Slow Food Asheville Convivium
Serving Western North Carolina and adjoining states
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Useful Links
Donate Here:
Click &
Pledge
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
North Asheville Tailgate Market
Mt Xpress - Best of WNC Vote Link
Snow
Creek Family Organics
Blue Ridge Women In Agriculture
© Slow Food Asheville
2003-2010
Thanks
to Slow Food USA, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture
Project, Asheville Green Drinks,
,Asheville Convention &
Visitors Bureau, Blue
Ridge Food Ventures, NC Extension
Service, Organic Growers School and
many others for contributing
to this publication.
Asheville Wine & Food
Festival Grand Tasting
A Benefit for Slow Food Asheville, FEAST
and our Community
On August 14, the Asheville Wine & Food Festival Grand Tasting will be a celebration of the largest gathering of local delicacies and wines that Asheville has ever seen under one roof. Join us at the new, air-conditioned Expo facility located at the WNC Agricultural Center near the Asheville Regional Airport for an afternoon of wine, food, and fun.
Attendees will be greeted by live music and handed a commemorative engraved festival wine glass before sipping and sampling the products of more than 80 regional, national, and international wineries, local restaurants, food producers, and artisans. See the Final Iron Chef Challenge Competition at the festival as the final two teams battle it out for the title of the “Best Chef in WNC”. $35 is all inclusive and easy parking adjacent to the Expo Center!
PURCHASE TICKETS | DIRECTIONS
| IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER, CLICK HERE |
Fresh Asheville and Slow Food Asheville
Fresh Asheville is a grassroots organization focused on educating and inspiring people to action through film and community participation. Fresh Asheville focuses on solutions and the importance that daily choices have on the health, environment, and sustainability of our community and the world. Fresh Asheville has teamed with the Dutch Environmental Film Festival to bring the latest and top quality related documentaries to the Asheville Food & Environmental Film Festival September 22-25, 2010. Fresh Asheville was inspired by the movie FRESH, making it the headliner of this year's festival.
Participating restaurants will host an Opening Dinner at Eyes of Blue Farm featuring locally produced delights with proceeds to benefit this year's community project. This will be followed by three days of citywide screenings, lectures and workshops, and a closing dinner at Eyes of Blue Farm catered by Food Experience. This will be an opportunity to have a local farm fresh meal with the attending Directors and Producers of the festival film selection. Collaborative efforts are being made with the University of North Carolina Asheville (UNCA) and Slow Food Asheville to include students in the festival program, and to launch UNCA's own chapter of Slow Food International during the festival, which will empower students to become more involved in solutions. There is further effort with other community organizations to implement new programs for students' service learning through hands-on experience of fresh local food as this year's community project. Although the community project is serving the community of Asheville, the festival will serve all who attend, and everyone is welcome from anywhere in the world. To find out more - go To" Fresh Asheville
FRESH and Local foods in Schools
August 28th, Saturday - The Slow Food Asheville Convivium will join the Weinhaus for a fund raiser for promoting fresh local foods in the schools. This will be a tasting featuring fresh local foods and global wines. The time is 5:00 PM. The cost is $10.00. No reservations needed.
A Report on our Summer FEAST programs
The I Have a Dream Program at Pisgah View had their last week of of
summer camp July 19th - 21st. The theme was cooking so naturally FEAST was invited to
lead the cooking classes. With an abundance of vegetables growing
around here we chose a couple of recipes that focus on tomatoes and summer
squash. We made enchiladas with some steak from Hickory Nut gap farm
and Dirty Rice. We also took advantage of all the fresh fruit that is in
season and made smoothies and fresh fruit muffins full of berries and
peaches.
The following week FEAST held an extension of summer camp 4
days of cooking pizza. Students were invited to bring older siblings and
parents. Everybody loves pizza and it can be a great way to get kids to
try new vegetables. Some of the toppings included kale, mushrooms, summer
squash, and peppers. We made breakfast pizza, french bread pizza,
pita pizzas and standard pizza pie with fresh tomato sauce, and home made
pizza dough. None of the kids had ever made pizza dough from scratch and
everyone loved learning to knead with their hands - it was hard to get
them to stop!
FEAST has a number of classes starting this fall in several locations around town. For more information about FEAST programs
email Kate at feast.avl@gmail.com. If you want to
volunteer to help with a FEAST cooking class or any other part of the
FEAST program, email Cathy at cathycleary@gmail.com. FEAST
stands for Fresh, Easy, Affordable, Sustainable, and Tasty. It is a hands
on group cooking experience using fresh seasonal ingredients with a focus
on childhood and family nutrition.
--
Cathy Cleary
The North Carolina Organic Bread Flour Project Fundraiser
The Beer and BBQ fundraiser was a huge
success and lots of fun!! We were able to raise $3500 for the North
Carolina Organic Bread Flour Project. Thanks to all who came and
participated! Special thanks to the restaurants that provided delicious
food – Luella’s BBQ, Zambra, Corner Kitchen, Early Girl Eatery, Jack of
the Wood, Laughing Seed, Laurey’s Catering, Sunny Point Café, Greenlife,
and Earthfare Thanks also to Hickory Nut Gap for providing meat and
to Asheville Brewing Company, Lexington Ave Brewery (LAB), Craggie
Brewery, and French Broad Brewery for providing the
beer.
Funds raised at this event will go
specifically toward production-level testing and product development.
Funds will be used to bring in up to 14,000 pounds of NC grains from this
year's harvest (hard wheat, both heritage and modern, soft wheat, and
rye), replace the motors on the mill (they have an incredible European
mill), run a rough electric service to the mill, procure bags, bag sewer,
and grain totes. Samples of flour will be distributed to interested area
restaurants as well as interested bakeries
statewide.
The North Carolina Organic Bread
Flour Project is an initiative of the Carolina Farm Stewardship
Association with the goal of linking the farmer and baker in North
Carolina. NCOBFP is laying the groundwork for the future Carolina Ground
Flour Mill, dedicated to grains grown and ground on Carolina ground.
Although North Carolina has not traditionally been a hard (bread)
wheat growing state, since 2002 the USDA has been conducting hard wheat
trials throughout the state and the results have been quite encouraging,
both in the field and in the bakery. For the last year and a half this
project has been driven by a core group of seven bakeries in the WNC
region-- Annies, West End Bakery, Farm & Sparrow, Flat Rock Village
Bakery, Loafchild, Wildflour, and Wake Robin. Checkout this link: http://ncobfp.blogspot.com/2010/07/big-thank-you-more-pix.html
What's Happening in our Region?
An Evening at Noble's -
Support the folks that support local
food
Friday, August 6, 2010 starting at 7 PM.
Noble’s Restaurant - 6801 Morrison
Boulevard Charlotte, NC 28211
Year in and year out all of Jim Noble's restaurants have been enthusiastic supporters of local food. Join us for a very special night to celebrate Noble's & their generosity to choose to support Slow Food Charlotte. Chef David Himmelberger has put together an remarkable menu for the evening, see for yourself... menu. $75 tax & gratuity included. This is a reservation only event. Please call Noble's to reserve your seat, 704-367-9463
Organic Blueberries at Long Branch Now RIPE!
The organic blueberries at Long Branch are now RIPE! Sweet, juicy and luscious, and high in anti-oxidants for healthy eating! Bring the whole family out for some big fun picking and grinning! Please share the invitation with all your extended family and friends, too. Suggested donations go to support our environmental education activities and appropriate technology demonstrations. Picnic tables available, solar demonstrations, waterfalls, and hiking trails up to Big Sandy Mush Bald, 5,152 feet elevation! We're open by appointment, usually Monday through Sunday, 8am until dark. Please call 828/683-3662 or email for directions.
Long Branch Environmental Education Center POB 369 Big Sandy Mush Creek
Leicester, NC 28748 Tel. 828/683-3662
Fax: 828/683-9211 E-mail: paul@LongBranchEEC.org
Web Site: www.LongBranchEEC.org www.paul.sustainablewnc.org
Chefs of Two Carolinas Collaborative Dinner
The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa is bringing one of the top chefs in the southeast to Asheville for a special series of visiting chef dinners. Next in the series will be August 6 at our Country Club beginning at 6pm themed "Chefs of Two Carolinas Collaborative Dinner" featuring many local ingredients. Award winning Executive Chef Robert Wysong from The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Charleston is joining with Banquet Chef de Cuisine Lisa Scanlan to create a special menu for this wonderful evening. The dinner will feature six courses of culinary delights, paired with local beers and other beverages. The cost is $90 per person.
For reservations and more information, please contact The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa at 800.438.0050 or 828.252.2711; visit www.groveparkinn.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ewgrove and Facebook at www.facebook.com/groveparkinn.
2010 High Country Farm Tour.
We need your support! Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture is seeking
volunteers to assist farmers participating in the 2010 High Country Farm
Tour. The farm tour is August 7th and 8th, 2-6PM and includes 17 farms in
Watauga, Ashe, and Wilkes counties. The farm tour is not possible
without the support of our invaluable volunteers! Volunteers help farmers
by directing parking, greeting and registering visitors, and accepting
payment for farm tour tickets, BRWIA tote bags, and cookbooks. In exchange
for volunteering on one day of the tour, volunteers will receive a free
ticket to attend the other day of the tour. Together, we can strengthen
our local food system! Sign up to volunteer with Blue Ridge Women in
Agriculture by e-mailing contactbrwia@gmail.com with the subject “Farm Tour
Volunteer.” Please include your name and phone number. http://www.brwia.org/node/479
True Nature Country Fair
The True Nature Country Fair is just around the corner! Join the artisans, farmers, craftspeople, chefs, and families of the southern Appalachians for a celebration of life in connection with the Earth, September 25 & 26 at the Big Ivy Community Center in Barnardsville, NC. A showcase of products and resources that are local and sustainable, everything featured at the Fair must be at least 50% organic and local to the sustainanble appalachian region. All day Saturday and Sunday, the Fair will feature educational workshops on all aspects of sustainable living, live music and dance, a kids program, a trade show, local foods dinner, plant walks, and more! Gates open from 10-6 both days. Cost is $5 per adult and $3 per child aged 2 and up. (the littlest ones get in for free.) For more information about this event, or for details on how you can get involved, visit our website.
WANTED: Local Potters! This local foods dinner at this year's Fair will feature hearty, healthy soups and stews. We would love to serve it up in beautiful hand made bowls. Would you like to donate your pottery to the event? Artists donating four or more bowls will be our guest for dinner. All participating artists will be listed in the dinner program. Interested? Contact Program Manager Karen Vizzina at 828.342.1849 or earthstarnc@earthlink.net
SHOW OFF YOUR STUFF! The first ever True Nature Country Fair Silent Auction is accepting donations. Over 1000 people are expected to visit the Fair. Is you business committed to the green movement? Or, are you a local entreperneur? If so, the silent auction gives you a great opportunity to support experiential education while also showcasing your products and services. Interested donors please contact Karen Vizzina at 828.342.1849 or earthstarnc@earthlink.netWINE, BEER and FOOD EVENTS
Mountain Gardener - Buncombe County’s Extension Newsletter
Aug. 14 & 28 Plant Problem Clinics, by
Extension Master Gardeners at the WNC Farmers’ Market.
11:00am—2:00pm
in the breezeway between the retail buildings.
• Aug. 14 & 28
Backyard Composting Demonstration, by Extension Master Gardeners at the
WNC
Farmers’ Market, beside Israel's Garden Center,
11:00am—2:00pm.
• Aug. 18 Gardening in the Mountains Series, “Ground
Covers”, presented by
Extension Master Gardener Volunteers at the North
Carolina Cooperative Extension
Buncombe County Center at 10:00 am. No
pre-registration, Free.
• Sept. 10-19 North Carolina Mountain State
Fair, Fletcher. http://buncombe.ces.ncsu.edu/
WINE, BEER and FOOD EVENTS
Maggie B's Wine & Specialty Store
Italian Wine Tasting -
Friday, August 6th 5:30-8:00
Un giorno senza vino e come un giorno senza sole! A day without wine is
a day without sunshine! Come taste the sunshine in the Italian whites and
red we will be pouring.
*Also, Maggie B's will be at Aabani Salon,
Thursday, August 5th 6-8 pouring some delicious Californian wines.
So, come relax, and enjoy great wines, cheeses and art
!*We are now
carrying GREEN MAN Growlers: IPA & Wheat $11.99 113
N. Main St. Weaverville 828 645-1111 www.MaggieBsWine.com
Vino Vino Wine Market
Saturday, August 7th from 12-5 to taste 4 excellent wines that span the globe from California to as far as Australia!
At the bar, try the 2008 Good Girl White Chardonnay from Sonoma, California. 100% chardonnay featuring luscious tropical fruits, vanilla, honeysuckle & caramel nuances from Somoma, California and Stoney Knob’s and Vino Vino’s own house wine.Next, try the 2009 Shaya Verdejo Old Vines from the Rueda region of Spain. Light, bright yellow. Intensely perfumed bouquet of Kaffir lime, lemon pith, mint and ginger, along with a subtle peppery undertone. Bracing and sharply focused, offering pure citrus and green apple flavors complemented by succulent herbs and spices.On the Enomatic, we are tasting the 2009 Ique Malbec from the Mendoza region of Argentina. Ique is intended to be a fresh, young, unoaked wine which will improve slightly with age but is not meant to be laid down. Intense ruby-red with violet hints in color, it possesses fruity aromas which remind one of fresh red fruits and white pepper. Firm structure, soft lush tannins and satisfying end. Next, try the 2009 Molly Dooker Two Left Feet Shiraz blend from Southern Australia. A powerful blend of red varieties, it has incredible depth and complexity. The grapes were grown on the Longbottom vineyard in Padthaway, the Birchmore vineyard in Langhorne Creek, the Gemtree and Mollydooker vineyards in McLaren Vale.
Local Events at the Weinhaus
August 17th, Tuesday - The Corner Kitchen with chef Joe Scully will host a fine wine dinner. Come to this prestigious restaurant that was the choice of President Obama on his recent visit to Asheville. The time is 7:00 PM. The cost is $65.00 all inclusive. Please call the Weinhaus for reservations at 254-6453.
August 27th, Friday - Friday night flights at the Weinhaus will feature The Wines of Southern France, an exploration of a country famous for it’s fine wines. The price is $10 for a tasting and light hors d’ouvres. Time is 5:00-7:00 PM. Held at the Weinhaus, 86 Patton, Ave. Asheville.
August 28th, Saturday - The Slow Food Convivium will join the Weinhaus for a fund raiser for promoting fresh local foods in the schools. This will be a tasting featuring fresh local foods and global wines. The time is 5:00 PM. The cost is $10.00. No reservations needed.
Hope & Vines
Beer Tasting Friday, August 6th -
5pm-7pm Duck-Rabbit Brewing
This week we are getting a visit from the self proclaimed "Dark Beer Specialists" from Farmville, NC. Mary Liza from Duck Rabbit will be joining us this week to debut their new seasonal special, plus two other flagship beers.
The Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale is an American brown ale brewed with loads of
hops from start to finish (it’s hoppy and beautifully bitter). Amarillo
hops in the boil provide a spicy citrusy bitterness. Saaz dry hops in the
fermentor provide a refined flowery aroma. These hops are supported by a
grain bill of seven varieties of malt. Oh yeah! The Duck-Rabbit
Seasonal Schwarzbier is a dark lager traditionally made in Germany. This
beer is smooth like a lager with a slightly roasty, nutty backbone.
Lightly hopped with a crisp dry finish. The Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout
is a traditional full-bodied stout brewed with lactose (milk sugar). The
subtle sweetness imparted by the lactose balances the sharpness of the
highly roasted grains which give this delicious beer its black
color. Free Wine Tasting this Saturday August 7th
3-6pm!
The Wine Studio of Asheville
Wednesday, August 12th | 7pm
The exploration of Italian wine can sometimes be daunting! Does the label indicate the grape varietal or region? Or both? What is Chianti anyway? What’s so great about Prosecco? Whether you're rediscovering Italian wine or experiencing it for the first time, everyone will learn something new and leave this tasting with a firm grasp of the basics of one of the world's larg...est and greatest wine-producing countries! 8 wines will be tasted in this classroom-style survey tasting covering the major wine-regions of Italy: Piemonte, Tuscany, Tre Venezie, Veneto and Abruzzo! RSVP is required by calling the studio directly: 828.255.5955 OR by sending an email to: events@winestudioasheville .com (you will receive a confirmation email). Bread will be served, but please eat dinner before attending this class!
HAVE A GLASS!
Featured $5 house pours all week long! Stop by any
time and have a glass at the studio! We love to talk at the counter
or bring in some friends and make yourself comfortable at one of our
tables. We feature baguette from City Bakery daily, as well as hummus from
Roots Organic.
SATURDAY TASTINGS - Noon - 6pm | FREE
Drop-in
format, no RSVP required. Each Saturday the Studio selects a few staff
picks from our inventory to share with you. Stop by for a surprise
while you're out running your weekend errands!
Girls on Grapes - August 2010 'If...Then Tasting' (If you like
Pinot Grigio...then you might also like Grüner Veltliner) A night of
new discoveries based on old favorites! Based on the premise that the more
we know about wine (and the more we taste it!), the more enjoyable our
hobby becomes! Our goal is to remove the pretense and learn the best way
to have your own intimate experience with wine, through education,
tastings and friendship! New theme every month with an average
tasting of 6 wines! Jessica will guide you through the meeting, but
don't worry, there'll be plenty of time to socialize too! $15 - RSVP
Required
upcoming meetings: Tuesday, August 17th @ 7pm Sunday,
August 22nd @ 5pm Thursday, August 26th @ 7pm RSVP: girls@WineStudioAsheville.com
| 828.255.5955
Asheville Wine Market
Southern Hemisphere; a vinous tour of the unique vineyards south of the
equator
Thursday, August 12th., 2010 - 7:00 p.m., Asheville Wine Market
Cellar
The mystique of procuring some of the world's finest white and red wine
values from exotic environments hasn't been lost on wine merchants. Many,
including our staff, have ventured far below the equator in search of
vinous gold. South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand are
all far flung destinations making astounding wines, many of which have won
the hearts of the intrepid wine hunters. So hustle to the phone and
reserve your seat for this wine expedition. Bread, cheese and
wine....$20.00/person
Call 253.0060 or 800.825.7175 to
reserve your spot.
Free Saturday Tasting:- Saturday, August 7th., 2010 Free Tasting; 1 to 4 pm. Wines for hot summer weather