Think Small, Buy Local

Slow Food Phoenix aims to bring produce closer to home

Written by: Rachel Williford
Photography by Carole Topalian

Convenience. Timeliness. Cost. In today’s fast-paced society, there are many clear reasons why the business of fast food has attracted a wealth of on-the-go followers. However, in the midst of all this pre-packaged expediency, some argue that fast food has cost us much more than it’s saved. In an effort to preserve health, agriculture and local food traditions, supporters of a world-wide trend, now 80,000 strong, are urging you to slow down.

Slow Food International is a movement that began in Italy in 1986 in protest to a large fast-food chain restaurant establishing itself on the Spanish Steps in Rome. Slow Food’s founder, Carlo Petrini, was offended by the industrialization of food, which he believed was lowering quality, taste and the availability of a wide variety of produce and meats. His plan seemed simple enough: remind people that they have a choice when it comes to what they eat; instead of eating what is readily available, people should seek out local alternatives. After speaking on the idea’s behalf at every opportunity, the Slow Food Movement was born and today is active in 50 countries.

Once Slow Food groups, called “conviviums,” became established in the US, the movement grew very quickly. A local convivium, currently under the leadership of Pamela Hamilton and David Johnson, was established in Phoenix over seven years ago and has garnered much support. “People were ready to embrace the methods,” says Pamela Hamilton, co-leader of Slow Food Phoenix. “In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, maintaining Slow Food principles helps us to reconnect with the local community: the people who grow and sell our food, the people who prepare the food, and the fellow diners around the table.”

The organic trend has also helped the cause of Slow Food, but the topic is a bit controversial. “There is still some confusion [about organic foods] in peoples’ minds,” Hamilton explained. “One of my pet peeves is when someone walks into a local Farmer’s Market and asks the farmer, ‘Is this organic?’ instead of asking the more important question of, ‘How is your food raised?’” Often, you’ll find that local farmers follow organic principles, but, because they’re small farms, the cost to get certified is high. “Yes, an organic certification is wonderful,” says Hamilton, “but that’s not the only thing that people should be thinking about. Organic doesn’t mean small, and it doesn’t mean local.” Because of the organic trend, the term “organic” has almost become an elitist label slapped on veggies in an effort to raise the sticker price. Would you spend more for a Prada potato? How about a Chanel carrot? “The point,” says Hamilton, “is that you should ask questions and make your decisions based upon what is important to you.”

The main role of the Slow Food Phoenix is education. “We help people to find out about a particular food product, local farmer or producer,” explained Pamela. “And we have the fun side as well, which usually involves tasting something wonderful along the way.”

Many projects have been undertaken over the last few years with the support of local chefs, cooking schools, farmers, producers and other like-minded organizations. Educational events highlighting specific products such as honey, tomatoes, chile and chocolate give the public opportunities to meet and support local farmers and producers while experiencing the quality and economic benefits of native foods.

There are also numerous health benefits to eating “slow.” Part of enjoying “clean food” is that it is grown sustainably. So, whether your food is pesticide-free, raised without hormones or organic where appropriate, you can be confident that what you are consuming has been grown or raised in good conditions. Also, a lot of the products are highly beneficial; fruits and vegetables, especially local native foods, are packed with important proteins and antioxidants. Other foods – like a wonderful fatty sausage – should be enjoyed in moderation, but are still a treat to indulge in.

But with all the obvious benefits to eating slow, there is still that other attractive factor to eating fast food: the cost. Though many aspects of slow living are easy and free, like asking your favorite restaurant where they get their produce to encourage local purchasing, there are membership and event fees that can cost well above a nice meal. However, the monetary cost of being a member seems like a pretty good deal when you look at the goals of the organization. “Our aim is to make pricing of local food appropriate,” said Pamela. “If you’re compensating someone fairly for their labor, then that may or may not be more expensive in terms of what you pay directly.” But when it comes to the overall cost to society in terms of people’s health, the amount of distance the food travels, social fairness, preserving the land, and the ecological effects, according to Hamilton, “If you were to put a dollar value on all of those things, then the food becomes a bargain.”

And what if the principles of Slow Food became the wave of the future? “If everybody decided that Slow Food was the way to go,” said Pamela, “then we would keep both the existing farmers that we have and add some new ones; we’d be a bit more aware in terms of our ecological policies of water, land use and preservation; and we’d do a better job of taking care of the overall environment from a cultural standpoint. We’d also be able to find native foods at all of our local supermarkets, and people would actually be sitting down and having dinner with their families.”

One-year memberships to Slow Food USA are attained through the local or national website, with rates varying for students, individuals or couples.

Slow Food Phoenix, www.slowfoodphoenix.org
Slow Food USA, www.slowfoodusa.org

Small Changes Can Make a Difference
Six easy ways to incorporate Slow Food philosophies into your life:

• Ask where your food comes from, whether you are at the store or in a restaurant.
• Shop at a farmers’ market.
• Try some traditional native foods such as mesquite, tepary beans, cactus, chiles or churro lamb.
• Plant a fruit tree, some herbs or a garden.
• Volunteer with a school garden program.
• Share a meal of good, clean, fair food with someone you care about.

Plum, Prickly Pear and Mesquite Crumble
Recipe and image courtesy of Seasonal Southwest Cooking (Northland Publishing, 2005)

The topping of this dish contains mesquite powder, or flour, which is made from pulverizing the pods of the mesquite tree, which is native to Arizona. The flour is available at specialty and health food stores or from Native Seeds/SEARCH at www.nativeseeds.org.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean, split open
2 lbs. plums (about 8-10), pitted and sliced
4 prickly pear tunas

Crumble Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup mesquite flour
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

Preparation:
In a large saucepan over medium high heat, combine water, sugar, cinnamon stick and vanilla. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Stir in the plums and set aside. Carefully remove the skins from the prickly pear tunas as they may still have some stickers in them. Put the peeled fruit in a food processor and puree. The mixture will not be smooth as the hard black seeds will still be present. Strain the mixture into the pan with the plums. Remove the cinnamon stick and the vanilla bean, if using, from the saucepan and discard or save for another use. Spoon the fruit mixture into a 7”x11” baking pan and set aside.

Crumble Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, mix together the flours, oatmeal, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. With a fork or your hands, work the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Spoon onto the fruit mixture and bake until top is crisp and plums are softened, about 45 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes. Spoon dessert into bowls or onto plates and top with ice cream, if desired.

Yield: 8 servings