The sun was beginning to drop, with cool breezes rolling in from Monterey Bay, as the Slow Food dinner on July 11 at Thomas Farm in southern Santa Cruz County reached its delectable conclusion: warm, grilled Red Haven peaches (from Thomas Farm) topped by slowly melting vanilla bean gelato and raspberry sorbet from Massimo Gelato of Watsonville.

Gathered together in the intimate courtyard behind the Thomas farmhouse, surrounded by graceful grape vines, a towering old growth redwood, and an enormous ancient avocado tree, diners at the benefit dinner for the Open Space Alliance of Santa Cruz experienced directly the joys of dining al fresco on a warm summer afternoon, treated to the best of fresh, local, organic, and sustainably grown food.

Every item on the menu, from the summer Meadows Farm goat cheese, to the High Ground Organics farm green salad, to the Hain Ranch pastured chicken, Monterey Bay salmon, Zephyr squash, and German Butterball potatoes, as well as the Gayle’s baguettes, the olive oil and herbs, was either grown on the Thomas Farm or produced/ obtained within a 26-mile radius and harvested within 24 hours before the meal. Prepared by Slow Food chefs Fred and Kimberly Wright, and the Thomas Farm hosts Jerry and Jean Thomas—mainly on the outdoor wood-fired grill—the extraordinary meal also benefited a local land trust, the Open Space Alliance.

The Slow Food movement was founded in Italy in 1986, and has since mushroomed into a worldwide movement with over 70,000 members in 45 countries. Slow Food USA has also blossomed to support 150 local chapters, or convivia, with more than 12,500 members. The Thomas Farm dinner was sponsored by the Monterey Bay convivium.

The Open Space Alliance, with the assistance of the California Coastal Conservancy and the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, initiated the transformation of a 38-acre former dairy ranch in the Watsonville Slough Watershed into High Ground Organics, with its organic agriculture and natural resource habitat values permanently protected by conservation easements.

The Slow Food movement was founded to counteract the proliferation of fast foods. It is dedicated to sustainable agriculture and the enjoyment of regional cooking. More information on Slow Food (local and national) and the Open Space Alliance can be found at slowfoodusa.org, slowfoodmontereybay.org, and santacruzosa.org.

—Celia Scott
Board Member, Open Space Alliance.