Local Food And Wines: 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

C’est Cheese takes their cheese seriously! Once a month they hold tastings, classroom style. These monthly tastings generally include 5 cheeses from a given region paired with a complementing glass of wine.

Local Food And Wine

C'est Cheese hosts monthly cheese tastings in downtown Santa Barbara.

Sometimes they get a little wild at their cheese tastings and they’ll feature more out of the ordinary pairings, covering such topics as salami, olive oil, vinegar, honey, chocolate or caviar. Atmosphere is casual, welcoming and questions are always welcomed.

Below is a listing of all the Wineries & Wine Stores throughout Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley that serve C’est Cheese cheeses at their wine tasting events.

East Beach Wines – Locally owned & operated wine store
Vino Divino – Locally owned & operated wine store
Alma Rosa – Locally owned & operated winery in Santa Ynez Valley
Brander Winery – Locally owned & operated winery in Santa Ynez Valley
Carr Winery – Locally owned & operated winery in downtown Santa Barbara
Lucas & Lewellen – Locally owned & operated winery in Santa Ynez Valley
Oreana Winery – Locally owned & operated winery in downtown Santa Barbara
Scott Cellars – Locally owned & operated winery in Santa Ynez Valley

C’est Cheese is right in the heart of lovely downtown Santa Barbara, near the corner of Santa Barbara Street and Canon Perdido.

825 Santa Barbara Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
For more info about their monthly in-store tastings:
Phone: (805) 965-0318
Email: info@cestcheese.com

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Local Food Production Advocates, Napa's Family Farm League

Local Food And Wine

The Family Farm League’s sole goal is to encourage local food production. Local food production can mean a small family garden to large-scale acreage production. The League aims to increase the diversity of what is grown in the valley to reveal a more sustainable Napa Valley.

"Wine and food are a natural pairing, and we’d like to see that union grow here, from the ground up."

The Farm League starts each growing year by hosting a seed exchange. Heirloom and family farm-raised seeds are encouraged. GMO seeds are discouraged.They invite members of the entire community to trade or simply take extra seeds from one another and their neighbors. They work with agricultural students, nurseries, master gardeners and food businesses.

Each June, seed exchangers and growers are invited to a quarterly potluck. These casual dinners are a great way to share progress reports, enlist aid and encourage our local gardens.Past participants have included Rancho Gordo, Long Meadow Ranch, Grandpa Jack's Farm, Slow Food Napa Valley and Common Greens. This t year they hope to include even more groups and growers from the Napa Valley.

"The Family Farm League is a grass-roots advocacy group whose sole purpose is to encourage food production in the Napa Valley."

The Family Farm League

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Willamette Valley's Farm To Fork

Portland

Local Food And Wine

Willamette Valley’s Farm To Fork Foraging Yields Deliciousness

Farm To Fork at Willamette Valley’s Inn At Red Hills is a model of locally sourced, sustainable cuisine.
Ingredients used for the fresh, daily menus come from within 200 miles of the town of Dundee, where the
restaurant is located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, just outside of Portland. The Inn’s own farm at deLancellotti Vineyards provides most of the fresh, seasonal fruit used in the dishes and desserts.

Executive Chef, Paul Bachand has developed his own local sourcing program that ensures quality, freshness and sustainability while his kitchen provides an ever-changing menu that follows the seasons. Farm To Fork highlights the finest and freshest ingredients from local growers.

Chef Bachand, has had years of making friendships with local foragers, fishermen, farmers and ranchers which has allowed him to prepare creative yet simple dishes such as Seared Wild Diver Scallops and Braised leg of Clatskanie Rabbit.

Connie Paskavan, Farm To Fork’s pastry chef whose training is rooted in french baking, invites you to enjoy the fruits of her labor daily. The bakery features gems like artisan stuffed croissants, pastries, desserts, cakes & tortes, cookies, and pies. You can grab a cup of Portland Roasting Company’s Organic Coffee while you’re there.

Their Farmhouse breakfast with eggs, bacon/sausage and house made potatoes or lemon poppyseed pancackes with fresh strawberries and chantilly cream will also beckon you as you rise for the day.

Farm To Fork’s Deli features the ‘Cheese Case’ which offers treasures from many local Oregon creameries in addition to classics from around the world. “Artisan Cheese from the Pacific Northwest”, authored by Tami Parr of the Oregon Cheese Guild, can be found on their shelves.

Gourmet goods and special treasures abound in the deli market that are local to the area such as delicacies made with local hazelnuts, also locally sourced olive oil, spreads, homemade jams and sweet, organic honey.

Local Food And Wine * Local Food And Wine

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Eat Local Fresh Cusine, Local Food And Wine

Local Food And Wine

Locavore Movie Trailer

Just a generation ago, people worldwide traveled less than 10 miles for the food they ate. Now, the average conventionally grown fruit and vegetable has traveled 1500 miles before it rests on your plate.

Many of us have realized that we're not just sacrificing taste, but our health and well-being as well. Why sacrifice nutrition and deliciousness of the food we eat when the solution is as simple as sunshine - Eat Local!
The Locavore Movement, or Eat Local, is not anything new. It's just back in fashion. And thank goodness, because it's what makes good sense... and it's in very good taste!

A few months ago, Locavore The Movie was released. You can watch a bit of it HERE. And listen to the Locavore Song here:

These youth are part of a sprouting segment of the population, including twenty-somethings and upward, who are embracing the Eat Local habit. A recent Washington Post article said,...

They're part of a growing pool of young, educated, politically motivated workers drawn to farming. Books such as bestseller "The Omnivore's Dilemma," in which Michael Pollan championed the local food movement, are sparking interest in sustainable agriculture, or small-scale farms that embrace humane and eco-friendly practices. Such operations are getting a boost from Community Supported Agriculture, a system that lets customers pay in advance for a weekly share of a nearby farm's crop; the number of members participating in CSAs grew 50 percent between 2007 and 2009.

The Organic Consumer's Association says it's a matter of social justice, as well as peace, health and democracy. READ MORE HERE.

Eat LocalFoodAndWine !

The best organic food is what's grown closest to you. Many farms offer subscriptions for weekly baskets of produce. Check with your local farmers to see if they have this CSA service and then sign up! Take a look at this map here at Local Harvest to see where there's a community farm near you.

Why Local?

At its roots sustainable farming benefits the local community and local economy. It also supports the environment by enriching the soil, protecting air and water quality, and minimizing energy consumption.
According to Sustainable Tables,...

Small, local farms are run by farmers who live on their land and work hard to preserve it. They protect open spaces by keeping land in agricultural use and preserve natural habitats by maintaining forest and wetlands. By being good stewards of the land, seeking out local markets, minimizing packaging, and harvesting food only when it is ready to consume, farmers can significantly reduce their environmental impact. In fact, studies show that sustainable agricultural practices can actually increase food production by up to 79%.

These are all very good reasons to make friends with your local farmers and forage for local food finds!