Sunday Supper: share your sustainable food values

Every year, we host the Sunday Supper to honor and celebrate the farmers, artisans, chefs and eaters who place delicious, ecological, and healthy food at the center of their daily lives. More than a fundraising dinner, the Sunday Supper is a place to share in those values. Your participation in this spirited event will help CUESA's education programs remain strong, ensuring that the community of sustainable food lovers continues to grow exponentially. In fact, you might just feel so great about supporting CUESA this year that the amazing array of appetizers, wine, cocktails and the outstanding 5-course meal will seem like icing on the cake. And what icing it will be! This year's list of entrees includes:

• Braised Marin Sun Farms short ribs with chanterelles and roasted market vegetables from Thom Fox of Acme Chophouse
• Braised beef shank with horseradish crème fraîche from Chris Cosentino of Incanto
• Devil's Gulch roasted pig, homemade sausage, fagioli al'uccelletto from Peter McNee of Poggio
• If the options above sound too carnivorous, each table will also have a unique vegetarian option this year!
  
  Join us for supper >

In Search of a Righteous Porkchop ~ October 29

The reality behind factory-farmed meat — cramped confinement, routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones, food safety violations and E. coli epidemics, animal abuse, pollution of waterways, enormous carbon footprint, and so on — has made some eaters into staunch vegans. For others, however, all-or-nothing is a false choice. This panel will explore the middle ground: moderate consumption of meat from animals raised humanely and sustainably by family farmers. Panelists will include Nicolette Hahn Niman, attorney, livestock rancher, and author of Righteous Porkchop; Nate Chisholm, ranch manager for Marin Sun Farms; and Aaron French, chef at the Sunnyside Café, ecologistand author of the forthcoming The Bay Area Homegrown Cookbook. A short reception with farmers’ market snacks will follow. The event is free and will take place in the Ferry Building's Port Commission Hearing Room, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

 

Soul Food Farm recovery

In the wake of a devastating fire on September 3, Alexis and Eric Koefoed have been working to rebuild Soul Food Farm, where they raise chickens on pasture for eggs and meat. Thankfully, you now have multiple ways to help them. You can buy a ticket for a raffle sponsored by Bi-Rite Market or you can attend one of several fundraising events coming up. There's a party at Pizzaiolo on October 11 from 1-5 pm, as well as dinners at Sebo on September 28, Cafe Rouge on October 5, and Cane Rosso on October 11. Read more on the new Soul Food blog here >

Container gardening class at BioFuel Oasis ~ Sunday

Join Patrick Rodysill and Leslie Bennett of Garden Fare as they talk participants through the basics of using recycled vessels to make container gardens for edible plants. They’ll provide the soil, plants and seeds — you bring your own container, if you have one: an old cooking pot, salvaged filing cabinet drawer or old work boot. The class will focus on edibles for a fall and winter garden, as well as growing organically, working with city soil, pest control and irrigation. Learn more >

Michael Pollan and Global Food Experts at UC Berkeley ~ September 29 and 30

Michael Pollan will be giving a presentation called The Omnivore's Solution: Fixing Food from Farm to Fork on September 30. If you hurry you might get one of the tickets here >

The evening before, a panel of activists, scientists and social scientists will discuss the problem of world hunger and some approaches to a solution. The panelists include: Professor Miguel Altieri, Environmental Science, Policy and Management, UC Berkeley; Associate Professor Julie Guthman, Community Studies, UC Santa Cruz; Dr. Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved; and Professor David Zilberman, Agriculture and Resource Economics, UC Berkeley. This event is free; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more >

CUESA multimedia links

Did you miss our recent farm tour and farmworker justice panel? Never fear, we captured both for your listening and viewing pleasure. Download audio of the panel here and watch some short video clips of the shelling plant we visited on the Almonds and Olives farm tour here >

Saturday, September 26 ~ Market to Table

11:00 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration and book signing
Gerald Hirigoyen, chef at Piperade and author of Pintxos: Small Plates in the Basque Tradition

11:45 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration and signing
Trina Hahnemann, author of The Scandinavian Cookbook

Tuesday, September 29 ~ Food Wise Booth

12:00 - 1:00 pm - CUESA's market chef Sarah Henkin will be giving out recipe cards and samples of a simple meal made with market ingredients.

Saturday, October 2 ~ Market to Table

11:00 am - Seasonal cooking demonstration

Sunday, October 3 ~ The 7th annual Sunday Supper

5:30 pm - Hors d'œuvre and cocktail reception
7:00 pm - Five-course dinner in the Ferry Building's Grand Hall

Andrea Akers was ready for a job. “I must have put in almost 50 applications,” she remembers. "I would go to the mall and drop one off at every store. I got so tired of seeing my friends get jobs and not getting called back.” When she did get called back, Andrea says she was often told she was too young. This was frustrating for the 17-year-old because, although she lived with her grandma in Chinatown, she also had a new daughter named Re’Naiyah and plenty of adult-sized responsibility.

Then Andrea heard about New Door Ventures, a training program that helps young people without much in the way of resources or opportunities develop job skills, find internships and meet their education goals. New Door’s current intern program serves youth who are 17 to 21 and offers three weeks of pre-employment training followed by a three-month internship, in addition to tutoring and one-on-one counseling.

Through New Door, Andrea had a choice of several work sites; she chose CUESA because she liked the idea of working near the Bay. Andrea started off manning the Waste Wise stations, helping guide farmers' market shoppers to compost and recycle their garbage. It was late summer, and the days were often long and hot. But, as she worked hard, she started to get comfortable. And the CUESA operations staff noticed.

“We became aware of Andrea’s self-motivation, attention to detail, and willingness to roll up her sleeves and do whatever needed doing,” recalls CUESA's Associate Director of Operations, Lulu Meyer. In January, Andrea was finishing up her three-month internship when the organization had a part-time opening for a Waste Wise volunteer coordinator. “It was a natural fit for us to offer her the position,” says Lulu.

Credit where it's due

Now Andrea is being recognized beyond the market community. Next week REDF, a venture philanthropist organization and funder of New Door, will honor Andrea as a recipient of the 2009 Stuart G. Moldow ‘Step-up’ Award. All the organizations REDF funds had the opportunity to nominate a winner, and New Door chose Andrea.

According to New Door’s Caroline Pappajohn it wasn’t a hard choice. “Andrea’s such an amazing role model. She’s a beautiful mother to her daughter, she’s incredibly responsible, she gets rave reviews from her bosses, she’s shown us that she has really matured and is living what I would call a transformed life.”

Helping youth hit hard by the economy

It’s a tough time to be a young person looking for work. Pappajohn says she’s seen the number of jobless youth skyrocket in the last year. New Door works with youth who live under the poverty line – many are struggling with homelessness, low educational achievement and/or have been in foster care. But recently, she says, even youth who don’t fit their population have been coming to them asking for help finding work. "We've upped the number of jobs we offer," says Pappajohn, "but we're still having to turn people away because they're not part of our core population."

CUESA has been partnering with New Door since 2004, when the organization was called Golden Gate Community Initiative. CUESA has limited hours to offer part time workers, so New Door interns are a great fit, especially for its Waste Wise and Veggie Valet programs. In addition to Andrea, the organization has had several successful hires through various New Door programs, including Josue Hernandez (the above image is from the video telling Josue's story at New Door), who was one of the first New Door interns.

For many interns, the CUESA opportunity offers a view of something new. “We are bringing the interns into this giant community of farmers, chefs, customers, and showing them a different side of community than many of them have ever experienced,” says Lulu.

Looking toward the future

Working as a team and with the public has been useful, says Andrea, who has always been reliable for her age. “I used to fill in when my school receptionist was out for the day,” she remembers. “I’d take all the calls and the principal would buy me lunch. I thought that was what I wanted to do when I grew up.” Now the 19-year-old plans to start taking City College classes in the winter and has expanded her vision of the future.

“Sometimes I think I’d like to be a nurse, but for now I’ll stay at CUESA as long as they’ll have me,” she adds.

One of Andrea’s key roles at CUESA has been to oversee the incoming New Door interns, and it’s a task she’s mastered. Next week she’ll start mentoring her third cycle of interns. "I've been so proud to watch her mentor and supervise them. She is now very much a part of the market family,” says Lulu.

Andrea herself was a little caught off guard by next week's award. “I’m kind of a shy person. I don’t expect people to recognize me – that’s not why I do things," she says. "But it is nice sometimes; it's reassuring."

This is the most up-to-date information about which sellers will be attending the market as of Friday. If there are no changes to a seller's status, they will not be listed. You'll find a list of which farmers regularly attend each market here. Please understand that there are often last-minute changes—it's the nature of farming!

Saturday, September 26

Out: Chan's Nursery
Out for the season: Brokaw Nursery

Tuesday, September 29

No changes

Thursday, October 1

No changes

Returning and plentiful this month (weather willing):
Asian pears, dates, apples, summer squash and early winter squash varieties, French prunes, artichokes, bok choy, pomegranates, carrots in many colors, frisee, brown rice, Valencia oranges, basil, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, eggplant, peppers, wheat, persimmons, corn, onions, lettuces, okra, grass-fed beef, tomatoes, melons, potatoes, wax beans, shelling beans, and Romano beans, jujubes, jicama, radicchio, sweet potatoes, greens, long beans, radishes

Winding down/limited supply:
Pawpaws, prickly pears, peas, nectarines, peaches, pluots, figs, Gravenstein apples, lemon cucumbers, dill

Farms/Vendors that may be returning this month (weather willing):
Flying Disc Ranch

Value Added and Vendor items not to be missed:
French herb salt from Allstar, Tres perros dried chili mix from Tierra, Southern style cornbread mix from Ridgecut Gristmill

Featured Recipes for September

Pear and Spinach Salad from Trish Tracey, Ramblas Tapas Bar

"Drowned" Broccoli Rabe with Tomatoes & Pancetta from cookbook author Joyce Goldstein

Sausages & Plums Braised in Red Wine from cookbook author Molly Stevens

Apple Baby Galette from Kathleen Stewart, Downtown Bakery & Creamery (September 27, 2008)

Cocktail ~ Apples to Oranges from Lou Bustamante, Hangar One Vodka (September 30, 2007)