Enjoy a meal with Slow Foods Madera
By Joshua TeheeIn a world where meal time is only a drive-through or button push away, actually preparing a meal — something with fresh, local ingredients taken straight out of the dirt — might seem a little quaint. No less than taking the time to really enjoy it — and who cares if dinner takes two or three hours?
Not Slow Foods Madera, a group of foodies — farmers, chefs, winemakers and food lovers — who are at work redefining authentic food culture in the Central Valley.
As a movement, Slow Food began in Italy in the 1980s, as a backlash against the opening of a McDonald’s on the Spanish Steps. Students there feared the introduction of fast-food culture would destroy the centuries-old food traditions. It has since become a worldwide movement with some 80,000 members.
In Italy, the group protects its culture. In America, it has to create one.
For the Madera group, that means hosting events like the Fig Fest and Tomato’s Big Night, where local chefs use fresh-picked ingredients to create four-course meals.
“There is nothing like a great fresh fig or a tomato in season,” says Christopher Mariscotti, owner of the Vineyard Restaurant in Madera and a member of the group.
The Central Valley is one of the greatest Mediterranean growing areas in the world, on par with any in Italy, yet growers here drive to San Francisco to sell their produce at farmers’ markets.
So part of the Slow Food mission is to promote those farmers, chefs, vintners, cheesemakers and bakers, educating the public about these local resources. Local agriculture will be best served by an economy that emphasizes quality over quantity.
“It’s not just a fancy supper club,” says Tom Willey, owner of T & D Willey Farms in Madera.