Slow Food Dinner for 2 at $20 from Farmers Market

[Guest guest]

Slow Food Festival

The $20 Dinner Challenge

Eating eco-friendly can be pricey. Is it doable on a budget?

Reporter Melanie West finds out

By MELANIE GRAYCE WEST

August 29, 2008 9:27 p.m.

Can I serve a fresh, local and " slow " meal for two for just $20?

That's my challenge, and one that Slow Food Nation organizers

thought of when they decided to devote a workshop to eating good-for-

the-planet foods on a budget at the Slow Food Festival in San

Francisco this weekend. The fact is that the cost of groceries is a

concern no matter the market. And if you're trying to be in tune

with the Slow Food movement -- the initiative to eat " good, clean

and fair " foods -- it can be difficult. Even Whole Foods has stepped

up promotions on budget shopping1, going so far as to lead " value

tours " in some stores.

With my $20 I checked out the Slow Food-sponsored farmers market at

the festival to see what I could make for dinner. I'm an experienced

farmers-market shopper and I know that $20 won't buy meat or olive

oil. So, small amounts of salt, pepper, olive oil and honey will

have to come from my pantry, and my dinner will be mostly fruits and

vegetables. I also decided to compare the famers-market prices to

Whole Foods prices.

For my starter, I've decided to make little tartines by slicing some

ciabatta and topping it with goat cheese and sliced heirloom apples.

I'll finish the dish with just a drizzle of honey from my pantry.

-Panorama ciabatta: $2 for a large loaf

-Harley Farms " Monet " goat cheese round: $3.50 for a 1.5 ounce round

-Windrose Farm heirloom apples: $1.50 for one Mutsu and one Melrose

Total: $7.00

(Whole Foods comparison: Semifreddi's one pound ciabatta, $3.99;

Harley Farms " Monet " goat cheese, $3.49 for 1.5 ounce round; two

organic Macintosh apples, $2.24. Total: $9.72)

For my main, I'll toast the rest of my ciabatta to make a no-garlic

version of pan con tomate with Early Girl tomatoes. My remaining

tomatoes will go into a salad with corn and Isar, Baby Purple and

Haricot Vert beans. I'll season the salad with a dressing made from

Meyer lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.

-Blue House and Sea Level Farm Early Girl tomatoes: $3.50 for one

pound

-McGrath Family Farm Isar, Baby Purple and Haricot Vert beans: $2.50

for 1/3 pound

-G & S Farms Brentwood Diamonds corn: $1 for two ears

-Coke Farm Meyer lemon: $1 for one lemon

Total: $8

(Whole Foods comparison: One pound heirloom tomatoes, $3.99; 1/3

pound organic green beans $1.31; two ears " Brentwood " corn, $.80;

one regular lemon, $.79. Total: $6.89.)

I'm going to do dessert a'la the local Zuni Café, where they serve a

perfect fruit just as it is. I'll have strawberries, a peach and a

ripe Paw Paw.

-Live Earth Farm strawberries: $3 for one pint

-M & M Peach Ranch " Ryan Sun " peach: $1 for one peach

-Lagier Ranches Paw Paw: $1 for one Paw Paw.

Total: $5

(Whole Foods comparison: One pint organic strawberries, $3.69; one

organic yellow peach, $1; Paw Paw not available. Total: $4.69.)

Grand total Slow Food farmers market: $20

Grand total Whole Foods: $21.30, excluding Paw Paw

In the end, I was able to make a three-course " slow " meal for

exactly $20. Of course, shopping at Safeway or another large grocery

store would have come in a bit cheaper and might have allowed me to

add some protein to the meal. But the difference, of course, is

quality and availability. And at the end of the day, when the sun is

shining and the food looks perfect, an afternoon at the farmers

market sure beats the grocery store.

Write to Melanie West at melanie.west

URL for this article:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122004652156884407.html

[Guest guest]

I went to the slow food farmer's market event on Sunday at City Hall

and was shocked and disappointed to see so many " slow food " meat

dishes for sale, including chicken and pork. There was only one

veggie option! What is going on?? A group representing " animal

welfare " was also handing out bags. They advocate treating animals

humanely before slaughter, but they don't back prop 2. I'd say 90% of

the people I saw we wearing Yes on Prop. 2 stickers.

 

On a positive note, I highly recommend visiting the Victory Garden in

between the library and City Hall if you haven't already. It's

beautiful!

 

-Rose

 

Reporter & Host, KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco

Your Call - 11 am - noon PST - now airing on KUSP 88.9 FM in Santa Cruz

500 Mansell Street

San Francisco, CA 94134

office: 415.841.4121

http://www.yourcallradio.org/

 

My new book, Red Highways, will be out in October!

http://www.powells.com/partner/32186/biblio/0979482275

 

Posted by: " Jeanne Besanceney " jb9166 jb9166

Tue Sep 2, 2008 1:22 pm (PDT)

 

Is this " Slow Food " organization also advocating " slow

slaughter " of all the animals and fish they're

serving??!!

Has anyone called them on the hypocrasy of claiming to

be " eco-friendly " ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

I must agree that Slow Food Nation was way too meaty.

At the farmer's market I did buy a dense, nutty, delicious loaf

of spelt flax bread. Unfortunately I didn't get the name of the

bakery.

 

Millennium had coordinated a slow dinner as part of the event.

It was a fundraiser for SaveNature.org. Chef Eric Tucker is an

inspired genius, creating vegetarian dishes with dazzling

flavors, textures and colors.

 

Cynthia and I were 2 of those numberless people wearing

" Yes on 2 " stickers.

 

Aaron

 

 

On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 1:55 PM, Rose Aguilar <roseaguilar wrote:

 

> I went to the slow food farmer's market event on Sunday at City Hall

> and was shocked and disappointed to see so many " slow food " meat

> dishes for sale, including chicken and pork. There was only one

> veggie option! What is going on?? A group representing " animal

> welfare " was also handing out bags. They advocate treating animals

> humanely before slaughter, but they don't back prop 2. I'd say 90% of

> the people I saw we wearing Yes on Prop. 2 stickers.

>

> On a positive note, I highly recommend visiting the Victory Garden in

> between the library and City Hall if you haven't already. It's

> beautiful!

>

> -Rose

>

> Reporter & Host, KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco

> Your Call - 11 am - noon PST - now airing on KUSP 88.9 FM in Santa Cruz

> 500 Mansell Street

> San Francisco, CA 94134

> office: 415.841.4121

> http://www.yourcallradio.org/

>

> My new book, Red Highways, will be out in October!

> http://www.powells.com/partner/32186/biblio/0979482275

>

> Posted by: " Jeanne Besanceney " jb9166 <jb9166%40>jb9166

> Tue Sep 2, 2008 1:22 pm (PDT)

>

> Is this " Slow Food " organization also advocating " slow

> slaughter " of all the animals and fish they're

> serving??!!

> Has anyone called them on the hypocrasy of claiming to

> be " eco-friendly " ?

>

>