Seriously Sustainable—and Scrumptious

By Pat Tanner

The month of July offers some spectacular opportunities for those of us interested in eating well while respecting the earth’s resources.

On Sunday, July 19, Sustenance on the Farm, a new company formed by Margaret Noon, a founder of the Northern NJ chapter of Slow Food, will hold the first in a series of dinners taking place in the green fields of Garden State farms. The dinners bring together farmers, top chefs, and organic/biodynamic wines, aiming to introduce guests to top-notch local and sustainable food while leaving behind the smallest possible carbon footprint. The inaugural dinner will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at Griggstown Quail Farm. Guest chefs are David Felton, recently of the Pluckemin Inn, and Chris Albrecht of Eno Terra, who will prepare desserts. Live music is also part of the event, which runs from 4 to 7 p.m. and costs $145. A portion of the proceeds goes to Slow Food Northern NJ’s earth stewardship and food justice programs. For info and tickets visit slowfoodnnj.org.

For those who want to learn to preserve their own seriously sustainable goodies, the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey (NOFA-NJ) is offering two Saturday afternoon demonstration workshops on canning, freezing, drying, and root cellaring. Both will be held in the kitchen of Princeton Day School. The first, on July 11, focuses on fruits. The second, on July 25, is all about vegetables. The workshops run from 1 to 3 p.m. and cost $18 each. You can sign up by calling NOFA-NJ at 908.371.1111, or by simply showing up on the day of the workshop, following signs to the kitchen, and paying at the door. For more info about NOFA-NJ, visit nofanj.org.