The lazy days of late summer are upon us. Tomatoes are overflowing into salads, BLTs, and salsas. Melons are tempting us with ripe richness. The smells of backyard grilling waft through the neighborhood on any given night. If there was ever a time to celebrate the bounty of the farm and the work of the farmer, this is it. If you can’t get yourself to eat fresh, locally produced food this time of year, you’re just not trying.

And why should you try? Well, in nutshell (organically grown of course), our food system is facing some extreme challenges, including, but certainly not limited to: ethanol, GMOs, fuel prices, e. coli outbreaks, unethical treatment of workers, unbalanced systems of food distribution, reduced diversity of species, global warming, development pressures on ag land, the fact that the average age of a farmer is 60 years old, rising obesity rates, increasing pesticide loads, declining resources for food banks, etc., etc., etc.

Eating locally is a simple act of rebellion, renewal, and reawakening. On a personal level, you’ll be relearning how to eat seasonally and you’ll be eating better food. On a broader level, you’ll be supporting your community by keeping your food dollars local, helping to maintain viable agriculture land and infrastructures, celebrating the efforts of local farmers to grow you 30 varieties of luscious tomatoes, and reducing the number of miles your food travels before it gets to your plate.

In San Luis Obispo County, we’re beyond lucky in our ability to eat local, sustainably grown produce, but we’re also lucky in having some opportunities to support and strengthen our communities’ food systems. One ongoing effort is Backyard Harvest, which rounds up garden fresh produce for distribution to the Food Bank Coaltion of San Luis Obispo County and other worthy organizations. Volunteers are needed in a variety of capacities, from simply growing extra food in your own garden, to helping harvest other gardens, to picking up produce.

The 2nd Annual Pallet to Palate event is a multi-pronged event From August 1-18 aimed at connecting farmers and chefs, educating the public about local agriculture, celebrating the bounty of our county, and raising funds for the Food Bank. Events include prix fixe dinners at participating restaurants (August 1-16), a conference featuring the dynamic Ann Cooper -- aka the “Renegade Lunch Lady (August 17), a gala dinner (August 17), and a market reception (August 18). For info and ticket info, go to www.pallettopalate.com or the Food Bank website.

What is Culanthropy?

I was recently lucky enough to be able to attend the 2008 Taste3, an invigorating two days of issues and ideas about art, food, and wine presented by Robert Mondavi Winery at Copia in Napa, CA. While there were many highlights of the event, I was particularly struck by the presentation of Chef Christine Carroll.

The surreal scope of the devastation to the Gulf Coast by Katrina and Rita, and the unreal lack of follow-up assistance can certainly leave most of us with an overwhelming despair and feeling of helplessness. Carroll came up with an idea that offers hope and helpings of gumbo.

While attending a Share Our Strength conference in New Orleans in 2006, Carroll and several of her fellow chefs pitched in to help with a post-Katrina rebuilding project, repainting the interior of a building ravaged by the storm surge. To make an inspiring story short, Carroll felt that she and her fellow culinary professionals could make a greater impact with knives and spoons in their hands instead of paintbrushes, and in what she described as her “A-HA! moment,” the idea for CulinaryCorps was born.

Carroll calls CulinaryCorps as “Peace Corps for chefs,” a “culanthropic” opportunity to provide frontline humanitarian aid and provide “team members with an opportunity to transform their kitchen skills and passion for food into community outreach tools.” Essentially, chefs pay their way (or are supported with a scholarship)  for the trip, and “each itinerary combines a broad range of service project partners, from farmers markets to school gardens, crisis kitchens to professional restaurants, intended to expose Corps members to the varied, vital and oftentimes complex role food plays in the wellbeing of a community.” In such a rich culinary environment as New Orleans, where CulinaryCorps efforts are currently centered, it’s certainly a win-win all the way around.

A few of our local food producers are going to be on larger stages in the coming weeks!

Clark Staub of Full of Life Flatbread will be teaming up with the Spencers of Windrose Farm at the inaugural Slow Food Nation event over Labor Day in San Francisco. Staub and company will be cooking up Windrose tomato-topped flatbread in a festive, handmade, wood-fired oven. Staub wrote that "I'll be baking Friday and Sunday night in the Hall of Bread at Fort Mason, and we will be baking with our trailer at Slow Food Rocks on Saturday and Sunday."

Brad Buckley of The Abalone Farm will be featured on the first segment on a new show premiering on The Food Network called “Will Work for Food” starring Adam Gertler of the most recent The Next Food Network Star. Brad noted that “It was my job to put the host, Adam, to work at various jobs on The Abalone Farm.  Adam and his crew were lots of fun and great to work with.  I’m told that we’ll get at least a seven minute segment of the half hour show; but it’s possible we might also be seen in the promos that will start running in September.” The show premieres Tuesday, September 30th at 9:30pm ET/PT. (NOTE: This series has since been postponed to a January premiere date.)