Upcoming Slow Food Events

  • August

    • Italian Wines and Local Foods - A Fundraiser for Terra Madre Delegates
      Saturday, August 7, 5 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.         DEADLINE AUGUST 3- LIMITED SEATING
    • Please join Slow Food Oahu for an examination of Italian wines, taught by Alan Jahns, and paired with fresh, local foods prepared by Karen Miyano.  At the event, we will be enjoying instruction, plus wine and food. This event will take place on Saturday, August 7th, at the JMD Education Center in Halawa Valley, located at 99-1269 Iwaena Street, starting at 5p.m. sharp, and ending at 8p.m. The cost is $75 for SFO members and $90 for nonmembers and will be limited to 40 participants.
    • Proceeds from this event will go towards the support of our Slow Food O'ahu delegates to Terra Madre in Torino, Italy, this October. (See our last newsletter for a list of our delegates)
    • Alan Jahns is a Partner in JMD Beverages, Hawai'i's largest locally-owned fine wine distributorship.  He has been teaching the popular wine classes for UH Outreach, Kaua'i Community College and Maui Community College's VITECH/Bids for over 20 years.  He is a popular speaker throughout the state of Hawai'i, consistently invited to speak to a wide array of groups, from "Wine 101" for conventions to "Wine & Health" issues at Maui's Life Fest.  His passion for wine has enabled him to travel the World from Australia & New Zealand to Europe's greatest sites in France & Germany. He was a member of the Society of Wine Educators early in his career, as well as the Chaine des Rotisseurs, and its exclusive L'Ordre Mondial.  After college (History major --- U.S.C.), he moved to Maui with three surfboards & a suitcase in 1978, and has lived here ever since....
    • Karen Miyano is a chef and an artist, a.k.a. The Reluctant Caterer. She will serve us a number of small plates of food which will be coordinated with the wine courses and instruction. Karen's food is as beautiful as it is tasty, generally focusing on local and fresh ingredients.
    • The menu: While subject to some changes or substitutions, the delicacies will tentatively consist of chilled local honeydew soup with lime and mint, topped with a lemon zest yoghurt dollop; Nicoise tartlet filled with caramelized onion, olives, anchovy, in a dijon thyme pastry; Grilled Kaneohe bay octopus, tossed with roasted heirloom tomato and homemade Moroccan preserved lemon; Grilled local flank steak involtini de carne, stuffed with gorgonzola, kale, and roasted red pepper; and Zabaglione over seasonal fruit with a rosemary lemon shortbread crumble
    • The featured wines: (There maybe last minute substitutions as well)
    • Verdicchio, Marchetti (Marche) 2008
      It could be said that Verdicchio is a thinking person's Pinot Grigio. Refreshing citrus fruits, playful acidity and complex minerality are the hallmarks of this varietal, and when well-made, it is one of the best whites in the Mediterranean world. Incredibly, this wine is all free-run juice (no pressing!), and as a Classico. Maurizio Marchetti's family has been making Verdicchio for generations, and it shows.
       
      Valpolicella Ripasso DOC, Giuseppe Lonardi (Veneto) 2006
      The "Poor-Man's Amarone"... Perhaps the finest Ripasso you'll ever taste, this offering from Lonardi has dark, lush cranberry notes, with smoky epitomizes the lovely characteristics of Corvina (75%). While more affordable, the complexity is reminiscent of Amarone. It is a pleasing everyday Veneto wine that will keep up with bold foods or stand alone in the glass..
    • Barbaresco Saracapelli DOCG Poderi Elia (Piemonte)  2003
      From the heart of Barbaresco in Neive comes this stunningly elegant wine from newcomer Poderi Elia. Newcomer? The family has made their wine since 1890, yet they are a relatively new face on the International scene. But their wine fspeaks for itself: the bouquet offers ringing tones of currant and cherry over a layer of toasty-oak that never dominates. The structure is marble-solid.
    • Nero d'Avola, Martorana (Sicilia) 2004
      From the volcanic soils of Agrigento on the West coast of Sicily, comes one of the great grape varietals of the world. An early ripening, full-bodied varietal with generous aromas of ripe plums, dark chocolate, berry cobbler, and almonds. The vines are from 30 - 90 years old, and Giuseppe Martorana harvests extremely low-yields. Thus, the wine has great mineral complexity and elegance. Ageworthy for 10 years-plus.
    • "Nesum Dora" (Sup.Tuscan), Antonio Sanguineti (Toscana) 2006
      "Nessun Dorma" is the favorite aria of Antonio Sanguineti. With vines carefully selected from all around Toscana, including the fresh and bright.Sangiovese (50%) from Capraia e Limite (Montalbano),the intensely floral and elegant Merlot (30%) from Gavorrano (Grosseto), and Syrah (20%) from Suvereto (Livorno) which adds a bold expression of forest-floor truffle, ripe cherry and blackberry preserves.
    • Salice Salentino, Forte Canto/Terre del Grico (Puglia) 2004
      We were wildly impressed with this Salice Salentino. It nearly defies logic in its balance of powers, with a sense of wonderful elegance. Its classic dense, raisiny fruits and scintillating old Mediterranean spice aromas make it a superb everyday Southern Italian experience. The average vine age for Terre del Grico is over 30 years old, with some as old as 70. Will age for 8-10 years.
    • Prosecco "Extra Dry" NV, Trevsiol (Veneto)
      Made from the Prosecco grape that is indigenous to the Veneto region. This sparkling wine is deliciously light and playful.  Unlike many Champagnes, it is not heavy on the palate (or the pocket book). Rather, it tickles the throat with a peachy softness and is flecked with a minerality that makes it one of the best sparkling wine values.
    • If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP to Michelle at sfo.reservation@gmail.com.  Please include in your RSVP your name, member status, phone or email and the name of any nonmember or member guests you would like to bring.  RSVPs must be received by Tuesday August 3.  THIS EVENT IS LIMITED TO 40 PEOPLE, so please reply quickly if you know you will attend.   Payment MUST be received by the date of the event.  Please note:  Due to the nature of this event and the necessity of purchasing ingredients beforehand, if cancellations are required after the RSVP date, you will be held responsible for payment.  Payment information will be sent to you following your RSVP. 
    • Honolulu Fish Auction Tour - SOLD OUT
      Saturday, August 21, 2010  6 a.m. - 9 a.m.
    • We're offering this popular event once again - if you've not done this tour, you've been missing out!  We'll meet at 6 AM to greet the sun and the Honolulu fishing fleet as the boats come rolling in!  Brooks Takenaka and Dr. Kaneko from the United Fishery Agency will be discussing the latest research on mercury content in fish and the history and inner workings of the Honolulu Fish Auction before leading us on a tour of the facilities so that we can see the auction in action (it's pretty amazing if you've never been).  They'll explain the grading of the fish and how to choose the freshest fish there and in your local supermarket.  After absorbing all that information, you can end the event with breakfast on your own (including fish just brought in on the boats) from nearby Nico's at Pier 38 - one of Honolulu's little treasures.
    • Please RSVP by Wednesday, August 18 to Michelle at sfo.reservation@gmail.com.  Please include in your RSVP your name, member status, phone or email and the name of any nonmember or member guests you would like to bring.  THIS EVENT IS LIMITED TO 20 PEOPLE and tends to fill up fast, so please reply quickly if you know you would like to attend.  The cost for members is $5 and nonmembers is $10 (please note: breakfast is not included in the price) and payment must be received by the date of the event.  Payment information, directions and final details will be sent to all confirmed guests a few days prior to the event.
    • Sumida Watercress Farm Tour
      Saturday, September 4, 2010 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.         
    • David Sumida is making an exception and has kindly offered a Saturday (instead of the usual Thursday) tour for Slow Food O`ahu!  Kalaau Springs feeds the farm with fresh water, and rice and taro were grown here in the past.  Come and learn about this very special oasis in the midst of Pearlridge Shopping Center and busy Kamehameha Highway.  We'll meet at 8:30 a.m. at the farm located on Kamehameha Hwy between Sears Pearlridge and Anna Millers Restaurant; parking is at Sears Pearlridge - then you can walk to the farm from there.  Please bring sun protective gear and good walking shoes. 
    • Please RSVP by Wednesday, September 1 to Michelle at sfo.reservation@gmail.com.  Please include in your RSVP your name, member status, phone or email and the name of any nonmember or member guests you would like to bring.  THIS EVENT IS LIMITED TO 30 PEOPLE and tends to fill up fast, so please reply quickly if you know you would like to attend.  The cost for members is $10 and nonmembers is $15 and payment must be received by the date of the event. The cost includes one bunch of freshly cut watercress!  Payment information, directions and final details will be sent to all confirmed guests a few days prior to the event.

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Announcements

  • Slow Food Oahu has its own canvas bag and bumper sticker for sale, designed by Pegge Hopper (the design is the taro leaf artwork displayed in the above banner). The bag is made from organic cotton. The bag costs $15 for members, $20 for non-members. The bumper sticker costs $1. We have bags and bumper stickers available for sale at the KCC Farmers Market and at our events. To order, please contact Treasurer Mae Isonaga at maeisonaga@mac.com. 
  • To view past email newsletters, click below:

Other Events/Info

  • Second annual Mangoes at the Moana Festival - Friday, Aug. 6  with various events through Sunday, Aug. 29 at the Moana Surfrider Resort in Waikiki. It includes a mango recipe contest, farmer's talk/tasting and culinary demo on Aug. 7, plus culminates with the charity culinary competition: "Tree to Table-A Mango Throw Down." For more information click here.
  • Movie Showing: Ingredients (73 minutes)
    August 10 - 12, 2010 at 1, 4, and 7:30 p.m.
     
    Directed by part-time Hawaii resident Robert Bates and shot by Brian Kimmel (the two worked together on the 1999 PBS series The Kitchen Sessions With Charlie Trotter), Ingredients crisscrosses the country over the course of four growing seasons looking at the people working to reconnect local producers and communities-from the diversified farms of the Hudson River and Willamette Valleys, to urban food outposts in Harlem, to the kitchens of celeb chefs Alice Waters, Peter Hoffman and Greg Higgins. Narrated by Bebe Neuwirth, the documentary reveals these local-food movement heroes' challenges and their vision for a healthy, sustainable local-food paradigm. Ingredients gives viewers a new appreciation for their local farmers, and for food itself.
    For more information contact the Honolulu Academy of Arts website.
  • Taste of the Hawaiian Range
    The 15th annual celebration of Big Island agriculture will be held September 10, 6-8 p.m. at the Hilton Waikoloa Village, Big Island of Hawai'i
    Tickets are $40 presale, $60 at the door.
    More info at: tasteofthehawaiianrange.com
  • PaePae o Heeia Fundraiser, September 11, 6:30 to 9:30pm. Chefs include Karen Miyano, Ed Kenney of Town/Downtown, Jason Peel of Roy's Restaurants. $100 Email admin@paepaeoheeia.org for more information.
  • Hawaii Rice Festival - September 11, 2010 from noon - 8 p.m. at Aloha Tower Marketplace is the first annual rice festival in Hawaii, a celebration of the joys of rice in conjunction with September as National Rice Month.
  • Hawaii Agricultural Conference - September 23 , 2010, Ihilani Resort and Spa, Koolina, Oahu
    Contact Kim Coffee-Isaak, 947-2914, kim@agleaderhi.org, www.hawaiiagconference.org
  • Hawaii Tropical Fruit Conference - September 24-25, 2010, Aston Aloha Beach Resort, Wailua, Kauai. More info here.
  • Looking to eat more veggies? Check out local CSAs/Veggie Subscriptions

Farm Work Days

  • Mohala Farms, first Saturday of the month. Details here.
  • Ma‘o Organic Farms, last Saturday of the month. Details here.