One world, one blog

I have decided to focus all of my blogging on to one blog, and so will only be adding items to neworleanscanthrive.blogspot.com from now on. There, I will do food, local economy and any other annoying topics I can think of. See ya there.

D

Give free rice when you learn.

LOVE this site:




Rice Project

You, me and Farmer McGee

Here I am at my second food conference in 2 weeks. Luckily for me, both were in areas I had not spent any time in-Chandler AZ, and Santa Fe NM. The first was 550 food activists(picture of the living mural done every day):
and the second was for about 75 food people within the 4 Corners region.

Much thought goes into the work in our food movement to have local foods represented at these things and locations that are also picked carefully. For example, the first was in Arizona, namely outskirts of Phoenix, Chandler. Chandler is home to the Pima tribe, which has the sad measure of over 90 percent of their people diagnosed with diabetes. And so they are working feverishly to turn that around, now that they have money as they recently won their 100 year legal battle to reclaim their water. The location of the conference was their new resort where they are recreating the Gila River basin to renew their agricultural traditions, and telling their story. This was a thoughtful conference that attempted to address underlying issues that local food systems need to address as well; racism, education gaps, long term poverty, other isms that have held our society back from being truly successful.


The second was put together with the wonderful folks from Farm to Table in New Mexico who have always inspired me with their work on food access, food culture and food sovereignty. I was asked to participate in 2 workshops around market issues and had the pleasure of listening to my fellow presenters who worked in the 4 corners region. Excellent, talented practitioners.
...and the natural world of Santa Fe. wow.





I came away with a renewed sense of purpose for integrating social justice issues into the food work, and also with a sense of gratitude for the fellow pilgrims on this road. Gratitude for people who have given most of their total energy and time and brain to the salvation of their food system, which will benefit all of us.

One of these folks appeared on the last day of the second workshop; a fellow New Orleanian, who was in town for a related thing; she had been on retreat for many weeks and this was her first re-entry into the serious mechanism of food system organizing. She was shaky after the first afternoon of meetings; physically so, and also seemed a bit taken aback at the swirl of ideas, people and decision.
Her physical reaction was of little surprise to me, as as she tends to be much more reserved and intentional in her life, which interestingly is a tension she and I have as peers as I have almost no patience at all and am about action, action, action, absolutely to a fault.
She is searching for her path within the work and I saw her (as we talked on the wooden stairs of the old hotel lobby that sits at the end of the Santa Fe trail) as if I was standing behind her (with a slightly safer vantage point) on a hillside path, looking over her shoulder at the beautiful deep protected canyon she was unwillingly climbing in to, while I could see my path farther along, skirting the canyon to get to the other side. Funny, how visions come.

I thought I heard concern in the words she voiced; thoughts about the missing pieces of the food organizing and also a bit of weariness as to the scale and bureaucracy that was becoming evident in this field.
I understood it.
I understood it and have wondered too if we could rein the big, fancy words and dazzling conferences in, rein them in while we do attend to the necessary BIG work of literally saving the food system daily, weekly, finding ways to save farmers and fishers and get good food to all, while using the visionary language and fast ideas that seem necessary to build an alternative system that is truly alternative, and still finding time and ways to comfort and cheer each other on in some fashion.
Can we do both?
Can we hold back our national tendencies to ramp up this work too fast to get to the "winning" I guess, and instead fashion a regional movement that would be the first of its kind in our large country? Hold back the glee at being invited to the table and instead insist on staying at the smaller table with more people represented directly- and insisting those decision makers join us there?
Are we brave enough to be truly at "scale" in our ideas and implementations and to have the type of thoughtful yet innovative movement that actually does shift the world. Shift it slightly globally- which is a massive shift locally and regionally, as it should be.
Or can we afford to be slow and deliberate?
What are our principles?
Do we know where to stop; what is too big?
Can we truly learn from each other, or are we all just recreating ideas over and over again within a largely protected white activist world vision?
Does our work always translate to indigenous and immigrant communities or are we just coopting ideas and language to spread outwardly?
is this a frontier of new ideas or a unearthing of old ideas?
What should it be?
And, who should lead? Should anyone?
What is the goal? Better food on its own...
Or a better community without injustice that includes good food for all?
I wish us luck.

what a time

Really, it wasn't about meeting Alice Waters again. Don't get us wrong; we ARE happy when she comes to New Orleans to see and cheer on her newest Edible Schoolyard...



But it was nice to see the work the kids have been doing to make their working garden a success.Nice compost, and incredible school!


and, speaking of entrepreneurs, check out Mockingbird Cafe on Oak Street to see another lovely, peaceful inexpensive food place with a soul.



And another entrepreneur on Toulouse between Royal and Chartres...




Finishing it all off with a work of edible art...

No easy puns about them I promise

So, fava beans. The farmers market is the place to get baskets of these to de-pod right now, along with flats of strawberries to pluck greens from and cut to freeze to have all year long for fruit beverages, waffles and over ice cream. Strawberries I mean...
I make fava beans steamed with sea salt and olive oil, over whole wheat pasta, next to some catfish.

Sitting in the sunset getting fava beans ready for the pan, watching the bayou flow by and the tomato plants growing on the vine. Life in New Orleans, old city.

~ Raw Abundance ~

Raw Foods & Sprout Workshop
At Maras Farm*

The workshop will involve:
∑ Tips on how to grow your own sprouts, shoots and wheatgrass at home
∑ A tour of the garden and greenhouse
∑ Information and tips on optimum nutrition and healthy raw foods
∑ A discussion and demonstration of appliances and kitchen tools used in basic raw food preparation
∑ Demonstrations of 5 delectable raw food recipes
∑ A live food buffet

Note: Raw food products and sprouts will be available for purchase at the workshop.

Dates: March 9th, April 13th, May 18th
Time: 2:00-5:00 PM, workshop followed by a live food buffet
Where: Maras Farm, 30002 Purvis Thomas Rd, Franklinton, LA 70438
Given by: Tommie Maras and Audry Herbert
Cost: $50 by registration date, $60 after registration date (if space is still available)
Registration Dates: March 4th, April 8th, May 13th. To register, call or email.
Methods of Payment: Send a check in the mail made out to Maras Farm
Phone: 985-848-1618
Email: MarasFarm@gmail.com
Web: www.Myspace.com/MarasFarm

*At this time we are only offering workshops at Maras Farm but look forward to offering workshops for groups in homes or other locations. Please let us know if you are interested.

Farmer Conference in Jackson MS

New day celebrated with a potluck

On Feb 10th, Slow Food New Orleans and marketumbrella.org convened the first Sunday potluck at La Provence to bring a small Focus Group of chefs and farmers together-some of the chefs who had expressed interest in buying from farmers directly and farmers who are mostly not the same faces who come to markets to sell retail to happy shoppers and generous chefs and restaurants, but folks who want to make new customers of building a partnership with one, two,more restaurants who get to sit and pick seeds with those farmers and explain about size and color they would like in 2 months when that crop comes in.

This small group left some paragons of the local food movement out of the room, but that input will be added and more familiar names will become alumni every time; excitement is building all over the place, serious viral marketing going on.
Lunch was brought by farmers and chefs (like the menu item above) and the back doors stayed open to see the livestock that Chef Rene Bajeaux has behind the kitchen, and after lunch, urging among staff to get folks to crowd around 3 tables carefully diversified among the groups to talk about:
pricing
selection
distribution
Expressly: how can we get more farmers and chefs to feel like they are getting their true, deserved value in each area and to get this big idea in all and then beyond our elegant dining places with our one of a kind professional chef leaders?

Good talk, honest talk and some ideas thrown out, so much that notes and discussion and analysis are still happpening, but what is clear is a hub of some kind must be created, either virtual or real and more intentional work from marketumbrella.org Forager Mischa Byruck, who seems to be the first of his title in the country to tackle the entire entrepreneurial regional food system as his homebase.

Stay tuned.

Learn about life as a farmer...

lifeonafarm

growing a garden..

M & V and I are starting to work seriously on plants and soil. 18 free trees have been delivered by Parkway Partners and 7 more are still coming for all of the property owners who asked for one on the front of their property. Marilyn at NOFFN has offered volunteers to put the trees in the ground; that should happen next Tuesday.
We are about to plant some rye grass on the farm site and on the front of my property (see picture below) to reduce the run off of water off the front onto St. Peter. I am researching bamboo for the front of the wooden yurt and will be picking out a type that does not take over the front of the property.
Trying to find soil in the city is problematic; the person at the place that Macon recommended was incredibly hostile and told them they were closing next week. Went to Grant's place (Laughing Buddha on Cleary), and he was gracious and helpful.
All of the AgCenter literature is out, as we read and puzzle about which type of fig trees and citrus trees we want to have on the farm and in our yards.



Next, is the vetiver for soil erosion; stay tuned!

West African Peanut Soup

Recipe from Jennifer, who makes it in cold months, whch is a bunch in Cincinnati!

This peanut soup is rich and spicy. The chopped scallions or chives are an integral element, not just a garnish.

SERVES 6 TO 8

2 cups chopped onions

1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon cayenne or other dried ground chiles (or to taste -- I used 1-1/2 teaspoons, I wouldn't use more than that but it was just about right)

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger root

1 cup chopped carrots

2 cups chopped sweet potatoes (up to 1 cup white potatoes may be substituted)

4 cups vegetable stock or water

2 cups tomato juice

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

1 cup chopped scallions or chives



Saute the onions in the oil until just translucent. Stir in the cayenne and fresh ginger. Add the carrots and saute a couple more minutes. Mix in the potatoes and stock or water, bring the soup to a boil, and then simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

In a blender or food processor, puree the vegetables with the cooking liquid and the tomato juice. Return the puree to a soup pot. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Taste the soup. Its sweetness willl depend upon the sweetness of the carrots and sweet potatoes. If it's not there naturally, add just a little sugar to enhance the other flavors.

Reheat the soup gently, using a heat diffuser if needed to prevent scorching. Add more water, stock, or tomato juice for a thinner soup.

Serve topped with plenty of chopped scallions or chives.

Xmas Day

Two days a year, Robert and Elizabeth of Fair Grinds Coffeehouse give their staff the day off and pour free coffee on behalf of a non-profit, and that non-profit's volunteers or staff help with making more coffee and maybe bringing treats for folks to eat.
This year, New Orleans Food and Farm Network is the helper and the beneficiary. Marilyn Yank (and visiting friend Miriam) were on hand to grind beans, hit the start button on the coffeemaker and keep the cups and tops available.
The looks on peoples faces as they come in and see food, coffee and calm faces with no consumer transactions (unless you feel like donating) is wonderful and worthwhile on any day, but especially on this day.

The Return of Absinthe

This is my kind of zealot...

nola.com story

Lunch on wheels

Musa, Veda and I biked to the French Quarter this week (me on my amazing 1970 folding bike bought last week from Recycle Bicycles at the Festivus Market), Musa on his recumbent, and Veda on her favored pink cruiser. Rolled past the silent and shuttered Lafitte Projects (a federal crime to see them closed for over 2 years while low-income housing needs rise), then did the Yooey (Uturn to peds) from Basin to get to Toulouse to enter the Quarter.


We stopped at Matassa's grocery, and let Veda go in to check the hot food counter out; She will find out if the food was made by the woman who has worked there 25 years or if it was pre-made, I guarantee you. Musa and I sit outside chatting with the regulars who hang out, discuss a new cell phone tower disguised as a round thing, and look at the rooftops, discussing the pitch of each, and whether dormer windows are a good or bad idea.


Veda finally comes out with a wrapped plate of black-eye peas with ham and 4 pieces of sausage, 3 pieces of French Bread and 3 beers. We ride to the river, find a bench and open the beers and the container, marveling at the taste and the amount of food that we got for 5.95. Really, 3 meals easily.
The beer is the new Abita IPA; quite excellent.
Veda reports details of the conversation that she had had with the Matassa's staff while we eat and drink; she asked them about each and every dish, ferreting out what was freshest and localest. There is a openness in New Orleans on these matters; food staff understand why we ask when the food was made (and who made it), if the seafood is local, or for a taste of everything before we buy it.
Because we care.
The local palate is sophisticated and sure of itself, so best to be upfront about the information brother, or they will come back to see ya after they eat...

After we ate and drank as much as we could (and packed the rest up), we got back on the bikes and rolled a bit more and then headed home, pleased with the choices we had made, and glad that we stopped at the smallest yet best food counter in the Quarter on that day.

I don't always find time to be healthy...

Talking to my friend Jennifer who lives in Cincinnati Ohio, about food and shopping on the phone on Sunday morning, I visualize a blog entry.
And even though it's outside my bioregion, it illuminates the work to build local food awareness...

As is our normal pattern, we veer from subject to subject and talk over each other whenever we want to get a point across, as only 2 friends for over 15 years can do.
As she squeezes her organic Valencia oranges with her hand cranking squeezer, we talked about her wonderful nearby small food store, Madison's and how she is back to (happily) using it for her shopping.
Madison's is a well known, well-respected Findlay Market outlet, and opened this second location in Northside (Norside to locals) within the last 3 years. The Findlay Market is an old shed market that has been rehabbed in the last few years. To see what it looked like before, find the Johnny Cash movie called "The Pride of Jesse Hellam", where Cash plays an illiterate miner moving to the city, and gets a job working for Eli Wallach's produce distribution company at the market. Fascinating.

The Over-The-Rhine neighborhood where the Findlay Market located is a neigborhood near downtown, about 3-5 miles from Northside, and is full of beautiful Italianate style brick buildings (actually the largest concentration of this style in the country Jennifer told me), but is also known as a very high crime area with appalling pockets of poverty, which has had its effect on the Market. The market does good business on the weekends, but has not been able to add as many weekday shoppers, which comes as no surprise to market managers around the country.

The Northside Madison's is only about 800 square feet, but attractively designed with a large window and great signs. The sandwich board sign marketing is ubiquitous in Northside, so you can drive down and see right away those who are open by the wooden signs near the street. Madison's adheres to the tradition with a nice version. They have won reader's choice for Best Buy Local store among others, and are known for amazing homemade gelato. (Don't get Jennifer started about the pink grapefruit sorbet...)

Jennifer works at a downtown law firm til 6:00, so doesn't get home til 6:30, which is tricky because Madison's is only open til 7 p.m. She can just make it to Madison's if she is not too tired, or if remembers to take a different exit off the highway on her way home. She tells me she got out of the habit of going to Madison's until recently because she was not buying fruits and vegetables on a regular basis, and instead eating takeout (albeit relatively healthy takeout) foods instead.

When I pressed her on a more specific reason as to why she stopped going, she first puts the blame on herself, labeling herself "lazy". She also mentions that she feels guilty not going to the farmers market on Saturday mornings, although Madison's carries much of the same local produce at this location.

Then she points out some simple customer service issues:

"I used to go to Madison's for the gourmet to go, but when they stopped carrying the soups I liked, I stopped going." she says. "Now, the guy they had working there has left, and now when I ask for stuff they get it in right away. I asked for the soups, and they brought them back."
Later she mentions:
"They also changed their hours; they used to be open til 8 p.m."

Jennifer is a good cook when she has time, and keeps routines for her week and her weekend that allows good shopping to be a part of it, if all the stars align. The more I talk to her about food, the more I see a regular person who wants to eat healthy, but thinks she must buy it in its raw form, or do it all the time to benefit. In other words, all or nothing.
When she gets out of the habit of cooking or has a quasi-junk food bender, it stops the trips to Madison's or Findlay completely for a while, instead of her continuing to supplement with some good food items among some not so great food items.

What I got from that was that outlets like Madison's must be very responsive to their smaller overworked client base, and find ways to be creative to keep these folks coming.
Maybe things like marketing a full healthy take home dinner for the first really cold night in Cincinnati and staying open a bit later for folks to pick it up that night.
Or, having a small nearby delivery service once a week (Madison's night), or even a call in number or email address to pre-order dinner or to have some groceries bagged and ready to go.
A weekly, informational html email newsletter has been a great marketing tool for markets to remind shoppers weekly about what is in season and available. Our small market has thousands of shoppers who subscribe and they tell us how much they appreciate it. Adding simple recipes is a must, by the way.

Overall, the move to these type of locally owned small footprint shops are the wave of the future, just as they were the only way to shop 50 years ago. What has changed is the pace of life for their customers, as well as their ability to know how to use a large number of fruits and vegetables in cooking. If Madison's is (I hope) to be the vanguard, then they will need to continue to adapt and assist their customers in reasons to show up for the next 50 years.

Glean the Planet

Glean the Planet is a web site designed to facilitate the
redistribution of community and individual food resources. The
site—www.gleantheplanet.com— offers both discussion forums and open
source mapping software from Google maps and Platial.com. By allowing
users to map specific locations and illustrate them with pictures and
additional detailed information, this mapping software helps people
facilitate the local sharing of food outside of monetary-based
economies.

A peek into how our buying club works...

So, we order our groceries monthly online (coopshopper.com) and then we work to fill the case minimums when the item in question is only available in larger quantities. This email below is one of our members working to fill her case choices....


Hi coop buying club members,

I am writing to officially "plug" some items I am trying to fill cases
for. You may notice I am essentially trying to get everyone in the club
on a dairy and sugar binge. But isn't that what the holidays are for?
Please consider ordering one of these things to fill out a case:

* Goat milk prodcuts: Every single month I try without any success to
order lots of goat milk products. Why? Goat milk is delicious, AND, more
importantly, goats aren't farmed on the huge scale cows are, aren't
generally given lots of antibiotics and hormones. Goat milk rocks! Widen
your horizons! Try some goat milks products! You will notice I have
started cases of the following delectable items:
- Swiss goat milk: try it, you might like it!
- Euro style Goat milk butter: I have had this and it is AMAZING. Yes,
its pricey, but it's really really good! They sell it at whole foods for $2 more than the
coop charges.
- Goat milk ice cream: Need I say more? Who doesn't want chocolate icea
cream? C'mon folks.

*Soy and rice milk prodcuts:
- I have ben trying for a while to order half gallons of Chocolate Silk,
which is basically chocolate soy milk. Once you have tasted it you will
not be able to live without it. Really.
- Rice dream pies: This is a rice milk icea cream sandwich. You will
love it. Delicious and way less fattening than regular ice cream. (OK,
yes, someone in my household is a major ice cream lover, you may have
figured this out by now.)

* Turbinado/Demerara sugar (in bulk): Do you drink coffee with sugar in
it? I do, every morning. This sugar isn't bleached, isn't refined in any way.
In other words, if sugar can ever be thought of as healthful, this is that
sugar. It's also very tasty and very pretty (large and attractive caramel
colored crystals). You can use it for baking (Thanksgiving pies?) or
anything else for your sugar needs. Whoo hoo!

* I have plugged the Passion Fruit juice in previous months, and people
did order enough for a case. Let's do it again! This is the best
beverage you will ever taste. And you know Nola is a cocktail town. Rum
and passion fruit juice? Hello? Yes!

*Half and half and heavy whipping cream. See a trend here? I love dairy!
The half and half goes along with the Demerara sugar for delicous morning
coffee. And... it's Thanksgiving time folks, and you KNOW you need
whipped creamon your pies.

* Here's something that isn't dairy OR sugar: Canned Tuna! I have
noticed that someone in the coop shares my obsession with Annie's Tuna
Spirals. Don't you need some tuna to go along with it? Mercury poisoning be
damned! We love tuna.

In closing, I must also add I have noticed that since the membership of
the buying club has gotten larger, this doesn't necessarily mean our cases
get filled. It seems like there are more cases opened that don't get
filled. Before you open a new case, check the "sharing items" section and
see if you can help others fill their cases. I've ordered some great stuff that
way that I never would have tried otherwise. That's part of the beauty of
a coop.

Local near and a little far

I just arrived back in town after 6 days out of the city, flying to High Springs Florida for 3 days, then to Houston Texas for the last 2 and half. Interestingly, the ability to stay near the Gulf Coast in or near my own bioregion made for a much easier travel for me it seems. No jet lag or shock over local food options.

I ate at a wonderful restaurant near High Springs called Deneno's (I think) and had a savory pumpkin ravioli with sage butter spiced by much laughter and biographical details being shared around the table with Sharon, AnneMarie, Val and Lucie (more on her later). Lovely evening.
I was also booked by Sharon (the farmers market manager and statewide voice on local food entrepreneurs) in a beautiful B&B called The Grady House run by Paul and Lucie (here she is) Regensdorf, 2 high-powered lawyers late from Miami.
Their story is they went looking for community and a more laid-back lifestyle and found it in this tiny town where outdoor activities like kayaking and hiking are its main tourist draw. (You also gotta see the town sinkhole, where they hold the open air farmers market. I had never seen one or knew they existed.) Lucie is one smart, no nonsense B&B owner, who takes real delight in presenting a gorgeous breakfast with items like croissant French Toast and wonderful filled biscuits.

When I got to Houston, I had booked a basic hotel in an area recommemended by my boss who knows food and knows funky. Even though I was on the edge of one of their godawful highways, I was able to walk in a neighborhood behind and find a great burrito place called Freebird's-where I ate a black bean and veggie with spinach tortilla with very fresh ingredients and a lively staff-and a couple of other local hangouts, one, of course, being the great farmers market off Richmond. Also went to a veggie Thai place with Bayou City farmers market manager, Jacquie (do you see a pattern here? The managers, not the veggies...)

I enjoyed both cities and the people, probably because I was able to be around local farmers, managers, food people who use their time and talents to further their sustainable food system. I found a fascinating connection in that all 3 areas grow satsumas, but view them quite differently: the High Springs area consider them lower quality citrus than other citrus, Houston has many varieties that I had not heard of on their market tables but only in very small amounts and, of course, New Orleans is in the middle of satsuma-mania right now. How illuminating to see the end result of now-unknown reasons for the valuing or de-valuing of some foods and how that changes modern selection and tastes?

I arrived back in Lagalou in the afternoon of Sunday; and dropped my bags and immediately got on my scooter to reabsorb my city's air, my city's smells (driving by Lil Dizzy's chicken aroma made me smile), and my city's peops; am going to drop by friends to see if I can find some leftovers in someone's fridge to get the local spices back in my system.

Stove sitting

I housesit for a lot of people. As a MidCity-er who is still working on building a new home for me and Maddie the dog, I have carefully dropped hints to all of my housed but traveled friends that I can be your eyes and ears for a few days or weeks when needed.
I must be convincing, because many generous people hand over their keys and tell me to have fun. Lucky aren't I?

When I am about to go housesit (or really I think of it as kitchen-sharing), I tend to daydream for a few days before about a real kitchen with an oven and a place to sit to eat that does not require me piloting my legs around the pole that holds up the FEMA trailer table. My trailer table is even more interesting than most as the things that the poles fit into are not spaced correctly, so one pole leans and is barely useful, so the table is not even secure. People tend to get up from the table, with the palm of their hand on the edge of the table as support-and everything goes flying off to the right. Always a interesting moment.
The FEMA stove top is fine. Powered by propane, it works well for the many days of stir fry or sauteeing I do for most of my fresh farmers market vegetables, and then I use a crockpot or a pot for beans and rice. Fine really.
But when I first opened the stove, I groaned. Literally too small for most dishes, each of the 2 rack levels are either right on the propane burner or an inch from the top of the stove.
still haven't found a good Calphalon dish 1 inch deep and 8 inches wide to fit...

So, no baking. No pears with honey and cloves, or eggplant and tomato casseroles, or persimmon bread (recipe thanks to Charlie Ramos of Lakeview who used to give his friends a week by week update on his front yard tree's ripening fruit), or even a place to keep one dish warm when I cook the other part.
So, when my friends go away, I am sad, but then not so much. Cuz I get to bring my 2 mesh bags of knives, woks, wooden salad bowl, spices and bags of produce from Saturday or Tuesday's market, find the cd player and get chopping. I feel good about using my time in my friend's house to decorate it with great cooking smells and to make a nice meal for myself and a friend or two (yes, visitors okayed by owner!) who I can finally treat to my food, as they probably have done with me.

I often wonder how the lack of ovens among New Orleanians for the last 2 years has affected our annoyance level. If we communicate through food, then the lack of it around the kitchen must explain some of our voting choices and maybe even the Saints issues. I see tons of tiny little kettle grills on front steps now that it is fall, but even that cannot make up for a big old gas stove in a kitchen with lots of counters and a open back door leading to some chairs and a cooler full of beer and cold drinks. Will it take us generations to reclaim the stop-by Sunday bbq, Monday red beans get together (Hey Dave and Anna!), or anyday crawfish boil,and if so, does that mean that until then we will we lose our easy city-wide camaraderie, our multi-generational connections-and worst of all- our greens with pickle meat recipes?