Texas Artisan Showcase – Slow Food Austin June 7, 2010

There is an exciting event coming up, that I’d like to encourage people to attend.  I’m very much looking forward to it.  Rather than just provide a link to this information, I’ve cut and pasted it from Slow Food Austin website. http://www.slowfoodaustin.org.

Slow Food Austin
presents
Texas Artisan Showcase

Date: Saturday, June 26th
Time: 4:00 – 8:00pm
Location: Space 12

Take part in this delicious revolution while sampling palate pleasing artisan foods that are all “good, clean and fair.” Enjoy what makes our state taste great: from beers and breads, cheese and charcuterie, to coffee and tea!  This family-friendly event will feature live music, a marketplace, silent auction, educational producer demos and a live auction finale by Dai Due Butcher Shop’s Jesse Griffiths you won’t want to miss!

For $60 ($55 for Slow Food members), you’ll get to enjoy 12 tasting stations, plus 6 more chances to revisit your favorites! Each station will serve a small “flight” of samples. Budget-conscious Slow Foodies have the option of a 12-punch ticket for $40 ($35 for Slow Food members).

Buy Tickets

A limited number of discounted ticket are available to local producers, farmers and their staff.  Please email betsyl@slowfoodaustin.org for more information. On-site childcare available, RSVP to president@slowfoodaustin.org to reserve a spot for the kiddos.

Confirmed Artisans/Producers

Beer: (512) Brewing Company

Spirits: David Allen (Tipsy Texan) and Bill Norris (Fino) will create “Slow Cocktails” using local spirits, mixers and herbs

Tea: Zhi Tea

Coffee: Summermoon Woodfired Coffee and Owl Tree Roasting

Olive Oil: Mary Beth Murphy (Piche) will host a 10 minute demo on olive oil demoBread: Bona Dea

Cheese: Pure Luck

John Antonelli of Antonelli’s Cheese shop, will MC a demo, while a producer performs a cheese making demonstration

Honey & Syrup: Guajillo honey (Thunderheart Bison), and Gause Yaupon honey from Boggy Creek Farm. Barrie Cullinan will provide her butter croissants for this and the following station

Produce: Green Gate Farms

Preserved Foods: Straight from the Vine, Thunderheart Bison jerkyCharcuterie: Dai Due Butcher Shop (Jesse Griffiths) and Kocurek Family Charcuterie (Lawrence Kocurek)

For the last demo of the evening and live auction, Jesse will break down a half hog donated by Richardson Farms, and a live auctioneer will auction off each cut.

Questions? Email Valerie if you need more information: valerieb@slowfoodaustin.org.

Beer: (512) Brewing CompanySpirits: David Allen (Tipsy Texan) and Bill Norris (Fino) will create “Slow Cocktails” using local spirits, mixers and herbsTea: Zhi TeaCoffee: Summermoon Woodfired Coffee and Owl Tree RoastingCheese: Pure Luck

John Antonelli of Antonelli’s Cheese shop, will MC a demo, while a producer performs a cheese making demonstration

Honey & Syrup: Guajillo honey (Thunderheart Bison), and Gause Yaupon honey from Boggy Creek Farm. Barrie Cullinan will provide her butter croissants for this and the following station

John Antonelli of Antonelli’s Cheese shop, will MC a demo, while a producer performs a cheese making demonstration

Preserved Foods: Straight from the Vine, Thunderheart Bison jerkyCharcuterie: Dai Due Butcher Shop (Jesse Griffiths) and Kocurek Family Charcuterie (Lawrence Kocurek)For the last demo of the evening and live auction, Jesse will break down a half hog donated by Richardson Farms, and a live auctioneer will auction off each cut.

No Grocery Store, Day 148 – Best Dinner Ever May 30, 2010

Yesterday was a busy day.  I skipped breakfast and went to the farmer’s market early.  The goal was to pick out a variety of local goodies, to prepare a dinner with my friends Christian and Jamie. (www.austinfoodjournal.com, http://www.violaandjean.com)  The only planned portion of the meal was Thunderheart Bison filets, which I already had.  I wanted for us to construct a totally local menu, from farmer’s market produce.

I took mom to lunch at Guero’s, because, Ranch 616 wasn’t open, and I had fish tacos.  Hate on Guero’s all you want, but they are consistent, and mom likes their food.

So, for dinner, I fired up the Big Green Egg.  I had already started preparing a recipe I saw Ina Garten make, with her local farm product.  It is basically a panzanella, but baked with parmesan.  Chopped heirloom tomatoes, garden basil, garlic, olive oil, toasted bread (Texas French Bread baguette) and Brazos Valley parm.

Preparing the tomato dish

Completed tomato dish

We decided on simply fried potatoes, fingerlings and red new potatoes. 

We put the Bison steaks on the Egg, and began the battle of temperature control, which I have yet to master.

Bison on the Big Green Egg

Christian came up with a reduced cream with Pure Luck Hopelessly Blue and got started on that.  The cream was from Way Back When, dairy.  I had purchased baby arugula at the farmer’s market, and for the topper to the meal, Christian tossed the arugula with Terra Verde Olive Oil and his own preserved Meyer lemons, which I had in my fridge.  (I already had the Pure Luck and Brazos Valley cheeses from Antonelli’s Cheese.)

The final product, turned out to be one the most enjoyable meals I’ve ever had.  And every thing in it, was local.

All Local Dinner

What a fun night, and I got to practice taking pictures on my new camera, with help from an amazing photographer.  These are the first images taken with my new Canon Rebel.  I”m still learning and still using total Auto everything.

Cooking, eating, and taking pictures with amazing friends.  What could be better.

Update:  Christian’s pictures are 9000 times better than mine.

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