Our 2nd Annual Slow Food Hamilton HOLIDAY ECO-SCHMOOZE! Wednesday December 17, 7 - 9 pm

Join us for good company, delicious local nosh and holiday cheer as our convivium presents its second annual SLOW FOOD HAMILTON HOLIDAY ECO-SCHMOOZE. It's an opportunity to meet and mingle with sustainability-minded food-lovers from all over the city.

We will be holding our Second Annual Slow Food Hamilton HOLIDAY ECO-SCHMOOZE on Wednesday December 17 at Tapestry Bistro 7-9 pm. Join us for complimentary appetizers, holiday punch and a chance to meet and network with people who care about good food and a healthy planet!

It's an opportunity to share stories and strategies; successes and suggestions; mishaps and media contacts... or just chill out and enjoy relaxing in one of Hamilton's most unique dining establishments.

Members of eco-friendly organizations are all invited to attend, such as supporters of Hamilton Eat Local, Environment Hamilton, Food Not Bombs and more, so please feel free to share the news with folks who like to live on the green side. :-) Meet us on the mezzanine level of The Tapestry Bistro, located at the amazing Staircase Theatre at 27 Dundurn Street North. Please RSVP if you can, but feel free to drop in! Space is slightly limited, so come early!

*karen b

Tableland: a Film Screening and Discussion You Can Sink Your Teeth Into

TABLELAND: Presented by Hamilton Eat Local and The Hamilton Chapter of Canadian Organic Growers (film screening)

Friday November 28, 7pm

Tableland by Pixel One Productions is a new and thought-provoking film. It is a culinary expedition in search of the people, places and tastes of North American small-scale, sustainable food production. From the orchards of the interior of BC, to the Napa Highlands, rural Quebec and everywhere in between, Tableland showcases the successful production of local and seasonal food from field to plate. Guest speakers for the event will include farmer Inge Crowther of Clover Roads Organic Farm, writer and urban poultry enthusiast Yuki Hayashi, and Karen Burson of Hamilton Eat Local. Doors open and organic popcorn at 7 - film begins at 7:30pm – the speakers and Q & A at 9pm. Please make a $7 donation at the door (2nd floor).

Pressure Cooker Gets Cooking!

At long last, the much-anticipated debut of "Pressure Cooker" will go to air this Sunday, November 2 on SunTV.

This series was produced by Hamilton's own Forevergreen Productions. The nine one-hour episodes are loaded with unpredictable turns and frenzied discord. The ‘Pressure Cooker’ is nothing less than a marathon testing culinary talents, emotional fortitude, mental agility and physical stamina. To monitor stress levels, competing Chefs were equipped with MyPulse wireless heart monitors to provide real time readings. Prominent figures from Canada's top culinary institutions, organizations and restaurants are taking part as judges, including much-lauded gourmet chef Marc Picone.

Check out the trailer...

Pressure Cooker premiers Sunday, November 2, 2008 from 10 – 11pm on SUN TV with a national broadcast commencing Monday, November 3, 7 – 8 pm on MEN TV.

Mother Earth - Terra Madre: A Celebration of First Nations Cuisine

Slow Food Hamilton volunteer Liz Millar promoting the event back in September -- your efforts are appreciated!

Thank you for attending our Mother Earth - Terra Madre event, which was held at Green Venture on the evening of Saturday October 25.

Ken Parker of Sweetgrass Farms, the first native-owned Native Plant landscaping firm in North America was a delightful and interesting speaker. Accompanied by his wife Linda, the couple shared tales of the previous Terra Madre event in Turin in 2006. This was a great experience for those of us unable to attend this year! Jazz guitarist Nick Bastian's music provided a smooth and yellow musical backdrop to our conversations over dinner and dessert.

Our "partial potluck" seemed to offer the best of both worlds: some gourmet-calibre snacks, alongside the diverse and delicious dishes brought and shared by the convivium's members. Why am I shocked that so many of us are superb cooks? I think that as party-goers, we were all winners in the "Battle of the Butternut Squash Soups" and the "Clash of the Apple Crumbles". Bannock, locally made flour tortillas with dips, a beet salad with flower petals... these were just a few of the delicious dishes.

Thanks to Ken and Linda; to Anise Docherty of Slow Food Halton Peel and her gift to us, the excellent work of enthusiastic student chef Matt Thompson; to Hamilton Eat Local's volunteers Elyse Giosi, Julia Delio, and James Beloshesky; and to Michael Gemmell and Sapphire Singh of Green Venture.

Photo and article by Karen Burson, Slow Food Hamilton Co-Chair

A Westdale Village World Food Day Farmers' Market Morning

Join our one-day-only World Food Day Farm Market

Presented by Hamilton EAT LOCAL SLOW FOOD Hamilton & MY DOG JOE
THURSDAY October 16th, 2007 9am to NOON in the parking lot near 1020 King Street West, rain or shine!

Visit My Dog Joe for:

· Home-made Muffins, Soup and More

· Superb-tasting Organic/Fair Trade Teas, Coffees, Espresso and Cold Drinks

Live Acoustic Music by riot nrrd 10–11 am

Fantastic Fall Farmers’ Market:

ManoRun Farm, Carluke Orchards, Bestow Bakery & Farmer Joanne Feddes

Field fresh flowers, pumpkins, cider, loads of organic potatoes and more!

Food Donations will be accepted for Hamilton Food Share

The IYP Mission: Celebration of the International Year of the Potato (IYP) will raise awareness of the importance of the potato - and of agriculture in general - in addressing issues of global concern, including hunger, poverty and threats to the environment.

photo by *karen b

A Local Food Feast of Autumnal Fun

The Sunday Supper at The Ancaster Old Mill on October 5 was an amazing and enjoyable event! The work of featured artist Guennadi Kalinene was snapped up by eager bidders, for obvious reasons -- his landscapes evoke a sense of the mystery and meaning of nature -- and the scenes are local. How perfect for this special occasion. The colourful murals painted by young kids and presented by The Dundas Valley School of Art provided a colourful backdrop to the celebration.

This annual fundraiser for the Hamilton Eat Local Project (an initiative of Environment Hamilton) has always raised a significant share (half) of the cost of printing he Eat Local's "Buy Local, Buy Fresh" map in its first two years of production, and this year's contribution will be just as vital.

Thanks to our gracious host Executive Chef at The Mill Jeff Crump and his talented team for presenting a spectacular meal by the falls. Pastry Chef Bettina Schormann and The Mill's John Bullock must be singled out for praise for their efforts. Ingredients from ManoRun Farm, Carluke Orchards and other area producers tasted of unaparalled freshness and flavours ably teased to a peak -- Bettina Schormann's strudel was a crunchy-sweet and tender conclusion to the meal. Yowza! :-)

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Contact Bread & Roses Cafe regarding their current Job Postings if you're a potential prep cook or cafe staffer. Send e-mails to margann@skydragon.org or leave a message at 905-777-8102 ext. 3
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Sunday Afternoon's Seed to Scrap Bus Tour was superb. Its organizers at PEAS (an OPIRG working group based at McMaster) did an impressive job of smoothly orchestrating a sophisticated event that was at once thought provoking, spirited, and just plain enjoyable. I hope they'll be able to organize similar tours in the future.

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Link to Edible Toronto Online, then select "Current Issue" once you get to their home page:
http://www.edibletoronto.com/content/

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Coming up: A One-Day Mid-Week Farmers' Market Morning to celebrate World Food Day and mark The International Day of the Potato -- Chris Krucker and his bumper crop of potatoes will be there, along with other local food producers and at least one busker (10-11 am) and we're looking for more! Thursday October 16, 9 am to noon. Details TBA, and pending approval of Hamilton's Public Health Department!

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I'm not sure how many attended in the end, but I was amazed by the turnout to my presentation entitled "Living La Vida Locavore: A Year of Eating Sustainably" at the Convention Center tonight. Thank you for those from these lists who were in attendance. I had a blast, and from the sounds of it I'll be sharing it again. Let me know if your group or organization might be interested in my presentation? Juby Lee, Project Manager of The Fruit Tree Project, is an enthusiastic public speaker as well, so contact us at 905-549-0900 or kburson.eatlocal@environmenthamilton.org or jlee.eatlocal@environmenthamilton.org.

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Ready for some cultural food fun???

Mother Earth - Terra Madre will be a potluck, but with a twist: we encourage everyone who attends to find and create a dish that exemplifies both seasonality and First Nations' cuisine! Learn the story of their classic ingredients and volunteer what type of dish you'd like to make: salad, side, meat, or bread -- we are providing dessert. Any suggestions as to what item you'd like to see in a prize draw? A CSA? A customized cake for the holidays? Send me your suggestions...

Eat well, be well.

*karen b

Stay tuned!

Farm to Table to... Canvas??? The Ancaster Old Mill and Hamilton Eat Local Present a Truly Artistic "Sunday Supper"

On Sunday October 5th, Sunday Supper guests at The Ancaster Old Mill will gather for a dinner set in the comfort of its stunning main dining room. Farmers, chefs and artists from both town and country will savour an outstanding presentation of foods celebrating our local harvest in order to raise funds for Hamilton Eat Local.

For More Information and a Sneak Peek at the Menu, please click HERE!

The Sunday Supper promises to spark conversation and stimulate awareness of the bounty of food and vital role farmers and artists play in the life and nurturing of our community. Jeff Crump, executive chef of The Ancaster Old Mill, will prepare an abundant meal inspired by locally grown, sustainable foods that highlight the finest of the Greater Hamilton Region. The Sunday Supper’s featured farms include Monforte Dairy, Shady Lane Farm, ManoRun Farm, Blackbow Farms, and Carluke Orchards.

Seasonal cocktails will refreshingly usher in a luxurious eight course dinner, along with our chef’s hint that surprises could be in store!

Sunday Supper Menu

Seasonal Cocktail Reception

Bread service with Red Fife Whole Wheat Bread with House-made Cultured Butter

Heirloom Tomato & Ricotta (made fresh daily) Panzanella

Parsnip and Pear Puree with Monteforte Dairy Toscano Cheese & Toasted Nuts


Honey Glazed Spit-Roasted Berkshire Pork — House cured and Smoked

Buttermilk Mutsu Apple Fritters

Wild Mushroom & Potato Gratin

Apple Wood Roasted Squash — with Maple and Sage


Carluke Golden Delicious Apple Strudel

— with House-churned Sour Cream Organic Ice Cream


There will be a small art exhibit by one of this area’s best-regarded fine artists, Guennadi Kalinine. His inspiration is the natural wonder of our region and The Ancaster Old Mill commissioned Kalinine to create an original painting especially for this event.

There will be a silent auction bid on and purchase this exceptional work of fine art as well as other paintings by local artists. This past summer, the children’s mural painting class at the Dundas Valley School of Art produced four outstanding "Earth to Table" murals. "Our desire often is to reach out beyond the classroom, to the community, and become a part of the greater good,” says Arthur Greenblatt, Executive Director of the Dundas Valley School of
Art. “Projects like this one give us a presence beyond our limited borders, and make us a part of the rest of the world." These paintings are wonderful, big and beautiful. Best of all, they’re also for sale by silent auction.

All proceeds raised by this convivial evening will be donated to Hamilton Eat Local, for the 2009 production of the organization’s much-loved “Buy Local, Buy Fresh!” maps – an important way that Hamilton Eat Local brings together dedicated food producers and appreciative consumers.

For reservations or more information please call The Ancaster Old Mill: 905-648-1827.

www.ancasteroldmill.com info@ancasteroldmill.com


About Hamilton Eat Local

Hamilton Eat Local was formed in 2005 by Environment Hamilton and other community partners to support programs that encourage Hamiltonians to buy food grown from local farmers and harvest food that would otherwise go to waste. Hamilton Eat Local aims to increase the consumption of local food in Hamilton through two major initiatives: their map (soon to become interactive online) and the Hamilton Fruit Tree Project. The Eat Local project would not be possible without the generous support of the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation.