Home
Calendar
Mailing List
Who We Are
Links
Market Reports
Farmers' Markets Schedule
Freedom Elementary School Garden Program
Restaurants & eateries
Past Events
Sources
Recipes
Contact Us
By Kimberly Wright 
Did you ever think that you could find friends by setting up an informational table at a Farmers' Market? By invitation of Catherine, the Market Manager, George Fred and I bravely went out to the Aptos Market and set up a little table to let people know about the Slow Food movement, and perhaps start a Convivium. That first Saturday we learned that many people had either heard of or read about Slow, but had been unable to find out about local activities. Others were interested, but it would take an event for them to commit.
So, the next time we set up a table we had an event to publicize. A couple of summers ago we purchased a wood-fired oven from Andrea Mugnaini in Watsonville (www.mugnaini.com). We wanted to attract people who liked to make food, so we planned a Make Your Own Pizza Event to be held at our home. To our pleasant amazement, thirty-five people signed up for the event. Four were old friends, and five came from another Convivium, but the rest were folks we had met at the Market and their friends.
The event was planned for June 1st, and we got to work. I contacted Massimo Caporale of Gelato Paradiso in Watsonville about gelato for dessert. We found an assortment of California cheeses. I made tomato sauce and purchased vegetables, Corralitos sausages, anchovies, and olives. Lettuce for the salad came from local organic growers. Rucola came from the garden. GF made batch after batch of dough. Paper plates, plastic forks, but real wine glasses. The oven was lit the night before so that it would be thoroughly heated. I baked cookies to accompany the gelato
And the people came! The only no-shows were four from the other Convivium, but we still had thirty-one people making their own pizzas on our kitchen counter. Peels were much in demand; we had five, and two extra came with guests (thank-you, Karen and Carolyn!). People brought wine, other toppings to share, and an eagerness to play with their food.
Pizza after pizza went through the oven, until all were sated. Then we brought out the gelato and cookies; I've never seen gelato disappear so quickly! Many thanks to Massimo for his donation to the cause. GF almost missed out, because he was still tending the oven, and he's also Mister Foto.
And then the first wonder occurred. Clean-up! Busy hands started to wash dishes, collect trash and recycling, clean up spilled flour. I still don't know exactly who participated, but I know that 'they' included Claudette, Helen, Carolyn, Barbara, Karen--again, many thanks. I was tired, but SO happy.
