Join us at the Experience Food Project’s Mercer Island Community Harvest Dinner
Do you support strengthening families and communities through changing the culture in school meal programs and at home? Join Experience Food Project’s Mercer Island Community Harvest Dinner this Thurs. 6p-8p. Enjoy a meal featuring seasonal recipes from TENDER: farmers, cooks, eaters.
Where: Islander Middle School Cafeteria
When: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Who: Everyone is welcome
How: First come, first served
Cost: Suggested donation $10 per adult, $20 per family
For more info: For more information http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mercer-Island-Food-Revolution/193826360649983
Mercer Island Food Revolution is a PTA group that was started to by a group of concerned parents who want to improve the quality of school lunches in our district. We encouraged our district’s food service to provide fewer dessert items and more fruits and vegetables. Our ultimate goal for school lunches: freshly prepared using organic, local ingredients as much as possible. We are currently working with representatives from other community groups such as Parks & Recreation and the Boys and Girls to provide the kids in our community with healthier, more delicious food choices for snacks and opportunities to learn about healthy eating. We have recently partnered with Experience Food Project, a local nonprofit, to bring cooking classes and community dinners to our island to help kick start our revolution.
UPDATE: The dinner was a great success! We reluctantly had to turn people away at the door but 200 people were fed healthy, delicious meals out of TENDER. Thanks to Nilki Benitez for the photos and write-up which can be seen on MercerIslandPatch.
Here is Marlen and Nancy sharing TENDER with the dinner’s attendees:
Federal Dietary Guidelines and the Slow Food Challenge
Several weeks ago I read an article on nutrition and a study done at the University of Washington (recently published in the August issue of the Health Affairs Journal), which discussed the federal dietary guidelines for Americans and the economic impact of meeting these guidelines. The outcome suggests that to improve the American diet more education and guidance be provided to “us” the consumer. The authors also discuss the availability of “healthful” food for those on a budget or with a fixed income and how more than half of the farmers’ markets in King County now accept SNAP (supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
At about the same time I received my Slow Food USA $5 Challenge.
Perfect timing! The topic of “healthful” food, availability and budget has long been one of our table conversations – so my family has signed up to be a part of this challenge on September 17. My niece and I already selected our menu – Grilled Pizza with Vegetables Grilled over the Fire from TENDER: farmers, cooks, eaters, our plan is everyone will invite a friend to help shop, prepare discuss and of course eat.
Thanks Josh Viertel for asking and thanks for including us. This challenge is the education and guidance needed for all of us. As Josh says “This day will give us a clearer sense of what needs to change about the way food works, in order to make this a reality for everyone. Bringing people together around the table is the best way to build a movement of more enlightened eaters and more engaged citizens. We need both.”
National Potato Day is today, August 19th
August 19th marks the date for National Potato Day. It’s worth a pause to honor the humble potato. We typically consider its flavor needing improvement, using it solely as the platform for condiments. However there are hundreds of flavorful varieties such as All Blue, German Butterball, Princesse La Ratte, Red Thumb, Rose Finn Apple, Viking Purple, and Yellow Gold to name just a few—all varietals that carry the flavor of the earth they are raised in–flavor that you typically can’t get in any store-bought potato. “Western Washington is one of the best places to grow yellow and red thin-skinned potatoes. It’s the soil type,” says Peter Alden, founder of Alden Farms.
If you’ve never enjoyed fresh-from-the-earth organic potatoes, consider picking some up at your farmers’ market this week and try some ‘smashed’ potatoes simply dressed with olive oil, salt, pepper and a handful of fresh thyme. “No Cream, no butter, just the honest flavor of homegrown potatoes at their best.” Tamara Murphy, TENDER: farmers, cooks, eaters.
Photo: Angie Norwood Browne, TENDER: farmers, cooks, eaters
Chef Tom French of Experience Food Project and TENDER partner at the Mercer Island Farmers Market
This past weekend, Experience Food Project’s director, Chef Tom French chose TENDER: farmers, cooks, eaters as the blueprint to show the Mercer Island community simple ways to enjoy and share the bounty of farm-fresh food. Chef Tom began the demo by walking the Mercer Island Farmers’ Market tables choosing a colorful rainbow of ingredients including tender ‘spicy’ arugula, plump red Attika cherries and golden beets, first of the early season peaches and more, to complement a quickly pan-seared filet of salmon crusted with fresh basil. Tom’s conversational approach to working with adults and children and the ease of recipes by chef/author and James-Beard-award-winner Tamara Murphy featured in TENDER helped both experienced and new cooks be engaged and inspired for their own market shopping following the cooking demonstration.
Dedicated to educating children about food and cooking, the Experience Food Project’s mission is to “strengthen families and communities”, which is a value that the TENDER team shares. In support of their efforts, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of TENDER purchased at the Mercer Island Farmers Market went to the Experience Food Project who will be holding Junior Cooking Camps at Mercer Island’s Boys & Girls’ Club this August followed by a community dinner in the Fall. Copies of TENDER are also now available for purchase at Mercer Island’s Island Books.
TENDER: farmers, cooks, eaters recommended by Farmland Report
Our friends at the Farmland Report, a blog for American Farmland Trust, recently published their summer reading list and mentioned TENDER as one of their recommendations. We’re ecstatic to be listed along with a few other great books and excited that our message continues to resonate with great people doing great things. Stay tuned for a reading list of our own!
Happy Birthday Metropolitan Market
Thank you to all our friends at the Queen Anne Metropolitan Market who included us their 40th birthday celebration on Friday. Amy, you always brighten our day with your excitement and joy. Anthony, keep cooking and exploring new dishes. Rachel, Ilga and Jenny, you are great friends and great neighbors. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say “hi”. And for those of you who purchased your signed copies of TENDER please share with us as you create the recipes in the book. We’d love to hear from you. Happy Birthday Metropolitan Markets!
Let’s Celebrate Summer
MAGNOLIA FARMERS’ MARKET
June 18, 2011
Start your summer by joining Tamara and the creative team of TENDER: farmers, cooks, eaters at Dish-it-up in Magnolia from 11:00 – 1:00. Tamara will prepare dishes from TENDER with ingredients that are available right now from our farmers. She will also be signing your book copies and sharing tips for enjoying fresh, local foods. Portions of the proceeds from the sale of TENDER will be donated to support the growth the Magnolia Farmers’ Market.
Come by and join the celebration.
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METROPOLITAN MARKETS 4OTH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
June 24, 2011
We are celebrating 40 Years of Local Flavor at Metropolitan Markets at the Queen Anne location from 4:00 – 6:00.
Tamara will prepare and share dishes from TENDER: farmers,cooks,eaters.
It’s time to party!
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PCC FARMLAND TRUST
June 27, 2011
Local Chefs for Local Farms and PCC Farmland Trust will be gathering at The Reading Room from 6:00 – 9:00, hosted by Tamara Murphy. A 4-course dinner and panel presentation with Tamara and George and Eiki Vojkovich of Skagit River Ranch. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of TENDER: farmers, cooks, eaters will be donated to PCC Farmland Trust.
Continue to learn about our connection to the source of our food – our farms and farmers.
GALTime – Crafting homemade pizzas in Seattle
My husband is originally from Los Angeles and loves to grill out, rain, shine and even snow. He believes every dish can benefit some way from coals (he’s a purest) or wood, be it savory or sweet. Two weeks ago we were lazing around the house on a weekend, trying to decide what to serve some friends who had responded to a last minute dinner and “come watch the game” invite at our place. Pizza came to the forefront, but neither of us felt like going out to the store and none of the places that deliver had a pie that sounded the least bit appetizing.
We decided it’s never too early in the season to light up the Weber and, inspired by a recipe in Tamara Murphy’s new cookbook, “Tender: farmers, cooks, eaters” thought we’d let the barbecue recreate a taste akin to a wood fired pizza oven. We also rationalized that it would be fun to let everyone choose their favorite toppings and pile them on in whatever manner or quantity seemed appropriate. I whipped up a salad and when our guests arrived, we got cooking. The overwhelming consensus was that this group were thin crust lovers, so we rolled out the dough into a free form shape (how do those pizza makers get that perfect circle?), vaguely round and about a foot in diameter.
For the whole story http://galtime.com/article/food/42242/11760/crafting-homemade-pizzas-seattle
Simple Joys of Eating Locally
Tender: A Cookbook Review
What do you get when you combine fresh farm-grown food, a commitment to supporting that food, and women with passion? You get Tender: Farmers, Cooks, Eaters, a newly-published cookbook alive with stories, full-color photos, and thoughtful recipes that express the joys of eating locally.
Amber Stott of Awake at the Whisk shares her experience with TENDER -http://awakeatthewhisk.blogspot.com/2011/03/tender-cookbook-review.html
PURCHASE your copies of Tamara Murphy's first book.
"Sometimes we forget how good simple things can be."
- Tamara Murphy
