Applications are now being accepted for the Spring 2012 class, which begins on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 and will meet each week until June 5. Completed applications must be submitted by February 10, 2012, and both the application and additional information are available online.

For more information about the L.A. County Master Food Preserve Program, visit their webpage on the University of California’s Cooperative Extension site, like their Facebook page, and/or follow them on Twitter @LACountyMFP.

++ March 19 and 20, 2011, from 9:00am until 5:00pm
San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas

++ March 25, 26, and 27, 2011, 9:00am until 5:00pm–almost 300 varieties of seedlings, and if you wear your Tomatomania! t-shirt you’ll get 10% off your purchase
The Tapia Brothers’ Farm Stand
5251 Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino

++ April 1 and 2, 2011, 9:00am until 5:00pm
Otto and Sons Nursery in Fillmore

++ New this year: April 2 and 3, 2011
Descanso Gardens in La Canada Flintridge

++ April 8, 9, and 10, 2011, 9:00am until 5:00pm
Flora Gardens, 245 Old Baldwin Road in Ojai
The Tomatomania! team will showcase 100 varieties at this sale.

++ April 16 and 17, 2011
Cornerstone Place in Sonoma

++ New this year: April 16 and 17, 2011
Green Scene Plant and Garden Show at the Fullerton Arboretum

For more information about TOMATOMANIA!, visit their website or their Facebook page. You can also follow Scott Daigre on Twitter for news about their preparations.

When: Sunday, February 14, 2010 from 10:00am until 4:00pm
Where: Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia
Cost: Admission to the Arboretum is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors (62 and older) and students with ID, and $3 for children ages 5-12. (Children younger than 5 years old are admitted free, as are Arboretum members.) All general events are free of charge; the lecture (details below) is $21 and advance reservations are required.

General events will include a cooking demonstration; mushroom growing demonstrations; wild mushroom displays; books, collectibles, and art; children’s activities; a film screening, and wild mushroom identification.

Additionally, this year’s special guest lecturer is author and mycologist Paul Stamets, who will speak at 2:00pm about “How Mushrooms Can Save the Planet.” Mr. Stamets will discuss the evolution of mushrooms in ecosystems and how fungi can help heal environments. Fungi are the grand molecular dis-assemblers in nature, decomposing plants and animals, creating soils. Forest dwelling mushroom mycelium can achieve the greatest mass of any living organism: This characteristic is a testimonial to the inherent biological power of the fungus. Fungi offer a unique opportunity to capatalize on mycelium’s diverse properties in a way that is beneficial to the interconnected web of human and environmental health.

Paul Stamets has been a dedicated mycologist for over thirty years and has written six books on mushroom cultivation, use and identification. During this time, he has discovered and coauthored four new species of mushrooms and pioneered an array of techniques in the field of edible and medicinal mushroom cultivation. He received the 1998 “Bioneers Award” from The Collective Heritage Institute, and the 1999 “Founder of a New Northwest Award” from the Pacific Rim Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils. In 2008, Paul received the National Geographic Adventure Magazine’s Green-Novator and the Argosy Foundation’s E-chievement Awards. He was also named one of Utne Reader‘s “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World” in their November–December 2008 issue.

Reservations are required to attend the lecture. Tickets ($21) may be purchased via the Los Angeles Mycological Society website.

For more information about the general events, to purchase tickets for Mr. Stamets’ lecture, or to learn about the Society, visit them online at www.lamushrooms.org.

Scott Daigre, one of the developers of Tomatomania!, will teach a class on tomato selection and planting strategies for San Fernando Valley residents on March 7, 2009. The class will be held at the Cal State Northridge Botanic Garden and is free, but registration is required.

To register, email botanicgarden [at] csun [dot] edu. Driving and parking instructions will be sent with confirmation of your registration.

And… the 2009 Tomatomania! schedule has been published!

Now in its 19th year, sales will be held on the following dates:
++ March 21 and 22, 2009
Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas
++ March 27, 28, and 29, 2009, 9:00am until 5:00pm–almost 300 varieties of seedlings
The Tapia Brothers’ Farm Stand
5251 Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino
++ April 4, 2009, 9:00am until 5:00pm
Otto and Sons Nursery in Fillmore
++ April 18, 2009, 9:00am until 5:00pm
PartyPaperLife
350 South La Cienega Boulevard in Beverly Hills
++ April 25 and 26, 2009, 10:00am until 5:00pm
Cornerstone Place in Sonoma
++ May 1, 2, and 3, 2009
Los Angeles Garden Show at the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanical Garden
301 Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia

When: Saturday, March 24, 2007 from 7:30pm-10:00pm
Where: Artisan Cheese Gallery, 12023 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City 91604
Cost: $35.00 per person (excluding tax and tip)
Reservations should be made by telephoning the Artisan Cheese Gallery at 818.505.0207.

For a list of the pairings that will be available at the event, review the announcement on the Modern Spirits web site. And for information about infused vodkas–how they’re made, the sources of Modern Spirits’ inspiration–don’t miss the article by Charles Perry that appeared in last Wednesday’s Los Angeles Times.

Cheers!

A CELEBRATION OF SPRING is a special dinner to celebrate the arrival of spring and the sprouting season.

The dinner will be hosted by chefs J.B. Torchon and Peter Roelant at the Wine Bistro in Studio City on Thursday, March 22, 2007 and will begin at 6:30pm.

During this event Chefs Torchon and Roelant will tell us about some of the local food producers whose products make up our meal, and we’ll take a few minutes to talk about our broader Slow Food goals for the year ahead. We look forward to seeing you there.

Members of Slow Food and their guests will receive a $10 discount off the $55 prix fixe menu. (Dinner, tax, and service included.)

Please RSVP directly to the Wine Bistro at 818.766.6233. If you are a member of Slow Food, please indicate this at the time you make your reservation.

Enjoy several episodes of Chefs A’field, the award-winning public television program that profiles well-known regional chefs and the local farmers and food artisans that supply and inspire their menus, while sampling locally-produced wines and cheeses.

When: Sunday, September 17, 2006, from 7:00pm-9:00pm
Where: Artisan Cheese Gallery, 12023 Ventura Blvd, Studio City
Cost: $10 for members; $15 for nonmembers

Please RSVP to slowfoodsfv [at] sbcglobal [dot] net and indicate your name, your membership status, and the number of people who will attend.

Sunday, May 28, 2006 (NOTE: Postponed to Sunday, June 4, 2006)
COOKING DEMO: FRESH PICNIC IDEAS FOR MEMORIAL DAY with Chef Jean Bernard, Wine Bistro, Studio City, and Chef Sofia Villareal.
Sunday, June 4, 2006 from 10:00am to noon at the Slow Food/San Fernando Valley Booth at the Studio City Farmer’s Market (Laurel Canyon at Radford). Admission is free.

Sunday, June 4, 2006
SLOW FOOD/SFV POT LUCK DINNER
Bring an entree or appetizer and meet your fellow Slow Food enthusiasts. (If there’s a story behind your recipe, we hope you’ll share both! Please bring 25 copies if possible.) From 6:00pm-8:00pm at the home of Marina McLeod (directions provided when you RSVP). Admission/donation is $5.00 at the door.
To RSVP, please write to Melody Dosch at melody [at] artisancheesegallery [dot] com.

Sunday, May 21, 2006 from 9:00am to Noon
COOKING DEMO: FRESH PICNIC IDEAS FOR MEMORIAL DAY with Chef Jean Bernard, Wine Bistro, Studio City and Chef Sofia Villareal.
Studio City Farmer’s Market
Laurel Canyon at Radford
Admission: Free
Educational Food Tours of the Farmer’s Market available for children accompanied by an adult.