Slow Foods and a Recipe

Years ago, before I was married, I belonged to the American Institute of Wine and Food’s local chapter. They are a group, started by Julia Child, Robert Mondavi and Richard Graff.
“The AIWF is dedicated to promoting health and well-being through the enjoyment of good food and drink and fellowship that comes from dining together around the table. The American Institute of Wine & Food is one of the few national organizations with the unique combination of dedicated wine and food enthusiasts and professionals. Wine and food enthusiasts get to meet and learn from renowned chefs, winemakers, authors, culinary historians, and food producers, while industry professionals have the opportunity to know and understand their core consumers. Today, the organization has 25 chapters with 4,000 members in the United States.”

But while a member of the AIWF I was introduced to a food movement called Slow Foods. As I was told, it was a movement against “Fast Food” and all the things that are inherently wrong with that way of life, such as poor nutrition, mass production of drought and plague resistant produce that contained no flavor, over processed foods and the distruction of the small farm. It sounded interesting and like a great idea, but at the time I was not ready to hear about Slow Food and I certainly didn’t think I had the time for anything slow at all.

Fast forward to this past week and I’m re-introduced to Slow Foods. My sister-in-law was here and we were talking about good, healthy food and easy, simply to prepare foods that taste great. She asked me if I had ever read any cookbooks by Alice Waters? I told her I knew nothing of the woman and she began to talk about how Alice has a restaurant and how she believes in using only fresh, locally grown foods and to eat seasonally. Immediately I was taken back to my first introduction to Slow Foods! I asked if Alice Waters was part of the movement, and although my sister-in-law did not know we later found out that yes, indeed, Alice was a significant part of this movement.

In her book, The Art of Simple Food, Alice sets out her ideas in a few propositions. They are to

1. Eat Locally and sustainably
2. Eat Seasonally
3. Shop at Farmer’s Markets
4. Plant a garden
5. Conserve, compost and recycle
6. Cook simply, engaging all your senses
7. Cook together
8. Eat together
9. Remember that food is precious

I know they seem both simple and daunting at the same time. How do I do all of these things, with my current very busy schedule? The first thing I am trying to do is to take small steps and make them habit. This year we have been lucky enough to have joined a local farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Which simply means that back in February we paid the farm a sum of money in exchange for fresh produce in the summer months. What this meant was that the farm could use our money up front to plant and sustain the farm during the winter months and then we would reap the benefits once the produce was harvested. It is sort of advanced payment of the fruits and veggies, and at a discounted price. This simple step has allowed us to make gains towards eating locally and sustainably, eating seasonly and to shop at farmer’s markets (only we buy from just one farmer!). We don’t eat exclusively these foods, but it has helped us to cut back (almost completely) on canned or frozen foods produced in other states and countries.

Next we planted a very small garden. It isn’t much this year, just a few tomato plants, strawberry plants and some herbs, but it is a step in the right direction. We are hoping next year to open up a larger bed in the back yard and plant some other veggies that we love. I am thinking beets because they are pretty harty and the whole family loves them. See, baby steps that become habit and are easy to sustain. And I’m hoping to start a compost bin. That is my next step.

Then I will start to tackle some of the other ideas such as cooking simply. I think I’m almost there already, because truthfully I don’t have the time to prepare elaborate meals and truthfully fresh, organic, locally grown produce doesn’t need a lot of extras. They just taste good as they are. I actually think some of the harder ones for me will be to cook together. I like to be in control and with a child on the autism spectrum sometimes it is hard for him to follow directions. I know that means I need to give him the opportunity even more, but I’m not naturally inclidned to do so. Something I’m working on – see back to the baby steps that become habits.

Well, after all that, I’m sure you would like a recipe that is both a Slow Food and of course GFCF, so here it is. Alice has a great recipe for Peach Salsa, so that is what I made and what I’m going to share with you.

Peach Salsa,
2 ripe peaches, peeled and diced into a medium dice. (I used beautiful white peaches!)
1/2 small red onion, diced fine (I used a white onion because it is what I had at the time)
1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded and veins removed, diced fine (I used 3/4 jalapeno pepper)
juice of 1 lime
salt (I used orgain sea salt)
1 to 2 Tbs chopped cilantro (remember that cilantro is a natural chelator and removes heavy metals from your body!)

Mix all ingredients together and taste for salt, heat and acid. Adjust if necessary. Enjoy over grilled fish, chicken or pork, or as a yummy salsa with tortilla chips. We had it with grilled fish.

Alice suggests alternatives:

• substitute other fruits for the peaches such as papaya, mango or melon.
• substitue 2 green onions for the red (or in my case use a plain white onion)
• Add 1 small avacado, peeled, pitted and diced.