never mind

FOOD SWAP UPDATE: Long live the Food Swap!

Slow Food Lake Tahoe Board members met on Friday, Dec 16th with the Nevada County Department of Environmental Health (NCDEH) to discuss the October Food Swap that was cancelled due to a suspected violation of California Food Retail Law.   It was a successful meeting, with important information shared by both groups.  And the good news is, our TruckeeTahoe Food Swap will continue to be held once a month.  Thanks to those of you who signed our petition having your support at this meeting really helped!  SFLT informed the NCDEH of the changing needs and desires of local community members in regards to fresh and local food access.  To our surprise, it turns out that they are  aware that the current laws need changing.  We learned of current policy discussions happening right now that aim to amend regulations that apply to small food producers, CSAs, school gardens, and other community-based food initiatives.  That's not to say that food safety will take a back seat to consumer demands, but the representatives we talked with realize that umbrella laws designed for large corporate food producers are simply too burdensome to sustain small, local food production efforts.  The next step is to get involved on the legislative level to help promote state-wide and national change!  Email us if you'd like to get involved!  Let your voice be heard!

Please also check out the new TruckeeTahoe Food Swap website.  Sign up for the newsletter and RSVP for upcoming swaps via this site!

We're still gathering support: please take a moment and sign our petition >>



Why This Is Important

On Oct 30th, the community of Truckee, CA tried to hold a 'food swap' at a local winery. Since the food swap was advertised as a public event in a public venue any food served has to come from a regulated kitchen according to California health and safety code. The Nevada County Dept of Environmental Health issued a warning to the winery and said they could be held liable, so the swap was cancelled.


We are petitioning to allow a food swap to be held in a public location as a FREE community event; free from any association with CA Food Retail Code and exempt from retail or commerce law. We ask that the terms and concepts of "swap" and "share" not be associated with the terms and concepts of "retail", "commerce", or "trade".

Roasted Delicata Squash Stuffed with White Beans, Greens & Sage

Courtesy of the website 'Eggs on Sunday'.

 

Ingredients
2 delicata squash, halved and seeds scooped out (you can save them and roast them for snacking!)
1 large garlic clove, minced
extra-virgin olive oil
1 15-oz can small white beans (such as navy beans), drained and rinsed
about 4 large handfuls greens - baby spinach, chopped chard, chopped collards, etc. - washed and spun dry
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

 

 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the squash halves (cut side up) on a sheet pan or in a baking dish. Drizzle the surfaces with some olive oil, and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake in the oven until the flesh is tender when pierced with a knife or fork, about 1 hour. Remove the squash halves from the oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, make your filling: heat a little extra-virgin olive oil (about 1-2 Tbsp) in a saute pan over medium heat until hot, then add the minced garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the greens and saute until wilted. Now add your drained, rinsed white beans and continue cooking the mixture until the beans are heated through. Stir in the chopped fresh sage, season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, and set aside to cool slightly.

Now you'll fill the squash halves: first, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and grated parmesan cheese. When the bean and green mixture has cooled slightly, stir half of the breadcrumb mixture into it -- this will help bind the filling together slightly. Divide this filling mixture between the cooked squash halves, mounding it in each.*

Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb and cheese mixture over the top of the filled squash halves. Drizzle some olive oil over the top of each squash half. Return the pan to the oven and bake the squash halves until the topping is golden, about another 15 minutes or so (check a little bit before so the topping doesn't burn.

Serves 4.

*If you have any filling mixture left over, it makes a great lunch dish: spread it in an individual gratin dish, top with another dusting of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, drizzle some olive oil over the top, and bake in a 425 degree F oven until the topping is golden. It's great by itself or spooned onto some crusty bread - yum!

< Prev

Add comment


Security code
Refresh