[l-r: photo by jennie cook; photo by gregory han]

this labor day, jason and i attended an eat-in event organized by the LA chapter of slow food and my friend emily ho among many other people & organizations. this was a great opportunity to sit down with friends, neighbors, and some who drove in from other areas of LA to share manifestations of our favorite recipes, talk, enjoy food, and write letters urging our politicians of choice to support the child nutrition act—because kids deserve healthy food in schools.

being a big diy-er, cook & local food supporter, this event appealed to me on a few levels. i made a butternut squash au gratin, which was salted & peppered cubed squashed baked with homemade yogurt and some great hard portuguese cheese i got from the farmer’s market. i got to taste some amazing dishes, such as a red cabbage & fruit slaw, a mustard seed potato salad, some amazing spiced apple iced tea, some spicy fruit & cucumber salad, and some of the favorites from the whole foods fresh prepared foods [whole foods was a sponsor]. i had a great time offering & explaining my own dish, and getting some great offers in return [hey, try my lentil salad! we have zucchini marmalade! did you have the fig jam?].

i love community events like this. we had a great time, met some really awesome people, and got fantastic ideas for spins on our own dishes. do a potluck when you can and share your family recipes and fun food traditions!