Honey

Thank you all for attending the Honey event hosted by Earthbound and the Oratia Farmers Market. We had a glorious day at the market, followed by a talk about beekeeping, honey and pollination by Karlene of Earthbound. After an educational Q & A we all enjoyed a honey tasting, salads with different honeygar dressings, a picnic, and good conversation. 

Thank you also to all the SFW members and friends who made and brought food to share, to Aldo di Cesare for the salads, and to Hanna of Mámor for her lovely handmade chocolates.

Rules and Regulations for Slow Food Waitakere

Rules and Regulations

for Slow Food Waitakere

Full name of the society: Slow Food Waitakere

Affiliated with: Slow Food International

We are a member supported non profit organization, and member of a worldwide network committed to changing the way food is currently produced and delivered.

Mission

Slow Food Waitakere is committed to protecting traditional and sustainable quality foods, conserving methods of cultivation, processing and preserving and also defending the biodiversity of cultivated and wild varieties of food.

The development of agriculture relies on the wisdom of local communities in harmony with the ecosystems that surround them.

Slow Food Waitakere believes that food should be good, clean and fair.

Good – tasty, flavoursome and fresh.

Clean – produced without straining the earth’s resources, its ecosystems and without harming human health.

Fair – respectful of social justice – meaning fair pay and conditions for all concerned with growing processing and delivery to the consumer.

We work to:

· Build networks to connect producers to co-producers

· Educate consumers of all ages

· Protect biodiversity

· Protect traditional food practices

The tasks of our Convivium as set by the international Slow Food statute are:

a) to promote the philosophy of the Association;

b) to develop around itself a local network of individuals who share the principles of Slow Food and work for their diffusion; this network is the local community of Slow Food;

c) to extend the Association’s organizational presence by recruiting more members;

d) to establish relationships and collaborations with public bodies, gastronomic associations, protective consortia, producer associations and communication media, in order to contribute to the development of sustainable food systems and awareness about food production;

e) to collaborate with other associations or entities for the protection of the environment and respect for nature, a necessary condition for the safeguarding of gastronomic heritage, as well as the defence and the promotion of traditional knowledge and diverse forms of popular culture;

f) to establish and maintain collaborative and convivial relationships with other Convivia; and

g) to implement activities of promotion and support for the Association’s international and national projects and programs.

Events and activities of Slow Food Waitakere are open to all, free or inexpensive, and aimed at benefitting the local community.

Any income, fundraising, benefit or advantage, must be used to advance the charitable purposes of Slow Food Waitakere.

No member of Slow Food Waitakere or anyone associated with a member is allowed to take part in or influence any decision made by Slow Food Waitakere in respect of payments to, or on behalf of, the member or associated persons, of any income, benefit or advantage. Any payment made to a member of Slow Food Waitakere or person associated with a member, must be for goods or services that advance the purpose of Slow Food Waitakere and will advance the charitable purpose and will be reasonable and relative to payments that would be made between unrelated parties.

Slow Food Waitakere is governed by a management committee of minimum five people. These committee members are elected for a one year term at an annual general meeting. All decisions are made by majority vote.

In the event that Slow Food Waitakere winds up its proceedings – all monies and assets will be distributed solely for charitable purposes. No person will benefit financially from any monies or assets of Slow Food Waitakere.

Slow Food Waitakere has been established and maintained exclusively for charitable purposes and is not carried out for the pecuniary profits of any individual.

The Slow Food Logo is protected by law. Slow Food International has the authority to grant permission for the use of the Slow Food trademark to territorial bodies of the movement and to third parties in accordance with provisions laid down in article 38 Slow Food International statutes.

More Slow Food for Children

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini ©

One more class in Ranui and once again the children were so keen and helpful. After picking fresh basil, oregano, tomatoes and green beans in the community gardens, the children made basil pesto andsautéed green beans with fresh garlic and tomato sauce.

Sautéed Green Beans with Tomatoes

 

Ingredients:

 

Green beans, plenty

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp olive oil

A few fresh ripe tomatoes

Salt to taste

Fresh oregano (optional)

 

Wash then top and tail the green beans. Peel the garlic and sauté with the olive oil. Add the tomatoes, washed and chopped. After 5 minutes add the green beans and salt to taste. Stir often and add a little water if necessary. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the green beans change colour. Add fresh oregano and serve.

Pasta al Pesto

 

Ingredients:

 

1-2 or more garlic cloves (to taste)

Plenty of fresh basil leaves

A pinch of salt

Nuts (optional)

Cheese (optional)

Olive oil, a few tablespoons

Pasta

Salt for the water

 

Using a mortar and pestle pound the garlic, fresh basil, and a pinch of salt. If you like add pine nuts, walnuts or cashew nuts.

You can also add some parmesan cheese, or feta cheese for a creamier pesto. Add olive oil until the pesto is smooth.

 

Cook the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water. Drain the pasta and mix with pesto. Eat immediately.

Picnic and Honey at the Oratia Farmers Market

Artisan Beekeepers Karlene & Terry, Earthbound Honey

Meet at the Oratia Farmers Market in the morning (market opens 9 am), enjoy the shopping,

get introduced to the stall holders, visit Artisan Wines or the cafe,

and then at 12:00 rendezvous in front of Terry and Karlene's Honey stall 

for a talk about honey, bees, pollinating, and more.

Enjoy a honey tasting followed by a picnic.

Bring something to share for the picnic, if you wish.

Free event

Saturday 28 March 2009

Oratia Farmers Market

at Artisan Wines 

- 99 Parrs Road - 

Oratia, Waitakere City

rsvp

alessandra@clear.net.nz

Maori Challenge for Food Writers

A discussion at the recent symposium for New Zealand culinary history highlighted that food writing about Maori cookery needs to be improved.

My paper at the symposium, titled ‘Reinventing the Hole’, looked at methods for cooking a hangi without actually having to dig a hole in the ground. A rather narrow area of study, for sure, but I found some interesting stuff. One theme to my findings was recipes for ‘oven hangi’ – food enclosed in a container and cooked in a domestic oven – for which I was able to identify a clear evolution of recipes. Secondly, there were specially-constructed devices, from converted beer kegs to purpose-built commercial-grade stainless hangi ovens. What these two areas prove is that average New Zealanders are adapting hangi to modern cooking technology.

I therefore reached the conclusion that Maori cuisine is alive and strong. And that’s where food writers have been falling short of the mark.

During my research, I found many books and articles that treated Maori cookery in, quite frankly, a patronising tone. This habit goes all the way back to the bad old days of New Zealand race relations, but there is no excuse in the 21st century to repeat any misinformation or condescension from the past.

A second point raised at the symposium held at the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology last October was that there has never been a single ‘recipe’ for hangi. For example, most food writing assumes that hangi can only contain fatty meat, cabbage and starchy kumara, potatoes and pumpkins. But in reality, almost every marae has its own tradition for earth-oven cookery. In coastal areas they will probably include seafood in a hangi.

So, if you're a food writer, the next time you're commissioned to write a story on Maori cookery, get in touch with your local hapu. Not only will writers be telling your readers a unique story, but they’ll be recording local food traditions for future researchers.

André Taber

Community Garden

Photos by Alessandra Zecchini©

Today I have signed the lease for the Slow Food Waitakere plot at the Ranui Community Gardens. The aim of the gardens is to create a leisurely environment through gardening and caring for nature that is fun and stimulating. The garden will be a place where people can make new friends and socialise with different cultures to share food and knowledge.

The objectives:

To promote fruit and vegetable gardening.

To increase fruit and vegetable consumption in Ranui.

To promote natural sustainable gardening, organic gardening and craft using traditional and permaculture principles.

To empower the community through skill development associated with the community garden.

To promote income generating concepts and self reliant projects.

To foster a community-wide inclusiveness and access.

To learn from, accept and respect other cultures in view or their diversities.

For the community garden ti be sustainable, (to keep operating).

Ranui Community Garden Coordinator Emma Cohen

Please contact me at alessandra@clear.net.nz to be part of the Slow Food Waitakere gardening group, or to visit the garden. Only with your support we can get things growing!