Thought for the month...

"If you are not hungry enough to eat an apple, you're not hungry."

New Year Promises

I was considering what to write to kick off 2011 and thought I should revisit why I joined Slow Food a few years back.

There was a Slow Food conference set up by Alasdair Crosby at Haute Vallee School. I was intrigued by the range of information offered there and decided to Google everything I'd made notes about. That led me to Michael Pollan.

If you ever need a single source of inspiration to realise the situation we find ourselves in when it comes to understanding food then Michael Pollan is your man. He is currently compiling a new book of homespun wisdom provided by readers to a New York Times article.

His book "In Defence of Food" provided me with the simple idea of "Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much." His twenty rules are sound examples of good advice. One of the best was"don't eat food your grandmother wouldn't recognise."

His investigations in to our eating habits and the science behind the food constructed for us really opened my eyes to what lies we are being pedalled and how much junk food surrounds the needs we have created. The choices of what we eat and how we cook it are ours.

Jersey has some of the best produce in the world promoted by some of the best chefs. Cultivate in the fields or found in the cold waters surrounding us. Reducing the distance from field to plate provides not just the freshest and nutritionally sound food available food but ensures we keep local producers employed. So by applying the common sense principle of buying local we realise the ambitions of both Slow Food and Fair Trade in one simple act.

Our small but growing band of Jersey Slow Food enthusiasts are trying to spread the message of "Good, clean and fair" and get as many people interested in promoting and eating good food. Cooking and eating are implicitly on our agenda for this year and we hope to see you at as many events as you can get along to.

We are also open to any suggestions for the kind of events you would like to see as this convivium is driven by its members. We would love to hear from you.

As for my New Year resolutions - eat as little processed food and adopt the simple idea of "eating less and moving more"... Happy New Year.

A message from Julia Quenault.

Slow Seasons Greetings and Happy New Year from your new Committee

We hope you are all well this festive season and would like to introduce you to the new committee and give you details of planned events for 2011.

We have 9 people on our committee:

Julia Quenault – group leader
Emma Hefford – treasurer
Rod Bryans
Katie Bryans
Ben Garland
Vicky Pemberton
Emma Carlton
Beppe Vernaglione
Terry Griffiths

We are all keen to provide an informative and fun set of events for 2011. If anyone has ideas for events then please let us know. You can contact us by email at slowfoodjersey@gmail.com..... Ben please complete this section

Our first event planned is for Thursday 3rd February, 7.30pm – “A Chinese meal with a difference”. Hosted by Lam at the Star, St Peters – Lam will be cooking a special meal for Slow Food members, including explaining his cooking methods/ingredients and the opportunity to go into his kitchen and watch him cooking. Cost £18 pp, drinks extra.

Please advise Julia as soon as you can on 07797 723885, email julia@cfs.o.je, if you wish to attend.

Other events that are in the process of being planned are:

Visit to the Liberation Brewery
Coach trip around Jersey’s farm shops
Attendance at the Food Festival planned for May – including a speaker
Pie competition
Cake Baking Demo – Sweet Inspirations – Emma Carlton
Indian cooking demo – posssibly by Cyrus Todiwala (the Proprietor and Executive Chef of the Café Spice Namasté restaurant in London and has been credited with an innovative and fresh approach to Indian cuisine in addition to being a champion of learning in the workplace).
Attendance at the Fish Festival in August

Further details about these proposed events will follow in the New Year.

Have a wonderful slow Christmas and we look forward to seeing you at some of the events in 2011.

Your Group Chair,

Julia Quenault

Menu for 18th November at Highlands

A cracking menu for a lovely night...

Appetiser:
Tortellini of fresh local Crab, creamed Leeks,
Curry-scented oil.

Starters:
Roast Butternut Soup with a hint of Chilli.
Or
Roulade of fresh and Smoked Salmon with Prawns,
Mixed salad Leaves.

Main Courses:
Oven-roast Breast of Chicken with Creamy
Vegetable Risotto.
Or
Baked fillet of Cod on homemade Pea Puree.
Parmentier potatoes, tomato beurre blanc sauce.

Desserts:
Warm Pear Frangipane with Vanilla Ice Cream.
Or
Bailey’s Cheesecake

£14.50

Slow Food Jersey's AGM

We postponed our AGM and decided to combine it with a trip to sample the delights at Highlands College restaurant.

So on November 18th the Head Chef at the Atlantique Restaurant in West's Centre is, along with the students, providing a special seafood menu. The cost is £14.50 for three courses and coffee.

Anyone can attend so invite who you like...

The college is open to the public on the following days and evenings;

Tuesdays       12. For 12.30. – Lunches (term time only) – 3 course + tea/coffee cost normally   £10.50
Wednesdays  12. For 12.30. – Lunches (term time only) – 3 course + tea/coffee cost normally   £10.50
Thursdays     6.30 for 7.00.pm – Dinner (term time only) – 3 course + tea/coffee cost normally £14.50


Restaurant re-opens Tuesday 11th January 


SPECIAL EVENTS COMING UP IN THE NEW YEAR


Tuesday 18th January – Healthy Eating Lunch
Wednesday 19th January – Big Breakfast

Monday and Tuesday 24th/25th January – Burns Night – this is run by our Culinary Skills students who attend an evening course

Thursday 27th January    – An evening working with Chefs from Bohemia Restaurant
Wednesday 9th February – Afternoon tea
Tuesday 15th February    – Valentines Lunch
Thursday 17th February  – Valentines Dinner


WEEK COMMENCING 21ST FEBRUARY – HALF TERM


Thursday 3rd March   – Restaurant closed for private function

Thursday 10th March – Italian night
Thursday 17th March – St Patricks Night Dinner

Thursday 24th March – Restaurant closed for private function

Thursday 31st March – An evening working with Chefs from Atlantic Hotel


WEEKS COMMENCING 11TH, 18TH AND 25TH APRIL – RESTAURANT CLOSED FOR EASTER BREAK


Thursday 5th May – Last Dinner production
Tuesday 10th May – last Tuesday lunch production
Wednesday 11th May – last Wednesday production

Food Blogs

One area we haven't covered is food blogs and a recent mention on Swiss Miss led me to Bitchin' Camero.

That led me to the Times top 50  food blogs followed by the Telegraph's Rose Prince choosing hers.

 I'll let you browse in peace...

Hamptonne: Slow Food Jersey AGM September 24th

This years Slow Food Jersey AGM is taking place at Hamptonne a much cherished Heritage site. On Friday the 24th at 7.30pm we are inviting anybody who is interested in joining Slow Food and wants to sample some of Jersey's fresh fish offerings from local fisherman Kevin Holden to come along.  The charge is £10 a head for non-members and £8 for members. (This just helps us recoup some of the costs.)

It's a Pot-Luck night which simply means you can bring some food along to share with others. There will be wine on offer and Kevin is cooking his catch of the day on a barbecue.

Don Thompson President of the local Jersey Fisherman's Association will be on hand to give us some insights to our local fishing industry.

This is a great opportunity to meet  like minded people who share an interest in what happens locally both in terms of Slow Food and Jersey's abundant produce.

Taste the Passion

Genuine Jersey have launched their new "Taste the Passion" campaign. The idea is close to the heart of Slow Food's ethos of reducing the distance fom the producer to the plate.
The "Taste" is all about us the consumer and what flavours we can find in locally sourced produce. The "Passion" is that of all those people who take the time and effort to put such great food on our plates.

We start with Egg week, Seafood and Organic produce. Over the coming weeks you will see posters and flyers for all manner of foods. Many of the producers are getting out to meet the public and finding out how well their products are received. We have also accomodated the idea of people writinfg to the producers to thank or make comment on their products and this idea came directly from a Slow Food meeting I attended.

This Island and its coastal waters is abundant with excellent food. We have rich fertile soil, cold clear waters and a moderate climate. All of these factors create top quality produce and rich harvests.

People are looking for transparency over their foods provenance, where did it come from, who was the producer, how has it been treated? They simply want to know that the food on their plates is of the best quality available at the right price and has travelled the least distance to get there. All of these criteria apply to most Jersey produce.

Local food, locally caught, grown or produced here is just that. Don't believe me ask Shaun Rankin a Michelin star chef. He is a great believer in what this Island has to offer as his new book and TV series soon to be aired will show.

2010 Fish Festival

Well it's over and everyone seemed to have had a terrific time.
There was loads to see and do for both kids and adults and plenty of local fish to sample. The stalls where heaped with lobster and scallops.

A massive Paella was a winner with the locals.

There were local brewers selling cider and local ales. Liberation had brewed a special lager called Jack Spratt just for the occasion.

Emma Carlton of "Sweet Inspirations", who has recently just been awarded three gold stars from the "Taste of Britain" awards for her Sticky Toffee Pudding was selling her delicious cakes and pastries.

Slow Food had a stand to spread the word and gain some new members..

Over 9,000 visited the event and sampled some of the best food and drink this Island has to offer. All of this was put together by an industry in decline.

Day after day these guys go out in all kinds of weather to fish these coastal waters, plentiful with all manner of fish, and don't really get the poilitical support they deserve.

That said because of this event everyone had a better understanding of what Jersey fishermen do to provide such great treats for us all.

Well done to them and everyone concerned and in particular to Don Thompson who had the original vision and the skills to make it happen.

Jersey Fish Festival

Saturday 17th July starting at 10.00am down on Victoria Pier is this years Jersey Fish Festival. Only the second time it has been run... 
They have some great food, plenty of local beer and and a full set of bands playing. Without doubt this is going to be a terrific event. Don Thompson and his cohort of helpers, Natalie, Steph, Doug and pals will be there to meet and greet you all. Look for the Crew shirts...Look out for the Pirates...

There's Robbie's sculling race, a flyover, Tina will have loads for the kids to make and paint, sand to play in, a touch tank loaded with local fish, food stalls, best dressed boat competition and a blessing for the fleet by the Dean of Jersey.

A Water Carnival, a boat race  and a "Man Powered Flight" competition all capped at 10.30pm by a massive firework display.

So as you can see you won't be disappointed. Slow Food will be there to talk to anyone interested in joining. The more people join, support our cause, the more we can do...