Old Sturbridge Village will hold its August Garden Thyme Program on Saturday, August 18, beginning at 10 am (free for Old Sturbridge Village members, admission charge applicable for all others.) Is that melon ripe? Should you use that squash yet? What’s the best time to pick a beet? The answers to these questions and more will be covered in this session designed to help you get the most out of your vegetable garden. For directions and more information, visit www.osv.org.
Cathedral of the Pines, 10 Hale Hill Road in Rindge, New Hampshire, is sponsoring its annual plant sale on Saturday, August 18 from 9 – noon. Carl Majewski, Cheshire County Extension Agent, will speak from 9:30 – 11 on Nurturing Your Gardens: Composting, Mulching and Amendments. At 10 am, a children’s program entitled Mystery of the Pines will have children observe different objects in their “home” surroundings and create a story. Free. For directions, visit www.cathedralofthepines.org.
The 2012 Chefs Collaborative Sustainable Food Summit will take place Septembver 30 – October 2, with a focus on Flavors of a Foodshed: Seattle. This year, Summit participants will have the opportunity to hear and meet Ruth Reichl, former editor in chief of Gourmet Magazine; Kim Severson of the New York Times; Rowan Jacobson, author of five books including a Geography of Oysters; chef Tom Douglas of Tom Douglas Restaurants, and others to discuss food and cooking, culture and sustainability. You’ll have the chance to enjoy great Northwest food from Northwest chefs. Think Pacific oysters, Alaskan salmon, local beans and grains, apples and berries, craft spirits and more.
We’ll be fabricating goat carcasses, offering in-depth beef butchering lessons and baking with heritage grains. We’ll be discussing the challenges of sourcing sustainably raised poultry and looking at traceability and other tools in seafood sourcing, as well as deciphering the nuts and bolts of running a sustainable restaurant, to name a few details. Besides all this, you’ll have the chance to network and learn from like-minded chefs from all over the country. “The highlight of the Summit for me,†says Rich Garcia, executive chef of Boston’s 606 Congress and Boston Local Network Leader, “is the chance to meet chefs I’ve looked up to throughout the course of my career.†All of the Summit information is found at http://chefscollaborative.org/sustainable-food-summit/2012-2/ – programs, events, field trips, meet-and- greets, accommodations, and venues. So what are you waiting for? Register now at Eventbrite by clicking here.
The Eastern International Gladiolus Show will take place Saturday, August 25 at the Eastfield Mall, 1655 Boston Road in Springfield, Massachusetts. For complete details contact Gary Adams of the Western Massachusetts Gladiolus Society at pleasantvalleyglads@cox.net, or by telephone at 860-798-9383. The mall is open 10 am – 9 pm, but the hours of the show are not yet announced.
When a head injury obliterated twenty-two-year-old Molly Birnbaum’s sense of smell, it destroyed her dream of becoming a chef. Determined to reawaken her nose, she bravely sets off on a quest to rediscover the scented world. A moving personal story packed with surprising facts about the senses, Season to Taste brims with the scents of Molly’s world–cinnamon, cedarwood, fresh bagels, and lavender–lost and finally found.
Birnbaum is the recipient of the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship in Arts and Culture from Columbia Journalism School. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, and ARTnews magazine, and she writes the popular food blog “My Madeline”. Hear her discuss her book on Thursday, August 16, beginning at 7 pm at Porter Square Books, 25 White Street in Cambridge. For more information call 617-491-2220.
Whim, the restaurant at Smolak Farms, continues Wednesday night suppers under the stars, beginning at 7:30 pm. August 15 features chef Mary Dumont of Harvest, August 22 showcases Chef Joe Faro of Tuscan Kitchen, and on August 29, dine with Chef Chris Coombs of Deuxave and d bar. For more information or reservations please visit www.smolakfarms.com. Smolak Farms is located at 315 South Bradford Street in North Andover.
Join Peter Pap, of Peter Pap Oriental Rugs, on Tuesday, August 14 at the Polly Hill Arboretum, to explore the drawing of flowers and trees in the design of antique rugs. He will discuss the use of plant materials in the natural dye process; the brilliant colors that we see in antique rugs today were achieved using these organic dyes.
Following his talk (4 – 5), Peter will preview the rugs from his collection for the benefit trunk show and sale to be held at the Far Barn on August 15 & 16. Peter has been dealing in antique oriental rugs for over 37 years and is a foremost expert. He has two galleries and appears regularly as a guest appraiser on Antiques Roadshow. A portion of all rug sales during and related to the trunk show will benefit the Arboretum. No fee, refreshments included. For more information visit www.pollyhillarboretum.org.
Build the local seed supply! Learn basic techniques for collecting, processing and storing seeds from your favorite garden vegetables and flowers, on Saturday, August 18, from 9 – 11 at City Natives, 30 Edgewater Drive in Mattapan.
This Boston Natural Areas Network Seed, Sow and Grow program is free and open to the public. Registration is required for all programs and registering early is recommended. Participants should dress appropriately for weather and program content. Outdoor programs may be cancelled due to rain or severe weather.
To register for a program: Call 617-542-7696 or email info@bostonnatural.org.
The Ecological Landscaping Association will conduct a tour on Tuesday, August 14 from 10 – 12:30 in Amesbury, Massachusetts, featuring native plants and natural garden design bringing a taste of the wilderness to urban, suburban, and commercial settings by attracting a variety of birds, butterflies, and other wildlife. Join Nanette Masi for this behing-the-scenes tour demonstrating the natural beauty of three of her designed gardens. Register today at https://www.eventville.com/catalog/eventregistration1.asp?eventid=1009647, or visit www.ecolandscaping.org.
Learn from a local artist Anne Schmalz how to put to paper what you see in nature, on Tuesday, August 14, beginning at 5:30 pm. We’ll use the flora and fauna surrounding the river as our subject matter. Bring a folding chair, materials provided. Register at info@bostonnatural.org or 617-542-7696. Meet behind 1245 Adams Street, Dorchester Lower Mills, at the small riverside park behind Baker Square building.
