Winter Soup Dinner, Leslie and Robin's House, Santa Cruz:   by Leslie Karst

Fourteen hungry Slow Foodies gathered at Leslie and Robin's house on a cold and rainy night on February 23rd, 2008, for a feast of

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hearty soups and crunchy bread. The evening started with a wine tasting of the various bottles that everyone had brought, while munching on pistachio nuts and rice crackers.

Leslie prepared three soups for the event: The first course was a cream of broccoli and potato soup, with sautéed broccoli florets added at the last minute to give an extra crunch, garnished with grated sharp cheddar cheese. The second course was roasted butternut squash soup with brown butter, garnished with crème fraîche. The third course was a sort of poor-man's cassoulet, made with white beans and sausage and bacon, garnished with chopped green onions. The soups were served with loaves of Kelly's franchese and campagne bread, and sweet butter from Ireland. To top it off, Leslie served mayonnaise au chocolat for dessert--a decadent cross between chocolate mousse and ganache--topped with whipped cream.

Great fun was had by all, and the last guests didn't leave until 11:30. Next year we're thinking of making the Winter Soup Feast be a pot luck, so we can all try everyone else's favorite soup recipes.




(Cheap) Wine Tasting, CLIFF & CLAUDETTE WARREN's house, Santa Cruz:   by Cliff Warren, Slow Food Santa Cruz Leader

In a first for Slow Food Santa Cruz, on Sunday, September 30, 2007, we held our first "Cheap Wine Tasting." Slow Food members and friends were

asked to bring a bottle of any wine costing $7 or less. In addition, they were asked to bring a simple dish to go with wine. The event was held at Cliff & Claudette Warren's backyard garden in Santa Cruz's Beach Hill.

Although we had a lot to learn about putting on such a wine tasting, the event was deemed a great success. Guests enjoyed tasting some 26 bottles with only 2 duplicates (no two buck chuck). There were 20 reds and 6 white wines coming from all over the world. At the end of the event a popularity vote was taken based on first, second, third most favorite. The top 5 winners were:

1. Pepperwood Grove Syrah
2. Red Diamond Merlot
3. Ruggio Nero d'avola (tie)
3. Famillia Nuevo Central Coast (tie)
4. Smoking Loon Pinot

On Wednesday, September 5, 2007, some 15 people attended the "Slow Down After Work" event at Dixie's Vineyards, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Slow Food member Dixie Rees generously opened her beautiful home in the Santa Cruz mountains for the fourth of these simple pot luck events, and the hungry and thirsty guests happily sipped a variety of interesting and tasty wines and munched on delicious delicacies, whilst chatting on the sunny deck and gazing out at the Monterey Bay sparkling in the late afternoon sun. A fun time was had by all. Thank you Dixie!

If you would like to host a "Slow Down After Work" event at your home (it's easy, as the guests all bring wine and food!), please contact the Slow Food Santa Cruz convivium ( ).


Enjoy this fabulous place we live in and its wealth with Slow Food!