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CANCELLED – Lucky to be Local

Due to lack of ticket sales, we have had to cancel our Lucky to be Local Event. We’re super disappointed, first because we wanted to have an opportunity to connect with our supporters over good food, and second, because this would have been a one-of-a-kind evening. Nowhere else in Saskatoon would you get to experience this mix of chef talent, businesses committed to local food, and local producers in one room. 15 tables with appetizers, plus drink samples, for the price of admission.

We are committed to supporting our local businesses, so this was not set up as a trade show. We had arranged to pay producers for their products, and chefs for their expenses to attend the event. Which is why we needed a certain number of tickets to make it work. We apologize for the inconvenience to our suppliers and chefs, as well as to those who had purchased tickets. Refunds will come later today.

We understand it’s a difficult time to be holding events, so next time we’ll apply lessons learned and give everyone some more lead time for planning and promotion purposes.

I love the connections I got to make just in planning the event, and the good will is palpable. And I know some new connections were made between chefs and suppliers, which I hope will continue. Watch for events coming up in the Fall!

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Tickets on Sale for Our “Lucky to be Local” Fundraiser

Slow Food Saskatoon is back! After three years of hiatus our team of amazing volunteers is ready to start raising funds to strengthen the Slow Food community in Saskatchewan.

Since 2020, we have had to postpone our events and instead invested our funds in our community member organizations. Instead of sponsoring young chefs or local food supporters to attend Terra Madre, Slow Food’s international conference in Italy, we gave back to local slow food businesses struggling during COVID closures. But we’re ready to get back to what we do best – connecting chefs, producers and the community over locally grown food and drink.

SLOW FOOD SASKATOON PRESENTS: 
Lucky to be Local Cocktail Evening

An evening of connecting with local producers, distillers, brewers and chefs.

Meet us in the beautiful Avenue Room to sample appetizers, cocktails and mocktails featuring local ingredients from field to shield while talking to local producers and chefs. 

Some of our participants include: 
The Night Oven Bakery
Farm One Forty and Odla
Pig & Pantry
Saskatoon Spruce Cheese
9 Mile Legacy
Black Fox Farm & Distillery
Fresh Dish Catering
Boreal Heartland
Floating Gardens
Grassland Greens
Hunting Season Spices
Those Girls at the Market chocolate
Naturally Amped fermented foods
Kinsmen Glory Farms

Many more chefs, and many more local ingredients including honey, charcuterie, lentils, wild mushrooms, microgreens, to name a few!

Where: The Avenue Room (119 3rd Avenue S)
When: 6 to 10 pm, May 11, 2023
Regular Tickets: $60
Students and Underemployed: $40
Get Tickets Now

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“Field to Shield” Dinner Sunday, Oct. 6

Slow Food Saskatoon presents a new take on our annual fundraising dinner. In honour of fall suppers across the Prairies, we are hosting a “Field to Shield” Dinner on Sunday, October 6, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Fresh Dish Catering’s kitchen on the University campus, 114 Seminary Crescent.

While planning and hosting the Slow Food in Canada National Summit last year, we made some exciting connections with food foraging organization, Boreal Heartland, in La Ronge. We have been partnering with them and supporting them wherever possible, and this dinner is a way of melding the foraged bounty of the north of our amazing province with the cultivated bounty of the Prairies in the south. A representative of Boreal Heartland will be at the dinner and speak briefly on the important community development work they are doing with Indigenous communities, supporting local economies with the sustainable and culturally appropriate harvesting of non-timber forest products.

This dinner will blend together our northern and southern harvests into one stunning spread, with a locally-raised lamb as our main course. All the cuts will be prepared in multiple ways, with vegan options for a main dish and side dishes also available. Several features of our previous ‘Eat These Words’ dinners will be available, with a silent auction and raffle selection of food, drink, experiences, and book collections for the winning.

As always, we have an impressive team of chefs preparing the dinner. Chef Jenni, Fresh Dish Catering‘s Evelyn Reisner, and Canoe Oysters‘ Wesley Gendron are generously donating their time and considerable culinary talent to this event. You won’t get this combination of culinary skill at any other event in the city!

The Menu

Are you ready for this? Here is the menu for our dinner.

On every table:

Charcuterie Board including local cheese, roasted wild rice mix, lamb terrine, cured & cold smoked lamb, pickled fiddleheads

Main dish (served buffet-style):

Baby greens salad with wild blueberry dressing

Stuffed lamb leg with wild mushrooms, wild harvested herbs and jus

Vegan option: Roasted stuffed Black Fox pumpkin

Smashed, roasted local baby potatoes

Oven roasted rutabaga

Bannock with rosehip butter

Dessert

Barley-lingonberry pudding

Get Your Tickets Now!

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Slow Food Saskatoon Partners with Camp Tamarack to ensure kids with learning disabilities enjoy good clean and fair food at summer camp

Slow Food Saskatoon has announced our spring volunteer project. We are offering the cooking skills of our chef members and access to fresh, local food to the kids attending Camp Tamarack this summer. Slow Food Saskatoon and Camp Tamarack are calling for food and packaging donations as they prepare soups, stews, baking, and healthy snack items for the camp.

“We’re so grateful for Slow Food Saskatoon’s support of Camp Tamarack,” says Tamarack Foundation President Sharon Thomas. “Diet is extremely important to children with learning disabilities and we want to educate children on the importance of healthy eating.”

“We’re pleased to be able to support Camp Tamarack,” says Slow Food Saskatoon Leader Noelle Chorney. “Slow Food is committed to good, clean and fair food for all, with a special emphasis on connecting with youth. This is a great opportunity. Plus, Slow Food Saskatoon has a great team of chefs and caterers that love to feed people, so it’s a fun project for us to take on!”

The Tamarack/Slow Food partnership is reaching out to food retailers and wholesalers to access meat, dry goods, frozen fruit, packaging, and other items that can be used to create make ahead meals and snacks for 400 kids attending the camp in July and August.

For a specific ingredient list, contact Slow Food or Camp Tamarack. Contact Evelyn Reisner of Fresh Dish Catering at 306-262-5586 to arrange delivery or pickup of donations.

About Slow Food Saskatoon

Slow Food Saskatoon is a grassroots community of chefs, policy supporters, farmers and food activists who support good, clean and fair food, and like to mix joy and justice. For more information: www.slowfoodsaskatoon.com

About the Slow Food movement

Slow Food is an international non-profit organization. Its cultural, environmental and social mission is the recognition of the central role of good, clean and fair food. For more information: www.slowfood.com

About Camp Tamarack

Camp Tamarack has been helping children with learning difficulties since 1977. The children and their families see Camp Tamarack as a place where children experience success, find a friend, and realize that learning can be fun. These experiences follow them into their classrooms and create a foundation for a successful life.

Camp Tamarack is supported by the Tamarack Foundation, a duly registered Canadian charity, and operated by a Board of Directors made up of professionals with varied business backgrounds, as well as parents who have the common desire to make a difference in the lives of children with learning difficulties – diagnosed or undiagnosed.

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Speech from our September 30 Vegetarian Dinner – Some Inspiration from Terra Madre 2018

I would like to begin by acknowledging that this event is taking place on Treaty 6 Territory and the homeland of the Métis. I pay my respect to the First Nations and Métis ancestors of this place and reaffirm our relationship with one another.

My name is Noelle Chorney for those of you who don’t know me—although I do see many friends in the audience—thank you so much for coming. I am the leader of Slow Food Saskatoon. My steering committee, made up of people whom I have come to love dearly, nominated me to attend Terra Madre, Slow Food International’s biannual conference in Turin, Italy. We also sponsored Jessica Kormos, food services coordinator at Station 20 West to attend.

I had been told that the experience would be transformative. In my case, I feel as if I am continually transforming, and Terra Madre was the most recent of many transformative experiences for me in the last few years. But it does something to you, spending a week with people who are as committed to a cause as you are. I feel closer to my Canadian and North American counterparts and have had many important conversations about what this grassroots movement means and how it is evolving on Turtle Island.

What I would like to share with you tonight is the gift that I believe the Slow Food movement brings to the world. Thanks to my recent travels, I now fully understand it and feel more committed to Slow Food as a result.

For those of us who care about the welfare of our planet and the survival of humanity, and I believe I’m in good company tonight, it is a daunting time. There is so much change that needs to happen, and so much work to do. I see the struggle of the social activists I know—the frustration bordering on despair.

When I think of one word that makes Slow Food stand out from other similar movements, that word is enjoyment.

It isn’t surprising that Slow Food was founded in Italy. Visiting there for the first time, the richness and level of integration of the food culture assumes enjoyment first. That appears to be what the culture is founded on. And when I think about North America in contrast, enjoyment rarely comes first, and is almost always separated from ‘real life’ or the work that needs to get done. I see the preponderance of guilt from the puritanical overlays that many colonizers brought with them.

We have so much to feel bad about. Feeling good, in fact, seems frivolous. We may believe we don’t deserve to feel good. And we definitely shouldn’t feel good while fighting to end suffering. We feel as if we deserve to suffer as long as there is suffering.

The work to right all the wrongs is never ending and overwhelming. That is true.

What is also true is that joy is a far more life-giving and affirming fuel source than anger or despair. And for myself, I was never able to commit to anything that didn’t also feel good. And while I always knew that everything about Slow Food appealed to me, it wasn’t until I heard this statement from Slow Food USA leader Richard McCarthy that I realized why:

“We live in the magical space between the joy and the justice.”

For the longest time I have been describing Slow Food as an organization that promotes good, clean and fair food for all. That’s the elevator speech, but it lacks the joy that we are speaking of.

What Slow Food really is, is a social change movement that is thoughtful and complex. None of the issues are black and white. And those who are committed to Slow Food are working for many different causes:

  • If you care about animal welfare, you have a place in Slow Food.
  • If you care about biodiversity, you have a place in Slow Food.
  • If you care about Indigenous rights and sovereignty, you have a place in Slow Food.
  • If you care about women’s rights, you have a place in Slow Food.
  • If you care about climate change, you have a place in Slow Food.
  • If you care about food access and food insecurity, you have a place in Slow Food.
  • If you have ever felt the sense of nourishment—the joy—that follows a meal, grown, harvested, prepared and served with love, and you wish for that feeling for the entire world, and see the healing potential of that joy, you have a place in Slow Food.

If you care about any combination or all of the above, come talk to me or my kick-ass team about how to get involved. We are living proof of what you can accomplish when you’re fuelled by joy—such as hosting the Slow Food in Canada National Summit last April, the meal you have just enjoyed on Black Fox’s beautiful property, or our next big project, Camp Snail, in partnership with Camp Tamarack—we are planning a Slow Food weekend of foraging workshops, cooking lessons and gathering around tables and campfires in celebration of local food. Mark your calendars for the weekend of June 7 & 8, 2019.

We are energized by the experience of living in that magical space between joy and justice, and whatever your cause, we acknowledge that the revolution will look different from where each of us stands. And we need every single one of those perspectives to reach the tipping point. We also acknowledge your part in the revolution, and on behalf of Slow Food Saskatoon, from the bottom of our hearts, we wish you joy in your own quest for justice.

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Menu Set for September 30 Fall Supper at Black Fox

Our pumpkin-themed fall supper, taking place during Black Fox’s annual pumpkin festival, is only two weeks away. Tickets are available on Picatic. We’re excited to share our menu for this four-course vegetarian and vegan-friendly dinner. Four of our chef committee members have teamed up to offer some amazing dishes. Tickets are only $40 for adults. Kids are also welcome, with reduced pricing for kid-sized portions.

We’re serving:

  • Éloté, a Mexican-inspired roasted corn salad with pumpkin-cashew cheese by Michael Beaulé
  • Coconut curry squash and pumpkin soup by Carole Gallagher
  • Pumpkin, vegetable and lentil terrine with mustard gin sauce by Chef Jenni
  • “Fall miniatures” for dessert—you’ll have to see it to believe it—crustless pumpkin pie in the shape miniature pumpkin and a tiny caramelized pear [vegan dessert will differ] by Evelyn Reisner

Spend an evening on Black Fox’s beautiful property, enjoy a cocktail with dinner, and learn a bit more about Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2018. Noelle Chorney, our Slow Food Saskatoon leader will be just returned from this transformative event and will be speaking (briefly) at the dinner.

We’ll also be announcing our next big project (it’s exciting and ground breaking). This is a fundraising dinner, so come prepared to buy some 50-50 tickets!

 

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Mark your calendars for these upcoming events!

Happy Summer to all!

Slow Food Saskatoon has officially recovered from the Slow Food National Summit, held in April. We have celebrated our successes, taken a good rest, and are ready to get going on some new projects.

We’re happy to report that we met our goals to raise enough funds to send two members to Terra Madre, the biannual International Slow Food Conference in Turin, Italy this September. Noelle Chorney will be going from the leadership committee, and we are also sending Jessica Kormos, food services coordinator at Station 20West. Jessica was a great asset during the planning and preparation of our Pimatisiwin Dinner Theatre during the Slow Food National Summit, and we are excited to immerse her even more into Slow Food Culture. We will share more of our experiences when we return.

Closer to home, we are committed to creating a variety of good, clean and fair food experiences for everyone. Here are some upcoming events. We hope you put them in your calendar!

Wednesday, August 8, 6pm-8pm
Slow Food Saskatoon Annual General Meeting
Lutheran Seminary, 114 Seminary Crescent, U of S Campus

We are opening up our AGM to the general public, inviting anyone who is curious about Slow Food and wants to learn more about what our local community is up to, to attend this potluck event.

Bring your favourite dish made with local ingredients, and share with us what kinds of events and experiences you would like to have around Slow Food.

Tuesday, August 28
A Walk in the Woods
Eagle Point Lodge, La Ronge, SK

This will be a trek worth making: A Walk in the Woods is a day in northern Saskatchewan, where you will be taught some tips on foraging from local wild crafters and learn about the food you can find in the northern woods. The day will end with a wild-crafted meal prepared by Slow Food committee member, Chef Jenni. Several of the Slow Food Committee will be making the trip to La Ronge. For more information, see the attached poster.

Sunday, September 30, 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Vegetarian Fall Supper
Black Fox Distillery

We’re excited to announce that we are partnering with Black Fox Distillery to wrap up their annual pumpkin festival with a Slow Food Fundraising Dinner. We also heard loud and clear during our planning for the Slow Food National Summit that vegetarians and vegans would have liked to participate, but some of the meals (like the Indigenous food systems dinner) were meat-heavy.

This meal will celebrate the autumn vegetable harvest and be 100% vegetarian, and vegan-friendly. More on the menu and tickets very soon! For now, mark the date. We hope to see you there!

Monday, December 10
Terra Madre Day

We would like to encourage our local Slow Foodies to celebrate Terra Madre Day with their own locally-inspired meal among friends. We will share some more ideas on social media as the day approaches.

June 2019
Announcing: Camp Snail, a weekend Slow Food Eat-treat

Slow Food Saskatoon has started planning a weekend escape for a weekend next June, at Camp Tamarack near Prince Albert. Imagine a weekend away from it all, sleeping in cabins like you did at camp when you were a kid, except this time the activities centre around eating and cooking!

Our initial brainstorm brought up ideas about foraging classes, cooking classes, making take-home freezer meals to remember us by while leaving some for the kids with learning disabilities who will be attending Camp Tamarack come July. Stay tuned for more information on how to register–planning is in its early stages, but we’re hoping this turns into an annual event.

Come to our AGM to let us know what sorts of activities at Camp Snail you would like to experience.

In the meantime, enjoy the local bounty this summer.

Yours slowly,

Noelle Chorney,
Leader, Slow Food Saskatoon

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Pimatisiwin: Living the good life through Indigenous Food Systems dinner theatre

Pimatisiwin is a powerful word for Indigenous people. It literally means “good life” but the English translation does not account for the deep meaning encompassed in the word. In very simple terms, Pimatisiwin means living a life fully and completely according to your community’s values. It includes both the material aspects of life and the spiritual ones.

On April 20, the Slow Food National Summit will host a dinner that celebrates Indigenous culture and food. Alongside a delicious meal, people will be able to see a performance of Curtis Peeteeuce’s Pimatisiwin. Peeteetuce is the artist in residence for CHEP, and CHEP has generously offered the play as part of this unique dinner theatre experience, specially for the Summit. The play tells the story of the Kihew family, the food they eat and how it affects their physical, mental and spiritual lives.

Dinner Menu

Charcuterie:

  • Sliced Buffalo Tongue
  • Smoked Duck Breast
  • Moose Smokies Bites
  • Picked Juniper Carrots
  • Rosehip Butter
  • Mushroom & Green Onion Dust Popcorn
  • Bannock

Family Style Main Course:

  • Chokecherry Glazed Mixed Wild Meats Meatballs
  • Lentils with apples
  • Mixed wild meat stew
  • Roast Heirloom Squash with Wild rice

Dessert:

  • Cornbread bread pudding with Wild Saskatoon Berries with Birch Syrup Whipped Cream

To Drink:

  • Muskeg Tea
  • Local Mint Tea
  • Water

 

Get your tickets today! Non-members and members invited to join us for this amazing food experience.

Special thank to our sponsors for this event: SIGA, CHEP, The Better Good, and Outlook Locker Plant.

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The best kind of lunch’n’ learn: Local food trail farm tour and lunch

Make sure to rise early and catch the bus on April 20 for a farm tour that showcases some of the local producers that provide Saskatchewan with delicious vegetables and greens, pasture raised meats and much, much more.

The farms we’ll be visiting on this tour are:

After the tour make sure to stay and join us for a Mennonite lunch, which will include:

  • Local farmer’s sausage
  • Local verenyky
  • Cream gravy
  • Floating Gardens salad greens
  • Tarts with berries from Anna’s Orchard

Sounds like a good way to spend a Friday morning? Make sure to purchase your tickets today!  Bus will be leaving the Parktown Hotel at 8:30 a.m. sharp!

Special thanks to our sponsors for this great event: the Town of Osler and the R.M. of Corman Park.

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Waste not, want not: A gala dinner like none other

The theme for our gala dinner, which rounds out our summit April 19-22, is all about limiting food waste or getting rid of it all together.

The menu for the evening focuses on the parts of our food that we often throw away, such as fruit peel or fish trim. While these bits and pieces may not always be the most visually appealing, they are often packed with flavour and can elevate a dish in the most surprising ways.

Taking place on Saturday, April 21 at the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market and presented by Chef de Partie Catering and The Cure, the menu for the event is nothing short of mouth watering. Make sure to get your ticket today!

To Start
Fish Cake | Mixed Pickle | Pesto | Greens

  • Fish Cake made from Fonos Fish Northern lakes fish trim served
  • Pickled watermelon rinds, pickled beets
  • Parsley stem pesto and market greens

Main
Roast Chicken | Lentil Risotto | Vegetable

  • De-boned Roast Chicken Roulade w/ Winter Freeze Dried Garden Herbs,
  • Sea buckthorn Berry Mustard and Chicken Bone Broth Glace on a
  • Mixed Lentil Risotto set beside Roasted Root Cellar Vegetables
  • Beet Greens sautéed in local garlic and rendered duck fat

Sweet
Lemon Breadcrumb Cake | Frozen Yogurt | Berries

  • Delicious wartime cake recipe made with day old breadcrumbs in place of flour flavoured with candied lemon peels leftover from juicing
  • House-made Frozen Yogurt w/ strawberry tops
  • Foraged Saskatoon berries

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