Home > Relish Austin > Archives > 2009 > September > 01 > Entry
A mixing bowl for foodies, farmers, ranchers, chefs
For several years now, lamb rancher Loncito Cartwright has hosted get-togethers for food folks around the state to get to know one another and brainstorm on strengthening the network of farmers, ranchers, business owners, chefs, writers, bloggers and food advocates.
The so-called South Texas Food Salon was this weekend at his ranch near Dinero, an hour or so outside San Antonio.
We didn’t arrive until Day 2 of the three-day gathering, the star of which was — predictably — the meals made with vegetables straight from the farms of several of the guests and meat from Loncito and others.
Everyone had a role, from mixing cocktails using watermelon agua fresca to peeling potatoes for breakfast home fries to smoking lamb ribs.
With a kitchen big enough to hold a dozen cooks at a time and a dining room to accommodate everyone else, guests from all over the state got to share ideas, farming techniques and tales of how they’ve made it through this horrifically hot and dry summer.
Many of the attendees had crossed paths before, but it was nice to get to know each other in a laid-back place, where farmers aren’t just coming in from the field harvesting or chefs aren’t sweating from cooking on the line at a restaurant.
Cartwright knows so many passionate food people in Texas; he’s smart to get them in the same place to harness their energy and see what ideas/projects come out of a weekend together.
(For more photos, check out this post by photographer Penny De Los Santos.)
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment Categories: Playing with your food
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By Jodi
September 1, 2009 12:17 PM | Link to this
This sounds amazing. Loncito, if you are reading this, invite Tasty Touring to your next foodie weekend. How wonderful that he does this :-)
By Ryan
September 1, 2009 12:47 PM | Link to this
It was a real pleasure being part of this. Next year if I’m still invited, I plan on bringing enough things to stuff people 2 times over.
By Jessica Meyer
September 1, 2009 4:41 PM | Link to this
Wow, this sounds amazing!
By Carol Ann & Larry
September 2, 2009 6:41 AM | Link to this
Jessica, it WAS amazing! We’ve been fortunate to be there for the last two salons….Loncito is a great host and the attendees cooked up a feast! And, as Addie reported, we all talked drought!!!
By penny De Los Santos
September 2, 2009 9:04 AM | Link to this
this is great Addie, thanks for bringing this home to us in Austin. A great reminder to continue with this community in our own hometowns. You really captured the energy of the event!
By Marshall Wright
September 4, 2009 3:10 PM | Link to this
Wonderful recap of an incredible weekend. When you gather so many passionate food producers, farmers, chefs, and eaters in a bucolic setting like Loncito Cartwright’s ranch, you’re bound to eat, drink and talk amazing things. We should all support local food in any way we can. It’s just that important.
By Salley Ogans
June 22, 2011 7:26 AM | Link to this
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