An open letter to Ruth Reichl from an Urban Garden in Chicago (cc: Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA)

Dear Ms. Reichl,

So glad that the combo of the lake and spicy beef seduced you this morning.  As a small garden in "The Second City" I'm flattered that you, a national figure and prominent New Yorker enjoyed your stay enough to tweet your love for my city :  "Sparkling Chicago morning. Walking along the lake munching spicy beef bao. Mouth on fire. Love this city. Such swell food - so little time." (@ruthreichl)

Sweet Potatoes and peas at the preSERVES
garden in North Lawndale.

That you sought out something spicy probably means you visited Argyle St. and were walking along the beach near Lawrence, am I right?  Good for you for getting out of the loop and using your time to explore a slightly less beaten path.  Another national figure and prominent foodie from New York, Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA, was in town this week and he too was initially drawn to the Asian flavors our city does so well on the north side too, tweeting  "Insane dinner at #bellyshack with my sister in Chicago. She knows where to go! My lord. Look out David Chang..."  (@joshviertel) 

Slow Food USA President Josh Viertel (left) with
Mr. Gerald Earles, Slum Busting Gardener since 1962.

I hear the food up there is wonderful.  Food's wonderful down here, south of 290, in North Lawndale too.  Seen from a car window travelling on Roosevelt Road, we look like a blueprint for the type of food desert in Chicago that NPR's Natalie Moore just profiled, but let me tell you, in mid August when my Crowder peas and Sweet Potatoes are so plentiful it takes a team to harvest, there is more hope than sand in my corner of town.  Come down next time your in town and meet Mr.and Mrs. Earles who have been busting slums with their gardens in this area since 1962.  Come meet Dr. and Mrs. Israel who are the current heads of the North Lawndale Greening Committee and who work with gardens, volunteers and families all around the neighborhood including at the Millennium Garden / Honey Coop space.  Come to the Chicago Honey Coop, where some of the city's best honey is produced by folks whose efforts and intentions go so far beyond food production.  Come to meet the people featured in this video tour of the area's gardens, which is worth watching more than once, especially if you've never met someone fighting to green a desert, one neighborhood garden at a time.  

Just come.  There is something special going on here in North Lawndale.  The people who have been defending the food traditions in their community for so long deserve a tweet or two themselves.  Next time you see Josh in New York, ask him about The Earles and all the other people he met, the stories they told, and the food they shared, then come see for yourself.  We'll save some sweet potatoes for you.

Yours,

The preSERVES garden at 12th and Central Park in Chicago

Editor's note:

All proceeds from Chicago TomatoFest 2010 will go towards completing the garden at 12th and Central Park.  We aim to provide funds to build a shed and a fence and provide tools needed for upkeep.  Food grown in the garden is shared with the community by the North Lawndale Greening Committee with a focus on school lunch programs.  preSERVES is a program started by Slow Food Chicago in coordination with Neighbor-Space and the North Lawndale Greening Committee.  $0.50 will be donated by participating restaurants from every "Old School BLT" sold between Aug 23 and Sept 19th. "Buy a Sandwich, Build a Garden!"   Our annual Heirloom TomatoFest at the Chicago Honey Coop will be held on September 9th.

Osteria Via Stato Summer's Eve Dinner!

The BLT Bonanza will begin with a bang at Chicago's own Osteria Via Stato, on Sunday, August 23rd. Executive Chef David DiGregorio has put together an incredible menu of tomatoey/baconey delights, including mini-BLTs with applewood smoked bacon, caprese salad with hand-pulled mozzarella, house made tomato focaccia, and baconcello (bacon infused vodka!). Candid Wines will be providing excellent wine, and special guest David Cleverdon of Kinnikinnick Farm will give an informal chat on the midwest tomato season.
Tickets are only $35, and part of the proceeds will benefit Slow Food Chicago! This will be a great evening with wonderful food and interesting discussion, so contact Osteria Via Stato's Events Manager Allison Galese at 312-642-8450 for reservations, or go here for more information.

UPDATE:

This event sold out in 48 hours! Stop by Osteria Via Stato for a taste of their Old School BLT's. From the OSV website:


Pizzeria Via Stato is a proud participant of the 1st Annual Slow Food Chicago Tomato Fest and Candid Wines Old School BLT Bonanza.

Here's Executive Chef David DiGregorio's version of the classic
BLT: SLAGEL FARM HICKORY SMOKED BACON, FRESH ARUGULA & SPRING VALLEY HEIRLOOM TOMATOES with HOUSEMADE PESTO MAYO $8.95

Chef David also suggest a glass of Seedling Farm Hard Cider ($7.00) as a perfect pairing.


(BLT Bonanza is for lunch only & only available while locally grown heirlooms are ripe!)

Chicago TomatoFest Closing Ceremonies at Socca!

The closing night of the BLT Bonanza promises to be beautiful and elegant at Socca, the "sleek but homey" bistro on 3301 N Clark. Chef Roger Herring and Chicago TomatoFest have invited some favorite BLT chefs (who will be serving their delicious inventions) and farmers. This September 20th event will benefit Slow Food Chicago, and will be a wonderful opportunity for farmers, chefs and food lovers to kick back and enjoy the last tomatoes of the summer!
More details on purchasing tickets to follow shortly.

Statement of Purpose: TomatoFest 2009

Chicago TomatoFest is Slow Food Chicago’s celebration of local heirloom tomatoes, promoting the people who grow, cook, and eat them.

Chicago TomatoFest celebrates the arrival of locally grown heirloom tomatoes with an annual potluck and, for the first time in 2009, The Old School BLT Bonanza. The city’s best chefs will promote local farmers by reinterpreting this American classic and making these summery creations available on their respective menus from August 17th to September 20th.

Restaurants participating in The Old School BLT Bonanza will sign a two-part pledge, promising to: a) use local heirlooms and (should they choose to use bacon) locally and sustainably raised pork, and b) publicly promote the farmers from whom they sourced these ingredients.

Chicago TomatoFest believes that a rising tide lifts all ships, especially when it comes to preserving our local food supply. We aim to:

1) Encourage individuals to plant their own food through our heirloom plant sale.
2) Create an annual event that will provide a sustainable market for heirloom varieties, encouraging more local farmers to plant them.
3) Facilitate relationships between farmers and restaurants to improve the accessibility of local products.
4) Promote biodiversity.
5) Generate media/public interest in heirlooms and other endangered tomato varieties on the Slow Food Ark of Taste by exposing Chicagoans to their unbeatable quality.
6) Promote Chicagoland restaurants that commit to our BLT pledge by buying from and endorsing local farms.

Honey Coop's Sweet Summer Solstice Party

Chicago TomatoFest's host, partner, and supplier of delicious local honey The Chicago Honey Coop is throwing a Sweet Summer Solstice party this Friday night, June 19th. Few organizations in Chicago have done as much with so little to promote urban agriculture, good food, and a vibrant local community than the Honey Coop. The Solstice Party, being thrown in conjunction with Slow Food Chicago, has as a goal to raise $10,000 that they will use to begin raising their very own honey bee queens, which will in turn make the coop a more sustainable local venture. At present, the Coop buys queens from folks in the southwest where the climate is warmer and the bees winter over without dying in the Chicago cold. This money will go towards keeping the colony alive and healthy here in Chicago, avoiding the annual costs of transport and repurchase of the queens.

From the Coop's blog: Only $15 per person ($10 for Co-op and Slow Food members). Bring a dish to share and a chair to sit on. We'll also be holding a raffle with great prizes including a private tour of the City Hall rooftop garden and beehives, a dinner for 2 at Brasserie Jo, a Joe Breezer Itzy folding bicycle, organic/biodynamic wine from Candid Wines and more. Reservations are required. Find out more here - Slow Food Chicago

Sadly, it does not look like anyone from Candid Wines can be at the event as Friday night is the same night as our fundraiser with Chicago Public Radio's Sound Opinions team and Clandestino. We'll be having a great time pairing wine and food with five decades of Chicago music. If you are interested in that event, details on the menu are here. To buy a ticket, visit the Sound Opinions page.