June 22, 2005
Big Slow Picnic proves big success
More than 600 people feast on locally grown food at Grand Traverse Commons event
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Sunday's Big Slow Picnic lived up to it's billing: more than 600 people gathered at the Grand Traverse Commons to feast on slow-cooked dishes crafted from locally grown products.
As bright tents glowed against blue skies and picnic blankets dotted the lush green lawn, diners savored roasted pork, chicken and fish from area farms as well as fresh-picked asparagus and salad.
Organized by Slow Food Grand Traverse, members deemed their Father's Day fete a grand success.
"We were so pleased, it was very nice," said Amanda Danielson, who along with her husband, Paul, owns Tratorria Stella; the couple spearheaded the picnic. "For the first event we think it was a tremendous success, it was a beautiful day."
Families swarmed to the grounds in front of Building 50, with multiple generations sharing a lazy Father's Day afternoon together - just what organizers envisioned.
Peggy Himes of Traverse City surprised her husband, Dave, with the picnic as a Father's Day present. The couple attended with four of their grandchildren and roamed the grounds before eating, trying out the various children's activities.
"I think it's fabulous, what they're doing," Himes said.
Emphasizing local food dovetailed with picnic organizer's commitment to environmental responsibility. They made compost boxes, real silverware and recycling bins were an integral part of the event.
"This is a place where our family can drink organic iced tea and compost the cup when we're done_where else can you go to do that?" said Amy Moehle of Beulah, summing up her take on the picnic's values.
Moehle, who attended the picnic with husband, David, and their two young daughters, waited with a friend on the lawn while her husband moved through the long line. Watching her husband progress toward the food at a slow but steady pace, Moehle comforted her daughters with the philosophy that good things are worth waiting for.
The maximum wait was 40 minutes in line at one point, Danielson noted, and for next year they have already made plans to streamline the process.
The Slow Food Picnic menu included the bounty of local farms, creating a smorgasbord that included two whole roasted pigs, 60 pounds of chicken, 30 pounds of buffalo, 80 pounds of grilled trout and 30 dozen eggs. Vegetables weighed in at 100 heads of lettuce, five flats of tomatoes and 100 pounds of asparagus.
Danielson praised the efforts of local chefs, who donated their time and talents to promote a memorable gustatory experience for attendees. These chefs included Myles Anton, Tratorria Stella's chef, Tom Sawyer, the chef/owner of the Riverside Inn in Leland, Jim Morse from the Boathouse on Old Mission Peninsula and chef Rich Beichner.
"With the quality of our culinary staff and the skill there was no doubt that they would be able to show the food in the best light," said Amanda Danielson, whose husband orchestrated the event's logistics. "But the real thing was using local produced food - the best thing we can do is get the best ingredients and not screw them up, basically."
"That was what was so exciting, that there was such an interest in locally grown food, locally grown produce and locally raised livestock," she added.
The picnic also included games and activities, including croquet, 'guess the vegetable' for kids and crafts. Music and information booths rounded out the event as environmental organizations and local food producers shared with the attendees.
Author and activist Stephanie Mills of Cedar read excerpts from her book, "Epicurean Simplicity," which she published in 2002. Celebrating local food and the joys of cooking soup in her narrative, Mills later enthused about concepts embodied in the picnic.
"The whole idea of re-localizing food and food production and cuisine while reclaiming pleasures and gratitude in eating reties some of the threads that have been snipped by globalization and corporations," she noted.
For more information on the local slow food group, contact the Slow Food Grand Traverse membership coordinator at 938-1811.