Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Slow Food USA Q&A with Margaret and Salem Neff

Slow Food USA has begun a monthly blog series featuring Slow Food members and their projects, and we were chosen as the September feature!

We encourage you to check out the blog and become a member of this stellar organization, and here's a sneak peek at the interview by Slow Food staff member, Emily Walsh:

"Symbiosis between a mother and child begins at infancy when the child still depends upon them for survival and it usually starts to taper off as the child becomes more self-sufficient.  But by the time the child reaches adulthood, they and their mother, while still close, are often living separate lives that are independent of one another in many ways. 
I wanted to preface the following transcript with this idea because I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Margaret Norfleet-Neff and Salem Neff, and they truly have one of the most special parent-child relationships I’ve ever encountered.  In addition to sharing the same life passion—enjoying and connecting others with Good, Clean and Fair food—they work together.  And while we all know working with family has a reputation for being a bad idea, this mother-daughter duo seems to know the secret.  Always ready to jump in and help the other finish their sentences, they are seemingly as comfortable challenging the other to think about things differently. 
In addition to their work with the local Slow Food chapter (Slow Food Piedmont Triad), Margaret and Salem own Beta Verde, a local food project that plays a variety of roles in Winston-Salem’s (North Carolina) food and farming community.  From planning farm-to-table events, to partnering on research and the development of new food and agricultural initiatives, to specializing in preservation of the season’s harvest, the project promotes Slow Food and makes more people more aware of the story behind their food.  They’re also market managers for the Old Salem Cobblestone Farmers Market, which U.S. News and World Report recently voted one of America’s 11 best farmers markets."
TWO BETA VERDE RECIPES ARE INCLUDED AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW, AS WELL AS OUR "TEN WAYS TO USE BETA VERDE JAM". Here are our "TEN WAYS" but there are so many more! Comments welcome on how YOU use BV jams!

TOP 10 WAYS TO USE YOUR BETA VERDE JAM:

1. TOAST/BISCUITS: slather it on with abandon!
2. GRILLED CHEESE: spread it on one side or both of your bread before adding cheese. Blueberry Jalapeno and sharp cheddar is our favorite combination!
3. YOGURT: add a spoonful to your plain yogurt and granola and stir
4. MEATS: add a spoonful to your marinade for pork, beef, or chicken to exert sweetness from the meat or plop it in top of your grilled meat to finish it off
5. SALAD DRESSING: add a spoonful to your basic dressing to create a unique dressing. Strawberry, Balsamic, Black Pepper Jam with a strawberry, walnut, goat cheese salad is delicious!
6. ICE CREAM: Add to your homemade ice cream or top it off at the end
7. GOAT CHEESE/ CREAM CHEESE LOG: Pour on top of the log for a quick appetizer!
8. THUMBPRINT OR LINZER COOKIES: A perfect tea time companion
9. SCONES/MUFFINS: Make your own? Spoon it in your recipe.
10. TRIFLE: mix your jam with fruit and chocolate into this multi-layered delight