pickle heaven

We pickled 'em good then pickled some more- offering snacks, pickles and pickle making to 120 people over two gloriously sun filled days in the garden at Old Stone House. Folks coming off the Farm City tour bus (run on compressed gas) having made rounds of several Bklyn farms were greeted with chilled Brooklyn Brewery beer and a plate of goodies featuring produce from some of the farms. Calaloo Empanadas (calaloo from East NY Farms!, Schenk Ave. betw. New Lots and Lavonia, mkt. Sat. 9 - 3) Corn Pudding with Tomatillo Salsa (ingredients from BK Farmyards, Kingston @ Winthrop, mkt, Wed. 3:30 - 7) Roasted Delicata Squash with Ethiopian Berbere spice rub (Delicata from Hattie Carthan Community Garden, 645 Lafayette Ave., mkt. on Sat. am- plus drumming circle, eggs, bread baking and cooking demo's) Garlic and Herb Roasted Red Onions (the Secret Garden Farm and Bushwick Farmer's mkt., corner B'dway and Linden, Wed. 10 - 6 ) and shots of Gazpacho made with cukes from Added Value in Red Hook. Cooking demo's (eggplants and okra) and pickle tastings added to the pleasure- and folks were delighted to fill a jar of their own to take home and enjoy later in the week. These are refrigerator pickles made by marinating raw vegetables in a salty sweet brine. They're not canned or fermented so they only last a week or two in the fridge... but they're fun and easy to make and are perfect on sandwiches or with cocktails!

. We'll be serving some of these pickles on rye bread with butter at the next Farm City event on Fri. 9/24 (along with other snacks including Deena's homemade peanut butter cups!) This is a fundraiser featuring a reading by Novella Carpenter, author of "Farm City" and an alt-country hoe-down with music by JD Durante @ The Commons, 388 Atlantic Ave starting at 7pm

Other Communal Table news... our next upstate salon supper (Oct. 2-3) is selling out fast- "Mushrooms and Moonshine" a week-end extravaganza with mushroom foraging, Apple Jack, and Ghost stories round a campfire, followed by a canoe ride to a tiny island for mushroom omelets the next morning...

Upcoming in Nov.- "Don't be a Fry Baby," a salon supper in NYC that explores essential oils and oils essentialness!

Farm City

As research for of the upcoming Communal Table pickle making workshop at the Old Stone House in September, I've been visiting the farms we'll be buying produce from (the farms are part of a tour during the Farm City event... itself part of Crossing the Life festival http://www.fiaf.org/crossingtheline/2010/2010-09-ctl-farmcity-tour.shtml which we'll be part of. This past week I visited the East NY Farmer's Market over on New Lots Ave, the Hattie Carthan Community Gardens in Bed-Sty, and BK Farmyard's acre on the lawn of the High School for Public Service in Crown Hts. All three of these gardens nurture youth empowerment, community activism and food justice, and the markets offer fresh and affordable vegetables in neighborhoods fresh vegetables are hard to come by.

Tooling around in my car, getting lost (poor sense of direction) and becoming found, seeing my beloved city anew with each foray, I am forever awed by the expanse of NYC- by the vast riches of culture but also by the scope of poverty and the divides between neighborhoods. Often, driving through the vastness of Brooklyn I despair the possibility of creating a more just and peaceful world. These markets are bright spots bursting with goodwill and hopeful energy, and for me, getting to talk with people I would not ordinarily meet is a joyful experience nearing the spiritual.

I bought half a dozen empanadas, tasted peanut punch and spice bread, learned about a new squash varietal and saw the magnificently lewd red seeds (?) that are inside a ripe bitter melon. I saw people taking care, kids proud and learning, listened to the sing song of vendors, smelled the perfume of sage. I realized again that in the narrowness of daily life the assumptions and thoughts that flow from limitation must be vigilantly challenged, and that a wonderful way to do this is to stand in a market and take it all in. Then take the goodness home and cook something to share with family; it is a joyful experience nearing the spiritual.

Meanwhile, it made me realize Deena and I have to totally rethink the menu we're planning for the Farm City Tour. Weeks ago, writing the proposal for this event I was thinking about what might be ripe during Brooklyn's September, and I ran these produce selections through my brains storeroom of tried and true recipes. I didn't even think to consider bitter melon or cucuzza squash or callaloo or peanut juice or spicy empanadas. What was I thinking?

Brooklyn farms are most importantly about her people and their stories, more so than about the actual vegetables. The acreage is small but the yield is mighty. Communal Table's great opportunity will be to pickle and preserve a tiny bit of it.

Meat proved hard to present:

not 'cause some feel it's wrong consuming flesh- or because of CAFO's (concentrated animal feeding operations) or rGBH (artificial growth hormones) or the disproportionate acreage devoted to corn and soy to feed livestock when the same acreage could feed humans, or even the manure generated green gas gasses trapped in the stratosphere.

For me it was because of the hands-on attention grilling meat requires, and the particular kitchen lay-out of our hosts gracious home. Instead of being "front of the house" at our party I spent the whole night tending stove.

In the days before the event Deena and I ran about

speaking with butchers- finding out the where and why of what

they were selling- mostly we bought from shops Suzanne Wasserman, our film-maker guest speaker recommended, so we knew we'd be able to get reputably raised and interesting cuts. Fleisher's in Kingston actually gifted a dozen plus chorizo sausages (thank you Jessica and Joshua!) As usual our menu ideas changed daily. I wanted meat appetizers but a veg meal that focused on the grains and grasses we feed to livestock- Deena (vegetarian that she is) thought otherwise... then I worried there wouldn't be enough and did the usual adding and adding, while D. tried to pair things down.

We had Malaysian Jerky, Liverwurst canapés and grilled steak with shredded Shiso to go with Bloody Martini's, and a Carpaccio and Arugula first course. This was followed by grilled Flanken (thinly sliced beef rib,) Chorizo, Lamb and Apricot kebobs, Grilled chili-rubbed Corn, Oats, groats and barley salad with eggplant and mint, and sliced heirloom tomatoes (to say nothing of the lemon shortcakes with blueberries and cream.) All local/organic and from what I can tell, sustainably grown... (by young white folks... hmmm!?)

The meat of the matter however (for me at least) is the storytelling. Viewing Suzanne's clip of "Meat Hooked" touched upon our collectively focused, reawakened effort to eat consciously- and after viewing, a vocal few passionately engaged in dialogue about slaughterhouse regulation and whatnot. Called to table, the conversation broke into multiple threads. We'd set a beautiful long outdoor table (and re-set and wiped it down multiple times before we all sat down because of intermittent drenching showers.) Long, flower-strewn tables look cool- but do not engender group conversation... so aesthetics aside, the table proved a detriment to the conversational engagement we'd envisioned for the evening. Missing too was Deena's or my gentle nudge to steer conversation, as we were cooking-away apart from the

crowd.

There is no doubt Communal Table puts out a mighty spread- as beautiful, tasty and thoughtful as could be- but what's still elusive is our intent to use the meal as a forum for storytelling. Pat read Roald Dahls "Lamb to the Slaughter" a masterful story- albeit long, and despite the glorious setting, fine food and flowing drink, folks squirmed; so not used to extended listening are we. Ukulele Sara sang several sexy songs about pork chops and butchers, author Steve Stern and graphic novelist Sabrina Jones shared "Hippie Hog Butcher of the Ozarks" which'll be published in the upcoming World War 3 issue # 41 "Food Chains" (that I'm co-editing! www.worldwar3illustrated.org) Beck amused with tales of raising cattle... It sounds like plenty- and we had invited each of these specific stories, but there followed no eruption of spontaneous storytelling or impromptu poems. Is there hesitation to engage with each other and the food in dialogue that shares our histories and dreams? Or was it that it's such a consuming effort to turn out food for 30 that I am missing the nuance of experience? Is this actually happening during our Communal Table salons?

Also, not to burden any potential readers to this blog- there's still the financial conundrum. No matter what we charge it is both too expensive and not enough to cover costs (this event was $55 per guest.) I bring this up not to complain, but because its interesting to ponder how as a culture we value food and entertainment, and how paying for an experience sets up hierarchical expectations between server and served. Deena and I are hardly ground breaking activists, the political consciousness we mark at table is gleaned from the populace. We're hardly ground breaking culinarians either, though our spread is mighty fine. These traits alone garner paying crowds to workshops or restaurants and underground supper clubs. Nor are we offering a bohemian basement where for five bucks cover and a beer you can hear young poets. We're trying to combine: political passion, exceptional and thoughtful food and engagement with all of this through storytelling( and on occasion hands-on making or tasting things.)

I know there's a marked divide between front and back of the house experience... I'd so love for our guests to use this blog space to offer feed-back and suggestions as to how we can combine all these experiences into an evening's salon.

With luck, our upstate NY, October 4th salon might just bring all these elements together. We've invited NY Mycologist Paul Sadowski to lead a mushroom foraging walk, which'll be followed by a mushroom supper and then a bonfire 'round which we'll serve homemade apple jack (and demonstrate how its made) and tell stories from the realms of fungi, fairies and ghosts.

Here's a list of the butchers we used:

Jessica and Joshua Applestone of Fleisher's http://www.fleishers.com (chorizo)

http://www.flyingpigsfarm.com (liverwurst)

http://www.aberdeenhillfarm.com (lamb)

Jake from Dickson's Farmstand in Chelsea Market http://www.dicksonsfarmstand.com (beef)

The jerky was like sweet, salty, spicy candy and came from Malaysia Jerky at 95A on Elisabeth St. http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/03/malaysia-beef-jerky-in-chinatown-nyc.html

Communal Table serves scores @ summer arts event; menu is luck of the draw....

Umaimi food and

art

festival,

www.umamifestival2010.com was invited to show artist's shorts @ rooftop films www.rooftopfilms.com at the Old American Can Factory www.xoprojects.com in Brooklyn. Communal Table was invited to serve supper at the Maker's Market in the Can Factory prior to the films, and snacks at the party following the movies.

To meet the art and craft of the event we wanted an engaging menu that would push folks to think of food on multiple levels, so we designed a deck of playing cards where each card represented an aspect of the food we were serving, no written descriptions of the dishes, just images or words indicating texture, color, locality, etc. Folks bought carnival tickets (3 for $5) which purchased a chance to pick cards from the deck which in turn determined what they'd get to eat.

Random selection made folks anxious... "what if I don't eat something, or have an allergy, or don't like what I get?" "Can I trade one card for another? Can I have a special deal?"

We hired two young actors (my son and his best friend!) to be barkers and they were fabulous, practicing sleight of hand "Pick a card, any card..." tricks. The playfulness drew people in.

Deena and I then talked our heads off encouraging people to make connections between the physical, cultural and political attributes that are inherent in the foods we eat. Along with 'pink' (roasted beets with goat cheese)

'green' (salad with green goddess dressing) and 'shapes' (skewers of fruit) there were cards that pointed to cooking and eating styles ('raw' jicama slaw, and 'handy' cheddar and chutney sandwiches.) Some cards that set up relationships ie: 'global/local' (imported basmati and lentil Mujaddara served with a hard-boiled urban-farmed Bklyn eggs.) All told there were eleven cards including a wildcat Joker... which lead to discussion about who decides what's to eat; how and where it's grown, what it costs, and who gets to eat it.

The Meat of the Matter

We're getting really excited about this next dinner! And it's coming right up, so RSVP fast if you want a place at the table.

In addition to Suzanne Wasserman, we have passionate chef and butcher Jeremy Stanton joining us.

Please note that this event is in beautiful Columbia County NY and not in NYC. 

Met Derek Denckla : www.thegreenest.net at Chavalla's, satisfying a craving for their black bean soup (which I usually pair with ceviche de camarones... but didn't this time as Deena's admonishments against the shrimping industry are lodged in my brain... hey, what about the poor shrimpers livelihood?) Derek's asked us to blog about our process developing the apres farm tour pickling party we're doing as part of Farm City; part of the Crossing the Line festival (http://www.fiaf.org/events/fall2010/2010-crossing-the-line.shtml) We'll be feeding around 120 folks using produce and eggs from brooklyn farms, and we'll guide them to make refrigerator pickles to take home as a souvenir. I think, rather than buying canning jars I'm gonna start collecting and recycling nice jars with lids, so save me any good ones!

Over lunch we wrestled with how pure Communal Table should to be about using locally sourced ingredients... when we catered the FI:FA press launch- we used ALL local, but spent so much time foraging all over bklyn and paying top dollar for ingredients: we barely broke-even. This is a constant dilemma: how to not go broke while embracing urban agricultural and locally based artisanal product? For Farm City we're thinking of a ratio: 60/40-ish, positioning bklyn products and produce where they'll really make a difference- but not necessarily absorbing them into everything... this is not to say we won't continue to use mindfully produced goods for the better bulk of everything we do... it's just you have to strike a balance. It's a ridiculously complex equation: money + time + labor and equally as important: meaning. There're stories behind the goods and stories created with their consumption that affect experience and action- and this is the part Communal Table gets to play with!

A bulk of our discussion was about the shape of the party... menu of course is based on the farmer's dependence on sunshine and good fortune... but the feel of the party comes down to table arrangements and the materiality of the dishes. It's one show with waiters and trays to the strains of violin, another with an all-u-can-eat brass-band buffet and yet another if we set a long table down the terrace of the Old Stone House. So many hats to wear... forager, chef, designer, actor... it keeps this work engaging even when we don't break-even.

Later that same afternoon...

Preparing for the pickling part of Farm City I attended a canning workshop sponsored by http://www.foodsystemsnyc.org/

Guest speaker Sherrie Brooks Vinton http://sherribrooksvinton.com/ gave a wonderful demystifying demonstration that has me rearing to boil up a bunch of jars! I'm gonna try beets and plums and turmeric onions, and steep the last local strawberries in Vodka- all suggestions from Sherrie's book Put 'em Up!

I'm just back from eating my way through the Hawker stands of international Singapore where each nationality has it's own market and food court... Malaysian, Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Arabic... (also European, Australian and American.) The things I fell

most in love with were fresh fish congee loaded with ginger (an amazingly satisfying and inexpensive breakfast) and freshly squeezed limeade made with tiny Calamansi limes.

One of my favorite things in the markets were booths that specialized in flavored tofu and veggies including okra, eggplant and bitter gourd stuffed with tofu (one buys these by the pound to put into broth with noodles.) We made black chicken broth one evening which is supposed to be particularly nutritious. On the whole- sweating mightily in the heat left me feeling cleansed... and daily lap swims kept me feeling fit. Also an abundance of pineapple, mango, mangosteen, dragon fruit, etc.

On daily walks through different neighborhoods and parks I saw

monkeys, giant lizards (3 -4 feet long!) incredible flowers and a

host of amazing food stuffs I'd never before encountered! Also

spent 2 days snorkeling off Tioman Island off the east coast of

Malaysia- amazing coral and fish just right there below the surface. This has been my first trip to Asia and getting a glimpse of all this wildlife, so much culture, so much deliciousness, I feel my world has opened and expanded 100 fold! Can't wait for more!!