A day picking blueberries.

Sunday's blueberry outing was, despite the charcoal-gray skies, quite a success. Though the weather may have convinced a few potential pickers to stay inside, those of us who made the trek had a great time. Yes, we had to wait out a passing storm beneath the shed:



Meanwhile, Bill gave us a history of the blueberry patch, with its two thousand bushes still going strong after more than thirty years. He and Sally have been tending these bushes for the past sixteen years, and, with regular pruning, it sounds as though it'll keep going strong when it's time to change caretakers again. Ten minutes each year to prune each bush - multiplied by two thousand - and they'll simply keep producing berries.



As near as I can tell, everyone ate their fill of berries; when they're so ripe and fresh, eating another one, or two, or a handful, is just too hard to resist. We weren't the only ones with that idea, from what Bill tells us. The birds flock to the patch to feast on the ripe berries, and there are so many to be had that no one seems to mind. A neighbor's deer, meanwhile, get to enjoy all of the berries that aren't good enough to sell, particularly those with bugs inside. The deer don't seem to mind, and it helps keep the pest problems to a minimum.



And there were a few occasional sprinkles once we started picking, but the day was cool, refreshing, and there were seemingly endless rows of ripe berries just waiting for us to take them. When we began picking, Bill estimated that the patch had already exceeded their worst year of production, with 3,300 quarts of berries picked so far. With plenty more to go:



For those looking for a recipe to use up some of their excess blueberries this year, here's one for blueberry-peach jam that's become a standard in our house:

Blueberry-peach jam with star anise and lavender
Makes about 4 pints

Ingredients

• 4 cups blueberries
  
• 4 cups peaches, peeled and chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  
• ½ cup water
  
• 5½ cups sugar
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• 1 3-inch stick cinnamon
  
• 4 points star anise
  
• ½ tablespoon dried lavender

Directions

1. Place the water in a small saucepan with the cinnamon and star anise. Bring just to a boil, then cover and remove from the heat. Allow to steep at least thirty minutes before removing the spices.
   
   
2. Place the spice-infused water, fruit, and lemon juice to a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
   
   
3. Add the salt, sugar, and lavender, stirring to dissolve. Bring back to the boil, and stir constantly until the jam thickens. Remove from the heat.
   
   
4. If canning into pint or half-pint jars, leave ¼-inch headspace and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Alternately, refrigerate and use immediately.

Blueberry picking - July 13th.

Now that summer has arrived, with its promise of bountiful produce, it's time for another Slow Food event! For those interested in joining us, we'll be picking, eating, and learning about blueberries at Bill Vint's blueberry patch in Snyder County. Tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday, July 13th, it's a chance to learn a bit about blueberries here in our region, as well as an opportunity for those who'd like to bring home their own for cobblers, pancakes, jams, or what have you.

If you're interested in joining the group, please contact Brian Garthwaite (garthwaite [dot] brian [at] gmail [dot] com). If you have extra seats available for the ride - or are looking for some - we're happy to help connect those interested in carpooling. More details, including directions, will follow for those who'd like to be part of this event!

Also, if you happen to have a favorite blueberry recipe you'd like to share with the group, we'll post those here on the website. Look for Brian's spiced blueberry-peach jam, as well as any others the Slow Food folks may have. We hope to see you all there!

2008 Farmers' Markets!

It's that time of the year when the seasonal farmers' markets start up, full of plenty of good, fresh, local produce! Following are three that I've heard mentioned lately; if anyone knows of other good markets in our region, please let me know. As near as I can tell, the details below are accurate, but do correct me if I'm misinformed. Feel free to leave a message in the comments or send me an email at the address in the sidebar.

Susquehanna Valley Growers' Market
Fridays, 12 noon - 5 pm
Hufnagle Park, between 5th and 6th Streets, in Lewisburg

The SVGM starts on May 16th this year (one week from today). They have a new website (http://GrowersMarket.blogspot.com) and are starting up an email newsletter. If you're interested, email the market at svgmarket [at] gmail [dot] com to sign up or for more information.

Danville Farmers' Market
Fridays, 9 am - 3 pm
Saturdays, 8:30 am - 1 pm
Scott's Floral Gift & Greenhouses, 155 Northumberland St., in Danville

Williamsport Growers' Market
Saturday, 8 am - 1 pm
Bowman's Field, West 4th Street in Williamsport

April 21st - Anne Quinn Corr in Lewisburg.

The trees are starting to show a bit of green again, and we're just one week away from another Slow Food event! The Local Action Network is hosting Anne Quinn Corr for a talk about the history, motivations and projects of the international Slow Food movement. The lecture will take place at 8:30pm on Monday, April 21st, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Lewisburg. (The address is 42 S 4th St. Please enter through the side door off the municipal lot.) More details are available on the LAN website.

Anne Quinn Corr is the author of Seasons of Central Pennsylvania: A Cookbook, and is one of the founders of the Slow Food Central Pennsylvania convivium in Centre County. She lives in State College, where she writes a food column for the Centre Daily Times and teaches in Penn State's Nutrition Department. She also runs a catering business.

The Local Action Network is an all-volunteer community group dedicated to fostering sustainability in the Central Susquehanna Valley through relocalization, or the reestablishment of local food networks, the strengthening of local economy, and the development of local energy production. Check out their website, www.LocalActionPA.org, for more information.

In the spirit of local, sustainable food, LAN is also partnering with the Northwest Earth Institute for a group discussion on food and sustainability. Please contact them if you're interested in being involved. From LAN's website:

This Earth Day Consider the “Menu for the Future”

Food is much in the news these days -- from questionable industrial farming practices, to tainted food recalls, to shortages caused by fuel input prices or competition with alternative biofuels for arable land. Given that we currently expend on average about 14 calories of energy to generate 1 calorie of edible food, it’s worth thinking about whether there might be a more reasonable way of doing things.

James Beard once said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” For centuries food has been used to mark the change of the seasons, to bring together a family at the end of day and as an integral part of many celebrations. In recent years, food has grown to represent a multi-billion dollar global industry and a point of confusion for many struggling to understand the risks and benefits associated with choices such as organic vs. conventional, meat vs. vegetarian, or local vs. global. Food impacts our lives and environment in so many ways, on a multitude of levels. Yet few people take the time to weigh questions such as: “Where is my food coming from?” and “What are the implications of my food choices?”

In response to a growing need to consider the larger implications of our food choices and understand food’s relationship to sustainability, the Local Action Network (www.LocalActionPA.org) is proud to partner with the Northwest Earth Institute (www.nwei.org) in the launch of Menu for the Future, a six-session group study guide to be released in celebration of Earth Day, 2008. Menu for the Future offers people a unique opportunity to gather in small groups to examine the effects of modern industrial agriculture on both human and ecological health, explore emerging food system alternatives, and discuss how we as individuals can contribute to a more sustainable food supply.

Slow Food on WKOK's "Roundtable"

This Sunday, March 30th, you can listen to a discussion of Slow Food, local food, CSAs and other related topics on WKOK radio's "Roundtable" program. The program will air on several of the region's radio stations:

• Eagle 107 (WEGH, 107.3FM) - March 30th, 6:00am
  
  
• The Valley (WVLY, 100.9FM) - March 30th, 6:00am
  
  
• Newsradio 1070 (WKOK, 1070AM) - March 30th, 9:00am
  
  
• Talkradio 1380 (WMLP, 1380AM) - March 30th, 11:00am
  
  
• 94KX (WQKX, 94.1FM) - March 30th, 11:00pm
  
  
• 88.9 WQSU (WQSU, 88.9FM) - March 31st, 6:00pm

You can also listen to the program online, at the Roundtable online show archive. The show has not been added yet, but should be up in a few days.

Selin's Grove Brewing Company

This past Sunday was our trip to the Selin's Grove Brewing Company, in downtown Selinsgrove, for a tour of the brewery and a sampling of some of the brewpub's fine beers and food. Steve, the brewmaster, took us through the brewery and the beer-making process, from malt to kettle to keg to glass. Afterwards, we headed inside the brewpub for a sampling of seven of the beers on tap - as well as some of their house-made root beer - with a selection of food from the brewpub's kitchen.

For those who couldn't make it, here are a few photos:


Brewmaster Steve describes the types of malt used in beer making.


Crystal malt, which is sweet enough to eat out of hand.


An array of some of the specialty malts used to create different styles of beer.


Brewmaster Steve explains the brewing process.


The Selin's Grove Brewing Co.'s hand-made mash paddle.


Copper fermentation tanks full of developing beer.


From left to right, the India Pale Ale, Scottish Style Ale, and Captain Selin's Cream Ale.

Care to see some more?

* * * * *

Selin's Grove Brewing Company
121 N. Market St.
Selinsgrove, PA
(570) 374-7308
http://www.selinsgrovebrewing.com/

How to join.

How to become a member of Slow Food:

Join Slow Food Susquehanna River Valleys by becoming part of Slow Food USA. You can join by visiting their website, SlowFoodUSA.org, or by calling the national office at 877-SlowFood (877-756-9366). Be one of the nation's more than 80,000 members to show your support for food that is "good, clean, and fair."

Members of Slow Food receive:

• A one-year subscription to the Snail, the Slow Food newsletter.
  
• A one-year subscription to Slow, the international Slow Food magazine.
  
• The Food Chain, the monthly email newsletter.
  
• Invitations to local, national and international Slow Food events.
  
• Discounts on all Slow Food publications and merchandise.

When you become a member of Slow Food, your membership donation directly supports the organization's programs and activities, working to be a positive force supporting healthy, sustainable food systems and traditions. Your financial assistance makes possible such programs as:

• The Ark of Taste
  
• Slow Food in Schools
  
• The Presidia
  
• Terre Madre

For more information on these programs, as well as others, please visit SlowFoodUSA.org/Programs.

Event calendar.

About us.

Slow Food is an international educational organization dedicated to the revival of the kitchen and the table as centers of pleasure, culture, and community; to the invigoration and proliferation of regional, seasonal culinary traditions; to the stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production; and to leading a slower and more harmonious life.

The Slow Food Susquehanna River Valleys convivium is primarily centered in Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties in central Pennsylvania. We hold several events each year that serve as educational and social gatherings for our members, though we endeavor to keep our activities open to the general public. We attempt to vary the topics, locations, and costs of our events to make them as interesting and accessible to a variety of people as possible.

All of our members are encouraged to give us feedback on events they've attended and input on what we might pursue in the future. Your help is always appreciated!

To become part of our local convivium, please visit our membership page. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our convivium leader, Brian Garthwaite, at garthwaite [dot] brian [at] gmail [dot] com.