We are excited to take part in the Slow Food $5 Challenge, Saturday September 17, 2011.  So why are we taking part in this challenge?  We didn't know if we could do it.  We are more concerned with eating well than with eating cheap.  In this world of the Costco cheaper-by-the-ton mentality, how could we compete with that.  We typically buy small amounts for our weekly consumption; what's in season and what we like, irrespective of the "cost."  Sometimes organic, often "local" (and local is wide for us as we bi-locate), always what we like.

We shop at our regular farmer's markets in Templeton, Torrance and Redondo Beach, with trips to Nature's Touch in Templeton and Whole Foods in Torrance and Redondo Beach to fill in the staples.  Then, of course, there are the occassional visits to specialty markets for our ethnic fix.

So what to do for our "value meal."  Well it had to be something we would normally eat and it had to made the way we'd normally make it.  No cheater trips to a big box store, no off brands and no made in who-knows-where items.  Oh and it had to include our beverage of choice, wine.  Wow, could we do it?

So not being big on the "how much does that cost" for our food items, I had some research to do for the week leading up to the challenge.  For instance, we cannot live without our Pasolivo Olive Oil.  At $25.50 for our club price for the 500mls, what does that break down to?  $0.51 a tablespoon as it turns out.

Here is our $5 Value Meal:

Chickpea Burgers with Tahini Dressing and fixins', a green salad, glass of Spain Viura wine and almond macaroon.  Our actual cost per serving, $4.91.  It was bacon or the glass of wine and wine won out.

Menu Details and Photos after the jump.

On a beautiful Saturday August 21, 2010, bright and early in the morning, a small group of wine enthusiasts gathered to enjoy the first educational seminar at Denner Vineyards. While it was still a bit overcast in Templeton, it was a clear and crisp morning in this unusually pleasant Summer we have been having in Paso.

We met everyone at the back of the large 120+ acre vineyard at a large barn. There was a small group of wine enthusiasts there including a few friends.  Faith from Hospice du Rhône, William from the Simple Hedonisms Blog, and Matt and Annie from Hoot 'n Annie's Blog along with a few others.

We are proud to have worked with the Hospice du Rhône 2010 crew to create an iPhone guide to the 2010 event.  It is now available from the iTune App store for the iPhone and iPod Touch as a free download.

Check it out at:

iTunes Store Link

Also to sign up for this amazing event on April 29 - May 1, go to http://www.hospicedurhone.org/

We have ten olive trees on our property that I have planted over the past five years.  The oldest of which is a California Mission tree with a mixed variety of Italian, French, and Spanish trees for the rest.  Last year, we harvested around 2 gallons of fruit which we decided to use a dry salt cure on.  They were quite good and made the wrinkled black and leathery style.  This year, however, we decided to use a lye cure for green ripe olives as described by local farmer Bill Spencer in the book California Rancho Cooking.

We started out by harvesting the olives.  Luckily the cat was there with us to watch for ground squirrels.