Local growers attending global food fest in San Francisco
It’s Woodstock for foodies, and San Benito County growers are
part of the spectacle.
Slow Food Nation, a first-ever gathering that opens Friday in
San Francisco, promises a flavorful mix of food and politics.
Local growers attending global food fest in San Francisco
It’s Woodstock for foodies, and San Benito County growers are part of the spectacle.
Slow Food Nation, a first-ever gathering that opens Friday in San Francisco, promises a flavorful mix of food and politics.
Among more than 60 producers invited to showcase their signature products are five San Benito County farmers.
The event is spread across San Francisco, and includes tours of a victory garden installed in front of City Hall, farmers’ markets, workshops, cooking demonstrations, hikes, films, a rock concert and mountains of food.
Organizers have estimated 60,000 or more attendees, but beyond that, it is something of an unknown.
“I don’t really know what to expect,” said Phil Foster of San Juan Bautista-based Pinnacle Organics. “It’s supposed to be a big event.”
Foster and his wife and partner, Katherine, were invited to offer melons to the crowds at the festival, which runs through the long Labor Day weekend. Other local growers and their featured products are Four Sisters Farm of Aromas with greens, Coke Farms of San Juan with Meyer lemons, Happy Girl Kitchens of Aromas with pickles and Hain Ranch of Tres Pinos with walnuts.
Labor Day might be a holiday for most people, but it’s one of the busiest times of the year for local growers.
Christine Coke of Coke Farms said they’re swamped with onion harvest and their heirloom tomatoes.
She’ll leave Friday morning with a car full of the sweet, fragrant Meyer lemons produced on their Watsonville farms.
“I’m not sure yet how much to bring,” she said. “It depends how much fits into the car. If we run out we might have to have somebody bring more.”
But she noted that it’s not the peak of lemon season, so the crop itself might govern how much makes it to San Francisco.
Foster, too, is trying to juggle competing obligations to make it to the event.
“It’s kind of at a time when we should be back on the farm,” he said. “But it’s such a special event that we’ll swing it.”
Pinnacle Organics does three farmers’ markets each Saturday, even when there isn’t a global food event in San Francisco.
Slow Food Nation is rooted in an Italian movement that was born in Italy in 1986 in response to the growing presence of fast-food chains. Its goal is to increase interest in locally produced, high quality foods.
The Bay Area’s reputation as a center for fine foods and organic production made it a logical place for Slow Food USA’s first exposition. A similar gathering was hosted in Turin, Italy, two years ago.
None of the local growers were invited to the European event.
“That’s a long ways to go and a little expensive,” said Paul Hain of Hain Ranch. “This small farmer didn’t make it to that one.”
Hain intends to pack 10 cases of walnuts for the trip to San Francisco. Earlier this week, he had already arranged “eco-friendly” packaging by laying in a supply of small paper bags.
Hain and his wife, Leti, raise walnuts and chickens on their organic farm. The value of his crop has risen to the point that he stopped experimenting with value-added walnut products.
“Organic walnuts are actually too valuable as walnuts to be made into walnut oil,” he said.
Hain’s advice for using walnuts is to “always double whatever the recipe calls for.” He noted that they are a good source of non-animal Omega 3’s and a diet that includes walnuts can even reduce cholesterol.
Coke will be bringing bottles of a Meyer lemon syrup she makes along with the fresh crop. The syrup can be combined with sparkling water for lemon spritzers, used on pancakes “or anything you want to flavor with lemons,” she said.
Both Foster and Coke said they are most looking forward to doing some exploring themselves.
“We’d sure like to get a little time off to see what’s going on,” Foster said.
“It’s an opportunity for an interchange of ideas,” Coke said. “I know so many people up there, it’ll be just having fun for three days – a big party.”
For more information about the festival, go to www.slowfoodnation.org.
Hain Ranch walnut pie
¾ c. white sugar
¼ c. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. milk
3 eggs
1 ¼ c. dark corn syrup
6 tbsp. butter
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. walnuts
1 9-inch pie shell
Scatter nuts over the bottom of an unbaked pie shell. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Stir in milk until smooth. Add eggs, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly blended. Pour filling over nuts, being sure the nuts remain dispersed throughout the pie. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour and cool.
Coke Farms lemon bars
1 c. flour, plus 2 tbsp.
¼ c. confectioners sugar, plus extra for garnish
½ c. butter
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ tsp. baking powder
½ c. Meyer lemon juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour and confectioners sugar. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Combine 2 tbsp. flour, granulated sugar, eggs and baking powder and mix well. Stir in lemon juice. Pour over the cookie crust and bake for 25 minutes. Cool. Sift confectioners sugar over the top once completely cool and cut into squares.
