A Potluck Weekend

I hate to admit it, but I don't usually like potlucks. I have too many memories of church basements, school cafeterias and suburban split levels, where the best offering was Devilled eggs and the worst involved Durkee's fried onions.



So, I'm happy to report that the two "potlucks" I attended this weekend were swimming successes. It did help that the first was on a farm, one of the most sustainable family farms in the Midwest, Green Acres, and was attended by some of the best chefs in the city. Smoked leg of venison overseen by Roger Herring of Socca, eggplant, kimchee and cucumber salad by Bill Kim of Urban Belly and a variety of of other treats were to be had on a soggy, grey Sunday afternoon in North Judson, Indiana.



Good company and music was abundant. A little amusement as my son, Thor, directed the band in a nice version of Baba O'Riley.


Unfortunately, I was having too good a time at the second potluck to record it with pictures. We hosted a Slow Food Eat-In with 4 families from Thor's school. Inspired by Slow Food's roots, we organized an Italian farmhouse meal. In lieu of photos, I'll share our menu:

White Peach Bellinis

Shoestring Zucchini Fries with Red Pepper Sauce
Black Olive & Eggplant Crostini

Prosciutto & Arugula Flatbread
Verbena & Vinegar Chicken
Thinly Sliced, Grilled Sirloin Steaks with Arugula Pesto
Heirloom Caprese Salad
Pasta Salad
Grilled Corn

Fresh Peach Ice Cream
Cantaloupe Ice
Apple Crisp

My favorite new recipe is the Verbena and Vinegar Chicken, which is almost entirely a locavore recipe.

Verbena and Vinegar Chicken
4-6 Servings

1 chicken cut into 8 pieces
6 garlic cloves
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
the leaves from 1 long sprig of lemon verbena
freshly ground pepper

Mix the garlic, oil, vinegar, verbena and pepper in a shallow container suitable for marinating. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Remove from the cold and let the chicken come to room temperature. Remove from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Salt with kosher salt and grill until the chicken reaches 165 degrees.

A Slow, Soggy Lunch

Despite the weather, the Daley Plaza Eat-In was a great success. We had four full tables of diners enjoying lunches from City Provisions, Hannah's Bretzel, Gourmet Gorilla and Green Bag Lunch. The fruit provided enough of a draw for passer-bys to sign petitions to get good, clean food into our schools. Those names will ultimately be submitted to Congress to show support for real change to the Childhood Nutrition Act.



We had folks in corn costumes of multiple hues, farmers and kids. Mike Nowak led us all in a call out for good food: What do we want? Good food. How do we want it? Slow.



To get more information about Slow Food's platform on this issue or to host your own Eat In on Labor Day, click here

Photos Courtesy of Lynn Peemoeller, Slow Food Chicago

Time For Lunch

Tomorrow from 11:30am to 1:00pm, join Purple Asparagus in Daley Plaza as we participate in Slow Food's Eat-In to demonstrate our support for getting good, healthful food into our schools.


Sounds great, but what does this mean and why now? Is it because school's right around the corner? While the timing seems right in terms of focusing our attention to this issue, but there's more to it. At the end of September, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act, which authorizes all of the federal school meal and child nutrition programs, will expire. Does this mean that children will go hungry if Congress does not reauthorize the law? Not exactly.

The School Breakfast, National School Lunch, and Special Milk Programs are authorized permanently. However, many of the other programs such as the Child and Adult Care Food program, Summer Food Service Program, Afterschool Snack and Meal Program and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC), the WIC Farmers' Market Nutrtition Program and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program are not and would expire without further Congressional action.

Given the surging interest in local, sustainable foods, and the interest we've seen from the White House about this subject, we may finally have an opportunity to improve the foods supplied by the existing programs. We also should advocate for the National Farm to Table Program to finally receive funding. Congress established the Farm to Table Program in 2004, the last time that the Child Nutrition Act was reauthorized, gave it a $10 million authorization but never appropriated any funds to it. It may go without saying to those who read this blog that farm-fresh foods taste better. If the lunches taste better, it's pretty likely that participation in school lunch programs will rise among paying students and adults. Increased participation rates among paying customers means more money for school food services improving the financial viability of the programs.

Improving school lunches isn't just about giving more fortunate children an option to brown bagging it. This programs funded by the Child Nutrition Act make a real difference in lives of many in at-risk communities. According to the latest USDA data, 12.6 million children lived in households facing a constant struggle with hunger. During the 2006-07 school year, 8.1 million low-income children received free or reduced-price breakfast and 17.9 million free or reduced-price lunch. Getting better food in the schools to these children could make a lasting public health change.

If you care about these issues, speak out. Come to the rally tomorrow to join forces with other individuals and organizations who care about these issues. For more detailed information about tomorrow or to order your lunch beforehand, visit Slow Food Chicago's website

If you can't make it tomorrow, consider hosting your own Eat-In on Labor Day. To learn more, visit Slow Food USA's site.

Also, you can support Purple Asparagus's grassroots, on-the-ground programs in the schools by attending our annual fundraiser Corks & Crayons or participate in our online auction. For more details, visit our website. Finally, come to Cooking Up Change on October 29 at Salvage One to show your support for Healthy Schools Campaign, a national advocacy group working on all issues related to health in our schools.

To learn more about the Child Nutrition Act or the Farm to School Initiatives in Reauthorization, visit the Community Food Security Coalition to sign up for their listserv.