Big Slow Picinic has a local flavor on Father‘s Day

June 15, 2005

When Paul and Amanda Danielson opened their restaurant Trattoria Stella last July, the obvious objectives of great service and cuisine were part of the business plan, but they wanted to take it one step further.
“We always said that when we opened our restaurant we wanted to be able to look the grower/producer in the eye,” said Paul Danielson. “Communication exists with e-mail and cell phones but connectivity has been
lost through technology. I want to be con-nected to the people who grow and raise the fare we serve.”
Currently the Danielsons purchase from 20 local growers and the list continues to grow.
This “connectivity” is something the Danielsons wanted to see for their community as well. So along with several others (local restaurants, growers, foodies, educators and winemakers) they started the Slow Food Grand Traverse Convivium. The organization will introduce themselves publicly at the first annual Big Slow Picnic on Sunday, June 19 at the State Hospital Grounds in Traverse City.
“This event is going to be a big community celebration, a chance to get to know your neighbor. It is on Father’s Day and this will be a great way to celebrate,” said Danielson, president of Slow Food Grand Traverse. “When I was a kid we had a dinner time. It was at 6:30 and everyone from the family was there. No TV, it was our time to stay connected with everyone. We have lost that time in our country and we need to recapture it.”

ALL LOCAL
Danielson and picnic organizers also want to show area residents that a meal may be completely prepared using local products.
“There is a generation out there that has no idea where food comes from and if we are not careful the next generation will be even further removed,” said Danielson. “When you know where your food comes from and what it takes to produce it, you have a greater appreciation
for it.”
The menu continues to evolve for the Big Slow Picnic and will include slow-roasted pulled pork (chefs plan to put the large hog over coals at midnight on Saturday) and baked trout in a lemon butter sauce. Several salads and fresh vegetables will be prepared, and for dessert, strawberry shortcake.
Many local growers will participate including Werp Farms, Halpin Farm, Glacier Springs Trout Farm, Shetler Farms, Marek Farms and Jim Moses & Linda Grigg. Chefs Myles Anton (Trattoria Stella), Thomas Sawyer (The Riverside Inn) and Jim Morse (The Boathouse) are all donating their time along with others to prepare the meal.
In addition to great food, the day will also include entertainment from Claudia Schmidt and other musicians from the area. Several kids games will be available. Organizers believe that a family can make a day out of it.
“There will be plenty to do so come for the day and bring your blanket,” said Danielson. “This event is also about slowing down and conversing with one another. We have a tendency to busy ourselves and we don’t have time for casual conversation. Everyone should make that part of their day.”

SLOW DOWN
Slow Food Grand Traverse is a convivium (chapter) of Slow Food USA, a non-profit organization that works through education to end “The Fast Life,” which is viewed as an insidious lifestyle in which families rely on homogeonous, fast foods to maintain a hectic schedule without sharing good food with family and friends.
The Slow Food concept was born in Europe 19 years ago when Italian Carlo Petrini recognized that the industrialization of food was standardizing taste and leading to the annihilation of thousands of food varieties and flavors. Concerned that the world was quickly reaching a point of no return, he wanted to reach out to consumers and demonstrate to them that they have choices over fast food and supermarket homogenization. He rallied his friends and began to speak out at every available opportunity and soon the movement was born and Slow Food was created. Today the organization is active in 50 countries and has a worldwide membership of over 80,000.
Locally, conviviums, while embracing international and national philosophies, are encouraged to create their own local values.
“Besides educating the public about our local growers, we want to work on programs that will improve food in area school cafeterias,” said Danielson. “The Michigan Land Use Institute has started a program and we plan to work with them to expand it.”
Danielson also believes that when individuals don’t take the time to get to know their food and eat a lot of processed foods, not only are they damaging their health, they are not helping the local community.
“Supporting local is an economic circle that keeps money in the community,” said Danielson. “When I buy local, those business owners then spend their money local. I see the growers I buy from coming in and supporting me. Everyone wins with that philosophy.”
After the Big Slow Picnic the organization will slow down and enjoy the summer months and then resume meetings in the fall. Danielson said several activities are being planned including visiting growers and producers and seeing first hand how they operate. Visits to Stonehouse Bread as well as some of the local wineries are among the first on the schedule.
The organization is looking for additional members. A website is currently being developed, but for those interested in learning more about Slow Food USA, visit www.slowfoodusa.com, or to join Slow Food Grand Traverse call the membership coordinator at (231) 938-1811.
A great way to learn more about Slow Food Grand Traverse is to participate in the Great Big Slow Picnic. It all begins at noon on June 19 and will be on the grounds of the Grand Traverse Commons Redevelopment Project in front of Another Cuppa Joe. Tickets are $17 for adults and $7 for kids 10 and under. For advance tickets or additional info on the picnic call the Danielsons at (231) 929-8989.