers, games, pony rides and last year’s favorite - hoop dancing. There will be enchanting Environmental Theater by ART FARM for all ages at noon. Visit farm animals; go for a Bio-diesel tractor ride; see a state of the art “chicken tractor” that will make you want one. Choose to attend numerous free workshops and weed walks. Bid on a raffle of local products, services and much more.

Join us! And help support CT NOFA.

All this for a fee of $7 ($5 for NOFA members & MCC students and faculty).Children under 12 are FREE. More information at www.ctnofa.org, 203-888-5146 or contact Teresa@ctnofa.org

The Westport Farmers’ Market will have a special guest this Thursday from 10-2, Sal Gilbertie from Gilbertie’s Herb Gardens. Gilbertie is a nationally recognized expert on herbs and is the author of 6 books on the subject including the recently released “Small Plot, High Yield Gardening”, which will be available for sale and signing on Thursday. Sal regularly conducts talks and workshops at the company’s Westport location and was featured in the Spring 2010 edition of Edible Nutmeg magazine .

Gilbertie’s is a family-owned business started in 1922 and is the largest grower of herb plants in the US. They supply over 400 different varieties of USDA Organic herbs, some of which are very hard to find, to outlets in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern US. Visit their garden center in Westport to enjoy the formal display gardens, themed greenhouses and gift shop offering herbs and vegetables from the usual to the exotic.

Additionally, Chef/Owner Bryan Malcarney from Blue Lemon will be treating market guests to a divine cucumber dill soup. Each of his ingredients are hand selected from the market vendors. Chef Bryan and his restaurant are supporting the local food movement so be sure to this Westport restaurant.

Marina Marchese, "honey sommelier", at her Red Bee Honey apiary in Weston

Everything I know about honey and honeybees I learned from Red Bee Honey founder, beekeeper, and “honey sommellier” Marina Marchese. My lessons came during a visit last month to her apiary in Weston for a special honey tasting event.

We sat down to a table tastefully set with a flight of seven honeys, each from a different nectar source, that varied in color from very pale yellow to dark amber. The honeys we tasted came from blueberry blossom, alfalfa, goldenrod, tulip poplar, star thistle, and wildflowers like Japanese knotweed and varied in flavor from delicate and lightly sweet to rich and raisinated, reminiscent of a dessert wine.

The honey tasting was beautifull arranged, must as a formal wine tasting would be.

Marina  recounted the story of how she came to be an “accidental” beekeeper and connoisseur of fine honey. “It all started with a visit to a neighbor’s backyard where I tasted honey straight from the hive.  I was blown away. It was the freshest and most delicious thing I’d ever had and I was intrigued by the Italian honeybees.” That was ten years ago and marked the acquisition of her first hive.

Marina describes how the frames are removed from the hive and the honeycomb is either handcut or the frame is put in an extractor to harvest the honey.

It was Marina’s attendance at The Honey Show in London, a formal honey tasting and judging, that first introduced her to the idea of evaluating honey much as wine is - based on color, aroma and flavor. Marina then studied wine tasting in order to transfer those skills to honey tasting. Soon after, she traveled to La Città del miele (the City of Honey) in Montelcino, Italy and was delighted to find honey right alongside olive oil and wine on the store shelves. “Cactus, rosemary, eucalyptus honey - I tasted them all in Italy and discovered there’s life beyond wildflower” explained Marina.

The beautiful apiary property is tranquil and was the perfect setting for an outdoor honey tasting.

As we smelled, tasted and marveled at the varied aromas and flavors of each honey, our hostess described the role of the bee and beekeeper in making honey. “When honeybees gather nectar from the flower of alfalfa, buckwheat or blueberry, beekeepers harvest honey that has the distinct flavor profile of that nectar source.” We discovered that wildflower honey is as different from Tulip Poplar honey as Sauvignon Blanc is from Cabernet Sauvignon, and that terms commonly used when tasting and evaluating wine - color, aroma, texture and flavor - are also applicable to honey.

The apiary is a Certified Wildlife Habitat and the hives are managed organically.

“While Mother Nature plays an important role in honey making” explained Marina, “the timing of the beekeeper is crucial since beekeepers must be in tune with nectar flows and remove the honey just before the petals fall from the flower the bees are visiting and just before they move on to the next flower about to bloom. Bees gather nectar and place it inside the beeswax cells, and once it is ripened to 17-18% water content and mixed with their own enzyme, a sugar called “invertase”, it becomes honey.  The bees then cap the honey-filled cells with more beeswax.”

The beekeeper must inspect the hive to make sure the Queen is healthy and there are no unwanted pests in the hive.

“Once most of the honey on a frame is capped over, beekeepers extract it (in the spinner or extractor) as liquid honey or cut it out as honey in the comb! I call ours Farmhouse Honeycomb.” Raw honey is honey direct from the honeycomb, all natural and unstrained. “In Saudi Arabia” Marina pointed out, “the honeycomb is traditionally served with the honey as a symbol of its authenticity”.

The beautiful gift set included a lip balm that's part of her skin care line made with honey.

Curious about the medicinal use of products made by honeybees, Marina earned a certificate in apitherapy. “Honey is an immune system booster and its hygroscopic properties make it popular in wound care in other countries. The FDA recently approved a band aid with honey.” She recommend that those suffering from seasonal allergies try taking a spoonful of  honey each day to alleviate their symptoms.

Guests tasted the honeys with an artisan baguette made with organic flax seeds, courtesy of Fairfield Bread Company.

Local, artisan honeys like Red Bee’s are made in small quantities, and in this case, using organic hive management practices. Marina pointed out that “commercial honey has to be pasteurized when it enters the US and is blended for uniformity”  whereas Marina’s “single source” honeys are true artisan foods with unique flavor profiles.

Colony Collapse Disorder does not affect small hives we learned, and has not yet entered our state. But pesticides are one of the suspected contributors to this syndrome that can wipe out entire commercial hives and negatively impact agricultural production that depend on these bees to pollinate their crops.  “It’s hard to manage 1,000 hives lovingly” explains Marina.

Honeybees are excellent pollinators, responsible for pollinating a wide range of fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts that constitute one out of every three bites we eat and provide $15 to $20 billion in added crop value annually.

Marina recommends tasting the honeys alone, as you would wine, and then finding ways to pair them with your favorite foods. Drizzle some on baked goods, pancakes and waffles or add to strawberries and balsamic vinegar.

"Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper" is Marina Marchese's captivating story of how she came to be a beekeeper and expert on honey.

To learn more about Marina Marchese, beekeeping, and honey, pick up a copy of her book, “Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper” or attend one of her upcoming tasting events. Carol Herman, the Books Editor at The Washington Times, named Marchese’s HONEYBEE as one of the “Books We Loved” in 2009.  Red Bee Honey is listed in the most recent edition of Patricia Brook’s “Food Lovers’ Guide to Connecticut”, a best of the best foodie guide to Connecticut.

Red Bee Honeys can be purchased at: the New Canaan farmers’ market (Sat. 10-2), Fairfield’s Brick Walk farmers’ market (Sat. 9-12), Fairfield Cheese Company (Fairfield), Catch a Healthy Habit Café (Fairfield), Aux Delices (Greenwich/Darien), Plum Pure Foods (Old Greenwich), Mirabelle Cheese Shop (Westport), Practically Green (Ridgefield), Jones Family Winery (Shelton), Artisan Foods (Southbury), and McLaughlin Vineyard (Sandy Hook).

Restaurants using Red Bee Honey include LeFarm (Westport), Scoozi (New Haven), Winvian Luxury Resort (Litchfield), Billy Grants (East Haven), and The Unquowa School (Fairfield).

Upcoming Events:

JUNE 5, 2010
Sculpture Barn + Art Center
Preservation Celebration
3 Milltown Rd at Rt 39, New Fairfield, CT 06812
203.746.6101
Red Bee® Honey, Cheese and Wine Tasting

JULY 9, 2010
Jones Family Farms
Shelton, CT 203.929.8425
Honey Sommelier: Tasting and Pairing Artisanal Honeys
by C. Marina Marchese

AUGUST 22, 2010
Grange Agricultural Fair
25 Cannon Road Wilton, Connecticut 06897
203.762.1900
Artisanal Honey Tasting Table

Summer weather is here and ice cream season has officially arrived. Please come in from the heat on  Friday, June 18, to  join the Fairfield Green Food Guide and CTBites for a free Regional Ice Cream Tasting at Whole Foods Market in Westport.

Visit the cafe at Whole Foods Market, 399 Post Road West in Westport, between noon and 2:00 pm to sample ice cream, gelato and sorbet from select regional vendors. Discover how good these frozen summer treats can taste and chat about how the products are made. We will be answering questions about sustainability and why buying locally and regionally is best for you, your family and your community. Please bring a friend and children are always welcome.

Regional Ice Cream Tasting Lineup

Each of these companies will be providing two flavors for guests to sample. Unfortunately, The Farmer’s Cow will not have their new line of ice creams released in time for this event. But I promise you will be invited to some special tasting events with them in the near future and we’re hoping to have their product carried at Whole Foods Markets.

Adirondack Creamery, Saratoga Springs, NY

“Our ice cream flavors are truly all-natural and made from hormone free milk and cream.”

Ciao Bella, Florham Park, NJ

“An indulgent collection of gelato and sorbet made from pure, naturally intense ingredients.”

Cold Fusion Gelato, Newport, RI

“Handmade artisan gelato and sorbet made in the Italian tradition from the freshest, locally-sourced ingredients.”

Napoli Boys Gourmet All Natural Italian Ices, Belford, NJ

“Fat free, gluten free, cholesterol free and dairy free - the perfect frozen dessert with a smooth and creamy fabulous fruit flavor. “

Kindly RSVP on my Facebook Page.

The first strawberries from our yard! Get out and pick some of your own or buy a basket or two and savor this seasonal treat.

If you’re growing strawberries at home, make sure you pick them soon so they don’t wind up as  squirrel food. We picked our first handfuls earlier in the week and have left a few for our Memorial Day guests to pick and savor.

The strawberries are ripe and ready! Pick them up at your favorite farm, farmers’ market or great grocer. If you’re free this Saturday morning, head over to Jones Family Farm in Shelton for a very special SNEAK PREVIEW picking THIS Saturday morning (5/29) from 8am - 11am! Don’t forget to bring your JFF berry box from last year.

Opening day at the Westport Farmers' Market at Imperial Avenue. Open Thursdays from 10-2.

Cooking with the seasons is never easier than in the spring and summer. Tender, fresh vegetables cook quickly and only require a simple preparation to taste fantastic. Visit a farm, farmers’ market, or local green grocer and buy a bunch of radishes with their greens, preferably organic, and some spring garlic, then transform them into an appetizer and side dish that are delicious and satisfying.

Radish greens soup. When kids ask for seconds, you know you're onto something good.

Spring garlic looks like a cross between a scallion and a leek, and all three are members of the Allium family of foods known for their excellent health benefits. Spring garlic is simply young garlic that has not yet formed a bulb, and therefore is milder in taste than mature garlic. If you can’t find spring garlic, simply double the amount of radish greens.

Radishes cooked in butter and salt turn pale pink and purple and become sweet and tender. For kids, trying drizzling on a little local honey.

Rather than serving the radishes raw, trying cooking them for an entirely different taste experience. Wash, trim and quarter the radishes, then cook them in some butter and salt until tender. They turn pale pink and quite sweet tasting. Top with a mild fresh herb like chervil.

On a really hot day, try a radish with butter and salt sandwich; it’s a classic.

Radish Greens Soup With Spring Garlic

Serves: 4-6 as an appetizer

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Greens and stems from one large bunch of farm-fresh radishes
• 3-4 spring garlic
• 1 onion
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1.     Remove the radishes where they meet the stems using a knife or pair of kitchen scissors. Discard any brown or damaged leaves. Wash the greens in several changes or water, then rough chop to 2 inch lengths. Reserve.

2.     Wash, trim and quarter radishes for cooking or slice for a salad or soup topping. Set aside.

3.     On a cutting board, trim root end and tough green leaves from spring garlic, then wash well. Return to clean cutting board and rough slice white, light green and any tender dark green parts. Reserve.

4.     On a cutting board, peel and halve the onion lengthwise and cut half the onion into ¼ inch slices.

5.     Heat olive oil over medium setting in a medium saucepan, add onion slices and spring garlic (if using), then cover to sweat with a sprinkling of salt.

6.     When vegetables have turned translucent, after 3-4 minutes, add two cups of vegetable or chicken stock and bring to a boil.

7.     Add coarsely chopped radish greens, lower heat, and simmer until tender, about ten minutes.

8.     Puree soup until smooth with an immersion blender. Taste the soup, and if it’s not quite bursting with flavor, add a little salt and pepper.

9.     Ladle into soup bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a few radish slices if you’re not cooking them.

Recipe and photo are property of the Fairfield Green Food Guide and may not be used without prior written permission.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kate Ebbott

Trainer’s Table

203-984-1628

info@trainerstable.com

LOCAL CAMPERS CONNECT WITH LOCAL FOOD

May 27, 2010 Fairfield County, CT — Trainer’s Table, LLC has teamed up with Fairfield’s Unquowa School and their chef, Peter Gorman, to initiate a food delivery program for campers this summer.  Chef Peter is nationally recognized for the highly successful transformation of The Unquowa School’s  meals and wellness program. This summer, area families have the option to subscribe to a delicious, organic, cost effective weekly lunch and snack service delivered to their camper in lieu of a brown bag lunch.

The food for the lunches is sourced from local farmers and prepared daily in the Unquowa School’s licensed NUT FREE kitchen.

Meals are available for pick up at the Unquowa School or delivered onsite (with a minimum of 20 orders) in individual, reusable BPA free, leak proof containers with each camper’s name on it. The containers are easily stackable and streamlined for efficient cold storage.

In addition to their regular offerings, Trainer’s Table will also endeavor to provide options for vegetarians and campers with food allergies.

Trainer’s Table’s partners Amy Kalafa, Alex Gunuey and Kate Ebbott are local parents with a long history in the combined fields of food education, environmental sustainability, athletic performance, holistic health and wellness.  Their mantra is real food for real performance. Trainer’s Table incorporates sustainable practices throughout the operation.

To sign up a camper or to learn more about the pilot program, contact info@trainerstable.com.

# # #

Amy Kalafa

amy@angrymoms.org